Unlikely Ally

It was the silence he hated the most.

There were many things to hate about his life, more than he could count truly, but that...that he could not stand. The way the air always felt thick with it, not even the crunching sound of dead grass beneath his feet paired with his own heavy breaths seeming to break the discomfort it held.

It had been years- nay, centuries- since he had last heard a bird sing. Even longer since he had heard a voice other than his own. Simply thinking of beauty of sound he once took for granted could turn his heart heavy with melancholy, filling it to the brim yet never spilling. He had used up all of his tears long ago, there was nothing left to cry.

Tonight was just like any other night. He trudged along the perimeter of his magical hell like he always did, feeling the static nip at his fingers when they strayed too close. Tree canopies thick with leaves blocked out most of the sky, though it wasn't as if it mattered much anyway. Not even the sun could break through the forest's gloom.

He walked until he felt as though each step was upon glass, slowing him until he was forced to come to a stop. How long had he been doing this? Hours? Days? It was hard to tell the difference anymore.

He stood motionless until his own legs could no longer support him, crumpling to his knees as if were an ancient statue giving in to time. Perhaps if he stayed here, unmoving, he would turn to dust or stone. Maybe life would finally take mercy on his soul.

“Perhaps I have come at a bad time.”

The sudden voice behind him startled Allegoy so badly that his hands slipped beneath him, nearly causing him to collapse against the grass. He scrambled to his feet, turning towards it only to flinch as his eyes met light for the first time in years. He squinted against it as his sight adjusted, voice coming out strong despite the confusion riddling his brain. “Who goes there?”

There was no response in the time it took for the world to come into clarity. Peering at him from the darkness was two- no, four - pupils. All of them were trained on him, emitting a glow that bathed the area around him in light. The stranger they belonged to was watching him patiently, black smoke spilling from his jagged mouth, stretching all the way up to his cheeks.

The mere sight of him caused Allegoy’s heart to clench in his chest. “Demon!” He hissed, instinctively reaching for the sword he once held, but that was long gone. He was defenseless.

“Greetings, Allegoy.” The visitor said, voice thick with amusement at his reaction. “It is nice to finally meet you.”

Allegoy growled in response, fists clenched at his side. “Who sent you? The Fates? Why acknowledge me now?”

“Oh, no, my boss is far more impressive than them.Though I suppose you could call him one of their many business partners, they are the reason you were brought to my attention after all.” The demon said, Allegoy staring on in bewilderment at his words. “Not many creatures can slip past Death’s gates for long, Knight, yet here we stand. Do you know how long you have been trapped here, Allegoy? How long you have avoided our grasp?”

When he didn’t respond, the unusual man continued. “Millennium, and yet, it seems as though you haven't aged a day. In all my time of working I have never encountered a case like this. You should have been dead long ago, " The creature tilted his head slightly, glinting eyes and eerie smile sending a chill down the knight’s spine.

"Then kill me," Allegoy responded after a moment of hesitation, trying his best to mask the uncomfortable feeling in his gut with the gruffness of his voice. "I do not fear death.”

The demon shook his head, raising a brow. "You truly do not understand, do you, Knight?”

He chuckled when he got no answer, the hollow sound filling him with discomfort as they resumed speaking.

“We have not left you here this long because we did not know about you, Allegoy. We’ve had our eye on you for quite a while, yet the Fates can be quite stubborn about letting go of their toys.” He raised a hand as he spoke, tapping the end of the confinement with his fingertip, sparks of electricity blossoming and spreading throughout the entire barrier with a sickening crackle. Allegoy couldn't help but flinch despite being several feet away from the source, stomach churning at the sound and scent of burning flesh. He knew how much the shocks hurt, and yet the demon did nothing but look at him curiously before continuing his sentence, leaving his finger despite it beginning to smoke, "I cannot come in, and you cannot come out. I'm afraid we are in a bit of a stand-still."

A moment of uncomfortable silence passed then, filled only the quiet sizzle of flesh. Finally, Allegoy found his voice " Then why appear before me now, Demon? To mock me? To rub it in my face that there is no escape? Go to hell.”

The Demon sighed as Allegoy spoke, the black smoke that had been slowly seeping from the sides of his mouth now billowing out with his breath. “I am a Reaper, Allegoy, and you may call me Loru instead of that primitive insult.” He said, the irritation in his voice loud and clear.

Loru began to walk beside the barrier as he continued, pulling his finger away with his gaze now fixated upon him, white pupils seeming to leave a trail of the very light that Allegoy had once craved. “You are no coward, Knight. You do not purposefully run from Death's arms like many others, and for that, I admire you, not mock you.” He paused, seeming to consider his next words carefully. “No, I come here for a much more important reason, Allegoy. I come to you with a proposal.”

“Proposal?” Allegoy questioned, brows furrowing. What could a reaper possibly offer to him? Revenge? If what he has said was true, then revenge meant nothing to him. His enemies had perished many years ago, and a simple creature like him could do nothing to the Fates.

“You could be quite the asset to me, Knight. I could use your loyalty, your bravery. Your strength.” Loru snapped his fingers, causing a sword to materialize in his hands, gleaming steel and glittering jewels on the handle causing a pang to go through Allegoy’s chest. His sword. “You could be very useful to me, Allegoy, and perhaps I could be useful to you.”

“What could you possibly do for me?” Allegoy said, moving closer to him, eyes fixated on his sword only to be forced to a stop by a small yet jolting shock. “You said yourself that the Fates will not let me go.”

“Well, yes, that is true. The Fates can be stubborn, as I said, but Death...Death is persuasive.” With another snap Allegoy’s sword was gone, causing a sense of panic to flood through him. Even though the grin on his face was permanent, Allegoy could tell there was smugness behind it. “In time, I could get you out of here. But your freedom does not come without a price.”

“Anything.” Allegoy said without hesitation, voice cracking with longing. Freedom. The sun, warm against his skin. Flowers, birds, beauty. It was in his reach once again “I’ll do anything.”

“Perfect. We’ve got a deal then, Knight.”

Before he could even respond, Loru was gone, and he was plunged into the darkness once more. Alone.