Chapter 12: I Didn’t Know It This Entire Time

“Are you ready to give up yet?” The demon asked, lifting up the young man’s chin and twisting his head around so they could look at each other. “Remember, the question is not when you will die, but how long it will take. If you do, I’ll grant you the kindness of killing you before I finish eating you. Well, at least to the point where you are more or less unconscious. I hate eating dead things.” A brief look of revulsion crossed his handsome, blood smeared face.

It was a temping offer, but Hiryu refused.

“What is the time?” He asked, sighing. It felt as if the demon had been feasting on him for days. The only light came from the torch and brazier. It was impossible to tell if it was still night or not.

“I’ll go check,” Eigis replied cheerfully, giving him another revitalizing boost of demon magic. “Although I won’t give you any specifics until dawn.”

He sprinted out of the cell and up the stairs. In the space of a minute or two he was back.

“I must congratulate you. Outside the sky is gold, orange, pink and purple, larks and robins and sparrows are singing in the trees, the ground is wet and shinning with fresh dew and in the East the sun has just cleared the horizon. You have won our wager. It is dawn.” To Hiryu’s astonishment, he gave the demon hunter a deep bow of great respect, talons resting flat on his thighs.

“Dawn,” The young warrior repeated softly. “A new day.” A sad, sweet exuberance filled him. ‘I did it, ‘ he thought, quiet but happy, without real pride. ‘The night is over at last.’

“I must say I’m impressed,” Eigis remarked, coming forward. “Most give in to despair long before this.” He paused, an odd expression crossing his face as he suddenly realized something. “What is your name, warrior?”

“What?” The young man was also surprised by the question. “Oh. I am Hiryu. Death Eyes is my family name.” He managed a smile. “You should understand it when my family comes after you.”

“Ha. As if human names mean anything to a demon,” Eigis replied, although he did appear a bit thoughtful at Hiryu’s last name. It sounded familiar. A sense of warning ... He shook the feeling off as the warrior asked him a question.

“And what is your name, demon?”

“I am Eigis.” The demon proclaimed. “Eigis SoulSteal.”

“Usually I’d say, ‘pleased to meet you, ‘ but you’re eating me alive.” Hiryu replied. He paused. The demon’s last name disturbed him more than he cared to admit. Demon names often described their special abilities or tastes. “I am glad to know your name, nonetheless. Strange neither of us asked earlier.”

“It is,” The demon replied. He looked up while grabbing Hiryu’s mangled left hand again, and sighed. “It’s almost a pity I have to eat you. Except it isn’t, because you taste so delicious.” He took a small bite out of Hiryu’s wrist, chewing thoughtfully. “Still, I have a feeling that if we talked more, your responses would continue to surprise me.”

Lifting Hiryu’s hand up to his mouth, he clamped down on his thumb, drawing it in and out between his teeth, sawing off remaining muscle. He gave Hiryu a speculative look as he took out the warrior’s thumb, now clean white bone glistening with saliva, and started on his index finger.

Hiryu’s eyebrows lowered, and he frowned. The demon’s words and look disturbed him. “While that might be – true, it’s not as if –hiss,” he gasped, “ – we’ll ever find out.”

“Oh? Do you really think so?” Eigis asked, still chewing on his fingers, now sawing his middle one.

Hiryu’s gaze shifted, wide and cautious, to fix on the demon. “I don’t – understand what you mean,” he answered, carefully.

“Mmmu – whu.” Eigis tried to speak while still chewing, and failed. He pulled Hiryu’s middle finger out of his mouth with a slight pop, now white bone like the index and thumb. “Don’t play the fool,” He snarled, once his mouth was clear. “You know perfectly well what I mean. If I wish to have conversations with you, I can and will.” He clamped his mouth around Hiryu’s third finger.

“I thought you were going to eat me!” Hiryu exclaimed; a terrible suspicion in his mind, still refusing to see the point.

The demon withdrew his finger briefly, swallowing the flesh he’d sheared off it. “Of course I am. What do you think I’m doing now?” Sliding the entire finger back into his mouth, he bit down, hard.