High above the ground, Ryon flew over a sea of white. Frozen forests and fields that stretched out to what seemed like infinity.

  He positioned himself in an air current and stretched out his wings. For a moment, the current rocked him back as the wind was caught in his long, black feathered wings, but he didn’t feel any pain. Nor did he feel the biting cold that was typical for such heights.

  He flew downwards in a slight slope and sniffed the air. Tiadar, he thought recognizing the country. Many scents of nature and magics, little of man.

  But now that he paid attention, he did encounter a strong whiff of man-smell.

  He looked down and his keen eyes enabled him to see even the tiny moving spots clearly as the group of men they were. However, he was surprised to see that those men were much taller and had a much lighter skin-tone than the people he was used to see. He knew that there were light-coloured people living in Tiadar, such as demons, even though in his capacity as Ookubi he had seldom anything to do with them, and the occasional denison hybrids, who had skin like that, too. But those people below were neither. Only one of those down there resembled the denisons, the inhabitants of Tiadar, who populated most of the country. Like the rest of the men, he was clad in green and brown to blend in with nature’s given colours, but his skin colour was darker and his build stouter than that of his companions.

  They moved deliberately and Ryon could see hounds running back and forth. He could even hear the animals bark and the humans bark back at them to send them running again. He couldn’t believe that so many denison hybrids should be on the move together. What were they doing? Hunting?

  That’s so strange. They even act like denisons, the Ookubi thought. But there are so many of them. At least three scores of them, probably more. Also, they seem to be prepared to camp for days out here. What is their game? It wouldn’t happen to be the same one I’m after, would it?

  As he studied them more closely, he saw them looking up, but at this distance to their eyes he could only be seen as a speck against the overcast sky. They would take him for a bird and think nothing of it. What they didn’t saw was the roughly man-shaped shadow with a set of large wings that he cast on the ground.

  Out of curiosity, Ryon turned his head to see where they had come from, but he couldn’t see any kind of castle or holding. The only thing he could make out was a settlement that lay miles and miles ahead of them. But for one reason he didn’t think that those men were returning to their hometown.

  It’s strange… They are this far out, but they don’t look like they’ve been out for so long. All their clothes are still fresh, he thought.

  But then, he smelled a strong scent of magic that overlayed the ever-present whiff of magic in this land so strongly that it could only mean that its source was near.

  He narrowed his eyes, and - indeed - behind the men was a rippling magic portal.

  How curious, he thought. But since he didn’t see any black-haired young girl among the men, he sped up his wing strokes and left the group behind him in a matter of minutes.

  When the sun had moved an hour’s worth, he finally spotted his charge. She was stumbling through the woods, clearly struggling with a slash on her side. She, too, was so very white. Like freshly fallen snow. But this time he didn’t need to guess the reason, why that was.

  So her name’s Lily, huh?, he thought, allowing his specialized vision to read the name that dangled over her head. How curious.

  And just as he started to dive down, she seemed to come aware of his presence and rush into cover.

  But it was already too late to hide now.

  ***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

  Hurrying through the woods was a young woman with hair as black as ebony, skin as white as ivory and eyes as blue as dark sapphires.

  Usually, her eyes would be as clear as mountain lakes, but now they were fogged with pain, fatigue, and stress. Only a few yards behind her lay the holding of Westershire, where she had spent all her life up until now. But that lay behind her now. Literally.

  She clutched her left side with her right arm, trying but not quite managing to stop the ooze of blood. She could feel the hot stream trickling over her waist and running down her leg. She cursed the guards who had tried to prevent her escape. She cursed the brat that had commanded them. She cursed everyone in this cursed mansion and doing so kept her focused on the path ahead. That and the burning anger coursing through her veins which helped her keep her head clear.

  Her feet hurt in the cold air of late September, but she couldn’t care about that now. She mustn’t. Like a hunted animal she cast occasional looks behind her. Was that the sound of footsteps? Or was it just the usual sounds of forest life? Was it possible that they would be able to keep up with her? Or maybe they relied on hounds to follow her trail of blood and, maybe not take her down, but at least weaken her until the main corps arrived. Even though the pain was breath-taking, she hastened her steps. She had to get away from them!

  Lily…

  The girl stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a strange voice inside her mind. What…, she couldn’t even finish the thought, before the voice appeared again. Lily…

  Startled she looked around to see if anyone she knew was anywhere nearby… But there was no one there. She narrowed her eyes and decided to go on. Maybe this was just a distraction… Someone calling her name to make her stop so that the guards could get her. Or maybe it was just a product of her haunted imagination.

  Yeah, that’s probably it…, she thought and continued her way through the bushes, following a winding deer track, only paying close attention to everything she could sense outside her mind.

  There was something… Suddenly, without a warning, she had the sensation of invisible hands grabbing her and pulling her forwards. Out of surprise, a muffled yelp escaped her throat. But as sudden as the sensation arrived as sudden it disappeared again - just as if it had never been there in the first place - and the girl fell on her knees which knocked the breath out of her chest for a second. What… She looked back over her shoulder, but she still couldn’t see anyone. The ground beneath her trembled, as if the earth itself had been taken by surprise and was now shaken. Or was it just her hands that trembled? But no, when she looked up at the rustling leaves above, she could see that they were not swaying in the wind, but shaking by an invisible tremor.

  But as soon as the sensation appeared as soon it went away, and Lily remembered that she had to move on.

  She quickly regained her posure she stood up and hurried on.

  A little while later, Lily looked up when she heard a sound that caught her attention. Other than the soft rustling of the leaves in the wind it sounded rather off. It was a rustling, yes, but it seemed not to be in the rhythm of push and pull that the wind dictated the trees. It almost felt like another wind itself, and Lily could sense the power behind the unsuspecting sound. Instinctively she crouched down and rushed to the bushes to hide behind an oak whose trunk was thicker than her shoulders were broad. Cautiously she glanced upwards once more, and was instantly glad, that her instincts had not failed her. Gliding just above the tips of the tree was something that looked like a huge man-shaped bird, scanning the ground for something… Or someone, she thought.

  But she didn't have time to finish that thought as the creature decided to come down and land in the open area just in front of her tree. For its size it was remarkably silent. Only the sound of rustling feathers and, what she thought, sounded like grinding old bones, were to be heard. She stared at it in disbelief. It was... Hideous! It had very long, thin legs, leathery skin and messy hair. Sprouting from its back were two huge black wings and its arms were so long that its claw-like hands almost touched the ground. Now it stood bent over, scanning the undergrowth with bulging blood-shot eyes, but she guessed that, when the creature decided to erect itself, it must stand nine to ten feet tall.

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  Just in time she remembered her caution, as the creature slowly turned its head in her direction. Quickly she pulled back her head, pressed her back against the trunk and forced herself to be absolutely silent. She could hear the creature’s quiet sounds of movement as it turned around. Go away!, she thought. There's nothing here for you!

  Then, she heard another sound, and it took her two heartbeats to understand, what it was: the creature was talking! It sounded like two rough stones grinding against each other. Or like an angry crow. And at the same time, it sounded very much like a dying person whispering their final words. "I know you are there", it croaked and whispered. "No use in hiding, now".

  Lily cursed under her breath. What should she do? Should she confront the creature? Or should she pretend she wasn't there? There was still a chance that the creature was just bluffing... But no. If she was found, she would not be pulled from the undergrowth squealing like a pathetic little human girl. She would deal with the situation like she always had: with dignity. Also, if things got out of hand with this... thing... there was nothing, that a demon could not kill.

  ***

  ?Come out now, little girl. There is nothing that can betray my eyes for long“, the creature said with a smug tone in its voice.

  Lily chose to stand up a heartbeat later and turned around to the speaker. He was obviously already waiting for her, a grin of satisfaction on his lips. ?Now that’s a good girl.“ It spoke to her as one would to a dog. Lily’s anger instantly rose to a growl in her throat. She had had enough of that! In the mansion she just escaped everyone had treated her like an abomination, and now this truly hideous creature was talking to her like to a common pet! Without letting the creature out of her sight, she reached to a hidden pocket in her dress, slid her fingers around the hilt of a dagger and flung it faster than eyes could track the movement towards the creature, even though the movement sent a stabbing pain through her side. But the gain was worth the toll. The target never saw it coming and before it could move aside, the dagger struck home with a rich thud, only the hilt sticking out of the broad bony chest of the creature. Yes!, Lily thought with satisfaction. But the triumphant glimmer in her eyes quickly disappeared when she became aware that nothing happened. The creature didn’t flinch, it didn’t moan in pain and it certainly did not hit the forest floor.

  ?What…“, she began.

  ?Are you done now?“, the creature asked while slowly pulling the dagger out of its chest. Where the blade had pierced the body a hole remained. But not for long as Lily watched in disbelieve as black matter filled and sealed the hole until no one would suspect that it had ever been there at all.

  ?What… What are you?“, she replied instead, not really answering his question.

  ?I am your personal demon.“

  ?What? You’re not a demon“, she said, narrowing her eyes to mere slits. At least, she hoped that that was true. She hoped, the creature wouldn’t know that she didn’t know much about her own kind.

  ?Oh, so you know better what I am than me, is that it?“, the creature asked indignified.

  ?I know what a demon looks like, believe me. And you are not a demon“, she said and hoped to sound convincing enough.

  ?It hurts to hear that, you know?“ Did the creature just… sniff? Lily shook her head to clear it. Please don’t notice that I don’t know what I’m talking about!, she thought.

  ?I don’t care. What do you want from me? Seriously. “

  Be tough. You’re a demon. You’re menacing, she told herself.

  Now the creature did erect itself and Lily saw that she hadn’t been far off with her guess.

  And while the creature regarded her thoughtfully, she decided to examine her opponent a bit closer.

  The creature’s face was very thin and wrinkled, its eyes of a dark green. Its broad mouth was packed up with pointed, dagger sharp teeth and around its neck lay a pinch collar. It had a broad chest with the rips showing and a slim waist. Its stomach and its emaciated skull looked like it endured famine. That made her heart sting for a moment. Maybe this creature had to suffer too under the hand of a cruel master…

  Beside that, its skin was as white as limestone mostly covered in a black leathery suit which showed rusty red stains here and there. She then realised that she had first mistaken the suit for the skin.

  The creature’s outside appearance was weird enough, but there was something else disturbing and it took her moment to realize what it was: The absolute lack of any warmth that all living creatures gave off in some extent. That made her wonder…

  All of this she grasped in a few moments as she had been used to do that back at the mansion. There she had to be very aware what kind of person was standing in front of her or it could end badly for her. That reminded her… Could it be that…

  ?Ah… Yes… That’s good“, spoke the creature then, evidently waking up from its contemplation and interrupting her chain of thoughts.

  ?What?“, Lily asked.

  ?I was sent to escort you to a certain place“, it replied.

  ?Sent?“, Lily asked and narrowed her eyes. ?By who?“

  She already had a suspicion. But it was impossible. Even though her so-called father was certainly sinister enough to send a monster after her, it was also true, that he should be long dead by now.

  Could it be that he somehow survived and was now out to get revenge on her? Impossible. Or was it…?

  ?I’m afraid you wouldn’t believe me if I told you“, the creature said.

  Why? Because your employer happens to suffer from a heart failure due to having been stabbed in the neck with the pointy end of a sword?, Lily thought and snorted.

  ?Where are you supposed to escort me to, then?“, she asked.

  ?Sorry, can’t tell you“, the creature said with a shrug.

  Lily groaned frustrated.

  ?You know what, if you’re being so vague about it, I don’t believe a word you say“, she said

  ?You don’t?“, he asked.

  ?I don’t“, she replied. ?For all I know you’re not even real. You could be a product of my imagination.“

  The creature looked down at her and grunted. ?Well, that’s too bad. Because I was sent me to accompany you, so that’s what I’ll do.“

  Even though, her mind making all of this up, was the most likely explanation, she didn’t allow herself to forget the other possibility. That it really had been her father who’d sent this thing to find her.

  She wouldn’t be too surprised if that man would survive a pierced throat. She could imagine him running on bile instead of blood.

  Yes, that sounded more like the man she grew up with… So naturally, she was not inclined to go back to that place. Ever.

  She turned around and walked away from the creature.

  ?Hey, where are you going, girl?“, the creature called after her.

  ?Sorry, can’t tell you“, she called back.

  ?What?“

  She grinned when she heard his voice peak incredulously.

  Then she could hear the creature sigh but didn’t stop to look back at it. Instead, she just kept going. With every step she put more distance between herself and that cursed mansion.

  For a long time, she didn’t hear anything else, so that she came to think that maybe that was all there had been to it. Or maybe she really had just imagined the weird creature. A mere projection of her own paranoia and steadily weakening mind due to the blood loss.

  But then she heard it again. The off, rustling sound of the feathers, the creaking of leather and old bones, and yet, as she noticed only now that she paid attention to it, the complete lack of any panting or even breathing sounds.

  ?So…“, she began. ?You decided to stay with me a little longer, yes?“

  ?It would appear so.“

  ?And are you going to steer me in a specific direction?“

  ? …I don’t think so.“

  That made her look back at the creature. ?What do you mean?“

  ?Well, obviously I can’t force you to go anywhere“, he said simply.

  Lily narrowed her eyes in suspicion. ?You bet that’s right.“

  But it made her wonder.

  ?Don’t you get punished when you come back empty handed?“, she asked.

  ?Only if I come back, I guess.“

  That made her stop dead in her tracks. ?No.“

  ?What?“, he asked, still the innocence become flesh.

  ?You can’t stay with me!“, she exclaimed.

  ?But I can’t go back without you or else I will be punished, just like you said.“

  ?I don’t care!“

  ?You’re so cruel. It’s not my fault if you don’t go where you’re supposed to“, he said sullen.

  ?Well, then make me!“

  ?But you said I can’t.“

  ?You are ten feet tall. I’m sure you will think of something!“

  Somehow that made the creature shut up for a while. Back with her own thoughts she wondered… What was this creature anyway? It was certainly nothing she had ever come across before… Also she had the distinct feeling, that ?it? was a ?he“. The voice had a male tone to it and also she couldn’t see anything feminine about its body.

  Although she enjoyed the silence very much, the question kept nagging at her, so at last she had to ask.

  ?Listen…“, she said.

  ?Hm?“ He truly sounded as if she had just ripped him out of deep thought. Maybe he actually had been thinking about what a ten feet tall creature could do to bring a not quite six foot girl home and avoid punishment. Which made it all the more important to get to know more about this fellow.

  ?Who exactly are you? I’ve never seen anyone like you…“, she began.

  ?That’s because we usually don’t fly around these part of the world. We rather stay in our home region“, he explained.

  ?We? Who is we?“, Lily wondered.

  ?Well, that would be the Ookubi kind…“

  ?Ookubi?“, she interrupted him.

  ?Well, yes… roughly translated it means ?Death Spirit‘…“

  ?That sounds like a child made up the name of your species.“

  ?Would you please stop interrupting me?“ He suddenly sounded annoyed.

  ?Oh, sorry, please go on. So you’re a Ookubi, too, I take it?“

  ?Yes, I am“, he replied. She waited for him to say more, after he had reacted so annoyed to her interruptions, but when he remained silent for minutes she turned her head around to look at him. The Ookubi seemed to pay no attention to her as he kept an eye on the surrounding forest.

  ? …So?“, she finally asked.

  ?So what?“, he asked.

  ?Don’t you want to say more?“, she prodded him.

  ?No.“

  ?Why not?“

  ?Well, I answered all your questions, did I not?“

  ?Yeah, I guess so… But…“

  ?But what?“

  ?Ah… Nothing… Nevermind.“ This was infuriating! Why did he snap at her when he didn’t really have anything more to say? Lily growled and decided to ignore the Ookubi for now. There were more pressing matters at hand. The sun was setting, and she had to find shelter before it would be too dark. She hastened her pace, regardless of whether her self-assigned companion could keep up or not. Sadly, he could. But at least he didn’t ask why she had picked up the pace. Well, she probably wouldn’t have bothered to explain it to him anyway.