De rolled his eyes as the bandits mindlessly charged one after the other they chipped away at De's stamina and strength. By then Zack and Grim had caught up. Zack watched as the people attacking were merely a distraction and one of them readied an old looking rifle.
Zack felt his legs move before his mind could demand he keep out of harm's way. He rushed out before Grim could grab him, making Grim reconsider any future ideas of being a babysitter.
De yelped as the smaller boy was suddenly beside him, "Kid get outa the way!" He yelped as three loud shots rang out and a pillar of rock came up to cover them slightly blocking what it could. De could only stare as this feeble creature now showed its willingness to fight.
"Damn it!" He huffed as he reached for Zack.
Grim yelled out with a cheer, "Woo! Fuck yeah! Go Zack save the Prince's ass-" Grim paused his celebration to open his eyes to De running past him with Zack on his shoulder.
"Get your ass moving, bones!" De yelled and Grim was narrowly missed with another bullet before breaking into a run.
Eventually Oscuro is trotting up behind them and De lets out a vocal yelp as he's now being tailed by a dragon. "Wait, don't run!" Zack said in a bumping mess. Just as Grim hops easily onto the dragon's side and begins to slowly climb up the still trotting dragon, De slowed only for them to run past them both.
As De looks back to where the bandits were, instead he is met with the sight of another milky white eyed dragon. With a volume Zack hadn't used since he fell off the garage roof he tapped De on the back saying, "Run run run!!!".
"The fell are you! Dragon guru?" De exclaimed as he swiftly broke into a quicker run. Oscuro slowed to allow Grim to reach De's hand and safely pull them both on. With that Oscuro flew them out of there safely.
The dragon huffed for a moment sniffing in place before slowing to a walk.
As soon as they reached Tagart again De yanked Grim off the dragon and shoved him into an alley and watched as Zack followed as expected.
"You are gonna tell me who the fell you guys are! And if you don't I'm turning you both into cinders!"
Grim, surprised by the outburst, barked a rough grunt as he felt his back hit the brick wall. Zack rushed to his side and silently helped him up with a reassuring nod. Grim thanked him before answering De. "We are looking to recruit you, sir!" Grim said as he bowed to him showing his respects.
"What?" De hissed confused.
"Me and my friend. We found each other a few weeks ago. He is lost and needs my help but also agrees to help me with my own troubles." Grim said, lifting his head to meet De's cautious gaze.
Zack fidgeted where he stood, the tension unreal. Demonio had better control of his power and could easily end Grim and Zack where they timidly stood.
"Me? What do I owe you?!" He snarled, his arm began to light in an intimidating manner, his skin lit up like hot iron leaving dark silhouettes of the bones from his mid bicep to the tips of his fingers.
"NOTHING! Nothing, nothing!" Grim shouted, waving his hands in front of him begging for his understanding. "We need you! We need your powers to aid our own! To…" Grim looked back at Zack and sighed before finishing his sentence. "To kill, The Anatnie…"
De froze his arm cooling slowly and letting a mocking bark of laughter insult him, "The Anatnie?! Good joke! Count me out!" De scowled as he turned around to leave. "What?! No please!" Grim jogged after him. De didn't slow, and as Grim followed De only scowled more.
"You're the fire Zodiac! We can't do this without you!"
"And you can't do this WITH me!!!"
Grim looked surprised and tried to fight back, "You fought those bandits! You're better than you think."
"And letting your soft-skin use itself as a shield?! That sounds like a hero's in the making?!"
"With a bit of training he will be the best shield any one has ever seen!" Grim pulled Zack to his side as if to show De any proof of his potential. "He has the mothers blessing! Just like you and I!"
"A blessing? Three guys with magic powers can't take down a literal Demonic Being!"
Grim scowled as he rolled his eyes and turned away and pulled Zack with him, "Come on, Zack, we have a long way to Laugion and this ass hole isn't worth the fight!"
De heard his words and turned but then he remembered his past more.
'Laugion… It's where she lived.'