Ari's legs were like lead after a couple hours of running and walking. They burned and ached with each step. He leaned against a tree for support. As much as his legs wanted to give in, Ari knew he had to create as much distance from the encampment that he could. It would be a couple of days on foot before he saw a town. He did not know which direction he was heading in but he followed his instincts. The same ones that probably led Auovin to him many times before.

He stumbled over some rocks, but he caught himself in time to not hit the ground. The skin on his hands scrapped against a jagged tree, in turn, causing him to scrap his hands and bleed. He was tired and his body was already failing him. Slowly, he slumped down against a tree and took in shallow breaths to steady his breath. The cold seeped through his damp clothes and into his bones. Shudders wracked his body quickly after.

Ever since taking Auovin's and Cyrus' blood for the first time, Ari became highly aware of the fact that he wanted it more often each time. The time grew shorter as his cravings increased. He did not like his growing reliance on it but if it is as Sai said, it meant he was getting stronger. That was what he wanted. It was what he needed.... but at what price? Just what would it cost him?

A sound came from a bush nearby him, causing Ari to jump to his feet. The suddenness of his actions made his head spin and fall back onto the ground. Something was very wrong. It was not his lack of blood intake as Ari thought it was. He held his head and tried to shake away the nausea surfacing, but it would not go away.

"I know what you are and what you will become... " Ari heard a voice say. He took a handful of dirt in his hand and focused on calming his heart. It was the only way he could get back on his two feet. "You know as well as I what I mean."

Alia came from the brushes with a sword in one hand a small blue stone in the other. It made Ari back away at the sight of it. "Do you not?"

Ari furrowed his brows at the woman soaked and wet approaching him. Her hair stuck to her face like a second skin and her eyes held a fire in it, Ari had only seen but once in his life. Truly, she despised him and what he was. Ari should have known he would not have been able to leave as easily as he thought he would with her lurking around. Like the priest, Ari would dispose of her someway somehow.

He looked at her leg dripping blood and her gait before looking into her dark brown eyes. She was limping. There were bite marks around her calves and ankles. Ari searched for any lesser demons, but he could not sense them. A couple more miles and they would be near demon territory. She was risking her life to get to him and he did not know why.

As soon as she came near, Ari kicked her bad leg from under her and rose on shaky legs. He tried to run, but she caught his ankle and yanked him down on top of her. She flipped them around easily and tried to pry his mouth open with her hands, but Ari bit her fingers. He could taste her blood in his mouth and could hear her stifled groan of pain. He let go and spat out her blood quickly. However, she was back on top of him in less than a second trying to shove the blue stone down his throat. His skin burned and energy seemed to leave his body in droves when she missed and touched the skin on his face.

Ari freed one of his arms and landed a punch square across her face, causing her to fall away from him. He coughed and crawled away from her to a nearby tree. Somehow, he had to get back onto his feet, but his body had grown heavier. What little energy he had left had faded away. When he coughed up blood, there was blood that time. Ari looked at Alia as he stood when he did. His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched.

She spat and wiped her mouth. His skin was burning all over now. It traveled from his face down to the tip of his toes. The most intense pain was felt in his back. He could hear nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat drumming through his ears. When took in another breath he could feel energy returning to him. He steadied himself and approached Alia again. He could not leave her alive.

"You should have never been taken in. You should have been killed," she hissed. She drew a blade from her waist and eyed Ari like a great predator. Her steps were light and meticulous. She circled around him, but Ari steeled himself. As soon as she lunged, Ari elbowed her in the face, knocking her to the ground. He quickly took the blade from her hand and tried to plunge it through her chest. However, she grabbed his hand just in time and flung it away. Ari was quick on his feet, though. He reached for it. This time he aimed it at her neck. She grabbed the sharp point of the blade, doing her best to not let it reach her, but Ari was much stronger. Slowly, the blade was closing in on her.

She laughed, stopping Ari for a moment.

"Go on. Do it. You had your taste of human blood and now you want more of it." Ari looked at her with narrowed eyes. "You liked it. Admit it, the way Father Reynold's blood spurted from his neck. Seeing the life fade from his eyes."

Ari cocked his head to the side before he lowered his head to her ear.

"And so if I had? Should I feel guilty of it?" Ari pressed the blade slowly into her neck, watching her suffocate on her own blood before he backed away with uncaring eyes. "I do not. I never will."

"The mask... you wear... it has cracks... "

He wiped his hand covered in her blood onto her dirtied sleeves and rose. What mask and what cracks? The more he was around them the more he grew to despise them. He tried to reason with them. He tried their faith, but everything taught to him was nothing but lies. What gods were there when they were the same things they were taught to hate? Ari spat on the ground where she laid and walked away.

After he rested for a few minutes, he left toward where his instincts were leading him toward. The pair of eyes that followed him were absent for awhile. He had grown used to them as uneasy as they made him feel. Quickly, he thought of his father, but he knew it did not belong to him. He did not think so anyway. Freir was his only father after all... He licked his dry lips and carried on into the dark night with only the light from the stars to light his way.

Ari's eyes were barely open when he arrived at a desolate town. It smelled of death, but there were no bodies. He saw blood stained onto the cobblestone, but he did not think much of it. There was a small fire going which illuminated the streets and showed him all of the carnage left behind. He covered his nose and stepped over the bodies of dead xems and whyhils. A fog was coming and Ari knew he had to make it inside before more came.

He entered into the first house with a door still attached to it and shut and lock it quickly behind him. When he turned around a knife was pointed at his throat causing Ari to lift his head up and look at the shadow from the candlelight from which the man was hiding in.

"Ari?"

The man came from the shadows revealing his freckles and dark red hair.

"Ra? What are you doing..." Ari held his head, causing Ra to rush over to him and catch him before he fell.

"You need to lay down. You are burning up. What happened?"

"I am fine," Ari breathed. "All I need is rest... "

Ari rolled over on his side just as he coughed up some more blood. His head was spinning now which made him want to throw up everything he had recently.

"Just stay here. I will go get him and he will help you." Ra ran up the stairs and it was not long before Sai came rushing down the stairs. Ari was on his hands trying to steady himself just as hs eyes landed on a pair of brown ones. Sai's eyes roamed over him before he pushed Ari to his neck.

Ari bit into his neck letting the blood rush down his throat. He sank his teeth deeper into Sai's neck, loving the taste of it and the way it filled his mouth. Ari could not describe the taste of it even if he wanted to. He could not help but crave more and more of it until he caught himself. Ari swallowed down the last bit of his blood left in his mouth but kept his head near Sai's neck. The scent of vanilla soothed him and his belly full made his eyes grow heavy.

Sai turned his head for a moment and in the next Ari felt his lips on his. A liquid ran out his mouth and into his that left a bitter taste in his mouth, but Ari did not bother to spit it out. He was far too tired and he knew Sai would not do a thing to harm him.

"Let him rest for now. He will be well come morning," Sai said to Ra. "Watch over him until then."

Ari reached for Sai's wrist, causing Sai to stop.

"Stay."

Sai looked at him with dark eyes.

"Stay until I fall asleep, at least... " Ari murmured. Gods how he missed them. Waking up to his face would set his heart at ease. Even in the state that he was in, Ari could not help but want him close and to feel his lips on his skin as the time before. Ari moved his hand from his wrist to his hand and gave him a small tug. If only he did not feel as he did, Ari would try to kiss him as he always tried to kiss him. What matter were the greats and fallen gods when someone such as Sai was here in front of him right now looking as gorgeous as the time he first met him?

Sai turned back and gazed into Ari's eyes. It ignited the flame deeply nestled inside of his stomach. He watched a trail of blood making its way down his neck and onto to his chest. It only made the desire Ari had for Sai grow more but he pushed it aside.

"Cyrus and Auovin... "

"Rest, Ari," Sai said.

"I had made a grave mistake."

"Just sleep now."

Sai made a motion with his hand which made Ra come in place of him. Ari furrowed his brows and looked on as he watched him walk back up the stairs. Had something happened? Ari swallowed still tasting the sweetness of his blood. The heavy weight that bared down on his chest was lifting. His mind cleared, but the tiredness still swept through his body no matter how hard he fought it. He battled to keep his eyes open, but it only took a few minutes before darkness claimed him.

When he opened them for a few moments, Ari realized he was on Sai's back headed up the stairs and into a room. Ari quickly closed his eyes as Sai laid him down on one side and climbed in on the other. It was not long before Sai had him pressed tightly against him and so close Ari could feel his breath blowing onto his neck. Ari only turned around and pressed his nose into his chest, loving his scent and the feeling of intimacy Sai brought on to him. His eyelids grew heavy once more and it was not long before Ari fell into a deep sleep.