Oren looked up at the archer before lowering his distant gaze to the blood-streaked grass.
The expression he wore might have looked like shame, but he was only contemplating his next step.
'I can't run or hide anymore…'
Before he could think further, his grip tightened around the emerald dagger hidden inside his robe, a weapon he had carefully stolen in the midst of that scornful battle.
Letting a calm smile settle on his face, he went to speak, but the archer beat him to it.
"No..." He looked down with a wry smile. "I am not here to capture or harm you, demon. My name is Selvarius. I bear no surname."
He paused for a moment, then added, "I am only here to make a deal with you."
He raised his gaze, but did not elaborate.
'Selvarius...'
Oren opened his mouth to speak.
"Those Enlightened, you might ask...?" He cut in.
"As of now, I'm no longer with them. It was only temporary. Actually, those fools no longer want your head, so do not fret."
Selvarius shook his head, then looked into the distance.
"They left Eurdream a few hours ago, so they won't be after me either. Even then, I'm the least of their worries... But it is getting rather dark... so I think we—"
The word barely left the archer's mouth before Oren shot to his feet, and a startled gasp escaped the archer's mouth.
Despite the lingering exhaustion from the fight and the weeks spent traversing the mountains, the brief rest had left him surging with energy.
He forced his fatigued body up, but it was already too late for Selvarius had already jumped back several steps out of range.
"Wait!"
He studied Oren, trying to discern his intentions, "...I surrender. We mustn't fight. I may be Enlightened, but I am not stupid like those you fought.
"I know I cannot win a battle against an immortal… a self-proclaimed demon at that."
Oren's grip over the dagger loosened ever so slightly.
'An Enlightened surrendering...?'
'What did he mean by "self-proclaimed demon"...?'
The archer suddenly stepped forward, his grey eyes remaining unmoved as though being threatened was ineffective.
"I have come to wager with you, Demon. I didn't mean to harm you. I did what I had to. And for what it's worth," his gaze hovered around the bulging wound of his neck, "I'm sorry."
Oren laughed inwardly. 'Then what is this, "no harm"... and there's an arrow in my neck.'
After a moment, he considered the words.
'Does he really just want to make a deal? In all honesty, If he wanted money, he could have taken my head whilst I slept.'
Seeing an opportunity to obtain more information, he pressed the blade closer to his throat, making Selvarius's eyes widen.
Oren spoke carefully.
"You wanted... to make a deal?"
"Yes… you are heading to Erdream, are you not? I happen to have come from the wall of fog. "
"But seeing you wail within the impermanent fog made me doubt your ability to find your way."
"I know you cannot see through it as I can. So, I could escort you to your destination."
Listening to Selvarius, Oren fell into deep thought.
'Erdream…? Those people had known this?'
Aiming his gaze to the direction of the fog wall, he dismissed the thought.
The mist was like a great wall, towering over the forest, clinging to the mountainside, in between Erdream Forest and Erdream City.
Many were lost in its depths, taking weeks to get out, only to find they had returned to where they started.
Despite planning this, Oren did not know how he was meant to traverse the fog. The option that Selvarius could escort him was tempting, but how could he trust him?
So the shortcut would be taking this archer with him. On the other hand, he would be vulnerable in the fog.
"You want to walk me through the fog? Are you not afraid of what I might do? Have you not heard the stories?"
Selvarius stepped closer without hesitation, stopping just short of Oren, his gaze steady yet strangely unlit.
"Who hasn't heard of you in the myths?"
Selvarius's gaze lingered on him.
"Of what stained your life and turned you into a malicious beast. Having stolen, starved, and killed dozens of men and women, you used humans as tributes."
His expression darkened.
"And then came the Erols... you forced those creatures into existence using the world's energy."
Selvarius's gaze sharpened slightly as he stepped closer, studying Oren with quiet focus.
"And yet, I hope that you had your own reasons, as do I. Reasons I choose to believe in, at least."
'Reasons? Those Erols... that was what he had been doing, back then?'
But even then, he could not find it. Now, it seemed foolish. He had spent so much time, he had so much time, and yet, he could not even bear the fruits of his adventure.
Oren shook his head, quietly glancing at the trees and the blood-streaked ground weaving through the undergrowth behind him.
He faced Selvarius, then spoke with a smile, unable to shake off the peculiarity of their situation.
"That works well then. We can reach the wall of fog in peace, but before that, we must talk about your own terms..."
As he said the words, his eyes deepened in concern, instantly hearing a reply.
"Already..."
Selvarius closed his mouth.
And for a moment, lingered on what to say to this man who felt uncannily familiar, though he had never met him before.
Eventually, Selvarius spoke again, a faint smile returning.
"But it is hard to trust a demon, you know. And it is even harder to make a deal with one."
He glanced at the arrow still protruding from his neck in disdain, then asked solemnly.
"The tales are only of the immortal demon... So why don't you tell me your name...?"
Wiping the dry blood from the corner of his lip with his thumb, he said, "The Immortal Demon is my name—"
"You don't have a human name?"
Selvarius's eyes narrowed slightly, as though he had heard a lie.
"Hmm, this will have to do, for now. I am only escorting you to Eurdream after all."
Oren's gaze shifted.
"Sadly, you are mistaken, Selvarius. You will not merely escort me to Erdream. If we are doing this, our deal will be beyond that."
He exhaled.
"For me to enter Erdream, you will become my dutiful hostage and obey my every command. If you promise to comply, this will go much easier."
Selvarius frowned, considering Oren's words.
"Why a hostage of all things...?"
"Because I am difficult to trust. To the people in Erdream, you helped protect their home. You Enlightened rarely cause harm, and so you are someone they would not wish to see punished."
"And so, if they ever come close, if they dare attack, you would, without a doubt, stand before them and give up your neck as a warning."
Oren looked away.
"Though I doubt it would ever happen. I fear the news that I attacked your leader has already spread."
"How do you know this for certain?" Selvarius's brow furrowed slightly.
"It always does. That is why the people of Erdream will most likely rebuke me, maybe even attack me... and we don't want anything bad to happen... do we?"
To Oren's surprise, Selvarius nodded, as though he had already considered it.
When the Enlightened archer next spoke, he was calm and collected, his eyes shifting from a hollow grey to something fuller.
"Alright then. I will become your hostage. I do not mind. What I care about is what I will gain from this, so tell me what you will give me in return."
'Tell? Me? It is supposed to be a request.'
What could he want?
It was not only strange that Selvarius had approached him, but that the man expected him to know his ardent desire without asking him his own reasons for going to Eurdream.
He hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a sincere tone, "I am not a telepath, so tell me, what do you want? If I cannot give it, then I will be on my way."
But upon hearing Selvarius's next words, Oren's gaze lingered on him.
The smile on his face disappeared.
"What I request is an Erol... The challenge of finding this peculiar creature will be arduous, since they don't have individual names. So I wonder if you know anything similar."
Selvarius's lips curved into the faintest smile, as he spoke calmly.
"I want your knowledge."