"My race," Aurelia whispered, slowly drawing her Nodachi, resting the flat of the blade to her nose and allowing her eyes to close. "-are normally quite content to whore themselves out, and live happily using only their bodies. Is it so wrong, though, for one of us, to wish for a different way? Is every demon of every hell evil, or every angel pure?" Wearing her usual outfit of late, black bodice, thigh boots, and dramatic light-colored coat, the Succupixie slowly drew a breath, and in that moment, the tall grasses around her seemed to part, as if the very earth was afraid of the massacre that she would commit, revulsion in every subtle motion to the trained eye.
"What do you mean?" an young man in dark robing stepped forward. Blood stained his cheek, but he stood strong, proud, jaw set, sweat glistening on his form where exposed. The kukri in his hand, too, was gloved in scarlet, still dripping, muscles taut, knuckles white. Aurelia snorted, softly.
"I suppose, I've chosen quite a time to visit my old home... tell me, stranger. Think not that I do not notice your ploy," She added, aware as leaves swayed and bark chipped, darkly-robed bodies slowly bleeding into the trees around her. "Tell me... did you believe, then, that the only members of this school were human?" She stepped forward, and the man before her stepped back, eyes narrow, throat pulsing with a slow swallow. "Did you believe, that there would be no retaliation?" Her tail flicked, sword settling into one hand now, her other soft, slim digits coiling around the handle of a kodacchi at her waist. "Are you, truly, so ignorant? Or simply naive?"
"So, what? You hope to take all of us on?" The man, likely an assassin, who quivered in his boots before her, spoke in his best attempt to sound confident, but it was shallow, transparent as a paper screen. "You're a bitch Succupixie meant for sex, you're no warrior, anybody here can see that. What are your hopes, to avenge your old hookup and escape from us alive, leaving corpses in your wake? Please, don't make me laugh," The assassin with whom Aurelia spoke initially narrowed his eyes, laughing softly, but even this noise shook. In the depths of his eyes and soul, he knew how this ended, it was painfully obvious to see. "You're one demon, against all of us, and you're not even a gargoyle or a petra- just a whore."
"You'd have such a good point," Aurelia replied softly, voice lethal, rage barely held under the surface. There was no room for manipulation, because to allow any emotion in would be her downfall, for the way Aurelia felt she may fly into a rage, and leave herself vulnerable. "However... you humans, who pride yourself as the best and brightest... you forget your place, and know not what I truly am. Just as there are exceptions to humanity- those with intelligence, true free will, and an ability to think for themselves... there are exceptions to my race, such as myself. I will ask you this, only one time- do you have any last words? A prayer to whichever gods you worship? I will allow you this one kindness."
"Go to hell, stupid cock slut," The assassin spat, and Aurelia slowly sighed, heavy, as if it carried each of their dying breaths.
"Can't be the bigger person, not with humans. Never works."
==
"Listen to me, please!" The girl, no older than twelve, sobbed, rain pounding the deck around her, sparkling with the light of a billion stars, mocking her, showing her the beauty of the world as she still fled from its ugliness. "I don't g-give a damn, if swords and combat are for men, I'll do anything!!" Where her skin shined with rainwater it mixed with crimson, and her clothes hung on in tatters, lank with water, revealing far too much- far more than she was willing to reveal. "If women are s-second class slaves, and m-men are meant for p-power, but queens c-can rule... and m-men can raise children...! Why m-must I remain within my stereot-types...!! Just, p-please, give me this one chance, and you'll d-die a prouder man, may every g-god of this world and the n-next rape and K-KILL ME IF I L-LIE!!" And she broke, falling to her knees, wailing slowly.
For a long time, the young man before her stood there, staring down, and then he sighed, slowly, shaking his head. Already, even in his youth, there was a wisdom far beyond the years he'd lived behind those stormy irises. Before him, a young woman who truly, deeply wished for change, and if his time in this world has taught him but one thing, it was as follows; power comes to those who would shred reality itself, if it defied them, not to those born of good blood. This girl was not iron, but steel waiting to be blown.
"Very well then, girl. I see your plight. If you wish to be reforged, I will prepare my bellows."
===
"She's scrawny!" One of the boys laughed, flicking hair out of his eyes, easily parrying Aurelia's blow and kicking her in the stomach. The Succupixie yelped, clumsy, as she fell, yelping. Her tail caught under her ass, and pain exploded through the base, tears stinging her eyes- the audacity, to cheat with a kick during a sword fight?! Her blood boiled!!
"You can't kick, that's not swordsmanship!" Aurelia shouted, indignant, fiery, but she quieted immediately, forgetting that the boys were snickering around her, demeaning, as Master Bell slowly strode forth, his form powerful, regal, and stared down at her with eyes holding a storm apiece, piercing her to the core, judging her, condemning her.
"Aurelia." His voice a whisper of death and life, ancient and young. "If you go to war, will the soldiers of an enemy nation adhere to what you call swordsmanship? In a fight for your life, would you refuse to kick the enemy?"
"Well no, but this-!"
"Shut up, girl," The teacher cut her off, and Aurelia balked. "Would an enemy, knowing that you may cut his head from body, kill him, end him, bleed him like a pig... would such an enemy not resort to a kick?" Slowly, he pushed, and Aurelia gagged as a hand closed around her throat, Master Bell pushing her into the ground, hand closing.
"M-Master Bell, stop-!!" Aurelia yelped, the students around them looking on in horror. No more laughter, the air was heavy- too heavy to pull in around the pressure on her neck, Aurelia gagged, trying to pry his arm away, but the man was unyielding as a dragon's jaw. "M-Mash... ter...?!" Aurelia quivered, begging, shaking her head, lips blue.
"You're killing her?!" One of the boys shouted, disbelieving, and Bell crushed, harder, Aurelia's back arching, feet pushing at him.
"Maybe I should!" Master Bell screamed ferociously. "You asked that I not treat you differently for what you are, didn't you, you whorish demon?!" Voice filled with venom, Bell squeezed harder, and Aurelia, in her desperation, kicked, with all the force she could muster, her teacher in the balls, weakening his grip. She trusted him, she'd trusted him, she thought she was safe; this, her only thought as she bit the hand and listened to Master Bell's scream of agony as she kicked his balls again, then planted both feet and sent him flying to the side, rolling away. Vision red, pulsing, she wheezed for air, climbing to her feet- or rather, trying, but falling to her knees, panting. Head, foggy, hard to see, she slowly collapsed on her side, panting, raspy, watching as Master Bell slowly rose to his feet, groaning. When his eyes turned to her, though, they were... warm? Fiery, smoldering.
"That is why kicks are allowed in the heat of battle, girl. Your body is the weapon, your sword merely an e-extention." He winced, slowly nursing his bleeding hand, glaring at her quietly, but in his posture, somehow, there was... pride? In spite of his obviously aching core, he seemed to have accomplished a goal, and held an air of authority. "Do you understand, now?"
"This is not a fencing school for princes, demon." Slowly, Master Bell turned away, his salt-and-pepper hair swaying in its binding. "This is a school for boys who wish to become warriors, strong, undefeatable. I have welcomed you here, so that you may break the cycle of your race- but do not speak of swordsmanship. Honor is a pretty lie for the mangled dead, and we choose to live. Now stand, and try again." Moments later, Aurelia yelped, having hit her head in a fall, too winded still to balance... but she did not complain, and as the Master observed, he found himself smiling. There was fire in her eyes, and impossibly, trust.
==
"You're weak!!" Aurelia's sparring partner laughed, dancing easily around her strikes, and Aurelia pivoted, absorbing the shock of his next strike through her right leg and jarring his wrist so that the blade arm weakened, for a moment. Stepping inside the jaunty fighter's guard, she grabbed the boy's sword-bearing wrist and forced it away, suddenly holding her blade parallel to his throat, hickory cool on his sweating skin. She did not gloat, just made eye contact- green and blue on his brown orbs, then shoved him back, stepping away. He bowed, and readied his stance- no longer was Aurelia nothing more than "girl" or "demon", and though her body ached, day in and day out, she was not alone.
"Again!" Master Bell barked, pacing back and forth.
==
Back and forth, Aurelia danced. The sun warmed her back, kissing her head like a tiara of flame, dancing above her hair but refusing to burn. Her folded wings, warmed by the light, cursed tail wrapped loosely around her thigh as she practiced her sword strikes. Standing from a beam barely ten centimetres wide, pacing back and forth, side to side- ONE! TWO! THREE! No, that wasn't right. One. Two. Three. There is no room for emotion in a fight. After about five minutes of this, though, she swung too wide, cursed as she fell, shoulder and hip scraping against the concrete- she became too confident, and relaxed too much, Aurelia berated herself, sitting up, spotting blood on the flat, gray, sanded stones of the training yard. "Damnit!"
"Again!" The master barked, and Aurelia gasped, looking up, not having heard him come. Hurriedly, she scrambled to sit up, at least to her knees, soon standing.
"Why are you pushing me like this?" Aurelia groaned, slowly swaying, unbalanced by her fall, taking a moment to collect her thoughts as the world around them seemed to pause, watching.
"Is that a complaint?" Master's voice was lethal, low, as he stepped forward, relaxed, poised. "You asked me, to reforge you, do you now resent my teachings?" There was a challenge, there, as well, a flame in the back of the dragon's maw, a warning.
"No, Master." Aurelia hastened to explain. "It was an honest question. I wish to be able to defend myself, yes, but you seem like you're more worried about me than any of the others, and I don't understand- I'm not special." Slowly, Aurelia shifted, stretching and picking up her wooden blade, listening to the clatter of wood on stone, making it an excuse to avoid eye contact with the man who taught her.
"Because Aurelia, humans are fickle creatures, but they are weak, and do not draw much attention. So rare is it, for angels or demons to pay us mind, there are those who no longer believe in the existence, even of people like you. You lie to me though, for while you are equal to my students, all of them... you are, indeed, very special, a rarity in this land. Here? Middle of nowhere Starrian forests? Your kind is even rarer, hunted down by the royals. You, though. Tell me yourself, then. What are you?" An obvious test, Aurelia swallowed, pushing hair out of her eyes that had escaped her hair tie, looking up at him.
"I am Aurelia, student of Master Bell's Iron-"
"Wrong. I did not ask who you are- WHAT are you?" The teacher narrowed his eyes, waiting, patient.
"I... I'm a Succupixie, daughter of incubus and fairy, demon of lust and vice...?"
"Is that a question?" Master Bell narrowed his eyes.
"No, sir."
"Good. You are stronger than us, and so you will, one day, undoubtedly draw more attention to yourself than a human could, purely for your capabilities. You won't stay here forever, and it's a wide world out there- a demon is more dangerous than a human, so you must be able to defend yourself from threats greater than us."
"Why couldn't I stay here, with you? I don't have to leave-" Aurelia floundered, anxiety sinking into her stomach at the thought of leaving, but Bell was swift to resume his train of thought, not letting her dwell.
"One day, you will be stronger than even myself." Master Bell laid a hand on her shoulder, speaking softly, earnestly. "You are not aware of time in the same way that we are, but you are as joyous as a student in their first year when it has been three and one half. Even if, girl, even if you stay with me, what happens when I die, and you do not yet look to be even twenty years of age? One day, you must be prepared for a world greater than this bubble, Aurelia. I have faith in you, but you are not ready. Not yet... the horrors I've seen... you'd be ripped apart." He sobered, further, looking down at his student, cupping her chin, tipping it up, and Aurelia made eye contact, matching his seriousness.
"Master... you can't just say things like that," the demon murmured, their eyes boring into each other's.
"I can, and I will. You desired to change, to be strong, to break free of the shackles that bound you- but those shackles will return, unless you can stand up to any who tries to place them. As a Succupixie, you're worth a lot of money in black markets, alive to fuck or dead for part and ingredients, so you have extra reason for caution. Now, get back up there, and go again." His voice tender, Aurelia stared upward, cheeks warm, and realized why she felt so sluggish. For the first time... it wasn't lust.
"Yes, sir."
==
"Again! Three of you, take her down." Master Bell shouted, and without hesitation, three of the students whirled as their master turned, returning to his seat. All of the attackers budding young men, wooden weapons whistling through the room toward her on two fronts while the third darted sideways, intending to flank her. Aurelia cursed loudly, voice filling the air as blades hacked into her chest and thigh- she disarmed the first in seconds, turning to dismantle another, but-
"Halt!" The dark-haired man shouted, and his students at once stood still. "Aurelia, what did you do wrong, there?!" He demanded to know, eyes alight with flame.
"I-I what-" Confused, Aurelia stood resolute, eyes wide, round, doe-like- she wasn't sure, she'd addressed the most immediate threat and moved on to the next-
"You can only allow yourself to fight one at a time when there are no weapons involved! Against even human enemies, you'd have died, cut apart from an arm and leg, there. Do better! Again, like your life is at stake!" Voice harsh- the students attacked, again, and Aurelia swerved, yelping, panicked this time. "Stop fighting like a human if you must, Aurelia!! You are a person, but that does not make you human!! Do not let your emotions rule!!" His voice stirred something in her, and Aurelia lashed out, eyes glassing over- tail around that wrist, wing slamming him back as she parried a blow and sent the attacker directly before her staggering- a palm strike, clean and swift Tail, yanking him, down he goes, her body turning, wooden sword hacking through that guard, breaking that man's stance and shoulder ramming him away. Kicking out as the first to fall stood up, panting. Three men, lying around her after this all, her breaths heavy, body light, adrenaline coursing.
"Good." Bell nodded, brow furrowed, as it always was, brooding and thoughtful. "Now, again. You can take her down, men, I believe it, so remind her of her place." Egos sufficiently stroked... the men stood, ready to go again.
---
That night, Aurelia laughed with all of the other students, listening to the cricket song and the winx, butting shoulders and drinking. One of the men, she was in this context, laughing, jeering, eating, and having a night to celebrate. It was William's birthday, so Master Bell had broken the curfew, and all of them celebrated accordingly, for hours, and hours. When the rest of them made their way to the dormitories, though, Aurelia hesitated, eyes turning slowly in the direction of Bell's cottage.
---
"Master Bell...?" Aurelia whispered, poking her head into the teacher's bedroom, smiling tiredly.