A Thousand Years of Love

Howl of the wind they heard. It's a calm night contrast to the chaos inside their mind. Chilly sweat they have. Their hopes are their swords and arrows. Holding it tightly while breathing is being counted. The race of humanity is soon to be eliminated. The man in the post above blew the horn in the middle of the night.

"The demons have infiltrated! They're coming! Prepare for a battle!"

The clamor of fighters broke the silence of the eerie night. Charging towards the threat of humanity– demons. Screaming was their way to throw the fear in their hearts. Bloodsheds can not be computed anymore. Countless deaths and mourners as soon as the sun rises.

"How long do we have to endure this?"

"Do we even have a chance to live peacefully?"

"I wonder if we can win against demons."

"I, Claudio Lockstream, will try to make it happen. We will win!"

Another night came again and when the sun appears, another life has been taken away from someone, someone dear to the ninth king.

"You promised me! Open your eyes! Damn it! Hey!" The king hugged his friend. It's already late. They both protected people. When a demon was about to attack him, he was saved. When he looked at the person who pushed him, he rattled and immediately killed the demon who stabbed his savior.

"My king, the retrieval squad had arrived and the captain." He weakly tilted his head and cried out loud when again, another friend had died. A long yell of no, Claudio wailed his heart out. His childhood friends, Max and Esperanza have perished.

Everyone has their own personal pain. A pain they have to set aside for the sake of humanity. Wiping their tears while facing the morning sun. King Claudio stood up in front of everyone.

"This night, we will end this agony. We have to give our all for this battle. We should not... their sacrifices should not be put in vain. For the kingdom and for humanity!" They all shouted out their pain and suffering. The fear in their eyes turned into a determination. Determined to achieve the peace they long to get.

The awaited night arrived. The last battle that will decide the fate of humanity.

Screams and splash of blood. Explosions and clashing sounds. The number of demons is overwhelming but King Claudio dominated the fight. Attack after an attack as he leads his knights. Creating high-class magic for offense and defense. It was a long crimson night.

The king stood up in the middle of the dead demons and humans. Ragged and wounded, he waved the flag of their kingdom and all cried for their victory.

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Eight months after the battle and the kingdom is recovering day by day. It took a year and a half before the kingdom recouped to its old self. The forgotten smiles and laughter returned gradually. King Claudio bitterly smile to the sky.

"I wish you guys were here too. It's a little lonely." He solemnly closed his raven eyes and breathe the fresh air. The view from his room is beautiful. He promised to his self. "I will protect this beauty you guys left." From then on, Claudio changed the kingdom's system.

In a village far from the heart of the kingdom, demons reappeared and began to slaughter the inhabitants. The incident reached the king after a week. He then sent a squad of knights to investigate immediately. King Claudio couldn't wait and uncomfortable with the reappearance of the demons. He decided to do his own investigation while doing his own job as the king and leader.

One afternoon where the skies were vermillion. An injured, fatigued, and hungry woman collapsed near a river. She saw humans and tried to attack one of them to restore her weak body but stopped in doing it. The curse of the demon is getting stronger than the spirit of nature inside her. There's a small village nearby. The demons who are after her might attack the villagers.

"I should just die but not here. I have to leave this place as soon as possible."

Barely making a step, she decided to just crawl. "I have to get away, " but her body stopped moving. Shutting down her eyes and felt the death coming closer to her, a hideous demon appeared coming from the sky. It shakes the ground where it landed and destroyed anything before its sight.

"I smell something nice, " the demon followed the scent and saw the village.

"Humans." 

"You come all the way here to kill me so there's no reason to touch those humans. Let's settle this somewhere."

"I shall be thankful to you."

"What are you saying?"

"I didn't know that these humans have such good life forces. It's my very first time seeing them. You can see it too right? The glowing life forces in their fragile body. I want to taste their flesh!"

A boy child fetching water from the river saw them and dropped his jar. The young boy just blinked his eyes then he was already in the arms of the frightening devil.

"Don't hurt that boy, " she forced herself to stand up. Gritting her teeth, eyes set to the demon. The boy cried as soon as he realized the situation

"This is interesting. A demon like you showing some empathy for this food." The boy cried again closing his eyes because of fear.

"I don't want to die." The demon just let out a laugh full of terror and lifted the kid in the air. The veins in the boy's head began to show up as he reddened trying to gasp for air.

"Food is just-food. Thank you for the meal!" The demon's mouth opened so wide that the skin around its mouth apart.

"I said don't hurt that boy!" It's only a matter of time. If the vines didn't stop the demon's mouth from closing, the boy is now dead. She struggled to keep the demon's mouth open. If she let go of her hold on the magic, the child's body will be cut into half.

"I have to hold on," but the demon is too strong due to the fact that she's not in good condition. Her gaze met the boy's innocent eyes. She then saw that he is uttering something.

"My sis...ter... please." What happened occurred so slow in her eyes. The kid smiled. The vines ripped and the boy was cut into two. His blood mixed the river. Those were the child's last words.

"This! This is so delicious! The smell! This taste! I want more!" Hearing the demon exhilarating awakens the strange power inside her.

"I told you didn't I?" The demon paused as its instinct tells great danger. The ripped vines grew again rapidly entangling the demon. It forcibly opened the astounded demon's mouth. Her green iris' luminance brings terror to the creature.

"Die!" The ripping sound of flesh and bones joined the calm gushing river. The demo's head was ripped apart.

"May your soul finds peace in the afterlife." She closed the boy's eyes. In the bush near her, there was a movement that her peripheral vision caught. She guarded herself and looked at the bush intently until she heard a sob of a girl.

"Could it be his sister?" She used the vines to check the bush and it was a girl of three to four age.

"What's your name? Come here, I won't hurt you." Smiling and tried to sound soft. The little girl walked out of the bush and hugged her.

"Brother dead?" Her tiny finger pointed the body of his brother. She caressed the little girl's back and a tear formed in her eyes.

"I am sorry." She regretted coming to this village. Someone just died because of her. Again.

"Look, monster. There." Her eyebrows greeted.

"Monster... many." The child hugged her tighter and shortly, she felt the coldness. Stiffened in her position, the aura coming from behind. It's a more dangerous one. She need not have to look back instead prepared her magic.

"Baby, we will run very fast so hug me even tighter and close your eyes okay?" The child nodded and did what she told. 

"Ray of the sun hit me,

Grow these seeds fully.

Cover everything to green,

I command you nature, begin!" After citing the incantation, all the plants within her vision's reach grew hastily and covered the whole village. A massive forest just emerged! The demons behind her got distracted. She used that moment to run while enduring the searing pain all over her body. The luminance in her eyes is fading away. She is reaching her limit. The soil she stepped instantly grew a gigantic tree that made the pace of the horde of demons impeded.

"Hug me tighter!" She focused the magic on her eyes and another forest materializes in front of them. She then raised her right hand a vine lifted them.

She knew the demons are still catching up to them particularly the one with the sinister aura.

"Don't ever open your eyes, okay?" She raised her magic and halted to gave them a powerful offense.

"Spirits of nature is what I need,

Unlock your gates and come forthwith,

Dance in this forest that I made,

I'll hear from you soon, just heed my greed!"

Her emerald eyes glowed even more and one wave of her hand grew a large leaf in front. As soon as the horde of demons reached the vicinity of her magic. She discharged all the spirit energy from the leaf. The whole forest was illuminated by a blinding light that lasted about ten seconds. When the light was gone, it appeared that most of the demons were eradicated but one was left. Her eyes widened. It was her strongest attack but it survived. She can't make another one and right at the moment when she's about to run. She was stabbed, lifted up, and thrown yet secured the safety of the kid. The enemy released its sinister aura and transformed into a creature near to a human with bat wings.

"Protect this little girl, please, " she whispered to her vines and the vines enveloped the child.

"Now we can continue. I was born to help regulate the flow of order in this world. Humans are not your food."

"Come with me."

"No, you have changed."

They fought until she killed the demon and her, in a grave state. The last image she saw before passing out was a man riding in a horse.

When she woke up, she found herself in a room.

"Oh, you wake up!" The man walked towards her with a big smile.

"I found you in the–" he didn't finish his words. Interrupted and stunned as the woman landed a soft bite to his neck.

"What are you doing– ack!" she pinned him down and sucked his blood. The wounds all over her body recuperated. When she opened her eyes, she screamed out of shock. They both stared at each other and then the woman shouted.

"You?!"

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