DEVILRY [FANTASY LGBTQ]

Chapter Six

 Hendryk's eyes scanned the page, eyes following along with the text on the page. The passage was brief, it seemed whatever information regarding Demon lords was lost to time. Or perhaps his order saw little worth in cataloging information regarding demons they would likely never face in combat. According to the text Astareth was a cardinal demon, a demon lord trapped in Gehenna like the rest. Still, the red fiend title had him wondering. Finding it similar enough to what those imps had ranted about. At least as far as color was concerned. As he picked up the tome to observe the text more closely a voice startled him, causing him to fumble with the book. Dropping it on its spine. Gods damn it all, now he's lost his page.

"Hendryk?" the voice said again. Hendryk huffing as he picked up his discarded tome. "Skipping lessons again I see" Tannick rasped with a sigh as he approached him. "Though I suppose I should be glad to at least find you studying" he murmured.

"You know" Hendryk mumbled as he dusted off the spine of his book. "I'm starting to think you are stalking me with the way you keep popping up"

"Perish the thought" Tannick responded with a chuckle. "Our paths just happen to cross often"

"Annoying" Hendryk sighed. "Did you need something?"

"Not initially" the older man responded. "What has caught your attention?"

"Nothing" Hendryk said cryptically as he shuffled the books around absently on the table. Thankfully at that moment Tannick's attention was taken by another knight. Tannick bid him a brief goodbye before departing with the other knight. Hendryk letting out a sigh as he began to clean up the tomes. Deciding to call it for now, he was rather tired anyway, undoubtably from lack of sleep. Perhaps it was time to retire. He haphazardly put the books back on their respective shelves before he left the arcanum. Once back in his room he kicked off his boots before he flopped face first into his mattress. He winced as his sheathed sword dug into his side, rolling over onto his side to undo his belt before he left pushed the sword off his bed. The leather and silver clattering noisily onto the ground. He then yawned, rolling up into his blankets, sighing in content.

Or rather what he would have wished would have been content. Sleep did not come to him. Not immediately anyway. His mind tossing and turning that evening's events over and over. idlily, he wondered if William was right, that demons say things to confuse and get under one's skin. Could the demon perhaps have been just trying to disorient him? But why him and not the others? Sighing, he rolled over in his bed, turning his head on the pillow as he looked out his window. An expanse of mountains and rolling hills in the distance, a fog rolling in. Perhaps he was over thinking things, he closed his eyes and let out another sigh. One thing was certain though he'd learn nothing if he remained here.

***

The decision to leave had been hard fought, over the next few days he pondered and agonized over it. Turning it over and over in his head until he was dizzy from the thought. Though he felt certain, he would never learn anything about himself if he remained sheltered here. Though he was certain of some things, such as the fact that he was half demon. How he had come to be for once at the forefront of his mind. How did an order devoted to killing demons and monsters come to raise one? Could the man he had come to know as father really have sired him? And if so with whom? And why? He supposed he could ask his father himself, though he discarded the thought quickly. If his father had meant to tell him he would have done so already. He doubted harassing his father for information would get him anywhere.

As he stowed a dagger in his leather pack, he fastened the flap closed. He'd spent the past few days packing on and off as he considered all his options. Though he kept coming to the same conclusion anxiety and uncertainty gripped him. He had left the order before, though he only traveled a short distance, and only temporarily. It had also always been with permission from the order. If he left without leave to do so, would he be welcomed back if things didn't pan out? Hendryk let out a sigh through his nose as he crouched before his leather pack at the foot of his bed. He stared at the worn leather before he slowly pushed himself to his feet. His tail swishing behind him as he reached into his pocket for the bit of parchment he had folded up. Unfolding the paper to reveal a map of the country of Apricitie. Dotting the map were pen marks, x's marking the parchment map. The location of documented gates to Gehenna. The closet being in the mountains to the north. After a quick glance he stowed the map once more before he stooped down to pick up his pack. With the sun waning, casting long shadows across his bedroom, it was soon time to leave.

Once darkness fell, he made his move. Creeping through the empty corridors, making his way towards the gate. The gate was of course guarded, as it usually was. He didn't expect himself to have any trouble getting past them, seeing as no one had ever stopped him before when he left for missions. He doubted they would be privy to whether or not he was given permission to leave. He gripped the strap of his pack before he made his way to the gate. As expected, he was ignored. The gate guards regarded him with a glance before they resumed their conversation. If it had been any other student, he was sure they would have been questioned. Idlily, he wondered if he wasn't questioned because of who he was or because of what he was. As he approached the hidden door in the gate, he pulled up his hood before opening the door. The hinges creaked as he pushed it open and stepped through. The air cold against his face as he stood on the precipice of the stairs. The city sprawling before him, its lights dotting through the inky blackness. He cast a final glance at the gate behind him before he stepped forward. Moving away from the gate.

No turning back now he supposed.