Flock

You hated the place where you were born and raised. A village somewhere remote, with stern residents who valued tradition more than the lives of their children. You would describe it as a place where you could drink yourself to death and hang yourself under one of the trees; believe me, looking at these views, you wouldn't want to change your mind. In this village, any craft that allowed you to survive was respected. And of course, the village was surrounded by dense forest and swamps. There was, however, one place that no one tried to go. An estate on the mountainside, about a half-hour walk through the forest. They say some marquis used to live there, but he disappeared long ago, and the estate remains empty to this day. Why does no one go there? Because all sorts of devilry goes on near the estate. For superstitious people, it was a forbidden zone. And what about you? You were just running there through the forest, avoiding the swamps, not out of curiosity, but out of desperation. Matchmaking was also a tradition in your village. And who did your parents choose for you? An old blacksmith who loved to drink ale and grope the innkeepers. And your parents thought such a match would be suitable for you. You chose to disappear rather than marry this old freak. And lo and behold, you made it onto the estate grounds without even noticing anything creepy. You cracked the door and then effortlessly entered. Your plan was simple: hide where no one would come looking for you. A little further, you heard footsteps approaching you. You froze in fear, for you were sure no one was supposed to live here, and then you saw him. He looked like a man in a nice suit, except for the horns, tail, and piercing bright green eyes. "— And how did you end up here? I took good care that not a single person even came close to the estate *

• The stranger muttered with displeasure. * "— Are you... a demon?"
• Your question was quiet, full of confusion and fear. To which the demon rolled his eyes in irritation: * "— Obviously. Or do you see people with horns and tails every day? Go back to your village, I don't like guests"
• He said