Dulce darted into the cottage with his superior speed, hoping that the Demon wouldn't follow - he had no such luck.
It would be best to skin the sheep outside, but he would rather not remain in the Demon's line of sight. A futile attempt because a short while after he got to the kitchen, he could hear the heavy thumping footsteps of the approaching Demon from the Hells.
Dulce placed the sheep on an empty counter, his attention caught by the neat package placed on the center table. It was the lunch that Shopkeep Elinor had kindly offered him when he went back to retrieve his empty milk can and straw basket.
He opened it and peered in, the baked bread that was no longer fresh was still salvageable, but the potato soup and rice pudding had spoiled. Dulce was devastated as he threw it out, showing more emotion than when he had been staked to the side of the house all night.
Kath'tan stood in a corner, mostly for his own benefit. The kitchen was small and cramped, and simply stepping in, he had bumped into a cupboard, rattling the plates in it.
He found himself watching the Vampire closely, partly intrigued, partly displeased. "Will you die if I set fire to you?" He broke the silence, watching the Vampire move familiarly around the little room.
Dulce flinched, nervous to have his back to the Demon while he skinned the sheep. "N-No," He said hastily, stumbling over his words in fright. "Please don't."
Burns were the most excruciating injuries to regenerate, it was a torment he would prefer to avoid.
Kath'tan approached, a probing look in his eyes, like he could decipher if the Vampire was lying to him if he studied him closely enough. "How about decapitation?"
It was asked so calmly, like they were having a casual conversation while a meal was being made.
Dulce glanced warily at the Demon, hearing him bump and knock over things as he walked closer. His hand trembled slightly as he wielded the carving knife, his vampiric strength making the task an easy one.
"No," He muttered, looking down at the sheep's carcass because the Demon was hovering right over his shoulder like a harbinger of doom.
"How do you know that?" Kath'tan leaned forward, seeing an animal get skinned and prepared for the first time. "Have you lost your head before?"
Dulce tried to inch forward to put some distance between them, but the counter in front of him prevented that. He hadn't been decapacitated before, but the way the question had been phrased made him reach for his neck, leaving behind bloody fingerprints.
It was almost like he could feel searing heat cut through his neck, the sensation was intense for a split second, it made a shiver go down his spine.
Kath'tan didn't miss this reaction, "How about if you're chopped into too many pieces to regenerate?" He leaned even closer.
Dulce was back to clinging to the sheep for comfort, not caring that it was now a bloody carcass. "N-None of that will end the summons," He said in a panic, his voice pinched.
Kath'tan took a step back, "So what will kill you?" He decided to ask directly. "You either give me an answer, or I try my hand at every option."
Dulce spun around, his back to the counter. He was a bloody mess, his hair dirty and matted, his clothes in tatters. This moment had arrived far too quickly, and he hadn't come to a decision about how best to go about it.
He was doomed either way, but he would take the Demon's anger over being killed with every possible method there was.
"Nothing," His response was a whisper, pinpoint pupils trembling. "I can't die."
Kath'tan was taken aback by this, not even once considering that possibility, and that was because true immortality didn't exist. Infinite lifespans were a common commodity, but invincibility was something that had been pursued by all for time immemorium, yet this frail and foolish Vampire had somehow acquired it.
"How?" He could only force out a word, stunned.
Dulce's eyes darted around the kitchen, seeking an escape before the Demon decided to verify his words. "I was born this way," He mumbled.
"Vampires aren't born," Kath'tan sneered, putting him in a chokehold, dangerously sharp claws pressed against the delicate skin.
Dulce frowned, his brows furrowed like he was trying to remember something. "That's true, but I've always been this way. Able to walk in the sun and unable to die."
There was a strange tone in his voice when he said that, it made Kath'tan's grip loosen ever so slightly. "How old are you?" He asked, momentarily losing his interest in breaking the Vampire's neck.
Dulce was back to frowning again, "I can't remember, but I can say I've been alive for over two millennia."
Kath'tan pulled back his hand, looking at the Vampire with new eyes. Demons who had lived for that long were incredibly strong. The Hells was a battleground, only the strong survived.
Dulce sighed silently when he was no longer in immediate danger, he would rather not go through his small flock of sheep in a few days. He wanted to ask the Demon his age in turn, but he thought the better of it.
"I can have sustenance as well," He went on, hoping that he had finally gotten through to the Demon. "So... So, w-would you like some mutton stew?" He attempted a second time, much more uncertain now.
Kath'tan just shot him a glare and left, knocking over pots and breaking through the wooden floor as he did.
Dulce was relieved to have the Demon gone, busying himself with preparing the sheep so that it didn't go to waste. He thought about returning to the village square to offer some of the mutton to Elinor, they might have to leave on a journey soon and wouldn't be able to take all of the leftovers with them.
He remained in the kitchen until well after noon, preparing a pot of stew as well as preparing the rest of the meat to be dried.