The Half Demon
- Valaritas rieus dealanar, he whispered quietly, as he moved towards the door.
The sword in his hand reacted to the sound of his voice and the air around it began to simmer as it burst into pitch black flames. He could hear it, the sound of its stone claws scraping against the wooden floor inside the tavern. It was, as he feared… A spider demon hatchling!
He sneaked closer towards the door, but the demon had already noticed his presence. It released a high-pitched scream and jumped through the closed window. Ichigo got a glimpse of the spider as the glass splintered; it was abnormally large for a spider, about the size of a wagon wheel. Its body was dark grey and shone like polished stone, its back was covered in a coat of faint blue flames and its limbs were long and thin. Each leg ended in a long scythe-like claw, perfect for slicing up its prey. It landed 3 feet away from him. He jerked his sword up in a defensive position, wielding the blade with both hands. As he looked closer at the spider, he noticed it had no eyes. The spider seemed to be startled by the presence of the sword, as it released a series of smaller shrieks and started to back away. Without a doubt, the spider knew of the power the sword possessed. Belphegor, the sword which pitch black flames had the ability to devour all living. He took a deep breath and yelled:
- Reth rieus delanar!
A hollow, metallic sound escaped Belphegor as the pitch-black flames around it increased simultaneously as its power. Ichigo leaped though the air and slashed the demon spider in half with one single blow from his two-handed demonic sword. As the life faded from the spider, its body started to crumble. After few seconds, the black flames emerging from Belphegor had devoured all signs of the demon.
- Phew, this is not good… Not good, indeed, he thought.
He withdrew his sword and as he turned, he saw Kaien staring at him with a startled look in his eyes. Kaien was a strong, but slender man about the age of nineteen, the same as himself. His hair was black, short, and his face had sharp features. Most of all, he looked like an elf from fairytales. At first glimpse, one would think of him as a noble, if it weren't for his bad manners and his interesting habit of walking around town shirtless.
- W.. What the hell was that!, he stuttered as his face turned pale.
Ichigo rushed to his side, putting a hand on his shoulder as to keep him from falling face-down.
- Don't worry, he said.
Ichigo was a head taller than Kaien, around 2, 10 centimeters, so he had to look up to see his face clearly. He was about to ask him to explain properly, but then he noticed the tired expression written all across Ichigo´s face. Normally, Ichigo was energetic, confident and strong-willed, but at that very moment, it felt as if his golden hair had faded to grey. His facial features had an expression of pain and sorrow written all over them, which made him look ten years older than his mere nineteen years. Ichigo let out a deep sigh and mumbled silently, as if his words were only for his own ears to hear;
- If I don't get rid of the queen tonight, they´ll definitely come here in search for her… And then, they will discover my hiding place and come for me as well.
Kaien looked up at him, puzzled. He was about to open his mouth and ask him what the hell was going on. But Ichigo just looked down at him, his lips splitting as he mumbled a few words Kaien couldn´t recall ever having heard before the world around him turned dark and he fainted.
Ichigo caught Kaien in his arms as he fell. He closed his eyes as to clear his mind. It had been a long time since he was forced to use that many spells within such a short time.
- I'm getting too old for this stuff, he thought to himself followed by a long-drawn sigh.
- Sorry mate, I just can't get you involved in this…It isn't fit for mortal eyes, he whispered into Kaien's ear as he started to walk towards the tavern.
Ichigo carried Kaien inside the tavern and placed him carefully on a bench. He took a moment to look around at his beloved inn, which had served as his hiding place for about three years and supplied him with a great cover as a peaceful inn-keeper. In this town, he had come to be loved by all, mainly the women, which had led to a lot of hateful side-looks from quite a few men. A smile almost crossed his face, but then a thought stroke him:
- If things go wrong, I´ll never be able to return to this place.
He felt a tight knot in his chest and had to take a moment to calm himself, taking a few deep breaths. He went to his room to collect a few necessities for the journey. Although, he wouldn't have to travel for long, as he knew exactly where the queen's lair was located, and it wasn't that far from the town. When he closed the front door to the tavern behind him, he looked west as to catch a glimpse of the setting sun for the last time. He had a burning resolve in his eyes.
- There´s no going back, he said to himself. I´ll fight for this peaceful way of living!