(The last two chapters are shorter than normal, I am sorry, oversleeping really took a large bite out of my writing time, I will make it up sooner or later with HUUUUGE chapters :P. Although those chapters are more of a light prelude to more serious chapters, I don't wanna bore you with all the dry stuff and not even a resemblance of comedy. The mistakes will be corrected right now while you guys read or tommorrow morning. I need a new keyboard, some letters won't be typed when I press. I really don't want to keep writing into the night, that won't end good. Anyways, enjoy this little chapter of mine. :D <- smileys are reeeeeally important.)
Morose Hirahn walked away from the camp, a bit of magic later and the corpses were burried under rolling masses of earth. As he strolled over the parched plains, the small pebbles tickling under his feet and the warm wind caressing his body, he began thinking about what his actions might have caused. In all likeliness the information of a second demon was already spreading far and wide, further hindering diplomatic interchange.
He knew his little 'midnight-snack' would cause massive fights and probably the abortion of any future for peace treaties. He made the load on the king's back a tiny bit heavier. Hirahn in his human form shivered from the paperwork Alexander would have to go through. 'But I really had to alleviate the stress on my mind.', Hirahn didn't want to accept his grave mistake. 'Well, I will make it up to him somehow.'
Two outcomes were plausible: Either he would be seen as a third impartial individual or they would associate him with Sylais. Whichever held true the meeting in a few weeks would be canceled as long as no additional security measures were in place. Placing himself in the shoes of the Alliance he could already invision heirs being slaughtered by a feral demon in all places. Of course if, and only if, the meeting would still take place Hirahn would make sure to keep his killing to a minimum and maybe look for some sinners to kill and vent his anger on before the meeting took place.
As he wandered and thought about things that could not be prevented anymore he already reached the outer perimeters of Ysolde. Checking up on his body, covered in gore and grime, Hirahn decided that it would not make such a favorable impression on the citizens if he entered like this. What would people be thinking if they saw a half nude man covered in blood stroll through their streets as if it was a warm sunday afternoon.
Hirahn focused his mind, the bare minimum of his concentration was needed for the spell he was about to use. Like the night before the space around him began to tremble, a teleportation spell, impossible for humans to conduct, was now taking place.
The problem with teleportation was the fact that matter was already present wherever you would want to teleport to, only a being of pure magic, a being that mastered its control, can use teleportation. Instead of teleporting to the position he decided on he would rematerialize himself out of the particles in that area, it was more of a transfer of the vessel from one point to another with his soul bound to it. The main reason why 'gods' and mortals couldn't achieve such a feat was the fact that their body and soul were not one. Even if against all the odds a being reached the pinnacle of magic control they still won't be able to move their soul into their vessel once outside, only if the vessel is damaged to a large degree which would cause the soul to slip out again in no time.
Hirahn was amazed by how weak those creatures around him are as he thought about the fundamental laws of magic that he himself has discovered.
Faintly he remembered the days when he tried to play God. Standing, without anyone noticing, besides a comatose boy he could see the young humans soul slowly drifting into the nether. Having nothing else to do Hirahn tried to plug the boys soul back in but all his attempts have failed, with Hirahn ending up destroying the vessel, in which he could then plug the soul back in. But well, the vessel was already destroyed so the soul slipped back out. He gave up after ten or so attempts in reincarnating the boy. Good 'ol days. He remembered Saraya reprimanding him because he shouldn't play with human souls.
As the spell finished Hirahn faintly remembered the most absolute law of magic, a pardoxic law. It can create miracles. What were once laws could be broken by sheer will, the snap of a finger or by a word alone, nothing was impossible. The existence of magic was absolute but not its rules. 'But then this law can be broken as well, can't it?', Hirahn thought before shrouding himself in the distortions of space.
Seconds later Hirahn stood in his room again.
Raising his arms and sniffing underneath Hirahn could only grimace about the stench of his own body. Casually taking the torn clothes off and chucking them into a corner he turned around to leave for the baths. As he turned around he noticed that the door he broke off was repaired. 'Have I not... I have kicked that open, haven't I?', Hirahn grumbled but thought nothing of it.
Silently, tiptoeing, he dragged his feet towards the door, he leaned his ear against the wood and listened. Nothing, no soldiers running through the castle investigating his disappearance, no people going mad that a devil is on the loose. 'Good, good.', he whispered to himself.
Slowly Hirahn openned the door to the neatly lit corridor. The door creaked slightly, made his appearance audible and Hirahn jerk up in nervousness. Not wanting to get any more stressed out he gulped down and in all his nakedness he set his first foot into the hall. His eyes scanned both ways where people could jump out of at any moment. 'No one here...', Hirahn was cautious, those humans were pesky little creatures. 'I should stop thinking like that.', darning himself of the feelings of lordliness over mortals Hirahn closed the door carefully.
***
With utmost care I closed the door behind me and just as I was about to leave my eyes caught sight of silvery needles snuggling against the wall. With agape mouth and slumped shoulders I waited for the little miss princess to rebuke me. I waited a few seconds but not one single sound was uttered by the else so buoyant princess, instead there was the quietest of snorring floating side by side with the low background noise of the everyday life outside.
My gaze followed the lank, platinum coloured hair, thereupon shifting onto the peaceful sleeping face of the princess, resting with one hand against the wall. As the dulcet snores left her thin frame I couldn't help but chuckle. Her lavender lips slightly parted to reveal her beady teeth; her cherry cheeks and cute nose twitched with the light breeze passing through the hallway; long lustrous eyelashes and two fine eyebrows, both made up by silver sheen, coronated her lofty gorgeousness in a painting that even I had to admit was beautiful to behold.
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As naked as I was I took no chances. Walking back into my room I left once again shortly after, this time pants covering my private zones, the same dirty pants in which I killed unsuspecting people; they were densely caked in blood.
I noticed the occasional shudder that went through the princess, after all she had only a thin blanket to cover her body, and decided for myself, 'I can't leave her like that.'.
Call me a fool that I help my enemy, my mortal-enemy at that, but she was in my eyes nothing more than a innocent child. I lived for eternity, I lived with Saraya through times were people ate each other, burned others down and condemned their loved ones to a life full of torture. It was a dog eats dog world. This here? This was nothing, it was a childish cry for attention, maybe we both needed it and that's why I couldn't stop myself from provoking her. But I knew when was the time to stop such puerile acts. I didn't want her to become ill, highly unlikely since she is a High-Human, yet my consciousness would nag at me all day if I leave a child out in the cold.
Carefully I placed one hand behind her head, her soft hairs ran through my fingers like water. My other arm lifted her by the legs and in a kind of humilating princess carry I walked her, drowsing in my arms over the whole process, into my room. As though she was a piece of frail glass I placed her gently on my bed. I shuffled through the wardrobe, since I couldn't simply pull the blanket from underneath her, and covered her sleeping figure in a second blanket.
Smacking her lips cutely in her sleep I decided to finally wash myself off, clear mind and body.
I closed the door behind me, the little princess still showing no inclinations of waking up, and walked towards the baths. Not being nagged at was quite nice for a change. 'I think I like her sleeping self better.', I mused.
Finally reaching the destination I had set my sights on the entire time I could finally relax. I pulled on the handle of the two birch white doors and stepped inside. A cloud of vapour enveloped my body the moment I set my first foot in.
Slowly I accustomed myself to the foggy environment and who do I see there? Another High-Human with platinum hair.
Relaxing in one of the bigger baths was the king, Alexander.
With a towel on his face and leaning back on the baths rim he only noticed once I set foot into the water. I exhaled a long due sigh which caught his attention.
Leaning back in the heated water and letting its relaxing properties take over my body I could not care less about etiquette, any other king might have ordered his soldiers already to hang me for going into the same bath he was in, but Alexander was pretty open hearted the whole time; it may have been because I gave him a thoroughly beating, who knows?
"Has anyone told you, you smell?", the king asked me.
"Hum...? I think not, but yeah I pretty much stink like piss and shit.", I shrugged my shoulders.
"You really made yourself comfortable here huh...", the king hesitantly said.
"Sorry but I won't leave this bath any time soon.", I halfway submerged my face into the water. "It's way to snug here."
Instead of getting angry Alexander just smiled. "No, I don't mind it at all. In fact it's good that you are here. Can I ask you something?", he asked somewhat timid, which really caught me off-guard.
"Go ahead, as your guest I should answer your question. I don't want to be rude after all.", I gave him an evil smirk.
"Well, ignoring the fact that you barged into the castle of a king and took a room for yourself you are a really nice guest, I have to agree with you there.", he chuckled a bit. "But now serious. It might be a hassle to you and you can say no whenever you want. It's just-!", I burked his slow speech.
"'Can you train me?' or 'Show me how to improve my fighting style.'. Is that what you wanna ask?", one brow of mine rose as I asked.
"Y-yes it is.", he stuttered. 'It seems all those years of standing on the top made him forget how weak he actually is.', I gave him a soft smile. It was good to improve oneself, it is the basic principle behind strength and success. Since his aim was one that fit with my principles I would gladly help this poor king.
"Boy, I will accept you as my disciple.", I said and puffed my chest into the air.
"D-disciple, boy... that is somewhat contemptous, don't you think?", the phrase was disguised as a question but it was more of a demand coming from the last specks of dignity the King had.
"*cough* Alexander don't get me wrong here, but in comparison to me you are nothing more than a weak child, strength- and agewise. If you don't want to my disciple then so be it.", having finished cleaning myself I emerged from the water and prepared to walk it off. An evil smirk crossed my face as I saw the sulking king, his mind in conflict between the thirst for power and the last strand of royal dignity he had.
Alexander exhaled profoundly. "Ok.", his head nearly bowed into the water and the towel plopped down. "I accept you as my master!", he downright shouted with tears glistening in his eyes. "You do it for your kingdom, for your family, your citizens. There is nothing wrong with being his disciple.", he softly mumbled to himself.
"PAHAHAAAH!", I couldn't help but laugh as the king tried to assure himself that the decision he made was a correct one. He gave me a wry look before he too sported a defeated yet honest smile.
"Boy.". 'Man, I really like to denigrate people, don't I?'. "Your first lesson will begin shortly, after I put some clothes on.", I stood and said with hands on my hips.
The king shielded his eyes from my obscenity. "Y-yeah please do so. Like really, please put something on.".
As I headed for the door, gripped the handle, I turned around another time. "With that our debt is settled, right?", I said and bowed before leaving as jaunt as possible.
"What debt?!", I heard him asking in the distance.
"I killed a few of the enemy soldiers, scouts or something, nothing to severe.", it only reached the king as a faint whisper but his reaction was something I would have loved to see.
"W-W-WHAT?!", he shouted, the walls trembled and water splashed into the hallway. I on the other hand could only snicker.
'Now, how do I sneak past the sleeping princess and get myslef some new clothes?', I wondered as I began pursuing my way back.