Short Stories

Sorrow Now Shared

He had been too far away, when his bonded's pain hit him. The young Demon had moved as fast as he could to try to reach him, to try to save him. But he had been too far away, by the time he had gotten to the town square the fire had already been lit and his bonded badly burned. the villagers had gotten in his way, attacking him with fire and pitchforks when he got close enough to them.

Famine had saved his bonded from the pyre but the human's injuries were too extensive, he had held his mate as he slowly died, unable to do anything but try to ease his pain. When the Reaper finally appeared Famine begged for his mate to stay with him, holding him close, whispering the words. "I love you" over and over again until the Reaper finally stepped close and gently touched his scythe to his bonded's chest. 

"his soul was pure Famine, he will be reborn." the Reaper spoke softly to the grieving Demon before stepping back into the shadows and disappearing. Famine cried, holding his mate's body close, unable to believe that his bonded had been taken from him so soon in life when they should of spent eon's together. 

He had buried his mate, not far from the home he and his brothers had built for them when Alexander had been born. Using his magic to grow flowers around the grave Famine stepped back and looked at the house the small family had shared, his heart and soul ached with loss and he turned away from the building full of memories to return to his brothers house where his son was waiting safe from the evils of the world. 

"Daddy!!" the high pitched cry broke through the air as a tiny boy rushed towards his father, his arms opening wide before he jumped and wrapped both his arms and legs around his fathers leg. "Daddy your home!! I missed you so much!" the little boy grinned up at his dad who let out a tired laugh that wasn't quite all there before slowly and gently pulling the boy from his leg so he could crouch down to his eye level. 

"you missed me huh? can you show me how much?" the father asked softly, his voice raspy and cracking a bit, the child tilted his head as he noticed something off about his Daddy.

"Daddy what's wrong?" The older male smiled sadly and ruffled his sons hair, just like he had done many times before, his hand wet after having washed off the dirt from digging his bonded's grave.

"nothings wrong little one, Daddy just... had to say goodbye to someone" The older male tried to pull himself together for his little boy, refusing to let himself cry in front of him. His little baby boy was happy, he had to do everything he could to keep him that way. "show daddy how much you missed him." 

The little boy frowned again for a moment before smiling and spreading his arms as far apart as he could. "I missed you this much daddy!" he said happily, before launching himself at the bigger male and hugging him tightly. "you were gone for forever!! Mommy too!" The little boy pulled away from his father and smiled at him, just as another male called to the pair about 20 feet away, standing in the doorway of a fairly large house. 

"Famine! Alexander! suppers almost ready you better come wash up!" The fathers brother called to the two boys before going back inside, little Alexander cheered happily at the mention of food and he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him towards the house, leaving his father kneeling in the short grass. 

His strength gave was as his happy little boy disappeared into the house, the tears he had been holding back for so long finally breaking free as the Demon mourned. He was so filled with sadness and hate... his bonded, the one he had pledged his life and soul too was... was gone... labelled as a witch and burned alive at the stake. His soul mate... his beloved human partner was now no more, cast out by his own kind and culled for simply using a potion that would allow the human male to bear a child.

Famine took rapid breaths as he got to his feet, standing tall as he let his anger and sorrow overcome him, turning his golden scales dark with hate as he turned to look at the village below the mountain. Humans were happily going about their day, none of them, not even his bonded's own family caring that they had taken the life of someone so pure and innocent... and happy. 

Famine growled and he raised his hand, a silver ring that had belonged to his beloved human now on his own hand, his eyes turned black as he raised his voice, the once bright green magic of the Demon now a dull olive color. "I curse this village, I curse all those that did nothing to stop the death of my bonded. All those that did not care as his life ebbed away while he screamed for mercy... I curse all with my power, hunger shall be known in this village, their crops will wither and die, their food will rot in their mouths, they will never be able to eat enough to fill their stomachs, they will only know pain and hunger!" As the Demon's magic grew stronger, his powers enveloping the land, causing the orchards and fields full of nearly ripe wheat to slowly wither and die, the Demon though of his son, his sweet little Alexander, happy and smiling with no knowledge that his mother would never come home, his soul ached with sorrow at the thought of his little boy going hungry and slowly wasting away.

His magic flickered for a second, turning a slightly brighter shade of green as he decided that the children of the village were innocent, they had little power to stop their parents and most were not brave enough to even try. "Children are immune to my curse until they have committed a crime similar to their parents, in their hands food will turn fresh and plants will not wither. they will eat until their stomachs are full and be able to share their food with those that they truly love." Pushing this thought into his magic the Demon unleashed his curse upon the valley, watching as most crops died and many animals fled, he watched without remorse as people in the village below started to panic and gather in their town square around the still smouldering remains of the pyre that Famine had destroyed trying to save his mate. "My curse will plague this land until my bonded is reborn... so says I, Famine, second son of the Demon Apocalypse."