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He stiffens, every muscle in his body going tense. And then, in the blink of an eye, it’s as if someone completely different is in his place. He rages into action, springing at the demon handling me roughly.
Volikan’s hand fists, and he smashes it against the large demon’s face. Caught by surprise, the demon releases me abruptly. I fall to the ground, thrown off balance, and narrowly miss being gored by Volikan’s own claws.
I scramble across the floor, scooting backwards as quickly as I can to get out of their way. The two of them fight furiously for some time as I watch in horror.
At first, the larger demon seems almost amused by the activity. He’s so much larger that it’s hard to imagine how Volikan can ever win. But Volikan is relentless, landing blow after blow.
They chase each other around the dungeon, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The shelf that held the tools I used in my escape gets broken, clattering loudly to the floor. Metal instruments of torture scatter across the floor, some landing near me. I wince, drawing my feet up as though they could burn me.
With wide eyes, I watch as the two of them pummel each other. It’s a vicious, bloody fight, and at some point it manages to sink in that Volikan never intended to let this other demon take advantage of me. I’m not sure why, but it cheers me up a little to watch his willingness to protect me.
It’s hard to take too much pleasure in the chaos unfolding before me, however. I don’t like violence of any kind, even deserved. They’re both bloody and beaten, and the sight makes my stomach turn.
The fight turns my way once more, and I must scramble into the corner to once again avoid being gored. Volikan seems utterly out of control, as though he has no awareness of his actions. His movements are entirely separated from his brain.
I can’t help but think that he’d kill me just as soon as he would the other demon. At least in this state, he has no ability to discern the difference. He’s out for blood, any blood that he can get.
I’m not going to get close enough to accidentally get caught in the middle. I don’t want to test just how far he is able to go, and I suspect that it would be a losing wager. I’ve never seen anything as ferocious as he is, in this state. It seems to be a kind of madness.
I curl myself up, trying to disappear in the corner of my cell and avoid detection. A part of me wants to close my eyes and block out the horrible sights, but it seems as though that would be a fatal error. I have no choice but to watch, even if it terrifies me.
The smell of demon blood burns in my nostrils. The stranger begins to offer half-hearted excuses, trying to appease Volikan. He never apologizes for his actions, but he does bargain with him, trying to strike up a deal.
Volikan is unmoved and offers no evidence that he even hears the words. He slams my attacker into the stone walls of the dungeon, over and over. The sound makes me quiver, but it blends in with the internal scream that I hear in my own head.
Finally, the demon slumps to the floor, defeated. Something in Volikan’s face changes again, the hard look washing away. He turns to face me, and I imagine that I see a glimmer of awareness returning to his eyes.
But then Volikan steps closer. I panic, worried that he’s about to attack me next. After everything that I just saw he was capable of, anything seems possible. My eyes dart down to the floor, eyeing the selection of items sprawled across the floor.
It’s a mess, trash left everywhere as the result of their fight. But some of it are Volikan’s instruments of torture – knives and blades and even a thick belt studded with nails. If I need a weapon, there are plenty of options.
Even as he draws nearer, something in me hesitates. I don’t want to attack him. It’s simply not in my nature. Is this what I must do to survive in this horrible place? Can I find the courage?
Luckily, I do not have to make the decision. He drops suddenly, collapsing to the ground several feet in front of me.
I stand up shakily, creeping closer and wondering if he is dead. He’s fully unconscious, same as the other demon. But his chest rises and falls steadily, letting me know that he lives.
“Is that good or bad?” I ponder.
He’s a bloody mess of what he once was, and likely passed out from his own injuries. I glance once more at the selection of weapons and consider finishing the job. At least then I would be free.
I can feel my resolve strengthen, and then immediately crack. I may die here, eventually. Still, I just don’t have the nerve to kill another. I’d rather die myself, than to live with that guilt.
My heart hammers in my chest as I survey the scene, trying to think. Even if I can’t be rid of Volikan, I must do something about the other demon. There has to be some way to get him away from me, before he awakens, and I relive this horror all over again.
103
VOLIKAN
I come to suddenly, gasping awake with a startle. “What the fuck?” I groan as my senses come crashing back in.
The motion makes my head hurt, and I look around in confusion. I feel drained and achy, though it takes me a moment to recollect my hazy memories and remember why.
I’m in my own room, but I don’t recall coming here. I blink, trying to piece it together. I was drinking with Drir’gen, which may be enough to explain the headache.
We were having a good time, and then what? Like a lightning strike, it comes to me, making my blood freeze in my veins. That’s right. The woman.
My anger starts to rise again, bubbling in my chest and crowding my throat. The way that he fondled her is imprinted on my brain. The last few minutes, it turns out, was a relief. It was the last time I’ll ever not remember that devastating vision.
