To strike from behind

I had two objectives. The first was to take out whichever guards were sleeping or off-shift. The second was to either kill or tame Old Craimer. I had no expectations of the second on this late night.

While he had the deviance to join us, I suspected he was a man of pride. I would have to see if his lusts would be more prominent.

I reached a hole in the back of the fence, as Theo had assured me. I didn’t know how he'd burrowed through stone, but I suspected it was an application of his power. I hadn't asked and he hadn’t told, it was a surprise and I hadn’t wanted to ruin it; if it were important, I felt I would know already.

Or rather, that's what I'd tell him if he asked.

In truth, I had decided to trust him. I had given my word, and I would uphold that, even if an oath meant nothing to the man. Partly, I figure that a person needed some limits to remain a person; lines they wouldn't cross. And party, because I knew this; you could tame a man with coin or sex, as you could tame a dog with food. Perhaps I could tame that wild beast who'd cut out his own father's heart with conviction. With consistency. If I, as his Demon King feeding into his delusion, acted with a sort of honor, then perhaps he would emulate. Perhaps, over time, he would come to define his own code and be bound with chains of his own devising.

Or perhaps, as a beast with no limits, he would grow tired of it all and kill me.

I struggled for a moment with my horns, and passed through the hole on my knees. I came up behind a squat tower of wood, the scent of sweat wafting from the window.

I closed my eyes and focused, feeling my reserves dimish as my sense grew. Steady breaths and heartbeats reached me and a single set of footfalls.

I went deeper expanding my sense to their limit. Heartbeats became drumbeats and scents became a cloying fog. And at the edge of my hearing I could hear a man singing. I cocked my head, getting a fair judge of the distance. The sleeping men were in the room nearest me, and the walking man was near the front of the watchtower. The singing man was off to one side and he wasn't alone, I could smell the arousal of his audience.