The strong smell of incense filled Ari's nose with its aroma causing him to sigh. It relaxed him and calmed his mind with each inhale. In some strange way, he liked the smell. Was it honey? Sandalwood, maybe? It did not matter. The moment his eyes opened, a set of amber eyes gazed into his causing him to flinch and instinctively back up against the wooden board of the bed. His head connected with the wall causing it to ache. It only made Auovin stifle a laugh.

"Little Human." Auovin's voice sent a chill through him.

Ari looked around looking for familiarity, but he found none. Again, his head filled with fog and he could hardly remember much after they left the church. Were they at the temple? No. Ari shook his head as it throbbed. As the shutters blew open, the sheet that covered him blew away causing Ari to realize his shirt was missing. He clenched down harder onto the bed balling up the sheets once Auovin leaned towards him. His body seemed much smaller and quite delicate compared to his.

"I have seen every little morsel of your body, Ari. Such acts of coyness are unneeded," he grinned causing Ari to sneer and put the covering back over him.

Ari was never one to be shy about bareness, but to the demon he was food. With every gaze, Auovin looked as if he wanted to eat him and it unnerved him.

"You grow more tired by the days, Ari, and I do not believe it is because of your wounds."

He watched as his gaze trailed down his body. His eyes lingered on his neck before meeting his again.

"None of them are infected and your infection has long since passed."

The demon continued to stare causing Ari to look away from him uncomfortable by such closeness. He could feel Auovin's breath hot upon his cheek causing goose prickles to surface on his skin.

"You are quite healed as well, so it makes me wonder."

"Wonder away from me then. I do not like you so close." Ari pressed a hand to his chest wanting to push him away but the demon only smiled and pressed closer. Auovin's hair dangled on each side as it touched his face.

"I am always close, Ari, and never far."

"I do not care for your cryptic riddles and rhymes," Ari hissed turning away from him.

"What riddles and rhymes?" Auovin moved close to him again. "All that needs to be known has been said."

"Auovin. "

"Yes?" Auovin move away from Ari, turning to look at Cyrus.

"The other two has been making some noise once again, and it is becoming a nuisance to me," Cyrus said.

Auovin rubbed an eye and continued to rise from the bed as he said, "you cannot kill everything you dislike, pet."

"And why can I not?"

Auovin walked closer to him. "Because I said so."

"No, it is not your will I am to follow. It is his," Cyrus hissed and looked at him with malice. "Is it not?"

Ari watched in surprise as Auovin kissed Cyrus' cheek, silencing him. They had a fondness for each other. But, again, Ari thought, it was not love. Auovin spared Ari one last glance before grabbing Cyrus' wrist and tugging him out of the room leaving Ari alone with his useless thoughts and emotions.

His eyes lowered to his hands fumbling them over and over again. He noticed at once the dirt underneath his fingernails were gone. The rest of his hands down to his chest was free of it as well causing Ari's heart to thump against his chest. Did he bathe him? The thought sent heat through his cheeks and flushed his face red. He could not have. Freir and Rein, yes, they must have.

Ari rose from the bed at once looking for a shirt to put on. As he looked down, he realized his pants had been changed as well. He muscled down his discomfort and grabbed the shirt from the chair, annoyed and bothered. It was Auovin. Ari knew because the demon liked to see him this way. Why else would he do it? Because he cared for him? Ari shook his head. No, the demon wanted him as food and a hostage no matter the sweet words that came from his devilish, poisoned lips.

He walked out the door searching for Freir and Rein ignoring the coldness of the floor against his feet. They had to be nearby. After he found them, he had to figure out where they were and why they were there. He heard shouts and banging as he went down the stairs. It was Freir's voice, he realized before running to the door hoping to unlock it somehow.

"Freir, Rein?"

"Ari!" Frier yelled. "You are okay? You are well, boy?"

"I am fine." Auovin would not hurt him physically. No, he preferred his mind over his body, torturing him that way. "Are you?" Ari finished.

"I am, but Rein... he needs rebandaging. He has lost a lot of blood as well. We need to take him to a doctor."

"Doctor? Freir... " Ari did not know what to say to him. Auovin would never allow it.

"Ask him. He favors you greatly."

"He will not listen."

"You must make him then! He will die!" Ari heard the panic in his voice. They were lovers, they were. It was taught in their order to never mourn a comrade upon death or near it. The gods would take them and they would be in peace. Their fight was over.

"Freir... you love him, do you not?"

"I do as I love you, Ari."

"No." Ari shook his head even though he knew Freir could not see him. He saw them that night out in the forest. He knew what they had done. Those strange bite marks on Rein's neck was evidence enough. "No, a much different love. A physical love."

It was quiet for some minutes before he heard Freir bang against the door and sigh out.

"What will change with the answer I give to you, boy?"

"Our bodies are meant to be holy temples for the gods, sacred and well-kept."

Freir did not answer.

"You defiled that principle. You broke your holy sworn oath to your god, Freir."

This time, Ari banged his fist against the door.

"And now you break another. Is there no line you will not cross?" More silence filled the air. "Answer me, or I swear upon Oliya I will not help with this!"

"Ari, there may be rules I do not follow, but I believe in the order and all of its righteousness. It should not matter what earthly pleasures I partake in. My love for them has not ceased or let my soul be damned."

Ari blinked away filling with disappointment. He had looked up to him.

"Are you disappointed that I am not all you expected me to be? Do you think Nolan is as perfect as you like to think he is? He is not. He is the greatest liar amongst us all."

He swallowed dryly not wanting to hear any more words come from him. Instead, he decided to answer him, ending the conversation altogether.

"I will speak with him, ignoring what sacrilege you and him had committed."

"Sacrilege? No, Ari, it is love."

Ari walked away wiping at his eyes as he sighed. He said he wanted to know everything and the ugly truth was a part of that knowledge. Freir was his teacher as well as a brother like anyone else despite his transgressions. He would help him as best he could.

What was physical love compared to love? It made Ari furrows his brows. Was it so powerful it caused a holy man to break a promise to their gods? Did things such as that exist? He was never taught such things and now he wondered.

He looked around the large house in awe as he realized how fine the furniture and walls looked. There were paintings staring at him from each wall through the corridors and a chandelier made of glass hanging high above him. The carpets were well made as well. His toes curled into the thick soft fabric loving the feel of it against his feet. He looked around for a window and saw acres of tall grass and fruit trees around the front of the house. Just where were they?

Ari crept up the stairs. There were three ways to go and he chose left. He had come from the middle and he could make out some faint noises coming from one of the many rooms to the left. As he pressed an ear to the door, Ari heard a sigh followed by more silence. He blinked a couple times before putting a hand to the knob and turning it open without any forethought.

His eyes widened as he saw Auovin pressed against Cyrus, his lips around his neck. Blood was leaking from the wounds causing Ari to stumble backward for a moment before catching himself. Auovin looked at him as if finally noticing his presence and looked away with disinterest. His shirt was uncinched at the top and untucked around his pants. Cyrus had no shirt on and his pants were loose around his waist dragging down to his hips. He watched Auovin whisper something in Cyrus' ear and rose from the bed looking at him with molten eyes.

He looked around for a second hesitating on what to do next and decided it was best to leave out the room. His face was scrunched up in confusion wondering what he saw before looking back and feeling Auovin hovering over him like a mountain, it seemed. He felt small as he stared down at him with eyes wanting to devour him.

"Gray eyes... as gray and bright as the moon," Auovin said as he turned him around to face him. "It suits you." There was blood on his shirt, Ari noticed making him back away, but Auovin pressed forward until he was up against the wall.

"What is it that you wanted to disrupt me?"

Ari swallowed down what little words were coming to mind. His mind was filling with questions and it was as if the demon knew it.

Auovin smiled wide.

"Are you curious?"

"No, I... Rein needs a doctor."

"Why should I care?"

"I want him alive."

"Why should I care what you want?"

Ari's lips parted.

"What price are you willing to pay for such a service, Little Ari?"

Ari noticed how the demon hung onto to each syllable of his name causing him to become wracked with nerves.

"Shall it be with your blood..." Auovin's finger trailed down his shirt and into the opening of it. "Or your body?"

Ari looked at him with wide eyes as he finally realized what was happening in that room. It caused his face to flush and turn his head away. Were they romantic in such a way? So it was love between the two of them? Ari pressed a hand to his head trying to make sense of it all. But it was not love with... Why had he asked him such a thing? They did not love one another. In truth, Ari despised every bit of him.

"I had seen it already."

"You disgust me."

"Yet fascinate you all the same. What does it matter what feelings I bring to surface? Shall I teach you the ways in which pleasure works?"

Pleasure? Ari thought with furrowed brows. There was no pleasure in his voice or his grins and glances. What pleasure would there be in his touch?

"Not knowing what you are and what this is, Ari... it is sad."

"What I am? I know who I am and Nolan will tell you the same," Ari hissed trying to move away from him but, unlike the most recent times, Auovin did not move.

"Where are we?" Ari said trying to change the subject.

"Trella, The City of Fortune."

They were near Nolan and the others. A few days walk from there and they would be at The Temple of Fortitude. Nolan would help him rid himself of this demon. He was tempting him with things he wanted to know but knew he should not.

"Who and what you are, are not one in the same, Little Ari. They are different and you shall soon know the difference." Auovin backed away from him and headed back inside the room causing Ari to slide down against the wall with his heart beating through his chest.

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