The Heart Of The Demon

Chapter Four: Play Dirty

Geayu gave me clothes that were much too tight, not at all loose like the type of clothes I wore on Vagotha. I wasn't used to the suffocatingly hot attire of England and I doubt I ever would be. Nor was I used to the cold and fog that seemed to blind me to everything at night.

Vagotha was hot. The only time I hadn't been swimming in a pool of my own sweat was when I was inside, sitting on a block of ice. I didn't mind it, it was what I was used to. With loose fitting, pale clothes to fight the heat and shade, it was quite doable. But now, in this dastardly suit, not only were my stitches pressed further into my skin, I was also hot and cold in unison, suffering in two ways, my pain adding three.

Each step up the stairs made my body feel heavier and heavier. I wanted to sleep and pretend today never happened. My hand reached for where my knives usually sat for the assurance that I wasn't going into a space of charged Demi's empty handed. They weren't there. Geayu had disarmed me the moment I entered his home, probably for his own sake.

As I limped down the hall, I followed Geayu's slow steps. I could tell by how many times he stopped that he was often a speed walker, probably being completely driven mad by my slowness. I couldn't help that his legs were almost the length of my entire body.

The carpet beneath my feet was made of a deep, cherry red with golden trim. Floral patterns were weaved into the edges with other swirls around them to have the appearance of expense. On the wall, lanterns were lit with oil. The intricate glasswork was obviously done by someone skilled at their craft, coming out in a pattern that danced like a wave in the ocean. Each glass was a different color but in equal patterns across from each other making it aesthetically pleasing. There were no windows in this hall. I wasn't sure about the structure of the place, as this was my first time being out of the basement, so I presumed that perhaps this portion was underground in order to be hidden from prying eyes. It made for a gloomy hue to the plan, white walls with no decor besides the lanterns to speak of.

Geayu turned heading up yet another set of ungodly stairs.

"fuck my life," I murmured as I put my hands out on the wall to start myself as I followed after him.

The steps went on forever. It was as if they were made specifically to torment me. Sweat dripped from my brow dripping into my eyes. Though the alcohol I had downed from Geayu earlier took the edge off, the more I moved, the more aggravated my injuries became. My leg burned fiercely. A wetness had seeped around my thigh, making me wonder if I had popped some of the stitching from all the movement. My back ached in rhythm with my throbbing abdomen. By the time I reached the top I was panting and in so much pain that my eyes blurred.

I pressed my back against a wall and slid down to the floor. "I need to rest for a moment."

Geayu tapped his foot. "We don't have a lot of time and I'm never late. Do you want me to carry you?"

"Fuck no. I don't want to give the appearance that I'm a weak, half-dead immortal. The Demi's would take the chance and kill me on sight." I leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "I still don't understand why you would warn me about the danger and then still let me go in unarmed."

"I won't be allowing slaughter on either side. Jalin is plenty capable and is assigned to keeping order in the room. I don't want to arm you or Kalon and risk harm coming to my comrades."

"Kalon can cause plenty of harm without weapons. . . " I thought to the times that he had crushed the skulls of demons and Demi's alike in the palm of his hand. The sickening crunch of bone on bone, scraping against each other and stabbing squelching flesh would never leave my mind. 

Geayu laughed. "Not with Jalin on watch he can't."

"Forgive me for my rudeness, but since when is a woman warrior capable of stopping an immortal beast like Kalon? Is she strong? Yes, but she's still a Demi, she isn't as strong as he is," I stated as I used the wall to help myself stand up.

"If you knew Jalin's lineage, you would know better than to question her abilities." Geayu started walking slowly beside me, offering an arm for support that I declined. "You severally underestimate our kind, we are descended from immortals too, you know."

The last raid had been easy. Demi's had fallen like cornered animals, coming towards me as they attempted to flee, unable to escape the bite of my blades at their throats. Perhaps these Demi's were different. None in my lifetime had ever proven to me that they had the strength to rise against my power. Now, however, I was without that, I was more mortal than they were. I swallowed as we stopped in front of two, large, dark, wooden doors.

Anyone could be behind that door. Children of those I slaughtered could be within, waiting for the chance to strike and extract vengeance on their long dead parents, sisters, and brothers. The part that bothered me most was how much I knew I deserved it, and that I had a place secured down below for a monster like me.

Geayu knocked a peculiar rhythm and the doors swung open to reveal a long table full of more than a hundred unfamiliar faces. They all turned to face us as the servants held the doors and gestured for us to enter. To the left of the table, Jalin held Kalon in a head lock as his face turned red from lack of air. He waved at me with a smile before going back to straining against her hold.

I wouldn't mind if she choked me with those beautifully rough hands. . .

"Ahem! Are you going to just stand there gawking or will you take a seat so we can actually address the matter at hand?" A man with a long white beard asked as he narrowed his eyes at me from across the table. With the way he squinted it appeared as if he was straining to see.

I didn't say anything as I took a seat where I could continue to watching Jalin and Kalon wrestle. Maybe it wouldn't be bad if I did something to get in trouble with her. My face heated at the thought of her hands on my body, searching every part of me for hidden weapons.

Geayu coughed and patted my back, stealing my focus. "So, do you want to share with them what we discovered?"

"Yes, the demons are summoning a demon general. We have a time limit in which to take out portals and the demons around them in order to stop it," I stated as Geayu passed the map I had sketched on around the table.

"In order to do that, we need to have a demon to give us access to the barrier around the portals. If we don't, there's no way we can get in and they'll be able to slaughter us from a distance."

"How do we know we can trust you? What if this is a last ditch effort on your part for trying to eliminate what remains of us? What if it's a trap?" The man with the white beard protested as he adjusted his black bow tie.

"In an effort to prove his loyalty to us, I have a plan to us Falosa as bait for the demons chasing him." Geayu stood up and stepped onto the table. "If Falosa agrees to this plan, as a mortal unable to defend himself, he will not only prove his loyalty to us, but also his usefulness. The demons that are tracking him came from one of the portals. We can capture one and use them to take down whichever it is they came from."

"Excuse me, I never agreed to stick out my neck in a risky plan where I could get murdered!" I declared, pushing up out of my chair. "What happened to keeping me off the battlefield? I thought I was at risk because of injuries?"

"It;s because of your injuries that you will make good bait. The demons will be able to smell your blood from miles away and close in on your location quickly, but because your blood is so potent, they won't notice the other Demi's lying in wait for their attack," Geayu stated. "It's a good plan, it's the easiest way to draw them out. A recon team is easier to attack than a portal guard."

"But. . ."

Jalin looked at me as Kalon passed out and fell to the floor. There was a deep-seated judgement in her eyes as she waited for my next words.

A part of me didn't want to disappoint her. If I ever wanted a chance with a woman way out of my league, I'd have to go along with this plan to gain her trust and impress her.

"Fine, I'm in. Tell me what you want me to do."

Ah, Falosa is a class A simp.
Best way to get him to do something idiotic?
Bring in Jalin.
Wonder if he's going to die now. . .
N.G.Brier