A History Through Blood

With the sun crawling over the seaside town, rays of light began to pierce through the wooden roofing and disturb the sleeping man inside. Rhythmically his large black belly rose and fell, while whimpering snores emanated from the head laying off the side of the bed frame. The midday heat soon proved too much for the large figure, unsuccessfully attempting to bat away the offending illuminance. Now stirred from his rest, Hasani stretched his plump body and felt the all too familiar hunger pains from his other half.

Hasani's hunger stemmed not from the same natural desires held by the countless denizens of his coastal home, rather it was a supernatural gluttony stemming from his very nature. He was in-fact a Kishi*, a demonic creature hiding behind an all too human veneer. The animalistic face embedded in the back of his skull remained silent, knowing to remain silent until such a time when it could feast on mortal flesh. The demon's urges drove him into the blistering and crowded streets searching for his next meal, from whatever source took his fancy.

Having tidied his appearance, Hasani wandered into the market looking for someone that would not be missed or noticed by the general populace. Concealed under a dense nest of hair the bestial visage remained silent, passively inhaling the foreign smells of civilization. As the demon passed by various the market stalls his charismatic aura saw several merchants wave to him, striking up conversation about the ins and outs of their trade. Seemingly foreign nationals had arrived the previous day and had been sighted wandering about the town, evidently making an impression on the more influential figures.

As he wandered through the crowded streets Hasani observed the bountiful spread before him, trying to selectively choose the meal best suited to his cravings. Lean orphan meat, sourced from the laughing children running between the stores, lacked the nuanced flavor of those who had lived longer lives. Briefly he considered slave meat, a strong-tasting meal that was seasoned by their harsh experiences, but ultimately putting aside such notions as emergency option. What he truly desired was the rich flesh of nobility or merchants, curing their souls with all the luxury they could afford. He only regretted that he could sample such a delicacy perhaps once in his lifetime, humans tend to ask questions that even his supernaturally heightened charisma would struggle to truly escape from.

From the corner of his eye, the demon noticed three of the foreigners wandering about the stalls accompanied by two mercenaries and a slave. What would they taste like? Hasani thought as he absentmindedly walked in their general direction. Surely the cultural differences would change their flavor, perhaps the flesh would be soft and full of fat. Could their light-colored skin be akin to white fish? Providing a mild, yet sweet, taste. As if in agreement, the patient hyena salivated in anticipation of a once in a lifetime meal.

Under the guise of browsing the vast array of goods available, the Kishi stalked his prey from afar and slowly closed the distance between the pale delegates. The only concerning threat was the female guard, Marka, who's mystical vision had nearly exposed his true form on past occasions. Whatever powers of detection she held were moot when faced with his own powers of memorization, halting her attempts of violence with his own seductive aura. The other native mercenary did hold slight concern, as his fashionable street wear did little to hide his well-built body that far surpassed the capabilities of his own rounding figure.

The group converged on a rather large store carrying a vast array of long-lasting supplies for travelling merchants and families, in addition to tools that could be readily sold onto passing villages. The group spread out with-in the store, pairing up to examine the wares on display. Hasani's target was the young foreign woman and her translating slave, each looked positively delectable and would likely grant contrasting, yet complimentary, tastes. His prey had conveniently isolated themselves in a secluded corner of the store, evidently critiquing a zebra-hide satchel in the strange foreign tongue.

Placing a hand gently on the foreign woman's shoulder Hasani introduced himself, his words laced with mystical energies. “Greetings, Princess. You surely have travelled far to reach these lands.” After turning his prey around to face him the lack of reaction was strange, she was unphased by his mesmerizing words. The cloth draped lady simply coughed as to remind her translator of her duties, noting her hazy demeanor. Confusion suddenly formed in his mind. From the trance-like blank expression of the translator, the demon's charms were certainly working and yet: there his prey stood unchanged.

Now he could see the foreigner's eyes, a deep red hue reminiscent of blood. Knowing something was amiss, Hasani took an uncertain step back as the cloth-covered woman produced something from her sleeves. Whatever the object was, the substance contained with-in dispelled the enchanting trance which had ensnared the slave. The pale woman was dangerous, he realized it now, and Hasani now found himself the sole focus of her attention. “Victoria has asked you to follow us politely” translated the slave, now recovered from his magical allure. “She would rather you come willingly.” Her guards had already been alerted, silently drawing closer to box him in as to not draw attention to them. Now cornered from all sides, he raised his arms in defeat, “Lead the way princess.”

-

It had been less than a week since Kahina had learned of Victoria's true identity, yet she had already encountered another supernatural creature in such a short period of time. The reluctant Kishi had been brought back to their accommodation, now under the vigilant watch of Marka and Arthur, while Amne had left to summon Jaali. The mercenary leader had wanted to be present during one of the initial interviews, as the pale-skinned foreigners' explanation of their goals lacked credibility, save for the spear-woman's gift of magical sight.

In their meeting room, the priests had been summoned from their room and immediately gawked at the now exposed bestial head of a hyena. The only response the feral face offered in return was an occasional snarl in response to their astonished stares. Everyone in the room had been placed into a group of around three, with each group responsible for monitoring the other members of their trio and forcing the herbal powder onto anyone who lost their composure. The small groups allowed them to focus most of their attention on the primarily subject, without constantly checking everyone in the room for signs of distraction.

The subject of the herbal substance was somewhat quickly brought up as Marka, and the Kishi known as Hasani, was curious as to how it was able to dispel the mystical charms of the demon. It was the Adze's understanding that lust demons, such as Kishi and Succubi, do not change the inherent nature of their intended prey with their enchanting charisma. Instead, the charm amplifies their target's innermost feelings of desire by up to a hundred-fold, although most demons of their ilk would be only able to achieve several multitudes of augmented desire. Once in such a state, they become extremely vulnerable to the suggestions of the target of their heightened affection.

Such powers were ineffective against those with little or no attraction towards the source of the effect, as there was nothing to amplify. The particular mix of herbs used by the adze produced a potent anaphrodisiac, temporarily removing the sexual desire of the inhaler that quickly removed feelings to supernaturally amplify. Evidently the natural composition of their delegation minimized any opportunity for it to take place with only three members showing any symptoms of the effect, and those affected being kept under the watchful eyes of others.

With the eventual arrival of Jaali the more formal interview could begin, somewhat hindered by the hostile commentary provided by their hired muscle. Each member, with the exception of Leo who had left to wander the streets alone, had their own line of questions. Arthur and Jaali both focused their attention on his combative abilities, both somewhat disappointed that the overweight demon wholly relied on charisma to ensnare his prey. Hasani, obviously panicked by the aggressive interrogation, often gave stunted answers as he nervously switched his gaze throughout the room that served little use.

During his allotted time Crispin attempted to ascertain the Kishi's relation to other creatures in the region, however the other clerics would interject and derail any useful questions with their own religiously based ones that only served to confuse the subject with references to unfamiliar teachings. Only with Victoria's intervention, and use of her own assigned time, did any time get dedicated to the obese creature's true nature. The high-strung and conflicting emotions between the assembled parties often lead to outbursts throughout the assembly, and many words not translated for the clerics for obvious reasons.

After several hours of questioning Kahina was completely exhausted, both mentally drained and vocally strained. Everyone stood around in some manner, using the reprieve to readjust themselves after their first attempt at supernatural investigation. Only two members of the group held a positive view of the results, with Crispin and Peregrine realizing how little their zealous line of questioning had produced. It had been reassured to her on multiple occasions that this was something of their own making and was not of an issue the translator should be concerned with.

With a gentle hand on her shoulder and a cup of medicinal herbal water, Victoria appeared behind her to remove any doubts about her own work. “You performed your task well; I will have a word with Arthur later to... review... what happened. When you have recovered tell Jaali we are done with our interview and his team is free to leave.” Whatever ingredients the adze had put in her drink were fast-acting and potent, relieving much of the strain on her throat and soothing her anxious thoughts.

“What of the demon?” she asked, getting a twitch from Hasani who feigned a positive expression from his chair after noticing the glance in his direction. “My colleagues may be disappointed, but as we want to leave for the more remote villages fairly soon, we won't be punishing the demon as it would likely break several local laws. As such we plan to let him go, ask Jaali to escort him out of the building. Anything which happens to the demon, is of his own discretion and not of our concern.”

“So” started Jaali, “what does our 'boss' want?” Kahina took her usual diplomatic stance, still nervous in the face of the mercenary's blood-thirsty presence. “She has said we are done here, and you are dismissed for the day.” Marka, seeming to recall the demon's presence from previous interactions, used a rather sharp knife to emphasize her query. “What does she want us to do about that monster?” The clear venom in her words drew a noticeable jump from the subdued demon. “They are not from here, thus are leaving it to your team to decide on a course of action. She only asks that you do it away from here, as to maintain good relations with the merchant who we are staying with and not delay our trip with criminal charges.” “At least the woman knows to follow the law of the land,” derided Jaali with partial approval. “The adze is far better than the weaklings around her.” “We should take him to Andwele's hut.” Remarked Marka “Let the old witch doctor take care of him.”

With the purpose of the meeting concluded Kahina watched as the demon was let away at knife point, the feral head once again covered by his thick braided hair. Marka's openly hostile approach to the demon demanded action be taken where it otherwise might not be, forcing Jaali to take on additional work for no extra charge. The protests of the foreign religious delegates were quickly silenced, when their lack of legal authority was pointed out. Each returned to their rooms to review the meeting, except for Arthur who had successfully negotiated a sparring session with Amne during the break in interrogation.

Exhaustion struck the translator as soon as she returned to the room, collapsing onto the bed. Now alone with her thoughts she realized the full extent of the danger she had been in. Were it not for her master being unaffected by his charms, it could well have been her body being torn apart by the Kishi's terrible jaws. Nightmares filled her mind as soon as sleep claimed her, with the bestial face laughing at her through the darkness. Such visions were soon dispelled as through the traumatic haze a faint smell of flowers and a cold hand comforting her, allowing for a dreamless sleep.

-

Hasani wandered through the busy streets, subtly escorted by the two intimidating mercenaries to the home of a local witch doctor. Unfortunately, his odds for escape were few and far between, but the lack of interest from the knowledgeable adze was at least something in his favor. His compliance with her work appeared to appease any grudge held by the would-be meal, letting him focus his attention on the two captors behind him.

As they pushed through the crowd, Hasani probed the surrounding crowds for anyone who could serve as a distraction. All it took was a group of slaves carrying pots filled with fruits and similar produce to pass by and for one of the slaves to be caught in his enchantment to cause chaos in the square. With the loud crash of clay containers and outcries from objects flying, Hasani could make his successful escape into the depths of the crowd, losing his pursuers in the confused masses. He would have to remain low for a few days to escape any pursuers, as far to much attention had been drawn to his presence. Once the commotion died down, he would return to his homeland in the south, again being free to feast in peace.