Foul Play Suspected In Death Of Famed Demon Hunter
The sudden death of Jasper Alloway left his hometown Avelli in a state of shock this past week. But investigators now claim that the blaze that claimed his life may not have been a simple house fire.
Traces of magic have been detected in the ashes of the Alloway household, hinting that the fire that consumed the house was indeed magical in origin. Authorities are now in the process of comparing the signature to that of other mages in the region, including Alloway himself. No results have been determined yet, but even so, investigators have stated that the reaction to this discovery by the local community is overwhelming.
“There’s been a great amount of pressure to declare the Alloway incident a murder,” lead investigator told the Avelli Gazette. “It’s too early to say if this is the case, but we can’t rule out the possibility either. The signature left behind is incredibly strong. No doubt, the magic came from a powerful source.”
Along with Jasper, his wife Sage and daughter Lyra are also confirmed to be dead. The body of their son Ander was never recovered.
All he could think to do was run.
They were dead. They had to be. He saw the house collapse as he fled the inferno. And in his panic, his legs began to move on their own, until his lungs burned, until his heart nearly burst, until he cried so hard he ran out of tears.
And then, in the darkness of night, his legs gave out.
He curled up in the forest, shaking, sobbing with no tears to accompany them. The little boy, his clothes tattered, his face covered in soot, was alone.
…
Footsteps. He quickly jolted up, whimpering as a towering figure cast a dark shadow over him. Golden eyes cut through the darkness. Clawed hands raised in alarm. “Easy now, kid. I’m not going to hurt you now.”
The stranger slowly approached. The moonlight washed over his scales, his suit, the golden bands he decorated himself with. A demon. He knelt down to the boy’s level, smiling. “Well, you look worse for wear. Tell me. What’s a boy like you doing out here all alone?”
The human sniffed, rubbing his eyes. He timidly stepped back. “P… P-papa told me n-not to talk to demons…”
A chuckle. “Come now. You can trust me. I want to help you, I honestly do. I don’t want the wolves to go and eat you now.”
A small sob.
“I was kidding, I was kidding! I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”
The demon booped the boy’s nose, getting a giggle out of the kid. His laughter subsided, however, as he remembered why he was out here. “I…” He swallowed. “I- um- th-there was a fire and- and… I… I d-didn’t see Mama or Papa or Ly-Ly leave. I… I d-don’t know where they are.”
The demon’s eyes widened in shock. For a good while, he stared, not knowing how to respond. That smile turned to a concerned frown. “Oh dear… That was you, wasn’t it?”
The boy tilts his head. “W… what do you mean?”
“Well, I was strolling through this lovely village when I saw the silhouette of a child in the window. They were at a desk, it looked like they were reading something, but it was hard to tell. They waved their hands around, and the room suddenly got much brighter. But then… the screams began. Within moments, the entire house was in flames. I was so shocked by what I saw, I fled here, to collect myself. And that’s when I came across you.”
The boy’s heart nearly stopped. He choked out, tears forming in his eyes again, “N-no… N-no, I was- I was in the… in the um… I wasn’t… I was a-about to…”
“No, no, I saw the whole thing. A child that tried to use magic they weren’t ready for. It was you. You caused the fire. Didn’t you?”
“…”
“Well? Didn’t you?”
He didn’t know. He sobbed, burying his face in his hands. The demon’s tail wrapped around him, pulling the boy closer. “Now, now, it’s alright. I can help you make sure this never happens again, and we can make sure nobody ever finds out about this.”
This gets the boy to perk up a bit. He looked up at the demon with bright blue eyes. “H-how…?”
With a smile, the demon pulled away, strolling over to a nearby bush dotted with bright pink flowers. He plucked one and stretched it out. It’s stem grew thicker, turning a glimmering silver. He twists the base of the flower, and the petals fold in, forming a silver structure nesting a bright red gem in the center. He holds it out to the boy. “This staff will let you control your powers. You’ll never have to face the heartache of what happened again.”
The boy, desperate, reached for the staff, but the demon pulled it away. “On one condition. Give me your soul. Work for me for the rest of your days.”
The human gasped. The demon was quick to speak back up, “I can help you, boy. Under me, you will become stronger than you ever thought possible. I will make sure you never lose control over your powers. All I ask in return is that you stay with me, and use your magic for the good of my kingdom.” His smile widens, revealing his razor sharp teeth. “Doesn’t that sound fair?”
“I…” The boy had nothing. No one. His only family is now nothing more than ashes. And who in Avelli would help him, if they knew what he did? This may be the only chance he has…
“So?” The demon holds out his hand. “Do we have a deal?”
…
The boy grasps his hand.
Suddenly, a burning pain. The boy shrieked, a bright orange glow surrounding the human and demon’s still interlocked hands. A clawing agony dug deep into his chest. He tightly shut his eyes, nearly blacking out as the pain came and went like a thunderclap. And afterward, an overwhelming emptiness took hold.
The boy opened his eyes, and instead of the previous, lively blue, they were now a nearly lifeless black. In the boy’s hands was now the staff. And in the demon’s, the boy’s soul.
“This contract has been sealed.”