The Exile

Homecoming

The trio successfully jumped the walls of the Royal Cross. The scene was similar to the destruction in the city. Walls destroyed with the bodies of students, teachers, and demons laid across the field. The oncoming darkness would soon come and by the looks of it; the Royal Cross will tragically lose.

"This doesn't look good." Kayden cautiously looked around. His sword still drawn.

"We need to find the elders!" Amy made her way toward the chapel with the look of desperation smeared on her face.

"What if they're not..." Kearney tried to pause himself, "Alive?"

"Don't say that!" Amy attempted to swallow her despair.

"Both of you calm down." Kayden walked behind the Exorcists. His warm breath revealed itself in the cold whenever he opened his mouth. He grew to dislike the Royal Cross over time, but he never wished for this. Nothing like this ever. He's been through hell and seen more than what the Elders claimed to have seen. The pits of agony and evil, but he never wished those ugly things on the Royal Cross, even after they betrayed him.

He was just as angry as them. The students couldn't hold their own. How could they? The sheer numbers of those monsters was an unfair ratio of ten to one. The trio got into the chapel and the scene was just as horrible. Nobody made a move. They scanned the halls to make sure they were clear of stragglers that may be faking among the bodies.

"We need to get out of any open spaces," Kayden warned, "We don't need another ambush."

Kearney stared in shock. He had trouble processing the images he had seen. His mouth stayed shut and he couldn't get his words to exit his lips. His hands tightened into a fist, a shaking fist. He followed the exile into the chapel. His anger exposed on his sleeve.

"You might want to keep that locked up somewhere." Kayden quietly said to Kearney.

"What do you mean?" Kearney tried to change his tone into a calmer one.

"The way you're walking says 'walking target' on you," Kayden replied, "I've seen the greatest fighters make mistakes because they couldn't keep their emotions in check."

"I'm not like them!" Kearney argued.

"Yeah," Kayden stopped Kearney in his tracks, "That's what they always say."

They walked through the hallway, hoping to discover some of their allies still alive, or at least surviving. One by one, each door in the hallway was checked, and they managed to locate a few students and teachers who managed to live through the battle—barely. They weren't strong enough to carry on the fight and the trio didn't feel right forcing them to do it either, especially after what they went through.

"They outnumbered them," Amy frustratedly held her head, "No amount of training could've prepared them for an ambush!"

"They're not exactly an honor bound bunch." Kayden sighed. He kept his anger hidden and continued to formulate some kind of plan inside his mind. He always had to fight them ten to one, but due to his powers this helped them gain an edge over the army of hell. The exile couldn't say the same for them. Some of them were too young to begin combat training and some probably hadn't even fired a gun yet. They grabbed the students at the weakest and exploited it until it almost became a massacre.

"They think they can win," Kearney gritted his teeth, "But we'll show them!"

"Show us what, kid?" An arrogant voice appeared through the air.

Before Kearney had a chance to turn around, a strong kick greeted his ribs causing him to skid through the halls.

"Zare!" Amy drew her gun and began firing at him. His speed was far more superior against the bullets and quickly dodged the ongoing gunfire.

"I'm surprised you figured the distraction before we got to finish our redecorating." Zare grabbed ahold of Amy's neck and slammed her to the heavily tiles floor. The unrelenting force cracked the floor with Amy.

His hand slowly squeezed onto her neck, cutting off her oxygen intake. Zare simply smiled and pulled Amy off the ground and threw her toward the fallen Kearney, who was still nursing his possibly cracked ribs.

"Now where's Kay-" Zare's sentence was cut-off by a kick to the head. His speed didn't give him enough time to react to Kayden's surprise attack. Their old battles proved it and their endings always revealed the same winner... The Hell Walker.

Zare barely minimize the impact by shielding his face with his hands before he landed on the floor. The tiled floor cracked with the impact.

"I'm right here you stupid son--" Kayden couldn't finish his insult with Zare giving an attack of his own.

"I hate your mouth!" Zare kicked Kayden's abdomen with a heavy helping of frustration. Kayden managed to defend himself after the first couple of kicks. Zare had terrible powers, but he wanted to kill his nemesis with his bare hands. He couldn't think of anything else to do to him.

Kayden knew that would be his advantage and Zare wouldn't know what hit him.

"I can say the same to you!" Amy lunged at Zare with her knee meeting his cheek. The demon skidded through the hallway's floor.

Zare scoffed with his hand rubbing his cheek. Not a marking showed on his face. He probably just didn't expect it. Either way, it wasn't enough to take him out of the fight.

The young demon sped toward the Exorcist, but was interfered by her partner. Kearney tossed a flash bang that blinded Zare and accidently captured Amy, but that allowed Kearney to push Amy out of the way of Zare's onslaught while Kayden charged with his sword. The blinded demon couldn't defend himself in time.

Blood scrawled across the walls. The demon's blood caused the walls to smoke as if acid was poured onto the brick walls. Zare winced in pain as he tried to pull the blade away from abdomen. Kayden applied more force causing Zare to get pinned against the wall. The exile didn't want his enemy to try to teleport away from his fatal blow, so he pierced the tip of his blade through the wall.

"Damn you!" Zare yelled out, he continued to try to pull the blade away from him. His hands slid across the sharp blade, but he still failed to escape from Kayden's sword.

Amy rushed to the demon and placed a silver cross on his forehead.

"Incendemus animam ad inferos portans et derelinquam vos Deus!" Amy shouted an incantation to allow the cross to seal Zare to prevent him from escaping before burning him.

"You really think you pissants can prevent us from taking your world!?" Zare struggled to say his words.

"It's a start." Kayden withdrew his sword and allowed Zare to burn into a lifeless pile of ash.

The smoking body knelt down to the floor before his skull collapsed from the gravity's pressure.

"Where's the Elders?" Kearney looked around the area.

A loud crash echoed through the halls.

The debris cleared which revealed the First Elder on the floor bleeding from the side of his head.

"Found him." Kayden remarked without missing a beat.

"Well, well, we--" Valac paused in his steps, "Is that my...no!"

Valac stared at the smoking corpse of his son. His teeth gritted, fist shaking, and his eyes turning into a blood red. All meant one thing.

Anger.

Something Kayden knew all too well.

"Go find the other Elders!" Kayden walked toward the older demon. This was the first time he faced one on one against Zare's father. He was something of a brutal demon--claimed to be far worse than the dark lord himself. The exile wasn't all too familiar with his fighting style and he wasn't planning on coming out of it alive, but he hoped for the best. That was all he could do.

Hope.