"Kill me."

The demon laughed.

"I will not be food to you," Ari hissed.

"As you wish."

It came closer but Ari still did not bother to take back his words or leave its eyes. He was not afraid of it nor of death.

"No, no, no. He does not mean it," Freir cut in while standing in front of him. "You did not put in all that time and effort to keep him alive just to kill him like this, so fast."

Its eyes went to Freir before they made their way back to Ari's. Soon they began to narrow as it bent down taking Ari's chin in hand.

"I wish I had not. He does not seem very grateful." Its eyes continued to stare into his. "Tell me, would you rather have become food to my lesser kind?"

Ari swallowed dryly.

"I could have watched them tear into your flesh. Ripping you into pieces," the demon whispered in his ear before moving away. "You continue to provoke me thinking I will not, why?" He felt its hand going through his hair before it yanked his head back.

He felt its teeth on his neck causing him to turn his head away from it. It only laughed and let go.

"Not so willing to die as you profess."

"Demon, we have somewhere we need to be. We must be there before the morrow."

"Oh?"

"A meeting, a gathering. We must be there to catch up with the rest. As you know, these parts are filled with demons."

Ari saw the look of intrigue coating its face. It pressed a finger to its lips before nodding his head.

"I will go with you."

Ari's eyes widened. The demon was demented, and morbidly so. Why would he ever want to join their campaign in slaughtering his own kind? There was something about the demon that made his skin crawl. Not knowing what it was unsettled him even more.

The demon grabbed onto his good arm and hoisted him up without effort.

"Soon, we should arrive in a town while the sun is high in the sky," it stated as it stared away from Ari's prying eyes. They met with Ari's s after a moment and gave him a smirk that caused goosebumps to appear on his skin.

"There is good reason to fear the darkness and not just for the demons that it brings."

Ari rosethe rest of the way from the tree he was laying against and drew his eyes to Freir. Freir could not see it, the malicious intentions deeply rooted in its eyes.

"However, demons in the light are far much worse," it continued.

Freir grabbed onto his arm before he could fall forward and helped him onto his shoulder. It sent chills up his spine. The way it spoke. They way it moved. Even the way it smiled. It was dangerous and taking it along with them would be like letting a wolf into the hen house.

"Freir," he whispered. "We mustn't let him know of our location. Never."

"Do you think me a fool, Ari?" Freir hissed.

Ari continued to hobble even with the help of his friend. The town was nearing, but the pain was growing even stronger. His grip on Freir tightened.

He could hear the voices of the town people. He saw many stalls and carts come into view. His heart quickened at the sounds of laughter and baby cries. All the noises he thought were so meaningless almost brought tears to his eyes.

"I will think of something before we leave this town, Ari."

They walked further passed the gates encircling the town. The smells of fresh fruits and perfumes littered the air. Ari turned his head as he noticed the demon taking an apple from a stand. Before paying for it, he took a bite out of it ignoring the protesting seller in front of him.

"Pay for it now!" the sellar said.

The demon only smirked and carried on.

People's heads turned in their direction from the ruckus emerging from its nonsense. Freir threw some coins his way and continued to walk on as it died down. It was nothing but trouble. The demon walked on ahead clearing a path for them in the busy streets. As they reached the innermost section of the town, Ari felt a chill go down his body.

It had gotten dark and there was not a single soul left loitering around. His arm grew tighter around Freir's neck speaking the words he could not speak aloud. Something was amiss. There was a thick fog circulating around like formless specters. It grew denser as they walked further. The only sounds he heard was their footsteps and the uncanny sound of crows cawing.

"Ari," Freir said.

Ari looked around not being able to see his hand in front of his face.

"Where has the demon gone?"

Ari felt his heart dropping to the pits of his stomach. Had it led them into a demon-sanctioned zone? They traveled with the midst creeping into the towns like silent predators. As night fell, they roamed the streets. Any door unblessed would be breached by the vicious creatures. Creatures they called Xem.

"Do you have your blade or daggers?"

"A couple daggers," Freir whispered back.

"Hand me one."

He could hear the steps of padded feet rolling over the loose cobblestone. Their growls came next causing Ari to take in a deep breath. His eyes searched around for looming figures, but there was nothing to be found aside from an inn sign barely visible. If they could make it inside they would be safe.

"Do you see that sign, Freir? We must make it there."

Ari felt him nod against him. He loosened his hold and bore the rest of his weight on his injured leg. The growls loomed closer, the footsteps quickened. His hand wrapped around the hilt of a dagger and crouched into position. They would attack soon.

The beasts swarmed around them. He could not see them, but he felt their presence. They clucked and continued to prance around them, toying with them. Soon their high-pitched laughter sounded out causing Ari to clench his blade tighter in hand.

One lunged from above as another came and tried to pull his feet from under him. Ari sidestepped and ducked. He rolled and pinned one the fleshy creatures down. It struggled against him trying to claw at him. Ari slid his blade across its neck. Their laughter turned to screeches.

Ari rose and headed towards the Inn. He leaped over one hunched to the ground and pushed another out of his way. Just as he was near the door, he saw he heard Frier yell. Next, he saw something being dragged back into the thick fog. His heart raced and his eyes were wide.

He looked to the door for a moment before shaking his head and going back. He would not leave Freir behind. His bad leg was giving out, but he held in the pain and searched the mist for Freir.

As it cleared up for a quick second, he saw as Freir had a dagger stuck in one of the Xem's mouth. It was pressing closer.

"Freir, roll!"

He plunged the dagger into the side of its head and tackled another one threatening to jump on Freir's back.

"Head to the door!" Ari shouted. He had his hand wrapped around the Xem's throat while reaching for the dagger still lodged in one of the other's head.

A long sword went through the back of its skull and a hand helped him up carrying the rest of his weight. Freir toggled with the doorknob before he shook at it with a fervor.

"Let us in! Let us in! Damn you to hell if you do not!"

Ari turned his head back and saw them looming closer, snickering.

"Let us--"

They fell through the door, Ari landing on top of Freir. Just as one was lunging, someone shut the door causing Ari's heart to hammer out of his chest. They had cut it close, far too close.

"Welcome."

Ari's eyes glared at the sound of the voice. He looked up and stared into a pair of smiling amber ones. It looked amused, delighted at the expression written across his face. Truly, it was a thing of hell. Something that fed off of human despair.

He held out a hand, but Ari smacked it away from him with a hiss. He could get himself up. He did not need its help. As soon as he tried to rise from off of Freir, he fumbled back down causing a chuckle to come from its mouth.

"Just in time for supper."

It grabbed his arm and hoisted him up into its chest.

"What a troubling little human you are."

Ari did not bother to meet its gaze and, instead, looked around noticing many people gathered around the tables, all staring. There were more women than men, and most had children with them. In all their eyes he saw fear.

"Do not harm these people," Ari growled, strength waning. He hadn't the energy to put up much of a fight. It knew this.

"As I said once before, do not try and command me as if I am some dog that needs to be trained. In fact, it is rather in reverse."

Its eyes lingered on Freir. "Do make yourself at home."

It took Ari by the arm and dragged him up the stairs. Before Freir could make it to the steps, the demon turned and shot a glare into his eyes.

"Do not think to interfere."

It continued to take him up the second level and down the hall. As soon as it opened the door, it threw him inside. A woman shrieked causing Ari's eyes to go wide. What was it doing? Ari's mind was racing.

"Today, I shall train you."

Ari's eyes went wide as it grinned.

"I am much too tired for your morbid games."

"You are ungrateful and I had to show you where your ungratefulness would lead." It circled around the shaking woman. Her brown hair fell in tousled locks down her shoulders. He saw as it picked up a lock of her hair before swirling it around his finger. It went on to smell down her neck causing Ari's eyes to narrow.

"I had been wondering, you see, what is it about your blood that I crave so much..." It breathed into her neck though it was in reference to him.

"Because you think to control me with it. I would like to think there are many others like you with similar tasting blood."

Tears were streaming down her eyes as she tried to muffle her sobs. It caused Ari great unease, but he was powerless against it. At least, for now.

"If it is blood you want then take mine. Leave her be."

Its hands dragged across her neck.

"Again with your commands."

Its nails sank deeper into the flesh of her neck causing its grin to worsen. As blood came seeping out from the tears, he gave it a taste.

"Disgusting." It flung her across the room causing her to hit her head on the side of a table and fall to the ground.

As it stalked towards him, Ari clenched down on the dagger he placed in his pants just as he fell onto Freir. It tried to grab him by his arm, but Ari pulled it down and rolled on top of him. He pressed the dagger close to its throat. However, it grabbed his wrist and pushed him back until the blade fell from his hands.

Ari was quick to reach for it again, but the demon turned him over on his stomach and dragged him closer to it. He managed to grab the hilt of the dagger just in time. The moment he got close enough, Ari rolled sideways and missed its neck by only a few inches. Instead, he drew blood across its cheek.

It backed away, for a moment, to assess the wound before its lips twitched. Its hand grabbed onto his legs and flipped him onto his back as it pressed its body weight onto him. Ari was heaving. Its breath was on his cheeks now. He closed his eyes as its hair tickled his neck.

"Apples..." it murmured causing Ari's eyebrows to furrow. "It is not apples..."

"Have what you want from me. Do it and be gone."

"You will fight no matter how futile it is." Ari struggled with his arms but the demon kept him firmly in place.

"Why would I ever want to kill a thing such as you when you bring me so much entertainment?"

Ari hissed under his breath.

"Playing with my food is such a nasty habit of mine," it laughed. "Food, that is what you are."

Ari could smell the scent of apples wafting from its breath. It dragged the dagger it had taken away from him down his neck until it cut into his skin drawing blood.

"And do not ever forget it. Because, if you do, I just might kill you."