Ikigai: Book 1: Tragedy's Beginning

The Domain of Demons

::Keriamay's POV::

I can feel the soft receding of the water brush against my skin. The calm movement of my hair flowed with the gentle tide.

Wait a second...

I'm alive?!

I slowly opened my eyes and felt breath returning to me. I allowed myself time to reconfigure my surroundings. I blinked and regained better vision. I groaned and propped onto my side.

Wh-where am I?

The water felt so warm, I could hear birds chirping. I looked towards the chirping and did not see the usual white terns. Instead, I saw something that resembled a hummingbird with fairy wings? I had to rub my eyes and refocus. It was a small bird colored in the colors of the sea. It was not flapping at 22 flaps per second like a humming bird does, it was gently flapping with actual fairy wings!

"You're awake." a voice said.

I instinctively jumped in panic and turned towards the voice.

A man sat not too far from me, his yellow gaze pierced into mine. He had exhausted eyes with red markings under them. As I scanned him from head to toe, I saw a chained necklace with a lock latched in the middle. An abused cape with a weird eye insignia that connected to the clothes. As if it wasn't getting any weirder. This man had hooves?

I widened my eyes at that discovery. This man had hooves and some hairy deer-looking legs! I guess he caught my reaction and grinded his jaw.

"I'm not here to hurt you, but if you keep looking at me weird like that, I may just have to kill you" he casually stated.

Wait... what?! Kill me?

I sat there frozen and still felt a bit fatigued.

"But I can't do that just yet, I got more important things to worry about." he loomed over me.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

I was wondering what he was talking about.

"C'mon don't look at me dumb, where did you get that elemental relic?" he continued.

It seemed like he was staring at my chest and as I looked down I realized that I had a necklace on me too! It was that weird jewel that I had found, when... when...

"Where's my brother?!" I shot up, not caring about his threats.

"You should sit down before you hurt yourself," he suggested.

"Kory! Kory!" I shouted, looking around for him.

"You're beginning to annoy me," the man muttered.

"I don't know who you are, or what this thing is, but I sense that you're not a good person!" I spat.

"Oh, I never heard a better compliment," he smirked.

I turned to face him and saw two horns on his temples. They were actual horns of a goat!

"You're a goat?!" I word vomitted.

This seemed to tick him off so badly he suddenly appeared behind me. I froze in fear as he lowered his head onto my shoulder. He whispered into my ear, "I'm a demon sweetheart, get it right."

I felt his hand touch my neck and I felt my consciousness begin to fade. I felt him lodge me on his shoulder like a rice sack and dashed off. I couldn't explain the feeling, I was awake, but unable to move. I could think but was unable to speak. I was able to get a last glimpse of the beach.

Kory... where are you?

I drifted off into darkness.

::3rd Person POV::

"You over did it this time!" a voice argued.

"It's not my fault she was so weak. I mean she has the jewel for f***s sakes." a familiar voice rang back.

Keriamay slowly opened her eyes, she witnessed the goat man folding his arms next to a cloaked individual. The anonymous being was wearing the same cape with the eye thing. Keriamay tried to rub her eyes and felt that she couldn't because she was restrained! There were shackles on both her arms above her head. The chains would not budge lightly.

"See you woke her up!" the goat man scoffed.

"Good because she hasn't eaten anything in three days," the other spat.

"Survival of the fittest. Maybe if she dies we can finally take it away from her."

Keriamay was not in any position to speak out against what was happening, but she did feel an agonizing pain of hunger in her stomach.

"Now that you're awake I suppose we should feed you." the other person turned to leave, "I'll be back."

He exited the door with the torch in his hands. Keriamay looked up, there were barely any moonlight rays coming in from the window. But that glare shone bright in the darkness.

"What did you do to me? Where am I?" She demanded.

"Don't get yourself worked up, you're too ugly to do anything with." he frowled.

"Are you... really a demon?" Keriamay asked.

"One of the strongest in the flesh, sweet heart." he answered.

"Don't call me sweetheart you bastard!" she spat, annoyed.

"That's more I like it. Now you're speaking my language." He chuckled.

She felt fire fuel within her body, she despised this goat demon. She tried to budge her arms, but to no avail.

"You were asleep for three days. It sucked for me because I had to at least give you water." he turned his head.

She had to devise a plan, she had to escape. She did not feel safe at all and knew this demon was not to be trusted.

"If I am so weak and ugly then why don't you just let me go?" she, initiated.

The demon slowly tilted his head to her, "If it was up to me you wouldn't have woken up at that beach."

That threat sent a shiver down her spine and she remembered what he was capable of.

"My lord ordered me to babysit you until he returned," he confessed, "I didn't want to deal with your nagging, so I put you to sleep until he returned." he once again said so casually.

Keriamay looked around in the poorly lit room, the concrete walls and barred windows looked like a midevil prison cell!

"Wait! what's today's date?" she asked.

"What's a date?" he asked, uninterested.

"Like is it September 200 BC?" she questioned.

"I don't even know what that means, but if anything, I was created about 670 years ago," he proclaimed.

That was not helping at all.

We heard sudden footsteps making their way down the stairs. I knew I was in a dungeon or basement.

"Lord Drake has ordered that she join him at the feasting table. Let's go."

Lord Drake... thoughts ran through her mind as she began to feel anxious. The goat demon then approached Keriamay and with a flick of his finger the chains released. Her hands dropped down in exhaustion.

"Can you get up?" he barked.

She attempted to, but had bambi legs. She failed to stand upright and fell right onto his chest.

"Hey let's not get the wrong idea here." he shoved her back up right, "I'm not into good girls."

"I'm not into b********y either." she quickly regretted those words, leaving her mouth and her eyes wide open.

The demon then grabbed her dangerously close to his chest, "For some mortal you have a foul mouth against a greater entity. I'd spare you the pleasure of what lust really is... sweetheart."

"My name is Keriamay!" she exclaimed.

He then backed away and pretended to clean his ears, "What an uninteresting name. Not noted." he then went beside the other demon.

"That's enough play time, Baphomet, we gotta go." he proceeded to depart.

"Dammit, I didn't even get a grand entrance to introduce my own name." he complained, but then recollected, "Not that she was any worth to know it either."

Baphomet... I remember that name vaguely. Why did it sound so familiar. Keriamay began to ponder.

"Did you forget to walk or would you rather have me 'escort' you to my Lord?" Baphomet implied, still glaring with hateful eyes.

"Don't touch me." Keriamay muttered, "I'll walk on my own."

She followed them up the stairs, Baphomet making remarks at the other unknown demon about how much time he wasted babysitting her and the other one calmly retorting back saying a few days with her was better than a year at the battlegrounds. Their conversations made no sense. What battlegrounds? Was there some kind of war going on?

We continued our trek and finally made it up the flight of stairs. Keriamay was gasping for air, cardio was not her strong forte.

"She can't even walk up some stairs." Baphomet burst into laughter.

Keriamay felt embarrassed. Why did he hate her so much? She didn't care, the feelings were mutual.

It felt like forever walking through the great halls and around corridors. Surprisingly, the ambiance was not as unwelcoming as the two escorts. There were drapes stylishly designed that matched the furniture in each room. With the amount of space they walked through, this had to be some kind of castle!

"Where am I?" she thought aloud.

The two remained silent but kept walking on.

She followed along.

Keriamay noticed there was no one else around. It was strange. She wanted to ask questions but knew they wouldn't give her a direct answer anyway. The important thing was to meet this Lord Drake of theirs and still remember the goal of escaping. She did not know how, but she was determined.

The smell of food began to linger in the air, the mixture of meat and freshly baked bread filled the atmosphere. It smelled delicious and her rumbling belly was instantly tantalized.

"Here we are." the other demon announced, standing at one of the sides of the door. Baphomet walked to the other and stood still.

Was this some kind of grand introduction? Keriamay smugged at Baphomet, "Be a good boy and stay there for a while, will ya?"

She saw a vein pop at his temple as he calmly smiled with revenge in his eyes.

Keriamay entered the feasting hall. It consisted of a long dining table with lit candles. Keriamay realized there was no electricity! She still couldn't figure out what time or day it was.

"Welcome." She heard the man at the end of the table say, "Have a seat. Keriamay."

"H-how did you know my name?" she asked.

"Oh, Baphomet may be a d**k sometimes, but he felt like your name was something to laugh about in our telepathic communication." he gestured for her to sit down at a specific chair.

Keriamay sat down as assigned and was a few feet away from him. She looked over at him and instantly turned red.

He was gorgeous! He had jet black hair roughly styled with such devilish red eyes. He had a cape that barely molded to his figure.

"Why are you half naked?!" she yelped. Lord Drake was not wearing a shirt, his toned muscles clearly shied her from admiring his face.

"Why aren't you?" he playfully asked.

She didn't know how to answer to that, that should have been disrespectful, but she remained silent.

"I'm kidding." he reassured her.

Keriamay still felt the hot rush in her body, the agonizing pain of hunger was not as intense as this sensation.

"Name's Drake, if the two haven't already told you." he reached for a large mutton.

"Well... they didn't exactly tell me your name," she confessed.

"Good. It seems the torture training went well for them." He chuckled. He took a large bite and began to chew up his food. He signaled her to dig in.

Keriamay slowly reached for the bread and took a small bite. This was dangerous, she didn't know how or why, but she knew this was going to be harder than she thought.