Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince

"Grimm." A soothing, yet furious voice called out. It seemed to echo from a space made entirely of white light.

A deep laugh echoed throughout a space filled with darkness which was pressed up against the light.

"Yes, my dear, old friend, Luz? What can I do for you?"

"What are you doing? How are you doing it?!" Luz roared. The typically calm being within this liminal space had somehow lost his temper with its longtime rival.

"Why, what ever could you mean Luz? I haven't done anything. You are the one blocking the window to the earthen plane, you would know if I slipped through it even a little bit! I'm strong, but not so much that I can just get by your wall. We've had this conversation!"

Grimm continued to laugh at Luz. Even though he was taunting his brighter counterpart, he was not lying. He really had not reached through the window. The last time he reached through the window was when he last gave Lucius his power. Almost five years ago…in terms of the calendars of the earthen plains anyway.

"You are affecting his mind, Grimm." Luz accused.

"Well now, that's quite the accusation."

"When did you do it, Grimm?"

"When he was unconscious after the whole deer incident."

"You mean when you refused to help train him while we kept him in our space with us?"

"I did to help train him! Very rude of you to assume otherwise. You taught him techniques that would help his physical body, and I…"

"You what? What did you do?"

If an expanse of pure darkness could smile, it did. "I gave him a tool to help his mind. That's all. It's a tough world out there for our boy. You have to train his body and his mind. Not just one, Luz."

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Luz roared in anger, spewing insults and curses so ancient one would have a hard time finding a rock that was older.

"Temper, temper my friend. All I did was leave a little…whisper to help him along! Help him make the decisions he needs to make."

"He killed those people. He could have saved them. Saved their families!"

"Oh yes, and if he wasted the time doing that whoever was behind it could have moved on that girl he's so protective of. Also in the end, the puppet masters would have been informed immediately of the need to find replacement toys to manipulate… this way, they bought time."

"There was another way, Grimm." Luz argued.

"Oh absolutely, I don't disagree. There were many, many options available… but this one got the results he wanted, the fastest. It's more efficient that way!"

"He killed people."

"So? Don't act so high and mighty. Following your path would lead to death as well. How many people do you want to lead down the path of self-sacrifice Luz? Want to turn this kid into another one of your 'heroes'? Someone so righteous and just that they turn a blind eye to those they love to save the world?

Boring, I've seen it before. Let's do something my way this time." Grimm whined.

"The world was better for their sacrifice." Luz countered.

"Is it though? Have you looked at their world recently? Not sure it did as much as you think it did. I mean look at poor Lucius. Ha, fate really fucked him over, huh?"

Luz paused for a moment. Or maybe it was a year? An eon? Time was tricky in a place like this. It flowed forwards, backwards, and sideways all at once. Everything that was here, simply was.

"He would have been stronger for it."

"Probably. He could also have just died. Not that I mind, at least I'm honest about it though. You are just pretending to care about him to fulfill your purpose. I've told him from the start I simply thought he was interesting." Grim chided.

Grimm felt the rage boiling inside the bright light called Luz. A while ago he had dimmed a little and right now he was looking a little dimmer still. Of course it wasn't enough for the dark void known as Grimm to overwhelm his enemy, but it was noticeable after all this time trapped together.

"I haven't had this much fun in a while if I'm being honest Luz. Lucius makes a fun game piece. You get rather boring with time. So dull and predictable. These mortals though… so intriguing to watch. That girl especially, I like her a lot.

Think they'll hook up?"

"I don't know, Grimm. That is their decision."

"Oh? Normally you tell your little heroes to stay away from that kind of thing! So surprising! Always thought you were a prude, but wow times have changed. Growth is good Luz. Don't let anyone ever tell you different."

Luz laughed sarcastically. "Like who? You?"

"I mean maybe? I have a short memory, I might forget after Lucius dies."

"Ha. Short memory. Grimm you've been laying the groundwork for this fight for a millennia."

Grimm smiled again. "Oh that's right…I have. My bad."

Luz fell silent once more, likely exhausted from talking and guarding the window to the earthen plain at the same time. Grimm let his counterpart rest. There was no point in trying to weaken him alone. He probably could, but there was no need.

The boy was developing nicely and the whisper he left behind when Lucius was stuck here with them was doing quite well in its job. Of course, Lucius had the willpower to overcome its effects as it relates to friends, family, and loved ones. To be fair, it was quite the shock to him that Lucius could suppress it at all!

However, it was not a bad thing. Just another aspect to the strange boy that Grimm found to be interesting. He was watching Lucius and the people around him constantly. Rena was a given. The girl was absolutely smitten with the lad, and that was oh so very funny.

What would Lucius do if he, a Marked One, a bastard child of unknown origins knocked up the daughter of one of the most powerful families in a human kingdom?

Grimm cackled to himself at the possibilities. Would he run? Fight? Die? What would she do? Keep it?

Hide it? Pronounce it proudly to the world? Honestly with her little confession while Lucius fell into unconsciousness, it was probably the last one.

Oh the look on that nobleman's face were he to be told that would be absolutely priceless!

"What are you on about now?" Luz growled.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I am just over here daydreaming about love. You know, pretty typical of a bleeding heart like myself!" Grimm answered in a singsong voice.

Grimm was smiling to himself, wondering what fun things he gets to see next.