“-nder what an imp’s doin’ all the way out here,” a voice said from above him. Accompanying the voice was something prodding his back. “‘Ey, you shouldn’t sleep on the ground.”
Rayan groaned, pushing his front half up and examining his surroundings with bleary eyes. Despite his above-average night vision, it was very dark there. It seemed like he was in some sort of cave.
“Oh, you’re alive. Rats. Now I can’t cut your wings off without feelin’ bad about it.”
Rayan looked behind himself in alarm, seeing the source of the voice. He crawled away quickly, scrambling to his feet afterward. Wrapping his wings around himself, he held them protectively. “I don’t use them much, but I get the feeling that someone else might have an issue with that.”
The demon now in front of him had a rather slender body, though from their features alone, Rayan wasn’t able to tell if they were male or female. Too soft to be manly, but a bit too rugged to be feminine. Long navy blue hair fell around their pale face and their eyes were strikingly white. Most eye-catching were their black horns, which were long, curved, and branched into two prongs. They held a polearm with a long blade and were wearing two bags over each shoulder, with one being larger than the other. In addition to the polearm, they had some sort of blade sheathed at their waist.
While he was examining them, the demon cleared their throat. “Well, I might feel bad about it, but wings sell for a lot. Don’t make this too hard, alright?”
"Oh, shit. Mutae, help me out here if you can," Rayan urgently requested.
There was silence, then a defeated sigh. "I do not believe we can win this fight. This demon seems likely to spare us if we surrender, at least."
Rayan grit his teeth, taking a deep breath before he put his hands up. “Do what you want, I won’t fight you,” he hesitantly stated.
“Ah, good answer. I’ll even be nice and leave you alive since you’re so cooperative,” the demon said playfully as they approached him. “This’ll hurt a lot, by the way. Take your shirt off and lay down on your side,” they ordered.
Rayan did as ordered, sliding his shirt off. He folded it and set it to the side, noting the holes in the back. Afterward, he laid down on his side. The demon knelt behind him, taking their bag off of their shoulder to look through its things.
“Oh, right. You pro’lly want somethin’ to bite down on. Here.” They pressed a wad of cloth against his mouth. Rayan took it, stuffing it between his teeth so he wouldn’t chip one from biting down on them too hard. There was a strange, unfamiliar scent clinging to the cloth. More concerningly, the shadows themselves seemed to be gripping onto him.
“Don’t worry about the shadows, I just don’t want you flailin’ around in pain,” the demon reassured with a smirk, patting him on the shoulder.
Rayan’s head had started to spin when the demon finished their preparations. “Get ready, I’m startin’,” was his only warning before the slicing began. Though he wanted to thrash in pain, he was kept still by the strangely solid shadows. All he could do to externalize his pain was scream, and scream he did. He could barely hear the sadistic cackling of the demon who clearly found amusement in his agony.
He was swimming on the edge of unconsciousness when he noticed that his back felt a lot lighter.
“Wow, you’re one tough imp. You barely screamed compared to the last few,” the demon remarked. They stood up and walked around him to kneel in front of him instead, then took the cloth out of his mouth. “Oh, oops. I gave you too much, didn’t I? You look fuckin’ out of it.”
Rayan nodded slowly, his eyes failing to focus on the blurry form of the demon. “Ugh, you- you know you should tell people if you’re gonna drug them, right?”
They shrugged. “It takes a bit of the pain away, I don’t see anythin’ wrong with it.”
“So you’re just gonna leave me out here like this?” Rayan asked. Though it made his dizziness even worse, he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Remembering his exposure, he picked his shirt up and put it back on.
“Pro’lly not. You want a fun fact?” the demon offered with a sly grin.
“What?”
“Greater demons can easily subjugate lesser ones with a piece of the lesser demon’s body. Only one greater demon at a time, though,” they explained.
Rayan’s sedated mind took several moments to process this information, though his blood froze when it did and his eyes widened in shock. Having to follow the orders of a human was one thing, but a demon was something entirely different. “You- you mean...” he trailed off.
“Yep. You seem a bit stronger than other imps, so I’ll settle on you for now.”
Rayan could only watch in horror as the demon took one of his severed wings out of their larger bag. After the demon said a short incantation, a rune appeared at the base of the wing. Burning pain radiated from Rayan’s back out of nowhere, forcing him to double over. It faded after only a few seconds though, leaving him panting.
“That was just a sample of what’ll happen if you disobey me. It can get worse if I want it to,” the demon warned, chuckling. They stood up straight then, gesturing for Rayan to do the same.
“So, what? What’ll you have me do?” he questioned as he stood up.
“First, carry this for me. My shoulder’s gettin’ sore.” The demon took its larger bag off, tossing it at Rayan.
He caught it, grunting from its weight. Since it was so heavy, he adjusted the strap to put it over his shoulder.
“They’re uncommon here, but I might get you a backpack since you can wear one now. Better for carryin’ a bunch of stuff,” they remarked in a mocking tone.
Rayan scowled. “I’ll just be your packmule, huh?”
“Mhm. I’ll pro’lly have you do other things, too.” The demon turned around and started walking. “There’s a few fightin’ rings nearby, maybe I could make a quick buck off of you that way.”
“Don’t think I’d be much use in a fight,” Rayan said as followed the demon. He was struggling to keep his balance, but at least he was able to compensate somewhat for the weight of the bag with his tail.
“Better hope you toughen up quickly, then.”
After a long period of silent walking, the demon spoke up again, “By the way, if you want to get on my good side, call me “master”. Do it often if you really want me to like you.”
Rayan narrowed his eyes at them. “What, are you into that?” His comment was met with a searing pain in his back that forced him to his knees. “Hng- fuck, stop!”
“If you’re gonna be rude, I gotta punish you. Beg for me to stop.” The demon had turned toward him to frown at him.
A second wave of pain made him rethink the snarky comment he had. “Ff- fine! I’m sorry for being rude, please stop.”
They crossed their arms. “And what do you call me?”
Rayan glared at the demon before hissing out, “Master.”
They stared at him for a moment longer before they turned around. “Good enough, I guess. Make sure to think twice about your comments next time,” they warned, then resumed walking.
Rayan got up to his feet again, following the demon. "Hey, anyone else willing to deal with this? I’ve had enough of this asshole."
He almost immediately got a response from Trevor, "Yeah, sure. But first, how hot is the demon? I haven’t been paying attention."
Rayan eyed the demon before replying, "I can’t tell if they look more like a woman or a man, and they’re probably into being called 'master'. Does that help?"
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He wasn’t met with a response, only the quick sinking feeling that let him know that he didn’t have to deal with them again for now.
Trevor shuddered once he was in control, reaching up to hold his head. Rayan certainly didn’t mention this. He took a moment to steady himself before he followed the demon.
“So, master,” he began, “you have anyone else in your life? Anyone you like, maybe?”
"Please don’t try to make it like you in that way. I was a minor before I died, y’know."
“Hm, not really. I’ve been travelin’ alone for a long time,” the demon replied.
Trevor clicked his tongue in annoyance. Well, he’d hold back for Rayan’s sake. “Are you glad that you have company now, master?”
“Oh? Yeah, I guess. Don’t get to talk much,” the demon admitted with a short sigh. “We’re close to a city, let’s see if they got any backpacks. I’ll also have to get someone to make a charm.”
Trevor looked ahead, seeing lights and what looked like buildings along the dark, rocky cliffs. They were silhouetted against a dull red-orange glow farther along the ravine. Some of them were really high up, which worried him. Either he’d have to fly which he obviously wasn’t able to do anymore, or the streets were really steep.
The two finally stepped onto a paved path, which made the walking much easier. Trevor shifted the bag uncomfortably. Its weight really was excessive, which made him wonder what the hell the demon was storing in it.
It wasn’t long before the pair reached the wall of the city. Trevor briefly wondered what the point was when most demons could fly, but he caught the faintest glimmer of a disturbance above it. Maybe some sort of barrier?
The demon walked up to a window on one side of the gate, waving to the guard inside. “Oi. I want in.”
The guard looked them over. “Oh, Aralan. Been a while, eh? I see that you finally got yourself a slave.”
“Yeah, yeah. Took a while to find one worth my time. Got a lotta shit to sell, hurry up,” Aralan said, casting a glance at Trevor.
“Got it,” the guard said before the gate opened.
Aralan walked through it and then continued down the street. Of course, Trevor followed. Inside the walls, the city was a little less bustling than he initially thought. Maybe this was just because they were on a less populated side. After all, he hadn’t seen anyone else at the gate.
“Well, welcome to the capital of the Sloth Prince. Nobody really comes in this way, but still make sure to stay close to me. As long as you do, others will know that you’re owned and won’t try to take your tail or horns,” Aralan explained.
“Is that common?” Trevor asked.
They chuckled. “Mhm. Lots of people around here just want easy money, and imps are too weak to fight back. Good thing you didn’t fight me, huh? I wouldn’t have spared you.”
“Yeah. Thank you, master. You’re even indirectly protecting me,” he said with a smile.
They cast a glance over their shoulder, nodding in approval. “You’re takin’ this well for an imp that’s been humiliated. Does your back still hurt?” Of course, there was no concern in their voice, only mockery.
“No, not even a hint of pain. You must’ve fixed up the wounds really well,” he complimented. “Did you use a spell, master?”
“Just a basic one,” Aralan answered before walking up to a door and opening it. They went inside, waiting for Trevor to enter the building before closing the door.
The interior of the building indicated that it was a shop, but the wares were very questionable. Various demonic body parts were stocking the shelves, including wings, tails, horns, hands, and sometimes fingers. He hoped that most of the demons these parts came from were already dead when they were dismembered.
Loud snoring was coming from behind the counter. Trevor soon realized that it was the shopkeeper, laying on a couch with a book over his head.
“Oi, wake up. I got shit to sell,” Aralan called as they approached the counter.
“Mm?!” The shopkeeper sat up, making the book fall. He yawned and then stretched languidly, idly looking at Aralan. “Oh, hey. Just dump it on the counter and I’ll see how much I owe you.”
“The bag.” Aralan reached back, holding their hand out to receive the bag they’d entrusted to Trevor.
Trevor took the bag off his shoulder, handing it over to them.
Aralan grabbed the bag, promptly dumping its contents out on the counter.
“Ugh, you always bring so much,” the shopkeeper complained, getting up from his comfortable couch and walking over to the counter. “I could close earlier if you didn’t bring me so much to sell.”
“You’d go out of business if it weren’t for me. Hurry up and count.”
The shopkeeper mumbled something under his breath before counting out some green gemstones and dropping them into a small sack. “I’ll buy all this for fifty-three veres. Deal?”
Aralan eyed the demon parts, then nodded. “Seems fair.”
“Oh, thank Mammon,” the shopkeeper sighed in relief. He dropped the sack on the counter, then collected the various parts into a larger one.
Aralan took the sack, counting the gemstones inside before emptying them into a gem bag of their own. “Right, let’s go.” They tossed their bag at Trevor, then walked to the doors.
Trevor caught the bag and put it over his shoulder, following them again.
“Thanks for the stuff, I guess,” the shopkeeper called from the back.
“Yeah, whatever,” Aralan replied, opening the door and leaving.
Once out, they turned and started walking farther into the city. It was a mostly quiet walk until they spoke up again, “So, did I scare you that much, or do you just have multiple personalities? You’re acting very differently from how you acted before.”
“Hm? Oh, there’s just a few other people in here. Spirits, souls, whichever you wanna call it. Is that weird?” Trevor asked.
Aralan went “huh”, crossing their arms. “Oh. Ohhh, you’re really new, aren’t you? How many other souls do you have?”
“Six.”
“Brand new, then. That explains a lot. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you guys.” After a brief pause, they continued, “By the way, who was that first one? He was pretty fun to mess with.”
Trevor frowned. “His name’s Rayan. He was a minor when he died, so make sure nobody gets to him, master.”
Aralan snorted. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Could I call you ma'am, instead? It'd be easier," Trevor remarked.
At that, Aralan fixed him with a stare. “So, you think I’m a woman?”
Trevor shrugged. “It’s hard to tell.”
Aralan hissed in frustration. “That damn succubus! I used to look much more like a man before she got to me. Now, unless you want a taste of what Rayan felt, never imply that I look like a woman again.”
“Got it, so you’re a man. Good thing I’m open-minded,” Trevor lightheartedly remarked. “Not that I’ll try to get in your pants.”
Aralan rolled his eyes. “We’re close to a shop we can get equips in. Once we’re done there, we’ll head out again.” He seemed to go into thought for a moment or two. “Oh, right. You’re a familiar, aren’t you?”
“Mhm. Some boy with a weird name can summon me.”
“I could follow you out when he summons you again and kill him. Would you like that?” Aralan asked. “I’m due for a change of scenery, anyway.”
Trevor frowned. “Not really. He’s just some innocent kid, he doesn’t deserve to die.”
Aralan pursed his lips. “Fine, spoilsport. I won’t. Humans live such short lives, anyway.” Afterward, he approached a different building. “Alright, the succubus that runs this shop is a little much. Make sure to not get carried off by her.” With that warning, he opened the door and went in.
Trevor followed him in, looking around. There were various accessories and clothes on display, as well as bags. Only one or two backpacks were out, but the straps were very long. Probably so they would be positioned at the lower back rather than the upper back.
“Ooh~ what has Asmodeus brought to me today?” a succubus behind the counter called out. “A cute little imp and Aralan?”
“Ugh, hey. I just need a backpack and a charm made,” Aralan said as he walked toward the counter. He fished Trevor’s wing out of his bag, setting it down in front of her.
“Oh, you wanna keep this close to you, huh? What kind of charm?” the succubus asked, gently picking up the wing. “I could fix it to a talisman you can attach to your belt, or an amulet.”
“A talisman might be better,” Aralan mused, turning to check out the backpacks. He knelt down, picking one up. After adjusting the straps for a moment, he turned toward Trevor. “Hey, put this on. See if it fits right.”
Trevor took the backpack, putting it on. “Yep, it fits. It’s pretty comfortable.” He took it off, handing it back to Aralan.
Aralan went back to the counter, setting the backpack on top of it. “Are you almost done with that, Korrad?”
“Gimme a moment~” she said in a singsong voice. “I need to pour some more of my love into this.”
Aralan sighed, leaning on the counter as he waited. “How long do you think it’ll be until he summons you again?” he asked Trevor.
“Hmm, hang on.”
"Hey Rayan, when’s he gonna summon us again? Do you know?" Trevor mentally asked.
"After school, maybe. He won’t want to walk home through the woods alone," Rayan replied. "Oh yeah, it was morning when we got here."
“After he’s done with his classes. It was morning when he dismissed us,” Trevor explained. “Does time pass normally here?”
“Oh, you’ll pro’lly be summoned really soon, then. Might not even get to leave the city,” Aralan said as he put his hand up to his chin.
“Good, it’s pretty hot here,” Trevor complained. “It’s like that time I visited Florida.”
Aralan snickered. “You get used to it.” He blinked, staring at Trevor. “Huh, you’re being summoned. Have fun out there.”
Trevor looked down, seeing that his hands were glowing. “Yeah, seeya.” His vision was overtaken by light, accompanied by the somewhat familiar pulling sensation of summoning.