The Demon and the Elf (Book 1)

Chapter Twelve pt 4

A sharp dagger stung through his stomach, the churning sensation deeper. All the softness of the moment dissipated instantly. Drokn grabbed Eial by his forearm, his knuckles white and fingers sinking into the skin of the other. He sharply tugged the elf's hand away from his face. Standing up, he dragged the elf to the same spot they fought at before. Throwing him in front, his eyes turned dark and his teeth clenched. "Fight me!"

Allowing them to have time for themselves, the demoness had quietly sat across from the flame, attempting to give them privacy and hide her presence. But the words of their conversation struck her and the next thing she knew, both of them had stormed off. When she caught up to the two stealthily, she saw the demon throw orb after dark orb at the elf who defended with a wall of air magic.

"Help me?"

He threw another large, black orb.

"I don't need your help!"

He washed a wall of dark energy around his surroundings.

"Fight me!"

Eial tried to counter, stomping on the ground and letting the earth rise to encapsulate the demon's legs.

"Weak!"

The demon burst the thick soil around his legs with ease.

"I don't need your magic!"

["Using the environment..."]

The words drifted in the demon's mind. With rapid force, he threw a ball of dark energy to the ground. The soil fluffed in the air and caused a cloud of debris, covering the elf's vision.

"I don't need you!"

A wave of air magic loosely cleared the dust, but the dust resurfaced as soon as another explosive orb was targeted at the ground. A smirk of victory crossed the demon's face as he found an advantage. In a hurry, Drokn shot another orb in the elf's blind spot, knocking him back. Then, he pushed a wall of dark energy forward. Eial did his best to stand back up and defend with a wall of water magic of his own, but soon he became too exhausted to hold on. The wall of black and purple pushed through the water magic and shoved Eial with brute force, slamming him onto a tree behind him.

"See! I'm fine with my own magic."

The demon's voice was low and wet beads glistened in the dim lit moonlight. In the silence, the dust dispersed and all he could hear were his own breaths coinciding with the ups and downs of his chest.

He won... He won!

In the clearing air, Eial finally came into view. His back was slumped against a tree, looking like a thrown rag. Slowly, Eial's face turned up and with a strained smile, his voice croaked out in a soft whisper. "You did great..." he managed to say before taking a deep breath and then falling to the side.

Normally, the demon would boast about his victory, but instead, his heart became more strangled. As soon as the elf fell, his body impulsively jolted, preparing to move forward, but before he made a full step, the demoness had rushed over to pick Eial up and rest him against her thigh.

Checking his pulse and touching his face, she reassured herself. "He's just sleeping from exhaustion." Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath in, her fist clenched and she swallowed her emotions. Without sparing a glance at the demon, she lifted up Eial and brought him into the cabin to lay him on the bed inside. Taking out a handkerchief and a flask from her cloak, she wet the cloth with water and wiped the elf's pale face.

After a few moments, Drokn had wandered into the cabin, bringing the lantern from inside their hut. Pausing for a while, he looked at the two with a mix of emotion, irritation and discomfort, and finally voiced, "I'm his bond. I'll stay with him."

The demoness steadied her breath, but her eyes strained in red, not responding to him or moving.

Stepping closer with a frown, Drokn opened his mouth to speak again when his attention became diverted to the elf whose sweat resurfaced and his brows pressed together. A small hand clenched the clothes on his chest. The demon shot his eyes back at the demoness. "Why is he like this?"

Finally, the demoness's sharp eyes stung back. "You tell me!" Remembering her promise with Eial, she bit her lip and steadied her breathing again. Standing tall, she faced the demon. "What happened before you came into the demon towns?"

Drokn's eyes shifted slightly as his memories briefly flashed in his mind. "Why does it matter?"

The demoness sat down at the edge of the bed and placed her hand on top of Eial's clenched one. "Losing magic abilities. Chest pain. He's exhibiting symptoms of an elf who is far away or separated from their bond." She looked up at Drokn from her seat. "But you're right here."

Standing back up, she curved her brows. The oil lantern flickered in a passing wind, shaking the shadows behind them. "That means he feels distant from you mentally." She stood still for a while, seeing if the demon had caught on. Observing his unchanged expression, she continued in a steady voice, "Love is everything for an elf. He's heartbroken, Drokn."