Lucia's Point of View

Helmsforth Temple

Most of us were unaware of what was happening. Our bodies started moving around the room as if we were being guided, and it wasn’t just me. It was all of us. Within seconds, most of us had been placed against one side of the room up against the wall. A portal opened above us, and in an instant, out dropped Arthur’s sword. The old man only smirked as his grey hair hung at his shoulders past his old brown cloak.

My eyes looked down to Arthur standing in front of all of us. He manipulated all of us with great care and control so none of us would get hurt. The man even went so far us to group as all together so it’d be easier to protect us. Next to me were Aydalia and Aien. Beside them were Cassidy and Augustus. We were all so bunched together that I couldn’t turn to find Alwin.

It wasn’t until I heard that awful wailing that my blood ran cold. The sounds of a woman’s cries echoed through the room. At first, I thought I was the only one who heard it. However, when others began looking around in apprehension, I knew it wasn’t just me. Uncontrollable sobbing would echo in and out of the room while Arthur’s gaze focused solely on the old man who appeared suddenly.

“The Dragon knows you, but he’s the only one.” The man said in a raspy voice. “Not many know you were in the vanguard ag-“

In an instant, the upper body of the man disappeared. The sloshing of blood splattering against the floor and walls could be heard vividly since everyone was so quiet. Such a violent display, even in the dark, was enough to give everyone pause. Arthur waited as we all stood with our backs against the wall.

“Fuckin Demons.” Arthur muttered before he turned around to us.

Before he could address us, my eyes widened as a voice cut in. “You, Sir, are rather rude.” Whipping back around, Arthur saw the old man had returned without any signs of being dead. “I suppose that strength is about what I expected but is there a need for such brutal displays?”

Again, the old man was violently killed. Squished from all sides suddenly, his body flopped onto the floor in a wet pile. His bones were clearly shattered as they stuck out of his body at every location. No longer was his face even visible as it had disappeared inside his chest cavity.

However, this still wasn’t enough for Arthur. The body, blood, and everything that belonged to the Demon floated into the air. Arthur was able to manipulate it all into an orb of sorts before he continued to press down on it. After what felt like hours, but was likely only a few seconds, Arthur dropped the condensed blood into a perfect sphere on the floor. Almost like it had crystallized.

What happened next was difficult to comprehend. The Demon returned once again. Over and over, he came back only for Arthur to kill him repeatedly. Enough blood was spilled from the same Demon to paint the entire room red. After enough time, Arthur stopped as he eyed the Demon and began looking around the room.

However, the Demon no longer had the appearance of an old man. “Finally willing to stop for a hot minute, are you?” Middle-aged fit him better now as his hair now took on a salt and pepper look, with his wrinkles far less noticeable. “I suppose you didn’t survive this long for nothing if you’re willing to kill Demons so ruthlessly” Shifting around as if adjusting his body, he strutted in front of Arthur. “As I was saying, I’ve been looking for you.”

“Many Demons have from what I’ve heard.” Arthur replied as he kept his guard up.

“I’m sure they have for many different reasons, but I’m not here under orders.” The Demon replied. “No. This is a more personal visit.”

“You say personal, but we’ve never met.”

“Your infamy in the Demon Horde is not to be misjudged.” His voice turned dark. “There’s a reason we call you The Anomaly.”

A chill filled the room as a spark of energy shot across Arthur’s body in a warning manner. “Why did you come here?”

Gesturing to Arthur, he answered. “For you! Why else would I come here? It’s not every day one hears about a living legend’s return!” The man called out. “You made a name for yourself in the past by single-handedly leading the war against Demons. Not just everyone can wipe out tens of thousands of Demons like you did by yourself.”

Arthur’s left arm raised as he pointed it at the Demon. “So, you came here out of revenge for your fallen comrades?”

The Demon chuckled. “Even after killing Grog, chasing off Tor twice, and fending off Flare with Sulva, I couldn’t care less about any of that. An army turned to dust in your wake, and years’ worth of plans all futile before you. I could forgive all of it. Even turn a blind eye…” His face contorted in rage as parts of it seemed to change in age before returning back to his middle-aged features. “But,” Magic ignited in his hands, which surprised all of us given his human-like appearance. “Injuring the Queen was the worst mistake you could’ve made.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. If it makes you feel better, I didn’t intend to injure her.” Arthur replied softly before his voice turned dark. “Next time, I’ll make sure I kill that bitch.”

After Arthur’s declaration, a small flame flickered beside him before anyone realized it was there. A scream escaped my lips as Arthur’s ribs were pierced by a creature, unlike anything I had ever seen. The sight of the Demon was so grotesque that I tried backing further into the wall as blood poured down Arthur’s chin. A sob escaped the Demon’s lips as he turned and looked at it with wide eyes.