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"https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/3345/3345222_kaleemmcintyre__bmdeyulm_o_noncustom.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/3345/3345222_kaleemmcintyre__bmdeyulm_o_noncustom.jpg", "thumb_medium_noncustom_x": "111", "thumb_medium_noncustom_y": "120", "thumb_large_noncustom_x": "185", "thumb_large_noncustom_y": "200", "thumb_huge_noncustom_x": "277", "thumb_huge_noncustom_y": "300" } ], "pools": [], "description": "Hawkeye knew that he should probably have been a bit more concerned with what was happening right now, but it was hard to challenge a fact that wasn't actually bringing any detriment to his life. \n\nSure, it was probably a little off putting how much he ended up 'talking to himself' when he thought others were out of earshot, or mumbling incoherent phrases that nobody else could understand, but this was a small price to pay for everything that he had gained. Of course things were likely going to go screwy in the next few weeks, after all he had basically signed himself up for just about every bad consequence imaginable after making his deal with a literal devil, but at the same time the benefits were what made his sleep all the easier at night. This was how the purple haired bandit justified his situation at least, and why he could still smile at Jessica whenever the blue haired woman looked at him with that worried look painted onto her beautiful face.\n\n'Personally speaking, I prefer a nice, flat chest rippling with muscles over a pretty face, but that's just me.' Hawkeye rolled his eyes as he listened to the voice of his inner demon spout his usual babble. \n\n\"That's nice for you, but I'm into the ladies, thank you very much.\" Hawkeye winced ever so slightly as he walked down the sandy streets of Sirhtan when he heard the ever present voice inside of his head begin to chirp/cackle. \n\n'Yes, but I wonder how much the ladies will be into an aging thief who'll love them and leave them just as soon as he looks at them?' The words brought a slight scowl to the handsome thief's face. 'Oh dear, did I hit a nerve? I'm so sorry.' The other chuckled.\n\n\"I don't think you have the ability to feel sorrow.\" Hawkeye nodded to a pair of humans walking down the street from where he was headed, the fact that they were staring at him with looks of slight bewilderment on their faces made Hawkeye feel somewhat subconscious, however, the feeling quickly vanished as the demon literally drank the emotion into itself. That should have immediately worried the purple haired thief, as the creature nesting inside of his soul was doing that more and more often lately, but he was just relieved not to have to deal with feelings of shame or ridicule right now.\n\n'Thanks to you, I'm feeling more and more as of late.' The voice inside of his head chortled. 'Though I'd feel a greater sense of gratitude if you'll allow me an opportunity to go on the hunt, as it were.' The two had gone back and forth over this ever since Hawkeye had made his pact with the demon, and the answer was always an emphatical…\n\n\"No.\" \n\nHawkeye didn't dare try to imagine what it would be like if he allowed the avian creature to actually have complete control over his body, the chaos that he could sometimes see flitter through his mind's eye when he dreamed at night spoke volumes about the outcome of giving the other such unrestrained freedom.\n\n'You're so cruel to me.' The voice inside of his head whined, though by this point it was enough for Hawkeye to tell that the other was simply being overly dramatic. \n\nWhereas before he was almost always on guard in case the other's mood suddenly shifted and he was forced to battle for control over his soul - which had yet to happen outside of one little incident involving another demon sneaking into the fortress where Flamekhan and the others rested - now Hawkeye was simply annoyed. \n\n\"If I wanted to be cruel to you I'd castrate myself.\" The squawk of indignation that echoed within his head made Hawkeye chuckle right as he passed through the gates leading to the desert. Because it was so close to evening the sun bled the sands until they became a scarlet hue, the likes of which glittered within the thief's glimmering eyes. \n\n'You wouldn't dare!' The demon said with great indignation, and perhaps a touch of fear. 'You enjoy the pleasures of flesh too much to actually try something like that.' \n\n\"I also enjoy peace of mind, warm tea, and silence, however current events have made it so that I can't really enjoy those things.\" Hawkeye grunted. He then shivered when a cool wind blew across his naked skin. The desert was getting colder as of late, and while that would have seemed to be rather incomprehensible to those who had never lived within Nevarl, Hawkeye could tell that it wouldn't be long before big changes would have to be made regarding the day-to-day happenings here in his homeland.\n\nThe feeling of something shifting within his back made the purple haired human gasp. A few moments later he found his loosely clothed body completely covered by large black feathers, the likes of which were attached to humongous wings extending out from his backside. \n\n\"Thank you, but I thought we talked about this?\" Hawkeye pushed the twin appendages off to his side so that they no longer obscured his view of the surrounding desert.\n\n'We're cold, and I don't appreciate the feeling in the slightest.' The demon chided him. \n\n\"I am cold. You can't feel anything unless we switch control over my body.\" Hawkeye growled. \n\n'I can feel cold the same as you, seeing as we are sharing this body, no matter how much you like to contest this truth.' The voice inside of his head asked with something akin to sincerity riding the line of its voice.\n\n\"Don't try and trick me!\" The human growled, subconsciously flapping his two wings back behind himself as his anger grew out of his control. \"Our agreement was that you could live within me in order to cure the disease that nearly ravaged this kingdom, that's it, as such you will not take over my body!\" \n\nNothing was said for a few minutes following this angry outburst, which in turn made the silence of the darkening desert all the louder as it reverberated around Hawkeye. \n\n'At no point in our union have I thought about taking complete control over this body, nor do I ever plan to have such a thought, Hawkeye.' The sudden spike of hurt which stabbed at his mind made the thief blink in honest confusion. \n\n\"If that's the truth, then put these away.\" He hiked a thumb back towards the two wings which now stood listlessly behind his backside. When the dual appendages failed to retreat Hawkeye felt a slight sense of victory swim within his chest, however, this feeling quickly retreated once the wings returned to the metaphysical space which encompassed the inside of his soul. \"Thank you.\" \n\n'You're welcome.' The demon replied without any hint of emotion. \n\nHawkeye grunted as he made his way across the darkened desert.\n\nA couple of monsters entered into his pathway, but they were easily swept aside with a fast series of slashes with his knives. The feeling of blood coating his body was one that the purple haired thief had never been all that thrilled by, now though he found that he didn't exactly mind it when a spurt of blood washed over his arms and legs. He was by no means amused by this, as he prided himself on having an immaculate appearance, yet he didn't feel the sudden need to go and find an oasis to dump himself into like he usually did. This was more than likely due in part to the demon's growing influence, however the fact that the creature remained silent as he made his way back to the fortress made up for the lack of disgust that he usually felt. At least, that's what Hawkeye kept telling himself.\n\n\"Welcome back, Hawkeye.\" Jessica giggled from where she had been waiting for him near the gates. \n\nThe thief smiled as wide as he looked over the beautiful blue haired woman. \n\nWalking up to her, Hawkeye immediately embraced her within a warm hug, one in which she returned wholeheartedly. Pulling back a few seconds later, Hawkeye looked Jessica up and down, inspecting her with his keen eyesight for any traces of the disease which had once left both her and everyone else within the fortress, save himself, gravely ill. \n\n\"Stop worrying.\" She admonished, making him blink and then blush slightly. \"Everything is fine now. The medicine that you brought has made sure of that.\" She chuckled behind a hand.\n\nThe wince that crept over Hawkeye's face appeared and disappeared before the blue haired woman could fully see it. \n\n'You should tell her the truth.' The voice in the back of his head suddenly piped up.\n\n\"Never.\" Hawkeye scowled. \n\n\"Huh?\" Jessica tilted her head to the side as she looked to her longtime friend in slight confusion.\n\n\"Uh...I meant that I'll never stop worrying over you.\" Hawkeye quipped while puffing out his chest and beating a fist over the front of his pectorals. \"Eagle would spin around in his grave if I became careless with your health.\" It was an easy enough excuse to use, as Jessica would believe almost anything that he said as long as he threw her dead brother's name into the statement. \n\nAnd that fact made Hawkeye feel like a heel. But he really didn't have any alternative in this situation, given the consequences with regards to telling her the truth.\n\n'You have no idea what she might think of the sacrifice that you've made.' The demon reminded him for the millionth time. \n\nHawkeye mentally growled at that. \n\nOf course he knew what she might think, after all he had seen the flicker of resentment in her violet eyes whenever she thought that he wasn't looking in her direction. \n\nSome part of her still blamed him for what happened to Eagle, despite him coming clean with the truth. It was just a fact of the matter that Jessica, like Flamekhan, regarded him as the bastard who took Eagle's life. It also didn't help that Flamekhan had always presented an air of distaste around him for some reason he still couldn't fathom, yet now, despite his best efforts to try and mask the truth of his feelings, the leader of Nevarl reviled him. Maybe even more so than he had before. It was one of the reasons why Hawkeye did everything in his power to stay gone from the fortress, as he didn't have the mental strength to continually fight against an enemy that he could never claim victory. His return at the moment was only due in part to reporting that the king of Valsena would allow for the people of the Diin to relocate to his lands following the loss of the water within the oasis. \n\n\"Thank you, Hawkeye.\" Jessica bowed in a very ladylike manner. \"I will always appreciate your kindness.\" \n\n\"And I will always appreciate your gentle smile.\" He returned with a bow of his own. The two of them giggled once they stood back to their respective heights. \"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and give your father the good news.\" \n\n\"Of course.\" Jessica stepped aside to allow him into the fort. \n\nNodding to her once again Hawkeye swiftly moved down the hall, petting Niccolo as he made his way towards Flamekhan's room. The meeting was blessedly short, as the older man simply wanted to know the information in question, to which the purple haired thief supplied without hesitation. After that, Hawkeye was dismissed. He swiftly headed for his room, sidestepping having a conversation with all those around him in favor of playing up a fatigue which he only slightly felt. \n\nHawkeye understood why everyone wanted to talk, as there was a quiet need for social bonds between the people following the death of the tree of mana and the mana goddess, so much so that reports of the growing tragedies taking place throughout the world were becoming something of a common theme to daily life. \n\nThe stories of monsters growing more numerous throughout the land, coupled with the weather slowly changing in ways that were making the desert heat almost unbearable to live underneath, and then followed by the people's water reserves drying up so fast that distilling ocean water was becoming a necessity in order to live was tearing at the fabric of rationality for those of the world. Everywhere one looked things were going from bad to worse, so much so that the overall health of the citizens of the various nations were starting to plummet as the various herbs that were normally used to make medicines were starting to become more and more scarce. It was for this reason that Hawkeye had sold his soul to a devil, as they were able to draw upon a different kind of magic than the one that was normally sewn upon the land by the mana tree. \n\nThe demon, whose name he still could not pronounce, was amicable enough to his request that he had enchanted the water Hawkeye had brought to him in order to craft an elixir which could cure those whom he cared for. However complications quickly began to rise within his life following the demon's introduction into his body; from the little snippets that often graced his ears urging him to do things that he knew would get him into trouble, to the strange hungers for intimacy regarding other males, to finally him wanting to go off into the sky to fly away from the barren desert he called home, Hawkeye was starting to fear that he was losing sight of where the line between he and the other had been drawn. Even now he could feel the demon shifting around underneath his skin, earlier on though he was less aware of the other, only coming to realize that something was off when his body moved in such a manner that it felt as though he was being felt up from the inside out, however, the demon never pushed him. Instead, the other seemed to be waiting along the edges of his sanity, as if knowing that soon he would come to him of his own regard. \n\nHawkeye vowed that he would never let such a thing happen, and yet with the way the monsters were growing in strength and number it was becoming harder not to accept the demon's strength to protect himself when caught in a fight. \n\nAnd when thinking about this, Hawkeye realized that the writing was on the wall for the country of Nevarl. Changes would have to be made, not just to the people, but to their very sense of identity and culture. Many things would be lost, and despite the few diehards trying their damndest to make sure that the 'pride of the country' didn't die King Richard would not tolerate them pushing their thoughts and feelings off onto the people of his land. The time for thieves such as himself to reign supreme was quickly coming to an end, and while he might have hated to think about the loss of the only heritage he had ever known, Hawkeye knew where he stood on the matter, as his friendship with Duran would demand that he stand with the young brunette if push came to shove. \n\nThankfully Flamekhan was no one's fool. \n\nHe vehemently understood that this sand swept land would become a barren waste within the next decade, perhaps two if they were lucky. It was because of his keen foresight that the bearded leader of the country had sent Hawkeye and various other scouts out to seek and steal whatever resources that they could in order to try and buy himself the time needed to let the people become comfortable with his ultimate decision to abdicate the land. \n\n'Everything will work itself out in the end, you'll see.' The demon inside of his head reassured Hawkeye as he made his way to his bedchambers.\n\n\"No it won't.\" The purple haired human was more than well aware that many would die before all was said and done, from the elderly who were already having severe health complications outside of the disease that had ravaged them, to the young who were becoming easy prey for monsters, their world was changing into a place that was becoming inhospitable to the human condition. \"Thank you for the attempt at trying to cheer me up though.\" \n\nThe voice within his head made a humming noise in response to his comment.\n\n\"Also, I apologize for my earlier outburst.\" Hawkeye murmured as he divested himself of his clothing and weapons. \"You didn't deserve that.\" He finished.\n\n'I wholeheartedly agree with that statement!' The demon chirped.\n\nHawkeye snorted mirthfully.\n\nOnce fully naked the purple haired thief stretched his long and limber body up as much as he could in order to get the kinks out. The sights of the various runes carved across his tanned form glittered with a dull indigo hue thanks to the candlelight flickering across his sweat soaked skin, not that Hawkeye paid any attention to this. Given that so much time has passed since his pact had been made he was now somewhat indifferent to the marks which he was forced to etch into his body in order to complete his pact with the demon. \"However, know that I don't fully trust you just yet.\"\n\n'Ahh, so I have a chance to earn your grace, do I?' The chuckle he heard from the other made the purple haired human roll his eyes. 'That's so very good to know, seeing as we'll be together for the rest of your life, and maybe even longer.' Hawkeye had no idea what the other meant by that, but honestly he didn't really want to know. 'With that said, can we finally talk more about your little friend Kevin? I have such a great interest in him, what with him being a beastman and all.' \n\n\"As you like…\" Hawkeye sighed. He still had no idea why the other was so interested in the young blonde, but if it would help cement the bridge between the two of them then he was willing to be amicable. \"What do you want to know?\" Hawkeye asked as he slipped underneath the covers on his bed.\n\n- - - - - - - \n\nArt: https://www.furaffinity.net/user/lollydoom/", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Hawkeye knew that he should probably have been a bit more concerned with what was happening right now, but it was hard to challenge a fact that wasn't actually bringing any detriment to his life.

Sure, it was probably a little off putting how much he ended up 'talking to himself' when he thought others were out of earshot, or mumbling incoherent phrases that nobody else could understand, but this was a small price to pay for everything that he had gained. Of course things were likely going to go screwy in the next few weeks, after all he had basically signed himself up for just about every bad consequence imaginable after making his deal with a literal devil, but at the same time the benefits were what made his sleep all the easier at night. This was how the purple haired bandit justified his situation at least, and why he could still smile at Jessica whenever the blue haired woman looked at him with that worried look painted onto her beautiful face.

'Personally speaking, I prefer a nice, flat chest rippling with muscles over a pretty face, but that's just me.' Hawkeye rolled his eyes as he listened to the voice of his inner demon spout his usual babble.

"That's nice for you, but I'm into the ladies, thank you very much." Hawkeye winced ever so slightly as he walked down the sandy streets of Sirhtan when he heard the ever present voice inside of his head begin to chirp/cackle.

'Yes, but I wonder how much the ladies will be into an aging thief who'll love them and leave them just as soon as he looks at them?' The words brought a slight scowl to the handsome thief's face. 'Oh dear, did I hit a nerve? I'm so sorry.' The other chuckled.

"I don't think you have the ability to feel sorrow." Hawkeye nodded to a pair of humans walking down the street from where he was headed, the fact that they were staring at him with looks of slight bewilderment on their faces made Hawkeye feel somewhat subconscious, however, the feeling quickly vanished as the demon literally drank the emotion into itself. That should have immediately worried the purple haired thief, as the creature nesting inside of his soul was doing that more and more often lately, but he was just relieved not to have to deal with feelings of shame or ridicule right now.

'Thanks to you, I'm feeling more and more as of late.' The voice inside of his head chortled. 'Though I'd feel a greater sense of gratitude if you'll allow me an opportunity to go on the hunt, as it were.' The two had gone back and forth over this ever since Hawkeye had made his pact with the demon, and the answer was always an emphatical…

"No."

Hawkeye didn't dare try to imagine what it would be like if he allowed the avian creature to actually have complete control over his body, the chaos that he could sometimes see flitter through his mind's eye when he dreamed at night spoke volumes about the outcome of giving the other such unrestrained freedom.

'You're so cruel to me.' The voice inside of his head whined, though by this point it was enough for Hawkeye to tell that the other was simply being overly dramatic.

Whereas before he was almost always on guard in case the other's mood suddenly shifted and he was forced to battle for control over his soul - which had yet to happen outside of one little incident involving another demon sneaking into the fortress where Flamekhan and the others rested - now Hawkeye was simply annoyed.

"If I wanted to be cruel to you I'd castrate myself." The squawk of indignation that echoed within his head made Hawkeye chuckle right as he passed through the gates leading to the desert. Because it was so close to evening the sun bled the sands until they became a scarlet hue, the likes of which glittered within the thief's glimmering eyes.

'You wouldn't dare!' The demon said with great indignation, and perhaps a touch of fear. 'You enjoy the pleasures of flesh too much to actually try something like that.'

"I also enjoy peace of mind, warm tea, and silence, however current events have made it so that I can't really enjoy those things." Hawkeye grunted. He then shivered when a cool wind blew across his naked skin. The desert was getting colder as of late, and while that would have seemed to be rather incomprehensible to those who had never lived within Nevarl, Hawkeye could tell that it wouldn't be long before big changes would have to be made regarding the day-to-day happenings here in his homeland.

The feeling of something shifting within his back made the purple haired human gasp. A few moments later he found his loosely clothed body completely covered by large black feathers, the likes of which were attached to humongous wings extending out from his backside.

"Thank you, but I thought we talked about this?" Hawkeye pushed the twin appendages off to his side so that they no longer obscured his view of the surrounding desert.

'We're cold, and I don't appreciate the feeling in the slightest.' The demon chided him.

"I am cold. You can't feel anything unless we switch control over my body." Hawkeye growled.

'I can feel cold the same as you, seeing as we are sharing this body, no matter how much you like to contest this truth.' The voice inside of his head asked with something akin to sincerity riding the line of its voice.

"Don't try and trick me!" The human growled, subconsciously flapping his two wings back behind himself as his anger grew out of his control. "Our agreement was that you could live within me in order to cure the disease that nearly ravaged this kingdom, that's it, as such you will not take over my body!"

Nothing was said for a few minutes following this angry outburst, which in turn made the silence of the darkening desert all the louder as it reverberated around Hawkeye.

'At no point in our union have I thought about taking complete control over this body, nor do I ever plan to have such a thought, Hawkeye.' The sudden spike of hurt which stabbed at his mind made the thief blink in honest confusion.

"If that's the truth, then put these away." He hiked a thumb back towards the two wings which now stood listlessly behind his backside. When the dual appendages failed to retreat Hawkeye felt a slight sense of victory swim within his chest, however, this feeling quickly retreated once the wings returned to the metaphysical space which encompassed the inside of his soul. "Thank you."

'You're welcome.' The demon replied without any hint of emotion.

Hawkeye grunted as he made his way across the darkened desert.

A couple of monsters entered into his pathway, but they were easily swept aside with a fast series of slashes with his knives. The feeling of blood coating his body was one that the purple haired thief had never been all that thrilled by, now though he found that he didn't exactly mind it when a spurt of blood washed over his arms and legs. He was by no means amused by this, as he prided himself on having an immaculate appearance, yet he didn't feel the sudden need to go and find an oasis to dump himself into like he usually did. This was more than likely due in part to the demon's growing influence, however the fact that the creature remained silent as he made his way back to the fortress made up for the lack of disgust that he usually felt. At least, that's what Hawkeye kept telling himself.

"Welcome back, Hawkeye." Jessica giggled from where she had been waiting for him near the gates.

The thief smiled as wide as he looked over the beautiful blue haired woman.

Walking up to her, Hawkeye immediately embraced her within a warm hug, one in which she returned wholeheartedly. Pulling back a few seconds later, Hawkeye looked Jessica up and down, inspecting her with his keen eyesight for any traces of the disease which had once left both her and everyone else within the fortress, save himself, gravely ill.

"Stop worrying." She admonished, making him blink and then blush slightly. "Everything is fine now. The medicine that you brought has made sure of that." She chuckled behind a hand.

The wince that crept over Hawkeye's face appeared and disappeared before the blue haired woman could fully see it.

'You should tell her the truth.' The voice in the back of his head suddenly piped up.

"Never." Hawkeye scowled.

"Huh?" Jessica tilted her head to the side as she looked to her longtime friend in slight confusion.

"Uh...I meant that I'll never stop worrying over you." Hawkeye quipped while puffing out his chest and beating a fist over the front of his pectorals. "Eagle would spin around in his grave if I became careless with your health." It was an easy enough excuse to use, as Jessica would believe almost anything that he said as long as he threw her dead brother's name into the statement.

And that fact made Hawkeye feel like a heel. But he really didn't have any alternative in this situation, given the consequences with regards to telling her the truth.

'You have no idea what she might think of the sacrifice that you've made.' The demon reminded him for the millionth time.

Hawkeye mentally growled at that.

Of course he knew what she might think, after all he had seen the flicker of resentment in her violet eyes whenever she thought that he wasn't looking in her direction.

Some part of her still blamed him for what happened to Eagle, despite him coming clean with the truth. It was just a fact of the matter that Jessica, like Flamekhan, regarded him as the bastard who took Eagle's life. It also didn't help that Flamekhan had always presented an air of distaste around him for some reason he still couldn't fathom, yet now, despite his best efforts to try and mask the truth of his feelings, the leader of Nevarl reviled him. Maybe even more so than he had before. It was one of the reasons why Hawkeye did everything in his power to stay gone from the fortress, as he didn't have the mental strength to continually fight against an enemy that he could never claim victory. His return at the moment was only due in part to reporting that the king of Valsena would allow for the people of the Diin to relocate to his lands following the loss of the water within the oasis.

"Thank you, Hawkeye." Jessica bowed in a very ladylike manner. "I will always appreciate your kindness."

"And I will always appreciate your gentle smile." He returned with a bow of his own. The two of them giggled once they stood back to their respective heights. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and give your father the good news."

"Of course." Jessica stepped aside to allow him into the fort.

Nodding to her once again Hawkeye swiftly moved down the hall, petting Niccolo as he made his way towards Flamekhan's room. The meeting was blessedly short, as the older man simply wanted to know the information in question, to which the purple haired thief supplied without hesitation. After that, Hawkeye was dismissed. He swiftly headed for his room, sidestepping having a conversation with all those around him in favor of playing up a fatigue which he only slightly felt.

Hawkeye understood why everyone wanted to talk, as there was a quiet need for social bonds between the people following the death of the tree of mana and the mana goddess, so much so that reports of the growing tragedies taking place throughout the world were becoming something of a common theme to daily life.

The stories of monsters growing more numerous throughout the land, coupled with the weather slowly changing in ways that were making the desert heat almost unbearable to live underneath, and then followed by the people's water reserves drying up so fast that distilling ocean water was becoming a necessity in order to live was tearing at the fabric of rationality for those of the world. Everywhere one looked things were going from bad to worse, so much so that the overall health of the citizens of the various nations were starting to plummet as the various herbs that were normally used to make medicines were starting to become more and more scarce. It was for this reason that Hawkeye had sold his soul to a devil, as they were able to draw upon a different kind of magic than the one that was normally sewn upon the land by the mana tree.

The demon, whose name he still could not pronounce, was amicable enough to his request that he had enchanted the water Hawkeye had brought to him in order to craft an elixir which could cure those whom he cared for. However complications quickly began to rise within his life following the demon's introduction into his body; from the little snippets that often graced his ears urging him to do things that he knew would get him into trouble, to the strange hungers for intimacy regarding other males, to finally him wanting to go off into the sky to fly away from the barren desert he called home, Hawkeye was starting to fear that he was losing sight of where the line between he and the other had been drawn. Even now he could feel the demon shifting around underneath his skin, earlier on though he was less aware of the other, only coming to realize that something was off when his body moved in such a manner that it felt as though he was being felt up from the inside out, however, the demon never pushed him. Instead, the other seemed to be waiting along the edges of his sanity, as if knowing that soon he would come to him of his own regard.

Hawkeye vowed that he would never let such a thing happen, and yet with the way the monsters were growing in strength and number it was becoming harder not to accept the demon's strength to protect himself when caught in a fight.

And when thinking about this, Hawkeye realized that the writing was on the wall for the country of Nevarl. Changes would have to be made, not just to the people, but to their very sense of identity and culture. Many things would be lost, and despite the few diehards trying their damndest to make sure that the 'pride of the country' didn't die King Richard would not tolerate them pushing their thoughts and feelings off onto the people of his land. The time for thieves such as himself to reign supreme was quickly coming to an end, and while he might have hated to think about the loss of the only heritage he had ever known, Hawkeye knew where he stood on the matter, as his friendship with Duran would demand that he stand with the young brunette if push came to shove.

Thankfully Flamekhan was no one's fool.

He vehemently understood that this sand swept land would become a barren waste within the next decade, perhaps two if they were lucky. It was because of his keen foresight that the bearded leader of the country had sent Hawkeye and various other scouts out to seek and steal whatever resources that they could in order to try and buy himself the time needed to let the people become comfortable with his ultimate decision to abdicate the land.

'Everything will work itself out in the end, you'll see.' The demon inside of his head reassured Hawkeye as he made his way to his bedchambers.

"No it won't." The purple haired human was more than well aware that many would die before all was said and done, from the elderly who were already having severe health complications outside of the disease that had ravaged them, to the young who were becoming easy prey for monsters, their world was changing into a place that was becoming inhospitable to the human condition. "Thank you for the attempt at trying to cheer me up though."

The voice within his head made a humming noise in response to his comment.

"Also, I apologize for my earlier outburst." Hawkeye murmured as he divested himself of his clothing and weapons. "You didn't deserve that." He finished.

'I wholeheartedly agree with that statement!' The demon chirped.

Hawkeye snorted mirthfully.

Once fully naked the purple haired thief stretched his long and limber body up as much as he could in order to get the kinks out. The sights of the various runes carved across his tanned form glittered with a dull indigo hue thanks to the candlelight flickering across his sweat soaked skin, not that Hawkeye paid any attention to this. Given that so much time has passed since his pact had been made he was now somewhat indifferent to the marks which he was forced to etch into his body in order to complete his pact with the demon. "However, know that I don't fully trust you just yet."

'Ahh, so I have a chance to earn your grace, do I?' The chuckle he heard from the other made the purple haired human roll his eyes. 'That's so very good to know, seeing as we'll be together for the rest of your life, and maybe even longer.' Hawkeye had no idea what the other meant by that, but honestly he didn't really want to know. 'With that said, can we finally talk more about your little friend Kevin? I have such a great interest in him, what with him being a beastman and all.'

"As you like…" Hawkeye sighed. He still had no idea why the other was so interested in the young blonde, but if it would help cement the bridge between the two of them then he was willing to be amicable. "What do you want to know?" Hawkeye asked as he slipped underneath the covers on his bed.

- - - - - - -

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