Arc 2: Chimera

Chapter 22: The Scarlet Sting Part III

Another three days had passed, this time after Addie revealed his identity as an "Incubus".

Reared from a Human-led nation, Raze was well aware of the race called Demons. All his life, he had heard news of the fierce attacks of the warrior-like Wrath Demons and sly conjurers from the Pride faction, all striking fear from their strongholds in the northwesternmost domains. The neighboring Human countries had waged continuous battles against these two powerful Demon sub-tribes; if not for the in-fighting amongst these beings born from Corruption, Humans wouldn't have stood a chance. The Chimera knew there were five more divisions amongst the Demons, with the least troublesome amongst them all being those possessing the sin of Lust.

Incubi and Succubi appeared throughout the continent's history, but rarely do they make a mark so big to treat them as a serious threat to humanity. The most Raze could remember were about a handsome Incubus that caused the downfall of several countries by trapping their royal family in a humongous maze and a sex-crazy Succubus that preyed on the family of the legendary Hero Valerion the Virtuous. There were also some rumors about a mad necromancer that organized orgies with the living and the dead, but that was a corrupted Human that was usually mistaken in the storybooks as a Demon. That was expected since to most people, the difference between the two was negligible. Regardless, these villains were easily dispatched as long as Humans don't fall prey to their wiles.

In short, Lust Demons were the weakest of this fearsome existence. After taking into consideration Addie's physique and easily Sealed Magic, Raze concluded that the self-proclaimed Incubus wasn't much of danger to himself or the Chimeras.

And so, rather than killing him outright, Raze simply sent Addie to his room, relegating to imprisoning and interrogating the other party.

To Raze's surprise, Addie was very cooperative and answered his questions succinctly and without much persuasion. Though the honesty of his words was still up in the air, the Chimera listened well and learned that a small group of Lust Demons had taken root in the Extollan Wastes. Addie and a few others explored the nearby areas, but unfortunately fell prey to the Shifting Sand and he was kidnapped and then moved to the Chimeras.

Raze was a bit astounded, especially when he discovered that Demons had been living close to the nest for a few months now. Addie explained that they were all masters of Disguise, and their most powerful member had an ability to manipulate illusions, so unless the Chimera Captain himself investigated, none would be the wiser. That was indeed the case, since Raze barely left the area surrounding the nest after he woke up two years ago. However, he remembered the mysterious occurrence of the disappearing fortress a few months ago, which befuddled both he and Linus at the time. Several scouts were sent to check the scene, but soon returned with nothing to report.

With Addie's confession, Raze guessed that it had something to do with the Lust Demons and the existence of that invisible tower could be rightfully reasoned out this way. But while the youth elaborated that the Lust Demons didn't mean any harm and only wanted to survive in this harsh land, the fact that they brought Corruption with them could not be avoided.

To this accusation, Addie only shrugged his shoulders and gave the Chimera a pointed look. "What does that have to do with you and the Chimeras? You're not Humans, so you guys are basically immune to Corruption."

Raze's mind halted for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak, but soon learned that he had no counter arguments.

The young Incubus leisurely laid down on Raze's bed with no embarrassment whatsoever. "And it's not like we've got ambitious plans like taking over the world or something. We Lust Demons are indeed devious and ostentatious, but we're not so delusional as to think we can live without mixing in with the Humans."

The Chimera Captain felt like he had been hit once again by the Demon's sharp words. But a third strike was coming his way as Addie continued to speak. "But while we do accept the fact that we can only live with Humans, that doesn't mean we have to sway to their every whim."

The ebony-colored eyes presented a straightforward and piercing gaze. "We are Demons, first and foremost. We never forget that Humans think of us differently. We can only hide and persevere, but we will not succumb to them either."

A great sense of belonging, an unshaken identity that cannot be questioned. Raze could feel the strength and resolve in those words, ironically contrasting his indelible hesitation and cowardly struggles. With just these few statements, Addie had proven that he was a better leader than him.

Conflicted and at a loss, Raze never thought of sharing the other party's true heritage to Linus or Fleming. He simply spent time conversing with the young man, showing a little bit of curiosity at his rude but frank personality and why he had to hide it behind timidity and insecurity. Addie simply gave him a look that said "are you stupid or what?" and Raze's poor social skills were once again presented in the limelight.

Appearances were definitely deceiving. Addie might look soft and weak, but he was extremely tough with his beliefs and never backed down even with Raze's cold atmosphere and overwhelming aura. The Incubus was oddly inquisitive, asking a lot of questions about the Chimeras and how they lived. In fact at times, Raze felt like he was the one being interrogated, with Addie behaving like he wasn't a prisoner and more like a troublemaker under room arrest.

For example, just yesterday, the young man kneeled on his bed with upturned eyes. "Hey Raze. Instead of Humans, can Chimeras mate with Demons?"

Once again, Raze's mind turned blank. "What?"

Addie looked innocent with his curious cat-like gaze and youthful face, but from the Chimera's standing viewpoint, he could see the pale skin underneath the thin and loose shirt, including two pink nubs. Raze coughed, but neither his expression or tone of voice betrayed anything. "Why're you asking about that?"

The Demon shrugged, as if the query was only out of pure interest. "You mentioned that the rate of matching between Chimeras and Humans is based on Charisma, right? Lust Demons have naturally high Charisma."

Raze nodded in assent; he already attributed the other man's supposed compatibility with him based on the Demon's absurdly high Charisma stat. It was provided by Fleming's tools and the results were definitely trustworthy.

But mating with Demons? That was out of the question. "I don't think it's good to associate with Demons…"

Addie threw out a huff and showed a face full of irony. "That doesn't sound so convincing coming from you."

The Incubus' skill to stun with words was still effective against Raze. The Chimera Captain stayed silent, especially after remembering the fact that he masturbated to the thoughts of the Demon in front of him. Still, it was under the precedent that the young man was a Human…

"With the way you're talking so gently to me, I'd completely forgotten you disliked us Demons," said Addie. Raze then knew that the "association" the other man talked about was much purer than his thoughts. The Chimera sighed heavily; who was the vulgar one now?

Addie took the sigh as a disagreement to his words. "What, you're saying it was all in my head and you'll burn me at the stake tomorrow?"

Raze shook his head with a helpless look, though it only showed in his slightly drooping eyebrows and light tilt of his chin. Otherwise, he was still expressionless as ever. "No, I just keep forgetting…"

Addie raised a brow. "That I'm a Demon?"

"That I'm no longer Human," answered Raze truthfully. It's almost a century now and the Chimeras had already broken ties with the Nit Magedom, but he was still standing at the crossroads between a Human and a being other than a Human.

Wasn't his insistence on keeping his moral code only a remnant of his past Humanity? With his conflicted thoughts of putting the Chimeras first against the interest of innocents, he fooled himself into thinking he had let go but was still clutching at the straws. He blamed exhaustion for his decades-long sleep, but he knew himself that it was simply a way to escape reality.

Linus was right; he was using compassion and morality to mask his cowardice and refusal to face the truth. He was selfishly protecting what was left of his ties to Humanity, forgetting that the choice was never his from the start.

From the very beginning since he was picked for Project Tiamat, Raze had no right to become Human.

And as opposed to regret or self-deprecation, Raze had felt a sense of relief and satisfaction at his acceptance of the truth. It was like his eyes were finally opened wide, dispelled of the illusions and fallacies he somehow brought upon himself.

"Yes, I'm no longer Human." Raze turned to Addie with a complicated gaze, his eyes showing both mirth and tenderness.

For the first time, it was the Demon who was taken aback. Raze did not know the other person's thoughts, but he never imagined that the youth was also another existence who blurred the lines between two selves, that of a simple otherworlder and a chosen Demon King. Their levels of rejection to their new identities might be different, but it was also a fact that they shared the same sentiments and doubts.

Addie was quick to hide his surprise with mild sarcasm. "Took you long enough to understand."

Raze nodded, as if indulging the other person. However, his expression was a little softer and his entire body relaxed as if releasing heavy burdens. There was also a little bit of mischief in his tone. "Alright, I'll consider it."

The sudden change in topic puzzled the Incubus. "Consider what?"

"Consider taking in Demons as mates instead," replied the Chimera. At the same time, he took a look at Addie from head to toe, making the other man shiver for some reason. It was as if a thin paper had been pierced through and someone no longer repressed his innermost desires, indulging in it instead.

For once, Addie had a wary look on his face, befitting a prisoner whose fate was left uncertain. "What're you looking at me for?"

Raze's grin was a little wider than usual, accenting his already handsome looks. "Taking a look at my prospective mate, of course."

~

Raze was in a good mood for almost a day now. Remembering the reddening cheeks of Addie after being teased, he felt surprisingly refreshed, smiling in a gentle and noble manner. The subtle expressions on his face were so vivid that even Linus couldn't help but disturb him.

However, remembering their ugly argument, the shark and wolf combination Chimera acted perfunctorily. "What's with the disgusting grin? Had fun with Addie these past few days?"

The Captain was a little shocked to see the other party approach him first. He had wanted to talk about Addie's identity as a Demon with his closest confidants but got distracted by the memories of the Incubus' embarrassed face. Still, it was good that Linus was keen to put a ceasefire on their cold war, so he put on his version of an easygoing grin.

"Yes, he was a very interesting person. I think he's good enough to be my mate."

If he didn't have such a noble upbringing, Raze would have laughed at the way Linus' face contorted into doubt and disbelief. He couldn't even utter a single comprehensible word. "Uh, ah, what?"

This time, Raze did give out a chuckle. "Why act so surprised? Weren't you keen on pushing him unto me?"

"Well, no, I mean yes but…" Linus looked both disturbed and alarmed at the same time, which turned out to be quite an interesting expression on his face. "Isn't he some kind of spy from the Magedom?"

Raze dropped in a thoughtful mood, but he guessed that although Addie might have more secrets, there was no reason for the youth to lie about his Demonic identity. Furthermore, the Incubus was a proud and straightforward person who stuck to his beliefs. Probably he was influenced by his good feelings for the other, but weirdly enough he wanted to trust the Demon.

"He isn't a spy, but he has a sensitive identity." Raze decided to protect Addie for the moment. Anyway, sooner or later he would clear everything up with Linus and Fleming, but he wanted to be entirely sure if Demons could replace Humans as the Chimera's mates.

Of course, as his Vice Captain, Linus could easily see through Raze's machinations, but trusted him enough not to pry further. He easily guessed that the Captain had his reasons for keeping things in the dark for now, but he will learn everything anyway sooner or later so there was no need to be so obtrusive. "Fine, if you're sure, but try not to fall prey to the beauty trap."

Raze gave his usual annoyed look so Linus adopted a good mood. He patted his good Captain's shoulder and winked. "It's been a while so make sure to restrain your inner beast a little. Think of your reputation when your little love breaks a hip bone and we have to call Fleming in!"

The Chimera Captain resisted the urge to punch his cocky subordinate. Thinking they just barely announced truce, he contented himself with stepping on the other's tail and pretending it was an accident.

"Whatever." Raze had a cold face while Linus yowled in pain. "It's my turn to take Fleming's new medicine today so I'll be back in a few hours."

If Raze didn't leave so abruptly and so quickly, he would have witnessed Linus scratching his head and adopting a pensive look. "But I already took it today…?"

Raze found his usual hideout for consuming the experimental medication. These drugs were so incredibly troublesome nowadays, with the aphrodisiac qualities combined with his lingering desires for the young Demon making it a deadly combination. But while he used to feel a little guilt at using the Incubus for his own lewd intentions, after yesterday's breakthrough, he only felt it was natural to fantasize about raven-colored hair and eyes, a smooth face and enticing fair skin, hued with the crimson tint he had seen before.

Raze wondered if Addie was exposed and feeling shy, would his entire body have that tender reddening blush…?

The Chimera was still thinking of his potential mate's body when he felt something wrong. The heat overlapping his figure was more intense than usual, as if he contracted a strong and uncomfortable fever. His senses suddenly quadrupled, making his already keen sight and smell atrociously sensitive to the point of almost vomiting due to severe nausea. Worst, his sanity was rapidly slipping in return for his savage-like impulses, as if unleashing the monster inside that was safely collared before…

Raze's widened eyes were full of horror and frustration. These were… Signs of mania!

He quickly was losing control of himself!

No!

For once, he had things to do, things he wanted to accomplish. He couldn't give in now!

To the Chimera Hero who never feared but longed for death, the feelings of helplessness were magnified a hundredfold.

MJ_Lee

Unfortunately, the cliffhanger will continue on as we will change to another person's POV in the next update.

Anyway, this arc's climax is coming closer and closer!

See you in the next chapter everyone!