"Not the first? Are you sure it wasn't a Satyr?" Zarrin asked hastily, the idea that others were trapped in the same situation as him had never even occurred to him.

"Oho, I'm quite sure it was a human, with quite an unfortunate fate. Looked terrified out of his mind when he came asking me to help him. Gave him a concoction that would hide his horns. Still got some left from that pot, enough to keep you hidden for months." replied Nemo, "He then disappeared and never returned. Doesn't need to though, considering he has enough to keep his horns hidden for decades."

Zarrin stayed quiet as he followed Nemo, through the maze of broken shops and houses. His mind went back to the person afflicted with the same threat as him, he never gave any indication of making a deal with anyone else. So could there be other demons, feasting upon other people's misery in the pretense of making a deal?

"Why were you terrified when I stepped back, but not when I held the gun to your face?" he asked Nemo.

"I...didn't realize it was a gun, it was so close to my face that I thought it was your fist honestly. Because of the darkness." he added hastily, "But when you stepped back I almost shit myself. Haha, quite funny right?"

"Feels stupid." Zarrin replied. He might have gotten involved with an idiot, but he could his advice. Nemo was a shapeshifter all. "How does it work, shapeshifting?"

"I dunno how to describe it to someone like you, for most it's nothing but a weird feeling, and painful for very few. For me and my kind, it's nothing. It feels as natural and easy as walking." he stopped for as if deep in thought then continued, "Changing ourselves requires no effort, but changing others requires spells that need to be spoken without error else the person is going to end up looking like a pile shit. Don't worry though as I'm a master at it." he said it with so much enthusiasm that it made Zarrin chuckle a bit. "What? Don't think I'm all that do you, well ill show ya you bastard."

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Amused by Nemo's comments, Zarrin realized that he had the first non-aggressive conversation with someone in months.

"Ah, we're here! Welcome to my humble abode, oh great Horned Kingslayer. Hope it's to your liking." Nemo pushed open the door of a small hut. Entering it, Zarrin was alarmed to find out that it was fully illuminated, causing him to shield his eyes. "A little gift from a friend, keeps the inside completely illuminated but prevents anyone from seeing the light from the outside. Helps keep me safe from those who come looking."

Looking around, Zarrin spotted many mirrors and pans on the walls. It was fairly small, built with wood and with a small fireplace, though that seemed to be clogged up. Wait, pans? Could I get some cooked food for once? His stomach let out a loud growl, "Hungry huh, no worries. Chef Nemo will fill your belly with some sweet cooked rabbit."

"Rabbits again!" Zarrin grumbled before he could stop himself, "I'll take it."

"By the way, you never mentioned your name, and neither do the wanted posters. Everyone refers to you as the horned devil. So I'm curious." Nemo asked as he put on an apron. In proper light, Zarrin could look at him properly, the shapeshifter's appearance was more refined than he expected. Hair tied in a bun and white skin. His face was fairly average. Though this wasn't his true form, well shapeshifters don't one. they simply take the forms of others, straight from birth. When it came to his name, he didn't trust Nemo entirely yet but if he went into his home with and was about to food prepared by him, then he might as well tell him.

"Zarrin, Zarrin Tonnali."

"Wait a damm minute, wait. Tonnali, are you from fucking Cambrolia! What the hell are you doing on the other side of the continent!?" Nemo screamed.

Annoyed by the screaming, he tiredly replied, "A secret and a long story. But what are you doing in a deserted city?" he demanded.

'Running a business, a beauty parlor if you will. Plus the city's only half deserted. All the inhabitants of this shantytown left when the civil war in the neighboring empire started along with the others, fearing they'd be caught up in the violence. And the big men are too lazy to move in and clear out the shithole, leaving me perfectly alone." he began humming a familiar tune as he skinned a rabbit and boiled some water.

To pass the time Zarrin seated himself in one of the three chairs available, and pulled out a book from his pouch, "Sortir" he muttered, bringing the book out. It was a book he had already read but not in quite some time.