A demon walked close by to my lonesome table and gave him a nod.

Unsubtly, in response, I raised an eyebrow and leaned back in my chair, observing the character. Tall. Dark, with horns. Blue skin, with black markings, and a distinguished kind of build that which many warriors would be jealous of. I noted his friend with him, who equally seemed able to hold himself in a fight, if appearance was anything to go by. They eyed me curiously, likely residents or common dwellers in this odd little town and noticing that I was a stranger. But I did not care. My fingers curled around the cold glass of my beer and I pulled back the alcohol into my gullet like a starving man desperate for water.

Don't get drunk now, the being who existed within me chided.

My other eyebrow rose to meet the one already high as I smiled into the golden liquid. Slowly I lowered it.

We are finally able to have a moment to ourselves, I told her. If there was ever a time to get drunk it is now.

'Des' - at least that was what she called herself - the ancient goddess of destruction who had somehow existed for era as a form of ghost and now lived within me like a leech, grinned. Or she would have, if she had her own body. Instead I caught an image of a wicked smile and the general feeling of elation. We are free, she whispered, and that is a good thing. But we could be drinking something far more delicious than your ... beer.

I knew she meant blood. She delighted in the red, thick liquid, uncaring if it came from bird, beast or man. Generally fresh and raw meat was to her standards also, better if it had come from something we had killed ourselves. And we were very good at killing. Together, with my body and her power we were a force unstoppable by many degrees, which, when our identities merged and truly had the best of symbiotic relationships, could decimate an army in minutes.

But my issue was - the time for all that was over. The ashfall had come, and went, my brother's conquests had been successful. Yes, there were still rapists and murderers and all sorts of criminals out there, but all in all we had peace. We had sanctuary. Life was good, and all I wanted to do was rest.

Softly, I shook my head at Des and refocused on the demon and his friend, finishing off my beer before I began to stand. We are free, but we have bathed in blood enough, now is time for rejoicing. My way.

And I began to walk over to the table with the beings. Whereupon I sat down, slamming my heavy glass down.

"Do you gamble?" I asked, Des' grin coming to my face.