6. The Promise...

"Master... Master... Master!!" He called out with much fear in his voice.

"He is here...Lord Arguse is here." Shinok didn't look too shocked, it was like he had been expecting this for a long time.

Kiara on the other hand was shaking in fear.

And who could blame her... Just the name of this demon was enough to make her whole world disappear.

She had fought with hundreds of demons in her lifetime, but he was not one she could rival.

The only one who actually could was her husband. But he too had lost to the devious tricks of the demon. Using the Krimartar blade, he had put an end to her beloved.

Now he was here... He found her.

The horror and fear she felt the day she lost her husband came breathing down on her entire system once again. Hearing his name again only caused tremors throughout her body.

"He found us, he found us... A_Arguse found us," She fretted, her voice shaky and unstable.

Suddenly like she was struck with a remembrance spell, she falters... "Z_Zai... He's here for Zairo, he's_ he's_ he's here for my son, he wants to kill him, he wants to kill Zairo!"

The fright was evident in her speech.

Thankfully enough the children hadn't gone outside to practice, they were in the other room.

"Taero, get the children. Get them and Kiara out of here!" Shinok instructed.

"But master, I cannot leave you here and go. I have to stay and protect you." Taero protests with bitterness in his heart, for leaving his master was the same as leaving a brother.

"Saving the children will be the same thing as saving me." Shinok confutes, now rising from his position.

"They are still very young and have a long way ahead of them. so take them and Kiara and go through the back way,"

Taero had no other choice but to listen to his master, because he knew that he was right.

"Go now, take the children and leave!" Shinok orders. Turning to walk straight towards where the chaos was happening.

"What are you doing?" Kiara grabs him by the hand.

"We have to keep the children safe. If he gets his hand on Zairo, then all hope is lost," he explains quickly, also trying to force away her hand that held his, but her grip was firm and unyielding.

"Are you insane, he will end you. You are one of the best warriors in Akzar, second to only Virgo. But against him, you will perish. This is a foolish fight. We should all just run."

"We can't all run My Lady. We can't all run. And besides, I was already dead the day Virgo died. For I should have taken his place even then. The least I can do now is protect his family."

"This is madness Shinok, you don't have to die to protect anyone. You'll do a better job looking after us if you're alive, why can't you and Virgo get this fact. Why are you trying to sacrifice yourself unnecessarily??" Glisters of tears already formed in her eyes, some stray drops already falling.

"Virgo will kill me if he sees you in tears because of me," he jests even with the current heat that was uprising outside. Wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes.

"Forgive me My Lady." he shoves her hands away from his and was about to bolt out of the door when...

"Dad, what is going on? Where are you going?" Zaya along with Zairo came out with Taero.

"Come here my little warrior." He bends to her level, and she breaks away from Taero running into her father's arms.

"You like your new friend don't you." She nods with a smile, ignorant of the calamity that was about to unfold.

"Well, daddy has a lot of things to go take care of outside right now, so you'll go with Taero and Kiara and your friend for now. Daddy will meet you up later." His face cringed as he spoke. He didn't want to, but he knew he had to leave her.

"Daddy always keeps his promise. You'll come and meet us later, won't you?" The poor child needed a little more assurance.

"Of course. But from now on, make sure you never forget your friend's voice. Even in the dark, you should always be able to recognize him okay. You are the oldest, so you have to watch over him."

"Okay, dad. You know I have the eye of a hawk. I never forget a face, and I'm his master, of course, I'm going to watch over him." she declares proudly.

"Promise me?"

"I promise you!"

"That's my little warrior!"

"SHINOK COME OUT, GIVE ME WHAT I CAME FOR!!" The heavy voice thundered from outside, making its way into the room where they gathered. They could waste no more time.

He places his hand on her head, his thumb gently pressing into her forehead, while he closed his eyes. For a moment, the green in her eyes was swallowed by the bright sunlight yellow, but then slowly it returned back to its normal color. And he removes his hand from her head.

"I love you my darling," he places a kiss on her head, drowning in the scent of her hair.

Kiara could totally relate to this feeling. It was like she was reliving that day all over again.

He withdrew from her, standing up high, not wanting to take another glance at her, he bolts out of the door.

...

The intruders were about just 20 men, when Shinok came out he signaled his students to stand down. He stood in front of them.

"Are you going to hide behind your men like a coward, or come forward and face me?" His words were precisely spoken and they had no hint of fear in them.

From behind the intruders, he answered, "Long time no see my old disciple," as his men parted for him and he made his way to where Shinok stood.

He was not in his demon form, he was the average middle-aged man.

The black veins on his face were not there also, which was evidence that he had devoured more souls. You could only see the veins from his neck, but not on his face. His face was rather spotless.

If he wasn't pure evil, one would say he was even good-looking. With his silver-white hair, and red flaming eyes.

"I see you now have disciples of your own. I could help you teach them a thing or two. As your master I think I still have a few arts and skills to show you." He said to Shinok in a mocking tone.

"And what skills will that be? The art of betrayal, the art of lies, or the art of sustaining one's self by consuming the souls of innocent demons?"

"You lost the right to call yourself my master the day you decided to become a traitor, Arguse!" Shinok hisses with complete contempt for the man that stood in front of him.

Once, he had revered and worshipped this demon, and his friend and lord had equally cherished the demon in front of him.

But then one day, everything suddenly changed and he turned his back on them, betrayed them.

Virgo had spared his life then because of the love he had for the man. If only he knew that the love would come back and take his life away.

"Oh, Shinok, I sure would love to chat with you but as I suppose you know, I am not here for you." There was a sudden change in his voice. A certain eerie aura that caused one to be wary. "Virgo's child, give him to me." his eyes now burning red with lust and despicable desires.

"I will never let you have him. You will have to go through me first!" Shinok says as he uses his hands to signal his men to stand on guard once again.

"As you wish." Arguse lazily replies as he retreats backward and signals his men to attack.

As soon as they were given the order, a hideous transformation began. Some of them became demons with four eyes, some had tongues that were three feet long, some were shaped like huge spikey balls, and some looked like animals.

Shinok's men too did the same. Not all of them were demons, but the ones that were, transformed into their demon forms, and in the next minute, it was clash of the demons in the temple. As they fought back to protect their temple and master.