The Demon and the Elf (Book 1)

Chapter Fifteen pt 2

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A dark blue stained the dark, star filled sky. The partial moon illuminated brilliantly and brought light to the tops of the trees and shadows to the grass filled bottom. The clean air mixed with the earthy scent of leaves and the sharp scent of bark and sap.

That night, the two laid facing each other on the bed, gazing at new found emotions, deeper connections. Just like the night before, Eial stroked the horns on Drokn's temples, the rough ridges drawing mindless ease to his thoughts. This time, Drokn joined in, his nails gracefully pushing back the elf's hair and glided along his scalp. All small touches with large meanings.

"I wonder where mother is...,'' softly drifted Eial's whisper. But then his eyes jerked wide and he pulled his hand back. "I'm sorry, that was supposed to be in my thoughts."

A sharpness stung at Drokn's chest and he closed his eyes, almost scolding himself with empty words. "Eial, have you not talked about her since our return because of me?" At Eial's silence, he almost wanted to shove himself against a wall. Hesitantly, Drokn opened and closed his mouth, trying to come up with words that perhaps Eial would give him. "Eial, tell me... what worries you. Everything. Ignore my... careless words."

"You do say careless words quite often," Eial responded blankly.

"You..." the demon started, glinting up, knowing well his faults but only allowing himself to say them. But when his defiant eyes met the elf's curved, playful ones, a pull shook him and an unintended lip curved upward. Drokn wanted to embrace the elf, and so he did. Pulling him quickly, yet safely, tight into his arms. Squeezing the elf's back and rubbing his cheek on the elf's head.

Eial laughed within the hold, satisfied with the demon's reaction, and soon took the invitation to speak. Much to the demon's despair were long paragraphs of worries the elf held about his mother's return. But the demon managed to bite his tongue and say nothing, reminding himself that the elf was indeed right next to him within his arms.

It was a usual afternoon the next day, the sky clear but with a few weightless clouds. Eial and Drokn had decided to teleport quite a distance away where the fields were more barren for Drokn's so-called "training". This training consisted of Drokn trying new tricks such as thin slices of dark magic and mini barriers under his feet. Definitely not related to the demoness's suggestions at all.

On the side, Eial watched and praised, finding happiness everytime the demon turned his nose up in smug confidence. His soft claps became a warm rhythm in the demon's chest.

But soon—

Eial tensed, the wave of the air unfamiliar. An unexpected presence moving near. Immediately, he went over to Drokn, eyes brimmed with warning, wordlessly requesting for silence. His hands rushed to the ground, earth magic attempting to learn of the vibrations around them.

However, there were none. No steps for miles besides that of the small animals walking by. This presence did not move the ground. Which meant— It was flying. With his hands still plastered on the ground, he created a tall barrier a distance away, one that allowed anyone through. And his body almost felt paralyzed.

One being passed through the invisible barrier.

And another...

And another...

And dozens, dozens more.

Eial instantly dissipated any remnants of the barrier and created a smaller barrier around just the demon and him. He thought to quickly create an underground hole to hide themselves in or to teleport, but it was too late. Off in the near distance, the shadows of flying creatures filled the sky, unfortunately too close for stealth and too close to teleport without any of them noticing. His next instinct was to run, but looking backward, the flying beings had already swiftly encircled them.

The view obviously did not go unnoticed by the demon, either. The horde of demons coming their way was both a surprise and none the surprise at all. The "former" prince had gone missing, and with an elf. Of course they'd come to capture him. Even with his title revoked, he was important enough to be captured as a traitor.

Seeing the masses, Eial swallowed and flipped up his hood. Turning to the demon, he whispered, "Perhaps they are just scouting the area and we can try to reason with them as if we are travelers."

"Or I can defeat them. I doubt we can pass as travelers. They probably know who I am and are here to take me to the dungeons."

"Then of course we can't let that happen! If they know you, then—" Eial grabbed the hem of the demon's cloak and swung it over his head, shielding his face and horns from view in a ridiculous display. "—I will talk to them."

Soon, the horde of demons made their way down, surrounding the two. By that time, Drokn had no desire to stay within his upturned cape and flipped it back over, revealing his face. In front of him, he saw the elf and a representative from the horde step forward. No bow, no courtesy. Just the arrogance of a patrol guard with a mission.

"Is something the matter?" Eial voiced as confidently as he could, masking the rapid beating of his heart. Especially with his barrier down to look innocent and powerless, his nerves felt pricked with needles.

The demon guard looked almost disgusted for a second at the elf before completely ignoring his existence with a placid face and turning to Drokn.

"Where is the former queen?" the guard asked with no show of respect to Drokn.

"The fuck do I know?" The demon said. Eial whipped around to see the demon was unmasked and a sweat of panic climbed down his neck. Drokn continued with a smirk, "She's not here and I'm not coming with, either. Guess you're gonna have to go back empty handed."

With dull eyes, the guard snickered. "I don't think we'll be empty handed. We're here on two orders from the king. One, to capture the escaped prisoner, the former queen. Two—" Suddenly, the guard lifted a hand and both Drokn and Eial were encircled with the purples and blacks of dark magic, entrapping their hands. "—to kill this elf."