This was a collab between me and Kali, who owns Osias. We finally just finished this! I have to first say that this was a 'what if' kind of story, so no, it hasn't happened. But I wanted to explore another side of what could have happened. Osias likes to play games with Kaoori, because she is a deer that thinks with her heart above all else. And it gets her into trouble. I know this sounds bad, but comments are love. We worked hard on this. She did the final editing, so she did most of the work.

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There was an unsettling presence about the forest, even when well lit by a
rising moon. Stars flickered mindlessly, lending their light upon the
forest's ruins, gray stones slated with moss and the spirits of those long
gone. It was held sacred by many, who so often came to pay their respects
to the departed with bows and poppies. Others, however, watched over the
graves with other sentiments. One such figure sat stoically upon his slab
of stone, the consistent hum of wings lingering about his ancient form.
His name was Osias, the Lord of the Flies. He observed the insects with
hollow eyes the very color of onyx. It wasn't until a figure in the
distance perked his interest that those eyes narrowed and followed.

A lone doe was approaching the ruins, from this point a safe haven for
her. She had never thought of it to be anything else; it was quiet and not
unwelcoming; friends were at rest here, where she could come to talk to.
Dark navy fur covered her body, toned with gold stripes, and the markings
of the stars. Her gold hooves made a soft clicking sound as she leaped
upon the stones left from whoever roamed in this forest before the deer.
Ears topped with gold flicked from side to side, and her nostrils flared
as she registered something strange here that she had never encountered
before, something that didn't seem to belong. It was tainted with malice,
and the young doe flattened her ears in response. Like a moth to the
flame, however, she couldn't resist finding the source, and slowly the doe
made her way toward what sounded like a buzzing of a swarm of insects.

Osias' eyes followed the young doe, his mask seemingly cracking, that grin
just about widening in anticipation. His mask was hardly a fashion
statement, but rather a treasured item from his past…it was rarely a topic
of conversation and its origins remained unknown. The creature shuddered
slightly, flicking ash from his great neck, before a rumble escaped from
deep within his throat. "...You've come a long way, yes?"

As soon as she saw what appeared to be a giant stag, she knew almost
instantly he was not. As his grin widened, she instinctively backed
away, cowering. What was this... creature? The flies swarmed around him
like an old friend, and he almost addressed her as so. Straightening up
to make herself look larger, she narrowed her eyes, clearing her throat so
her voice didn't sound like the whisper it wanted to be. "... why are you
here..?"

The creature concealed a cough, the very sound of flies buzzing within his
throat. "I have always been here," he replied as he observed the doe,
young and defiant, just the way that he liked them. "The more appropriate
question would be why are you here?"

The doe's ears flattened again as she heard the flies, growing louder and
now sounding unearthly. It made her nervous, and she stomped an alarm
call, even though no one else seemed to be around. "I live here. I know
you do not. You do not belong here.. you're not from this world. You're
not a deer.. I don't know exactly what you are.. but I know you're no
good."

Osias cracked his neck as he realized the effect that he was having on the
other half of the conversation. "I do live here," he continued, his voice
a raspy, yet alluring sound." Blood coagulated and fell from his great
antlers as he spoke, tainted acid upon impact with the earth. "These ruins
have been my home for far longer than you have walked this earth," he
paused, "Kaoori."

Bile rose in her throat as the Kaoori's name was spoken from Osias' mouth,
and she backed away again, unable to stop herself from cowering. "How..
how did you know my name?" and then, in another feeble attempt of
defiance, she stood tall as she spoke as sternly as possible, "never say
it again." Watching the blood fall to the earth, she trembled, and fought
the urge to flee.

The creature returned to his feet as if to match the doe's stance.
However, it was no surprise that his form cast a greater shadow. "What is
the matter, Kaoori?" he questioned as he began to approach her, "You like
it when he says your name. Oh, how you like it, yes." It was only a matter
of moments before he stood just a few feet in front of her. His frame
remained strong, even as flecks of his very legs appeared to disintegrate
in the air.

Kaoori fought the urge to cower again as the creature nearly towered over
her, and as she caught his question, her heart skipped a beat. Her ears
flattened as she watched this hideous creature, and she caught her breath
as she questioned, "...h-how do you..? How do you know? How do you know
all this..?"

"Is it really that difficult of a situation to understand?" Osias
questioned only after a deep, unsettling cough. His eyes were deep and
focused on the doe's anxiety. "Put two and two together, Kaoori. I am not
proud of my reputation, but I am sure that it has been discussed, yes?"

When the realization hit her, her purple eyes widened in shock. This was..
"You're.. the demon.. who.. has his soul!" She was told he was dangerous,
and to never let him near.. but it was a bit too late for that now.
Kaoori backed away again, trying to be confident but slowly losing that
confidence by the minute. A bat flew by her weak, useless butterfly
antlers and she jumped, not aware of it being around in the first place.

"So slow to catch on," the creature laughed. It was something thick and
disgusting. "Are you terrified of everything with wings? If so, I’m afraid
that this may not work out." Osias' chest expanded and contracted, things
rattling within it.

"You.... give it back. You shouldn't have it in the first place!" It was
the silliest thing she had ever said, she knew, but the sight of this
creature.. this demon was sapping her sanity. Kaoori stomped again, torn
between anger and fear, wanting to help her beloved, but fighting her
body's natural instinct to flee. As Osias wandered near, she cowered
again, and lowered her antlers, knowing it wouldn't help, but giving her
some comfort in thinking she could defend herself in her mind.

Osias tilted his great neck as he felt the impact of her antlers, a simple
tickle to his thick hide. "He made a deal," he cleared his throat, "He
knew what he was getting himself into. He wanted so much to become a god,
yes. I only made that possible."

"But what if he changes his mind? You can't hold onto it forever!" She
couldn't possibly fathom or understand a deal like this.. and what it
entailed. She only knew that she wanted this demon to go away, and leave
Wesker alone. Kaoori had no idea she'd only be interfering, and possibly
not doing any good, only possibly worse. The young doe paced back and
forth, never taking her eyes off Osias. Her downfall in many things was
that she tended to think with her heart, and not her mind. and it often
got her in trouble.

The creature laughed once more. "Oh, I can hold onto it forever, yes. You
see," he began, flies humming about his head, "I am as old as this earth,
as old as time itself. His soul, these little prizes, are cherished for as
long as I exist, and oh how long that will be." He lowered his neck so
that their eyes met, whatever they were. "And for the record, I very much
doubt that Wesker would be willing to part with the strength that I have
given him."

Kaoori leapt away, cowering away from those eyes and those flies. "But..
what happens. when he gets old..?" , she spoke softly, unsure of where
this was going. She glanced around, noticing how the birds had gone
quiet, and the small animals seemed to had disappeared.. except for the
bats, and the blasted flies.

"When he gets old, he can die with all that he has accomplished or claimed
by his side," Osias continued. "After all, he is a mortal; he was just
given a second chance by yours truly. You see, I am capable of great
things, things that the Twin Gods dare not do, yes?" The creature
concealed a cough from deep within the chambers of his chest. "His soul,
as we call it, though, is mine."

The doe thought she would go insane. Although this was obviously
something Wesker had agreed to himself, she could not understand how he
could have, and wanted to do anything to get his soul back. "How.. how
could you do that!? How can you just.. play with others' lives like
they're nothing!?" She nearly shrieked as she spoke, pacing back and
forth.

Osias, however, stood as still as death itself. "I do not play games with
the lives of others, Kaoori, nor are they nothing." The creature observed
her pacing, took it in. "I only make deals. Some just put their lives on
the line for them, yes."

"It's unfair! You take what its not rightfully yours! You need.. you need
to give it back.. " She turned to face him, stomping her front hooves.
She knew she didn't have a chance in fighting him, but she was so upset
she did not think clearly. How could Wesker do something like this? So
this is how he came back..? By sacrificing his soul? She couldn't
understand.

"Life is not fair, my little doe, but his soul is..." a cough rattled its
way into the conversation, clearing the air for a moment, "in fact
rightfully mine. I do not need to give anything back."

Kaoori charged at the demon, lowering her antlers at the last moment.
"Give it back to him.. he needs it!" She waited for the moment of impact,
but didn't seem to feel it.

He felt it. It tickled his hide once more. "Did you try telling him that?"
that smile questioned with a crack.

Kaoori stumbled backward, charging again with a grunt.
"He.. I'm sure he knows! He.. he has me now.. he needs a soul! For you to
keep it... it's so cruel!"

"I will keep it for as long as he keeps his strength. A deal is a deal, or
do you not know of such things?" He took the blow effortlessly before
lowering his head to meet hers. She could smell his very breath, the scent
of decaying firewood. "Do you know what it means to be fair? To be cruel?
Do you know that only a fine line exists between the two?"

Kaoori's nose wrinkled, and she sneezed, bile rising from her stomach at
the smell of his breath. She backed off, eyes narrowing. "How... how can
I get it back from you?" Her voice was nearly a whisper.

He raised his head once more. "Make me a deal that I cannot refuse."

The young, naive doe stared up at him, looking him in the eye. She lived
in the moment, thinking only briefly of the future. She never knew what
tomorrow brought, she only knew that today was important to her. She took
a deep breath, flattening her ears. "Me for him."

Something cracked behind that mask, the clitter clatter of teeth upon
teeth. "That is bold, my little doe."

Her shoulders sagged, but she remained defiant in voice. "Let him keep
his strength. Give him back his soul... and take me in return."

With that, the creature began to circle Kaoori, close enough that his
markings ran upon her pelt. "Doing that," he lowered his head, taking a
deep breath of her, "would make you mine, yes. You could...live with
that?"

The doe trembled slightly, but stood in her place, avoiding eye contact.
"As long as.. I can live my life out with Wesker, yes. Then do what you
will."

There was something resembling a laugh, right then and there. "One soul,
however, does not equal another."

"....what?" Her head snapped up to look at him.

"I am not sure if I want your soul. Is that clearer?"

"Then what..? what do you want!? What could I possibly give you?"

"There are a lot of things that you could give me, yes. Your soul being
one of them, if I am feeling generous."

"I'm offering it to you right now! .. What else could you want from me, my
first born!?" As was said, Kaoori never thought of the future. She also
tended to not think before she spoke.

"I could want that, in theory, yes," he returned. "There is something to
be said about innocence."

Kaoori paced again, getting impatient and fighting the urge to flee this
monster. "So what is it? Have you made your decision?" Another bat flew
by, and she leaped sideways, pacing like a nervous horse.
Osias slowly returned to the slab of stone, the throne that it was. "I
have not made my decision as it is difficult to make a decision with a
creature mindlessly pacing as if the world were going to end tomorrow
right in front of her eyes."

Instantly she slowed down, a few feet away, warily casting her eyes on
him. After a moment she stood still, in front of him.

He cleared his throat. "That's better."

Kaoori looked him over, trembling a bit, but staying in place. The more
she stared, the more she shook, so she pretended to be interested in other
things, such as the trees, and the stone slabs.

"It is all right to be curious, yes. I know..." another cough escaped from
deep within his throat, "...that young mothers warn their fawns that
curiosity killed the cat. But I assure you that that cat came back, and
probably with knowledge beyond one's wildest dreams. It is all right to
look at me, Kaoori."
:
"I just... " she looked over at him again, attempting to stand taller
than she was, "want an answer from you. " Quietly, she added, "please
give it back to him.."

"You word it so nicely."

She flattened her ears. "I only wish that you'd give it back.. . I don't
know what else to offer.. I just wish.. you'd give it back to him." At
this point, she was getting desperate.

"You have made that point quite clear, yes."

"Then what's your answer!? What are you doing?" She stomped her foot in
frustration.

His mask remained as it was; after all, it was only a mask. However,
there was a distinct clattering sound behind it. "I am sitting down and
you are shouting."

Kaoori paced once more, then flopped down to the ground.. staring at him.

"Usually, when deer come to bargain with me, it is for their own personal
gain, yes. The deal you propose, however, is unusually selfless."

"But why should that stop you..? I'm sure you don't have any sort of
morality code, forgive me for saying."

"You say that because...?"

"Well, do you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Contrary to what appears to be popular belief, I do, yes."

"So.. I have to want something for myself to gain Wesker's soul back?" she
blinked.
"No," the creature shook his head. Those antlers cut the air slowly,
displacing the small swarm of flies for a moment. "I just found that
interesting."

Kaoori snorted as some of the flies dispersed her way, flying in the air
she breathed in. "Do I have to fight you? I will."

"I would advise against that. There is so much unnecessary violence in
this forest already."

She dug a hoof in the soft ground in frustration, dirt flying backward.
"Then tell me what to do! Stop. Playing. Games! A life is at stake here,
and you treat it as if it was a game the fawns play by the pond!"

He sighed, ash expelled from behind his mask with the sound. "I am simply
not giving you the answer that you are looking for. This is not a game, my
little doe. I do not play games."

Her shoulders sagged, and her ears drooped. After a moment, she stood up,
turning to leave.

"It is rude to walk away from a conversation. Kaoori. And here I thought
that your mother had taught you manners."

She turned to face him slowly, ears pricked in his direction again. "I
thought we were finished. "

"I never gave you an answer."

"You're taking too long..." The doe stood there, staring at him, almost as
if challenging.

"I accept." It was stated simply and, for that moment, those flies of his
went quiet to the rest of the world.

Kaoori's breath stopped in her throat and she suddenly felt dizzy as the
flies suddenly ceased to buzz. "You'll... keep your part of the bargain.
I can trust that?"
:
Osias nodded his head to his very chest. "I have always held my end of a
bargain, yes."

She nodded slowly, glancing up at him defiantly, but trying to hide a
tremble. "So what happens now..?"

"Now?" the creature mused aloud. "Well, a soul is something one carries,
only tangible upon death, when it transitions from this world to the next,
yes. Perhaps you can see where this is going."

Kaoori's ears flattened straight to her skull, her eyes widening
slightly. "I... do.."
:
"I, however, can make it quick and painless," he arched his neck, things
tearing in and out of place in the process. "You will not feel a thing,
as long as you trust me."

She cringed as he arched his neck, swallowing loudly.. wondering what
she'd gotten herself into.. but knowing it was too late now to back out
and run.

He got up again and walked towards her with the posture and persistence
found in a creature not of this world. He inclined his head before
lowering it to her level. "Do you trust me, Kaoori?" Those eyes were but
hollow stones.

The more he lowered his head, the further she cringed as she looked up at
him. She realized she had no choice now but to trust him, and she
responded with a slow, almost drugged nod.

"I can't hear you."

Her voice was a squeak. "Y- yes.. "

"That's better," he said with a silent grin; it was there all the same.
"Lay down."

She blinked. "W-what..?"

"I said lay down."

She cringed at his voice the second time, and without another word, lay
down on the cold, hard dirt.

He seemed satisfied with that. "Now. Close your eyes and you won't see it
coming."

She shuddered, and with a twinge of regret whispered aloud, "forgive me,
Wesker.. I only wanted to help you.."

Osias put one dark hoof to her very throat before a laugh escaped from
deep within the chambers of his chest. "Pity," he remarked aloud, head
arched in a moment of silence, before that hoof came up and crashing down.