Demon Of The Desert

Chapter 3: The Seals

How exactly does an angel and a demon fall in love enough to break all the rules?
"My name is Azure," The angel introduced himself, even though he was only on earth for official heavenly business.
"May I get you a refreshment?" The young girl offered. It was customary in the time to offer your home and service to traveling strangers.
Azure smiled, and nodded. "If you wish."
Although heavenly messengers did not need to eat or drink, they occasionally did to keep a low profile when their mission required it.
"What is your name?" Azure asked.
"Yoana, it means Gracious." She replied with a warm smile.

Sudai gasped as he opened his eyes, before coughing and spitting bloody sand out of his mouth. He was surprised to find himself unwounded, but his clothes were tattered as if he had been shot several times.
"Captain?" He asked, getting to his feet. He stared at the sand surrounding him, and struggled to remember what had happened. "Hello? Anyone?"
He could remember waking up to the gruesome sight of the captain and his men slaughtered, himself dripping in blood. He remembered a deep fury within him, and that was all. He didn't know what else had happened, or how he was now miles away from that village.
Sudai chose a direction and walked. He didn't know where he was going, or how far he was walking. He really didn't care at the time.
Night came, and after what seemed forever, the sun returned to scorch down on the restless traveler.

'He that selleth his soul shall have ten years, then the hound shall gather his soul unto hell.'
Dark red, nearly black eyes peered across the sand, and a low growl came from the large hell hounds throat. The target had been located. Little did the hound realize that a battle of heaven and hell would erupt in this very camp.
Large paw prints appeared in the sand as the hound padded toward the tent of the damned. Hellish saliva dripped from the dogs mouth as it poked a nose through the tent opening.
The occupant knew the hound was coming and was earnestly praying for forgiveness from above as the creature approached.
Screams errupted as the soul was ripped merciously from the body, and the hound turned, leaving bloody pawprints, to return with the damned soul to hell, where the soul would be corrupted by several hundreds of years of torture into a demon.
A stabbing pain in the hounds' back made her drop the soul in an howl of pain. She turned in fury to rip apart whatever it was that had attacked.
The crossroads demon who had made the soul deal also came, angry that someone had dared to touch his hound.

Sudai was about ready to sit down and give up when he stumbled upon the scene of an unearthly battle. He didn't seem to notice the dead lying about as he stumbled to the well. After a drink of water, his yellow eyes scanned the scene. Some of the partipants of the battle had wing marks burned into the sand, blackening it until the sand shifted and blew away in the wind.
A few silver blades lay by the angels' hands, tokens of a brave death. The camp's tents were marked by still smoldering ash.
"Azure!" The shriek of a memory made Sudai shudder at the sight, and Sudai quickly skirted towards the edge of the camp.
A low whine caught the curiosity of the stranger in a strange scene. He followed the sound, and soon the trail of the hound that had crawled away to die.
Sudai bent down to look at the large creature, and nearly had his face bit.
"Hey! I'm trying to help you. If you don't want my help, fine, stay out here and bake."
The fur ruffled in the slight breeze that was discarding the evidence of the battle. The hound seemed to sense that the creature before it wasn't from heaven, but also didn't originate in hell.
"Help the dog."
"It's a hell hound, and it's dying."
"I let you out, so you help that dog. Now."
"Why are you so persistent about the hound?"
"Just help the dog!"
"Fine, but if we get our faces bit off, it's your fault."
Sudai again tried to touch the hell hound, which latched onto his arm. Sudai took a minute to register, then gave a howl of annoyance mixed with pain as the hound's teeth sank into his very essence. He didn't expect the hound to release, and whine in apology. The hound had tasted what no one else could see: Sudai's true form.
Sudai stared in shock as the hound's wounds healed from his nephalam healing power. The hound seemed to know how she had healed, and crawled into the man's lap, licking his face with adoration.
"I guess you like me now, huh?" Sudai chuckled, getting up and started walking. The paw prints in the sand following him told of the hound's trail after him.
"Happy now?"
"Maybe."
"You humans are so confusing."
"Good luck with women then."
"What's that supposed to mean?"