Sex is a Job Description? Ch. 10

"And what have you brought this time, Fentin of the Avonal Falls? Another warlock? Perhaps prisoners from the woman you so wished to court so many years ago?" the strange demon said in complete seriousness, as if he were talking to the boy through which he had manifested his voice and not the lord of what amounted to the majority of the Sanctuary of Redemption.

"A warlock. The prisoners are being punished for their crimes here."

"And yet you escape yours," the Crow replied, turning to the shivering human beside Vendr. With one leap, he spanned the distance between the boy and the human, digging his claws deep into the human's flesh and parting his soul from his body with the tight grasp of his wings. Fentin turned to face him fully once more and the Crow narrowed his eyes once more in thought.

"I expect to be told what my intentions are," Fentin said, unwavering against the Crow's unpleasant presence.

"Your intentions are clear to you already, Fentin of the Avonal Falls."

Fentin rolled his eyes. "What are my intentions?"

"You will slay the one that has fallen in love with Ceria in order to circumvent her affections drifting away from you."

Fentin grinned with satisfaction. At that, the Crow tilted his head in the opposite direction and turned to Vendr, who had resumed mutilating each body part listed by Fentin from each of the prisoners.

"You will return without vengeance." He then turned back to Fentin. "You will succeed in separating body and soul."

There was a long pause as Fentin took in the information, glancing at Vendr as the boulder of a demon sat perfectly still, his eyes set in the distant past.

"That is all I needed to know," the lord replied in an almost cheerful tone. He nodded in thanks to the Crow and sat down beside Vendr, looking into the eyes of the demon Vendr had resumed mutilating.

"Something the matter, Lord?"

"One day soon," he said to the demon in Vendr's unbreakable grip. "Your comrades will call me lord as well. Until then, let them know me as their lady's greatest admirer." Fentin stood and looked about for the Crow, but he was nowhere to be found, and no trace of his departure was evident. The lord shrugged and started for the cottage still standing across the barren, corpse-strewn earth.

"Lord?"

"Continue, Vendr. We'll wait here and return to our forces tomorrow. Today there is cause for celebration. We can return to our camp with excellent news."

"Yes, Lord," the captain replied, with a slight hint of disappointment.

Fentin could almost hear the anguished gasp of the human as he drove Tsathangaus through his feeble little ribs. Tsathangaus stirred again at its master's thoughts and Fentin rested his palm on its pommel.

"Soon enough."