{A Reluctant Partnership} The Demon's Revenge .::]Apollo & Arty[::.

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((Just in advance, sorry if this sucks/there are lots of mistakes/etc. I'm really tired, but I want to get this started *__* ))

The small village of Esterlynn stood on the banks of a the mighty River Khann, the main route for the town's trading and transportation. It was a quiet, peaceful town, with coniferous forests to the north and west and a dormant volcano to the east. Most of the buildings were small and quaint, with the occasional church, bar, or market along the many winding streets. On any normal day, children could be seen out playing in the roads or on the banks of the river, the adults going about their business with pleasant smiles on their faces and warm greetings to anyone they came across. The town's population mostly consisted of humans, with a couple streets devoted to the small group of Avians that called the town home, as well as the occasional elf or dwarf. There were a few other cities sprinkled up and down the river as well, and everything ran quite smoothly and successfully in day-to-day life. There was no prejudice against anyone (except for one being, but that will come later), and everyone was accepted into the town with open arms and welcoming people. Life was pleasant in the town, and war was nearly a foreign concept, the last one having been fought over three hundred years ago, when a terrible demon ran rampant over the land... But he had been defeated many generations ago, and as time passed, the people lost fear for him, only occasionally giving thanks to the volcano where his remains were apparently hidden.

As stated, there was only one person that was shunned in the community, or rather, a warning to all the people. She seemed more myth than truth, for few had actually seen her, but a lot of people had to admit that there had been some strange encounters in the forests to the north. No one really knew who, or even what, she was, but the fact was that she was all too real. Ebyni Vanmoriel, as she called herself, was a recluse, keeping her castle-like home in the woods hidden with spells that made the building appear invisible, as well as warding off the occasional brave adventurer or wanderer. So far the spells had held, and the only occasions that she had been seen had been when she was away from her home exploring or gathering herbs, without her normal enchantments placed around her. In all her seventy-eight years, it had only happened thrice, and she scolded herself for each one. Well, at least the fear of her presence kept most people away.

The ink-colored elf was currently outside the stone house but still within its protective barriers, confident that no one would see her as she searched the grounds for herbs such as angelica and chervil. Her long, waist-length silver hair cascaded in straight ripples down her back as she moved about lithely, her tall, slender frame accentuated by the body-hugging black and silver robe she almost always wore. Her twin daggers, as always, rested inside their wavy scabbards on the belt wrapped around her slender waist, giving her an air of deadly beauty. As if she didn't appear exotic enough already, even her eyes held unusual color; her irises were the color of a full moon, her pupils large and dilated, giving her the appearance of constant awareness and power. Her feet were bare-footed, and she walked silently, almost seeming to float along the ground. But for all her stunning appearance, it was slightly marred with her haughty sneer and disdainful glance, as though all those around her (if and when anyone was) were lesser beings. Only when no one was around did she let her act drop, although even then, she held a certain pride that could be mistaken for vanity.

She was also, obviously, a very powerful and successful spellcaster, relying on herbs and the power within her daggers to help her cast her spells. While her powers seemed nearly limitless, she was only able to produce magic until the energy from either her dagger or her potions ran dry (the blades had to be recharged by the moon nightly), and all of her spells appeared in varying tones of violet, indigo, or black, which led some to believe that she was evil. This was not the case.

Her plans for the day were simple: collect herbs, practice some spells, perhaps sneak into the city in disguise to refresh her stocks of food and parchment. She could hunt for herself, but preferred not to, and was thankful for the village that was so close and so easy to steal from, with their trusting people and friendly ways. She sometimes left money on counters for the sellers, but only when she was able. She had to survive one way or another.

((I'll add in Abaddon later in the rp, I think, once we get things between Eb and Leu figured out :] ))

A large gust rippled through the air as Leuan’s eighteen-foot wings came down powerfully, lifting him up slightly in the air. Beside him, an eagle tilted its wings and began to soar in a different direction. Leuan angled his dagger, ready to strike.

He was part of the avian community. There were only a few of them, and they had quickly discovered that the friendly humans would happily employ them to do jobs which made use of their wings. Some of his neighbours now worked as messengers and such, but Leuan wasn’t prepared to carry messages and parcels. He hadn’t been quite sure what to do in life, until walking one day he had found a bird- he couldn’t remember what type, but it had beautiful feathers- with a broken wing. It had looked so piteous, he had promptly stabbed with his dagger and then taken the carcass back home with him, with some mind to eat it- he had been going a little hungry of late. On the way, somebody had offered to buy it off him, rambling on about the hues of the smooth feathers and such. Leuan had been happy to sell it, and soon realised that taking down the bigger birds made good profit. He didn’t like it really, especially because they too were flying creatures, but he had to learn a living and at least they all went down flying. He did try to pick on the older ones, too, and the species with a larger population.

Leuan’s life was generally pretty easy. When he couldn’t get by from his hunting, the young girls in the town would often slip him honeyed pieces of bread or small cakes. As humans went, he was pretty good looking, especially in flight. His chin-length brown hair whipped around his face with the wind from his flight, ruffled and windswept. His dark brown eyes flicked back and forth between the space in front of him and his quarry, intent on his goal. And his body sported strong muscles and practically no fat. These last points, however, strayed into his avian attributes. His chest, back and shoulder muscles were practically infinitely stronger than a human’s for his flight, and the lack of fat helped with the weight issue. He also had a faster heartbeat, larger lung capacity, hollow bones and generally lighter build, but those weren’t visible on the surface. What were visible were his wings.

Leuan had an 18 foot wingspan, necessary to keep him aloft despite the many adaptations to the rest of his body. His wings were mostly a glossy black, but the tips were tinted a dark green. Most of the avians in the town had colours more like real birds; the green was a rarity and it attracted more attention. Leuan had grown used to it over time, and it had probably been a large contributor to his personality, which was quite proud.

Now, Leuan swerved suddenly sideways and swung his dagger up. A fraction of a second before he struck, a movement below caught his eye and he froze apart from his wings, gently wafting to keep him hovering. The eagle gave an alarmed and reprimanding noise before dropping slightly and swiftly flying away. Leuan ignored it, eyes narrowed as he gazed down at the slender woman moving along and picking herbs. While nothing about her exactly screamed danger, she gave off a distinct air of it. Her proud, confident gait was definitely part of it. While the scabbards resting at her waist may have been for show, he somehow didn’t think so. And her dark skin and shining silver hair... Well, he was quite sure this was the woman whispered about in town, and while he wasn’t exactly afraid he was certainly wary. Now that his prey had escaped- which he cursed at quietly upon realising- he half-folded his wings in and made a slow and gentle descent, bending his knees as he landed to absorb the impact before shaking his wings out and then neatly folding them along his spine. That taken care of, he stepped forwards and spoke.
‘Hey there.’ He wasn’t entirely sure what to say- ‘I thought you might kill me so I dropped in for a chat’?- so he kept it simple and maintained a steady gaze at the woman’s face, wondering if she was the sort to go bright red and giggly at the fact that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Somehow, he doubted it- especially the bright red part. Purple, maybe.

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Ebyni was so involved in searching for a particularly rare and small herb that she hadn't noticed the Avian in the sky above. In most cases, when humans came near, even with her enchantments, she normally crept back into her house and watched from the windows. Now, however, she turned and gaped as she heard the thump! of someone hitting the ground. She caught her breath, wondering how the Avian had happened to land so close to her. It had to be a coincidence - no one could see past her spells! But a shocked tingle ran down her spine as the Avian looked straight at her and then, so her astonishment, greeted her. She stared blankly for a few moments, too stunned to keep her composure. Finally, she was able to shake off the uncertainty that now haunted her and lifted her chin high and disdainfully. "Who are you?" she called to the Avian, noticing with a slight jolt that the man was shirtless. She kept her surprise hidden and instead glared at him, as if his bare chest was a personal insult to her. She grasped one of the twin daggers and pulled it out of its sheath, energy radiating off the rippling silver blade in indigo waves as she pointed it towards the Avian. She sent out a spell meant to bind him where he stood, and as black, rope-like projections shot out of the blade and towards the man, she waited for it to take effect. But what happened next astonished her even more. The magic seemed to disintegrate around him like smoke, and she couldn't help but stare blankly at him in stunned silence once more. Never had she met someone who could block her attacks, not even a spellmaster, and this ordinary-looking (if a tad handsome) Avian was, she could tell, no magician. "How...?" she asked silently, lowering her dagger just an inch to allow her to return her disdainful glare at the man. "Who are you and what do you want?" she asked again, wondering if perhaps it was some sort of trap. She stood her ground but made no moves towards the Avian, unsure of what to do. The mere thought of anyone seeing past her enchantments had been enough to set her on edge, but now that it appeared all of her magic was completely harmless against him... She suppressed a gulp and gripped the hilt of her dagger, prepared to fight blade-to-blade if it came to that. "How can you see past my enchantments?" she finally asked, making sure her voice was steady and slightly haughty, so he didn't see her weakness. That was one thing she refused to do, was to show weakness to anyone. "And why did my spell have no effect on you?" Might as well get all questions out of the way, though.

As the woman turned, mouth hanging blankly open, Leuan’s eyes whisked along her face and body, appraising her. Slim, as he had first thought, with skin in a deep and rich hue of blue and silver eyes and hair. Yes, he was sure this was the one rumoured to be evil, a witch, a curser of crops and lives. She didn’t exactly look friendly as she regained some control and snapped at him. Her eyes filled with surprising venom as she gave him a vicious glare, hand moving to one of the sheaths on her hips. Not bad looking, Leuan errantly thought before the magic was loosed at him. Even though he knew there was no escaping it, he instinctively flinched back as the tendrils lunged at him. But as they faded away, he saw the shocked look on her face and knew that they hadn’t had their desired effect. Her demand rapped out once more, and Leuan just smirked very slightly and watched her stand there, hand tight on her silly knife. When she spoke, her voice disagreed a little with her body language- but she had cleared that up. So quite good self control. She didn’t exactly seem ready to be polite to Leuan, anyway, so he saw no reason to be nice with her.
‘Enchantments?’ Leuan snorted condescendingly. ‘I’m pretty sure anyone could see through that. I haven’t seen a weaker enchantment in my life.’ Strictly true, the last part anyway. He’d never seen any enchantments before, and he had no idea what this woman was on about- his only unusual attributes were physical, he had no magical prowess. Why should he be able to see through her magics? Maybe she’d set her spell to only block humans or some such thing...
‘And as for that spell... Well, I could block it in my sleep. Try harder, little elf.’ She seemed more powerful than him, and he thought she was some kind of elf from the pointed ears- though admittedly, he had never seen a blue one before. ((I was trying not to write anything about smurfs here...)) But again, it was technically true- if he had just blocked it then, then he’d also be able to block it in his sleep, because he certainly hadn’t tried to block it. He raised one eyebrow a fraction of an inch and gazed down at her, but he couldn’t help but wonder how he had done it all... If it was just the enchantments he might think the woman was mad or making it up, but he’d seen the spell. Maybe all Avians had some resistance? He hadn’t heard of it if they did... He shoved the thought out of his mind, promising himself he’d think about it later. Right now, he had this obnoxious elf to deal with, and he had to catch something to sell as well if he wasn’t going to go hungry. He might have to go a long way out to find any prey, he’d worked this area for a while now and he didn’t want to wipe and species from it entirely... He sighed, exasperated that this woman was keeping him now that he had conveniently forgotten how he had wanted to check her out in the first place.

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As the man spoke, Ebyni's eyes widened in surprise. What an arrogant man! To think, some lowly Avian male, coming to her house, somehow seeing past her spells and blocking her magic... Was he really more powerful than he appeared? She looked over him once more, taking in the oddly-colored wings and his air of superiority. She thought she despised him already. Still, she had never met anyone capable of seeing past the invisibility enchantments, and she might as well try to figure out how he could, even if it meant trying to have a conversation with the jerk. Lifting her head high, she replied,"Whoever you are, never in my seventy-eight years has anyone seen past the wards around my home, and last I checked, they are as strong as they have ever been. Tell me, are you in possession of some artifact, some strange vision that I am unfamiliar with?" Even in her barely suppressed anger, she was curious, she had to admit.
As for blocking her spells in his sleep.... She highly doubted that. It took great control to even try to deflect an attack, let alone destroy a spell so quickly and completely... No, there was something strange about this man, and she was going to get to the bottom of it. She unsheathed her other sword, which, unlike its twin, had a black blade, and the two glittered dangerously in the low light. "Your wings are strange, Avian," she muttered quietly, looking them over once again. She stepped closer to him, and, once she was about twenty feet from where he stood, she felt a sort of resistance against her, or rather, the magic around her, as if he was contained in some sort of bubble-like barrier. Things were getting weirder by the moment. "Are you aware of the magic that surrounds you?" she asked suddenly, her eartips flicking back uncomfortably. Something just felt wrong. Still, she managed to contain her sure posture, taking a step back so as to be away from the weird sphere around him. She checked his clothing for any concealed artifacts or spellbooks that might be the answer to the strange bubble, but saw none. He was simply a man with either a very well concealed magical gift, cursed from someone else, or connected with something of ancient power; none of the possibilities seemed likely. She wished she could take him inside and interrogate him, perhaps with force, as his vanity disgusted her, but she knew she couldn't get past his wards unless he let her. Of course, she wasn't about to tell him that. She stayed poised and ready for action as she waited for his response.

Leuan’s eyes widened a fraction as the woman announced her age. Seventy-eight years... While he knew that elves lived for a ridiculously long time, it still seemed bizarre to him that an old woman could look so youthful. And nobody had ever penetrated her spells? An artefact... The only old thing Leuan possessed was that sword, which had never done anyone any good. Apparently it was a valuable family heirloom, but Leuan didn’t see why- he’d ditch it as soon as he could. He hated swords, too heavy and inconvenient. A dagger, now that you could easily wield in the air. But his weapon preference was irrelevant here- he felt a strange shiver travel down his spine as he realised the woman was truly disconcerted by his bizarre ability to avoid her magic. He had no idea what to say to her now- he was hardly going to admit that he had no idea what was going on. Her next comment invoked a small smirk- he could answer that, at least.
‘My wings are strange? I wouldn’t presume to say something like that with your colouring, elf.’ And then when she stepped forwards, seeming to have to try, and asked yet another question- well, surprise briefly flickered across his face. Somehow, a resistance to her magic seemed more believable, that could be one of many faults on her part. This... If he had his own aura of magic, what did that make him? He didn’t have any powers as far as he knew... He saw the silver eyes sweep down his legs, evidently checking him for such an artefact as she had previously mentioned, but he knew he wasn’t carrying anything. Having no idea what was going on or what his magic actually was, he took a moment to compose himself before raising the eyebrow again and looking down at the elf.
‘My magic? How would I not be aware of it? And a word of warning... Your attitude doesn’t exactly seem friendly. I wouldn’t presume to attack me or try any magic when all of your powers are obliterated by mine and I could easily overpower you from here.’ Forget the white lies- Leuan mostly wanted to get away now and think about what she had said, and he didn’t exactly have qualms about being untruthful. In another way though, he did want to pin this woman down and demand that she tell him just what she was on about with his magic.

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Ebyni studied Leuan's face intently as she talked, searching for the smallest sign of surprise, fear, shock, or something else that would give her a hint to his true nature. She turned slightly smug when she saw his eyes widen as she announced her age; his facial expression then turned to concentration as she asked about any artifact that might be throwing off her spells... Perhaps he was keeping something hidden. He evaded her next statement, instead turning the tables in an attempt to aggravate her. She smirked and replied,"You are naive, young Avian. I am a night elf, and, much unlike yourself, I am of perfectly normal coloring for my race. You, however, seem to have wings of color which I haven't seen before.... Black and green usually stands for magic, and evil magic, at that."

She narrowed her eyes at him again as, for just a brief moment - surprise appeared on his face when she told him of the magic around him. Her lips curled up into a smirk. He was good, but not perfect at keeping his composure. Even when he replied with seemingly unerring confidence, she could tell that he was lying. "You're a good bluffer, but not that good," she said, twirling a dagger absent-mindedly. "I can see that this magic is as much as a surprise to you as it is to me. As for my behavior, I am treating you the same as I would treat any trespasser on my property. You are simply getting on my nerves." She wondered how long it would take before he bolted. Even without being able to use her spells, she could certainly outpower him - he carried no swords or weaponry that she could see. "I must admit, I am curious as to what it is that you are doing to halt my spells," she continued, forcing down her pride, at least for a moment. "I... apologize for so hastily attacking you. I am not used to visitors. I would be most intrigued if you could tell me of any magical person, place, or object that you have come into contact with in the past, and in return I will do my best to figure out why this is happening. And while we're at it.... What is your name, Avian?" She gritted her teeth again the forced politeness. She hated to be in this sort of position with anyone, but she didn't want to be unprepared lest someone with the same abilities as he came and attacked her. She slowly sheathed her blades, making sure that they were still close at hand in case she needed to pull them out again. She would be a good listener and refrain from verbally attacking him too much, at least for now, until she no longer needed him...

Leuan’s expression tightened as the elf smirked and made her retort. She was seriously beginning to try his patience. He opened his mouth to reply, but she continued straight away and while maintaining an unconcerned face, he cursed himself for that brief slip in his control. He paused for a moment when she stopped talking again, to make sure she would say nothing else. When she had finished her last piece, seemingly attempting to feign some politeness, he sighed at her obvious annoyance with him and responded, his voice at first coloured with sarcasm.
‘I greatly apologise for not knowing every type of elf, especially seeing as I’ve never met one before in my life and I’ve never even heard of any with such strange colouring. And while I don’t want to be hypocritical, I don’t think the avians you’ve seen is anything much to go by, as all my ancestors had the same colour wings as me and other avians do have unusual colours on their wings, just as humans or any other race will have people with unusual appearances. And incidentally, I don’t have any evil magic.’
He couldn’t help but wonder if all night elves, wherever they lived, really did have this deep blue skin- it unnerved him a little. And he didn’t feel as if he was doing such a great job with the cutting comebacks. But he pressed on, regardless.

‘I don’t see that I’m bluffing particularly,’ Leuan said. ‘I obviously do have power superior to yours; you yourself practically admitted it. Obviously I know I’m not like common people, but I’ve not had anyone with even vaguely similar abilities to me to train me, so I don’t know the full extent of my abilities, no. I also have to say, I didn’t realise this was private land... And if none of your other trespassers can see you, I’m not sure quite how you manage to treat them like this, but that’s neither here nor there. You see, you’re also getting on my nerves greatly and I would love to get out of here so I can catch something and go home as soon as possible.’ He paused here, briefly contemplating how to respond to her sudden change in heart. She obviously didn’t genuinely mean the apology, but he figured he might as well act the same. It wouldn’t be so hard for him; he had nothing to lose here, whereas she obviously wanted knowledge from him. He wouldn’t be too distressed if he never found out where his abilities came from.
‘I don’t pull my powers from any object or person,’ he replied, wondering a little if it was true. ‘My magic is my own. My name is Leuan; and yours, elf?’ He twitched his wings out a little, hoping that the irritating elf would soon be finished with her interrogation and he could leave. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a large shadow passing overhead, and if he could get away quickly enough he might be able to catch up in time to take it down.

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Ebyni had to admit, this avian - Leuan - was quite good at staying on his feet. Most people would be intimidated by simply seeing her, let alone talking to her and realizing how rude she could be. She was almost, almost, impressed. Which was saying a lot. "Well, you're right, actually; though I have often caught glimpses of your kind in the air and in the city, I suppose I should not judge you simply because you do not look like the dozen or so other Avians I have seen before. I have studied your kind a little, though, and I haven't heard of green pigment in the wings before... I find it intriguing."

Dropping the subject (though it really was a curious sight), she continued,"I don't know if your 'power', as you say, is necessarily stronger than mine," (it was horrid just to think that),"But more as though it is simply a way to protect you against any kind of magic, as though you were... Well, invincible. I don't know if you'd be able to actually convert the magic into an offensive type instead of defensive..." She trailed off, wondering if he actually understood what she meant. In her curiosity, her snobbish front had dropped a little bit, but she was too caught up in her thoughts to bring it back. "You're right, I rarely have trespassers, and those that I do have never leave the same." A wicked smile flashed across her face before she continued. "I understand that you would like to leave, but I really can't let this sort of opportunity pass me by. And seeing as I can't hold you here until I figure out why you act the way you do, I suppose I'll have to make a deal with you." She tapped a finger against her bottom lip, wondering what she could offer that wouldn't be a loss to her and that he would be willing to take. Apparently he didn't care too much about the entire ordeal, seeing as his expression had hardly changed from bored or annoyed throughout their entire conversation. Training, perhaps? It was worth a shot. "The only thing I could really offer is to train you once I figure it out," she said grudgingly. She didn't really like the thought of having to train the arrogant man, but she didn't know what else to say. She hated acting so lowly, too. Imagine, her as a teacher? It was slightly absurd. "You know what, go ahead and leave, I won't ((can't, she thought internally)) stop you. However, know that you may be watched." She didn't really mean it as a threat, but was pleased when it came out sounding that way. Maybe she could put a little fear into him that would make him more willing to comply.

With one last meaningful glare, she turned and whisked back into her home, silently going to her mirror on the wall that showed her whatever she wanted. It was a wonderful item, though a little annoying, as it would only show her things she had seen before. She commanded it to find and track Leuan, and while it did so, she went to her library and searched around for a while, trying to come up with some sort of explanation for the sphere of protection that had been around the man, not to mention his ability to see through her spells....

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Nearby, another creature lurked, though with much more sinister intents than Ebyni. Abaddon knew what it was that he sought, and after two centuries, his revenge would be mighty and terrible. He was currently standing on a cliff overlooking the city, watching the naive, stupid humans bumble about in their attempt at living. He sneered at them, already sick from the stench of their town. His teeth were normal, if a bit sharp, but one of the only somewhat normal things about him. His soulless eyes were pure blood-red in his normal form, though he could appear almost human if he willed to. His hair was as black as the feathers of a raven, with hints of crimson and violet mingled in. A pair of dragon-like horns protruded from each side of his head and curled downwards, much like those of a satyr, but black and umber in color. His skin was pale, having lost its former tan luster from being contained in the dark for so long, and contrasted greatly against his legs, which, to the horror of anyone who saw them, were also similar to a dragon from the waist down. The skin there was the same color as his eyes, as were the pair of bat-like wings on his back and the pointed tail that twisted around him. In a word, he looked sinister, to say the least.

He cast his gaze farther out, seeking for the blade that had bound him in the volcano for so long. He could feel it in his blood, the cold pain that the sword brought him so long ago, now leading him to the weapon itself. He could sense it nearby, and, shifting his form until he would pass for a human, along with a hooded cloak to his his face and form, leaped down the sheer cliff towards the city. Yes, soon the blade would be his, and all humans and other sentient creatures would bow to his power, in fear and terror as he wrought destruction to the planet.

Intriguing? Leuan didn't see why his wing colour was so interesting, but he just shrugged nonchalantly and flicked his wings out another half inch, longing to just snap them open and fly away from the elf. A large part of his issue with her was that right now she knew a lot more than him. He had to listen carefully as she started to get into the technicalities, just in case she used any words about magic which he hadn't heard before, but it was pretty basic language.
'Guess it's a shame you never will,' he said, looking up at her. 'And I can't help but wonder a little why you aren't maiming me or whatever it is you do to most of your visitors...' Given that he was practically talking as she took breaths, he didn't really expect an answer, but he narrowed his eyes as she mentioned a deal. What was she going to offer him? At her suggestion, he jerked back a little. Training? He wouldn't let her train him without a really good incentive. He grimaced, easily able to imagine her patronising manner... But any refusal of her offer was unnecessary as she stalked away. Not particularly caring about her observing him, he called out,
'So long!' as she vanished inside her castle. As he spoke, he spread his wings and beat them several times. With a few strides at a run and a little jump, he was airborne and winging his way home. He'd find something enough to last him a day or two en route, and maybe he could practice a little with his new bow and arrows when he got back- he'd purchased them because they did seem like the best weapon for a flier, but he wasn't exactly great yet.

Kumiko hummed as her front right leg stretched out, elegant and slender, before her. Her left hind quickly flashed under her body, landing on the ground and pushing off hard, to be replaced a split second later by her front left hitting the ground. Finally, her right hind blurred forwards and touched down. She continued to travel like this for several minutes, all nine tails fanned behind her, making her way across the landscape with surprising speed. When she slowed, she sniffed the air warily and ground to a halt.

She didn't just smell humans innocently living their lives out; it wasn't even the mingled elf and avian she could detect, or the castle in the distance, which unsettled her. All these mortal things were below her, no concern. What she was scenting out now, trying to pin down, was the lingering smudge, the dark odour, of a demon.

Demons weren't anything for her to be afraid of. She'd never really come to blows with another yet, just minor arguments. Why, last time she'd only decimated three towns in her bid for territory. But she was cautious of other demons. For all her carefree, moral-less attitude, she still had six millennia of experience under her belt and she wasn't going to run in like a young and stupid newly created demon and get herself killed. No, she was going to find whoever this was and ask them a few questions. After turning on her hindquarters in a tight and graceful circle, she leant forwards and as her front legs hit the ground again she brought her hind forwards, and within a second all four paws were pattering lightly on the ground once more.

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Ebyni continued to skim through her books, ancient tomes of dark magic and unknown powers. She glanced up at the mirror every once in a while, watching as Leuan searched for his next catch. She didn't feel the least bit guilty of watching him without him knowing; it was below her to feel guilty about almost everything. She was reading one particularly dark tome about the history of the volcano nearby when she stumbled upon the drawing of an avian with pure green wings. It looked, strangely, a lot like Leuan. Intrigued, she read on. Apparently, about two centuries ago, this Avian worked for some dark creature in the fiery mountain, a demon of sorts, if what she read was true. It commented on how the coloring of his wings was very rare, and connected to the magic he was granted from his demonic master. For many years they lived together in the volcano, creating chaos and mischief throughout the region, until one day the avian had had enough. Using a blade of immense power, he overthrew his master and captured him deep within the mountain, caging him there for eternity, or as long as his spells would hold. He took the sword that defeated the demon and left the mountain, to live a life of peace in the city nearby.

She skimmed forward until she came to a passage that talked more about the sword. It was a normal-looking weapon, apart from the dark green jewel in the hilt; many of the drawings also portrayed it having an aura of greenish light around it. It said that the sword was like no other, more powerful and monsterous than any seen before. It brought its owner magical abilities even if they had none, and protected them against nearly all spells and enchantments, even when the person wasn't holding the blade. A humorless smile crept onto Ebyni's face. It sounded just like what had happened with Leuan. She wondered what the chances were that he actually had the sword, or even knew what it was. She read on a bit more about its specific powers and abilities, but they were rather vague, and she ended up closing the book with little more knowledge than that mentioned. She checked the cover of the book; it was written by an old elvish author with very obscure ideas and prophecies, believed by most to be a bit mad. For all she knew, this could be the only book of its kind in existence. Muttering to herself, she placed the book back on its shelf and went back to watching the mirror, waiting to see if and when Leuan would get home, and maybe to catch a glimpse of the sword if he had it. It seemed too coincidental to not be true.

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Abaddon caught scent of the kitsune before he saw her; a faint, spicy smell that sent tingles down his spine. His eyes widened under his hood, and he cast his gaze around, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was making the scent. He saw nothing unusual, and, after a moment's more hesitation, continued on to where the blade was calling him to. He would wait and see if the demoness showed itself (because he was convinced that that was what it was), instead of going off the trail to find her. He was on a mission, and even something as tempting as that was not going to distract him... Not until the sword was in his grasp.

He walked on until he was near the east edge of the city, the scent of feathers now mingling around him. This was the place. Now, he needed to find the house. He stopped on the street that the few Avians in the city lived on, gazing around at the houses, trying best to guess which one it was. He decided to wait until the Avian himself showed up until he attacked; might as well kill the wretch while he was at it.

Leuan tilted one wingtip down, coasting on a soft breeze which ruffled his hair and pushed strand across his face. He shook them away, eyes travelling the surrounding air. He really had no idea why, but birds of all kinds lived around here. He was never surprised now; he'd probably wouldn't even blink if a penguin or something turned up. But the variety in prey did mean that he always had different things to sell, and now a bright flash of blue caught his eye as a jay soared through the air. The birds were small, but their vibrant wing feathers would sell well, and Leuan immediately moved in from above. The more agile jay nearly escaped, but Leuan dropped straight down and managed to catch in his outstretched hands. The dagger slid into the birds breast, and Leuan grimaced uncomfortably as he felt the tiny flier die. But he beat his wings hard and continued in the direction of his home.

Feathers rustled as Leuan folded his wings, in the large and clear square at the end of the street which the avians had chosen for this convenient landing spot. Leuan had caught two more birds which he could sell for meat, and that was enough for now, so he hummed slightly absentmindedly as he walked back to his house in the middle of the street. He waved in response to the greeting of one his neighbours who was taking off, then looked down the street. To his surprise, he saw an unfamiliar face loitering nearby, and frowned. Who was this man? Something about him was dark and sinister, and Leuan thought it went beyond just the appearance.

Kumiko kept running, adjusting her course when necessary, until she reached a large square. An avian was taking off, and she skirted by the wall of a building in the shadows to avoid being seen. Once he was gone, she cautiously padded into the street where she could clearly smell the demon. And as soon as she was in the street, she identified the demon. Another avian was looking suspiciously at him, but that didn't deter Kumiko. She was sure the demon would have sensed her by now, so she stood and pulled herself up into a human form, currently sporting a silky red dress with a very tight bodice and a floor-length skirt, which laced up along her curved back. Slinking closer to the demon, she examined him. Not bad. He was certainly one she'd take a moment to talk to.

Guest

Ebyni was fascinated by the Avian; it appeared he made a living by killing other creatures of the sky. The jay was something she would have bought herself; not only were their feathers great for jewelry (especially flattering on her own dark skin), they could also serve as ingredients in some of her spells. She relaxed as she watched him for the next hour or two, waiting impatiently for him to get home so that she could see if her assumptions were correct. While she despised him already (at least this is what she told herself), she grudgingly admitted that he was quite good-looking, especially with the wind blowing in his hair and his wings spread out gracefully... She snorted, mentally slapping herself. Men were the last thing she needed, and she reminded herself how annoying and arrogant he had been.

Finally, he turned for the city and made his way home, and she watched carefully while he landed upon his street. She saw him wave to an Avian nearby, and then saw him throw an uncertain glance at a cloaked man nearby. She didn't know why, but the sight of him unsettled her, too. His hood covered his face completely except for his mouth, which was set in a knowing smirk that widened at the sight of Leuan. She leaned closer to the mirror, as if that would clear up her confusion, but nothing changed except that the man began to walk towards Leuan, and she gripped the arms of her chair, feeling the odd sense that she needed to protect the Avian. Silly, she thought. He was capable of taking care of himself. And after their less than friendly conversation, she shouldn't care either way. And yet she still felt a tightening in her gut that told her something was wrong.

Abaddon, as it was obviously he that the night elf was watching, walked slowly and deliberately towards Leuan once he determined which house it was that the Avian lived in. A modest abode, for someone that possessed just an incredible weapon of power. He was close to his prey when movement caught the his attention, and he turned to see a young woman dressed very seductively nearby; even as he noticed her, the lovely spicy scent that he had sensed earlier intensified, and he knew what she was. Another immortal like himself, and a female at that. What a lovely prize for him once he took the sword. He gave her a small grin before turning his attention back to the Avian, and with effort, pushed back the desire that was rising within him. "You are the one," he hissed mysteriously, having caught the flash of green on the tips of the Avian's wings when he had landed earlier. Only one bloodline in the area, perhaps in the world, sported that color. "You have ssssomething that I desssire, and if you give it to me willingly, there will be no harm." This was, of course, a lie; not only did he need to take the sword for himself, but to make certain that it would never be taken from him again, he needed to extinguish the green-winged bloodline. As far as he knew, this Avian was the last of his kind. He pulled back his hood to reveal a perfectly human head, but even as he glanced up at Leuan's house, his eyes flashed red, and not simply from the dying light of the sun. He wondered if his disguise would work against this Avian, though; he knew that he would possess powers that were abnormal because of the sword.

He was impatient, and abruptly grabbed the man by the throat, letting his sharp nails pierce the skin until five trickles of blood ran down his throat. "Tell me where it isssss," he growled, his smirk turning into a sneer. Surely he would know what he was talking about.

Leuan’s unease increased by several times when the man began to take precise steps towards Leuan, his eyes fixed intently upon the avian’s face. Leuan blinked as he saw that those eyes were black as tar in the irises as well as the pupils. Something was definitely not right here. He had taken two nervous steps backward to get into his house when the man was distracted; he followed the black gaze to see a woman, dressed far from modestly, with bright hair which was bizarrely darkening. He was still frowning at the newcomer- she didn’t look quite right either- when he heard the hissing words and jumped a little, turning back to face the first man.
‘I... I don’t know what you mean,’ he managed to get out through his fear. Something about this man unsettled Leuan, something much more than just his appearance. Apparently he had spoken too quietly as he mumbled though, as a hand now descended on his neck. His wings snapped out instinctively in panic; they fluttered, betraying his emotions more than his voice as he said more loudly, though his voice was distorted from the half-strangling grip on his neck,
‘What do you mean? Let me go or I’ll have to use force.’ He had seen the red glow in the eyes; and now that the man was touching him, he felt panic struggling to rise within him, along with a strong feeling of recognition. His wings were constantly twitching, jerking up and down in tiny movements. Nearly all his instincts were screaming at him to fly away; so why did that one train of thought insist that it would do more harm to him than good to flee?

Kumiko deduced from the quick grin that the demon gave her that he was of much the same thoughts as her, the thoughts which had deepened the hue of her hair to a heavily red-streaked sort of copper. He seemed to have some unfinished business here, though... She listened carefully to his words. An object of power, hm? Now that he mentioned it, she could feel a throbbing aura emanating from the house outside which he stood. She had thought it might just be the demon, but she could feel his power separately; a dark, malicious type. She sidled closer and examined the demon’s prey. He didn’t look like he was going to hold up too long, and she was curious as to the nature of this object, so she slipped in through the door while the unfortunate avian was distracted by his tormentor and hurried upstairs, to the source of the power. It radiated from a large box which sat, dusty, in a corner of a room full of similar abandoned items. Many of them looked intriguing, and she glanced at them briefly as she made her way between them. However, her attention was really focused on the box. She knelt next to it, reaching out with one hand to touch it slightly, then proceeding to slide her fingers down to the catch. To her surprise, they couldn’t touch it but bounced off an invisible shield. She frowned and tried again. No joy. She tried various methods of opening it or getting to the catch, but none worked and she suspected that she would have to smash the case to get inside. It looked pretty strong; she’d need a hammer or some such thing. When she kicked a derelict chair in frustration, it promptly splintered and one caught in her foot. With a snarl now, she yanked it violently out.

Leuan heard a crash from upstairs and realised with a jolt that the woman was gone. She had exchanged a smile with the man; were they working together? He let his wings drive powerfully down with all their force, dislodging the man’s grip on his neck and sending him a metre into the air. He swept them up and down again, ascending to his top floor swiftly and slotting himself through the window.
‘What’re you doing?’ he snarled at the woman, who was holding and shaking the box in which he kept the sword he’d inherited from some ancestor. It was ancient and he hated it; much like everything else in this room. But he’d been firmly told not to get rid of any of it, and so he hadn’t. Apparently something there was valuable. He strode over to the woman, who was glaring at him with narrowed eyes, and whisked the box right out of her hands. She looked briefly surprised, then assumed a smug smile as he reached for the catch. It changed to astonishment as Leuan easily slid it open and withdrew the sword.
‘You a thief or something?’ he spat. ‘Get out!’ He shook the sword threateningly at her; much to his surprise, black and green sparks shot out of it. She flinched as one landed on her, turned to the window and swiftly leapt out. Leuan blinked at her tails in shock, and then in turn at the sword. What was up with it?

Kumiko shot a look at the demon as she landed, knees briefly bending to absorb the impact.
‘He has the sword, and no idea how to use it, but we had better get it off him quickly,’ she said. The grin earlier had been enough to confirm an alliance, however brief, in her mind. She had no particular desire for this sword until she knew its powers more, and she did have a desire for this demon. He looked like he could entertain her well. So, for now she was on his side.

Guest

Abaddon had Leuan right where he wanted him. He had only to convince him to lead him to the sword, and it would be his. The Avian's complaint as to not knowing what he was talking about didn't fool him. He had to have the sword; no one else could wield it. At the man's threat, Abaddon simply laughed, revealing too-sharp teeth and completely red eyes. He made no effort to hide himself now. There was no one else around, save for that alluring demoness, and he wanted to put as much fear as possible into this youngling. "You'll have to ussse force?" he repeated, letting his natural hiss sneak into his words. "I believe I have the upper hand here. You are in no place to threaten me." He flicked out his tongue, smirking. "Now, show me where the ssssword isss, and I won't-" he was cut off when movement caught his eye, and he watched with unease as the woman that had been watching nearby went into the man's house without warning. He narrowed his eyes, wondering if she would get to the weapon and take it before he did. It was his distraction that allowed Leuan to break his grip, and he growled as the man flew up to one of the windows of his home and went inside. He pondered whether or not to follow them, but instead decided that he need only wait for one of them to reappear. There was no way for them to go but out, but just in case, he created an invisible shield around the house and surrounding area that would prevent him from escaping. Or so he thought....

When the woman reappeared, no sword in hand, he slid closer to her, listening intently to her words. She really was intoxicating, and he had trouble paying enough attention to her words instead of her enticing figure. He made certain that he appeared as presentable as possible as well, hiding the pure red of his eyes for the partially black, and keeping his pointed tail close. No need to disgust her if she was picky enough to prefer men more... Normal-looking than he. Because, there was no doubt, he would have her. He need only wait for the right time, as he detected lust in her eyes as well. For now, he would consider her an ally, as she seemed as interested in obtaining the sword as he, and he had no intentions of letting her take it for herself, yet he didn't want to kill her to make sure it was his. No, he would make a pact.

His attention snapped back to the current problem once he digested her words. So, he did have the sword, but lacked training in the use of its power. Good. Even in a novice's hands, however, he knew he would have to be careful; the sword could have a mind of its own sometimes, and often reflected the intentions of its owner. "Do you know what that weapon isss?" he asked, then cursed himself, reminding himself to drop the hiss in his voice when talking to a 'lady'. "It is the most terrible weapon known in this country, powerful enough to tear apart mountains and control the elements with a single thought. It was mine, and I am going to get it back, once I get this pathetic excuse for a man out of the way." He offered a bow, showing his respect for her and that he intended to have her help him; they didn't have time for formal introductions just yet. "I have set up a boundary around the perimeter, he shouldn't be able to get far before we apprehend him. If you help me, I promise that you will gain more power over this country than any woman before, with the help of this sword." If he was correct, any person with the same type of personality as he couldn't resist the thought of great power. Satisfied that she would help, he turned back to the house, then unfurled his own set of wings, red and bat-like, and leapt up to the window where the Avian had disappeared to. He set up wards around himself to protect him from harm, but he wasn't aware that his power would, like Ebyni's, be ineffective against the power of the sword. "Come out and play, boy," he growled, seeking for where Leuan had gone. Soon, the blade would be his, so soon...

Ebyni's eyes were glued to the mirror, her mouth open in horror as the demon gripped Leuan's throat. She expected him to be killed on the spot, but apparently the creature still needed him for something, as he began to speak. Frustrated that the mirror didn't produce audio, she made a snap decision that she had to do something, and fast. She told herself the man meant nothing, but she couldn't let the sword, if that is what the demon was after, get into his hands. She grabbed her cloak and a sack of essentials, not taking the time to put on shoes before rushing with inhuman speed to where she now knew the Avian lived.

It took her less than ten minutes to reach the Avian street, but even so, she feared it was too late. She saw an unnatural shimmer floating in a space just above Leuan's house, and knew that someone had set up a barrier. She could only hope that she would be powerful enough to break it. Bracing herself, she ran at it, surprised to see that she made it through without any problem. Then she realized it was probably to keep people in, not out. She cursed at herself for her stupidity. Sighing, she looked around for the man and Leuan. Neither were in sight, but she noticed a woman a little ways off, looking in the direction of the upper floor of Leuan's house. "Hey!" she called angrily, stalking towards her. "Where is the Avian?" She didn't want to give away her position in the matter until she found out if this woman was a friend or foe, but she had a bad suspicion that it was the latter. Without another thought, she leapt up the side of the building, using her unnatural abilities to reach the window. She looked inside to see the two men she was looking for, facing off in a crowded room. In Leuan's hand was a recognizable sword. "Leuan, you fool," she hissed, darting past the demon to get to his side. She felt power radiating off the creature in waves, and knew that her magic would be hardly any match against his. She was powerful, but she was a mortal. "We have to leave, now." How they would do that, she wasn't sure, but she knew somehow that she couldn't allow the blade to go to the wrong hands. She didn't know how she knew, but she did. She lowered her voice. "There's a force field of some sort outside of the house, but I think if you concentrate, the sword will be able to break it. Once we get out of here, we'll have to go as fast as possible back to my home. I have extremely powerful wards and blocking spells that should get them off of your trail, at least for a while." She didn't mention that the fastest way to get to her house was for him to carry her while he flew, nor that she thought she was only bringing him along because she couldn't wield the sword herself. She needed him to bare the sword and use its power against the demon. "Concentrate on him, focus your anger and frustration on the tip of the blade and push with your mind and will for him to be gone," she murmured, wondering yet again how she knew what she was doing. If she was correct, then the power of the blade would send the demon flying.

((So, feel free to PP a bit and send Abby out the window so they can escape xD Also, yes, the sword CAN break through the boundary, if he can focus enough to do so :] ))

Leuan chose not to reply to the man- what could he say? Yes, it was obvious that the man had the upper hand. Leuan was sure he wouldn’t last a moment- and besides, as the man was distracted he did have other things to do. The sword...The only sword in his house was that inherited piece of junk. A thought struck him- was the woman after it? As he shot up into the air he heard the snarl behind him and flinched a little. It didn’t sound human, and those flashing red eyes... Leuan shuddered as he went through the window. After the fox woman left, he gazed a little blankly out of the window and noticed, to his surprise, a glimmer in the air. He frowned; what was it?

Kumiko noted with pleasure the demon’s eyes darken, and the way he held himself slightly differently, as she approached him. Yes, they could definitely have some fun later on... His words made her head tilt a little in interest, her hair spilling from where it had been lodged a little behind her ear and swaying loose, brushing against her chin. She arched one eyebrow when he was done. He seemed to be making an effort to control his voice, as well- the hiss that had been on his earlier words was dropped. Interesting- what was his angle here? Did he think she would prefer him to be more human-like? If so, she would have to correct him later- she had had many humans in her time. Somebody different offered her variety, and a demon of equal standing to her as an ally or even a partner of sorts sounded like an excellent person to have for a while. But back to the current point- this weapon sounded excellent to her. Obviously she had no issues with power- she was undefeated! - but this sword would just open up more ways to enjoy herself without using her tail powers, which she could save for when she wanted them. A boundary was certainly a good idea- the sword might be able to penetrate it from the sound of it, but then the idiotic mortal wouldn’t have the knowledge to use it anyway. As the demon spread wings and ascended to the higher floor, Kumiko huffed and was about to make her way up the stairs once more. But the elf distracted her; her head whipped round, giving the dark woman a venomous glare, well in time to see the leap to the window. Kumiko rolled her eyes and followed suit; it seemed the avian had a friend now. Into the room... The demon’s lips were still forming his last words, and Kumiko’s lips twisted into another smile.
‘Please do,’ she purred, tails slowly waving like a cat’s might twitch before it pounced on its prey. While she would prefer the demon, the man was still fairly aesthetically pleasing and she could have a little fun with him before he was killed- after they had obtained the sword, of course. She was sure the demon wouldn’t mind.

Leuan cursed as the man suddenly blocked his view out of the window. He had large wings spread- and not like Leuan’s own, which were intricately feathered like those of a bird. No, these wings were leathery-looking and merely backed up Leuan’s thoughts that the man wasn’t even mostly human. He reasserted his thoughts of the man; he evidently wasn’t a man, although Leuan had to admit he seemed male. The creature, the beast, the thing? Something like that. Regardless, he was here now.
‘You want me to play?’ The words issued from Leuan’s mouth, blurted as they came. He just hoped his voice wasn’t shaking. ‘Should I get your toys out?’ He was sure it was far from his best comeback ever, but it would have to do for a second- he needed to get rid of the thing, and fast. What was that? A shimmering bubble, not unlike that which Leuan had seen through the window, had appeared around the man. What did those things do? Would the sword work again? Leuan was about to try, when a higher, almost melodic voice spoke behind him. He whirled with a violent curse, seeing- as he had expected- the fox-woman standing there. He didn’t bother with words this time, but instead just gave the sword a violent shake.
Please, please, let it do the sparks again, he pleaded mentally. And sure enough, out came the sparks, the green ones glowing brightly and seeming more lively and vicious than the black, and all directed at the fox-woman, some turning in loops to make a beeline for her. She curled her lip and, a fraction of a second before they hit her, she suddenly seemed to dwindle to nothing. Instead, in her place, was a fox. She flicked her tails disdainfully and padded over to the male creature, where she coiled herself and then sprang back into a human form.

But now, Leuan realised he had somehow managed to overlook somebody. Ebyni... Now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure he remembered a shout, somebody calling his name... But the window had been to his back, and evidently the elf had come round to stand beside him before he had turned to face the fox-woman. But now, Ebyni was speaking almost inaudibly by his side. He focused on her words, trying to make them out better. Maybe he wasn’t fond of her, but evidently she had somehow known his issues and had come to help him, and he wasn’t complaining.
‘It’s a forcefield, huh?’ he muttered, but quickly left that point in favour of more pressing ones. ‘Well, leaving sounds good. You say it’s that easy?’ He was dubious, but it was worth a shot- she had seemed to know her magic before. He held the sword directed at the male... Demon, was it? The male demon, then, as he did seem to be the most trouble, and glared at him. Collecting all his current negative emotions- including various forms of irritation or annoyance which rooted from Ebyni- he pictured the demon vanishing or flying out through a wall or something, due to the ball of his feelings and thoughts which had been sent at him like a missile with a forwards jab of the sword.

Kumiko’s face turned sour as the elf started to mutter to the avian- it was possible that she knew something about magic. She was about to act, when the demon suddenly went flying out of the window, hit by a large orb of greenish something. The kitsune could feel a lot of negativity which radiated off it; her sort of thing, really. But that was irrelevant, as her ally was gone. She scanned for him outside, and saw him flash through his barrier and vanish behind a tall-roofed house. She sighed impatiently and turned- to see an empty room. Her rage sparked; how the hell had they got out without her hearing?

Leuan grinned in triumph as the demon flew out of the window. And it had distracted the fox-woman- was she a demon too? Perhaps. Either way, it was time to act. Would the sword work twice?
I don’t care how... Just don’t let her notice us leaving. Make her deaf or something. He felt stupid thinking at a sword, but maybe it would work. And now, a swelling ball of green power blossomed from the tip of the sword, stealthily slipping around the woman. Leuan experimentally stamped; she seemed not to notice.
'Right, we're shifting,' he said to Ebyni at normal volume. Without waiting for an answer from her, he stuffed the box for the sword into her hands and grabbed her by the waist. As he lifted her, he noted thankfully how light she was.
'Put your legs round my waist and your arms round my neck and hold on,' he instructed, keeping a hold on her in case she chose not to obey. He then ran along the corridor, down the stairs and out into the street where, despite the lack of space, he spread his wings and jumped as hard as he could while flapping his wings in the confined space. Slowly, he lifted higher into the air, still holding Ebyni. As soon as he had cleared the rooftops he swept his wings down widely, covering a far larger space than he had previously been able to. And soon, he was moving at a good speed through the air, using thermal currents to quicken him wherever they were directed to Ebyni's castle.

Guest

Abaddon chuckled at the Avian's weak attempt at a comeback. "Your kind are all the ssssame," he snarled. "Arrogant, foolish, and far too weak to wield the powersss that belong to others. Give me the sssword, and your death will be quick." He was done playing around. The man was holding the sword in his grip, and he knew he would have to be cautious if he wanted to keep the Avian from attacking. As long as the man didn't know how to use the magic in the sword, he should be alright.

His position got even stronger when the woman he had just been conversing with - the demoness, if he was correct - appeared on the other side of Leuan, effectively blocking him off from escape. Now not only was he outpowered, but outnumbered as well. "Give it up," he growled, but before he could lunge for the weapon, the man turned his attention to the fox-woman, and gave a violent shake of the sword. He cursed aloud as black and green sparks appeared, sparks that, though it had been centuries ago, were very familiar to Abaddon. They were the same sort that Leuan's ancestor, the 'great' Emrys, had controlled when he was under Abaddon's command, and, as far as he knew, after he had cast down Abaddon and fled the hellish cavern for good. It was even more obvious that this, indeed, was cast down from Emrys's bloodline. He watched helplessly as the sparks attacked the woman, and at first he panicked, seeing that he had disappeared, for all he knew for good. However, he then saw a fox upon the floor, and felt relief. She was only weakened, but not destroyed. She padded over to his side and reformed, and their position was once again strong.

"You cannot escape the ghosts of your heritage, boy," he hissed, ready once again to lunge and grab the sword, and then slay the young man. Just as he was preparing to leap, yet another figure appeared, this one as though from the shadows themselves. She was dark-skinned, the color of a midnight sky, and for a moment he mistook her as another demoness, she seemed so black and cunning. But when she went to Leuan's side and started whispering instructions to him, he knew he was wrong. So the Avian had an ally, did he? Well, he would quickly take care of her. He now realized that she was one of the few left of the race of night elves, a once proud species, now dwindled down to only a few dozen individuals. He would relish in helping to snuff out their place in the world. However, he underestimated her knowledge in the magic arts, and he was taken by surprise, to say the least, when he felt a blast from the sword, followed by the disintegration of his wards and a force that swept him out of the window, strong enough to send him a good hundred yards from the building. His cloak was ripped off, revealing his true demonic form, with only a dark loincloth and belt for cover. He made no action of hiding himself now; the disguise was pointless now, and he would be eager to see any other mortals nearby flee from his presence.

However, it was only his inhuman reflexes saved him from being impaled by a jutting piece of wood nearby, and he landed roughly on his draconic feet on the hard cobbled ground. The rage he felt at having been defeated and made a fool of caused his entire body to pulse with energy, and before he could stop himself, he felt red flames begin to lick the lower part of his body, scorching hot to anyone's touch but his own. "CURSSSE YOU, MAGGOT-FLESH," he screamed, seeing the pair fly out the window, past his forcefield with no evident trouble. The sword, the sword, it must break his spells! "You can't essscape! I will find you and make your death slow! You will beg for the end before I'm finished with you!" He screeched on for a bit more, even after the pair was out of hearing range. Finally, spent, he let the flames die out and sagged against the wall, feeling more tired than he had felt since Emrys had attempted to send him into eternal sleep. He had underestimated the power of the man. He wouldn't let that happen again. And it would be easy, he convinced himself, to find the sword again. He only needed to follow the trail of its energy right to the source. Unless that cursed elf could do something about it...

Once he had calmed down a bit more, he glanced around, wondering where his new partner had gone. He could use a little distraction at the moment, and she, he was certain, would most certainly provide.

Ebyni hid her excitement as the spells Leuan directed at the demons worked, turning one into some strange fox form, and the other flying out of the house and across the street, giving them enough time to escape. She nodded encouragingly as he sent a sense-blocking curse at the female, which made it even easier for them to get away. She gave a small 'oof' as the box for the sword was hefted into her hands, and hurried to do as he said, feeling both repulsed and, she thought, oddly pleased as she was forced to cling tightly to the Avian. She could feel the strong, lean muscles of his shoulders and back, and felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she realized that he had still failed to put on a shirt, putting her in a somewhat awkward position. Oh well, too late to worry about that now. Already he was off running for the exit, and before she knew it they were in the air. She forced back a yelp as they took off towards the barrier, and she winced, preparing for collision. However, they passed cleanly through it, and were soon in the open air, making fast towards her house. She glanced down to see the male demon in flames, and she wondered if that was his own doing, or if something had caused him to be like that. He heard his threats and shuddered, knowing that this wouldn't be their last encounter with him. He was a frightening sight.

It took only about a quarter of an hour to reach the location of her castle, and they landed lightly by her front door. As soon as she could, she leapt down from the Avian and began placing wards all around them and the building, replacing her old ones and putting up new ones as well. It took a few minutes before she was satisfied, and then she whirled around to Leuan, motioning at the sword. "I need to see it," she stated, and before he could begin to argue, she went on roughly,"I have to make sure its not leaking magic all over. That would bring the demons to us like sharks to blood." She was relieved when he handed it over, but her relief led to fear when she felt the pure radiance of energy leaking off of the sword. "Just as I was afraid of," she muttered, and began murmuring a melodic spell over the blade, her hands glowing bright violet with energy as she attempted to block the aura of the sword. It took several long minutes before she was finished, and even then she looked grim. "I've cut off the energy supply for the present," she said slowly,"But I don't know how long it will last. It seems to draw energy from its surroundings, like a leech, and there seems to be no limit to what it can take. I've stopped it from doing so now, but soon its hunger may overpower my spells." She wondered what it got energy from, exactly. Locked up in Leuan's room, it had probably rested for ages, too far away from anything alive to gather energy. Now, in the midst of so much plant life and natural energy, it was starving for magic. It was almost as though it had a mind of its own, and she could only hope that it wouldn't steal energy from her or Leuan; they needed all that they could get.

She turned her attention back to Leuan. "What the hell happened back there?" she asked, softening her tone only slightly. "Were those demons friends of yours, or what?" Her heart was still pounding with adreneline from the attack, and she wondered how the pretty-boy had held up. At least she had managed to get him out alive.

While the two were talking, a dark, four-legged figure crept up behind them in the shadows. The sun was now sinking over the horizon, which made the shadows dark enough for Paphos to creep closer, unseen, even with his glowing green marks. When he was about ten feet away from the two, who were both distracted by something in Ebyni's hands, he crouched, aiming towards the man with wings. Actually, he noticed, the feathered appendages were black with a bit of green, just like himself! he wiggled with excitement, then pounced, slamming his entire pony-sized body into Leuan, enough to make him fall over, but not enough to really hurt him. "Heelloooo!" he crooned, blinking his large, lime green eyes curiously at the man. "Aye haven't seen anythin' like ye before. Ye have vings!" He got off of Leuan in case he wanted to get back up, but continued to stare curiously. Ebyni had apparently made a new friend without him knowing about it. Maybe he was the rider of another dragon! A female dragon, perhaps. Wouldn't that be lovely...

"Aye'm Paphos," he finally added, like an afterthought. "Vhat ees eet that ye are starin' at?" He peered around Leuan to look at the sword, wondering why Ebyni looked so shocked and confused. It wasn't like her to look that way. "Ees something wrong?"

Something didn’t seem right to Kumiko. She couldn’t see anything, but she could sense some kind of cloying magic. She narrowed her eyes and, with the tail power she had recently activated, sent out a wave of power to eliminate other magic around her. As she had expected, a thin wall around her briefly glimmered green before it was absorbed into a suddenly visible ring of bright gold light.
‘Foolish little bastard,’ she snarled. ‘Mortals who try to better demons invariably end up painfully dead.’ She cast her gaze around the room once more before flicking her tails, condensing into the lithe fox, and jumping from the window. As she hit the street, she became a reddish streak, her angry mood having coloured her fur and make her show up even at high speed. However, as she tracked down the other demon’s aura she calmed a little, enough that her fur was more coppery by the time she reached the demon. She drew herself up into a human shape once more and smirked.
‘That sword’s nothing trivial, hm? Mind with the flames, now, I wouldn’t want my dress to get damaged.’ She stroked one finger along the silk, curving an eyebrow at the demon as she appraised his appearance. Individuality to go along with the handsome face... He was definitely one to make a play for.
‘Well,’ she continued. ‘I’m sure you’ll want to press on and find that sword. It’s aura’s ringing out clear like a bell, I could find it from miles awa-‘ Her eyes suddenly narrowed and her head whipped round, hair flicking against her shoulders. She scanned the horizon in the direction of the sword’s aura, despite knowing she would see nothing even with her better-than-human eyesight.
‘The sword’s aura,’ she snapped, her tone suddenly changed. Her hair darkened to a fiery red, flecks of scarlet running through it. ‘It’s dimmed, faint... That wretched elf must have put some sort of ward on it. We’ll have to get moving.’ Even as she finished speaking the words though, the magical pulse sent out a last throb and vanished, causing her hair to assume a deep, bloody crimson colour.
‘It’s gone,’ she hissed, lip lifted in a snarl. Somehow, her face didn’t seem so pretty and innocent; her demonic nature was revealed, nine faintly glowing tails twitching in her anger and her eyes filled with hatred. The moment passed, however, and she let out a huff.
‘Well. There’s no point in going after it now, if they move it we won’t be able to tell. We might as well pay them a visit tomorrow or something.’ Her rage had flitted away in an instant as it had come, only to be replaced by another emotion to keep her hair at a reddish copper, threads of red and gold occasionally running through it. ‘I suppose we’ll just have to occupy ourselves until then.’ Her lips curled into a smirk as she quirked one eyebrow at the other demon. ‘I’m Kumiko, nine-tailed kitsune,’ she purred, sidling closer to him. ‘And you?’

Leuan had stood, tense, ignoring Abbadon’s threatening words. But as soon as he was away, in the air, he relaxed somewhat. Flying was almost therapeutic for him, a means of escape, even if one of his pursuers had wings. A brief train of thought flickered through his mind- the ghosts of his heritage?- but he pushed it away and kept flying, smirking as he noticed Ebyni’s cheeks darkening a fraction- not that they could darken much before becoming black.
‘Calm down, you’re not the first person I’ve carried like this,’ he told her casually, scanning the ground below for the demons. He started slightly, falling a metre or so before regaining his rhythm, as the first oath rang out through the air. But it was followed by a snort-
[i[‘Maggot-flesh?[/i] Can he really do no better?’ This attitude was not maintained, however, as the threats followed them until they faded from hearing. As Leuan landed and released Ebyni, flexing his arms and folding his wings, he was shaking slightly. He just hoped the demon would never get a chance to do some of the things he had promised. The wards relieved some of his anxiety, though, and soon he stood still.

He sighed as the night elf took the sword, watching her mistrustfully as the violet power glowed around her hands and the potent weapon. He grimaced as she explained how it worked; no wonder he’d always felt a little weary just stepping into that room of old junk.
‘Friends?’ he snorted. ‘Please. I have better taste than that; I would’ve thought even you would. They just came demanding the sword, and then you turned up... And then I got us out of there.’ His tone was casual, but he dreaded to think what would’ve happened if Ebyni hadn’t instructed him in use of the sword.

Something quickly diverted this imagined death-scenario, however, thrusting a new one in Leuan’s face.
‘Argh, what the fuck!’ he yelped as the dragon knocked him over. His wings fluttered as he desperately shoved at it, trying to dislodge the beast.
‘Get the shit off me!’ The dragon obliged, whether due to his words or not Leuan was unsure, and the avian scrambled to his feet, wings already beating. The dragon had made a pretty obvious observation there- Leuan had wings, yes. But apparently so did this dragon... It was talking to him like it didn’t want to kill him. Maybe it had a plan, to strike in the air where Ebyni couldn’t help him... He hastily dropped back to the ground by the elf and snatched the sword away.
‘Yeah, something’s bloody well wrong,’ he snarled, pointing the sword at the animal and gathering himself. It would have to be a big strike; the dragon wouldn’t be easily shifted, and Leuan didn’t want it to come back once he’d got rid of it. He pictured flames, gushing from the powerful jaw and around the sharp teeth, a mouth to crush a wing between the enamel spikes, flames to burn the feathers, making flight impossible... Leuan shuddered and compiled his fear into a ball, beginning to push it from the end of the sword like he had for the demon.

Ooc: There we go- only just over 1,000 words! Not monster-long!

Guest

Abaddon didn't hide his gaze as he looked the woman up and down. Yes, her form was quite pleasing, especially all tied up like a present for him in that tight-fitting and revealing clothing. He sly, seductive smile curled up the side of his face, and for a moment the thought of the sword vanished. Her hair was quite something to watch, first one color, then another, seeming to imitate whatever mood she was in. Oh, he would have fun with that. He wondered what color it would turn if and when they....

He shook his head. She was talking, and he needed to pay attention. His head whirled back to staring at where the two had flew off, and even as the sword went farther away, he could still feel it pulsing strongly. It wouldn't take long for him to locate it again, so there was no hurry.

He took a while to brush himself off, slicking his thick, dark hair behind his head before glancing up at the woman again. She was obviously not a mortal, and capable of great magic, if her shape-shifting was anything to go by; even he had to focus greatly in order to change his shape, yet for her, it seemed natural. He wondered if perhaps he had chanced upon one of the rare and mysterious kitsunes; she sure fit the part. He let the flames around him die down, so as not to 'harm her dress'; he had a feeling there was a threat somewhere behind there, if small. And he wasn't in the mood for fighting. "That sword belongs to me," he replied, dropping his hiss so that his voice sounded more dark, alluring, and intoxicating than any mortal man could muster. "It was mine for many millennia until one of my own followers stole it from me and cast me down into ruin." He spat, still disgusted with himself that he had let a mere mortal steal his most prized possession from him. Well, it hadn't really been a fair fight - Emrys had had the sword in his grasp while Abaddon fought uselessly against him, the magic of the blade turned against its own master for the new. "There I lay broken and lost for hundreds of years before I broke my bonds and became whole again-" He broke off as the ebb of power coming from the North was suddenly and drastically cut off, leaving hardly a flicker before disappearing completely. His distraction with Kumiko led to fury at his stupidity; they should have gone after the sword immediately. Now he would have to search the entire countryside before he could find it again. He held back his scream of fury, not wanting to seem completely mad in front of so lovely a lady. An elf? Of course, the dark woman that had appeared at the man's side and told him what to do. Curse her and all of her descendants! Her meddling in this plot was going to waste him much time and energy, and he would make certain that she would pay dearly in pain before he killed her. "They can't have gone too far.... The Avian couldn't have carried her for too long, and they have nowhere to go; the forest lies in the direction they went, so they must have landed somewhere in there, perhaps to cast the spell and decide where to go. Once in the trees we will be able to trace them faster... But, night is falling, and they wouldn't risk traveling so late in the day. For all they know, there could be an army of demons after them. They probably set up wards to block them from us until they could figure out what to do." He shook his head, growling. It was all so very frustrating. He had assumed he would have the sword in one hand and the Avian's head in the other by this point... Well, at least there was one positive thing in this ordeal - the kitsune.

Apparently her mind had changed topic as well, as her hair began to throb a different, more golden color. He could only assume what it meant. Her expression had changed from its lovely rage (he found anger highly seductive) to sly confidence, and he reflected the mood, letting his body relax and move slightly closer to hers as she in turn came closer to him. "I suppose we will," he practically purred in reply. "It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, gorgeous," he added, bowing to her slightly, but never taking his eyes off of hers. "I go by the name of Abaddon in this tongue; a demon unruled by any but myself." So he was right - she was a kitsune, and an extremely powerful one, seeing as she possessed the maximum nine tails of her kind. He would make sure not to get on her bad side, at least until he decided if he could defeat her if he must. There was a very fine line with him between love and hate; it would only be a matter of time before their relationship showed one or the other, or both.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" he asked, although he thought he knew the answer. He had slept with numerous mortal woman in his days, but none had completely satisfied him, and most had died shortly afterwards. However, a demonness would certainly provide more. He decided to let her wait, though, until he could fully assess her character. "Why don't you come back to my place?" he offered. His place, of course, was a dark but surprisingly nice cavern in the volcano nearby, and he had a feeling she would enjoy it.

Ebyni studied Leuan; he was obviously as shaken, if not more so, than she, though he tried to hide it. 'Men,' she thought, rolling her eyes. "Well, whoever they were, they obviously wanted this sword, and I have a feeling that keeping it from them is more important than we think. Considering you have no magical experience whatsoever, yet can produce magic stronger than I with this sword, then in their hands, it would be disastrous, to say the least." She rummaged around in her pack, soon pulling out a large, dried white-and-purple flower with large, dark leaves. She pulled off a leaf and crushed it, then did the same with a petal, then tossed the mixture into a small stone jar with water, until a dark blue liquid had formed. She split the drink in two, then offered one to Leuan. "Passionflower," she said, ignoring the odd sound of the name on her tongue. "It will help calm your nerves and stop yourself from hyperventilating or otherwise harming yourself." She drank from the other cup; it was a small dose, but it would be enough. Soon her heartbeat slowed to normal and her breathing had evened. They were safe, at least for now. Even though she had obviously saved his ass, though, she expected no thanks, and received none. "Well, I'm glad to see you're still in one piece, at least for the sake of the sword," she muttered, setting aside her empty cup.

She cried out as Paphos gave his normal surprise greeting for first-time visitors, a trait that she found annoying and harmful to some of her guests, but one that she couldn't stop him from doing. Leuan seemed like he was about to have a heart attack, amid his screams and curses. She assumed he had never met a dragon before. It was actually quite funny, once she assessed that the acid dragon hadn't harmed him, and she held back mirthful giggles.

"Paphos, get back!" she told him, making a shooing motion with her hands. "We've already been through a lot today, there's no need to scare the man witless." However, now it wasn't the dragon that was the problem - Leuan looked prepared to slay Paphos on the spot with his sword. "No, stop!" she yelped, crashing into him and knocking the sword aside so that whatever energy had been building up shot off in a different direction from its intended target. "Dammit, Leuan," she gasped, breathing hard,"You almost killed my dragon." She now found that she was positioned quite awkwardly on top of the Avian, her legs tangled with his own as she pressed his shoulders down into the ground, and hastily stood, glancing back in concern at Paphos. "Are you alright?" she asked, but she knew that the hardy dragon was fine. Heck, he probably could have survived an energy blast. She glanced back down at Leuan, then offered a hand. "I'm terribly... Sorry... About that. Paphos likes to have fun with my new visitors. It's no wonder I don't have any friends." Too late, she thought of all the witty remarks he could make about her personality being the reason she had no friends.

Paphos tilted his head in curiosity as the sword began to glow, not knowing the danger he was in, or the fright that he had given the Avian. "Wot's theese?" he asked, but was interrupted by his elfish companion tackling the man to the ground. This set the dragon into chortles, and he threw back his head and laughed. "Ye look like a mad couple een the heets o' lovemakin', ye do," he cackled, seeing their predicament once they were on the ground. Subtlety was not one of his strong suits. "Aye don't see vhat's thee matter, Aye was only havin' a beet o' fun." He sat down, much like an obedient dog, and waited for the two to stand again before continuing. "Now, Aye'll ask aggeen: Vhat seems t' be th' matter?" The sword was quite interesting, he thought. He had never seen one glow like that before. "An' who might ye be, aneeway?" he asked, turning his attention back to Leuan. Ebyni had never had a male companion visit before, as far as he was aware. He wondered vaguely if they were secret lovers trying to escape from reality, then snorted at his own humor. Ebyni was far too conservative and proud to do such a thing. Maybe this guy was only here for something to do with the sword. God knew how much different types of magic intrigued her, and this blade definitely held power within.

((I actually looked this up. Passionflower: http://www.lookbeauty.com/images/Passion-Flower-to-Kindle-Sleep.jpg ))

Kumiko smirked as he realised the demon wasn't listening much to her, watching his eyes as he took in her body, gaze lingering at the top of her dress and on her hair. Her lips curved further into a smile as he shook himself and returned his attention to the current matters at hand. As he sorted his hair and dusted himself off, she continued to gaze at him with satisfaction. She didn't find it appealing when men of any race paid no attention to their appearance- though of course at times an indifference to it was very attractive indeed. She nodded as the flames flickering around him diminished and faded away.
'Thank you,' she said with a smile at him now, voice silky and smooth. It seemed to match his tone as he spoke next, his voice layered with unhuman elements. He didn't seem like any particular kind of demon to her, but he was obviously a powerful one. One of her eyebrows arched as he explained the sword's history. Most interesting- this Emrys must have been extraordinarily intelligent for a mortal in order to obtain the sword from the demon. Evidently, he didn't understand how the sword had been taken from him either as he spat on the ground before continuing to speak. She nodded sympathetically as he told his tale- why, it reminded her of the poor kitsune she had trapped within her katanas, three of his six tails lending power and bloodthirst to each blade. She often wondered just why he was never content to rest without bloodspill occuring at the point of the two blades once she had awoken him. Perhaps it was resentment and pent-up rage at being trapped, perhaps he quested to get her killed with reckless attacks- though he did an admirable job of defending her, as her bonds forced him to.

But she was then distracted from her thoughts and the words she had been speaking as she thought them by the departure of the sword's aura- as her anger grew, she noticed his did significantly more. She fumed while he spoke his frustrated words, but when her mood began to swing round to something different, she wanted to move onto a different topic instead of linger on what the two mortals might be doing.
'I doubt they're far away; we can easily track them down and destroy them at any point. Another thing about mortals is that they're so slow.' After that, the subject definitely seemed to have closed as he too stepped closer to her, untensing and matching his tone to her voice. As he bowed to her and introduced himself, her lips parted to show a few even white teeth. When defining the appearance of her human form, she obviously hadn't left any box unchecked, making it perfect for her purposes- strong, but slender and attractive.
'Abbadon,' she echoed, moving her lips slowly and rolling the word off her tongue. Her words flowed, flattering Abbadon, as she continued.
'Who would have the power to rule one such as yourself?' she purred, somehow managing to slink another step closer- in case her thoughts weren't clear enough- at the same time as distancing herself slightly. She knew that with anyone who possessed half a mind it was twice as sweet if you made them wait. As it so happened, though, she admitted to herself that she probably wouldn't be able to rule him- she suspected that they were in fact on roughly equal terms power-wise. She certainly didn't want to engage in a fight with him, just in case he knew anything about kitsune. Because if he did, then perhaps he would know that the only way to destroy one was to sever all of the tails. And if one was even to sever only three of Kumiko's tails, if those three were her solid tails then it would leave her decimated, probably with less power than that elf. No- it would never occur. While most kitsune looked ridiculous with many more tails than she had now, she didn't even consider that applying to her- after all, it was unlikely that she would need to show them all at once very often anyway. A brief thought of the gangs of younger kitsune and other powerful beings which roamed the lands eliminating and taking the life force of great kitsune who had grown too old and powerful crossed her mind, but she eliminated it as he asked her two questions. The first one, she felt, required no answer that wouldn't be given by her response to the second.
'I think your place would suit our needs perfectly.' She cast him a quick glance, eyebrows carefully positioned to convey those of her thoughts which she felt were appropriate to convey, before spinning away from him and flicking her eyes across the landscape. Her tails glowed as she tensed to transform in her true, faster form- but she needed one thing answered before she could go.
'Which way?' she asked.

Leuan nodded in agreement with Ebyni's words.
'I had the feeling that it might not be the best idea to simply hand it over,' he said sarcastically, taking the drink she offered him. He sniffed it suspiciously and took a few small sips, calming him a little, before it was knocked out of his hand by the dragon.

After Ebyni had deflected his shot, Leuan shot the dragon a vicious look, then turned a venomous glare on the elf.
'I almost killed the dragon? It almost killed me! Can't you bloody well control your animal?' He huffed, realising he wasn't actually hurt much more than bruises, and while he had been trying to ignore the dragon he couldn't restrain a smirk at its words.
'Yeah... Look honey, I know that I'm irresistable, but it just isn't appropriate to hurl yourself at me like that.' He got to his feet without the assistance of her hand, checking to make sure his wings weren't damaged by the two falls onto them. They were mostly undamaged, but a few of his smaller feathers had snapped. He glared at Ebyni.
'Thankfully, I don't need those feathers for flight. And addressing the friends issue... Well, I'm sure keeping that won't help, but I wouldn't think that it was all him, if you get my gist.' Having said that, he looked the dragon over, resisting the urge he had to blast it into oblivion using the sword. Could he trust it? It didn't look as though it was about to attack him, and didn't sound like it either. It had obeyed Ebyni... But it was still a dragon.
'Won't it... I don't know, torch my wings?' He suddenly became aware of a stinging pain in his hand, previously unnoticed due to his panic at the dragon. Examining the skin there, he realised that it bore a small burn, and that a few more were dotted on his skin.
'What's this?' he demanded of Ebyni. 'Looks like acid burns to me, where do you think I got those?' He truthfully had no idea, but he knew he hadn't had them before reaching Ebyni's castle. He would've noticed on the flight over. He looked into the cup he was still holding to see a few dregs of the liquid left, and drained them, afterwards feeling slightly calmer. He gave a deep sigh, realising his angry words had probably been out of order.
'Sorry,' he forced out, having as much difficulty saying it as Ebyni had seemed to. 'I guess... You don't have any acid. Still, no idea where they came from...' He inspected the small injuries moodily, wondering where they did come from. He shot a few glances at the dragon from the corner of his eye, as well- if he was convinced that it didn't want to kill him, then he might actually quite like it, from what he'd seen of its personality.

Guest

'She's a flatterer,' Abaddon thought as the kitsune spoke. He kept his face carefully blank and open, but knew that he would have to keep his guard up lest she take advantage of him with fancy words and seduction. While she would provide a nice distraction now, and perhaps a useful partner in the future, he couldn't forget his revenge. The aura of the sword was all but gone now, but, knowing humans, they wouldn't be able to travel far, especially without the demons knowing. And, if he was correct, whatever wards the elf had put on the sword would only last for so long; soon its hunger would override her magic.

But now, back to the task at hand. She had stepped even closer to him at this point, so that their faces were nearly touching, just a few inches apart. He tilted his head slightly and bowed his head as if to kiss her, but instead turned his mouth towards her ear and whispered,"I'm glad that you think so." He was intrigued by the glowing tails that had appeared behind her, and wondered what use he could make of them while they... Wasted time together. He wasn't extremely educated in the lore of kitsune, and thus, didn't realize how important they were for Kumiko's power. "It's not too far, but it requires a short flight. I don't know if you have that capability, but I'd be more than happy to assist you." He smiled slightly, his eyes glinting with some inscrutable expression. "However, we can walk for a while before that is necessary." She already seemed to be preparing to do so, and so he nodded in the general direction of his volcanic cavern to show the way. "It may not look like much, but it's more than it appears. Come, let us go now. The sword will go nowhere too quickly."

They journeyed for about an hour, talking of many things that mortals would not understand or believe, and shared many lustful looks at one another. It was obvious what was on each of their minds. Abaddon had not run into any kind of demoness for several hundred years prior to his cursed sleep, and he had nearly forgotten how intoxicating they could be. Especially this one; she seemed to have chosen a specific figure that pleased him greatly. He wondered how many forms she could take, and how much effort it took for her to do so. He did, however, have a thirst for red hair, and hers was uncommonly beautiful and delicious, glowing at one moment a sheer golden orange, the next, a light crimson. He was looking forward to seeing what color it turned when things got... Interesting.

((I wanted to go ahead and continue, so decide for yourself whether Kumiko flies or is carried once they reach the volcano, mmkay? :] ))

Soon they reached the foot of the volcano, when the grassy and tree-filled land turned bare, hard, and stony. Sharp black rocks protruded from the ground like fangs, made of the sharpest obsidian Abaddon had ever seen. It was dangerous for those who didn't know the way, but he led Kumiko safely up a hidden stairwell to the base of the stone wall, then the two of them flew a short way up into a wide cavern hidden ingeniously behind a sheer cliff, so that to those who looked from a distance, only saw bare rock. He motioned for the woman to go in first, then followed her closely after, anxious to see her reaction. His 'home' was full of many rooms, tunnels, crevasses, and hidden entrances, but it was all quite beautiful, oddly enough. It seemed to be lit by an orange glow, but the source of the light could not be seen. The walls were black, shiny, and quite smooth, made of the same obsidian as down below. Every few feet were streaks of silver and white in the stone. It was not really, in a sense, a cavern; it was much too clean-cut and sheer to be a naturally created cave. It was obvious that magic had created the abode. They made their way down a long tunnel, which turned sharply and presented a truly stunning, if a bit terrifying, scene: A wall of magma, enclosed behind some sort of magic shield, poured madly down one side of the wall, an aura of pure energy seeping from the excruciatingly hot liquid. Abaddon watched it for a moment, a power-hungry grin on his face, then continued onwards to a large room decorated with red, silver, and black furniture. Most was made of stone, but it felt cozy due to the plush cushions and blankets draped about. It was a rather surreal scene. To the left of the room was a door that led to what could be assumed to be a bedroom; it was open only slightly. There were numerous other tunnels that led out from the room, but nearly everything that one needed appeared to be here. Dining room, tables, chairs, a fireplace heated by magma... Abaddon had it quite well.

"Well?" he asked Kumiko after letting her soak it in for a few moments. "Is it to your liking?"

Ebyni scowled angrily at Leuan's attempt at jabbing at her. "Oh, I'm so sorry, gorgeous, I just couldn't resist!" She huffed once more and turned away from him. How on earth was she going to put up with this?! Just remember the sword, until she had it figured out, she would have to deal with him... One day at a time. "And for your information, while he is my friend and companion, he is not, truly, my dragon, any more than you would be my Avian. He is an intelligent being just like you and I, and does not listen to orders unless I strictly command them." She sighed and rubbed at her temples as his angry blabber continued, until she couldn't take it anymore. She whirled around and marched straight up to him, pressing an index finger forcefully against his chest. She hated to realize that he was a few inches taller than she, but she would have to make due anyway. "You listen to me," she hissed, her teeth flashing to reveal oddly sharp canine teeth,"I don't like this situation any more than you, but you need me to survive, and I need you to study the sword, so let's just get this done with as little pain as possible, alright?" This little angry rant seemed to drain her somewhat, and she glanced down at his hand and sighed. "I'm afraid you're actually right on that one. Paphos is an acid dragon, and he may have let a few drops fall onto your hand. It's rather hard for him to control. So, for your information, no, he will not 'torch your wings', but he may burn a nice hole in your skin. That stuff is strong enough to melt steel." She rummaged through her pack again and came out with a salve, which she quickly rubbed into the wounds on his hand. "There," she said, the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. "Your poor little hand should be completely healed in a day or two." She patted it curtly, then turned back to Paphos, who was still eyeing the two uncertainly. She gave him a brief summary of what had happened and who Leuan was, since she knew he would not stop prodding her for information until she did. Satisfied, she looked back at Leuan, then motioned to her home. "Well, it's late, and I think that my spell on the sword will last until morning, at the least. There's a bedroom upstairs that you should find to your liking. Just... Don't go looking into any doors that aren't open. You might lose a hand or two if you try." With that, she picked up her bag and entered the home, glancing back once to see if the Avian was following. Satisfied he would, she retired to her own room, where she spent a good while muttering to herself about how she was going to deal with being so close to someone she was certain hated her guts. She wasn't sure if she entirely returned the feelings, but she certainly didn't like him very much. She wondered if it was because they were actually so similar in personality that they couldn't seem to get along...

Paphos stared in bewilderment at Leuan as Ebyni left. It was all so much to take in, and it was obvious by the elf's behavior that she, too, still needed some getting used to the situation. "Don't mind 'er too much, mate," he chirped, taking a step towards the Avian. "She's more bark theen bite, eef ye get me meanin'. Vouldn't 'urt a fly unless it 'urt her first. Just give 'er a few days, and who knows? Maybe ye'll even start to like 'er. Ye have to admit, she has an incredible feegure." He wiggled his brows suggestively. It was about time the elf saw some action. "Anyvay, eet was nice t' meet ye, Leuan. Aye hope ye can forgive me fer attackin' ye... Eet's just sorta vhat Aye do." With a polite nod, he crept away around the house, to go who-knew-where for the night.

((Lava wall: http://images.angted.multiply.com/image/Feu9AdICRtrHTnNWw3gXZw/photos/1M/300x300/2177/CDocuments-and-SettingstimMy-DocumentsMy-PicturesINCREDIBLES-SCENESLAVAROOM7.JPG?et=dpvRJBCQTf2Ur7yzRy6nrg&nmid=0 ))

As Abbadon leaned in towards her, Kumiko’s eyes narrowed and she readied to step away, but she relaxed as the demon murmured into her ear. Flight? Well, Kumiko could use a tail power for that, but she didn’t really see any need when she could easily be carried by Abbadon. She nodded in response to his last words, before dropping away from her tensed human form to a crouched fox. As the demon began to move, she sprang out of the position, slender legs propelling her along the ground with unnatural speed. Not possessing a human tongue in her true body, they communicated mentally, and she found the slight amount of his emotions that she could read without prying most enjoyable to observe while they looked sideways at one another. During these glances, she examined thoroughly his non-human features, which she found most pleasing. So much more interesting than most... And it seemed that he could change his form slightly as well, which would offer some variety. Yes, he could amuse her for quite a time... Just a shame that she wouldn’t be able to destroy him when she was finished with him, even if it was only due to that sword. If she stayed allied with him, on the other hand... Well, that opened up realms of possibilities. She was quite sure that he wouldn’t mind her taking a few breaks and playing with mortals on occasion. Just for a change from him, even though he would undoubtedly be far preferable.

She found the conversation interesting, didn’t tire easily, and of course at her age with immortality at hand one could let time pass with few worries, so the journey didn’t seem to have lasted at all long when they reached Abbadon’s home. She raised an intrigued eyebrow as she saw the obsidian spikes, and having reformed into a human shape she tested the tip of one with a finger.
‘Good defences there,’ she commented as they wound their way between the lethally sharp forest of stone. For the brief flight, she slipped into his arms for him to carry her up, explaining,
‘I could use my powers to take a form with wings, but I’d rather keep them for something else.’ Kumiko enjoyed the flight, using it as a moment to take in the surrounding area from above before they entered the caves where Abbadon lived.

As they toured the place, Kumiko’s eyes swiftly flicked from one sight to another, taking everything in and mentally rating it. She lingered for a moment by the magma wall as the demon did, carefully touching the magical shield which covered it and letting her fingers slip down the flawless surface. Abbadon did have a range of powers, that was certain- everything necessary to create this place as well as whatever else. She basked in the heated aura of the room for a moment as if it were sunlight before following him into the next room. Kumiko let his question sit for a while, folding her legs underneath herself to sit on a mound of cushions. She rearranged her dress to the new position, looking ponderously around the room as she did so.
‘Well,’ she finally replied, lips moving slightly exaggeratedly. ‘I think it is.’ She tilted her head as she looked up at the demon, lips curling slightly. ‘But from the number of extra rooms I can see, there’s plenty more which I can’t tell if is to my liking or not.’ For now, though, she was sure this room would be adequate, lavishly equipped and furnished as it was.

‘I can deal, not the first time it’s happened to me,’ Leuan smirked. While the elf irritated him greatly, if he was just winding her up he could probably get through a couple of days until he was able to ditch her. His eyebrows raised, though, as Ebyni continued to talk.
‘Hate to break it to you, but I’d never be your anything.’ He paused to think about Ebyni’s words for a moment, before adding,
‘And actually, I think you mean intelligent like you; on a far more basic level than anything else out there, which does include me before you say anything.’ He blinked, taken aback, as she suddenly stormed over and started shoving her face at him at yelling. His hand flashed up and caught her jabbing wrist.
‘As little pain as possible?’ he repeated quietly. ‘In that case, let’s start by you taking your hands off me.’ He threw her hand down and away from him, taking a step backwards before she composed herself and stepped back up to him with the salve and an explanation. He nodded slowly, for some reason not feeling any real irritation with the dragon but only with Ebyni. He couldn’t bring together any kind of retort before Ebyni had begun to speak again and then vanished. He gave a huff of annoyance at her, clenching his hands into fists for a second before they loosened and his head jerked round to look at Paphos as the dragon spoke. He was amazed that it did seem so casual, that it spoke to him like any other person might. At the dragon’s suggestion, Leuan’s mouth twisted and, to his slight horror, he felt his cheeks flush slightly. Completely unlike him... He didn’t see why at all, either, seeing as the only emotions he felt for Ebyni were irritation, annoyance, and a strong wish for her to shut up. He looked back to where the dragon had been, not quite sure what he was going to do, but action was unnecessary as it slunk off, merging partially into the darkness before vanishing entirely. Somehow, Leuan felt that he could forgive the dragon- it certainly didn’t seem like a killer. All the same, he wasn’t entirely sure. With a sigh at the way his life suddenly seemed to be far too complicated for his liking, he made his way to the castle.

As he stepped through the door, Leuan looked around with interest. He hadn’t really seen anywhere like this before, but he didn’t want to linger lest Ebyni appear and start to talk on at him again. He hurried up the stairs, trying to quieten his footsteps at least a little, and quickly located an open door which led to a bedroom- he trusted Ebyni’s warning only too well. He sat thankfully down on the bed, the day’s chaotic events having worn him out somewhat, and closed his eyes to enjoy the lack of demons, dragons and elves for a moment.

Guest

((Hey - for the sake of my own time and sanity, I've decided that I'm going to start doing shorter posts. I just don't have the time to do long ones anymore x.x I'm sorry, and I hope we can continue on this way Very Happy

It might mean replies more often!))

Abaddon didn't mind carrying the fox-woman upwards instead of her flying herself; in fact, he rather liked it. Even though he knew it was far from the truth, it made him almost feel like one of those ridiculous knights saving a damsel in distress by carrying her away from whatever dangers were behind them. Hah! What a terrible thought. He would rather sleep for another century before he actually saved a mortal. Still, he found carrying women pleasant, especially when it was against their will.

He let her take in her surroundings with patience, expecting her to be pleased, but not overly so. Her reaction didn't surprise him. He copied her smirk and glanced casually over his shoulder to the room with an open door. "Well, I spend time in this room relaxing, and for... Guest use." Not that he had guests, willing guests, very often. "That room," he added, motioning to the one he had just glanced at,"Is where I sleep. We can... Explore that later, if you wish." There was obviously a suggestion in his statement, but he didn't press the subject. "I have many rooms for magical use and performing sorcery, as well as containment rooms and places for... Entertainment." He didn't mention that the entertainment usually involved a few kidnapped villagers and a room full of his 'toys', a mixture of fire, metallic torture machinery, and a variety of rageful creatures that loved the taste of flesh. "Would any of these places please you?" His eyes glinted as he strode over to his obsidian-decorated kitchen, grabbing a few steel cups and filling each with a bright red brew; what it was, mortals would likely shudder at. He offered one to Kumiko, and took one for himself. He watched the bubbling magma behind its invisible barrier while he waited for her response, drinking occasionally and often glancing at the seductive kitsune. He had to admit it - he couldn't wait to get her in bed. To make love with one as powerful as himself instead of the weak and boring human women he had captured before sounded deliciously exciting.

((I'm not sure what else to add - I can't time skip with the demons still awake, but the others are asleep xD Want to just rp these two until they wind up in bed?))

The kitsune listened passively as Abbadon spoke, face turning slightly smug at his implications in one sentence. Magic and sorcery were understandable; while Kumiko only really used her tail powers and katanas, she enjoyed experimenting with the powers she used her tails' energy for. Containment chambers were, of course, always helpful; and then rooms for entertainment. She pondered over the many potential forms this entertainment could take, some more appealing to her than others but none displeasing.
'So, tell me... What sort of entertainment do you refer to? I have to say, I think I will find your home very much to my liking.' As she spoke, she reached out and accepted the cup held out to her with a nod and a smile. She sipped the liquid, slipping a reddened tongue between even and almost unnatural teeth to slowly run the tip along her full lips, retrieving a spare drop of the drink which lingered there. She appraised the taste for a few seconds, then took a larger drink, savouring the brew in her mouth before swallowing.
'Delicious,' she informed Abbadon, voice slightly lower than normal and her mouth exaggerating the sounds of the word. Her eyes followed Abbadon's gaze to the magma. She, too, observed it slightly absently. The streams of molten rock twisted, mixed and twined around one another. It was impossible to follow one for long as they formed intricate patterns which vanished instantly, all in burning orangey-red which let off a glow from the energy which emanated from it.

Ooc: That's really short... Sorry if it's too short, if not then yay I can control my post length~

Guest

Abaddon grinned at her question. "Oh, you know, the normal things that mortals despise... Human torture, body mutilation, the occasional sex toy... All for fun, but rather pointless in the end, as they all end up dead." He spoke with no emotion other than aloofness, as though the lives of the humans meant nothing to him. Which, really, they didn't. "I haven't had the chance to use those rooms in a while because of my previous... Predicament, but they should be put into use again soon." As soon as he got that damn sword back... His bright mood sobered somewhat at the thought, but it soon changed again at the sight of the kitsune drinking, an act that would usually seem normal, but one that she made incredibly seductive. He nearly shivered with desire. He finished his own drink in another few gulps, then set aside the cup and sighed in content. "Well, I suppose it's time to retire to my room, although sleep sounds rather unappealing, after so long..." Actually, he had never really even 'slept' before, as he didn't need to; he simply went into a state of semi-consciousness to rejuvinate his body and prepare for the havoc of the next day. He lifted an eyebrow at Kumiko, then glanced around innocently. "You can rest where you may, but you are welcome to... Share my room." With the suggestive comment lingering in the air, he spun and lazily sauntered over to the door leading to his bedchamber, glancing back only once, quickly, before disappearing in the darkness within. He kept the door ajar, in case she followed after, which he truly hoped she would. He took a moment to pass a hand through his inky hair, grinning once more as he looked around the room. It was black as obsidian, as the rest of the house, but splashed with colored of red, violet, and light gray. A large bed was placed in the very center, a bloody crimson color with darker splotches of black and burgundy. It was large enough for many people to sleep in, but it served only one purpose - for Abaddon to do what he pleased. He stripped away what little clothing he wore, revealing the fullness of his half-draconic figure. He smirked; the perks of being a demon was that he could choose nearly any shape he pleased, and that included his lower regions.

He waited now, for Kumiko to make her decision.

((Dirty demon is dirty. x: ))

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