The Glorious Flame (#2)

Chapter 4

     Inferno ordered another drink. "Ah, so you're curious about them? That is a fucked up road you don't want to travel down, trust me on that." She sounded too bitter, having failed to heal from whatever past that plagued her. 

     Rouhem disagreed, and knew her resistance meant he would hear things that would upset him. "We are going to see them soon. It would be in our best interest that I don't go in clueless," he responded. His thirst for some form of control clearly shown, but it did not restrain him from pursuing any available knowledge.

     She seemed to physically shrink. This was not easy for her. Rouhem knew she did not like to appear 'weak'. Oh, how wrong she was. "Well, let's just say they sent me away when they shouldn't have, and, uh, I was left to deal with the shitshow afterward. You get me?" 

    Rouhem shifted in his seat, feeling heat to be pumping in his chest, taking shape and form. It was the wicked fire of a fury he was hesitent to approach. Her family had hurt her? He could not stand the idea of her being in pain because of those who were supposed to love her most. "Shitshow?"

     Her head whipped his way, finally revealing the orange he craved to see. He was disappointed to find that she was wrung to the bone, spent by whatever was making her life force wane. "Yes, Rouhem," she snapped, "everyone has to deal with a shitshow at least once in their life. I am no exception. Though you would think I would get a break by now!" she looked away quickly. Her whiskey rapidly disappeared. 

     Rouhem did not know why he lacked the will to be upset with her out of everyone. If anything, she should have been the one who pissed him off most. Maybe it was because he understood her behavior to some degree, because he was familiar with it in himself. "They fucked up, huh? Someone dare fuck with Inferno, the murderous physcopathic pixie? Sounds like gossip." 

     "Well," she responded, soon less tense, "believe it or not, I didn't always know how to whoop ass. They fucked up before I could really knock some teeth out." Her confidence entered her body once more.

     "Do I need to prepare for brawl when we get there? I'll get my rings ready if you want." He was serious, enough so that he managed to surprise himself. 

     Inferno laughed, glancing his way with those brightening eyes. He was grateful for her change in mood. "Promise?" Her lovely voice was light with spells of sweet violence. 

     "Just say the word." He wasn't sure if she knew he kept rings on his body at all times. 

     "How about a safe word? Like if I say 'Rouhem, fetch', you haul-ass over to me and get ready to open a can of whoop-ass, yeah?" she appeared so smug, rather like her proposal was one generated from a genuis.

     Rouhem frowned. "I liked everything but the fetch part. Oh, is it because I am an Alter? That was low..." A majority of his people back home were Alters, beings which contained the soul a creature, an animal which roamed the wilderness.

     She immediately responded to his banter, clearly mentally loaded with fatal responses. "Ah, I see. I get in trouble for calling a half human and half animal a half human and half animal, and you bust my balls. But reference me being-"

     "Excuse me, ma'am, can I buy you a drink?" A slurring voice interrupted. Rouhem had been so distracted that he had not realized the blonde male was approaching. He was clearly under the influence of some cheap whiskey. Not that it mattered.

     His sight went crimson. His muscles tensed and he stood to his full height in order to face the human, illustrating to the fool how large of a difference there was between their sizes. Razors shot through his nails, and his blood began to boil. He nearly laughed when the puny male trembled with fear. Even this intoxicated human could identify the predator which he had just awoken.