Osiria was shaking on the floor. For all of her high and mighty talk. For all of her strength. Once she was stripped of her power she was sterrified and it showed. Rhenakos freed her and that made her feel much better but her legs would not let her move. They felt like jelly and would not get off the floor. Her eyes instead moved to watch Rhenakos deal with the fiends. To her they were worse than any demon.

"I will try to be… My legs can't move." She merely nodded to his slight scolding. "Rhenakos?" Her voice was so soft and shaken as her eyes met his. "Can we just go upstairs?"

She tried to push herself off the floor but she fell down in a shaky mess. "Can you take me please? There's too many eyes on me… It makes me feel dirty."

In his arms she snuggled up to him as he carried her up the stairs.  Her legs were throbbing in his arms and her heart was beating so hard it was easy to hear. She was scared.

“Here,” he said as he picked her up carefully. For all of her fire and spunk, she was surprisingly light and frail. He held her for a moment, making sure he had her, and then went ahead up the stairs. She pointed to the room, and Rhenakos brought them to it. With a bit of readjusting, Rhenakos unlocked the door and carried Osiria in.

He carefully placed her on the bed, and sat down next to her, steadily stroking her hair. “It’s okay now,” he said softly. “It’s over with.” Even now, he could see that she was struggling. Her shallow breaths were a dead giveaway. “Do you need anything? Water? Food? Time alone?” He wasn’t sure what she needed.

It was a strange thing, for Rhenakos to be caring so much, and even he knew it. Getting close to people was something that had long since been something he was hesitant to do. And with good reason. He was half suicidal, crazed, and hell bent on the destruction of demonkind. It was a miracle he was still alive. And that was not even getting in to the emotional trauma of what he had gone through.

Yet, here he was, taking care of someone who he had managed to develop a bond with, a person that, though he would never admit, he might actually care about.

And it terrified him to his core.

Osiria whipped up at him once she was on the bed. When he asked her what she thought she needed she thought long and hard about it. "I just need you. So stay here please." Osiria took his arm and wrapped it around her as she stuck her head into his chest for comfort. He smelled good to her and it was odd to her. It scares her that she was relying on him of all people.

She took his free hand in hers as her thumb rubbed gently across his callous skin. Her orange eyes lulled before she closed them. Her breathing got slower as she turned her head up to him. "Rhen?" It slipped her mind not to call him that but her voice was barely audible as she leaned up and kissed him.

"Distract me." She said as their lips barely parted. She pulled him over her and looked up at him. She looked so fragile in that moment as she pulled him down to kiss once again.

Rhenakos resisted the urge to roll his eyes when she called him Rhen, but he chose not to. In this moment, he would let her get away with it. Just this once. Still, when she pulled him over to her, asking for a distraction, he was surprised at the look he was given. A being with this kind of power, this fire in her, was laying nearly broken beneath him.

“If that is what you want,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss her. Words were not needed past that point. He kissed her again, and started to take off his shirt. From there, it was a slow road of tentative, light touches, and an unusual amount of affection.

The emotions that he felt during their sex was the closest thing to comfort that he had felt in a lifetime. Everything seemed to last an eternity, and when everything was finished, he found himself holding Osiria’s bare body close. Her warmth was something that he had grown to enjoy. At this point, he might even admit to himself that he would miss it if she were gone.

“Osiria…:” he whispered, barely audible. “I won’t let them hurt you…” He wasn’t sure why he was saying it. He wasn’t even sure if he could actually protect her. He could barely hold his own in a fight. But it was something that he felt he needed to say.

“…on’t leav….” he said, barely forming the words.

He was slow and gentle with her which was the exact opposite of how he normally was. Normally their sex was rough and had the essence of no strings attached. This time was different. It was sensual and he was paying attention to her.

This did make her feel better if only for the way he made her feel. It alarmed her a lot that he could have an effect like this on her when she thought he was such an ass… Did that mean that she was reevaluated how she felt about him? She shuddered at the thought but it wasn’t a bad thing. He made her feel good and it looked like she did the same for him.

“Mmm?” She rubbed her head into his neck softly as he called her name. Her lips kissed the top of his chest as she smiled. Her smile could be felt against his chest since he was holding her so tight. “I know you won’t.” She wasn’t sure if he could but it was just the thought of it. She knew that he would probably save her and that was comforting that he would try.

“I won’t,” she murmured into his chest as they fell asleep. After a few hours, he began to sweat and groan a bit in his sleep. Osiria rubbed her eyes and looked up. He almost hit her in the face as he dreamed. “Rhen…” She pulled herself up to where she was sitting with her back against the backboard of the bed. She put him against her chest and gently stroked his hair. “It’s okay Rhen…” She wondered what he was dreaming about. “I’m here.” Her other hand gently stroked his back.

He could feel the demon in his sleep. A flaming mass clad in iron, with crimson eyes. The flames wrapped around everything, consuming the world itself. There were screams in the distance, the smell of death hanging in the air. Its slow, methodical steps were like hammers in a forge, sending chills down his spine.

Laughter. Inhuman laughter. A burning claw outstretched, pressing against bare flesh, the nail digging into the skin. He could feel the pressure in his left eye. More laughter, echoing. Burning, searing pain.

But the flaming mass was not the demon. No, the flaming mass was Rhenakos himself, his arm reaching out, throttling an innocent woman who stood in front of her demon lover. It didn’t matter. The demon would die, and all those who protected them would suffer the same fate. But he didn’t want to kill her. He had no choice.

The guilt would consume him in the end. All the pain and death he had caused. He knew it would all come back. That’s why he knew he didn’t deserve the kindness given to him. Yet, for some reason….

Her presence was there. Rhenakos opened his eye, glancing up at Osiria. “…oh.” He closed his eye, and took a deep breath. The dreams were already fading away. He knew that they would return again, though. “Morning…how are you feeling?”

“Forget how I am feeling…” Osiria brought him close and kissed him soundly. “You were having a nightmare.” He was laying on her still and that was fine as she softly caressed his hair. “I don’t suppose you want to talk about it with you being you.” She kept close to him as she pulled the blankets up onto his waist more. “That’s okay though. If you want to tell me you can eventually.” The half phoenix gave him a soft smile as she rubbed his chest now in comforting touches.

After a bit, she slipped out of bed and got dressed. It was an odd thing that made her heart feel weighted as wasn’t around him anymore. It was silly because she wasn’t even a foot away from him. Stupid feelings. Stupid heart. Stupid Rhenakos.

Her orange eyes looked back at Rhenakos as she buttoned up her shirt. “We should get ready to go into the Dragon’s Hoard. It’s almost time for that guy to show up.” She fluffed her hair out of her shirt before she put her pants on. It was weird for her and she was taking long breaths. Her eyes drifted back to Rhenakos. “Hey, Rhen? Are you going to be okay?”

"It's nothing new," he said, looking away after Osiria kissed him.  "It happens.  I'll be fine."  He laid for a moment longer, enjoying the feeling of his hair being played with.  It was oddly comforting.  A part of him knew deep down that it would never last though.  Still, after enjoying it for a time, the two started to move.  They had business to deal with after all.  Rhenakos got up, watching as Osiria got dressed.  He followed suit shortly after, and did his own morning routine.  

The two passed each other a few times during the morning routine, but neither seemed to be speak to each other about anything that had happened.  Rhenakos himself had decided to push the feelings of the nightmare to the back of his mind.  Another mistake he knew he would regret at a later point…but right now it was manageable.  It's all fine… He accidentally brushed against Osiria, and he paused. "Sorry," he muttered, and continued on. Whatever feelings you're having…crush them. You'll just drag her down with you…

Osiria finally spoke, asking her question. Rhenakos thought for a moment, and with a fake smile, looked her in the eye. "Of course I'll be okay." The lie he told himself every day. It was obvious, as plain as day. But she couldn't argue with him. He couldn't argue with himself over it.

If this goes the direction you want it to go… Rhenakos thought, It'll destroy you. Heart and soul.

“You don’t have to be sorry.” She watched him with gentle eyes. Once he told her he would be okay she cupped his face and kissed his cheek. “Alright if you say so.” She knew he was lying but he was a stubborn ass. There was no way he would tell her anything different.

Leaving the inn was the best part of everything as she flexed her fire magic. She even thought she saw one of the men who harassed her. They saw her stretch and cowered a bit. She didn’t have time to make them pay and Rhenakos had scared them pretty good.

They left the city to head into the dragon’s hoard. Osiria made eye contact with the dwarven guards as they walked past. “This should be fun.” She put her hand on her hip as they looked at the diverging pass. “So… I think we should have checked maps before we came here… Any idea which way we should go? Or do you think that both ways go towards the hoard?”

Off in one of the tunnels was a crying dragon roar. “Or… that way.”

As Rhenakos and Osiria left the inn, the two noticed the individuals from the night before. Osiria had already been flexing her magic again, and it seemed as though she might go after them, but as they cowered from Rhenakos’ gaze, she apparently decided against it. He scoffed, “Idiots.” He couldn’t help but throw a smirk at Osiria.

They left the city and made their way to the dragon’s hoard, the entire time staying mostly silent. Rhenakos wondered if lying to Osiria had been a mistake, but she didn’t seem to act any different. The sooner she learns who I really am, the better, he thought to himself. They finally reached the point of the diverging paths, and Osiria stopped, her hands on her hips.

“Well,” Rhenakos said, glancing either way. He took a sniff of the air, and frowned. “Definitely a demon scent…” A grin spread across his face. “There’s nowhere to run. I’ll find it…”

Before he could move, there was a roar from the dragon deep within. Osiria shrugged, suggesting that was the way to go, and Rhenakos agreed. The two made their way down the pass, Rhenakos taking the lead with his blade already drawn. He could feel the burning bloodlust rising in his chest.

Kill…

It wasn’t long before they started to spot piles of treasure. Gold and silver mounds taller than Rhenakos, gems that gleamed brighter than the starry sky, weapons that could slay dragons and smite even the mightiest of daemons. The demon hunter didn’t notice a single thing. His focus was the demon that he knew was tormenting the dragon up ahead.

He didn’t even stop to think if the dragon would kill him.