You knew it was coming. It was all your mother talked about, how one day you would have the highest honor and how she envied you. You didn't care. It's not that you didn't want to live but escaping was no use. You'd tried before only to have her and the rest of the cult track you down every time. So off you went to be sacrificed to some random demon. You didn't pay much attention to what was being said as they tied you to the large stone altar. The large decorative dagger didn't hurt as much as you thought it would, plunging into your chest like that. Skipping off your rib before each beat of your heart tries to break the metal in it. Your eyes close and when they open it's because your skin feels hot and the air is hard to breathe. Suddenly the pain in your chest being gone isn't your biggest concern, it's the realization that this is hell, where you get tortured, and the demon just standing there with a smile. Its first words to you weren't how it planned to rip you apart or feed you glass, instead it squatted down and opened its arms for a hug. "Finally a child I can call my own". Slowly you walked forward, you definitely weren't gonna try and piss it off, and let it hug you. Even going so far as to return the hug, it was the first in a very long time after all. "You shall want for nothing and fear nothing so long as you have me". It stood with you in its arms and began to walk as it spoke, gently holding you closer as to not bounce you with every step. "Why?" There were so many questions in that one word, each one running circles in your mind. Yet it seemed to understand. "Because I am asexual, I can't and have no desire to reproduce, yet I've always longed for a child. So many of you have come here already broken and tortured enough." It paused as if considering something, glancing at you, all while still walking in the same direction. "What is that human saying two stones from one bird? Well that's what this is, they were going to give you to me anyway so why not make the deal, get my beloved child and give you the home you deserve." All you could do was look at this demon with confusion and amazement. This creature, born from a world of pain and fear just wanted to save you from those very things. Maybe that was ok. I mean, it couldn't hurt to at least enjoy the treatment until they got bored of you. So that's what you would do, strange as it was. Knowing that the being carrying you could easily kill you again and yet it showed you more care than any other person in your life. " So what do I call you?" The soft chuckle that rumbled out of it was startling to say the least. "You can call me whatever you like but my name is Zxyphe." Did you relax into it as it carried you the rest of the way to its home? Maybe, but that's just part of the plan to fool it, right? Right. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that for the first time in your short life, you felt safe. Nothing at all.