Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 14.1: Unmasked

Ari stared up the stairway with Kaval leading the way up. He hesitated at the first step, but Kaval turned and grabbed Ari's hand in his. Kaval smiled and tugged him forward which comforted Ari much more than he would have liked. He was very comfortable around him. Maybe too comfortable. Despite such thoughts, Ari tightened his hand in his and followed Kaval up the stairs. 

It was chillier the further they went up, but there was also specks of light shining through the darkness. The quietness of the place seemed to add to the cold air. Ari could hear each footstep Kaval took. He could hear the brittle ice breaking under the pressure of Kaval's feet and his soft breaths. They formed clouds of air that disappeared in seconds like smoke. His hands were warm inside his which made Ari pull closer loving the warmth that Kaval's body brought him. 

He did his best to ignore the shadows morphing from nothing to creatures of darkness then back to nothingness once more. Once he was thankful for the bit of light, but now it only caused him to become more anxious than before. They were the same ones as before. The things that pulled him down and mocked him in the dark place. Ari loosened his hold on Kaval and stared at him.

"Yes, there are demons of the shadows that reside in every part of this world. Do not let the shadows scare you, though. They are mischievous creatures, but they will not do you any harm."

"How can they be mere shadows when I felt them pull at my ankles and feet?"

"They are not. You are mistaken. We only call them shadows because they reside in the shadows."

"Why?"

"Because they fear the light. Come now, this way, quietly."

Kaval pulled Ari beside him and pressed forward. "You must stay close. The appearance of a much greater demon is usually always present." 

"Greater?" Ari whispered.

"You may know of seeres and wyhils, but there are many more you do not know of. Speak of more like. The Khaeo is known for withholding such things... discrediting us in everything we once did for their kind."

Ari's eyes lowered.  

"We may be great demons but we are not the greatest. There is the hunted and the hunter in every circle of life, Ari. It was a lesson we had learned in one of the hardest ways possible." 

Kaval turned corner after corner swiftly. He pushed them up against a wall and took a peek around the next corner. Snickers came from behind them causing Ari to look around. He steeled his nerves and focused on where the sounds were coming from. Soon their pattering footsteps and snickers grew around them. Ari jolted away the moment something tugged his arm and pulled on his pants. They receded back into the darkness once a torch a light came from above. 

"Over here." 

Ari stumbled over broken ice and melted icicles but he caught his footing in time. The ice was slippery. He was used to treading on dirt, grass, and cobblestone. Nothing like this. He hoped he was not slowing Kaval down. When Ari pressed his back against the stone walls the chill of the ice ran up his spine causing him to shudder. The cold may not effect Kaval, but it did for him. He could withstand cold temperatures but not as the ones felt here. However, Ari bit his lip and said nothing. 

Small beady eyes glowed in the darkness surrounding them. Ari had already counted off five pairs. They disappeared before Ari could see their bodies. Ari was certain they were the things from before in the dark place. The things that grabbed his legs and tried to pull him down. 

"Kaval," Ari whispered. 

"What is it?"

When Ari tried to follow in Kaval's footsteps, he nearly fell to the ground if not for Kaval grabbing his wrist and hoisting him up. He could only see in shades of gray and even then his vision was not that great.