Tala

Chapter 5

The next morning Zara went into Nathan’s room to get him for breakfast.

“New day, new you! We figured out a spell that can help with the merg-”

Zara went silent as she entered the room. It was freezing, and Nathan was stone cold white. His eyes were wide open as he stared into the ceiling.

“...new you indeed. Inka!”

Inka and Zara both hovered around Nathan as they tried to snap him out of zombie mode. “The demon is taking over more violently now..” Inka explained.

“No shit. He was fine yesterday, just looked a little pale. I’m sure he’ll snap out of it in a bit. In class he would doze off like this, but this is the first time his eyes have turned white.”

“Look! There! His hair!” Inka exclaimed as he pointed near his hairline.

Silver white hair appeared.

“Not good. This demon is taking over at a faster pace. We need to put him under the spell now.”

---

Nathan awoke with a major headache, but felt so warm as the sun shined on his face. He realized he was still in bed and saw Zara was now on the edge of the bed laying by his feet reading a book. He blushed as he saw he had no shirt on, and clumsily tried to cover himself up. Being pale was even more embarrassing now.

Zara looked up at him now.

“Ah! Look at you! Got some color now!”

“Sorry, I must’ve been really tired…”

“You sure were! Spell took 2 days to perform, so your demon should stop the possession for a bit longer now until we figure out how to hibernate him again.”

“Two days? I’ve been asleep for 2 days!?”

“Yup. The demon took a stronger hold on you, but thankfully we were able to slash his connection to your body for a bit. He’s still in there, but back to being unconscious.”

Nathan didn’t think the demon was unconscious, in fact he knew that he was still there watching and hearing his thoughts. He was just quiet now..but he wasn’t sure if he should tell Zara. He still felt a huge hatred for what she did to Isabella.

“So now what...what happens now that the demons is...quiet.”

“I’m not sure, figure out a stronger spell to keep him in there.”

“What? You mean you don’t have a plan to get him out?”

“Nope. All i know is that I’m supposed to watch over you. If that demon takes over it’ll be bad news for everyone. Who knows what type of demon it is. Heck it’s better to keep him suppressed in you. For all we know it could be a high class demon. We have to take precautions.”

“Wait a minute..You were watching me...because you didn’t want the demon to take over me, because he would be a threat?”

“Right”

“So you never cared about my life at all...you didn’t care about me. YOu guys were just happy that the demon had a safe place to sleep in…”

Zara stays silent which only confirms his speculation.

No one cares about him.

“Look, I’m not going to lie to you . But a demon roaming around Earth is a big deal. It’s not something we take lightly. And removing him from you is a horrible idea! He would be free and would come back to it’s normal form! It would require one a spell to break him out but also a spell to send him back. So yes, we were watching to make sure that it stayed suppressed in it’s vessel.”

“Vessel...I’m a vessel.”

“...technically.”

“I see.”

Not only was he not wanted by his parents, but he wasn’t even wanted by these sorcerers. No, they only wanted to keep him around to make sure the demon didn't take over.

“You should have just killed me to make things easier for you..” Nathan says thinking that maybe she will comfort him in some way.

“Oh no, we can’t. We tried! We tried to kill you as soon as we saw the demon started to show stronger signs of possession, but whatever we did to you..the demon blocked it. This one time I tried to stab you when you were about 10? Just because I had no other ideas, but the demon took over and blocked me. Whatever demon is inside you is strong. It’s doing everything in its power to protect your body, it wants to merge with you badly. Even spells, and curses are useless to you. The only thing that I think may actually hurt you...or this demon, is another demon. Like the one we saw in the woods. I bet those demons are trying to get him out of you. We can’t let that happen. We either figure out a way to suppress it forever, or we figure out a way to kill you with the demon inside. And we already tried the later.”

Zara talks about it so casually. They tried to kill him, no they have been trying to kill him. So the only reason Zara protected him in the woods was because she didn’t want that demon to take his demon out in the open.

Her words don’t seem to hurt his feelings though.

No, his warm body...his cold body has turned numb. No one cares.

I care…

Demon, you’re back..i thought the spell-

Weak spell. Tickled me a bit.

I see, so you are that strong.

Yes. And I'm now wondering why you haven’t told them you can speak to me…

You already know. You hear my thoughts.

I can, but they are a little blank right now. Your thoughts are blank for once.

I can’t trust them. Anyone. No one cares about me. Why should I tell them I can still hear you? Fuck them…for all i know, you’re the only who has been looking out for me. How ironic. The demon who has made me into a freak is the only one who cares..

Ouch. Getting dark there. I like it.

Do you really care about me?

Of course I do. I am you, you will become me. I care about us very much.

That’s...good to hear weirdly.

Now...let’s get out of here before they see somethings up and try another stupid spell on us.

To where? Where to?

To my followers so we are protected from other demons...

Zara said that they are trying to free you.

No, they aren’t. Those demons are trying to capture me for a reward. Trust me, we have been avoiding them for years. They started to attack us when you were about 12…I think that’s when they found me.

Why are they trying to capture you? Aren’t you on the same side?

No. Demons...we...aren’t all the same. We have problems..

If they capture me...would they get you out?

I already told you that the spell Tala cast on us is permanent and strong. No one can free me. Even my own demons.

Wait...this is all your fault! These demons that are chasing us is because you opened your mouth and made me talk all stupid!

Well...that was my bad..but I had to try to tell my followers I was trapped here so they could protect me. Which has worked...kinda.

Kinda!?

Well in the positive they know I’m in here! But in the down side...so does every demon in the Hell and in the Inferno. Haha

Did...did you just laugh?

“Nathan! Are you even hearing me!?” Cries Zara.

“Yes...sorry..i was just thinking…”

“Any who, Master, believes we can find a permanent suppression spell in Mexico! SO how about a little trip?”

“You think there’s a spell that could suppress the demon in me forever?”

“Yes! He has been suppressed for so long! I’m sure we can find another spell like Talas”

They don’t know… the demon tells Nathan.

No they don’t...they don't know what Tala actually did.

It’s sad Tala didn't tell them...you see? Even sorceresses aren’t all on the same side. Sad face.

Sad face...where did you hear that from?

Your friend Chin, he says it all the time. I like it.

“Zara….let me speak with Inka.”

After getting dressed in some baggy clothes that were previously INkas, Nathan goes outside to the porch where Inka is reading a book, a heavy leather bound book which looks like an obvious spell book.

“Nathan! Glad you’re awake. I’ve been trying to search for a spell to help suppress the demon, but for the life of me I have no idea what spell Tala used! But! No fear, I was telling Zara we can head down to MExico!”

Even he doesn’t know….

“Right, Zara was telling me.”

“So you agree to go then?”

“Like I have a choice?”

“Well I guess not. But we need to keep you close. Can’t let those demons get you now can we? Don’t worry, Zara is very skilled and she'll protect you from them.”

“You mean she’ll protect me from the demons trying to get my demon out…”

“...I’m sorry.”

“What did Tala tell you before she disappeared?”

“She told me to watch over you…”

“I know that..but why?”

“Because...she said that maybe the demon would try to take over you.”

“Is that it?”

“Yes.”

“I see. What did she tell you to do if the demon did take over?”

Inka stays silent and though he has no pupils, he could sense that Inka is trying to avoid eye contact..

“She told us to suppress it…”

“...and what else.”

“Or kill it..”

“Kill me.”

“....”

Inka puts his head down in shame.

Wow. Tala. The one he thought could save him, turns out to be a liar. The demon was right. Tala imprisoned him inside him knowing it would try to take over. But instead of giving these sorceresses a solution she told them to kill Nathan or to suppress the demon knowing that there was no damn spell to suppress him. It was never about Nathan’s life or safety. From the moment Tala saw the demon, she had given up hope on him.

Nathan’s rage grew, the numbness broke and now all he felt was fire. Cold fire inside of him. He felt the demon’s power, the anger, the anxiety it felt, the loneliness of being trapped in his body for sixteen years. Then he let it go. All the sadness he had felt all his life, he let it go.

Blue flames surrounded him like a meteor.

Inka backed away in a second and raised his hands up in protection. Zara was seconds away from INka as she stepped in front of him.

“How is this possible! I thought the spell cut the connection for at least a month!” Inka screams as he feels the cold fire.

“Nathan!! Don’t let the demon consume you!” Zara screams.

But Nathan no longer cared..he didn’t see them as foes. Enemies. They were enemies.

Burn them. The demon whispers...just like he had done for years. Yes, Nathan knew now, the voice in the back of his head wasn’t his conscious but the demon.

And this time, he listened.

Nathan let the fire consume his body and with a powerful fist he punched the air as the icy fire burst from him and towards Zara and Inka.

“Blue fire…” were Inka's final words.

----

Zara awoke feeling cold. Her eyes were crust over but she was able to open them up slowly.

“What in the actual fuck…” she said and slowly tries to orient herself.

“Nathan!” she finally screams and sees she’s outside the cabin of her master. Her body is burnt black but thankfully her spell was thick enough to protect her skin. She gets up and looks around for her master and Nathan only to find INka’s big hoop earrings…

“Master..” she whispers and bends down to pick up the hoop earrings.

Tears start to form but she instead draws a deep breath.

“Nathan...you...no...that demon.”

----

After setting most of the woods on fire as he walked, Nathan finally cooled down when he saw a waterfall.

“Finally some damn water..” he says and lightly jogs towards it.

The waterfall is tiny but enough for him to dip himself in it and let it make him colder.

“Demon…” Nathan calls as he stands under the waterfall.

Yes…

“Those flames. I’ve seen them in my dreams.”

No, you’ve seen them in my dreams.

“I dreamed your dreams?”

Sometimes.

“Ha, this whole time I thought I was having nightmares, but it was just your mind?”

Gee thanks. But yes.

“Well sorry you have such a fucked up mind”

Well I am a demon after all.

“Anyway, do you have a name?”

Maybe…

“You won’t tell me your name?

You can call me Zee.

“Zee? Is that your real name?”

No, it’s a nickname. I like it better than my name.

“Oh, yeah I get it. Zee it is then.”

Once you’re done let's get going. Who knows what demons are lurking by.

“What’s the rush, now that I can use your power, I can protect us! You don’t have to take over”

Nathan, my poor naïve boy. You do realize that demons are much stronger than sorcerers. Zara and that old man back there were nothing of a match compared to real demons. If we encounter a real demon I'll use my strength to take over. You have no fighting skills.

“Zara seemed to handle herself from that forest demon before pretty well.”

And it took everything she has..you may have not noticed it. But Zara was using all her energy to summon that much power. In other words, it took her max energy just to get rid of such a small demon.

“How would you know? You can sense energy now?”

Nathan, you idiot. What part of being a demon do you not understand? I’m a demon! I can sense, see and smell energy. I am energy. I consume it! Of-

“Okay okay, chill, Then teach me! I can fight them. I want to fight them.”

What’s gotten into you now? Hm? You seem very motivated

“You’ve gotten into me. I have accepted my future. You are my future, merging is my future.”

Huh...how odd that you have so easily come to agree to merging...like you had a choice.

“Exactly! You were going to merge with me anyways, I might as well enjoy my final days using your power.”

What a great way to think about it…

Though Zee could hear Nathan’s thoughts, Nathan couldn’t do the same to Zee.

And right now Zee was thinking: Even though he knows he will die if i take over...he is still so cheerful. How human...I almost feel...pity. Yet now...his mind...is so quiet. How odd..

Nathan finally decides to get out of the waterfall and start walking south to where Zee told him to. Though Zee can’t sense any demons in human form, it can still sense the Inferno, and the entrance to the Inferno is far south.