Will

The cold bit at him again, more fiercely this time. He couldn't fight back the shivers, rattling Jon's breastplate in his arms. Will grit his teeth in frustration. He didn't want to look afraid. Because he wasn't. He wasn't afraid.

He could barely see in the low lighting coming from behind him, slightly illuminating the floor of the cavern. One thing was for sure though, that the cave was absolutely enormous, dwarfing Azrael's cauldron room with ease. He could feel the size of the hollow opening through the still air.

But he wasn't afraid.

Will had to squirm under Jon's weight to draw Moonsaw, holding it with his burnt right hand as he struggled to balance Jon on his left arm and shoulder. Jon's limp arm struck against Will's broken rib, and he winced. A moment later, he was holding Moonsaw in front of him. The blade provided its usual wicked gleam to weaken the shadows. A friend he had killed and a friend he would kill himself with.

A n d  h e  w a s n t  a f r a i d.

Eventually, Will could see a flicker of light coming from somewhere ahead of him. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it looked like natural light. Another opening, perhaps?

He staggered towards the light. His arms and legs burned, but he pushed on. Almost there. Will was suffering from multiple sores and welts all over his body. His head felt almost weightless, like it was floating over his body. And his broken rib was beginning to throb again, sending waves of anguish through his whole body. To be simply put, he terribly needed rest and needed it now.

But he was there. At the end of his journey. And was he crazy for pushing forwards so intensely? Of course not. He was going to die after this, so why bother? What was the point of going to the grave well rested?

"There's no point," he mumbled. His arms and legs burned more intensely now, and it was a miracle that he was still able to push on.

The light grew brighter and brighter, until he finally saw the first shafts of sunlight hitting the dirt floor from an opening in the ceiling. He could finally see the enormous empty round space carved into the heart of the mountain. Stacked to one side were massive bookshelves and a long table covered in dusty scrolls. To another side, assorted glassware and bubbling potions and large cauldrons were lined up neatly. Luckily, the cauldrons seemed empty. A patch on yet another side hosted several small plants and vegetables. The sun shone on them directly, pleasing the little green things. There was a small messy cot straight ahead, like sleep was of little importance, a need to be fulfilled before getting back to work.

There was someone standing in front of the cot with his hands behind his back.

But it was not who Will had wanted to see.

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"Where is your master, servant?"

"My master is not present at the moment," Azrael replied smoothly. His eyes glittered with their usual bitter intelligence, causing Will's heart to flare out with hatred. He despised Azrael with every inch of his body, and he had to fight back a shiver of pure rage this time.

The demon noticed Will's struggling and grinned widely. His yellow teeth looked uglier than ever under natural light.

"Rest easy, Flamefist. I'm not here to fight you today. You don't look like you could put up much of a fight anyway."

"Try me, you oversized rat."

Azrael raised his palms and shook his head. The gesture looked odd and outworldly on the giant.

"I won't. I'll take your word for it. The Wizard forbade me from laying a finger on you. He admires you, you know. For journeying up the mountain under grief. He sympathizes with you."

"He knows nothing of my pain," Will growled. His breathing was becoming more ragged and harsh, more consumed with rage, and he lifted his blade in front of his face.

"Oh, he does. You mistake us for emotionless animals."

"You enjoy boiling people alive. You killed my friend for the sole purpose of entertainment. Your master killed my family. Is that not enough?"

"You are confused and upset. I understand."

"I have never seen more clearly in my life."

"Is that so, Flamefist? Let me show you the power of the Wizard. For he had gifted me with a fraction of his power. See, he knew you'd have trouble believing his divinity. And he cares enough to prove it to you."

Azrael snapped his fingers suddenly. It sounded more like a clap or a slap, echoing through the hollow in Mount Wyvern. For a second, nothing happened.

Will was about to lay Jon on the floor and charge the demon with his blade when he noticed that his breath was frosting in front of him again. A breeze of freezing cold swept through the room, and Will lost another fight to a shiver. Something burned on his right arm, the burn scarred arm 'flamefist', and he dumbly looked down. A snowflake rested on his arm for a second then melted and trickled down his arm. It was snowing through the opening in the ceiling.

"Whaaaa-" Will stuttered, stumbling to the side and falling to his knees. Jon's body crashed to the floor.

"Magnificent, is it not? The power to control the weather and elements. That's just a fraction of the Wizard's power. Do you believe in his magic now?"

"It's just a trick," Will insisted, his murmurs barely audible. "There's someone standing up there dumping down snow, or making them somehow -"

"You know better than that, Flamefist. Believe your own eyes. Magic exists, it is simply hidden in plain sight. And most magical beings have to hide because of people like you."

The last sentence was spoken with a hit of contempt, but Will didn't even notice. He was still in shock. Just as rapidly, the snow stopped completely.

"Want more proof?" Azrael snapped his fingers again, and a fire blazed to life in the potion corner. Will screamed, cringing backwards.

"Want more?"

The potion bottles started rattling and bubbling violently, changing color and volume.

"And more?"

The messy bed tidied itself in a matter of seconds. The sheets folded and spread out by themselves.

"STOP THAT!" Will shrieked.

"How about this?"

A mountain wolf appeared from thin air, shaking its shaggy gray mane with an indignant grunt. A snap made it disappear again.

"STOP IT! I'M IMAGINING, THIS ISN'T REAL! IT'S JUST ANOTHER NIGHTMARE!"

"Accept it, Flamefist! Magic is real, and the Wizard has chosen you to be one of its wielders! You should be proud."

Will quieted a bit at that, listening unbelievingly. A laugh bubbled at the base of his stomach, but he fought it off.

"Like, a demon?" Will asked solemnly.

"Yes." The reply was simple, yet it showed satisfaction from the giant man. "It will enhance your physical and mental capabilities, your lifespan, your health, and numerous other benefits. All you have to do is accept."

Will stood up slowly, keeping his head down. He left Jon on the floor.

"That's it? I accept, and... Become a demon?"

"Well, obviously you have to see the Wizard in person. There's a ritual to follow. And you always have to follow the Wizard's commands, and respect Seraph. He's the head demon under the Wizard. Other than that, yes, you are free to do whatever you want."

Logically, that should've been a fat deal breaker for Will. Working with two inhuman creatures that had each killed a separate part of his family...? But being a demon meant he had extreme powers. Powers he could use for good. To honor his family's memory. He'd still have to do the occasional mission for the Wizard, of course. But it sounded like a good compromise.

"I... Where do I find the Wizard?"

"So you accept?"

"Yes, I just... I need to bury my friend. This doesn't mean we're on good terms, Azrael," Will replied absently. His thoughts seemed to be somewhere else.

The demon nodded as if Will's response was completely sensible.

"Of course. After this, we will journey towards the island of Abanna."

"That's where the Wizard is?" Will asked, carrying Jon on his shoulder again and making his way towards Azrael. Moonsaw was resting at his waist again.

"Yes. I have a ship that'll transport us across the sea, and we'll see him there. Now, let's bury your friend."

Azrael turned to the patch of vegetables, and Will followed.

"We'll bury him here," Azrael continued. Will struggled to keep up with the hulking figure's long strides. "I do not suppose the Wizard would mind. If he does, I'll take the blame. We're going to be practically brothers, after all. We take care of -"

"I'm sure you do," Will whispered coldly. "You'll take care of each other in hell, once the gods have judged you."

"I-I-" the demon stuttered.

"I simply arranged the meeting for you. You happened to be the first. How unfortunate, Azrael. You do NOT mess with Flamefist. I hope your friends learn from your example."

Azrael fell to his knees, still unable to form complete sentences.

"The Wizard, he... He promised... He assured me you would not fight... He swore you would see the light... He wanted to give you infinite sight..."

"How unfortunate," Will replied, whispering directly into Azrael's ear from behind. Jon was on the floor once more, and Will had leaned down to speak closely to Azrael. The demon's eyes were wide with shock, occasionally twitching and gazing into nothing. "I guess your Wizard isn't as powerful as you thought. Ooh, maybe he lied to you. To get you killed. How does it feel, being absolutely fucking worthless? You're a toy in his hands. Don't worry, I'll kill him too. You'll get to meet him again, in the devil's company."

"He... is the devil."

Will paused at that, thinking deeply.

"Well. It's about time I get a new title. Devil Slayer sounds about right."

With that, Flamefist tugged out Moonsaw from Azrael's back. He kicked the demon forwards with a grunt of effort, and the giant toppled forwards. Dust rose from the impact. Azrael didn't move again.

Flamefist swayed for a few seconds then toppled forwards himself, unable to hold his exhausted body for longer.

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Heyyyy, how are you doing? Good, I hope?

Now that I think about it, this chapter would've been a great end for the novel. Unfortunately for Will Paragon, or should I say Flamefist, he still has a short way to go. His journey still isn't over.

Even though this chapter was relatively short, I feel like it was important for the story. An end for the first big part of the story. Volume 1, if you must. We enter a new phase now. I hope to see you all in phase 2. We'll be continuing past Mount Wyvern and the nameless villages, towards the Woods of Khatir. We'll meet new characters in new settings during new adventures. I hope you're as excited as I am.

Please, don't be a silent reader and show some support. The vote button is a small star near the bottom left, but it really helps out with the story. Thank you so much.

As always, have a wonderful day/evening.