In Flames - 2. Chapter 2

The realisation that he was still alive came as something of a shock to Atoki as consciousness crept in. Pain blossomed through his body. His limbs ached as blood returned to his fingers which had been flattened under the weight of himself a bit too long with a surprising tingle. His chest and abdomen hurt. His lungs were tight and raspy, and the whole left side of his face throbbed.

He didn’t want to sit up and find out where he was, or what the damage was. He’d walked into a fire, by all rights he should be dead. He didn’t want to move and find out that he was half burnt to death in some clinical hospital room. If he’d been taken to a hospital, they’d have found out who he was and called Aris.

Death would have been better than Aris finding him.

Something warm enveloped him… a blanket? Shifted and settled in his restless sleep, he could feel a heartbeat. Someone else was there. Atoki opened his undamaged eye and stared in confusion at what he saw.

Fur. Thick, ash grey and soft, dusted with black. There was a paw, huge and lion like, folded onto the creatures chest. As Atoki stared at the rising and falling chest, the creature huffed, exhaling in its sleep. It shifted and then he saw it’s face. Something in between a lion and wolf, a huge wedge shaped head, long point-tipped ears, and two massive back-curving horns like an Ankole bull.

The beast snorted in its sleep, then moved its paw over a very doglike pink and black nose, scratching it. Without warning, the creature opened one eye. It was like staring straight into the heart of the fire, a sheet of flame so bright and red that it almost hurt to look at. The rumble in the creature’s chest resolved into words.

“You’re awake,” Its voice was like lava being poured over hot rocks. The creature willed it as low and soft as it can possibly be, but to Atoki’s ears, the voice was booming with thunderous qualities, “Welcome back.”

“I’m a-alive?” Atoki decided not to question at this particular instant how a giant, horned, lion-wolf thing was speaking to him, or why.

“Yes Sire, you are alive.”

“Sire?” Atoki raised his hand to his face and held his forehead gingerly in his palm, “Oh god, what has happened to me?”

“You walked into the fire.” The creature spoke as though it was the most normal thing, “You walked into the fire and you begged to be destroyed and saved. So many people had come with their wishes and their raw lust and desire and fear,” Atoki felt the raw power behind the beast’s words. He marvelled in awe of the wonder and the majesty in its voice. “But your need o’er tipped the scales. You called me here. And I decided that I wanted you saved.” The beast bent its head and Atoki felt the velvet softness of its muzzle and chill damp of its nose moving over the skin of his hand and cheek. “You were so beautiful.”

Atoki took a deep breath, intending to find the strength to stand and leave and wake from this weird dream, and then surprised himself by simply breaking down in tears. They were not attractive tears, huge gasping sobs, because every time he tried to breathe normally his chest ached and the bones of his ribs grated sickeningly against each other.

Atoki found the big creature curled around him tighter, pulled him into its chest with his huge paws. It’s head curved over his own, chin resting on his back. The beast’s tail was thick and prehensile and snake-like despite the fur, and it wrapped around his shaking form as he cried.

When it was over, the boy raised his head and let out a sniffle. He’d left a wet patch of tears in the thick fur of the creature. He stroked the coat, so soft and thick, like the richest carpet imaginable, and spoke into the space of the creatures thrumming chest and throat. He was purring softly, like a steam train slowing down.

“Thank you, for saving me. But you are wrong. I’m not beautiful.”

“Yes you are. I have seen great beauty. I can see that you are beautiful.”

“He made me ugly.” Atoki hated that even compliments made him think of the man who had run every aspect of his life for the last nine months, the man who had controlled everything.

It had never been worth it.

“Never.” The big creature’s voice rumbled, “Never think you are ugly Sire. You are glorious.”

“Atoki,” the boy exhaled softly. Not Boy or Bitch, not Whore, or Worthless Shit. Not Sweetest, or Darling, not Dearest or Doll, “That’s my name. Atoki.”

“I am Vruuaska.” The noise felt like a boulder rolling down a mountain, “I am a demon.”

“Oh. I see,” Atoki looked at the horns that rose from the beast’s head and curved backwards, “What do I do now?”

“What would you like to do?” Vruuaska asked gently.

Clarity came over the injured boy. He was obviously dreaming or hallucinating or dead, because he was lying wrapped up in the fur of a creature declaring to be a demon who said he was beautiful. It was ridiculous. Atoki sat up, which hurt, but he did it anyway, and looked around.

The light in the sky pale and wan, and he was in the field where the fire was made. Everyone had gone, the place was abandoned, leaving only a litter of cans and bottles which the smuggler brigade would collect during the day. He and Vruuaska sat in the centre of the burnt circle where the fire had been, the land scorched and burnt by the flames. The ash already seeping into the ground to fertilise the new grass.

He was alive, like really alive. The demon collected itself and was sitting, very statuesque, next to him in the ashes. A deep grey and black lion who was sort of like a wolf, paws the size of a barstool, tall as a double decker bus. The rich fur was thicker over where the ruff was. Touched with bright red-gold of flames, it emitted a gentle smoke. His horns glinted in the early light, darkly coloured and hard compared to the velveteen softness of his fur. Despite that, it was easy to see that Vruuaska was made of solid muscle, only slightly disguised by the pelt.

“How am I not dead?”

“I saved you because you called me.”

“What do you mean,” Atoki had to crane to look up and the great beast, “I called you?”

“A fire was built and burnt with reverence and love, with adoration and respect with a true prayer, a burning desire of need thrown in. Your mind was forceful enough to override the fire-lust of others, to call me here, to be with you.” The demon stopped speaking, then lay down, paws out in front of his body, tail making a channel in the thick ash. His fiery eyes looked directly into Atoki’s own. “I want to be with you.”

“I don’t know if I can do this…” Atoki felt his mind wavering, and tried to grip onto reality and keep hold of it. He didn’t want to pass out again, not now.

“Sire… Atoki,” Demon was obviously trying hard to use his real name. It sounded beautiful in his ash and gravel flavoured voice, “We can go away from this place if you want. We do not have to stay here. We can return to where I came from, and you will not have to deal with any of this.”

“No. Not yet.” Atoki took another deep breath and tried to stand. He screamed, and found Vruuaska’s fur directly under his hands, supporting his weight. He grabbed a handful of the thick velvet and bit his lip, “Oh fuck me, that hurts.”

“What can I do?”

“Nothing. I’ll be fine.” Atoki pulled up the hem of his dirty t-shirt and inspected his flat stomach. His usually pale skin was marked with the yellow and rust coloured blooms of old bruises and the red and deep purple marks of new ones, “At least I think I’m not bleeding internally.”

“Who did this to you?” Vruuaska rumbled. It raised its head and huffed gently on the bruised skin, breath was dry-hot like the Nevada desert breeze.

“A… person.” Atoki took another deep breath, gritting his teeth against the tears that threatened to spill over, “A man who was a bastard.”

“I wish to kill him.” Big flame eyes looked up at him imploringly, “Do you think less of me for that?”

“No.” Atoki found himself stroking the great head, running his fingers over the shape below the thick fur. “Can we get out of here? I don’t want people to find us.”

“Of course. I thought it might be wise if people were unable to see me.”

“Huh?”

“To others, I am invisible.” Vruuaska rumbled as they began to walk. The creature was so massive that it needed only to take one step for four or five of Atoki’s shuffling paces. “I can be visible if you prefer, but it is not recommended.” As they moved, Atoki felt the demon moving under his hand, and was surprised to find that the creature had changed, it size shrunk until it was only has big perhaps as a large horse.

“You changed!”

“Yes.” Vruuaska spoke again as though this was normal, “I can be a different shape too.” The beastly demon swung its head and seemed to be thinking, its long tipped ears swivelled back, “I can be a shape which is closer to your own, if you prefer.”

“Not right now.” Atoki looked up at the beautiful creature, “I’m not sure I can cope with that just now.”

“Yes Sire.” There was a soft, comfortable silence as they walked on, “Sire, you look tired and ill. We should get you help and healing.”

“That won’t work. Too many questions. They’ll ask how I got injured.”

“Tell me,” The huge beast said with a seething palpable rage, “Tell me about this man who dared to touch you.”