Vizisco sat as Kou slept, listening as the wind still blew through plants all around them. The sun was still up, but the human had cried himself into unconsciousness, and Vizisco simply shifted their position, pulling Kou’s head onto their lap. The scent of blood was still heavy and their clothing was becoming uncomfortable as the viscera dried, but Vizisco knew they couldn’t risk moving away from Kou. 

Vizisco had never encountered a monster that spoke so eloquently; they had encountered some that could manage broken, stuttered speech, but Adele’s voice had been clear. The beast had even implied it could still read, which Vizisco found surprising based on what he could tell about its form. It had used several limbs to try and pin him, but even without sight, the beast's body was heavy and gave plenty of warning that Vizisco used to sever the limbs. It then seemed incapable of moving or even trying to flee, and the final blow was easy, allowing Vizisco to try and track Kou.

Vizisco glanced down at their lap, staring at the numbers that confirmed the weight on their thighs was the human. Kou had what Vizisco had been told was a “panic attack”; it was a common reaction from humans when confronted with monsters and one Vizisco was used too. What confused the demon was that Kou had not had a panic attack when they killed the first monster, within feet of him. Then, Kou had been calm, even put together enough to threaten the demon into staying. 

So why was this time different? 

Kou mumbled something in his sleep, too soft for Vizisco to understand and the demon waited until the human stilled again, the restless twitching in his arms fading to shallow, uneven breathing. Vizisco shifted slightly, adjusting Kou’s head so he rested more comfortably, then returned their attention outward, listening to the field. The breeze carried the distant scent of rain and something fouler, still lingering at the edges of the farmhouse. Vizisco frowned; the “house” was not a place of shelter, not when it was covered in blood and viscera that Kou would be able to see, but they knew from experience that humans did not do well when wet for long periods of time. 

Reluctantly, Vizisco gently nudged Kou, waiting until they heard the human groan.

“It is about to rain,” Vizisco insisted, feeling as Kou shifted. “I need to move you inside. If there another shelter near by?”

“A… shed. It’s… behind the house,” Kou finally answered, and Vizisco nodded, leaning over as they carefully felt for Kou’s knees. Finding them, they quickly lifted the human, turning back toward the scent of blood. “My… bag…” 

“Where is it?”

“One… three steps,” Kou whispered and Vizisco nodded, feeling their boot brush against the broken shards. They carefully leaned down, letting Kou cling to their neck as they retrieved the pack. Kou had proven several times he would risk himself for what he wanted, and now was not the time to test how far that went. “Thank you.”

“Close your eyes. You should not see.” Vizisco instructed, adjusting the pack on their shoulder as they walked back up toward the house. They paused once they stepped on the broken glass, turning to walk around the structure. The wind was luckily calmer at the back, carrying less of the thick, rotting scent. Vizisco moved carefully, their boots crunching faintly against the earth as they followed Kou’s mumbled directions. It didn’t take long for Vizisco to feel the sun blocked by a structure and they reached out, feeling the wooden door. 

They pushed against it, and found it did not move. Frowning, the demon slowly dragged their fingers down the seam and found the issue; some sort of device that kept the door from moving. With a quick pull, the device broke and Vizisco stepped inside as the door swung open. 

The shed smelled like damp wood and old iron, a sharp contrast to the rot still clinging to the main house. Vizisco stepped carefully over the threshold, mindful of Kou’s slight form in their arms, and immediately shifted to close the door behind them. The space was cramped, cluttered with the lingering scents of rusting tools and dried grass, but it was dry, and that was enough. Vizisco knelt slowly, setting Kou down on what felt like an empty patch of the floor. 

“Rest,” Vizisco said, and for once, Kou didn’t argue with them. Vizisco listened as the human simply shifted, and the numbers indicated that Kou had laid back down. Vizisco carefully set the bag down, and walked around the space, dragging their hand to get an idea of what they were dealing with. Rusted rakes, cracked buckets, old coils of rope, a few battered crates… nothing that could offer much comfort, but at least there was no hint of animals or danger. Vizisco found a tattered old blanket crammed behind a barrel and pulled it free, running a hand to make sure it didn’t hide potential sharp objects before carefully draping it over the human.

The rain started not long after, the first heavy drops pounding the roof like thrown stones. Kou shifted beneath the blanket, but didn’t wake, his breathing still ragged but no longer frantic. Vizisco turned back toward the door, carefully opening it to the pouring sheets. Quietly, they removed their belt and clothing, stepping out into the downpour.

They carefully placed the stained articles in the rain and began to walk around the “farm”, the rain giving them more sounds and textures to navigate by. Each footstep against the softening earth, each rush of runoff slipping through the furrows between the crops, added to the living map in Vizisco’s mind. 

The land was quite massive, and every inch, saved near the house, had been devoted to the “crops” the family here had grown. Kou had insisted that Fyre was proud to provide for others, and it was evident in how every plant was organized to ensure as much food as possible could be grown. Vizisco didn’t know much about crops however, and so it would be Kou who would have to inform them of what he needed. 

Instead, Vizisco stepped back into the house, stepping over the lump that remained in the doorway. The monster’s body was still, a good sign that they had successfully killed it and instead, Vizisco began to feel around for the “cloth” Kou had intended to trade for. After all, there was no reason to force Kou to come inside and risk another “panic attack”. From what Kou had said, it should be soft, smooth, gentle…

“Here,” Vizisco muttered, feeling a blood-caked scrap that was hanging out of some sort of box. Vizisco lifted it, realizing this was also sealed with a device. Breaking it, Vizisco opened, quickly checking to see if the “cloth” was blood strained and to their relief, only the one corner seemed ruined. The demon quickly removed the tainted piece and, closing the box, stepped back outside into the rain and worked their way back to the shed. As soon as they stepped back inside, it was clear Kou had not woken up and Vizisco was careful not to allow their body to drip onto the human as they placed the box inside. 

Stepping back outside, Vizisco returned to their clothing. The blood and viscera clinging to their clothes washed away easily enough, but Vizisco remained standing in the rain longer than necessary, letting the cold soak into their skin. They needed to be clean, completely, before touching Kou again. Trying to hold him in a way that did not transfer the substance had been difficult, and the lingering scent of rot might confuse or frighten the human more when he woke.

When they finally judged themselves clean enough, Vizisco quickly dressed, each motion efficient despite the clinging wetness. With one last sweep of their surroundings, they turned back toward the shed, their steps leaving deep impressions in the softening ground. They closed the door, once again sitting on the ground across from Kou’s numbers. 

Kou’s breathing was even and slow, the exhausted cadence of a body that had nothing left to give. He shifted under the old blanket, his hand twitching as if grasping for something unseen. Vizisco frowned, concerned as he heard Kou’s fingers try to dig into the wood. Was the human awake?

“Kou?” Vizisco reached toward the sound, but as soon as their fingers touched Kou, the human’s hand wrapped around their’s, gripping with a strength that was startling in its desperation. Vizisco froze, feeling the fine tremor still running through Kou’s body, the way his nails dug slightly into their skin as if afraid to let go. Kou didn’t wake, but his breathing settled a little more, the frantic edge smoothing into something softer, more uncertain.

Vizisco sighed again, shifting a bit closer as the rain hammered harder against the roof, the sound drowning out the last of the farm's unnatural silence. It was clear it would not let up any time soon, and Vizisco relaxed, settling into a patient stillness as Kou’s smaller form remained curled close by. Vizisco kept their fingers entwined with Kou’s, careful not to shift or startle him.