A hood to cover his face, Eial joined the three demons out of K'ra's home through a back door. He was given a thin, black ribbon to tie around his eyes. With it close enough to his eyes, he could see through the fabric with a hazed vision, but onlookers would not be able to see his eyes at first glance in the evening dim light, hiding its color.
Oddly, Drokn's curiosity led him to follow along the trip without complaint. No one had actually told him what the king had done. Instead, they decided to show him. K'ra informed them that they'll be heading to a health facility nearby to introduce someone to the three. As they wrote that down, they glanced up for a second as if questioning to write something else before shaking their head and letting words be unknown.
They walked past many demons chatting along the streets, a few with an early start to their drink filled night. The demons wore a different fashion than those near the palace. Rough, thin, dirty. Colors dull. Occasional rips at the seams. But no one seemed to care in their merry ways as they laughed throatedly.
Drokn had been used to the fine black garments. The deep reds, purples. Tailored to perfection along the body. He knew the other city folk surrounding the palace didn't all have personal tailors, but of the moments he had sneaked out, he could recognize their clothing held at least some of the dignity these present townsfolk seemed to lack in their appearance.
It had been around twenty minutes of walking before they came upon a building. It was around a few rooms wide and none too tall, odd for a demon enclosure where everything was built more vertically. K'ra entered first, creaking the old wooden door loudly as the hinge widened.
"Oh for the love of demons, please tell me it's a visitor and not another fucking patient!" a voice bellowed from the inside. As the others made their way in, Drokn and Eial with more hesitance, the footsteps that grew louder paused in front of them.
There, a tall demon stood with short horns and shorter hair, eyes wide with dark circles cradling them. "Is that you, K'ra? Oh thank the demons. Help me! I'm going to go insane!" Then, his gaze finally paid mind to the guests lurking behind. "And these are?" He almost choked, the most distraught look on his face. "They seem healthy. Please tell me they're healthy, K'ra, or I'll cry!"
In the time of this new demon's outcry, K'ra had already scratched words onto their pad. And by the time his outcry ended, K'ra handed the pad to the other.
"Vrona? Isn't Vrona the name of the one who provided you the medicine?" the short haired demon asked as he read.
In response, K'ra shook their head vigorously with a wide smile.
"Oh thank the demons!" the man cried and walked over to Vrona, grabbing her hands in a tight grip. "Come with me!" He took a glance at the other two behind. "You two, as well. I'm sure you can help in one way or another."
Before anyone could retort, they were all pushed or dragged by the new demon and K'ra further into the building.
Down a hallway, they were led inside a brightly lit room with many lanterns. Dozens of beds lined the wall, most of them occupied with resting demons.
"K'ra, see if their temperatures are alright and check that they've drunk their medicine. Vrona, do you know anything for body aches? You do? Great, make some. You two kids, bring them new cups of water. Water and cups are in the room across from here." The odd demon spoke almost without a breath, methodical, yet slightly crazed.
"Who are you that I should I follow your orders? If anything, you should—" Drokn started, baffled by the casual way instructions were given to him by a mere stranger he had yet to even know the name of. Before he could finish, however, the strange demon grabbed Drokn's arms with a tight grip, startling him with the suddenness.
"Demons! I'm begging you, please help me! I'll lose my mind!" The demon shook Drokn with force, his eyes watering and about to spill.
Drokn felt a strange sort of submissiveness, the kind where you are in such shock, you feel compelled to listen almost robotically, without your mind catching up to the events. And so, he didn't say another word back. He just blinked and stood still, and apparently that was enough of a gesture for the other to assume that Drokn agreed.
"You are a lifesaver!" the stranger said with a wild smile and one twitching eye. Patting Drokn twice on the shoulder, the stranger immediately left to join one of the demons on their bed, placing two fingers on the demon's wrist to check their pulse.
Still well covered by the hood of his cloak, Eial tugged on Drokn's cape and smiled up at him helplessly. Gripping the seam, Eial started to walk to the room across as instructed, and Drokn, still in a daze of the speed of events, followed mindlessly.
The next moments were sort of a blur. Everything so hectic, time passed without warning. Always willing to help, Eial kept his head low as he delivered cups of water to the demons' bedside tables. Always needing to accompany, Drokn begrudgingly assisted, making sure to keep his head held high, muttering, "Be grateful," through his teeth with each cup slammed down.
Vrona and K'ra did their part while the stranger rushed back and forth from one bed to another, out the room, and then back. When the hectic moment passed, the five of them huddled in the hallway, the short haired demon on the floor with his back against a wall.
Looking up, the strange demon smiled with wet eyes,a couple drips managing to pass. "You have my thanks. I can sleep five more minutes tonight," he said with true gratitude before bursting out into an insane laughter. Once he'd calmed himself, he took a deep breath and looked up once more. "Now that that round's done, I guess it's time to say hi." He shifted, straining himself to stand up in a way one could almost hear his joints creek.
At last, he took a proper look at all his guests until he made direct eye contact with the demoness. "Hmm, Vrona, huh?" he said, tilting his head in an uncharacteristically calm manner, a glint in his eye. "Aren't you a wanted demon?"
YOU ARE READING
The Demon and the Elf (Book 1)
Fantasy[mlm] The lonely Elf had waited many years to meet his bonded mate, but reality was harsher than he would have liked when he finds out his mate is not only a Demon, but the Demon wants nothing to do with him. [Part 1/Book 1 complete. Follow the stor...
