Orion had noticed when the curse was laid on the peddler. How could he not, when it was such a basic curse? A "you smacked me, so now I will smack you," type of a curse.
To be honest, the fact that Edwin had even figured out the fact that he could eat demon souls was a miracle. The Edwin with whom Orion had spoken would have never agreed to kill someone. Not even if that someone was a demon.
But this Edwin, it seemed, had no such reservations. But why the peddler, Orion asked himself? Why not him? Surely, Edwin wanted to return the favor, and kill him?
Or maybe Edwin simply did not want to risk getting stuck with Orion until the rest of his very, very, long life?
At any rate, the Lich did not seem to notice as Orion stalked him in the busy streets. It was bright and sunny; Edwin was wearing only shorts and looking like just another tourist. Yet, that was not the reason why Orion followed him along like a puppy, no.
Edwin's hair was in a simple but long braid. He looked pale, his skin like milk, even though he wore next to nothing and should, logically, be about as red as a crab right about now.
He had not gotten taller, like some Lich did, after gorging themselves on souls. His nails even still looked like nails if a bit chewed up.
No, the reason why Orion was trailing behind Edwin like a puppy who got scolded and sprayed with a water bottle for this or that, was the braid.
No, not even the braid. The blue ribbon which held it together.
Before, Edwin had braided his hair with simple hair ties. Nothing too expensive, prone to tugging at his hair, and tearing out at least a cluster every time the man lets his hair loose.
But now, as Orion watched as Edwin made a sharp turn, seemingly looking at a stall with sweet corn, the ribbon waved along with the hair, and Orion knew what the little shit had done.
The ribbon was made of silk and looked fine, even to the naked eye. But now, it shone. It was a soft reflection of the light. Just something one could just pass off as someone having spent enough money to afford himself the luxury.
The lovely, stitched roses at the end of the ribbon made Edwin look ridiculous, Orion would be the first to admit. Although, it made sense to use roses, after all.
Black ones, at that.
For what was between him and Edwin was dark and rotten, but it had just about enough in common with a romance, that the rune could activate.
A protective rune, finely made, and probably, just to make it impossible to remove, stitched together with materials bought with the five silver coins Orion had paid for the bloody watch.
Orion did not know if he should be impressed or try his luck against the rune. He had never, ever, been stopped in his tracks before.
It was not like he did not want to confront Edwin, or that he found it amusing to trail after him like some concubine behind her husband.
He physically could not come any closer. A bloody restraining order, made of the only gift he had given Edwin out of kindness.
Orion blinked.
Had he been kind, or just annoyed? He licked along his lips, for he had gotten too close to Edwin, and he could already feel his presence so, as if he was trying to fly too close to the sun.
Not that it was possible, no matter what some people claimed, but Orion liked the metaphor.
The demon was forced to stop dead in his tracks, as Edwin started to take his time looking at graffiti on a wall. Oh, Orion would have loved nothing more than to tear the darn wall down.
Would the rune activate, Orion asked himself if he got this entire city nuked? Food for thought.
Edwin should have been an actor, Orion decided, as Edwin laid a hand on his forehead so, as if he was feeling the blistering summer heat all the surrounding mortals were marinating in.
Oh, Orion wanted to see if the man could even still sweat. Just a lick on those lips, to see if they were salty. Orion had not tasted anything salty in so long…
"Edwin!" The demon had had enough. No, he could not get any closer, but that did not mean that the rune could make him mute. Besides, if he was convincing enough, Edwin might take the candy wrapper out of his hair, and then Orion could go back to having a nice and peaceful vacation.
"Oh, Orion?"
It was said so, as if they had not seen each other in months. Edwin's full lips, which Orion was sure were made so from the soul he had stolen from that first level demon, turned up. Heck, the light even reached his eyes.
Wait, Orion thought, as he took a step towards Edwin, who just stood there, smiling gently. How did demon souls affect a Lich again?
He took another step, and then another. Soon, he was just a step away from Edwin.
But if seeing that noob get his soul eaten in small portions right before his eyes had taught him anything, it was that Edwin loved to curse people.
"How have you been?" Orion asked, for he had been the one to start the dance, and now, that Edwin had danced his little part, it was his turn to keep it going.
"Good. Man, it is hot today," Edwin fanned himself with his hand, his braid slowly swaying in the wind.
Orion saw how some women looked at them, read their thoughts, pretty sure that they needed holy water. Or a cold shower. Whichever was on hand.
"You kept the ribbon?" Orion asked, as he slowly reached out, and tried to lay a hand on it. To take it out of Edwin's hair, and then tear it in pieces.
His fingers got burned the second they touched a black rose, but he had been burned before. Letting his fingers hover over the rose, the challenge clear, he looked into Edwin's blue eyes.
They were sparkling. A soft light was coming out of them.
Did the man not know that the whole country was looking for him? With only a word, Orion could have him carted to a reactor.
And yet, Edwin showed him no fear. Just mute amusement.
As the brunette made a step towards Orion, Orion made a step back. There was no telling what sort of curse the brunette had laid on himself. No telling how Orion's soul could be consumed.
"Orion, you told me the other day, that we could go sightseeing, but I did not have the time. Care for a walk?" Edwin even offered him his hand. Pale, soft, the sweetly sick stench of rot coming out of it.
"Sure, my lady," Orion said, his patience at an end. The only thing he needed was to lure Edwin out of the city, and then he could show him that such parlor tricks did not work on the likes of him.
Edwin's smile turned pearly white, the curse was laid, and Orion wanted to bash someone's head against a wall. But was it his own or Edwin's, he could not tell.
"Well," for the second time in his life, Orion's mask was forced down from his face. He felt that the least he could do was to remind Edwin about how he had died. A silent promise, one could say. "Well, well."
"Will you strangle me again, Orion?" Edwin asked, knowing full well that for the next couple of days, that would not be in the power of the demon.
"Edwin, pretty, pretty Edwin. You tasted of toothpaste," Orion enjoyed how Edwin's smile dimmed, how his eyes looked so, as if he was back in time, and experiencing it all over again. Oh, Orion wanted to laugh. Non-aggression rune which would not force him to mint his words? Perfect! "And not the good kind of toothpaste either, no. Just some cheap junk."
They stared each other down, smiles on their faces. A silent contest between them. Orion did not give ground, he let his eyes shine in the light of the fading sun.
Edwin turned tail and ran.
Orion had not expected anything but.
After all, his lady was all talk, but when it came to fighting, his armor was made of paper. The only good thing that Edwin had going for him, Orion decided as the brunette disappeared in the crowd, was that he had long legs.
Perfect to run away from his problems. But this time, his problem was going to chase.
When Edwin finally calmed down, and started to think he was safe again, that is. Until then, Orion would enjoy his vacation.
0000
Edwin tried to catch his breath, looking around wildly. What the hell had he been thinking? Orion knew about the rune on the ribbon now! There was no way that he would ever be tricked so easily again.
Edwin would need to change the password, but what sort of silly thing would Orion call him, if not my lady? It was the annoying thing which Orion loved the most.
The cherry on the cake was that all that theater had not been needed. Orion had not cared one bit that Edwin, and Edwin was pretty sure Orion had known, had stolen the soul of the demon peddler.
Edwin could have walked away. He could have been safe.
His pride had cost him his life once more.
He looked around violently but did not hear any footsteps. Just a day. He had just a day to disappear. His little plan to steal Orion's soul during that day, with the runes he had hidden on himself, was now all for nothing.
What had given him the insane idea that he could go one-on-one with Orion? That Orion would be so easily defeated?
Maybe, had he kept his cool, and his treacherous mind had not transported him back to his old apartment, to that sunny morning, when he had heard Orion's true voice for the first time, then the plan might have worked.
But now, as the rune was growing weaker and weaker by his fear, he had to try and reign himself in.
If he did not leave, he would be lost. Orion would chase after him, Edwin knew. It was personal now.
All dreams of him getting even were turned into the fear that he would not get to see another sunrise.
"Oh, a…Lich?" The voice came out of a dark corner, and Edwin spun around. There, coming out of the backdoor to some nightclub, if the loud music was any indication, was a man who smelt of decay, just like Edwin did.
Oh, sure, the man had covered it up with cologne, just as Edwin tried to do when he could, for those things cost money, and he could not always afford it.
A vampire.
No different from Orion. Probably just as deprived, if the hungry look in his eyes was any indication of his character.
Edwin took a step towards him. He hated the fact that he was latching at this straw, but the bottomless lake he had jumped in was like a bottle of water being thrown around by toddlers on a sugar high. Foamy, chaotic.
He tried to smile, not fearing this man. Why should he? If the vampire drank from him without his consent, Death would strike him down.
A way to cull this unnatural population, which Death could not control. Some said that Lich existed only so that as many vampires as possible could find a painful end.
Edwin exposed his neck, pushed his braid to the side. His finger brushing a single black rose, which had been stitched painstakingly with only the light of a streetlamp to guide his fingers. Rats scattering around him, trying to survive in a world which loved them even less than it loved what Orion had turned Edwin into.
"I would like a contract, please," he said, trying to keep a level tone.
"And what would you like for it?" The vampire asked, making a couple of steps towards the person who could promise him either death, or salvation.
"I need to skip town," Edwin said, for he did not have the resources to get a bus ticket. Him trying to do hitchhiking could end up ugly. Homophobia ran rampant in Forestia, but some people got curious, from time to time.
Edwin knew how he looked like. No matter how much he had tried to have his hair cut, it still grew to this length. His face remained delicate; his hands soft.
"I can do that," the vampire said, his mana curling around Edwin's dead heart. Romancing it, trying to make it skip a beat.
Edwin did the same.
Both of their hearts were frozen, Edwin's blood was cold when the vampire started to drink from it. Taking power which Edwin could not hope to use by himself.
The man Edwin had stumbled upon was no other than Damon the Cursed. The first vampire, and the only one who had never been defeated in battle.