“Yes, she is. She is also twisted and not what she should be.” The demonling froze at my words. “I, small one, am the Huntsman. I am not an assassin, here to replace you. I am merely another blade in the belt. You, wish to remain near her correct?”
“You're damn fucking right I do you black-skinned bastard! And you aren't going to take her from me!” I raised my hands, empty.
“I do not seek to take her away, and do not care to. By having me in her employ - hers, not that of her master - she can have you remain by her side, sending me to slay things. While I can hunt and kill sentients, my preferred prey are Beasts, not man. That will likely remain your bailiwick.” The fiery thing paused and blinked, confused. “The things you are responsible for.” The explanation seemed to remind her of something. Her eyes narrowed.
“I'm responsible for her over anything else. So tell me before I fucking kill you too, why the hell you smell like her and why she's wearing your fucking coat!” She waved her dagger in my direction after stabbing it down into my coat, still on Scarlet’s body.
“I smell like her because she used me to hide from some of the Ethereal Sway that nearly saw her. She's wearing the coat because her clothes got torn up, and people were ogling her.”
“Wait - how the fuck did she hide using you that would - did she kiss your too tall fucking skinny ass?! No! She doesn't need anyone fucking else to come along and break her heart again! I refuse!” She snarled and lunged for me, dagger flashing. I blocked it with my left arm, the blade scraping against the stone, and threw her back. She slammed into the wall across from me and scrambled to her feet, snarling with rage - until my blade clicked out from behind my back. Her eyes focused on the jagged blade, and she paused. Good. She was at least smart enough not to attack someone who used a weapon she didn't recognize. Her eyes were trained, unwavering.
“Yes, she did. And she already apologized for it. I do not like that particular act - nor did either of us mean anything by it. She already told me I meant nothing to her.” And that pissed me off even more, who the hell kisses someone who means nothing to them? Even if I wasn't interested in a relationship something like that would hurt. And it had, but I'd shoved it away.
“That… blade. It’s got her blood on it.” There was an unnatural calmness to those words. Fuck. Fuck, no, don't fucking do it. “You hurt her.” This time, I barely saw the small demon move. One moment she had been standing there, staring at the Saw-Spear - and the next, I was dodging to the side, a dagger stabbing through the spot where I had been. If I hadn't had enhanced reflexes, I would have perished then and there.
Sweet moonlit night. She was actively trying to kill me, blade already drawn. Fuck, I didn't want to hurt her, she wasn't prey - but then, I wasn't her prey either. This wasn't the conclusion of a Hunt - this was just a fight. This wasn't like Philomel tracking me down - this was more like an angry child lashing out. With deadly force. And like an over active rabbit, she was springing around - and each time she lashed out, she was trying to plant her blade in a vital organ.. She was clearly well trained, and desperately trying to kill me.
Another lunge, and her dagger snaked out, trying to puncture one of my lungs. I twisted just in time to make the blade bury itself in my left arm. It scraped against the stone, and deflected upwards into my bicep, and I bit back a cry of pain. But - she was distracted. As she twisted the blade in my arm, her gaze shot over my shoulder, to where Dawn girl lay. I seized the advantage - and kicked, throwing the woman into a wall of the alley. The stone around her cracked.
“St-stop. Something’s wrong.” She dragged herself out of the wall and over to the body. Why the hell was she concerned? I’d seen the redhead revive, and hell, she’d killed her herself. She rushed past me, and slapped the body a few times, then flipped her over.
Advencia pushed scaler over and lifted the jacket then the dress and *his reaction to her booty and an intricate Sigil. “If she's not reviving on her own…..dammit scarlet don't you fucking care?” Advencia shot her eyes to me. “bleed. I need blood.”
I ripped the dagger from my left arm, and held my arm out. The demon girl grabbed my arm and held it over the body, and the fluid of my life fell down onto Scarlet’s back. Advencia smeared the blood over the sigil and it soaked in, and I raised my eyebrows as the sigil began to glow. Magic, of course.
“You were something great once...now you're just a monster.” Advencia murmured. “No one would ever love you. So why.. Why keep leaving us.?”
I found that hard to believe. While I was personally not interested in love right now - dawn girl was certainly attractive enough, and had pretty damn nice qualities. I doubted no one would ever love her. Of course, my opinion on that was twisted, because I was including her willingness to be cut and torn in that, and the taste of her blood, but hey. We sat there, watching - and Advencia was growing more and more concerned, biting her nails and shooting me angry glares.
She groaned and sat up. “dammit… I -” She leaned over and vomited black bile. Her body shivered. She looked worse for wear. Advencia stood and gave Amari a glare. “Why do you bother making these…. Connections?”
Scarlet was very quiet. Her head lowered. “I. Don't know why I bother…”
“Master is going to flay you for this. Fine. Whatever. When you're done here meet me at Reginald’s. I got a carriage to take us home. You - fuck you.” She glared at me and stormed off, as Scarlet slowly tried to get to her feet.
“You. Midnight man.” She stumbled to me and gripped my head and I saw -
I staggered back. Scarlet let out a snort as I shook my head slowly, trying to put everything together as I cleared away the grasp of memories that had wrapped around me. I stared for a long moment at Scarlet. She - it was a surprise that she tried to get close to anyone at all. But she wasn't trying to get close to me, was she now - no, we were allies. Not lovers, despite her insistence on kissing me. She started laughing, a bitter, cold laugh, and sat down heavily. “She's right. Connections don't matter. And it - it feels good to-”
“You - Dawn girl.” I cut her off, and black eyes flicked to me, staring. I didn't know if it was anger or confusion in her eyes. “We are not romantically entangled. But we do have a connection. You have recruited me - not your master, you. I am beholden to none but you. When you call, I will come.” I knelt down in front of her, and tapped her chest where she had inserted the stone. The demon child had not seen it, and even if she was flayed it was buried deep enough not to be found. “Speak, and I will answer. Call, and I will come.”
And she moon-be-damned started crying, bitter, angry tears that welled up in her eyes, and began rolling down her cheeks. They were tinted slightly black. “Lies.” I shook my head sharply.
“I do not lie, dawn girl. I am not - with no memories of a life before the school I am not a valid emotional connection. It seems - it seems I need to figure out where I stand in that regard. But as an ally, a comrade, I shall stand by you.” I stood up, and held out one hand to her. “Whether you accept it or not.” I owed her. She had - she had grabbed the false memories and torn them away, revealing the truth of my past to me. There was more there - but what, I didn't know.
She glared at my hand and pushed herself off the wall and without further word nor a look back at me she stumbled away, using the wall as support. Returning to a place I did not know and a place that I felt would only further crush what small semblance of emotion the woman had.
I sighed. And watched her walk away, shaking my head. Then I let out a slow breath, exhaling softly. Fucking fuck.
