Rebirth and Retribution

Jean d’Arc sat on a fallen log staring deep into the crackling embers of the fire. The charred, woody scent of twigs and dry leaves filled her senses, bringing with it a flood of unwanted memories from her past. She averted her gaze to will them away. Phenex took a careful seat across from her, stocking the fire with more flammables and sparing her a single concerned glance. Ashe, his right-hand man, gave her a look of disdain before turning to his lord and insisting on doing the mundane task in his stead. She spared a polite nod in their direction and was relieved when Phenex didn’t inquire about her behavior.

In the moment of peace and tranquility, it was difficult to imagine that the man who sat before her was the Demon King. Jean knew of his power and the destruction he was capable of causing. She had experienced it firsthand, many seasons ago, when she went by a different name and held more power than the current limitations of her human shell. She crossed blades with him and dreamed of the day when she would run her sword through his chest. However, Phenex didn’t know of “Jean” before their venture, and the moment he knew of her betrayal would be the moment that he would become her sole enemy.

When that day arrived, her loyalty to the church and her kingdom would come first, even above whatever kinship she had developed with Phenex over the course of their journey. This was the oath she swore before undertaking this assignment, and it was the oath that she would follow until her last dying breath. This was also the promise that she made to her adopted family, and her revenge against the ones who left Sister Mary and many other young children as orphans.

Jean refrained from heaving a weary sigh by catching her bottom lip in between her teeth. Furrowing her brow, she took an uneven breath; feeling the emotions rattle her lungs, she instead chose to wring her hands together to stop them from shaking. The Unholy Usurpers were the name of the generals directly under the command of the Demon King, and they always left a bad taste in her mouth. They were a lingering presence from the past that she would’ve been better off forgetting. They reminded Jean of the people she failed to protect. Too many people had died then. Too many people were still dying.

Their lives would be repaid with blood soon enough though. Demon blood. Phenex’s blood.

“Are you alright?”

With the force of a lightning strike, Phenex’s voice liberated her from her mental shackles. Jean felt her throat close up.

“Yes. I’m quite alright. You needn’t worry about me.” Her voice cracked with the last syllable, and she swallowed dryly.

He opened his mouth, but his expression turned thoughtful and it gently morphed into a miniscule smile before he returned to poking at the fire. The corners of his eyes crinkled with the motion making him appear kinder, more innocent, than she would have expected.

Jean hadn’t lied when she told Sister Mary that the Demon King had changed. Phenex had most likely also lost friends and loved ones in the war, people that he also wished he could have back no matter what. War tended to have that effect on people. The feeling of heavy melancholy nestled in her chest. If she had stopped Phenex back then instead, Jean wondered if she would still feel the same way now. She also wondered if the deep sorrow that made a home in her heart were her true feelings or something else entirely.

Then, she stopped wondering. That kind of thinking would only serve to confuse her further. She couldn’t afford to waste time on frivolous thoughts and what ifs.

Her mission should always come first, and she would do good if she kept it that way.

“The villagers mentioned Pluvia was still active in this region. Do we know of her whereabouts?” Jean began asking Phenex, standing up and slowly pacing around. “She was one of the Demon Ki–”

Her eyes widened suddenly at the reminder of who exactly was present, so she hastily attempted to correct herself, “–your strongest warriors. Surely, you would have some clue as to where she and the others are? That is, assuming you are willing to undertake this assignment.”

There’s no hiding the sharp, barbed undertone of her last statement. If Phenex had noticed her wry tone, he didn’t comment on it. He trusted in the person she presented herself as – all of the thinly veiled courtesy with years of underlying spite and grief. He trusted her. Instead of returning her resentment, he gave her a sort of tired, aged smile, tinged with sadness. Her heart stuttered in her chest, and her breath caught in her throat. When she remembered to breathe again, Jean pressed her lips together and hastened her pace around the clearing.

“It wouldn’t be of any use to search the castle,” he explained, and Jean couldn’t determine if the next emotion that crossed on his face was regret or bitterness. “That place has been empty, with the exception of Ashe and myself, for a rather long time.”

Her eyes widened at the realization, “You mean to say that the Unholy Usurpers no longer listen to your commands?”

Phenex nodded. “They haven’t in centuries. After the first war between demonkind and the kingdom came to a conclusion, I fell out of favor with many of those who previously sworn allegiance.”

“Then, Pluvia, too–”

“–will no longer listen to me. Yes, you are correct.” Phenex stood up with a shaky breath, brushing the stray leaves from his clothes. “My apologies, Jean, but I’d rather not discuss this further. I will patrol the area for a bit with Ashe. Have a good night.”

As Phenex turned away, Jean watched as his and Ashe’s figures disappeared into the shadows of the trees and left her in her own silence once more. She could finally use this chance to get rid of the Unholy Usurpers and the Demon King. Unsheathing the dagger from the belt around her waist, Jean held it up to the fire and watched as the flames danced around in the reflections running along the silver blade engraved in holy runes. In the flames, she could picture the fire as it swirled towards the sky and consumed villages in its wake. She remembered the bloodshed and those dear to her dying before her eyes. Her hand grasped the hilt as she held on tightly. She would kill Phenex, but the chill from the metal numbed the heart she had thought was long frozen.

Huddled around the fireplace, Jean held her dagger to her chest and prayed for forgiveness.

---

Postmortem—

This was actually my first major creative writing assignment during my freshman year. The goal was to write a short story between 4-5 pages, and there wasn't really a restriction on the genre. Rather than create something entirely new, I decided to use the characters and world I helped design with my high school Modern Asian Arts and Drama club (MAAD).

The setting itself is very typical fantasy with the main power struggle occurring between the kingdom and church and the demon folk. Jean is an archangel whose soul currently resides within a human vessel. She has lived a long time culling demons and knows of the atrocities committed by their king. Phenex is the aforementioned Demon King, an infamous warlord whose path of conquest devastated the lives of millions.

Major themes in the original were redemption and betrayal. During the war, Phenex falls in love with a human woman, Cecilia, who's the ultimate price he pays for his continued violence. Despite his later efforts to withdraw from the war, civil unrest breaks out between those who wanted the bloodshed to continue and those who are in favor of the end. Those that disagreed with the new ruling ultimately abandoned the demon kingdom to wreak havoc on their own, including the Unholy Usurpers, the Demon King's generals. Meanwhile, Ashe, Phenex's loyal servant, stays by his master's side as time ticks on. During this long period, the church is founded, and the humans continue to hunt demons.

Jean's role is to bring Phenex back to the kingdom under the guise of celebrating for the newfound peace. Her real mission is to take his life in order to usher a new era where humans will no longer cower in fear of demons. However, during their journey, Jean grapples with her inability to reconcile the Demon King she once knew with the Phenex she currently knows. She's faced with the tough choice between the good of the kingdom or forsaking everything for the sake forgiveness.

This particular scene is meant to take place sometime during their journey. After hearing that the Unholy Usurpers are still active and terrorizing villages, Phenex, as an expression of repentance and his desire for change, offers to help her eliminate his former generals. While both Phenex and Jean are still wary of each other, the cracks of doubt are beginning to show through.

If you're interested in seeing how the MAAD club illustrated the beginnings of the tale, the link to the original comic can be viewed here.