Gaspar Varga

     Far up in the trees, hidden behind vines and rustling leaves, wary eyes followed my stroll through the woods. Their bodies glowed in all the seven colors, like every other sinner, and where all the species differed there was that one thing we all had in common; we were all sinners. The little sunlight that managed to probe the trees left glistening golden rays. This was not like the woods in the werewolf area where you could spot another from a fair distance, here the trees grew so close together that I often had to squeeze myself through them. No sane man would unsolicited tread the Nymph territory. Then again, I wasn't quite sane. A movement flashed from the trees and before I'd blinked a crowd of women with clean, flawless skin and bodies barely covered in flowers and plants surrounded me. I stood still and rotated around until I had looked each one of them in the eye.

One of them with purple hair and a face shaped like a heart stepped forward. "Leave," she said. "We will not warn you again."

"I'm looking for someone, and I cannot leave before I find him."

The women exchanged glances. They knew very well who I was looking for. In fact, they were hiding him. Purple-hair frowned at me. "We don't care who or what you are looking for. This is our terrain, everything that is here is ours, and if you don't leave you will be left to our mercy as well." The woman eyed me from head to toe. "And trust me, that is the very last thing you want."

I made a small bow. "I'll leave, if that is what you ladies wish. However, I will return and when I do, I will set your precious little territory ablaze and burn it to the ground, for so help me God, one way or another I'm going to find him."

They looked at one another again, and whispered words in a language I could not understand. A soft one, sounding like music almost. After a while of debating, Purple-hair faced me again. "What is it you want from him?"

"Nothing," I said with a small shrug. "I just want to see him. For my own peace of mind."

"That makes no sense," she said with a frown.

I smiled. "I make no sense."

She said something in their own language and it was clear from her tone that she gave orders, to which a few of them disappeared in the trees. When they returned, he was with them. Even now, after his defeat, his chin stood up high, and with the deep frown and grey specks in his black hair and his pale shade and cold grey eyes it seemed like nothing had ever happened.

"There you are," I said. With a soundless laugh, I nodded and applauded. "I have to say, Krol..." I spread my arms and spun around. "Glorious sanctuary you found. It's got everything, it's quiet and secluded." My eyes slid down the rows of Nymphs. "And has some great company."

"What do you want, demon?"

I shook my head. "Nothing, honestly. I had a hunch you didn't really die on that boat, and I just needed to see you in the flesh. It kept nagging at me." I laughed briefly. "You didn't make it easy on me."

Krol tilted his head aside. "Now what? You're going to tell them?"

I opened my mouth and laid a hand across my chest. "How dare you call me a tattletale?" I shook my head and scoffed. "No, you silly vampire, of course I'm not going to tell anybody. What would be the fun in that? I mean, I know that you're going to strike back eventually and..." I shrugged. "Do you really think I would want to put a stop on such a glorious show, Krol? No, my sweet little vampire, Chrim would be dull if you died." Taking a deep breath, I pursed my lips. "To be honest, I'm glad you're still alive. Really." I walked up to him and gently slapped him on the shoulder. "Now, Krol, you gather yourself a glorious army and give me the greatest show I've ever seen." I drummed my fingers on his cold cheek. "Don't disappoint me, sweetheart."

Krol swallowed. "Don't worry, demon. I'm going to rip off each of their heads."

"That's the spirit." With a big smile, I placed my palms together. "Make me proud." Then, I spun around and threw each Nymph a smile. "Have a good day, Ladies."

Although I had known all along, seeing Krol standing there with my own eyes was still the confirmation I needed. It would've been too easy, him being dead, as centuries of assassination attempts, among a fair amount that were better planned out and more fatal than Farren's, had all failed to kill the man. Krol was as resilient as a cockroach, and just as good in crawling underground as well. With a sense of satisfaction, I returned home.

From the balcony I watched the stone I'd thrown plunge five times on the sea before it finally sank.

The cobbled driveway crunched underneath tires as a car pulled up. Claws of black smoke clasped around my body as I teleported myself down below. It was a car I had never seen before, a low one with a black coat that no doubt had recently been polished and its windows were tinted black to ensure you could not peek inside, just as the windows of our home behind me were. The door of the backseat swung open and Clyde stepped out. A blinding glimmer hit my eyes as the sun reflected on the cufflinks off his black suit. Those eyes of his, blue as ice and just as cold, locked mine as he rushed past me through the door. The smile he'd carried was one I knew all too well, it wasn't of joy but a detached smile that was bloodthirsty, and so I ran after him.

The heavy wooden table clattered on the floor as Dominik was thrown upon it. Clyde removed his jacket and laid it cautiously over the red sofa in the far corner, making sure it wouldn't fall into a bundle and wrinkle. Dominik leaped up and tried to make a run for it but Clyde dissolved in black smoke and appeared before him, still carrying his unnerving smile. With his fingers clasped around Dominik's neck, he lifted him in the air.

"Cleius," Dominik managed to squeeze out as his face turned red. "Brother, don't..."

"Clyde, stop," I said, and started pulling him from behind. "What's wrong with you? Let him go."

"Do you have any idea what Dominik has done?" Clyde asked. When I did not answer, he turned to face me. "Hm?" After I shook my head, he looked back at Dominik and twisted his face in disgust. "He sent Wren, the Guardian of the West, our own demonic kindred, to Tartarus. Now she's never allowed to leave." Clyde lowered Dominik on the floor, but kept his hands around his neck. "Now, tell me, Gaspar, what to do about this betrayal? Had anyone else done it you would've killed him."

"But he isn't anyone else," I said. "He is Dominik, and..." I looked at Dominik, though his long blonde hair was now covering his face I could still see from his gritting teeth that he was in agony. "And he's an idiot. It's Dominik, he always does things without thinking and..."

"And now he's gone too far," Clyde said, and lifted him back up in the air, pressing his fingers so deep into Dominik's neck that it looked like he'd puncture the skin any moment now. "Dominik I forgave everything you've done to me, but this? You reached my limit."

I tried to squirm myself between them, to no avail. Desperately, I tried to get in front of Dominik. "What if I go get her back?"

"And how are you planning to do that?"

"I'll kill the one being who Death wants to see dead but cannot reap."

Clyde froze, his grasp on Dominik's neck loosened and Dominik clashed on the floor, crawling as he coughed. Clyde straightened his collar and stroked the sleeves of his white shirt. "Hm. Humor me and answer this; if Death himself isn't able to bring death upon this creature, then how will you? As far as the hierarchy in Tartarus goes, you still have a long way to climb."

"I'll fight him. Then I'll bring Death his head and in exchange he will release the Watcher."

A smile popped up Clyde's face. Dominik tried to crawl out of the door and Clyde placed his foot on his back, sending him flat on the floor. "You're going to fail, Gaspar, and kill yourself while you're at it." He looked down and nudged at Dominik. "Is he really worth all that?"

"No," I said, and shrugged. "But he's my brother. You'd do the same for Deirdre and Maeve."

"And for you." We looked at one another in silence. Then Clyde wrapped an arm around my shoulder and gave me a quick hug. "Be careful there. Don't get yourself killed. Take Tavi Makarov with you." Clyde craned his neck and nudged. I followed his glance and saw Tavi on the porch, drinking whisky from the bottle. "It's not like he's got anything better to do."

There were seven-hundred-and-seventy-seven gates to Tartarus scattered around the world, of which one resided in the supernatural capital; Chrim. The gate to Tartarus did not allow magic just as almost no one could use it in Tartarus, and even the few who could use magic there were very limited. So, we climbed, Tavi and I.

"Watch it," I said as I ducked away just in time from his foot landing on my head.

Tavi paused and looked down. "What are you doing beneath me, you pervert? Looking at my ass?"

I pushed Tavi up against his rear. "Just climb."

As he gripped the next edge, pieces of stone and sand trickled in my eyes. It was a long climb, and a dreadful one, too. The mountain was not only steep and tall, it was also moist, making us slip constantly. Tavi's feet disappeared behind the outline of the edge, and a little later his face hunched over and he grabbed my arms and pulled me over the edge. A little wooden boat floated on the pool in the heart of the tall mountains, its water so clear that you could see the boat's shadow on the bottom.

"I need a minute," I said as I leaned my head on my knees and panted. "We should move around more often, instead of teleporting constantly."

Tavi raised his eyebrows. "Hm, yes. A demon marathon, the one who survives and crosses the finish line is the winner."

"Slay and run," I said.

"The Tartarus Tigers," Tavi said with a snicker.

"Versus the Tartarus Bears," I added.

"Who are we kidding." Tavi dropped on his knees and pulled the boat by its rope. "No one will ever reach that finish line." He stood up and stepped backwards, pulling the boat on land. "We're the worst savages imaginable."

We jumped in the boat. After each of us took a peddle, we started rowing. "I don't know, Tavi. Have you seen the monsters here in Chrim? It seems like we're pretty tame compared to them."

This made Tavi ponder for a moment, eventually he nodded. "It seems so."

We rowed inside the mouth of the cave, lit only by a small opening in the stone up above. Silently, we looked down into the water as the boat bobbed up and down. It'd been a long time since we had been in our homeland. Tartarus wasn't all bad; for demons who served loyally it could even be a pleasant place to live, but, eventually, the unending screams drove any man into madness. I gave Tavi a nod, which he returned with a deep frown. We stepped out of the boat. The water reached my chin, and Tavi's chest. Cupping our hands, we began to drink from the pool. With each sip I felt my muscles grow weaker, until they stopped working completely. We sunk underneath the water, and as we floated, unable to move, the water filled our lungs. Both of us screamed, driven by our instincts trying to keep us alive. After a while the darkness of death took over, and the bright light of the afterlife crept in.

When entering through a portal, one never knew where they'd land. I coughed as I crawled, then I scanned my surroundings. It was blue. I sat upright and blinked. No, I wasn't mistaken. Stretching as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but fields of blue grass. I grabbed Tavi's shoulder and began to shake him. He mumbled some words I couldn't understand, then rubbed his eyes and forced himself up. Upon noticing all the blue, he looked at me with a frown.

I shrugged. "I don't recognize this place, do you?"

Tavi shook his head. "Never seen anything like it, or heard anyone tell about a place such as this one."

We began to wander around, skimming the area thoroughly while looking for anything that stood out, but it was all flat and blue. Hours passed and we slowly began to lose our minds. No matter which direction we walked into, or how fast we went, it always seemed like we remained on the same spot. It was pointless. Since we didn't know what to do next, we just sat down and did nothing.

"Please tell me you brought supplies," I said to Tavi as he fumbled at a brown satchel attached to his belt.

In his hand he held two items, of which one he shoved over his head. It was a green duck attached to a strap. After feeling it for a while, he clicked on a light that shined from the mouth of the duck, making loud noises.

"What is that on your head, Tavi?"

"It's a flashlight."

"Why is it quaking?"

"Because it's a duck."

I frowned and shook my head. "Why?" I bent over and tugged at his satchel. "What do you have in here, Tavi, did you get a survival kit for dummies?"

He pushed away my hand and turned half around. "Stop touching my belt." Holding up the other item he had pulled out, a tiny white plastic container, he said, "These are soap-leaves."

"What now?"

"Soap-leaves. If you add water, it turns into soap. Would you like to give it a try?" Tavi opened it and handed me a small green paper. "Here, try one."

"No, Tavi, I'm good," I said as I pushed his hand away from my nose, "but I'm sure these soap-leaves will come in handy when we're starving to death or being chased by a monster. At least we can wash our hands before we die."

"Suit yourself, mister grumpy." Tavi opened his little satchel and placed his paper-soap in it. "But when you take a dump and want to wash your hands you'll be begging me for my soap-leaves."

"Tavi..." I laid a hand across my eyes. "I'm going to kill you."

He shrugged. "What did you bring?"

"Medicine." I reached inside the inner pocket of my jacket and took out a bottle of scotch, stolen from Clyde's reserved collection. I opened my jacket some more and showed him the two other bottles. "Brought some extra, too."

Tavi grinned and took the bottle from my hand. "Ah, booze and soap-leaves. Let's get this party started."

We started drinking, and before I knew we had gotten to the third bottle. My cheeks glowed red and hot. I felt warm and the world felt light and I was happier than I had been in a long time. Tavi and I talked and joked and laughed so loud that our laughter echoed miles away. We didn't know where to go next, or whether we would ever make it out of there. There was no magic to have us teleport elsewhere, nor did any of us bring food. But at that moment nothing mattered, we sat down and drank as if it were our last night.

"I fucked a nun once," Tavi said.

"No way." I tilted my head aside. "With consent?"

"Of course with consent." He stooped forward with a grin. "Best pussy I've ever had."

"Did she know you are a demon?"

Tavi shook his head. "That's not exactly a good pickup-line, Gaspar." He spread his arms and made a funny face. "Hey, eh, wanna suck my demon cock?"

I burst out in laughter. "You make jokes now, but I swear, plenty of women will jump on your cock if they'd know you're a demon." Taking another gulp, I added, "Women love power, just as us men love them delicate and tender."

Drunk and loud as we were, we did not notice the crowd of men approaching us. "Having fun, boys?" A man with a scarred face and white hair looked down on us. One of his eyes was green, the other one made of white glass. "Surround them," he called out to the men armed in iron covering both their face and body. They held machetes and spears and had them all pointed at us, hovering above our heads. "Rise, boys."

We stood up and held our hands in the air in surrender. But the man did not care. "Walk."

I managed a smile, and said, "We're here to see..."

The man kicked me in the stomach, making me fall on my knees while gasping for air. He lifted me by my collar and pushed me forward. "I said, walk."