The Side You Choose

Kiore went the opposite direction of Savon. He curved toward the west and north, away from where the humans had gone. The rain wasn't strong enough to confuse the scent yet, but they hadn't called the hell hounds back to help search for them. After all it was two against one, and they figured that these two would make quick work of Kiore.

Kiore rounded the gas station and jumped up on the picnic table there, before turning and jumping to hit the side of the building with his front paws. He left a good sized dent with his parkour move. He timed it perfectly as Ichor came around the corner and he hit him full force in the side. They went to the ground and rolled. Kiore was almost twice his size, but he'd grown since he'd last seen him.

So had Kiore and here he had a good diet. He wasn't restricted like these two and he could see that they were underfed. It gave him the advantage there as well. He was in better shape and healthy, they ended up in a heap of slashing claws and ear piercing growls.

Ikis hit Kiore in the side and he lost his balance for a moment but turned his head and got her in the shoulder pulling her down. He moved back so he wouldn't be trapped below the two of them. Ichor moved around his sister to her weaker side, covering the injury. He gave it a bit of a lick and watched Kiore who was silent just waiting.

"Your master didn't give you orders to fight us. Help us." Ichor said.

"I chose to side with the master that I have. He doesn't force my hand, allows me liberties that none have given me before." They weren't going to understand. However if Savon won against their masters then they would.

"It is just a trick, once he has what he needs he will restrict you. Loyalty to our kind comes first, we don't want to harm you. If you stay on your master's side we have to consider you enemy. We have to fight you, to kill you." Ikis said.

She and her brother didn't want to fight with Kiore. He was like family to them. All hell hounds were close, did for each other. They were more so, and before they had been brought here she'd considered accepting him as mate. They were few even in hell, there number perhaps a hundred or so.

Now it was a different story. They were stuck on earth with masters that deprived them of their basic needs. Of what they needed to remain healthy and in perfect shape. There wasn't much of a future for them. They were tools to be used, at least she had her brother. Kiore had no one and now he was fighting them.

"I'm more than confident that Savon will kill the others. I doubt your masters will be alive for much longer. In effect I am siding with you, helping you. You'll see"

"He is out numbered and a half breed." Ichor said moving to circle as did Ikis. Kiore didn't want to injure them, but survival was survival and orders were orders.

"Still stronger than the daemons, and killed one that was fully acolyte." The two of them paused slightly, in circling him. Kiore backed up slowly with their advancement not allowing them to get behind him.

"You are mistaken." Ichor said.

"No, he is far stronger than Astor gives him credit for. I have seen it with my own eyes."

"Looks like we will have to agree to disagree for now." Ikis said and Ichor rushed him. They met and Ikis then darted in to fight him as well. Kiore was faster than they thought. While Ichor scored a good hit, he didn't manage it as well as he thought and Kiore plowed him into the ground.

Kiore got Ikis solid with his tail and she hit the ground hard, but scored against his side with her claws. They were around the gas station now and in full view of the others that fought not far away, Astor was simply watching for the moment. Clearly waiting to see the damage the others would do. Besides his gaze was watching for Savon, waiting to see if the others could corner him so he could then take him.

______Savon______

Savon stayed on the roof where he was until a male demon moved below him. He came down hard and fast. The demon never knew what hit him and he was dead before he drew his next breath. Savon met Lust's attack his strength seemed to surprise her. Though it shouldn't seeing that he killed her partner.

He came at her hard and fast, forcing her back. Savon countered every swing of her weapon. She didn't have a hope of getting him, of taking his head. A woman came at him, he bent back, her weapon sailing over and past him. She pulled out a second and swung the blade down. He knocked it away and swung up with his left.

Savon sliced into her side and blood hit him and was over his weapon, he just felt a smile at this. This fighting was exhilarating to him. He was fed by it not tired by it. Lust came at him, but he blocked her with his right and had to twist left. He brought his right blade around as this woman he was sure was Lia, tried to get him.

She barely rocked him. He used the momentum from his twist to come back and hit her in her shoulder. He moved back pulling out the blade and she made a sound of pain. Lust trying to impale him, but he was still faster, more agile. They didn't realize that he was messing with their perception. He plunged his left blade into her stomach and she doubled over.

He pulled it out and kicked her, sending her to the soaked ground. The rain coming down harder. Lia out right jumped on him, and down to the ground they went. He hit hard, but rolled loosing his blades. He punched her first in the face and then the throat. Her nails raked down his front drawing blood. Savon reached into his pocket and pulled out a glass orb. He was lucky it wasn't broken yet.

His eyes changed going dark green and he smashed the glass into her face. It instantly burned her, the holy water like acid. It got in her eyes and she went back screaming. Savon rolled away as a metal pole impaled where he'd been not a second before.

"I grow tired of you." Astor's voice sounded. Savon was up on his feet, and grabbed his weapons just managing to miss the swing from Astor. Savon heard the sound of something running up behind him. He just waited to the last second and dropped nearly to the ground. The large hell hound sailed over him and hit the ground sliding to a stop.

It snarled, the black and purple mix stood out more with the rain soaking its body. It moved toward Lia, clearly having to defend her. Astor watched Savon. Lust was getting up from where she had fallen. He felt satisfied with the large wound in her midsection.

"Couldn't take me yourself?" Savon said. Astor's eyes grew brighter. Savon's back to an emerald green. From here Savon could see that Garien's group had found a few of the humans and where fighting with them. It looked like Neil and Louis. They were putting up a good fight. Behind him he could hear the other hell hound fighting with Kiore.

"Didn't realize you would run like a coward."

"I know when and where to pick my fights." Savon commented. He felt the flier that was over head. He just took hold of its mind, before Astor realized what he'd done the flier dove from the sky right at him.

Astor had to move and fast to keep from getting chomped by the thing. It came at him mercilessly. He couldn't get into its mind, Savon was doing to good a job. Once more Savon proving he was not some weak half breed. The flier pushed him back and away from them. However it was only a matter of time before Astor got a hold of it and killed it and they both knew it.

Savon needed the distraction, and made sure that the flier kept at Astor. He couldn't take his eyes off of it or then it would be a very painful mistake. Savon picked his target. He knew which was the weaker here. It was Lia, even with the hell hound, but that he could trick.

He ran to the left. Lust and Lia following him. Though Lia's eye sight was horrible. Her eyes black but rimmed with an odd red. The hell hound right next to her. He was between a house and shed, he turned and went at Lust. Behind her Kiore appeared, but was hit by the other male hell hound and they went to the ground.

Lust moved to block his attack, but she wasn't his intended target. He turned like he was moving out of the way. The quick move brought him close to Lia. He swung with the left, the female hell hound lunged but missed as Savon jumped back.

It was to late and they both knew it. The power he used to hit her was enough to cleanly remove her head. She was dead and her body hit the ground. Lust made an irritated sound and both Kiore and the other hell hound paused in their fighting.

Savon backed up slightly and faced Lust. She was now out numbered three to two. Seeing that Savon now owned the female hell hound. As for the male, maybe he would help her. Maybe he wouldn't. It was clear that Lust must have expected the hell hound to die or leave, but when it didn't, her look grew darker.

"What would you have of me?" The female hell hound asked in a stoic tone. Her master was not coming back. There wasn't really much of a body left to get rid of now. Not with her head gone.

"Don't get in my way." Savon said and the hell hound looked confused at being dismissed. At not being told to put itself before him. To protect him at all costs. More like he was annoyed at having the extra protection.

Savon came at Lust again this time, he was going to kill her. Kiore moved then from the male hellhound who just stood there looking lost. Kiore hit Lust from behind, she swung down and nicked him but the distraction gave Savon the advantage. He plunged his right blade into her chest. She swung up to block with left blade, to stop it from taking her head.

"I will not die so easily."

"Easy enough." Savon said with a gleam to his eye, and a bit of a smile. It was unnerving to her that he fought this way. Like it was a game and dying wasn't a problem right here and now. She felt very much like she could die. She had a feeling that he was playing mind games with her and she tried to ignore it.

"Go help the humans. Take her with you. Both of you help and protect them." Savon said to Kiore, and Kiore moved away. The female hell hound going with him. They were fast and running off. He knew that a few more of the humans had been found and were being brought back. This wasn't looking so good.

Savon pushed back at Lust. His blade still in her and she slammed into the side of the building. He let go of his one blade and slammed a fist into her abdomen. The pain of it caused her to let go of her weapon. He felt her blood rush over his hand. She was growing more pale by the second, that precious blood leaving her. Her teeth were jagged and yellowed.

"You pick the wrong side." She said to him as he pulled out his blade.

"Doesn't look like it from here." He stated, and used the blade to send through her shoulder and into the side of the house. He grabbed the other blade and he felt a smugness at the sudden fear in her eyes. How hard the powerful fell. He swung taking her head, and moved to pull out the blades. In the silence he heard voices and snapped his head that direction.

"... a weakness. Give me my life and I will tell you." Savon recognized it as Jonas. Savon knew that what Jonas would say wasn't something he wanted Astor to know. The flier was dead laying there, and Jonas stood in front of Astor.

"Your life. I'll give you if your information is sound." Savon looked around quick. Should have killed the son of a bitch when he had a chance.

'It's not weakness now.' No it wasn't, killing him now was smart. He jumped forward and grabbed the bow that was there. Who knew this would actually come in handy. Astor was stopping him for getting to Jonas's mind. Savon notched an arrow and aimed.

'Not this time Jonas.'

"A wom.." Jonas jerked sideways as the arrow hit him. He was dead before he hit the ground. Astor turned and looked at Savon. A glee there.

"Always knew that human part of you would be your weakness." He said with a wicked smile.

"Just like pride will be yours."

"I know that this group of humans left. There are only two women."

"And?" Savon said.

"It sounds as if you have a softness for one of them." Astor said. He looked at Savon. His look said that he could careless. It was convincing, however the acolyte in him wouldn't care. Astor was willing to bet that the human part did.

The human had come up to him, and wanted his life. Had said that he knew Savon had a weakness, just one that the human knew of. Now would have been a very good time to be able to read a human mind. That wasn't one of his talents he practiced. Demon minds worked differently, and humans were something that were in another field.

"You know this for a fact?" Savon asked like it was amusing.

"We will see once they drag the humans back."

'Fuck.' Savon though mentally and moved. He'd have to kill Astor first.

'Relax, he doesn't know for sure. He is just hoping.' His acolyte reminded him and Savon felt like hitting something. However his human part was the voice, and the acolyte in control which was a very good thing at the moment. Besides, how were they going to lie to Astor when or if he found Kayla? He was a demon of lies, their half bluff was not going to work if Astor had his hands around Kayla's throat.