Mephiles was tired. She had been running for most of the day and only had a /second/ to rest and get her bearings. She had stepped on so many twigs and branches that her left foot was bleeding, and she hadnât the energy needed to fix it. She felt like a mess and probably looked the part. She lifted her hands and ran them through her quills, unsurprised to find that they were messy and clumped together unpleasantly.
This was all because of those damn crusaders. /Curse/ them with their deadly spells, magic runs, and poisonous arrows. They had been chasing her for days, hunting her relentlessly through the thick wood. They knew this land better than she did, and it showed. Mephiles had no idea where she was right now. That was a big problem, especially since she had a place she needed to get to as soon as possible.
The hedgehog leaned against a nearby tree and slowly lowered herself to the ground. She lifted her foot to inspect it, frowning at the sight and smell of her blood. That was /not/ good. Sheâd been leaving a trail. It wouldnât be long before she heard the loud stomps of polished black boots. The bright green and golden flags waving high above the treetops. It wouldnât be long. She didnât have much time.
If she hadnât been so careless with her energy before, her foot wouldnât be a problem. Mephiles had acted recklessly, the fear of death taking her in itâs vice grip. She didnât want to die, not now. And so she had done whatever she needed to, used all of the energy she had to escape them. But they had followed, seen through her magic with their books of gods and righteous things. Avoided the traps she had placed with their holy scrolls and prayers.
She /hated/ the crusaders. Every demon did.
Shakily, she got to her feet, biting her lip as she tried to walk on her foot. Mephiles was mad at herself for not having the foresight to save some of her energy. She would pay for that mistake dearly if--her ears twitched suddenly, the hedgehog turning her head in the direction she had come from.
She heard them. Their loud stomps. All in rhythm. They were coming.
Mephiles cursed under her breath, moving away from the tree and beginning to quickly limp through the forest. Every so often, she would lean on a tree for support, opening a palm and trying to conjure fire or summon a deadly beast, but her energy had been nearly depleted. She hadnât regenerated much during her brief respite. So the hedgehog continued to walk, glancing back behind her every so often to gauge the distance between her and those damn flags.
It wasnât just a small squad coming after her, oh no, it was nearly the entire Claret Crusade. She was a⌠special case. Being a demon, the crusaders hunted her kind and killed them mercilessly. Mephiles was one of the few demons left on the entire continent.
The fools believed that all demons should be eradicated. That they were stains on their otherwise perfect world. That demons caused nothing but trouble and brought about misfortune and misery wherever they happened to tread. That was only somewhat true. Mephiles had known demons that had come to help mortals. Ones that had taught them advanced magic, bestowed gifts upon them, even demons who had come to love mortals. They were few and far between, but they had existed. Unfortunately, those demons had been some of the first that the crusade had killed.
But Mephiles had been different. She had only observed the mortals from afar. At first, she had thought they were idiotic beings, but over time, she realized that they had their own⌠charm, so to speak. Something that made them inherently unique. Right now, though, she was cursing every mortal and wishing she had killed them instead.
Mephiles nearly tripped over a large branch, the hedgehog quickly moving her injured foot in front of her to stop her fall. That only worsened the pain in her foot and the blood hadnât stopped. She opened her palm again and recited a small spell. Her fingers began to glow a dim purple color. Again, she frowned. Nearly there, but still not enough.
âWeâve nearly got âer, men!â Someone shouted out. The voice wasnât that far away, either. It was close. Getting closer.
Mephiles began to breath quickly, the fear that she had been trying to ignore creeping up on her. If they caught her again, it would be over. They knew that. They had studied demons inside and out. Designed traps and spells especially for their capture and death. If she didnât keep moving, itâd be over.
Ignoring the pain in her foot, the demon ran faster. She scanned the trees, looking for something that could help her. Some place to hide. Maybe she could create a distraction to throw them off her trail or--
Or she could run into a sudden clearing of trees. There was a small waterfall that lead into a large pool of water. Near the waterfall was a small cave, the opening barely visible with how dark it was. But Mephiles could see it clearly. It would have to do. Maybe if she rested in there for /just/ a moment, sheâd have enough energy to cast a concealing spell.
No time to debate it, she just had to go. The hedgehog ran toward the water, taking care to step on the rocks jutting out of the pool. She outstretched her arms to keep her balance, inhaling sharply whenever her injured foot made contact with the rough, wet surface of a rock. The stomps were getting closer. Mephiles quickly jumped the rest of the way, landing on her hands and knees on the other side. She stood up, breathing heavily as she looked at the cave entrance.
There was already a spell cast on it. That was⌠odd. It was no mortal, as they had no need to hide from their own kind. Was it⌠another demon?
Immediately, Mephiles tensed, not liking that possibility. There was a chance this demon would be hospitable and sympathise with her plight. They were in the same situation, why wouldnât they? But some demons preferred to be alone. They were very violent and hostile, using advance destructive magic to kill their own kind. Mephiles hoped, /prayed/ that this demon was the former. She didnât have the energy to fight.
The hedgehog stepped quickly, making her way to the cave entrance. There was a circle of runes that prohibited entrance into the cave. Mephiles growled angrily, her ears picking up the stomps that were coming closer. She hesitantly stepped toward the magic runes, reading them carefully.
It was⌠a concealing spell. But who?
Mephiles jumped back, looking like a frightened house cat with how her ears folded down against her head and her hands folded up by her chest. She regarded the stranger on the other side of the cave, her eyes narrowing.
He looked like a mortal armadillo, but that wasnât possible. A concealing spell was advanced magic, and the only mortals who had been taught that were long gone. As the stranger drew closer to the entrance of the cave, Mephiles could just about make out a⌠red eye.
âWho⌠are you?â Mephiles asked tentatively, briefly forgetting about her dire situation.
The stranger crossed his arms, eyed the demon warily. âYouâre supposed to introduce yourself first before askinâ someone elseâs name.â
âThatâs a mortal custom,â Mephiles responded. âWould you rather I perform the demon custom and take some of your energy to sample and examine?â
The armadillo rolled his eyes. Curious. One was red, and the other was blue. Mismatched eyes. /Very/ odd. âIâm not a demon, so thatâs not right either. Why donât you just tell me your name?â
Mephiles huffed, annoyed with this strange⌠person. âMephiles. And you areâŚ?â
The stranger smiled. âIâm--â
âThere she is! Across the water!â
Mephiles abruptly turned, her eyes widening in horror as she saw the large formation of crusaders standing on the other side of the water. They had found her. Sheâd been too distracted! She once again cursed under her breath, turning to face her pursuers and grasping at the little energy she had to cast one final spell. No way in hell was she being captured without a fight.
âHoly fuck, looks like you brought some friends with ya. Is that the /entire/ Claret Crusade?â the armadillo said, lifting his hand and muttering a quick incantation to cancel the concealing spell. He stepped out of the safe haven of his cave and came to stand beside Mephiles, his hands on his hips.
That was /truly/ odd. Why he would chose to come out was ridiculous to her. That concealing spell protected him against the mortals! They couldnât see you or enter the place you were concealing if you had a spell on it. Mephiles gawked at the stranger for a moment, but then quickly turned her attention to the crusaders. They werenât moving in. They werenât shooting arrows or blasting her with simple magic spells. They hadnât done anything.
They all were frozen in place. In fact, they werenât even looking at her anymore. They were looking atâŚ
The armadillo whistled, eyes scanning the entire crowd of crusaders. âLooks like everyoneâs here. That makes things easier for me.â
One crusader forced her way to the front of the group. She was carrying a large halberd. Despite the darkness, Mephiles could still make out the color of her eyes and skin. She was an orange echidna with blue eyes. She was looking at the stranger with⌠sorrow in her eyes.
âItâs youâŚâ she said, taking a step forward. Her fellow crusaders tried to stop her, but she pushed them away. âItâs really you, Mi--â
The armadillo held up a hand. âAh, Tiks! Yâknow thatâs not my name anymore!â he said, giving the crusader a smile.
The echidna continued forward, about to touch the water. âThat /is/ your name. Donât let that foul creature turn you into something youâre not! You are--â
âTired,â the stranger finished for her, scratching his ear. âYâsee, I was sleepinâ before you guys decided to stomp your way over here. I donât /like/ beinâ disturbed.â He lifted a hand, his palm glowing a bright red. Flames engulfed that hand soon after, and with a snap of his fingers, the ground right in front of the echidna caught on fire. She quickly jumped back, alarmed, before glaring at the armadillo.
âAre you really that cruel? That you would /kill/ your own //comrades//?â the echidna asked, her jaw set tight and her teeth clenched.
The stranger smiled, his hand still enveloped with fire. âYup!â And with another snap of his fingers, the fire moved from in front of the echidna to the first couple of crusaders that stood behind her. They were consumed by the flames, their terrifying screams and pleas for mercy filled the air. Mephiles looked on, impressed instead of horrified. This person was /very/ skilled with fire.
The echidnaâs expression was a stark contrast to Mephilesâ. She watched helplessly as he comrades were quickly engulfed, their bodies falling to the floor. The crusaders behind them quite clearly frightened, taking a few steps back and some of them even retreating. Even still, the echidna held her ground. She turned toward the stranger again and drew her halberd.
âIâm not leaving without you, Mighty,â she said, her eyes fierce and determined. âYouâre coming back with me. Youâre coming /home/!â
That only seemed to anger the armadillo more. The smile fell from his face, replaced by a scowl. He began to walk forward towards the water, moving his hand this way and that. He summoned a circle of fire around the echidnaâs feet. She immediately began to cough as she breathed in the smoke, but she still kept eye contact with him.
âMightyâs not here anymore. Heâs /gone/,â the armadillo said. He made a circling motion with his hand and the flames around the echidna grew larger. âAnd soon, you will be, too.â
The echidna swung her heavy weapon, causing a break in the flames. She lept through it, her silver armor catching the moonlight and glimmering in the night. Her halberd was raised above her head as she aimed it right for the armadillo. With a fearsome battle cry, she began to move it down to--
Suddenly, her entire body was engulfed in flames. The echidna quickly dropped her weapon, tumbling to the ground and screaming in pain. Her armor was the only thing keeping her alive. It was likely enchanted with some sort of resistance to the elements, but that would fade away in time. The armadillo formed a fist with his hand, the flames burning brighter, growing stronger.
And suddenly, the echidna was covered with a bright white beam of light. Mephiles hadnât seen anything like it. She turned her head to look at the few crusaders that were left. Among them was a priest. Oh, of /course/ they had a priest with them. Those mortals were especially talented in the healing arts and were very annoying. Not only did they make battles with the crusaders difficult, they themselves were nearly impossible to kill.
The fires that had nearly taken the echidnaâs life had been snuffed out, replaced with a bright light. Though her life had been saved, the fire had caused quite a bit of damage. The armadilloâs expression had turned to that of annoyance, but only for a second. With a snap of his fingers, his hands were covered with a purple light, and Mephilesâ eyes widened as she figured out just what he was going to do.
Unfortunately, he would never get the opportunity, as the few crusaders rushed across the water to retrieve their comrade. The priest kept the healing light on the echidna, muttering prayers under his breath. Two other crusaders scooped up the injured girl, while another three or so pointed their swords at the armadillo. He only smiled at them, moving his hand just a bit and laughing when they flinched away.
Once the echidna was safe, the mortals bounded away from the clearing and through the trees. Their flags had been dropped to the ground, as well as a few swords and shields. The stranger only smirked as they ran off, shaking his hand and ridding it of that purple light. He turned to look at Mephiles with a curious expression. The hedgehog got the feeling that he had forgotten that she was here.
âSo⌠Mephiles, right?â he asked. âYouâre a demon, which explains why so many of âem were after you.â
âAnd just /what/ are you?â Mephiles asked, backing away a little. This armadillo was /very/ skilled with magic. Exceptionally so. If he intended to fight her, she would probably lose. Not to mention, she was still weak herself. He probably notice that by now.
âIâmâŚâ he paused, as if not entirely sure of what he was himself. He scratched at his ear, sighing and looking around the area. âVin. Iâm Vin.â
That was his name, but he hadnât answered her other question. The hedgehog crossed her arms, looking impatient. Vin only stared back, looking unsure of himself.
âAre you tryinâ to get off the continent? To the island?â Vin asked, pointing in some direction.
Mephiles pursed her lips, giving him an exhausted look. âWell, I canât very well stay here, can I? Iâd be running my entire life.â
Vin smirked at that, crossing his arms now. âGood! Thatâs where Iâm headed, too. Supposed to be safe there.â
âBy how you handled those crusaders, I donât think you have to worry about your own safety,â Mephiles said.
Vin shrugged. âBut they wonât ever stop chasinâ me if I stay here. âSides, thereâs someone I gotta meet on the Island. You can tag along with me. You wonât have much luck on your own.â
Mephiles was silent for a moment, eyeing the other suspiciously. He wasnât a demon nor a mortal. He was especially skilled in magic and that crusader mortal⌠had /known/ him. There were too many mysteries surrounding Vin, but she couldnât deny that he was a pretty damn good fighter. Still, why was he being so kind to her? He didnât know her!
âAnd why are you so willing to help me, hm?â Mephiles asked, tilting her head.
Vin grinned, his fangs showing. âWell, who better to help a demon than a monster~?â
