Dreamer

9.

A YEAR AGO.

Blood, sweat, and adrenaline.

The laying of bodies one after the other, as more fall to ground either by swords being droven into them, or arrows piercing their flesh.

My heavy breath the faintest of sound, as screams of a battlefield fills the atmosphere. My eyes running through the flying of heads being cut off, by the creatures which are far from humane.

Some of these creatures flying the air with wings, as they perk on the humans battling them, while the ones on foot, battle with long claws and demon heads.

My appearance not any different from the rest of the humans, as the silver armour on my chest lays firm, and the straps on my wrist protect me. With the swing of the sharp blade in my hand, I slit through a demon, slitting it's throat and moving onto the next, when I realize they are doing more harm to us than we are.

As though on cue, the demons recuperate as they become twice their earlier number, bringing fear to my heart, as soon as they begin slitting and cutting of throats and head like we're a piece of sheet.

Within minutes, half of the men on the battlefield is gone, with my heart in pieces and my hand on my sword trembling.

No!  No! No!

They resume what they are created for, which is destruction, as I watch every of my men get swallowed or headless with each swift motion they take.

My blood boiling, with my heart aching as the amount of blood splashing through, stirs something deep inside me and I couldn't take it any longer.

With every second I waste, another man is dead.

The grip on my sword hardens, as my whole facade becomes hard with pain and anger to eliminate them all, as with that, I strike my sword to the ground, passing the power from my body to the metal and down to the earth, as it erupts into a boarding of earthquakes.

"Argh!" My voice coming loud with every strength I put into it, stirring my sword in the earth and releasing every energy it takes in me, not caring if it takes my life with it.

The earth responding to my every call, as the scared vines of trees from beneath it, secure pass from the earth, dragging and trapping every monstrous creature back with it.

And when all is gone, I find myself slumping down the ground hoping life gives me another breath to take, but not before I catch a red flaming gaze watching me sternly.

-------------------

PRESENT.

Fear.

The word alone fills the room, as I stare in front of me, horror filling my eyes and adrenaline coercing through my veins.

My legs move back on their own, as my heart pounds as though it is getting pulled out of my chest.

"How... How did you find me here?" My words expressing the state I'm in, while I ask the demon lord in front of me.

Taking me by surprise, he chuckles menacingly as his red flaming gaze dies down to be replaced by brown normal orbs. "I always knew where you were Atheena." He answers me as I only stare at him in horror.

His deamenor built and muscular like that of a human, and far from any demon I have projected in my head. Well sculpted face that gives him the look to be in his early fifties, with dark silk hair and poking muscles that could end my life with just a push.

Oh God.

"Then what do you want from me? Why won't you leave me alone!" I ask, my next question coming hard.

He stares at me, as my question seems to be funny to him, because he chuckles lightly before locking his gaze back at me. "Tell me something Atheena, what exactly do you think of me?" He asks out of the blue.

"What else? That you're a maniac and psychopath who won't leave me alone, and keeps on messing my already messsed up life." I tell him truthfully.

"Wrong!" His voice comes harsh making me take a step back. "Wrong Atheena, the view you have of me is false."

His voice now scary as my heart begins to shake the more. "I did not choose you because I want to make you suffer, if I wanted that, there are so many malicious and enjoyable ways to do that, but no, I chose you because I want to set you free to your potentials." He stops while I just stare at him not knowing what to say.

"Let me ask you something, do you believe that I am that bad like they paint me to be? Yes I agree I have created a lot of chaos which I enjoy, but do you really think I am a monster, Atheena?" He asks me as each word he says, he comes closer while I move backwards.

He stops when he sees just how much I want to get away from him, but his gaze remains hot on me. "Do you fear me?" He asks another question to which I don't answer but cower in fear. "I asked you a question, do you fear me Athena!" His voice comes louder making me yelp a sound.

"Of course I fear you! How can you be so self conceited and not think that I do. Just... Look at all what you've made my life become... I don't even know who I am again! I can't sleep peacefully without coming back with marks on my body, I can't stay quietly without hearing the voices.... Or even seeing your red eyes,  so tell me how won't I fear you after seeing how you kill ruthlessly." My mind speaking on their own, as fear makes me something I do not recognize.

"Do you know my name Atheena?" He averts my answer taking me perplexed by his question.

"What... " My voice comes low not understanding what is happening, after I just practically told him he is a monster.

"Articus. My name is Articus." He tells me not giving me a chance to recuperate.  "And in case no one has told you, but there is a tale of the strong and mighty demon king, named Articus." He furthers.

"Why are you telling me this? I didn't ask to know." I speak not caring if I do sound rude or not with how frustrated I am.

"I want you to see the reason to why I am doing this Atheena." Articus tells me as his gaze holds one thing I am able to understand since the beginning of this invasion. Sincerity.

"I could let you go and you won't know the reason behind all these and I would still come for you, or you could decide to stay and listen to what I have to say." He adds.

"That doesn't even sound like a choice you're giving me." My teeth gritting one another while I speak.

"Exactly." He answer with a mischievous smile while I remain silent with fear.  "The demon world and the Holy world never merged, but always respected each others distance, until a certain day when the sky turned red, and a rebellion of demons wanted more than what I was giving them and the way we lived, so they attacked the Holy world, and spilled blood.

The Holy world pained and who wouldn't be, especially when the opponent king didn't give an explanation for what happened, and why so, because my brother led the rebellion, I had to protect him. I took the fall for it all, and the Holy world retaliated badly by coming after every demon that lived, including my heir, my daughter." At the mention of that Articus remains quiet.

"They killed my daughter." He adds again.

"Because you didn't give them an explanation to what happened and maybe if you had, that wouldn't have happened." I intervene knowing I'm right.

"You are so naive, but don't worry you'll get to understand it all. Not everything is at it seems." Articus tells me with full honesty.

"As I said, they killed her and half of the population of the demon world and that was when enough was enough, after all I was Articus, the demon king that no one dares anger, not even a Bellator luminis (Holy One).

After my heir was gone, I learned of the prophecy about a chosen one for the Holy world, and right then I knew I had to take my chance. At first it was for revenge, but when I came to know you Atheena, you reminded me of her, which is why I gave you my mark." Articus ends.

"I don't understand....what.... What are you saying?" I ask him as my eyes begins to bulge out. Articus stares at me fully, and I knew that whatever is to come next is going to be surreptitious.

"You Atheena are now the heir to the throne of the demon world."