The sound of metal being sharpened awoke Azureth. He reached for his sword, but found it missing.

“Looking for something?” a feminine voice asked.

Azureth wasted no time. He rose to his feet and a blast of fire came out of his hand. The target stepped back out of the way.

“Now, that’s not very nice,” she hummed. He could see her clearly. She had long brunette hair and elven ears. She was about the worst thing he could possibly run into after a dragon, and he was certain his father sent her after him. He bit the bottom of his lip and stood defensively. He wasn’t sure where she came from, but she was dangerous, and even more so without his armour to help protect him.

She dropped his sword to the ground and pulled out two long daggers that were on her legs. “I didn’t want to have to do this.”

“Then you shouldn’t be working with my father,” Azureth growled. He charged forward at her, dodging the slashes of her blade as he moved. His fist made contact with her side, and for a moment she was stunned. That quick second was all he needed to pick up his sword. She turned towards him again. The two entered a dance of blades. Fury filled him, yet it did not consume his mind. He had to be smart about what moves he made.

He hissed in pain as one of her blades sliced at his shoulder. Azureth summoned more flames to envelope the sword.

She summoned water that wrapped around her daggers. Azureth cursed under his breath. His father sent someone with an artefact after him. Their powers clashed with each other, creating a large amount of steam that went up into the air. They jumped back and circled each other. She was his match, and he enjoyed the thrill of this battle.

“Do you really think your father would send someone as strong as me without a slave mark?” she yelled at Azureth.

“Bounty hunters are known to hide their marks. You’re no different.” Azureth steadied the grip on his sword. He watched as the blood trickled down his arm. “How much did he pay you?”

“Why would an elf like me work with the king that massacred my people?”

Finally she said something with some truth, and she had a point. Azureth kept his sword ready. “Then who are you?”

“I’m Eulalia.”

The name sounded familiar to Azureth, but he couldn’t quite remember where he heard it from. “If you are not one of my father’s bounty hunters, then why are you here?” His eyes narrowed.

“Let’s just say a little birdie from a nearby town told me you’d be here. You don’t become powerful by not having connections.” Eulalia smiled. Her summoned water dissipated. “You’re not the only one that has a vendetta against the king, and I happen to know people that will gladly help you. Word travels fast, and rumours are the king is offering a title for whoever brings your head.” She walked through the flames and looked Azureth in the eyes. “You could always use more allies.”

Azureth knew that if he found the hero, the dragon would be more than enough. If he could do it without the help of the dragon, that would be even better, even though that meant he would still have to find the hero. “And who exactly is Eulalia?”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Azureth frowned. “I hope you’ll be ready to go in five minutes, then. We’re heading to the town that’s on the other side of this forest.” He turned on his heels and walked over to Zura. “I don’t like her,” he whispered to the mare. She nickered in response and returned to eating the green grass. He brushed off her tack and her body off with his hand. The equipment fit on Zura perfectly. He placed his armour on him.

Azureth glanced back at Eulalia. “Are you ready to go?”

“Naturally.” She placed her daggers back in the sheaths on her legs. “Can your mare carry one more person, or would you rather I run alongside you?”

“How did you get here so far without a horse?” He glared at her.

“A secret,” Eulalia said.

“Fine.” Azureth hopped onto Zura’s back. He held out his hand to the elf.

“What a gentleman you are.” She accepted his hand up. She sat behind the saddle and wrapped her arms around Azureth’s waist. He cued Zura as soon as he was sure that the elf was secure. As they moved, he could feel the eyes of the dragon linger on him. Azureth didn’t need it to speak to know what it was saying to him. The dragon’s fangs flashed in his mind, and soon, it would want to use him as a toothpick.

===

The two made it through the forest with no problems. Azureth was thankful that the elf didn’t try to make conversation with him yet. Annoyance with her lingered from this morning. And the way she acted like his horse was obligated to carry her because she was ill prepared. He also didn’t like that he knew nothing about Eulalia, but she knew quite a bit about him. It didn’t make sense. A sigh escaped his lips as he took in the vast hilly plains of his kingdom.

Azureth looked over his shoulder. “You’re going to have to walk. Zura can’t carry us both over these plains,” he said.

“You would make a lady walk?” Eulalia pursed her lips.

“And you think me to be a gentleman?” He raised a brow, though she couldn’t see.

“I thought at the very least you wouldn’t be so cruel to make me walk,” she huffed.

“Sorry to disappoint. Now off, before I push you off.”

She slid off the back end of Zura and smiled. “You’re so mean. You never used to be this way.”

Used to? Does she know me? From where? There were too many questions around her, but none of the answers would help him get what he wanted. He urged Zura forward, enjoying the freedom from Eulalia’s grip. “Why exactly are you helping the son of the king that killed many of your people?”

“Because I always repay favours.” Again Eulalia’s response brought about more questions.

“I don’t know what you think I did, but I didn’t do it,” Azureth responded dryly.

All he got from her was a simple, “Hmm.” He turned his attention back to the plains, welcoming the silence it brought.

The sun beamed down relentlessly on the group from the west. Azureth could feel hunger snake its way through his stomach, yet he had nothing to appease it. Eulalia made no complaints the entire time, which was strange when she didn’t want to get off of Zura, but he wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Why does your father want to kill you?” Eulalia asked, breaking the silence.

“Because he’s a coward, and cowards do foolish things,” Azureth said.

“Would you have been happy being his war dog for as long as he lived?”

He cocked his head to the side. He knew what she was talking about. Others thought of him as just an attack dog that his father sent after kingdoms that upsetted him, and he couldn’t blame the elf for thinking much the same. Her kind could have always been the next target of his sword.

“I would have been happier if he didn’t try to kill me,” he said, deciding not to answer her question.

“That doesn’t answer my question.” She crossed her arms and pouted.

“I know.”

“Hmph.” She stomped past Zura. “You’re impossible.”

“Says the one that hasn’t talked to me until now.” Azureth urged Zura into a trot. The horse moved past Eulalia, effectively ending the conversation.

“You’re such a dick!” Eulalia yelled after him.

Azureth smiled at the comment. At least she was truthful about some things.