Chapter 7

Gabe: “So what now?”

Michael sighed.

Michael: “Now we head back. And I made my report of what happened.”

The three trudged through the alleyway and made their way back to the city. Suddenly Michael freezes.

Julie bumped into him.

Julie: “What’s up? Why did you stop?”

Michael gulped.

Michael: “I finally remembered something about this town.”

Gabe: “Is it a good restaurant because I’m starving.”

Michael shook his head.

Michael: “The festival. The way they celebrate the last day.”

Julie: “What about it?”

Michael peeked his head around the corner of the alleyway.

Suddenly an axe flew right by his head, nearly giving him a haircut.

Michael recoiled and fell back onto the ground.

Julie: “Are you okay? What was that?”

Michael picked himself up.

Michael: “It already started.”

Gabe walked out of the alleyway and looked at the street ahead of him. Every person he could see in his vision had some kind of weapon in their hand. Every street vendor that had once been set up was now abandoned as the population fought in the street. Orcs clobbered groups of humans in one fell swing. Humans jumped on top of the orcs, driving daggers into their backs.

The shops were all completely broken into. Every possession that was once there was now gone.

Gabe: “Woah.”

Gabe stepped forward.

Michael (whispering loudly): “Gabe what are you doing? Get back here! We need to make a plan of how to escape!”

Gabe: “Escape?”

Michael: “Yes, escape! Now come back here.”
Gabe looked at the carnage in front of him. Then back to Michael.

Gabe: “I’m just going to check this out.”

Michael: “Check it out? Why you- Of all the-”

Michael groaned. He put a hand to his forehead.

Julie: “What should we do?”

Michael: “We should just leave him. There’s definitely a back road that we can take.”

Julie looked at Gabe as he walked away.

Julie: “Wouldn’t Julius get mad?”

Michael: “Screw Julius! I’m not getting killed for this moron.”

Julie paused.

Julie: “You saw what he can do right? Maybe with him we can finally… You know?”
Michael hesitated.

He paced back and forth for a second.

Michael: “Fine! Fine. It’s fine. But we’re just grabbing him and getting out of there, understand? Also-”

Michael manifested a rope.

Michael: “I’m tying his hands again.”

Julie: “Fine by me.”

Michael: “Okay, on the count of three. One… two… three!”

The two bolted out of their hiding spot in the alleyway and into the street.

Then they instantly stopped.

Gabe was completely surrounded by orcs on all sides.

Julie: “What do we do?”

Michael: “I don’t know.”

Julie: “What if he unleashes his demon?”

Michael: “I don’t know! Okay?”

Michael called out to Gabe.

Michael: “Gabe! Stay there, don't move.”

Gabe noticed them and waved.
Gabe: “Hi, guys!”

Julie: “Gabe, you're surrounded by orcs!”

Gabe looked around.

Gabe: “I guess I am.”

Gabe looked closely at one of the orcs.

Gabe: “Hey, wait. Don’t I know you?”

Orc: “Me?”

Gabe: “Yeah, you’re the orc from the inn.”

Orc: “Not today, I’m not.”

Gabe raised an eyebrow.

Gabe: “Why not?”

The orc paused.

Orc: “Look around you, kid. It’s the purge. There’s no laws right now.”

Gabe’s eyes widened.

Gabe: “Wait, really? So you can just do whatever you want?”

Orc: “Uh, yeah.”

Gabe: “Sweet!”

A black smoke unleashed itself from Gabe’s body.

Michael: “No, Gabe. Stop!’

The air became chilly. A gust knocked both Julie and Michael onto the ground.

A moment later, the cloud of smoke was gone. And the orcs along with it.

Gabe stood in the same spot, licking his lips.

Gabe: “Those guys were just big babies anyways.”

He looked over at Michael and Julie.

His mouth curled into a smile.

A bit of saliva started to fall from his mouth.

Neither one of them moved. Michael’s heart started pounding in his ears.

Julie tried to stand, but noticed her hands were shaking.

Gabe: “What’s wrong, guys? You look scared or something.”

Gabe took a step forward.

A line of smoke trailed behind him.

Michael: “Stop! Don’t move. Not another step.”

Gabe kept walking forward.

Gabe: “What did you say earlier? I thought you could kill me before I could blink?”

Michael gulped.

Julie balled her fists.

Julie: “Just stop this, Gabe. What’s gotten into you?”

Gabe paused.

Gabe: “What?”

Julie: “This isn’t you. I think at least.”

Gabe: “What are you talking about? I’m very much me.”

Michael: “Why did you think I was telling you not to use your demon? They’re not your friends. They corrupt people. Especially those with powerful ones. Like you.”

Gabe blinked.

Gabe: “I don’t understand.”

Michael managed to pull himself to his feet.

Michael: “We can help you. That’s part of what we do. We all have demons. We’re the only ones who can understand what you’re going through right now.”

Gabe bit his lip.

Julie: “Look around you. This is what happens when people can’t control their urges. You need to learn to fight it.”

Gabe turned to his right. The once lively village was now completely ransacked. The buildings that weren’t completely on fire were already destroyed. A girl was pushed out of her house. She jumped up, grabbing the knife on the door and plunging it into her attacker’s chest. The man stumbled for a moment before falling over.

Gabe balled his fists. He looked down at his hands.

Michael: “Now do you get it? This right now is from people who don’t even have demons. Imagine what would happen if someone who had one did this. That’s why we exist. That’s why we fight. To make sure that stuff like this doesn’t happen again.”

Gabe didn’t respond.

Julie: “It’s okay. Just come back with us now. We can work this out together.”

Gabe: “Do you really mean that?”

Julie: “Of course.”

Gabe took a breath. He looked at the rope in Michael’s hands. Then back at his.

He held his hands out.

Gabe: “Okay.”

Michael exhaled. He approached slowly and wrapped the rope around Gabe’s hands.

Michael: “See? We’re fine. Now let's go home.”

Gabe: “Okay.”

Michael turned and walked toward the exit. Gabe followed behind him slowly.

Suddenly he heard a noise.

He spun around.

Gabe: “Julie?”

Julie wasn’t moving. She blinked. Then she looked down.

A spear was sticking out of her stomach.