So, the next morning….

“Oh my god! What the bloody hell is that thing?!”

Lilac woke up with a weird-looking black hairless dog sleeping on the floor. She was surprised as to why a scrawny hairless ‘dog’ the size of a human was sleeping on the floor wearing a skull and looking very otherworldly and straight out of a horror illustration. She screamed Ifrit’s name in terror, which woke the hellhound up. Sammael himself also woke up and let own and yawn, which showed how long his tongue was. It did not help calm Lilac down.

“Lilac, I can explain,” he said. He quickly tried to find a way to explain what Sammael was before he said, “He’s a harmless dog.”

“Ifrit, I am a Lycan! I know what a dog and a wolf is! That…thing is not any of those bloody animals!”

“He’s a friend. His name is Sammael,” said Ifrit. “And you are right. He’s not a dog. I don’t know the Tragorian for (Barghest).”

“You never mentioned a friend that look like it comes from the depths of hell!”

“Lady, you’re freaking out,” said Sammael. “Whatever it is from the depths of hell is far worse than me. I can say I’m not bad myself.”

Sammael did try to defuse the situation, but it only caused Lilac’s surprised state to become even more surprised and agitated.

“It talked!” she exclaimed. “It bloody talked!”

“Lilac, Lilac, stop,” said Ifrit, trying to calm Lilac down. “He won’t harm you. I met him last night on the streets. He contacted me.”

“But…!”

“Just imagine him as a good dog with, uh…no fur, long tongue, and skull mask. You’ll get used to it.”

Lilac was not entirely convinced, but Ifrit did calm her down somewhat. But, upon seeing Sammael grinning and showing her his sharp row of teeth, she quickly walked and slammed the door to the bathroom, leaving Ifrit and Sammael alone.

“(Thanks),” said Ifrit, sarcastically. “(For making it worse).”

“(What? I was just…).”

“(Lilac’s been through a lot, but she hasn’t seen the worst of it. You happen to be something beyond her comfort zone).”

“(I get the impression),” said Sammael. “(But there is something wrong with her. She smells like a wolf but mixed with hellhound along with something sinister. It’s like a hybrid that doesn’t work. How the hell did she end up like that, anyway? Magical mishap? Demonic curse)?”

Ifrit turned away and silently tried not to embarrass himself. But he did not account for the Barghest’s quick realization.

“(Ah, I see. Someone’s been a little careless).”

“(It was an accident, okay? I don’t know hellhounds can turn a Lycan into a pseudo-hellhound under a full moon).”

“(At least you got laid instead of being worried that the hellhound you planned to hit on turned out to be secretly conspiring to kill you. Well, you’re wise not to go with her).”

“(What? You spied on me?!)”

“(Hey, it’s my job),” said Sammael.

“(Also, when did you learn Tragorian?)”

“I listened to people talk,” said Sammael. “(It’s not that hard).”

“(Yeah, I get that),” said Ifrit. “(But let me get things straight first. Lilac and Albert are surface dwellers, so they’ll be uncomfortable around you. They already know hellhounds are not demons, but you are, so be nice).”

“(Your girl overreacted).”

“(Then explain to them that you are harmless. As for Eshdar, he might be easily convinced unless you agitate him first).”

“(I don’t mind at all),” said Eshdar, who was already standing near the door. “(I know what a Barghest is. Grandad had a complete bestiary about Underworld creatures and demons up to the third layer. Anyway, it’s nice meeting you).”

Eshdar casually left them, leaving Sammael and Ifrit alone. Ifrit soon called for Lilac, who slowly, but reluctantly, got out of the bathroom. She looked at Sammael and felt disturbed by his appearance. Sammael looked like a hairless greyhound at first glance, but his size was more like a wolfhound and, therefore, human. She also noticed the glowing blue eyes underneath his skull mask and the fact that there seem to be six glowing eyes. It was the most unnatural thing she ever saw and that scared her. Ironically, she was a pseudo-hellhound Lycan, though she did not look like it. Ifrit was then called by Albert to help him prepare for travel, leaving her and the Barghest alone in the lobby. There was an awkward and uncomfortable silence between the two.

“Hey,” said Sammael, breaking the silence. “You okay?”

“Do I look like I’m okay? You can talk, and you have six eyes! How can they be normal for a dog?!”

“I don’t mean to scare you. Ifrit told you that I’m harmless, right?”

“Not…helping.”

“Alright,” said Sammael with a sigh. “You’re scared. I know. But I won’t harm you unless Ifrit tells me to, which is highly improbable.”

“So, you’re his guard dog?”

“Guard dog, pet, servant. All those things. You notice the bracelets on my legs? They are binding seals so that I become subservient to anyone within the Schelkz bloodline. Basically, I am to serve anyone who is directly or indirectly related to Hynorsi Schelkz and to follow their biding.”

“That sounds like you are being forced to serve them. Like a slave.”

“Not unless the person chose to. Ifrit chose to be a friend, and I can respect that. Demons are not always the manipulative kind, especially lesser demons like me. We don’t chose who we serve for. That help stop your fear a bit?”

“I…think,” said Lilac reluctantly.

“You’ll get used to it. You’re a unique one, you know. You stay around even after knowing that Ifrit’s a hellhound, not to mention you have s--”

“Hush!” interrupted Lilac before Sammael could finish the last word.

Sammael stopped and considered his next words before he said, “Your…bonding with Ifrit. I don’t know how it changes you, but I hope that doesn’t change anything between you two.”

“I never regret it,” said Lilac. “As for Ifrit, I…well, he does not seem to live up with his name. He’s quite violent when fighting against his enemies, but to his friends he seemed so…kind, but confused. He is like a lost hound trying to understand the surface world. Still, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you.”

“Huh,” said Sammael. “Interesting.”

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No, no. Most people steer clear of hellhounds once they found out who they are. I witnessed such things happening during my own journey. It doesn’t help the fact that most hellhounds are foul-mouthed and brash. I saw many good ones, too, but they don’t try and reach out to surface dwellers. I mean, I know a lot of them did, but you’re the first I’ve met who’s really bonded with him.”

“Thank you, Sammael,” said Lilac, who slowly became more comfortable around Sammael. “I guess…I guess you’re not that bad.”

“Call me Sam, lady. Sammael’s a mouthful.”

“Please, call me Lilac. I’m far from being the proper lady you suggest.”

Even though Lilac was still a bit conflicted of the greyhound-like dog demon, she became less guarded around Sammael and started talking more about Ifrit ever since she met her. Talking with a ‘dog’ in public made it look like she was going crazy, but surprisingly, no one seemed to care. That, or the fact that the hotel seemed rather crowded that morning with people having breakfast.

It didn’t take long for Lilac to feel less threatened by Sammael, especially since the Barghest was true to his words and was docile most of the times. While his appearance did not help, by that point, Lilac didn’t care. When Ifrit returned, he noticed how things had improved between the two, especially as he noticed how Lilac was laughed when the Barghest made a joke. The hellhound was glad that things did not get awkward between the two.

However, Ifrit was there to ask Sammael something. When Ifrit told Lilac that Albert needed her, Ifrit approached Sammael, intending to straighten out a detail in his past, specifically about what happened during the Uprising. He was taken to safety when he was too young to remember anything and the first true memory he ever had was when he was already 7 and scored his first hunting kill. Sammael’s memory intrigued him because there was a mention of one name: Nergora. That name was unfamiliar to him, but the context of it being mentioned made Ifrit interested. His parents seemed to regard the hellhound with that name as someone close.

Ifrit thought that Sammael could explain the details of the memory that he showed. He approached the Barghest and said, “(Hey. You up for a walk?)”

“(A walk?)”

“(We can’t really work without a carriage, so we might as well relax until he got a replacement. Albert’s working on that now. And besides, I don’t like waiting around in a hotel lobby. The park seems to be a pleasant place to be this time of the day).”

Sammael agreed, and soon they started walked at the nearby park. The summer morning was pleasant, with more people relaxing there than Ifrit thought. It was for the week’s end, after all. People were having a picnic, children were playing, and a band played a playful and energetic brass composition that sounded rather enjoyable. Surprisingly, none seem to mind a human-sized, hairless dog walking beside a ‘Lycan’ wearing a fedora.

“(Tell me, Sammael),” said Ifrit as they stopped near the park’s lake. “(Do Barghests always have abilities to share memories in a dream?)”

“(It’s more of a side effect of us eating your memories, but in my case, the answer is yes. It’s quite a hassle to learn).”

“(Back up a bit. You eat memories?)”

“(Barghests are memory-eating demons, though it’s fancier to call us ‘dream eaters’. We eat particularly strong memories that manifested from our victims. The dreams are side effects for those fading memories. In your case, I shared my own memories with you in the form of dreams, thereby ‘feeding’ you what I have).”

“(What…usually happens to those whose memories are drained completely?)”

“(They can’t function. Even their own muscle memories are gone).”

Ifrit shuddered upon hearing that. A Barghest’s victim would be reduced into nothing more than a functioning body, but nothing else.

“(That’s…horrifying, but I get it. That memories you showed me last night intrigues me, somehow. Tell me. Who is Nergora? Why did Leahn…I mean my birth mother, seemed to regard him as someone close? What happened to him?)”

“(Kinda easy to guess, isn’t it? Nergora’s your brother).”

This revelation surprised Ifrit so much his only reaction was a wide-eyed silence upon hearing the word ‘brother’. He soon remembered of what the hellhound in Snohand said about someone who was trying to find him even though he knew he never had any allies before. This hellhound could be his brother. Even so, it did not make any sense. The ally they were talking about had white fur, and as far as Ifrit remembered, he never met any white-furred hellhound before. From the memory, he also knew his parents had the same fur color as him.

“(Is Nergora’s fur…white?)” asked Ifrit, curious of what he looked like. “(Is he, uh…an albino?)”

“(He has white fur. The truth is, Nergora’s your brother from another mother),” said Sammael. “(He’s your half-brother).”

“(Have you met him? Did he…resent me? Maybe he was asking around because he wants to kill me).”

“(And what will that accomplish? Your family’s practically gone. Blaming you would be childish, especially for someone like him. Whatever his reason is, I know it won’t involve you two going for each other’s necks. He might’ve just asking around wondering if you have gone to the surface and might want to reunite with you. Don’t just assume he’s going to be motivated to kill you to get more power or something).”

“(Do I hold that kind of power?)”

“(If surviving on your own is considered a power, then maybe. Nergora’s a good cub. Sure, his white fur is a head turner, and many in the castle ridicules his status as a bastard prince, but he is not the vengeful kind. He knew who he was. And he wasn’t alone, either. The family’s butler, Sovarn, accompanied him in his own journey).”

Ifrit wasn’t sure if he could simply acknowledge it or try to find out more about his brother, which he doubt would be easy. He did not know he had a living member of his family before, but now he did. He always assumed that he was the only survivor from Drundas. Still, his feelings had not changed much. He had a brother, but in the end he had no idea what or why caused the uprising that killed his parents.

Nergora might’ve known more about all this mess. He could try and find his brother, but he had no knowledge of the surface world like Albert and Eshdar were, so he only hoped that maybe Nergora happened to be visiting Brenik while Ifrit was waiting for Albert’s new transportation.

But he would soon find that his brother was not the only one who wanted to connect with him.