12 Chapter 12: Mafrien- Confusion (2/2)
\tThe screams and cries, however, did nothing to soothe me. And I became frustrated as they called me some name in their strange, foreign tongue. The word ”Yokai” must have some awful meaning.... but I didn't understand.
\tFinally, after a week of destroying villages and lives, I happened across a larger town with a large manor in the middle of the city.
\tAnd I happened across a young maiden in a garden, in the forest just outside of this city's walls.
\tI approached her slowly, and as she noticed me, she began calling that one word and the other syllables and sounds she spoke blurred together until I began chanting a spell in my own mind and tongue to understand her.
\tI placed my hand over her forehead and my other hand over her mouth, and she screamed as the burning of our tongues began, in accordance with the spell that I had chanted. She pulled away, sucking in air to soothe her tongue's pain.
\tOnce the burning stopped in my own mouth, I spoke. ”Can you understand me now, woman?”
\tA look of shock, then understanding fear, crossed her pretty face. She nodded. ”Yes, demon, I understand you.”
\t”Good.”
\t”Are you the demon that everyone has been warning us about?” She asked, timid.
\t”Why would anyone warn you? Is your life so important?”
\tShe looked offended. ”I am the princess of these territories! Of course, my life is important.”
\t”It's not to me,” I said. But I did study her more closely in the moon's light.
\tHer robes were more flowing than the other women I had seen in this country so far. They drug the ground behind her. They looked very expensive, made out of fine silk with bright, golden patterns embroidered all over it. She wore a strange, wide, thick band around her waist that covered from just below her breasts to just above her hips.
\tHer hair nearly reached the ground, a flowing waterfall of shimmering black with a blue shine.
\tHer eyes were a little less slanted than her fellow countrymen. They were a rich, bright hazel color with blue flecks around the pupil.
\tShe walked and stood with an air of grace and confidence. Her skin was like porcelain.
\tYes, indeed I could see that she was royalty among these average humans....and I lusted after her.
\tI decided to play a game with her.
\t”Tell me, girl; why should I spare your village? What could you offer me, a 'demon'?”
\t”Being a princess, I am very wealthy and I-”
\t”I am the Prince of the 'demon' people, girl. I am richer than you could fathom.” I chuckled. ”I was thinking something a little more...personal.”
\tShe looked uncomfortable, and backed away from me slowly. ”I....I don't understand,” she stuttered out.
\t”Oh, I think that you do understand,” I said darkly, grabbing her arm.
\t”Please! Please, no! I am to be wed tomorrow!”
\t”If you do not comply and give me what I want, your village will be destroyed and you will all be dead before tomorrow,” I said.
\tShe cringed, and tears ran down her pretty face. ”But I-”
\t”Would you rather save your pride, or your village? You cannot have both.”
\tShe finally tried to calm down. ”What must I do?”
\tI was confused. I always seemed to be confused. ”What?”
\t”I...” She looked away, her cheeks tinging pink. ”I've never known a man's touch before....I do not know what to do....”
\tA virgin, hm? I smiled viciously. ”Disrobe.”
\tI watched with hungry eyes as she untied the wide belt at her waist, and her many robes fall open and to the ground.
\tI disrobed as well, and her terrified eyes widened when she saw how...thoroughly well I was endowed. Her body began to shake.
\t”Lay on your back and spread your legs apart.”
\tShaking, she did as I instructed. And as I covered her body with my own, tears ran down her face as she hiccupped, her fear making her breathe faster.
\tHer body was long and lean, her breasts small but perky.
\tAnd when I descended upon her, she screamed into my mouth.
\tI could feel her bleed around me, and she continued to cry out and scream into my mouth as I ripped her body and used it to my heart's content.
\tWhen I had finished having my way with her, she moved to curl in on herself and cry softly.
\tI stood, dressing myself. ”What is your name, girl?”
\tShe sniffled, still crying. ”I am Saya.”
\tThat was the word that meant 'Sheath' in their language. I tried to think of a fitting name for myself, some name that she could have to remember me by.
\t”Call me 'Katana',” I said, giving her the word for 'Sword.'
\t”Katana....”
\tI nodded. ”It is Lord Katana to you.” And then I used a spell to revert back to my native tongue before I summoned Coal to come and get me.
\tAs we flew away, she cried out. ”Katana-sama!” She fell to her knees.
\tI knew than in just a few months.... she would give birth to a child. My child. A half human, half Darkelf child.
\tI had successfully destroyed her life.
\tAnd yet...I found no joy or pleasure from the thought.
\tI was angry with myself. ”Take me back to Kysael, Coal,” I said.
\t”Yes, Prince.”
\tI scoffed. ”I thought that all of my activities here would cause me to feel joy. Instead, I only feel annoyance at myself. What has that confounded hybrid girl done to me, Coal? I am losing myself. I am no longer the cold, ruthless, mischievously evil bastard that I used to be. I....damn it all, I feel things! The Darkelf Prince should not feel things! Blast that girl!”
\t”What do you intend to do with her?” He asked.
\t”I was going to simply release her, but I am just so angry. I feel as if I should kill her, and yet.... something is compelling me to allow her to live.”
\t”She does have a certain.... almost bewitching charm about her. Perhaps that is why so many feared and hated her in her homeland. They simply couldn't admit their own spirits tugging them, drawing them to be near her.”
\t”Do you feel drawn to her, Coal?” I asked.
\tHe chuckled, and the sound rumbled deeply in his throat. He gave me no other response.
\tJust who was this girl? Coal was the Lord of the Ice Wraiths. For her to have caught him like a bug in a spider's web was nearly impossible for my mind to grasp.
\tAnd damn it all, I was so confused that now, I was calling my ice wyvern an ice Wraith!
\tI cursed that girl in my mind. How could she muddle up my thoughts so horribly?
\tSeveral more days of flying passed before we finally reached the borders of Barrenwilds. The desert city was very large. Mud huts made up the majority of the dwellings and shops. Richer people lived in stone and wooden homes.
\tI strode confidently into the dungeon, straight to the girl's cell. I threw it open, and she infuriated me as she simply, calmly, walked out and stopped to watch me!
\t”Coal is waiting for you outside to take you back...wherever, I don't care where you go. Get out of here, now.”
\tShe startled, and finally showed some real emotion. ”You....you're not going to use me anymore? You're just.... letting me go?”
\tI met her eyes. ”I do not want to see you right now. I am tired of thinking about you. I want you out of my city, as soon as possible. I will return for you once you can actually show me that you still have some fight in you. You're no fun for me when you just accept everything that I do. It's boring. To be completely honest, it makes me want to kill you. Next time, try to be the girl who had me so intrigued with her fighting spirit.... not this lump of calm acceptance.”
\tWith a shy glance back at me, she ran out.
\t”My, my, young Prince,” an ancient voice laughed. ”How on this good earth did you come by such a wonderful girl?”
\tI glared, unamused, into his cell. ”Better than your mate, eh, old man?”
\t”Watch your tongue! I am still far superior to you or your deranged father, Mafrien. You should show respect to your elders.”
\t”Shut up, Manwen.”
\tI saw the decrepit old Skyelf king. His long, silvery blonde hair was shaggy, unkempt. He wore ragged clothes, barely covering his body.
\tHis wing stubs, where his wings had been before they had been cut off to the base, twitched restlessly.
\tI had met him as a young child, when my deranged father had me locked in the dungeon for three years to teach me to be independent. The Skyelf king had been kind to me, giving me advice and trying to teach me the ways of the world since my father wouldn't.... but my father ended up teaching me the ways of the world that he wanted to create.
\tAnd over the centuries, this great Skyelf had fallen. But he still held incredible wisdom and power. The air always shimmered around him; the aura of his power radiant.
\tHis silver eyes locked with mine. ”You really shouldn't play with peoples' lives,” he said.
\t”Oh, trying to relive the days when I was a child and you tried to steer me onto the path of righteousness, are you? Don't bother.”
\tHe scoffed. ”You are still such a child.”
\tI rattled the bar door to his cell. ”And you are still a pathetic coward who gave up a war just to protect a race of people who no longer would have existed either way, you foolish old bag of dust!” I shouted.
\tHe looked amused. ”Did your little tantrum help you to feel better?”
\t”Damn it all!” I screamed, punching a hole through the stone wall as I walked into Kysael's cell.
\t”You have feelings for the girl!” He said, surprised.
\tThat is when I knew that it truly was hopeless. Even the Skyelf king, locked away in a dungeon for centuries, could tell that I felt something for the girl. If it was truly that obvious, I would never be able to face my father again.
\tI'd never have a chance to overthrow him. All of this may as well have been for nothing. It was over.
\t”You want to overthrow Kellerok, don't you?”
\tI turned my attention back to Manwen. ”You have my undivided attention.”
\t”Then that girl-” He pointed to the closed door at the end of the hall that held these cells. ”That girl is the key to defeating Kellerok.”
\tI scoffed. ”And how would you know that?” I sneered.
\tHe chuckled, and as he began to explain.... shocked confusion nearly froze my heart in my chest.