Ari stole glances at Ylanan as he led him further into the Sept forest. Ylanan was humming lowly to himself, but it was not the upbeat melody one is used to hearing. It was low and dark; as haunting as the billowing trees. Their trunks looked as if they were contracting, breathing almost. Branches looked more like elongated arms and fingers sharp as blades. The moon was hidden by storm clouds and Ari soon came to realize it would soon be raining. He could smell it in the air as well. Still, Ylanan's voice carried on the wind, sending a shudder through Ari's body. He did not like it here.

Ylanan's red eyes glowed in the darkness as he continued his humming unphased by their enviroment. He spared Ari a glance and smiled.

"Do you not like this? The darkness, I mean. Does it not call to you?"

Ari furrowed his brows and shook his head.

"It is because you do not have much blood in you. That is why. These trees... do not be so wary of them. They are trees from our home and they protect us."

"The sands?"

"The sands... yes. Would you not like to see it?"

"Tell me where and I will go myself."

Ylanan laughed.

"You do not trust me. Understandable. But am I not the one who will answer your questions? Am I not the one who has the least to benefit from you?"

"You mean to wake them and you need me for it."

"I need you and I need Auovin as well. With them awakened, things will be as it used to be. The balance in this world will be corrected and our kind can prosper once more."

Ari looked at Ylanan seeing the resolve and determination swirling around inside them. He was too convinced that this was the way that Ari did not bother to refute his words. Being alone with him, Ari did not want to upset him. Ari was wary of him as ever.

"So then why did you seal them away?"

"When you live too long... you grow bored and you begin to do things... terrible things... to sate an appetite that cannot be sated. They hungered for blood; the blood of humans and the blood of our own kind. As a result, the humans and our kind gathered to send them into a deep slumber."

"By our kind, you mean Auovin, my father, and yourself."

"Correct."

"But Auovin does not want the same thing as you... "

"No, he does not."

"So he wants me for a different purpose? What is it?"

"It has been ten thousand years. Soon they will become conscious and Auovin wants them to stay asleep," Ylanan said as he picked his nails. "Harun is dead, however, so neither of us was able to obtain what we wanted, but then you came along and stirred the waters once more."

Somehow, Ari was coming to believe he had done what he did to Auovin in order to get him away. Ylanan was calculating and preyed on other's emotions, Ari gathered. He found what one was interested in and bargained with it for a price. There was always a price to pay with demons.

Ari flinched away as he saw Ylanan's hand coming close to him. He did not move fast enough. Ylanan combed his fingers through his hair. His nails scrapped his scalp slightly, making Ari become more cautious than before.

"What is it that you want from this world? Riches? Power? Love? Whatever it is, I can get it for you."

"I do not want a thing from you. You lie and manipulate words to your benefit. What you promise now will be changed later, I am confident in that."

"Mouths may lie... yes... but blood does not. I can give you mine. As much as you want." Ari looked at him. Ylanan's hand traced down his cheek until he had his chin in hand. "So then you will feel all the power coursing through your veins. That itch you feel in the back of your throat will be sated for some time."

"I do not want it."

"What a challenge it must have been to the Khaeo to raise someone such as you. I wonder whose blood they had been feeding you all this time. It must have been an old one locked away somewhere."

Ari closed his eyes at the mere thought.

"Had they cut off his horns as well and fashioned weapons against us? Perhaps. Shall we find out together?"

Ylanan was baiting him with truth. The temptation overpowered Ari for a moment, but he shook his head.

"Would you like to know why they cut the horns off our heads? It is no pride or fallen thing. Pierced through the heart, it will not kill us if we are strong, but it will send us into a deep slumber." Ylanan peeled away his shirt and showed Ari a mark resting at the top of where his heart laid. "For a thousand years, I had slept."

The mark was large looking as if it was cracking the skin beneath it. It looked painful.

"I had slept because I was betrayed by the ones who held me in great reverance. Once they found out even we could bleed. Even we could die... they called us daevas and devils. Fallen ones sent from the pits of hell."

Ari's eyes lowered, seeing the pain in his eyes.

"Two hundred years ago, I had woken and just some days ago I find out Harun had died along with many other demons I had known and come to love. Harun was dearest to my heart and words cannot capture all the pain in my chest I feel to know he had died."

Ylanan sighed.

"And look what has become of us now. Shall we live like this forever? And what of the younger ones. Young ones like yourself? You want to protect creatures such as them after all they have done to us? To you?"

"... That..." Ari was speechless. He was right in his words. He was, but something did not sit right with him about it.

"Auovin and I may not share the same mind in going about this, but we do share the same common goal. We must, or the younger ones will break us apart and send us off to sleep. So now you must choose. There is not much time left."

Ari scratched his cheek against one of the finger-like branches, causing him to move away and hold his cheek as blood ran down his cheek. Ylanan removed his hand and wet his own thumb before dragging it down Ari's cheek. It healed the wound instantly which made Ari back away, but Ylanan held him firmly in place.

"Auovin and I had once been... lovers of a sort, but the humans had tainted us and turned us against one another. I do not hate him and although my actions speak differently, I do not wish death upon him. I just want him to suffer even just a little, so he could feel the pain Harun must have felt when he ceased to exist. All of this time I had been searching for him aimlessly and when I could no longer stand it, I stayed in my ruined temple and waited." Tears welled in his eyes. "Auovin should have protected him in my place, but he had not. When I look at you, I see him... You resemble him greatly."

Ylanan threw Ari's face away from himself and walked away from Ari as he wiped his eyes.

"I am sorry... "

"What are you sorry for? Why must you say sorry when it is not your fault? You do not say words that are empty and hold no meaning."

Ari furrowed his brows. "For comfort."

"Your human mannerisms are toxic." Ari heard the disdain in his voice clearly.

No matter how much Auovin and Ylanan disliked his human ways, they were embedded in him and it would not be something that he could easily get rid of.

"You do not comfort us with words because words can be empty and meaningless. You comfort with a touch. A kiss, a hug, a caress. Skin touching skin."

"Can those not be empty as well?"

Ylanan laughed.

"If I kiss you now, there will be meaning behind it."

"What meaning?"

"Because of your winsome charm... You are quite lovable, but your naiveness will get you in more trouble than you think. I would like to separate you from that."

"You words when not said with blood and hate, they are pretty. You speak well and can be rather convincing if only you would stop with this idea of waking the greats... I think you may find some peace within yourself."

Ylanan smirked and continued walking ahead. The forest was becoming sparse. A clearing laid up ahead.

"So what would you have me do?"

"I do not know."

"You cannot say something is a problem without first offering a solution, young one. So I ask again, what would you have me do?"

"If it as you say it is... Auovin and you should not be at odds in this moment. You must come together before you end up losing him as well."

"Oh? You are not such a jealous thing as I thought you would be."

"I realize I may not be enough or much of anything to Auovin... But I still see the love he has for you in his eyes and I wish for him to be happy."

"It is not the kind of love you are assuming it is. Whether you realize it or not... Auovin holds you close to his heart so much so he would give the greatest sacrifice to save you." Ylanan looked around and walked further into the clearing.

Ari heard the trees rustling and the wind howling in his ears. The rain came in a drizzle. Twigs and leaves crunched under feet and soon Ari heard a dozen or so humans surrounding them. Their uniforms were different from the Khaeo's but they were far too similar for them not to have any relation to each other. It was the emblem on their chests that spoke of a difference but that was all.

They threw something near their feet that smoked and caused his eyes and nose to burn. However, the rain picked up causing a downpour, giving him his sight back. One threw a rope at Ylanan trying for his neck, but Ylanan pulled the man with the rope and smashed his head into the ground once he became close.

"Look, see how humans are and what we are to them. See for yourself what beasts and things we are seen as."

Ari looked around seeing blue luminous light coming from their swords and daggers. There was even an amulet shaped ones across some of their necks. Ones that looked very familiar to the same one Nolan wore. Ari remembered the pain he felt when the man from the market attacked him. Were those the same weapons Ylanan was speaking of? The ones made from their own horns.

Ylanan pushed Ari away from himself as four came at him from each side.Ylanan pushed one into the water and grabbed another one by his throat. He crushed his windpipe and threw him on the ground stopping one of the men from advancing. Ylanan picked up one of their fallen weapons and lodged it in the last ones throat.

The rest swarmed around them like flies. Ari had barely took a dagger from the ground before two was upon him. He sliced one man's throat but one came from behind him and knocked him to the ground. Ari kicked the man off of him before he could pin him. He knocked him off his feet by kicking behind his knees and plundged a dagger through the top of his head. Blood splattered onto his face when he took the blade out, but he was quick to wipe away along with the rain blinding him for a moment.

When Ari rose, he saw more than a dozen of them. This time many of them were well armored. He could not easily take them down by himself. He looked around for Ylanan but he was no where to be found. Ari clenched his fists together and removed some hair from his face. He would have to run.

They approached cautiously. Their line never broke as they started forming a circle around him, but Ari dashed towards the right just before they could finish. One lunged for him and missed. Another tried as well. Ari took the opportunity to use his back to jump over the second line. He rolled onto the ground and rose quickly.

"After him!" he heard a man shout.

The mud was growing thicker and harder to slosh through. He could hardly see his way through the trees knicking his arm a few times as a result. Arrows wizzed by his ears and over his head, but Ari still continued to run blindly through the forest.

Although he did not want to go uphill, it was all he could do. His breath was leaving him as quick as it came. When the trees gave way, Ari stopped just in time to not fall of the edge. An arrow knocked him off his balance causing him to slip and fall, but he grapped the edge just in time.

He waited for the people to come, but none did. His hands were slipping from the rocks and every second proved harder than the last to keep a firm hold.

"Ari!"

Ari recognized that voice, but Ari was finding it hard to believe he was here. How had he found him?

"Ari, give me your hand." Freir bent down and outstretched his hand causing Ari to take it. When he was pulled back onto the ledge, Ari hugged him closely. "My dear boy... "

"The people-- "

"I called them off."

Ari looked at him, trying his best to make sense of this all. Thunder rumbled the earth and lightning lit up the darkened sky. Rain was still rushing down atop of their heads, distracting him for a moment.

"Why are you here, Freir?"

"If I had not come, you would be dead!"

"But why... why are you here?"

"For you."

"I do not want to go back. You know this."

"I know you do not... but Nolan will have it no other way. I rather it be me that finds you than someone else."

Ari moved away from Freir and looked closely at him. Freir's beard was soaked along with clothes that smelled of blood and death. Ari could not ignore all the worry and love in his eyes, despite wanting to.

"There is a unit of men out there searching for you. You will not get away in this moment, so come away with me. Let me get you warmed--" Ari moved away from him.

"Ari--"

"He means to use me as bait."

Freir closed his eyes.

"So you knew?"

"I told you and warned you against being close to that demon. My true intentions were there, you just failed to see it. Let us have this talk inside a much warmer enviroment. You may not feel the cold, but I do and I am growing nothing but older... "

Freir gave Ari a soft smile which disarmed Ari instantly. Ari could not ever see Freir as a frail, old man. He had always been strong in his eyes.

"Come away with me now," Freir said as he looked up at the sky. "I fear there is a storm brewing."