Beast Tamer

XXVI

He rested his elbow on his knee, his head in his hand while the demons paced.

"We should just kill him."

He hummed as he ran his free hand through his hair.

"She won't be happy with that."

He hummed again.

"I don't care."

"Well, I think we should wait, she'll give us-"

"The scraps! I want to tear him apart with my claws and fangs!"

Nico laughed through his nose. "You are aware I'm here, right?"

It, looking more as a girl rather than a boy, snapped towards him. "Shut up," she hissed.

It, looking more as a boy rather than a girl, pulled the cigarette out of his mouth. "Chill, she's going to be here soon."

"I don't care!" Its black hair whipping around as she spun.

It pulled on its snake scale horn protruding from Its own short black hair. "She could be listening you know."

"Revenne," It snarled, the teeth glowing blood red and the eyes dark silver.

"Ravanna," It replied mockingly.

Nico stared at the ground, clenching his fists. Nothing. He could do nothing.

He couldn't even begin to have the slightest control over a demon, let alone two.

There was also nothing here.

It's like they were trapped in a massive concrete box floating in the air.

He would occasionally sense something close, only for it to disappear instantly - then its dead carcass would be chucked in front of the cage.

Thud.

Nico stared at the dead eagles body.

Ravanna leaned forward with a sadistic smile on Its face. "Even a Beast Tamer can't bring an animal back from the dead." It stated mockingly.

He simple raised an eyebrow. "So, your name is Ravanna and, over there, has the name Revenne."

Revenne raised an eyebrow. "And?"

He laughed. "Your parents must have hated you."

Nico knew what he was doing - and how stupid it was - because demons didn't have parents, they emerged from-

His head slammed against the metal bars and left him trying to see through the black veil that was now over his eyes from the hit.

He clenched his eyes shut and opened them again.

What they had said. It made a puzzle piece slide into place, a piece he hadn't even know he had been missing.

"You aren't demons at all." He whispered.

They both seemed to freeze.

"You aren't demons at all!" He stated, loud enough to echo. "You're just Tamers."

Revenne turned his head towards the dark haired boy in the cage. "We are indeed:but what we lost and what we've done." He shook his head. "We're as good as demons."

"Shut up," the girl snarled.

Nico gripped the bars and rested his head against the cool metal. "What did you trade? What was the bargain?"

The boy sighed and his hair fell over his eyes as he looked down. "Our souls."

Ravanna turned away as her brother stated the terms.

"We would gain power, enough power to make sure - to make sure that the people we loved would be protected."

Tears dripping down his face.

"She keeps our souls to keep us from running, from leaving. We have to see this decision to the end, or we die."

"Now, now, why don't we all stop moping over bad life choices."

Nico turned to the newest voice and choked at the woman standing their.

Curly black hair, lean frame, tanned skin.

But... her eyes. Cold grey. Stone.

"Fauna." Nico murmured and felt his hands shake, before slipping off the bars.

The woman pressed her sharp, black nails under his chin, tilting his head to look her in the eye.

She gave a vicious smirk. "So, you know my beloved daughter."