The Life of Windsire, Chapter 8: Love?

Story by draconicon on SoFurry

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

#8 of The Life of Windsire

Less surprising than you'd think, when one half of this half-demon sees people as sluts and sexual outlets and things to dominate, and the other half is so constantly worried about being accepted and being good enough to get the people around him to tolerate him. Worried about what's going on, they go to see their father, and learn something new.

If you enjoyed this story, or my writing in general, consider buying me a coffee (or more) through Ko-Fi. You can see my page here: https://ko-fi.com/draconiconstales

If you're interested in contributing more frequently, consider visiting my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/draconiconlibrary?ty=h for good rewards and better stories.

If you simply want to get a commission for yourself, keep an eye on my journals and my twitter DraconiconWrite for updates on when I'm open.

And if you simply want to get to know me, my writing, or my characters more, take a look at my tumblr at http://draconiconcharacterask.tumblr.com/

Enjoy.


The Life of Windsire

Chapter 8: Love?

Sponsored by ShaeSullivan

By Draconicon

A month went by, and more often than not, Windsire or Jayanta found a way to get down to see Ankit again. The crocodile was always somewhere in the city, and now that they'd had a chance to 'enjoy' him, it wasn't that hard to find him again. Something about the demon half being able to sense the corruption he'd laid down, from what his other half told him. Windsire didn't question it; it was too good a thing to question how it worked.

He shivered as he leaned back in one of the abandoned apartment buildings on the east side, feeling the crocodile work him with his tongue. This was one of the rare times that he was in charge of the body during their fun times, and he still wasn't used to the way that Ankit used his short little tongue to such great effect. The horse's red toes curled, his eyes clenched tight as his fingers dug furrows out of the stone floor.

"Mmph...Ankit..."

"Getting close, hmm?"

"Still not...not used to this."

"That's because - mmm - you're always having Jayanta get off. Not you."

He shook his head, trying not to think of his other half right then. The demon was still inside of him, still sleeping slightly in the back of his head, and he could feel a little hunger building despite the fact that it was his turn to be in charge. His other half always wanted to push things further, to see how far the crocodile could really take the corruption, and he didn't want that. Not today.

At the same time, he was still beyond shy at what was happening here, with him and to him. The sensation of getting his cock sucked was something that he was still not used to, and he had to really hold himself down to keep from bucking into the crocodile's long, toothy mouth. He groaned, his eyes rolling back as he leaned his head against the wall.

"Mmm...you're so big, Windsire. No wonder you barely fit under that loincloth."

"Mmph...please...just...just hurry up...get me off..."

"Come on, don't be like that. I thought you liked these visits."

He did, and it was part of the reason he wanted to hurry it up. The fact that he wanted to come back to this every day, that he wanted to run off and get his dick sucked or push it up the crocodile's asshole was something that was bothering him. It was consuming his attention that should have gone towards pursuing the Great Hood or pushing himself further in training. He was sure that he was falling behind, even with Jayanta quieter than he had been in years. This...this sensual obsession was getting too deep.

But he couldn't stop himself. He just kept coming back, like today. It was supposed to be a consequence-free relationship between the two of them, only involving sex, with Ankit getting his kink fulfilled and Windsire getting his own urges purged with the crocodile's help. That was all it was supposed to be.

Yet, every time he came, he swore that there was some sadness in the crocodile's eyes that hadn't been there before. More than that, there was something to him that felt...wrong, leaving the big guy alone after they were done having fun, like there was something that had gone unsaid, or something that needed to be brought up, or something else entirely. It was just a feeling of something missing, which neither he or Jayanta could entirely pinpoint.

He gasped, feeling the croc's fingers working down to his balls, lifting them and lowering them, rolling the large orbs around in his grip. Windsire shivered, his teeth gritted tight.

"Mmph...So...so close..."

He humped forward despite himself, the flared head of his cock brushing the back of the croc's throat. The first time he'd done that, by total accident, it had left Ankit gagging and almost throwing up. Since then -

"MMMMMMMPH!"

Windsire kicked out at the ground, his heel cracking the floor under them as he came. The croc pulled his shaft all the way down, his mouth wide open. Windsire could just see through his slitted eyes that his balls rested just on the other side of the teeth, cushioned and cradled by them, as the thick head of his cock penetrated the croc's throat the way that it had slammed past the reptile's rim so many times in the past.

With Ankit's mouth open so wide, he could see the tensing muscles swallowing around the head of his trapped cock, saw the way that it was guzzling down his seed as he spurted again, and again, and again. Each shot was splattered down the former priest's throat, and each swallow felt like Ankit was trying to pull more out of his balls, draining him more and more until it was almost painfully pleasurable.

He grabbed the croc by the top jaw, panting and shaking his head.

"Stop, stop...too much."

"Mmmph."

Nodding, the former priest pulled back, the naked crocodile chuckling as he kept swallowing the thick load down. Windsire shivered, pulling back a little and tucking his loincloth around him again.

For a physical relationship, I'm starting to think way too much about him, he thought, blushing as he tried to not look quite so lewd. Why does that get to me so much? He's just...we're just doing this. Intentionally JUST this.

Yet, at the same time, he felt like he should have been doing something else. He knew he was getting in too deep, that he was allowing himself to fall too far into this pleasurable thing that should have been a weekly event, at most. Not as near to daily as he could manage.

Jayanta chuckled softly in the back of his mind. Windsire crossed his arms as the demon half spoke.

We've got a good deal with him. He's safe, he likes what we do. What's the issue?

It's...there's something different going on. I don't know. It's weird, and I don't know if it's good.

Who cares? He wants us, we want him. We'll just keep enjoying it while we can.

He figured that it would be the demon's response. While Jayanta had never been unwilling when it came to the pleasure that they got from Ankit, the demon side of him had never been particularly curious about it, either. The demonic part of him just took it as their due. Because, of course, they were due to have someone that wanted to love their cock and their balls and everything else about them, just because they were hot.

Windsire blushed as he stood up, flattening his loincloth again as his cock slowly started retreating into its sheath. He could feel the slippery spit left behind on most of it, and knew that he would feel that all the way home. Despite the slight indignity, he kind of looked forward to that.

"Thank you, Ankit. It was...very pleasurable to do that."

"You sure that you can't stay?"

"We already had lunch, and I've done what we agreed we should do."

"I know. I know. I just...Heh. Well, nevermind."

Patted on the hip, Windsire felt like there was an opening there, some space to say something. But what? What did he want to say? There was something there, something he should say, but no matter how hard he tried to figure it out, it kept fleeing from him.

The moment passed, and Ankit stood up, looking for his robe in the ruins that the room had become. What little furniture had been here was overturned, with Jayanta having been rather rough with the crocodile before they switched control, and the kick at the end had left a rather large crack across the floor, marking the room from his...reaction. He blushed slightly, and made his way to the doorway as their partner continued looking for his clothes.

They were down on the street again before the demon spoke again. Windsire groaned as he felt the shadowy presence of his other half manifest beside him, walking as if on a casual, happy stroll.

We really should bring him to the palace. Keep him around in some sort of official capacity.

You think that wouldn't be demeaning to him? Oh, keep him around as the bodyguard's official ball drainer. That's going to go over well with the king.

Well, it's not like Suresha didn't know about what was going on. I bet you that he knew just where Ankit was going to be.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean he'd want it to be happening on palace grounds.

Why not? The place needs a priest, doesn't it?

A priest, yes, and that's the thing that Ankit keeps insisting he isn't.

The crocodile was rather vehement about that. He'd roleplay it from time to time, but he kept pushing the fact that he wasn't really a priest. Something about being out of line with the theocratic guidelines of the various churches, and challenging authority too much, and being thrown out on his ass. It was a rather glossed-over story whenever they tried to bring it up, and it made it hard to be all that clear about it.

What was clear was that the former priest was never to be referred to as one, even if he did carry out priestly duties with his blessings and purifications of different things. The few times that they did that out of roleplay, Ankit had been rather annoyed, and then hurt that they hadn't listened to him.

Why does he matter so much, anyway?

Dunno, Jayanta said. Maybe we just needed someone else to make the first step for a bit of fun?

That was part of it, he felt, but it wasn't the whole thing. He needed more. The stallion shook his head, starting to pick up the pace. Maybe Girisha might have some ideas of what was going on...or...

You thinking what I'm thinking?

Heh, going to see father?

Wouldn't hurt.

Let me give him a shout.

The demon half made a gesture in the air, and with surprising speed, a portal warped open in front of them. Literally, right in front of them, sending the sprinting stallion through it before he even knew it was there.

The corruption of Hell surged up around him, burning up through his legs and then spreading out through his belly and arms. Despite everything that they'd already done, his cock was up and throbbing, bouncing and pulsing with need, and the Hell-fire marks were spreading along his shaft and down over his balls. He grunted, shaking his head as he adjusted to it, and shifted from foot to foot as he looked up at the old manor.

It was just the same as it had been during the last visit, though with a few more trophies adorning the walls. The ephemeral hellish tendrils held four warrior demons captive along the walls, each one stripped down and with their dicks hard and sucked by other sets of tendrils. The energy fed back into the house, making the manor pulse softly with its own powerful aura.

Do you mind?

Go ahead.

He stepped back, the transformation to his demon self finishing up in record time. Jayanta walked through the front doors, stroked by the power of Hell and the house to be throbbing hard as he did.

"Father!"

"Upstairs."

He leaped up, the ceiling opening up at his will, and landed on his feet. Their father, the demon Shadolm, sat with his feet up and an imp as a cock sleeve, a great hand wrapped around the minor demon as he pumped it up and down his shaft like a toy.

The great stallion turned up from a report to look at them, and instantly smiled. The massive horse didn't stop stroking himself, of course - Windsire expected that he never stopped having fun of some sort, whether in battle or in the house - but he did wave them forward, red eyes flickering as the only other color in his black coat. He hugged them with his free arm, and then gestured for them to sit.

"It's been a long time since you asked to come down, rather than being summoned, son. What's the occasion?"

"There's been something different up there," Jayanta said. "A mortal's got some strange interest in us."

"Really? Without any corruption?"

"Well, that's the weird part. He likes the corruption, and wanted to get fucked by us because of the whole demon thing."

Windsire was surprised to see the slow stroking motion stop. Their father looked down at them, and then turned completely towards them. The imp seemed forgotten as he leaned in, surprisingly curious.

"What do you mean, son?"

"Well, you know how some of the mortals get reaaaally interested in our corruption when they have a taste of it? Almost like an addict?"

"Of course. It's one of our great powers."

"This crocodile is like that without actually being corrupted."

"That is fascinating. Yet, surely you've corrupted him by now."

"That's the thing. He's healing himself every time, purifying it out so that he can feel it just as much the next time."

"...He's a priest?"

"Failed priest, or something. He's really insistent about that."

Shadolm tapped a finger against his chin, and Windsire was surprisingly impatient as silence fell. He didn't know why, but he felt like he really needed this. Advice, help, anything to give him a chance to understand what was going on was in short supply, and it was either Shadolm or Girisha for help right now. Nobody else seemed to take him seriously enough to actually aid him in figuring this out.

The older demon kept thinking, slowly reaching down and idly removing the imp from his shaft. The equine's two-foot shaft sprang up in front of them, and Jayanta reached out, stroking it. Windsire groaned.

Do you have to?

It helps him think.

Yeah, but...fine.

He kept himself to the back, anyway, so he didn't see it or smell it so strongly as his other half did. He was aware of the musky shaft and its sheer size in their hand, but it wasn't so powerful as he knew it would be if he was in front, taking control. That was good enough for him.

Finally, their father nodded.

"Yes, it seems like you have someone in love with you."

Both of them froze at that, mortal and demon in complete shock. Shadolm laughed.

"What, you think that it doesn't happen? Your mother loved me before the church convinced her that all demons were evil."

"Yeah, but...but..."

"Heh, tell me. What's it like?"

Jayanta couldn't even answer that, and pushed Windsire forward. The mortal stallion groaned, pulling his head back a bit and taking his hand off of his father's cock.

"It's...strange."

"Come on, you're a professional. You can give me more details than that."

"Well, that's the thing. I don't understand it as well as I would like."

"Describe it, then. That'll help figure it out."

Windsire shrugged.

"It feels like I'm...accepted, but more than that. That I'm desired for reasons beyond simply what I can do. Like I am desired for what I am, what I can be, rather than just what I can offer. I thought...well, I thought that it would be just physical things, and I welcomed it for that."

"I bet, considering how much Jayanta's been complaining about how little you let him get off. Fuck, you have a naga slave and you're not using it to hypnotize a whole cluster of them for fun?"

...I never thought of that, the demon half admitted.

"But...it's not just the sex. I mean, it started that way, and it's been great. I never thought it would be so good to have a chance to enjoy that with someone so often, and I want it all the time, but lately...I don't know. It's like I need more."

"Heh, he's gotten closer to you, huh?"

"In a way that I didn't expect, nor am I sure that I need or want."

"Bullshit."

He blinked. Shadolm stood up, the demon horse waving for him to follow. Almost against his will, Windsire did. The house shifted around them, rooms rearranging themselves to the demon's command as they walked from one end to the other, and there were places that he had never seen before. A dungeon of angels passed by, as did a library of scrolls that shouted and screamed. They passed through a room with incubi hanging from the ceiling with red-runed chains around their limbs and tubes around their cocks, and then passed out of it through another series of strange chambers.

They stopped in one that he'd never seen. It was soft, as close to white as a demon's room could come, which was more pink-ish than anything else. Shadolm walked towards the center, and gestured. With a flare of fiery magic, the walls cracked, pictures forcing themselves into being like creatures wriggling through the walls.

Both Windsire and Jayanta recognized the images immediately. They were of their mother, the mare Rainwind, who had been their father's beloved until a few years after they were born. Abandoning them when she was convinced by others of the evils of demons, she had gone away, and never returned, no matter how many times they had sent messages, both of their own funding and from the royal family. She had disappeared.

Shadolm gestured at the images, shaking his head.

"You've never had a love like this, so you wouldn't understand. Either of you. But there is something to it that you'll never have with anything else."

"What's so different about it compared to just having slaves, father?"

Windsire nodded, not quite sure how to add to the question that his other half had pushed through his mouth. The older stallion chuckled.

"Slaves are one thing. A lover is entirely different."

"But they both give you sex."

"But only one gives you a heart. And it sounds like this Ankit wants to give you his."

"Wouldn't it hurt to take it out of him?" Jayanta asked.

"Not like that, son."

The black-furred stallion gestured towards the wall again. Some of the more sexual images passed by - to Windsire's relief - to bring forward one of the great stallion and the smaller mare together. Three feet of size difference between them, the pair cuddling together under a set of sheets. It was...strangely warming to see his father in such a different light. Despite the glow of his power, despite the Hell-fire that could be seen surrounding his cock through the blankets, the painting depicted something different than domination and conquest. It was...warm. Soft. Gentle.

Shadolm gestured him forward, and he joined the older horse there. They looked at the painting together for a moment or two, and then their father sighed.

"To have a lover is different for a demon than a mortal. A lover is someone that you claim, but for once, has a claim on you, too."

"Hmmph. That's stupid."

"Heh, you say that now. Tell me, do you want to come when Ankit calls?"

"Well...yeah."

"Do you like it when he calls for you, wanting you?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Doesn't that sound like he has a claim?"

"..."

Shadolm chuckled a bit.

"Windsire...we haven't always been close, but I think you understand this better than my more sexual son."

"I...think so. There is loyalty there, loyalty that's not forced by the magic."

"Indeed."

"But mother broke it! It's not that reliable."

"Heh, she was convinced to break it. While it was there, she was truer to me than any corrupted slave that I might have had. That loyalty is impossible to buy or force by any power of a demon, son. Windsire. Tell me. Do you think that Ankit loves you?"

It was a harder question than he expected, one that he had never thought about. He'd been too confused and puzzled by the gaps and feeling of something missing between the two of them - no, three of them, with Jayanta - that he hadn't considered that love might be the thing that would fill that hole. He pressed his finger to his chin.

It was...possible. He remembered that first day, when they were talking over lunch about what they might do. He remembered the way that Ankit had started to say something about what he wanted, and the feeling of how it had been taken back, how the crocodile had put out an offer of something else.

"He..."

"Oh, fucking hell. He does, dad. He loves us."

"I figured. So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I...I don't know," Windsire admitted. "I have never had anyone feel something like that for us before..."

He needed to sit down, and Shadolm seemed to recognize that, because there was a chair under him before he could fall down. The stallion sat there, staring down at the floor as the weight of the realization came down on him.

Love, he thought. Love, for someone like us? That...I...

How the fuck did this even happen?

I don't know. I thought, I mean, I wondered if there was something more than just the sex, but -

Hell if I know how it happened, but what the fuck are we going to do?

What do you mean, what are we going to do?

Well, we know now. How are we going to talk with him when we get back? What do we want out of this?

He hadn't even gotten that far. He was barely setting himself to the fact that the crocodile loved them. Loving Ankit back, doing something to make it more official, anything like that was beyond where he could go at the moment. Jayanta groaned.

You've gotta be kidding me. We've been fucking him for a month now. You're going to hesitate over this part?

I don't want to make a mistake.

Make a - we jumped over the whole 'getting to know each other' thing that everyone else does, fucked for a month, find out that he loves us, and you're worried about making a mistake now?!

Yes, because what if it leaves us with nothing again?

Windsire was hyper-ventilating, his body shaking and his head spinning. It took everything he had to pull himself together again, trying to make himself think straight and focus on what he had to do. Jayanta wasn't helping, grumbling away in the back of his head about how he was being stupid, how this was simple. It wasn't. It really, really wasn't.

They had been alone for so long. Just because the crocodile wanted it didn't mean that they did. Yes, sure, they could need to be loved, they could want to love back, but what if they weren't meant to be? What if the two of them were only working right now because of the mutual need for sex? They could wind up finding out that they were terrible for each other out of the bedroom, and where would they be then? Getting ready to kill each other, at worst, and breaking up and losing everything, at best.

After having this outlet for a month, after having someone in his life that kept dragging him out for fun and had him thinking about all the things that they could do together, he couldn't imagine losing it. Even for the chance of something better, he couldn't risk what he had gained just for the possibility of something more.

If you say that we're going to wait -

We are.

Oh, come on. Do you know how stupid that sounds? He wants it.

But do we?

I DO!

But I don't know if I do. I mean, I do, but I don't know if it'll work.

And so you're just going to do nothing?

I'm...I'm going to wait. I'm going to get to know him. Maybe...maybe on the next time we go see him, we do something after. Feel out how it goes. See how we work outside the bedroom.

Don't tell me we're going to get mushy. I don't like mushy. I like it hot and hard.

Windsire shook his head, looking back up at their father. The other stallion chuckled, almost like he knew what was going on in their head, and shook his own.

"Looks like you two have a lot to think about. I'd offer you a chance to relax for a while, but something tells me that you have other plans."

"Yeah...yeah, a little bit. Thank you for your time, though, father. It has helped us."

"No problem. But, just a suggestion."

"If it's to start the naga slut group, the answer is no. The king has been rather...annoyed with us about that."

"Heh, he's been annoyed with Jayanta going after normal people. If you want to go further...heh, just go after the criminals."

"Why would - Jayanta, no, no, that's not going to happen. We're supposed to be focused on Ankit now, not more people."

Considering how much that croc loves corruption, I bet he'd like to watch us 'punish' some of the criminals with our cock. Turn them into toys for the night. Heh. He's never said that he wants us just to himself.

He blushed, but shook his head. Giving his father one more bow of thanks, he asked for the portal home. They disappeared into it, and reappeared in the palace, still crackling with the corruption of Hell. As expected, Jayanta dragged them to the bed, and they spent the next hour doing exactly what they always did when they were that stuffed full of corruption.

#

The next day, when Ankit sent them a message asking them if they wanted to grab lunch, Windsire responded differently than usual. Rather than an immediate yes, or something more flowery if he was in the mood, he asked if they could move it to dinner, and named a place closer to the palace. The crocodile sent a surprised message back, agreeing to it, and so the date was set.

Dressed up in actual clothes for a change - thanks to a direct command from Suresha, getting around Prince Slut's old request - the half-demon horse was sitting in a booth in one of the classier restaurants of Aparajita. It wasn't the best one, but it was in the top twenty. Flameweavers crisscrossed the ceiling with artful patterns of fire strings, and the floor was thick glass over a well-lit pool of water, providing a contrast of color and elements that worked well for him. He shifted back and forth in his seat as he waited, looking down at his hands.

Maybe this is a mistake.

We found out he likes us. We might as well go forward with it.

Why the hell are you so excited about it, anyway? Windsire thought. I thought you wanted to keep pushing him as a slut and slave, not as a lover.

...You know, I wish I knew.

Ugh...

He fought the urge to get up and leave, knowing that he was going to be a wreck later. Barely holding it together already, he wondered if he'd even be able to say anything when the crocodile arrived. For that matter, what would Ankit even do when he arrived? Would he like the surprise? Hate it? Push for an answer right from the start?

Ugh...

Windsire couldn't even get comfortable with the fact that he was wearing clothes again. The feeling of black silk running down his arms was almost restraining, making him feel almost too warm. Gold buttons ran down the middle, big as his thumb and fancy as could be, the long shirt reaching down to his thighs and covering the tops of his black pants. His feet felt pinched in the shoes, the first time that he'd worn any in decades, and he winced every time that he shifted around.

The loincloth would be more comfortable. Hell, we could have been naked.

Not in this restaurant.

Heh, you never know. If the king had told them -

"There you are!"

Ankit's voice pulled them apart again, and he looked up to see the crocodile coming his way from across the restaurant. The former priest had dressed up as well, though not quite so fully. His robes were a little cleaner, and he wore a different, bigger amulet. It was, actually, from a different religion, as far as the stallion could tell. He waved the reptile over, the plump croc sitting down across from him. The half-demon pointed at the amulet.

"I thought you had a different one, yesterday."

"Oh, different days, different devotions. You know how it goes."

"Well, somewhat."

"Well, then Jayanta knows how it goes."

Heh, that I do.

Their waiter passed by, giving them a pair of menus before leaving again. They spent a few moments browsing them before Ankit spoke up again.

"So, what's with the shift in scenery? Not usually our scene."

"I, um...I had a question for you, actually."

"Oh?"

"Well..."

Windsire coughed slightly. Now he had empathy for how Ankit had felt on that first meal. It was much harder to just say something flat-out than he thought, particularly when they weren't even sure that they were right. Sure, it had sounded all true and correct down in Hell, with Shadolm to explain it, but what if they were misinterpreting everything? What if things were about to come tumbling down in the worst way?

Should I -

NO! Let me do it. I...I should.

He took a deep breath, let it out, and glanced over the menu.

"Do you...love me?"

The minute the word 'love' passed his lips, Ankit sputtered. Windsire felt somewhat lucky that they hadn't been served drinks yet, because he was sure that anything in the croc's mouth would have come flying towards him. Much like the spittle that was currently dangling from the edge of his muzzle. As he wiped it away, the crocodile stared at him, cheeks burning hotter than ever.

"W-why would you...you want to know that?"

"I...I don't know. I've been...feeling something weird lately."

"Weird? Heh, considering what we do - but...no. No. That's...that's not what you mean, and not where I should go. That's not, I should - gah!"

The crocodile smacked the sides of his face a couple of times, shaking himself until he was able to stop talking. Windsire just looked down at his hands, praying to anything that was listening to ensure that he hadn't made a mistake by asking the question.

Eventually, Ankit stopped smacking himself, and reached out and took the stallion's hand, just as he had done that first time. The crocodile squeezed until Windsire was able to look up, and the stallion found himself looking at a very happy reptile.

"Heh...what gave it away?"

"I...just a feeling."

"A feeling for me, maybe?"

"I don't know. I...I honestly don't know."

Seeing the slight twitch at the side of the crocodile's snout, he shook his head.

"I don't not love you. I just...I don't know. I've never...I don't...this is weird. This is...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. Forget that I asked."

"Uh, I don't think it works that way, Windy."

"Windsire. And...Ugh."

The stallion leaned forward into his other hand, shaking his head. What the hell did he say now? What was he supposed to do when he'd said something like that? The way that the former priest squeezed his hand was somewhat reassuring, but what was he supposed to do next?

Don't look at me. This is waaaaay beyond what I'm used to.

Lots of help, you are.

Exerting every inch of his willpower to not start panting in worry, he looked up at his...lover? Partner? Something, at least, more than just a friend. The half-demon let out a deep breath, trying again.

"I think...we both want something different than the 'just sex' stuff..."

"Uh, yeah. Yeah. I kinda wanted that for, heh, a while."

"I just...I'm confused. I don't know. I don't know myself, or what I feel, or anything."

"Well..."

Ankit squeezed his hand.

"I don't know much either. But...we can figure it out. If you want."

"...I'd like that."

"Pardon me, sirs."

The crocodile jumped, though Windsire was glad to say that he didn't. Demon senses were good for knowing when someone was coming up out of sight. He turned, looking up at the elephant waiter.

"May I take your orders, sirs?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah," Ankit said, chuckling. He picked up the menu, paused. "Uh, is this on my bill, or yours?"

"Mine, tonight."

"And you have a pull on the treasury, yeah?"

"...Yes?"

"In that case..."

The End