Dark And Empty

Raewyn sat in the lounge of the luxurious Castan Hotel and lifted another glass to her lips.
You came all the way to the Darksun Carnival to drink.
"Yes.." Raewyn murmured unsteadily.
You could have drunk at home.
"I don't have any Kylmiri icewine at home." She took another draught.
Rarer by the plague eh? Since we're here, why don't you go and have some fun? Wasn't that your plan?
"Nothing like alcohol..." Raewyn's eyes were glazed and unfocused.
Don't tell me I have to metabolise it for you again.
"No.. Don't.. I'll sleep it off.."
You're turning into an alcoholic.
"I feel less sick when I drink..."
Libys forced Raewyn up, controlling her body and steering her back into her room.

Feeling better yet?
"Yes. Better. Thanks. I'm... sorry, Libys."
That's a first. You've never apologised to me before.
"Yes, well, no need to further crush my dignity."
So now you're going to go out and relax.
"That's the plan." Raewyn agreed.
Of course. Where then, do you- Raewyn. Don't bring it along.
"It makes me feel better. I feel less ill." She ignored him and put a flask into one of the pockets of her cloak.
You're not helping yourself.
"If I feel better, I can operate better."
You'll get drunk.
"It's a carnival."
So?
"Just shut up."
She headed out and turned away from the main street into a small alley. She heard a small commotion just past the turn ahead.
"Odd. The main part of the city's further than that."
Carnival. It's a carnival.
"It's a city. A carnival in name."
As she turned around, she saw the source of the disturbance. It seemed like a classic robbery scene. There were three people with their lower face covered, two holding guns and one holding a katara in one hand with another sheathed on his belt. The katara was a blade that was held in a position which favoured punching, street slang giving it the famous name of 'punch dagger'. It was widely recognised by its distinctive 'H'-shaped handle, three feet long on average. These looked as if they were of a high worksmanship, with its plain, yet exquisite obsidian handle and a blade of what looked like amethyst streaked through with lines of ruby and sapphire. Expensive. And likely deadly. They were facing a group of teenagers, probably around their eighteens or so. There were eight of them, four of each gender and a pseudodragon perched on one of their heads, the tallest guy there. The robbers were smart and were standing a short distance away from them, just out of their range save for the one with the kataras. As she watched, one of the females placed a small bag on the ground. She made to kick it to the robbers and at that moment when all eyes were on her, one of the teenagers quickly stepped forward and tried to punch the robber. The katara-wielder sidestepped and, without hesitation, stabbed his shoulder. He managed to parry and the blow went wide, but before he could do anything else, the robber kicked the teen's shin and rapidly followed up with another blow to the back of his leg. He fell to the floor and Raewyn heard a cry from one of the females. Evidently a girlfriend. Raewyn heard the person say, in a metallic voice, "Anyone else?". He was using a device to change his voice then.
Raewyn, stop, don't! It's not your fight!
Raewyn unsheathed Aida as she sprinted forward, not using her chain-morningstar for the first time. The two gunners saw nothing as she masked her presence from them. The one with the blades, however, has narrowed his eyes and sniffed. He turned and stabbed towards her just as she dodged to the side. To everyone else, it had seemed that he had overreacted and attacked thin air. Another of the teens, a dimunitive female, crouched down and concentrated. The two gunners quickly turned their guns on her while the third sniffed the air once more, seeming to able to sense Raewyn. He drew his second katara and looked directly at Raewyn.
He can see through your glamour!
Raewyn quickly took stock of the situation. The two gunners weren't shooting at the smaller girl yet, but they might at any moment. Raewyn ignored the man as he charged at her and she quickly ran towards the other two gunners.
"Hey boss, where ya' going?" was all the man managed just before the smaller girl leaped at him, teeth bared in an extremely primitive, savage and utterly unsettling way. But it wasn't the smaller girl, was it? She was still crouching there. But then this barbaric lookalike, who was she? The girl, no, her cruel mirror image, bit through the first gunner's throat. The second gunner was shot at her but his shots went straight through. He quickly aimed at the still crouching girl and fired. The bullet connected not with the short girl but rather, with the tallest guy, the one who still had the pseudodragon clinging on to him tightly. He fell, blood spurting out from the wound in his chest.
Raewyn saw all this and turned around. She was vaguely aware of the other teens yelling and running to aid the guy. A second shot sounded. A shriek of pain. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the feral version of the girl pounce upon the last gunner. Directly in front of her, the last robber raised an eyebrow and stabbed with lightning speed. Raewyn's response was just as fast and she raised Aida to block.
Ah, a battle, finally!
Raewyn did not share her enthusiasm as much and quickly attacked. He matched her blow for blow and his eyes flashed. She quickly jumped backwards, something the man didn't expect and she quickly intoned several syllables. Several iridiscent bolts flew from her free hand towards the man and he stumbled backwards as they flew through his face, blinding him temporarily. Her glamour dissipating with the spell, Raewyn pressed her advantage and attacked. He laughed and somehow managed to block her strike and followed up with a counterattack.
How did he see you? He couldn't see anything!
His smell! He relies on his sense of smell!
Raewyn let loose another spell, this one punching several bloody holes in his chest. He stumbled backwards and pulled down his mask, spitting out bloody saliva. He snarled, seemingly no less feral than the girl and turned and ran. Raewyn picked up a gun and started firing at his retreating figure but she missed every shot and threw the gun down in disgust. She walked over to the teens, who were tending to their friend.
"Are you kids okay?"
"Phlegyas isn't. He was shot in the heart, Archon curse it!"
"He's dead." The girl's voice was hollow.
"Are... you sure, Styx?"
"Yes." She slumped down beside the aforementioned Phlegyas and started crying. The rest of her friends looked equally shattered. Suddenly, Styx stopped crying and reached over to the dead kid, Phlegyas.
"Phlegyas? Phlegyas? You're alive!"
He stirred and reached for his heart.
"Ugh... My chest is itching."
Tears rolling down her cheek, Styx hugged him fiercely.
"Woah, Styxie, not so tight, can't breathe." He seemed somewhat confused.
The others stared, as did Raewyn.
"Hells, Phlegyas, you took a bullet to your heart! You died!"
"I feel better now." One of the teens, a Cain, tore open his shirt.
"Hey, Acherus, why'd you rip my shirt!" Phlegyas' voice was indignant and Raewyn could only stare.
His chest was bare. There was no sign at all of the fatal wound he had just received.
"Are you sure I got shot? It don't look like that to me."
Raewyn looked at each of them in turn. "How the hells did he manage to heal instantly from a fatal wound?"
Their attention was back on her.
"I... don't know ma'am, but we are grateful for your help. If not for your intervention, we could not have escaped relatively unscathed. Compared to them." Styx gestured towards the dead gunners.
"And you." Raewyn continued as if Styx had not spoken. "There were two of you. But the other you was savage. Feral. Barbaric. Primitive. What in the Archon's name did you two do?"
"Nothing."
Come on, Rae, do you really expect them to reveal their secrets about themselves to a complete stranger?
"Alright. Never mind. You kids watch yourself, okay? Wait, what happened to the pseudodragon?"
"Grei!" They looked about and saw the frightened guide lay on a pipe at the side. The Cain went closer first.
"Grei? Are you okay?"
The pipe was stained with an odd fluid. As Acherus touched the liquid, a horrible realisation dawned upon him.
"Grei! Grei!"
He quickly channeled small amounts of energy at her, unsure as to where her wounds were located. The guide moved her head slightly.
"Grei! Are you okay?" Acherus lifted his hand up and touched her face.
Impressions flooded him, darkness, pain, despair, fear.
"It's okay now, Grei. It's okay now. They're gone now."
She spoke suddenly, rapidly, so fast that he had trouble understanding her.
"Slow down, I can't understand you. Speak slowly, Grei. Relax."
Her tone was desperate and urgent. "What time is it? Is it night time already? How long have I been unconscious?"
"No, Grei, it wasn't very long, just maybe, fifteen minutes at most."
She started frantically clawing everything within her reach, scrabbling about.
"Woah, Grei, what're you doing?"
"I can't see! I can't see anything! It's all dark! Save me, I can't see! I'm blind! I can't see! Dark and empty! It's all cold and dark and I can't see anything! They shot my eyes! I can't see, I can't see!" She shrieked pitifully in rapid-fire Draconian.
Kestrel put her hands to her mouth. Acherus quickly examined her eyes and slowly shook his head.
"Nothing I can do. We need to get her to a doctor. Now." His voice shook slightly and he took several deep breaths.
"Take this. Use it for any bills. I should have been faster. I could have prevented all this." Raewyn held her hands to her face in guilt.
"It wasn't your fault either ma'am."
"Hells yes, it was. Your friend was the one who killed the two gunmen. I couldn't even kill that third guy. I could have been faster, I could have-" She coughed violently.
"With all due respect ma'am, you did what you could. And you don't look too good either." Cocytus said.
"Don't call me ma'am, I'm not that much older than you guys. And how's that shoulder holding up? It looked like one hell of a stab. I'm Raewyn."
They introduced themselves.
"No wonder you two looked so familiar. The two scions of the Terra family. I'm a noble myself."
"Really?"
"House Aesiflay. Glad to be of assistance."
"You're the Aesiflay? Raewyn Aesiflay? Sole inheritor of the entire Aesiflay fortune? The one who disappeared from public view?"
"Yes."
"You... You apprenticed under Karasondrias, right?"
"Hey, how do you know that? The press never said no nothing."
"Parents. Kara teaches us History."
"I think we'll chat later. We have to get Grei to the doctor." She had slowly kept quiet, withdrawing into herself, not responding to their words. But they could see her shaking. With fear, with anger, they did not know. As they put her onto Phlegyas' shoulder, they could hear her mumbling, "Dark, all dark. Blind forever. I'm blind. It's so cold. Dark and empty. Eyes gone. I can't see anything."
"Archon, my heart really goes out to her. She's blind all because I... just because I wanted to take a damned shortcut. Grei... I'm so sorry." Styx said, head buried in her hands.
"Styx, nobody could have known we would have gotten mugged. It isn't your fault."
"You jumped in front of me to protect me."
"And that bullet hit me."
"He fired again. It hit Grei instead. It's all my fault. Now she's blind."
"It's not your fault, Styx, relax."
"She's fucking blind! How the hells do I relax! She's blind all because of me!" Styx shouted.
"Don't be so arrogant as to claim all the blame. I could have moved faster. I could have. But I didn't. It's over now. I can't do anything about it except move on." Raewyn said quietly. "Calmed down? Good. Now, which hotel do you guys stay at?"
Phlegyas spoke up, "Grei wanted to bring us to the Castan Hotel. We don't know how to get there."
"That's where I've got a room. I'll take all of you guys later after the doctors treat her."

Oh No, Not The Shortcut!

"This is amazing." They stepped forward past the turnstile and stepped into a world of wonder. Beyond the turnstile, it had seemed, was darkness. A magical shroud, that the splendour of the city would not be spoiled by a preview. As they stepped past the illusion, the first thing they noticed was the sky. Where on the outside the sky had been slightly overcast with a hint of lightning, this sky on the inside was bright and sunny, though not in an oppressive manner as the "Sun" was mostly blocked by the presence of several clouds, the only white spots in an otherwise bright blue sky. The second thing they noticed were the buildings. They were architecturally diverse, the buildings being from separate times, separate cultures, some common, some recognised from documentaries, some ruins seen from the news and others completely alien to them but all blending together to form an odd harmony of form and shape. The third thing they noticed was that a small reptilian creature had flown in front of them and was bobbing up and down in an effort to attract their attention.
"Hello there. What are you?" Lunare asked it.
The creature tried to croak out something and the only words that they managed to hear properly were "Hello" and "I".
It's tail, twice the length of its body, swept up and seemed to indicate frustration. It gave up on its attempt on Common and started to speak in Draconic. Acherus being the only one fluent in the language, he responded in kind.
"Hello? Do you understand me? Can any of you speak Draconic?"
"I do."
"Ah. Cain, right? Okay, would you help me tell the rest of your friends that the simplest way for me to communicate would be to have physical contact. I can transmit my thoughts forward that way. My vocal chords can't handle Common."
"Oh." He switched back to Common. "Guys, this thing says it can talk by touching us and transmitting its thoughts forward. Or we could just use Draconic."
The creature added, "I can understand Common by the way."
"And it understands Common."
"I'm not too comfortable with it touching us. You know why. Couldn't we just use Draconic? I understood a little of what she said. You could just explain to us the words we don't know." Lethe said.
Acherus shrugged and turned back.
"You heard what she said. I suppose we could just use Draconic."
"All of you can understand Draconic?"
"Yes, but I'm the most fluent."
"Then how about this, you guys use Common, I'll just use Draconic, you help translate whatever they don't know."
"Alright." Acherus turned to the group. "I'm sure you guys heard that."
"Mostly."
The creature asked Acherus, "Do you mind if I use your shoulder for a moment?"
"Go ahead."
It landed on his left shoulder, the right already used as a perch by Acheros. It addressed the group.
"Hello everyone, my name is Grei and I'm your guide for your entire stay."
"What are you?"
"I'm a..." She lifted a talon and lightly touched Acherus' neck, taking care not to touch the vocal vents.
"Roughly translated, it's a pseudodragon I think. That's what I'm getting from her." Acherus said, after a moment's pause.
"It's a telepath?" Styx said, eyes wide.
"No, no, no, I can only transmit thoughts one way. I can't read minds. All pseudodragons can. And I would like to point out that I'm not an it, I'm a she."
"Oh. I didn't know there were such things as pseudodragons." Kestrel said.
"Don't they teach you kids anything in school? What happened, didn't pay attention to Bestiary lessons?"
"They don't even teach Bestiary anymore, they say it's not an important subject."
"Anyway, welcome to the Darksun Carnival! I'm one of the newer guides, so no worries about me being too serious or anything. It will be night soon and anyway I'm sure you guys don't want to lug all that baggage around. Did you guys have a hotel in mind?"
"Not really. We were thinking that maybe we could look around."
Grei glanced from side to side and purred. "There's a lot of people. We'd better get moving if you want one of the better hotels. What's your budget?"
"Big."
"Okay. Does that mean you all have enough for the best of the best?"
"Sure."
Grei flapped her wings several times and flew ahead of them. "Follow me."
"Hey! We can't see you through the crowd!" Cocytus shouted.
Grei promptly flew back and landed on Phlegyas' head and curled her long tail around Phlegyas' body all the way down even until his left ankle. He gave a start, then gestured towards the group.
"I know where to go." He said, somewhat calmly for someone who just had information inserted into his mind.
Grei asked, "Do you guys want to take the shortcut? It's through an alley and there may be gangs still around that area. We could go the longer and safer way."
"Shortcut please, my legs are killing me." Styx groaned.
"We just started, how can your feet be hurting already?"
"I'm lazy, okay?"

Plans

"A trip, you say?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Like I said, I'm poor."
"Your boyfriend isn't."
"The boyfriend has a name." Solciro remarked drily.
"But yes, whoever doesn't have enough, we could pool money."
"I'm sure our parents wouldn't mind paying for all of us." Lunare said. "So long as we can assure them that nothing will happen that shouldn't happen."
"Lil' sister, you know very well that I can't assure that, not with Lethe." He grinned.
"I'm not your little sister! I'm as old as you are!"
"Ten seconds or so younger than me still makes you younger than me."
Cocytus cut in. "The sibling squabbling not withstanding, it appears that the budget is in perfect hands. So, the question is where."
"I guess we could go visit a major city. The undead recently founded their own city, I think."
"Nah, I don't feel comfortable in the presence of the undead. Elluneril?" Lethe suggested.
"What's with you and elves these days? Just because you're in love with him, doesn't mean you have to be in love with all things elven."
"Fine. What do you suggest?"
"Acheron, what about your race's city? Pardon me, I don't know it's name." Solciro fidgeted slightly. They had taken care to refer to Acherus and his brother by their collective name, Solciro not knowing the precise nature of his identity.
"That's because it doesn't exist. Cains are traditionally nomads." He didn't add in that they were more of travelling brigands than peaceful wanderers. "My parents are one of the few who have moved out of the plains of Cania and into the cities. That's how I even have an education."
"Oh." Cocytus' monosyllabic answer conveyed all of their ignorance with regards to other races.
"Where to, then?"
"Could we go somewhere colder?" Lunare piped up.
"You know I don't really like the cold..." Solciro trailed off.
"What, Kylmir? Don't you ever watch the news?"
"Nope. What's going on there?" Kestrel asked.
"Plague. The Kylmiris have some kind of epidemic going on. Not too sure what disease though. Wasn't really paying attention."
"Not that many major cities around. Port Kraken?"
"Port Kraken? That's the place where the inhabitants somehow have a pact with the local kraken to not screw up their trade routes in exchange for something or the other, no?"
"Yes. But there's not much to do there, it's just a trading port. Albeit a very important one. Anyway I get seasick." Phlegyas put in.
"Seriously. There aren't that many places to go. I doubt that you people would want to go to Haven."
"No. It's just a safe place for people who need it. Obviously, we don't. We're not homeless. This is frustrating."
"Let's just attend the Darksun Carnival. I haven't gone before."
"It's coming to Pero Diaz this year?"
"Yeah. Just in time for our holidays. How big is it anyway? I've heard people talk about it."
"We've been there before." Solciro said, indicating Lunare and himself. "They change attractions every year so I'm not sure about that. It's very big. It's sort of like a travelling city."
"Then how would it fit into Pero Diaz?"
"It doesn't. It should be just outside city limits if I'm not wrong."
"If it's so big, we stay in it overnight, yes?"
"Indeed. There are hotels there. It's like a city made for fun. Oh, and there are guides. They stay with us and tell us anything we need to know."
"Sounds awkward. A complete stranger with us?"
"They can be quite fun to be with. Last time, it was this other elf guy."
"So it's settled? Darksun Carnival?" Lethe looked around and all gave signs of affirmation. Uo was not present.

Darksun Carnival? Why?
"I guess I just want some time off. It ought to be fun."
You're brooding. Snap out of it. Chill out a little.
"That's my plan."
I mean now.
"Right."
Seriously. Hey, stop that. Don't drink anymore.
"It pleases me. The flavour is certainly intoxicating."
That would be because you are, in fact, intoxicated. Stop drinking.
Raewyn ignored him and poured more of the oru wine into her glass.
I'm serious, Raewyn, stop drinking.
Libys' words had no effect as Raewyn took another long drought of the extremely alcoholic wine.
Fine. If you won't stop drinking, I'll make your body metabolize it faster and you will have a hangover. This won't be pleasant.
He was true to his word. It wasn't pleasant.
"Oh, Archon save me, the headache, the headache." She clutched her temples and slumped onto the tabletop.
I did warn you.
"Talk softer..." She whispered.
I do this for your own good.
"I thought demons encouraged overindulgence." Raewyn moaned.
In general, sweetheart. In this case, I strongly disagree.
"Ugh..."
Now tell me, why the Darksun Carnival?
"I've never gone before... Perhaps its best for me to unwind a little. I hate you so much right now."
What, never dealt with a hangover?
"Not of this magnitude... I'm gonna sleep..." She slowly got up and attempted to make for her bedroom. Immediately, she thought the better of it and decided to sleep against the table.
You will have to go back to Kara first. It still puzzles me, why you decided to leave while just at her doorstep. In the end, you'll still have to see her.
Shut up! My reasons are my own and I have no obligation to explain myself to you, demon! Raewyn thought back angrily. I will go where I will as and when I see fit!
Libys mentally backed off, aware that she was close to losing her patience.

An Apple A Day...

Raewyn passed the vial to Nova.
"That's your phlegm? Looks very bad to me."
"You think?" Raewyn leaned against a wall, face pale and sickly.
"You look just as bad as what the goat dragged out from the sewers, girl." Nova said, as she poured out a little of the phlegm onto a little slide and placed it under a microscope.
"Don't bother, Nova."
She looked up. "Why?"
"I know what's causing it. I only gave you the phlegm so you could synthesize something to stop it."
"What's causing it?"
"Can we go someplace private? I'd have to undress to show you."
"Ah. The private room then. It's got a mirror if you want to admire yourself."
They headed in and Raewyn slowly pull off her top garments.
"Why would you even need a mirror? Your body is the same as it ever was."
"I enjoy the effect of baring my fangs in front of it while my client sits behind." Nova whistled. "That's one badass growth you've got there, girl. And nice breasts by the way." The taint had spread down pass her shoulder blade was beginning to reach across her spine. On her front, the taint had spread down, covering most of her right breast and was reaching across her chest into the cleft behind them as if in tandem with the spread on her back. The taint was also reaching upwards, albeit more slowly and had not quite got past her collarbone.
"Uh huh. Seen enough?"
"Yes. What's causing that?" Raewyn began to dress.
"Demon."
"You take bounties even regarding demons?"
"I wasn't referring to that, but yes, I do. This growth is due to the fact that my skin is a demon."
"Woah."
"Yeah. He's been preventing the taint from spreading but recently, due to certain circumstances, has lost all control over this aspect."
"Since when?"
"A few days."
"No, I meant, how long has your skin been a demon?"
"Long enough. Say, the day my dad died."
"The demon kil-"
"The question here is not what the demon did. The question here is what you can do to slow or stop what the demon managed to for so long."
"I'll be needing a sample of it."
Raewyn reached up and plucked off one of the fiery scales, wincing in pain as the raw wound bled sluggishly.
"Here. You need any blood?"
"No thanks, I fed already today."
"I meant for your samples."
"Oh. Right. No, I've got your phlegm already. I should be able to figure something out. No promises, but I'll do whatever I can, as fast as I can."
"The best anyone can promise, I suppose." Raewyn sighed. "This might be fatal, might not be. Either way, it's screwing with my health." As if to emphasize her point, she coughed painfully and spat out more blood-laced phlegm. "Ugh. Sorry."
"No worries, I'll clean that up. Go get some rest. Don't you go out and work either, you hear?"
"I'm not deaf." She muttered. In a louder voice, she said, "Got you. I do hope you can fix up something that can help."
"Right. Hey, the store's gonna be closed tomorrow. Decem finally went through with the engagement and they're having the wedding tomorrow. Gotta attend."
"Ok. But contact me as soon as you can. This is, as you can see, urgent."
"Right. I suggest you stay in bed in the meantime, you look as if you might fall over at any moment."
"Whatever you say, doctor."
"I'm not a doctor, I'm an alchemist."
"You act like one."

I thought she told you to stay in bed.
"And since when were you such a big fan of obeying orders?"
She is a bloodsucker after all.
"And that is supposed to make a difference."
Yes.
"Never mind what she said."
Where are we going anyway?
"To my ex-mentor's home. She might know something about this."
What's so special about her?
"She's the only known draenix in existence. Surely that's got to count for something."
Ah.
"Yes." As Raewyn stood in the train, awaiting her stop, several people looked at her oddly, hearing her whisper to herself. She had hidden the taint through the use of her illusions, rather appropriate, considering that she would be meeting the one who had taught her most of it. While she could communicate with the two minds in her through thoughts alone, it was always more fun to unnerve people by supposedly talking to yourself.
She felt someone tapping her back and she turned.
"Hello, Raewyn."
"Jack! What're you doing here?"
"She told me to pass this to you."
That bitch? Libys asked.
Raewyn ignored him."Pass what?"
"This." He fumbled a little and took out a slip of parchment from his pocket.
"Huh." Raewyn unfolded it.

Raewyn. I know that the sword has given you certain complications. I apologise if this has brought you trouble. However, I did it to help you. I do hope that the rash I saw the other day has been resolved. Come and see me, we have to talk.
-A

"Resolved it hasn't, bitch." She muttered.
"I'm sure she had her reasons."
"Doesn't change the fact that she is a bitch."
The train stopped and a metallic voice announced the station.
"I'll be getting off here, Raewyn."
"Alright. I'll see you soon."
As he stepped out of the doors, Raewyn could hear him talking to the air. She wasn't the only one who heard voices apparently.
But you are the only one who hears the voices of a demon and a demonsbane.
"Not really."
At the same time.
"Of course. That is a completely different matter."
When are we getting off anyway?
"Next stop."
This is taking forever.
Quiet. You're annoying me.
"And me. Go and sleep or something."

They're All Sick

Lethe leaned against Solciro, her long, dark hair falling over his shoulder.
"Something troubling you?"
"Nothing. You know, people have been talking."
"Let them. They act as if its some heinous crime against nature for us to be together. Some of them came and congratulated me. Funny, the way they act."
"Mmm." She made a non-commital shrug and snuggled closer to him, warm and content. They were happy together and that was all that mattered to them, regardless of what others thought.
Abruptly, she placed a hand on his groin.
Frowning, he lifted it away and said, "No, Lethe."
"Why not?" She grinned like a Chesire cat.
"It's not right. Don't."
"I felt it and it was hard. I know you want to."
"No, I don't."
"That's not the message I was getting from your body."
"Just don't, Lethe. Don't."
"Aw, you're no fun." She pouted.
He softened. "I'm sorry, but you know, I-"
"I know. I was just fooling around." She turned to him and kissed him. After awhile, he pulled her off, shaking his head.
"You and your insatiability."

"How scandalous. Anyway, did all of us get our first choices?"
They all nodded and gave signs of affirmation. All of them except Uo. By an ironic twist of fate, he had chosen the same tertiary subjects as Styx for his second choice. The class next year would be the same and only split up to their various classes during tertiary periods. The two of them had gotten off the wrong foot and never bothered to find the right one. Neither of them were too happy about it.
"No, I got Higher Engineering and Higher Languages." He said sullenly and walked away. "I'll be on my way first, got things to do."
"Hey Styx, how's your Aspecting?"
"Fine." She shrugged. "It's the same as ever. I still find the Feral part of me freaky."
"I guess so."
"How's your blood thingy going then?"
"Um. I haven't been practising." To handle his veins which were continually getting in the way of anything he did, Cocytus had tied them up in the same way girls braided their hair and now the veins were tied somewhat tightly against his arm.
"Meh. Lazy bum."
"You're no better."
Phlegyas stood. "I'll go exercise a little."
"Exercise? Big guy, you're as fit as they come."
"Nevertheless. I am bored and I have nothing to do." With which words, he left.
Acherus.
Hmm? He looked at them, his hawk head looking around in that jerky manner of birds.
Where's Acheros?
He scratched his wings with his beak uncomfortably.
He's... got stuff to do.
What stuff?
It's strictly confidential.
It's got nothing to do with sadism, does it?
Not at all.
Oh.
"Hey, any of you want to go on a trip or something for the holidays?" Cocytus suggested.
"I'm an orphan, no money, dude. The most I could do would be a sleepover." Lethe pointed out.
"Better not, otherwise Cocytus and Kestrel, you and Solciro would have to get separate rooms."
"Actually," Lethe said with a grin, "I think that would be very true."
"Archon save me, this girl is insatiable!" Solciro exclaimed. "There wouldn't be a sleepover, I'd have to spend the whole night trying to stop her!"

The taint was still spreading. Her right shoulder was covered in the sickly scales, as was the top half of her right breast. It seemed obscene for her to derive pleasure from rubbing that area, disfigured as it was.
I think you ought to see a doctor.
No.
Why not? A doctor might be able to find something to stop it.
It's demonic in nature. Anyone with an ounce of sense would feel it in me.
Then maybe an alchemist would be able to brew something up for you?
Perhaps we should see November about this.
I'm not that sure.
She's a bloodsucker, they're just as mistaken as anyone else and would sympathise with you.
What about Alice?
What? Why would you want to ask for help from that bitch? All she knows is to hurt people. Not that I disapprove, of course.
Alice would know little about these matters.
Yeah. Best go back to Nova then. I'm so tired. Raewyn lay down on her bed, feeling the soft linen rub against her bare body. There was little she enjoyed these days and she tried to enjoy whatever she had left.
Wake me up somewhere after Halflight, will you? I'm gonna go and have some fun.
What, a strip club?
Don't be silly. The getting naked bit comes after the dancing, not during.
Oh. Right.
And I thought demons knew all these sort of things.
You weren't being specific!
I'm just kidding.
I've got my honour to protect! As well as that of all demons!
Oh, shut up, you babbling fool.
Raewyn coughed violently and spat out a globule of red phlegm. She stared at it.
"Tell me, Libys. When have I ever spat out red phlegm?"
Libys kept quiet.
"You've shut up. That's a first. Maybe this illness or whatever it is was worth it." She coughed again, harder than the first and this time, blood was mixed with the phlegm, though it was hard to tell. "Or maybe it wasn't. What is this, some terminal disease with splices of magic in it?"
No, just the by-product of a forced merging between a human and a demon. Also the effects are magnified, I believe, due to the fact that it has long been suppressed.
"Oh Archon, can't I just get some damned peace? Both of you, shut up!" Raewyn growled angrily. She pulled the blanket over her and dreamt troubled dreams.