Re: Saberfang

[Mirrormoth]

They set out to the next town. It wasn’t too far away, only a couple hours ride on horseback. As they plodded along the bumpy road, Seth read through the scroll the guide master had given them. Their next mission revolved around investigating a series of mysterious deaths, all the victims appeared to be mages, their magic drained right out of their bodies.

“It’s quite rare for magic to be drained to the point of death.” Seth added thoughtfully, “ Some animals do it of course – kinda like myself”, he grinned, “Though I prefer souls over magical essence. Humans don’t really do it though...it’s interesting”

When they finally arrived in the Town, Seth and Mila took up lodge at a local Inn.
They weren’t too tired from the ride, and feeling rather restless and hungry from the traveling, Seth insisted that they go for a walk.
They walked along the cobblestone roads and were about to decide on which Café they wanted to have supper at when suddenly a piercing scream filled the air.
Mila seemed too jump into action, making her way towards the sound. Seth on the other hand felt hungry and with a grumpy sigh he plodded after her.
When they arrived at the scene, they saw a woman crying hysterically over the limb form of her husband. Seth frowned, “And here I thought we would have a few hours before this investigation would start…guess not. This guy is dead.”
Crouching down beside Mila, Seth examined the body, “I don’t see any wounds…what happened here?”
The crying woman explained that he husband had been out the entire day and had just arrived home when he suddenly collapsed.
Flicking his cat ears thoughtfully, Seth held a hand over the corpse,”Was your husband a magician by any chance?...I can see he’s wearing mage gear, but there’s no trace of magic on him”
Wiping her eyes, the woman nodded and confirmed that he was a magician from the Kytetails Guild.

A few minutes later, the police arrived and removed the body. Seth and Mila decided to head back to the café to discuss the details of the murder.
“What do you think? ”

[Mirrormoth]

Picking at his food with clear boredom, Seth growled, “So when are we going to do something fun…these missions are so goodie goodie. At this rate I’ll lose my dark magic completely…also change the color of my collar, it's clashing with my look”

When he couldn’t get a rise out of Mila, He nibbled on a piece of fish and listened to the chattering people in the café.
He wasn’t all that surprised to find the villagers gossiping about the mysterious deaths, but something they said seemed to strike a cord of interest. A girl near the bar area, clearly too drunk to stand on her own, murmured something about a count and that mages connected to his court were the ones who had died.
That could be interesting…maybe someone is targeting that court…I better investigate a bit
Grinning at Mila, Seth added slyly, “I think that we might have a lead. I’m going to try and get some information out of that girl over there, she knows something…I’ll meet you back at the inn later”

Standing up and making his way towards the bar, Seth ordered a drink. He began to make casual chat with the girl and her friends, explaining that he was a traveller and was interested in the area and it’s sights.
After about 10 minutes of aimless conversation, Seth began to flirt with the ladies, his violet eyes gleaming seductively as he complimented them, teased them and played on their egos.
Very soon he had the drunken girl’s complete interest; she took him by the hand and lead him to her house down the street.

He returned a few hours later to the Inn he and Mila had booked. When he entered the room, he stretched lazily and greeted her with a cat-like smile, “Well I’ve got some good information for you…turns out that the Count people are talking about is a man called Vincent Greaves. The mage’s from his private court supposedly investigate ancient magic and artifacts. Word is that the Count’s head mage made an important discovery and that the murders have been occurring since then.”
Turning back into his cat form, Seth sat on Mila’s lap, “There supposed to an announcement about the discovery at the annual Greaves ball. Not sure how you’re going to get an invite, but I would recommend going.”

[erasmusdane]

After doing some digging Seth and Mila came across their way in.
The count had a cousin who was part of his court. This young mage had an eye for innocent mages and was used as the recruiter for young blood. His handsome face and boyish charm made most girls an easy target. Mila just had to get her way to him.

Mila positioned herself under a tree in a park between the count's court and his cousins house. The started practicing small showy spells. Nothing too flashy but high enough level to show that she has promise. After a few hours she got startled when a handsome young man tapped on her shoulder. Her spell despersed into glitter.
"Pardon me madame. I did not mean to startle you."
He bowed and held out his hand.
"Oh do not worry, i tend to get too wrapped up in my magic. Besides an interuption by a handsome fellow such as yourself is always welcome. " she giggled and put her hand gently in his, he kissed her hand and looked up at her.
"When i saw your face i could not help but come over. You are a talented mage and a very beautiful lady."
Mila blushed. "Oh you flatter me sir. I bet you have broken quite a few hearts in this manner."
"Oh hearts have been broken, but mainly mine. You see i am afraid no lady as lovely as you would ever want to stay with a man as plain as me."
"Surely you just. Perhaps we could continue this conversation over some coffee? I have been practicing all morning and i do feel quite faint."
"Why of course my lady. I would be honored to escort you to the best cafe i know."

As they walked Mila kept Seth's small cat form in the corner of her eye. She was sure she could handke anything this man tried on her, but she shortened the leash around Seth all the same.

As they sat down Mila leaned in to the cousin, whose name she had found out was Jake.
"So you have sung the praises of your magic guild, now tell me, how does a lowly mage girl who just recently moved here become part of a guild as glorious as that?"
"Well you are in luck. You see, the man in front of you is cousin to the master of this 'guild' and he has an invite to the biggest ball in this guilds history, and as luck may have it he needs a sweet, beautiful and talented girl to escort him to this ball."
"You wouldn't mind helping? I would be so grateful!"
"My lady, for a girl as filled with magic as you are, there is no way i could not help."

[Mirrormoth]

Using his cat-form, Seth watched Mila lazily from his spot in a nearby tree. He was ready if any trouble occurred.
Things went smoothly with the Count’s Cousin, and as planned the man noticed Mila straight away. They chatted for a while and he formally introduced himself as Jake Greaves, a humble Collector of rare talents like herself.
Seth scoffed at the formality of the man, but made sure that he followed after the two as they took the conversation to Count Jake's Mansion.

Naturally, Seth couldn’t go inside the mansion, but that didn’t stop him from jumping the fence and scaling up a nearby tree. He perched himself neatly on a windowsill and watched the two enter the tea room.
He could hear a little bit of the conversation, but not much.

An hour later, Mila said her goodbyes to the count and met up with Seth.
The cat grinned slyly as she approached him, “I think that the count likes you quite a bit. Did you get an invitation to the ball?”
With a peevish stretch, Seth turned back into his human-form and escorted her to back into town, “There’s not much time to waste, the ball is in three days and I’ve checked your travel luggage – not a thing in there is fit for a ball. We need to get you a new gown.”
Eyeing a few nearby dress shops, Seth stared at her curiously, “I don’t think I've asked, but do you even how to dance?”

[erasmusdane]

"Do i know how to dance? Of course i do! I am a lady! Not a waltz or anything... but i know the basics! Let's just focus on a dress for now."
They went into a dress shop and Mila tried on a series of dresses at which Seth scoffed until she came out in a black dress with pink ribbons and lace. A nice inbetween for them both.
"This is the last dress they have. How do i look?"

[Mirrormoth]

Inspecting the dress with a judging eye, Seth teased, “I didn’t think that black would be your color Princess?” Offering his hand to her, he smiled handsomely, “Care to spare this devil a dance?”
Not waiting for her response, He whisked her into his arms and danced the style of Paso Doble. The movements and steps were fast and foreign, but Seth was surprised to find Mila keeping up with his pace.

Finishing the dance with an extravagant movement, He spun Mila around and back into the curve of his arm. A surrounding clap and cheer from the customers inside the store seemed to signal the success of the dance.

“Not bad, you’re still a bit stiff, but you’ve got good instincts when it comes to movement.” Releasing her from his hold, Seth smiled seductively, “You better be more careful about wearing black in front of me…we wouldn’t want a repeat of this.”

[erasmusdane]

Mila felt her heart pound as Seth kept her up in his arms.
“Not bad, you’re still a bit stiff, but you’ve got good instincts when it comes to movement.” Releasing her from his hold, Seth smiled seductively, “You better be more careful about wearing black in front of me…we wouldn’t want a repeat of this.”
"I am not stiff. I am simply keeping frame so you can lead. And i only wore the black because you couldn't approve any other colour but i am glad you like it."
She glared into his eyes until he let her back up.
"We should get to the guild to get master updated."
As they walked into the guild the usual armada of guys groped at Mila. For once she got a swelling of anger in her from this. She grabbed a guys hand and crushed it painfully.
"I don't recall giving you permission to touch me."
The boy looked at her in horror and she suddenly fell back into herself. She dropped his hand.
"I.... i'm so sorry... i don't know what got into me... i..."
"Mila!" The master interupted. "Come see me now."
She looked at Seth. "What happened...?"

[Mirrormoth]

Seth was surprised by Mila’s reaction. Usually she would have enjoyed the attention from her fanboys or waved it off without a care or second glance. This was the first time Seth had seen her angry, or even hurt someone.
The Guild master had clearly seen what had happened from upstairs and called them to his office.
"What happened...?", Mila gasped.
Seth frowned in response and shrugged, “I’m not sure, that was no like you…lets see what the old Coot up stairs has to say”

When they entered Master Owlen’s study, The old master greeted them and gestured for them to sit down. They did so, and where about to begin to update him on their mission, when suddenly he stopped them mid-sentence, “Lets first talk your curse mark Mila, its hold on you has gotten stronger…I can sense a darkness in you that wasn’t there before. “ Stroking his grey beard thoughtfully, Owlen added, “It could that the demon you are attached. Its magic is increasing the darkness in your heart, allowing the curse mark to hasten its power and hold over you…perhaps we should attach him to someone else in the guild? I can think of a few people who might be willing to take him off your hands”

Seth flicked his tail angrily, “So I’m just a pet then? Give me away to some else right? It’s not like I get a choice!”
Smacking over a pot of ink out of pure rage, Seth yelled, “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!...I didn’t cause the darkness in Mila, I didn’t feed its hold over her either!”
The Guild Master tensed for moment, Seth looked wild and dangerous. His eyes had become more cat-like and his clawed hands left marks in the wood of Owlen’s desk.
Owlen looked at Mila with pleading eyes, “You can’t change what he is Mila, You need to think about your own health and what’s best for you.”
Clearly not willing to hear anymore, Seth stormed outside and waited for Mila in the alleyway outside.
He blatantly denied that he was increasing the darkness in her heart, but a part of him also wondered if Owlen’s words were true.

[erasmusdane]

Mila had a long talk with the master before leaving to find Seth. She had grown attached to him and the thought of handing him over to someone else made her very unhappy. His outburst had scared her a bit. It was easy for her to forget what he was, but even so she didn't want to let him go.
She found Seth growling and throwing rocks. She gently put her hand on his as he was winding up to throw.
He looked down at her in surprise. She couldn't bring herself to look at him for a few minutes. Then she smiled up at him with tears soaking her cheeks.
"Hey kitty." She wrapped her arms around him and wouldn't let go.
"You are stuck with me."

[Mirrormoth]

Feeing a soft tap on his shoulder, Seth turned around and saw Mila standing behind him. He was still bristling with anger, but was caught off guard when he looked in her gentle eyes. Her eyes were red and teary. "Hey kitty.", she greeted softly, her arms wrapping around him, "You are stuck with me.”
Seth stared at the ground, his dark bangs covering his eyes, “I’d like that…” he whispered. Tentatively he hugged her back and buried his face into her shoulder. He felt his tears dampen Mila’s shirt and murmured with clear embarrassment, “Look at me, I’m sobbing like a human here...”
After a minute or so, he wiped his eyes and gently pulled away, “ We better get going. The ball is tomorrow after all.”

[erasmusdane]

The next day Seth and Mila were buzzing around getting ready and making plans.
"Ok so this is the plan now? I go in with the count's cousin. You sneak in as a cat and keep an eye out for danger or suspicious activity. We both try to get as close to the count as possible and get proof of his little secret."
Mila ran through the plan one last time. The day was getting on and soon she noticed she didnt have a lot of time left to get ready.
She hurried into the shower and started her hair and make up right after.
As she finished up she pulled on her dress and used magic to pull up the zip. She sighed as she looked in the mirror. So much effort. She looked so good and it was all to be wasted on such evil people. Her hair was curled and fell to her hips. Her lips were full and shining pink and her eyes were a smokey black to match her dress.
She walked into the living room where Seth was waiting.
"Now i just wait for my date to pick me up i guess."

[Mirrormoth]

The following day came and preparations for the ball seemed to fill the town with excitement. Seth spent most of his day lazily watching Mila as she curled her hair and applied her make-up.
When he did venture outside for a while in his cat-form, he heard more rumors of people collapsing around town, their magic drained to the point of death.

Perhaps the artifact that's supposed to be announced tonight at the ball is the cause of all of this chaos? I wonder what it could be...Demon magic? A Curse?

When the evening time came, Seth slipped back into the apartment through a window. Returning to his human form, he greeted Mila with purr, "Why don't you look lovely Princess...Black really is your color"
With a peevish wink, he admired her dress before turning his attention to the door. His ears flicked curiously, "Someone is outside" Returning to his cat-form, Seth heard the doorbell ring a moment later.

When Mila opened the door, the Count's cousin stood outside before her, a large bouquet of red roses in hand.
Seth took this moment to slip outside, he eyed the count's carriage in the street and wedged himself safely between the wheels and the luggage hold.
A little while later the carriage started to move, they were on their way to the ball.

[erasmusdane]

Mila stiffened under the hand Jake rested on her lower back, a bit too lpw for her liking. He guided her to the carriage. She felt comforted by the tip of Seth's tail sticking out from underneath the carriage.

Once she settled her dress Jake sat down too close to her. She felt the hair all over her body rise.
"I have been dreaming of you every night since we met."
He lifted his hand to gently carress her cheek.
"Only clean dreams i hope." She couldn't muster more than a raspy whisper. She swallowed and cleared her throat.
"I wouldn't litter a ladies ears with the details, but maybe i could show you later."
He twisted her hair around his fingers.
She smiled at him. He rested a hand on her thigh.
"My but you are quite forward today." She gently took his hand from her thigh, weaving her fingers into his, resisting the overwhelming urge to crush his hand.
"Is everything alright my dove?"
"Yes. I am just nervous. It is such a prestigious event and i am nervous to meet so many influential people who could help further my magical skills."
"Calm down my dessert rose. They will love you. you are a very talented young lady. Simply bursting with magic. Now relax my kitten"
He leaned in toward him and his lips met hers.

Kitty...

She tried not to flinch away from the kiss but for tge briefest moment seth flashed into her brain and she felt anger at having to kiss Jake.

[Mirrormoth]

When the Carriage finally came to a halt outside the Manor of Count Vincent Greaves, Seth carefully slipped out from his hiding spot and into some nearby bushes.
He waited until he saw Mila step out of the carriage; She looked a bit flustered, more so than usual. Seth felt a prickle of tension run through his fur when he saw Count Jake step out beside her, the man’s hand slipping down her lower back and below her waist.
Impudent human men, they have no self-control…mind you I’m not one to talk, but that is just plain disgusting

Once Mila and Count Jake had entered the main hall of the building, Seth took his chance to move. He couldn’t exactly go through the front door as a cat, so instead, he slipped through the garden and stealthy moved along the side of the building. He eventually found an open window leading into the kitchen. With a well- balanced jump, he slipped into the noisy kitchen unnoticed.
The waiters and cooks bustled along and hurriedly prepared meals and on trays for the event. Seth noticed that the waiters, in particular, seemed to enter in and out of the pantry to drop off dirty dishes. This gave Seth and Idea. He took cover behind the door of the pantry, waiting for the next waiter to appear.

A few minutes later a tall scrawny young man appeared before the sink the drop off a few plates, Seth took his chance and with a wisp of dark magic he silently closed the pantry door and bound the unsuspecting waiter. Returning to his human form (This time with no tail or cat ears), Seth took the young man into his grasped and kissed him. The man struggled for a moment before falling into a deep sleep.
“Rest now…dream deeply, you won’t wake for many hours my friend”
Stealing the waiter’s clothes and masquerade mask, Seth dressed himself and hid the sleeping waiter beneath one of the cabernets.

Once that was done, he took a deep breath and slipped back into the kitchen. Grabbing a tray of Champaign glasses, he then entered the ballroom and began to play his role as a waiter.

The ball was a glamorous event, no expense spared. Ladies in fine gowns paraded before their partners and danced their hearts out to a live orchestra. Towers of desserts and crystal glasses glittered in the brilliant candlelight. Seth was fascinated; he loved beautiful events like this, beauty in art, architecture and music was something most-higher demons treasured and collected.
For a moment he nearly forgot about their mission, but was reminded of it when he finally caught sight of Mila dancing with Count Jake.
With an annoyed sigh, he turned his attention to their main suspect, Count Vincent. The older count had preoccupied himself with his guide members, all members of the Kytetails Guide. They were examining a mysterious item, possibly the one that this ball had been arranged around. The item appeared to be a crown of sorts. It didn’t look all that impressive to Seth, but he could sense a strange type of magic emanating from it.

[erasmusdane]

Mila tried hard to keep her act together. All through the night Jake had been groping at her and saying inappropriate things to her. This never bothered her at her guild, but then she knew all the guys there and they meant well, Mila couldn't quite place Jake. for whatever reason she just felt uncomfortable around him.

She smiled all through being introduced to other members of the Kytetails guild and through being asked to dance by a hundred men who had no information that she needed. The night drew long and Jake excused himself to dance with another woman from his guild.

Mila sighed, sipping at her punch. It had already been a long night and it didn't seem like the end was in sight. She caught the odd glimpse of Seth and wished she could rather be in his company. Once he winked at her and she felt her spirits lift just a bit.
"good evening m'lady." Mila jumped at the unexpected voice that pulled her from her daydream(not that it was anywhere near day) Count Vincent stood in front of her, holding his hand out toward her with a slight bow.
"Sorry to startle you. I was hoping a lovely young mage such as yourself would accompany me in a dance."
"Oh, do not worry! I really shouldn't have been day dreaming at a lovely event such as this. Of course i would accompany a man as great as yourself to a dance, it would be rude to decline the host after all."
They moved onto the dance flour and a slow tango started.
"I have not seen you around before, may I ask who brought you here?" The count inquired.
"Your cousin my lord." (My lord? was that the right way to address him?) suddenly she felt unsure of herself. "Count Jake."
The music was growing quicker and the count increased his pace.
"Ah yes! He did mention a new recruit. Looking at you I should have known it was you. Such power radiating from someone so young." He pulled her closer to him. "And to think that it remains untouched by guild. What a shame." He stared into her eyes and swept her into a faster pace as the music grew faster yet again. She struggled to keep up with the count
His face was too close to her. She could feel his breath on her skin. The count was an attractive man, if older. He wore his grey hair as a medal of honor rather than a scar gotten from age. His piercing blue eyes would make any girl swoon. Any girl's heart would be pounding to be held this close to him. Mila's heart was certainly pounding. She concentrated on her breath and fought the urge to plow through him with magic. The were spinning so fast and she felt as though her heart would rip from her chest. All of a sudden she was hanging in the counts arms as he dipped her and the music abruptly stopped.
He let her back up. "A great dancer, truly. Perhaps we can discuss your membership with this guild in my office. I would love to get a taste of what your magic can do."
"Of course." Mila looked around frantically pulling at the magic leash around Seth's neck. She followed the count up a large set of stairs into an empty hallway and to a giant office filled with books. It was more of a library with a desk. He shut the door behind them and she felt her heart sink.
where are you Seth? I'm about to be some creep's dinner
"Now, give me a taste of your magic...."

[Mirrormoth]

The night dragged on and the party seemed to become rowdier and rowdier as the guests became more intoxicated. Seth didn’t mind this of course, and encouragingly offered his guests more wine or punch.

He kept a keen eye on their target, Count Vincent, and ensured that we was at their beck and call when they asked for drinks or food. He had managed to catch a few snippets of information, but nothing that could help them prove that he was the murderer.

After a while, Seth turned his attention back to Mila. He had been watching her throughout the night from a distance, ready to intervene if things turned sour.
He had to admit that he was impressed with how Mila had managed to keep her calm throughout the night. Warding off the count’s constant bad behaviour looked exhausting, at times it even irritated Seth.

When Count Jake finally excused himself from the party, Seth noticed the older Count move towards Mila. When the older man asked Mila to dance, Seth immediately felt Mila’s uneasiness, something did not feel right.
A moment later he felt a tug of magic close around his neck, it was like Mila was calling to him through the leash. When he looked again, she and Count Vincent had disappeared from the ballroom area.
Shit!! Where did they go?!

Trusting his instincts, Seth slipped away from the ballroom. He followed the pull of magic that tied them together. The mansion still held many wandering guests and deciding it best to change his form, Seth dematerialized and moved about the passages and rooms as wisp of black smoke.
The tug of Mila’s magic seemed to lead him towards a room at the end of the building. Silently he slipped through the keyhole of the door and into the cover of the shadows.

Once Seth was inside the room, He spotted Mila and Count Vincent. The older man was showing her the artifact that he and his guild had discovered on a trip to China. He explained to her that it was one of the ancient magic mirrors. It was a mirror that showed a person’s magic. Demonstrating its effects, the man stood in from of the mirror and instantly its surface began to glow. His reflection showed a younger version of himself pulsing with a pale blue light.
“Now you try my dear, if you are truly strong enough to join my guild, The mirror will show me your magic.”

[erasmusdane]

Mila moved to the mirror. It was still for a while then the mirror shone a brilliant pink light, almost blinding. It cleared to show her with angels wings,one white and one black, a dazzling light glowing around her. black? WHy black? She was a white mage after all, but then... Her attention flickered to the curse mark she wore. suddenly it felt as if her white magic filled the room. She saw a motion in the shadows. Seth? If her magic did fill the room it would not have been pleasant for the half demon, he must have fled.
"Does this artifact... does it pull magic from you?"
The count looked at her in shock.
"Do you feel it too? Mila, I must entrust you with a secret. I would not usually trust someone i met so recently, but the artifact... you must be extremely pure for it to show that and i am afraid we might all be in grave danger. I did not want to believe it before, but i cannot turn a blind eye anymore. I fear one of my guild members is the one who has been killing people, draining their magic. I have felt this feeling before, although fainter. I fear whomever it is has grown frightfully strong if his actions causes us to feel a drain as far as here. He must still be in the palace though. That is why I got this artifact in the first place. I needed to see my guild members for who they really are."

Shocked filled Mila. "We need to find this person! Before someone else dies!" She let go of Seth's leash.
Please understand what this means. Even if you didn't hear, please understand what you must do!

[Mirrormoth]

When Mila’s power reflected in the ancient mirror, it filled the room with blinding light. The light hit every crevice of the room, banishing all darkness. As it touched Seth, he instinctively fled the scene through the keyhole of the door.

He materialized a few minutes later on the other side of the building, breathing heavily and slumping down exhaustedly against a wall.
’That was close, a moment later and I would have taken quite a lot of damage…human’s do not normally carry that much light. I suppose Mila still has quite a few surprises for me after all’
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Seth searched for the magic of the leash. He was surprised to find the leash loose, its magic faded, allowing him to roam further than Usual.
‘Strange…are you trying to tell me something Mila? I guess I’ll take my chance and roam around this mansion...I might find something interesting ’
Standing up, Seth proceeded to make his way through the building. He explored the various rooms with natural curiosity, and eventually stumbled across a passageway that lead to the south tower of the mansion.

The south tower held a locked room with an eerie energy surrounding it. Seth recognized the magic as corruption and with a flick of his hand, he broke the seal binding the door.
With a creak, the door began to swing open, revealing a room filled with various mirrors.
“What the hell?...more mirrors?”
Stepping inside the room, he examined the mirrors. Each one held a different colour light, it looked like energy. He bent in closer to examine one and nearly fell backwards with surprise when a dreary human-like face stared back at him through one of the wisps of light.
“These! These are human energies…this room is filled with human essence!”

A deep voice from behind applauded Seth on his discovery. He was no longer alone.
“Well Done Boy, it looks like you understand what you see then”
Turning round, Seth gritted his teeth and stared into the smug face of Count Jake. “You! You’re one behind of this!”
The count smirked in response, “I wouldn’t worry about what I’ve done boy, you should worry about what I am going to do next”
With a swing of his hand, Count Jake threw a bolt of magic towards Seth. Swearing under his breath, Seth narrowly dodged the bolt.
His own magic was heavily limited by the collar he wore, but he felt his claws extend threateningly. Shrouding himself in darkness, Seth grinned back at the count “You’re the one who doesn’t know what he is dealing with”

The count gasped in shock as he stared at mirror behind Seth. The mirror showed Seth’s true form, a massive lion-like beast covered in dark flames and spines. The demon’s four luminescent eyes blinked dangerously; It was a sight from nightmares.

“You’re…you’re not human!”, the count cried.
Seth swung a clawed hand at the count, “So you can see my true form in those mirrors? I guess we can’t all be pretty like you now can we?”
The count wrinkled his nose angrily as a claw caught his cheek, “No, I suppose not, But demons hold a lot of power." The count's eyes darked as he wiped the blood from his face, "Your essence will belong to me boy, and once it does nothing will stand in my way.”

The two fought hard against each other, neither willing to give in, neither willing to stop.
Eventually however, the count began to notice flaws in Seth’s movements, the boy had a limit to his magic and his fatigue was beginning to show. Taking advantage of this, Jake predicted Seth’s next movement and grabbed him. He pinned the thrashing demon to the floor. Seth fought back. His claws piercing the count’s skin, but the man refused to budge. Summoning his stolen magic from his mirrors, The Count pressed his palm against Seth’s chest. He finished him off with a beam of white light. Seth cried out in pain, the white shirt of his suit staining red with blood.

[erasmusdane]

Mila felt a stinging sensation in her chest and she gasped for air. She could hardly feel Seth on the other side of her leash.
What happened?! Where are you? Oh light, please be alright.
She reigned in on his leash and following it's flow she appeared in a room full of mirrors. Seth was slumped against a mirror, blood staining his whole body. She turned around and in one of the mirrors she saw a frightening lion-like beast, but somehow she didn't feel scared at the sight. It was Seth. His Demon form looked somewhat sad as it lay bleeding in the mirror. What caught her attention was the human-like form standing in front of her. It was Jake to the naked eye, but in the mirror he radiated darkness. A sickening energy filled the room. His eyes had turned a blackish red. Something about him was different.

Mila felt a faint magic pulsing out of Seth, he was growing very weak.  She felt her body heat up as rage took over.
"You took his magic." She growled at Jake.
His voice was more like a deep rumbling of a demon than the voice of a human.
"I am invincible now." His body twisted in inhuman ways.
"You might have more power than you ever had right now, but the human body cannot contain the magic of a demon. You have sealed your fate. But before you destroy yourself and take my friend with you I will make you relinquish his magic back to him!"
She floated off the ground as she filled the room with her magic, making sure to form a protective bubble around Seth. Shards of light flew at Jake, he laughed and swatted them away, but his skin bubbled where the shards had touched.
"If you steal other's magic you must be willing to deal with both its strengths and its weaknesses. You are a demon of the dark and I shall banish your soul to the realms of the dark where you remain, it is my duty as a Mage of the light!" A column of light exploded from Jake's body before he could react.
"And because you have injured my dearest friend I will not make the experience pleasant." She had a dark smile playing on her face.
Small shards of light shot at Jake repeatedly. He screamed in pain as the microscopic cuts grew more and more. His blood pooled around him.
Mila felt Seth move and turned around. She saw her reflection in the mirror and shock made her magic disperse. Her angelic form had morphed. her black wing had turned leathery and black scales started to creep in from the one side of her body. She was becoming dark...
Jake fell to the floor, a bloody mess. Mila slumped down next to Seth.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... I was trying to help..."

[Mirrormoth]

Seth couldn’t remember when he had lost consciousness, but he remembered seeing Mila enveloped in light. She was crying beside him and apologizing for what she had done… What had she done?
Seth had seen red…it was blood, a lot of blood. Whose Blood had he seen? It wasn’t his.

A few days later, he woke. When he opened his violet eyes he sat up slowly. He felt weak and gazed around Mila’s room groggily. “How long have I been out for?”
Rubbing his eyes, he saw Mila sitting in an armchair beside the bed. “Mila? Wait what happened? Are you okay?...”
Shifting a little too quickly, he hissed as a sharp pain shot through his body, “God?! Why do I hurt everywhere?”
Removing his shirt, Seth ran his black-nailed fingers over the bandage over his chest.

[erasmusdane]

"You're up..." Mila went to sit beside Seth and gently laid her hands on his chest. I gentle pink light shone from her hands. "That should help for the pain, I healed it as best I could."
She felt lifeless. After what she had done to that man something in her was broken..
She couldn't bring herself to be cheery.
"We should get you to the guild. Master said he wanted to give us another mission." Her voice sounded flat, even to her.
After helping Seth get dressed around his bandages they went to the guild. The master saw them right away.
"Mila, I am worried about you. I think the two of you need to take a break. I have booked some time away in the next town over. It will do you good to relax and forget about the ordeal."
Mila nodded. "As you wish master."
They stood up to leave.
"Seth! A word?" the master halted him.
Mila wandered into the guild hall. She was met with the usual enthusiasm and some girls ran up to her in a giggling cluster.
"Mila! you will never guess who just got back and is looking for you!"
Mila stared at them flatly.
"It's Reagard!"
Reagard had been after her since they were children. All the girls swooned when he got close but Mila had never really regarded him as more than a friend.
Speaking of the devil, Reagard appeared before her, that cool skew smile playing on his lips. He put a flower behind her ear and took her hand in her to kiss it.
"My fair Mila how I have missed you on my long journey."
"Hey Rea." She ignored his romantic gestures.
"I hear master has paired you up with a most foul demon."
Her head snapped up at him.
"Don't talk about him like that." Anger flared inside her and flashes of the bloodied body of count Jake flashed into her head. She grabbed at her head and stifled a scream.
"No... no... please stop.. please..."
Reagar came closer to comfort her in his arms, she felt Seth close to her.

[Mirrormoth]

When they arrived at the guild, Seth and Mila were greeted by the Guild Master. Owlen could tell from the look on their faces that they were drained and emotionally exhausted. He led them up into his office.
He was clearly worried about them. He had heard about what had happened during their mission. Count Jake had been killed, but no one knew how it had happened. Mila hadn’t been able to speak about it.

Clearing his voice, Owlen spoke to Mila and explained that she and Seth needed a break, a chance to fully recover. He handed her a parcel filled with the documents they would need for their stay in the next town.
When Mila turned to leave, Owlen turned to Seth and asked him to stay behind.
Begrudgingly, Seth sat back down and crossed his arms across his chest, “Yes, old Man? What do you want now?”
Rolling his eyes at Seth’s terrible attitude, Owlen spoke, “The mission was a success, but the way you two handled things was beyond unacceptable. We do not kill people here! How could you two kill a Count! A Count of all people!”
Seth felt his nose wrinkle into a snarl, “You don’t even know what happened. We were attacked by your beloved Count.”
Owlen stared hard at Seth, but the demon did not relent, “The Count got what he deserved. And just so you know, Mila had nothing to do with what happened to him.”
A flicker of darkness spread across Seth’s features and he smirked cruelly, “I take full credit for what happened to that man...so let me enlighten you on the situation. “
Flicking Owlen rudely on the nose, Seth continued, “He wanted power. I gave him my magic, the magic of a demon…I sure you understand what happens to a human body filled with demon magic…POP!”

Owlen lost his temper at this and yelled many unsavory words at Seth, but the Demon just shrugged them off stubbornly. “Whatever, Can’t bring the Count back now can we?…”
As Seth was about to walk out, he paused and added a bit more calmly, “Do me a favor Guild master… Lay off on Mila a bit, she’s been through a lot.”

As Seth made his way downstairs, he was greeted by giggling girls and the usual unapproving stares from the other guild members. He didn’t take too much notice of this and instead searched for a trace of Mila’s magic.

When he finally found her, he noticed a strange man standing beside her. The stranger's arms wrapped around her small form. The man clearly knew Mila very well, they looked like close friends, maybe even ex-lovers.
Seth took note of Mila's expression. She looked as though she were in pain, she looked vulnerable.

Seth wanted to go to her, but a pang of jealousy stopped him. Irritated, he made his way outside instead. Once he was outside, he propped up his feet and took a nap on a nearby bench.

As he lay there staring up at the clouds, he thought about everything that had happened over the past few weeks. He had grown close to Mila, He didn't like seeing her this sad...was he the reason she had ended up like this?
She was the only one who had ever treated him like a person.

“I’m not a person though, I’m not human…I don’t have human emotions.”
He felt stupid for feeling jealous. Angry with himself, he sat up and grabbed the nearest stone he could find. He then hurled it as hard as he could into a nearby window. The window shattered instantly.

Suddenly realizing what he had just done, Seth used his cat form and disappeared around a corner. He then headed towards the Centre of the town, taking refuge in a nearby graveyard. He needed time to think.

[erasmusdane]

Mila finally eacaped Reagan and went home after waiting for Seth for a few hours and hearing he had left.
Had he seen Reagan and her? Light she hoped not.
She waited at home for Seth.
If he wasn't coming home he probably needed some space. His magic felt distant and she didn't want to reign him in against his will.
A funny thought. Not wanting to control the demon anymore.... she dozed off on the couch.
Her dreams were hainted with images of the count being torn apart by her magic but she couldn't wake up.
The sound of Seth entering woke her.
"Hey kitty." She said drowsily and dozed off again.

The next day they set off to the nearby town called Gildin. It was a small town with very little going on. Their rooms looked out over a river where wildlife froliced. It was relaxing and far off. Just what they needed. The journey there took a few hours on dusty roads and uncomfortable saddles but it was worth it.
Seth was quiet and seemed a bit distant but Mila chalked it up to them both being tired and hoped he would talk to her again after a good nights rest away from everything

[Mirrormoth]

The following day the pair set off towards the town of Gildin. It was a rough and dusty ride that took many hours, but they eventually made it.
The town they reached was beautiful and lush; It was nestled safely in between two mountains and a massive forest. Three large water canals ran through each section of the town, these gave water to the town’s iconic white-barked lunar trees.

Dismounting their horses, Seth and Mila made their way towards the inn Owlen had booked. Once they were given the keys to their room, they unpacked and spent the rest of the evening recovering (Napping in Seth’s case) from the exhausting trip.

When Seth woke up, it was late in the night. He felt his keen ears twitching curiously. He could sense the animals scurrying peacefully through the mountains and smelt the fresh dampness of a waterfall not far off.

Getting up from his spot on the couch Seth peered curiously out of the window. He was surprised to see the Lunar trees in full bloom, their mysterious white trunks shining beneath the moonlight. Fascinated, he hurried to Mila’s side and tried to wake her.
“Mila! Come check this out. The trees are blooming, it looks like snow outside.”
Once he had woken her up, he grabbed her by the hand and led her downstairs into the courtyard..
The white blossoms danced in the cool wind and Seth admired them. He enjoyed them so much that he lost slight control of his human form. Transforming into a cat, he playfully darted around the trees chasing the falling blossoms. For a moment he did not seem like a demon at all, just a harmless tiny cat.

(Not sure how this happened? Seth is having fun though XD...Maybe they can have a cute/ romantic/ not romantic moment. He must put a flower In her hair!)

[erasmusdane]

Mila breathed in the sweet scent of the blossoms and smiled as pedals rained down around her. For a moment she looked at Seth leaping and bounding playfully and she smiled. For a moment she forgot what she had done and what she had become. For a moment she was happy. If only for a moment.
Seth came to her and transformed back into a human. He was a little out of breath after running around so much and his heaved as he tried to catch his breath.
Mila's heart pounded when she realized how close to her he was standing. She looked up into his eyes and felt her heart in her throat. She swallowed hard.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" She managed a whisper.
What is wrong with me? Mooning at him like some... some little girl who doesn't know better! He is a player and you know it Mila! Don't be a fool. Not only that but he is demon! She berated herself, but she knew it was no use. She had never really cared that he was a demon. Then again she had never really fully seen him as one until she saw him the mirror, but somehow it hadn't frightened her at all. He was simply Seth. A demon in fact, but more honest and true than most people she knew and somehow she couldn't bring herself to think of him as a bad person. Something in her knew that he was good deep down in his core. He certainly wasn't like any demons she heard of in stories, going on senseless killing sprees or having a blood lust.
she noticed that she was still staring at him. She couldn't move her eyes from his. Her hair fell in front of her eyes but she couldn't bring herself to move enough to brush it away.
What was wrong with her?

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