Chris had a confused look across his face as i continued to read my book. It was as if everything he'd been told about humans was a lie.
"Aren't humans generally more prideful? Why do you demean yourself?"
I ignored his question
"hey! Talk to me!" Chris walked over and started punching at my arms while i was drawn into my book. "Give me attention!" He tried pulling the book from my hands but failed falling butt first onto the grass. "Why are you ignoring me!?"
Finally moving my arm Chris grew excited but immediately felt betrayal as i munched on a bright red apple i pulled from my necklace.
Chris stared at me for a moment then got up from the floor and sat next to me reading the book. "The chronicles of iron? Thats a book you can only get in Dargon. How did you get it?"
The elf looked at me for an answer but i just crunched into my apple. "Ill just read with you then until you talk to me." He pulled my arm holding the book down and we read together.
He was able to keep up with my reading pace surprisingly but he did ask to go back a few times though i ignored him.
A few hours later as we continued reading more books to pass the time a door opened and an old man with grey hair and a goatee in a gown entered the courtyard "grandchild! What are you doing with that person?"
"Reading a book!" Chris shouted close to my ear "He has so many that aren't even in the royal library!"
my ear rang from the loud shout for a moment and by the time it stopped the old man was already in front of me. He didn't act indifferent like the rest of the elves but he wasn't demeaning either.
It looked like he was waiting for me to speak but i just flipped a page making him frustrated "hey go back. I wasn't done yet." With a sigh i did as Chris asked
If Chris is the to be king and is calling the old man grandpa then that must mean he was the former elven king Isaac Inayarus whose notorious for being a battle junkie.
"Alright I'm done." After Chris spoke he left the bench going behind the old man onto the arena.
The old elf just continued looking at me until i finally closed my book unable to concentrate anymore "can i help you?"
The old man smirked and looked at Thorn "you have an interesting pet, almost as interesting as you are." My eyebrow raised questioning what he was implying "and if what I've been told is true you have two more interesting pets and are highly adept with weapons."
"If you need help finding a sparring partner I'm sure one of the royal protectors nearby would be enough."
Irritated by my words the old man picked me up taking my feet of the ground holding me by the back of the collar. "You remind me a lot of a certain half elf with white hair and a terrible personality."
Shit. Dendra told me how she caused mayhem in Elshide once.
"What is your relation to, Dendra the conqueror?"
Thorn opened his eyes and grinned waiting for a fight. "She was a crazy old hag that kidnapped and trained me. What of her?
the elf stroked his short goatee and carried me onto the arena "really now?" He dropped me and pulled out an ordinary sword "what techniques did she pass on to you?"
I took a step back showing my lack of fighting spirit. If i get in trouble now Lumine really will scold me and this elf may be old but he's no joke. If i use attrium the fight would end quickly as well and I wouldn't be able to talk my way out of how i won. "I shouldn't of come." I breathed with a sigh
the old man noticed my hesitant state and talked "dont worry. If you get in trouble with the girl I'll say its my fault, little demon."
My hand froze over with ice at his words. How does he?
Sensing my killing intent he answered "birds not only have ears but they have eyes as well, Incursik."
This bastard. The ice covering my hand turned into a clawed gauntlet. This at least answers why Chris was following me.
My gaze looked at Chris on the other side of the arena waiting for the fight to start.
"Who else knows?"
"Just the royal family and a few trusted mouths." He pointed his sword at me waiting and I dissolved the gauntlet pulling out a crimson sword "now. What did she train you with?" A scintilla glowed bright brown from under his gown empowering the violent aura around him.
"Heh. Of course you have one." Pulling my scintilla from my necklace i slotted it into my belt and threw off my long coat, my white aura clashed with his producing sparks in the air. "Lets see if the old generation is out of style!"
Launching forwards my sword swung around to isaac's side, he tapped his foot and a pillar of stone stopped my sword. "Just like your teacher. Impatient."
Isaac smiled meeting my excited gaze and our clash began as i spun around pulling my sword from the stone pillar and aiming for his other side.
Lumine POV:
Just as my conversation with Alma's parents finished the castles white walls shook heavily.
"What?"
"Is that old coot up to something again?"
The king and queen had very different reactions as the king was angry while the queen was worried.
Another crash was heard and we all went to the shaking windows looking down in to the courtyard seeing a cloud of smoke with pillars of earth sticking out of it and violent crackles of lightning hovering around them.
The queen turned to Alma "dear... you said there was one other than the Searigan envoy that came with you, correct?"
"...yes." Alma had this defeated gaze as she realised her blunder
The king immediately rushed away as a pillar shot into the air pushing something up. Lightning then circled the pillar as it flashed down and the walls shook from a shockwave. "That old bastard couldn't wait to show a bad image to the demon!"
"How do you-"
Alma smiled at my words as i cut myself off. The birds really are good at gathering information.
Following after the king i rushed after cursing Cayde's ability to find trouble getting even madder than i already was at his stupidity.
Arriving at the doors that went in we opened them to then be greeted by a broken wooden sword flying straight into the door. I looked at the king worried for his safety but his anger just kept growing.
"Father you slim brained idiot! Stop this!"
Is a king suppose to talk so vulgarly?
The earth spikes then collapsed and the dust was blown away to show an old man clashing swords with Cayde pushing him against a raised earthen wall with a black wyvern wrapping his tail around him trying to pull him away with the help of Ronik.
The wyvern roared and Cayde moved punching the floor covering the elf's legs in ice. The elf slashed at Cayde's head as he flashed away. "Ronik! Now!"
The giant golem let go of the wyverns tail, jumped and body slammed the elf. the dragon pulled its tail away then the hundreds of parts that made up its body flew to where the elf was trapped in the centre burying him under a small mound of wood.
Atop the mound Ronik could be seen struggling to hold it together in his stubby form then an arm burst out shattering the wood but it moved about covering it once more like how a slime would devour its prey.
"Lupra!" As Cayde called out a white wolf emerged from his chest and sprinted out head butting the large cluster of wood immediately freezing it over in thick ice.
The three beasts took several steps away from the cluster as Cayde caught his breathe raising his sword. "Did he win?"
the ice cracked "he did not. Damn it." The king was very unhappy as he clicked his tongue
The ice shattered shooting giants chunks flying. One was flying directly to my chest but it disintegrated before it could even touch me as it met my light magic.
the great force sent the stubby Ronik flying along with Lupra while Cayde held his ground stabbing his sword into the floor and Thorn gliding on the wind like nothing.
the old man emerged from the centre patting off the dirt on his gown "not bad young-un. Your methods are different but that power is undoubtedly hers"
Cayde pulled his sword out and readied for another confrontation. The old man then appeared in front of him and right as Cayde lifted his sword Thorn's tail came striking for the old man who was swinging his sword.
"Stop."
All three froze from the emotionless voice. The king and i turned to see the queen exuding a powerful aura that seemed to dominate all the wind around her.
Looking back at them the three looked to be trying to break out of invisible chains stopping their movements.
"Drop your weapons."
Caydes fingers slowly uncurled and his crimson sword fell to the floor with the old mans
"sit and shrink"
the large dragon turned into the size of a cat and pressed itself down growling out as a white wolf and Ronik the same size sat next to it automatically unable to resist.
the old man went down to both knees quickly, facing the queen as she approached "daughter in law! How good to see you. I was just doing some light sparring no need to stay." The former dignity of the old man had been replaced with fear as his cranium pressed against the floor.
White veins were covering Cayde's body opposing the puppetry placed on him keeping him standing though it looked as if gravity was crushing him as the ground cracked under his feet "nice aspect. It part of the mind root or is it something relating to gravity in the power root?"
His body was fighting against itself yet cayde was still able to talk casually impressing myself and everyone else present, the queen included. "How peculiar." The queen freed Cayde from his constraint and he was sent flying backwards out of nowhere.
he slid back into Lupra's belly looking up at his tames and stayed still "ow."
"Father in law you know you cant do this anymore. The doctors have said its not good for your health!"
As the queens lecture continued i ran around and kneeled beside Cayde's tired body "Cayde! Are you okay?"
Looking down at him i saw the silver veins vanish on approach as if to hide from me "yeah. Nothing that wont heal within the hour so don't worry." He said this but all i could do was worry. His breathing became more stable then he picked himself up "ill try and not be a bother anymore."
Despite just being sent flying Cayde got up and acted indifferent to me walking out of the courtyard grasping his shoulder.
I sat there confused by his cold shoulder as he walked away. The three beasts in their tiny forms growled at Cayde but he continued walking away.
Did i do something wrong? Why was he looking so far away all of a sudden? Whenever he was near it felt warm but now all i feel is the cold.
The beasts were finally free and Ronik pulled a pice of paper and a pencil out from his core and began writing something.
Once he finished he lifted the paper (master thinks that you don't want to be associated with him anymore due to your cold behavior to him the past week.)
"What?" When was i being cold? I had distanced myself from him but thats because i was afraid I'd blurt out i stayed in his bed. How does he get me not wanting to see him anymore from that?
"Cayde wait!"
As i picked up my knees Cayde had left the courtyard leaving his tames behind. I stood there silently for a moment trying to understand him but nothing entered my mind. The boy who i had known since i was 5 and always so playful was leaving me behind.
"Grrr. Woof!" Lupra snarled at me angrily then ran after him. The pup that was normally so cuddly was angry at me.
"Lupra!"
I ran after her but when she turned there was this vicious intent that warned me not to go after her or Cayde making me stand in place. She then jumped through an open window.
My eyes looked down at the angry wyvern sneering at the queen and Ronik who was writing again. (Master requires an explanation on your behavior. Else he will think that your feelings are only pity and not care.)
Ronik dropped the paper and waddled away pulling Thorn by the tail in a different direction to Lupra.
My eyes however stuck to the writing on the floor. It wasn't neat or tidy but it was readable. What did i do wrong? I just needed some time to myself to compose my thoughts. Surely he would understand that. Pulling my eyes away from the writing i saw i was left alone in the courtyard.
looking up the sky had began to darken and turn into night.
Before it got any darker i went inside walking past all the servants listening in on their conversations.
"That human. Did he look lonely to you?"
"Are you feeling sympathetic for a human? He's probably a descendent of some famous elf murderer with those moves!"
The more i walked the more i heard the insults directed to Cayde. I wanted to refute them. He wasnt a human but a demon. No other race has been in as much pain as his yet he was being ostracized like this.
I wanted to fight for him but whenever my mouth opened the memory of him killing the foxes in the forest flashed forwards scaring me. His cold yet satisfied face covered in blood horrifying me to my core.
The more I remembered about Cayde the stronger that memory had become. It reminded me of when the black knight saved me. I didn't see the slaughter and the bodies were turned to ash yet as he stood in the dark cave he wasn't happy about what he'd done as his whole body shook.
Unknowingly i had arrived in my room and I immediately climbed into my bed hiding under the blanket.
The memory of our reunion in Renoa then resurfaced of how he threatened to kill me before i revealed myself to him making me shudder.
"...just what kind of person are you really Cayde?"
My eyes closed and i fell asleep
*
The next morning i looked around earnestly for Cayde to try and get an explanation from him. I'd ask the servants but they would all give me the same answer
"The humans none of my business. He can look after himself."
I went to the king and queen but to their surprise it was also unknown where he was along with Isaac the former king. He never went to his provided room and was not heard from since the fight. All they knew was that his tames were still in the castle roaming about.
Trying to track them down i quickly paced through the large corridors asking attendees if they had seen them. It was a bothersome method but nothing had been heard about Cayde yet and the sightings of his familiars gradually decreased.
On the second day of searching not even a whisper was heard of them and Alma's birthday was happening tomorrow.
"Why are you avoiding me now. I don't want to be alone again."
Clang!
Turning around reflexively i saw a black bat in the distance sniggering after it pushed down an empty knight armor with its tail "Thorn!" My voice echoed down the corridor. Finally!
As i ran after it the Wyvern rolled over onto its back atop a gargoyle not even paying notice of me. When i got close to it i spoke "listen. I know Cayde probably doesn't want to see me right now but could you take me to him?"
The wyvern stayed motionless almost appearing cute until it stuck its pink tongue out at me "you can understand Cayde so why cant you understand me?!" The wyverns wings spread out and turned into legs as it yawned heavily.
Its tail then raised up showing a pierced piece of paper with messy handwriting. Opening it i saw it was Roniks. (Master has hidden himself on the roof above the castle.)
The roof? Thats one of the most dangerous places he could be! If i go there i will slip and fall to my death.
My worry continued until my eyes spotted the hidden slip and pulled out a photo of Cayde sitting at the roofs edge stroking Lupra as he looked into a window across him. Looking into the window i saw myself running through the hallways.
That jerk was watching me look for him this whole time?
Looking at Cayde's face i saw this faint sorrow in his mocking expression.
I looked through the open window near me that Thorn must of flown through and saw Ronik casually walking to where purple and silver lights were glowing.
Having no way to the roof myself i looked at Thorn with a begging expression but he ignored me covering his eyes with his tail.
"Cayde. What did i do?."