#may the winds carry my blessings to those mutuals that have gone quiet

[demilillith]

Friends on the wild side

The wolf whined, the forest had allowed another intruder into its fold as it moved along its floors. Precise and irritated, he had come to this forest for his doom the wolf was sure. Those who appeared int his forest came to either simply leave the existence of the sinful purgatory they were banished to, or rather, to become one with the nature which we cannot perceive. Drawing back, vague memories of a woman once walking through the forest, and the next, a gnarled tree was left in her place swam through the mind.

He had found the man, rather, the demon walking briskly throughout the dense foliage, him, the beast watching from the cliffs. His eyes empty, and his body moving without purpose, the wolf watched with curiosity. It was long since he had begun to think of himself until he himself entered the forest, but the beast understood the vague concepts of life. The strong were meant to overtake the weak, the weak to be protected and taken by the strong. Life was everywhere, and as such, there are those who disrespect it; They are not to be trusted. The darkened eyes knew of such truths, when most of his pack was living in harmony until many were killed for their bodies and flesh. They were not strong… Enough. It was when a man, covered in leaves and branches had closed off the forest, the thoughts emerging from the head of the leader had begun to take roots. A breath of air, a sniff in the wind, the demon had begun to realize he was not alone. Black fur donned on his head, and two great curled branches upon them cursed the son of man. A tail like Satan was beyond his back, and at the very least, the child of man was familiar with his surroundings; Eyes sharpening.

The leader smelled his presence, a half blood? A mutt, perhaps not unlike his mate prior, but the scent of evil was far more diluted than the scent of a newborn pup. There was a sense, perhaps, that it did not truly know the world, much like the strong did when first growing with the mother. Feral fangs, however, detailed otherwise… The slight fur around its muzzle drew back. Turning back, the wolf knew this would not be the last he saw of him, idea forming within the mind that he was no longer the only strong being here. There was one more, newly born unto the world.

————————————— Demi huffed, breath running rampant as he took to the forest lining with glee, wind in his hair, and a smile carved onto his face. He was running with the creature he had seen before, a wolf, when he first came into the forest of the District. He couldn’t say how he found the forestry outside the Red Light District of Eros, but once he was drawn to it, he didn’t leave save to sleep. His mind drifted away to when he met his companion, where it had watched him slowly, not knowing whether to trust him or not. His heart was pumping, his brain unfocused, hand outstretched. What was he doing, he didn’t know, only that he wished to extend his hand forward. Ears bent forward, tail lifted high, the other bared his eyes to him, revealing himself as he stepped from the shadows; Watching and waiting for signs to distrust. Demi didn’t speak, nor did the other, they had eyed each other for what seemed like an eternity, before both left their crossed paths.

Now, after visiting many other times and seeing his companion for some time, the two regarded each other mutually well. One would visit from the District, silent and thoughtful, the other, paternal and guiding him to the side of nature he had never understood. And here he was, running with his friend, mind at level with him, both running free in the wind’s arms. Leaves crunched, logs and sticks jumped over, the scent of the forest wafting from the canopy to the nose, Demi could feel alive again.

Maybe, this was what he was missing, perhaps… This was the reason he was drawn here. Words of Parvati lilting on his ears; “Yes, this it knows, like a mother knows her child above the rest. For example, if the child comes to the mother crying, the mother knows why it is crying would it not? The animals know this too. Trust it, as my children, both human and beast, do with me.” When they had reached to the forest clearing, Demi finally paused to catch his breath, the flannel long gone from his body as he dusted off his darkened jeans. Despite being without his trademark, he still felt stuffy in only a t-shirt, wishing the cool winds would give him relief. Boots encrusted with mud and dirt, he groaned as he fell to the floor, lying back and gasping for breath. The companion, quite and humbled, walked over to him, eyeing him softly, before leaning close and prodding the Incubus’ face gently with its nose. Giggling with delight, Demi was all too grateful for the sincere gift of affection from his friend, tired hands caressing the wolf’s greyed fur on its head. The affection had not stopped, teeth lightly “nibbling” the demon’s fur, face flush with love. “Hey! Quit it, I’m ticklish! Come on!” Demi was sure that his companion heard his words, but did not stop as it stood above him. He was tired from running for what felt like an eternity, but having the time to spend time with someone far away from what he was used to, was a blessing to him. His hands scruffed and mingled with fur, a whimper reminding him his friend too felt gratitude for love. Eyes closed, Demi saw just how skin starved his friend was, they were just the same, the two of them. It was sad… Almost, that it was most likely true, he didn’t see any other wolves within the forest, at least, that he didn’t see already. It was just him and the attendant, both tied to one another in some cruel joke of fate, perhaps, the inner writer in the Incubus wrote out. “You know… I think it’s great knowing I have a friend here… But what about you? Don’t you have some friends to keep with you? A pack? Or like… Maybe a “lady” friend?” Voice rather goofy at the end of his lilt. The wolf opened its eyes, head moving from Demi’s hands and looking forward out towards the greenery, solemn.

“…I see, you too, huh? I understand.” Demi moved his head, body pulling itself up partly. The wolf moved closer, away from Demi, and sat itself down on the clearing’s path. The skies slate gray, a thin layer of cotton began to float down, tiny bits of it swaying within the wind to and fro. The Incubus brought himself up, squatting down next to his lone companion, hand resting on it’s back as his friend jumped at the touch. Ready to strike, the battle hardened eyes turned passive, four legged body tired and slightly cool to the senses. Fur dusted with black and white cotton, bristled as it sat quiet in reflection. Demi’s eyes were misty, they really were the same when he thought down to it, past the murky black boots and paw pads, past the horns and tail of a demon and the fur or tail of a wolf; They were alone, and didn’t want to be at all.

When Demi started to hear the howl of his friend next to him, did his tears finally flowed forth, heart aching as he joined in with reverie.

By the time they were finally over, the snow had covered the forest with a thickened comforter. The wolf quietly stood up, and began to walk away, to be leaving Demi alone in the cold. The leader was tired, needed rest and time away. But he turned when he heard the pleasant voice calling out to him,

“Goodbye, friend! I’ll see you again, and we can run again if you want. Just make sure not to be caught in the cold like me, though, I’m freezing…!” Demi was beginning to walk along the beaten trail, one arm waving, the other carrying a small flame ignited in his finger tips. Ready to see another day, another life, he carried on to the District once more.

The words meanwhile had fallen on observant ears. Yes, freezing.

Like his heart.

When the wolf no longer felt the presence of the demon any longer within the forest, there was no witness to hear the somber sound of the howl that echoed throughout the canopy. It knew that there may not be much more time to live in this damned forest, filled with daemons and creatures of unparalleled horrors. But what began to freeze the wolf solid was not the song he sang, rather, it was the reply which came after it.

The incubus was howling with him.

But he was not alone.