Those who Favor Fire
Disclaimer: Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.
Chapter Eight: Prisoner's Dilemma
"I take no pleasure in your misery. Answer my question and I'll let it end."
"I have my orders."
"Then drown in nightmares."
Angel woke to the sting of a wet rag dabbing the scratches on his chest. He tried moving his arms and found they were secured above his head. A moment later the rag went away and he heard someone stand and step back from his pallet. Angel opened his eyes and saw a young man around his age with dark hair that looked like he'd cut it himself with a kitchen knife. The young man wore a loose tunic and breeches that didn't look like they'd come from Angel's era but were too non-descript to place beyond that.
The other youth took another step back from the pallet. "It's not your fault," he stated in a low, soothing voice. "She's a succubus. If you get within within ten feet of one your body will react to the pheromones they produce when they're hunting. There's no stopping it. Their saliva has short-term, paralytic properties, a few kisses and you're completely helpless. It will have worn off by now, no permanent side-effects."
"I know that!" Angel snapped, completely missing the rote quality of the speech. "I'm not a complete idiot."
The youth shrugged. "Didn't say you were. I've read lots of books by people who seem smart enough and still think demons are nothing but superstition."
"I'm an exorcist," Angel argued. "I should have realized what she was."
"Oh, so that's why she suppressed her demon blood. I'd been wondering," the dark haired youth said as he went back to cleaning the scratches. "She's only about a quarter demon, when she suppresses her blood she passes for human pretty good. My bet is she was hunting you, specifically. It wasn't your fault."
"Who are you? Why are you helping me?" Angel asked.
"Me? I'm um Light, two names, right, Lewin Light," he answered as if unfamiliar with the question. Then he laughed nervously. "I guess you could say I'm the emergency food supply. Succubi and Incubi need sex to survive. They don't need to kill but some get a taste for it or um…. Well anyway, I taste like shit to- Um what name did she give you?"
"Daphne."
Light glanced toward Angel's almost knee length braid, "She was probably thinking Delilah but decided it was too much of a clue. So yeah, Daphne says I taste bad, she's not likely to get caught up in feeding and kill me. That's why she keeps me around. If she gets stuck here for a while when the House gets shut down or if she's getting ready for a long hunt, I'm always convenient."
Angel looked revolted. "We destroyed the House of the Rising Sun," he stated.
Light shrugged again. "In one moment maybe, but this is the Kingdom of Time. The House's present is much more than a single moment."
"Do succubi stay dead if you kill them?" Angel asked, not of idle curiosity.
"Yeah, the colony owes fealty to Samael but they aren't suffused with entropy like the House is. Which, um, some other stuff you should know: Daphne's messed up, by succubi standards I mean. Nothing the colony's gonna intervene in but… distasteful. They leave her time-space alone, she doesn't tax them with her perversions…. Um, she likes it that she'd forcing you. When you break, when you stop fighting her, she'll get bored and kill you." Light shrugged, "Up to you whether you just wanna get it over with or hang on as long as you can."
Angel focused on the a muffled voice in the back of his head for a moment. He turned to Light, "Help me find my sword and I'll kill her," he said.
Light shook his head, "Don't like what she does, but I don't want to get in trouble with her... Um, you want me to finish patching you up or just go? I can't get you out of the cell, so don't bother asking. It took ages to work out how to do it for myself and it's based on my blood, won't work for you."
"Let me up at least," Angel begged looking longingly at the basin.
Light sighed, "You gotta promise to let me chain you up again, or she'll know."
"Yes," Angel said quickly.
"Yeah, sure," Light muttered, but he bit his finger and smeared the blood over the manacles' keyhole, they sprang open in response, "I'll just go get some food while you're cleaning up. It's not great or anything and you might not have much of an appetite but you still need food to recover the energy she took."
As soon as Light turned to leave Angel threw himself at the basin. He torn off the tattered remains of his clothes then scrubbed his skin raw. Once he'd done everything possible to rid himself of Daphne's scent and the memory of her touch Angel noticed that Light had left him a tunic and breeches like the ones the other youth wore. Angel pulled them on gratefully.
Not too much later Light returned with an MRE. "It's the good stuff: 90's military surplus, not the old WWII ones," Light said as he offered the package. "I hear they've got pizza MRE's in 2015, but I haven't been able to trade for any yet."
"Thank you," Angel said as he accepted the meal and started eating with a grim determination. "You're right," he said in answer to Light's look. "I have to keep up my strength if I'm to have any chance of killing her. Particularly if you won't help me get my sword back."
"Okay, good luck with that," Light replied.
When he was finished eating Angel sat on the edge of the pallet and held out his hands. He clenched his fists, trying futilely to keep them from shaking.
"What are you doing?" Light yelped.
"I gave you my word that I'd let you chain me again," Angel said.
"But, no one ever does," Light protested.
Angel put his hands down, clasping his knees. He frowned, "Then why do you ask?"
Light shrugged, "To remind myself not to be a sucker I guess."
"I keep my promises," Angel stated. Resolutely he offered his wrists again.
Light took a cautious step toward him and Angel couldn't prevent the tremble from returning at the thought of being made helpless again. Light sighed. "I can't," he said. "I don't help her. I'm not naive, I won't risk myself but I don't help her."
"You don't make any sense," Angel complained. "Am I supposed to break my word?"
Light chuckled. "It'd keep my life simple," he said. "Look, no promises, but I'll check a couple of places for your sword."
"You will?" Angel asked in surprise. "Maybe you should chain me up. So she doesn't get suspicious."
"If I did that then she'd know something was up." Light shook his head ruefully. "Maybe I'm being a fool but what's your name Mr. Keeps-Your-Word?"
"Arthur Auguste Angel."
Light held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you, I hope."
Rin stood at the barrier. Behind him he could hear the steady cadence of Bon's voice over the choked gasps coming from Angel. On the other side of the wall of blue flames the demons amassed against them drew back and allowed a tall, broad-chested man with flame-orange hair and dusky skin to pass.
Rin eyed the newcomer warily. "Iblis," he guessed.
The King of Flames inclined his head in acknowledgement. "It is I. This civil war that you have sparked must end. I don't enjoy having to kill my own subjects so I have come, pretender to the throne, to demonstrate the insufficiency of your claims."
Rin snorted, "Tell it to everyone who came to the Myohda for protection from you."
"Dissidents," Iblis replied. "The Flame Kingdom isn't so shoddily run as the Kingdom of Time. My will is law and it will be obeyed."
"Not by us." Rin grinned toothily, "One of your thugs said something about you fighting my friends. Probably a rescue party for the three of us. Since you're here, I'm guessing they're giving you trouble."
"I will put down your rebellion," Iblis replied. "Even if it leaves me with no kingdom to rule. But it strikes me that neither of us truly desires that end."
"Hell yeah," Rin agreed. Then his eyes narrowed. "There's no way I'll stand by while you murder everyone in your kingdom who hates Assiah less than you do. I never wanted your throne, I just to put an end to your throwing your weight around."
"I will generously offer you one last chance, little brother. Bow to me, put an end to this war."
Rin shook his head. "I've never dealt with bullies by submitting to 'em."
Trapped in the past sweat broke out on Angel's brow, his heart raced and he gasped for air.
The sound of light footsteps approaching his cell sent a rush of adrenaline through Angel. He slid into a guard position with his back against the wall as he waited for Daphne to appear. She rounded the corner a few seconds later then stopped outside of the translucent barrier that kept Angel a prisoner. There was a vitality to her appearance that she'd never had before. 'Well fed,' Angel's mind supplied with disgust. She studied him with an amused expression on her face. "So he's at least trying to pretend everything's normal," she commented.
"I'll kill you," Angel growled.
"I could simply wait until you fall asleep, it would be traditional," Daphne replied as she put her hand against the barrier. "It would even be fun, watching you struggle to stay awake and inevitably failing…. But I'll enjoy this more," and she stepped into the cell. The barrier rippled like water as she passed through it.
Angel didn't hesitate to attack her. He drove his fist into her solar plexus. Daphne coughed up a mouthful of blood, but grabbed Angel's other hand before his palm strike could smash her nose and drive the splinters of bone into her brain. "Not so chivalrous now Arthur?" she purred as she she bent his wrist back sharply. He yelped as the ligaments in his wrist popped audibly. Angel stomped on Daphne's foot and threw himself backward, breaking her grasp.
He glared at Daphne as he backed away from her warily, shielding his injured arm. "You tricked me into mistaking you for a lady, demon," he accused. Suddenly he shifted from retreat to attach and launched a kick at the side of Daphne's knee.
She rolled with the blow and kept the joint intact. "I have to admit I'm impressed that a big strong man like you didn't try to simply overpower me," she said when Angel quickly drew back after his attack failed to land.
"Did you think I'd trust appearances again demon?" he sneered.
"Be careful or you might forget what I am," she said mockingly. "Not that I care. I am a demon. Everything of me that was human, that was a victim, perished long ago and good riddance. There are only predators and prey and I am happy to be the former."
"You picked the wrong prey," Angel snarled and lunged for her. Daphne slipped under his outstretched arm and rammed her shoulder into his stomach. As he doubled over she grabbed the base of his braid and shoved him toward the floor. Angel tucked and rolled, the added momentum threw Daphne off her feet but while she fell through the barrier Angel smashed into it with bone-jarring force. Before he could recover she reached back through and dug her fingers into his throat.
Angel tried, futilely, to peel her hands away. As the world greyed out he felt her bite his ear. "No wonder there was a bounty on you," she murmured against his skin. "With a blade in your hands I wouldn't have had a chance. With Caliburn you'd have been nie unstoppable for any less than a King of Hell. But now? You're just my play-thing. The bounty will still be waiting when I get bored with you."
Angel woke up chained to the pallet in his cell again The manacle around his injured wrist was cutting painfully into the rapidly swelling limb. Daphne sat casually on top of him. "You'll have to tell me what you did to get the whelp on your side," she said. "He's usually smart than to trust a man."
"Don't," Angel protested as she began toying with the ties on his breeches.
"Men will always betray you in the end," Daphne continued absently. "Just look at you. You can't even trust your own body. I won't need to waste pheromones to make you give me what I want."
"I'll kill you," Angel snarled.
"So you keep saying," Daphne shrugged. "But from where I'm sitting it doesn't look likely."
Angel's resistance broke, his painful memories replayed themselves at the Mare's command.
Several weeks passed in which Daphne was the only person Angel saw. Or at least he assumed it had been several weeks. Early on he decided that Daphne's visits were daily and bedsores he could feel developing on his shoulder blades and hips seemed to support that timeline.
Daphne apparently didn't want him dead yet, she hadn't killed him after all, but she didn't seem to have a firm grasp on keeping him alive either judging from the sugar-water bottle which had been his only source of sustenance. 'Or maybe she just doesn't care if I die of deprivation or disease before she gets around to killing me so long as my demise is utterly miserable,' Angel thought.
Angel raised his head at the sound of shuffling footsteps in the hall. Several minutes later Light appeared leaning heavily against the wall to stay on his feet. "I'm sorry. I meant to get back sooner. I did look for your sword," the dark-haired youth said.
"I take it that you didn't find Caliburn then," Angel replied. He couldn't find the energy to be angry at Light. "I suppose it's too much to ask you to let me clean up again?"
In response Light produced a small dagger and pricked his thumb. He smeared his blood across manacles and they sprang open. Angel groaned in relief as his swollen wrist was freed.
"I didn't find the sword, but I had a thought about how I might be able to get you out of here," Light said.
Angel's breath caught.
"You're an Exorcist so you know: blood matters in Gehenna. You summon demons with your blood, sign contracts in blood," Light explained. "You're not supposed to be able to forge blood, and you can't, not completely, there's always some truth in blood. But some truth isn't the same as honesty. Daphne suppressed her demon blood to fool you into thinking she was human and I've got a little demon blood, that's what let me open your manacles and bypass the barrier."
"I don't understand," Angel replied. "How does that help me?"
Light held up the dagger, "Ever heard of kids becoming blood-brothers?"
Angel was desperate enough not to question whether or not it would work. He just held out his hand.
Light cut across his own palm then Angel's. "We don't know each other not really, but brotherhood doesn't require that. It's about my blood in your veins and mine in yours," Light said solemnly as he clasped Angel's hand pressing their cut palms tightly together. "Arthur Auguste Angel, I share my blood with you and claim you as my brother. What is mine by right of blood I share with you."
Angel frowned thoughtfully. "Blood is duty," he replied. "Blood is responsibility that can't be turned away, set aside or ignored. But I willing accept your blood and offer you mine, Lewin Light, I claim you as my brother."
Light nodded. Without releasing Angel's hand, he pulled him toward the barrier. Crimson blood dripped from between their clasped hands as he pressed them to the translucent wall. To Angel it felt like wading through mud, but slowly, grudgingly, his hand passed through the barrier. Light stepped through and pulled Angel after him, out into the hallway.
"What now?" Angel asked.
"Find out if there's enough demon-blood in me to activate the House's passage to Assiah and, hopefully, send you home," Light replied.
Angel pulled up short. "You have a key to the door out and you never even tried it in the lock?" he exclaimed angrily.
"Well-" Light began then broke off. "It's your home, it's okay for you. Me, I've read about Assiah, read a lot, but… But what if it's worse?"
"It's not worse. How could you possibly think anything is worse than this hell?" Angel demanded scowling at Light in disbelief.
"This is all I know!" Light hissed back, his temper rising. "I know how to survive this, what to expect. I read books about Assiah, I don't even know which ones are real and which are stories. I could try the door to the rest of Gehenna, my blood is almost certainly demon enough to open that one, only outside of the House's domain I'd suffocate but at least I'd know what I'd be walking into."
"How can you not know?" Angel asked.
Light pulled out a carefully wrapped book that had been tucked under his shirt and offered it to Angel. Gingerly the blond peeled back the oilcloth wrappings to reveal a family Bible, the binding cracked with age. "I might have been born in Assiah, but I don't remember," Light said as he reached over to open the flyleaf. "I just know that my dad and I ended up here. Then he died."
The inside cover of the Bible contained a handdrawn family tree and tucked along the fold was an old fashion photograph. It showed a young couple. The man was tall, with untidy dark hair, he wore jeans and a battered cowboy hat, there was a sheriff's star on his chest and a True Cross pin on his collar. But Angel's attention was caught by the woman standing beside Light's father staring up at him worshipfully. Her hair tucked up under a bonnet, wearing a dark green bustle dress was Daphne.
Merry Christmas everyone!