Chains Unbound

Should I go?

Tullos took a daring step forward, getting closer to the slave he barely knew for a few hours.

Should I dare?

The boy looked to the left to see Frederique now being embraced and calmed down by the wings of his own guardian angel. The being was of an astonishing beauty, just like his own angel.

What can I do?

His heart pounded as the small threads of fear threatened to sweep deep inside his heart, ready to pull him down to the ground. He looked back at his guardian angel, the beautiful woman was right there besides him, smiling gently and telling him with a single glance that it was alright to move forward. It was alright to fight even if he believed that he stood no chance. He had to try, at least that.

But I'm just a kid...

Doubt whispered inside his heart and then he looked at the guardian demon. His smug face brought a chill down his spine, but the sensation Tullos felt was one of being pushed down into the ground and then pulled back up by his own strength. The demon was digging inside of Tullos mercilessly to prove to the child that he was strong, that he could beat this. Only a demon could dare to harm him in such a way.

I can't fight her...

Tullos shook his head as he fell down on his knees, feeling the terrifying pressure brought onto him by a single glance from the gigantic demoness. She was now looking at him, pinning him down with just her gaze, daring him to move forward.

Why is this happening to me?

Tears rushed to his eyes as he felt the cries slip out from his lungs and escaping his lips. He didn't like this situation, this pressure on his heart, this battle which from the start seemed to be a lost cause. He was a child fighting a giant demon, what were his chances of survival anyway? The fear of death, regret, yet at the same time a powerful will to continue on, to dare save a life he barely knew, all of them pulled at his heart at the same time. Tullos was being ripped apart by these emotions, tears flowing down his cheeks from the sheer sensations he felt. It was madness.

In the mist of this internal turmoil, the child felt a warm hand gently laying down on his shoulder. The warmth and calm brought to him by this touch made the child look up, tears in his eyes, at the one that offered him this peaceful sensation. It was his guardian angel. She was right there, once more chasing away the fear and doubt from his heart. That unending mad roller coaster that shredded his feelings from one extreme to another was being calmed down by her very presence and touch.

The angel nodded and Tullos smiled. He wiped the tears away from his eyes and continued on. The angel didn't let go of him, if she did, Tullos might have been overwhelmed by the feelings which would suddenly explode inside of himself, feelings which were a direct result of the giant demon's presence.

“Kyros...” he whispered, but the boy didn't hear him.

Another step forward and now Tullos reached the magic circle that surrounded Kyros.

Upon a closer look he could see that small symbols decorated all the circles. Some were twisted like the tendrils of a vine in a ancient forest, others were sharp and pointy like nails scattered on the floor, there were even some that reminded more of pictures rather than actual words. What connected all of them was the strange energy with which all of them were imbued with. Tullos did not know what the words meant, but instinctively he could tell that he was faced with real magic. All of the other circles and magical incantations written on the ground seemed to resemble this one in the center.

Tullos gulped and stepped into the magic circle. In that very moment the invisible energy that was emanated from it up towards the ceiling passed through the young boy's body. He couldn't see this strange energy, but he could feel it like a draft of cold wind which first started to surround his body, until completely enveloping him, and then as a strange pressure which echoed deep inside of his very soul. The pressure felt like suddenly he had gained the strength of a thousand warriors and then in that very same moment lost it all to his weak will. Tullos felt lost, empty and weak inside, but even with his will weakened by that magical energy, he still retained it and made him push forward another step until he was out.

When Tullas finally passed through that strange energy field and was now inside the magical circle, that feeling of power and loss vanished altogether. That torrent of energy was not found there. It seemed like it acted similarly to how a barrier would, keeping those weak of heart away. However, Tullos was not one of them. Although a child, his inner strength was great and his angel and demon have been together with him from the very beginning. But once he found himself inside of the circle, the presence of his guardians vanished. Surprised, Tullos immediately looked back and saw the two of them. The barrier did not stop the young boy, but it did stop his soul's guardians.

Go... whispered the angel with a gentle smile on her lips.

Tullos nodded and then turned around to look at Kyros. He was sitting right there next to him, curled up in a ball, trembling, and crying. The blood on the corner of his lips had already dried up, and luckily he didn't seem to bleed anymore.

“Kyros! Are you alright?!” asked Tullos who immediately jumped to help him. Placing his hand on the boy's shoulder, he shook him up and tried to wake him from what seemed like a dream.

“Kyros!” he shouted again.

Tullos' echoed in Kyros' mind, but they fell on deaf ears. He was trapped within a darkness unlike any he had ever seen or felt before. His thoughts, fears, emotions, everything was engulfed by this darkness and little by little it appeared to be sucking out the very life force of his body.

Was this a dream that he was feeling? A never ending darkness that engulfed him and kept him away from reality? A curse of some sort that was meant to weaken his mind and cripple him like an old man?

It was a little bit of all actually.

The boy was in a trance in which he saw himself falling into this darkness. He kept on falling and falling and every now and then the darkness seemed to pull the light of his soul away from him. When it did that, his life force seeped away as well, draining his strength and weakening his will. It brought him closer and closer to his death and all that he saw and felt was darkness.

“Kyros!” screamed Tullos, but to no effect. Annoyed, the young boy slapped him as hard as he could, but there was no response. “No... What should I do?” Tullos asked himself as he look at Kyros, now laying with his back on the cold floor while he was shaking him by his shoulders.

Let him die... the voice of the giant demoness echoed in Tullos' mind. It felt similar to the words of his own demon, but colder, more dangerous.

Tullos grabbed his own shoulders and shivered for a moment. The cold of those words seemed to have transferred to his actual physical body. He could feel it run up his back and all the way to the end of his fingers. He trembled and rubbed his arms to get rid of the chilling sensation. Fear also creeped up in his heart slowly, little by little, after all if she was capable of doing such things only with her mind, he could only imagine what she would be capable off if she was free from that gigantic magical prison.

“No...” said Tullos in reply as he shook his head and then slapped both of his cheeks in the hope of getting himself back together and relinquishing these horrible sensations the giant demoness was throwing at him. He managed to do so, but only a little.

Tullos looked down at Kyros, at the blood that now hardened at the corner of his lips.

Blood... did something happened to him? he asked himself. Grabbing the boy's shoulders he started to shake him again and as loud as he could, he called out to him, but again it was useless.

Achoo!

Tullos sneezed and realized that the air around him was getting colder. He was shivering but Kyros wasn't. He knew that this rate they were going to die. Desperately, Tullos looked back at his guardian angel and demon seeking help from them, but they seemed stuck behind the magical energy emanating from the circle. Tullos couldn't rely on them then. He was all alone now.

“I'm sorry Kyros... guess I failed...” said Tullos with a soft and weak voice as he curled up on the ground, rubbing his shoulders to get some heat back into him. He was just a child, there was nothing that he could do about such things. He didn't know how to wake him up. Maybe he should have just ran away?

Do you want to save him? the demoness asked him, her words filled with the same dread and coldness as before.

Their eyes met when Tullos looked up at her and he could swear that there wasn't anything more sinister at the moment than that giantess's gaze. Such darkness, terror, and fear were being sent out from those deep black eyes of hers, that probably even the strongest of mankind's warriors would have had trouble not succumbing to her deadly gaze. That's why Tullos wasn't that different and he found himself bowing his head down, trembling in fear and with a heart beat so fast that one might think it was about to burst out from his chest.

You have no choice Tullos. Open my cage. Set my wings free and I shall grant you and your friend the right to live. said the demoness as she spoke once more directly into his mind. The sensation of her words brought Tullos to tears of fear.

“W-Why s-should I trust you?” he questioned her, but the tremble in the tone of his voice gave away just how frightened he was.

A long moment passed before the demoness replied.

You don't. You can't flee anymore. You need to simply do it, otherwise both you and your friends will die a horrible death. If you don't free me... you all die. It is as simple as that. So what are you going to do? Free me or enjoy death together with your friends? Her voice was the same as before: deep, dark, cold, screeching horribly with every sound, but this time it had something more. From deep within her words, Tullos felt a presence of such evil and danger that it simply made him scream out in pain and fear.

“AAAAH!”

The moment felt like it lasted for an eternity. When he came through, Tullos found himself shivering and trembling on the ground. He didn't know for how long he had been sitting there or why he was still alive, but as he opened his eyes, he looked up and saw his guardian angel and demon desperately trying to get to him, to protect him. They were struggling with the magical wall in front of them, casting some sort of magic in an attempt to break him free, but it was to no avail. They appeared to be shouting something at the giant demoness and at Tullos as well, but the young child couldn't hear a single word they were saying. They were cut off from him. The angel was worried, she flapped her wings, pushing at the barrier trying to reach him, but it was to no avail. The magical wall in front of her simply didn't budge to their efforts. Blinking slowly, Tullos turned his head and looked up a the giant demon above him. She was looking down at them, ignoring all of his guardians efforts.

Free me... and I will let you live! her words screeched inside of his mind once more as Tullos cringed his teeth from the horrible feeling. He didn't scream this time.

With a shivering hand, he pushed himself up and then started to look around. His mind was blank and empty of all thoughts. All that he cared and wanted now was to be done with this torment, to get out of this nightmare. He was just a child, why should he suffer in such a way?

“Ok... I'll set you free...” he said with a trembling voice as he stood up and approached the edge of the magical circle.

Looking up at all the seals around the demoness, he stretched his hand out and then started to speak. In that moment a weird energy formed around the young child, dancing around like the flames of a fire. Tullos felt warm once more and his chanting grew louder.

I don't know what I'm saying... but I know... I can feel that these are the right words. Why do I even know them in the first place? Tullos pondered as he watched the magical circles and incantations all over the place resonate with his words. The room would then start to shake, the ground tremble under their feet as magical circle after magical circle shattered into a million pieces, vanishing afterward like it was never there in the first place. The magic seemed to have been what kept the walls stable for so long and as a result of it being dispelled, giant cracks appeared alongside the walls and pieces of both the ceiling and the walls started to crumble on the floor.

This continued until almost all the magical circles in the room vanished and Tullos ran out of energy. When this happened only a few more circles remained, those on the cuffs of the demoness and the one in which Tullos and Kyros were standing in right now.

Out of breath and weakened, the child fell down on his knees. The room was finally left to submit to the passing of time.

“I... I can't do it anymore... I'm out of energy.” said Tullos as he huffed.

The boy fell down on his knees and watched how all around him pieces of stone fell on the floor and dust rose up in the air. He coughed and placed his hand over his mouth and nose to keep it out of his lungs.

When the shaking and crumbling finally stopped the room now actually looked like actual centuries have passed by. There was a lot of rubble on the ground and a lot of dust in the air which made it hard for Tullos to see well. Frederique was next to the exit. When the crumbling started he tried desperately to open up the doors that had closed behind them when they entered, but to no avail. Luckily for him, his guardian angel saved him from a few pieces of rubble which could have easily crushed him.

Now... rise, my soul mate and free me from this prison! I command you in my name Sky'Akella'Rkash! shouted the demoness as her voice resonated with pure darkness in the hearts of all those inside this room. These sensations were stronger than anything felt before, tugging mercilessly at their very souls, causing them pain and a feeling as if their very innards were being ripped out. The pain that was brought unto them by that shout made both Tullos and Frederique scream at the top of their lungs as they collapsed on the ground, trembling and crying. Yet, even though one should have fainted from those sensations, or retreated into the safety of unconsciousness, the very shout that brought them the pain also kept them awake to feel it all up to its very end, thus mercilessly torturing them.

When it was over Tullos was numb from the pain, his mind felt heavy and his breath was ragged, yet his guardian angel still couldn't reach him. She couldn't be by his side and make the pain go away. She was just standing there on her knees and crying for him like a devastated mother who had just witnessed the terrible beating of her only child by a force she could not stop. It was true, every time someone was in great pain, their angel would cry for them. That's why the angels would stay beside them all the time, embracing them when they were being done harm and soothing away their pain with their angelic presence. While the guardian angels can't reach out to the mortal mind easily, the body and soul can still feel their presence and the pain that was supposed to be a million times worse would end up as something one could endure. Thus Frederique recovered while Tullos, who was away from his benevolent angel, still laid numbed by the pain, unable to scream or say a word, just watch and hope for this torment to go away soon.

For a long moment the demon's call remained unanswered, but then something very strange started to happen. It began with a small gust of wind, then the air picked up in speed and soon enough the air was swirling inside this closed room, picking up all the dust. It swirled and swirled around, like the winds of a hurricane, then suddenly it stopped for just a moment when all the air and dust was suddenly pushed back towards the wall with a relentless force. It was not enough to throw Frederique into the wall like before, but certainly powerful enough to push him back and make him tumble once.

Tullos on the other hand was untouched by the force of this wind, maybe because he was right next to its epicenter. As the boy opened his eyes and looked to his left he saw there the origin of this strange phenomenon. It was the young slave boy, Kyros. He was now standing up and floating in the air just a few cm (a few inches) above the ground. Like the two other guardian angels here, Kyros was also emitting the same strange white comforting light. Tullos then watched in amazement how from the slave's chest a powerful beam of light gushed out upwards and started to mold and twist in the air as if it was a living being.

As Kyros was floating on that spot, he steadily rose up in the air about one meter or so (a few feet). The pure white light gathered and formed around him, enveloping him and giving him a new shape. Within moments the light finally settled down and took it's final shape. It was another guardian angel. Unlike the others though, this one was phantasmal. You could see through him and beside the pure white light there was nothing giving him shape and form. The newly formed angel was big in size, almost as big as the trapped demoness. Kyros was floating in the air at it's very base, still letting the weird light emanate from his chest and keeping this ghostly angel here. The being had wings of light that unlike those of the other angels were kept folded on his back. It took a male appearance, but his beauty was a staggering one, very different compared to how Kyros looked now or might look upon reaching adulthood.

Sky... the being spoke.

His voice was mental like that of all the other angels and demons so far, but with the feeling and touch of an angel's. It brought healing and relief, finally taking Tullos out of the numbed state he was suffering in.

Free of the pain, Tullos dared to looked up at the two giants. The sight of these two out of the world beings was amazing. The contrasts produced by their presence, the energies of darkness and light which clashed between them was staggering. Remembering Kyros, Tullos looked to where the young child was floating above the ground. He was still unconscious and Tullos certainly didn't dare approach him anymore, he laid still.

Free me my love... It is time... said the demoness.

Do not forget my dear Sky, you must set free only those few memories... Too much would hurt the future of this world. said the angel as he lifted his hand up and gently touched the demon's cheek. She leaned into his palm and a bloody tear dripped from the corner of her eyes as she felt his touch. However, it didn't seem to harm her in any way like one would have thought. The angel's light did not harm the demon and nor did the demon's touch harm the angel. Despite their clashing and complete opposite energies, they were unharmed by them.

Too long I have waited for this... too long... she said with a soft voice.

My love... Freedom is finally yours. said the angel with a gentle smile on his lips.

Throughout their conversation Tullos and Frederique did not feel the dark and frightening coldness of the demon's voice, nor the gentle feeling and calm touch of the angel's voice. It was like listening to two normal human beings talking to each other without any supernatural sensation. Most likely they were canceling each other's effect on the mortal minds.

As the two beings spoke Tullos realized something horrible. The giant angel that spawned from Kyros was now going to undo the final seals on the demon and set her free. This frightened the child and initially thought of stopping him, but was there anything that he could do?

Tullos lifted his hand up at the light being and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He could not speak. He was at the very center where all of these strange energies clashed and he could not say a word.

I will begin now... warned the angel as he looked up at the stone cuffs that kept the demoness still and then down at the magic circle that surrounded the two children. With a single finger he then started to draw a strange pattern in the air. Light followed behind his finger like the ink from a pen on a piece of paper. He drew in the air a lot of strange patterns and symbols that didn't resemble anything like those in this room. This was another strange sort of magic. When the angel was done, he pressed with his full palm on the center of the strange drawing in the air and thus activated it. The pattern lit up in a bright white light which increased in intensity until Tullos and Frederique were forced to close their eyes. The flash of light lasted but a mere moment, but when it was over all magical circles, seals, incantations and patterns in the room had been removed, including those that surrounded Kyros and Tullos.

With the magical barrier down, Tullos' guardians rushed over to his side. The angel embraced him and the demon stood between him and the two giants. However, they were starting to fade out like Frederique's guardians and the big one that spawned from Kyros' light.

See you soon my love... said the angel as it disappeared. He let Kyros gently back on the ground before he would vanish completely, much quicker than all the others did.

Tullos... Do not forget, no matter how hard life will get for you, we will always be there right besides you, protecting you, healing you, guiding you, and keeping you safe. said the beautiful angel as she vanished together with the guardian demon.

Tullos watched them disappear and in that moment he felt his tears flowing over his cheeks. He felt like he loosing a very good and close friend. It was so weird for Tullos that he could get attached to them in such a strong way when he had only known them for only a little bit. Yet, here he was crying that he was never going to see them again.

“I won't forget you... I promise.” said Tullos with teary eyes.

*Crack!*

*Crack! Crack!*

The cracking sound was heard above him. Tullos' heart froze in place and his tears stopped. He slowly turned around and looked up at the demoness. Without the magical seals there was nothing keeping her there. The prison was turned from an inescapable fortress in which she had been trapped for centuries, into nothing more than an old ruin ready to collapse. The cracks spread on the huge stone spikes with lightning speed. Small pieces fell off and before anyone had any time to react, the entire thing shattered. The spikes broke off into thousand of pieces, raising the dust as they fell on the ground. Tullos was too scared to move away from his spot, but again, just like before, his luck proved itself once more and both him and Kyros were left untouched by the falling debris. When it was over the entire floor was now filled with pieces from the stone shackles, ceiling, and walls. Dust rose up in the air blocking their sight like a thick fog, but Tullos did not need to see to realize what has just happened.

The demoness was free...

“No...” said Tullos with a trembling voice but then started to cough from the dust he inhaled.