Nix woke up with a warm feeling on his right cheek. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a rune-covered chest in front of him. It was so soft and comfortable that he would have preferred to fall asleep again. He was more relaxed than he had been in a long time. Smiling, he pressed his nose against Lyric's skin and inhaled his smell.
He had already noticed last time that Lyric had a very unique smell. Nix couldn't name what the rune demon smelled like. It was more of a sense of warmth and satisfaction that he conveyed. Simply unique. Nix smiled.
"What are you grinning about, little butterfly?"
The chest on which he lay vibrated with every word, but Nix didn't move an inch. He began to draw circles on Lyric's skin with his fingers. "I'm happy right now, can't I be that?" he asked in an insulted voice.
"If I'm the reason for that, then you're welcome to grin happily," his rune demon replied.
Nix didn't interrupt the circling for a moment. I want to tease him a little. "And if someone else was the reason?" he asked playfully.
Suddenly he was turned over and Lyric's face was very close to his, deep black eyes looked into his own. "Then I will wipe them out, because I don't share," he grumbled.
Nix' heartbeat accelerated and excitement flowed through his body. A grin spread on the demon's face.
"Little naughty butterfly, didn't you have enough yesterday?" Lyric asked in a deep voice.
Nix gently pressed against Lyric's chest, causing them to switch places with Lyric on his back. He should move as little as possible for his injuries had not yet healed. "I could also ask you the same question, you got your money's worth," Nix replied with a lascivious grin.
Lyric laughed softly. "That's right. Nobody has taken possession of me like that before."
Surprise and a different feeling spread in the oracle's chest. He couldn't grasp it. No one but me. Mine. He had to calm down, otherwise they would immediately embrace each other hot and excited again. Nix wouldn't like to do so, but there was something else that was more important to him. "Lyric. Would you be willing to share your story of the curse with me?" he asked and lay back on the left side of Lyric's chest, which was not injured.
Lyric sighed. He had known that Nix would ask him about it again. Was he ready? He has entrusted everything to me, so it is only fair if I am also open and honest with him. "I warn you, this is not a nice story," he replied.
"I'm ready. I'm here for you."
Fair enough. The only one who knew the story was Belial. Now another person would learn of his flaw. Lyric was a little afraid that Nix might turn away from him, and yet he chose the truth. "After Belial rescued and trained me, I lived with him for many decades. But at some point I decided that it was time to go my own way. I didn't want to be a burden to Belial, even though it had never been that way for him. He gave me so much and I wanted to repay him. So I left his estate and went on a trip.
I met many different demons that I could help with the use of my abilities. Secretly, however, I was also looking for my peers, because I had hoped that someone else other than me had survived the attack. So I could at least help Belial's guilty conscience some. But in all this time, I have never met any other rune demon besides me.
One evening a stranger approached me in a restaurant. He said he noticed that I was looking for my peers and that he had information on where they were. At that time I had a bad feeling, because somehow he seemed familiar to me, but I didn't know where from."
Lyric broke off briefly.
"Unfortunately, I didn't listen to that feeling..."
The memory appeared in front of Lyric's eyes. It hadn't faded for a second that had passed, the night that changed his life forever.
____________________________
Lyric opens up and tells Nix about the curse.
What do you think will happen next?
Who could be the stranger who lured him into the trap?
Your Mouse Goddess
271 years ago...
Lyric sat at the counter and drank a tart rum. The alcohol burned on his lips and warmed his stomach. Maybe I should give it up, after all this time I didn't find anything. Resignation spread in him. He was tired of receiving hope again and again, but it was destroyed shortly afterwards.
What did I leave Belial for if I don't return with anything? Frustrated, he slammed his fist on the counter.
"Why so upset?" a male voice to his left asked. A demon unknown to him had settled there one chair away and looked at him curiously. What does he want?
"Nothing. Time for me to go," Lyric replied and stood up.
"I've heard that you're looking for rune demons."
Lyric froze and turned to the stranger. "What do you know?" he asked directly.
"I have information that might interest you," the stranger replied.
Something about his gaze caused an unpleasant feeling in Lyric's body, but against his instincts he sat down again. "What do you want?" he asked the demon.
He just grinned. "Just a nice conversation, nothing more."
Lyric didn't believe a word. No one gave anything without expecting anything in return.
"How about a good drink?" the stranger suggested, but something about his kindness caused a sour feeling in Lyric's mouth, as if something was wrong. But what did he have to lose? He wasn't much poorer with the drink if he was a scammer. He ordered a rum from the stranger and looked at him with an expectant look. What did he have to say to him?
"I heard of an auction where a female demon with silver hair and pointed ears is to be sold. It should be an extraordinary beauty," the demon began.
That he took a break and took a sip of the drink confirmed Lyric in his assumption that he wanted something else from him. The stranger fed him a rather superficial piece of information to entice him. Lyric would continue with the ruse and see how he behaved. "What's her name?" he asked.
"Unfortunately, I don't know, but I can tell you when and where the auction will take place. It takes place in three hours in the Silver Arrow. That's all I know." Then the stranger drank his drink with pleasure and got up. "Thank you very much for the drink, I have to set off now," he said, bowing and then leaving the building.
Lyric was confused, because he hadn't expected this reaction. The stranger had given him his information and had left without a demand. Lyric looked thoughtfully at the counter. Something must be wrong here... But what if he just wanted to be kind and help him?
Contrary to his bad feeling , he decided to follow the trail. He sent a raven with a message for Belial to tell him he was going to this auction. So at least someone knew where he was – just in case. And so he used the rest of the time to prepare himself.
Just in time for the mentioned time, he stood in front of the building called 'The Silver Arrow'. It was a hell of vice with prostitution and other things. He wasn't surprised that illegal auctions took place there. Carefully he entered the establishment.
The walls were a rich red and the ceiling black. The same colors were found in the seating and tables. There were many niches and corners, walls that hid you. The light was dimmed and bodies turned against each other and rubbed each other. Lightly dressed demons and demons delighted to be their customers. Some were already in the middle of physical union and groaning.
"Are you looking for something specific? Or would you like to work here? If the latter is the case, then you have a secure job," a darkly dressed demon asked with a glowing look.
Lyric turned to him. Pervert. "I'm looking for someone like my own. I heard that she is in this establishment tonight," he replied. He had to be careful, because mentioning an auction wasn't always desired and he didn't want to be thrown out.
The demon's gaze changed. "I understand, please follow me," he said, running through the rows towards a black door. He held a green stone on a chain hanging around his neck to the door and it opened.
Lyric followed him and theyentered a corridor. The sounds fell silent when the door closed. They walkedaround the corner towards another door, which he opened with another stone.Then he motioned for Lyric to walk through. When Lyric stepped through thedoor, it closed abruptly. At that moment, he knew he had made a mistake. But itwas too late, because he didn't see the blow coming. They had been waiting forhim. Pain exploded in his head and the darkness swallowed him.