Chapter 2: Ward Against The Ever-Seeing

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Nova wished time would stop. That was pretty funny, considering who he was. What he was.

'The Keeper of Time' they would call him. On occasions, they'd call him 'The Keeper' for short, or on more extreme ones, 'The Keeper of The Universe'. All of which he would internally deny. Whatever the hell they were thinking, Ash had wanted nothing to do with the job scope of the so called Keeper of Time, not that he even knew what it was, because no one told him anything other than that he was mentioned in some prophecy that was as old as the universe itself, and that he had to save them. From what exactly, that remained to be debated. Heavily associated with the workings of the past, present and future, Ash was pressured into things he would rather not do, know things he'd rather not know and be someone he'd rather not be.

In this case, it was someone who knew too much about the future, both from experience and part of his abilities as the Keeper of Time.

Dawn was approaching, slower than it had any right to be. Ten to sixteen hours of staying indoors should be able to ensure that the angels will not find him. That was, if they were even trying to find him. God knows the reason for their visit, he wasn't able to find out the reason the first time because of the accident, namely him being stumbled upon by one of them on his way back from the convenience store. Suffice to say, the angel had one look at him and deemed it was necessary to turn the whole visit to be about him, their original goal long forgotten and was never mentioned again past that point.

Distantly, Ash wished it was only to warn the human leaders, who would no doubt be in the area, about the upcoming threat, which would hopefully never reach the Metal Nations if he was never found by the group.

Worst case scenario though, the angels did come looking for him, as a hidden intention for coming here, with the whole envoy gossip only serving to be a disguise.

If so, then Ash would make sure that even if they were trying to find him, they wouldn't be able to.

Being the only human on The Other Side made him desperate and by proxy, creative. Unless they brough with them the Heir, the angels could only dream on catching him in his own house! Hah!

Inhaling deep, Ash tried to reach for his core, only to curse when he felt nothing. No use then, humans naturally have very low sensitivity towards the workings of 'magic' despite having a core themselves, like any other living organisms do. Meira, as what was the official term to describe the otherworldly energy coursing through one's body, was still debated about among the humans. Some had proclaimed to be able to reach out to their core, while others just believe it to be something nonexistent. With intense practice with the correct methods though, one would be able to squeeze out a handful of it out of themselves to do the bare minimum. This body Ash had regressed back into was without such practice, so he couldn't feel his core at the moment. Which was dangerous.

Some angel out there may easily detect his core using some weird mechanism of angel meira that he never bothered to understand, and locate him even in the comforts of his home.

Sighing, Nova found himself a box of chalk he had used to tutor the neighborhood's children with, and drew a sigil on the door.

Ten years of living as the only human living in a world full of magical people that could kill you with a twist of a finger had taught Ash how to protect himself without having to use what little meira he could conjure, and one of the simplest ways to that was sigils. Well, about as simple as sigils could be.

Humans are considered the most primitive among the Five Arcana, a status that was quite lower than the insidians, who were technically the monsters of the Earth, what with all their figures and addiction towards violence. Ash wasn't stubborn enough to deny that fact too. Sure, humans were considerably much weaker than the other four creatures, but once they are desperate enough, they either become a total fool or a total genius. The latter is much more uncommon and yet much more dangerous.

Ash threw salt across the door scribbled with runes of a foreign language. Where the salt touched the chalk, it sparked and sizzled, lighting up the writings into a silver glow that spread all around, activating the sigil.

'Not enough," was what Ash thoughts as he turned to the kitchen to rummage the contents of his cabinets. He took out a bottle of pomegranate wine and a number of spices he could find, along with a mixing bowl where he mixed all the ingredients together and mushed them into a paste. Clicking his tongue, Ash stared at the nasty looking substance in the bowl, as he wondered where he should get the last ingredient of his recipe. 'A touch of magic' which he had none at the moment.

He would have to make some himself then...

Nova lit up a half-used candle, sprinkling some salt onto the flame along with a myriad of spices. A toothpick was used to prick his finger, allowing a single drop of blood to touch the dancing flame of the candle. The smoke that formed was collected into a cup, where he added the previous paste. The smell that wafted from the cup confirmed his success . Internally, he mocked the demons and angels who thought humans were useless. Certainly, they have never met one with survival instincts of a wild animal.

The paste was spread on the door where the sigil was still glowing. When the two came into contact, the edges of the sigils moved and slithered , extending all across the room and within seconds, had completely covered all four pieces of concrete around him.

"Mmn…." Ash hummed to himself in approval. Thankfully, the spices and salt required to make the sigil weren't all that rare here in the Metal Nations as they were on The Other Side. He reminded himself to pack a hefty amount if he somehow had been caught later.

Now that his house was perfectly shielded, Nova could sleep without having to keep an eye open to his surroundings in fear of waking up half across the Earth, deep in The Other Side. The sigil would continue to work until someone from the inside opens the door or the window. As far as he was concerned, this was the most reliable non-meira method to hide yourself from the angels' iconic tracking spell, even if the one that performed said spell was the Heir himself. (Okay, that last part may be a little exaggerated, but who could tell? )

Of course, he should've known better.

"How curious." A soft breath nuzzled his ear, sending sharp shivers down his spine at an amicable speed. Nova could deny he had squawked that night. That's right, all he needed to do was kill this stranger who had been there to witness it. He had killed people for less than that, anyway, what was more important now than saving his dignity? The speed of which he darted away from the source of the voice though, was deserving of praise. Still, he had only managed to subdue the mini heart attack on his part, now plastered to the wall, before registering what had transpired.

With a gaping mouth, Ash stared wide-eyed at the figure currently standing in the middle of the room, black wings spread out behind him as large as twice his bed, and a pair of horns protruding from his head. There were unmistakable traces of curiosity and amusement on his face, which, for Ash's part, were unwelcomed.

Now this was a demon alright. A demon in the middle of his living room, wings spread out in a way that can only meant the creature had just gotten here mere seconds ago. Gotten here, where there were no windows or doors supposedly open for intruders, somehow, with absolute silence that should be concerning.

The thing is, Ash had more concerning conflicts than the fact that a demon had managed to swoop into his house completely unnoticed, and that was the fact that he actually recognized this demon. He cursed himself inwardly for being so reckless.

Truly, he should've known better.

Okay, okay, deep breaths. In and out, he could handle this. He had done it a few times, he could do it again.

"What the hell are you?!" Okay that was a stupid question, but that was part of the strategy! The stupider he seemed, the better! Of course, there had been debates about what demons really looked like among the demons, some had described them to be exactly like the one standing in front of him, while some other imaginative ones described them to be monstrous. While the other Arcana had no idea about all these debates, it would be much, much more believable for him to act the fool who had nothing to do with them.

As he said, the stupider, the better.

Besides, demons and angels already associated the humans with the word moron.

Just that maybe they never learned to what extent that could mean. Clearly taken aback, the demon jerked in his stance, as if stupefied. It merely lasted a few seconds though, until the demon reapplied the curious and much amused look on his face. "My, it seems I've stumbled upon an unsuspecting human. And here I thought I'd find an insidian loitering about."

"Insi— Hold on, hold on. What's going on here?! How'd you get inside?!" Truly, Ash should give himself a pat on the back for his excellent acting skills, not that it wasn't polished for ten years already. Maybe the honed skill came out of desperation of wanting to stay alive, but what's important is that he had the skills, and he was going to fully utilize it. Mustering the most realistic what-the-fuck expression on his face, Ash proceeded to grab the nearest objects to his being and threw it at the creature.

The demon, Astaroth, as Ash had remembered to be his name, easily dodged the table lamp being thrown, and the remote control, and the little fake plant, his smile getting more and more bewildered as he stepped closer. That was perfectly okay, Ash was aware that throwing household items to a demon would bear no fruit, so thank god he wasn't trying to hurt the other, and only wished to distract him enough so that he could slip away from the tight corner where his back was plastered to the wall.

The demon trailed after him all across the room, like a cat chasing after a mouse, the amused grin still on his face as the frantic Ash scrambled over to the kitchenette. He had grabbed a knife then, and only then, did the demon stop in his track.

"Ah. What a lovely surprise..." Astaroth tilted his head in delight when Ash pointed the tip of the blade to his direction, stance now positioned and eyes hardened.

"Get. Out. Of my house."

In the back of his head, Ash told himself that confronting a demon with a kitchen knife was equivalent to going to war naked. Actually, scratch that. Confronting any other Arcanum with a knife was equivalent to jumping into a military camp naked. It does, however, serve as a distraction. A normal demon would take pity on a pathetic human and leave them be once they confirm that they were harmless. And hopefully, this demon would perceive his petty threat to be cute and just leave.

Astaroth, unfortunately, didn't seem to get the message.

Instead, his gaze flickered behind Ash's shoulders. A glimmer in his eyes shone with fascination, so much that his lips parted, no words spoken. At the sight, Ash felt a shiver travelling down his spine, a horrifying thought that he forgot something important crashing into his mind before he twisted his body back to see what Astaroth has his gaze set upon.

Behind him, a few feet away, was a wall, with runes glowing and dimming scattered all over it, forming a pattern that was a sigil, the same one he drew on the door, and the same one spread all over the living room, covering closed windows and behind furniture. The runes glittered in the darkness of the room, lit only by the night lamps, one of which was now currently on the floor from when he had thrown it at the demon.

The runes twinkled a shade brighter, as if mocking him in mirth.

Ash found himself wanting to tear the walls down.

Curse his recklessness!

"That sigil. You drew it?" Astaroth whispered, half in awe, and half in disbelief. "Wait, no. That can't be it. You don't have the meira for that. Someone else drew it? Another Arcanum in the Metal Nations? Raguel has to hear this."

Upon the mention of the name, Ash froze. The knife in his hand slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor with a dull thud. A distant memory hit him, the memory of a man, tall and regal, holding a large sword behind his back as he stood on the throne. His smile soft, his gaze gentle as he looked into Ash' eyes. The Noblesse Obligue, the leader of the Arcanum of nobles, the most powerful man on Earth, one who was dead under his hands. Another shiver wracked through his spine as he remembered, excruciatingly clear the weight of the man in his arms, how his own hands were painted red from blood, the large sword clattered at a distance, those grey irises staring deep in his soul, that even in death, seemed so gentle.

"Oh my..." The voice startled him back to himself, and Ash found that Astaroth, that nasty creature was already behind him. Cursing again, Ash snapped his attention to the demon currently standing in the kitchenette with him, preparing to protect himself. When he saw Astaroth staring down into his almost empty mixing bowl though, he cursed once again.

Really! He should've! Known! Better!

Astaroth was not just any demon he could distract and kill like he would to any other demon who had thought about harming him. No, Astaroth was the crown prince of the Arcanum of demons, the next in line to lead all the demons on the Other Side. With exceptional prowess in battle and perception, not many could compete with him for the throne. Just another issue though, about this little demon, and it was the fact that he had meira sensitivity higher than anyone else in the world.

"I see..." Astaroth mumbled to himself, and Ash knew then and there that his fate was sealed. Astaroth had realized that he had been the one to draw the runes on his door, had realized that the meira he believed to come from another Arcanum previously, had actually come from the smoke of burnt spice and wine, and that the sigils drawn was a makeshift one that was out of textbook reference.

And at the thought, Astaroth set his eyes on him, serious and contemplating.

"How curious indeed..."

To think that a human would suddenly know how to draw an invisibility sigil, a technique created by the Arcanum of angels, was bewildering enough. To have the sigil drawn using foreign materials to replicate the same result, as if they had studied the sigil for years, however, was on another level.

"Tell me, human. What do I call you?"

"What's it to you?" Ash really had a bad feeling about what was going to happen tonight.

"Hmm, how do I say it without scaring you off?" The demon seemed to be contemplating, ignorant of how Ash would be scared shitless regardless of how Astaroth chose to phrase it. He was already scared now, and will continue to be unless he was out of his hair and sight! As he had every right to be!

To begin with! Why was Astaroth here?! Weren't it supposed to be the angels coming over? Why would a demon suddenly be here in the Metal Nations? For one, it was illegal for anyone to cross the border without express permission from the Noblesse Obligue. Sure, Astaroth was the crown prince of the demons, but that does not make him immune to Raguel's commands! Don't tell him that Raguel actually let him come here! Among the angels? Just how serious was this visit in the first place?

"It seems to me, little human, that you might want to follow me." Astaroth sighed with a coy smile. Then he began closing in. With every step closer, Ash moved back farther, trying to escape his reach. Astaroth's eyes never left him though, only the amusement in his eyes slowly growing more and more distinct, until Ash firmly believed that it was just a game for this creature. It wasn't until he no longer had the space to move backwards did the hand outstretched touched him on the nape. The shiver Ash tried to suppress broke free.

"Now, now, don't be alarmed. I'm not going to hurt you." While Astaroth certainly wasn't one of the people in Ash's list of predators, he certainly wasn't incapable of hurting him. Whether or not he will remains debatable. After all, he could never read through those eyes, so carefully masked. Astaroth died three years after he arrived at the Other Side, Ash never had the chance to know him personally.

"As if I'd believe you." Ash hissed.

"Oh, you'd better, actually." There was another glint in the demon's eyes, almost in a dangerous way. "Better me than an insidian."

As if on cue, a resounding crash deafened the living room. The sound of shattering glass rang in his ears, as his heart drummed in his chest. With a yelp, Ash braced his head from any incoming threat, an instinct he picked up during his years, barely registering the sensation of a large hand cradling his head into the nook of the demon's neck, and another arm clutching him close to the other's chest. Their position was changed, with Astaroth's back facing the now broken window. Ash had only managed to regain his bearing when Astaroth had already released him, turning to face the threat.

There in the middle of the living room, stood a creature, snarling deep. It may not be as intimidating as it sounded, with its body unarmed with scales or sharp exoskeleton, but the beast had a maw a two third of its head, which revealed far too many teeth than it probably needed, all of which were needle-like in shape, and had strings of black saliva that Ash suspected was poisonous. Looking down on the arms, Ash confirmed his suspicion. The creature definitely had claws, alright. too many of them too, to be comfortable. The exact same shape with the teeth. It looked like a stab to the guts with a kitchen knife would be less painful than being pawed by this...thing.

This was a normal sight. For Ash. In the Other Side, of course. Introducing the last Arcanum of the five, the insidians, more widely known to be the beasts of the world. The more complex Arcanum, the most violent, and much, much more bloodthirsty than what you'd think a demon like Astaroth would be.

Oh and fear not. They do not have a specific form. This was just one of many kinds of them....

"Speak of the devil and he shall come." Astaroth laughed, as if the sight of an insidian in the middle of the living room was a surprise gift. As if he himself wasn't some sort of devil that intruded his house.

"I learned that human saying some years ago when I visited. Who knew I'd use it on an insidian."