Chapter 109: Protege

Of all places to hide, the pipsqueak chose the village's cesspool. I wouldn't have noticed him at all, if in the deathly quiet of the dead village, my sensitive hearing didn't hear him shifting amongst liquid manure.

I wasn't particularly sure that the boy hid under, but just to test it, I loudly said, "I know you are there, pipsqueak. Get out now, or I will cut you into pieces from where I stand."

A second passed in silence. Then, with a loud squelch of the disgusting mass, the boy's head appeared on the surface. Next to his mouth he held a hollow bone, which I before took for just a piece of junk. It appeared that he used it to breathe under… under-dung.

"Smart. Cunning." I approved. "Willing to survive no matter what. You will make a good demon one day, if you don't get lucky enough to end up in Heaven."