• Note: Welcome to the second installment of the series! Fun, fun. Now, then, I’m not exactly how far I’m going to take the story, but hopefully you’ll enjoy this anyway.

    Darkness…it was most of what he’d known since that day… It surrounded him now as he sat on one of the high tree branches. He watched the demons below, the ones who searched for him, with intent to kill. He knew of their plans and, therefore, was not idiotic enough to go down to them just yet.

    It had been five years since his parents’ deaths and Diedrick, after venturing into the wild, had become largely feral. He still retained traces of civilization such as his cunning, his stature. But he could barely talk anymore. Well, he could talk and his grammar was fine for what he needed, but he did not improve his vocabulary and while he could carry on a conversation, he usually only did it to mess with his prey.

    His prey…they were below him now. Those who hunted him deserved to die. He’d done nothing wrong… His parents had done nothing wrong…they all deserved to be wiped out for the pain they caused him.

    Diedrick smiled slightly, looking over at the other tree branches where the bodies of those he’d already killed hung limp. “Time to go,” he whispered, his eyes glowing red in the dense forest. Their eyes glowed as well as they began getting up.

    There was a shout from below and it seemed the demons had noticed the corpses. The undead dropped from the branches, snarling as they attacked the hunters and the young incubus above smiled sweetly at the scene that was unfurling, humming softly to himself.

    The corpses began the process of brutally killing each and every one of the demons as shouts rang through the deserted forest (the animals left long before in fear of the incubus who came to live among them). Blood soaked the ground as the men fell one by one.

    But shots fired up from the commotion. Apparently some of the demons had projectiles. Diedrick frowned, standing up to get a better look. Suddenly, something hit the branch he was standing on and it broke. He gasped, trying to grasp something and ultimately failing. So he fell farther and farther until he reached the scene of battle.

    The corpses closed in, protecting him. But now they were all in one place…and that did not bode well for him. The demons that still lived charged forward, sending elemental attacks into the ranks and cutting down the undead. Diedrick watched as his forces were decimated, growing more and more angry by the moment. In a strange, very twisted way they had become his only friends…and now they were being destroyed.

    Red bled into the whites of his eyes as he picked up one of the fallen swords. The last of his soldiers fell and there were five demons left alive. He growled and leapt into the air, slicing down at the middle demon and breaking its sword. Diedrick ran the fox through and tore the sword out of its body, whirling around to face the other four.

    Ice shot toward him, impaling his shoulder and he snarled, eyes flashing dangerously as he charged forward, fighting with the one who sent it. The other three began shooting their elements at him as well. He jumped back, into the underbrush, frustrated, full of rage.

    Then one of them brought out fire… Diedrick gasped, his eyes wide in fear. He stumbled back, trying to escape. It smirked and made its way toward him. He leapt into the trees, scampering as high as he could as the demon tried to follow. The tree was lit and he was beginning to find it hard to breathe. He leapt to the next tree, beginning to panic.

    The fire leapt after him and the tree was soon ablaze. Diedrick looked around, trying to figure out a way down. The fire soon, however, got to him and crept up the remnants of clothing he still wore. Then it got onto his skin, scorching him. He cried out as the branch beneath him broke and fell. He screamed, screamed as loud as he ever had as he fell down, down, down.

    He squeezed his eyes shut, afraid, afraid this was the end. Then…water.

    The flames were extinguished as he found himself surrounded by the water. But his burns did not heal, his injured shoulder bled more and he began fading in and out of consciousness. The pain was too much, he wasn’t sure whether he’d come back from this one.

    After so long, he regained enough consciousness to pull himself onto the bank and into the underbrush, panting for breath. He heard footsteps approach and tried to push himself up. He had to fight! There had to be a way out! No…his body wouldn’t react, it hurt if his muscles even twitched. As he finally lost consciousness, he saw a woman, beautiful, almost terrifying. Her eyes were a deep purple, reflecting the hurt he felt. Her hair…it was the same as his. She knelt down and picked him up.

    Diedrick tried to struggle but it didn’t work and she muttered something he didn’t catch before everything went black.

    Note: So…like it? Hopefully? Yeah. Well, I should put up the third installment soon. But at least we know Diedrick won’t die now.