Embers (Hana ✗ Sen)

[Mu]

The Butcher wasn't making noises of fury and enrage anymore, intent on destroying the intruders, take out the huge fire demon that had somehow entered its territory and the seemingly invisible attacker that lashed out at him from an ambush. Now they were like screams, shrieks of pain and suffering as it felt the burning, bleeding tendons of his arms and legs being severed until all it left was a bloody stump. It was too late to stop the flow of the blood, with his other arm being held tightly by Phynex and the other limbs being hacked away by Selene. Blood splattered and rained on the grass underneath their feet, spurts and gushes of the red liquid drenching the ground.

Phynex could still see the lingering pride of a demon in the Butcher's eyes, glimmering from within the glazed eyes of pain and anguish and looking like a spark of a flame inside his void, empty black eyes. Knowing that a week ago, Phynex would have been seen as an ally by this demon, it surprisingly did not hurt when he spat out his new title at him like something distasteful. Now he was a contract demon, to them, a traitor. Working with the enemy, and working side by side to kill their own kind. Phynex coolly stared the Butcher in the eyes, tightening his grip on the demon's thick wrist. "I will get what I asked for. What do you get for killing creatures? Short lived power." He brought his burning face closer to the distorted face of the giant demon. "I believe the scales are in my favour."

The fire demon barely blinked or said anything as the huntress drew her blade, pure black and gleaming in the light. At the sight of it, the huge demon began pleading for mercy, his eyes widening at the sight of the strange sword in his presence. Struggling against the binding of Phynex's tail, he tried to move away with his remaining leg. But it was useless, where could he go? How could the demon escape? With a missing arm and leg, finding the Butcher would be child's play. Phynex thought she was being merciful, finishing off the demon in one fell swoop instead of letting him go to suffer with two missing limbs. Someone his size wouldn't be able to balance and stand properly, much less fight.

For killing humans and their animals, the fire demon thought he deserved this fate. Witnessing the working of a hunter's dispatching of their targets, he could see why they needed to be eradicated. If these demons were going to walk around, gathering and controlling weaker demons and slowly dwindling the animals and human numbers, it would be a huge issue.

There was a disgusting squishing sound as the huntress drove the black blade into the left eye of the giant demon, his shrieks becoming more like a banshee's as he tried to wriggle out of the cool grasp of the hunter's blade, causing the weapon to dig even deeper into his eye socket and more blood flow. His entire body was covered in sticky, thick blood, caking his impressively muscular body. For a demon who looked like that and looked so intimidating, turned into a begging, pleading demon soaked in his own blood - it was difficult to comprehend. Phynex released his arm as Selene drove her blade even deeper, its screams growing louder and higher until it died off, the demon clasping his remaining hand over his bleeding, gaping eye socket, whimpering. The fire demon watched as the black blade sliced cleanly through the thick neck of the demon, his noises silenced, the big figure of the giant falling to the ground with thud.

 

[Hana]

The girl glanced down at the crumpled body of the Butcher on the ground between her and her partner. After a moment, she lifted her eyes to look at Phynex and let out a soft sigh. "It's done. The first name off my list of four," she murmured, sheathing her black weapon back into its equally black sheath once again. She was a little surprised at the cold look her partner directed towards his fellow demon earlier - and his own words. He didn't flinch from the sight of her killing someone of his own race, even at the merciless way she had stabbed into its eye and then slashed its throat for better measure.

From his words before this day, Selene had thought he would at least show reluctance at seeing another demon killed. He had said so himself that he wouldn't kill a fellow demon unless he had to, and she had reassured him that he didn't have to, he only had to help her finish them off. She held his eyeless gaze for a few moments before looking down again, motioning with her sheathed blade in hand towards the Butcher's corpse on the ground. "Now we burn this."

Unlike some of the other hunters back in the society, she saw no pleasure in displaying her kills for pride or to taunt the demons. It only worsened things, even though the demons themselves sometimes mounted their human victims' heads on pikes and showed it for demon and human to see. The only thing she would concede to using from a demon's body was the practical things like her black coat, which gave her added protection. If it would be of good use to her, she wouldn't refuse a weapon made from the bones or scales of a demon - but if it was just to show off and taunt, she would turn her head away.

Did that make her a better person? It didn't. She still took benefit from the death of something else, though all beings did that. They killed to eat, the most basic of their needs, all of them. Humans raised and bred certain animals for the purpose of killing them for food - and some even did so just for cruelty and amusement. In a way, wasn't that how demons like the Butcher saw humans? Livestock, food, and entertainment all in one.

Selene wondered if she should have doubts due to what Phynex had told the Butcher in his last moments. I will get what I asked for. What do you get for killing creatures? Short lived power. ... I believe the scales are in my favor. If she had been the person from a week before, the huntress would have thought her partner meant that what he asked for would be power, despite his own words during the contract. But now she trusted him enough to know it wasn't only that, he genuinely wanted companionship - even if it was from a human, and a very hated kind of human by his own kind, at that.

Before Phynex burned the demon, though, Selene took the Butcher's impressive weapon - his cleaver, the one that earned him his name. "I have to give this to the hunters, they were asking for it to be displayed," her voice was toneless as she pried the weapon from the demon's already stiffening grip, rigor mortis setting in the dead body.

 

[Mu]

The fire demon as Selene began to remove the weapon from the hands of the fallen giant. "...As much as I dislike my own kind, do the hunters not respect the dead?" The Butcher would be sent to atone for his sins, what is dead is dead. For a group of humans who went out and about killing demons to save the infested human world, shouldn't they know not to just respect their kills? But Phynex remembered the coat Selene was wearing, made from a demon's skin, and the man who had a weapon so white and pure yet reeked of a demon's scent - demon bone.

Phynex glanced at Selene before turning to face the demon and opening his mouth to burn it, setting the giant mass of muscle and blood alight with orange and red flames. At least he didn't have to kill it. Even if he was a despicable demon who only ruined the lives of others for pleasure, even if he knew the enemy deserved death, to end a life wasn't something Phynex had experience with. Not wanting to use hellfire - which required more energy - he watched as the blood began to dry and the flesh of the Butcher begin to blacken.

He looked inside the storehouse, spotting several half-eaten humans with their organs displayed, strung up on the rack with the deceased cows, half of them having teeth marks and chunks of flesh missing. Weapons were stashed inside as well, from a farmer's tool to all sorts of weird tools. There was also a wooden chest of gold stolen from the humans. Phynex's frown turned into a snarl at the thought of such a large demon rampaging and pillaging human homes and emptying anything he could find. These demons disgusted him. It reminded him of his father, but didn't his father do it under the command of his superior? Phynex did not believe the Butcher was working under someone else. Just harming others for his own pleasure.

"What do we do with those?" he pointed at the brightly lit entrance to the building, his voice wavering ever so slightly.

 

[Hana]

"From a certain point of view, this one did not respect the dead either," the girl's voice was cooler than usual as she pointedly followed his gaze to the half-eaten human bodies strung up like trophies. She didn't know why her voice had cooled down like that or why she suddenly felt a little defensive, but it wasn't as if she was the one showing these off, was she? Selene shook away those thoughts and looked down at the burning, blackening corpse. Give a bit more time and all that would remain of this Butcher would be ashes that would scatter in the wind, as if he never existed - except for this large cleaver. And the trauma and marks that he left on the surviving humans he tormented, along with the lost lives that could never be taken back.

She looked upon the loot left over, venturing towards the storehouse to look inside. It was better to check over what was inside instead of leaving things unchecked. A wooden chest filled with gold and silver, already piled up and stolen from the meager belongings of these farmers. No doubt those trinkets were precious heirlooms or charms, gifts that could rarely come by to these humans. A lovely silver comb, a small, ornate hand mirror and even a delicate silver flower dangling from a frail silver chain could be seen lying on top of the spoils. What use did the demon have for those small, simple and sentimental objects? Those were things that may not seem to mean much, but something that have once been valued and cherished by people that worked for them.

Then there were the farm tools, also propped up or set on a rack. Those were the trusty tools that the farmers depended on for their day to day work, no doubt these many tools that were taken set them back a great deal. The Butcher didn't even have any use for those tools, since he took and he took his food from humans anyway. And in many cases took humans as food. There were still the remains of human limbs, half-chewed and already rotting, scattered about in the inside of the storehouse. A disgusting scent seemed to waft over to her and she turned her head away.

"It's not part of my work," she replied, a little hesitantly. "The humans come here from time to time when they think the Butcher is away." And many had met an unfortunate fate because they tried to sneak their stolen belongings away, the ones brave enough to go for their families and friends. "They'll come across this soon enough, and they'll be able to take back what is theirs." She wouldn't have half an idea who to return these to, either. "Now, let's go back." She looked up and back at him, holding his gaze steady. "So, how was this first mission for you?"

 

[Mu]

Phynex's face had stopped flowing. "I suppose you are right." He sighed. Of course he hadn't thought about that. If he disrespected the dead himself, why should he be respected after his death? Eating humans and their animals, stealing gold and weapons, he could have done other despicable things that weren't under the knowledge of the Hunter's Society. The fire had engulfed the body of the Butcher already, the heat radiating from the carcass and the stench of death emitting from the body and from the storehouse. Burning a demon always made the air smell terrible, but it was one of the best ways to rid a body.

Inside the storehouse, it was filled with body parts, half rotting and beginning to smell. Phynex retched as he peeked inside the building, shimmering and glittering items peeking from overflowing chests, small items that were insignificant to him but were possibly valued as trophies from his raids. Most of these items were of no use to the Butcher anyway, it was like he just took whatever he saw. There were items that he didn't know of either, and automatically assumed he did not either and his curiosity had gotten the better of him. Stolen from innocent families, Phynex's felt even more nauseous. The fire demon moved away from the storehouse to more breathable air, watching the burning body from a safe distance.

The fire demon had thought the Hunter's Society would collect these items and hand them back to the humans, but the humans coming here themselves would be reasonable enough. "Hopefully this place won't be overrun with imps that weren't under his control." Imps usually traveled in large groups. If the Butcher managed to run and control four of them, then there were possibly more. Phynex sighed again and turned his back away from the building and the burning body towards higher ground, his wings already open. "It was not as bad as I expected. You fight very beautifully."

 

[Hana]

Selene flicked him a subtly amused glance as they arrived back at the spot where they had first arrived earlier. "It did go rather smoothly for our first trip," she murmured, watching as he spread his wings out to ready himself. It was probably a good sign that both of them came out unscathed, Phynex had very good defense earlier. Or maybe it was that his strength was a match for the Butcher, giving both of them a chance to team up on the demon and finish him off. She glanced at the cleaver she now held with two hands, it was too large and unwieldy for her, obviously made for a demon. Still, as she tested the weight and the feel of the weapon in her hands she already had an idea of how to use it for herself, though she wouldn't have to.

"We're going to have to take a longer route this time to get to the hunter district." Unlike earlier, it was more open day now and they might get spotted by both civilians and demons out in the city. Taking a route that went around and out of the crowded, populated areas straight to the hunter district wouldn't really take long, though the distance was longer. The hunter district was also close to the outer edges of the city, after all.

With that said, she stepped up to the fire demon once again as he prepared for flight.

-----
​

Papers and rolled parchments were scattered across the table as the huntress leaned forward in her chair, her chin resting on her palm. It was a sunny day, the bad weather of weeks from before clearing up and so the adjustable roof that she had installed for Phynex was currently drawn back a little. She looked across at the fire demon who was currently taking up space from across the table. "Since this is your first lesson for transformation," she motioned to the papers and parchments scattered on the table with her free hand, which was also holding a pen. "We'll have to do a quick run-through of the basics."

It had been three weeks since the day their contract was formed. They had gone on two more missions after that first one that took them to the farm lands to put down a large, muscular brute demon called the Butcher. Since Phynex still couldn't go on missions involving the city premises, he was limited to going with her on missions that took them farther away to more isolated areas. While that was all well and good since he could fly them to their destinations, both of them felt the need for more missions together.

Selene was going to be honest. She liked working with her partner, he was often times enthusiastic and amusing about everything she taught him. Even with his hesitance at killing off demons, she still appreciated the other forms of help he gave her. He was surprisingly protective, blocking off any attacks from their enemies with his strong arms and his glaive, even if she could have evaded most of those. Phynex was also an intelligent and quick learner, having the wits and the interest both to keep on learning even if she had to cram large amounts of information for him to understand.

Most of all, it did change her days up. At first, she had thought it was only a little, but she was startled to realize she was now doing things she wouldn't have been doing before three weeks ago - taking the demon to see the man with the sandwiches and his sweet little girl, finding herself buying him foods he would like or for him to try while she was out grocery shopping or buying takeout dinner, and even letting him read some of her books. Selene was careful and protective of her books, but he had already proven that even with those clawed hands he could handle things gently. All in all, her days... Weren't as quiet as before.

Jasper had apparently noticed that something had happened or was happening, since while he was still very worried about the contract - the times she visited him he still tried to persuade her to drop the contract - he was also rather glad that his friend had somehow seemed a little pleased. So while he still tried to give a few gently prodding questions to her wellbeing concerning her contract, he was still somewhat glad.

She returned to her present surroundings as she looked down at the paper that had been laid out in front of Phynex. Pointing at a few lines for him to read - she had also given him more lessons on language and writing - she continued, "Since you already have some knowledge of magic from your past travels, it may serve to help you. These are also compiled notes from," here, she hesitated slightly, the pause almost unnoticeable, "the past contracts of my family." The Averill family had a wealth of knowledge on contracts and demons, along with the supposedly darker magics and spells. She hadn't even covered a small part of the library back in her father's estate, there was so much to choose from. Along with past records, she had dug up a lot on transformation magic, just for Phynex.

Some parts she tried to skip over, though. Some of the magics were guaranteed to be painful, especially when transformation was already a painful and uncomfortable process during the first few times. Speeding that up with what looked like suspicious ingredients and magic wasn't on her list, and so she had decided to just arm Phynex with as much knowledge as she could. A crash course on transforming that she would try to guide as carefully as possible, so to say.​

 

[Mu]

Phynex smiled at the huntress and lowered himself so that the huntress could climb back onto his back and sit comfortably. The fire demon could tell she was feeling at ease now, at least more than before, which made him feel happy. Having never flown with anyone on his back before for such a long period time, he was happy the huntress was enjoying it. Slowly, Phynex flapped his wings, trying a little harder now that he had the new weight of the cleaver on his back as well as the huntress. He lifted himself into the air and hovered for a few seconds, getting used to the weight before shooting off, feeling the wind run across his fiery skin and making him feel exhilarated and somewhat glad about traveling with his partner.

This time, he went in and out of the clouds. Now that it was daylight, he could easily be seen. Whenever he spotted one of those flying machines, airplanes and helicopters, he could fly into the clouds where he wouldn't be spotted by human eyes, frightening even more birds on the way. But otherwise the fire demon had a smooth flight above the clouds, it was almost relaxing, just being in the air with Selene on his back. She directed him and took him around the city, making sure not to let anyone see the strange duo in the sky.

When they finally landed at the apartment, Phynex only had time for food before collapsing on the balcony, easily falling asleep under the burning sun.

***​

After many attempts of trial and error, the two of them had given up on the fire demon getting inside her apartment. The huntress had to pull a table closer to the fire demon while he stuck his head out of the door, looking at the pile of old parchments and books littered and stacked all over the place. Lately, it had been rainy, Phynex could tell it was bothering Selene, who sometimes had to get up in the early morning to set up the giant umbrella over the fire demon, who would start howling if left in the rain too long like a dog.

Life hadn't ever been so strange before. Waking up everyday to the smell of human food, indulging in meals with Selene and eventually creating a routine. If they weren't training in the fields, they were out on a mission. After the Butcher, Phynex had flown Selene to two more locations in search for two more demons on her list. Stopping by a beach and a forest, Phynex was fascinated by the sand and the palm trees and the beauty of the place, but avoiding the body of water all together, jumping on the spot out of fear when he spotted the glistening surface of the West Sea. Selene had to calm him, of course, and explain what it was. Compared to the River of Souls, this looked much more beautiful and clear, but it was still water. And it scared Phynex.

Phynex was slowly getting used to life. Every morning he would wake up to the smell of coffee brewing and Selene making her breakfast by the kitchen. The huntress ordered another cup of coffee at a cafe for the demon to try, who had eagerly lapped it all up before bouncing around excitedly and getting too pumped up for the mission by the forest. Breakfast was small, but enough for Phynex to move around later in the day. He became accustomed to Selene's presence and touch, his body automatically lowering its temperature whenever she reached out for him.

Today, she was kind enough to teach him about transformation magic. Such information like this was rare in the demon world, seeing as it was difficult and in some states, considered taboo. He had watched curiously as the huntress moved into the lounge room with a pile of papers in her arms, followed by rolled up scrolls and books. Over the course of the few weeks, Selene had allowed him to read some of her books, lest he handle them with utmost gentleness. Phynex looked over all of them with scanning eyes, making sure not to puff out any fire.

She was quite patient, telling him what to read and explaining further if he needed help. Learning magic theory was immensely boring, the practical work being more interesting and fun in his opinion, but Phynex found himself listening and clinging onto the huntress' every word and committing them to memory. Was he excited from knowing would transform one day? Again, more thoughts of what he might look like flooded his mind. There were so many options, but he doubted he could choose his appearance.

The fire demon blinked at Selene. "Contract demons run in the Averill family?" he asked, his voice trailing off at the end as he looked over the old looking parchments. Names and names of demons and Averill hunters leapt from the paper, listing documentation and even a few diary entries from a few of them describing what they had felt when they finally transformed. There were pictures of the demon and their human form for comparison, and those caught Phynex's attention the most, who looked at them more than the other pieces of information.​

 

[Hana]

A wry smile was her answer to his question. "My family has the most numerous contracts ever recorded," she murmured, looking down at the profiles of the past hunters along with their former contract demons. The older records didn't have much pictures or illustrations, but made up for it with a wealth of words and descriptions. The later contracts occasionally had photographs of the hunters and their demons carefully placed on the pages. This wasn't the original copy that was handwritten in elegant calligraphy, that book was in her father's possession. Curiously, though, her father and his partner didn't have any written record about themselves. Or maybe it wasn't that surprising, seeing as there was no one left to record it for them...

She continued on with the lesson, pointing Phynex's attention to the descriptions and explanations on magic. "Apparently, transformation magic involves a lot of meditation," she remarked, wondering how this would affect her partner, who didn't like sitting still for long periods of time. "You have to find your center of energy - I think you've already done that since you can control your fire well enough - and, hmm..." Her brow furrowed slightly as she brushed back a stray lock of hair from her face, looking down on the pages. "Like with all forms of magic it comes down to the intent of the caster."

Magic could never function as potent as it could if the user didn't meaningfully use it. For example, why would you use binding magic? Because you wanted to restrain and capture a demon, not stop or hurt them. More advanced forms that added the trait of pain or electrifying the target involved more and more layering of the magic.

"You also have to visualize in your head. You can't choose your human form and alter it, unless you use illusory magics or have a genuine ability to shapeshift. Instead, visualize your own point of view and imagine a human body - not your appearance, but the way you would feel and see the world. Your shape and your size. Along with this visualization you combine it with intent and you know the rest."

The user would shift around their own magic with their intent, molding it to what they visualized. At first change simply wouldn't happen - the demon would have to meditate and envision themselves in a 'human form' within their mind. That would probably progress for the first few times until the demon was supposed to feel a shift or change within themselves. "You will know when you feel something within you shift, apparently," she murmured, glancing up at Phynex. "I can't help you with that except guide you as best as I can in these circumstances."

"Sometimes words help too. Not as an actual incantation, but to help you focus," she listed off another helpful tip for him, scanning over the pages. "Once you link those words to your transformation, you could keep on using it to help you focus on the feeling of change." She frowned. "Unfortunately, this is where the true uncomfortable feelings will start." As they both knew, it would progress painfully for him. "So you shouldn't force yourself too much."

She flipped over the pages again before taking a look at the other books and scrolls, pushing the book to Phynex. "You should also read a bit more on the theories and useful tips there. I'll answer any questions you have and help you remember." While he was reading the book she again spoke up. "Read the experiences of the other contract demons too." They could progress faster if both of them were working on separate but related tasks all coming into the big picture. Selene was looking over the other books for more references and even things that could help ease things for Phynex, and maybe keep the pain as low as possible.

 

[Mu]

Phynex simply stared at her. Would her offspring form a contract with a demon as well? Being a contract demon did have a lot of benefits, to other demons it would be the perfect opportunity to gain wealth, power and fame. Phynex saw Selene as a friend, over the weeks he had come to trust her more and more, and like her more and more. Someone who went out of their troubles to buy him food and take care of him, wake up so early when the rain battered the windows to shield the fire demon, take him places, explain the logic of the human world and anything he didn't understand. Selene knew he liked to try all sorts of foods and whenever she did go out to buy food, there would always be something new. Phynex fondly remembered the sunny day the huntress had been snoozing, while the fire demon entertained himself by playing with a giant tomato she had brought.

The fire demon gulped. "Achieving inner calmness is hard for fire demons," he muttered. "Though water demons are talented at keeping their cool." Phynex sighed, "I'll have to try a little harder at calming myself then." Controlling fire did take control and calmness, but it all came to him quickly because of his birth element. If he wasn't being calm to wield fire, meditating was difficult for someone who was hot-blooded.

"Imagine a human body? Feel and see?" Phynex cocked his head. "What does having a human body feel like? How does a human see? Is it like mine?" Phynex wondered if when he obtained this skill of transformation, would he still see without his eyes? He knew humans had eyeballs, and their vision was exceptional. But how about Phynex? Would he walk around with his eyes closed but could still be able to see from his mind? Or will he finally be able to own a pair of eyes? It was all so exciting and strange to know he would one day transform.

The rumors Phynex had heard weren't appealing. Transformation could easily come to one's mind, but it did affect the physical body. Twisting and aching as it tried to turn into what the user envisioned, changing bone and muscle and all sorts of organs and tendons and every single detail from your original body. And from a beast like demon to a homo sapien would hurt a lot. He looked at his thick, muscled arms. Those would be shrunk and the bone structure would change. His legs would feel like they were being pulled from his body and straightened, just like his hunched back. Face will be twisted and its shape changed to a smaller skull, his tail removed and thick broad body shrunken...Phynex shivered.

Phynex nodded and moved the book towards him with a single claw, flipping the pages with utmost care and leaning in to read the small font, reaching for the spare papers and the copies of the diary entries written by past contract demons. All of them described pain, followed by their experience and suddenly feeling the earth beneath their feet. The air smelt different, their bodies were lighter and feeling almost weightless.

 

[Hana]

Selene glanced up at Phynex for a moment to watch him read, noticing the slightly worried look on his features. While one would think it would be hard to read a demon's facial expressions - it was so different from a humanlike face - she had grown to become more familiar with him. The way his face glowed brighter or dimmer with that lava was like a mood ring - brighter glows meant more positive and intense emotions, though it could also mean anger or agitation. His tail flicked in a different way when he was unhappy, though. Dimmer glows meant sadness or dejection, there were times when she had unintentionally said some things that somehow dejected him.

She looked back on her current read this time - a book on magical plants and herbs, or unorthodox ingredients that somehow managed to form potent potions and alchemical creations. The plants listed here were the plants that could be found around the human world, though there were also some references to the demonic varieties that form the underworld. Some demons had brought demonic plants that had somehow thrived in the human world, after all.

There were the slightly ridiculous - if you hadn't seen it for real yet or seen an actual victim - of grotesque plants with strange tentacles and eyes, prowling the dark, distant forests away from the city and in the lands in between the cities and towns. That was why traveling from town to town and city to city always took rather long - it was dangerous, you wouldn't know if you would encounter a band of demons - or even human bandits and thieves, along the way. The Hunter Society sometimes accepted missions from wealthy society members and important people to escort them from city to city, the hunters being a much better protection detail against demons than any other civilian service.

Her eyes caught one word along with a note in the side in the table of contents that made her quickly flick over to that page, her interest piqued. Celestial's Heart, the plant was called by travelers. It showed a striking pure white blossom that was described to only bloom during the full moon, five full and perfect petals crowned by what looked like an almost gem like gold circle in the center. It was named for its appearance, and usually it was only thought to be a pretty ornamental plant - but apparently it had more obscure properties as was written by some relative at the margins of the book.

"Phynex, look at this," she called to him, looking up again. She stood up and brought the book closer for him to see, standing by his side so she could also read along. The Celestial's Heart may look like a pretty ornament or rare trinket, but it can also be made into a tea that would help with transformation magic. It was not a native plant to this land as it was brought over by travelers from the East, so it is quite hard and rare to find nowadays.

What's notable about this plant is that it doesn't speed up the process. It should only be drunk once, and it will let the supernatural see their human form within their dreams. It gives them human senses and feelings within the dream and the mind and helps the demon get a better idea of transformation, and stabilizes their magic once the actual partial transformations start and lead up to the final transformation. It was rumored to have been bred by the Easterners long ago in their gardens to help the supernaturals of their land to get their human form more quickly, after peace had been established.

 

[Mu]

He broke his concentration and looked over at Selene's book, which seemed to be of plants of supernatural nature. He spotted a few that looked very common and grew in the human world, and some that he recognized from the forests of the underworld. Fascinated, he cast aside his own read and gazed at the book, spotting the innocent looking, flesh eating flower as she flipped through the pages and read the notes written by her ancestors and their demon partner.

Moving back to the book he was reading, he continued reading about the envisioning of his human form during transformation. It was crucial that you needed to picture the human figure during the process, otherwise your body may not understand what you want and turn you into something else. Phynex stifled a chuckled as he read a diary entry in which the contract demon had gotten a little too impatient waiting for the transformation and ended up turning into a frog, frightening his huntress partner.

Phynex once again shifted his attention to Selene's book, who had flipped to a page with drawings of a beautiful flower with white petals ringing with gold, looking more like a crystal instead of delicate petals. The fire demon read the small passages at the top of the page and nodded with interest. Wouldn't be interesting if he could have an elixir made from this flower and see what he could become. He continued reading at the bottom of the page.

Legend has it the Celestials visited the human world after their ascension and sowed the seeds of heavenly flowers from the Paradise. They were aplenty and gave light to the people. Only after the demon infestation did they become scarce, eventually their only known locations were given to those who were worthy enough to keep the secret.

Brewing the elixir that can be produced with the Celestial's Heart takes time and precision. It requires the drink to be created in the middle of the night under the full moon and mixed with other appropriate ingredients to create the final product. It must also be boiled at a certain heat, too cold or too hot would render the elixir useless. More than one consumption could cause insanity.

There is also another story connecting the flower to the well known legend of the Rabbit of the Moon, who creates the elixir of life. It is said the Celestial's Heart is one of the main ingredients to this secret to immortality, and that these flowers grow on the moon and are very common, thus why the moon glows white.

Phynex smiled at these stories. He knew the Eastern demons were very spiritual and had stories for everything. He supposed the humans were just like that then, using stories to explain the life around them. He looked at the drawing of the timeless flower, "If only I could have one sip of that elixir..."

 

[Hana]

"I might be able to get one," Selene replied, glancing over the passage one more time, eyes lingering on the illustration of the white flower. "My father knows a lot about plants, and he had traveled a lot in his prime." She guessed this meant another visit to her father to get a few more of his notes on his travels. She kept a log of her own ventures herself, but only cared to write the unusual or interesting things that she had seen or had happened. "And apparently, it grows in the forests outside of the city." She might have to take some time away from her usual workload to get more time to venture outside her home city and look around the forests.

She glanced at the mention about the Elixir of Life and smirked wryly. It seemed even in the East, that famed alchemical invention that was more likely myth - but who knows? - than truth also had its own twist put on it by the people. Here in the West it was all about the Philosopher's Stone, a stone that could give immortality and turn metals into gold, and a famed alchemist who had died many, many centuries ago, much long before the demon infestation. Then there was the legend of Gilgamesh and his quest for his own immortality. Then the search for the Holy Grail or something like that, hunters were never too picky about religious things nowadays and just simply accepted the possibility that all myths may be real.

"This means more research," she sighed slightly, but nodded to Phynex. "I will see what I can do. We might get to travel outside of these city walls to search for this plant." Then she looked over at the book he had been formerly reading and asked, "How far have you gotten along?" The girl had heard him chuckle once or twice about something earlier, some accounts by the past hunters and demons were admittedly amusing.

It only made the demons seem more like persons in her eyes, growing up and hearing of the hunters' lives with their partners through written words. There were good demons and there were bad ones, just like there were good humans and bad. The trouble was she had to kill demons for a living and had to stop seeing them as people during those times. The guilt was still there, though the more vile and repulsive the demon was the less she would feel about putting a blade through their eye or slashing their throat.

 

[Mu]

"Ah, did your father take notes during his travel?" Phynex smiled. "I did too. I do not have my book anymore though," he said in a sad tone, there weren't many belongings that came with him to this new world. But when Phynex thought about it, did he really need them? Besides, the fire demon could remember most of the demons he had documented and seen during his travels, remembered the ones he fought and their weaknesses and some of the fire nymph's notes of the plants of Hell. But that adventure was behind him now. Now it was only him and Selene, another new part of his life. Phynex was just following life as it took him.

Phynex recalled a myth that the fire nymph had told him about. She had mentioned something about the Rabbit of the Moon, who ascended to the heavens and guarded the secret to the Elixir of Immortality and made it for the Celestials and minor gods and goddesses. It was often hailed as the guardian of the moon. The Rabbit had a counterpart, the Phoenix. The Phoenix was the guardian of the Sun, and it was said it was the one who carried the sun to the sky every morning with its giant, burning wings. At the time, Phynex laughed these myths off. Having thought the Eastern stories were just foolish, he dismissed them, Before that, he didn't know if the Eastern demons existed! All they ever talked about were the Celestials that had abandoned the West and went to the other side of the world.

But that was when the underworld of the West had a visitor. From the River of Souls - whom nobody had ever crossed before - came a large, white fox. Its pure white fur decorated with glowing blue lines, it had nine long tails each tipped with what looked like blood. It looked so beautiful, yet it had an aura of vengeance and pure, seething hate. The demoness seemed to be looking for something or someone, its red eyes examining everyone. Nobody knew who it was, or what it was. The Old Ones simply stared with their mouths wide open. The strange Eastern demon fled to the North, towards the regions of the Ice Witch, never to be seen in the West again.

"You distracted me," he mumbled, turning back to his book. "I only read a little." Reading these diary entries were interesting, and having another contract demon's account of what happened was indeed helpful. But they all described pain that even the fire demon could not imagine. And then a new feeling and a new body afterwards.

 

[Hana]

"Well, once you finish these, we can move on to the practical part of the lessons," Selene murmured, reorganizing the books that weren't currently in use. For now she took the books on different plants and herbs, as well as a book on the regions outside of her home city. If she was going to go outside to look for this Celestial's Heart, she had some preparations to do. Most likely it would take both of them outside of the city for a while, or at least a week. That would probably be good for both of us, to grow used to long-term trips. Maybe she would need to look for other hunters with contract demons as well, to ask for their advice - if they even wanted to help.

The contract hunter-demon pairs were often not spoken about by the normal hunters. They were treated much like pariahs, often talked about for their guts and skill to work alongside a demon, but also treated with caution due to their choice of partners. It seemed like these types of hunters also didn't show up much around normal hunters, preferring the company of fellow contract hunters and contract demons. Even if they were few, they seemed to know everyone in those circles.

"There's also another thing that might help. The Old Ones who remain on the surface, if we can come in contact with one of them..." She trailed off, speaking more to herself than to Phynex at the moment. There were Old Ones who remained in the Underworld, but there were also those who seemed to prefer the human world. As of now the hunters knew at least three were currently in residence at the human world, keeping watch over the contract demons while the rest stayed below.

 

[Mu]

Phynex nodded and continued reading the diary entries, immersing himself in the retellings of the demons before him with mild interest. He glanced at Selene once in a while, watching her organize the books and reading about the Celestial's Heart, before shaking his head and concentrating on the books before him. Reading about the theory of transformation wasn't very useful for him. Having been someone who self-taught all he knew, he did not understand theory well as others might. Everything Phynex knew was through years and years of practical training and repetition. The only theory he had learnt was from eavesdropping in classes, other demons and a few books he found that he could read with the education he received from his father and younger level schools.

He looked away from the book, "The Old Ones? The Old Ones rarely let themselves be found. Travelers, you know," he mumbled. Old Ones were hard to get a glimpse of. All of them were as ancient as the Tartarus demons, made some sort of contribution to the supernatural world and were hailed as the wisest and most experienced of them all. With seven on each side, West and East, they guarded and looked over all of their demon subordinates, and were trusted by the Supreme King himself. Phynex knew some of them preferred the human world and lived up here, but what would they doing right now? Traveling? Overseeing the situation of the invasion? Unlike the East, Old Ones did not have a home in the human world.

 

[Hana]

Selene glanced up at him again from reading and shrugged slightly. "Perhaps," she allowed, nodding. The Old Ones in the West led nomadic lives, moving from city to city and place to place, never really having a place to call home. What with how the humans here thought of demons, even the hunters were wary - maybe even warier - of the powerful old demons. "I'll see what I can do." The first day they met, after all, there was a messenger sent to the Old Ones to confirm their contract. It could still be possible, though rare.

With that, the two of them went back to browsing through the books and scrolls around them. The huntress only took the time off to prepare a drink for herself and order lunch for both of them, before they dived back into work. It was a peaceful silence as the girl and her partner immersed themselves in the written word, though Selene would occasionally glance up to look at Phynex. She had found herself wondering more and more about him from hearing the small snippets and bits she could catch of his life that he willingly shared with her. He was a young demon, in human terms he could even be called a young man in his early twenties or late teens. What gave it away was the way he acted, but he wasn't really naive at all. Just willing to think the best of others until they gave him a reason not to.

He was a fierce demon when it came to fighting and enjoyed the missions where she took him with her. Apparently, he hadn't had a good fight in the underworld in a while, after his long travels across the lands. He had gone and seen many places, seen most of the worst of his part of the underworld, and had even caught a glimpse of the rare and exotic demons that rarely ever made their way up to the world of humans. He had a friend that he seemed to feel wistful about, and he appeared to still care a very great deal about despite not seeing her for many decades after he was done traveling.

She looked back down on what she was reading once again. It was really strange to think she'd be sharing her books and notes with this demon, but he was also teaching her a lot of what he knew. But somehow, she wondered if this was what it was like having another friend.

----
​

"We're going away for at least a week and a month at most, we just wanted to tell you." Selene was talking to the man with the sandwiches, who she had somehow dubbed Sandwich Man in her head as time passed. They had never asked for each other's names, the only one whose name she knew here was the little girl called Ellie. Right now the little girl was making erratic motions in the air with her hands as she described whatever she was talking about with Selene's partner.

By now most in this area had mostly grown used to the sight of the white-haired girl with a large demon following her around town, though there were still the occasional blatant stares and whispers. It was funny walking into a shop and seeing the clerk try to ignore the demon poking his head closer to the glass to watch Selene, the people inside tried to ignore it like an elephant in the room. After what had happened to Matt Evans had spread, no one wanted to attempt anything.

"Oh, you are?" Sandwich Man replied, blinking in surprise as he walked over to set down Phynex's favorite food for him. He had learned quickly that the demon loved grilled beef with spices and garlic, and liked even better when the food was hot and steaming. Phynex even seemed to like lots of spicy sauce added, so the man placed a bottle of hot sauce next to the demon's plate, letting him do as he liked with the food. He still seemed to be a little bemused, just like Selene, at the sight of his little daughter acting so friendly with a demon, who acted just as friendly in return.

The odd friendship had caused him and the young huntress to talk more, and he genuinely seemed concerned about her and her partner's well being. He never asked about the particularly bad missions that left Selene quieter than usual, since she wouldn't open up about it anyway, but seemed to sense the mood, even if Phynex seemed just as clueless on what to do about the wall of ice the girl had erected around herself. From what he could see, even ice could melt, no matter how slowly. Weeks earlier, he could say that Selene was all ice. It was an almost funny paradox to see the contrast between her and her partner.

So the middle-aged man just let his little daughter talk and talk, both to Phynex and to a usually quiet young girl, and watched as the latter slowly started replying a little more, her replies getting a little longer. Ellie seemed to look up to the huntress, thinking she was rather smart and very patient, and the man thought that Selene might be a good influence. Most wouldn't think so, he also had heard of the girl through the rumors, but what he had expected - a cold, arrogant and dangerous hunter that didn't care about others - was quickly dashed when he saw the girl.

She looked mostly just a little lost, he thought, even though she never seemed to waver. And he could never forget that she was only some years older than his own child, which might have caused him to soften a little bit. The white-haired girl was quite awkward in the moments she actually tried to reach out or respond, as if she wasn't used to such interaction. It was surprisingly cute, and the man could see that in just a short time the girl's father would have a hard time beating boys away form his daughter.

Selene looked up and raised an eyebrow at the thoughtful smile that Sandwich Man gave her and Phynex, almost affectionate as he watched the two who were at the table with his daughter. "We'll be leaving later in the afternoon," she continued, and she glanced at Phynex, before giving a small, helpless shrug. "He insisted we come by," she added, and ignored the man's small chuckles as he went back to his work.​

 

[Mu]

At his insistence before leaving the city, Selene finally relented, and took him to see the small family that made the delicious sandwiches. After a week or so of research, dedicating their mornings and nights to scanning through books and notes of potential locations of the Celestial's Heart, they finally found a lead. It was far out of the city walls, in some remote place that barely had anyone living in it. The fire demon managed to convince the huntress to take him to the man and his daughter, who might be concerned if they didn't come by regularly during their leave.

Customers and the locals were used to seeing them now. Once a week or two, the infamous Huntress with the long white hair would come into the town with her fiery partner. Stop by several shops to buy whatever they needed and sit down for lunch at a specific place, owned by the man who made the largest sandwiches and her tiny daughter who made shakes for customers. It was a strange sight, seeing the little girl squeal in delight at the sight of the two and run up to hug the giant arms that belonged to the demon. Even stranger still was the fact that she was never burnt, despite the demon's body made of fire itself. The little girl was always kept safe, and even her father did not seem to mind the two of them playing with each other, the fire demon playing childish games with his daughter while they waited for the sandwiches to be made.

Since they were regulars now, they did not even need to be asked what they wanted. By now, the father knew what the demon liked best, immediately grilling some beef and preparing the large buns. The huntress, on the other hand, ate a variety of things. The sandwich man also learnt that the fire demon liked spicy things, which didn't surprise him whenever he glanced at the lava submerged body. No matter how much hot sauce he put on the grilled beef, the demon did not waver at all and would eat anything with relish.

Today, Phynex had already finished eating his hot sauce sandwich and decided to play with the girl nearby, the giant demon rolling onto his back while the girl told him stories about the fairy tales she had heard and believed in. She was trying to describe a large creature that the fire demon didn't know of, using her arms to exaggerate. Phynex never really knew how human children were like, but they were indeed cute and curious creatures. Ellie had asked him many questions. What his body was made out of, how he could fly, how he breathed fire...and insisted that he was a dragon instead of a demon. Phynex knew better than to question the curious mind of a child. She was adorable, so fragile compared to him that it was bizarre someone like her could be mingling and able to play games with a demon that loomed over her. To others, it was extraordinary at a fire demon with such sharp claws and menacing look could treat her so gently.

Phynex was paying so much attention to Ellie, he didn't notice the throbbing pain in his head until it was too late. The fire demon sat up and shook his head vigorously, trying to get rid of the feeling in his head while the little girl looked at him with worrying eyes. "Mister Phynex, are you okay...?" her voice trailed off as she peered into his eyeless face, which seemed to be looking at something across the square. The little girl followed the fire demon's line of sight to see what he had shifted his attention to.

Across the square stood a young man with dark red hair tipped with lighter colours with matching eyes. He was rather tall, taller than Selene at least. With metal rings on his ears, sharp deep red eyes and a handsome face, he wore ripped clothes held together with safety pins - was it some kind of human fashion? - with singlets and a scarf that matched the colour of his features. He had a slender figure, and he was staring at Phynex with wide eyes. Beside him was a girl who was much shorter and with brown features. Long, curled light brown hair with beautiful round hazel eyes, wearing brown clothes looking at Phynex as well, and her partner with the same worried look Ellie had. Without warning, the red haired man walked towards the fire demon, with blazing eyes, closely followed by the girl who was trying to pull him back.

 

[Hana]

The white-haired girl was quick to notice the sudden discomfort that came over her partner, catching him wince out of the corner of her eye. Looking over immediately, Selene was about to ask him what was the matter when she felt a piercing, probing stare come over from the distance. Following where the stare came from, her eyes settled upon an odd pair - a man with dark red hair and eyes, eyes that weren't usually seen in humans. What caught her attention was the way he stared at Phynex - wide, blazing eyes? A girl with curly, light brown hair and hazel eyes seemed to be worriedly trying to catch the man's attention, and seeing the man quickly stride over in Phynex's direction Selene stood up.

She narrowed her eyes slightly as she shifted slightly to stand in front of Phynex, who seemed to be in some form of pain that made her suspicious from the very start. Even if the man was taller than her she raised her head slightly and met his stare, blocking her partner from view and returning a wary, calculating look. Looking over this man's - it was possible this one was a demon from the sign of his eyes alone - clothes and features she had quickly made note of what she could take advantage of if things turned hostile. That scarf was something she could use and grab if he ever did something against Phynex.

Selene had noticed that the brown haired girl was trying to pull the red-haired man back, but to no avail. The man seemed quite determined to reach her and her partner, she could see in his eyes some intense emotion as he tried to look at Phynex. Standing in front of the fire demon, the white haired girl tilted her head slightly, violet eyes regarding with a seemingly blank stare. Her face was just as expressionless, her body the kind of relaxed that didn't really let others calm down, loose and without tension but ready to strike like a snake.

Though no one really approached the two of them, Selene had always been watchful and weary of any eyes that she could feel linger too long on her partner. Sandwich Man and his daughter were the only ones she really did relax somewhat around, considering the middle-aged man gently and politely told off any staring or rude customers, and with Ellie playing and talking to Phynex no one really wanted to suddenly just barge in, especially with her father's warning glare.

As soon as the man and the girl stopped in front of them, Selene spoke, voice polite and distant. "Is there anything you want, approaching us?" She spoke directly to the red-haired man, her eyes searching his. Sandwich Man watched the ongoing warily, also glancing at the red-haired man and the girl in curiosity, but ready to step in if something went wrong. He glanced worriedly at Ellie, wondering if he should make her go inside for now. "Ellie, come over here for a second," he called his daughter, motioning her over to himself as he glanced at Phynex in concern.

 

[Mu]

Phynex watched in silence as the red haired man continued to move towards him, taking each step forward with a sense of purpose. The brown girl that accompanied him had a face screwed up in confusion, her tiny hands grasped his and trying to tug him away from the fiery demon that she also seemed curious about. The people around were staring at the approaching duo, whispering and wondering if this was going to be a repeat of Matt Evans. Was he somebody who was also jealous of Selene's position in the Hunter's Society and wanted throw the arrogant, cold queen off her Averill throne? Some passersby shifted, their hands moving towards their weapon. If he was foolish enough to make a move on Selene in broad daylight, he could get himself killed.

The red haired man stopped in front of the huntress, who had moved her seat so that she stood in between the two of them. With his eyes fixated on the fire demon behind the infamous Huntress, daughter of the Averills, his dark eyes flickered from the demon to the white haired woman. The brown haired girl's eyes widened when she recognized the huntress, and begun to tug at the red haired man with insistence and more power. It was likely that she also learned of Matt Evan's story, and that this situation looked almost the same.

Ellie wrapped her tiny arms around Phynex's own, voicing her concern and worries at the stone like posture the fire demon had adapted. Phynex could barely hear her voice, her tiny, adorable voice that tried to snap him out of the trance he was in. "Mister Phynex? A-are you alright?" she patted his arm gently, trying to bring the demon back. Her father, not liking the heavy air and the situation, called her back. The little girl reluctantly returned to her father, looking back a few times at the fire demon.

"That one. Is he yours?" said the red haired man, pointing at Phynex while looking into Selene's eyes. At the same time, the brown haired girl bowed curtly, "I'm sorry! I don't know what's gotten into him..." she said, shooting a look at the man, who ignored it completely. "Why is a demon sitting out here in the public looking like that?" he added in a sharp and commanding tone. "And why does he look familiar?" he mumbled, almost inaudibly.

 

[Hana]

Is he yours? That confirmed her suspicions. This man was a contract demon, and from the way the girl was familiar with him, he was most likely the girl's partner. His way of phrasing the question was a little strange in itself, as if Phynex was her possession. Did he see himself as 'hers', referring to the hazel-eyed girl at his side? Oddly, he seemed to be ignoring the girl's protests and attempts to pull him back, already establishing himself as a stubborn person from the set of his jaw and his determined eyes. The way he phrased his question, it was almost like he was commanding her to answer.

The white-haired girl continued to look at the man with a blank expression, before tilting her head and barely raising an eyebrow at his demand. She glanced at the girl by his side for a moment, giving a small nod before choosing to reply. "If you are referring to the contract, then yes, Phynex is my partner," she retorted, voice cooling down from its earlier neutrality. He wasn't the one in the position to use a tone like that, even if she couldn't really care less - he was asking that in relation to Phynex. "He is still in the process of learning to transform."

But if that was only the only thing he wanted... While she didn't like the way the man seemed to force his questions on her and look at Phynex like that, she would give him the benefit of doubt. For now. His companion, the brown haired girl, seemed reasonable enough, if the look she had shot him earlier said anything.

Selene narrowed her eyes a little though her expression barely changed. "And... am I correct to assume that he is 'yours'?" She turned her question on the girl, though her eyes barely flicked in the girl's direction before she returned to eyeing the red eyed man standing before her. "Isn't it polite to share your name before asking us such questions?" She asked quietly, voice softening a little and becoming almost silky, even as she didn't step away from the man's line of sight. From Ellie's worried voice earlier, her partner was still in a state of pain and discomfort, and with this sudden approach from these two she didn't dismiss it as mere coincidence.

Did this man - demon - know her partner? From the way he muttered the last question, mostly to himself, it was as if he had recognized the fire demon from somewhere. "Do you know him from somewhere?" She didn't completely remove herself from the man's view, only moving a little to the side and glancing at Phynex, the only hint of concern the momentary pursing of her lips and the slight drawing down of her brows. She wanted to ask the fire demon if he was alright, but her first concern was what these two wanted with her and her partner, and if they were friendly or not. The brown haired girl seemed alright, but Selene didn't quite feel the same about the girl's tall partner.