The Demon and the Elf (Book 1)

Chapter Nineteen pt 2

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During a dinner, now with the three of them around a fire, Vrona spoke among the crinkles of the moving flame. "I had mentioned this to Eial before, but I plan to visit an acquaintance soon." Both of the younger ones flipped their heads up at her simultaneously. "And, well, I want both of you to come with. If you're willing."

"So we can save your ass in another ambush? No thanks," retorted Drokn, but right next to him, Eial's pointer fingers tapped on the ends of a skewer, seeming subtly eager to join.

"Well, I can't guarantee we'll be completely safe, but as long as we get in their place uncaught, everything will be fine. Things were different with Mon, but this acquaintance can't risk losing my favor."

Drokn threw his empty skewer into the flames, watching it catch heat and brown. "What? You've blackmailed them or something?"

Vrona's loud "HA!" resounded through the air. "I suppose in a way that's true. I make them a medicine only I know the recipe of. So they need me."

Keeping a doubtful eye, Drokn grabbed a drumstick of fowl and bit into it with fervor. "But we don't need you. Why do you want us to follow?"

"I thought if I'm going to be training you, we don't want to lose days. It's more efficient if we stick together. And, honestly, the sooner we get rid of the king, the better." There was a sharp glint in Vrona's eyes, deep seated emotions making their surface. But with a blink, the glint disappeared along with the hidden truths unrevealed.

An opening in the conversation allowed Eial a moment to speak. Tilting his face to look up at the demon, his precious voice drifted past eager lips. "Can we go?" he asked, the flame light painting a side of his face orange and an orange twinkle to his eyes.

Of course, the demon could not refuse. The reason why, he told himself, was because the more time he could get in training, the better. Definitely not also because the smallest of requests from the elf, he found himself hypnotized to comply.  Drokn huffed a, "Fine," and their plans were set easier than the demoness had expected.

As the sky started to lose its daylight shimmer, Vrona started to plan for their travel, double checking on supplies first before she realized she hadn't asked Eial where they were exactly. She had told him to think of a place he visited often so it was easier to imagine and teleport to. However, this place lacked some of the nature typically found in elven lands or even near it. In fact, this place seemed more—

"I know you'd warned me not to come here," Eial responded to Vrona's inquiry, twiddling his fingers and avoiding eye contact, "But this is near demon territory. I had once teleported to somewhere at random, and later found out it was near demon lands. I apologize for not listening..."

Drokn, who was in the area of the conversation, smirked at Eial almost flirtatiously, lifting his nose and glancing at the elf to the side. "How rebellious of you," he purred, making sure their eyes met. 

Perhaps it was the demon's tone or his compliment, Eial's cheeks flushed pink and he looked downward with a shy smile. "It became my favorite spot. I feel a sort of comfort here," said the elf, playing with a blade of grass he'd plucked. "I visited often."

"Maybe you were pulled towards your bonded mate in your subconscious. The closer you were to demon territory, the closer you were to Drokn," Vrona smiled with a twinkle of curiosity in her eyes, theorizing with the new information. "So, we're near demon territory, huh? Do you know where?"

Eial recalled the one time in the past he had decided to leave the shadow of the trees to gain a grasp on his surroundings. After a long, quiet walk, he had noticed tall homes far away and a few figures in the air with wings, realizing where he'd ended up.

Explaining the vagueness of the surroundings he'd remembered, Vrona assumed a few places they could be. Using a device to figure north and noting the direction Eial had mentioned traveling before when he saw demons, she figured they were east of the territory. Deciding to leave the forest first, she figured she could understand where near the east they were once their vision wasn't obstructed by nature.

The next evening, they'd started their travel, walking in the darkening skies and getting closer to the edges of the forest nearing nightfall where they'd be more hidden. They walked north, choosing to start off farther from the demon territory than heading straight towards it. In a few hours, the wind started to pick up the cool air, prickling goosebumps on their exposed skin.

The forest they'd left behind now held a new scenery— open lands of grass, and walking further north, they were able to spot a few lights closer to the southeast, the size of pindrops. Realizing they were near the northern edge of the east side, Vrona curled one side of her lip confidently, recognising she was closer to their destination than she'd imagined. Taking a break to sleep in turns under a large tree by its lonesome, they continued to travel again the next evening until they came closer to a village bustling with demons.

Both Drokn and Eial looked at Vrona with concern, but she looked back at them with confidence. Instructing the elf to put his hood on and keep his face hidden, and hiding her face, herself, she led them through the bounties of demons returning home or cheering with friends drunkenly under the starlight, uncaring of the world around them.

This bustling scenery warmed the demon, a familiarity and spirited busy-ness he could be addicted to. The elf, on the other hand, clenched his cloak around him, his heart pounding, skin sweating under his clothes, all parts of his body on guard and preparing to defend.

But to the elf's surprise, nothing happened until they'd met with a wooden door to which Vrona knocked familiarly. Looking down to avoid eye contact, Eial stared at his mother's boots until the wooden door creaked open. On the other side was another pair of boots that greeted them.

As Vrona took a step to walk inside, Eial waited for his demon to move so he could follow. However, there was no movement. Glancing up, he saw Drokn stare inside the door with strained brows and a conflicted glare. Carefully, Eial turned to face the cause of such an expression to find the demoness looking back, noticing the demon's expression, as well.

"Oh right," Vrona chuckled, not seeming fazed at the slightest, "You've probably already met, huh?"