A Hunter's Curse (Closed o/o with Nyx)

Nathaniel glanced back at Ember sadly. She had to go or she would die. But he didn’t have time to focus on her struggle, for Typhon swung at his head. Nathaniel’s eyes widened and he ducked. The sword woodshed over his head, Typhon snarling. Nathaniel drove Typhon out of his room with the thrust of his scythe, the rib of it hitting Typhon in the stomach. The demon growled, hitting the wall. Typhon spun his sword, swinging diagonally at Nathaniel’s shoulder. The king had nowhere to roll out of the way. He stepped back, the blade grazing his should, ripping his suit. “STAND DOWN, TYPHON! YOU WILL NEVER GET THE CROWN!” Nathaniel hissed. Typhon merely growled, roaring at the demon king. “HALF-BREEDS MUST DIE.” He bellowed. Nathaniel breathed a sigh.

Nathaniel gripped his scythe tightly, swinging it low at Typhon’s legs, trying to topple the demon, but Typhon did a backflip and the scythe whooshed across the ground. “Shit.” Nathaniel breathed. Typhon ginned, slamming his sword into the king’s side. The sword made contact, ripping open Nathaniel’s suit and tearing his skin. Blood dripped from the wound, but it quickly closed itself. Nathaniel growled, lifting his scythe up, he swung it through the air, aiming for the chaos demon’s right side. It made contact, slamming the demon into a wall and cutting open his side. Nathaniel grinned.

Lilith held Ember tight, ignoring the thrashing and screaming. She teleported them to the middle of the forest she once came from. Setting Ember down, Ender appeared with the kids, placing the down as well. Lilith shook her head. “I can’t take you back. You will be hurt.” She murmured. Ender had become annoyed, his cheeks puffed. The white-haired demon marched over to Ember. “You need to stay quiet, my lady. There are hunters in these woods that would prefer to murder all of us. Got it?” His tone was stern and unrelenting.

Ender grabbed Ember by the arm, pulling her closer to him. “And if you don’t shut your mouth, you’re going to get us all killed.” He let go of her, snarling, watching her every move. Lilith went to Ember’s side when she started to throw up, pulling the Queen’s hair from her face. “Shh, my lady. Everything will be alright. Let me remove part of the equation.” She put her hand on Ember’s stomach, removing the child and suspending it in time. She placed the child in a dimensional pocket. Lilith looked up at Rose. “She will be fine dear.” She helped Ember up, herding her and the kids into a nearby cave. Percy stood there - traumatized. He wasn’t expecting to see that.

Typhon roared, swinging his sword harshly at Nathaniel. Nathaniel perried the swing, trying to hold off the demon until his hand slipped. Typhon's sword continues on its trajectory, cutting into the king’s shoulder. Nathaniel started to bleed heavily. “You bastard.” He choked out. Typhon smiled. “The half-breeds will die.” And he disappeared. However, Nathaniel followed.

Lilith found a sizable cave. It looked familiar to the one Nathaniel had led her into. The cave where a gate to hell was. Lilith looked around, gesturing for the queen and her kids to make themselves at home. Ender snorted in irritation, grinding his teeth. Lilith glared at the demon, and Ender rolled his eyes, watching the movements of the forest. He hated it here. Lilith turned to the queen. “I simply removed part of the equation and suspended it in time. That way, you’ll be fine for the time being.” Ender snickered. “Great explanation.” Lilith stared daggers at him, almost ready to strangle the demon. Percy stared at the two demons, backing away in fear. Dad hadn’t introduced these two to him. They could hurt him.

Typhon appeared on Earth, and Nathaniel followed, crashing into the demon. Typhon growled, hitting Nathaniel in the jaw. The king grunted, punching Typhon in the face. The chaos demon simply pushed him off, standing above the king with his sword up in the air. He brought it down, but it hit something metal. Nathaniel parried the attack with his sword, purpled smoke wafting off of it. His arms shook, the blade of the weapon burring into his palm.

Lilith watched Ember’s reactions with her kids. Looking around the damp, unlit cave, she figured the royals were safe. Nothing dangerous could find them. So Lilith nudged Ender, nodding her head to the cave’s entrance. “Let us go gather some necessities.” The war demon placed his hands on his hips, sighing heavily. “Fine, but if the queen ends up dead, it will be your fault. It is my utmost job to protect them.” Lilith rolled her eyes, grabbing the demon by his purple horn. “Let us go.” She muttered, dragging Ender out of the cave. Percy whimpered, clinging to his mama. “Ender is scary.” He shuttered. 

Nathaniel pushed Typhon back, the blade of his sword deep in his palm. He panted, watching the discord demon, studying his next move. Instead, a noise alerted the demon. Something that sounded like a small child. Typhon moved through the forest, following the raucous. Nathaniel struggled to register the noise, standing around dazed. Typhon had left. He removed the blade from his palm, letting the wound heal before going after the demon. 

Typhon spotted the cave, cocking his head to the side. A slight whimper came from it, and he approached the conspicuous formation of rock, foliage crunching under his feet. Ducking his head, he entered the mouth of the cave. Before him, the queen, prince, and princess stood. A wicked smile crossed his face. Now his targets were before him, trapped with nowhere to run.

Percy whined, unsure about the demons that just left. His mama said they were here to help, but he wasn’t so sure. A whimper escaped his throat. Percy’s blue eyes landed on Typhon, and he screamed. He scrambled away from Typhon, scrapping his hands against the cave floor. His little legs did not want to run. Instead, he mewled, watching his mother steadily. Typhon growled, spinning his haladie. “You are a nuisance, wolf.” He growled. “Move aside before I murder your essence.” But instead of letting Ember move, he went straight for her throat, aiming to slash it in one move.

Nathaniel followed the trail Typhon led. He could smell the musty scent wafting off of him. He was hot on the demon’s trail, holding his scythe tightly. Nothing was going to hurt his kids nor wife. Nothing was going to harm him or his kingdom.

(We moving back here bois)

Typhon growled, moving closer toward the kids and Ember. He stumbled slightly, his swing missing the werewolf. The wild animal leaped at him, digging into his shoulder. He jerked his body violently, trying to shake her off. When he realized the wolf was dragging him down, Typhon used his other hand to punch the rabid dog in the face. Even when she did let go, she only bit down more and more. Typhon hissed, tired of being used as a chew toy. He plunged his clawed hand into her throat, ripping out lumps of flesh and arteries. Dropping Ember’s body, he shook the blood off his hands. He didn’t like the deep red under his claws.

Percy watched as his mama was murdered, holding his sister tightly. He buried his face into her shoulder, crying loudly. His small body shook violently. Was he going to die today? He didn’t want to die.

Nathaniel reached the mouth of the cave, hearing growls and howls. He stepped inside the cave, staring at the blood all over the ground and the body of his wife. His breath caught. Nathaniel grew still, his head turning. This couldn’t be happening! NO! His eyes bleed a deep red, and a low growl came from his throat. It was time to end this.

Nathaniel growled, bright red patterns populating his skin. His eyes bled a bright red, grip on his scythe tightening. Typhon only tilted his head, smiling at the demon king. Black horns erupted from his nest of blond hair. A low growl came from his throat and he swung at Typhon’s side. The demon went flying into the wall, a large gash in his stomach. Large amounts of blood dripped from it. Before Typhon could move, Nathaniel approached the demon, grabbing his throat. He started to bash, Typhon’s head against the wall, blood painting the cavern red. Lilith and Ender had returned, staring as Nathaniel bashed the discord demon’s head in. Ender grabbed his sword, jumping between the two bodies. Nathaniel let go of Typhon, and Lilith took care of sending him back to his cell. Nathaniel hissed at Ender. Then, he heard it. His child. He turned around, holding his scythe. He glared at his children, creeping closed with a deranged smile. This induced madness might lead him to kill his kids.

Percy whimpered, crying against his sister. He was terrified. Looking up, he saw their dad. “Daddy!” He cried in relief, but relief turned to panic. Father did not look happy, and he crept closer with his scary weapon.

Nathaniel growled, snarling at his kids. He stalked closer, lifting his scythe. Smirking, his eyes darted towards Percy. A dangerous smile crossed his face. “You should be scared.” A deep laugh erupted from his throat. But before he could slice Percy, Ender slashed Nathaniel’s side, pulling the demon lord down by his horns. Nathaniel fought back, slamming his scythe into Ender’s stomach. The lust demon stumbled but gained hold of Nathaniel again. Lilith summoned a small vial with a reddish liquid in it. Ender pushed Nathaniel to the ground, gripping his jaw and holding his mouth open. Lilith strutted over to the king, opening the vial. Nathaniel scraped his claws against Ender’s torso, causing him to bleed. Ender hissed, his grip on Nathaniel strengthening. Lilith drew a deep breath, tipping the liquid into the king’s mouth.

Nathaniel sputtered, swallowing the liquid. He gasped for a breath, his body shuttering. Ender let go of the king, letting him fall to the ground. Nathaniel gripped his throat, coughing wildly. His horns and markings disappeared. His eyes dilated, the red bleeding into blue. Nathaniel’s body shook with harsh spasms. He gazed at the roof of the cave, his vision blurring. The blood lulled him to sleep.

Percy yelped, shaking as he clung to Rose. Papa was going to kill them! He was going to slash his own children. But the white-haired demon saved them, taking down his father. He watched in terror as his father convulsed on the ground, leaning into his sister with tears streaming down his face. Ender looked at the kids. “He is merely sleeping. I will look after you while he recovers.”

Ender titled his head, carefully walking towards the prince and princess. Telling two 5-year-olds why their father turned on them—wouldn’t be easy. Taking a deep breath, Ender placed a hand on Rose’s arm, crouching down to her level. “You see, cheri, your father has a lot of anger in him. Seeing your mother dead made him snap.” Ender considered how to sugar coat reality. He couldn’t. “He snapped. When your father snaps, he cannot recognize his own children from a threat. Everything is out to get him in that state of mind.” He wiped her tears away, beckoning Percy to come closer. Percy hesitated, eventually walking over to the white-haired demon. “He had to go night-night to prevent any unwanted injuries.” Lilith raised an eyebrow. So the bastard knew how to soothe children. Interesting. Ender continued. “He doesn’t want you dead, and you don’t truly hate him. Your father struggles to control the wrath passed to him and the wrath that will be passed to you.”

Ender hissed at Rose. He didn’t like how she treated him. It was quite like her father. A small growl came from his throat, and he stood. “I am not speaking to you like a toddler! I am telling you the damn truth. If you cannot accept it, then you do not deserve the throne!” Percy shied away from the white-haired demon, whimpering as he kept tabs on his father. “Papa.” He whispered sadly. Lilith noticed the war demon’s growing temped and spoke up. “Now, now, Ender. Go patrol the border. I’ll speak to the children.” Ender scoffed, crossing his arms and strolling out of the cave. Lilith got on Rose’s level. “We’re not speaking to you like a toddler. You perceive it as such, for we are on your level. Your father never wanted to harm you, Rose. His anger, the grief of seeing his wife murdered, drove him to madness.” She sighed. “Your father would have rather killed himself than you if he knew what he was doing. In a feral mind, one does not recognize himself or his family. Just anger and pain.” Lilith placed a hand on Rose’s shoulder. “When I wake him up, he will be the man you know.” Standing, Lilith patted Rose on the head.

Lilith rolled her eyes. Rose was being difficult, worse than her father. “You will understand one day, child, but apparently, today you are ignorant.” She stood, abandoning the two children. Instead, she strolled over to her king, staring at Nathaniel’s sleeping body. Lilith snapped her fingers, summoning another vial with a deep, dark liquid in it. Bending down, she tilted her king's head, opening his mouth. She poured the liquid into his mouth, letting his bodily reflux swallow it. Backing up, Lilith let Nathaniel have his space. The demon stirred, opening his eyes. Everything was fuzzy. Sitting up, Nathaniel made eye contact with his kids. Percy was elastic to see him— Rose did not seem delighted.

Lilith stood back, keeping close to the cave entrance. Was the king going to finish his rampage or yearn for forgiveness? Ender returned, his ear twitching in annoyance as Lilith blocked the cave entrance. Great. Lilith ruined his one chance.

Nathaniel popped his head up, placing a palm on his temple. The pounding drove him insane. A bitter taste clung to his tongue. Angel blood. They put him to sleep. His gaze rested softly upon his children, watching Rose snatch Percy to draw him back. Percy whined and kicked, not wanting to be in his sister’s grasp. He wanted to hug his father. Nathaniel frowned. His daughter was acting strange. Carefully, he rose, attempting to stand on his feet. The demon king swayed back and forth, his center balance lost. It was the equivalent of a newborn deer. Brushing the dirt and debris off of himself, he carefully drew closer to the twins. Rose’s actions confused him. “What is wrong, Rose?” He regarded her skittish actions, approaching his daughter akin to a cat.

Percy kicked his sister’s ankle. He writhed in his sister’s hold. There was one way to get out of this. Percy bit into his sister’s arm, his half-demon fangs digging into her flesh. He pulled away, watching the blood well up from the wound. His father, however, was not pleased with his actions.

Percy wiggled out of his sister’s grasp, running to his father. He clung to his father’s leg, knocking Nathaniel backward. He whimpered, his jaw trembling. Percy still loved his father, despite the fact he tried to murder them. He wasn’t sure why his sister was acting this way.

Nathaniel picked up Percy, holding the small boy in his arms. He shook his head, frowning. “Percy, don’t bite your sister.” He sighed, inching closer to Rose. “Are you okay, Rose?” Nathaniel bit the inside of his cheek, concern flooding his voice. All he wanted to do was soothe his daughter and dress the wound. Taking a step closer, he kneeled down to Rose’s level, and Percy scrambled out of his arms. “Can I take a look at it? I’m not going to hurt you.” Why did he need to say that? His own daughter should trust he wasn’t going to hurt her, right?

Nathaniel watched his daughter in horror. Why would she plead for him not to hurt her? It seemed out of the ordinary. He had done nothing but loved her. Nothing but loved his family and kill the traitors. He did everything for them. “I’m not going to hurt you, Rose.” Nathaniel attempted a comforting voice, but it only came out rough. “I just want to look at the wound, sweetie.” He reached his hand up to her face, wiping her tears away. He embraced his daughter in a hug. “The monster’s gone, and I’m here.” Nathaniel pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Percy clung to his father, watching his sister tentatively. He hoped she wouldn’t hurt Papa.

Nathaniel picked his daughter up, quietly hushing her. "I'll be okay, Rose." He whispered, rubbing her back gently. Everything had been a blur, but now the threat was gone. At least for now. He made sure to wipe the rest of Rose's tears away, smiling to distract her. Ember was dead. He knew that. There was nothing Nathaniel could do to bring her back, and it tore him up. "Do you want to go home?" He wanted to sleep. The fight exhausted him, and he wanted to curl up in his bed.