The Demon’s Bride

The man looked back at Maroon filled with questions. In Hell, Diablo or Ian was known quite well amongst all demons and high demons despite of his brief two time visitations. His story was known as one of the most if not staggering but also amazing. As Demons, most of the residents see his action of killing a single town by himself as something awe-inspiring but the fact of him being a human tore the demon's view on him as two.

Some looked at Ian in a low opinion and some others see him in recognition. But the man didn't view him in either of the two opinion, but instead, a third one which was fear. In the past there was once when Maroon, Ian's servant had knocked on the door of his house, wanting to know about something in hell and rejected it only to meet a very traumatic event where he lost his left eye and right legs. 

The pain was still clear and the wound had just healed. Therefore, he knew not to go against Maroon's question as the butler was Ian's representative and he knew that he needed to say the truth...however... It wasn't a lie that he doesn't know anything about Satan. The informations about the King of Hell was regarded with high esteem that speaking about them would cause one to face consequences.

The man jumped on his skin when Maroon's low and death-like voice spoke, "When will you reply, Rolland?"

Rolland, the lesser Demon gulped, "I apologize, sir but I do not know." and Maroon's dull eyes were quick to narrow as he could sense something hidden underneath Rolland's words.

"You sound like you know," Maroon said for Rolland's heartbeat to quicken. "The Lord told me to say this in case you lie: 'Left eye and right legs doesn't work for you to say the truth. Perhaps I should see you burn alive?'"

Rolland shook his head in a hurry, "I-I am saying the truth! I don't kno-" his words ended at that moment as his breaths were forcefully stopped when Maroon's fingers caught the Demon by his neck.

"The Lord also instruct me to kill you in any fashion as I like," added the butler with the intensity of his eyes rising where the dull murky ash color had turned to a deep blood-like red. "If you have anything you would like to say now is the best before I take out all your limbs that is no use of me again and leave you only with your tongue."

"T-The decree!" Rolland yelled in alarm, sensing that one word of his would only lead the butler to take off one of his limbs. "There is a decree in Hell that you might not be aware of sir!"

Maroon hadn't heard anything about this, "What decree? And what does it have to do with this? Answer truthfully and spit out all you know unless you love being tortured."

The ball on Rolland's neck went up and down as he gulped, "T-The decree said that the residents of Hell should not speak or discuss about the King. Much less calling his name. As a lesser Demon like me, we are not able to do what you and the Lord can."

"Do you know what I questioned then?" Maroon questioned and the lesser Demon shook his head while trying to struggle from the hold that had loosened but not enough for him to breath. "Do you know who might know about the prince and be able to discuss about it?"

Only when Rolland nodded his head vigorously in fear of death did Maroon released his hands, letting him to fall on the ground. Before he could catch his breaths, Maroon stomped his feet on the man's back. "Have you found your tongue?" Maroon questioned impatiently.

"Y-Yes! The Demon's name is Lamia. S-She live in the Nevernight Cave."

Maroon hummed and Rolland let out a breath but instead of retracting his feet, Maroon's step on him became heavier as he used the lesser demon as a carpet, making his way to pass over Rolland's house and used another kick to open the door. 

The human woman who was tied inside the house shrieked upon the loud sound and when her eyes meet the butler's bleak one, she wondered if she was going to die soon. 

Maroon made his way very soundlessly that despite he was waking before the woman, he had no footsteps and when she came to it, the Demon had stood in front of him. When his dull eyes met the woman's brown ones, wordlessly, he raised his hand that had turn sharp as his fingernails glimmer and the woman's eyes shut tightly, waiting for the pain when she realized her hands had been loosened and the rope that bite her ankles were gone.

Opening her eyes, she looked at Maroon, "A-Are you here to help me?"

Maroon didn't answer, instead he asked, "Can you walk?"

"I d-don't know maybe I can..." said the woman, still shaken by fear.

"Then walk and if you can't crawl," the butler deadpanned before leaving the house by turning his back.

Rolland get up from the ground when Maroon had entered the house. "S-Sir?"

"I will be taking this woman. She is still alive," narrowed Maroon. Rolland's expression had many emotions in it one of it was panic and distress as he had done a great deal of work to catch the human woman and now Maroon was going to take her for nothing. "You don't seem to like it," said Maroon with a subtle threaten.

"No! No! Please take her! If this can satisfy you, please take her! Or if you want another one, I will quickly prepare them," said the man while rubbing his hands together to look more polite similar to a vendor of a fruit trader. "Do you wish for anything?"

"Yes, if you can shut up," Maroon answered tonelessly and with his finger he beckoned the human woman to follow him. 

Walking over the houses and away from where Rolland was, the human woman continuously looked around. She had been kidnapped to this place which she learned was Hell a few minutes prior. Fear caused her legs and hands to continue tremble, slowing her pace. She looked over the man in front of her who might have saved her but then she wondered if it was true seeing how he had ignored her existence and didn't look back to see if she was alright.

Maybe... instead she was sold like how slave does in the mortal's world?

"U-Uh...sir... may I know your name?" The woman questioned bravely and Maroon didn't reply. "I-I am not dead yet. I should not be here. That man from earlier kidnapped me when I was on my way back to meet my aunt-"

"I know," Maroon interrupted, "I will bring you back to the mortal world and that's it. Stop leaving you house at night unless you wish this to happen again."

The woman nodded wordlessly and silence erupted between them again. Feeling uncomfortable, she broke the silence, "May I know whether you are a Demon too, sir?"

Maroon turned his face just slight to look at the woman's eyes, "I am."

"I-I see," and the butler saw fear on the woman's eyes and he turned his eyes away. He knew how one felt when they were kidnapped as once he was on her position. Unlike her, however, he was more concerned of his late wife's safety than him. All of that happened hundred of years ago. "Thank you for saving me," the woman said despite his fear.

"I am not doing this for you," answered Maroon without looking at her.

The woman felt more comfortable as they speak and muster courage to ask, "T-Then why did you chose to save me?"

Maroon turned his face entirely to the woman. The wind blow across them and his eyes turn bleak when in second he could imagine the shadow of a woman holding her hands together with a wide smile but her face had disappeared from his memories. 

"For my gratification. Not everyone save others for other's sake."

"But it doesn't change how you save me. M-My name is Harriet," the woman named.

"I don't need your name," Maroon chipped, "It matters not to me whether you have a name or not."

Harriet pulled her brows together, unable to help herself to say, "You don't need to be so harsh. I also can tell you don't want to speak with me but you could entertain me a little. I feel scared if I don't talk."

Maroon wondered if this woman was truly scared as she had dared to speak that way to him even after knowing that he was a Demon, "If you know how I don't want to entertain you, then be quiet."

"But I will feel shiver if I don't speak," Harriet argued again.

"Then speak to yourself," Maroon cut her off, "And if it is necessary then speak to the tree or wall. It will help you."

Harriet had never heard someone speak the way this Demon did that were borderline toneless and also curt. "Did that ever help you?"

Maroon shrugged his shoulders, "I never."

Then why did he told her to speak to the wall?! argued Harriet in her heart when she heard sounds of rustles and immediately run closer to where the Demon was. 

"Don't touch me," Maroon said and Harriet only realized she was holding to the Demon' clothes.

"S-Sorry. I heard something there," she pointed.

"It's wind. I have never seen someone scared of wind before," he left a remark that had her frown again.

"I didn't know you hate being touched," said Harriet who continue to speak despite being discourage by the butler for multiple times.

"I don't hate being touch," and when Harriet was going to ask he replied, "For women I only touch my wife."

"You are loyal," Harriet commented as she found this unexpected as she thought Demons were epitome of evil.

"I am, and it's because she is the only woman who I can love," Maroon said and he turned back, meeting Harriet's eyes.

Harriet was surprised by the sudden turn but she was someone who can only calm down when she speak and asked, "Can you tell me your name?"

"You won't need my name because you won't remember it," said Maroon and before she understood what he meant, he raised his hand and pressed the woman's head, his voice went hazy as Harriet's eyes turn bleak with the adding of seconds to the time, "Forget what you see here, the demons, and all about your visit to Hell." 

Harriet only came into it when she find herself inside a forest. Not knowing what happened that could had her staying in the forest until midnight, the woman ran back to her aunt's house where she had planned to go to before kidnapped to Hell which now turn as an empty memory in her mind. Harriet was very happy when she found her aunt's house but drew her brows when she noticed the gate of the house that was left open.

Harriet thought to call her aunt's name without noticing that someone had came behind her and slashed her neck open.

Harriet's body fell on the ground lifelessly and Thomas frowned when seeing the woman who he had killed, "I thought you have killed everyone here, Wyatt."

"I thought I did. Strange," commented Wyatt, "I didn't sense her presence in any of the house."

"Check all the house once again and find their bodies. We need them for the rituals," said Thomas and as Wyatt left, his brows twitched when a scent of Demon waft from the dead woman. "Burn the houses once you are done with this village," said Thomas to one of the dark sorcerer behind him and he added, "Bring this woman's body to the cart. She seems healthy and we can use her as a vessel."

"Right away!" The dark sorcerer said and he quickly picked the body of the woman without knowing the faint shadow of a woman that walked behind him. The shadow of the woman was very faint and hazy. Her face was pallid and her eyes were empty from color. Except from the structure of her face, there were little things one could use to identify who the ghost was.

The ghost's eyes watched the body of the woman that was empty from soul and had followed it. The reason why the ghost had followed the body wasn't because she wished to enter the soulless body of the woman. Instead, it was due to the scent that she had picked up from Harriet, the nostalgic fragrance that she could only smell during the time she was alive.