After deliberating for a moment, Seto decided to travel up the riverbank, simply because he felt like it.
The shadows on the ground were oddly blurry because of the two sources of light coming from above his head as he carefully made his way up the wet rocks surrounding the rushing river. The water was a clear, sparkling white, and Seto reached down to dip his fingers into it, surprised that the water was warm.
He could see the two-headed fish swimming by, and he briefly wondered if he could catch one before he decided against it. He wasn't hungry, so that would be wasteful. Besides, he didn't know how to make fire. And these tiny legs that were attached to his body could barely climb over the rocks now.
Growling to himself in frustration, Seto edged around another large rock as he continued trekking up the river, wondering if he should count his steps up to 1,000, or would he reach a magical barrier that would repel him? So many unanswered questions.
Something in the water caught his eye up ahead, so he raced forward, aiming for the odd jumble of rocks in the distance. His little legs sank into the shallow water as he climbed over another rock. He was still on the riverbank, but the water went up to his thighs.
Irritated, Seto waded up against the shallow currents towards the mysterious lump and froze when he saw a human hand—no, a demon hand, with black pointed claws, tucked underneath the body that was twisted strangely to the side, and Seto clapped a hand over his mouth, horrified.
This was someone from his village.
Holding his breath and daring himself to walk closer, Seto nearly tripped on his own feet when he circled the body and saw a familiar face half-submerged in the water.
It was his older brother, still handsome as ever even though there were two gashes across his chiseled cheekbones… and someone had hacked the imposing horns off his head, leaving two, jagged stumps atop his silky brown hair.
Stunned and nauseous with dread, Seto sat down heavily with a splash and didn't move. The water swirled around his chest, dangerously climbing higher when a particularly large current rushed by, but Seto didn't care. He couldn't stop staring and feeling a bubble of rage spill over and consume him.
Deep down, he understood why.
Someone had…defiled his brother's body by cutting his horns off after he'd died, robbing him of his dignity as a demon.
Trying not to hyperventilate, Seto pressed a hand to his face and grabbed the dagger that was hanging off his brother's hip, unsheathing it with rage as he was filled with the desire to kill the person who did this. He caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the blade and dropped it in fear.
In that split second, he'd seen how the whites of his eyes had turned black and his pupils narrowed into vertical slits. How horrifying.
I AM A MONSTER! Seto reeled as he shakily glared at the dagger, unable to pick it up again.
This was his punishment. He'd been a monster in his previous life, and now, he was a real monster, in this life. Having been blessed with good looks in his previous life made him cocky. Now that he'd been turned into a hideous demon, he'd been humbled.
Was this God's idea of a joke? If God even existed…
Sitting back down on his knees, Seto hung his head and stared at the way the water made the cloak billow up around his body, taunting him, reminding him that he was helpless in this tiny, ugly body.
Yami raced down the embankment frantically, scanning the empty campsite, seeing nothing but the dying fire and the skewers lined neatly against the edge of the fire pit.
"Seto?" Yami called tentatively, fear gripping him when he wondered if the demon child had decided to break out of the protection circle and wander off on his own.
If that happened… he'd surely be hunted and killed. Demons were notoriously powerful, he could easily break out of the circle if he wanted to.
"Seto?!" Yami tried again as he crossed the river and went in a straight line, trying to think like a child who was exploring. Kids didn't just go in straight lines, did they? He turned left spontaneously and then right again, before deciding to cast a seeking spell to save time.
He was low on mana after the village clean-up but this was another emergency.
Seto heard the mage calling for him from somewhere downriver, and he couldn't bring himself to respond. He must've been sitting in the water for a long time, because one of the suns had set, casting orange shadows over the current gray ones, giving everything a strange, pink haze.
He wasn't getting up from this spot.
He deserved to die here, alongside his demon older brother.
The world didn't want him to exist, so he wouldn't. Plain and simple.
"…SEEK…!" came a deep, echoing voice through the trees, and an icy blanket drenched his bones so fast, his teeth ached.
Damn it! That spiky-haired mage and his magical powers.
Time to learn magic to counteract ever being found, if that was even possible.
Could demons perform magic?
There was a rush of footsteps behind him, and Seto didn't have to turn around to know that it was Yami. He could feel an energy approaching him from behind, and fast. It was weird. Maybe it was something in the air.
"S-Seto! Come here…" Yami choked back his emotions as he bent down to sweep the child up in his arms, away from the corpse, carrying him to dry land and setting him down on the rocks, drying him off instantly with another spell.
Seto felt the robes heating up before cooling back down alarmingly fast, and he was dry from head to toe. Well… How nice.
"Do you know him? Who is this?" Yami asked shakily as he waded back into the river to levitate the body out of the water, his heart skipping a painful beat when he noticed the horns had been hacked off of this demon's body too, and his blood ran cold.
Seto grit his teeth and felt his eyes heating up with unshed tears as he tried to answer, but his voice was stuck in his throat. His kid body was still terrified of Yami anytime he did magic. Goddammit. Willpower.
Taking another big breath, Seto forced himself to open his mouth and speak, but his voice still wouldn't work. Somehow, his intent resonated with Yami telepathically.
"It's…my…brother."
Seto watched Yami's eyes widen, and the mage turned away with a quick jerk of his head, his shoulders sagging as he gently set the body down along the riverbank and arranged him respectfully until he was no longer in an odd, twisted position.
Seto watched with mild appreciation as Yami fixed the body, and he tried not to hear the horrible popping noises when Yami was finally done.
He stared at the body on the ground, still unable to take in how large the man was.
Was he this big to other kids?
How tall were demons in this world?
"Let's give him a proper burial," Yami said quietly, his voice barely audible above the rushing river as he kept his head lowered so much, his spiky bangs obscured his eyes.
Seto blinked in shock when he thought he saw a tear curl down the mage's cheek, but it was brushed away quickly, and the man composed himself, circling the body with intentional steps, making marks in the dirt with his feet the same way he was doing when drawing the protection circle.
"Anything you'd like to keep?" Yami asked tentatively, pointing at the dagger and other various weapons hanging off the demon's tattered body, and he saw the child shake his head stiffly and look away to the side, clearly distressed.
"I'll keep it for you…if at a later date you ever regret not keeping anything," Yami said quietly, sweeping his hand over the body and vanishing the weapons, tucking them away in his personal inventory.
Seto blinked again, and watched in awe as Yami walked a few more circles around the body before stepping back to let the nature slowly consume it from the ground up. Vines and branches from the surrounding shrubbery extended down from above to envelop the body while dirt rose up in elegant sheets to cascade over the demon's clawed hands and feet until nothing but a dark patch of dirt remained on the riverbank. A single black flower emerged from the ground, and Yami gave him an encouraging nod, further confusing him.
What. What was that flower supposed to mean?
"Would you like to…pick it?" Yami asked gently, reaching out to boldly touch the child on the shoulder to give him an encouraging push off the rock. "You can keep it, and use it when you get older."
N-No thanks? Seto thought nervously as he shook his head and looked away, staring intently upriver. This was already depressing and awkward, because Yami was crying more than he was for his dead older brother.
"I'll keep it for you then," Yami said darkly, and he walked forward to gently pick the flower, and Seto watched him stick it carefully into a glass vial before making that disappear into thin air too.
Cool trick. Where was it all going? He needed to learn, fast.
How fast could this tiny body learn things?
Seto glanced down glumly at his chubby arms and was suddenly surrounded in another crushing hug. His cheek squished against a slender shoulder, and his lungs were filled with a warm, comforting scent that made his heart clench.
It was so weird.
He could feel this man's concern and warm intent.
I'm too empathetic now, because I was a heartless bastard in my previous life, Seto thought faintly as he was released, and the mage bent down to look him in the face, his violet eyes holding his gaze for a long time, so much that it made Seto squirm uncomfortably.
W-What. Was his face that ugly?
"Seto," Yami began, kneeling on the ground before the baby demon and giving his small shoulders a squeeze. "Let's become friends, okay? Stay next to me and I'll protect you…just like your older brother did. Can I cast a companion spell on you? It'll tell you where I am at all times, and I can find you just as easily."
Seto blinked and felt himself nod.
Sure. Whatever. Why not. He was out of options right now anyway.
"Alright, I made one earlier, look!" Yami's face brightened with a pretty smile as he materialized a small bracelet made with a tiny, braided leather strap. Two silver beads sat in the middle, and the bracelet was fastened on his arm with a practiced tug.
"There, see? Now we're friends!" Yami beamed handsomely, lifting up his own wrist to show the child his own matching leather bracelet, and Seto had to look away, because he felt the man's heart swell with joy.
Gross. People like this really existed.
Fine. Whatever. Caring-too-much syndrome.
His hand was being held gently as he was helped off the rock, and Seto threw one last look at the patch of dark dirt behind him before they walked away from it. He could feel Yami's hand tightening over his, and he felt a pang of sorrow that didn't belong to him.
Damn it.
Demon powers sucked.
He didn't want to feel other people's emotions.
"Now let's get you into a safe zone," Yami muttered, more to himself than to the child. "And then we'll see about putting those horns back…"
"You can do that?!" Seto spoke before he had a chance to stop himself, and he hated how his throat trilled with demonic syllables, but it appeared Yami had no trouble understanding him.
Yami stopped in his tracks to give him a surprised look.
"We'll need to consult a textbook, and when we can find all the ingredients for a regeneration spell compatible with your species, we can regrow those horns, yes?" Yami said hopefully when his heart wrenched at how hopeful the little demon looked at the thought of it.
Yes, Seto nodded vigorously and wrapped his tiny hand around Yami's much larger one, hanging on with force. He would stick to this man like fucking glue if it meant he could use magic to somehow and regrow his horns. Hell yes. Now that sounded like a solid plan.
They passed the fire pit with the fish skewers, and Yami sat him back down on the log, circling him protectively again while inspecting him up and down.
"We need to change your clothes," Yami declared, reaching up to wind a thick branch down from a neighboring tree and using it to create a set of cotton pants, a plain white shirt, a dark leather vest, and a small, rounded hat.
Seto watched this performance with wide eyes, and he barely blinked before the clothes were on his body, fitting perfectly. He'd even been given sturdy boots that went up to his thighs, perfect for wading through mud and water. Yami bent down to place the hat gently atop his head and looked like he was about to cry again when he said, "please wear this to hide your horns, okay? Normally you should be very proud of them, but this hat shows that you're my apprentice, so it'll keep you safe until you get older, yes?"
Seto blinked rapidly and nodded, lowering his head obediently and feeling the hat land on his head, fitting snugly over his ears. He was always going to be hiding his horns. Got it.
"Now, let's hold hands for safety," Yami said quietly, helping Seto off the rock and giving him a loving smile before they set off together down the river once more.
Feeling much better after having his clothes fixed of holes and blood, Seto tagged along with ease, amazed at his own strength when one of his own tiny strides felt like flying when Yami took two strides, all he had to do was hang on a little harder to Yami's hand to swing himself up for momentum. It was almost…fun.
Yami gave him a warm smile, and Seto dared to smile back, again feeling another pang of affection that didn't belong to him. Weird. Was it possible that this guy cared…too much?
Wouldn't know and I don't care, Seto thought irritably as they made a turn through the trees and arrived on a paved road. Intrigued, he glanced down at the pavement underneath his feet, thinking it felt oddly springy.
Yami dared to feel relieved when the demon child's mood began to lighten up slightly. The child was practically skipping while holding his hand, acting oddly carefree. He'd fully prepared himself to take on a screaming, crying, tantrum-prone baby, but this infant was well-behaved, almost eerily composed.
Were all demon children like this? He had no idea.
He only knew what he'd read from his grimoires, depicting demons as an extremely secretive species, often hunted for the magical properties of their horns.
Even a pinch of powdered demon's horn had untold limits of power. It was a level 9 controlled magical substance, and demons of any class were registered as endangered creatures.
But that status did little to prevent their targeted slaughter.
If anything, it encouraged the illegal smuggling of rare monster parts.
If this child named Seto was from the village he'd just performed a clean-up for, he was a demon of the highest class, possibly one of the smartest and most powerful of his kind too, with beauty that rivaled the elves.
Seto was about to take another flying leap upwards when Yami's hand tightened painfully over his, and he was dragged off the road into the shade of a nearby tree.
Confused, Seto gave Yami's hand another tug towards the paved path.
That had been fun, and he was testing how high he could jump. Why had they stopped?
"I'm sensing humans," Yami said solemnly, seeing the child's clear blue eyes widen with fear, so much that his pupils slowly began to constrict into thin vertical slits, so he hastily added, "…in a carriage. We won't take any risks. Let's hide."
…Or, let's kill them, Seto thought hopefully, giving Yami's hand a few pulsing squeezes.
Yami tried not to panic when he saw the whites of Seto's eyes darkening alarmingly fast, and he struggled for a peaceful solution.
"H-How about we ensure your safety first?" Yami said pleadingly, quickly kneeling before the child and splaying his tiny hands out in his, brushing his fingertips over the sharp, black claws. "May I trim these down? I promise I'll put them to good use…in a potion or a spell. Or I could even sell it for money so you could use it?"
Seto blinked. Money. For his fingernail clippings?! Yami was still talking, so he had to listen.
"You're a very rare monst—breed, so it'll go for a lot of money," Yami added passionately, having seen Seto's eyes briefly return to white before they darkened again. Oh crap. Tantrum incoming. He shouldn't have said that.
There he goes again, calling me a monster, Seto thought dryly as he nodded.
Sure. Cut the damn nails. Whatever. The horns had already been cut off.
Yami wanted to make sure he wouldn't maul the humans.
He could understand that.
"Yes? Okay, I'll do it now. Thank you for cooperating," Yami mumbled as he shakily materialized another glass vial and a pair of silver clippers, deftly snipping off the sharp tips.
Seto watched them gather at the bottom of the vial, and he jerked his hands back to inspect them. They were ugly, cut flat across into unsightly square edges. Nail file please?
Yami's palm appeared under his nose, showing him a plain, silver ring.
"This is a cloaking ring, and it goes on your pinky," Yami said patiently, already shrinking the ring down to size and holding it up nervously for Seto, wondering if the child could even understand half of what he was saying. They didn't have much time left, because the humans were approaching, so he shoved the ring onto the child's finger and rested his hands gently atop his head, pressing the hat down harder to conceal the pointed ears.
"Now smile," Yami instructed, and to his relief, Seto grimaced widely, displaying a set of terrifyingly sharp fangs that slowly shrunk into small, human canines.
Cloaking ring…? Seto wondered curiously as he raised his hand up to admire the tiny ring on his finger as Yami's hand passed over his face. More magic. Cool. He must have other demon traits that humans could obviously see, but he didn't feel any different.
The clopping of hooves was getting closer, and Seto understood Yami's urgency, because he could feel the heat of many bodies coming up the road, followed by a terrible stench of something sour and heavy.
Horse…manure?
No.
It was giant salamanders, with horse heads and odd, stubby tails. They wore a braided harness around their necks, and a human wearing bright red robes sat at the helm of the carriage, pausing in the middle of the road to stare at them.
Crap… District 3 guards! Yami thought nervously, so he feigned a smile and gripped Seto's hand tighter, praying they would pass by without question. The carriage was full of guards.
Their timing couldn't have been worse.
What if Seto had a violent reaction to them?
This was the child's first time encountering humans since the slaughter at his village….
"Ah, a mage," one of the men peeked out from the carriage window, taking in the spiky-haired man's violet robes and the small boy at his side wearing an apprenticeship hat. "Your help is needed. Which way are you headed? We can also give you a ride there."
Seto felt Yami's hand tightening painfully over his, and he could feel waves of distress emanating from the spiky-haired man, followed by frantic thoughts that rang loud and clear in his own mind.
I have a demon child here who survived a genocide ordered by this district's governor! I'll kill them all myself if this child doesn't have a reaction first!
Half-interested, Seto continued to stare at the strange horse-lizard hybrids, fascinated with the way their eyes bulged out of their heads. Grotesque. A glowing yellow sphere was floating over their heads, and Seto fixated on it, wondering what it was, almost missing what Yami said in reply to the guards.
"I can teleport there just fine myself," Yami said coldly, feeling Seto's hand sweat in his, and he wasn't entirely sure if it was his own sweat. "As you can see, I'm currently in the middle of a training session."
"We can see that," the guard said calmly, leaning his muscular arm further out the window with an air of nonchalance. "A few of our adventurers are trapped in the caverns, injured. They sent up a signal and we haven't managed to find any available witches or mages who are available. It'll be a great training moment for your boy there if you come with us now."
Yami blinked rapidly, and he shook his head as the guard added coolly, "We'll pay, of course. 400 gold for a successful extraction."
400?! Yami reeled, now wondering if this side-quest was worth taking. They must be high-ranking, valuable adventurers if these guards were willing to pay that much for their safe return. A simple teleportation and seeking spell would do it…
For 400 gold, it was an extremely easy job…very tempting, but he couldn't take it.
Seto needed to be in the safe zone because he was the last of his kind.
That held precedence over any kind of money.
This demon child needed him now, first.
There would always be money.
"That's very generous, but I'm—" Yami began, and the guard cut him off, glaring. "So you'll come? I'll make room." And he climbed out of the carriage to hold the door open.
Seto blinked slowly, understanding that Yami was being strong-armed into this request even though he wanted nothing to do with it. He'd heard Yami's thoughts about how much money 400 gold was, and he was intrigued to see what that looked like.
Money in other worlds would always be fascinating.
I'm okay with it. I won't kill them if they'll pay you, Seto thought mildly, giving Yami's hand a reassuring squeeze and an attempt at a smile.
Yami broke out into a cold sweat and glanced down at the child hanging onto his arm, giving him a beaming smile that made the corners of his eyes tilt upwards mischievously. Oh hell…
This child was perceptive.
Don't kill anyone! Yami grimaced at Seto and gave his hand another tight squeeze. We'll do this quickly and then get you to the safe town.
I already said I wouldn't. He can't hear my thoughts? Seto wondered curiously as Yami backed them away from the carriage doors and tried to decline again.
"I can fly behind you or teleport there if you can give me the location marker," Yami said deeply, lowering his head respectfully, and his blood ran cold when the guard took two steps towards him and grabbed him by the arm to shove him up the steps of the carriage and into a plush seat.
Seto dutifully climbed in after Yami and continued to hold his hand, as if to reassure him. It almost made Yami want to laugh, but it was no laughing matter when they were sandwiched elbow-to-elbow between enemy guards in a cramped carriage.
"No need to fly or teleport. Conserve your mana," the guard said gruffly, sinking into the seat heavily beside the small boy and closing the door with a bang! trapping them together in the stifling heat.
Seto observed each face carefully, taking in their heavy features and dark facial hair. He wrinkled his nose when the overpowering stench of their warm blood flooded his lungs, and that combined with the scent of the horse-lizards was almost too much to bear.
The windows of the carriage were tiny, barely letting in any air, and Yami was obviously on edge, gripping his knees with one hand until his fingertips were white.
Seto took comfort in that and tried to pay attention to the scenery passing by the window, once again hearing the men speak up to address Yami.
"So, purple cloaks, you two are mages from District 5," the guard said conversationally, resting his large, hairy hand out the window again. "Must be nice."
Yami lowered his head furiously and nodded, replying humbly, "yes. Thank you for considering us for this job." Lowly murderous ingrates. Walking genocidal trash heaps.
He's mad, Seto thought plainly as he noticed Yami's cheeks flushing darker red, and not from the heat. The other three guards were bored, gazing out the window or dozing off in their seats. The one sitting beside him was intent on continuing the conversation.
"What have you been keeping busy with? Any memorable jobs recently?" The guard asked curiously, giving the little apprentice a kind smile, and he was unprepared for the hostile response from the spiky-haired mage.
"Don't speak to me as if we're comrades," Yami seethed as he gripped Seto's hand tighter in his. "I am not sympathetic to your district's governor because I don't support the meaningless slaughter of monsters. If it was a rush for supplies, it should be harvested humanely. Protection and conservation are my priorities, not extracting your useless adventurers who can't navigate themselves out of a cavern."
Ouch, Seto thought as he felt himself smile.
How touching. Yami was passionate about conservation.
The air in the cabin grew cold with tension, and Seto could feel the other guards shifting fearfully in their seats. Nice. These muscle men were terrified of Yami because they knew they'd picked up an unsympathetic magic man to help them out.
And he told menot to make them my enemies, Seto thought gleefully as he gave Yami's clammy hand another squeeze.
Thankfully, they arrived, and Yami eagerly climbed out of the carriage to see a towering wall of rocks before them. A giant flat stone stood in the way of the cavern's narrow entrance, carved with neat rows of ruins in an ancient language. Ah, this was why the guards needed a mage.
Seto's feet sank into plush grass as he stood dutifully beside Yami, wondering why there was a giant tablet with Japanese on it.
It was a shitty poem someone wrote, sounding like a middle schooler in the throes of angst and puberty.
"…Let darkness reign when human blood showers the ground…" What the actual fuck.
Darkness reigning must mean the mouth of the cave, and 'human blood showers on the ground' must mean a blood sacrifice was needed. Easy fucking peasy.
He let out a huff of suppressed laughter and glanced up at Yami to see him frowning heavily at the stone, clearly unable to read it.
"This is a dead language. I will need…a key," Yami materialized a giant book in his arms and sat down in the grass before the stone, hearing the guards sigh dejectedly behind him.
"How long?" The head guard asked, leaning against the nearest jagged stone and crossing his thick arms across his chest impatiently.
Not long, if you're human, I'll shower your blood on the ground then, Seto replied cheerfully as he approached the guard bravely and made sure to smile as sweetly as he could.
"H-Hey kid…" The guard shifted nervously and didn't uncross his arms. "What'd you want."
Seto held his hand up and splayed his fingers out intentionally.
Raise your hand up, you oaf.
The guard uncrossed his arms and reached out to give the child a high-five, but before their hands could touch, Seto curled his fingertips in and gave the man's palm a brash swipe with his dulled nails, hearing him yelp and jerk his hand back. His blood trailed down his elbow, dotting the stone behind him, and there was a deafening rumble as the ground shook briefly when the tablet sank into the ground, revealing an ominous opening to a narrow cave.
Shocked to the core, Yami twisted his head around to see Seto grinning triumphantly at him while the guard behind him nursed his wound, cursing under his breath.
"Your little boy is so smart, huh?" The guard sneered, taking a threatening step towards Seto, who held his ground bravely as his grin widened evilly, and Yami's panic returned in a rush.
"A-Ah of course…! His ancient language studies must be paying off already!" Yami lied hastily, hoping the guards wouldn't ask further questions. He vanished the book back into his inventory and grabbed Seto by the wrist, dragging him into the cave opening while casting over his shoulder, "Heal! And wait there, we'll be out soon!" And an icy burst of wind zipped past Seto's cheek, hitting the guard in his arm and healing his wound instantly.
The tablet raised up to block the opening again, and Seto stared at it curiously. What a cool game—
Yami rounded on him breathlessly, his amethyst eyes glowing with excitement in the semi-darkness as he ranted, "How did you do that? Can you read that ancient text?"
It's not ancient. It's Japanese, Seto replied sourly in his mind, knowing Yami couldn't hear him, so he had to speak.
"I can read it," he heard himself say fluidly, the sounds rasping at the back of his throat oddly, making him sound like a real monster when he talked, so he resolved to speak less and make every sentence count. He had to add one more important detail…
"It's a language from my past life."
Yami gasped happily and threw his arms around his shoulders in a celebratory hug, nearly crushing the air out of his lungs as he laughed deeply, "incredible! What they say about your species is true! How many past lives have you had? No, never mind. Let's fetch those spoiled adventurers, and you can tell me later, okay? 400 gold can feed us both for a long time!"
He peered lovingly into the boy's rounded face, and Seto nodded stiffly. Sure, yes.
400 gold for their first cave quest was a great deal.
Yami stood gracefully and offered his hand down to Seto who gripped him warmly, and they set off into the cave, their footsteps echoing dully off the narrow walls.
He's not too bad. I kinda like him, Seto thought to himself as Yami's hand tightened protectively over his again, and he resolved to be nicer to Yami, because this man was understanding.
Author's note:
and into the cave they go! :O