Chapter 18: Leaving/Judgment

Eigis woke up about an hour later. He was not surprised to find himself lying in his own bed. The last thing he remembered – surely that had been a dream. It had been so bizarre and wonderful, all at once.

All of the walls in the dungeon, simply crumbling to dust, and then – her. So similar to Hiryu, smelling just as delicious, and then – she’d done something. Oh yes, she stroked his throat, just under his chin. It had felt wonderful. Surely it had been a dream...

Smiling to himself and licking his lips, Eigis moved to get up, deciding to snack some more on the intriguing warrior downstairs, a human who actually hunted demons. But something clanked as he moved; something heavy that weighed down strangely on his arms and legs.

“Good morning, demon,” The cheerful, unfamiliar female voice made him turn.

Bells stood up from where she’d been waiting in a chair at the table just past the end of his bed. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake up. Your name is Eigis, isn’t it? Hiryu told it to me. He’s still sleeping.” She paused. “Before he comes in, there’s something I want you to know.”

Eigis eyed her warily. “What?”

“I want to see you be happy and live with people, have conversations and enjoy being with them rather than scorning and eating them. Hiryu told me a bit more about your conversations with him before he fell asleep. And so, I want you to know, no matter what he decides, I want you to live. Even if you’d killed Hiryu, killing you wouldn’t have made it better, or brought him back.”

Eigis stared at her. “You mean ... you forgive me?”

Bells smiled. “Yes. Yes of course.” She chuckled and looked mischievous for a moment. “Heehee. Even if Hiryu does decide you ought to die, I might just challenge him on it.”

Eiigis blinked at her. He was sure his hearing was working perfectly, and yet surely he’d misheard what she’d said.

“You, a human, want me, a demon, to live?” He asked.

Bells nodded. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Oh,” Bells looked away, her smile secretive, and hummed a little tune. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Eigis’s eyes narrowed. “Tell me what you’re planning, human.” He demanded. “If it’s keeping me locked up as a prisoner to torment that’s not living at –”

Bells looked at him, her mouth open, shocked. “No, no, that’s not what I’m thinking at all.” She sniffed. “Not that you wouldn’t deserve that fate either, since it’s exactly what you’d plan to do with my brother.”

Eigis’s ears dipped down a bit at her words, knowing she was right. Still, he pressed the matter. “Then what? What are you planning?”

“I’m not planning anything. I told you, you’ll know soon enough –”

Hiryu stumbled in while they were still arguing. Bells’s purple and green coat was flung across one shoulder. Still, he looked much better for the healing and long sleep. He yawned and scratched at the healing scratches flaring red across his olive skin.

“What’s going on?”

Bells danced up to him and gave him a hug. “Hello Hiryu.” She stepped back, examining with a healer’s critical eye. “I’m glad to see you’re looking better. How are you feeling?”

Hiryu considered the question. “Raw.” He said finally. “Scrapped raw.”

Eigis chuckled.

Hiryu shot a glare at him. “Stuff it, demon.” He said. “You’re the reason I feel this way. If you don’t watch it I’ll decide to just –”

Bells placed a restraining hand on his arm. “Calm down, Hiryu.” She said. “All lives are important, even a demon’s.” She gave him a startlingly serious look. “Are you ready to decide what to do, or do you need more time?”

Hiryu relaxed, and blew out a deep breath. “No, I’m fine. I’ve been awake for a while now, thinking about it.

Bells studied him for a few moments, then dropped her hand and stepped back. “Alright.”

Eigis folded his arms across his chest, making his chains clank, and glanced from one to the another, annoyed and nervous.

“And what gives you the right to judge me, human?”

Hiryu frowned at him. “You know why perfectly well.” He replied. “A life for a life. You tried to take mine and almost succeeded, therefore, I can take yours in return if I wish.”

Eigis’s tail lashed, but he looked down, knowing Hiryu was right. Finally he lifted his head.
“Alright, human. What do you judge?”

“You don’t deserve pity.” Hiryu’s voice was cold. “If Bells hadn’t come, you’d have killed me. If I really wanted to treat you as you deserve, I’d take your left hand and strip off all your skin and flesh and muscle. That’d be fair, wouldn’t it?” He took Eigis’s hand, spreading his taloned fingers out flat, pressing it down with his own hand while he lifted up a knife with the other. The look on his face made the demon shiver.

Eigis swallowed, terrified, and cringed, but he did not attempt to resist. He would have done the same in Hiryu’s place. He had every right to do it. He shut his eyes, not wanting to watch.

A sharp shink of metal and a release of pressure on his hand made him open his eyes in surprise. Hiryu had sheathed the knife and let go of his hand. He explained at Eigis’s look of confusion,

“It’s true, I ought to ruin your hand the same way you did mine. But I won’t. I want to hurt you. I don’t want to forgive you. I almost died and you did your best to murder me. My hand might never work again. But I won’t hurt you in return. It wouldn’t make my hand feel any better anyway. All it’ll do is hurt you, and what good would that do? Then there’ll be two of us that have mangled hands. Nah. I’d rather see you try out Bells’s idea. Just to see the look on your face when you have to eat the same food I do.” He grinned, but quickly turned serious. “I forgive you Eigis, and I won’t kill or mangle you as you deserve.”

The demon stared at him, open mouthed, all dignity forgotten. “But – but why? I don’t deserve this.” He well knew demon law, which allowed a demon to hurt those who hurt you or those you love, and even kill the offenders if you wanted.

“I know you don’t.” Hiryu said. “But that’s the whole point of forgiving someone. You don’t deserve this. It would be entirely justifiable for me to main you, even kill you. After all, you tried to take my life, and you’re a demon. A monster. But I won’t. Because I know as sure as anything – showing you mercy, something you don’t deserve – is the right thing to do. So I’ll do it. It’s a gift from me to you.”

Bells was nodding, looking relieved that Hiryu had made the right choice.

“Now we can all leave before Mother –”

“Wait, what do you mean, all?” Hiryu demanded. “You and I are going home. And that demon –” He stopped, realizing he had no idea what he planned to do with Eigis.

Bells’ frown was frosty, ready for a fight. “Can’t you listen to yourself. You’ve decided not to hold a grudge and let him live. That’s wonderful. What else can we do with him? We can’t just let him go and eat other people again.” She smiled. “Now I’m going to take him home and teach him to be a good demon.”

Hiryu stared at her, speechless, wondering what had happened to her sanity.

“Take him home?” He repeated finally, incredulous. “He pointed a shaking finger at Egis, who grinned, showing all his teeth. “He just tried to eat me! Alive. And for crying out loud, we’re hunters, Bells. We kill demons, not take them home and try to change their eating habits.”

Bells hesitated, biting her lip. Then she frowned, a determined glint in her eye. “He’s a living, thinking, feeling being same as us. He was half ready to give you a chance to live, Hiryu, so I say it’s only fair and right that we give him a chance to live. Without eating us. I’m sure it possible.”

Hiryu just shook his head. “That’s impossible. Demons eat people.”