This is a work of fanfiction. All characters (except Emerald) belong to Aphmau / Jessica Bravura.
Cover Art belongs to Aphmau / Jessica Bravura.
Please don't sue me.
'This is a peculiar situation,' Zex though as he followed the short human female. 'No doubt these beings are humans, and if that's the case, they're far more valuable than they realize. Conflict must be scarce in this realm: she has her back completely turned to me without worry.' The assassin spirit felt the grin on his face growing wider in anticipation. 'She's far too trusting of a person she just met. I could kill her...right now.' His hand strayed inside his jacket, fingers grasping the hilt of his knife. 'In fact, I'm more than tempted to. I've never had prey this easy...'
"We're here." She stopped abruptly, turning to face him and forcing him to quickly remove his hand from his clothes.
'But I prefer a challenge.' Zex looked up at the building she had halted in front of. "This is yours?"
"This is...mine? Well, if by that you mean that I live here, then yeah, I guess." She laughed softly. "I live here with - !" The short woman cut herself off with a soft gasp, as if just realizing something. "D-do you think you can wait here? I need to, uh...put away my underwear!"
"Under...where?" He cocked his head, confused at the term as she rushed by him towards the door.
"Look, girls wear them. If guys don't, I don't wanna know that! So be right back!" Without giving him a chance to respond, the little human ran into the building without a backward glance.
He watched her go, debating with himself whether it was worth it to wait for her to come back. 'If she brings this "phone" back here, I may not get a chance to discover how she came into contact with the others. Even more, it might give them a chance to escape.'
Zex narrowed his eyes in determination as he stepped forward. 'That's a risk I am not willing to take.'
Emerald stood behind the couch, watching the end of the crime show with the Daemos. It was interesting to her this was one of the programs they had focused in on, but she didn't have a problem with it. Quite the opposite, in fact: something like this showed them Earth was not completely docile and held danger of its own, while also teaching them a bit about laws and punishment.
All in all, good lessons for them to pick up.
The narrator droned out his usual line to signify the show was ending. "Tune in next week. Same time, same place." As soon as he'd finished, the veteran reached down and grabbed the remote, clicking off the TV.
"Hey!" Asch cried indignantly, glaring at her. "We were going to watch the next show!"
"While I do enjoy the newfound appreciation you all seem to have developed for the culture of Earth, y'all have watched more than enough TV for now." She sniffed the air near them experimentally. "I think showers are definitely in order before the end of the day."
Rhys nodded. "I agree. While it has been enlightening to partake in these shows, we now need to draw our attention elsewhere." He looked to the veteran. "Could you please give us some privacy? I do not mean to be rude, but - "
Emerald held up a hand, stopping him short. "No, it's fine. I need to get back to work packing up in my room, anyway." She waggled the remote in her hand. "Although, I do think I'll take this with me. Just to make sure you guys don't get distracted again." With one last wave to the Daemos, she went back to her room, closing the door behind her once inside.
Asch glared at his advisor. "What could be so important you're making us miss 'Socky'?"
"Daemos. You need to be enthusiastic about returning, and now more than ever we need to return." Rhys shook his head.
"What makes you say that?"
"I don't see a reason why we should return," Leif scoffed softly.
The spectacled Daemos looked at him in shock. "Leif!"
"We live a pretty nice life here on Earth."
Noi nodded. "I have to agree. It's not like Daemos at all."
"Listen to what you are saying!" Rhys shifted his attention between the two of them, eyes wide in disbelief.
Leif leapt to his feet, already riled up. "No, you listen! You all listen! Have any of you ever, ever had someone on Daemos treat you the way Princess Ava and Dame Emerald have?! Or live without worrying about dying?!"
"I'm positive none of us have had that luxury."
"Exactly! And now, here on Earth, we have that! Who in their right mind would want to give that up?!"
"Are you suggesting...treason?! Against Daemos?!"
"We're as good as dead if we go back there."
"Leif! Just listen to yourself!"
"I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been thinking this..." The former assassin glanced over his shoulder at Pierce, who had remained completely silent throughout the conversation.
The large Daemos cleared his throat, but did not look away. "Dame Emerald and I discussed this yesterday while she was resting. We both decided that a...relationship...between us is only possible as long as it does not interfere with our respective duties." He met Rhys's gaze evenly. "I am prepared to depart whenever it is necessary. I only ask that we give Dame Emerald and Princess Ava proper farewells before then."
The spectacled Daemos gave him a nod of understanding. "That is exactly the answer I would expect from both of you."
"Leif is right!" Noi cut in suddenly. "On Daemos, you all know what would have happened to me! Everyone there considers me weak! I would be dead if it wasn't for Asch allowing me to be a knight! I wouldn't even be allowed to breed on Daemos! Here...I actually have a chance with Princess Ava!"
"Listen to you two! You've gone completely mad!"
"Don't try to give us that crap, Rhys. You know you prefer it here, too." Leif sneered at him. "You're just too proud to admit it."
"I...do concede that Earth is, by far, better than our living situation on Daemos. But this isn't our world!"
"Who says it can't be?!"
"There are repercussions for everything, Leif. And at the end of the day, someone has to take responsibility for us being here."
"Dame Emerald is already taking care of all of that! We literally have not had to worry about a single thing since we began staying in this place. She's taken us out more than Princess Ava, she's given us more attention and information than we ever could've gotten on our own, she - "
"There is a very big difference between taking responsibility and shouldering a burden." Rhys glared at the former assassin. "Are you really so oblivious as to ignore what has been happening to both of them, especially these last few days? Dame Emerald has been under an enormous amount of pressure to keep Princess Ava safe while also keeping us out of trouble." He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose under his glasses in a gesture he seemed to have picked up from the veteran. "She has had three of these 'panic attacks' since we've arrived, two in the past week alone." He frowned. "But you wouldn't know a thing about taking responsibility for anything, now would you?"
Pierce looked between the two Daemos, sensing the rising tensions in the room. "We should calm ourselves before - "
"I've atoned for attempting to assassinate Asch! I've betrayed my clan to become a knight! Meanwhile, you get to sit as Lady Grandma's precious pupil!" Leif sneered in response.
"I faced my own trials and downfalls before ever being her pupil. Don't think you two are the only ones who had to struggle to get to where you are." Rhys glared at Leif and Noi. "You both forget your place. Regardless of where we come from, our past, all four of us have the privilege of being Asch's knights, which allows us to act freely where other Daemos would get punished."
"Silence." Asch took a breath, then looked to his advisor. "Why have you brought this to our attention, Rhys? You're not one to get heated as you have in this conversation."
The spectacled Daemos sighed tiredly. "I've been communicating with Lady Grandma ever since we arrived here on Earth."
"What?!"
Pierce furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "How?"
"Why didn't you tell us?" Leif seemed equally shocked.
"It was meant to be discreet." Rhys directed a small bow towards the Daemos prince. "I sincerely apologize for keeping this from you, your majesty. However, it was a direct order from Lady Grandma herself that I keep it between her and I."
"Go on," Asch sighed in resignation.
"Lady Grandma has her own interest in Earth. She wanted to advocate for human conservation on Daemos, which would involve us bringing back humans to...breed them."
Pierce shook his head. "That isn't possible on Daemos."
Leif nodded his assent. "That would be an ideal world. You know those humans would be killed on the spot for what they're worth."
"Exactly. Which is why the operation was to be discreet. My job was to find the best candidates for it."
Asch's eyes went wide as the true meaning of Rhys's words sank in. "Ava?! And Emerald?!"
"What?!" Pierce leapt to his feet, actually glaring at the royal advisor.
"Hear me out."
"We're listening..." Asch growled, summoning a ball of fire in his hand. The other Daemos were also now standing, respective weapons in hand.
Rhys sighed, clearly disappointed in their reaction. "The exact juvenile response I expected. Listen: when I first saw Ava, I cannot deny she was on my list of candidates. Even moreso when we discovered Emerald. But now...I could never ask that of them."
"Attached?" Noi asked as the others put away their weapons.
"I think we all are, aren't we?"
Asch seemed annoyed again. "What does this have to do with anything?"
"I've attempted communication with Lady Grandma since this morning...and she has not answered."
"You're making us freak out over that?" Leif scoffed. "She's probably just busy."
Noi let out a little giggle. "Yeah, maybe she's just thinking about Pierce!"
Pierce involuntarily shuddered in disgust.
"I don't think you all realize this, but time on Daemos and time on Earth are very different. On Daemos, it has been two days since I called her this morning on Earth."
Asch's eyes widened in panic. "What?!"
"Time is different?!" Noi squeaked out.
"How long have we been gone in Daemos time?!"
"More than four months has passed on Daemos since we've arrived on Earth."
"Four months?" Pierce looked deeply concerned.
Leif shook his head. "I thought it was only twenty-five suns!"
"One month?" Rhys let out a soft chuckle. "No, more than one-hundred and twenty-one suns have passed there."
"H-how?! I-I-I didn't realize -!" The Daemos prince seemed at a loss for words.
"You're fine, Asch. Lady Grandma has covered for you, but I urge us to consider going back tonight. Lady Grandma could be in danger, and by extension...ourselves. They may send for us here, putting all of Earth in danger of war with Daemos."
"We must head back for Daemos. Tonight." Leif, Noi, and Pierce all cried out in shock, but Asch continued. "It is the only way to ensure Ava and Emerald's safety. I do not want for Earth to become what Daemos is." He crossed over to the backside of the couch, possibly on his way to fetch Emerald and explain their plans.
"Asch, listen, I - " Leif began chasing after him...
...only for all of the Daemos to stop short as Ava came rushing in.
"Guys! Guys!" Ava skidded to a halt in front of the door to her bedroom, coughing as she tried to catch her breath from running up the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator.
"Ava? Is something wrong?" Noi cocked his head at her like a confused puppy.
Rhys seemed equally confused. "What has you in a panic?"
"I agree." Everyone turned to see Emerald coming towards them from her room, studying the shorter woman with concern in her eyes. "I could hear you freaking out even though my door was closed. Did something happen?"
"I invited someone in...without even thinking..." Ava rushed out. "In retrospect, I really should've told him I'd bring my phone down to him, but that's beside the point. I'm fully committed and now I'm afraid to change the subject on it!"
"Just take your phone to him, then. What's the big deal about that?" The veteran crossed her arms over her chest, raising one eyebrow.
"No! They need to change into their human clothes, and - " Ava paused as she fully registered what Emerald had just said. "You know what? Y-yeah. I can do that."
As she opened the door to her room, the taller woman followed closely behind. "Care to tell me more about this 'guy' you just met?"
"If we wish to protect Ava and Emerald, then we must go back," Rhys murmured to the others, not wanting the two human women to hear.
"I really need to stop overthinking things," Ava laughed as she and Emerald came back out of her room. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I changed my mind right now." Still shaking her head and snickering to herself, she went towards the front door. "I'll be right back, guys."
"Wait...is this the kind of guy who would care if you changed your mind?" Emerald followed closely behind, giving the Daemos a quick, worried glance as she passed by.
"Do you sense that?" Pierce murmured, suddenly looking back at the women as they rounded the corner.
Leif nodded, narrowing his eyes. "Something's here."
The other Daemos exchanged worried glances as each one picked up on the sudden, almost overwhelming pulse of magic coming from nearby...
...in the direction the two women were currently headed.
"So, you just happened to meet this guy in the exact same area you met the other guys?" Emerald was almost shadowing Ava's steps one for one, barely missing the backs of the woman's shows as they headed towards the front door of the apartment. She furrowed her eyebrows as the shorter woman turned to face her directly.
"Yeah. I mean, it's close to the Convention Center and the bus stop, so it makes sense people would be passing through there." Ava waved her off as she grabbed the doorknob. "It's not like he can actually get into the building without - "
She cut herself off as she opened the door and froze.
The man from downstairs was standing right in the doorway.
Emerald immediately reached forward and slammed the door shut again, flicking the lock as she grabbed Ava by the shoulder and dragged her back a few steps. "How the fuck did he know what floor you live on?!" she whispered fiercely.
"I don't know!" the shorter woman whispered back. "Maybe he's been here before?"
"That's even less reassuring!"
"Look, the point is he's already here. We need to stop being rude and just help him so he goes away!"
The veteran looked like she wanted to strangle the shorter woman. Instead, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before slowly nodding. "Okay. But stay behind me." Bracing herself, the taller woman turned and opened the door back up.
"Hey! Sorry about slamming the door in your face..." Ava grinned at the man sheepishly, pointedly ignoring the glare Emerald shot from the corner of her eye. When he failed to respond, she cleared her throat nervously. "So...why did you come up here? I asked you to wait downstairs."
"That's a very good question." Emerald turned her full attention back to the unexpected visitor. She met his gaze calmly, folding her arms across her chest. "It's kind of creepy, if you ask me."
"I grew tired of waiting for you," he answered simply. Without waiting for a reply, the dark-haired stranger pushed past both women and began walking into the apartment.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa!" the veteran shouted, running to get in front of him and block his path. She held out a hand and pushed his chest. "What do you think you're doing?! I didn't give you permission to come in here!"
"Where the heck did you learn your manners from?!" Ava agreed, kicking the front door shut before racing over to stand at Emerald's side.
He gave them a quizzical look. "Manners?"
"Oh God, you really remind me of them now," the shorter woman muttered under her breath.
Emerald looked between the two of them, a little ball of horror growing in the pit of her stomach as she began to suspect who this man might really be...or rather, what. She put her arm out in front of Ava, carefully maneuvering her body in between them as she gently pushed the smaller woman back towards the living room. If this guy was from Daemos, then -
"Ava. Emerald." Asch's voice from the other room caught their attention, cutting through the tension that'd been building.
Sensing an out, the veteran scooted Ava back the way they'd come, careful not to leave any part of the shorter woman exposed to this intruder. 'Maybe the Daemos can scare him off,' she thought. 'It'd be five against one, so even if he is like them, it shouldn't be a problem.'
"Who are you talking to?" the Daemos prince asked softly.
Emerald noticed all five of them had changed into their human clothes. 'That's good. If this guy is just a creepy human after all, it'll be easier to get him out of here.'
Suddenly, she caught a distinct shift in their expressions. At the same time, the sound of shoes walking purposefully on the floor towards her came to her ears. Instead of looking back, the veteran straightened her back and kept her focus on the Daemos, hoping they'd be able to give her some sort of cue to dodge if it came down to it.
As always, Ava seemed unaware of the mood in the room. "Sorry, I should've told you guys sooner. This is Zex. I met him outside in the alley, which sounds pretty terrible, now that I say it out loud..."
"You just met him and you let him inside?!" Leif sounded as horrified as Emerald felt, but she didn't dare draw attention to herself when her back was so openly exposed.
"Yeah, uh...I suppose I really allowed myself to let my guard down ever since I met you guys. But! I can promise you he seems like a nice person. He's lost, and I just wanted to help him." Ava turned to look back at the newcomer, but caught the expression on Emerald's face. "But, um, next time I'll make sure to ignore someone in need."
"Christ, Ava, that's not the point right now." Emerald huffed out a frustrated breath. She kept herself perfectly still, not wanting to be caught unaware if this "Zex" decided to try something.
"This is bad," Pierce murmured under his breath, narrowing his eyes as he began to think how to get the two human women away from Zex. He heard Asch let out a soft, frustrated sigh.
Oblivious to everything going on around her, Ava fully faced the newest arrival. "Here Zex: my phone. You can use it to make a call if you need - " She cut herself off as she pulled the device from her pocket, noting how the screen hadn't lit up to unlock. "Oh no..." She tapped it a few times. "Battery's out. Darn it! Let me go charge it real quick."
"I'll come with you," Emerald spoke up immediately, keeping step with the shorter woman. She knew if the Daemos were to have any freedom to act, then they couldn't be worrying about the two human women being in the way.
They were almost to Ava's room when the small woman stopped and turned to address the guys. "Zex is new, so make sure you guys are nice to him. I'll be right back."
"Ava, get in here!" The veteran grabbed her by the hood of her sweatshirt, practically dragging her inside the room before slamming the door shut behind them.
No sooner had the door shut, the five Daemos pulled out their weapons, glaring at the dark-haired man.
"Didn't that human say to play nice?" Zex taunted, choosing not to pull out his short sword.
"How did you manage to get here?!" Asch growled, somehow keeping himself from hurling the fireball in his hand at the assassin spirit.
"Lady Bish has her ways."
Rhys glared at him. "Why are you here?!"
"To bring back Asch, of course. He still needs to fulfill his destiny, to which it's become apparent he's been running away from."
"What are you even talking about?!" Leif growled.
"Oh?" Zex let out an absolutely wicked snicker. "You haven't told them, Asch?" At the Daemos prince's continued silence, he went on. "Well, you may not have to worry yet. Perhaps one of those two humans can take your place. This world is crawling with humans ripe for the picking...and since Lady Bish knows how to get here, I may just make the most of my time here."
"Don't you dare lay a hand on them!"
He focused his attention towards the former assassin. "Leif. So fitting a fellow assassin would be here."
"I'm a knight now."
"Hide it all you want, you know the thrill of the kill will never leave you."
"Enough!" Rhys shouted, glaring at Zex. "What do you want?"
"My mission is simple: I'm here to take back Asch, and I intend to do so."
The Daemos glared at him, seemingly moments away from a fight when the door to Ava's room swung open loudly.
Emerald was not happy with the present circumstances.
As Ava searched through her bedside table drawer for her charger, the veteran took a moment to try and focus. It was becoming more and more apparent the shorter woman was completely oblivious to the mood pervading the apartment. 'I could tell her what's going on, but that might just make her freak out. The last thing I need to deal with is a panicked Ava.'
She sighed, taking stock of her own mental status while she had the time. Surprisingly, Emerald felt fairly calm. It seemed having an actual threat to focus on was more manageable than the vague feelings of losing control she'd been dealing with since the Daemos had first come into their lives.
'All I have to do is keep Ava away from Zex. That's it. No problem.' She took one last deep breath before opening her eyes, watching as Ava fished her charger out from behind her nightstand with a cry of victory. 'As long as Ava doesn't know what's going on, she'll be safe.' Emerald nodded to herself, confident in her plan.
What could possibly go wrong?
"Sorry, it took me a while to find a charger. I - " Ava cut herself off as she took in the scene. The five Daemos guys were trying their best to look nonchalant, but it was fairly obvious there had been some sort of confrontation. Luckily, Zex semed to be unharmed.
In fact, the man in question met her gaze and shrugged his shoulders, indicating he had no idea what was going on.
"Geez, the tension is so thick in here you can cut it with a knife," she whispered to Em, indicating the group in front of them.
"And why do you think that is?" the veteran whispered back, not taking her eyes off Zex.
Ava paused, taking in the scene before them. "Oh...I get it! They're jealous!" She felt a grin spreading over her face. "I brought another guy home! I bet they're screaming internally about the idea!"
Leif was the closest he'd ever been to panicking in quite some time. 'Why did it have to be him?! He's easily one of the strongest assassins on Daemos! Even with five of us, it may not be enough...'
Noi glared at Zex, determination in his eyes. 'I need to protect Princess Ava and Dame Emerald!'
'How stupid is Princess Ava to trust some random stranger?!' Asch shook his head in stunned disbelief. 'Did she learn nothing from us?!'
"We need to plan an escape route," Rhys whispered softly, hoping the other Daemos would hear him without alerting the humans.
"We need to remove Princess Ava and Dame Emerald from this situation," Pierce countered, not daring to look away from Zex.
"They are jealous!" Ava was almost giddy with excitement. "They're glaring at him like they want to destroy him!"
Emerald stared down at her roommate in silent horror. She'd known Ava wasn't the most...perceptive person, but to so completely misread a situation was enough to shock the veteran into silence. 'You know what: if that's what she wants to think, fine,' she thought to herself. 'If she doesn't know, then she won't panic. As long as I can keep myself between her and Zex, she'll be safe.'
"Hey, Em?"
Emerald shook herself from her thoughts, looking down at her roommate. "Hmm?"
"Should we offer to make something for the guys? It looks like things are getting pretty tense between everyone, so maybe some food would smooth things over?"
She paused, considering how to answer. "If...you think that might help."
Ava nodded back, then faced the group. "Hey, uh, Zex. Are you hungry for anything?" She carefully maneuvered her way through the group, Emerald shadowing her steps.
The veteran risked a glance over at the Daemos, taking some reassurance from the calm expressions on their faces. They seemed to have a handle on the situation, so she was going to trust them to help keep Ava safe.
"Hungry?" Zex seemed confused by the term.
"We really shouldn't be offering someone food," Asch broke in, watching the two women like a hawk.
"Well Asch, it's my house and my rules," Ava shot back, frowning as she took out the loaf of bread from underneath the kitchen island. She gave Zex an apologetic smile. "Feel free to take a seat over by the couch."
Emerald chose not to correct her, instead watching as the Daemos parted to let the man walk through them to the living room. 'They're definitely on edge,' she thought as she observed them following closely behind, paying close attention to how they arranged themselves around the intruder.
Asch and Noi were on the outside edges, which made sense: the Daemos would want to protect the former above all, and the latter couldn't really do much without magic. Pierce and Leif were flanking Zex himself, which also made sense: while it was true Rhys was Asch's advisor, Emerald got the feeling his strength lay closer to strategy than close combat.
One thing that definitely stood out was the glares she caught all of them directing at Zex.
"They're literally glaring him down. This is really bad..." she murmured to herself.
"Are Daemos territorial?" Ava paused in the sandwich preparations to study them as well. "Like lions or something? But that doesn't make any sense, right? Or maybe...it actually does."
"I don't think that's - "
Ava cut her off, raising her voice so the Daemos could hear her. "Hey, don't worry. I'll make you guys something, too. You all should just sit down and talk. My phone should be charged soon." She lowered her voice again as she faced the veteran. "There, that should make them feel less threatened. Right?"
Emerald chose to give a noncommittal shrug, hoping this whole situation would just end peacefully.
Over on the couch, things were anything but peaceful.
Zex sneered at the others. "I never thought I'd see the day that Daemos would answer to humans. How pathetic is that? They've even changed your attire and removed your horns." He scoffed softly. "Truly, this is a new low...even for Prince Asch."
"Do not let him provoke you," Pierce softly warned the others, looking down at his own lap even as he clenched his hands into fists.
"Even the great General Pierce," he purred tauntingly. "You used to serve as Rhal's knight before you were placed with Asch."
"Our past does not define us."
"Of course." Zex studied the faces of the Daemos around him, glancing back over his shoulder towards the two human women briefly. A truly wicked smile began working its way across his face. "I understand now."
"Sorry it took so long." Ava walked over carrying a tray, the veteran so close she was almost brushing her shoulder as they walked. "I'm not as great at cooking as Rhys or Em, so I made sandwiches!" She gave them a sheepish grin. "They have just mayo and ham, but - "
Emerald sensed the movement before her eyes even registered the shift had happened. From the corner of her vision, she saw a sudden shadow appear beside them. "Move!"
She grabbed Ava in a bear hug, dropping them both to the ground. As she fell, the veteran twisted to the side and kicked her leg up while pushing the shorter woman away from her. If she could just stun him, that'd give the Daemos enough time to react and get Ava to safety -
All thought stopped as she felt Zex's hand clamp down hard around her left ankle, eyes going wide as she found herself being slung in an arc...
...which abruptly ended when her back connected with the fireplace. All her breath was knocked from her lungs, as were her glasses from her face. Her back ached where it'd hit the stone. Her ankle, though now released, felt as if it were on fire. 'Might have sprained it when he grabbed it,' she thought. At least, she hoped it was only a sprain.
"Emerald!" "Em!" A cacophony of voices came to her ears, the most alarming of which was Ava's coming from closer than it should have. To her horror, Emerald saw Zex grab the shorter woman, holding a knife to her throat as he backed away from the others. The veteran tried to get up, but his foot was suddenly pressing hard into her chest, forcing her back down to the floor.
Zex let out a malicious chuckle. "Look at that reaction," he taunted, keeping his eyes on the other Daemos.
As one, the others stood and drew their weapons, leveling positively murderous glares at the intruder. "Let them go!" Pierce roared, taking half a step forward.
"I truly never thought I'd see the day when Daemos would have feelings for humans."
"We feel no such thing!" Asch shot back, his whole body tense.
Zex's grin grew wider. "Your actions are showing otherwise. The fact that you all hesitate to kill me as I hold them hostage is more telling than anything you can say." He shifted his foot on Emerald, pushing down on her chest with more of his weight. She wheezed, grabbing ineffectually at his ankle even though it just aggravated her injured hands.
"Stop!" Rhys cried, his gaze flicking between the woman and the assassin spirit.
Zex relented, although he kept his foot firmly planted on the veteran. "Prince Asch. You will return with me to Daemos if you wish to see these humans' lives spared."
Asch paused, his eyes darting between the human women and Zex before he sighed heavily. "Very well. My only request is that you spare Princess Ava and Dame Emerald."
"Princess? Dame? These livestock have such lofty titles?" Zex sneered at him, showing no sign of releasing the humans.
Emerald's struggles paused as she took in his words. "W-what?"
"You shut up!" Leif growled, glaring at the assassin spirit.
"What do you mean?" Ava let her eyes dart between each of the Daemos facing her.
Zex let out another long, cruel chuckle. "I wonder what lies they told you in exchange for information. Truly, this opportunity to be in a world infested with humans is too good to pass up."
"Silence!" Rhys ordered, even as his gaze went back to Emerald. He was dismayed to find the veteran's attention was fully focused back on Zex, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"They told us about Daemos," Ava shot back. "About how everyone's in danger and they want to move everyone here!"
Zex's laughter was suddenly very loud in the room. "You really think that?! You're as naive as you look. Of course, I would expect that of a human. Allow me to unveil their mask."
"Don't!" Asch cried out, sounding oddly panicked.
"The only 'danger' Daemos is in is a Magic Crisis. Our world is lacking the souls required in order to keep magic flowing through. Our society, our world, is entirely built on magic. Once it collapses, everything falls with it. Not only that, but the most prominent Daemos kingdoms are at war with each other, and our beloved Asch is the heir to the most powerful of them all. So it would make sense that the son of the most prominent kingdom would venture out to try and save the magic from failing." His grin impossibly grew wider. "Especially if his life depends on it."
"Wait! You don't mean..." Rhys's expression softened as he looked to his prince.
"Asch..." Noi whimpered softly.
"It makes sense," Ava cut in. "Who'd want their people to fall? I think Asch - no, all the Daemos here are fighting for a noble cause."
"Do you know why you're so valuable to them?" Zex sneered, leaning in closer to her ear. "Have they told you? Do you know what the source of Daemos magic is?"
"It's humans."
Everyone stopped and looked down at Emerald. Her hand was still firmly on Zex's leg, but she was no longer struggling and her eyes were closed. "It's the reason you claimed you hide your horns while hunting, but were confused by food." A small sob escaped, although no tears fell. "You use magic for literally everything. Even something simple like cleaning or bathing or...cooking..." Her eyes opened, coming to rest on Rhys. "Or glasses..."
Zex let out a disbelieving scoff. "Well, look at that. You're actually somewhat clever. That's a rare trait in your kind." He grinned wickedly at the others. "I can see why they'd be hesitant to destroy such a novelty. Human souls are the source of our power, and it just so happened that the last human kept in captivity was killed around the same time as your friends who happen to appear here. Lady Bish's guess is that these fools killed it and used its soul to make their trip here, and ever since then they've been searching for a way to bring humans to Daemos...starting with you two."
"...i-is this...true?" Ava asked in a tiny voice, tears already appearing at the corners of her eyes. "You were using me? Using us? This whole time?!"
"Princess Ava, please." Rhys met her gaze, pleading for her to trust his words.
Pierce looked between the two women, although his gaze came to rest on Emerald. "Our intent was indeed there, but - "
"Shut up!" The shorter woman glared at them. "The talk of marriage, everything...you wanted me to bring humans to Daemos." Her eyes flicked down towards Emerald, even though she couldn't actually see the taller woman. "And Em...you all were only nice to her in order to get to me. You used her to make yourselves look better."
"...I'm so sorry..." Asch murmured, sounding broken.
"You apologized to these humans." The assassin spirit let out a mean laugh. "This is too good. Now I see how vulnerable you truly are."
Emerald was barely following the conversation, the weight of Zex's foot still pressing uncomfortably into her sternum. Her ankle ached, but if she played this next move carefully, that wouldn't be a problem for long.
Slowly, so as not to draw any attention to herself, the veteran had been reaching her hand over towards the fireplace. Specifically, the tools that had been knocked over when she'd been thrown against the hearth. If she could just get ahold of the fire poker...
She felt her fingers brush against the handle. Just a little further -
"Shut up!"
Emerald jumped at the sudden sound, grunting as the movement made the foot on her chest dig in uncomfortably. She swallowed her discomfort as her fingers registered the heavy fire instrument was now in her grasp. A quick glance upward showed her Zex was still focused on Ava and the others.
She would only get one chance at this.
Zex grinned at the helpless looks the other Daemos were shooting him. 'They've left themselves completely open with these two humans,' he scoffed to himself. 'I can't believe how easy this has been. All I need to do now is - '
His thoughts stopped as a sudden pain dug into his right bicep, drawing his attention away from the others. He was surprised to see a hooked spear embedded in his arm, barely having time to register it before he felt a noticeable pull.
It was the taller human: she'd had the audacity to attack him while he'd been distracted.
Zex growled, reaching his left arm in front of the shorter human to grab the weapon by the shaft as he removed his foot from the one on the floor. She was going to learn a proper lesson about respecting Daemos.
Starting now.
The assassin spirit easily unhooked the metal from his arm, swinging the weapon in a wide arc before whipping it to the left. As expected, the human was stubborn and had refused to let go of it. She had probably been hoping to give the other human an opening to escape, which would have worked...
...had the small human possessed even an ounce of common sense. Instead, she'd simply stood there in confusion, too rattled by the revelations he'd presented earlier to take advantage of the situation.
The taller woman went flying across the room, straight into the large box sitting on top of the table. There was a sickening *crack* as she collided with it, sending it flying off the table as she fell onto the tabletop. She coughed as she curled in on herself, a small splatter of blood visible near her mouth.
"Em!" The tiny female in front of him tried to take a step forward, but Zex quickly reestablished his grip on her, bringing the knife back up towards her throat. "Your friend just risked her life to save you, and you squandered the opportunity to escape." He gave a low, throaty chuckle as he leaned in closer. "Now she's going to die."
"Noi, check on Emerald," Pierce ordered as he glared at Zex. As worried as he was about the veteran, he didn't dare take his eyes from the active threat in the room.
Rhys, Leif, and Asch had rearranged themselves slightly to form a line between the fallen human and the assassin spirit. The former Daemos general moved up to stand behind Rhys, gently getting his attention by placing his hand on his back. "Do you have a plan for how to hide Ava and Emerald on Daemos, should it come to that?" he whispered, not daring to look away from Zex.
The spectacled Daemos nodded, barely perceptibly. "If it become necessary, we need to disguise them as Daemos. It will buy us time to bring them back here, if nothing else."
As they were talking, Noi leaned over Emerald and carefully touched her shoulder. "Emerald? Where are you hurt?"
"D-don't worry...about me..." she wheezed, clutching her side. She coughed again, another light mist of blood appearing on the table near her mouth. She was shaking as she tried to hug herself closer, looking up at him blearily. "A-Ava...keep Ava...safe..."
The smallest Daemos carefully rolled her onto her back, his every action gentle as reached underneath the woman's arms. His fingers carefully probed her side, pausing as he felt something shift under his hands with every shallow breath she took. "Um, Pierce?" He looked up at the large Daemos in fear. "I think Emerald's hurt pretty badly."
Pierce reached over and softly placed his hand against the side of her chest, furrowing his eyebrows as he felt the same thing Noi had. "We need to get her out of here." He knelt down, placing his hands on either side of her head near her temples.
Zex let out a harsh laugh. "As entertaining as it is to watch that human die, it's taking too long." He reached behind him, pulling out a small blue flask with his left hand as he grinned. "Besides, it seems a waste to let it die here, when we can harvest its soul more efficiently on Daemos."
Rhys's eyes widened in recognition. "Wait, that's a - !"
The assassin spirit's grin grew impossibly wide. "You're smart...but not smart enough." He opened his hand, letting the bottle fall towards the floor.
Everything seemed to slow down.
Rhys shouted "Now!" as he used Leif's teleportation trick to cross the room, placing his hands on either side of Ava's head. He leaned in close so only she could hear him. "This won't hurt much," he managed to get out, before the room was enveloped by a bright white light.
One of the last things he saw from the corner of his eye was Pierce mirroring his actions on Emerald.
As the last of the light faded, the Daemos found themselves outside in a dark, oddly familiar forest. They were only slightly surprised to find their horns once again visible, although they were still clad in the clothing Ava had given them. Confused, they all rose to their feet.
Zex rose as well, eye widening as he took in those present. "What the - ?! Where did they go?!"
"What the crap was that?!" Leif cried out, equally confused.
Noi looked around as if in a daze. "W-we're...back on Daemos..."
Catching sight of Zex nearby, the former assassin drew his knives angrily. "What did you do?!" he shouted, phasing over and holding his knives against Zex's throat.
The assassin spirit phased away, reappearing in the branches of a nearby tree. "The humans must have reacted differently to the teleportation." He closed his eyes, sniffing the air experimentally. "Their existence is on our astral plane." Zex gave the group another toothy grin. "They'll be mine." He phased away before they could respond, leaving them alone in the forest.
"Bastard!" Asch shouted after him, glaring into the darkness.
Rhys shook his head. "Let him look."
"Huh?! But we need to find them!" Noi cried. "Especially Emerald! She's - "
The spectacled Daemos interrupted smoothly. "Of course. Ava and Emerald are our priority. However, they will be safe on Daemos as long as mine and Pierce's magic lasts."
Leif looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Ava and Emerald are smart. Let's just hope they're calm about the situation." He sighed. "As long as they can lie, they will be safe. Let's just hope we find them before anyone else does."
Asch seemed equally lost. "What did you two do?"
"Rhys and I used our magic to give Ava and Emerald Daemos horns." Despite his calm tone of voice, there was definitely a look of worry in Pierce's eyes. "However, I agree with Noi: we must find them as quickly as we can. Emerald did sustain serious injuries, and the color of her blood may reveal her presence, despite our precautions."
Rhys nodded, his face sober. "We should get moving. Even if they are calm, they will need our assistance."
Emerald limped along through the forest, feeling completely lost.
The veteran held her right hand against her left side, feeling something move around that definitely wasn't supposed to be. Her left ankle was throbbing and swollen, made worse by the fact she didn't have her shoes. 'Guess I should've been wearing them in the apartment after all,' she thought, huffing out a short chuckle before immediately regretting it.
However, the most confusing feeling was her head. It felt like a pair of bowling balls were hanging off her temples, giving her a headache and blurring her eyesight. Ahead, it appeared the forest was beginning to thin out. Emerald squinted into the darkness, shaking herself slightly when her vision didn't clear up. 'Oh, that's not good...'
She leaned painfully against a nearby tree, her head suddenly feeling even heavier. 'No, I don't have time for this! I need to find Ava! I...need to...'
Emerald was surprised to find herself lying on her back, staring up at a dark sky. Fuzzy moonlight seemed to be filtering down through a canopy of leaves, which felt odd to her: she'd been inside her apartment in the city only a few minutes ago. How'd she get out here?
'Maybe I...should take a little...rest...'
Emerald felt herself sliding easily into unconsciousness, even as a chorus of warnings screamed at her somewhere in the back of her mind.
End Book One