Devil in Shepherd's Robes

Ch 3: Gold and Recompense

She said nothing as she walked through the tunnels, staring straight ahead at the room where he was kept. As she clutched Ephram's hat close to her chest, the only thing she could think of was how she was going to kill those who would dare capture him. Her mind raced with the possibilities, there were just so many ways to kill, she found it upsetting to have to pick just one. The anger she felt for being disrespected like this by those disgusting creatures was enough to burn them all to ash.

She noticed Ephram look up from the table in the back of the room, seeing her had caused him to seem livelier as if she had given him the hope to live.

"If the rats won't work, let's try a little fire!" A demon shouted from the end of the hall, and May took this as her sign to get involved.

The air grew colder and the wind grew sharper as it whipped through the tunnels, creating a ghastly sounding wail. It sounded as if a banshee had been cut loose in the sewers. May took off her sunhat, holding it in the same hand as Ephram's black fedora. Her golden hair flowed chillingly with the wind as she raised her free hand towards the room, stepping through the doorway.

"Get out!" A humanoid rat demon shouted at her from nearby Ephram, pouncing at her like the animal it was.

May said nothing, but her actions spoke loudly.

The straps holding Ephram in place were cut to ribbons, and the demon who had jumped to her was flown back into the wall. The wind had been knocked out of the creature, but not just from the force of impact. She clenched her fist tightly as the other two demons were shot backwards, stuck to the wall like a fly in honey. The air around them began to dissipate as well as the flames of their torches, leaving the demons choking from the lack of oxygen.

The rat demon with the bone looked at May with fury in its eyes, it couldn't believe what was happening.

"You... bitch!" It croaked, as the air grew thinner by the second.

May ran towards Ephram, who had fallen to his knees in front of the board he was just strapped upon. She knelt down next to him after grabbing his trench coat and shirt, placing the coat over his shoulders.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you? Tell me what happened." She said quickly, trying to get the words out as fast as possible. She seemed to be genuinely worried for him, something that caught him by surprise.

"I... I think so... I'm okay. Just shaken up a bit." He said, trying not to let May see how afraid he truly was.

As he finished speaking, he grabbed hold of the table next to him and propped himself upright. He looked angrily towards the three demons pinned to the wall, furious at not just them but himself for being too weak to fight back. Ephram scolded himself for allowing May to save him like this, he felt so pitiful and helpless.

May looked up to the ceiling, scanning the pipes above them like a hawk scans a field.

"Come on out, it's over!" She said loudly as she dawned her sunhat once again.

Ephram looked up as a small field mouse dropped from the ceiling, landing on the table in front of him.

"Silo? How?" He uttered, trying to make sense of how the field mouse was here.

"I've been following you both ever since you left the Garden." Silo squeaked happily, thankful he hadn't left Ephram and May alone.

"I watched as the two of you get separated and followed you throughout the sewer so I could guide May to you. I'm not very strong myself, I'm sorry for not helping you sooner." He said as his voice faded, ashamed he had taken so long.

Ephram shook his head in disagreement, he knew that Silo had tried his best and that there was no reason for helping him in the first place.

"No, what you did was enough. I can't thank you enough for your help, I am truly grateful... to both of you." He said with gratitude, looking up from Silo and meeting May's gaze.