Chapter 9: The Three Keys
Jared
Disclaimer:
The characters in this chapter belong entirely to me, though the ideas were influenced by Lady Kazune Kikenshi's Benevolent Malice and a little Harry Potter. ^_^
Author's note:
As a result of my long absence, I'm posting up 2 chapters as my way of apologising. Sorry for the delay, but I had a little problem writing it. ^_^;; Hope you enjoy it. ^_^
There was a slight rumbling… a brilliant light lit up the interior of the cavern, revealing three keys encased by a bubble-like magical barrier. Each of the keys were pulsating with a different coloured light- one gold, one white, and the third green. Around the barrier, demons were frantically running around, doing all they could to try to contain the keys which struggled to burst free from their magical prison; failure would not be tolerated, and none of them wished to test the patience of their superiors.
"Quick, enhance the barrier! Increase power transfusion to the barrier!"
"Hurry, report this to the High Council!"
Orders were being flung across the cavern in their attempts to restrain the keys that were rapidly gaining strength. Yet these attempts proved futile, as the glowing keys burst free of the barrier, and flew out of the cavern in one accord. After the bustle that had resulted from their mad race against time, the cavern was eerily silent as the lesser demons cowered in fear of the punishment that they knew without a doubt would be meted out.
"Your Greatnesses… the keys… the keys have… have broken free and disappeared." The nervous demon stammered, his scaly hands by his side were clenched in fear, awaiting for the recrimination that he knew would come. Incompetence was not acceptable to any of the demons, let alone Diavolo, the most feared demon of all.
As expected, a hooded figure leapt up and barked out the single question. "What happened?! You better have a good explanation for this." His voice was deceptively calm, yet the demon had seen many of his kind brutally tortured to death by this particular hooded figure to be deceived- he was in deep trouble, and he knew it.
"This is not good. The keys that we have fought so hard to obtain, even going to the extent of killing those foolish key-bearers to possess are now gone. This can only mean one thing- the prophesized ones have risen again."
Nods around the table showed that all shared this sentiment. Glowing red eyes were focused on the single speaker who was still standing. The speaker was none other than Diavolo, the most feared demon of the Realm of Evil. None who defied him ever survived.
Apart from being the most vicious of all the demons, Diavolo was also the most powerful. His powers surpassed that of the rest of the High Council; it was rumoured that he had destroyed many angels in their attempt to reclaim the heavens as their own. It was also he who had defeated three of the most powerful angels of their time- Fenice, Falk, and Lupo. However, while he had tried to drain them of their power after their defeat, he had failed miserably. Instead, each had disappeared in a flash of light, leaving only a key in their place- keys that shimmered with great power- their power.
While this power could not be tapped into by the demons, they were still regarded as rare treasures and heavily guarded since they helped to ensure that the other side was not allowed access to it, thereby weakening their enemy because of this power denied to them. No matter what the cost, the keys had to be retrieved, and they were all too aware of this fact.
Diavolo stormed down the dim hallway from the council room back to his own abode. // The idiots! How did they even manage to let the keys get away? The incompetent fools.// His raging thoughts only reflected a fraction of his anger. // After all the trouble that I took to overpower them, it all comes to this. I refuse to lose! Not after all that trouble.... // His thoughts began to wonder back to that particular battle where he had defeated them.
1, 012 years ago
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A blast of red flames struck the vulnerable Lupo just seconds before his desperate attack would land upon the unwounded Diavolo. The impact from the blast sent him flying in an arc high in the sky before he landed on the ground next to the already fallen Fenice with a loud thud.
Instantaneously, his good friend, Falk, rushed to his side and tried to stem the bleeding. To his horror, as soon as he tried to heal the wound, he felt the most excruciating pain in his abdomen and an identical wound began to form on his own torso. "Wha..." he managed to splutter before he keeled over.
A satisfied Diavolo merely cackled and said, "Did you honestly think that I hadn't guessed you'd try that one? So I designed that specially for you. Before you can heal someone, you have to first absorb the person's pain and injury, causing you to be exceedingly vulnerable during that process. Should I create a wound that constantly inflicts pain upon its victim, both you and my victim would be completely helpless. What you had no idea of was that when I lashed out at your dear buddy, I continued to attack him even whilst you tried to heal him. That, needless to say, was enough to have you both at my mercy now." The cruel demon laughed hysterically. "Now... time for me to do what I have waited for so long. Dinner time."
Knowing of his intention to absorb his powers for himself, Falk summoned every ounce of his energy and transformed himself into a key as the council had prophesized. When the time is right, they had told him, all your powers will be unleashed by the ones who will destroy this evil for once and for all. A loud curse was heard as his powers, as well as those of his friends, were sealed away till the right time had come.
PRESENT
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