Mors interrogated Aldrec deep into the night, forcing him to mark the locations he was interested in on a city map Aldrec had lying around, as Mira slept with her head on the table.

"Here you can find one of the entrances to the city's aqueduct." Aldrec was trying his best to impress the demon and secure his daughter's safety. "And this is the slave traders quarter. There are a few independent retailers elsewhere, but they are all small scale and only deal with low-quality goods."

Mors nodded his head at each statement, regularly checking Aldrec's eyes and body language for any signs of deceit. Deciding he had had enough information to put his plan into motion, Mors decided to find out the current situation of the city. "Enough. What is the latest news and gossip?"

"It has been a quiet few months, the only news would be you and your.... companions." Aldrec shivered as a chill crept up his spine. "A..a..and the Dark Hearts mercenary group, well more of a party actually, have been captured and are to be executed in four days for crimes against the city."

Mors struggled to withdraw his blood-lust, his fingers, partially changed into the draconic form, dug deep into the table. Aldrec sat in silence as Mors battled with his emotions before his face finally returned to its emotionless state. "I think it's best we avoid that subject..."

Nodding his head Aldrec quietly spoke. "I know you are in pain but will hurting others ease it? I am sure... the one precious to you wouldn't want this. "

"I can see where your daughter gets it from. Your idealists." Letting out a cold, bone-chilling laugh, Mors slowly stood up. "Even though it will only bring you ruin, on this rare occasion, it's your kind hearts that has saved your life."

Mors' statement caused Aldrec to laugh condescendingly. "A good man? Which good man would aid a demon commit mass murder, even for the sake of his daughter."

Mors' heavy footsteps resounded across the small room as he approached the stove and started rummaging through the cupboards above it. "I have seen men sacrifice everything they hold dear, wives, lovers, parents and children for worthless ideologies. Seen men slaughter their entire family in the name of what's right, and mothers smother their child because they were born with the wrong coloured hair. What you are doing might be condoned by zealous idiots that follow some insane sense of justice but what does it matter?. It might not mean a lot coming from a demon that you are forced to help, but in my mind, your one of the best people I have met in this misbegotten world."

Aldrec shook his head. "If you have seen such atrocities, then why do you want to commit more of them? Violence only breeds violence."

"You should have been a priest." Chewing on what appeared to be dried meat, Mors returned to his seat. "Aldrec, the only way you can truly empathise with another, is to experience exactly what that person has and nothing more. Do not try to force your morals on me, for we stand on opposite sides of the abyss."

Aldrec frowned deep in thought. "I guess the rumours about demons being mindless, blood-crazed savages, is at least, partly wrong."

"The only other demon I have ever known is more timid and gentle than a door mouse." Chuckling Mors tapped the map in front of him. With the loss of Runt, Mors could not bear to dwell too long on what might have happened to Kara, if he did, he knew he would lose himself. "Which reminds me, where was Runt... k... taken."

Aldrec gave a confused look, causing a vein to pop on Mors' forehead as he felt his anger surging forward, once again threatening to take over. "The dire wolf."

==== Sacred Temple's embassy - Matn ====

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND HIM!" Bellowed Diana as she swept her arm across the desk in front of her, sending scrolls and books crashing to the floor. "It's one simple demon, it's not even a Duke rank, and it's heavily injured. After using that sort of phantom spell, it should have been incapacitated for days. Are you and your men completely incompetent."

The thought that they could have been tricked flashed across Diana's mind before being quelled. -"There is no way he could fake that energy signature; I felt it myself as I was chasing him across the desert."

Standing at attention in front of the raging angel was a young, pale soldier. "Forgive me, High Executioner. Our scouts are scouring the area where the demon's energy disappeared but haven't found anything. A sand wyrm could have eaten the demon after he ran out of mana. Like you rightly said, he was heavily injured."

Diana slammed her hand onto the desk. "HA! That demon wouldn't die to a lowly wyrm. He's hiding somewhere, recovering his strength and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike, I know it."

"Dear, it's not the lieutenant's fault. The demon was intelligent enough not only to avoid its sentence but to escape from us." The male angel that also tried to capture Mors walked into the room through a side door and gave a nod to the soldier. "Your dismissed lieutenant. Take a couple of hours to rest before heading back out there. If the demon is not found and killed, he will return to extract his vengeance upon the city and we will all be held accountable."

Taking the lifeline the angel had given him, the soldier bowed before hastily walking out, closing the door behind him.

"Michel... I really fucked up." Sighed Diana.

"We fucked up dear. The demon was right; we completely underestimated him. It's been too long since we encountered a demon of any real strength. The great demons of the past are dead or slaves leaving us with the job of cleaning out the trash. It's not impossible that every now and again, one will be born with the power to put up a bit of resistance." Michel said as he wrapped his arms comfortingly around Diana.

Diana twisted around in Michel's embrace and smiled. "I know. He will show himself eventually, and when he does, we will eliminate him and return to the temple with his head. The high priest will be ecstatic with a draconic demon specimen."

Michel leant towards Diana and gave her a passionate kiss before revealing a charming smile. "Well, until he does, we might as well keep ourselves busy."