Ari was at a terrible loss. He scooted around the last bit of bread and eyed the honey as if it would help conjure a sweet answer. He should have known. Demons never gave their true names freely.

"If you are speaking of Nis... I happened to meet him, yes. Nothing more than that," Ari mumbled. He scooped a spoonful of honey and spread it onto the rest of the bread, devouring it.

"Nothing more than that?"

"And he had answers to my questions."

Sascha combed through his salt and pepper speckled beard not giving away any semblance of disbelief or satisfaction with his answer. "I am asking you this because his presence is no longer felt here and you smell of him—of an old demon. Perhaps, you were able to answer some of his questions."

Ari very well knew what Nis wanted from him and now he had it. Of course, he would not linger here for much longer. Kaval would find his way back to him and Nis did not want that or at least not yet. As vile as what he did was, Ari knew he had the deepest affections for Kaval even if they were not shown properly. None of them seemed to know how to express their love well. Not even Auovin. Perhaps, he did not as well. Surely, he did not or he would not be in this situation.

"None of this seems very fair to you, does it?" Sascha asked.

Ari looked up at him trying to keep his eyes from swarming with water. He refused to. A pretty face could distract him from heeding his intuition and self-preservation Rein had sharpened through the years. Just how far had he strayed from their teachings to chase a deceitful thing called love?

Kaval was right those many, many nights ago. The kind of love he was pining for did nothing but cripple him. In some instances, he thought that it did not exist. He eyed the bit of ale left in his cup. If only he listened and seen through what was right in front of him instead of listening to the things that supported what he wanted to believe or see.

"It does not matter whether it is fair or not," Ari spat. He clasped the tin cup tight enough to crumple it and threw it aside.

"Oh, what is this? Anger?"

"I do not enjoy being mocked."

"Then let us not mince words any longer." Sascha said as he rose from his chair, "Come, take off your shirt and let me inspect those runes littered there. There is a story there."

Ari dipped a finger into the honey jar and stirred it, unimpressed with his knowledge or reveal thereof. "What good would a story do for me now? I do not care for my father any longer. I do not wish to know of my parents," Ari hissed, wanting to cry instead.

"Parents? Ah... is that what they told you?" Sascha chuckled. "'Spose it does, but more importantly it tells of your strength given by only knowing your true name."

Ari stopped what he was doing and gave his full attention to the burly man now hovering over him.

"Rein and Freir may have taught you many things. The one they truly failed you in was learning to think for yourself. I 'spose they cannot teach you something they do not do themselves."

"What do you want from me?"

"It is not so much of want, but more so of what we can do for each other. I want Sin's head resting on a pike and you want your travel companion back, yes?"

Ari hopped out of his seat at the thought of it. Sascha stood little chance against a demon like Nis; however the thought of getting Kaval back was a temptation too sweet to resist. A big part of him thought he deserved this and did not want to be reunited with Kaval as he was right now.

"I can help you find that power and, in return, you will assist me."

"How long?"

"Hm?"

"How long will it take to get? My power?"

"From the looks of you quite a bit of time. I am not trying to trick you." Ari lowered his eyes. "It will take time."

Sascha placed a strong hand on Ari's shoulder, giving him a shake. "I am not trying to force anything on you, boy. Your answer is yours to give when you are ready. However, I am not charity. You will work for the food and shelter I give you."

Ari shook him off. He stripped off his shirt and stared straight into his eyes. He was never more certain than anything in his life until this moment. There was no trust to be found between the two of them as of now. However, if Ari could tread carefully he may just be able to get what he needed from him and come out unscathed.

"I am glad to see you so enthralled about this, but in no way, shape or form is this going to be a pleasant experience for you." Sascha stalked closer and rubbed his hands together. "Think of it as the shedding of a second skin—like a snake—but with fire."

"You will be burning me?"

"Eh..." He lowered and raised his hands as if weighing something invisible on them. "More like cleansing, but yes, the burning bit too."

The thought of being burnt frightened Ari. It registered well enough of his face for Sascha to take a step away. He let out a lengthy sigh continuing the backtrack to his seat.

"A trial by fire. Yes, it will, more than likely, hurt. You will heal."

"My wounds do not heal as fast as the others."

"I can give you something that will aid in that."

Ari answered him with silence. He did not want his hesitance to show, but it was much too late for that. Hiding his emotions was something he was not well-versed in. It was something he would hope to change along the way.

"Lost your zeal so quickly, aye?"

"I have not."

"Then come. I already made preparations."

Ari took a deep breath and followed him out the main room into a dark hallway alight with the shadows of flickering fire. Ari pressed against the cold wall as he trailed down the steep stairs after him. The cold air became warm and humid reminding Ari of soft breath blowing upon his face.

"Down here you will meet a few of my friends. They will do nothing but restrain you. After all, I am going to cause you pain and a whole lot of it."

Ari ignored the last part of his words and stopped as soon as he began making out the silhouettes of those companions. He was fooled many times before now, but he would not be fooled this time.

"This here is Gwendolyn. She goes by Lyn. Over here is Azmaar. Mars, for short."

Lyn looked to be around the same age as Sascha. Her blue eyes were lifeless like ice and the blonde of her hair paled and was speckled with grey and white, matching her pallid complexion. She gave him a nod, not bothering to hide the thick rope in her hands.

The other one, Mars, extended his hand to Ari. Ari looked at it with some apprehension but was quick to take it. He did not want to look weak or frightened, for the matter, although he very much was. Mars was not much older than him, after all. He had a darker complexion that matched his dark brown eyes and hair. It was long and straight, but looked much thinner than Auovin's. Perhaps, more similar to Rein's.

"You may call me... Sri," Ari said.

"Sri, it is," Lyn said with a dull vigor.

Ari let his eyes wander the room and noticed a table with bloody residue and knife markings. Along the cross-shaped table, Ari noticed the broken shackles. He looked to the woman holding the rope and continued on. A lit fireplace was the last thing he noted before clambering up the table and laid face down.

"Are you sure, this time?" Mars asked Sascha. Sascha raised his hand as if to strike him, but instead he hissed and hit the back of the man's head.

"I am sure. Do you see his back?" Sascha said.

"All of this is founded on pure hypotheticals and obsession," Lyn noted. "Last speculation you made cost us Owen and that crazed man's life." She tied a rope around Ari's left hand tight enough to stop some of his circulation. She went ahead and did the same with his other arm and legs.

She may have thought they were tight, and maybe they were, to humans, but Ari knew he could snap them then take the blade that was in his boot and lodge it through the side of her neck. He would take that blade, wrap one arm around Mars neck and slice his throat in one clean swoop. Ari was disgusted with how morbid his thoughts have been growing since killing his first human, but it was as if he could not help it.

"You have never done this successfully?" Ari asked, growing uncomfortable.

"No, there are so few of you to begin with, nonetheless willing."

"I see... So how will you know this will work?"

"I do not."

Ari furrowed his brows. He sounded so sure when he was saying it to him before. "Then how would you know to do this?"

"Books I read," Sascha mumbled causing Lyn to scoff.

"Insanity is what it is," Lyn muttered.

Sascha shooed her away and set his eyes back on Ari. "Do not doubt me now. One of the requirements is willingness. It cannot be forced. The book says so. A trial by fire. A cleansing."

"A ritual." Ari mumbled. An ache in his head surfaced as if something was trying to claw its way to the forefront of his mind, but the memory remained buried.

"Yes...perhaps, it better translates to that. Mars, ready the blue metal."

The room grew hotter and smaller with time, making him feel as if he could not breathe. Each breath he took was smaller than the last. He needed to concentrate and not let his mind wander to useless things. He already made up his mind. One big breath. Now exhale, he told himself. There was no going back—only forward. The rest he would just have to figure out along the way.

"You may be wondering how I have come to know so much about you in the short amount of time we have known one another." His voice became more pronounced as well as the heat now centimeters from his back. "Simply put, I have eyes everywhere in this demon town."

Ari's eyes glazed over. "So you let me walk into a trap?"

"I told you, I am a demon hunter. And what I do is hunt."

Sascha pressed the heated metal down onto the middle of his back. The whole of Ari's body screamed. He was in too much shock for his voice to produce a sound. What strength he had left escaped him and left him paralyzed in pain.

As Ari laid in deafening silence something swarmed in the pits of stomach.It encircled him, embraced him and filled every inch of his body. He was submerged in it, drowning in its power. He had no control over it. It would overwhelm him then it vanished as quick as the thought came. When he opened his eyes blood spatter was in his eyes.

Lyn laid next to the fire with a deep neck wound to the side. Her eyes wide and more lifeless than before. With her mouth agape she laid there and stared accusingly at him. Next to her Sascha was sprawled across Mars as blood pooled between his fingers from his neck.

Ari gazed at his hands and in one held a dagger from his boot. At once, Ari knew what he did. To say he felt remorse would be untrue. To be honest, he did not feel much of anything but tired. The last lingering bits of pain fled him, leaving him with the mess it had created.

Ari took one of the logs from the fire and tossed it on the table, watching it catch fire and reflect in Lyn's dead eyes. His eyes flicked to the now unmoving Sascha. Was he dead? Ari did not care to find out. He headed up the stairs as the fire consumed the room.

"Let this be your trial by fire," Ari spat.

😬

❤️ ❤️