Vizisco wasn’t sure what to think as they listened to the human outside. After Kou had passed out in their lap, Vizisco laced up their shirt and remained still, not sure what to do with what the human had said. It didn’t make sense; a demon’s life was dangerous, and no human, not even one with strength or high Ability, could fight a monster on their own. Especially for a human like this Kou, who was clearly neither, such an idea was far too dangerous.

Once the sun rose, Vizisco had gently nudged Kou awake; Vizisco didn’t think it was a good idea, as clearly the human needed sleep, but Vizisco couldn’t go against what the human wanted. Kou had jumped up, frantically searched for the “frame” he needed, then quickly ran from the small home while telling Vizisco to wait. The demon wasn’t keen on waiting, after all they needed to get back to Nrome, but here Vizisco sat, listening as the human made the “glass” that apparently had been worth dying for. 

The sounds of fire and the scent of burning ash filled the air, layered with a strange, sharp sweetness that Vizisco couldn’t place. It was neither blood nor flesh, nothing the demon could recognize as natural or familiar. but it wasn’t unpleasant and Vizisco turned to where they suspected was a window. Reaching into the darkness had their fingers find a small latch, and Vizisco carefully unlatched it.

As soon as the window opened, Vizisco saw the numbers appear in the darkness again. They were difficult to read, which meant the human was quite a distance away. The sound of crackling wood and fire was easier to hear now, and Vizisco noted a new sound they had not heard before. The sound of air through a tube, and the soft crackling of a bubble forming, expanding, then settling. 

“Glass,” Vizisco murmured, almost a question. The word tasted strange in their mouth and Vizisco tried to remember if they had ever seen something called “glass” before. The demon had a feeling they knew what it was, but without touching it, they had no way to be certain in the darkness that had become their life. The only thing still visible were the numbers, the only way Vizisco could tell when another being was near beyond sound. 

The demon had heard of humans dying for things before; ignoring the warning of Angels, heading toward a monster to retrieve “trinkets” or “valuables” but Vizisco had never known of a human to risk themselves for something they made with their own hands.

It wasn’t food; Vizisco couldn’t smell the char of something cooking.

It wasn’t weaponry; there were no sounds of shaping, of the clang of steel.

It was… delicate. Breakable. A thing that could shatter from one poorly placed breath or from simply not being worked with fast enough. Vizisco couldn’t understand the logic behind that and their fingers tapped against the window sill. 

“Follow me,” Vizisco repeated, watching as the slow breathing stopped and the numbers began to move, and the demon listened as Kou moved quickly again, footsteps crunching the dry ash and dirt as he walked toward something. The sound of something molten being shifted and eventually placed and Vizisco listened as Kou breathed, apparently pleased. 

“Okay, last pot, one more sheet.” Kou spoke to themselves, and Vizsco finally turned away from the window, standing. Picking up their blade and fastening it around their waist, Vizsco moved carefully, listening to the way the wood creaked under their boots to find the door again, stepping outside into the sun. “Vi?”

Vizisco turned to the numbers, walking close to the human. 

“Wait, wait!” Kou’s voice made Vizisco stop, confused by the urgency. They couldn’t hear anything nearby that was dangerous, but the human sounded panicked. “Um, take.. Two? Maybe three steps to your left. You’re going to walk on my potatoes.”

“Oh.” Vizisco followed Kou’s instructions, stepping around the unseen garden before finally standing in front of the human. “I apologize.”

“It’s… fine, you can’t see and last night I led you around them,” Kou moved away, and the demon heard as metal hit clay, clearing the “pots” Kou kept referring to. “So… Do you have an answer?”

“To?”

“Would you stop me?”

“I cannot. But you should not.” Vizisco answered, still confused why the human seemed stuck on the idea. “My life is not safe and your safety is important.”

“So? I’m planning to leave anyway, and traveling with a demon is safer than on my own, right?” There was a strange tone to Kou’s words and Vizisco frowned, sensing something unspoken behind the human’s casual deflection.“So, you should stay until I’m ready to leave.”

“I–”

“Or I’ll go throw some stuff together and follow you right now, but I won’t be prepared to travel.” Kou interrupted, and Vizisco stared at the numbers that told him where the human was standing. The slow breathing started, and it was clear the human had begun working the glass while waiting to see what Vizisco would do. The demon let out a low hum, their head tilting slightly as they considered the standoff Kou had constructed. It was clearly a threat, but not like any threat Vizisco had heard before. Usually humans made threats to their safety to get a demon to leave, not to force one to stay. Unfortunately, there was still only one choice.

A demon cannot allow harm to a human.

“I will stay then.”

“Good!” Kou answered cheerfully between breaths, and Vizisco turned, listening for the way the wind was blowing. They still needed to return to Nrome and once he determined the wind was blowing from town, carrying the scent of humans, they began to walk in that direction. “Hey!”

“I need to speak to Nrome.”

“Who?”

“The angel.” Vizisco paused, glancing back to see that the numbers hadn’t moved, and the blowing continued. Good; the human seemed to believe him. “I need to inform them that the monsters are slain, and that I will be staying.”

“Oh.” Another breath. “Hurry back!”

Vizisco nodded before continuing into the trees, following the scent on the wind. Eventually, a low hum indicated they were slightly off in their walk, and the demon headed toward the sound instead. After all, it was a device Vizisco had given Nrome to help them find their way back, since without sight, trying to move through unfamiliar woods was otherwise too slow. The little hum grew louder, a slow, constant frequency, just above the human threshold for comfort but well within the range of demon perception. It buzzed low in Vizisco’s chest as they walked, guiding them back to the Angel’s small home. 

“Welcome Vizisco.”

“Hello Nrome.” Vizisco nodded as they stepped into the open doorway, once again being greeted with the angel’s numbers from where the being sat on the ground, unmoved from where Vizisco had left them.

{Ability: 50

Loveliness: 5

Corruption: 1}

Vizisco watched as the numbers shifted subtly, a small acknowledgment of their arrival. Nrome was very still for an Angel; Vizisco had met angels that made more of an effort to “act human”, but Nrome was not one of them. They didn’t pretend to breathe, didn’t blink or shift their weight or hum to fill silences. They simply waited, a perfect monument to patience, like a statue that occasionally answered questions. Vizisco preferred angels like Nrome.

“I will be remaining.”

“Oh?”

“The human, Kou, has requested it.” Vizisco listened as Nrome stood, stopping the device as they moved around their small home. 

“I see.”

“I am here to fulfill my promise.” The demon listened as Nrome seemed to reach into some kind of chest, retrieving a material that sounded like cloth. “You said you cannot wait.”

“No, my life will end soon, so I cannot wait for another angel to come give me what I need.” Nrome affirmed, their voice calm as they continued to gather the cloth. “You have my thanks, Vizisco.”

“It is no problem.” Vizisco began to remove their belt, carefully placing their sword against one of the walls. They were surprised when they felt the cloth pressed into their hand, and the demon fumbled to accept it. “Why?”

“Humans are delicate about such things. The cloth will tell them not to enter until we are done.” Nrome answered and Vizisco nodded, turning back to where they could feel the sunshine. Running their hand along the top of the doorway allowed them to hook the cloth, hanging it carefully over the entrance as Nrome had instructed. It was coarse linen, marked with a smear of chalk that Vizisco assumed was some kind of human glyph or phrase. Human boundaries were strange, fluid things, and yet all angels and demons honored them without question.

Once the cloth was in place, Vizisco turned back to face Nrome, their numbers further away, and lower. The demon took their braid, carefully wrapping it higher to get it out of the way, before reaching out for Nrome’s hand. It was given, and Vizsco allowed the angel to guide them closer. 

“I will be quick.” Vizisco promised, watching as the number bounced, indicating Nrome’s acceptance of their statement and felt as the angel placed their hand on their body. A body smaller than their own, but Vizisco knew it was fine. It was not the first time an angel had needed this from them and joining was never a problem. They carefully lifted the angel’s dress, hearing as the being below them sighed. 

“Thank you.”