Chapter 2:

It was like one of those movies where the dungeons were dark, drab and disgusting. Rats, with their cold hard red eyes gleaming in the dark. A few drops of water falling from the ceiling into the puddle it had created only days beforehand. And the prisoner, lying on the icy stone floor, no mattress or hay bed where they could lay their sore bodies. The bed was their comfort, their beacon of hope that seemed to glow through the already dim cellar. Aya awoke to this, astonished and shocked but most of all frightened of what would appear from behind the rotten wooden door that seemed to give off the haunted house look.

Aya turned her head back to a comfortable position and away from the intimating door. Even though Aya was awake, she laid in the darkness not moving one muscle. That simple gesture was the rest of the energy that she could find hiding in the crooks and crannies of every part of her body. Her petite figure felt so tender that if she made yet another slightest movement it would make her corpse break, mentally and physically. She had no idea where she was, but the environment gave her a pretty good idea. She quickly got rid of the thought, not wanting it to be true. Instead she focused on the pitter-patter of her fellow jail mates that echoed in the confined room.

Her back being faced towards the door didn't help much since the next thing she heard was the hinges of the entrance squeaking and bigger footsteps walking closer to her. Using the rest of her power to revert her head back to its relaxed position was most defiantly a waste. A feminine tone spoke unlike the masculine one she heard before passing out, saying these few undemanding lexis, "Get up…"

Aya's lids gradually opened merely to gaze upon the black silhouette of a young woman standing above. The brightness forced Aya's eyes to strain.

"C'mon…. I don't have all day." The voice spoke more sad than demanding. Aya then realized that this was not some sort of delusion, but actuality and so was the command. Aya tried to get to her knees but failed most miserably. The pain of the soar muscles burned and made Aya twinge, allowing her body to remain on the moldy stone.

The woman grew impatient, and declared,

"Forget it… Lemme help you." She grasped Aya's arm and draped it around her shoulder. The soft silk that the woman wore was like heaven compared to the sack-like cloth she was wrapped in.

"Okay…up." The woman commanded as she assisted Aya to her feet. Out of the damp cell and into a hallway, Aya's skin felt the transition to hardwood floors and now in better light she saw the woman more closely. She was stunning and poised. Even the robes she was sporting were more vibrant and intricate. Blues, greens, pinks and gold, an array of color Aya hadn't seen for a long period of time. Their feet padded down the hallway as she led Aya to as set of double doors that appeared as the gates of hell. They paused abruptly before entering. The woman took Aya's arm off from around her neck.

"This'll be the last few minutes of you life. Live them wisely… Um… I'm gonna throw you in. Don't take it personally." Before Aya had time to reply, the women burst open the doors and chucked Aya inside.

She continued to push her forward before throwing Aya and making her come face to face with cold stone flooring once more. Although the girl didn't mean it, it hurt like hell and Aya couldn't help but whimper as she raised her upper half to look at her surroundings. It was murky with a few candlelight flickers here and there showing the gleaming rows of teeth and the yellow-coated eyes. There was smoke that made the air thick and distasteful. Laughing and comments were thrown all around the room. It looked like a tavern. Aya could tell that the demons she was looking upon were not as quaint as the one who had thrown her to her knees.

The biggest and most noticeable light was located in the middle of the room. Almost like a spotlight for the theatrics. In the beam sat four statures, two boys and two girls. Aya felt herself being kicked into the limelight by one of the cruel, revolting demons that sat amongst the many that surrounded her. Once next to one of the girls, Aya shielded her eyes from the warmth and illumination of the rays, now known sunlight. The chattering of the demons around the dome suddenly fell into a light mumbling as a masculine outline came sauntering out of the darkness towards Aya and her fellow humans.

Once in the light, the whispers had completely silenced and there stood a man about 6'4, his deep brown eyes glaring at, what seemed to be, all of his victim's at once. He opened his mouth making it seem like he was about to spit out venom, almost as if the mere sight of them disgusted him. Aya bet he was. Aya knew he was. But before any sound came from his mouth, a whisper was heard throughout the whole dome like structure by a male demon,

"Those humans are all the same. They all just wanna get in the Demon Lord's pants…" but shortly after the statement was spoken, the sound of a knuckle hitting the back of a head was heard and that was the end of it.

But only afterwards did one of Aya's fellow human blurt out the most stupid thing you could say in a nest full of demons,

"Nay! I not let this go any further. Your race is a sin and should therefore be abolished! In the name of God and I as his right hand, you shall be smitten!" The room seemed to hang their heads in disgust and chuckle at a petty attempt to convert them to folklore. He wobbled as he climbed to his feet. "In the immortal words of Ahaz King of Judah once spoke, Now listen to me! Send back your fellow countrymen you have taken as prisoners, for the Lord's fierce anger rests on you!"

As soon as it took to say the very final word, the male demon had stepped forward and willingly shoved a blade deep into his gut. At least, Aya thought it was a blade. The man stood stunned as he staggered backward to fall to the ground. A pool of blood formed around him, as he died eyes wide open.

"Anyone else?" He shrugged egotistically as he stared down at the sufferers. The air was left vacant of hands of any sort. He then turned and focused on Aya. The demon tauntingly walked over to where she kneeled. Aya was so shocked though that she didn't even notice the fiend bend down to her level. "And you?" He was so close she could feel his putrid breath on her cheeks. The only movement was a single silent tear that streamed from her eye.

He seemed to shake his head as if disappointed in the reaction that Aya gave. He stood back up not letting his gaze wander. "That's what I thought," he muttered before walking down the line. "My name is Kankuro but there is no true reason why you should remember this, much because you won't live long to speak to me." As Kankuro passed the two girls, he came across the second boy who seemed completely apathetic in the situation. He was even smiling.

Kankuro got back down to his knees and stared straight into the boy's eyes, just like he had done with Aya. He tilted his head as if trying to put dramatic gestures into his statement,

"Oh… and why the smirk?"

The human boy just continued to grin at the demon, which, by the looks of it, was getting rather pissed by his attitude. The pestered face quickly disappeared as Kankuro chuckled, asking,

"Please… Human… Don't tell me you came here for immortality…"

The boy seemed to relax and bend back, his arms holding his body weight up. He spoke as if nothing could ever happen to him. He talked as if he were God,

"You know Kankuro… that is your name right? I can freely say, "Fuck you" to your face because now that I'm here, I've already gained immortality."

"Why you little piece of…" Kankuro growled as he raised his hand, ready to strike the cocky boy down. He was stopped though. A hand rested on his shoulder, telling him that they would handle it. Both the human and Kankuro looked up to see a young female, smiling down back at them. Kankuro stood to his feet and turned his back to the demoness and boy, his arms crossed showing displeasure.

The girl went into the same position Kankuro was in, her hand sliding down the boy's face. She had immediately seduced the man, the drool hanging from his mouth as an immediate sign. It was obvious he would look like this. Any human male would. The girl was gorgeous.

She had light brown eyes that shined under the sun's burning heat and blonde hair that looked smooth and silky up in four ponytails on either side of her head. She wore a traditional violet kimono, almost matching the one the girl that had fetched Aya was wearing. But suddenly the sweetness that her eyes once held fell as her light brown orbs turned dark. But that wasn't the only thing turning dim. The boy's once pink face had turned a dark shade of purple.

He was suffocating and the demoness wasn't even lifting a finger. Before Aya noticed, the boy had died and all that remained were the two girls and she. The demoness spoke,

"Really human. The priest didn't survive. What made you think you were any different." The room fell silent with the exception of a couple comments of the circling demons. Without notice, a tan face appeared out of the shadows between the two girls. Neither Aya nor the girls had seen him until he spoke in a deep tone,

"You want him don't ya?" He spoke seductively, exciting them even more so. Once realizing his presence, they turned towards him, giggling flirtatiously. Another voice pronounced, making the two females look back in front of them to the male. He knelt down so he came face to face with the two girls.

"What about me?" he said, his bright flaxen tresses shining under the sunlight. His pointer finger was directed at his nose, as he smiled giddily. It was a boyish smile, one Aya frequently saw on the kids playing in the park near her home. Both girls suddenly appeared disgusted as one scowled,

"Ew no."

The boy pouted.

The tan demon with the two red triangles on either side of his face sounded as if he were the bell on a game show and the contestant had given the incorrect response.

"Wrong answer." He grabbed their hair violently back, making them yelp. The blonde closed his eyes and sighed. And then easily, with one foul swoop, had successfully sliced off the women's heads clean off the neck. Blood had been shed everywhere and smothered Aya.

Aya sat there, to afraid to scream, to afraid to cry. Four people had been murdered in front of her eyes. For what? For pleasure? For bloodlust? Because they made those certain demons mad? Why would they have done such a thing? Revenge? For fun? Jealousy? All these thoughts roamed throughout Aya's head just as she noticed all of the watching demons staring their cold eyes sharply at her. It was her turn.

Aya gazed blankly forward still watching as the four demons closed in around her. The demoness stood next to Kankuro while the tan demon stooped facing Aya. The blonde haired one had come up from behind her smelling her hair like some sort of creeper. She must've smelled awful. She had been in a moss-covered dungeon for who knows how long and hadn't taken a shower prior to this moment. He spoke,

"Are you just here for our Lord too?"

All the blonde blue-eyed demon got was stillness from Aya's unmoving lips. He scowled once noticing he was receiving the silent treatment, and raised his voice,

"Human! I'm talking to yo-"

He fell silent as Aya interrupted,

"Why bother talking to me if you're just gonna kill me?"

The boy seemed to stop talking and stand to his feet. He walked from behind Aya and next to the demoness, his back facing her. Instead the red triangles demon spoke,

"Is that what you want…?"

Aya glanced at him before looking to the side. She saw the hand of one of the girl's lying in her own blood. Why had she died? Why were people dying? There was no logic explanation that Aya knew of. Blinking back to looking forward, Aya chuckled a small laugh before saying straight up,

"Yeah."

The demon's sharp nail was placed onto Aya's soft pale skin, making it bleed a bit. He began to press harder before whispering, a small childlike voice speaking,

"So how does it feel…?"

Aya was momentarily shocked. The demon had removed his tough façade and had shone a weak side. He seemed almost sad. He seemed to realize this and quickly regained his "robustness" finishing his statement,

"I mean… before you die human? How does it feel?"

She continued looking at the dog like eyes of the demon. Deep down she hoped to see the frail side of the demon once more. When it never came, Aya reverted her gaze up into the sunlight. It was warm; unlike the cellar she had been in previously. She smiled at the balmy rays, telling the demon exactly what was on her mind,

"I feel like an insecure little kid… not trusting any of my five useless senses and turning to my others instead. The developed ones, the inhuman ones, the ones I rely on to exist in any dimension at all."

Through the pith dark surrounding the light, a pair of teal eyes glanced up from the bored expression that once took place on his face. He wasn't the only one surprised. Every other demon in the room remained quiet, anticipating the bloodshed or pondering her words.

The boy raised his right hand up, the fingernails growing into claws. Aya stared up into the sunlight, basking in its heat. It was the last feeling she knew would have and thought to make the best of it. She closed her eyes and smiled, recollecting about Suki's father who took her in when the demons killed her parents, or when she first went out at night. Ever since then she thought twilight was the most beautiful time on earth.

As the boy swung his hand to her neck, Aya shut her eyes. And as if a miracle had bestowed itself on the timing, the impact never came. Aya opened her eyes to see another newcomer in the circle. He was obviously male and held a tight grip on the tan demon's wrist. The sun blocked most of his face but Aya could see his pale skin shining beautifully in the light amongst his flame red hair.

She looked beyond him to see the girl who had brought her from the dungeons. She looked like had just gotten the worst news of her life. But something about her expression showed hint of receiving the best information from the worst. Her mouth hung open, her shining crimson eyes wide. Even the demon about to strike her seemed twice as shocked. Whoever this guy was, he was pretty powerful. Probably one of the Great Demons.

"Not her Kiba," he began speaking, "this one's interesting." His voice sounded like the ringing bells of the clock tower. A magical sound, with a hint of savage. He turned his head to meet Aya's stare. They were a creamy teal that swam through Aya's, seemingly reading her mind. Aya looked away almost immediately. She didn't want anyone to understand her thoughts for what she was thinking then.

The newcomer looked back to the demon named Kiba, speaking once more, "I think we'll keep her." Kiba stared incredulous up at the man as he released his wrist. Kankuro's voice suddenly penetrated the light as he rushed up to the man,

"Keep her?! My Lord, it goes against our custom!"

"Lord? No way." Aya thought to herself. The man standing in front of her was the demon she had heard so much rumors about. He was he one she wrote about in her journal. The one she had been receiving facts from fellow citizens and trespassing demons. He was it. The Demon Lord. Aya couldn't help but look back up to the figure she had studied for half her life. Amazingly he was staring right back at her.

"Make her a servant," He said as he looked towards Kankuro. It was either an angry mob ready to burst or a circle of governors arguing over a certain matter. No matter what it was, the surrounding demons were shockingly angry. They were shouting. Growling. One even leapt from his position into the sunlight. He was a witch green; moles all over his skin that shown. He held a rigid rusted knife, raising it above Aya's position.

She shut her eyes. A warm feeling washed over her and it wasn't the sun's light. Aya gazed back to the scene. New blood had splashed over her body. She looked up to see the demon staring wide-eyed at her. Within a second, his body split apart, each cut evenly spilt. Everything was silent again.

"This meeting is over." Aya looked up to see the Demon Lord walking away. Kankuro looked back down to her before announcing everyone to leave. Aya continually stared at the retreating figure until he had completely gone. Every demon had left by then, even they ones surrounding her. She was alone.

"What chance do I have of surviving here?"

"Don't ask." Aya turned around to see four silhouettes standing in the doorway. Aya could've sworn she spoke in her head, yet one of the girls answered her as if it were out loud. The girl spoke again,

"The name's Ino." Ino wore a baby blue kimono with a sapphire obi. At least, those were the colors Aya could make out through the darkness. The girl standing next to her had on a crimson kimono with pink obi, her cherry hair waist length. Ino gestured to the demoness,

"This is Sakura."

Sakura tilted her head a bit, studying Aya.

"She's not much to look at," Sakura spoke. Aya knew this. A whisper voice spoke from behind the two girls,

"Why-Why did the Lord chose-chose her?" Aya strained her eyes to see a pale white silk adorning a smaller figure. She also had waist length midnight blue hair, her pearl eyes staring unemotionally up at Aya.

"Beats me. That's Hinata," Sakura jabbed her finger in Hinata's direction. Aya knew the last girl. She was the one who had taken her from the dungeon. She glared over at Aya, confusion dancing in her swirling crimson abyss.

"Kankuro left her in your hands Mai." Sakura turned back around, shortly followed by Ino who spoke,

"Take care of it quickly now."

With those spoken words, the three beauties walked gracefully away from the scene. The two girls stared at each other in silence before the demoness named Mai, turned her back to Aya,

"Don't expect me to wait for you."

She began walking away. Aya stared around the room. If she was left alone who knew what would happen. Getting up quite klutzily, Aya ran after Mai. She found it funny how she trusted only this girl, when she too treated her like shit. It was those words: "Um… I'm gonna throw you in. Don't take it personally."

Mai wasn't the only one who showed her a fragile side. There was that triangle demon. "So how does it feel…?" He sounded hesitant. It wasn't something most demons would show, but both of them had exposed similarities. It was interesting.

"Where are you taking me," Aya asked, finally catching up to the demoness. Compared to Mai's elegant walk, Aya looked like an old man with a back problem.

Aya saw Mai looking at her from the corner of her eyes,

"To your new room. The Demon Lord says he'll keep you here as a servant."

"But I don't want to be here." Mai suddenly stopped. Aya too halted and stared up at the splendor. Her calm face suddenly turned malice. Mai turned to Aya and slapped her.

"You better be damn grateful he spared your life! Don't want to stay here… you best get used to it human!" Her demand was truth. Every word she meant. Aya felt ashamed. She reflected back on the humans sitting along side her, swimming in their blood. She blinked from the memory as the two walked forward in the awkward stillness.

-!-!-!-

"This is it." The room was closet sized; only fitted with a hay bed and bucket. It smelled of rotting milk and mildew. An awful stench came from the pail. Her new bathroom. Aya didn't complain though afraid of the reaction she would get from Mai. Truthfully, Aya was grateful she wasn't thrown back into that cell.

Mai was just about to leave before saying,

"I'll bring you to the bath tomorrow morning before you get to work. The Demon Lord wouldn't want someone smelling as bad as you working on the floors. We don't want them to smell like human." Her words didn't have much effect. Aya just let them bounce off the wall. It then suddenly hit her,

"Is there any way we could get along?" She heard Mai pause. Taking the chance, Aya turned around to continue,

"Is there anyway for humans and demons to get along without the whose better law?"

Mai remained silent before shutting her eyes along with the door, saying only a brief sentence before Aya was by herself once more in the darkness.

"Save your idealism for your fairytales."

So even demons thought it to be impossible. Aya fell to her knees, the tears unwillingly falling from her olive orbs. With tears came sleep. But there were no dreams for the Aya that night, only nightmares.