Damien
and every demon wants his pound of flesh
but i like to keep some things to myself
but i like to keep some things to myself
“The monster hunter’s guild,” Damien said, the words plain but carrying a faint edge of respect. He glanced at her sidelong, one brow ticking upward. “Deimos runs it. Folks train and keep the rest of us from getting eaten in our sleep.” He gave a short huff that wasn’t quite a laugh. “Something tells me you’d fit right in, though whether they’d survive your… style is another question.”
Her wink lingered in his mind longer than he wanted to admit, but he smothered it beneath a crooked smile. “Fair enough. But don’t expect me to go easy on you either.”
The pups were bouncing in circles now, happy to have some of their freedom restored. Damien straightened, brushing snow from his gloves, and fell in step beside her. Her bubbling energy seemed to spill into the huskies, the three of them feeding off one another until he felt like the quiet shadow trailing behind. Not unwelcome, just… different.
“Good,” he said when she declared she didn’t need to be back in Torchline, his tone lightening. “Because soup’s not to be rushed.” His mouth tugged into a faint, thoughtful frown as he added, “Torchline, though. Seems like everyone I meet lately hails from there. Flora, Theea, now you.” He shook his head with a quiet chuckle. “Starting to wonder if I’m the only one not from the damn place.”
With that, he gave a low whistle for the pups, who came trotting eagerly to heel. He held the leashes loosely, letting them tug him forward toward the main street. “Come on then,” he said, tipping his head toward the road.
The dogs barked once as if in agreement, and then the four of them were moving, their laughter and breath misting into the cold air until it faded with their footsteps down the alley.
Her wink lingered in his mind longer than he wanted to admit, but he smothered it beneath a crooked smile. “Fair enough. But don’t expect me to go easy on you either.”
The pups were bouncing in circles now, happy to have some of their freedom restored. Damien straightened, brushing snow from his gloves, and fell in step beside her. Her bubbling energy seemed to spill into the huskies, the three of them feeding off one another until he felt like the quiet shadow trailing behind. Not unwelcome, just… different.
“Good,” he said when she declared she didn’t need to be back in Torchline, his tone lightening. “Because soup’s not to be rushed.” His mouth tugged into a faint, thoughtful frown as he added, “Torchline, though. Seems like everyone I meet lately hails from there. Flora, Theea, now you.” He shook his head with a quiet chuckle. “Starting to wonder if I’m the only one not from the damn place.”
With that, he gave a low whistle for the pups, who came trotting eagerly to heel. He held the leashes loosely, letting them tug him forward toward the main street. “Come on then,” he said, tipping his head toward the road.
The dogs barked once as if in agreement, and then the four of them were moving, their laughter and breath misting into the cold air until it faded with their footsteps down the alley.
[FIN]
