The shroud of darkness blanketed the inky black sky as he slithered back towards the beach. Hunting tonight had been good ... he had made it an early night though, sated for now as he left Shokushu's dorms, thoughts about his recent encounter fluttering through his head causing the tendrils around his mouth to wave this way and that as if they had been submerged in water.

Now his mind had always felt others nearby, he could feel their thoughts and based on the feel of those thoughts with his scans he had been able to determine if an individual had been human or possessed thoughts that were more alien-like in nature. He sensed that now, their were more predators out when the sun dipped beneath the horizon after illuminating the heavens with a plethora of color spreading across it.

His eyes had been sensitive to the light so it was on cloudy days or night that he preferred to hunt or here in the forest where light had difficulties carving a path to the earth beneath as the area beneath the canopy of trees had been dimly illuminated.

Usually he avoided these other minds though their had been thrice that he had dealt with other monstrous beings. Once when he had transported from this place as he had been preparing ahead of time for the use of that ability. He had wound up elsewhere though he had realized that he had to first transport to a world near Shokushu then elsewhere as he saw fit given that they were something in the island's suppressors that interfered with his use of his own abilities in that regard anyway.

And the other time had been an error when he perceived one as a human though she had only looked like one. The other had been a visitor to this world that was simply passing through and chanced upon him.

Now he had felt another mind, an alien one that had been bizarre to him. He could have avoided it if he had wanted to though to do so would mean that he had to go out of his way and circle around, which he had not been willing to do. He had nothing to be afraid of after all and circling about would simple add to the time that it would take him in reaching his destination.

He was slow enough as it was and given his lack of mobility he crept along as he slithered across dry lives that had shed from the trees on this autumn day. He mentally prepared himself incase there would be trouble though he had doubted that there was any to be found, he had not been the usual prey of others after all not that he didn't feel that he could take care of himself though usually it was easier to avoid confrontations as they came up since they could be a hassle in dealing with.

Night was always fickle. It caused so much paranoia with the students of Shokushu and anxiety in the other inhabitants as both raced to particular areas where either they would find safety or a long night ahead of them. Darkness made it difficult to see with human perception and the ever toying idea in the back of the mind that something was right behind them but one could not see it made many students turn in early to avoid these trying times where dusk met night.

But for Sole, it was peaceful without any thought of predators or even prey. Sole has yet to take a victim of this school ever since he arrived the day before… or was it the day before that?

Two heads turn to the middle one, as if perplexed by the slew of emotions running through their own minds because of their connection. The middle only chuckled and looked back and forth to each head before they turned to face the direction they were going. It was highly tasking to keep all three heads in unison, but with the outer heads seemingly blank without a mind to think of their own, the middle had taken control and that was where the intelligence lied in this particular being. But having more then one head was more beneficiary than a hindrance. Surely…. Surely it was.

Stomping about seemed like the only option for someone who weighed as much bull, but surprisingly he was very gentle in his steps. Though he was not intentionally trying to be quiet for any particular reason, but to alert other creatures of his presence may cause unwanted attention; something he was not too fond of if it led to conflict. Walking on four legs was just as simple as two for him, but it allowed him to be closer to the ground and perhaps some mild camouflage. But even so, he knew some creatures were close, and even more so there was one head in a path that would intercede with his own. He was not about to avoid a simple path because another would take it and perhaps this one was not looking for conflict either. He too could sense the minds of others, but on a more sixth sense level.

He could very well have dived into the shadows to avoid this meeting, but after so much time of stepping along to reach his own destination, a demon has to have some fun in meeting new people. And so it came as Sole took the first step onto a path that would intersect with the other creature’s travels. With bushes, trees, and thickets closing in, Sole’s body was obscured in the plants, making him hard to see with obstruction all around him, even for creatures who could see night as day. One thing Sole did not care for was the fact his scales and thorns manage to pick up plants and drag them behind him some times.

He could clearly make out tentacles of a squid like creature coming towards him. But something seemed strange about him; how he walked, how his eyes seem to as white as milk… and did he hear some form of gurgle or bubble?

The demonic soul raised a brow before bowing his head respectfully. He already could feel this creature pressing into his own thoughts, which meant telepathy was a power this one had.

'... good evening.'

Finding an old hiking trail he transverse down it given there were few obstacles to avoid. Feeling an alien mind about he had paused. His eyes had been good though not too good as to see night as clearly as day. He had been accustomed to glancing through the muck at an ocean's bottom and that had assisted him in seeing. It aided him now as he felt something nearby, strange that he had been feeling separate entities though seemingly, as far as he could tell, from the same source.

Sensing that there had been a total of three minds he had worked out that two of them had been of lesser quality then the first. A multi-headed being? He mulled that thought over as he appraised it though seeing nothing ahead he suspected a trap of some sort.

Mouth tendrils twitched and swayed as he softly burbled to himself. He used care to scan the area again though did not see anything out of the ordinary. He had been about to probe the region further when he had heard a greeting indicating the direction of the being.

His head had gone in that direction he looked harder only now armed by two senses counting his mind, he could see something, not well with all the plants obscuring his view though something blue-black, something large by the looks of it.

Greetings there ... he began telepathically, paused then continued as he found a piece of information he had been searching for. Alien minds had been difficult for him to get a read on simply because they were so alien to him. He had dealt with human minds a great deal throughout the years though and had it easy to deal with them learning all about their minds. Sole ...

At first glance, the creature didn’t seem capable of having telepathic powers, but the thought of this monster having such abilities solidified when he greeted him by name. Though most reptilian entities couldn’t smile, Sole simply chuckled with his deep voice while getting himself out of the thickets that surrounded him. It was plausible for Aegir to regard him strangely when two heads shook themselves from being in the brush and look at him as the middle one had.

‘I do hope I’m not intruding in any case. I’m mildly new here and was simply walking about, taking my surroundings in. And since we are on a first name basis I would assume you have been here awhile… Aegir.’

He turns himself to fully face this creature and nonchalantly stretches his wings out before folding them behind him with the notion that they adjusted themselves un-unified behind him before he turns his left head to the trail now behind him to look it down for a moment.

‘Are you traveling up this path then? That goes to the beach does it not?’

He had been taken back, never had he been probed before though he had thought that he had been immune to mental abilities outside of telepathy. This thing had obviously been different and that had enticed him, made him curious about that.

Some of his apprehension disappeared as Sole came out into view, not all of it mind you given the size difference between them. In any situation Aegir had been use to being the larger of the party but he had dealt primarily with humans and human-like beings.

His eyes flickered to the path that Sole had glanced down. No, the path does not go to the beach though it nears there and travel by it is easier then overland.

I have been here for ... he paused for a few seconds to calculate the passage of time, then convert it into human terms. Just about two years now by human time measurements, not long by my standards though long enough to get familiar with a few things.

‘You needn’t worry of me attacking a fellow creature. I do not give such a thought more then what it should be… I simply see no reason to attack another monster aside from wanting to confront them of what they know of this island and nothing more.’

The glow in his eyes fixes into a raised brow fashion if he had brows to account for such an expression. The creature seemed well at home here and it was slightly relieving to know that inhuman creatures could fit comfortably here for a long time until either they got bored or passed on. Aegir seemed truly at ease after he had shown himself more fully, but still seemed perhaps a little intimidated by his size despite the slight relief of knowing he wasn’t dealing with hostile company.

‘I see… two years in human time would mean you would be familiar with the island’s environment, its inhabitants and other such qualities… I do not wish to be rude and would normally abstain from probing into another creature’s mind unless allowed permission, but I would like to inquire you with a few questions I have of this place… if you have the time that is. I can even accompany you to wherever you are headed if you do not mind company along your way. It is up to you after all…’ he spoke with a darkened tenor that seemed to follow behind a human equivalent of a masculine tone though it had always been there but just seemed more prevalent once Sole seemed mildly at ease with this new band he had with him.

‘I do have to articulate that I have only heard tales of the Demon of the Deep and with that name of yours to follow in it. What has fascinated you to stay here in this place for such a prolonged amount of time? I would like to assume it would be because of the environment but for me that would surely bore my mind after awhile.’

Aegir had considered for a moment, he had been placed at ease with Sole's appearance and while he had liked what he had heard he had not known if he had been lying to him or not. He had figured that he would err on the side of caution since he did not want to reveal where he made his lair. True their had been one that had learned or could guess and his mind flickered to that amicable meeting where he had made the error of considering that a monster had been a student! He should have known better and had after being in Lexi's presence for a small while but at least he had side stepped disaster there.

No ... you are not preventing me from anything, today I was going to call it a day earlier then most. We may dither for a while until you grow bored of what I have to say. He had been like Sole in that he did not pry into the thoughts and memories of other monstrous beings though he tended to keep aware of their surface thoughts seeing that the ability had been so naturally to him that turning it off was like taking a blade to a limb and chopping it off. He felt rather naked without it though the effect had been like a security blanket more or less since he didn't; really need that ability.

From what he could feel though he sensed no hostility though he had to have given something away when he had been mentioned. Pride welled up through him since his name had been known causing him to relax his guard more, not completely, that would never happen, though more than usual.

Two years is not long for my species, centuries can pass with the blink of an eye passing for me so to speak. But years ago I had a habit of going to a planet known as earth. There I had made humans into a food source devouring their minds though the others believed that I was tainting myself and their were right. Memories, thoughts, they had all been absorbed into my mind and so I began to dabble in the things that influenced them which only lead to more and more perverse things according to my kind. Eventually this lead into the realm of sexual exploration and the others did not approve. In fact their took to hunting me down.

This place is much like Earth so it was too it that I came. The treaties in place and such ensured that the others could not come here. Many would deem this world as my prison though I hardly think so since I have no jailors and can leave at any time. I just am forced to dwell here until I scheme up a way to end the threat of the others.

Hunting here with the island's inhibitors tend to be easier and boring at times though most things are there days. I have to entertain myself in rather unusual ways at times to keep my interests from completely waning.

Sole stepped aside and allowed Aegir to walk next to him as they began their trek to where this squid-like creature was going. He knew he was imposing and would not dare to stay with the monster when they reached the beach. He could sense some hesitation and could only assume by his words that his place of dwelling was somewhere on the beach itself. Though Sole didn’t usually respect monsters too much he at least had some proper manners in order to obtain some form of allegiance.

The way Aegir spoke made it seem like he truly had nothing to go back to until he figures a way to deal with these pursuers that have plagued his mind. Though two years was nothing to Sole either, it just seemed like such a waste and for the squid to have others seeking his death would’ve outraged the dragon to a point he would find each and every one and devour them. Of course if he was in the creature’s position. He no doubt had human pursuers on Earth who believed in the stories of Orochi to be true. But last time a human dared to challenge him in such a way he didn’t even bother to fight but simply swallowed him whole.

‘I used to eat humans whole before I actually took the ranking of demonic entity’s seriously. I ate many humans in my time but I believe it was mostly due to what my father did while he lived. Though he is my blood relation, the dreaded Orochi never took too much care into humans and what they were capable of. He was ignorant and for that he received a blade into the heart.

I, however, have grown to be understanding of mortals, females especially and finally took up what a demonic being was supposed to do in order to gain more power. My title as a demonic entity allows me to control and order lesser demons but I find doing the work myself is more entertaining. I never bore of having a female human in my grasp, but I am easily entertained by the wild variety of emotions human females especially emit. But Earth bored me and so I found my way here. This place is entertaining and it is interesting to meet other creatures that do not pertain to the realm of Hell. I am here simply because… a demon has to have their fun too.’

He knew that his pace had been slow so they would have a while to chat. He listened to the words of the draconic being as they proceeded along. He was getting a better picture of things in his own mind as they had been revealed to him.

Oh, it is quite entertaining. At least at first though their is no real challenge to matters when you take account of the inhibitors. Since they dampen what the girls can do the conclusion is a given, though I would hardly expect the outcome to be in doubt it is more rewarding after a potential confrontation ... but I do prefer those methods that reduce a female from fighting back or only putting up a token resistance.

He recalled Christine and Taisie. Both had fought back well, brutally so though he attributed that primarily to their abilities to toss electrical magic at him which the inhibitors didn't seem to lessen any. Of course they had, the result a mere trickle of such output but Aegir would have sworn that wasn't the case.

In both cases he lost limbs to, tentacles that have long since regenerated but in both cases he felt more alive. Success had been more rewarding too. But outside of his particular vulnerability there would have been no real challenge in his two years here. The biggest problem he had to contend with outside of this were people running from him given his slow speed but even then he had means of dealing with that.

Token resistance is fine though. He paused, reflecting for a moment as he gauged some of the 'playful' fights that he had. Clarice, Ryu, there were so many actually. There are even some that have been more or less willing too ...

He had thought about Ishtar and of course the had been Komiko. He had tricked her of course but she had been none the wiser. He dotted on the later for a few seconds before braking away from a found memory.

Who is Oorchi? A demon lord?{/color] He had assumed so but wished to clarify that now so there had been no confusion. He nodded at the answer as he reflected on things further.

[color=#400000]In time you will develop your own favorites. Some of their thoughts are delicious though, their emotions and such. If you have the means of spying on them you can get their unguarded thoughts and beliefs too. How do you prefer to hunt?

It was nice to see Aegir was becoming more comfortable with him, and the slow walking didn’t perturb him at all except for the fact his four legs were meant to have great speed. Slowing down to a good pace would mean emphasizing his own slowness in his walking, but at least he’d have same pace.

He pauses to a halt and seems to ponder the very existence of his father for a moment before continuing to walk a bit faster to catch up to Aegir. He seemed lost for thoughts, having no real way of knowing much except for his death mostly. That untimely end did spawn him after all.

‘In not so many words, yes. He was an eight-headed serpent, perhaps destined for great things. His size counted for a lot and his powers were different in each head he had. He resided his last centuries in the island of Japan where he heard of and fought formidable warriors and sought to devour them to gain even more power and supremacy. He assumed so much power would allow him to become a god. But he didn’t take into account a man with God given talent to face him alone and by himself. Each of my father’s heads was cleaved from its body and his main was split in half down to his husk while the warrior plunged his sword into his heart, ensuring his death to be immanent.

Susano was his name. He was a good fighter… but after nights and days of battling Orochi he was weakened and injured. I do not have much ‘honor’ as some humans claim to have and simply went to his living quarters and devoured him whole.’

It was interesting to recollect a lot of why he was spawned. Revenge, hatred, misery, desire… it was no wonder he craved to have such emotions emit from students as well. He could smile if his reptilian lips could do make such an expression. He was happy to enjoy the fruits of human mortals. They were entertaining and never ceased in amusing him.

Such thoughts were cut off as he continued to think of any interested means he had of capturing and using victims but simply shrugged his massive shoulders.

‘I don’t have many preferences. I do what I have to in order to have a good seasoned victim, ripe with many emotions that feed my demonic soul. Perhaps it gives me a little prickling to have caused such feelings to flare about, but I usually like to draw my victims in with promises and attractions… perhaps even performing some so they feel gratitude enough to do as I say. Most know I could kill them in an instant and I do prefer to keep that feeling of absolute power, but that’s not to say I’m not willing to compromises to receive such burning passion from my victims. I would like to think that all my victims enjoyed whatever I did to them… they seemed very content when I left… I believe some prayed for my return as well. Humans are very curious… they see me as a demon but as soon as I do something for them I an like a wonderful deity to them… their thoughts and feelings do make me ponder.’

Hercules and the hydra. Sole's tale had been similar to that though with the hydra each head that had been cleaved off sprouted two others unless the wounded stump had been cauterized by fire. He rethought the tale and had dwelled upon the serpent himself, the multi headed Satan, though of course this was not he, not the light bearer.

He reflected on the tale, nodding a little. That is how my kind exists. In the past, millennia ago now, we reproduced sexually though we evolved to the state where we no longer needed to procreate given that we could do so asexually.

We would bud making nodes. They were seen as children as a way though they begin life as idiots. No, that is too strong of a word. They have no real intelligence but are tools of their parent. We can see through their eyes, use their own senses and project our powers through them.

Half a dozen or so nodes can be created at a time and are usually destroyed by a parent if exhibiting any intelligence. But nodes do learn as they age. Some even form allegiances with their brethren to kill their parent and become independent, some act as if their are dumber then they are and bid their time until they can strike.

In any case it all amounts to the same, our lives truly begin in violence when we kill our parent and assume our own place in the universe. Of course it is centuries before we can develop nodes of our own. We are weary of them, Cronus feared his children and ate them thinking that they would turn on him as he did his father Uranus. Such is the case with our nodes but they are highly useful.

He paused, reflected on what Sole had relayed and found that he had an interest in making bargains. I have made a few bargains myself from time to time. I offered to take Pia back to Earth along with Komiko of course Pia is writing a book about me first, I dealt with Ishtar and Lynnmarie in similar ways though with Ishtar I reneged on the deal. So, how is it that you can conceal yourself, being so large and all?

The small lesson of Aegir’s kind was ripe with many hardships and apparent bloodshed, but that’s not to say Sole didn’t have some understanding of the barbaric parenting the squid seemed to have gone through. The draconic deity was born from bloodshed and right at the start was asked to perform his father’s last will and devour a creature from the get-go. But after doing what his father had wanted, Sole was left with hardships that were really very small and far between. He did what he pleased when he wanted and took to devouring humans for the sake of having a tasty snack. And then he started following the laws and rules of the demonic realm to gain a title and now here he was, talking away with a creature that seemed to have more to him then meets the eye.

He turned his middle head to him, as if surprised to be asked such a question but turns back forward to see where he was going once more. ‘My body may be large, but I have ways of getting around such issues. My most prominent way aside from flying silently above my victims is to become one with shadows. I can meld myself into nothing more then a shadow and be forever silent in my approach and can even speak through the realms of reality and darkness. But even then I still have many issues in that way of ambushing so mostly I am left to either be stumbled upon or by me seeking out particular humans. Either way seems to have worked for the passed couple of millennia’s I’ve been doing this and females never seem to be the wiser.’

He merely huffed a small smoke in chuckling fashion at the mention of a girl writing a book about his new acquaintance, seemingly entertained by the idea that he would documented in the human realm.

‘I would prefer to keep my identity enshrouded for the time being. But the idea of being written about and told of in stories does have some entertaining thoughts of my father, since he was written as such in legends and tales. Perhaps in the none-distant future I can persuade a human to write a book of me, but for now I do prefer to be remained an enigma. It gives me a little jog of amusement to use my blood line’s name to frighten mortals right now.’

Quite understandable there. I can understand the need or want for autonomy. My kind has it and in the distant past, well a few millenia isn't much of a distant past, I told of the history of my kind to a philospher. In response my kind sunk his city, Atlantis, so word of them would not get out there. Not that I expect a book to be published or circulated here though. It gives me a peace of mind that at least one other person has their attention upon me when I am not around. Another, Ishtar, is working on a play featuring yours truly that most of the students will have a chance of seeing so I am more likely to get immortalized then. My kind cannot come here so chances are they will not even realize they are exposed until they hear about it and then it will be too late.

In addition to being immortalized I hope to bring light to the darkness. To expose the others and bring them to the attention of another organization like the ADD and use the later to wipe out or reduce the former. There are not many of us left so every little bit counts.

Of course, I'm likely to draw their attention too but it is not often that they come here. I believe the last time they did was during the prom when there was a ton of monstrous influence going on their and they could not resist from sticking their noses into things ... I've encountered only two of their numbers, a scientist by the name of Nikki and a field agent, Amelia. I do not travel the stars often, the risks are there that I could encounter the others.

He paused thinking for a moment, then rubbing his chin with a tentacle. I've used such tactics in the past. Not flying of course, though I suppose I could levitate, though lying in ambush, waiting. I tend to do such while in the trees over or near hiking trails and while submerged where I alter my pigment to better blend in. Most people do not even look up unless there is reason too.

But generally, under ideal situations anyway, I get information from my sole node remaining to me. I've used the others during the two years here, to spy on targets, to select them out then scheme up a means of getting them alone based on their interests. Being a telepath has it's advantages since I can alter their perceptions too to generate illusions in their heads that makes up the slow speed that is a weakness of my kind.

Aegir paused for a moment as he thought on the various techniques available to him. Lately though I've taken more liberties with my hunts to make things far more intersting.

‘Though your deviant mind makes me ponder more ways I can exploit my demonic needs, I think I shall keep your ideals and plans to their original owner and make better means of what I can and can’t do. I’m very young for a demon I’ll have you know, so I suppose you could say I’m ‘still a growing boy’ as the humans put it to adolescent males.’

The outer heads turn in the opposite direction very slowly, as if scouting the area around them to make sure there were no monster’s tuning into their conversation. Being probed was one thing, but being eavesdropped on would anger him greatly.

‘But I should assume myself as to not be completely out of human minds. My father had made quite a name for himself in ‘legends’ and truths. The fact the warrior who eradicated him disappeared and the fact I’ve had my way with too many women and eaten many men to recall at the moment, I’m sure there was at least someone who’s written about me. But most stories like that, unless proven true by popular figures in the human realm, are left as simple stories so I do not believe or rather I have not been discovered quite yet.

If the situation comes, my telepathic skills can erase memories of myself or certain pieces of anything pertaining to me and I could simply replace the holes with false images to keep every encounter interesting.’

He paused for a moment as well, and seemed to come upon a rather malevolent idea.

‘My friend… since you seem to try and make every encounter you have interesting, perhaps we could form…a brief alliance if you wish and take part of the female students in one attack. I understand your desire to be alone in predation, as do I, but I do think the both of us would have every different ways to entertain ourselves and each other with one or two blessed women on the island. Sound interesting enough to divulge a little more?’

You can relax. I can sense sentient minds nearby. At present we are alone though I can feel three others, a stationary being and two moving along the eastern part of the forest. From the feel of their minds I would say that they are monstrous entities. My experience with humans allows me to get a good feel of humans, their brain waves are an easy read for me not to mention that their thoughts are more in tune with my own given the amount of consumption of their brains I've got a feel for what they think.

The only things I cannot sense are those without minds at all or if someone is scrying on us though I could think of no reason why they should ... maybe the ADD but I've not been a nuisance to them. There are others of my kind that I can not sense either but if there were any on this island, believe me I would know one way or the other.

He paused as he thought. For the most part he had a habit of leaving other entities alone knowing that their methods tended to differ then his. About the only ones he encountered, yes the only ones in fact where a trio. One he mistook as prey given her disguise until she had been close enough to scan, another had set down here and bargained with him and another he had met somewhere out there during a teleportation mishap.

But an alliance had been something different, something new that could quell the boredom that he felt often enough. He pondered Sole's abilities in erasing minds and his typical M.O that had been similar enough to his own to make things work.

Yes, I think that we can enter into that enterprise.

He pondered through his memories of students. Komiko had his protection and he began thinking over those that he had the most contact with. There was Ryu though that was rather an affectionate bound in that he sort of broke her in to the point that there had been little resistance there.

[color=#400000I think I have someone in mind too ... Pia I think, I've encountered her often enough, that is unless you have someone else in mind.[/color]