Zexich ran for as long as his legs would allow, until he was over exerted and ready to collapse. He sank to his knees to sob without the desire to continue. From the looks of the bellowing smoke coming from the direction of the battle he knew things were dangerous and he had to keep going and find the emergency exit, but his muscles protested every attempt he made to get to his feet and the emotional pain was excruciating. It was a long while before all he could manage to do was walk and stumble on without much hope of finding the exit. Eventually he could hear quick footsteps behind him which caused a sudden rush of adrenaline that helped push his muscles beyond their limit as he ran again as fast as his flight response would allow him too but to no avail. Suddenly he was tackled to the ground. He fought but without much strength trying to escape his attacker while in sheer panic. It was by luck he landed a well placed kick that crumbled Lux to the ground. Zexich scrambled away and struggled to escape again.

  “Fuck! You son of a bitch!” Lux hauled himself painfully to his feet and made chase then smashing Zexich to the ground again and with a quick surge of electricity Zexich's muscles completely gave out.

  “I know this is horrible for you! Okay?! I fucking get it! But you are coming with me whether you want to or not! Believe me, it's better me than Vezaias coming to take you! He's fucking psychotic! Even more than I am! Now common!” Lux hauled him over his shoulder then carried him. Zexich couldn't fight him and was far too exhausted and suffering from muscle pain to do anything but be carried back to the infirmary through a portal. Lux plopped him down on the floor and stood by making sure he would not try and escape. He glanced weakly at the hospital beds behind Lux where there were two bodies laying.

  “Just the guy I wanted to see!” Suddenly Vezaias voice broke through his daze and he jolted in fear seeing him now standing over him very menacingly. Zexich pressed himself against the wall, shutting his eyes not wanting to look at the monster looming over him.

  “I have decided to leave you alive because your particular set of skills are useful to me as well as not at all threatening. Remington and Ava are both seriously injured and could possibly die if they do not receive medical care. You are going to get up off your ass and do what you do best and fix them.” Vezaias said firmly. Zexich did not move or acknowledge the order at all.

  “If you do not fix them I will kill you.” Vezaias pressed.

  “You are assuming that I indeed want to continue to live, but I don't. I couldn't continue on after bearing witness to what you have done to Sigil as well as the rest of my family. I'd rather die than do anything to help you!” Zexich snapped back. Vezaias lunged, smashing him against the wall.

  “Then I will make it horribly slow and painful for you! Then I will have to take them to the human world where I will have another buffet of flesh to enjoy as I find a doctor more willing than you!” Vezaias growled in his ear in a very unnatural voice. He dropped Zexich to the ground.

  “Then do it! Your threats do not matter to me!” Zexich sobbed. “You took away everything from me! Everyone that I love! I have nothing left to care about!” Zexich sobbed harder. Vezaias paused, feeling panic set in.

  “I’m desperate, Zex. I cannot lose Rem, or Ava like this! If you obey, you will live and I will allow you to recreate your friends.” Vezaias pleaded. He reached out, forming a crystal in his hand. Zexich looked up from his devastation. “Do you see this? I have each of their essences. I am sort of a collector, you know. I will give them to you. This one belongs to Sigil. You watched me take it from him.” Vezaias said seriously with tears gushing out his eyes. Zexich paused considering the hope Vezaias was trying to offer him.

  “How can I trust you?” Zexich said softly.

  “If you had a one and a million chance to see him again, wouldn't you take it?” Vezaias pressed. “Or would you let it slip away?” Vezaias asked seriously. Zexich paused to consider this.

  “Is there any human left inside of you?” Zexich asked, his voice filled with emotion.

  “In this form I have buried it so deep that it is merely but a whisper in the far depths of my heart, but nevertheless it is the powerful driving force that fuels my request just now. Is a human's desire to love that powerful? I've only thought of these creatures as you have viewed a juicy steak.” Vezaias said solemnly as more tears forced their way out. Zexich sighed and got to his feet shakily despite his muscles screaming at him to rest.

  “It goes beyond all of my common sense and my desire for self preservation that I agree to do this. I must demand that if I help you, that you will make good on your word to return all of my family to me as well as promising not to become violent with me especially while in the infirmary so that I may feel safe enough to do my job.” Zexich pressed. Vezaias looked at him with dead seriousness.

  “Fine.” He said.

  Zexich swallowed his fear and turned to address the medical situation. It was hours later when he finally sat down to take a breather. Zexich was now able to observe the new situation and the change in management from a calmer, more keen standpoint. Lux was in the best condition without much more than scrapes and bruises plus exhaustion, then Ava having only a deep flesh wound, but with many stitches later he was fine. He lay asleep in the hospital bed while wrapped with bandages. Remington had suffered a contusion to the face with a concussion and was now completely blinded. His only good remaining eye was a total loss. He lay bandaged in the bed deeply unconscious. Lux had been ordered to leave and fetch something that Zexich did not hear specifically. Vezaias was sitting between the two beds seemingly asleep. Zexich, despite how horrific things had turned out could not subdue his curious nature and found himself studying the drastic differences between Vezaias's former human self and this new terrible monster that he had transformed into. He had to check on Remington and Ava anyways so he got up carefully and gave them both a look over making sure their vitals were stable before he fell into fascination again.

  “Why are you staring at me?” Vezaias suddenly said, opening his blood red eyes and looking irritated. Zexich jolted, looking away quickly.

  “My apologies, I could never control my curiosity no matter how hard I try, or what the circumstances are. I am absolutely fascinated by the obvious difference between your former human self and your astounding new transformation. I have so many questions and it is just painful for me not to ask any of them.” Zexich said with a sigh. Vezaias rolled his eyes.

  “What am I? A fucking spectacle?” Vezaias asked angrily.

  “My curiosity has only ever been exceeded by my thirst for knowledge.” Zexich said factually.

  “Ugh, what do you want to know?” Vezaias said unhappily.

  “Anything. Everything. From start to finish. How did you end up this way? What sort of entity are you? Where did it come from? Why is it here? Is this change permanent? What sort of…”

  “Shut up!” Vezaias snapped. Zexich fell silent. “I will fucking tell you what I want to tell you and that's all I will say, because it's a very long and complicated story!” Vezaias pressed. Zexich turned to find a chair then pulled it closer and sat down crossing one leg over the other and giving Vezaias his full attention.

  “When I was dead I wasn't going to make it long enough to be recreated. There was a nightmare demon feeding on my soul. It would have consumed me completely and I was going to let it because it seemed like the only way out of the nightmare that I was trapped inside. Then Remington showed up. I didn't believe he was real at first but he told me I was going to be recreated. I begged him to let me die. He refused to arrange that. In my desperation to survive long enough I communicated with the demon who told me his kind had been trapped inside another realm after a devastating war, and now his kind suffered a very cruel fate of starvation and pain. He wanted to escape to try and put a stop to his kind's suffering but had no way out. I made a deal with him. I will willing give up my soul to him and when recreated he could fuse with me and return to this world when I did, and I would help him, as long as he agreed to help me, let me survive, let me find and keep those I care about most, and allow us to thrive.” Vezaias explained. Zexich looked overly fascinated.

  “So this is a permanent change?” Zexich asked.

  “Yes, I cannot separate myself from it.” Vezaias said.

  “And you, the demon part, are fully aware at this moment?” Zexich looked wondrous.

  “I am. We are always both here. I can transition to my demon body when I have enough nutrition to sustain the change. I am at a surplus at the moment, but once the nutrition has run out I will revert back to looking more human once again.” Vezaias answered. Zexich looked emotional.

  “And you….as a demon……besides the visual differences, are much different than a human?” Zexich asked.

  “Quite.” Vezaias said. “Humans do not have wings…” He flexed his wings to show the draping leathery skin that almost looked like a leather blanket that was hanging from two new appendages that were sprouted from his back. “Or a bite that could crush diamonds. Or a lifespan that rivals infinity.” Vezaias said flatly.

  “You are immortal?” Zexich was astonished.

  “Nearly.” Vezaias said. “There are not many things that would cause me to parish. Starvation will not kill me, nor will centuries of life. I will not tell you what would end my existence, I do not feel the need to give away that kind of personal information.” Vezaias said.

  “Of course.” Zexich said agreeably. “If starvation can not kill you, forgive me, then why not live off the flesh of animals as a human does?”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “It is not the flesh I take nutrition from. I take it from human souls. Consuming a living human is the most pure and efficient way as the flesh is soaked with residue soul nutrition. Once the soul has left the body the nutrition begins to degrade. Refrigeration helps however undesirable. While trapped where I was, being that I am royalty..”

  “You are a royal of your kind?” Zexich quickly interrupted. Vezaias looked irritated.

  “Yes, I am in fact, and given my royal status, it gives me the privilege to be one of the first to feed on souls of humans that are sleeping. This is our only access to nutrition however most of my kind are starving as there isn't exactly an abundance of humans that are sleeping nor if you count the ones sleeping long enough as it takes over a week to absorb a pure human soul in this way as opposed to feeding on it through flesh that is a much faster way to gain the benefits from it. So I was called to feed off of a soul who I was informed of that had no physical body to return too. This is rather rare, especially those that stay in this state for longer than a week, but it's not completely unheard of. When I made the deal to fuse with this human it disgusted me, however I was very desperate to escape my situation. Now that I am free I will actively seek out a way to free my kind.” Vezaias said very seriously. Zexich seemed to be speechless now.

  “Are you done asking questions?” Vezaias said flatly.

  “Well no. I have millions of questions for you. However I feel as if you will get angry at me if I continue. I do want to know, as I have long since debated about my humanity as we here at this base were synthetically created humans, was this nutrition the same as an actual human? What a horrible question to be curious about. I am ashamed of myself.” Zexich said with a disheartened sigh at the end.

  “I suppose it is comparable to a human living off of a plant based diet. Some may find it appealing, others would be very unsatisfied by it. Coming from a place of near starvation I wasn't about to complain.” Vezaias turned away from Zexich's unhappy expression, looking uncomfortable.

  “Is it difficult to live in a human body?” Zexich asked.

  “It is quite unbearable. Especially when my human side overrides my demon nature. I receive a lot of protest to the normal things that I would do. The first human approved meal I had to endure was disgusting. However I suppose my hunger for flesh is rather difficult for my human side to tolerate. It sends him into a panic, but I also know he suffers from my starvation the same way I suffer from his. We came up with a compromise. He insisted I do not consume humans as long as he could find a way to provide the minimum amount of flesh for me that wouldn’t involve the need to kill humans. I must also 'respect my food source' as it is physically strenuous and very painful. I had my doubts but he was a very clever little shit now wasn't he?” Vezaias said, looking amused.

  “I suppose so.” Zexich sighed. He looked unhappy. Just then a portal opened and Lux walked in along with a new person Zexich had never met before. The new young man ran to Vezaias who stood up quickly as he smashed into him and desperately kissed him without any reservation whatsoever.

  “Oh Zay!” He said between kisses. “I was so worried!” They continued to have their passionate moment. This endearing situation between a demon with very little humanity left, and an unfamiliar human, made Zexich soak in desire and suddenly he had to acknowledge his new reality. He began to crumble and sob as quietly into his hands as possible however the emotional response was far too powerful to control or remain silent. Vezaias pulled away from his embrace and looked at Zexich very seriously.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He said flatly.

  “Excuse me……I was just reminded of the terrible loss I have suffered today. I cannot help it. I would like it if I could go to my room until I am needed again.” Zexich choked back his emotions trying to stop crying. Vezaias seemed to soften.

  “Give me your keycard.” Vezaias said firmly. Zexich reached into his pocket and gave Vezaias his card.

  “Eph will keep an eye on you for now. Eph do not let him out of your sight. He is not to be trusted and he is my prisoner.” Vezaias then encouraged Ephraim to follow Zexich.

  “Very well.” Zexich said then he left for his bedroom. Ephraim followed him. Zexich sat on his bed and fell back into despair. Ephraim stood awkwardly for a moment wondering what he should do.

  “Um, excuse me, are you alright?” Ephraim asked meekly.

  “I'm not.” Zexich sobbed. “Everyone I know and love was murdered today, in a very horrific way!” Zexich sobbed. Ephraim looked unhappy. “Slaughtered as if they were cattle! Now I am alone! Forced to provide medical care for those who caused this situation to happen!” Zexich cried hard and shifted to bury his face into his pillow. Ephraim let him cry for a while.

  “May I sit down?” Ephraim asked. Zexich quieted then shifted to look at Ephraim.

  “Why would you ask me, you are helping to hold me captive are you not?” Zexich huffed and wiped his face.

  “Not exactly.” Ephraim said meekly.

  “I don't even know you.” Zexich said firmly.

  “My name is Ephraim. I'm bound to this new family. I'm not exactly in agreement with what happens. I've just fallen in love with whatever miniscule amount of humanity that remains in him.” Ephraim sighed. He sat on the bed now.

  “Hello Ephraim. My name is Zexich. I am not sure if I'm supposed to feel sorry for you? Or congratulate you?” Zexich said sourly.

  “Whichever one you feel is most appropriate I guess.” Ephraim said solemnly.

  “As fascinating as I find the creature he carries with him, it is also horrifying. Do you feel love for his demon side? Attraction? Desire?”

  “I never had a chance to love him when he was only human. Now that he is what he is I will not turn down my opportunity to love him. I can easily see who he used to be, buried inside all of the brutality. If you look hard enough you could see it too. He has been able to control the monstrous tendencies of this powerful demon. For a human to be capable of that, I find it very impressive. Vezaias always was a tremendous personality, a strong willed person, impossibly influential, with strong morals and a desire to help guys like me who were bullied and outcasted. He gave me one chance to leave once I saw what he was. I decided to stay. I won't abandon him. I am afraid of what will happen to him if he loses the people he cares about. He might choose to let the demon have all of the control. I don't want him to lose himself inside that monster. If this demon is truly a permanent part of himself then I'll love that side of him too.” Ephraim explained. Zexich considered this for a long moment as the room was quiet. Suddenly the door opened and Vezaias approached looking rather sullen.

  “Zex.” He said softly while trying to stay serious and focused. Zexich was quiet and didn't look at him, however he had Ephraim immediately captivated.

  “I want to say something.” Vezaias pressed.

  “I'm listening.” Zexich said softly.

  “You know this situation……it was never what I wanted…..I'm sorry.” Vezaias said solemnly. “I realized an apology doesn't mean shit. I had to say it anyway. I'm just as destroyed as you are. I'm just better at hiding it.” Vezaias said, now letting tears slide down his cheeks. Zexich was silent and watched his human nature slip out. “Trying to curb this….well it doesn't always work. It's exhausting. I'm so tired.” Vezaias said shakily then he turned to walk away.

  “Vezaias.” Zexich said urgently. Vezaias stopped walking and turned to look over his shoulder.

  “I will help you if you help me.” Zexich said seriously. Vezaias tried to smile.

  “I've come to believe there is no help for me. I'll try though. No promises.” Vezaias said softly then he walked away. It was quiet again. Zexich sunk into his emotions again, weeping softly.

  “Now I see what you mean.” He said finally. “It makes the situation so much more tragic.” Zexich sighed. Ephraim was silent now wondering what exactly happened. Remington and Ava were injured, and Vezaias was alright, but what of the enemies? He couldn't bring himself to ask Zexich. He knew everyone must be dead, but who exactly was everyone? All of the people Remington had told him about? They all sounded so powerful. So who killed them? There was a knock at the door. Zexich was silent so Ephraim decided to get up and check to see who it was.

  “Lux?” Ephraim saw and opened the door more.

  “You are supposed to go with Vezaias. I will watch the mad scientist.” Lux said seriously. Ephraim was suddenly giddy and left quickly. Lux wandered into the room looking around then settling his eyes on the bed where Zexich laid. Lux didn't bother to greet him but only found a spot away from the bed to sit on the floor. He was quiet for a while. Of course this made Zexich curious. This was the person now required to provide flesh to the demon. All the ranting and raving before the massacre made more sense now. Zexich adjusted and watched Lux as he brooded and required no social attention.

  “Lux?” Zexich spoke up finally. Lux ignored him. Zexich shifted, moving down to the floor and sitting near him.

  “Lux? You are in need of emotional support; true or false?” Zexich asked mildly. Lux looked emotional.

  “I am not sure this time.” He said softly. “I am worried about Remington. He is very injured. I really miss him. I told him that I loved him. All he did was leave me alone all night. I hate being alone now. I was getting used to him being there. Then suddenly he was gone.” Lux looked unhappy.

  “Have you considered my offer to be your friend?” Zexich changed the subject. Lux looked puzzled.

  “I didn't realize the offer was still going to be available after what has happened.” Lux said, looking away while fidgeting with his hands.

  “It is. Take your time, and give it some consideration alright?” Zexich said mildly then paused. “It would be nice to have at least one friend to replace everyone that I lost today.” Zexich sounded heartbroken.

  “Me? I do not think I am worth as much as your group. Not even close.” Lux said sadly.

  “On the contrary, one human life is priceless. When considering the theory of equivalent exchange and human life, if a human life is priceless that means it is worth more than 100 human lives, or even one thousand, and each of those lives are also worth more than that, even more than an infinite amount of human lives, as that is the concept of pricelessness.” Zexich mused. Lux thought very hard about this and was distracted for a long moment.

  “Touche, smarty pants.” He finally said with a sigh.

  “May I ask you something personal, and perhaps a bit uncomfortable?” Zexich asked.

  “Ugh, I guess.” He answered in mild disgust.

  “How did you acquire your talent to regrow your body?” Zexich wanted to know as much as he could about the inner workings of Vezaias's circle, but also he was impossibly curious in general.

  “Ukk, we found Vezaias’s hiding spot. He communicated with me to help us find him. At first he made it seem like he just wanted me to safely deliver Remington to him. That was a lie, which I figured as much but of course I couldn't turn him down. Once we found him he had no intentions of letting either of us go. We became his property. He told me he had a more important role that I could play. I wanted to please him, I wanted him to need me, so I agreed to it right away. I didn't even know what it was. He strapped me to a chair and took some hedge trimmers and began cutting off my fingers one at a time. He gave me time in-between to try and learn how to regrow them. The fuck though, who just automatically knows how to regrow flesh? Do I look like a fucking lizard? Heh, so after he ran out of fingers he chopped off my hand. I wasn't handling it very well and I was desperate to regrow it now because he would have just let me die if I didn't figure it out. So it just started happening. It was very slow the first time. Everytime I came back he would chop off another part and make me work on my speed. Now I realize he had taken the parts upstairs afterwards and ate them. When he showed us his demon form he gave me a choice. Stay and give him one meal a day, or leave and he would resort to killing humans…..” Lux trailed off. He looked distraught. “……how the fuck am I supposed to walk away with those options? He knew I couldn't do that. So here I am. His meat factory.” Lux looked down and no longer wanted to talk. Zexich pulled him into a hug.

  “That's called manipulation Lux.” He held Lux for a while. “Why don't we go and get your evening medication?”