Chapter Three: Prisoner of Fate
A/N: Aha… I am so sorry for the delay, but chapter three is here! I've been sick for awhile but I'm fully recovered… well, almost…. Still have some headaches and whatnot to work out, but oh well, you know? Anyway, let's begin!
It was too dark to see, but she could hear footsteps. There were three people approaching her cell. One of them had to be Cerberus, the three-headed dog who'd caught her at the gates. His steps were extremely heavy even in his human form.
"So, how's our little prisoner?"
"The angel? She wouldn't stop screaming at first, but since she hasn't eaten for a while, she quieted down really fast."
"A while? You caught her this morning."
"Well, yeah, but she didn't have anything with her when I found her, and it's a week's trip between Heaven and Hell. She wouldn't be this weak in just one day."
The lock clicked and the ancient door swung open, spilling light across the room. The angel's wings immediately shielded her from the sudden brightness.
"Well, isn't that cute? Light can hurt an angel's eyes, too."
"…Where's… ter?" the angel whispered.
"I can't hear you, little girl."
The wings opened slowly to reveal a pale, shaking girl. Her short brown hair was flat on one side, as if she'd slept on it, and her face was stained with dried tears and dirt.
"Where's my sister?"
The room filled with echoes of Lucifer's laughter. He smiled down at the angel.
"You too really do look alike. I wonder if you taste the same."
The girl's eyes widened; fresh tears sprung from the corner of each. She opened her mouth as if to scream, but only choked sobs came out. She gasped silently and shook with every breath. Jumbled words flew her lips, but no one could make out what she was saying.
Still in her fit of misery, the angel managed to stumble to her feet, her wings keeping her balanced. She waited only a moment before flinging herself at Lucifer's throat.
"To protect the innocent, we stray from path. Evil being, feel the Angel's wrat—"
"I can't allow you to do that," someone said, stepping into the room. He grabbed the girl by her hair and swung her across the room.
A sickening crack sounded when she hit the wall. Her body twitched involuntarily on the floor, but she did not stand up again.
Lucifer eyed the girl wearily before turning to his general. His blond hair curled around the nape of his neck as he leaned against the wall. His cold blue eyes bore into the depths of Dark's soul.
"It seems you've taken a liking to this girl, Dark. Why else would you save her?"
Dark swallowed the frantic apologies his brain begged to spew. He stared at the open doorway where Cerberus stood, watching him curiously.
"I was just… doing my job."
"Your job is to lead my army to victory. That doesn't include helping an angel foolish enough to try to attack me."
"My lord…" Dark stalled, waiting for a good excuse to cross his mind, "I… She might have hurt you."
Lucifer scoffed.
"I'm the king of Hell. A weak angel like that couldn't hurt me. Or do I need to remind you of my strength again, general?"
"No need," Dark whispered, clutching his left arm. He stared down at Lucifer's feet, willing away the horrible memories. "I know very well how strong you are. I was just worried. I- I couldn't stand the thought of her harming you."
"It always escapes my mind how loyal you are to me. 'To the point of stupidity.' Don't let this incident repeat itself, Dark."
"Yes, my lord," Dark answered, bowing deeply in acknowledgement. He gazed at the crumbled body across the room. A sigh fluttered from his lips.
"… It's rare to see you so attached to anything. If you like the thing so much, I'll just give it to you. I have no need for it, and I don't want it down here. It'd be too much trouble. So, take it. A gift for your loyalty."
"My lord—"
"Address me as Lucifer."
Dark cleared his throat to hide his shock. No one except God himself had actually called Lucifer by his real name and lived.
"My lor… Lucifer, it is… and always be, as you wish."
Dark forced himself to kneel before the king. He could feel Lucifer's gaze follow his every move. When he dared to look up, Lucifer smirked and turned back to the door.
"Enjoy the present, Dark. But I still expect you at the banquet tonight, so don't get too carried away. And maybe if you train it, I'll allow that thing to dine with us sometime… on a leash, of course."
When the door to the stairwell closed shut, Dark turned to the unconscious form on the ground. Judging from the sound when she hit the wall, he'd probably broken something.
"You seriously gonna kept that thing, Dark?"
Dark glanced at the nervous boy by the door. His shaggy black hair was tied back neatly with a band, and his guard uniform was pristine— the complete opposite of his character. Everyone knew Cerberus only wore his uniform like that when Lucifer was around. He was a happy and carefree kid. It always amazed Dark how fast the boy changed when he needed to. Sometimes, Dark really believed the kid's act at being monstrous and vengeful, but one look at that kid in human form always set him straight.
"I mean I know the king gave it to you and all, but won't it be dangerous?"
Dark smirked. It was his turn to act.
"What? I think it's kinda cute when it's knocked out."
"…nng," the girl mumbled, her legs twisting in the sheets. Sweat dripped from every limb. It was incredibly hot. The heat beat against her skin relentless. But the worst was the pain.
It was a creature of its own. Throbbing, slithering throughout every muscle, every nerve... it curled its long nails slowly into her back, pressing harder and harder as the seconds went by. When the pain was too great, she tried to turn on her side. A slice of pain rippled up her spine, right as a strong hand thrust her back down.
"Stop moving, idiot. You're making it worse."
The angel's eyes fluttered open at the sound of a voice.
"Who… are you?"
Dark frowned.
"Shouldn't I be asking that? Be lucky I stepped in back there. Lucifer would have killed you in a heartbeat."
"Step in?" the angel pondered. She remembered seeing the flash of purple and faintly hearing her own bones crack. "You're the one who threw me against a wall and… ouch… broke my wing."
"That's why I told you to stop moving. I'll bandage it up."
"You're a demon."
Dark chuckled from across the room.
"What gave it away? Was it the hair?"
"No, I-I mean you're a demon. I'm an angel. Why are you helping me?"
Dark stared at her. His piercing gaze traveled far into her confused one. When he spoke, there was no emotion in his voice.
"I own you. Lucifer gave you to me. He said it was a gift."
"It?" the angel screeched, "I am not an object, demon. Don't you dare treat me like one! No one owns me nor can anyone give me away like a cheap prize."
"…Dark."
"Excuse me?"
"My name isn't demon; it's Dark. And before you go off on another little rant about your rights, remember where you are, little angel. Hell. You are in the darkest depths of Hell, and you are trapped. Keep that mouth shut or you'll also be dead. Then, we'll see if you really taste like your sis—"
Dark stopped when the red haze blurred his sight. Anger boiled eagerly beneath his skin. He held his breath until the sensation passed. Violence was in his blood. And if he wasn't careful, he'd transform… that would be trouble.
"…A-are you really… the Dark?"
"What do you mean the Dark? I wasn't aware there was more than one."
Dark glared at the angel, the anger quickly resurfacing. He gripped his left arm, feeling the scales prick through his skin.
The angel whimpered under his gaze, but she refused to look away.
"Y…you didn't know? Y-you're a legend. The angels always… talk about you in heaven. T-there's not a single one who hasn't heard of Dark, Lucifer's second in command and… ouch!"
The angel shuddered as she tried to sit up, the pain slicing through her frail body.
"Stop moving! Geez, don't you ever listen? …I'm going to get something to bandage your wing, so… just don't move."
The angel winced as she rested her head against the soft pillow again. When Dark left the room, she closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Had anyone noticed she was gone? It'd been an impulsive decision to come here. Should she have told someone? Did it even matter now? Risa was dead. Had she suffered? Had her soul found its way back to heaven? Or could she not find the light so far down in Hell?
"So, what's your name?"
The angel blinked back to the present. Dark was sitting on the end of the bed, a long white cloth in hand.
"Uh… Riku."
"Hmm… okay, Riku, can you sit up? I just need to bandage that wing of yours; then, you can get some rest."
Riku stared at him in amazement, but complied. This was not her vision of the merciless, crazed leader of Hell's Army. If it wasn't for the sharp nails and pitch black wings, she would never have guessed this man to even be a demon.
"All right! You can lie back... oh, shit! I have to go. The banquet is about to start. Lucifer will be pissed if I'm late. Uh… I'll bring back something for you to eat, okay?"
Riku opened her mouth to answer, but her eyes blurred suddenly and she fell into a deep sleep. After a week of travel and no food, she didn't have any energy left to even speak.
Dark smiled from the threshold before leaving quietly.
"She's really is cute when she's knocked out."
"Send out a search party. Now."
"Captain Hikari? What are you talking about?"
"Riku's missing."
"Missing? How can she be missing? She was asleep in her room this morning. I saw her with my own eyes."
"It was an illusion. The spell broke when I touched her shoulder. It was just pillows."
"… Riku's not stupid. She wouldn't try to—"
"You know as well as I do that she's gone to Hell, Daisuke. Gather up as many angels as you can. We leave at dawn."
Chapter four coming soon….
Shuichi~