Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 102: The Demon Tyranny

This is the 102nd in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.

The Demon Tyranny, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 13th March 2013

Word count: 1,000

The story:

“Damn that fool, I warned him never to come here,” the tyrant said to thin air, then he addressed the soldier, “Mobilise the army, have the reserves man the castle. I want their heads now.”

The soldier clasped a closed fist to his chest/ The soldier hurried out, yelling for the generals, and other officers.

The tyrant sat back in his throne, looking into space, “Who cares? I have an army, I will become a God. They have nothing but a tame ogre.”

He sat in silence for a few moments, as if listening.

“No, it won’t come to that. I will succeed,” he said white with fear.

The hour of the alignment approached and the tyrant was in a rage. His army had been foiled, his enemies vanished.

“I had the wizards word that he would never come into my territory,” the tyrant muttered to himself, “My army has failed me. No one fails a God.”

“Sire,” a serving girl said.

“What is it?” the tyrant snapped.

“The priest summons you, he says it is time.”

“Good,” the tyrant said, then stalked off to the great hall which had been transformed for the ritual, the roof had been removed, leaving joists and clear skies, the priests had decorated the walls, doors, and floors with ceremonial symbols.

“Let us begin,” the tyrant ordered as he stepped into the room. The doors closing behind him, his guards took up position outside the doors and waited nervously.

The tyrant walked into the marked circle in the centre of the room.

“Let us be quick,” he commanded, “We are discovered, enemies are approaching.”

“I agree,” a priest with a young voice said, then he pulled back his hood to reveal not the curse ravaged face of a dark priest, but that of a toned young man.

The other priest pulled his hood back, revealing the face of a wizened old man.

“Its over,” the old man said.

“Fools, do you know how many guards await?”

A dark figure broke away from the shadows in the farthest edge of the room, as it entered the light it became obvious it was an ogre.

“Do tell, I like a challenge,” the ogre said coldly.

“Then you’ll love me beast,” deep dark menacing words dripped from the tyrants mouth, his eyes glowed red, and his skin was turning a metallic grey.

“It’s the demon Xofernon!” the wizard warned, his face ashen as Tyrant transformed.

“Yeah well,” the ogre said charging forward, while three soldiers circled the horrific figure cautiously.

The horrific figure batted the ogre away casually, yet with enough force to send him flying clear across the room.

“The power will be mine,” the figure hissed. Flames sprang from eyes, the wizard blocked the flames with a white shield.

“The power is not yours to have,” the wizard grunted, “Only one of the blood of King Clio can receive it.”

The soldiers charged in to hack at the demon, their swords bouncing off fruitlessly. A wave of his tail sent them flying, one died when he hit the far wall. The only threat he could see was the wizard who was casting magic. The demon cast back causing a stalemate between two powerful and old beings.

“The ogre!” the Tyrant cried out from with in the mind of the demon.

The demon casually cast out a stream of fire at the ogre. The ogre just avoided it, but he changed tactic. On tree trunk like legs he leaped into the air, and grabbed hold of one of the ceiling joists. He reached his hand into the streaming light falling into the centre of the room, it spilled from his hand, burning the thick grey flesh turning it a bloody red, but the light was redirected from the creature to the white shield of the wizard, it bounced off, coalesced into a new beam and hit the hiding girl.

“No!” screamed the demon Xofernon and a Tyrant together as the power of the gods left them.

The wizard stopped casting spells and was visibly putting his efforts into holding onto his shield.

The girl floated into the air.

The light suddenly went out, the demon stopped casting spells at the shield and charged the girl.

The ogre leapt into the demon, pushing him and his razor sharp teeth and claws away from the girl.

The wizard pulled a great sword from seemingly nowhere, and threw it to the now one handed ogre. The ogre without skipping a beat smashed the giant sword into the demons head.

The demon kicked back sending the ogre reeling.

“Your pathetic sword is nothing to me,” Xofernon hissed.

“We’re just buying time,” the wizard said, resting casually against the wall, “You killed her family, left her for dead. Now she has the power for vengeance. I reckon she’s due this one.”

The demon turned, but the girl was already floating, surrounded by a white aura of power.

The demon struck fast with magic and claw, to no affect. Xofernon turned to flee, the Tyrant inside willed him on.

Suddenly both were struck, paralyzed by fingers of light, the demon burned away, painfully, his essence becoming smoke in the wind, leaving behind the savaged body of the Tyrant.

“You’ve freed me,” he proclaimed.

The girl turned away, unwilling to look upon what was left. The wizard didn’t, the Tyrant heard the wizard approach. “It had me enthralled,” the Tyrant he said fearfully.

“I know, I too have face the seduction demons offer,” the wizard said, watching the Tyrant release the gasp of air he’d been holding, then with out warning he slashed the Tyrant’s throat with a small dagger. “You succumbed for power. Go be with your demon master in Hell.”

Blood gushing out the Tyrant turned to his young niece,” Please,” he mouthed his plea.

The girl looked at him with pain filled eyes, yet the Tyrant felt relief from his pain, and then the terrifying sensation of slipping into darkness.