Sacrificed

Couldn't stay away from this story. I'm sure you all don't mind.

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Atrererus gently covered his small human with a blanket and left him to sleep. He was glad to once again be able to feed from the boy. Searching for willing bed partners in the human realm was irritating, but he hadn't wanted to risk seriously harming Ethan.

Leorie had taken a little too much from him, and Atrererus wasn't going to risk taking energy when Ethan was already short of blood. A week later, Atrererus was sure he had recovered.

He found himself making a small face of irritation. He knew for a fact that he was far too nice for a demon. At least the human wasn't still trying to disappear into the wall when he saw him. Atrererus was sure that would have been far more irritating than trying to appease him. Atrererus, for the most part, wasn't sadistic or malicious, so he didn't like it when he was feared for no reason.

Snorting slightly, he left Ethan on the bed to observe the blade that was laying, in its sheath and wrapped in cloth, on the table. He pulled it from its confines, observing it for a few minutes. He wanted to be angry at Leorie for taking too much from Ethan. He wanted to be angry. He knew that he couldn't be though.

Atrererus knew that the worth of the blade was worth more, to demons, than the life of over a hundred humans like Ethan. The blade had almost been a free gift. Atrererus knew that Leorie wouldn't have done this for anyone else. As much as he didn't like the demon at times, Leorie's fondness for him was extremely useful at times. He now had an offering to give to Tresporian in return for that human Jesse that Ethan was so obsessed with.

He gently slipped the blade back into the sheath. Ethan was a hopeful little creature. He knew though, that it wouldn't be too hard to break his hope. Ethan had gotten lucky. He was sure that if Ethan had been offered to another demon, he would have already been broken. He could even break without Atrererus intending it. He had to be cautious with the small human. If Ethan were to do anything stupid, Atrererus would not be able to protect him. Atrererus quietly made a decision.

Walking away from the blade, Atrererus walked to the large shelves of books in his room and pulled a particularly large one. The large, thick cover was sealed shut by a simple, but equally thick metal lock. Whispering a soft spell, the seal snapped open.

Without hesitation, Atrererus opened the large book, knowing exactly what page he wanted. Leaving the book open, he returned to the shelves and picked up a simple, but decent sized metal box. Opening it, there were various bits of metal, cloth, gems, and stones. He picked up two red gems the size of a marble, and picked up some cloth and metal.

Returning to the book with the materials, he set them down. He looked down at a spell on the pages, and began reading it quietly. He was sure Ethan wouldn't wake, but he didn't want to risk it happening, and then getting distracted. Spells required concentration, even for demons.

Picking up a red gem, and the bit of metal, he continued with soft words. After a short while, he touched the metal and gently pulled at the end. Because of the spell, it stretched like it was taffy. Slowly, he managed to break off a piece of the metal. Taking the metal, he began to roll it in his fingers, carefully forming the metal into a small ring. He used his finger to force it into the proper shape and size, before taking the gem and placing it on the top. Removing it from his finger, he set it down.

He picked up another bit of metal. Carefully, he shaped the metal before setting the other gem onto it. The metal formed around the gem nicely. Setting that down for now, he picked up the cloth and began to whisper more of the spell. The cloth grew, changing into a thicker material. It formed into a kind of strap. He took the gem with the metal, and pressed it against the center of the length. The metal wrapped around it, securing it, along with the gem.

Atrererus observed the material for a moment, before he was satisfied. He looked it over, placing his hands along it as if measuring the length of it. Then, taking his claws, he cut the material to shorten it. Picking up the rest of the bit of metal, he carefully separated it in half. He took each piece and held it to the ends of what had once been the small bit of cloth. As he held the two materials together, the metal entwined with the other, effectively sealing them both together. When both ends were attached to the bits of metal, he murmured another few words from the book.

The metal began to shape itself, shifting to make a kind of clasp. He attached the ends together, before speaking even more soft words. Carefully, he pressed his fingers against the gem, causing it to heat up significantly. As the spell continued, it began to glow softly. Atrererus was vaguely aware of the gem growing even hotter, but he payed it no attention.

Finally, he whispered the last bit of the spell. The newly formed item glowed for a moment, before settling, now looking like nothing more than a simple choker. The material was somewhat thick, almost like leather, and the jewel sat simply in the front, the only decoration.

Setting the creation down, he repeated a similar string of words to the ring. When that was finished, he set that down as well.

Finally, Atrererus closed the book, shutting the lock and whispering a few words to ensure it was sealed. He placed the book where it had been, before closing the box where the supplies had been.

Leaving the choker and the ring on the table beside the blade, he walked to the bed. Making himself comfortable, he waited for the human to wake. He wouldn't tell Ethan about the items just yet. He would wait until he had to.

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"That's not right!" Ethan yelled, making Atrererus pinch his nose. Could he get headaches? It sure felt like it.

"It doesn't matter what you think of the idea, it's happening anyway."

"That isn't right! That violates like, all human rights!"

Atrererus gave Ethan a dirty look. "Demon. Remember? I'm sure taking you from your home violated your rights as well, but you don't see many caring. This is a world of demons. I assure you, you have far more to worry about then something this insignificant."

"But..." Ethan tried to began, but finally shut up. "I don't want to.."

"Would you rather this, or risk making a mistake when in front of Tresporian and his little group of demons? I decided to not make you wear this until now, but there is only one day left until we need to visit that demon, and I don't think you'll manage around them. Should you make a mistake, the best outcome would you being beaten, or Tresporian getting irritated enough to refuse a deal. He'll ask me to leave, and he'll keep his new pet."

Atrererus was rather glad to see the defeated look on the human's face. When Atrererus had showed and explained his creation to Ethan, the boy had thrown a fit.

"I won't have to wear it after, right?"

"No. I will only make you while we are with Tresporian." The choker Atrererus had made, was spelled and connected to the ring. With the two items, Atrererus would be in total control of the human. The choker took away free will. Though Ethan would think and function normally, if Atrererus were to command him while wearing the ring, Ethan would have absolutely no choice but to obey. His body would act without his mind's consent. The spell was complicated, and required items that already had certain magical properties. The materials were difficult to acquire being rather rare, and those with knowledge of how to work the spell were even more uncommon. Those that did know how though, usually kept it to themselves.

Atrererus rather disliked items that did such things, but he didn't trust Ethan to be able to behave. He didn't want to risk having the human accidentally act out.

Atrererus watched as the human before him bit his lip. Atrererus had found that was a constant habit of Ethan's.

"Alright..." Ethan mumbled softly, obviously rather miserable.

Atrererus didn't let himself feel bad. Instead, Atrererus took the choker and wrapped it around Ethan's neck, clipping the pack pieces together. Looking at it, it looked rather like a pet collar. It was fitting, considering that the other demons thought of the humans as pets anyway.

Slipping the ring onto his finger, Atrererus touched the gem of the ring, to the one on Ethan's neck. They glowed for only a moment, before returning to normal.

"I'm going to give you an order now. I want you to try and ignore it." He waited for Ethan to nod. "Alright. Do you see that pillow on the bed? I want you to pick it up, and bring it to me."

Ethan was shocked to find himself moving. His body was almost numb as it moved without his permission. It was a strange feeling, and he decided he didn't like it in the slightest. He picked up the pillow on the bed, and brought it to Atrererus. If possible, he looked even more unhappy than he had before.

"Good. The spell is working properly. You are free to act as you wish until I order you again tomorrow."

Ethan nodded unhappily. Atrererus sighed. "It will come off tomorrow, after the meeting. Perhaps then you will have Jesse back."

Like Atrererus had expected, Ethan brightened up. It was only too easy to predict the human. Summoning a book into his hands, he sat and began to read. It was some book written by humans, involving some strange event with the phones they used. It had destroyed the sanity of a majority of the human race, leaving a few to live in fear of the newly crazed humans. It was strange, but interesting to see what fantasies the humans created.

"Atrer?"

Atrererus looked up from his book, meeting Ethan's eyes. "Is there something you need?"

"Do you want to play a game again? It's different than the other ones you played. Please?"

Atrererus watched the human for a few moments before setting his book down. "After this you will go to bed."

Ethan's face lit up and he nodded quickly, before going to set up one of the games. Atrererus wanted to roll his eyes at the human's enthusiasm. For such an irritating human, he was pleased by some of the simplest things at times.

Resting his chin on his hand, he waited for Ethan to finish setting up.

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"You will not speak, unless requested. You shall not express emotion. If spoken to, you shall refer to each demon with a proper title. You will keep the cloak hiding your features unless I specifically ask you to show yourself. Whether you can be seen, or your face is hidden, you will look down unless told otherwise. You will listen to what the others say, but you are not to act unless I give you permission first. You will not leave my side. When I move, you are expected to follow behind me. You will follow these rules, and you are not to do anything to interfere with the spell. Only when I tell you, you may act freely again."

Ethan found that he couldn't open his mouth to respond. Instead, he simply stared at the ground, allowing Atrererus to pull up the hood of the cloak. Atrererus had dressed in little clothing as usual, using a decorated black cloth around his waist. The blade from Leorie was attached to his side via a strap. The demon, was rather large. He was even larger than he had been when Ethan had first seen him. He also had decent sized wings and a spiked tail protruding from his back. If it had been any creature but Atrererus, Ethan would have found it frightening, but his fear of the demon had mostly faded since he had been spending his days with the large creature.

Atrererus watched Ethan for a few moments, before taking hold of the human and vanishing into the darkness. They appeared in a barren field, surrounded by a group of strange looking trees, whose blackened leaves swayed as if there were a soft wind blowing. Ethan wanted to ask where they were, but the spell prevented it.

Atrererus, knowing Ethan's extremely curious nature by now, explained. "My home is protected by magic. You have seen how there is no way to get in or out. The only way for one to enter is through my power. The escort sent by Tresporian wouldn't be able to enter. This place we are in is a common place for demons to go when they are trying to meet up with others."

Ethan would have more than likely asked a few questions, but yet again, the spell prevented him from speaking. It was for the best though, when a soft popping was heard.

A small creature appeared. It was a rather ugly beast, resembling a hairless monkey that had been covered instead in a mix of scales and spikes. It bowed clumsily.

"Lord Atrererus, shall I take you to Lord Tresporian?"

Atrererus nodded. "Yes. I am ready to go." He took hold of Ethan, allowing the little creature to grab him. The world changed, and they were no longer in the field. Instead, they were standing outside of what resembled a medieval castle. Atrererus vaguely thought about how predictable it was, but let the thought fade after a few moments.

The little creature scurried forward, large doors opening for them. Inside, there was an empty room with a large staircase at the end. To each side, there were doors as large as entrance. Following the creature to the one on the left, he waited for the doors to open.

"Lord Tresporian and his guests are inside waiting for you, my Lord. I shall take you no farther."

Atrererus nodded. "You are dismissed then."

The little creature bowed, and vanished. Upon the little popping sound, the doors opened on their own. Making sure Ethan was still behind him, he entered.

The large room was decorated with various sculptures and art, most of disturbing creatures or scenes. In the center, there was a circle of plush chairs and sofas, designed with various mixes of reds and browns. On them, sat various demons. There were two that resembled females, while the other three were obviously male. On the largest chair, is where Tresporian sat.

Tresporian was similar looking to the way Atrererus was now, except that his skin was a rather ugly shade of gray. Upon seeing Atrererus, the corners of his mouth lifted in a fake smile that almost looked real.

"How nice to see you, Lord Atrererus. Come. You are the last guest to arrive. Sit and speak to us for now, and later we may talk about your message." He gestured toward a large chair across from him. There was no introductions to the other guests, but a few nodded in acknowledgment at his entry.

"Thank you, Lord Tresporian." Atrererus said as he took his seat. Gently pushing down on Ethan's shoulder, the human knelt on the floor, his hands on his lap. His head remained down, hidden by the large hood.

Tresporian said nothing about the human by Atrer's feet. Instead, he smiled at the group. "Now.. We were just discussing the death of Ceada. You've heard of her, correct?"

"I have. Many years ago she and I had hunted lesser creatures out of boredom."

"Yes, she was rather fond of killing lesser scum. She unfortunately came into contact with a rather talented hunter. His weapon was spelled, and poisoned her."

"Truly a pity. She was rather skilled and pleasant to talk to."

"Yes.. There is a debate on some of her possessions. A small fight had began among those that knew her."

"I am glad I am not involved. It is pointless to fight over things like that."

Tresporian laughed. "Of course it is, for beings like us. We do not need to get into disputes with the greedy little creatures. We are better than that."

Atrererus had to stop himself from pointing out that Tresporian was a rather greedy creature himself. He agreed, and was glad when one of the other demons began speaking about another topic.

Atrererus leaned back his his chair, allowing the others to speak with only mind responses from himself. He mostly just listened to them talking. He didn't care much for talking with them. He was glad when a pair of demons stood. It was a male and one of the females.

"It was lovely to visit, Lord Tresporian. We yearn to return to our own home though."

"Ah.. Of course Mila.. I shall be having a gathering next week as well. Will you and Pyrae be attending?"

"We would not miss it." Mila stood to kiss the demon lord on the cheek. "We shall see you next week." She turned to a hardly dressed human that had been on the floor beside them. "Come!" She ordered the girl.

Atrererus felt a small spark of pity as the girl scrambled to her feet, before following them out the door like a frightened animal. Leaning back in his chair again, he listening once again as the conversation continued. Eventually, the others stood and left, followed by their frightened pets.

Finally, Atrererus was the only one left. His host smiled. "Now, Lord Atrererus, you had sent me a message with the request for a meeting. As I am sure you don't want to see me for a pleasurable chat, what is it you want?" He stood, leaning against the chair where he had been sitting.

Atrererus stood as well, eyes on Tresporian. "I have come to make a small request of you." Tresporian looked at him with genuine curiosity without speaking, which Atrer took as a good sign. "At you had said in your letter, you have recently gained a new pet. I have come to request that you trade him to me.."

Tresporian seemed to think for a few moments. "What reasoning do you have for wanting him? I can assure you that he is a stubborn one. He has not yet been broken. Why not easily travel and take one of your own? I'm sure you would find one easier to break in, which is hard enough when you already have a new pet."

"That is very true. My reasoning is simple actually. Your human had been rather fond of mine. Seeing that they had been a pair, I decided to appease my own by fetching his human."

Tresporian laughed softly. "I do not see your reasoning. Why not simply let them suffer?"

"I do not get as much enjoyment from the misery. Of course, I could easily ignore it and use drugs or spells to gain what I want, but it taints the energy I gain."

"Ah yes, it rather does. What do you wish to trade for the human? I have been enjoying myself. It was been a while since I've had a human so stubborn. I just love breaking them in you know.."

"I am sure you do." Atrererus reached to his side, pulling up the sword. "This blade is rather powerful. It absorbs the energy of that it kills, directly transferring it to its holder."

Atrererus could see Tresporian lift his eyebrows, or rather, they would have been lifted if the demon had any. "That is a very decent offer."

"It is. I have arranged to have Leorie come to oversee the deal, should you agree to giving up your pet."

"Hmm.. I say you are making a mistake in wanting to take him, but come. We shall go to him. Oh, you should allow your pet to take that hood off. It's rather warm, and I'm sure he will end up fainting if you leave him like that much longer. I've had that happen a few times, and it is rather irritating having to wait for them to cool and wake." Tresporian walked to the door and waited for his guest to follow.

Atrererus didn't really want to take the hood off, but he knew that Tresporian had a good point. Reaching down, he gently pulled back the hood, ignoring Tresporian, who was sizing up Ethan's face.

"Come." Atrererus told Ethan. The human stood up slowly, wobbling slightly from having stayed in the same position for so long. He heard a soft chuckle coming from Tresporian, but he ignored him once again. When he was sure that Ethan could walk, he turned and let himself be led by Tresporian.

He followed the demon past the large staircase to a door that was on the left of it. It was opened, and Atrererus found himself being led down a set of stairs. The large hallway at the bottom was lit by torches on the wall. They shined brighter than they should have, fully illuminated the hall. Atrererus knew they were somehow enchanted.

Tresporian walked down the hall, passing heavy metal doors. When he arrived at the last one, he opened it. After only a moment, torches that were on the walls in the room lit on their own.

At that point, Atrererus was extremely grateful that he had used the magical items on Ethan. Had he not, Ethan would have likely ran into the room or did something else without thinking.

Against the far wall, was a naked, decent sized human with a heavy looking metal collar around his neck. It wasn't long enough to allow him any real movement, so he was stuck on his knees. His hands were chained together behind his back. There was streaks of blood along his body, along with various cuts and bruises. He had also obviously lost some weight.

The wounded human didn't look up until Tresporian stepped into the room. Jesse then glared at him.

"Are we in a better mood today?"

In response, Jesse spit weakly at him. "Go to hell." He snapped, though considering how weak he looked, his anger was hardly impressive.

Tresporian chuckled, walking over and placing his hand on Jesse's head. Jesse flinched in response, but Tresporian grabbed his hair and pulled it roughly. "Now, that's no way to talk, especially in front of company." Roughly, he pulled Jesse's hair until he was facing the doorway. Atrererus had stepped in, and Ethan was now beside him.

Jesse's eyes widened in recognition, but Ethan couldn't acknowledge him. He was screaming inside of his own mind, desperately wanting to run over and cling to Jesse. He was unable to move though. Jesse pulled against the chains that held him, trying to bite at Tresporian's arm.

"Ethan?" He asked softly, trying to get him to respond. When he didn't, Jesse started looking furious. "What the hell did you do to him?! Ethan! Answer me dammit!"

"Hmm.. Unlike you, it would seem that Ethan has learned how to behave. Isn't that right Ethan?" Tresporian asked him.

"Yes, Lord Tresporian." Ethan heard himself automatically answering. He was glad he couldn't look away from the ground, because he couldn't stand the thought of seeing the smug look on Tresporian's face.

Jesse snarled rather like an animal. "Ethan! What the hell are you doing?! Fight them!" He couldn't continue, because at that point Tresporian kicked him roughly in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Tresporian then let go of Jesse's hair before smirking at Atrererus. "See? He would be a handful."

"I am sure I can handle taking him in. All that we need to do is to complete the trade, and I shall leave you in peace. Shall we call for Leorie?"

"Hmm... Yes, we shall call for him."

Ethan wanted to break down when Tresporian's arm slammed down on Jesse's head, knocking him unconscious. He unlocked the chain on Jesse's neck before picking him up, easily throwing the human over his shoulder. He led the group upstairs, back to the room that the group of demons had lounged in earlier. Roughly depositing Jesse on the floor, he called for an escort to fetch Leorie. Only a minute later, the pale demon stood with them.

"Lovely to see you Lord Atrererus, and you as well, Lord Tresporian." He said rather brightly, though far more sincerely to Atrer. "I take it you wish me to oversee a fair exchange?"

"Yes... Lord Atrererus wishes to have the human on the ground there."

Leorie looked down at said human, before gently prodding it with a clawed foot. "My my.. What HAVE you been doing to this creature?" He asked Tresporian in a sort of teasing manner. Atrererus found himself wanting to chuckle when Tresporian ignored the question.

"Will you oversee the exchange?"

"Of course I will... Have you both made suitable offerings?"

"I have.. I can't help but want to try and get a little more than what Lord Atrererus wants to offer however. You see, I have been greatly enjoying myself with my new pet. The blade is a rather nice trade, but what am I supposed to amuse myself with when Lord Atrererus takes my human away?"

"I'm sure that you could do what you suggested me to do earlier. A trip to fetch a human would solve that problem."

"True, but it has been a long while since I have had the pleasure of toying with a strong willed creature."

"What are you trying to ask for, Tresporian?" Atrer asked, not bothering to call him 'Lord' that time.

Tresporian smiled slightly. "I will give you the human, but in return, you will give me the blade, and you will serve me for a week's time."

Ethan felt his hope fading. There was no way that Atrererus would agree to Tresporian's conditions. He felt like sobbing, but the overload of emotion was cut short when Atrererus finally answered.

"I will agree to these conditions, but there will be my own conditions for the servitude. Obviously, I must be fed. You may do nothing that will end up being fatal for me, and you shall do nothing that will permanently weaken me."

Tresporian smiled. The conditions were hardly restricting, considering he was not foolish enough to try and permanently harm Atrererus anyway. They were hardly restrictions at all, considering there was much Tresporian could do to Atrererus, and still have him heal. There were many benefits to having a strong demon to toy with.

"I agree to these conditions."

"As I agree as well." Atrererus took the sword, still within the sheath and set it down. "I shall take my human back to my home, where he shall stay while I am away."

"And what of mine? Surely, you would not put them together?" Tresporian asked, glancing at the still unconscious Jesse.

Atrererus had wanted to do just that actually, but he knew that it would look bad. "No, but since he now belongs to me, I do not with him to remain here either."

"Perhaps, I shall take him until the week has passed?"

Both demons looked at Leorie, who was calmly looking back. Tresporian nodded first. "I agree, assuming Lord Atrererus will get him back in one piece."

"Of course. I shall just keep him locked up. What do you say?" He asked, looked at Atrer.

The demon didn't look happy, but he nodded. He didn't particularly want to leave the human with Leorie, but it was the best option. "I agree."

"Very good. When this week is over, I shall come to take Lord Atrererus back. If you decide to not give him back, or do more harm than he is able to heal, you will find how quickly I can end your existence. Should Lord Atrererus dishonor the deal made, he shall be forced to give the human back, and Lord Tresporian will keep the sword. Is this clear to both of you?"

"Crystal." Tresporian said, grinning.

Atrererus responded with a simple 'yes'.

"Very well. Lord Atrererus, return home with your pet. In an hour, you shall return, and the time will begin."

Atrererus nodded, not waiting for them to speak again. He took hold of Ethan and after a few moments, they were home.

"You may act freely." He told Ethan quietly. He expected Ethan to either yell at him for having been restricted, or have a fit because of Jesse. Instead, the human's small body collided into his own.

"Oh God.. Thank you.." Ethan gasped, sounding like he was crying as he held onto Atrer.

"Yes, I figured I wouldn't hear the end of it if I were to decline the conditions. Now, will you let go?"

Slowly, the human let go of him. Pulling the ring from his finger, Atrererus took the choker off Ethan's neck.

"Take the cloak off. I don't trust Tresporian's promise of allowing me to feed. I do not have the time to feed normally, or go hunting."

Ethan took it off before looking at Atrererus warily. "So what will you do?"

"I will drink from you, but I can assure you it won't be as bad as Leorie."

Ethan nodded. Even if it was going to be as bad as the other demon feeding from him, he would have let Atrererus. He was going to serve that horrible demon Tresporian, just to get Jesse back. If he had to, he would have allowed him to feed this time, and whenever else Atrererus asked him.

Atrererus walked to a shelve and pulled out a little flask of liquid. Walking over to Ethan, he placed it on Ethan's neck. Ethan shivered, because the stuff was cold, but he soon found that his neck had gone completely numb. He had no time to react, because as soon as Atrererus had finished applying the numbing fluid, he was biting Ethan's neck.

The human squirmed, feeling a slight throbbing from his neck, but nothing more. It felt strange, and he knew it should have hurt badly, but because of whatever Atrererus had used, it didn't.

Slowly, Ethan began getting dizzy. He managed to let out a soft squeaking sound, trying to pull away from Atrer, but the demon held him tightly. Worry was starting to creep in, but after a few moments, Atrererus released him. Taking the same liquid, Atrererus poured a small amount onto the wound, which closed.

Ethan shivered, leaning against the large demon. He wasn't as weak as he had been after Leorie had fed, but he felt weak enough. Carefully, Atrererus picked him up and set him on the bed.

"Sleep. Regain your strength, as I may be in need of you when I return."

Ethan nodded. "Thank you, Atrer..." He said, sincerity in his voice. He reached up, gently hugging the now bemused demon. He didn't hold on long, and soon he was covered in the blankets, asleep.

Atrererus sighed, walking away from the sleeping human. Why had he agreed to serve Tresporian for a week? Oh, because it kept Ethan happy. Was he insane for accepting Tresporian's conditions? Probably. Shaking his head, the darkness wrapped around him, bringing him back to where the two demons were waiting for him.

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Yeah. So, you all got to see Jesse. And Tresporian. Isn't he such a dick?

Oh, and see if you guys can guess what book Atrererus was reading. The only hint I will give is that it's a four letter title.

Thanks to Will Treaty, WallFlower, Mdevries08, and Smint45. Yay getting one more review than last chapter!

Oh, and I sent rather long review responses to Will Treaty and Wallflower via email, if you two haven't read them yet.

Reviews make me happy!