It wasn’t the worst situation I had found myself in. But it was definitely close.
“What do you value most mortal? Let me see your pain as I rip it from you.” The demon’s breath billowed over me stinking of sulphur as he loomed over me. I tilted my head away as best I could. I was down on my knees and couldn’t get far enough away. Supressing my gag reflex, I tried to only breathe through my mouth as I stared it straight in the eyes.
“Timing.”
Both sets of eyelids blinked in confusion. Nowadays, television seems to paint demons as these beautiful creatures able to lure and tempt us with their wiles. This thing was a proper demon. Hideous. Its face distorted into a sneer as it tried to throw off my lack of concern. My advantage was that I could see the bridge.
The bridge was a little way back, but between it and me was open land. The grass was yellow where it had been bleached by the sun and lack of rain. Even now, the sun was unbearably hot. The bindings holding my arms behind my back didn’t help. Neither did my clothing. It might have been suited to combat and protecting me from superficial damage but it was not suited for this heat. Another thing the television missed out, the demonic effect on its immediate surroundings. Why do you think hell is so hot?
The dust clouds had been the first sign. My eyes glanced back over to the bridge. The cavalry was closer now and finally the demon picked up on the noise. He recoiled and spun round like a whirlwind. A screech of annoyance pierced the air as he spotted the other hunters charging forward. Elliot had a flair for the theatrical, so he’d come on horseback. The rhythmic drumming of hooves travelled up my body as I made the most of the distraction. I rolled backwards to allow me to hook my arms under my feet and deal with the straps. By the time the demon glanced back at me, I was free and had The Arcblade in my hand. Now it was time to dance.
Word count 365
This story was written in response to A.J.Walker’s Seedling Challenge Based on the #vss365 prompts.
Lexikon 