Sayuri:
We left Dragon Quay two and a half days ago and were back on track towards the Demon Lord's castle. From Dave's words we would arrive there in three more days. My heart was restless. The only one who was able to keep calm was Dave. Gary read his books and constantly practiced magic. Carl and Alicia helped trained together whenever they had a chance. Dave was Dave. And me? I tried to focus but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't shake the feeling of dread inside me. Things weren't adding up and for the past few nights, nightmares had plagued my dreams. Standing in a meadow, two figures were talking but I couldn't hear their words, then I would wake up. Again and again the same dream and each time I had it, the more unsettling it was.
"Sayuri are you okay?" Alicia asked curled up in her sleeping bag beside me. "You've been waking up a lot recently. If it's about the Demon Lord, I understand. Just thinking about him gives me the chills."
I stared at the roof of our tent blankly, "I don't think it's that…."
"Is it about going home? I know out of all of us you're the one who wants to go home the most. Who knows if we even can right?"
I shook my head. Honestly I didn't think about it much anymore. At first it was my drive and goal. Give everything I had till I finally could go back home. But now, after spending time in this world, I don't think I could leave it so easily. The experiences I've had here, magic, the human kingdoms, monsters, demons, everything was so unique that it changed the way I thought about life. Alicia, Gary and Carl… even if we went home I'm sure the four of us would meet somehow, but Dave…. My heart clenched and a dark chill crossed my spine.
"Is it about Dave?" My silence was the answer. Alicia giggled lightly, "I knew it. After we defeat the Demon Lord and go home, what happens to him right? Actually what the hell happens to us? I'm not sure I can refuse using magic in day to day life…."
I laughed and turned to face Alicia, "You're the best friend I've ever had."
Her eyes widened and even though it was dark a red flush was clearly spreading through her cheeks, "Ah, umm thanks. You too…. I mean, well, you really are my best friend. Though I don't think I've actually had a person to call 'friend' for a pretty long time now. Thanks Sayuri. Thanks for being here."
I smiled, "In a few days this could all be over but for now we should really sleep."
"Already? But I have the strongest urge to hug you right now," she wiggled closer to me.
"Stop!" I pushed her away while giggling. "Just go to sleep."
"Fine, fine. But don't blame me when you find me cuddled up to you."
"You already do that sometimes…." Her sleeping habits were terrible.
"But this time it'll be intentional," she grinned. "Good night."
"Yeah, good night," I closed my eyes.
Darkness took over and my mind began to blur as I fell into sleep. The world shifted and turned and once again I was in that meadow but this time it felt different. It was eerily calm, more like a memory than a dream. I took a step forward and the two figures by the tree appeared. Just who were they? Why was I here again? I felt something in my hand. It was the tracking device I bought in Dave's hometown. That's right, Dave snuck out in the night and I went to find him.
I took another step forward and suddenly I could hear them. Their voices scrambled and meshed together in an incoherent flub. Closer and their faces began to form. One more step and I saw them. One I didn't know. He looked like a Fay. The other I definitely did. The object of my dreams desires that I'd never admit to even myself. I was drawn closer and his voice finally reached my ears.
My heart began to beat faster and time around me seemed to slow. He began to turn and face me, moving at a crawls pace. He was smiling. It was an evil smile. I had seen it on his face before. When he was planning something mischievous, when he was in the midst of a fight. Then his lips eloquently began to form words. Staring straight at me, I felt a cold fear unlike any other I could remember.
"I am the Demon Lord, the Heroes will be mine." Then as I took a step back he jumped towards me. All I could feel was fear and helplessness. This wasn't a dream. It couldn't be a dream. It was too real for a dream. A memory distorted by having been forced to forget. His arm wrapped around me and from his other hand something was forced forward. A mushroom… the same one Dave had showed us before.
I woke up in a panic breathing hard. My hand flew to my heart as I felt the ramming beat pounding inside my chest. Calm down, calm down. It was a dream. It was a dream…. No it wasn't a dream. Alicia was sleeping but had half her body outside her bag and was clinging to my waist. My eyes however focused to the outside. Through the gap in our tent and only metres away another exactly like ours. Inside a demon slept. A true demon who had fooled us all.
Why? Why would he do such a thing? I couldn't understand. I didn't want to. It was Dave! Dave who had saved us countless times. The same Dave who had guided us every step of the way. The one who kept us together, the one who comforted us when we were in doubt, the one… the one… the one who I liked…. But all of that was lies. There was only a single truth I could trust. Davios Flint was the Demon Lord.
I didn't get any sleep after that. The whole night I spent awake trying to put the puzzle together. In the morning when I went outside he was just sitting there smiling like usual. He even had the nerve to ask me if I was okay! But I hid my feelings. To protect the others, I'd hide it all. Not until I had a chance. No matter what he did, I would simply stay calm and act like I usually do.
Aside: Gary's misunderstanding.
Gary:
Sayuri had been acting a little weird since this morning. Alicia and Carl were too busy flirtin- I mean 'training' to see it. Dave seemed to be preoccupied with other thoughts as well. Most people think I'm carefree and dense but I see everything. Nothing escapes me. Any secret that could ruin us I know, and any threat to us I would stop. It was my job as a magician to find and stop things before they happened. Even if the Demon Lord were to wake me up and feed me breakfast. It was my job to stop it before anyone else knew. What I knew now was something was wrong with Sayuri.
It was day three of our journey from Dragon Quay to the Demon Lord's castle. Usually I would read any of textbooks Dave lent me during the ride, but right now I was observing Sayuri. She had been quieter than usual, like she used to be back in Elsbeth. She hadn't even said a word of her own since we hoped on to the cloud. I tried to ask directly but she just put on a false smile and said she was tired….
Just what could have happened? She was tired that was true but there had to be a key somewhere. She kept looking at Dave but that was normal. No wait! It wasn't normal! It was as if there was a little scorn in that gaze. Highly disguised but there. Combined with Dave's preoccupied mind, could it be?
Last night I had pretty much passed out early but the last two of us awake were Sayuri and Dave. I don't remember Dave ever coming inside the tent…. Sayuri upset with Dave, and Dave thinking about something. Yes, that's what happened. I detective Gary have figured it out. Sayuri confessed to Dave and was rejected! The backlash of a women's scorn must be filling her poor fragile maiden's heart and Dave must be confused. As a demon who lives much longer than a normal human he must have said no against his true feelings and now is suffering inside. But I as a true man and friend won't say anything. I will simply comfort them from the side.
I shuffled over to Sayuri, "It's okay, I understand."
She looked at me coldly, "Understand what?"
"…." I edged away. Dave just how badly did you reject her?
Aside end:
Sayuri:
It was night again. After an entire day thinking about it my thoughts were still a mess but I had come to a conclusion. The reason why the Demon Lord had kept us alive for so long. He had mentioned it once in passing. The Hero summoning time limit. It was the reason why the Klerical Kingdom had tried to assassinate us. There existed a period of time where more Heroes could be resummoned if the previous ones had perished. All he had done was to give us a false sense of security and trust. When the Demon Lord first appeared he must have made a clone of himself to deceive us. Back then I thought that impossible but with his skill in magic it would be simple. Each time he prevented our deaths. Pretending to train us and give us encouragement. The Queen of Rentolt, a ruse. The town, a false hope. The Dragonkin, for his own gain. Us Heroes… once we reached the Demon Lord's- his castle, the time limit would be reached and he'd slaughter us all. As strong as he has made us, to fool us, together with his Generals we'd stand no chance.
I bid the others goodnight but stayed by the fire. I let its warmth fill the empty pit in my chest as the others turned to bed, Dave among them. For an hour I just waited, watching the fire turn to embers and finally die. It was the dead of night and from my waist I drew my dagger. My eyes had gone cold. Even if they hated me, even if they didn't believe me, I'd save them by taking his life now.
Dave may have tricked us but he was a fool for letting us grow stronger. I knew just how hard it was for people to sense me now. Even Dave couldn't find me, why else had I been able to see him that night? I slipped into his tent. Carl and Gary slept at either of his sides but my presence didn't stir any of them.
Slowly I drew closer till I was hovering above him, crouched before his neck. His skin was smooth, a light colour, unblemished and fragile. I inched my dagger closer and just above his skin I felt resistance. His final and strongest barrier. Mana poured into the dagger's blade and passed through it with ease. It was taking every ounce of my concentration to do this. I steeled my shaking nerves as the thin metal pressed against his neck. One slice would be all it took, even for Dave….
My hand began to shake. Do it! Free yourself. He lied to you. End this now and go home. Forget about everything that happened here. Memories began to trickle into my closed mind. The first time he talked to me, giving me the strength to move on. The first time I yelled at him for blowing up that water melon. All of us laughing over a game of cards. Being worried about him. Walking around his hometown. The smiling faces of all the demons and humans together. A tear rolled down my cheek. Why… why! Why would you lie? How could I trust you? Just what did you want from us? Was I right to kill you now?
"Sayuri… no…." he groaned as if in pain. My dagger drew back just as he rolled over. I threw myself outside and onto the ground. I wanted to scream in frustration as my tears began to fall. I couldn't do it. Not to him. There was no doubt he had lied but his smiling face when he showed us around town. Maybe, just maybe there was some truth to who he was and I wanted to believe that. To believe in him. Because I knew I would regret it forever if I didn't. Who knows, if it's really the Dave I know, this could all probably be some majestic prank on us.
Davarious First Born Light of the Autumn Wind:
I stretched myself awake and rose from my bedding. What a wonderful sleep. I felt rejuvenated and ready to take on the rest of the world! Though I did have a really weird dream. In it I was messing around like usual but somehow I made Sayuri really angry. It was actually kind of terrifying and no matter what I did she kept yelling at me. I shudder to think what would happen in real life.
Outside the tent the sun was just rising. I yawned and took a few steps forward. It was time to wake the Heroes and get a move on. Suddenly my foot snagged on something and I almost tripped. I looked down. Huddled in a ball by the now dead fire Sayuri was sleeping…. Silly girl must have collapsed, she did look really tired yesterday.
I picked her up using my actual strength, a feat that was barely possible. Thankfully Sayuri was light despite the power her body held. I carried her over to her tent, Alicia was sprawled like a star across the entire floor. Unceremoniously I shoved her aside and laid Sayuri down. A few more hours of sleep wouldn't hurt anyone. Well it would probably hurt Alicia as I'd speed up to make up for time. Hopefully she wouldn't orally relieve herself this time.
I rose to leave but Sayuri held me back. She was still sleeping but her hand had pinched on to my sleeve,
"Dave… don't go. I…." her eyes flickered, dreaming. Gently I cupped her hand and removed it.
"I'm not going anywhere." The Heroes were my responsibility and that would be true no matter how they felt about me.