The girl leaned back on the table and crossed her legs, I spoke before the prince could, "Theon isn't the one who is out of line." The elf flushed a bit and sat back up, not only had I said the words in the same language I had been careful to use the same accent. I wasn't sure if she had noticed that part. "Also not a bunny. Though we could have a conversation on how you think I am cute."
The prince sighed and shook his head, "While I am sure the unit would love to watch you two go at it, the queen gave me this for you." The prince handed over one of the two pieces of paper the queen had signed. He then handed the other note to me. I didn't read the note just tuck it in my pocket.
The female opened and read it, sniffed then folded and put it in her coat pocket. "That works for you but I doubt her new commander will take an excuse from a stinking elf. He was very pissed that she wasn't there."
"Any food from dinner left?" The prince started stretching; he had been sitting for quite a while. There was nothing the elven prince could do about my unit after all. I pulled out the crystal blades and flipped them over. They still hummed but they weren't fighting me.
"Yeah, knowing the palace staff they will be around as soon as they get over being mad at you for not eating in the main hall. Those look like Theon's."
"That's because these ones are." The female growled and I took a step back without looking up. The palace shield started to react. "No, reclass that, I had expected it." The crystal blades that I was still looking at flashed. I was beginning not to like it when crystals did that. The shield did reclass the action as a challenge.
The prince tilted his head, "Didn't know it was possible to do that. Ravon you might want to refrain from launching yourself at Desdemona without verbally declaring a challenge, you almost ended up outside again."
Ravon, that was a pretty name, I was pretty sure she was the female the counsel had been trying to get Theon to marry. She was awfully clingy to him if that wasn't the case. I got that she was the unit commander, which seemed odd but the army didn't rush people into being officers. Still, she seemed young for her post.
She growled and didn't listen to her prince spinning on her heel. Someone else from her unit tried to grab her arm as she pulled back to take a swing at me. The palace was focused on the exchange. It was a little like watching the movement from someone else's point of view. I dropped and kicked the elf's feet out from under her. Her lack of sobriety explained her behavior more than that I was holding crystal weapons that belonged to her prince. I stepped aside again. I was much faster than her. That wasn't abnormal when I fought. It almost felt like my demon was laughing at the female elf.
That isn't nice, this could have ruined her entire plan for her life. If she had been planning on a happy enough life with the prince of the elves. It didn't really matter that he had no doubt been avoiding her and trying to get her to find someone who did love her. She probably needs the connection to protect her family from other wolves in this forest. Now because the prince had said he is bonded to me her plans were falling apart and there might not be anything she could do about it.
That is something I could relate to, my whole life is one shattered hope after another. Anything I was good at was a danger to the people around me. I had no real family, because of the demon in my head. The demon snorted at my thoughts I was sure, as I dodged Ravon again. The demon didn't care what I thought it only wanted to respond to the poorly formed challenge. I was beginning to understand why the palace shield didn't answer if a challenge was issued. If the brothers had been half breeds then they would have felt the need to leave the palace to answer a challenge if the person just disappeared. I know a lot better than to let my demon control my reactions like that.
I got the impression that the demon snorted again, as I hopped up onto a stool. I was being careful to keep the blades from scratching Ravon. They were very sharp and even a touch could break skin. I shook my head just a bit when Theon turned to stop Ravon. He looked at me like he was confused. I tossed the crystal weapons at him. He was one of the very few people that could keep up with me. I wasn't worried about hurting him. He caught the blades by their hilts and twisted them up into his belt. My demon seemed happy that I had rid myself of the weapons.
It surprised me and Ravon got a hit across my face before I had recovered. I was always more careful when my demon was happy. Ravon thought she had the upper hand, she had no way to know that I can never fight only one battle at a time when I sparred. I was more worried about the demon than I was about the slim elf who was unarmed. Ravon got in a punch on my stomach.
It did worse then knock the wind out of me. I just realized I hadn't done hand to hand brawling combat since I turned 18. I wasn't out of shape for it, I practiced it as much as I practiced everything else but I hadn't been hit in the stomach since I found out I was a demon. Since my wings had appeared. I growled as my wings broke the back of my shirt. My demon didn't like my wings to be out and it growled with me. The little female elf took a surprised step back as what was left of my top fell to the hardwood floor.
I heard the gasps around me but I was seeing red. I was trying to calm down and regain control but Ravon reacted faster. I got the impression that the prince was standing between the rest of his group and my fight. The palace wasn't going to let more than one person challenge me at a time. My demon smiled at the response of the palace. I wouldn't have to watch my own back in this fight then.
I blocked Ravon's fists as I had a very lengthy internal argument with myself over the consequences of this particular fight. I wondered what the prince had said to everyone else to keep them back as Ravon seemed to sober up and was circling me. You want this to be challenged then at least make it a little challenging. I felt like my demon turned its head at the thought. I liked the thought. It worked for it because I would tuck back in my wings. It worked for me because it would be more interesting. I really wasn't always different from my demon.
I folded my wings back and crossed my hands behind my back over top of them. I didn't tell the elf that to win in my book all she had to do was make me use my hands, it probably wouldn't matter to her anyway. She growled and launched at me again, hands bared into claws.
I smiled at her and dodged. She blinked because I wasn't fighting to keep the demon under control; my speed had doubled again. That made her angry because she didn't understand why I was holding back on her before. She charged me again and I moved just right so that she smashed into one of the benches. My hands were still clasped behind my back and she hadn't touched me since her two lucky punches.
Ravon was starting to get tired, she was panting from exertion. She was also going to have quite a headache in the morning from where she had banged it. Well, Ravon was stubborn, she shook her head and actually got down into a fighting stance this time. I felt something buzz at me from somewhere beyond Ravon, but the palace shield spell took care of the spell and the source. That was an interesting trick, I took a small moment to wonder how they got it to follow so many rules.
"You really should declare a challenge, I would have warned you I haven't had anything substantial in moons." The world seemed to blink.
"Which I don't understand why not. The oath doesn't stop you from getting what you need. The palace shield works by the way because it is linked to me." I almost took another punch to the face. There was another woman sitting on one of the tables that had gotten pushed aside. The people around her backed up, I wasn't sure they meant to. "I really shouldn't take this form, but you haven't answered."
"Answered?" Then I noticed her voice, It was the same one that I had heard calling my name. The woman shook her head. She had white feathered wings down her back. But that was the only feature that was stable about her. Her eyes and face kept changing which since that isn't her actual form that made a sort of sense.
The elf didn't stop and I was beginning to wish I hadn't made a deal to play this game with my demon half. I kicked her when she tried to punch me again. Ravon stumbled back, "Nevermind. If you give me a few minutes this fight will be over and I can give you my attention."
"No, I can only appear because you are distracted. You should be practicing magic more so you would understand better."
Ravon didn't slow and it did take a bit more of my concentration not to get trapped by her. "Are you really there or will it look like I am talking to myself? I already have enough issues."
"No they can see me, they won't understand us. We are using a high form of demonic, much more annoying than the basic forms the children use."
"I wouldn't think a god would go through all this trouble to talk to a demon."
"Not a god. I do want you to start practicing magic though."
"Right, and I should do that because?" I felt my key warm against my skin like when I passed through the shield. I didn't slow in my dance with Ravon. She didn't seem aware of the woman.
"She isn't aware of me, I learned not to interrupt demons when they answer challenges, for the most part, they have to fight alone. Which is why you need to actually learn magic not just control, half your magic is mine. You don't need to fight alone."
"Right because the children are crazy understanding about what I am. The father saw to how his children see him." What the hell was I talking about. It was like memories were just skidding around the edge of my brain.
"He wasn't the only one, that kind can be very dangerous. The oath should keep you safe for the most part."
"The oath that keeps me from eating."
"I told you the oath doesn't keep you from getting what you need."
"It prevents killing." The conversation was going a lot faster then the fight was. It kind of made me feel even better about taking a challenge from someone who didn't stand a chance. Ravon had only gotten in one more swing while I had been talking.
"If it did that all the army would starve to death before they first saw a battlefield. Plants are living last I checked. No, the oath is only to stop you from killing sincentaint life. Things specifically under the protection of my guardian. Now it can be argued that all life is sincentaint on some scale but I set a specific limit. The type of soul the body can host determines the limit. I would prefer you not waste what you kill. Planets are like that."
"It is going to be harder to keep the monster from killing now you know that."
"Of course it is, but you cannot keep sustaining on not even killing animals. Especially if you start learning to use your magic. Your demon magic will make the cravings worse as you know."
"Your magic can be a lot more dangerous."
"That is true, but most of the wizards know how to deal with it." I kicked Ravon hard in the stomach. That was the problem with this conversation. It took concentration and I just didn't have enough to pull my punches such as they were. I hoped she wasn't bruised too bad, but she was still breathing.
Ravon laid on her back for a moment. I stepped closer, careful because this was a warrior of the army. It could be a trick, the elf was having a hard time taking a breath. I leaned over her with my hands still clasped behind my back. I think I may have broken one of her ribs.
She took as deep of a breath as she could. "You win."
I sighed and dropped my hands. My demon had felt a bond from and had relaxed. It didn't seem disappointed by the outcome. A shirt appeared in my hands and with a roll of my eyes I put it on. Before kneeling down next to where Ravon struggled to breathe. I placed my hand on her forehead and another on her stomach. I still didn't have any training, and I was sure it would make the wizards around me angry. The demon smiled at that thought, as I closed my eyes and focused.
I breathed out, and felt her body knit itself back together. The demon still didn't like me wasting power on something that it saw as so far below me. I removed my hands as Ravon sat up coughing. "What did you?"
"You are apparently still demon enough to be bound to rank. I really wish you had been strong enough to make me use my hands once I had accepted the challenge." My demon didn't understand, why would I want that. I felt magic pass around me again. "Unless you declare a challenge against me or I declare against you the palace will continue to stop your attacks. I am not a shadow spawn."
I looked over at where the angel had been. She was gone now. Standing slowly I turned to look at what else had been going on in the room. There were a lot more elves in the room than there had been. The prince was trying to stand between the fight and everyone else. Which was a little impressive considering we were in a wide open space and easily surrounded. Ravon arched her back and jumped up to her feet. You would think I hadn't almost killed her.
I shook my head when she opened her mouth after taking in how many people were around. My breathing had already returned to normal, as I sat down on one of the benches with my back to a table. "What are you?"