Chapter 3: Waking Up Is Lovely

Meanwhile, at the end of sunset, Eigis woke up from his nap. Uncurling himself, he stretched, yawning widely, curling out his long blue tongue and curving talons. His stomach growled, and he patted it.

“I know, I know. Time to eat!” he licked his lips, long fluffy red tail flicking with excitement, gold eyes wide with hunger.

In an instant he had reached the bed of poppies and the warrior still dreaming against the arch. The demon stretched out a hand.

“Go to sleep, poppies,” He commanded.

The demon poppies, recognizing his voice, immediately closed their eyes and shut their petals, shifting back to make a path as Eigis walked through them. He was not worried about the warrior waking up – the sleep caused by the poppies would last awhile after their spell was stopped.

Eigis’s mouth was watering by the time he reached the slumbering warrior, whose human scent was as delicious to him as a bakery was to a human, one flavor that was a combination of different delicious scents. Still, he resisted the urge to take a bite and, grabbing the young man under his arms, he dragged him to the house as if he were made of feathers.

Remembering something halfway through the poppies, he dropped the warrior and reaching down, pulled off the young man’s boots and leg guards.

“No more kicking me in the face,” he vowed, and, picking up the warrior again, started to undo the rest of the armor, growling in frustration at the numerous buckles and clasps. “Filthy, hard, human armor! But you won’t be wearing any, down in my dungeon, and without your precious sword, you can’t hurt me!” With a savage smile, he yanked off the last bit of armor. It clanged as it rolled to a stop at the bottom of the steps, just below the house.

Underneath Hiryu wore a hard leather breastplate and mail, a sleeveless sturdy tunic, silted up the sides for movement, a quilted undershirt and pants. Eigis’s talons sliced the clothes apart with absurd ease, ripping them off in pieces as they descended into the dungeon.

It was cool, brightly lit with torches and dry, since he didn’t like damp. The torches shone silver, lit with magic flames rather than ordinary ones. Each cell was fully furnished with a comfortable cot, a table and chair, and even a decorated screen for changing behind, and even a separate wash room. Eigis had made sure that every place in his house looked elegant and smelled good. Even the dungeons. At the moment it was empty except for them.

He dragged Hiryu, now wearing little more than shreds, into the nearest cell. This one was different from the others. It was where Eigis played with his prisoners, the way a cat does with a mouse before it eats it. A pair of heavy silver chains hung in the middle. More were connected to the floor. Unlocking them, Eigis bound Hiryu’s ankles, and then lifted each arm, clamping the end of a chain around each wrist, so the young man hung partly suspended.

Already Hiryu was stirring, starting to come awake. As Eigis stepped around in front of him, his head lifted and his eyes blinked open. Waking up from sleep created by demon poppies made the sleeper feel as if no time had passed at all.

The young warrior took a deep breath, which was a mistake. His face scrunched up in an odd expression. Then he sneezed.

The problem with demon poppies is that everyone is allergic to them, particularly when they make you go to sleep. Except demons, of course.

“Ah – ah – ahchoo! ACHOO! ACHOO, ACHOOO!” Sneezes exploded out of his mouth. They finally stopped after a minute or so and he gasped in relief, bending over, his nose twitching, now red and itchy. His eyes were streaming; and red as well. Before he could try to wipe them, Eigis’s chuckle made him look up.

Spotting the demon, Hiryu lunged forward with a growl, furious and embarrassed at being caught off guard. The chains rattled, and he tripped, hanging painfully by his arms. Eigis grinned, not even bothering to dodge, watching the young man’s fierce glare turn into an expression of horror as, picking himself up, he looked around and realized his predicament. He was almost completely naked, bound in chains, and completely at the demon’s mercy. His face lost all its color.

“You really should be wary of poppies.” The demon observed, watching as Hiryu, his face reddening again at being caught so easily, strained and pulled, trying to get free. The chains only jangled louder, as if laughing at him. Finally he stopped, panting and sweaty. His initial fear had subsided, now he only looked grimly determined.