"Where do the shadows go off to once the sun is gone and the moon rises? Have you ever wondered?" The voice of a priest bellowed out the daily sermon as they passed through the town.
Freir put a hand out in front of him once he noticed Rein had stopped to listen. Ari disliked Rein. It was no secret, but his dislike of him grew since that night. He respected him for his steadfast way in believing every honeyed word that dripped from the priest's mouths about holiness and righteousness. However, he could not say that any longer. No, not anymore. It was no longer enough.
"They steal into the night like the demons that prey upon us. Hiding under beds, inside closets, behind shutters and doors, they watch and they wait," the priest continued as the gasps echoed through the small crowd of people.
"But fear not. Those who are the gods' children will not be harmed. No, these demons cannot touch the holy and the pure. They go only after the sinners and the tainted. Give now to our mission, so that we can cast this evil out once and for all."
The jingle of coins echoed in Ari's ears as he looked up at the robed priest standing at a makeshift podium where the can of coins lay. Cloaked in a dark, hooded robe with a frayed rope cinched around his waist, the man's face remained mostly shrouded. It was evident, however, that he belonged to the Khaeo. As the crowd dispersed, Freir seized Ari's arm, urging him toward the priest.
"Must we do this now?" Ari hissed.
"He is our brother," Freir said.
"A priest," Rein added, causing Ari's glare to intensify.
"Eryk," Freir said as he bent down to one knee bringing Ari down with him. Freir bowed his head before the priests crossed his hands over his chest and then removed them, spreading his arms to either side of himself in silent praise to the gods.
"Rise child of Oliya, child of Ylana." He looked to Frier and Rein, respectively, ignoring him altogether. His dark eyes lingered on Ari for a fleeting moment before he sneered and gestured for them to rise.
"You made it here. I thought the horde had gotten to you," Eryk exclaimed.
"They had, but we managed," Rein replied.
"Why is it that the boy looks cleaner than the two of you?"
"Well, he had a special caretaker," Rein quipped, walking behind Eyrk while the crowd parted and bowed in his presence.
Ari was no boy. At nine and ten, he considered himself a grown man in the eyes of many. Every encounter with the priest felt like a condescension he had endured since childhood. He loathed the man, a sentiment that had not diminished over the years. Instead, it had grown, though he had learned to mask his emotions, making them less apparent over time.
"Is that so? Well, I am not so surprised. Come, come inside. We have been expecting you for some time now."
Before Ari could turn to leave, Freir wrapped his arm around his neck and took him inside.
"Ari, do not do this now. Would you like to sleep outside?"
As they entered the church's common room, Ari averted his eyes. The east wing echoed with the voices of priests delving into discussions about the great gods and their wisdom. The walkways were lined with Sanclii, the revered protectors blessed by Clius, the god of wisdom. The noise heightened, pounding in Ari's head and making his ears ring. His senses, naturally more sensitive than most, appeared to have sharpened further since leaving the inn.
"The Chief Priest is gone, at the moment." Eryk's voice boomed through the ruckus.
Within these walls, only men were allowed. Women, unless given the sacred roles of Santi, Sanclius or priestess, were barred entry. Chaste and bound by oaths sworn upon the holy stone, they refrained from bearing children or pursuing love beyond their devotion to the gods. Ari, however, did not belong to their ranks. Unlike Freir and Rein, he had not yet earned the title of a Sanclius.
The priest gave them each a look as they stopped inside a corridor. "We have only two rooms left available. Everyone is migrating towards the north for fear of the demons now overtaking much of the lower south," Eryk said.
"There is no problem with that. We can make do with just one room. Give the other room to some other," Freir answered.
The priest cast a discerning gaze their way as they came to a halt in a dimly lit corridor. "Food will be served early in the mornings and late evenings. If you are hungry before that time, grab something from the kitchens. Freir, you should know where things are."
Rein swung the door open and dropped a bag Ari hadn't noticed, letting it thud onto the floor. Freir slumped onto the bed with a relieved sigh and a grin.
"Good to have a roof over our heads again, eh?" Freir said.
Ari shot him a disdainful look, causing Rein to push his shoulder in return. Why pretend he knew nothing? They had broken a sacred vow, a holy oath. Nolan's judgments about them held some truth after all.
"Why do you look at me so full of hate, Ari? I came back for you!" Freir said.
Ari kicked away a small bowl on the ground before he sat down and faced the window. Freir and Rein were liars unlike Auovin, who, while not entirely truthful, did not seem to indulge in outright lies. The demon had a strange and peculiar air about him, as if he possessed knowledge hidden from Ari, delighting in dangling it over his head and toying with him. Somehow, Ari suspected Freir and Rein knew what it was and just like Auovin, they were using that knowledge to their own benefit, leaving him to wander in the dark.
"Tell me about him," Ari demanded.
"About what?" Rein questioned, eyeing Ari.
"The Blood Demon."
"We are far away from that creature now, Ari. No need to fear," Freir reassured.
"Fear?" Ari scoffed. No, fear was not in his thoughts—more so curiosity than anything else.
"When he finds me... he will not be happy... The only thing I fear is your lives being in jeopardy."
"And not your own?" Freir asked. Rein continued to stare in silence.
Ari shook his head. "He would have done so already... if he wanted to. You know, when you left me behind."
"You told me to leave you! Ari, what has gotten into you? What has that cursed thing said? They are lies, nothing but lies sprinkled with truths," Freir hissed.
Ari's eyes lowered, acknowledging the weight in Freir's words. He pressed his hand to the bite marks speckling one side of his neck and the other on his right arm. It was strange. Even at this distance, Auovin still felt close. Freir believed what he was feeling for the demon was kindred, but it was not. How could it be, after all Auovin had done to him? Yet, there was something, something there that made goosebumps cover his skin and his heart grow unsteady. Familiar.
"He has said nothing more than what I was already thinking before..." Ari mumbled before eyeing Freir again. "I had been doing this since I was a boy. Younger than most, yet I am still not eligible to become a Sanclii. Why? There is nothing that I am lacking, although you are quite lacking in many ways."
"Not right now, Ari. Things are tense," Freir warned.
"Oh, are they? I am sure they are. I wonder in which ways you relieve your tension."
"Ari," Rein growled as Ari rose from the floor, dusting off his pants.
He had never been one to be insolent towards his uppers, but he had enough. Before Freir could get in another word, Ari was out the door mumbling curses under his breath. Freir was the one who had told him swearing was as if you were swearing to the gods themselves and to never do it. Ari laughed. What a hypocrite of a man he was.
Ari stalked off towards the smell coming from one of the kitchens. His stomach growled. He was tired of the nuts and berries he was forced to live off of during their journey. There were few things that brought Ari joy, and food was certainly one of them. As he turned the corner, the main kitchen unfolded before him. Spits turned with smoked pig and deer, tables laden with bread, pints of ale, and mead. Ari's gaze was drawn to a bowl of fruits peppered with strawberries. Since he was a child, he had always loved them.
He took a step closer. The cook spun around and hurled a blade. It grazed his ear, embedding itself in a wooden post near his head. "Boy, do not walk like that 'round here. Ye make yerself known, aye."
Ari blinked for a moment, then nodded, continuing toward the enticing red berries.
"Ye hungry, is that it?"
Ari's gaze fixed on the old man, who turned the spit with the succulent pig on it. The aroma wafted through the air, teasing Ari's hunger. The cook chuckled warmly and gestured toward a vacant seat at the nearby table.
"The berries, eh? Go on. Go have some," the cook encouraged, pulling out the chair for Ari.
Ari seized a ripe strawberry, taking a tentative bite before savoring the burst of flavor and deciding to devour the entire fruit in one go. The old man laughed and joined him, pulling up a chair and sliding a plate of food within Ari's reach.
"Ye not a Sanclius, are ye? Just a Santi."
Ari nodded in acknowledgment, his focus shifting momentarily from the strawberries to the old man's weathered face. The skin bore the marks of four prominent claw scars, etched across his face. Ari's gaze lingered on the left eye, a clouded shade of blue that concealed any reflection. It seemed as though the old man's history was etched into the very contours of his face, telling silent tales of battles or challenges faced. Ari could not help but contrast it with the other eye, clear and revealing, almost as if it held secrets he was yet to discover.
"Ya young, boy. Still a chance to make somethin' of yeself other than this."
He came from Vermur, the eastern lands, a fact made certain from his distinctive accent. Given Vermur's disapproval of the Khaeo ways, Ari wondered what circumstances led a person from such a place to end up here.
"This is all I have ever known," Ari replied, his words muffled by the food in his mouth.
The cook, seemingly unperturbed, responded, "There is still much to be known."
Ari glanced up at the cook, awaiting more words. "Chew ye food. Ye look like a squirrel," the old man advised, causing Ari to quickly chew and swallow, anticipating more wisdom. However, silence lingered for a few moments. The old man, fixated on the wall, remained unblinking, before redirecting his focus back to Ari.
"Give me ye hand."
Ari hesitated, withdrawing his hand. "I will not harm a hair on ye pretty, little head," the old man mocked, coaxing Ari to do as asked.
Reluctantly, Ari extended his hand, and the man took a knife from the table, cutting the palm of Ari's hand. "You lied," Ari hissed.
"We all lie," the old man retorted, looking at Ari as his lips parted. "Let me see ye neck, boy."
Ari recoiled, snatching his hand, the blood in his palm pooling and dripping onto the floor. The old man's eyes widened with caution as he stood up, moving around the table. Ari stepped back toward the door, but before he could react further, Freir grabbed him, firmly pushing him behind himself.
"Ye let that boy in here knowing what he is!" the man yelled. Ari's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and concern.
"Clement—"
"The boy is tainted! Marked! He is marked!"
Rein emerged like a shadow from behind the old man and slammed his head against the wooden table.
"Tainted?" Ari's voice shook.
"Do not worry over it. We will take care of it," Rein assured.
"It is the demon. It was him, was it not?" Ari whispered.
"Burn the etylin in that pot there. The steam will be more than enough to suppress his memory," Freir instructed Rein.
Freir ushered Ari back into the room, locking the door behind them. Ari attempted to speak, but before he could, Freir poured ale on his injured hand and bandaged it with a torn piece of his shirt.
"Be angry with me. Be upset with me, but Ari, do not stray far from my sight. Not until we reach Nolan and the others. Do you hear me?" Freir shook him, emphasizing his point. "Do you hear me?"
Ari remained silent.
"If you do not, Ari..." Freir stepped back, unlocking the door before heading back outside. Ari heard the door click into place from the other side, causing him to purse his lips. He paced around the room for what felt like hours until fatigue finally caught up with him. Just as he was about to sit down, a loud thump echoed through the space.
Ari's heart raced. The candles in the room extinguished suddenly, enveloping him in darkness. Not a sliver of light remained, not even from the windows. Rather than moving, Ari remained perfectly still, so still that he believed he could hear the blood coursing through his veins.
His hair was gently swept aside as something warm and wet trailed up the back of his neck. He shuddered in response, small tremors coursing through him as the sensation reached the nape of his neck.
"The smell of your fear... is quite intoxicating," Auovin murmured into his ear. "But the taste of your pain is even more so."
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[A/N] So much new information presented here! What do you think is happening-- going to happen-- now? Auovin is definitely putting a literal meaning to being tormented by a demon.
Leave me your thoughts down below!