Chapter 4: Inspection and Insults

Hiryu tensed, ready to experience pain. To his surprise the demon did not immediately attack. Eigis stepped back, the black silts of his gold eyes opening wide and then narrowing with interest as he evaluated the stocky, muscular young man standing before him. After a minute or so he tilted his slender, fine boned head to one side, a talon tapping his sharp chin, a thoughtful look on his face.

Hiryu waited, but the demon did not move, except his eyes, traveling up and down as if memorizing what he looked like, and his wide nostrils, flaring as he took in Hiryu’s scent. It was odd, and made him uncomfortable at such intense attention.

“What?” The young warrior finally asked, unable to keep quiet any longer at the long silence and the demon’s unblinking stare. “I thought you were going to eat me.”

“Oh I am,” Eigis replied, finally snapped out of his pensive state. Straightening his head, he dropped his hand and sauntered forward. “Don’t be so hasty to court your own demise, human. Do you instantly cut the throat of a foolish young stag that blunders into one of your snares?”

“Yes,” said Hiryu truthfully. “Because I’m merciful.” Then his eyebrows snapped down and he frowned, catching on to the rest of the analogy. “And I didn’t blunder. I purposefully came to fight you.”

“Not playing with prey you catch – you’re boring,” Eigis remarked, and then flipped his head around to stare at Hiryu upside down, a mocking smile on his face. “You blundered into my poppies. Those were my snare.”

Leaving the young man sputtering at the insult, the demon twisted himself straight again before crouching down beside him. Both hands reached out, the talons retracted for the moment, rubbing the tops of the warrior’s feet, the round protruding bones of his ankles, working his way up his legs, fingers squeezing and prodding. He leaned close, sniffing. Occasionally his long blue tongue snaked out, sliding across Hiryu’s skin, tasting.

Disturbed, Hiryu tried to jerk away, but the chains allowed almost no movement. He flinched as the demon, keeping his face well away, used his thumbs to play with the young man’s knee caps, before his cold fingers crept further up his thighs, still testing his muscles, squeezing his skin.

“Ugh. What are you doing?” Hiryu demanded finally, furious and uneasy at the sudden personal inspection. He couldn’t help but flinch again as the demon’s tongue flicked across his upper leg.

Eigis stood up, a truly mocking smile lighting up his face, while his fingers played at the young man’s hip bones. He leaned way, way too close. His breath smelled heavily of cinnamon, woodbine, and licorice. Not a bad smell, but overwhelming at close quarters.

“Tasting you. Why? Does doing this bother you, human?” His fingers crept up further, now feeling Hiryu’s firm abdomen muscles.

The warrior didn’t like the mischievous look shinning in the demon’s eyes, but he couldn’t deny the truth. “Yes, actually it does.”

“Good. I was hoping it would. My intention is to make you uncomfortable. Most humans are touchy, personal creatures.” Eigis leaned close against his neck, ears pointing slightly back and nose twitching as he inhaled the young man’s scent. “Mmm, so delicious. But I bet you taste even better. Your blood certainly does.”

“Ugh,” Hiryu commented, disturbed as much by the sniffing as the demon’s words. One eye squinted closed in disgust as the demon’s long blue tongue snaked out, running along the bones of his throat and flicking around to tickle the back of his neck. A question burst out of him. “Must you – lick me, so much?”

“Yes. It disturbs you, after all. Payment,” he sang at Hiryu’s glare. “Besides, I enjoy getting to know the full taste of my prey before I eat it. Each human is a mix of different scents that combine to create one unique flavor. It takes time to appreciate every single one. I savor my food, not inhale it.” The demon bent his head, his blue tongue now exploring some bruises, cuts, and a particularly bad gash Hiryu had gotten from their fight.

Hiryu winced at the sting of fresh pain, but he was more annoyed than anything else. “Hmph. Payment for what?”

Eigis’s talons unsheathed, spreading over Hiryu’s rib cage. Blood ran down the warrior’s chest from where the sharp edges cut into skin. The demon squeezed tightly, once. The strength of his grip was amazing. The young warrior gasped at the air suddenly left his lungs. He felt as if he had fallen hard on his stomach and gotten the wind knocked out of him. It hurt.