The Demon and the Elf (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty pt 3

Immediately, K'ra stepped in between the man and the Vrona, a glare piercing the man's way. They handed a readied piece of paper, as if prepared earlier, to the short horned demon. On it, read: [If you report her, you'll lose valuable access to her medicines for your patients].

After taking a moment to read the note, the demon broke out into a crazed laugh yet again, short, ending early. "Relax, I don't have anything to gain for reporting her. I only know because the palace workers spread along rumors. It looks like the king's trying to hide it so it doesn't look bad on him that a prisoner was able to escape."

Vrona snorted sarcastically and Drokn twisted his brows skeptically. Lifting his head up, Drokn tried to look prouder, but the other demon's height was greater than his. Instead, he straightened his back and crossed his arms, attempting to emit his grander status with his posture. "Are you a palace staff, then? Why are you here? Why did you take us to a palace dog, K'ra?"

The short horned demon widened his eyes and then looked at K'ra, who then passed along the secret message to Vrona with their eyes. Watching the silent conversation take place in front of him irked Drokn more than ever. He bared his teeth, ready to raise his voice when the unknown demon finally broke the silence.

"Oh, I'm not a palace staff." The stranger demon said, waving his hands against the idea, "And I hear this information from the rebels who work in the palace."

"Rebels?" Drokn repeated, narrowing his eyes.

Another look at K'ra, the stranger demon continued, "The rebels who are against the current throne. Many of them work in the palace and give information to us. The three of us are rebels, as well," he said, gesturing to K'ra and Vrona.

Drokn's mind wandered to the countless staff who worked at the palace. How many had been disloyal while seeming so faithful? How many had served him while sneering behind his back? Muddy waters flushed through his mind, a queasiness taking hold.

"Who is this, by the way? You'd only introduced those two as Vrona's companions." Pointing to Drokn, the short horned demon turned to ask K'ra. When K'ra explained through writing that that was Vrona's son and his mate, the demon's face grew pale, eyes widening. Covering his mouth by the side with one hand, me mouthed to the other two, Why is the king's son here?? With his other hand, he subtly made the motion of injecting a needle, as if asking if the demon prince was brought here to be put down to sleep.

K'ra pinched their lips and smacked the side of the other's head with mild force. They pointed to the Drokn, Vrona, and themself and crossed their pointer and middle fingers to show they were on the same side.

At the same time, a moaning sound left the room they were once in. An exaggerated weariness darkening the circles below the stranger demon's eyes, he placed his hands on K'ra shoulders. "Explain this to me later. But please don't bring trouble," he pleaded, a desperation beholding his face, before dashing into the room and checking in on the patient.

Like a passing storm, the hallway suddenly felt beyond silent with the lack of an emotional and loud presence. K'ra took the moment to explain the situation, much of which none had time for in their shared frantic state prior.

With their written explanations, the demon and the elf learned that the short horned demon went by the name of Bluhn and was the only doctor in this health facility. Drokn was mildly surprised at this fact, as he'd learned the health facilities around the palace were littered with staff. Perhaps the outer cities were not in much need of more? And he asked just thst.

But hearing so, K'ra tilted their head with a troubled expression and patted Drokn's back, gently pushing for him and the others to follow. Where they were led to was another room they had yet to visit. In it, lay a sole demon, face pale as a corpse. Wrinkles dug into his face and his hair looked whithered and brittle. At their entrance, the older man crusted his eyes open and looked at his guests with a gentle smile.

"K'ra, is this..." Vrona asked, or rather stated, as if she knew who the demon was. And a silent nod gave her the answer. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Gru. If you wouldn't mind, I'll take a closer look into your condition."

"You all seem to have a habit of not giving us the fucking details." grated Drokn, his ire growing with each ambiguous unknown.

The older demon chuckled and patted K'ra on their upper arm. "You brought some lively guests."

K'ra's eyes glistened and they agreed enthusiastically, shaking their head with fervor and nudging Drokn and Eial forward with their strength. Tapping Vrona on her shoulder, they invited her to make introductions.

"Ah, this is my son, Drokn," Vrona started, and Drokn definitely did not feel an odd pulse at the title claimed by the demoness, herself. "And this is his mate, Eial."

"Lovely," Gru, the old demon, voiced and gently touched his hand to the back of Drokn's. "I'm Gru, K'ra father," he introduced, each word deep and slow, cracked at its hinges. "I apologize for having to meet you like this."

Drokn couldn't make out the stir inside him, watching the stranger lying in bed with the most gentle way a being has talked to him. He almost instinctively yanked his hand away from the light graze, its unfamiliarity startling. Gru had a pleasant aura, but unlike the elf's, it was much, much calmer. Without a hint of subtle speech, Drokn asked blunty, "Why are you here?"

Gru laughed softly through his nose, "That's a good question, isn't it?"

It wasn't until Vrona had checked Gru's symptoms and eased medicine into him with a cup of warm water that Drokn had some of the answers he was looking for. Fading into sleep with drowsiness, Gru became oblivious of his surroundings and his breathings came deep and steady.

With Vrona and K'ra on one side of Gru's bed and Drokn and Eial on the other side, Vrona began to tell them of a tragedy decades ago which still holds its reins today.