A Demon's Heart.

Chapter thirty-eight: Rumors of Danger

             As they kept walking they felt this presence following, there no matter the moment or the action, he thought it was the Sinner, Angarthia.... But its presence was faint. Until again he successfully grabbed something out of the air. "Armen. Sneaky fuck. Why are you here?"

-"Ack! You.... Made it! We will feel again!" Asleroth started to grab tighter.

-"The only thing you'll feel is my punch in your face! Why. Are. You. Here." Asleroth's voice was colder and colder with every word. His scarf was blocking the look of his mouth, they didn't knew if he was even smiling with that.

-"Calm down...... I....... Ack!! I'm.... Sorry.... But Angarthia set foot in the continent..... He is battling the Armada of Xangdanther!" Asleroth punched him in the face anyway, he took his scarf down; the tear-like scars started getting red. Armen's were dark, as a tattoo.... Maybe it had something to do with their powers....

-"A fucking what?" He slapped Armen. Then grabbed him by the shirt. "Who the fuck did you called?! Wellerea? Fucking wimpy cowards!" A punch with every word that he spelled wasn't something Armen could take.

-"Please, stop!" Aliana said, stopping a kick that Asleroth was ready to give Armen.... Mirghreel just stood there frozen.

-"The angel.... Yant, she is speaking.... Stop...." Armen was also fainting when he spoke. Asleroth started glowing orange when giving another punch to the stomach to Armen.

-"Alright. I'll let you live, this time.... Even if I saved you sometimes back. Armen green eye and blue eyes started watching Aliana.... She had the mercy to call out for him to stop.... He was touched by that....

-"Wait.... I can feel? *cough cough* I can.... Feel...." Armen was crying.... He felt warm.... "Yant, he... He is crushing this all, the demons are entering the world, they are looking for her.... You need to stop her.... I am sorry if I thought it was going to be good to.... Kill her. Sorry.... It's in our nature, the Keys.... Our instinct.... I was blinded.... I'm sorry...." Aliana smiled, went to him, asked Mirghreel for a handkerchief.... He didn't have any.... Aliana asked Asleroth one, he had one.... He handed it to her, and Aliana started carefully nursing the wounds of the defenseless demon. "Does it hurt? You are the Hunter.... Right?" His vest of furs and chainmail greaves and gauntlets were maybe a clue....

-"Y-yes.... It.... Hurts, and.... I'm the H-h-hunter, the last.... Key....Armen Garth the fifteen...." Armen closed his eyes.... As Aliana cleaned the wounds. "I thought demon didn't feel anything, even pain.... Maybe broken bones or any internal problem might hurt, but not external wounds.... Or so I read back in my training days.... Mirghreel, water?" Mirghreel handed a bit of water. "This might sting Armen...." 

                    Aliana was again cleaning the other bruises and cuts when Armen confirmed: "Yeah.... It's true, demons don't even feel superficial wounds...." Asleroth rolled his eyes and put his scarf once again covering his mouth.... "We have to continue, and you'll be able to heal quickly Armen. *sigh* I'm sorry.... I thought you were being controlled." Armen was on the floor, Asleroth extended his hand and offered help for Armen to get up.

-"No.... I am sorry Yant, I was blinded by the blood...." He took his hand and got up. "You'll have to hide, the armies are moving quickly, and even if demons are vulnerable, the numbers are immense.... They might have been overrunning Domesia by now." Aliana was now in shock. "Don't worry, the demon hunters are in the frontlines significantly reducing the numbers, holding territory, they might not be able to get into these deserts without getting lost, lucky for me, I found Asleroth thanks to his powers, and he found me, because of mine...."

-"I told you kids...." Asleroth continued walking. "We will leave, to the volcano, last place they are going to ever visit.... If you betray us, I'll hunt you down for eternity. I want to hide these two until I can kill Angarthia. This is madness...." Armen nodded and disappeared. Aliana and Mirghreel looked at each other, nodded and continued walking towards the volcano.... Hard to miss, it was visible even from the other side of the province. They arrived at Oasla, a small oasis village near the dividing river of the province. As routine demanded the duo went to the Inn. As Asleroth insisted of maintaining watch from the outside, mumbling something of "We only get a 100 years to sleep, when we are dead...." Or something like that. This Inn was called the "Jewel of the Sand" Although the place didn't look like a jewel at all.... The village was able to be built near this Oasis thanks to the Jewel of the Oasis, a rare rock that got so much money to be able to build nearby, since then, Oasis Jewels are mined nearby and sold at a high price, a favorite of nobleman and women alike.... This jewel could also be pulverized to make paint, medicines, narcotics and even food preserver and a rare specimen of spice....

             They rented a room and resupplied on food, water and the like in a small bag that Mirghreel would carry.... Aliana also had a few bags, but these contained holy water just in case. The nights I these deserts were ironically cold.... Even unbelievable cold in some seasons, thanks to sharing borders with fresh and icy winds of other provinces. They rested well and assured thanks to this.... They both felt they were going to melt if the hotness of the day continued, but.... It was a good night for both of them. The war still didn't arrive at this province, and neither did the news, even if the pillar of darkness was visible.... The foolishness and ignorance.... That ruled the thievery town of Oasla....