11 Chapter 011: The Sycorax
"Why are you two traveling on the lesser road? Wouldn't the main road be better?" She resumed the conversation. "Hardly anyone ever travels here anyway. Plus, the main road is the safest way to the capital and you are less likely to get attacked by bandits."
"Well, that's true. I guess." I agreed with her, especially about the bandits part. "But we aren't really heading to the capital. I'm looking for my brother. We got separated as little children after our parents were killed, so I'm traveling to find him."
"Oh, is that so? Well, the capital would be a good place to start looking for him and I hope you find him soon dear." She spoke in a sweet and caring voice. "Just a little further and we'll be at my home."
We walked into a very small clearing, surrounded by trees, and in the middle was a small wooden cottage.
"Down you go." As instructed, I unloaded the firewood inside a small shed attached to the back of the house.
"Thank you so much, dear." She smiled.
"Well we've got to go now," I turned to leave, brushing my hands together to knock off the firewood dirt.
"Wait! You can't be leaving now. It's going to get very dark soon. Not to mention the next village is far off from here and you could get attacked by anything along the way." She spoke in a worried tone.
"Please, as thanks for your help, let me put you both up for tonight." She offered kindly.
It was sunset and it would surely get dark soon and there really was no telling what was out here in this area, so her offer was God sent.
"Really! Thank you so much." I accepted her offer gratefully.
"Come, let me cook something for you both, you must be hungry." She opened her door to let us in.
"No, you don't have to cook for us. That would be too much to ask for. Just a place to sleep would be enough." We entered the small cottage.
"Oh don't worry. It's not like I get any guests anyway." She lit a few candles to brighten the place.
"Please, sit around the table. I'll be done preparing dinner soon." She gathered ingredients for her pot and we sat on the floor around the wooden table.
The old lady lived in a small wooden cottage. It looked tattered on the outside but it was warm and cosy on the inside. I felt weirdly at home but Maou looked uneasy as he glared at the old lady.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." The old lady carried out three bowls filled with soup.
"Veggie soup!" My eyes widen joyfully. "Mother always used to make this."
"Oh really! Well, I may not be as talented as her but please give it a try." The old lady smiled at me, placing down the tray of soup.
"You too little one." She smiled at Maou too.
"I will," Maou replied with a smile and began drinking the soup like it was water. "Ah! It's hot!" He began fanning his burnt tongue
The old lady and I laughed and talked while slowly enjoying the delicious soup.
"Hah! I'm full." Maou fell to the floor. It was good to see that Maou was back to his usual silly self.
"It was really good ma'am," I praised her cooking.
"Oh thanks Shelly." She placed her hands to her chest, heart warmed by my praise.
"Snork! Shoo! Snork! Shoo!" Maou was snoring loudly. He did a lot today so it was expected.
"The little one's already sleeping. Give me a minute to get the beds ready for you both." She got up and walked behind one of two curtains into another room.
"Can you carry the little one here dear?" She called out to me a minute later.
I lifted the sleeping Maou off the ground and carried him behind the curtain. The room had two beds with a pillow and a sheet each. A candle lamp was in the room to give the place some light.
"Just lay him here dear." She pointed to one of two beds. "And you can sleep on the other bed."
"Thank you so much, ma'am." I thanked her and she left saying. "Get a good night's rest, okay."
"You too, ma'am," I replied laying Maou down as he drooled.
Crawling into the next bed, putting my head down on the pillow, turned to Maou and whispered. "Sleep well Maou." In no time I was out like a candle, sleeping peacefully.
"It must be my lucky day to have gotten two young bloods. So naive you humans are." The old lady pushed aside the curtain, entering the room. "An old Sycorax like myself can't get preys so easily… but there's always some naive idiots like you two… my favourite kind."
The old lady began to shift into a disgusting creature. Her nails and arms stretched out, long blood-sucking teeth, her neck stretched out like a snake, bone spikes sticking out her bent back and her eyes turned fully black.
"I'll start with the rude little one." Her neck stretched towards where Maou slept. "Maou, huh? Your name must've been a coincidence. There's no way a little twerp like you could be her, the real deal."
The old lady pulled the sheets from over Maou but the bed was empty.
"Impossible! Where is he?"
The candle lamp in the room went out and the room was completely dark.
"Hey, you said you hardly get guests?" Maou's voice spoke but he was hidden in the shadows. "But this entire house is filled with the stench of blood."
"How could you be awake. The sleep potion should've knocked you out?" The old lady jumped back, scanning the room, looking for Maou.
"You prey on people, tricking them with your old lady form. But you're not fooling me."
"Where are you, you little twerp?!"
"Where am I? I'm right in front of you." Maou's silver eyes glowed in the dark, glaring at the old lady's monstrous face.
"I'll kill you first!" The old lady cackled, lifting her arm to slice Maou.
"Too slow!"
Maou, standing an arm's length away, swiftly moved his hand in several directions and the Sycorax's blood splattered everywhere in the room, even on Shelly's sleeping body and sheet while all its limbs fell to the ground.
"AHHHHH!!! It hurts, it hurts!" The Sycorax wiggled in pain while it's sliced limbs twitched across the wooden floor.
Maou looked down on the Sycorax with scorn and hostility, its blood on his upper body and dripping from his left hand.
"H-H-How?! How is this possible? You're supposed to be a kid, a weak and innocent kid! The Sycorax's lips quivered with fear. "No…. No, no no! It can't be…. Those silver eyes… that demonic aura. Y-You're one of the cursed ones aren't you?"
"Cursed?" Maou raised an eyebrow confused. "What are you talking about?"
The Sycorax still twitching under the pain grinned. "Those silver eyes and that demonic aura of yours means you're one of the Cursed Ones."
"You're lying to me." Maou spoke in denial.
"You don't know, do you? You're a monster just like me kid. Except you're plagued by the Demon King's curse…. I honestly pity you." The Sycorax wiggled it's torso towards the wall. "Ehehe! Your friend over there probably doesn't know about this, does she? I bet if she did, you'd be abandoned in a heartbeat."
"Shelly won't... Shelly wouldn't do that." Maou hesitated, his head and gaze slowly aiming to the floor.
"Oh really? I've seen others discard people for less and let me tell you this, you aren't any better." The Sycorax then smiled sheepishly despite its pain. "So why not abandon her before she abandons you?–"
"Just shut," Maou whispered, becoming increasingly angry as small sparks of black flames emitted from him.
"And instead just join me, I'll protect you from this cruel world.–"
"Shut up," Maou spoke louder, bubbling with more rage and the black flames increasing.
"After all… you and I are both monsters and–"
"Shut Up!" Maou shouted as the quantity of flames increased, "I'm nothing like you."
Trembling with rage, Maou squeezed his fist tight, black hair floating and the flames sat more visibly on his body without his clothes.
"No– tha– that's impossible! B-Black flames!? But– That's the Demon King's power! How can you?–" The Sycorax stuttered in fear. "Ar-Are you her reincarnation?"
Without another word, Maou pointed his palm towards the limbless creature, murder on his mind.
"Please, Oh Great Demon King, spare me. I only do this to survive. I'll move far away from here so you'll never see me again!" The Sycorax begged for its life.
"You lied to Shelly and tried to kill her," Maou concentrated and more flames grew at his palm.
"Please my Lord!! Please!!" The Sycorax wiggled its body, trying to escape.
A flood of black flames came from Maou's hand. It enveloped the Sycorax's body, eating at its flesh, limbs and every drop of its blood present in the house.
"Ahhh! Make it stop! Ahhh! Please, have mercy! Make it stop!" The Sycorax suffered, wiggling its body and screaming out in pain as it begged for its life.
Maou stood there watching it die, with no mercy or regard for its life, he had a dead, cold, merciless expression. In seconds, all its body and splattered blood, even the bits of blood on Shelly, was consumed by the black flames, which touched nothing else.
"Am I a Demon King? What is that? Haa... It can't be good if it has to do with her." Maou stood in the middle of the room, staring at the ceiling. "This just left a bad taste in my mouth. Yawn! But, I'm too tired right now to figure this out."
Maou crawled up next to Shelly with a little smile, putting her hand over him like a blanket and whispered. "Sleep well, Shelly." Before drifting off into sleep himself.
