The Return Chapter 2
Old Foes, New Trouble
By Firstborn Dragon
Rudy was downstairs, discussing the cost of reloading his ARMs. He just finished getting his rocket launcher reloaded, when a man ran in through the door.
"He’s coming! He’s really coming."
"Calm down." Rudy stood up to the man.
The man stopped, and looked at Rudy.
"You’ve chosen a bad time to come to Port Timney stranger. Surly you’ve heard about the beast who is terrorizing our village."
"So I’ve heard. A past mistake come back to haunt me. Something that I intend to fix." He made the point clear, by picking up his ARM.
"You mean we Rudy. I wouldn’t miss this rematch for the world."
"And this is partly my fault too. Besides we done everything else together before."
Rudy turned around, and saw Jack and Cecilia coming down the stairs. Rudy’s hopes of being able to sort the mess out were suddenly shattered.
"You three intend to rid us of this beast? Amazing!" The man was clearly excited.
Jack turned to the man who had just ran in. "So how far is he?"
"He was just coming from the Elw temple, when I saw him. The strangest thing was that he look upset about something."
Rudy, Jack and Cecilia looked at each other. Then they nodded, and existed the inn. They stood by the gateway into the city, and waited. They did not wait long.
A few minutes latter, they saw him. And there was no doubt left about who he was. It was the same Demon that they had fought before during the war. Whether it was the ringing sound as Jack’s sword left his sheath, or the click of Rudy’s ARM, Zed looked up. He stopped, and stood his ground. The three companions looked at Zed, and Zed looked back. There was a tension in the air, that both party could feel.
Jack broke the silence. "I knew you couldn’t be trusted. We should have killed you when we had the chance. This time we won’t make that mistake."
Zed looked up. He seemed relieved about something. "So you did come. I was hoping you would."
Cecilia looked puzzled at this. "You wanted us to come? But didn’t you know we would kill you?"
"Dose it look like I care anymore? He took her. How, or why I don’t know. The only thing I lived for was her, and He took her." Zed looked to be on the verge of tears.
Rudy took over at that point, motioning for Jack to hold his ground. However Jack was so shocked by this turn of events, that he didn’t even try to approach Zed. "Who?"
Now he was crying. "The girl in the village. Laura, the blind girl. Zeikfried took her. So I don’t care if you kill me. I have noting. Hear me, NOTHING!!!" With that statement, Zed removed his sword, and threw it at Jack’s feet. "You wanted to kill me? Go ahead. I don’t care!"
No one moved. Then Rudy spoke again. "Why did you threaten this town?"
"To get someone here who could end my misery. I have noting." Zed didn’t even look at them.
It was Cecilia who spoke next. She asked the one question that laid heavy on her mind. Everyone’s mind. "How do you know that Zeikfried took her?"
"He left me this. He wanted me to know. " Zed removed a crumpled piece of paper from under his shirt, and threw it at Cecilia. She opened it, and read it.
.
Zed:
Nice friend you have. I decided that I want her. Too bad you betrayed me, first by protecting a human, then by failing to kill those meddlers. I know all about how they save your pathetic life. Mother would be very disappointed if she knew. But she’s dead. Like you thought the Quartet Knights were. Now you know you were wrong. Suffer like we have.
Zeikfried
.
"Now you know how I know."
"She meant a lot to you, didn’t she." Cecilia was starting to feel sorry for Zed.
Zed was a little amazed by the compassion in Cecilia’s voice.
"When you finally come to the concussion that no one cares for you, then you sure pay attention to the first person who dose. I always wanted to be a Quartet knight. But they never thought I was good enough. I was suited for decoy duty, or perhaps suicide runs. If I failed I was yelled at. If I did something right, the credit was given to some one else. Laura accepted me as what I was, or at least what she though I was. She was the first, and probably the last person who ever cared for me. Every one else hates me. The humans hate me because I’m a demon. The demons hate me because they think I’m pitiful. So what do I care what happens to me? I can’t go back to the demons, and the humans will never accept me. If I thought that there was any chance of getting her back, I’d fight. But I alone have no chance against the demons. So I’d rather die." Zed turned away, in defeat.
Rudy stepped forwards, and looked at Zed. The next words he spoke shocked everyone. "Perhaps you can’t stop them alone, but I’ll help."
Jack took a step forwards as he spoke. "Rudy, do you know…"
Rudy turned towards Jack. "What I’m saying? Yes. Zed is like me. Or have you forgotten what I am. If it were not such a well kept secret, the world would most likely want me dead. Is it my fault that I’m like this, any more than it’s Zed’s fault that he’s what he is? I don’t think so. You don’t have to come Jack, you either Cecilia."
Rudy turned back to Zed. Zed looked at him, a surprised look on his face. "Well Zed. If you still want to try and get her back, or at least avenge her death, I’m here to help." Rudy held his hand out.
Zed didn’t answer. The truth was he didn’t know what to say. Neither did Cecilia, or Jack.
.