A Prophecy Long Lost - Age's End (RoyalxDragon)

[Royal Magick]

Alice Leland


"A demon and Hunter cannot mate? Wish you would have told my parents that." She face contorted as she tasted the bitterness of her own words. Maybe if he had then...no, there was no sense in thinking about something that could never be. What was done was done, parents be damned. She hated them for leaving her in this mess. Hated them both for making her what she was. Though the hate was empty. It was hard to hate the dead, and even harder to hate them for something she could not change.

Alice heard his command. It was a command. His voice left no shadow of doubt in her mind that she either did it or died. She could have spat a hundred different insults at him and simply tried to take him out. It would have been a fools errand but at least she wasn't someone to command. She stamped down the rebellious thoughts and shunted them aside. Snark could come later. Right now she wanted to get him off of her case and be done with it.

She reached into the Hunter side of her soul and felt her element there waiting to be called on. It was like an old friend. She raised her hand high, and brought it down in a swift movement. The sky split and lightning struck the ground nearby. Not enough to damage hearing but enough to prove a point. There was no demonic taint in that. It was the ringing truth of her words. She was what she was. That was all she could be.

DragonSlayer Arcos

 

[DragonSlayer Arcos]

Michael Schroeder

On the ground I lay
Motionless in pain
I can see my life flashing before my eyes
Did I fall asleep?
Is this all a dream
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare

Mike didn't respond when the woman made the snide remark about her parents, he didn't care for more lies, or perpetuating this one. He wanted the matter resolved so this could be over. He was tired, and all he wanted was to get back to his apartment, eat something, then sleep off the day's troubles. Then something happened that didn't register in Mike's mind for several moments. The woman had lifted her hand, and a moment later a bolt of lightning had struck the ground between them. The light and noise were enough to cause sensory overload, but the shock of power within it was amazing too.

His mind was racing at a million miles a second. The lightning had come without a fluctuation of demon magic, nothing of the stuff was present from the lightning or the energy thereafter. Not only had she called forth lightning, which had been dead for centuries within the Hunter's circles, but she had done so from the sky instead of channeling her own magic, proving she had mastered the power and could use the natural element to do her bidding. It didn't make sense, it just...what was going on?

Mike didn't say anything, he just slowly backed up and then after about twenty feet, he turned and ran. Damn, me running away from a demon?! Mike mentally cursed. He couldn't believe it. She was what she said she was. He would normally stay and kill her, but she was a Hunter. And a Demon. She shouldn't exist. He knew if he stayed and fought, he would most likely lose, lightning was the most dangerous of the elements, and he didn't like the odds of survival when facing one capable of raining bolts of lightning down on his head. So he ran, as fast as his legs would carry him away from the impossible girl with the dead element and demonic magic.

On this bed I lay
Losing everything
I can see my life passing me by
Was it all too much
Or just not enough
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare
I will not die (I will not die)
I will survive

ARoyalWitch

 

[Royal Magick]

Alice Leland


Alice watched him run. She didn't even more to go after him, though some part of her wanted to. She wanted to make him pay for putting her through this. She wanted him to feel the pain she felt. She didn't though. She knew what it was like to be tired, to run away. She left him with his own thoughts and feelings.

She stood there for awhile, her face upturned to the rain. She felt it run down her face and soak her clothes. A wind pulled at her and it made her shiver. When there was nothing left, she turned around and walked away. She didn't even bother to gather her wits about her. Demons, Hunters, it didn't matter what came after that. She didn't have anything left to give to anyone that night.

"So long, pretty boy." She whispered to herself as she made her way home, wondering if she'd ever run into him again and if so, what would happen then.

That's when she felt it, a kernel of feeling. It had been ignored while she let herself bleed dry of the raw torrent of emotions that had threatened to overwhelm her. Now when there was nothing left, and the danger had passed it had surfaced again. There was something odd in all of this. Something she couldn't put her finger on and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that this wasn't the end of it. Not by a long shot.

DragonSlayer Arcos

 

[DragonSlayer Arcos]

Michael Schroeder

On the ground I lay
Motionless in pain
I can see my life flashing before my eyes
Did I fall asleep?
Is this all a dream
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare

Mike made it home quickly and from there he tried to think everything through. It didn't go as planned, as he somehow managed to fall asleep rather quickly.

(Time skip, three days, time 9PM, weather cold)

It was late and Mike was splattered with more grease than he thought was possible, it's scent filling his nose and occasionally making his gag. It was a clear night, but near freezing and Mike hugged his arms against his sides and tried to keep warm. Since meeting the strange girl, there had been no demon attacks, which was incredibly strange. Mike didn't know what was happening, but he didn't mind not have to kill every single day. He was halfway home when he heard grunts and cries of pain. Wondering what was going on, Mike headed in the direction of the sounds.

Arriving at the entrance to the alley, Mike saw three things. One was that two demons were on the ground being assaulted by Hunters, another was that the Hunters weren't trying to kill the demons, nor were they using their elements. Lastly, the Hunters seemed to be asking questions of the demons, and if the answers weren't satisfactory, they beat them more. For some reason this mad Mike mad. Sure, killing demons was the natural thing for Hunters to do, it was what they were created to do. But torturing them? He didn't agree with that.

Then the cries of pain stopped and a Hunter killed both demons with fire once he had gained the information he wanted. Mike ducked out and ran flat out, using his training to help suppress the noise. Around a corner and half a mile thereafter, Mike finally came to a stop, his breathing ragged. They want a demon, one that is special and unique. But why? Why would that demon be important? Mike wonders to himself, then continues on to his apartment building. Then something clicked in his head and Mike remembered one of the Hunter's voices had belonged to someone he knew. An old enemy of his. That knowledge fueled him to think more. A demon of two worlds but part of neither? What did that mean? Mike wondered.

On this bed I lay
Losing everything
I can see my life passing me by
Was it all too much
Or just not enough
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare
I will not die (I will not die)
I will survive

(If you choose to have a run in with the Hunters, please don't reveal both sides of your power just yet, either one or the other.)

ARoyalWitch

 

[Royal Magick]

Alice Leland



Days had gone by with nothing of interest happening, probably because she had kept her head down and to herself. However the pantry was bare and she needed to get groceries or she'd soon find herself starving. Bundled up with a long winter coat, scarf and fuzzy boots, she made her way out into the evening hoping the peace she had the last couple days would last.

It never did.

Walking down the street she found something catching her interest. Upon further inspection she heard demanding voices and shrieks of pain. Her heart stopped in her chest. Her eyes grew wide as the screams stopped and she heard two Hunters talking to themselves. Fear ran icy fingers down her spine. This is not what she needed.

Holding her coat tighter to her body she walked as quick as she dared down the street, noticing that someone was ahead of her. Maybe she could blend in. She pulled her aura about her tight as well, hoping that they wouldn't notice.

"Hey, you there!" One of the Hunters called. "We want to talk to you." The other Hunter leaned in and began to talk in whispers as they began to walk towards Alice.

Damn. She pretended she didn't hear them and tried not to walk quicker as to arouse too much suspicion. She felt her heart hammering in her throat and she wondered if she could pass herself off as a Hunter or if they, like the man from the other day, would sense the demonic taint in her.

She closed her eyes for a minute and said a silent prayer that today she be lucky. Just this one.

DragonSlayer Arcos

 

[DragonSlayer Arcos]

Michael Schroeder

On the ground I lay
Motionless in pain
I can see my life flashing before my eyes
Did I fall asleep?
Is this all a dream
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare

A text alert came through Mike's phone and he pulled it out to see that his roomie had sent a small list of items they needed. He shrugged and pocketed the phone and turned around with some muttered curses. This was how it normally went, he would be close to home and Erik would send him the other way, it was like he had freaking radar or something. Down the street, Mike heard someone call out and he saw two men following behind a woman. He didn't like the vibe he was getting from the two men at all.

Walking faster he got closer to the men. Immediately he recognized them as the Hunters from before. Dread flooded Mike's heart, but he didn't know why they were following the girl. He couldn't sense anything from her that would entice their notice. "Maybe she isn't interested, guys." Mike says.

The two Hunters whirl around to see who had spoken and see notice Mike instantly. "Well, look who it is, the Hunter reject. Run along, we have work to do" One of them says, moving to shove Mike away from them.

Mike takes a step back to gain a sturdy stance, then snatches one of the Hunter's arms with his hand and twists it at an awkward angle, causing the Hunter to lean in and expose his throat long enough for Mike to grab a dagger and bring it to the man's neck, pressing it against the skin hard enough to cause pain but not break the skin. "And what work would two Hunter's be doing following some poor girl around? I thought you two were bed playmates?" Mike says. As he does the other Hunter slashes his hand through the air, and a stream of green and silver fire shoots towards Mike's head. Instinctual habit from training allows Mike to dodge the attack by only by releasing the captive Hunter. "Using your element in public, you really are an idiot, Sam." Mike hisses through clenched teeth, and grabs his other dagger, ready to square off against two accomplished Hunters even if his brain is telling him to stop.

On this bed I lay
Losing everything
I can see my life passing me by
Was it all too much
Or just not enough
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare
I will not die (I will not die)
I will survive

ARoyalWitch

 

[Royal Magick]

Alice Leland


Well that escalated quickly.

Alice barely had time to register what was going on when it suddenly became a show down. Her brain caught up and she realized the man who had stepped in to stop the two Hunters was the same man as the other day. Did he recognize her? Probably not. She was bundled to the point of being a walking ball of fluff. She wondered if he had recognized her if he still would have stepped in. Probably not.

She froze in place, making it look like it was out of fear rather than out of the indecision she felt. Half of her wanted to use that moment to run. It would keep her out of trouble and prevent them from finding out who and what she was. On the other hand he was going against what looked like two accomplished Hunters. It wasn't a fair fight and it was a fight he started to help her. She hated having a conscience.

Alice startled when she saw one of the Hunters use his element out in the open like this, and against another one of his kind. As far as she remembered from back when that was her world to be in, that was a major no-no. She used this to skitter behind the man from before. She looked at the two Hunters and sized them up. If they worked together they could probably take them, but she didn't want to use either of element or her magic.

Thankfully her daggers sat in their sheathes against the small of her back. She could reach in and pull them out if need be. With her scarf and coat against her lips her voice came out muffled. "Thank you." She said as she got to his back.

Her dark eyes glittered in anger as she looked at them. Always had to be some jerk, or in this case jerks, that had to ruin her night. Never a dull moment though.

DragonSlayer Arcos

 

[DragonSlayer Arcos]

Michael Schroeder

On the ground I lay
Motionless in pain
I can see my life flashing before my eyes
Did I fall asleep?
Is this all a dream
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare

The girl didn't run away like he thought she would when one of the Hunters released his element. Instead she came to stand behind him, keeping a guard for him, which was interesting. When she spoke, Mike thought he recognized the voice, but he couldn't be sure and frankly, he had other things on his mind at the moment.

"What's this, you have a girl protecting you now?" The first Hunter mocked, "I bet your daddy will love to hear about this." And as the left word left his mouth he jabbed both hands into his back pockets and came back with small blades, which he threw with incredible speed and accuracy. "We don't need elements to teach you a lesson, boy." The Hunter whispers.

Mike barely has time to react to the knives as they are thrown, using his daggers to knock them out of the air with practiced but slightly rushed efficiency. However, one of the knives had been thrown a second later than the others, and was a darker color, making it harder to see. The knife embedded itself in his left shoulder with a snick and Mike grunted in pain but resisted the urge to pull the knife out. Again knives were launched, and again Mike missed one, this time the knife in the abdomen. The pain wasn't the best, but the injuries weren't lethal...yet. "How are you doing back there?" He calls over his shoulder.

On this bed I lay
Losing everything
I can see my life passing me by
Was it all too much
Or just not enough
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare
I will not die (I will not die)
I will survive

ARoyalWitch

 

[Royal Magick]

Alice Leland


She gasped as she saw the blades embed in his flesh. She wanted to reach out and touch him, a knee jerk reaction to seeing someone hurt. She jerked her hand back, not wanting to make things worse without being able to see where the blades had sunk in and how bad the wounds were.

Instead she moved from behind him to beside him and took out one of her daggers. No more time to be subtle. He was hurt and she needed to step up to the plate. She hefted the blade into her hand before with a deft flick left it in the shoulder of the dominant hand of one of the Hunters. Let's see him flick blades now. Jerk.

She hazard a quick glance his way. "I'm fine. Are you okay?" He could be mad at her. He could be disgusted that the abomination had showed up to help. She didn't care. She wouldn't let him die because of her. No one was going to die again because of her. Not as long as she could help it.

She didn't even care if these Hunters saw what she was anymore. She'd kill them if necessary. She dropped down to a fighting stance and made sure she was close enough to protect the man from the other day. Well this was definitely going to be interesting.

DragonSlayer Arcos

 

[DragonSlayer Arcos]

Michael Schroeder

On the ground I lay
Motionless in pain
I can see my life flashing before my eyes
Did I fall asleep?
Is this all a dream
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare

The way the fight was going, it didn't seem like he was going to be standing on his feet much longer. That was when the woman came to his side and skewered the Hunter in front of him through the shoulder with a dagger, even managing to catch his hand in the process. She seemed to worry about him, though he didn't know why, but when he saw her eyes for some reason his mind flashed back to the crazy girl in the alleyway a few days ago, and it was then he noticed the faint taint of demonic energy coursing up and down his spine. He didn't have time to worry about it, for her distraction was all he needed. He pivoted on his heel and swung around, using his momentum, he threw one of his daggers with all of his might at the other Hunter. The dagger caught him in his shoulder like his friend and he screamed out in pain.

"Come on, we gotta go." Mike says to the girl, and then dashes away from the scene, not looking back to see if the girl is following him. Did I just save a demon?" Mike wonders to himself as he runs down the street and turns around a corner. The knives in his body cause him a decent amount of pain, but he had suffered worse. However, the movement has caused the injuries to worsen, and blood was starting to soak through his clothes.

On this bed I lay
Losing everything
I can see my life passing me by
Was it all too much
Or just not enough
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare
I will not die (I will not die)
I will survive

ARoyalWitch

 

[Royal Magick]

Alice Leland


She was about to really lay into the Hunters when she heard him. Alice didn't question him. She sheathed her remaining dagger and turned heel and ran after him. What a day.

She it didn't take much effort to keep up with him. He was injured after all and after a glance to see blood soaking his clothes she knew that it wouldn't be long before he probably wouldn't be able to run anymore. "My place is down the block. We need to take care of those before you bleed to death."

How he managed to stay up despite the blades in his body, she had no idea. Colored her impressed but she had to give it to him, he was tough as hell to do so. She wondered what life had done to make him this way, but it wasn't any of her business. She hoped he would at least let her attempt to pay him back. He was injured because of her after all. At least, she'd try to, if he didn't end up running away from her again.

DragonSlayer Arcos

 

[DragonSlayer Arcos]

Michael Schroeder

On the ground I lay
Motionless in pain
I can see my life flashing before my eyes
Did I fall asleep?
Is this all a dream
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare

When the girl said that they needed to take care of his injuries, he grunted. He knew his condition wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either. "Why would you help me?" Mike asks, his face turned down the street away from her. Some many thoughts were running through his head. He had helped a demon, protected her from Hunters. His own people. He hadn't known it was the girl before, otherwise he wouldn't have interfered. Or would he? He didn't know, but something in the back of his head told him he would still be in this mess if he had known who he was trying to save.

"No. I can take care of myself without your demon magic." Mike says and turns away from her and begins to walk down the street towards his place. He then stops and looks to the sky, heaving a deep breath. "Those Hunters may be incapacitated at the moment but there will be others around shortly, I bet. Could be dangerous for you..." Mike says, struggling with himself, then finally he finishes what he was going to say. "It is safe there, come if you wish. Consider it my thanks for the help." Mike says, then continues on his way, if she came with him or not, it was her choice.

On this bed I lay
Losing everything
I can see my life passing me by
Was it all too much
Or just not enough
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare
I will not die (I will not die)
I will survive

ARoyalWitch

 

[Royal Magick]

Alice Leland


Was he inviting her to his place? Did he know who she was? She decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth in there. Instead she hurried after him, biting her lip underneath her scarf. Was she walking into the lion's den instead? She didn't want to leave him in this condition. She at least wanted to make sure he was okay. Alice owed him as much.

She kept a step behind him and kept alert in case anyone else decided to show up and ambush them. He wasn't in any condition to fight, so she had to make sure she was. She had barely paid attention to the direction they were going but apparently it wasn't too far, thankfully. She didn't enjoy the idea of having to carry him if he got bad enough that he couldn't walk anymore. "Thank you."

DragonSlayer Arcos

 

[DragonSlayer Arcos]

Michael Schroeder

On the ground I lay
Motionless in pain
I can see my life flashing before my eyes
Did I fall asleep?
Is this all a dream
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare

Mike doesn't respond to the girl's thanks, but keeps walking, making sure to keep his bearings in case a demon or another Hunter were to show up. Nothing of interest happens, and they arrive at the building quickly. It is a classical red brick building, five stories tall and well maintained. Mike walks up the steps and pulls out his keys, unlocks the front door and enters, holding the door open for the girl. After that, he closes it and heads towards a stairwell and begins to climb. After four floors, Mike exits on the fifth floor, and heads to the only visible door, to which he unlocks and enters, once again holding the door for the girl.

The apartment is very large and well furnished, easily described as a penthouse. Mike drops his keys in a bowl by the door and heads to the kitchen. There he grabs a dish towel and looks at the girl. "This won't be pretty." He warns, and then reaches up and grabs the first knife. With a grimace and a grunt, he pulls it free and drops the knife into the sink, then applies the towel over the wound, he then repeats the process with his shoulder wound, using both hands to stanch the bleeding. "If you do want to help, the first aid kit is in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, third door on the right down the hallway." Mike says, using an elbow to turn on the facet to get rid of the blood.

On this bed I lay
Losing everything
I can see my life passing me by
Was it all too much
Or just not enough
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare
I will not die (I will not die)
I will survive

ARoyalWitch

 

[Royal Magick]

Alice Leland


She followed him quickly inside and had to gawk for a second at his nice place. Man, she wished her place was as nice. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and followed him into the kitchen. He warned her about how it wasn't going to be pretty but she knew how bad it was going to be. It wasn't the first time she had watched this before. Though she winced as he pulled one of the daggers free and as her gave a twinge of sympathy pain.

"The third door on the right. Got it." She repeated before heading down the hallway to the bathroom. She managed to find the first aid kit fairly quick and immediately started to head back. She headed right back into the kitchen and set the kit on the counter. She opened it up and took stock of what he had.

She had to admit it was a fairly extensive kit. Alice had one like it at her place. She rolled up her sleeves, refusing to take off her coat or scarf for fear of how he'd react if he saw her. She still swore he had no idea who he was dealing with. She looked over at his wounds and started to go through the motions of cleaning it for him.

DragonSlayer Arcos