Azarius spinoff

2

There are a few things I can tell about Azarius just from looking at him.

One, he's met a demon before. He spoke to me without hesitation or worry, which most humans aren't apt to do--even mages. It's why my shop is going under. I haven't sold anything to a human in months, and, legally, the shop should have been seized by now.

Two, he's a powerful mage. His level of ambient magic, even with the previous restrictions, was incredible. As someone who naturally senses magic, being in a room with that was strange. When he took off his prosthetic I got a little dizzy.

Three, he's a criminal. Obviously. He's on the run, though clearly not from the government. Whatever he did, he's only convicted by whoever the crime was perpetrated against. Most of that was reasoned by what he said, but when he walked in I saw something in the way his eyes shifted to check everything around him. It wasn't nervous, it was self assured. It was threatening. I was worried he was checking for witnesses.

All of these things tell me that he must be very, very dangerous.

He's awake when I come up to prepare breakfast, examining his prosthetic. Probably trying to recall an enchantment.

"Good morning," I greet.

He nods, barely glancing at me. Okay, he seems to have decided I'm not a threat. That makes me even more nervous. I can feel his magic fluctuating this early--sometimes people are unstable in their magic just after waking up.

"Can I ask what happened to your arm? You clearly haven't had your prosthetic long."

"An infection. Had to amputate. It was months ago. I had another prosthetic before, but that's in the depths of the ocean."

I nod. I desperately want to know why it's in the ocean, but it's better not to ask too many questions.

I fry up eggs and sausage. I feel his eyes on my back. I don't like it.

"Why did you let me stay?" he asks.

He thinks I had an ulterior motive. If I did, it definitely wasn't conscious.

"It was dark out. And I guess I was curious."

He laughs bitterly. "Curiosity killed the cat, Percival. Would not recommend."

"Are you the cat in this metaphor?"

I glance back. He looks stiff.

"No. No, I'm the curiosity. Practically the fucking embodiment of it. Do you know where I can get a pack of cigarettes around here?"

"Mm, there might be a pack in the desk, but they're probably stale."

He waves it off, and opens the desk drawer. He startles.

"What is this bone from?"

I shrug. "Probably Darius left it here. That's all his shit."

He reaches around it and prises free a pristine pack of cigarettes.

"Who's Darius?"

"Just my old housemate. He moved back to Hell. Or he's gone. I don't really know, he comes and goes like that. I swear every demon I've met who can teleport is just like a cat."

Azarius hums. "I know a demon who can teleport. He just uses it to get groceries for his husband."

I snort. "I've never met a demon that could commit to a spouse."

He laughs, it's the loudest sound I've heard out of him. "Fuck, I wouldn't say either of them are the most committed. I mean, they both fucked me while in a relationship, so. That was pre-fuckup, though."