38th Tick: Empty Town 4
1011 Words
“I told you to move!” Rose shouted at the child.
Thomas was still lying down, not paying attention to anything around him. He slept peacefully, almost too peacefully in Rose’s opinion. She saw as her sweat dripped onto the ground not too far from Thomas. Her arms were about to give out, she could not last any longer.
“You look familiar.” Someone said. The weight was lifted from her back, and Rose rolled over.
She looked into the sky, wondering who was the person who had helped her. She sat up carefully and picked up Thomas again with much pain before looking at her saviour. Standing slightly shorter than her, was a demon. His horns glistened in the dim light as he looked at her with his red eyes. He held the statue’s head, lifting the entire thing as it pivoted with its foot. He faced the statues and said, “I told you all not to attack anyone unless I tell you to.”
The statues proceeded to act as actual statues. The demon clenched his hand, crushing the stone statue’s head to dust. He patted the dust off his hand and faced Rose. He was the same demon who had destroyed the city in the island. He still had the same sharp red eyes and his black hair was styled in a swirl. He was slim and wore a hoodie, the hood down this time. Rose looked at him and remained silent.
“Human, we seem to meet again.” The demon said. “How many a centuries since I met a human this wilful?”
His statement confirmed Rose’s thoughts. The demon in front of her was indeed, the Immortal Episode, the demon who had lived longer than any human or demon in the world. Despite his supposed long life, he looked pretty young. Rose was careful, not daring to say a word.
“Say, I never got your name, human.” He told her, walking closer. “Do you care to tell me?”
“Rose...” Rose said hesitantly.
“And your human name?” He asked.
After Rose gave a look of confusion, he said, “I do think humans call it their family name.”
“Gold.”
“Rose Gold? That is an interesting name human.” The demon said, in front of her.
He looked around and entered the house before exiting. He pointed a long stick at her and said, “It had been some time since I talked to another being. Human by the name of Rose Gold, do you care to join me for a conversation?”
She looked at the stick warily, not trusting him. He looked at Thomas and said, “I can carry your soulless child. Human, use the stick to assist your walking.”
Rose was hesitant, but she felt no ill intent coming from him. She passed Thomas into his arms. He held the child carefully and with care while Rose took the stick from him. She was afraid of what he might do if she had refused the offer. Rose struggled to get and and walk alongside the demon. He even slowed down his pace to walk by Rose’s side. He looked at the child, he seemed to be quite experienced with handling children.
There was a minute of silence before he asked Rose, “May I know why you are here?”
“Um... I rather not say...” Rose replied.
“That is understandable. As far as my knowledge spans, humans and demons are on bad terms, yes?” He said, his voice almost had a longing tone. “If only this was not the case.”
“Do you like humans?” Rose asked him.
“Like is a strong word, human.” He replied. “I do not ‘like’ humans to be exact. I respect them for having faults, for being imperfect. The way you humans have lived on despite the cruelties, I am unable to fathom. In my long years of life, I have seen many kinds of humans that peaked my curiosity.”
Rose remained silent, trying her best to walk. She felt odd beside the demon, like it was unnatural. A human walking beside a demon she had decided to stop, the demon holding a Myth in his hands.
“I find humans interesting, like you. What makes you so determined? I do not know.” He continued. “I want to find what it is I lack.”
“Something you lack?”
“Yes... Humans have something I do not. Humans are able to persevere even when the odds are against them, I want to know, why do humans strive for what is impossible, what is beyond them?”
The demon may have looked like a child, but his way of thinking was mature. Rose swallowed her saliva as they neared the castle.
“Then why are you overlapping the demon realm with the human world?” Rose asked, silently hoping she wouldn’t die.
There was a moment of silence, the both of them continuing to walk. Rose did not look in the demon’s direction, fearing for the worst. There was a heavy aura that settled over her. She only heard him say, “Because I miss home.”
“Eh?” Rose looked at him, surprised.
He still had the same lifeless eyes, and he held Thomas with a surprising amount of care. Rose was afraid she heard him wrong, a demon general, these demons who humans have feared for a century, saying he missed home. Episode returned her gaze, “I miss home, is that not normal?”
Rose never knew demons were capable of such human emotions. She had always saw them as ruthless, primal creatures that lived on war, but beside her stood a contradiction towards her imagination. He was polite, handled a child with care, and was capable of longing.
“Why not go back to the demon realm then?” Rose asked.
“I cannot.”
“Why?”
“My people, the demons,” He started, a tinge of sadness in his voice. “The demons despise me, I am unable to return to the demon realm.”
Rose felt odd, there seemed to be something wrong with what he had said. She steeled herself and asked, “Are you lying?”
The castle gates flew open. The question seemed to have flew over his head as he walked in ahead of Rose. He said behind him, “Welcome to my current home, human. Hopefully, I am able to provide some suitable refreshments.”
Rose followed after him, suspicious of the demon.
- Writer
