Raising the Darkslayer Prologue: Give me more power

"I see the fear you have inside,

You can run, but never hide;

I will hunt you down

And tear you limb from limb.

Nothing shall remain:

Not your memory or name

It will be as though you never ever lived!"

(Manowar, House of death)

The house was burning fiercely when the boy smashed through the first story window in the high grass. Behind him there was the sound of metal clashing and a woman's screams of agony. Nothing too encouraging.

I must draw them away…Mom and Dante need me to buy some time. If only this sword wasn't so heavy.

The sound of another window shattering could be heard, and then footsteps. He didn't try to look back. It was working. They were following him. Where to go? Where to go? The cemetery! That might be a good place to lose them.

Wait for us, little boy…… We want to take you to your father….. Wait up….. your brother is coming too…. The voices were luring, almost softly, but he doubted that his mother screamed with joy or the house lit itself on fire. Good thing for the sword.

Nearly out of breath he reached the cemetery and tried to figure out a good place to make his stand. In front of the Johnston mausoleum there is enough space to fit a battalion. Better avoid it if I want to hide and lose them.

But just as he set foot in the cemetery a hand grabbed his shoulder. The sword flew out of its sheath almost by its own will, and the assailant was laid full low. A skeleton with barely a few patches of muscle still hanging from its bones was right behind the one felled.

We were waiting for you boy…… Won't you play with us?

Play with you? I'll leave this task to my friend here hesaidpointing the sword upward. The blade was wobbling in his hands, testimony to the weight of it, and the small frame of the child.

One opponent after the other fell before the singing blade and still they rose time and again to grab him by the arms and legs. You guys are trying to wear me down aren't you? he said without stopping for breath.

Minute after minute the stalemate continued, until the boy, short for breath leaned against a tombstone, and the blade fell. He was dead tired. The golden amulet hung like a lead weight, and he was sweating buckets. As he grasped for breath, he felt the putrid breath of a demon. Put up quite a fight, boy. NOW DIE!!

He felt the sword more like a punch in the gut, until he started to bleed. The world started to blur, and then the cold set in.

He's dying. Our master's orders are complete. The other boy we did not find, but the traitor's woman was delicious. The demons were laughing, gathered around a taller one with a glowing red scythe. They were mocking him. Dante must have escaped if they couldn't find him. I must have did something right

Why are you sleeping boy? You need to get up and send them screaming back.

Who…who are you?

Do you want more power, kid?

What?

Power, power to slay these pathetic wretches. Your father would have done them in with his bare hands. I ask again: DO YOU WANT POWER??

Yes, I want power to avenge my mother.

Did you say something, boy? I can't hear you!

I WANT MORE POWER !! GIVE ME MORE POWER!!

Atta boy!! . Kill !!

The air grew thick with power, the sword slid itself out of the boy's chest and into his hand. His eyes turned blood red. A gust of air cut the ring of demons and skeletons in half at the waist. The one with the red scythe grinned and charged, but before it could go more than one step, dozens of swords appeared out of the thin air, and cut him to ribbons as they fell. The last thing the creature saw was the boy with a wicked grin staring at him while the blades fell.

The boy walked to the remains of the demons but dropped down screaming while his form turned into that of a demon with a blue cloak and blue eyes. Just as suddenly he reverted to a human and wept.

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As the sun rose over the ruins, a boy crawled out of what was the basement of a house, dragging a six-foot hand-and-a-half sword with a skull cross-guard. Trudging through the ashes, he spotted the remains that once might have been a woman, and wept.