Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 9.6: Revelations II

"And you? What do you want?"

Auovin closed his eyes and removed his hand from Ari's face.

"Just to be away from the wretched things that caused me so much pain and took away things that were so very precious to me. I do not want our kind to suffer under their hands any longer."

"... When you took me in as a prisoner... "

"I meant to enlighten you on what you were and relieve you of your oppressors, but you were naive and clueless to everything. You would not even take my blood as weak as you were. I knew then too much too soon would ruin you..."

Ari sighed feeling the weight of his words on his chest.

"I did not think much of you until I saw your markings and realized the blood you carried, "Auovin continued. "When I... found out who you were, my first thoughts were to kill you. That way there would not be another one of you with that blood, but I could not. As terrible and cruel of a person I am, I could not do something that seemed so simple compared to many other things I had done."

Even as Auovin said those words, Ari saw the confliction in his eyes.

"Ylanan says I killed your father, but I did not. Harun did that to himself. He wanted to be a martyr to a cause that was lost and with his life did they take your mother's and even yours. Peace with the humans was never going to happen. They think of us as these devils that prey on their flesh when many of us do not even like the taste of their blood. They spread false stories and lies about us, garnering more hatred towards us. What use it now to be in the same land that harbors such creatures as them?"

"My father... I do not blame you... and although I feel as though I should hold him in some great reverence, I do not. Freir had raised me and been a father to me in his place."

"He is human," Auovin hissed.

"He is a father to me, and I love him. I love him dearly despite what terrible things he may have done... just as I do you. I cannot help it."

Auovin looked at him with narrowed eyes before moving further away from him.

"I know I cannot change you or your ways. I was dumb to think I could, but Auovin... I promise I will not abandon you even in this."

"Ari, go far far away from here. Do not ever come back. If you do, your choice will be made."

"What choice?"

"Waking the greats... "

"The greats?"

"Demons older and more ancient than I. Great demons that ruled over this world eons ago. They were sealed away by both humans and demons many years ago, so that we could claim this land for our own. Now the humans think to do unto us what we did to them... "

Ari was finding it hard to process all of this information. It sounded like a fairytale told to scare children.

"We will sleep?" Ari said, confused.

"No, not we... Ylanan and I. We will sleep. It is what the others want as well. Inge must already know of your origins. That is why you must leave before they come."

"Auovin, I do not understand any of this or my role in this. Is it because of my father and the blood I carry? Had he helped seal away them? He did, had he not? And Ylanan wants me to... " Ari looked at Auovin. "Is that why you wanted to be rid of me?"

As Auovin rose, Ari saw black markings speckling his arms up to the side of his face. There were hundreds and hundreds of tiny runes scrawled across his golden skin which Ari marveled at. He had never seen so much before. There were stumps at the sides of his head that looked to be from horns. Ari remembered once touching them and how sensitive Auovin grew to his touch. They were growing, Ari realized. They must have been as large as Ylanan's. So the question arose if Auovin possessed such a form as he? Ari had so many questions. He was so curious about Auovin and could not help but want to know more about him. Where did he come from? What did his markings mean? And the stumps on his head... How did he lose his horns?