Part 2

As rain poured down, the number of demons grew. But the power between Ryland and Delilah grew bigger as the two used each other's strength to fight harder.

Back to back, sword fighting alongside silver and steel. They flowed in one motion, bodies dipping and curving around quick silver. Movements fluid. Translucent. Following after one another's attack, a stream of blades and claws running through demon limbs and throats.

All in their path would never see the day.

The Almighty Gods screamed in joy, thunder rolling like the laughter in their bellies.

Then two thick boots made of demon skin rested in their path.

"Delilah!" said a voice as a hand grabbed her shoulder.

She nearly took it off with a swipe of a blade, but a familiar voice sent her still. Ryland raised his weapon, but she put a hand on his arm. "You—you came back!" His demon eyes gleamed with a different brilliance, the smile carved into cheeks real this time.

"Came back?" Ryland snapped his gaze to Delilah. "You're part of the demon army?"

She lowered her sword. "I used to be."

"She went rogue centuries ago," the demon answered in awe.

"Captain," Delilah said with a bow.

"Pleasure is all mine," Captain said, flipping his cape over his shoulder.

"You worked for my enemies—the demons who slaughtered my people?" Ryland exasperated. She opened her mouth, but he fired another question. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"For a very good reason." She turned towards Ryland, hair slicked back in blood and rain. "Trust me."

"Trusting you is the last thing I want to do right now."

Captain slung his arm around her, not even caring about the war. "It's good to have you back."

Ryland pointed his sword towards Delilah. "You." His eyes gleamed in horror and rage, meshing his face into scrunched brows and tight lines. "You're fighting with the demons?!"

Hurt flashed over her face. "No. I never wanted to come to the battle field. You ran into the war and I had no choice but to chase after you! You need to get out of here Ryland! It's not safe on the field."

"You're not safe here either! You told me you've never fought a day in your life!"

"Ryland—"

"I was born a solider. And I'm not leaving my people until this battle is over!" He paused. "The hunters told you the war was happening today. You purposefully brought me to the mountains so I wouldn't have to fight." He looked away as if that realization dug deeper into the betrayal.

Body moving faster than her thoughts, she dropped her sword and grabbed his face, thumb stroking under his cheek as it left a smudge of blood. "What can I do to get you to leave this battle?" she whispered.

"I'm not leaving until I know all the Lost Children are safe. This is the last town populated with my people. I can't leave them."

Her heart stung as tears leaked into her eyes. What was wrong with her?

"She's got 'em! The Legend is back!" shouted a demon on the roof of a standing hut. It blew through the horn, signalling the rest of the army and Delilah snatched the spear from the Captain's belt.

She hurled it through the demon's throat, its body flopping down the roof and smack in to the mud.

A nearby demon poked its head around the corner, gaze rested on Delilah and then on the Lost Child beside her; Ryland. "Stop!" she cried out.

She tried to put herself in front of him, but suddenly she loud out a harsh breath and staggered to the side.

Ryland froze as she watched her clutch her stomach. "Captain..." Delilah breathed. "Get Ryland...out of..."

Her skin was radiating heat and the throbbing in her wrists, head and jaw heightened. Suddenly, the pain travelled deeper. Not now, not now, not now. Her chest burned, the inner demon beast raging to surface.

Ryland paled, only hearing of this transformation in myths. "Delilah"—he reached out a useless hand—"Are you alright?"

"Stay away!" She gritted through her teeth and swung her hand to keep him back.

The mixture of sweat and blood dripped off her face and she breathed out hard, her insides throbbing to explode. "Stay..." The words crumbled past her mouth and her knees slid into the mud.

She hunched over, her bones shaking, trying to keep the beast in. "No," she said more to herself and looked up with a twitching smile. "Just leave me here be a fucking hero or something."

"You're not okay."

Her smile twisted into an animalistic snarl. "I need you to leave!"

Ryland advanced a step and she failed to stumble back, his hand both terrifying and suddenly worth ripping apart. "Let me help you."

Captain jerked his head to the side. "What are you doing?!" he screamed at Ryland. "Don't be stupid, boy."

Ryland's eyes sparkled in horrible fascination. "What's wrong with her?"

"If the Legend is right, and you are worth saving, I suggest you run."

"She's not the Legend." Ryland refused to believe it and he shrugged off Captain's hand. "And I can't leave her! She's hurt!"

"She's hurt beyond repair. You can't save her now."

Drenching in her sweat, Delilah's voice was meant to come out soft, but scratched out as a raspy breath. "Captain. No one...can see...I'm trying..."

"I know," Captain said, the sudden stress raising his voice to a high pitch. He whirled back to Ryland who kept his feed rooted, still too close. "No one else has seen her beast form in over centuries. She'd like to keep it that way. Leave! You being here is stressing her out! Anxiety will make her worse."

Ryland approached Delilah and softly spoke, "Me?"

"Yes!" Captain answered. "The Legend wants you to leave! Now leave!"

Delilah's gaze steered clear of Ryland and hand falling in hole made from the imprint of her fist. "Stop!"

Her muscles shrunk, grew and then shrunk back; skin stretched and pulled, molding onto the bone.

"Delilah," Ryland said and her hearing intensified.

She shrieked, covering her ears and tried shaking his voice off, her head thrashing side to side. But the sound of her name kept bouncing around in her mind and she barely heard his next words. "I can help."

"I said go!"

"I can't," Ryland spoke.

Her body a prison, the Legend shook the bars and she could already hearing them breaking. Heaving in large gulps of air, she put her hands on her knees and felt her claws digging into her kneecaps. "Leave me alone!"

Her eyes emptied into the blackest pits of darkness.

Captain stumbled into the mud. "Run, boy! Run!" He removed his cape and draped it over Delilah. "The demons mustn't see her transform! Abaddon will want to capture her again like he tried to centuries ago."

Ryland whipped his head around, madness in his confused eyes. "What are you talking about?! Delilah isn't the monster!"

But it was too late. The demons rushed around, not paying much attention to the captain and the lump under the sheet. They gripped onto Ryland, throwing chains over his neck and hip.

"No!" gurgled Ryland, words being choked in his throat.

He tossed and turned, the metal shacks tightening.

"The last Lost Child," rumbled Abaddon under a cloak. Vines as dark as his soul wrapped around his horns, a tight, burnt layer of skin tugging over his rust coloured bones. Towering over all creatures, his sharp hooves approached Ryland, body heavy of sins and deep-rooted anger. "Finally. We've found you. How does it feel to be the final one? The final descent of the Lost Children?"

"No," Delilah quietly let out.

"Shut up!" Captain hissed and slid beside Delilah, careful not to make contact with her trembling body. "Let them take him. It's not worth it. You can't afford revealing yourself."

Pebbles started rattling and puddles began shaking. Her spine curved and then snapped straight back. Captain fell on his back in surprise.

"Are you ready to die, Lost Child?" Abaddon announced. The demons pulled tighter on the shackles.

The big axe dragged across the dirt in Abaddon's hand, paving a groove through the mud. He halted in front of the twisting Ryland.

She heard the clouds stirring faster above her ears. The lanterns hanging along ruined streets flickered on and off, flames lighting and then smoking off.

"Listen to me," Captain told Delilah in a small voice, defeat finally emerging. "Let the Legend loose. The more you fight it, the more you hurt yourself."

Delilah crouched, the beast triggering every pressure point to keep her down. The ground shook under her palms and knees. Her claws ran through the dirt, the scrap of indestructible bone carving old symbols of war into the mud. One of the demons touched their ears to reveal blood and scrambled back in horror.

"Victory is now ours!" Abaddon brought up the axe.

Delilah screamed and heard her bones snap and click into place, tugging her skin to fit against the newly formed creases.

"Never," Ryland whispered.

His voice knocked off Delilah's balance and the Legend's world spilled open. The darkness flooded in, and she gasped before it swallowed her whole.

Captain cast aworried look at Ryland. "What have you done?"