The smell of sulfur and smoke filled his nostrils, bringing a smile to his face. The feel of soft flesh beneath his fingers was empowering, a terrified whimper echoing like the sweetest music in his ears. He opened his eyes, deep red things the color of blood, and surveyed the area around him. Smoking grounds and charred bodies filled his sight, a mop of blonde hair not too far off catching his eye. She wasn’t hurt nearly as badly as the individuals around her, but she certainly wasn’t in tip top condition. Another whine from the being trapped in his grasp recaptured his attention. It was a human girl, from the looks of her. Long hair, dark in color. Wide, fearful eyes that made him smile even while the annoying young man in the back of his head screamed in agonized fury.
“He calls you Wendy. Is that your name?” A mirthless chuckle slid past his lips, a pointed grin spreading across his face. “Oh he cares for you, Wendy, so very much.” He leaned forward, laughing out loud when she shrank away from him. “I think it only fair to tell you he tried valiantly to save you. And now, I’ll apologize for ending your life prematurely. If he didn’t care for you so much, I might have let you live... I assure you, it’ll be quick and.. painless.” Against the will of the original inhabitant, the hand wrapped around the little one’s body ignited in an unholy flame. The core of the flame was a dark, endless black that seemed to consume everything around it. A deep red hue surrounded it, incinerating anything it touched. She had time only to tearfully scream her lost comrade’s name before she was gone, a soulless body at his feet. The demon threw his head back, delighting in the boy’s sorrowful screams. She was the first. She would not be the last.
