Immediately, Crire's ears picked up, eyes going attentive, a small flicker of hope running across his face.
"You think that'd work?" He asks, eyes flaring up in bright amber, wings fluttering uselessly in excitement.
Though he doubts it...
The sword-wounds from the angels are deep and heavily infused with heavenly magic...

The youth's eyes widened slightly, impressed! But then he inched closer, giving the other's shoulder a slight nudge.
"Hey, don't hurt yourself doing anythin', 'kay?..." he said, expressing... actual concern for the older demon!
He truly was a strange fellow...

Still, Crire frowned.
He didn't want Valturez to get hurt on his behalf... He didn't know why, but the older demon made him feel... protective as well as protected, safe and warm... Something he never had experienced before.
He frowned, giving the older stag a small bump with a blunt horn.
"Hey, I don't want you to risk yourself!... Besides I'll get outta here myself. Just wait and see." He smiled confidently, puffing out his chest, where gashes across it looked like his heart had been pierced too. But he wore it proudly.

Making Crire sigh deeply in frustration, after having given a small smile and chuckle at the nudge.
"For two, agonizing weeks!..." He groaned loudly, the frustration and restlessness of those two weeks finally letting themselves out through one, pained groan.
"This place is... Well, it's worse than ANY kind of hell! It's so nice and quiet... Nothing happens here and... Argh, I miss my violin so much..." he sighed deeply, like the hopeless sound a deep, deep well would make when the soul of a lost, condemned person flew through it.

Still, Crire sighed deeply.
To him, being mentally and physically tortured sounded like a pleasant reprieve right now.
Pain he could handle... Then again, he'd only tried being tortured once, by the angels... It wasn't a whole lot of fun.
Though the words of the older one concerned him, making him nudge him gently, working his healing powers, rejuvenating a small piece of skin... Not the biggest effect, but it felt nice.
"Heh... Too bad you can't wind back time, huh?..." He said, but there was so much more to those words than just the immediate meaning...
He wanted to go back and undo what had been done to his new possession, the small perfectionist in his stomach springing into action, as well as this new-found, deep concern for the other...

This made Crire smile... But only for a moment, then he turned nervous-looking remembering some few rather pressing points.
"Uhh, yeah, about that... Y'know, I'm not very well... -liked in the deeper circles of hell... you sure this'll work out?..." He asked, remembering the many times he had pissed off higher-ranking demons, only getting away with it because he was so close to the favour of the Dark Prince himself... But now "daddy" wasn't here anymore, and he just knew his attitude was gonna jump up and bite him in the butt.
He was gonna find his own way out of this mess, he'd dug his own grave.

A wide grin spread across the youth's face, full of awe and admiration behind that bratty grin.
"Sounds like you got it down, then!" He said, hopeful and impressed, though he tried to hide both behind a cool façade and a cheeky grin.
He'd never ticket off the king of a city before, much less a city of demons... but then again, hell was a big place, there were many corners of it he'd never been to... Mostly he'd been kept in the Dark Palace as his master's work of art, pampered and taught the robes before he ever even saw them out in real-life.
A spoiled brat to the very core...

Though Crire frowned at this, ears going flat against his head, precarious to a new-found extreme in his current state of vulnerability.
"You sure that's a good idea, gramps?... I can't really fend for myself right now..." He said, surprisingly wise for someone so young and reckless... Then again, a bit of torture and angelic touching would do that to a demon, even one forged in the hottest of flames in the deepest circles of the darkest corners of hell.

Another almost child-like frown.
"And I don't want you hurt either, gramps. Look, if it takes that much outta ya tah warp between worlds, recover some before you try it, 'kay?" He said, showing remarkable concern uncharacteristic for a spoiled brat of a demon... Maybe he'd just hung around humans too long. He almost reeked of them, after all, beneath the soothing aroma of sulphur and brimstone.
Laying down next to Valturez, he nuzzled him again, gently grooming his fur, nipping slightly at some spots, playful but also pleasant... Such a young heart he had...

Making him laugh, ear flickering slightly before he bit the other ear's right back, shaking it gently like a playful dog.
"Yeah... you are an old man!" He laughed, teasing back, eyes glowing bright amber in excitement and playful affection.
He never had a person to relate to like Valturez before, one wiser and stronger than himself... one who could teach him so very much, show him wrong from more wrong... It gave him a feeling which almost made him wanna giggle, if it wasn't because he'd rather chew his own legs off than ever utter a giggle.

Making the youth give a loud, bleating laugh, as he jumped to his feet gracefully, galloping after the older demon, a huge grin on his face.
"I doubt you'd be able to keep up with me!" He teased, his heart swelling with happiness at actually having found himself... a playmate~
He bounced around Valturez on light feet, broken wings fluttering in ecstasy, eyes wide and bright, tails bushy and swiping excitedly.

Laughing, Crire made a rather impressive turn in mid-air, like a giddy puppy-dog, facing the King, bouncing backwards... and sticking his tongue out.
"Betcha can't catch me!" he said, laughing still, bouncing to the side in a buck of excitement, the fur of his neck standing on end.
He really was nothing more than a restless pup, this one...

Crire grinned widely at that, entire body rigid and tense with energy.
"Alrighty, old-timer! Eat my dust!" He bleated, something specifically goat-like in his laughter, though it was drowned out by child-like mirth as he bolted off, running fast, but somehow... holding back, wanting the older demon close... Wanting to make sure he didn't lose him... After all, this was all just a game; no need to not play fairly~

But to this Crire smirked and, with an impressive rear, increased his speed to almost double of what it had been just before!
"Just didn't wanna lose ya, granpa!" He laughed mockingly, looking over his shoulder, little sparks flying around his hooves every time they hit a rock, steel-enforced as they were, if a little chipped from his fight with the angels.

An excited, little gasp of a laughter came from the youth as Valturez caught up, making him jump forward, making a sharp turn, veering off to the right, laughing while he did it.
"Don't be so sure, gramps!" He laughed, making the same jumps Valturez had done, having observed the exact same... This was more fun than he'd had in a long time!

The youngster laughed bleatingly again.
There was such mirth and joy in his very movement, it was difficult not to get affected by it... Against his demonic will, he actually brought joy to the world.
How ironic~
"Tame ol' man!~" he teased back, making another energetic buck, feeling the movement pulsate through him, releasing so much tension which had been building up over those past two weeks.
He didn't like to admit it... But he was thanking God he met this other demon!

Screeching to a halt with a surprised exclamation, Crire just barely avoided being landed on. He was surprised for about a split-second before giving another rough laugh and continuing the chase, biting his lower lip as he sprinted to get up on the side of the older demon, giving him a small, teasing bump.
He was having so much fun, he never knew just running around and jumping could bring such mirth! He wasn't even thinking about how much he missed his violin!

Unknown to him, a wound on his leg slowly healed up...

Another bleating, rough laugh.
"Too rough? Ppht, yeah, right!" He laughed, moving closer, walking now, gently rubbing a cheek against the older demon's side, like a spoiled cat who just woke up from falling asleep in a sunbeam.
His tails were even swishing gently, even as his chest rose and fell from catching his breath. the scars across his heart looked mean and painful, though not nearly as bad as the ones on the older demon's chest... Either the angels were being a bunch of weak pussies, or they'd let him off easy. The torture could hardly have gone on for more than a week.

The youth jerked.
Silence...
Then he sighed, his face shameful and dark, ears hanging down, tails still and body stiff and crouching.
"Not much..." He said, though the lie was obvious. Those wounds were from swords, primarily... but not only that. There were signs of whips... Of burning metal, heavenly fire, none the less... Smaller blades, such as scalpels, needles... He looked more like the subject of some cruel experiment than just good, old-fashioned torture...

The youth shivered lightly.
Obviously, these were not pleasant memories for him; first-time torture never is...
But, surprisingly, he shook his head, clearing it, before looking at Valturez with dark eyes, the glow behind them gone, empty... sucked out of him completely.
"They struck me down with swords... Hurt like a little bitch... Went for my heart, the whole lotta 'em... I dunno what happened, but next thing I know, I wake up in a white room, tied down with chains, and they're..." He swallowed, closing his eyes, taking a deep breath. It looked like simply remembering brought him physical pain.
"-They're whipping me, tearing at my flesh..." He sighed with a sneer, small, almost unnoticeable trembles running through his body. No doubt, the entire scene was playing before his eyes, before his body, bringing back pain so recent, he could still feel it...
He had a knot in his throat, he couldn't talk much...
But for some reason, he felt he needed to... He wanted to... And he wanted no-one else to know it, but Valturez...

But as he got to this point of the story, a soft, healing, and exceedingly gentle touch was at his throat, right under his chin, nuzzling him gently.
Crire hurt when Valturez spoke of this... He didn't know why, but it stung even more than the swords that pierced his chest had... He wanted the hurt to go away, not for himself, but for Valturez. He wanted to do everything he could to help him, to make him recover, to bring joy back into his immortal life...
He sighed, his eyes stinging him for some reason.
"Fucking bastard..." he muttered, shoulders trembling just slightly as he gently licked at the older demon's throat, like a submissive dog to its beloved alpha.
Right there and then, he felt there was nothing he wouldn't do for the older demon...

A small smile appeared on the youth's face as he looked up, eyes big, almost looking a little wet, though Crire'd never admit that, not to anyone ever! And he regarded Valturez hopefully.
"You kicked their asses, didn't ya?" He asked in a purr, one tail swishing behind him once as he looked at the older demon in admiration...
Yeah, he'd kicked their asses, he knew he had!
And if he hadn't he would, as soon as he got out of this place...
No-one hurt his Val and gets away with it.
So it is decided.

And making the younger demon give a smile - a twisted, yet admiring smile... After all, he was born to kill, this was only increasing the deep affection he already held for the other.
"Cool... He really got what was coming tah him!" he cheered, cleft tongue licking the corner of his mouth shortly, eyes alight once again, all for Valturez and no-one else.
Such strength... Such cruel, poetic justice... In Crire's eyes, Valturez was more of a hero than any person he had ever encountered... More of a father-figure than the Dark Prince ever could be to him...
He wanted to go with Valturez, to see his city! To be his right-hand-man and crush anyone who ever dared defy the king! And his eyes spoke of just this wish as he beheld the older demon with adoration.

Crire frowned, giving a small tremble at the thought...
His mind briefly drifted to Serendipity, how he would always feel his heart sting when the boy was sad... He shook his head as he barely could imagine how it would be to be forced to kill his Seren... Swallowing, he lay down beside the demon-king, nuzzling him gently again, the fur on his cheek soft as the only place on his body.
"Hey... No use dwelling on the past, right?... Only way forward is... looking to the future, old man..." he said slowly, that surprising depth and insight hidden in his words again... Or maybe he was just jealous... Jealous of the ones Valturez had lost, when he wanted so badly to replace them, to bring the older demon happiness again and make him forget his pain, in time, healing his wounds...
Like a selfish brat, he wanted all of this, and he wanted it now.

The young demon gave a small smile at these words, rubbing a soft cheek against Valturez's, snuggling into his body like a tame cat demanding to be petted.
"That's right, old-timer... 'N we can't let our past get in the way of our happiness." He purred as he snuggled, showing a funny little quirk of wanting physical contact as much as possible... He didn't know why, but around Valturez, he felt so much younger than he actually was, like a teenager who hasn't learned anything yet and not the battle-hardened war-machine he really was, taught from the day he was born how to fight, how to torture and how to kill mercilessly. Right now, he felt like a kid.