ACHURR

  A heavy grumbling sneeze escaped him.

  ACHURR

  A heavy grumbling sneeze escaped him.

  He rubbed his nose with his fingers, but something was different. Something poked his fingers under his nose.

  His fingers gently touched his upper lip. It was hair; he ran his fingers along his cheeks and jaw. Coarse, thick hair pricked his fingers.

  Did I always have a beard?

  A barrage of memories invaded his mind, all hazy.

  Yes, he did.

  He noticed he was surrounded by darkness. Beneath him, a wooden box creaked. As he looked around, he scratched his ears.The fingers halted as something was wrong; he couldn’t feel his second pair of horns.

  Did I always have four horns?

  However, before he could answer it, a rough voice called him.

  “Deron!”

  His body flinched as he heard it, as his surroundings snapped back. It was a sanguine, bulky middle-aged fiend, hair cropped short.

  Defined features on his face were tightened with exasperation, and his burning yellow eyes were locked onto him.

  It was their leader, Ryne.

  Deron looked around; the darkness no longer surrounded him. Instead, a broken stone hall surrounded him; its walls were aged, and the wooden pilrs in between were half broken. A door stood behind the bulky fiend.

  The room was littered with empty bottles of ale and sucked bones of meat.

  A few fiends surrounded him. Confusion and annoyance filled the eyes of the onlookers, all draped in brown leather armour.Ryne called him again.

  “Deron!”

  Deron looked back at his leader, his two straight horns glowed orange. “Are you awake?” his voice echoed across the small hall.

  Deron slowly nodded. His leader’s gaze lingered on him before turning back to address their band.

  “I’ll expin the whole job again. So listen carefully this time!” His rough voice spoke.Deron focused his attention this time, as his memories failed him.

  Ryne walked over to a pnk beside the door, and a worn chart was pinned on it. Deron’s eyes caught an outline drawn on the chart; it was a map of the dead city.

  It was vague, with only rough ndmarks and the Ashen chapel drawn on the southern end of the map. He remembered those ndmarks; they were pces where citizens of the Pitt preferred going.

  But,

  Deron didn’t know if those ndmarks still stood or had been destroyed by the horrors of the fog; after all, it had been a century. Deron straightened his back and concentrated on his leader.

  Ryne pointed at the Ashen chapel and spoke, “Ashen chapel stands at the very end, somewhere beneath it, there is a vault we are looking for.”

  The box beneath Deron creaked as he slowly leaned on the stone wall behind. He knew the Ashen chapel was used for tribute a century ago; citizens paid whatever valuables they had.

  There must be a vault somewhere beneath the chapel. And it must be overflowing with gold, diamonds, emeralds, and ancient relics. If his theory held, Deron might not have to turn to banditry anymore.

  A low, satisfied snarl escaped his fangs as he thought about the possibility.

  The odds were worth it…

  A thought found its way into his mind, but Deron shrugged it off.

  The silence was cut through as Ryne traced his finger up the map and spoke,“The hellfire is still burning here”His finger now pointed at the circle drawn beneath the chapel.

  He turned his gaze back at the band, his rough voice spoke.“We cannot go through this path, as such—”

  His voice trailed off as he pointed at a small circle drawn in the right midsection of the city map. “We will use the sewer systems; the opening is somewhere in this area.”

  A network of sewers spanned all across the Inanitas; unlike other domains, their domain was more structured. Ryne traced up toward a dark downward curved line on the northern end.

  A high, thick bck wall stood between the Pitt and the dead city. Deron knew that it was built before his birth and stood the onsught of the fog and whatever lurked in it.

  Ryne spoke again as his finger now pointed at the space between the wall and the midsection.“The outer section of the city is long, but easy to go across—”

  A voice cut him off, pale orange fiend beside Deron barked.“Easy? If it was easy, why didn’t any fiend return after going into the city?”

  At first, he couldn’t remember her. But a moment ter, it was clear.

  Neg, his mate. Even though both of them decided to join this job, Neg had her doubts. Her horns glowed orange; it was clear she was still against the job and wanted to remind the band about the horrors.

  Instinctively, Deron pced his hand on her thigh and whispered.“Neg.”

  She snapped, her horns glowed brighter as her burning red eyes now looked at him.“No, I want to know how we will fight the horrors that Arch Devil himself couldn’t finish?”

  Fiends around him fell silent as no one answered, but it was shattered by Ryne’s voice. “Keep your mate in check, Deron.”It sounded threatening.

  Ryne’s eyes rested on Deron as he looked down.

  A strange thought crossed his mind.Humility.

  A strange feeling of protectiveness rose in Deron’s mind. It felt familiar yet unfamiliar. Neg was his mate, and only he alone would decide what to do with her.

  With his horns fring bright yellow, he stood up. His body felt heavier than it should be. But he shrugged it off and spoke. “She is right! How will we fight the husks? Even if we advance through the lower city, what about the apparitions?” His soft yet gravelly tone cut through the tension.

  This band of bandits was originally formed by me! And no one will order me around.

  Ryne, however, replied calmly. “Do you want to continue the rest of your life as a low-life bandit? The moment the noble fiends know about your true life, outside the Arena. They will skewer you and your mate.”

  Silence returned. Deron knew it was true. Their life of banditry crossed the w of greed, and the moment it got out, the same fiends who respected him would kill him.

  His life of glory did not pay him well; the owner of the Dragon’s Fall— Yaker took a massive cut from the winners unless they were backed by ducal families. As such, Deron was poor and caged inside till he died or deserted.

  But, these thoughts still felt strange; he understood them, but not one memory fshed in his mind as they appeared.

  Feeling defeated, Deron sat down on the wooden box. It creaked as usual.

  A heavy breath of air escaped his nose.

  Ryne turned toward the band, his eyes calm. His gaze swept the room, and his eyes lingered on each member for a moment before continuing, “Dusk is upon us. By midnight, we climb the wall and get into the city. If anyone wishes to leave, I apologise, we may have to kill you.”His eyes turned toward Neg and Deron.

  Deron knew he couldn’t trust his leader. He knew Ryne’s dagger would hover on his neck; it’s only a matter of time.

  Footsteps echoed as Ryne walked to the centre and said.“We have a few hours before leaving, till then, have a good dusk.”With that, the door across the band creaked as their leader stepped into another room.

  The room fell quiet as he left. Deron’s mind was heavy, the humiliation, the pressure to stay alive, and the weird thoughts interrupting him.

  He stood up and walked toward a dimly lit corner. His bandits looked disappointed in him; their eyes lingered on him, but he paid no attention.

  A bedroll with a small pillow was id in the corner.With a heavy groan, Deron y on it and closed his eyes.

  Deron always felt their base was not comfortable, but enough to sleep. It was located in the slums, and as such, they had no problem robbing sves.

  Tears formed in the corner of his eyes as he yawned. Strangely, his ears still itched.

  Scratch, Scratch

  There were no signs of his missing horns.

  …

  Mattress shifted behind him as slender arms wrapped around his waist, jolting Deron awake. Neg buried her head into his back. A strange feeling appeared as he rubbed her arm.

  Is this what having a mate feels like?

  The thought felt unfamiliar, yet familiar. He could no longer ignore it.Deron shifted toward her and looked her in the eyes. She was awake.

  Her soft yet distinct features were still visible to him in the darkness, filling his heart with warmth. But it was not the time to admire her beauty.

  He prepared himself to speak.

  Am I behaving differently?

  This is what Deron wanted to ask, but—

  “Aegis.”A name escaped his mouth, one that he had never heard of…

  Did I always have a beard?

  A barrage of memories invaded his mind, all hazy.

  Yes, he did.

  He noticed he was surrounded by darkness. Beneath him, a wooden box creaked. As he looked around, he scratched his ears.The fingers halted as something was wrong; he couldn’t feel his second pair of horns.

  Did I always have four horns?

  However, before he could answer it, a rough voice called him.

  “Deron!”

  His body flinched as he heard it, as his surroundings snapped back. It was a sanguine, bulky middle-aged fiend, hair cropped short.

  Defined features on his face were tightened with exasperation, and his burning yellow eyes were locked onto him.

  It was their leader, Ryne.

  Deron looked around; the darkness no longer surrounded him. Instead, a broken stone hall surrounded him; its walls were aged, and the wooden pilrs in between were half broken. A door stood behind the bulky fiend.

  The room was littered with empty bottles of ale and sucked bones of meat.

  A few fiends surrounded him. Confusion and annoyance filled the eyes of the onlookers, all draped in brown leather armour.Ryne called him again.

  “Deron!”

  Deron looked back at his leader, his two straight horns glowed orange. “Are you awake?” his voice echoed across the small hall.

  Deron slowly nodded. His leader’s gaze lingered on him before turning back to address their band.

  “I’ll expin the whole job again. So listen carefully this time!” His rough voice spoke.Deron focused his attention this time, as his memories failed him.

  Ryne walked over to a pnk beside the door, and a worn chart was pinned on it. Deron’s eyes caught an outline drawn on the chart; it was a map of the dead city.

  It was vague, with only rough ndmarks and the Ashen chapel drawn on the southern end of the map. He remembered those ndmarks; they were pces where citizens of the Pitt preferred going.

  But,

  Deron didn’t know if those ndmarks still stood or had been destroyed by the horrors of the fog; after all, it had been a century. Deron straightened his back and concentrated on his leader.

  Ryne pointed at the Ashen chapel and spoke, “Ashen chapel stands at the very end, somewhere beneath it, there is a vault we are looking for.”

  The box beneath Deron creaked as he slowly leaned on the stone wall behind. He knew the Ashen chapel was used for tribute a century ago; citizens paid whatever valuables they had.

  There must be a vault somewhere beneath the chapel. And it must be overflowing with gold, diamonds, emeralds, and ancient relics. If his theory held, Deron might not have to turn to banditry anymore.

  A low, satisfied snarl escaped his fangs as he thought about the possibility.

  The odds were worth it…

  A thought found its way into his mind, but Deron shrugged it off.

  The silence was cut through as Ryne traced his finger up the map and spoke,“The hellfire is still burning here”His finger now pointed at the circle drawn beneath the chapel.

  He turned his gaze back at the band, his rough voice spoke.“We cannot go through this path, as such—”

  His voice trailed off as he pointed at a small circle drawn in the right midsection of the city map. “We will use the sewer systems; the opening is somewhere in this area.”

  A network of sewers spanned all across the Inanitas; unlike other domains, their domain was more structured. Ryne traced up toward a dark downward curved line on the northern end.

  A high, thick bck wall stood between the Pitt and the dead city. Deron knew that it was built before his birth and stood the onsught of the fog and whatever lurked in it.

  Ryne spoke again as his finger now pointed at the space between the wall and the midsection.“The outer section of the city is long, but easy to go across—”

  A voice cut him off, pale orange fiend beside Deron barked.“Easy? If it was easy, why didn’t any fiend return after going into the city?”

  At first, he couldn’t remember her. But a moment ter, it was clear.

  Neg, his mate. Even though both of them decided to join this job, Neg had her doubts. Her horns glowed orange; it was clear she was still against the job and wanted to remind the band about the horrors.

  Instinctively, Deron pced his hand on her thigh and whispered.“Neg.”

  She snapped, her horns glowed brighter as her burning red eyes now looked at him.“No, I want to know how we will fight the horrors that Arch Devil himself couldn’t finish?”

  Fiends around him fell silent as no one answered, but it was shattered by Ryne’s voice. “Keep your mate in check, Deron.”It sounded threatening.

  Ryne’s eyes rested on Deron as he looked down.

  A strange thought crossed his mind.Humility.

  A strange feeling of protectiveness rose in Deron’s mind. It felt familiar yet unfamiliar. Neg was his mate, and only he alone would decide what to do with her.

  With his horns fring bright yellow, he stood up. His body felt heavier than it should be. But he shrugged it off and spoke. “She is right! How will we fight the husks? Even if we advance through the lower city, what about the apparitions?” His soft yet gravelly tone cut through the tension.

  This band of bandits was originally formed by me! And no one will order me around.

  Ryne, however, replied calmly. “Do you want to continue the rest of your life as a low-life bandit? The moment the noble fiends know about your true life, outside the Arena. They will skewer you and your mate.”

  Silence returned. Deron knew it was true. Their life of banditry crossed the w of greed, and the moment it got out, the same fiends who respected him would kill him.

  His life of glory did not pay him well; the owner of the Dragon’s Fall— Yaker took a massive cut from the winners unless they were backed by ducal families. As such, Deron was poor and caged inside till he died or deserted.

  But, these thoughts still felt strange; he understood them, but not one memory fshed in his mind as they appeared.

  Feeling defeated, Deron sat down on the wooden box. It creaked as usual.

  A heavy breath of air escaped his nose.

  Ryne turned toward the band, his eyes calm. His gaze swept the room, and his eyes lingered on each member for a moment before continuing, “Dusk is upon us. By midnight, we climb the wall and get into the city. If anyone wishes to leave, I apologise, we may have to kill you.”His eyes turned toward Neg and Deron.

  Deron knew he couldn’t trust his leader. He knew Ryne’s dagger would hover on his neck; it’s only a matter of time.

  Footsteps echoed as Ryne walked to the centre and said.“We have a few hours before leaving, till then, have a good dusk.”With that, the door across the band creaked as their leader stepped into another room.

  The room fell quiet as he left. Deron’s mind was heavy, the humiliation, the pressure to stay alive, and the weird thoughts interrupting him.

  He stood up and walked toward a dimly lit corner. His bandits looked disappointed in him; their eyes lingered on him, but he paid no attention.

  A bedroll with a small pillow was id in the corner.With a heavy groan, Deron y on it and closed his eyes.

  Deron always felt their base was not comfortable, but enough to sleep. It was located in the slums, and as such, they had no problem robbing sves.

  Tears formed in the corner of his eyes as he yawned. Strangely, his ears still itched.

  Scratch, Scratch

  There were no signs of his missing horns.

  …

  Mattress shifted behind him as slender arms wrapped around his waist, jolting Deron awake. Neg buried her head into his back. A strange feeling appeared as he rubbed her arm.

  Is this what having a mate feels like?

  The thought felt unfamiliar, yet familiar. He could no longer ignore it.Deron shifted toward her and looked her in the eyes. She was awake.

  Her soft yet distinct features were still visible to him in the darkness, filling his heart with warmth. But it was not the time to admire her beauty.

  He prepared himself to speak.

  Am I behaving differently?

  This is what Deron wanted to ask, but—

  “Aegis.”A name escaped his mouth, one that he had never heard of…