Ghost Town

Flickering Fire

Deaton starts to shove all the ingredients he had gathered into a bowel and then mixed it hurriedly, he knew he was out of time but he still tried anyway.

The lights in the vets flickered and the animals waiting for treatment started to whimper, howl and hiss, making an incredible racket.

The mixture was complete and Deaton picked up the bowel, his head thudding hard with a tiny amount of hope however that all evaporated in a split second.

A voice...

"A dark shade petal, salt, holy water, blood from the purest of creatures, the unicorn and dead man's blood, put all those ingredient's together and they can protect you from the undead though...I'm sure you knew that"

Deaton didn't turn around, he just closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, trying to gather himself, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

Of course he wouldn't be able to save himself, he was an idiot for thinking otherwise.

Deaton stiffened as he heard a fizzling sound and twisted around sharply, wait, had he...?!

Yes he had!

The young man that was standing before him, dressed in all black, incredibly pale and black hair, had stuffed his hand into the mixture Deaton had created.

It burnt into his skin, destroying the muscles and bone within seconds then the stranger brought his arm that now had a stump out of it.

"You know what's going on, don't you Druid? Yet you didn't tell them? Keeping secrets? Unfortunately for you..."

Deaton watched, shocked as the young man's hand grew back completely in a heart beat, like he hadn't destroyed his hand at all.

"I have secrets too" The young man said, smirking, giving his hand a small wave.

He flexed his newly grown fingers experimentally.

Deaton said, trying to hide the fear in his voice but feeling unsuccessful "Azrael I assume?"

Azrael raised his eyebrows at that but he still looked amused as he said "Ah so you do know me? Then you must have known that wouldn't work"

He looked pointedly at the mixture in the bowel.

Deaton replied grimly "Many things written down in our books aren't truly the correct information or have been twisted somehow, I was hoping the same thing was true here"

Azreal stepped a little closer as he asked "Were you hoping the same thing would apply for the oath you've broken as well?"

Deaton didn't reply but he couldn't stop the way he stepped backwards, every instinct screaming at him to get away from this creature as fast as he could but he knew that was hopeless.

"All druids have sworn an oath not to talk about what goes on in the other side, the penalty is death. I'm sure you knew that too though" Azreal said casually.

Deaton swallowed nervously however he raised his head high as he said "If I'm correct, even though I don't have long to live, neither do you, that's the way this compition works doesn't it?"

Finally the amusement left Azreal's expression but he still laughed however it was a much darker sound, full of warning.

"Do you seriously think I can be defeated?"  He sneered.

Deaton felt his throat feeling dry and it was hard to talk but he kept on telling himself to be brave, if this was where he died then he wasn't going to shy away.

So he said firmly, not caring how this would come across, with any luck Azreal would kill him faster "You've gone down the wrong path and now you are paying the consequences"

The atmosphere seemed to get even darker as Azreal narrowed his eyes, an icy coldness in his eyes. He stepped a little closer as he growled "I will win this and there will no more contenders!"

Deaton couldn't stop himself now but he never got to finish  "Then why haven't you done so? Each time you kill them all or most of them, more reapers will replace the ones you've killed in this compition. You can't w-"

Suddenly all Deaton could see was darkness. He could no longer feel anything or smell anything. It was even like his sense of who he was seemed to grasp, all he really knew was fear.

Azrael holds out his hand and a white flame flickered in his hand.

Azrael smiles coldly down at the shivering soul as he said "You think I can't win? Why would I listen to a mere soul?"

He then with no hesitation, tipped the soul into his mouth.