Doctor of Demons

Family 4

"You chose well, my lord."

"...I hope so."

Andre winced as a ball whistled painfully close to Scarlett's head. She dodged aside with a snarl and dove at Susan's legs, opening the way for Vali to tackle the many-armed demon from behind. She could've broken every bone in their bodies for that. Instead she let them drive her down. They went down in a tangle of arms and legs. She wouldn't kill them. He'd forbidden it. They'd only wish for death once the trainer was through with them. This was for their own good.

Shaking his head, he turned to reality.

"Did you look into that mountain I asked you about?"

Rather than answer, his attendant struck the drum on his back, moving them to another room for the sake of privacy. He took a moment to steady himself, stomach lurching. In this mansion, Kyogai was akin to a king. His four drums allowed him to marshal all manner of madness, teleportation included

Even now, he still wasn't quite used to being teleported like that.

"I did." Kyogai nearly knelt the moment they reappeared, but a black look told him he wouldn't take kindly to that. He saluted instead. "A great many people have been disappearing in the vicinity of Mt. Natagumo as of late." a brief wave of the hand was all it took to spur him onward. "I believe it to be the work of a high class demon."

"An high class?" It had been some time since he'd fed on one of those. "And what proof do you have?"

"Spades of it." Kyogai clasped both hands behind his back, warming to the subject. "As per your instructions, I sent several demons who wished to join our cause."

Concern reared its head. "But none of them were blooded? They were unaware of us?"

Recruiting demons wasn't something he did often. He'd encountered both Susan and Kyogai when they were human.

"Indeed." the guardian shook his head. "I would not send a member of the Family into that spider's web alone.

Concern became anger. "You said Spider just now."

"I'm coming to that." his tone brooked bad news, so he held his tongue once more. "When none of them returned, I went myself to investigate...

A blond brow quirked. "Wasn't that reckless?"

Kyogai offered a self depreciating shrug. "My life is not so valuable."

Unacceptable! Every life in his "family" mattered to him. Silence loomed between them.

"Go on, Kyogai." Andre pinched the bridge of his noise to stifle a sigh. "Speak freely. I'm not gonna punish you for speaking your mind."

"I ventured well into the forest until I was set upon by a storm of threads and forced to retreat." the man's face twisted, as though digesting some foreign emotion he didn't understand. "Before I departed...I glrimpsed a woman in a nearby clearing. She was crying. I believe she may have been...beaten. Her wound were fresh when I encountered her."

Demons attacking demons? His eyes flashed. "I see. Continue."

"Sir!" Loyal follower that he was, Kyogai did just that. "I didn't get a good look at her. She had long white hair and a pale face." he mimed a puppet like gesture with his fingers. "She seemed to be using long threads to control others...

His head bobbed once. "Is that so...and what did you do?"

...nothing?"

He sighed. "Please don't lie to me."

Kyogai must've misunderstood the reason for his anger; because he was quick to step back.

"I...may have told her of our safe haven." the ground splintered underfoot and he retreated yet further. "I'm sorry!" his hands came up, ready to ward off a blow. "I acted without thinking! You told me not to engage under any circumstance, and yet...!"

A lesser leader would have struck him; harangued him for doing something so foolish, torn strips out of his hide. Andre did no such thing, but he felt a flash of ire all the same. He had to act now; if only to prevent the secret from getting out. What one demon knew others might soon know. Loose lips sank ships and all that. He'd wanted to spend some time with Scarlett and Vali , to oversee their training. Now that would have to wait. All because of this blunder. It likely meant he'd have to bring new demons into the fold...or silence everyone on Mount Natagumo. Neither option was terribly appealing.

After all, he was terribly picky about who he turned these days. 'Calm down. Control your breathing. Accidents happen. Just let it go, Andre...

With a supreme effort of will, he restrained his anger and schooled his face into an impassive mask. "You went above and beyond the call of duty."

The fear flickered out of Kyogai's eyes. "I...beg your pardon?"

"I said you did well." Andre took another breath to master the thrashing tide of his emotions and stepped forward. He wasn't angry with Kyogai. Far from it. His rage stemmed from something darker. More primal. A piece of his past he'd near forgotten.

"Its fine." he clapped him on the shoulder, ignoring the way the larger demon flinched against the contact. "I didn't want any of you to risk yourselves if you didn't have to. And we both know your talents aren't best suited to the outdoors."

"We could fix that."

On a whim, he acted upon Hazel's words.

"Alright. Lets fix that, shall we?"

Kyogai blinked. "Sir?"

From his pack, the blond withdrew a dark amber saucer roughly the size of his palm. Usually it was reserved for sake or other drinks. Today it would serve a purer purpose. Andre raised a hand to his mouth and bit his thumb, fangs biting deep into his flesh. A pinprick of blood dribbled out. Kyogai exhaled sharply, but he didn't falter, even when he held it above the saucer; even as he let it fill the vessel near to the brim. A steady drip-drip-drip welled up in the basin as the second ticked by. And then:

"Here." He held it out to him, palm upturned. "For reminding me of something."

Rules were to be obeyed, but suffering must never be tolerated. They may be demons, but they weren't monsters.

Kyogai accepted the gift with trembling hands. "I am honored!"

Truth be told, Andre never understood why. His blood was potent to be sure, but the results varied from demon to demon. Some became exponentially stronger all at once; others went through a bit of a sleeper period, their new abilities lying dormant until they needed them most. He was curious which Kyogai would be; if only because this was the first time he'd gifted him blood after claiming him.

"Drink, then."

The greater demon obeyed and tipped it back to his lips.

Andre planted both hands in his pockets and watched him guzzle down every last drop.

The very moment Kyogai finished, his legs buckled beneath him. A gasp tore out of the taller demon as he crashed down to hands and knees. The saucer struck the ground at an angle and shattered like so much glass, spraying ceramic shrapnel across the tatami mats. Veins pulsed in his body as he bent double, contorting in on himself as he struggled to contain the sudden influx of power given to his body. For all that, he didn't scream. Even as fresh tremors wrought his body, he held his tongue.

A true fighter to the end.

"I'm sure you'll survive this." Andre knelt down to regard the quivering demon. "No, I know you will. Look after the others while I'm away." he planted a palm on his shoulder, patting it once for encouragement. "I'll be back by sunrise in a day or so."

"As you command." A muffled groan answered him. "We shall await...your return."

"Thatta boy. Make sure she doesn't break the kids while I'm busy, eh?

Andre didn't run. To call it running would've been an insult.

No, he didn't run at all. He absolutely blurred.

A thunderclap echoed in his wake.