The Lord of Night pretended not to notice the stupid human as she clambered up his tree with as much grace as a dying Direwolf. His life was so chaotic and stressful the past few days, that some entertainment was in order, and the insufferable little girl, through lack of candidates, had volunteered as his jester. Who was he to refuse?
The half-demon girl stopped her grunts and curses as she slowly shifted her centre of mass to find a stable fork on which to precariously make her perch. The Lord of Night’s finger itched to prod the teetering human off her branch, just to see what sound she would make as she fell.
He took a deep breath and clenched his fist, controlling his impulses , so that he wouldn’t break his toy too soon.
“Valendor,”
“The moon is beautiful tonight. Isn’t it,” The Lord of Night flashed his fangs and tilted his head mockingly at the human, whose face was set in stony determination. How cute. “Did you come all the way to my humble treetop to enjoy its splendour as well?”
“You’re right, the moon is beautiful,” Kira’s heart raced in anticipation, if not from the arduous climb. “But I know what would make it even more beautiful,”
“How so?” The Lord of Night tilted his head menacingly, fangs glinting. “You claim that the moon is not perfect as is?”
“Oh, the moon’s brilliance is absolute,” Kira licked her lips, and smiled slightly, recognising Valendor’s silent challenge. “But in a matter of perspective, I’m saying that you would probably enjoy it more when Professor Thornewood is not your master,”
“Quite possibly,” The Lord of Night was quite amused by the human’s brash and straightforwardness, quite fitting considering her earth affinity.
“So let’s make a deal, you will teach me your skills so I can protect myself while l research how to transfer your bond with the professor to me instead,” Kira excitedly explained. “I would be a better master given that I summ-AHH”
“INSOLENCE,” The Lord of Night bellowed, his deep and primal snarl shook the treetops, and he kicked the branch under the egotistical, stupid little girl. Barely reining in his pressure and bloodlust.
Watching with a baleful scowl as the shameless mortal tumbled down the massive tree, he hoped darkly that it would die either impaled on a branch or as a blood splatter on the forest floor. The puny, presumptuous fly wasn’t even worth a drop of mana to waste on vaporising, nor worth dirtying his precious blades.
At that point it wasn’t even on impulse that the Lord of Night kicked the branch off mid-sentence, he was beyond pissed. How dare that impudent human speak to, much less demand him, the freaking Lord of Night with such conceited arrogance?
The flimsy branch at top of the trunk he was perched on shook with his unadulterated fury, leaves and small branches fell loose as he tried to regain his temper. Such insignificant pestilence was not worth his time nor mental health to be bothered by.
Letting the crisp night breeze cool the raging fire in his chest, the bulging veins on his forehead faded slowly. The Lord of Night huffed forcefully, deeply irked that instead of stress relief, that block-head of a measly meatsack had pushed him so far off the edge with a few sentences.
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Slowly starting to regret not gagging the human -half human, half demon actually, the Lord of Night reminded himself, forgetting that the dumb girl had any links at all to his chosen- as the ear-grating shriek it let loose had likely woken up the entire camp. While not particularly concerning, it probably wasn’t the best idea to kill the student of the headmaster, who was currently his only informant in this day and age.
The Lord of Night scowled, head tilted to the side in half irritation, half thoughtfulness, his temper control should really need some work, unfortunate side effect of all the chemicals in a physical body, but if he lost control again, he could lose face or respect, even accidentally killing some useful mortals.
Huffing, the Lord of Night deeply mused as calmly as he could, for an angry person was easy to manipulate: all you had to do was misdirect it. But he cut himself some slack, it had been three thousand years since he last had to deal with emotions and anger of a body afterall. He acknowledged that they were both useful tools and powerful motivators, but were ultimately double-edged swords that he could cut himself with if uncareful.
There were slight tremors through the wood of the tree into his feet, so the Lord of Night put aside his musings and peered down the tree with dark suspicions that the pest still lives.
All it took was a glance to confirm said suspicions, the stubborn brick-for-brains girl was climbing up the tree again, the Lord of Night suppressed his bloodlust and sat back with slight incredulity at the sheer stubbornness displayed in such a tiny mortal.
Her guts were to be commended, or was it pure idiocy? She was like a mindless cockroach coming back for round two, a very annoying cockroach he should refrain from killing for all intents and purposes of placating that headmaster.
It was maddening. But the Lord of Night’s pride refused to lose to his primal desires to maul the child, and so he begrudgingly allowed the invasion of his privacy once again.
…
Kira was in shock. She had forgotten just how powerful Valendor’s presence was, and was instantly knocked out. The vague sensation of falling was the last thing she sensed before her lights went out. She also remembered screaming her lungs out as she did.
But this time the Night Warden’s pressure was more controlled than the last, and Kira recovered quickly, waking up at the sight of the earth fast approaching.
Instincts kicking in, she pumped her gauntlets full with mana, directing the spell at the ground below her, she cast Earthen Decompaction.
The earth’s density directly below her decreased considerably as soil particles shifted outwards to the earth beside the area of effect, and upwards creating a large mound of loose, tilled soil.
Kira sank into the mound of dirt face first, eating a mouthful of soil in the process. After a bit of struggle and wriggling around, she got out of her very wet, very earthy-smelling, life-saving hole of dirt.
Despite being kicked off a tree, Kira was only even more strongly reminded of the power Valendor wields, and, utterly desperate to make it her own, she cast Earthen obelisk beneath her feet and launched herself into the air to get a boost up the tree. Once again, she made the long climb. Every aching muscle added to the list of pros of gaining Valendor’s Shadow Jump skill.
Besides, Kira encouraged herself, if it only took her a few more falls and a few more climbs, it would be absolutely worth it: she had everything to gain and nothing to lose, as her life would easily forfeit should it ever tickle her father’s fancy.
She had learned it the hard way this time, Kira thought bitterly, it still stung that her father would actually even slightly consider throwing her under the wagon at the smallest political inconvenience. Though she knew deep down that it was the logical thing for the head of house to sacrifice one for the betterment of all the others.
It was her duty as the third in line to serve her noble house with all she has afterall, but Kira couldn’t help but feel abandoned by the house she loved and grew up in. She can no longer trust them for having her back, so they can all go eat her dust when she leaves.
The entire kingdom and their shitty politics can go suck it. Once Kira manages to get Valendor for herself, no one can stop her or hunt her down when she packs her bags to the neighbouring countries.
Kira paused her climb and sniffled sadly.
It's alright though. She will be more powerful soon.
She must.