The Hellhound moved closer to the center of the room, where something as oddly shaped as it was familiar to Lily rested on the altar.
“Why are you here, Chimera?” Fenn asked from in front of her.
Lily, curiosity peaked, stepped closer. What Fenn had said had given her a clue, but seeing it up close was what finally made her realise just what—or rather who—was before them. She had never personally met him, but he was certainly someone she had heard about on more than one occasion. This one was a demon much like herself, but not in the ways of his powers. Rather, it was his mindset. So unlike other demons he didn’t appear as one who sought power above all else, but was considered a scholar first and foremost, despite having been said to command legions of demons.
His name was Buer.
Lily’s eyes widened at the sight of him, her surprise showing. Her surprised was soon replaced by a guffaw of laughter. “Oh… that is [i]priceless[/], Buer!” She exclaimed, forcing back her laughter. “Never would’ve expected to you, of all demons, to be down here.” She glanced around, noting the various chalk lines that crisscrossed along the floor and onto the altar upon which the chimeric demon lay trapped. She followed some with her eyes, murmuring indistinguishable words underneath her breath. “And then again, this isn’t simple stuff—” she put a hand on the hound beside her, as if to keep him in place “—don’t touch it, Fenn. If you get inside you’ll probably be trapped here, too. I doubt either of us could escape a devil trap like this one.”
Fenn let out a low growl, sounding like something of a mix between a warning and an affirmative. Evidently he did not like Lily’s insinuation that he was unaware.
“Nevertheless,” the demoness continued, “you’re in quite a bind, Buer. What in Mundus’ Spear-Inviting asshole happened?”
The merriment of Lily did not bring a smile to the leonine face of the captive demon. Instead, boredom ruled there. In the years he spent imprisoned here, he knew solitude and silence as constant companions, but never did he truly despise the lonesome quiet. A mind as vast and accomplished as his could not only reach into the past and postulate about the future, but leaf through his array of knowledge like a tax accountant through reams of manilla folders and, from it, construct a mental fortress in which he was free. Buer’s body never moved, but his scholar’s mind spanned eons of learning and oceans of imagination. Overall, he preferred all of that to laying on a pedestal for the amusement of demonic passers-by.
“Why don’t you ask miss Gomory?” He murmured at last, his voice a gravelly rumble.
Lily’s eyes met Fenn’s. This was the first either had heard the name of their quarry.
The scholar continued, either unaware or uncaring of this silent communication. “She heard the whole ordeal. I imagine you’ll want to help me about as much as she did. Long story short, I should never have deviated from my studies into the whole contracting business. A savvy human and his witch friend trapped me here.” His nose twitched; his piercing hazel eyes provided the only illumination in the chamber aside from evenly-placed bewitched candles, and the great Hellhound. “I must ask you to either free me or get your kicks and move on. Trying to think in an atmosphere polluted by other consciousnesses is tiresome. Though of course,” he added, endeavoring to keep any hope from his snarls. “I would be grateful for your charity.”
Fenn grunted. “The self-pity clogs the air.”
Lily adopted a ponderous look, scratching her cheek as her gaze sought upwards, towards the ceiling. Her lips pursed even as her silence stretched out. It did not take a genius to guess that the reason for her apparent hesitation to decide, was nothing more than a ploy to irritate the ancient demon-scholar.
Her gaze found Fenn’s several moments later, her green eyes twinkling with enough mischief that the source of her nickname suddenly became obvious. “What do you say, Puppy? Shall we be nice? If only for this one time.” She turned back to Buer, smiling. “I wouldn’t mind being the great scholar being indebted to me, after all.”
“Don’t see nothing great about him,” Fenn gruffed, walking along the side of the altar as if circling prey. “Brains didn’t keep him out of this trap. What point is there in helping, then?”
Something, likely the barely repressed grimace on the lion’s face, told them that several choice retorts had come to Buer’s mind. He did not give voice to them, however.
A quiet grunt of surprise made its way past Lily’s lips. That was something to think about, she decided. Fenn—always the pragmatic one—was right once more. Though she wanted Buer to simply be indebted to her, it might be interesting to hear what he had to say. She bobbed her head, a note of mock contemplation in her voice. “Harsh, Fenn. But true.”
“I revel in harsh truths, Imp.”
“An unhealthy lifestyle.”
“Such is truth’s nature.”
She smiled wryly. “An interesting thought, nonetheless.” Her eyes went back to Buer. “What exactly could you offer in return for your freedom?”
The lion-headed demon’s grumble resounded through the chamber. “I am a renowned healer. I can also bind low-class demons as familiars to serve you. I do not doubt that these talents could be of service to you.”
Fenn frowned and glanced back at her. “Are you in need of minions?”
“Honestly? I don’t know… Never tried having minions before, nor did I consider it.”
“You’ve been spared some headaches,” the Hellhound commented. “They get in the way. Can't trust them with anything important. Like children."
“When you’re in my, eh, ‘line of work’ you don’t tend to need them. Humans do that well enough if you just wiggle your fingers and show them a bit of fire.” She shrugged. “Anything else to offer, Buer? Minions, in whatever form of low-class demons, aren’t really of any interest to me.”
Scoffing, the captive demon replied, “Well, there’s my medical expertise, if you haven’t forgotten.”
“We haven’t,” Lily said. “We just care little for it at the moment.”
“Would he follow us like a vulture until we are wounded?” Fenn mused. “The thought is mildly repellent.”
“Having underlings” Buer cut them off, “is more useful than you might imagine; no matter the difference an individual can make, she is still only one, and cannot be in more than one place at once. Numbers make a difference if you want to make a difference. Aside from that, you would of course be able to request a favor me. Back in my manor, I would be able to do far more than I would here.” The lion’s eyes gleamed, as though something had occurred to it. “As well, since I am doomed to be a living battery of occult power for the city, removing me would disturb the humans’—especially the demon hunters’—magic greatly.” He wriggled just a bit in his chains, attempting to crane his face toward Lily.
It was Fenn that answered. “It is interesting,” the dog said, “that you should mention demon hunters. Are you aware of what is happening in this city?”
“Yes, of course.” Buer sighed. “The second seal is here. Not just in Barlour, but near this spot. Everybody who knows anything about Heaven and Hell is headed there, including Gomory, who I mentioned. I imagine they’ll all have a nice scrap. Not a very nice girl, but I do hope she successfully defends the seal. Last thing we want is the apocalypse coming.” His voice had grown dull with a trace of resignation.
Fenn and Lily’s gaze met again at the mention of the seal. The stakes of the game had suddenly climbed much higher than either of them had anticipated. A fierce gleam had been lit in the Hellhound’s eyes at the scholar’s words, and it made the demoness wonder what thought had crossed his mind.
“Defends?” She asked, regardless. That particular detail had surprised her. “What makes you believe she wants to defend the seal? Against what?”
Confusion entered the eyes of Buer. ‘Was it not obvious’, his expression conveyed? “None of Mundus’ demons want to destroy the seals. If armageddon comes, there’s no humans to mess with, no places to kill angels, and no world to rule. Gomory will defend the seal against whatever lunatic vagabond is bent on breaking them. You do know that the first was broken several weeks ago, surely…?”
“Of course we know,” Lily lied out of hand, decidedly against making a show of ignorance. “I wondered as to the assailant.” Just how did word of such things reach this demon’s ears in the first place? He had been sealed under the city for hell knows how many years. Of course, if the scholar was lying, she had made an even bigger fool of herself on instinct, which was arguably worse—
Fenn let out a low, rumbling laugh, interrupting her thought. “I suppose the Demon King may not be quite as desperate for a way into this world as one would think. And this… Gomory”—Using the demoness’s proper name seemed to physically pain him—“An agent of his? You are certain?”
Buer chuckled, trying not to sound too derisive. Though he remained bound, the demons stood in his field now. “See how important knowledge is? My body is stuck, but my mind wanders far. Yes, Gomory is a lieutenant of Mundus, and a terrifying warrior. She moonlights as a talent seeker for hell, turning all kinds of beings to her lord’s cause either willingly or not.”
Fenn let out one of his chuckles. “I would wager this one’s body became stuck while his ‘mind wandered’. Aware of much, but seemingly not self. Or mayhaps the view is distorted by an overinflated ego.”
Lily snorted, somewhat amused. “There went the pot, calling the kettle black.”
Fenn grunted, disregarding her comment. “But if he speaks truth, to see the seals involved...” A lupine smile spread over his features. “This I would witness.”
“From which balcony?” Lily asked, turning to Fenn.
“Is it not obvious?” Fenn snapped, before refocusing his attention on the scholar. “But our business with this one is not yet concluded. Not until a decision is made.”
“You’re right,” she admitted. Buer had her full attention once more, her sharp gaze never leaving his macabre form. She studied him, eyes boring into his in search of whatever hidden agenda he might have. Amicable though she may be, Lily was far from the trusting one. What’s more, some things didn’t make sense. He had said that this Gomory—the lady in pink—wanted to protect the seal, not break it. But protect it from what? She hadn’t noticed anyone or anything else making a move on it, and the demon hunters had only started moving after Gomory had shown up.
Humans were, if anything, predictable, and the few who knew of the seals and what breaking them meant would rally to prevent them from being broken. Humanity was as yet weak, unable to withstand the crossfire between angels and demons. So what exactly did Gomory want to defend it from?
She brought herself out of her reverie, eyes narrowing. “Buer. You seem to know a great deal about what’s going on, so tell me. Who was the one that broke the first seal? And how? You see, it’s quite convenient of you to say that this Gomory wants to prevent it from being broken, and the only ones out there aside from us are humans—demon hunters. Mundus was the one who attempted to achieve total dominion over this realm two millennia ago, and now he suddenly does not want that?”
“Elimination precludes domination,” the dog muttered, seemingly more to himself than for Lily’s benefit. “The Demon King’s interests have always ran in the latter direction.”
Lily shot Fenn a dark look before she turned back to Buer. “Forgive me for being distrustful, but there are a few too many unexplainable circumstances.”
Trying to hide his waning patience, Buer said, “The hellhound has it right. One cannot rule over ashes and dust. I would bet a fortune that there are others in these depths interested in the seal. As for the first seal, I am in the dark. Even to my sight, that event is shrouded in mystery. Angels, rogue demons, humans, something else...who knows? Anyone could have done it. Everyone wants to figure out who.” The demon licked his lips, as if the sweet taste of freedom lay before him on a plate. “Now, I have spilled my guts, as the proverb goes. Will you release me?”
Once more Lily adopted the ponderous mask, crossing her arms underneath her chest. She was silent for a while, then, asked, “What do you think, Fenn? Let him go, or leave him to suffer from his mistakes?”
“Imp, were I capable of trapping his mind so that it could only contemplate these walls, I would. That this one should describe himself so quaintly as ‘stuck’ is deeply insulting. Ennui is all that threatens this Chimera, and perhaps not even that.” The dog let out a rumbling sigh following this pronouncement, the chains wrapped around his arms seeming to rattle as if anxious. “But I am not capable of such, and thus I leave his fate to you.”
“One would think you would sympathize with my fate, hound. Your chains speak clearly of yours.”
“You speak with singular optimism, chimera.” Fenn’s lip curled back in a silent snarl. “As if compassion rather than indifference was borne out of suffering.”
“Your complaint is noted, Fenn.” She smiled and nodded at him, as if reassuring that everything would be alright, while ignoring the short banter between the two males. She then faced Buer one last time, her smile turning eerie rather than comforting. “That leaves only one matter left, Buer. Firstly, I will need to know how to free you. Fenn’s fire, and legs, are strong enough to crack the stone, but I doubt something so mundane as that will simply remove the bindings upon you. And secondly, I am not quite satisfied with a simple promise of help or healing. I want an oath, on your wisdom, knowledge, and power, that you will honor your debt.”
The leonine head scowled, his patience finally stretched past its limit. “An oath? And what would such a thing achieve? Words in the wind you would disregard, for you have surely decided on my fate by now. I have told you enough, promised enough while you two circle like scavengers, making a show of your ignorance. This tortuous exchange has gone for long enough! Free me or begone.”
Lily’s eyes hardened, losing their playful glint. Before their eyes her hair turned from a bright orange to a midnight black, as if a physical representation of her rapidly deteriorating mood. She not so much scowled as glared at the ancient demon, lips pressed in a thin line.
She shot a fleeting glance at Fenn, a look that conveyed a silent agreement: For once, she was in the same boat as him. Her focus then returned to the ground. “If luck has it,” she began, “the Hunters who are probably fast approaching will kill you, rather than using you as a battery.” She let out a breath, eyes closed. When she opened them again the anger was gone, replaced by a quiet calm. “May your life be long, Great Scholar.” She turned, heading out of the room and deeper into the tunnels. She didn’t look to see if Fenn followed, but the light trailing behind her all but confirmed he had.
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