Embers (Hana ✗ Sen)

[Mu]

He nodded. Some demons were blind, but able to sense the little tremors on the ground whenever something moved around that blind demon, essentially giving it its own type of 'eyesight'. The first few years of life, Phynex himself was blind. His father had to look after the tiny little infant, who was so tiny compared to him. But slowly, slowly, the demon began to see the first colours through his mind. At first, he had no idea what was happening to his body, had he gone mad? And it had frightened his father and mother as well. But after many years after and seeing no potential harm to their child, they assumed it was his way of seeing. He saw the world like anybody else, but his face had no eyes at all, just smooth lava. Many demons often mistook him as a blind demon, which he didn't mind if it meant they left him alone. He leaned forward a little into the shadow of the tree, looking at Selene's eyes. "A mix of colours I have rarely seen. Blues and purples and violets all swirled together," he tried his best to explain in the human tongue. Even so, her eyes were very different. Even when compared to fox demons, who had uniquely coloured eyes themselves, would pale in comparison to Selene's eyes. Phynex could never decisively tell her which single colour it was. Every time Phynex looked at her eyes, they were a different colour, different shades of blue and purple flickering in the light. The fire demon thought they were strange but beautiful in a mysterious way, much like the rest of her.

"Most demons learn to sense and see each other's auras," he said. Auras could be seen by demons, who were aware of their existence. By lowering their gaze and focusing on the demon or human until their vision glazed and blurred over, their aura would be visible. It sometimes looked like ripples of water, other times like the veins of light that snake across clear pools in the mornings. All living beings had auras, and each was different. It changes when one's personality or mood does, it is a book that not everyone can learn to close. Auras could reveal many emotions, even if one was trying to hide it. Without training to hide their aura of soften its presence, most demons would be able to see it. Normals auras were a mixture of colours, happy emotions would see a sharp increase in yellow colours. Comfort or warmth were warm colours, sadness was blue. Sickness was a moss like green and deep grievance was a midnight black. "Your aura is similar to your eyes," he pointed out. "It's very pretty."

 

[Hana]

At the rather precise answer he had, Selene leaned back. "In short, my eyes are strange," she murmured wryly, having known for a long time the strangeness of the eye color she had been born with. It wasn't supposed to be a color that was genetically possible in humans, but here she was, with supposedly impossible eyes. Still, there was nothing wrong with her eyes, other than the color. Her mother's eyes had supposedly been a very, very deep blue bordering on violet - that was the closest shade to her eyes, and she just left it at that. It was a rather light topic, but it was still something she didn't mind hearing.

"I should learn to conceal my aura," she sighed slightly. If most demons could see aura it was good that she was able to keep calm whenever she faced against one, because if her aura showed the slightest hint of doubt about herself they would pounce on that. Selene hadn't been raised to be fearful and doubtful of herself, and she was naturally calm when it came to her work. It was a few other things that were a problem, like sadness or amusement, embarrassment. Those didn't show up in her job, but outside of it. As Phynex had proven once again. He thinks my aura and my eyes are pretty? The girl felt oddly pleased, a small flush appearing on her cheeks. "Oh," she spoke in a small voice, before shaking off the feeling. She nodded, "My aura is a mixture of blues, violets, and purples?" That was a little strange. If she heard correctly, warm colors signified happiness. From what Phynex told her, her aura was mostly composed of cold colors, but she had never really felt unhappy. She wasn't happy, but she wasn't sad either, just resigned about her life. Most of the time. What happened earlier had shown her she wasn't as unaffected about it as she would like to be, a few darker things she usually left in the corner of her mind.

 

[Mu]

At that, Phynex shook his head almost violently. "I don't mean that in an offensive way, it is just a colour I have not seen a lot myself." Which was true, the colours the underworld were dull and dark, the only bright colours were the petals of the flesh eating flowers that grew in the dark jungles and forests. Even something that colourful could attract curious demons, only to be eaten by a demon flower, with jaws and stomach so big one would find it hard to imagine something like that existed. They never bothered him though, shrinking away from the heat of his body.

Phynex looked thoughtful. "I am sure there is someone out there who can teach you. It is difficult to learn at first, hiding your aura. Because it is a part of you." Demons naturally learnt to see auras, but to conceal it was another thing. Most demons learnt that skill to hide their identity or mask their demonic blood, since their auras made it glaringly obvious. And although showing emotion through your aura wasn't a necessarily a bad thing, for someone like Selene, showing emotion didn't seem like a good thing. Phynex assumed a hunter should not let their guard down. He looked at her aura again, watching her aura pulsate around her. It looked like ripples in the water, rings of colour pulsing from her body, followed by light waves of light, it was indescribably beautiful. The fire demon smiled, "I can see some red dots now," he pointed out, noticing the red flush on her cheeks, which stood out remarkably on her pale skin. But just as fast as they appeared, the red colours faded away.

 

[Hana]

She pursed her lips slightly at his amused remark, quashing down the following embarrassment that surged through again. As she had suspected, embarrassment wasn't something she could hide in her aura either - and it was a reddish color. "Maybe... You could teach me?" Selene looked back at him again. It would be strange to be asking for something like this, but Phynex was the only demon she could practice on. Since he was her partner, and everything. "But not immediately. I'd rather train you first in what you need to know, and maybe after you've gotten your human form." Things would be much easier for both of them after he got a form that would be easier to move in, considering the crowded streets and the vehicles. The idea of making him hide in alleys or fly all the time didn't seem like a nice way to treat him, though maybe he would be patient for the first few times.

"As for other questions, what was life like in Phantisamine?" It was only a curious question that he could choose not to answer. Seeing as he would soon know what life was like in the human world, Selene wanted to know. He seemed to be surprised at the things humans took for granted - like the blue sky, the clouds, even the sun. The plants and the greenery, the flowers. The sights and smells of the food, and everything. People, their weapons, and the way they acted. From what she knew through reading, Phantisamine was the hottest place in hell, all rock and lava, with little green life. The demons there were supposedly rough and callous, used to a harsh way of living - then there was Phynex. Looking at him, it was obvious he was tough, and had lived in harsh conditions, but his smile and his demeanor told of someone who wasn't really rough. But they had only just met, so Selene knew he probably wasn't showing all sides of him yet.

 

[Mu]

Phynex's face glowed a dim red colour. "Will I be a good teacher?" he wondered aloud. What he had learnt himself was self taught. From the books he read to eavesdropping lessons for other demons, Phynex practiced and mastered his skills alone with not much help. He had no money to go to a school or hire an older demon to teach him. When he wasn't scribbling notes into the worn old book or sleeping or preparing for the next day for his journey, he was practicing. From day till night, Phynex sometimes would go for days without sleep to master his control of fire. How could he explain the concepts and the steps one had to go through to hide their aura to Selene? Besides, he'd only known how to do it in a demon's point of view and a demon's body. He did not know if it would be different in a human's mind.

"Life? Life was rough. There is almost nothing in Phantisamine. Aside from the big city there is only an endless plain of the broken earth, pits of boiling hot lava and volcanoes erupt almost every day." He nodded to himself, recalling all the details. "Those who aren't of the earth or fire element would not even last a week in that hellhole. But in a way the city was similar to the human town we were in before," he blinked at Selene. "Shops and stores, selling odd demon things. In Phantisamine they have huge mountain with caves naturally carved in. That is where most of the demons live. Privileged high tier demons had houses." There was sharp pain tearing through his body as he thought about the initiation of a demon in his state. "When Phantisamine demons are born, they grow up exposed to lava." Phynex pointed at his own body, if it weren't for the lava that solidified his body, he would have been a walking, fiery draconic skeleton. "You see how I seem to be covered in welts and my rib cage is in this state? It's because during initiation, demon children get submerged in the pits until they get used to the pain and the heat. Everyday in the plains you can hear screaming."

 

[Hana]

"We will see," Selene murmured, noticing the dim red glow and wondering what that meant. Was that confusion or embarrassment? The lava on Phynex's face could be like a mood ring, but only if you knew what the different glows meant. Sometimes the huntress could get certain impressions, sometimes not. "We can withhold it until you get your human form, which I will do my best to smoothen the process for you." It was a weak reassurance, but she would try her best to help him with his transformation, which would be undoubtedly painful for him.

She was quiet as he explained about life in his home world. It was harsh, as she had expected, and she would offer no condolence for that. He was clearly used to it, and she would do what she can to help him get used to the human world - some demons had preferred to live on the human plane, she had heard. That was why demons were trying to overtake Nora, after all. To conquer a new territory, a good territory. Rich soil that could grow good, hearty crops, plains that could feed animals who would give good meat. Forests full of animals that could be hunted for their meat and their pelts or skin, and clear, clean water. The human world, compared to Phantisamine, would be veritable paradise. But she knew, just as every human would, the world's own perils. She leaned forward slightly as he described the demon city, slight interest making itself known on her face. "A cave and tunnel system in the mountains." Considering what Phantisamine was mostly made of, that was understandable. The high tier demons would have more money - whatever demon currency was - and resources to create more elaborate homes that could withstand the harsh conditions.

At his sharing about his initiation, Selene felt an odd pang of discomfort, a small frown on her lips, her brows drawing down slightly. Was it for Phynex, or the idea that demon children there had to go through such torturous methods to get strong? That was actually something she could relate to more, though the ways were different. She, for one, willingly put herself through her own training and pushing herself past her limits. Wrangling for control over her own magic reserves and willingly going on supposedly dangerous missions, going up against demons. She had had her own share of pain, and she had high tolerance for it. The children, as small as they were, couldn't have had a choice if they wanted to survive Phantisamine, she told herself. It was just their way of life, just like the hunters had their own ways of life. "It toughens and hardens their bodies." And yours.

"Selene?" She heaved a mental sigh as she heard someone call her name from the edge of the clearing. Looking up, her eyes scanned the area and rested upon Aidan. The blond hunter looked at Phynex warily, then towards her, his body still a little taut with nervous energy. "You will be called upon to give your own account of what happened, but I and several others have already told what we saw. I made sure they were honest," he added on the last part hastily, giving her a small smile. "The bowman struck first, and the council is already deciding upon a penalty for him." A worried look passed over the blond man's face, his brows drawing down low. "But you will also get a penalty. Not as bad as the bowman's, but that was unprofessional behavior earlier. After you give your side of the story." The girl looked straight ahead, turning away from him, then sighed. "Very well. Do I have to go immediately? I have to make sure my partner will be fine and in a safe place before I will go with you."

 

[Mu]

"This human form..." he scratched his head. Since he had no prior knowledge of transformation magic, he assumed it was something that was part of the contract he had been binded to with Selene or some ancient hunter's magic that he didn't know. There were so many types of magic in the world it was baffling, he had read about only one place in the human world, rumored to be connected by the Northern, cold areas of the underworld, where one's body could turn into an ice block within seconds. He had heard stories of how the Eastern humans of the world above were far more spiritually connected than their Western counterparts. But it was safe to see that the Western humans were far more technologically advanced, since the traditional spiritual connections limited to what they could do. "What will I look like?"

The fire demon nodded, "My father had enough money for us to have a house in the city." Phynex's face darkened for a second, "Let us say that the demon children did not like associating themselves with someone who were offspring of demons rich enough to live inside the city and not in caves." The 'rich' demons were often seen as outcasts, but the fire demon himself didn't mind at all. Seeing that he wasn't accepted by the others, he found other ways of entertaining himself. Whenever during the breaks of his first few years of formal education, he would go back to his house to be with his father, who was wise and benevolent whenever he taught all sorts of things to his son. "The cave systems, though it may sound dirty, were a fine place. But the fact that you had to live near so many others put demons off. But where else could you go to live? It is no wonder the demons invaded this world," he sighed. He himself didn't care much for the invasion, but didn't all wars start like this? One country taking over the other for whatever reason be it for land or natural resources or enslavery, things always turned out bloody.

At her next statement he smiled sadly. "I suppose it did do something good. But it was painful. I remember the pain." Phynex laughed, "As long as nothing irritates the welts, I will be fine nowadays." His father hadn't trusted anyone to do it for him. His father had done the initiation with Phynex, with worried and hesitating eyes he had lowered the wailing Phynex into a pool of bubbling magma and watched in despair as the tiny child tried to resurface over and over, its sensitive skin burning and searing with pain. The skin and the insides began to change, some of them disintegrating and leaving behind a deformed demon child who did not stop wailing in pain for at least a few months. His mother had been silent about the entire ritual, she had gone through it as well. She was the one who nursed him back to health, washing and taking care of his emerging wounds and the first of his painful welts.

His thoughts disappeared at the sound of a man's voice, a voice he had heard twice today. Looking across the clearing, his face glowed once at the sight of Aidan, who seemed nervous to see him. But he could see purpose in his eyes. He was half glad that the 'council' had taken action for the bowman, but Selene leaving did not appeal to him at all. With a swish of a tail and a defiant look, he growled, "Selene is not leaving without me. I do not like you, sir. You look at her the wrong way." The way that the human male looked at his partner was unsettling, it wasn't like Phynex hadn't studied him whenever the poor man wasn't looking. The fire demon did not like him one bit.

 

[Hana]

Selene took note of his welts at his statement, putting away that small bit of information for later. She looked at his draconic body, of solidified lava and welts, in a new light, an unreadable expression once again on her face. Imagining a squirming, crying demon child - a smaller version of the demon before her now, screaming in agony as he was dipped in lava made her insides twist uncomfortably. She could only imagine what his parents - he didn't mention them, but she assumed the initiation was done by them - must have felt at seeing their child's agony. If there was one thing that could be a constant in every world, no sane parent would ever want to see their child's pain. Even when he was training her, her father would be stony and unreadable, but he would always hold her bruised limbs and hands, feet gingerly afterwards. He had bandaged and cleaned them for her before she had started to do it on her own, which was quite early, but sometimes he still did the little things - like leaving her medicine and bandages in her room, or cooking her something hot and nourishing. He was quiet, but he was there.

She stood up as soon as she heard Phynex growl at the blond hunter, stepping in between them. Aidan was still on the edge of the clearing, some distance away, but she blocked her partner from his view. She gave a warning glance behind her before looking quickly back. The man's face had gone slack from shock for a few seconds, gaping slightly, before she saw what looked like alarm spring in his brown eyes. It was quickly followed by embarrassment, and soon, anger. There was a slight shiftiness in his eyes as he struggled to meet Selene's stare, as if it was hard to hold it without saying or revealing something. "Wrong way? Are you sure you can talk like that, Mr. Demon?" He gave a small laugh, forced and trying to brush off what Phynex said. Selene's eyes narrowed at his words and she gave the man a pointed look.

"I guess Phynex will be coming with me," she interjected before either of them could say anything again, voice smooth and blank. "Considering what happened earlier, I think the one who was attacked first should also show himself. It's only right, isn't it?" She kept her stare on Aidan, who seemed ready to protest, before the man swallowed and averted his eyes unhappily. "I don't know if he can speak for himself in the council, since-" He's a demon - "But do what you want, Selene. I'm just worried for you," he murmured in a lower tone, turning to look at her imploringly.

"Stay close to me, and don't speak out of turn in front of the council we will be facing," Selene looked at Phynex again, before moving forward. "And what wrong way?" She kept her voice audible for only the demon, knowing Aidan was close. She had seen something odd in the man's eyes earlier, but she hadn't thought he looked at her in a wrong way. Just something that made her feel uncomfortable, and the look would soon slip into something friendly and caring, anyway. Phynex noticing it only made her more curious about what was wrong, and if she should do something about it. Aidan wouldn't harm her, or anything like that. He was too much of a people pleaser and he wanted to rise up in the ranks, hence he wanted a clean and stellar record. He wanted a reputation.

The hunter in front of them had waited at the edge for Selene, his expression a picture of strained patience. Not strained towards Selene, but more because of her partner behind her. He had crossed his arms, and he once again looked over her before his eyes settled on the small tear on her clothes. By now, the cut would have faded into a light pink line, the poison the only thing hampering it from its smooth healing, but it would be fine within the day.

 

[Mu]

Phynex stopped his growling at her warning glance, but he did not avert his eyes from the man across the clearing, who had not moved at all. Selene had stepped in between them, keeping Phynex behind her. Peeping out from behind her, his mouth twisted upwards cruelly into a silent snarl at Aidan, his face glowing in anger at his presence. He was glad to see that the man's face was filled with all sorts of emotions, first was shock, his eyes open wide. Phynex's sharp eyes could see the whites of his eyes even from here. There was a flash of alarm followed by a slight flushing of his face from embarrassment before it was a new red, the colour of anger. Judging from his reactions, the fire demon became even more wary of him. Was he right? Did he view Selene in that way? He felt as if a hand had grabbed his beating heart, there was no way he was going to let him be alone with her. He was about to open his mouth and say something, before Selene's voice, full of authority and calmness, stopped him.

He couldn't help but smile - he was victorious. But that didn't matter right now. Now all that mattered was that fierce flame of protectiveness that had flared up inside him. He was going to stay by her side for the rest of the day. Aidan? Near Selene? Never. He was so creepy, his aura seemed neutral but there was something he was hiding. He looked and acted too...strange, even for Phynex. And his gut feeling told him not to trust them man, and he had believed in his instincts for more than a hundred years.

If she told him to stay by her, he would gladly comply. Though standing in front of this...council - assuming it was run by hunters - did make him feel nervous. It didn't seem like Selene had told anyone else apart from Aidan or the crowd from earlier who had deduced that he was her new contract partner. What would they say about him? Where they going to prosecute him as well? It had only been one day and so many things were happening it was making his head spin. At her question, Phynex's face flashed brightly once. "I do not know how to explain. But I do not like the way he looks at you. It's-" he struggled to find the right words, "like a predator. There is something he is trying to hide," he whispered back quietly, flickering his eyes to glance at Aidan every once in a while.

 

[Hana]

They followed after Aidan, who still seemed to be secretly - or not - stewing over whatever nerve Phynex had struck in him. The blond hunter's face had a strained, forced little smile, and he tried to look as easygoing and calm as he usually did, waving at a few other hunters in the area that he knew. He didn't speak to Selene, perhaps because he sensed she wouldn't talk to him, or because he didn't want to talk while Phynex was with her. The huntress was fine with that, and merely walked after him in a steady, unhurried pace. The hunters on the streets still stared, but the news must have spread as they only looked warily or disdainfully at Phynex, before nervously realizing just who was his partner. There were still who blatantly stared, but there were those who averted their eyes as soon as they saw the white-haired girl.

Looking at Aidan, Selene lowly replied to her partner, "A predator?" Truth be told, Aidan didn't, or wouldn't, be what you would expect to be a vicious or ruthless predator or hunter. He had his blond, golden hair and his seemingly warm brown eyes going for him, giving him a friendly, wholesome image. His build was just enough that it wouldn't be called too intimidating, but he had visible muscle, perhaps because he used a sword. He had broad shoulders and back, and his height was average. His smile was probably the most disarming about him, Selene realized with a starting feeling of unease. That easygoing, warm smile that she had thought was indulgent towards her, they could probably cause a person to dismiss him easily as harmless. Had she unconsciously dismissed him in that way, and didn't notice whatever way he was looking at her? But she saw that he had no intention to harm her, or use her... Aside from that expectant look as if he expected something from her, maybe due to all his supposed 'help' and his befriending her.

"It would be the local authority in this district, but it's already been forwarded to the higher ups," Aidan's voice cut into her musings, and she looked back at him. "The higher ups determined to punish that bowman - his name is Matt Evans - because of that unprovoked attack, though they weren't sure about," he jerked his head to refer to Phynex, "Your 'partner'. They also want to get a look at the contract you formed, there's someone who knows about contracts and can check for them there. You really shouldn't have tried it by yourself," he gave her a stern look, a frown on his face. "You could have gotten hurt, or worse."

 

[Mu]

They both walked after Aidan at a nice pace. The man was silent in front of them, his smiled looked forced and strained, making Phynex grin with glee. He tried to look like nothing was wrong, but it was obvious Phynex had touched a nerve. Having grown up trusting his gut feeling, he was not disappointed for trusting himself. The fire demon moved at the same pace as Selene, keeping in level with her and eyeing the man in front of them with cautiousness. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the locals giving them looks, especially him. Some of them waved back at Aidan, who was trying to look carefree and easygoing like he did earlier in the day, but the others looked at the large burning draconic demon with disdain. Mothers covered the eyes of their children, glaring at him, and some immediately turned their eyes away when they noticed the white haired huntress who walked right beside him with no expression.

Phynex angled his head slightly towards Selene and nodded. "It is like hunger," he tried to explain. Curse the human tongue for being so complicated. If only Selene could speak demon languages fluently, but even the best hunters couldn't do that, The most they could do - if they studied hard - was at an intermediate level. But there were many dialects and different phrases only said in the underworld. No hunter has ever gone into the world below and returned in a sane state to tell the tale. Most of them wound up dead, others were turned into demons themselves and some were sent back unable to adapt to the human world - too afraid to do anything and be what they once were. Phynex needed time to adjust to his new language that suddenly came to him. Contract magic was so strange. He was going to need to ask Selene for help with his human languages.

He rolled his eyes - or he would have - at the male. "Oh, for Heaven's sake. Does it look like Selene got hurt?" he hissed at him. "Besides, it is best if one person did the summoning. Having multiple people would mean others would hear the true name of the demon and cause a huge issue!" Phynex showed his disapproval of the man's words. "Have you studied summoning rituals at all?"

 

[Hana]

"She could have," Aidan was quick to jump into the challenge the demon had sprung on him, turning his head and giving him a scornful little smile. "Considering those runes on the ground for the summoning circle would take a lot of magic, and the summoning itself costs a lot on the caster - and maintaining the circle, holding you back when you were undoubtedly angry and wanting to lash out - she could have drained herself and been unable to keep all those up. And where would she be, then, if she hadn't formed the contract before that?" He said this all in almost one breath, in a rush, and he waved his hand as if to keep Selene from speaking up.

"It didn't happen, though, and it's done," Selene showed her displeasure at that by frowning at Aidan, her expression comparably mild compared to the glare she had given the bowman earlier. "Would you two please stop?" The hunter seemed to flinch at her tone, and he turned away, his jaw obviously clenching. "I'm sorry, Selene. I was just... Worried," he spoke, his tone calmer. The blond man was quiet from then on, not looking at her or Phynex for the remainder of the time they took to go to the authorities.

Selene looked to the side again, towards Phynex. "The summonings usually have several people out of earshot, but on standby to help keep up any magic for the summoner in case something goes wrong or they ran out," she said quietly. "He was right in some ways, but he didn't know I had large enough reserves to summon." Her control was also good enough that nothing was wasted, all going into the process and purely efficient. "And hunger... I guess you can call it that," she mused, going back to the earlier question about what was wrong. "But let's not speak of it when he is so close." She had been surprised when Phynex had glared and hissed at Aidan, but maybe shouldn't - he had been vocal in his dislike of the man, and Phynex did seem to have a... Temper that flared up sometimes.

 

[Mu]

"You keep focusing on the past, sir. What matters now is the present and the future," Phynex said in a flat tone. He wasn't going to let Aidan beat him either. In fact, he didn't want him to do anything at all. What use was Aidan? Why couldn't he leave them alone? "Does it look like I ate up Selene? Does it look like she's hurt in any way? The contract turned out well, we will both be getting something we want from each other." He mockingly laughed at the blonde haired man. "You act so friendly with her and yet you do not see how powerful her aura is. Have you seen how radiant it shines? It is much more colorful and mesmerizing than yours," he spat. The man was speaking so fast, Phynex almost couldn't comprehend what he was even trying to say.

Phynex shut his mouth, obeying Selene but still glaring at Aidan with unwavering distaste and barely veiled anger. Her words quietened Aidan as well, but it was obvious that he wanted to continue arguing with the fire demon. How persistent. The fire demon snorted softly, "Worried? What a joke," he said loud enough for Aidan to hear before continuing to walk with Selene again. Slowly, the heat inside of him died down, along with his anger. He was joyful that the goddamn human had decided to stop talking for now.

"I do not know what your books say about true names, but to us demons it is the most important thing in the world. I do not mind you being able to say it, since we have this contract...but I must say I do not like the source you obtained my name from," he muttered quietly. Lowering his head, Phynex sighed and quietly plodded after Aidan, averting eye contact with the locals that surrounded him on both sides.

 

[Hana]

Selene could see the blond hunter's jaws tightening, and even from just behind him she could tell his brown eyes were probably flashing with white-hot anger, a slight twitch showing itself in his shoulders every time Phynex's words struck something in him. Her eyes glanced down to where his hands were - and there it was, the sign of real anger. The man's hands had clenched and unclenched, knuckles whitening, so many times throughout Phynex's tirade. Phynex's words directed like bolts of scorn and mocking at Aidan's pride and his wit, and even Selene had to raise an eyebrow at the sheer sarcasm in his words.

She startled slightly at Phynex's last statement, and had to hide her expression from Phynex, turning her face away for a second to force down the embarrassed flush making itself up her cheeks. After a moment she glanced back at him again, a bemused little frown on her face. "Phynex, enough," she murmured, this time adding a real hint of warning to her voice. She could clearly see that the hunter in front of them was holding back from lashing out, and it put her on guard for Phynex as well. Despite everything, Aidan still did manage to reach a good rank, so he had some expertise in killing demons.

"I assure you, I have already burned up the source." The paper where the demonic names had been written was now ashes scattered around the place, Phynex didn't have to know who gave the paper or seeked out the names. "And I do know. I would not have added and used your true name so much in forming the contract if I hadn't." It was probably not a pleasant thing for Phynex, but using the demon's true name repeatedly gave one a measure of power over them. For the demon's true name supposedly summed up its being, what it was, what it is, and what it would be. It was the demon and the demon was it, there was no other name that would be the same, unlike with humans. In theory, each and every being in existence had its own true name - but only the demons, the celestials, and the enlightened beings had known their true names. The enlightened ones achieved it through meditation, and sheer will and practice, wisdom gained through reading and through the ages. The true name was supposedly a very thread in the thousands, and the infinite that made up the very fabric of reality. It had a spoken, a written, and a thought form.

By now, they were getting closer to their destination. The building was tall and grey, like most buildings in the area. It almost looked nondescript, with its old world style windows, ornaments, and doors, if not for the hunters that guarded the wooden double doors. The area outside was a square, with chairs at the sides and some hunters, and maybe their family and friends, sitting around. A few hassled looking personnel with stacks of papers and books were walking around, and a few hunters soon swung the doors open and came out with what looked like a roll of paper in their hands - they had gotten a list of targets and locations for demons to hunt.

All hunters also kept a journal filled with reports of their kills and their targets, and a summation of where and how they had destroyed them, as well as other details that might be important. Then they would copy out a report of these to be sent to the offices, where the kills and circumstances would be recorded - there was a library filled with thousands of books detailing the work of the hunters throughout the generations. When it was in the library, it was no longer listed by hunter, but by year.

Once Aidan, Selene, and Phynex came into sight all activity in the immediate area seemed to dim down for a moment. Uneasy, disdainful, thoughtful, and even curious glances were all shot in their direction, a few smiling in Aidan's direction. Most of them soon seemingly went back to their own business, but Selene could still feel the glances shot every now and then in their direction, and she could tell the hunters were on the lookout for anything to happen. She kept her face expressionless, as she did in public, her expression distant and polite. Because she was about to stand before the authority in the area to give her piece, she had to look confident and convincing - it wasn't difficult. Her body was deceptively relaxed, fluidly moving from one step to the next with her back straight and her chin raised.

They soon reached the double doors where two hunters guarded the entrance. One seemed to be smoking a cigarette and peering at them through squinted eyes, a black bandanna tied around his head and his spiky brown hair. He looked like a rugged type of man, but his weapon, a long sword, was surprisingly elegant. The other looked sleepy and unperturbed, almost bored, with pale blond hair and pale, almost grey blue eyes, his expression seemingly lax and almost thoughtless as he shifted his pale eyes to the three before him.

The sleepy looking one yawned, his guns still strapped to his sides, before lazily asking, "You didn't tell us she'd be bringing the huge one, Kingsley." He raised an eyebrow at the stiff smile on Aidan's lips. "And you don't look happy." Aidan shook his head, and soon replied, "Just let us in." The sleepy hunter laughed slightly, easily, and raised his hand, "Whatever. What do you think?" He asked the one with the bandanna, who squinted at Phynex, but otherwise the scowl on his face seemed to be his natural expression. "Nothing to worry about. This one's fresh meat; he wouldn't cause too much trouble with the bosses." He grinned slightly, showing surprisingly even, white teeth - considering his thuggish face. "You behave, alright, demon?"

 

[Mu]

Phynex snorted, a puff of smoke and fire bursting from his nostrils out of barely contained pure anger. It took everything for the fire demon to not jump on the human male and tear him to pieces. He was lucky Selene was here to keep them both in check. It confused Phynex why she could even help him, did she not notice the strange look he always gave her that made his skin crawl. It was like a predator, so hungry and fixated on her it was no wonder he felt so protective of the girl. He kept his head down and continued walking, but making sure to be walking at the same pace as the huntress, still wary about Aidan but now staying silent.

There was another snort, but this was as if he was happy. Phynex sighed in relief, at least now he didn't have to be scared about someone else finding out his true name. Now that he was in a contract with Selene, his true name was now shared among the two of them. Phynex being physically connected to it, while Selene was spiritually connected. And out of all the ways she could have discarded it, the woman had burnt it. The fire demon was almost impressed with how she went about with this summoning ritual, excluding the rather shady source of information of true names. Burning the paper with his name physically inked down was the best way to get rid of evidence. Something so powerful and connected to ancient magic should not be seen by other mortal eyes. Beings like demons and their polar opposites always knew their true names. It was a secret that all beings held, and those foolish enough to tell others were doomed to be their slaves forever. Demons guarded their names with their lives.

The three of them were approaching a large building, standing tall and mighty and reminding Phynex of the castle of the demon lord himself. He had seen pictures of this building's style before, old and ancient but undeniably beautiful. If not for its obvious monochromatic colour scheme and the guards that were dressed in their gear, weapons at the ready by the huge double wooden doors carved with intricate patterns, it would have been sent to the past and no one would suspect a thing. The building was so tall it even loomed over Phynex, and the foreboding feeling he felt felt so similar to the darkest, secret areas of the underworld. Outside the building was a large courtyard where many hunters were about. Some were mothers who were looking after their children, gossiping with friends. Others were hunters who left the double doors with a scroll of paper in their hands, looking joyful and glowing with a passion for their jobs. Children ran about with wooden swords creating mock fights that made them look like adorable little warriors. Some carried stacks of books that wobbled as they walked about, others were sitting on the chairs with their scrolls rolled out, their faces screwed up in concentration while consulting a book. Others seemed to be doing last minute checks on their weapons before leaving. Many of them were coming in and out of the place.

As soon as they stepped into the square, it was like someone had extinguished a flame. The light dimmed, the voices became quiet and the eyes turned to look at them. A blonde man, the white haired infamous huntress followed by a giant fire demon - a sight to behold. All sorts of people shot them all sorts of looks, some were full of hate and others of genuine curiosity. Again, he felt some eyes stay on them for a few seconds before moving on while others lingered. Some hunters didn't even bother to look up, too immersed in their job or studies.

They approached the two men guarding the front wooden doors, one rugged slightly large man who was puffing out white smoke from his lips - was he half fire demon? - and a rather bored looking male companion. He looked lazy and complaisant, but Phynex could see his eyes taking in every detail. Phynex found himself staring at the man with the gleaming sword's white stick he held in his first two fingers, which seemed to be puffing out white smoke like he did. What was it?
Was it some sort of family heirloom to show that he was not entirely human? How strange.

Phynex's eyes flew across to the lazy one, noticing the guns strapped to his sides. Another set of firearms. Did hunters like firearms? They were good long ranged weapons, but Phynex himself preferred the old fashioned firearms. Phynex blinked at the two guards, cocking his head. He needed to stay calm, were they trying to provoke him? What was this 'fresh meat' they were talking about? Was it food? Phynex was utterly confused, but he needed to be friendly enough to pass through. Silently, he nodded at the two of them, questions riddling holes in his mind.

 

[Hana]

Selene could see the confusion radiating from Phynex and his posture as the two guards prompted him, and she stared blankly at the cigarette-smoking one. She couldn't really say anything right now, but she was glad that Phynex at least managed to just nod, but not complicate anything. She would answer any questions he had later. The man grinned at Phynex again, and this time chuckled lowly. "Wouldn't really believe a demon but that's the best that we'd get," he muttered to the other guard, who rolled his pale eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. But even for all their seemingly relaxed stances, she could point out the way the rugged one's eyes tracked Phynex's every move, and the way the pale one still seemed to still be keenly aware, even if he wasn't looking. They weren't as lazy or as laidback as they looked, they were clearly experienced hunters.

Then the rugged one's eyes turned towards her and his mouth curved up in a slight smirk, before he gave a small bow. "Ah, Miss Averill. Fancy seeing you here for reasons other than your target list," his voice had gotten into a slight drawl, and he took the cigarette from his parted lips before blowing out a cloud of smoke.

She ignored the noxious fumes and merely nodded, not saying anything. In truth, she didn't have to, and let the remark slide off without reaction. "That Evans guy has always been a little too complaining about his rank," the pale one murmured again, his pale eyes now fixed on her. Selene listened to this without changing her expression, as he continued, "But he really has it better than us. At least he gets to stretch his legs. Good ranking guards my ass," he grumbled. Their work was still, actually, better ranked than the bowman's - they were better paid because they were the security of the building, after all. Though nothing really ever happened for years, since no demon had managed to invade this district before.

At her lack of remarks, the two guards shared a look. "Well... You're in," the pale one muttered, a small frown on his face as he watched her, as if trying to puzzle her out. The other guard just grunted and soon Aidan pushed the double doors open, the hinges squeaking slightly. Selene followed him inside, but waited for Phynex to also get in unhindered before she looked around. The inside of the building, which she had already seen, was more organized than you would think from the outside appearance.

As always, it had a clean white, black, and grey theme all throughout, and the place was well-lit with many lights from the ceiling. The first floor had a receiving room, with a bored looking woman on the desk. There were even decorative plants in the corner, and security cameras beeped from the ceiling. The woman was also a hunter. Most of the people who worked here were hunters, even those who had office jobs were fomer hunters who had chosen a relatively safer life, but knew how to fight demons when it came down to it, though they were rusty. The woman still had a gun strapped at her waist, despite her modest office attire, her glasses, and her hair which was up in a bun.

The boredom on the receptionist's face soon disappeared as she caught sight of Selene and Phynex, interest sharpening her eyes behind her glasses. She sat up straighter and adjusted her glasses as they approached, stopping in front of her. "Miss Averill," she greeted the huntress. She smiled uncertainly, though there was still that glint of interest. "I didn't expect to see you today for this," she nodded at Phynex. "They're all waiting, just use the... Elevator..." She frowned as she looked at Phynex. "We'll use the stairs," Selene murmured in answer to her silent inquiry. It wasn't like the place had so many floors anyway - the highest building in the district, and it was only up to eight floors. The top floor was where they would be heading, but Aidan seemed to hide a scowl at this, as if Phynex hampered them just by being there.

 

[Mu]

He stood in front of the guards with Selene beside him, waiting for their permission for entry. He was keenly aware of the two men looking at him with their sharp eyes and fake identities, although the men looked rather carefree about their jobs, especially the one who looked carefree and lazy, he could tell they had experience under their belts. The way they watched his every move, silently communicating with each other and decided if he was a treat or not. He forced himself to maintain a neutral face and remain focused on the white stick one of them was holding. Phynex had another gut feeling that it would be best if he didn't speak in this situation. Aidan, on the other hand, looked impatient and still angry at their earlier fight. He watched in pure fascination at the white smoke coming out from the rugged man's lips, but listened in on his greeting. His voice had changed to a bored drawl, but spoke to her politely. Was this how she was treated by other hunters?

Now they were speaking about the archer that had been causing the entire ruckus. Phynex cursed him under his breath, if it weren't for him, they wouldn't be waiting out here with two lazy and laidback looking guards and a boiling blonde hair man. The way they spoke about him, it was like they found him humorous. It must have been, a young man in a lower tier complaining about his superiors and trying to show off. They knew that he wanted to hunt demons for the money and only money and how he was lucky for doing easy missions instead of the level they were at now. Phynex noted that, it was a good point. And showing off in public was such a idiotic move.

Finally allowed permission, the blonde man eagerly pushed forward, the great wooden doors parting to a cleaner room. Monochromatic, everything here shone and glistened. Lights were everywhere, and Phynex could hear the tap tapping of the woman sitting behind the counter on the right side of the room, her face pressed against her computer as she typed whatever she was doing for her company. The colours were monochromatic like the outside, but everything here was a little bit more modern. Plants that gave the place colour were also nearby, as well as a few hunters here and there sittong on the plush couches and the others leaving with their scrolls.

At a closer inspection, you could see that the woman was bored. His eyes jumped to the gun strapped to her waist, making Phynex clench his jaw. Another hunter, it was funny seeing someone like her doing office work instead of being outside and being active. Her face changed as soon as she saw them, her face frozen and her fingers waving towards. The assistant woman suddenly looked so formal, sitting up striahgt and adjusting herself and hastily cleaning up you desk. She told them that the authorities were already waiting for them, prompting them to upstairs.

He moved is head to glance at the ultimate and Phynex cracked a small smile at the sight where the woman had inclined her heard towards. It looked so small, there was no day he could ever fit inside that small suitcase. He agreed to taking the stairs, he needed exercise anyway.

 

[Hana]

The atmosphere between the three - two hunters and one demon - was strained, as they climbed up the several flights of stairs. Aiden still wasn't saying anything, though he seemed to calm down a little more with each step they climbed. His pleasant expression was still a little forced, though, and Selene didn't particularly care to do anything about it. The stairs weren't often used, so they only ran into few people. A middle-aged looking man who seemed to be particularly irritated at the stack of papers he was carrying, then a woman with a smile as she was holding a folder to her chest whose smile soon faltered as she saw the three who were going up.

Both didn't really make eye contact except for a smile and a clipped greeting shared with Aidan, before hurrying on to their next destinations, almost skirting around Selene and Phynex as if they couldn't bear any contact with the two. As usual, they both had some sort of weapon on their person - there was quite two daggers clearly concealed under the man's uniform, and the woman's hairpins in her pulled up brown hair looked particularly sharp and tipped with poison against demons. Kasimir had gifted her a similar set two years ago, two rather delicate looking silver hair pins with sapphire gems arranged to resemble a butterfly. Both were sharp enough to draw blood in the owner's hands and if thrown forcefully, enough to cut through to the bone, along with a small container of poison that would be hard to detect, scentless as it was.

They couldn't have come to the top floor soon enough. By the time they had reached it Selene's expression, if possible, had turned blanker than ever. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest, and her eyes looked around the place, a placid look in them as if nothing was particularly wrong or disturbing her. Aidan coughed slightly as the hunters on the floor, who seemed to be waiting in front of a pair of double doors - again - turned to look at them. He gave them an easygoing smile and soon came up to the doors, which he pushed open. The people inside had already been expecting them.

 

[Mu]

Phynex awkwardly followed the two hunters up the stairs, his feet a little too big for steps meant for humans. He look several steps at a time, making sure to move to the next step carefully in case he broke it or slipped. The world around him was suddenly so tiny, it unnerved him. If he could achieve this human form Selene kept mentioning, he would be the same size as these humans. Phynex sighed in relief at the thought of being able to see the human world from a new and smaller level. He was curious as to what he might look like, would he have a demon mark? What kind of hair and eye colour, what height and all these other details he didn't know about the human body.

From ahead came footsteps, their owners being a man and a woman. One was carrying a large stack of papers while the woman had held something against her chest with a kind smile on her face. He avoided their gazes, but he could feel their eyes grazing over Selene and him as they walked past them, only greeting the blonde male hunter, who seemed to be calming down at last. Phynex caught sight of their weapons, a set of gleaming daggers strapped to the man's waist shone from under his cloak. The fire demon wasn't sure where the woman was hiding hers, but he knew she had some sort of weapon concealed somewhere.

The top floor was cold but beautiful. A set of large double oak wood doors with a symbol carved into it. Phynex couldn't recognize it, but it was most likely the symbol of the hunters and their community. Selene's face was a clean and blank slate, showing no emotion at all and staring straight ahead. Ignoring the look Aidan gave them before he turned to open the door, he peeped through the doors, eager but nervous to see what was beyond.

There was a large table shaped like an horseshoe, with a man with a long white beard sitting right in the center overlooking some papers. Beside him were two young looking guards who stared ahead at nothing in particular. Two parties of hunters sat on either side of the horseshoe, muttering and murmuring among themselves as the three of them entered the premise. The archer was seated right in front of the right hand side audience, his eyes glowing at the sight of Selene.

The bearded man looked out from over his glasses. "Welcome, Miss Averil. And..." he looked at Phynex with an unblinking cool stare.

 

[Hana]

Selene's returning look at the archer who seemed to still fairly seethe with negativity towards her was void of feeling. There was no negativity, no resentment that could be found in her blank violet eyes, her features smooth and untroubled. After a moment of returning the gaze she looked straight ahead to the bearded man and bowed slightly, the movement sweeping and effortless. Silver-white locks of hair fell over her shoulder and momentarily concealed her eyes from view before she straightened. Her stance was relaxed, but still with a straightness to her back as her arms rested at her sides. "Sir Aaron," she murmured. After a moment, she inclined her head at both parties of hunters on either side.

She didn't like the way he was looking at the demon by her side, but she made no sign of reaction. "His name is Phynex," she glanced momentarily in the direction of the bowman with a placid expression. "And he is a contract demon," she finished, voice still as toneless as the way she had spoken earlier. In this room, people would be trying - and attempting - to get a reaction out of her. It had always been that way. As if poking and prodding figuratively would let them see inside her head or get something - anything that they wanted to see. The bearded man, the highest official in this area currently, would expect no less from her but utter composure and calm when she had to explain her side on the incident. The two parties of hunters on either side were clearly opposing sides as to what could have happened, with Aidan an addition to the group that wanted both sides punished, but with more severity on the bowman.

Aidan seemed to have found some sort of switch in him as he looked to the man. "Sir, we would have to get someone to check if the contract is fully formed," he spoke in a much more authoritative tone, sending a distasteful glance in both Phynex and the bowman's direction. His expression towards Phynex was more like embarrassment, wariness, and barely concealed annoyance, but when his brown eyes settled upon the bowman his expression turned flat and unimpressed, and looking like he had swallowed something foul-tasting with the way his smile strained once again. "But I and the others have already given our accounts on what had happened. All that is left is for Miss Averill to tell the incident from her view. It was an unprovoked attack, as everyone in this room," he sent a meaningful look to both parties, "Has attested. Matt Evans was the one who fired at the demon - contract demon," he corrected hastily.

"The law states that no hunter is to ever attack a demon currently in contract with another hunter, unless on special circumstances where the demon could and would have harmed the partner, and a few other situations listed in the books," he continued on crisply. Selene listened along, knowing the rules herself. She had read over them and while she didn't memorize every one word for word, she knew all the rules and the loopholes. After all, Kasimir had said, what was the best way to battle someone but to battle someone on their own grounds? She would find a situation where one day loopholes would have to work to her favor, and while this wasn't what she expected it to be she knew what she would do. "And a few other laws broken this day was a hunter attacking another hunter in the hunter district, outside of training or exams."