When the gates fully opened, Malik stepped forward with a quiet snarl.
Martine followed behind him, her fingers twitching with anticipation.
She looked around the spacious field of grass between the gate and the tree, noticing a subtle shift in the atmosphere. This was the heart of the village, as everything about it spoke whispers of power and history.
As Martine followed Malik further, the tension that radiated from her was like a coiled spring.
Her eyes swept the field, scanning every shadow, counting every guard, planning escape routes…
She was taking everything into account, her mind searching for nothing but a plan geared for success.
Malik slowed to a stop as he reached a massive pair of wooden doors decorated by ancient script, and guarded by two elder guards.
With the wave of Malik's hand, the guards stepped to the sides, hands on the doors as they pulled them open.
As Martine watched the doors open, she felt a sense of urgency and unease.
She was so close to Alexander, but was it too late, or had she made it in time?
With the doors fully open, Malik turned to face Martine, a look of disdain etched on his face. <"Are you just going to stand there?"> he said curtly, his voice low and sharp, <"Let's go.">
He walked past the doors and into a candle-lit corridor that led to a large chamber, his steps echoed as he walked further inside.
Martine took a deep breath as she trailed behind him, unsure of what to make of the situation.
As she stepped into the corridor the air turned sweet with the smell of scented wax and oak.
Following Malik into a large chamber at the end of the corridor, Martine was embraced by a warm glowing light that shone from a sphere on the ceiling.
Underneath the light was a raised wooden platform made of polished wood, and at the top it sat a large throne-like chair. It wasn't made of gold and silver, but wood and fur, decorated with patterns engraved in the wood.
The rest of the chamber was relatively empty, however there were a few doorways leading further into the tree, revealing staircases that led up to somewhere.
Malik was already making his way towards one of the passageways, his tail flickering with agitation as he glanced back at Martine. <"Stop gawking and follow me, ignorant fool."> he hissed, before walking up the stairs.
Martine narrowed her eyes but said nothing, she followed closely behind Malik, her steps quiet. As the duo walked up the stairs, the wood gently groaned beneath them.
The air seemed chiller the higher they climbed, but Martine couldn't tell if it was her nerves or the air itself.
At the end of the staircase was a small corridor of doorways draped with thick cloths of some sort, black. Malik pointed to the first room, a frown etched on his face. <"There you'll find the boy and his caretaker."> he growled, before glancing at Martine.
Martine stepped past Malik, reaching a hand into her cloak before firmly grabbing the cloth and pulling it to the side.
Stepping into the room with a hand hovering over her pistol, Martine was greeted with a small modest room with a large single bed, a few chairs, and another glowing orb on the ceiling.
With her gaze immediately drawn to the bed, she was greeted with an interesting sight.
Sat in the bed was a small demon woman, with gentle blue eyes focused on someone held close in her embrace.
The person in her arms was small, with long brown hair and pale skin. His breathing was slow and steady, his skin looked clean and pristine…
It was Alexander.
If Martine hadn't known any better, she almost wouldn't have believed the boy wasn't on the demon continent.
Noticing her presence, the demon woman's piercing blue eyes lifted from Alexander, and bored into Martine's. The demon woman tightened her grip around Alexander, as her tail revealed itself wrapped around his waist.
She was protective of Alexander, like a mother, her demeanor was calm but alert. "So it's true, Alexander was of importance." She whispered, almost as if she wished she was wrong.
Martine was surprised at the fact that the demon could speak her language but pushed the thought aside. "Yeah, so hand him over." She ordered, stepping further into the room.
The demon woman didn't flinch at Martine's sharp tone, instead, her tail tightened around his waist as she cupped his cheeks into her hands. "I won't do that, he's mine, I will protect him."
"Protect him?" Martine muttered under her breath, her heart pounding in her chest with how close she was to the mission objective. "You stole him, and I'm here to take him back, to his people, to his Queen." She replied, taking another step forward.
The demon woman's eyes flicked with a hint of hesitation like she knew what Martine was saying was right, but she didn't want to believe it. "You don't need him, because if you did then he wouldn't be here, I took him, he's mine."
Martine could feel herself growing irritated with how childish the demon woman was behaving. It was now obvious that this woman was young, if not still a child herself.
"You don't care what you feel, or what you claim," Martine said coldly, taking another step forward. "He has a home to return to, duties to attend to, and I have a mission to complete."
The demon woman's grip tightened around Alexander, clinging onto him like he was some kind of possession. The way she held him, it was almost like she feared he'd vanish if she let him go.
"I won't let you take him." The demon woman whispered. "He's mine." She repeated, "Mine."
Martine gritted her teeth in frustration as her hand hovered over her pistol. Her patience was waning as her nerves were close to being shot. She was so close to Alexander, and yet she was so far.
"Listen," Martine began, barely keeping a lid on her rising irritation, "Alexander is not yours you worthless demon, he was stolen, first by thieves and now by your kind." Martine's voice grew louder as her tone grew sharp. "He's not some damn trophy, he's a Hakshi boy with a family and kingdom, and it's my job to bring him back!"
The demon woman's eyes narrowed, yet they also began to shimmer, the reflection of the light showing faint… tears. "You can't take him, it's your people who brought him here in the first place!" She hissed back, "Your people know nothing but conflict and war. With me he's safe, I'll make sure of it." Her voice had a subtle crack, revealing a hint of vulnerability despite her defiance.
Martine's jaw clenched, "safe?!" She exclaimed, gesturing around the room, "You people live in shitty huts and trees!" She shouted, pointing a finger at the demon woman, "And that's not even mentioning the beasts, you people are savages, cut off from the world and living like prisoners!"
The demon bared her teeth at Martine, revealing her sharp canines, "he's mine!" She barked, "Your kind is nothing if not cruel, Alexander doesn't belong to you, I won't let you take him, I can't." She cried, tears welling in her six blue eyes, "You can't take him!"
Martine snarled as she pulled her pistol from her cloak, her patience finally worn thin. "I don't have time for this, hand him over!"
The room grew heavy with tension as Martine aimed her pistol squarely at the demon woman, her heart thumping in her ears. Martine's instincts told her to shoot, kill the demon, and escape with Alexander.
Yet for some reason, as she looked upon the young demon woman, with tears in her eyes and Alexander in her arms, Martine couldn't pull the trigger.
"It's just like your kind." The demon woman hissed, tears rolling down her cheeks, "To pull weapons when you want something, who are the real savages?"
Martine's jaw tightened, uncertainty playing in the back of her mind as her finger hovered on the trigger. "Don't taunt me," Martine growled.
The demon woman met Martine's gaze with unwavering determination, unmoving despite her vulnerability.
Before Martine could respond, a shadow appeared over the entrance of the room, with an all too familiar voice.
"Martine, calm down." The voice was deep and gentle.
Martine quickly glanced behind herself, to see her partner Pierre with the demon chief.
"Pierre, you're here," Martine whispered, his sudden presence shattering the building tension in the room.
"Lower your weapon, Martine," Pierre ushered, his tone firm, as he approached her with an outstretched hand.
Martine's jaw tightened as Pierre grabbed the barrel of her pistol, forcing it down as he slid it out of her hand. "She won't give up Pierre." Martine Martine hissed as Pierre took her gun and switched the safety. "We don't have time for this."
Pierre nodded as he turned to face the demon woman, who still clung to Alexander as she trembled with raw emotion. Her tear-streaked eyes brimming with defiance.
Pierre shook his head slowly. "Martine, sit down, you're stressed."
"Pierre the boy!" Martine exclaimed, pointing towards Alexander. "She's holding him like a damn golden nugget!"
The demon chief stepped further into the room, his large figure out of place in the setting. "Zara has cared for the boy since she found him, it's only natural she'd react this way." The demon chief said in a low resonant voice.
Martine snapped at the demon chief, her frustration boiling over. "Natural?!? The only natural thing is to give Alexander to me, he doesn't belong here!"
The demon chief simply sighed as he approached Zara, his expression growing softer as he approached. "Zara," he began, his tone gentle.
Zara immediately began shaking her head, "please," she begged, "I want him, I saved him, you saw!" Her voice was completely broken, her emotions flowing like a hasty river.
The demon chief crouched down beside her, his massive frame radiated a gentleness that filled the room. "Zara," he whispered, "you did well, with everything asked of you, but now is the time you let go, at least for now."
Zara's grip on Alexander tightened as her tears poured, "Please chief, I promise I'll care for him, you have my word, I swear to you." Zara then brought Alexander's head to her chest, "I swear to you." She repeated, resting her head against Alexander's as she squeezed him.
The demon chief let out a pained sigh as he closed his eyes. "I am not denying your care, young imp, but your job is done, Alexander's people wait for him." He said with a gesture towards Pierre and Martine, who both stood silently watching the scene unfold. "It's time to let go, as established."
Zara's trembling form remained silent, her six eyes closing as she gently rocked Alexander in her arms. The raw emotion she radiated was enough to carve through a mountain.
The helplessness of her situation wasn't lost on anyone in the room, yet even so, Martine felt her anger simmering just beneath the surface.
She tightened her fist to help cope with the unease when suddenly she felt a hand grab her shoulder. Martine turned to see Pierre, with a softened expression. "Trust me." He whispered.
Martine was confused by what he meant, but by the time she could ask for clarification, Pierre was already talking.
"We'll stay until Alexander wakes up naturally, allow him to say goodbye." Pierre declared.