Time's Mistress

Danger within

They had been distant from Iris since they had heard her mumble earlier. Cassie could only think during the time of her capture, that the demons had done something to her. She looked at the sleeve moving back and forth as her sister walked with purpose. She felt the pang of sadness as she watched it, the empty space there. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Sae looking at her.

"It will be okay sister. The first step was just finding her. Considering that we have, we can overcome anything. We will get her back. All we have to do is help her on this path to discover the truth of what happened." Cassie nodded, then turned to look at Joel. He was watching her sister with eyes filled with longing. She sighed as she looked back to her sister only to see her back as she walked. She walked as if the world no longer mattered and her mission was the most important thing. She sighed to herself.

"She has already denied Joel of what was promised to him so long ago. He was supposed to rule by her side. That was always the plan since her birth. They were going to destroy all of the demons that still roam the Earth to let the humans live in prosperity again like in the old times." They looked to her with contemplating eyes.

"Yes, that was the original plan, but we didn't plan on her getting captured and being gone for so long either. Everything is of consequence, but we will right it again." She nodded.

"We have to. It is for the sake of our people that we do this." They both nodded in agreement.

Unbeknownst to the siblings, Iris could hear everything that they were saying. Her mind swirled around with questions. How was a man who seemed ordinary was supposed to help her bring about peace in the world? Sure, he looked like he could do a little damage, but still. And her, she was a mere woman. How was she supposed to bring about peace? She had never even seen a demon before let alone fight one to see her and its capabilities. She can't destroy an unknown enemy. But the woman that she had been going to, she was certain that everything would solve itself after she was freed. How was she supposed to even free her if she was sealed? And how would that solve her memory problem?

Her head was swimming in fog as she only got more questions than answers. She sighed to herself as a sensation made itself known under her skin. It started out as an itch before it became a crawl. The hairs on her arm stood up as a cold sensation raced through her body. She stopped as she looked around her. The small group stopped behind in question.

"What's wrong Iris?" Sae questioned.

"Something isn't right. Something is here watching us and we've only been walking closer to it." She looked around. "I know that you are there. Come out now. Don't make me find you. That would be your worse option." She heard a chuckle before a man made himself known from behind a charred tree. He was pale with red eyes and hair to match. His fingers were claws and stained with red. He looked at them like prey. Iris could feel her insides turn from chills to boiling blood. She instantly didn't like this man.

"Demon" Sae whispered behind her. "Get back Iris, the ones that have a human form are more powerful and dangerous." She huffed as she looked the man over. His clothes were in tatters, but he didn't look to care as he looked over each of them settling on Iris with a lick of his lips. He smirked revealing his pointed teeth also stained in blood.

"Your friends will make a wonderful meal, but you on the other hand, I think my master would like you. He would reward me greatly for bringing in a catch like you." He chuckled as he spoke. His eyes turned crazed.

"Who is your master?" Iris boldly questioned. The demon looked at her with a c****d head. It was like he could hear for the first time. "Who is your master demon? I am looking for someone. Is he disfigured and hides in the shadows because of it?" The demon looked at her in surprise.

"How do you know of my master delicious human?"

"I am searching for him. We have a score to settle. Where is he?" He smiled then.

"I will never tell, you will have to kill me." He laughed crazily. Iris smiled then and readied her axe.

"That was already in the plan demon."

"You think that you can kill me!" The demon laughed madly. He stopped for a moment and looked her over again before his eyes went wide. "Wait a minute, I know who you are." His eyes looked to get clouded over before realization hit him. "I was there that day that he took your arm."

Iris narrowed her eyes at him and a took a couple calculating steps forward with her axe at her side. The steel and wooden piece floated at her side as she held it half way down the handle on instinct alone. "What do you know of that night demon?" She could feel her blood start to boil with the time. She was impatient and wanted answers.

"I was watching. I was helping my master to do our Lord's wish. We have to bring the Lord back afterall." He laughed crazily. "Only your blood can break the seal to release her. My master wanted to kill you but you were a fighter. He managed to cut off your arm but after that, you lost yourself and went into a rage like I have never seen. It was so entertaining to watch. I think my Lord was pleased if she could have seen it. You were murderous." He licked his lips as Iris took another step closer. She was only a few feet for him now as the muscles in her arm and legs relaxed before bunching tightly.

"You screamed so loud when you saw your arm laying on the alter to our Lord." He laughed again. "It was a sight. But my master had been aiming for your head. He missed by a long way. But after that you went crazy and nearly killed him. Your weapon leaving marks that won't disappear." He looked at her questionable then. "Where did you ever obtain a weapon of the old gods?" She raised her eyebrow then.

"What weapon? I have no knowledge of such an item."

"The weapon that you had was one of the gods from before. A double sided axe. It was made by the gods themselves. Well either way, it is with my master now so I can probably capture you and take you to him. He would reward me greatly." He jumped in excited at the thought.

"Where is your master demon?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"My master can only be summoned, never found. He appears when and where he wants."

"Well summon him, we have a score to settle." She clenched her teeth. "I have no patience or the time to wait. Do it now." She took a step closer. The demon laughed madly.

"I will only summon him when I am ready. I will devour your friends first, then I shall hold you until my master can arrive." He smiled evilly before going to run for the three behind Iris. Her muscles relaxed before bunching up as she saw the demon move at his speed. She aimed and hit him square in the gut. He yelled.

"You mortal, how did you see me move? I am too fast to see with mere human eyes." Her eyes glowed in her anger as she lusted for battle.

"If you will not summon your coward of a master, then maybe your death will." She slashed across with her axe before quickly performing one more swing killing the demon. His black blood touched the ground before disappearing into ash.

"Iris," Cassie said before taking a step forward. Iris pointed the axe in her direction while dropping her head.

"Do not come any closer to me if you wish to keep your life." She inhaled and exhaled deeply. Strangely, her heartbeat was calm and her blood didn't rush through veins. She felt at peace with what she had done, like it was natural. But in the back of her mind, she could feel her desire for battle. She wanted to fight and hurt. She wanted to release her anger and frustration at the fact of losing her arm and memories. She raised her head but still kept it in the other direction.

"I need to take a walk and calm myself. Stay here and I will return." Iris turned to walk away towards the never ending trees. What she really wanted was to force herself into the other realm. She needed to talk to her before she decided to go looking for trouble.

**************

"That was a short time away my love." She said. Iris simply stood there before she raced over and locked her lips with hers. She was fierce and strong and dominant as she moved them across the room. Her lover smirked. She pulled away. "You have seen battle today, haven't you?" Iris pulled away.

"How do you know that?"

"I told you Iris," She shuddered as her name fell from her lips. "I know you better than you know yourself. Battle is exciting, especially when you are victorious." She smirked.

"I am frustrated, not excited. And honestly, I want more of it. I want to fight and hurt demons and people. I honestly don't care which, I just want to fight and destroy."

The woman put her pale finger under Iris's chin to make her look at her. Two colored eyes met with steel grey. Her inky black hair fell down her shoulders. Her pale face with spiderweb thin lines carved out ancient ruins in her soft skin. Her plump lips baring a pale shade of red as her defined cheekbones formed around her straight nose.

"It is in our nature to destroy and cause chaos. But in the process, we also cleanse the world of what it doesn't need. We are it's saviors afterall. And together, we balance the world and bring order. But right now there is no balance and no order, so naturally, you would want to destroy to cleanse the realm. But, when I am with you, we will do it together." She placed a gentle kiss upon her lips. "That is one of the reasons why we are so good together my beloved. You shall see soon."

"That demon just angered me talking about how I lost my arm and his master. That coward didn't even show himself as I killed his minion."

" Do not worry. We will find him after I am set free."

"You always reassure me." She kissed her passionately. "Those things that I feel for you only grow in day. I do not understand why."

"Because we are made for each other my dear Iris. There is no other reason. My love is infinite for you. You will see that." They braced for a minute.

"I must return my dear. This group is waiting for me. They will take me to the city where the tree is supposed to be." She nodded her beautiful pale head.

***************

"Come everyone, we shall be on our way now."

Cassie ran over to Iris.

"Sister, are you okay? You were gone for awhile, I was worried."

"I am fine. I just needed some time."

"It has been a while since I have seen you go into battle. You are different than you were before. I don't know how to explain it, but different. Usually you are a little more frantic or energetic maybe. But that was graceful and calm and incredibly fast. Much faster than before. What did those demons do to you sister?"

Iris walked in silence.

"I don't know," was all she could say. She had no idea what she was or how she was. All she knew is that everything was coming naturally and she let her instincts guide her. Her memories were still nothing more than smoke and fog. But, she was still concerned with this feeling of wanting to battle and destroy. She even almost raised the axe to her so called sister. She'd have swung it if it hadn't been for her controlling herself. All she had wanted to do was continue.

She looked at her sister from the corner of her eye. They might have been afraid of that demon, but maybe the real danger was actually walking with them. That demon never stood a chance against her. It was fact and she still had no idea what she was capable of. She was very slowly figuring it out. But at least her body knew and remembered. That would serve her better than anything.