Beatrice stayed in the ruins for a few days. Moving to much like this would only higher the change that she would permanently damage her broken bones.
Eventually, she had to go, or she would be missed in Atlantis. But if anyone asked, she could just say that she visited the ruins and that she fell down a hole in the road. Only for the dwarf to come across her to treat her.
The order that I had given her still remained intact. She would send that lower demon to me as soon as she could. I wanted to use that demon as a last resort. If things really got out of hand, I could manipulate the situation so that the search parties would only find him. But even if I managed to do that, I still had to be careful. If that demon really were smaller than me, the claw marks would not add up, if that demon even had claws. And depending on the situation, the search party might know that they were looking for a higher demon than that one. That demon could only be a shield made of wood, only able to buy a little time.
But if that was the only service that he could provide, then I had to go trough much more trouble than what his life was worth. The most important part was that if he could really teach someone the seven arts than he had to know them himself. And because information like that was hard to obtain for lesser demons, he had to be pretty old. Therefore, I hoped that he could answer some of the questions I had.
The dwarf did not know about my plan. But the way I saw it, he did not need to know.
I had been keeping contact with Beatrice until she found the demon again. As soon as that happened, I left her mind to lower the chance that he would suspect anything and not pull through with the deal. Since Beatrice and I had already agreed on where she would bring the demon, there was no need for us to keep contact anyway.
I flew to one of the roofs that were close enough to were Beatrice and the demon were walking but far enough for him to not notice me.
It was as she said. the demon had managed to take on a human form. But unlike what I did back then, this was not an illusion. It was still magic, but different from what I was using. Also, the demon indeed had just one eye in his human form. His right eye seemed to be missing, replaced by a complete inflammation.
I drew a little closer, knowing that if came to close the demon would notice my presence.
From this distance I could clearly see how he stock out his hand ready to make the deal. Beatrice hesitated and looked around, hoping to spot me so that she would not have to make the deal.
Luckily that hesitation was all the time I needed. As fast as I could I flew over and grabbed the demon, only to drag him with me into the air.
At a reasonable hight I stopped ascending wile the demon had changed back to his original form.
He squirmed in pain as my claws dug deeper into is flesh after he had tried to escape my grasp.
"So, you're the piece of shit that hurt one of my humans?"
"I am so sorry honourable lord. I did not know she already belonged to you."
I tightened my grip on the shoulder of the demon. Its dark red blood that was nearing the colour black slowly started to drip down his arm.
"Keep your formalities for yourself. Do you really think that your foolish ignorance would justify your actions?"
I let myself drop out of the air and slammed the other demon in the stone floor.
"Please spare me." the demon managed to mutter.
"Don't worry. I have more use for you when you are alive and in this world."
Somehow that did not set the demon more at ease.
"before I continue to see when the floor becomes so dense it breaks your face. Please tell me your name."
"Moenen."
I smiled and slammed his face into the floor for one last time. This time I heard some cracks, but I was not sure if it was the floor or the skull of the demon.
I turned to Beatrice who was watching the whole scene from the side-lines.
"By the way, how are your wounds doing?"
She seemed a bit startled by the sudden question after what she had witnessed just now. but she managed to collect herself soon after.
"my arm is currently hurting the most. but… you really shouldn't bother."
As soon as these words left her mouth, I placed my foot just below the shoulder of the demon and pulled his arm back in the opposite direction of the joints.
"Beatrice, you are going to be fine right?"
She nodded without losing eye contact with the wounded demon under my feet. Knowing that she was going to be fine I turned back to the demon.
"Well then Moenen. I would like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."
Before Moenen could respond, I also snapped his wings and dragged him with me trough the air.
After finding a large enough building, far enough from where the dwarf worked, I threw Moenen inside. He managed to collect himself in the middle of the area. There I circled around him, making sure that he would hear every step I took.
"As I said before, I have some questions. And if you don't answer them in the best way, you can. Well… let's say that we are going to find out how good you are at eating your own bones."