GATHERING DUST

Demons and humans cannot co-exist. It was an inborn fact that a line, although barely perceptible, existed between the two. It was a law instinctively planted in the mind for countless generations that for thousands of years, never had there been an alliance between the two. However, no matter how far-fetched the idea of two people from two distinct races traveling together was, he found himself walking with a human who shared the same destination.

The idea of traveling with her irked him during the earlier part of their journey for he was a lord, a demon who stood with the nobles on the demon hierarchy. The dark emerald symbol stamped on his forehead, born with him from birth, indicated his high-class status. At first sight, one could easily identify him as one of those royal members of society. He stood with aristocratic pride, confident and head held high. His strides were graceful and his voice held a habitual sense of command. Golden eyes penetrated his surroundings, never missing an important observation. His ebony hair, smooth as silk and shining like gold stained with sunlight, flowed in a magnificent waterfall behind his back. It gave his subordinates, the servants, and even fellow demons an inkling of beauty and terror.

Unfortunately, it was not so for her.

In the beginning it was, but his image of a fearsome demon was wounded by his helpless state during that time. It was one of those rare occasions where he was in a state of dying and so bloodily wounded when she found him. If she followed the normal course of action that humans took, she would’ve left him there. But no, she had to stop and chant some foolish human ritual that miraculously cured him to almost-perfect physical condition.

He was humiliated.

The only fact that mattered to him was her impetuous decision (which was, in truth, one-sided) that he journey with her to the Valley of the Exiled in exchange for the help she gave him. Well, to make the explanation short, she assumed he promised to travel with her as payment for her services.

He thought she was either longing for a swift death or was simply incredibly stupid.

But even when faced with the strong urge to abandon a human he did not need and who ended up as an occasional burden, he could not leave. He was bound to a promise he never made; he protected a stranger whom he was not obliged to protect. In simple terms, he found himself unable to leave her behind.

How shameful.

He stopped asking himself why he acted so a long time ago. The first time he brought up a question nearly ended in an unending debate with his inner self and it almost drove him mad. The only conclusion he was able to make was his amusement brought forth by her clumsy actions: actions that heavily disguised her extraordinary intelligence.

Because, she explained to him, she liked it when people underestimated her. Besides, she continued, insanity (in her case, clumsiness) was her outlet for freedom.

He asked if she felt she was a prisoner of her own intelligence.

She said yes.

He said, “How pitiful.”

She smiled.

And that he could not understand.

Lured by his own inability to comprehend the reason for her actions, he traveled with her. At least, that was the only acceptable explanation he believed, aside from the fact that her little misfortunes amused and entertained him.

Describing her was not a difficult task. She was, in human age, about fourteen or fifteen and had her mahogany hair tied in a particular fashion every day: separated into two parts and tied with a bewitched ribbon above her shoulders. She had expressive emerald eyes, the color of his birth symbol, whose radiance varied depending on her mood. Although she was generally cheerful, there were times when he found her gaze disturbingly dull.

She had common sense (something he was deeply grateful for) and her scent was generally pleasing, so unlike most of her male counterparts. He didn’t know if humans realized how their scent disgusted most demons and there were only a few who were exceptional in this rule. She did not recognize the implication of inferiority of humans when compared to demons. Instead, she tried her best to prove to him that humans could perform tasks that demons were unable to (or at least, some of them).

He admired her determination.

Many times she tried to tease him or share some jokes with him but after cruelly depriving her of the joy of seeing him laugh, she resorted to story-telling instead. He shared a thing or two at times but he usually ended up listening to her voice as she narrated almost half her life story, which was, he had to admit, surprisingly enjoyable.

He learned to appreciate her presence.

Time flowed like a river whose current changed every season: there were times when the current was as swift as fleeing deer and there were times when it flowed as slow as a crawling beetle. Unaware of the time it took for the bud of affection to bloom, he found himself growing a tender fondness towards the girl who has been his companion for several months since.

Before he knew it, he already loved her.

Her: a human – a girl whose existence should be of little meaning. He loved her, she who came from a race of beings that was unworthy of Existence.

For a few moments, upon the revelation of these unwanted feelings, he felt terrified. Fear gripped him and enveloped him in a suffocating entity that compelled him to kill the girl to stop the feelings a demon of his rank and status should not have. There was a struggle; he had to fight against himself and all social norms, tradition, and expectation. He was victorious in this battle and managed to overcome this fear of the formerly unknown.

Love was a road demons seldom took and if he was asked before, he would have said he wished to take no part in it. Among them it was a foolish emotion, a short-lived passion, a sudden spark of desire with a sudden beginning and a sudden end. It was not worth knowing and the path not worth walking.

But perhaps genuine love was entirely different. Perhaps love is a growing feeling between two persons, a longer-lasting bond, and tenderly ineffable. It could be a deep feeling of affection mixed with gentle desire, bitter yet sweet.

It was clearly beyond his idea of reality but love was something rarely ignored and in due time, he was able to accept it. He was careful in feigning indifference while sincerely wishing for these feelings to be returned. As for now, he was content to just walk this road to an uncertain future with her.

The end.