Men and the Beastly

Beasts

Akses paced in front of where Cass sat on his bed. "Well, where to begin?" He sighed. "Hmm. . . Oh, yes! Nobody but you can see me."

Cass scrunched his eyebrows. "What?"

Akses rolled his eyes. "You heard me. And everyone else can hear you. Just not me. They can't see anything I do, can't hear anything I say."

"So, would they be able to see you if you picked up a pen or something?"

"They wouldn't be able to see me, just the floating pen. Wouldn't that be a sight to see." He chuckled.

"Also, if I am to do anything for you, you must do something for me. Anything I want."

Cass nodded. "Yeah, of course."

"So what exactly do you want?"

"Anything that'll make her love me."

Akses smiled a pitying smile. "Oh dear, I can't change her feelings. I could find out what her type is and then change your looks. I can't change your personality or feelings, though."

"Why?" Cass asked.

"Not sure," Akses shrugged.

"Aren't you some super powerful dude? Like can't you just change the rules whenever you want?"

Akses laughed. "I am honoured that you would think that highly of me, but no. I may be Lord of the Fourth Ring, but only the fourth."

Cass's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

Akses sighed again. "Must I explain everything to you?" He snapped his fingers and a chair appeared out of nowhere. "The Nine Rings of Hell -- or Circles of Hell, as you mortals like to call it, isn't actually where souls get sent, it's more of a . . . judicial system."

Cass moved himself back on the bed and crossed his legs.

"There's one ruler, Mortals know of them as 'the Devil' and they rule the Ninth Ring and all the rings below. As for me, I only rule the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Rings. I'm not that important. . ." Akses trailed off.

"I'm guessing humans-- Mortals-- come into play here?" Cass said.

Akses looked back at him and smiled, teeth glinting in the candlelight. "Exactly!" Akses started to loosen the tie around his neck. "The more Mortal souls a demon consumes, the higher our ranking. Along with how old we are, of course."

Cass nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"Twenty-eight."

"What?"

"Don't shout."

"No, but I thought that demons were immortal and stuff. Why aren't you older?'

"Are you saying I look old?"

"No! I mean how are you in the Fourth Ring when you're so young?"

Akses chuckled. "We aren't immortal. We can be killed, we just don't die of natural causes."

Cass let some of the tension in his shoulders relax knowing that Akses hadn't taken that the wrong way.

"Then what happened?"

"War." he wouldn't elaborate further.

After a while of getting to know the rules, Akses finally asked, "So, do you know what you want?'

Cass nodded. "Just. . . a bit.

A/N: if anyone ever wants to draw fanart (why would you though) please contact me it'd be so cool