Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 11.5: Blood Ties

Ari knew it was useless trying to hide or run. The demon could smell him because of his arm. Ari bent down and peeled off the moss growing on the tree. He took off his bandaging and stuffed his arm with the moss quickly before rewrapping it. The ground shook, causing Ari to stumble forward and lose his footing again. It was near.

He clung to a tree until the rumbling stopped. As soon as he noticed it did, Ari began his climb up the tree one branch at a time. He ignored the throbbing pain in his arm and the sting of the scratches coming from wayward branches and twigs even the tree itself. The bark was rough and full of needles. Still, he pushed himself to climb more until he reached the top. 

High places never scared him, but the sight that beheld him made his eyes widen. To think he was thinking of doing such a thing. Truly, Ari thought he had lost his mind. He clenched his hands tight into fists and jumped the moment its leg came into close proximity to the tree he was on. 

Barely, he latched onto the hair on its leg and started up its calf. He needed to get to the head. Ari did not have the slightest idea in mind of how to kill it. A blade or arrow would not be useful... but his blood... Maybe he could use it...

The demon roared and pulled up trees from the ground searching for him. When he reached its back, Ari saw the many bite marks from other lesser demons and stab wounds from arrows and blades. They looked old. No one from the Khaeo would ever dare to venture into demon country. 

He reached for the hair on its neck and pulled himself up. Slowly, Ari peeled away his bandage and tore away the moss from his arm still dripping with blood. The demon stopped and smelled around. Its red eyes soon met with his and Ari did not have the slightest idea on what to do next but wait. 

Ari laced one of his blades with his blood as he saw its massive hand heading in his direction. He sliced at its fingers. As it tried with its other hand, Ari cut deep into its palm. He pulled the sword back and covered it with more of his blood. Soon Ari plunged it into its shoulder and slid down along with the sword until he was at its ankle. He jumped off the moment it began to stagger and twist towards him.

 It did not go down as Ari thought it would. It knelt down, its eyes changing from red to yellow to green to blue. Ari watched in shock and surprise as the color finally stopped at gray, the most unlikely color.

"Daevasari." It outstretched its hand towards Ari, Ari quickly backed away. Ari's heart tightened at its words. He thought to run back to where he came from, but he stopped. It had spoken. It could speak like them. Again, his curiosity ate away at his fear. 

Ari approached it with some apprehension. He stepped closer when he did not see the lesser demon move even as he went towards its lowered face. Slowly, Ari outstretched his hand. He thought to take it away, at first, but something in him made him keep going until it was firmly pressed onto its leathery skin.

 His hand was covered in his own blood. It was dripping down his arm now, but Ari did not pay it much mind. He was much too fascinated with the creature that laid before him. 

"They say... " Ari found his voice hoarse and rough but he continued. "They say... lesser demons are spawns of the souls we had taken... Souls that were once human... Is that true?"

Ari did not think it would answer. He did not put much hope in it, but it did. 

"It is so." 

"What a soul you must have had... to end up like this... "

"Wretched and dark," it bellowed.

Ari took back his hand as its dark gray eyes met his. It was like it could see through his very soul and that frightened him, but he would not let it show. He could not seem weak in front a colossal demon such as this one. It would eat him alive, he knew. It was only the blood flowing through his veins that kept it tame for now.