Return of the Demon Sovereign (Book 1) [MxM]

18. Tracking (2)

Erebus followed the Devils' tracks, confirming they continued to herd Leo's party. He consulted the map multiple times but couldn't figure out their motives. Where were they pushing Leo?

Days passed, but he could not catch up to Leo for some reason. He had traveled back and forth repeatedly to check the tracks of both the party and the Devils, and he seemed to be headed in the right direction.

After several days, he found that the tracks had started to merge, meaning the Devils had decided to attack. He launched himself off of Skadi and began to examine the ground. He felt a rush of cold air pass through him as he found blood... elven blood. He cursed inwardly. It was a minor skirmish, but most of the party escaped despite struggles. However, he could tell that a few people had been dragged away to a different location.

He looked off in the direction the Devils retreated to and infused his mana in the surrounding shadows, spreading his domain to follow the captured people. The constant overuse of his mana and days of straining himself caused him to sway slightly. Skadi stood next to Erebus so he could lean against her.

A camp of 30 Devils was a ways off. He could sense at least four non-Devils but couldn't determine if Leo was amongst them because of his weakened mana. He wanted to sneak into the camp like before, but all the Devils were on high alert.

He smiled, suddenly reminiscing about his previous life as a part of the Fire Dragon sect. He and one of the Dragon Commanders had to sneak into the Devils' headquarters. Their method was effective but unorthodox.

He dismounted when he was close to the sentries scouting in rotation. When one walked near him, he moved like the darkness and pulled the Devil to the side, stabbing his throat. He waited a little longer and took the second sentry walking by and killed him.

He used his shadow mana to manipulate his appearance.  He covered his skin with shadows, turning him as black as night. His mana created a pair of horns on his head, elongated his fingers into claws, and gave him sharp fangs. He knew he now looked like a Devil Assassin, a creature that typically traveled alone.

He grabbed his knife and ripped open the chests of the Devils for the last part of his plan. Horrible crunching and cutting noises filled the air around him, making any creature nearby tremble.

The Devil camp was tense and quiet, the complete opposite of the last one he visited. Even more so when stepped into the light. The Devils rushed to their feet and pointed their weapons toward him.

"Who goes there?" One of the officers grunted in the Devils' tongue.

Erebus released a low and raspy laugh that chilled the others to the bone. "If you keep pointing your blades at me, I will be an enemy," He responded in the same language.

The Devils relaxed a little and lowered their blades. Erebus stepped forward, letting the campfire fully illuminate him. Covered in shadows and wrapped in black clothing, the only thing that stood out was his silver eyes and the black horns protruding from his head.

"You're an assassin?" The same officer asked.

"What else could I be?" Erebus grinned, revealing black teeth and fangs. 

The Devil was still skeptical. "Why have you stopped here?"

"I smelled something...." His eyes rested on the prisoners, beaten and tied against a pole. "...Delicious."

His eyes narrowed when he saw Nash's blonde hair. He studied the appearances of the others and determined that one prisoner was Comet and the other two were unknown soldiers of the Shadow Guards.