• The Demon's Curse •

20: In Which Ifrit Tricks Michael

Back at the Castle, Michael couldn't be any more miserable. Ifrit stared at him though every possible shadow, despite his white fur. Calcifer flickered with irritation when Ifrit hopped on the stool before the Hearth.
"Look at you. I've never seen a demon so terrifying." the cat taunted, pawing at the embers.
        "You're right. Soft purrs and white fur strike utter terror within my very being." Calcifer retorted.
"I must say, It is a surprise to find such a powerful demon here all this time."
Michael gasped as he watched the cat speak for once. 
        "Y-Yer a Demon?! Why did you attack me?" He yelled, nearly tripping over himself.
The cat rolled his intense orange eyes, "Don't make me have to kill you. I needed some leverage but open your mouth about this and you won't see tomorrow." He turned to Calcifer, "I trust you aren't on the Wizard's side?"
"I am on no one's side!" Bellowed the fire demon. "I belong to no one."
        This was no surprise. Calcifer was a demon. He was not good. Nor evil. He only did what benefited him.
Michael backed away, "What's going on here?"
        Ifrit pounced on Michael, with his eyes reflecting fiery orbs, "You will keep quiet about this endeavour or you'll never see your parents again."
Michael's dark eyes shined like a child's. Both fear for his life and a new hope. "My Parents? They both passed away at sea."
        Ifrit exhaled impatiently, sitting on his chest, "Think back boy. When the boat sunk, how many survivors did you see?"
"I-I-" Michael searched through memories he had buried long ago. "No one. I haven't seen anyone. I was alone."
        "That's right. And How many Birds were in the sky?"
Calcifer piped up at the conversation, sending hot embers towards the cat. "Stop filling his head with nonsense-"
"Mind your lies demon." The cat snapped. "You know he's a Gyptian."
        "What's a Gyptian?" Michael asked, conscious of the cat leaping off of his abdomen.
"A Gyptian is a race of sea pirates that took to the skies when they were turned into shifters." Calcifer said plainly.
"And am I a shifter?"
        "Possibly. Shifters will shift on their own when they are of age. The breed of Bird depends on them. That's why you couldn't find any survivors. You were too young to shift." Ifrit spoke.
Michael mulled all of the information in his mind. He may have even been tricked.
        "Can I see them? My parents?"
Ifrit's ears rolled back as he pounced on Michael tearing off a piece of clothing and a smidge of blood. He dropped the rag by his paws and stared directly at the boy, "No. Tomorrow night you will. For now, keep our little conversation under wraps. If I come back to find my plans ruined, I'll kill Lily Mason."
        Both Calcifer and Michael remained silent as the demon made its way out and into Kingsbury.
"What do we do?"
Calcifer rolled over on his log, griping purple embers into the air. 
        Michael sighed and began to do research on anything Howl had related to Gyptians. 

~
        In a hour's journey of twists and turns until he finally reached the famialr brick mirage. 
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A large red feathered condor picked at it's wing, hunched over like something manicing.
The Cat paused, mid-trot bistling. 
The bird bobbed its head to the side. It's eyes were black, without so much as a single gleam of remorse.
        The condor shifted into its human form, a woman with blonde strands of hair tucked in a messy scarf. She sported a scar across her nose. "The names' Sunshine."
Ifrit dropped the rag and stared her down, still in a defensive stance.
        Sunshine smiled. "Look, I know you don't have a reason to trust me but They won't bring you to the flat plain. They're going to imprison you in the next vacancy."
"Who are you?"
"I told you. I'm Sunshine."
        Her wicked grin only heightened his recognition. "You are the Condor that Destroyed the Gypsies fifteen years ago."
"I tried too." She laughed.
"Weren't you banished?"
                "Who would be dumb enough to let you roam around freely?" she smiled. She kicked a puddle with her heavy boot in his direction. The Demon didn't so much as flinch.
"How is it you know all of this? And what is it you want? I imagine you aren't doing this out of the goodness of your heart." Oh yes. Ifrit was young but he was clever indeed.
                Sunshine scoffed, "I'm telling you because I want them dead. I want Michael dead. I want them all dead."
"Ease yourself." The cat lifted a paw, with a pitiful gaze. 
She took a breath, "I don't know where the runt is so I'll settle until you bring him in exchange for the flat plane, which you won't get."
                She spoke quickly, which only heightened the Demons caution.
"And why would I hand him over, now That I know the Gypsies are untrustworthy?"
She fiddled with a thin braid of hair that came loose from the scarf, "Because If you hand him over to me, I can still get you there."
                "Again," He emphasized, "Untrustworthy."
She stepped closer to the demon, "You're still young, and I don't discourage you for that but Let me tell you a story about a Condor. In the family of Gyptains, a set of twins are born. At a certain age the twins will have to take a leap of faith. This leap is the first time a Gypsy can shift. One of the twins will be a Condor and be crowned leader. From there they marry the strongest male. As you can see, I'm the Condor. I'm the Twin with the strongest power. I can do the spell on my own."
                The Demon was wide-eyed. He had heard of this ritual but only in legend. This was old indeed.  
"What inclines me not to kill the boy of my own accord?"
                "Smart Demon." She complimented but it was translucent. "I'll give you some advice. In order to do the spell, you'll need an object from that world as a vector. From there I can open partials and you just step through."
                "What do you mean particals?"
"I mean like dust. Dust is common in every part of the universe so I draw power from that since they all have it in common."
"I see. Same time goes. I'll meet you here tomorrow night and we shall see. Goodnight Sunshine."
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