From Hell to Heaven

"You can't do this Damen!" The blonde demon struggled against the chains that bound her. She wasn't going down without a fight. The king would have to kill her. Skye was the most powerful mage he had and one hell of a fighter. She didn't become the third female to become Arch Mage for nothing. Still, she had tried to kill him and take the throne. He had her chained in an old tomb...she was getting sealed. Damn.

"For the crime of treason you, Skye Dragomir, will be sentenced to sealing within a magic prison and buried in the Earthly plain. May Lucifer damn your soul." With that the doors were sealed on her screaming protests. Her blonde hair fell into her face as she looked down at her dress. It was black and red just as the royal colors, but remained ever with the style of the Dragomir line. It was something the Earthings called lolita. Poofy skirt, corset, flowing arm warmers and long ribbons hanging from the dress. Her knee high boots stomped the stone floors as Skye felt her prison move...entombed for eternity.

"Well...that didn't go as planned..." The blonde blew her hair out of her face and tried, in vain, to fall into a deep sleep.

Karyu was a grad student on an archeological dig in Egypt. He was thrilled to be part of a group exploring a recently found tomb. He was at a door that had all sorts of ancient spells and seals on it. He read what was there, but wasn't sure what it meant.

"Beware the terror of loving the prisoner" He read. "Huh, weird..."

It wasn't like anything he'd seen before. He dusted away some more and saw another line.

"They sky is full of snakes...condemned to never see the sun." He wasn't sure what to make of it, but he knew he was going to open this door. This wasn't where the king had been buried. It was supposedly a treasure room. If it was, then why were spells and seals like that put on the door?

He opened the door and dust filled the air. He was wearing a mask covering his mouth and nose, so it didn't affect him too badly. He still coughed, though. He walked into the room with a lantern and looked around. He was not expecting what he saw. A woman, wearing modern day lolita and chained to the wall with what appeared to be ancient chains. She was covered in dust and debris.

"Um...are you alright?" Karyu was very confused.

The days had passed and she didn't know how long...sleep came and went but it was a never-ending darkness. Darkness and more darkness and then all of a sudden white bright light filled the room. A man? Human...that's right. She was sentenced to the Earthly plain.

"W-wa-..." Skye couldn't even speak after so many years. How long had it been? He lavender eyes met with the man's briefly before her head fell back down. She just didn't have any strength anymore.

"Hel..p"

Kayru was right there, setting his lantern down and trying to figure out the chains around her wrists. He got her out of it and caught her before she fell to the ground. He brought her down slowly and sat her up, grabbing a bottle of water out of his bag and helping her drink it.

"There. Now we gotta get you out of here. There's a medic up top that can help you out. Do you think you can walk?" Karyu didn't know what to do. No one had been in this room since it had been sealed. Maybe there was a second entrance. he looked around. No. How the hell did she get in here with those chains around her?

"I-I can-...help...me..." She hated being so weak. Not even her magic was really working anymore. She could barely make any warmth...air...not even able to conjure water to quench her thirst. Damn magic seals. The medic took her but suddenly all was abuzz at the discovery of a girl, living and breathing, in the tomb. Everyone thought someone had put her there a few days ago. Others, the Egyptians on the dig, believed her to be the one the tomb originally meant to imprison.

"T-that man..." Stupid voice. Work!!!

"Him..." Slowly she pointed to the blonde man that had brought her out. The fact he could remove her chains was unique. Very rarely could a human do that. She needed him close.

It was very strange indeed that she was in the tomb. She wasn't even Egyptian. How did she end up there and why? Were those seals for her? It couldn't be. There was no way something like this could have been faked. No one had even seen this tomb since it had been sealed. It was just uncovered a few days ago.

Everyone was all buzzing and Karyu didn't know what to say. He wanted to keep anyone from going down there and contaminating the site. The medic called for him and said the girl wanted him. Karyu came over and knelt by her side.

"Will she be alright?" He asked, worried about her. He gave her a smile, though, hoping his friendliness would comfort her.

"I'm Karyu." He said, introducing himself. He didn't know what else to do.

Karyu...graceful soul. He had a beautiful golden aura. He was a pure soul. She would keep him near...she had to. "Swahari..." Demonic for thank you. It was an older dialect but it was one of the few words that was still used...at least when she was down there.

"Thak- you..." He delicate fingers gripped his. She didn't want to let him go. Skye was looking around at the men and felt anger. She didn't want them near....was that wings beating? The angels might have sensed her though she doubted it. She was too weak right now.

"Stay...prease..."

Could she not speak the language properly? Karyu felt sorry for her. She gripped his hand and he stayed close by. He wouldn't leave her. Something told him to stay right by her. He had no idea who she was, but she had to be someone important. Karyu looked up at the medic with concern in his eyes.

"Will she be alright?" He asked. "Should we take her to a hospital?"

The medic thought she would be fine. Just a little dehydrated. He was sure it was just some prank. How could she have ended up in that room? It was a joke. It had to be.

Karyu was concerned about how the others were looking at this girl. He wanted to take her somewhere safe. he had an apartment nearby.

"Come on. Let's take you somewhere where you can rest."

Skye nodded and forced herself to be strong. She didn't want to appear weak to the men. Stupid humans. They were so breakable, yet, she couldn't do it. Her body was so weak...and this one. The one that could unchain her was willing to help. He had a kind heart and strong spirit. Even in her weakened state she could feel it coming off him. He could help her in many ways.

"Where...goshiloma!" She was in a between land. Egypt was a highly used pathway from hell to Earth. Shit! Any demon could blend in here...Lucifer only knew how many had spotted her. Shit!

"No...no, no, ni!!!" The blonde was fighting Karyu as he headed toward where Thebes would be. She cursed herself for slipping into Demonic so much but this plain had so many languages that maybe they wouldn't notice it. If times were different maybe they wouldn't even notice she was a demon.

"Hey, hey. Relax." He stopped walking, mostly because of being pulled back by the girl. "Look, I was just going to take you to my apartment so you can rest. I promise I wasn't up to anything bad."

Karyu didn't know why she was so scared. The girl was so strange and he didn't know what to do. He stood there, pouting, and waited for her to say something.

"...Dovorika? Promise?" She doubted she could keep demons at bay in her state. But what if enough time had passed that they didn't really visit Earth anymore? She had to stop slipping into her native tongue. Still, she reluctantly allowed him to lead her into the town. Times had changed for sure. There weren't many demons around either...what the hell happened to the palace?! Did the pharaohs no longer live in Thebes?

"How much...further?" Such a nice man...beautiful too. He would've been a highly prized slave in Hell. One she would have paid for even and Skye wasn't fond of slaves.

"Not too far. Promise." He walked her along, watching as she looked around nervously. She must be in some kind of trouble. Karyu didn't know what. it was just odd the way she looked at things, as if she'd never seen a busy street before. She was dressed in contemporary clothes but acted like she was from another time. It was odd.

He walked her to his apartment and up the stairs. He unlocked the door and showed her inside. "It's not much, but it's home. For now." He led her into the living room and helped her sit down. "I bet you're hungry..."

Skye looked around the apartment. It was small but comfy. A small smile graced her lips as he asked about food. Food sounded amazing.

"Fish." Fish...especially the way those in the between land she often visited. It wasn't as popular a road to use since it was close to an angelic between land too. Fish, rice, and seaweed. It made for a nutritious, yet oddly satisfying, meal.

"I've got plenty of that." He smiled. She did look quite Asian, like him. It made her all the more out of place. Him, too, since he was the only Asian in the study group here in Thebes. It was a three year study. He had been going to school in Europe and then here in Egypt to get his studies and field work done for his doctorate in archeology and ancient studies.

He went into the kitchen and started making some rice. Sticky rice that he paid an armful to get. it was worth it, though. He fried up some salmon and seaweed and soon had a nice meal ready. He set it at the table and peeked his head around the corner to where she was.

"Food's ready." He smiled. She was really pretty.

Mmm...fish. And rice! The grin that graced Skye's face was one she hadn't showed in many long years. The food had to be the best tasting she'd ever had. Not that the man in front of her was the best cook around but the fact she hadn't had food in Hell knew how long made it soooooo good.

"Swahari-I mean...thank you." At least she could talk now. Dehydration sucked hard core. She had to know more about the peculiar man. He wasn't a normal human. In the old days he would've been a high priest if not a pharaoh himself. Very few outside the royal family possessed the power to unlock a demon from bond chains.

"Thank you for releasing me...how did you come across my tomb?"

They ate their meal and Karyu was glad to have company. He was so used to scholars and archeologists and nerdy guys like him. It was pretty rare to have a beautiful woman in his home. He sort of felt shy.

"Well, we found the tomb yesterday while we were digging in the area. I agree with my professor that there are plenty of tombs that are still sealed from ancient times. I was down that hall and believed that the wall was a door. It had to be. Once I dusted it down and took a good look, I noticed seals and spells. 'The sky is full of snakes...'. Things like that. I opened the door and there you were..." he looked at her and pouted a little. "Someone broke into there and chained you, didn't they. Did it happen last night while the tomb entrance was uncovered? You know it's against the law to desecrate tombs, right?"

Skye nodded. The sky was full of snakes in the form of angels but the writing was meaning her. He thought she had broken into it? Ha!

"Honey you would know if someone had broken in. Those seals would've been broken. I'm surprised you were able to take the chains off me. The damn things are reinforced with grave fairy magic. You have to be of certain blood lines to take them off me. I'm from one of those lines but since they were on me, well, you can't have a prisoner escaping. Damen went through a lot of trouble to make that. Evil man just hates when someone tries to overthrow him." She was rambling and she knew it but what would the human do? Go tell on her? She'd kill him before he got to the door.

"That's my point. How did you get in? Is there another door? Another entrance?" It was the only logical explanation. The other was extremely unlikely. It would have meant the girl had been sealed in that room for over 2000 years. She spoke and didn't really make sense.

"I-I don't understand..." What was going on here? Magic? Damen? He didn't know what to think. It couldn't be possible. There's no way this girl is some kind of immortal. That was all in myths and legends. This is reality.

"There is no other door. Only that one you came through. Ask any demon around here. When we're sealed away, we're sealed away. Are you not getting that? What? Have you never met a demon before?" He was just looking at her like she was crazy. Did this man not know about them? How long had she been locked up?

"How old is the tomb I was in? I mean it couldn't be that old. But then again I do lose time when I'm up here and that darkness was never ending."

"D-Demon?" He was shocked. All the color drained from his face. It was true. There was no other explanation. She was an immortal being who had been sealed in that room as a prison. That would explain why a side treasure room was sealed with spells on the door. And the chains that looked as old as the other items in the room, too. It made sense and yet...Karyu didn't know if he was dreaming.

"That tomb is over 2000 years old...it's been buried and yesterday was the first time since then the tomb entrance even saw the light of day..." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Who are you?"

"I am Skye Dragomir, daughter of Lucien and Ariana Dragomir, Arch Mage of Devil Damen. Well, I was before I was tried for treason and imprisoned." If only she'd succeeded. She would be Devil now if it weren't for that. The first female to ever be Devil.

"Does it matter? You saved me and I am indebted to you for that Karyu. Karyu...beautiful soul. It fits, your name. Your ka is very strong. Stronger then any other human I've seen." The blonde stretched a bit. It had been so long since she could move freely. 2000 years from what her savior said.

He was very much shocked. She was a demon. A real life demon. He'd read about them but never ever pictured one to look like this. She was beautiful and soft. Nothing like the horned, fire breathing images he'd thought of.

"It does matter...this changes...everything...ancient civilizations believed in demons much like mythology, and gave them personalities. I never took it for truth. It was all...myths and legends. And yet...here I am, talking to a real life demon." He shook his head and got up. "I need a drink."

He went into his kitchen and got a bottle of wine. Karyu was very fond of his wine. He poured himself a glass and downed it right there. This all was a lot to take in.

Skye watched the man try to take it in and followed him as he got his wine. "You got anything stronger? My favorite is firewhiskey from the Kartor province or the rice wine that humans made when I walked around last. I could only find it in the island between land out East. That was my favorite place in the world.

[i]"Do demons not walk around anymore? I remember when I used to visit the pharaoh, there were demons all over the place. Although when I visited here it was usually for the pharaoh's son. He was something else that boy. Still, my favorite had to be Daisuke. The emperor's son. He was trained by his fathers ninja's but never took action. He was much more for laying me to bed. I was his favorite, even after he was wed. Oh that woman hated me. I drowned her not too long after she threw a fit at catching us together. You look a bit like him..." The smile that played one Skye's face was a playful but adoring one. The man that had saved her definitely would have been in her bed at one point.

"Sake?" He almost smirked. "Yeah. It's Japanese. Here..."

He pulled out a bottle and handed it to her. She was really pretty. And powerful. She had wits and was strong enough to get what she wanted, it seemed. Karyu poured himself another glass of wine.

"Tell me about the pharaohs you knew..." He said, almost looking starstruck. "See, I'm a student, of sorts. I've been learning about ancient civilizations and all we have are what has lasted 2000 years. The ruins and the hieroglyphs on the pillars...there isn't much...but we know a lot. I want to know more..."

"Oh, thank you...ah, yeah. That's it alright." The island was Japanese? Japan, that's right. She never referred to it by name. Karyu wanted to learn more about the pharaohs. 2000 years must have taken it's toll if they weren't around anymore. Still, she wanted to please him. The blonde was indebted to him after all. Giving him a thoughtful look she took his hand.

"I'll tell you what. I'll do better, come here." Skye led him to the couch and sat them down. Slowly she grabbed his hands and moved them to her face so he was cupping them with his thumbs resting on her temples, placing her own hands in the same position on his face.

"Close your eyes. It may feel a little weird at first but don't fight it. I'm going to show you what it was like back then." She allowed the human into her mind as she took him into her memories to see the land as it was then...the pharaohs, the people, oh not that. Skye was sure he didn't want to see her with the pharaoh's son. Eventually she took him to Japan and showed him the times back then...even her killing of Daisuke's wife. Daisuke was one she allowed him to see a bit of. He was her favorite as well. Then came Damen...and the overthrowing that failed. At last they came to her sealing...and then, she pulled him out and back into this time.

"Wicked isn't it? It's a trick I learned from my master. He was always willing to teach me. I'm best with rune magic but memory walks are good second."