A Promise of Death

Voices.

We both slightly pushed our hands into the hole, and the carved engravings on the doors shook, and they slowly opened. My mouth parted in shock, and I could see Riella was doing the same. Large, black wings fluttered as the gate fully opened, and I took a step back. Dark, deep eyes darted toward Riella, who was closer to the beast. His jaw was tight, his eyes cold, but he had a welcoming glow to him. I was immediately cautious.

Riella touched out and cupped her hand, touching his cheek. The poised man chuckled slightly. He put his hand on her cheek as well.

"Hello my dear," he muttered, a soft smile on his face. Anger boiled in my stomach. He keeps his hand on her for 5 more seconds--.

"What might your name be little, half human?" the birdman asked, his voice lowered. I grit my teeth. It's like I'm invisible.

"Riella," she purrs, her eye twinkling.

"I am Tori Tengu, the crow demon from the japanese legends, my name translates to bird- crow demon. I welcome you to my peaceful home," the crow demon murmured, a smile stretching across his face, "I am one of the few legendary creatures from those stories you call myths. I happened to escape to one of the many hidden places from you humans," he sighs, patting her head. Rage was churning in my stomach. We need to get out of here. He obviously doesn't like humans.

"Riella," I hiss, snapping her out of the man's trance. She turned to me, her face contorted in a confused smile.

"Brother!" Riella gasps, her teeth shining, "This is Tori! He's a real demon!" she started to ramble on about the things I had literally just heard from the man's mouth. Am I invisible? The birdman rests his hand on Riella's shoulder, and she stops, her ears flattening.

"Whoops," she giggles, turning around.

"You seem happy," I say through a forced smile.

"I am!" she looks to Tori, pointing to her long, sharp teeth, "Look, Tori! I haven't told you what I am!"

Riella starts to say something in a confusing language. I flatten my ears. What the hell is going on here?

"Riella?" I stop her, "What do you mean "Nekomata"? Who is this? Why are you speaking like that?"

"I'm speaking normally, Tori's name is Tori, and I said we could be called cat demon," Riella hisses, and the crow demon guffaws. I slightly growl.

"Riella dear, you weren't speaking full english just now, you were reverting to one of the old languages," he murmurs, smiling.

"Old languages?" she asks, tilting her head. I watch the two species conversing about languages. The growl continued rumbling in my throat, a bit louder.

"The languages this world once had, before the destruction of the Silence War," Tori sighs, his eyes clouding as if he was remembering something.

"I don't understand, neither one of us could have been alive when the Silence War ended, our parents wouldn't have even been alive that long ago!" I hiss.

"Brother?" Riella asks, squeezing my hand. She seemed as if she was concerned about me. How stupid is she? She has been blinded by this man's charm!

"Tori?" Riella asked, talking in the Old language. With a pang of shock, I realized I could tell what she was saying."Do you have a place to rest? My brother and I need to."

"I understood you this time," I mumble, reluctantly taking the hug she had offered, "You held my hand, and I could understand."

Riella shrugged, as if she had done it a million times. Jealousy coursed through my veins. Why is she acting as if she's better than everyone?

"When did you last have guests?" she murmurs, stifling a yawn. She had seemed to forget about me once again as she turned to the man with the large crow wings on his back.

"Many, Many years ago, little cat," Tori replies, lifting me from the ground. I struggled, forcing myself not to turn into the body of a Caracal. Riella was carried with me, her hand still gripped in mine. She seemed to be falling asleep. Tiredness tugged at my eyelids, but I wasn't going to give in. I needed to protect Riella... and myself, from this danger.