39 A Rescue Mission Part 6

Suddenly, there was a massive bump, and I nearly plummeted to my death—and would have if I hadn't been holding so tightly to the bird.

The griffin cried out as if in pain, and then it started falling. Appearing as if out of the blue was Caleb atop his winged lion. With a kickass-looking rifle in one hand and the other holding on to the reins, he and his beast charged forward. I watched in awe as the winged lion opened his mouth wide and then attacked the bird right on the neck, causing the bird to cry out and lose control. Falling at a breakneck pace, Caleb and his winged lion pursued me. Once he got close, he grabbed for my arm and effortlessly pulled me onto his lap. Then he pulled the reins again, and the winged lion veered away from the plummeting griffin and the prince and flew away in another direction.

I heard the prince yell and curse at Caleb as he and his bird fell and, a moment later, hit the ground with a loud thud.

I held on to Caleb tightly as he took me over to another truck and dropped me off there. He ordered, "Take him out of here. Now!"

"Aye, my lord!" the soldier said.

I watched as Caleb and his beast flew away to continue with the battle. I held on tightly as the truck drove at full speed toward the other end of the field. Suddenly, I saw Felix and his winged lion heading toward the prince and his now severely injured bird on the ground. A moment later, Felix got down from his lion and walked toward the prince.

Oh my God! What is Felix doing?

Suddenly, it was an all-out fight, with both men going at each other with their bare fists. Lord, but Felix looked pissed as hell as he smashed his fists repeatedly into the prince. But of course, that prince was no weakling. He punched back like a pro boxer.

Up in the air, I noticed Caleb and another warrior lord kept on firing their weapons at the enemy below.

"Get down!" the soldier shouted at me, drawing my attention away from the battlefield.

I obediently did, and thankfully, no enemy was chasing after us this time. Within a few minutes, we reached the safety of the woods, and the soldier parked the truck. Then he got down and ran over to me. He said, "Stay hidden, all right?"

I nodded. Then, with his weapon, he ran over to the other side of the woods. I watched him as he lay low on the ground, prepared his rifle, and started shooting at the enemy from this distance. Wow! He is cool.

I shifted my attention to the battlefield again and scanned across, searching for Felix. I found him in the middle of it all, and I immediately zeroed in on him, using my lenses. He was still fighting the prince, his dark warrior garment now torn and stained with dirt and blood.

I saw him moving his lips as if he was talking, and I wanted to know what he was saying. Instinctively, I closed my eyes and concentrated for a second. Suddenly, his voice came clear as day.

I heard his heavy breathing as he fought. He said, "You fucking haven't changed have you, Philip? Still have a grudge, or is this about something else?"

I saw the prince moving his lips, too, though I couldn't hear anything. Suddenly, he attacked Felix forcefully, as if he were angry, punching the lord here and there on his body and then right on the face. When he moved back, he pulled Felix's mask off in the process.

I gasped in reaction as I stared hard at the scene before me. I heard Felix's heavy breathing. I also noted that his stance was tense, as if he were in a rage. Then he said, "You just have to go and ruin my perfect image, don't you?" He sighed, and then raised his head to look up to the sky.

At this point, I still couldn't see Felix's face without his mask, as he had his back to me.

He said, "I didn't want the little elf to see me like this… This uncool, fucking hideous version of me."

Then he laughed, a mixture of pain and sorrow and dripping with cynicism. Suddenly, I saw dark dust and smoke swirling around him, and I knew that this was his dark qi. In an instant, it circled him completely and charged up to the sky, twisting and swirling like a desert tornado. The men who were close to him were engulfed by his dark qi, and they were attacked and thrust back by the sheer force of its power.

When the dark qi settled and gently flowed around him, I finally got to see Felix for who he really was without the mask on.

Two horns protruded from atop his forehead. Long, fiery red hair, just like a burning flame—glowing and engulfing—flowed down his back. Tall, massive, bulky, muscular body twice his normal size. Deep-set lion-like mauve eyes, along with a snouted nose and wide mouth with fangs.

My stomach hollowed, and I felt like fainting.

Felix is a demon lord.

I continued to watch in astonishment as he charged forward at full speed and attacked the prince, beating the crap out of the man in a few seconds. His movements were fast and powerful as malicious, overwhelming dark qi enveloped him. Within a few seconds, the prince was beaten and couldn't even move an inch.

Felix was about to give the prince another formidable, deadly punch when another griffin appeared and, with a burst of energy, attacked him.

Felix jumped back in time.

Within an instant, the griffin descended, and a woman in a purple garment seated on the bird bent down and swiped the prince away.

I couldn't watch anymore, as I felt my body shaking like a leaf.

Felix was a demon lord. I couldn't get the sight of him out of my mind. God, I felt dizzy and exhausted and sick.

I closed my eyes. Just for a moment.

I wanted to rest and forget about everything that had happened to me so far. I wanted all this to just be a dream. I wanted everything to be normal again, where I was back on St. James Island with my parents, going to the beach and just chilling and enjoying my summer.

Felix is a demon lord.

I fell unconscious and retreated into the darkness of my mind where it was safe.