The wind hit Ari's face as they ran. He was heaving trying to catch the breath that would not come to him. Freir grabbed onto his wrist as he was slowing and pulled him behind himself. Both his heart and mind were racing. He did not want to do this for fear of the repercussions of their actions. If they were ever caught, the demon would not let it go.

"Faster, Ari!" Freir shouted as they pushed through the horde of people.

Night fell and the air grew cold. As they ran, Ari could see the clouds of breath forming with each exhale. It was not uncommon in Assania to have a hot day followed by a very cold night. However, it did not dispel his worry nor concern. Freir was his senior and he had to listen to him.

Everyone rushed indoors before the final rays of light could leave the sky. It was common knowledge to people to be inside and never loiter around at night. The demons would come and their mouths would tears limbs off of you before they decided to kill you.

"He will surely kill us if he ever catches us, Freir. What we are doing is a mistake," Ari said through breaths.

"Have you gone mad, Ari?"

Ari snatched his wrist away as they stopped behind a building.

"No, I am just not being stupid and reckless! He is not something to be trifled with."

"Ah, so you call it a 'he', do you now?"

Ari's eyes widened before they narrowed away from his captain.

"What had been discussed between the two of you?" He grabbed Ari's chin. "Tell me, boy!"

"Nothing."

"You lie. You dare lie to your captain, your senior? It seems as though I have grown far too soft on you and now you take me lightly," he hissed.

"I am not."

"Tell me!" He shook him.

"He said the demon holiday, Basalda, is approaching and he did not want to travel during that time!" Ari yelled. "This is dangerous."

Freir looked around seeing the deserted streets for the first time. There were many people once before, but now they had gone inside. Only they were dumb enough to try to leave as the sun went down.

"We should go back," Ari said.

"And you trust this demon, why?"

"It is not as if I trust him, Freir. It is the fact that he... " Ari's eyes lowered in thought. Why was he willing to put trust in the demon? It baffled him. He could not even trust most of his comrades with his life.

"Again, with he. It is a demon!"

"You called him he as well. Do not berate me. 'It' is much a he as we are."

Freir shook his head and put his hand up in surrender. He sighed out and pressed his eyes shut before looking back at Ari.

"Nolan will have my head if something were to happen to you under my care. That demon, it is a demon like none you have ever encountered before. It is not something you would want attached to you, nonetheless, lingering around."

Ari looked up at him.

"Ari, it is a blood demon. They are known to corrupt and defile the sanctity in which was bestowed upon us by Oliya, our great god. They cannot feed on our blood because we are His children, Ari. Our blood is too pure for the unholy, for the unrighteous, the evilest incarnate creatures."

Ari's eyebrows furrowed. If that was how it was ought to be, he was confused as for how and why he became an exception. Was he not a child of Oliya? And what of the other demons that feed on the flesh of humans? None of this was making any sense to him.

"With them, there is always a price to be paid. Not all knowledge is good knowledge. Some are tainted with darkness and poison that infects the mind with its toxins. There are things that are best left unknown, dear boy," Freir finished.

Freir grabbed him and shoved him forward. Before Ari could take another step, he heard shuffling feet followed by laughter. People ran in their direction and did not stop to look back. They knocked on doors and more doors, pleading for people to let them in. Ari knew they would not. Once the door opened, it gave a chance for the demons to enter into their homes from whatever entrance they chose. They were not so unkind, but scared and afraid. Humans were selfish beings by nature. Still, Ari tried to go over to one man falling to his knees in despair.

"Ari, no. We cannot help them until we help ourselves."

It was his fault for why they were in the situation that they were in. Ari would not speak such thoughts aloud. He was his captain and he must follow his orders no matter how wrong they were. As Ari looked around, he saw nothing but the frantic expressions of the people's faces. Be in by sundown, it was a curt warning meant to be followed.

Freir took him by the arm and pushed him behind the back of another building. The footsteps grew worse. They sounded like skips and hops followed by chuckles. Screaming came next causing Ari to close his eyes.

"We must leave this town, Ari. There is no turning back, not now, not anymore."

They continued to duck behind building after building ignoring the cries to be saved. As they stopped behind another home to catch their breath, Ari sensed the presence of demons looming closer. They were not xems. They were not wyhils either. seeres? Impossible, they only like complete darkness. Any glimmer of false light would send them away.

"Freir," Ari breathed. "Something is approaching."

"What is it?"

He shook his head.

"I do not know."

"Is it him?" Freir asked in between breaths.

Again, he shook his head.

The demon had a presence about him that was unique to him. Ari could not quite put into words, but the aura around him was different. Ari looked around still feeling the pressure of it. It was near and it was only growing closer.

"The gates are near. Just a little more distance to cover."

Ari turned his head around, but Freir turned it back.

"Do not look back. Do not ever look back. Continue to look straight ahead."

He smelled the smoke as it filled the air. Ash rained down from the sky. Ari knew they were not going to make it to the gates. The feeling nestled deep inside him. The demon was not dumb. He had warned them then. He closed his eyes. And he would warn them again.

"Behind you!" Freir pushed him to the ground.

The cobblestone was harsh against his face causing his cheek to bleed from the scrapes. He turned and looked just as Freir fell to the ground. A steady stream of blood ran down Freir's nose. The bottom of his lip split in two. Ari's eyes widened as they landed on the approaching figure. Its footsteps were heavy, booming almost.

Ari rose with a fervor. He held his injured leg and muscled down the pain. As it turned to face him, Ari backed away with furrowed brows. It had blond hair and dark green eyes that melted into a deep rich red as the seconds passed between them. Just like the other demon, this demon looked human.

"Ari, to the gate!" Freir yelled as he grabbed onto its leg trying to keep it from moving any closer to him.

He looked to the gate then back at Freir shaking his head all the while. No matter how far he would run, the demon would find him. The one who should be escaping was Freir.

It shrugged him off and cracked its neck.

"Human, I thought you would have known better than this."

It raised its hands to both sides as it shook its head. There was no amusement to be found in its voice. No grins, no smirks, no smiles, unlike the other one. Its voice was dark and held the familiar whispery accent he heard from before. Ari took another wary step backward.

"Ari!" He heard Freir shout once more.

He closed his eyes for a moment and strengthened his resolve. Freir could escape with that. He would have had to leave him behind much sooner than later. The demon could not know of their location no matter the expense. It was a fact Ari had come to terms with. If it was a fight it wanted, he would give it one.

It stopped an arm's length away from him. There was no emotion to be found in its expression. It only stared at him with apathy. His heart was beating out of his chest and his hands shook. Still, he suppressed it and gazed at it with unwavering eyes. He brought his hand down to his side searching for one of his daggers never once leaving its eyes. Hand-to-hand combat was something he was not fully trained in and the demon looked to be an expert in the arts of it.

It threw a punch. Ari blocked it with the side of his arm. It punched again followed by a kick. Ari spun around maneuvering around them both. However, its other leg caught under his causing him to fall to the ground. He rose before it could hover over him.

"Freir, go!"

The demon lunged for him. Ari side-stepped and took the opportunity to take out his dagger. Once he had it in hand, he countered with a quick slash and a punch from his free hand. The blade came back with blood. He felt pain in his hand from its unexpected kick causing him to drop the dagger and hold onto his injured hand out of reflex. As it came close took out another one of his blades and slid it across its neck.

It looked at it and in the next second, Ari had the air knocked from out of his lungs from an attack from behind. He keeled over trying to catch his lost breath. The demon took advantage of his position and brought its knee up to his face. Blood rushed to his head causing his vision to blur.

Its body sat on top of Ari's as it wrapped its hand around his throat suffocating him. He tried to reach for his dagger nearby, but it was too far. His energy left him as quick as his breath did.

"Cyrus, do not kill him. He will be useless to me dead." It hissed and got from over Ari causing him to heave.

Ari turned his head to the sound of the voice. It took its thumb across Cyrus' cheek and licked it. "He has a nasty habit of leaving scratches. I was in the midst of training him." It did the same to his neck.

Again, Ari heard Cyrus hiss causing the other demon to laugh a little.

"Do not be so upset, pet." He watched as it kissed the other one. "Thank you for finding him for me."

Ari turned his head away once he heard steps growing closer to him. He wanted to shut his eyes, to succumb to his fear, but he denied himself that luxury. Instead, he stared into its amber eyes as it bent down beside him. It took his chin in its hand forcing him to look at it.

"Ah, your face." Its thumb traveled across the scrape causing Ari to wince at the pain. "It will not scar," it breathed.

It looked around for a moment before its gaze met back with his.

"Where has your friend gone?" it asked amused. "Did he leave you behind?"

Ari continued to stay silent causing the demon's expression to grow dark.

"I had warned you, Ari. Why is it that you do not listen?" It tapped its fingers against his face as they slid down to his neck and pressed through his skin. Tears pricked at his eyes stemming from the pain. They ran down his cheeks as it sunk them in further.

"Oh, what is this? Tears?" It shook its head. "You quite like pain. You must like it if you like doing things such as this." Ari tried to shake his head but its grip grew tighter.

"Whatever shall I do with you? You deserve to be punished."