Ari snuck out the back, letting the thick fog mask his presence. He knew he could only stay there for so long. Since Sai wanted nothing to do with anything going on, Ari was not going to bring any trouble to him. There were people looking for him. And those eyes. Ari still remembered those unknown eyes following him as he left the encampment. Whatever was down there was waking and Ari did not believe it was just because of him and his blood.

Slowly, Ari sifted through the fog. He could see well in the dark, but not in something as thick and dense as what surrounded him. It was to the point to where Ari could not see his own hand before him. As much as he wanted to turn back, he did not and kept forward. The coolness of the air felt like breath on his cheek. He did not like the feel of it because it brought on the same sensation he felt when he went into that temple. Ari held his throat, remembering the terrible sensation of a hand wrapping around his throat. 

The moonlight barely shined through the fog, but Ari somehow managed. Without the stars to guide his way, however, he may end up lost. Freir was the one who taught him direction with the stars. He was no good at finding his way as Freir was with trails and rivers. And Rein. Rein was talented at everything he did, so when Ari did fail, in whatever it was, he garnered Rein's disappointment quickly. 

Ari brought his head up and tasted the rain in the air. Some droplets fell every now again. The rain had bothered him once before. Even the slightest drop of it would send him back into the shelter that was Freir's arms. Why was it not bothering him now? Had he changed so much and so quickly? Ari swallowed dryly tasting the bitterness of whatever Sai had given him still lingering in the back of his throat. 

Still, Ari made his way through, not once ever looking back. He had to find his own way and Sai or anyone would not help him. What matter if he lied? There was such a thing as a good lie, was there not? They all had lied to him, after all. Sai was one the biggest liars of them. Giving him half truths. Sprinkling lies onto lies and making it into truth to appease him. Ari did not want comfort in those matters. All he wanted was the truth. 

His arms wrapped around him tightly, trying his best not to remember Sai's stinging words to him. He was not dense and he knew what Auovin was, no matter the excuses he made to defend him. However, Sai could not see pass whatever bitter past they shared, so Ari took his words with a grain of salt. Sai was hiding something as they all were and Ari was the closest with Auovin to figuring out just what it was. 

Trinity... triangle? Ari thought more on Sai's words. His brows furrowed and his head began to ache, trying to piece together the pieces. If Harun, Ylanan, and Auovin were seen as gods, and they had some intimate relationship with one another... Where did Sai fit into all of it? He knew so much, and he was old, if not older than Auovin... so why not him as well? Why was he not seen as a god? The pieces were not fitting as they should. 

And Nolan knew what they were. He had always known and even tried to use him as bait. But for what purpose, really? Was it just to send them to sleep or was it for something entirely? And that dark place... Ari had reason to believe it was his father resting down there, but Ari was coming to believe it was not so... Whether he loved him or not, what sense would it make to try to kill him if he needed him? It was a thing that mattered not what you were. Ari had trespassed on its ground. Ari knew that was certain. 

And death is the same as it is for humans for them. Once dead, you cannot come back. Ylanan and Auovin both believe his father is dead, not sleep, so the words Inge was speaking to him that day were false, as they always were. Like with Egil, was he meant as a sacrifice to that thing resting down there? Was Auovin and Ylanan as well? Were there more like it somewhere? 

That very thought sent his heart down to his stomach. He hoped Cyrus was with Auovin. Auovin did terribly by himself as strong as he made himself out to be like. Ylanan had said he was weak without his horns and Ari found some meaning in them. He was once a great god. Ari thought on his markings and how he marveled at them. Somehow, Ari could imagine as he once was. 

Ari heard footsteps. He stopped and closed his eyes, being unable to see, and just listened. As they grew nearer, Ari took a step to the left and whipped out a blade from his waist and plunged it into the demon's chest. He quickly removed it and did the same with another. When it was quiet once more, Ari rushed through the fog. 

As he felt around, bark scraped against his skin and wet grass soaked into his pants. He was in a forest. The Sept forest, Ari thought thinking of direction he went in. The fog was becoming less dense in whichever way he went, so he decided to follow it. His instincts told him the same as well. 

Ari lost track of time. He did not know if minutes or hours had gone by since he came to the forest. There was barely any pain in his legs. However, since taking more blood there was hardly any pain anywhere. Ari took a look around. He was able to see trees and bits of brushes around him when he could not once before. His belly was full and he was well-rested, but slight nausea and dizziness overcame him time and time again. 

For a moment, Ari thought to turn around, but his feet would not allow it. He had a resilient body. All he needed was rest was all. Ari slumped down against a nearby tree a breathed. His head was pounding now. He was fine until he stepped outside. It was the air. It had to be. Ari closed his eyes and breathed in shallows breaths. There were tingles felt going through his fingers down to his toes. He did his best to ignore them but they grew and grew until he opened his eyes again. 

Yellow eyes stared back at Ari, causing him to jump away. It did not attack him as he thought it would. Instead, it stayed in place as if awaiting his command. Ari stared closely at its shadowy figure. It had long fingers and arms and legs. Its mouth was full of sharp teeth protruding out. It had no nose. Just two holes to breath through. When Ari looked around again, Ari saw another one and another one. Ari stared at his hand that was sliced by a wayward branch and gazed at the demons before him.

 One opened its mouth and spoke. It came out as an indiscernible screech, but as it resonated inside Ari's ears he could understand it. Ari continued to press his back against the large tree, eyes wide with his heart beating out of his chest. He did not know what to make of this all, but he knew one thing for certain. They would not hurt him. 

Ari took a step closer to one and reached out one hand to it. Almost immediately did it sink to its knees as well as the others around him. Ari took his hand back quickly and they rose once more. 

One screeched followed by another and the other. Over and over again they repeated the same thing until it felt like Ari's ears were beginning to bleed. 

"Daeva. Daeva. Daeva." 

The word scared him. It frightened him. That marking Ari had seen on Auovin, Ari saw embedded in one of the demon's chest. It was not exactly the same, but they mirrored each other in design. 

"Daevastal," one hissed with hungry eyes. "Daevaristal," it said again as it slithered closer. Before it could approach him, someone fired an arrow that sent the demons away. 

A rush of black hair covered the person's face. It was not until they removed it, did Ari recognize who it was. 

"... Koli." 

"They may obey you, but when you are weak... they will attack like any other demon without a master. You do not listen to their words. Never listen to their words. Because they are born from you, they know your true name." 

"I am not weak," Ari answered, ignoring the rest.

Koli came around and looked at Ari with a pair of yellow eyes instantly reminding him of Auovin. Her black hair and her skin complexion mirrored his as well. Unlike Cyrus or Sai, Auovin and Koli seemed to come from the same place or lineage of some sort. Why were they not closer?

"I told you, did I not? They would eat you alive and spit out your bones when through. Come with me." She grabbed his wrist, but Ari tugged away. However, her grip was stronger. Strong enough to crack his bones if she wanted to. 

"Inge likes to play terrible games with the gullible. He was meant to bring you back. Away from those who would-- "

"I do not believe a word you are saying--" 

"It is best if you head back to where you came from. You will find nothing in the direction that you are headed in, but death and chaos."

"Because of the greats?"

Koli gave Ari a look but did not answer him. She continued to tug him back in the same direction he had just come from and he could not do a thing about it. He was extremely overpowered.

"I will not go back there."

"You will do as I say or you may find yourself in the belly of a beast." 

Ari bristled at her words, but like Auovin, her eyes seemed to subjugate him. 

"You would not have made it far as you are now. Not with the poison flowing through you."

Ari did not bother to respond this time. Something about all of this was not making any sense to him. Inge did mean him harm back then just as he means him harm now. He did not believe Koli's words, but she was stronger, so he would play along even if just a little. 

"Then let me go with you. I cannot go back there. We are far from where I came from. It is best if I just go--" 

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I will have a target on me because of you."

Ari furrowed his brows. 

"That is why I want to go and find Cyrus and Auovin." Ari pointed in the other direction. "They are there."

"Did you not listen to anything I have just told you?" 

"I need no one's protection."

Koli threw Ari's arm away and glared at him. 

"You keep going on like this and see where it will get you."

"Running and hiding away from my problems will not get me anywhere either." 

"It is as Inge said, you do have a mouth on you. You speak so freely with that tongue of yours as if I am not your elder. You will listen to me and do as I say." 

"I will not. I will go where I please and I will do as I please."

Ari caught the hand meant for his face and added pressure to it with a strength he did not think he possessed.

"For far too long my life was not my own. All my life I had listened and listened to people that did nothing but lie and lead me astray. Now, I listen to no one but myself." Ari let go of her hand and pointed back in the direction he was headed. "That is the way I am choosing to go. Let me be my undoing if so. It is my life and no one else's, after all." 

"Then so be it. Let you see everything as it is. Let you become your own undoing," Koli said with uncaring eyes. "They are in that direction... but so is something else. Something else, entirely."