A Fortunate Encounter
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:50 am
The comforting heat of flames licked her skin as she sat atop her diamond throne. Thousands bowed before her, grovelling before her power. She had fought and killed any who stood in her way. Fear radiated from the masses, a sweet aroma to her. Power surged through her body – she was their Queen, their Overlord. Kvu Xukvuq, and all its inhabitants belonged to her. They had mocked her, beaten her, tortured her for her human origins. The kind had called her Half-Breed, the rest simply called her mongrel. Now though... now she was their ruler. The heady power intoxicated her, filled her.
Life was good.
With a swirl, she was in his arms. Her lover, her partner, her promised. Soft caresses touched her skin, pleasure curled in her belly and love in her heart. They would rule Kvu Xukvuq together for eternity... but suddenly they were caresses no more, pain took the place of pleasure, and of love. Betrayal – both as a subject and a future mate. A coup, a fight, an escape – barely alive. The doors of Kvu Xukvuq sealed to her forever. His rage after she'd killed his real intended.
Alone, destruction, pain, pleasure, rage – then suddenly him again. Laughing as she died, taunting her for her naivety, for her blood. For her love.
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Raven awoke with a gasp, sweat poured down her body in cascades as she panted – trying to calm her racing heart. It had been centuries since she had dreamed such dreams – the pain was old now, even by her standards. Half her lifetime ago. Shaking her head, she slipped out of bed. It was still dark, the early hours of the morning. She preferred the night, anyway.
She pulled her clothing on, wondering at her dream. Perhaps it had been travelling through Kvu Xukvuq on her travels that reawakened the old memories. She had travelled the worlds of reality by jumping through there, hiding the whole time. A step in Kvu Xukvuq was an impossible distance in reality.
If she had been found, they would have killed her. Of course, she had almost killed herself with the blood magic needed to re-open the portal for her. She had grown weak without the sacrifice of innocents to fuel her immortality. Within a few years she would be mortal. But she hadn't died, she had survived. She was safe.
Running a hand through her hair, she left her bedroom, walked through her house and exited to the woods. She would collect some lunar blossom petals for a new potions she wanted to try. Her home in the forest suited her alchemetic needs perfectly – that and the quiet were her reasons for making her home there.
Her feet crunched on the leaves littering the forest ground as she searched. After an hour or so, she saw a glow in the distance – a lunar blossom. She expertly harvested it, storing it in her satchel for safety. As she turned to leave, a noise which was not her own sounded behind her.
Raven turned just in time to see a demon charge at her. Grey fur covered it's humanoid body, talons dripping with poison extended for a killing blow and its blue, fly-esque eyes glared at her – luminous in the dark.
“Linv!†She commanded, her air magic pushing her out of the way just in time. The demon turned towards her, throwing a ball of green fire straight at her. She side stepped it, returning with her own purple flames. Her flames hit its chest, burning it – though not with a great deal of strength. Demons were creatures of fire – no matter how adept she was at it, it would never damage them too much.
The demon growled, grotesque eyes narrowing, and charged towards her again. She unsheathed her daggers, running her power through them. It swiped a claw at her body, she moved with a fighter's grace and cut the arm – severing it from the demon's soul and rendering it useless. It bellowed in rage and attacked with it's remaining arm – that was quickly cut as well.
“Lqanex.†A pyramidic prison of rock encased the demon up to it's shoulders. It knew it was going to die.
“More will come mongrel. We have found you.†It rasped, its voice deep and foreboding. With a grimace, Raven realised she must have left magical traces as she travelled.
She'd thought a thousand years would be long enough that he would have forgotten her, but apparently not.
“Then I will kill them as well.†She drawled, voice sounding bored where as inward her heart beat with fear. She was weak – and as the demon laughed at her, she knew he knew it too. He'd simply been sent to test her.
“You will die.†He stated. Without reacting, without speaking, Raven moved closer to the encased demon. She opened her jaw wide, fangs elongating, and sunk them into the demon's neck. It screamed as she devoured its soul – power flowed back into her, strengthening her. It wasn't much, though. Her immortality extended by maybe another few months. This demon was only a grunt sent to test her power.
More would be coming.
When the demon's body collapsed into dust, she walked away. Though she hoped they would simply send more and more powerful demons against her, allowing her to build up her strength, she knew he was too smart for that.
The next one would be sent to execute her. She would most likely not survive.
With a sigh, she returned home. That was a problem for another day. The sun had began to rise and she had an experiment to try – Raven was rather glad the lunar blossom petals hadn't been damaged in the fight.
And so, she returned home to begin brewing.
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Laxus Aerin walked into the bustling town with his huge, oversized sword on his back. Laxus was a tall light skinned man, just over six foot. His hair was shortish, messy and brown, and he had striking green eyes. He was a large man, with a big chest built from years of combat. His body – though not all visable due to his leather armour – was littered with scars. Such was the life of a Demon Slayer. He had heard a number of people had been killed by a demon in the area recently and had come to investigate. He made his way through the streets and into the first tavern her saw – taverns were always the best place to gather information.
The Horn and the Halo was a nice enough place, patrons laughing and drinking, the sound of conversations a buzz in the background at all times. He sat himself at the bar and ordered himself a drink from the barkeep, asking about the demon while he was at it.
“Oh, we haven't heard much about that since the killings. Sad thing that was, poor people were ripped to shreads. Looked like the thing had eaten them, too. Last I heard it was dead though.†The barkeep answered him. After paying and giving him a thanks, the barkeep moved on leaving Laxus to think.
It was obviously not the demon he was searching for – a whole village of demon slayers had fallen like flies to the demon's overwhelming power. Karthrax was a “Reqtâ€Â, a demonic lord. It sounded like this demon was simply a minion. He casually sipped his drink and listened to the chatter around him – at least until he heard someone mention the word 'Demon'. His eyes zoned in on the group of men at a table near him and listened to his conversation.
“She's scary as hell. I've heard she took up residence in the forest recently. D'ya think that other monster was hers?†One man asked another. The other shrugged, but before he could speak was interrupted by Laxus.
“Sorry to bother you, but are you talking about a demon?†He inquired, standing beside the table having forgotten his half-finished drink behind him. “Err, yeah Her name's Raven as far as I know.†One of the men said, eye brows furrowing in something akin to confusion. “You new here or sumthin'?†He asked.
“Just in town. How long has she been here?†Laxus replied, brows furrowing at the thought of a second demon in the town in such a short time. It was rather unusual. “Oh, a few months or sumthin'. Showed up one day – seemed to know a lot of people around.†A few months!? They didn't seem anyway alarmed, and the town was intact. That was... strange.
“And you say she's living in the forest?†The townsmen began to look at him suspiciously, eyeing his sword. “Yeah, but I wouldn't trouble her if I were you. I heard she killed a dragon just because it had her scarf or something. Friends with some pretty powerful people, too.†Laxus ignored them, simply stating he was a Demon Slayer. He didn't notice the looks of alarm and pity that crossed their faces as he left, nor whatever they said as he did.
After he got outside, with a quick inquiry to someone on the street he found his way to the forest. It was... rather large. Unsure of how he would find the demon, he began searching. You could simply not leave the abominations to do as they pleased. If she hadn't been troubling the townspeople, he was certain she was working on annihilating them all at once or something. That's just how demons were.
The sun began to go down and caught the leaves of the trees around him, setting them aglow. Had he not been so focused on being aware of his surroundings in case the demon attempted to sneak up on him, he would have thought it beautiful. Unfortunately, one could never relax with a demon in the area. Sly, deceitful, evil abominations all of them. He would kill every one he came across – if only to prevent a repeat of his village.
He heard a noise in the distance, a tune of some kind. Did demons sing? No, it wasn't singing he realised as he moved closer. Someone was humming. He entered a clearing to see a woman harvesting some small yellow flowers from a plant – an elf by the looks of her ears. She hummed happily as she did so.
Her eyes turned to him the moment he entered the clearing and her humming stopped. She raised a quizzical eyebrow at him and greeted him.
“My my, it's not often I meet people out here. I don't recognise you – new in town?†She inquired, tucking a loose strand of her wavy black hair behind her ear. It was pulled back off her face – for convenience, he assumed. He had never seen an elf wear their hair back before.
“Yeah, just arrived into town. What're you doing out here so late? It's going to be dark soon.†She didn't look very strong – from the look of her alchemy satchel, she was a potions mistress. Potions were all well and good, but they wouldn't protect you against a demon. He would escort he back to town before continuing to search.
“Some plants are more potent when harvested at twighlight. I'm doing an experiment at the moment that needs these agrimony flowers – and of course, twighlight is the best time to harvest them.†She smiled at the plant as she said this, returning to plucking the small flowers and placing them carefully into her satchel.
She knew her stuff – he had no idea what any plants were called, let alone know enough about them to tell when they were best harvested. Laxus wondered what kind of experiment she was doing – she seemed to need to get them now. He would wait for her before walking her back, after all if anything happened he could protect her. There was no point ruining her experiment, since she obviously cared a lot about it.
“What kind of experiment are you working on?†He inquired, genuinely curious. He walked over closer to her and sat against a tree near her, examining her as she worked. “A variation of a potion I read about in a book.†She replied. “It wasn't supposed to work, but after looking at the ingredients I detected a number of flaws with the chemistry. I decided to improve on it.†It was said offhanded, as if it was a completely normal thing to be able to just come up with new potions. Alchemetic Masters were rare – but then again she was an Elf, she could be hundreds of years old for all he knew.
“And what of you?†She asked, startling him out of his thought. For some reason he hadn't expected her to question him back. As she looked at him, he realised her eyes were rather sharp. They looked older than her physical appearance – which reaffirmed her longevity in his mind. It was always disconcerting meeting elves. “I'm hunting a demon. I heard there was one in the forest.†He said, frowning at her slightly. “Speaking of which, you should be more careful. A lone woman at night is an easy target.â€Â
She laughed at him, a bark of pure amusement. “I'm sure I can take care of myself. Rather chivalrous of you to be concerned, however. It's rather touching.†She drawled. Like a blow to the head, the realization that elves were renowned for being master spell-weavers hit him. “Of course, you're an elf. You have magic.†He said, standing to continue his search. She was older than he was by decades, if not centuries. Of course she could protect herself.
“Magic, yes. Elf, no.†She laughed, standing herself and carefully securing her satchel to herself. She seemed to have gathered enough. “Not an elf...?†Suspicion dawned on him, he hardly believed it. She hadn't specified what potion she was making. Could it be...? “Oh, I'm a demon.†She replied cheerfully, smiling at him while she said it.
Of course she was. The potion was probably what she planned to use to destroy the town. No wonder she was living in the forest – it was perfect to gather ingredients. He stood very still, muscles tensed. “I am Lady Raven, pleasure to meet you. And you are...?†She asked with her deceptively melodic voice. He'd known demons were deceptive – what an idiot he was!
He drew his sword, Devourer. It was over a metre long with a thick blade. A blue line ran down the middle of the black metal – it was embedded with a magic crystal, a lacrima. “I am your end.†He stated, eyes cold and hard where they had once been soft and inquiring. Raven tensed, her own eyes narrowing as she looked at him. “May I ask why...?†Her lips pursed as she finished the sentence – she seemed more annoyed than anything. Of course, Laxus reasoned, he was interrupting her from her potion.
“You're a demon.†He stated simply – that was all the reason needed. Her question confused him, but he assumed she meant something like he wasn't powerful enough. Well, she'd find out her mistake soon enough.
Laxus charged, Devourer swinging towards her. She jumped, landing a few metres away causing him to miss her completely. She outstretched her hand and a purple fireball shot towards him - but he swiftly guarded with his sword. She looked almost bored. That was until his sword absorbed said fireball. “What...?†She said as her brow furrowed, clearly confused. Laxus grinned.
“Devourer is a magic eating sword. The more magic it absorbs, the more powerful it becomes. I have slain hundreds of demons with this sword – you stand no chance.†He stated proudly, moving back into an attack position. Having been trained in the art of the sword since he could hold one, he was a master.
She could obviously tell, as boredom was quickly replaced by wariness as she eyed him and his sword. Laxus lunged towards her once more, his powerful sword swinging towards her. “Fiyqt!†She barked, confusing him momentarily until a thick wall of rock shot up from the ground. His sword smashed into it, splintering it and sending pieces of rubble flying in all directions – it did not fall. He ran to the side to attack her there, but was hit by a small boulder and sent flying. He landed on his ass with a thump, quickly pushing it off himself and rising.
Raven looked rather pissed now, and once again raised a small boulder with a command and hurled it at him. When he dodged, she spoke some other demonic spell and with a gust of air pushed herself further from him.
“Qepr Myqqyfu!†She shouted, and a few dozen of the boulders rose from the ground leaving gaping holes in his path to her, before flinging themselves at him. He dodged as many as he could, pushing others away with his sword, but the terrain made it difficult. As he deflected the last boulder he raised his sword above his head, the lacrima glowing, before flinging it downwards and unleashing a blast of blue energy at the Demoness.
The energy hit her and she was flung back, hitting into a tree – then smashing through it. Though she grimaced while she did it, she picked herself up and otherwise seemed fine. Laxus had killed lesser demons with that attack – it was definitely good he was here. Few people would be able to fight a demon of her caliber.
He ran towards her, readying another energy wave when suddenly- she was in front of him, her fist was in his stomach sending him doubling over and retching. She kicked him in the ribs, but he grabbed her leg and pulled her over – struggling to quickly stand. She tried to sweep his legs out from under him as she swiftly rose but he avoided it – barely. She stretched her hands in front of her, it was too late to guard.
Laxus jumped to the side just in time as a purple fireball, three times the size of the last one, hit the tree behind where he'd been standing and burst into flames. Just as he was about to attack again, he heard laughter. The demoness froze, eyes fixed behind him.
“You've become weak, mongrel.†A man's voice sounded behind him – it sounded familiar and sent chills of dread deep into Laxus's bones. “Nigh on a millennia we have searched for you, you pathetic mongrel. It pleases me to see you fallen so hard.†The voice spoke again. Laxus jumped to the side so he could see both of them – not willing to turn his back to a demon, but not trusting the intruder, either.
“General Karthrax.†Raven drawled, looking rather irritated. Laxus, however, was frozen stiff. The moment he saw the man, he knew. The long forest green hair, the golden cat-like eyes with tears above and below them, the arrogant stance. It was him, the one that had destroyed his village, his family, his whole life.
So he charged, a cry of rage tearing from his lips. He brought his sword down on Karthrax – only to hit air. He turned to find him, only to see him outstretched as he unleashed a blast of black energy at Laxus. He raised his sword in time to block – but it was too powerful, Devourer couldn't absorb it all. Laxus flew through the air, smashing into a tree – and going through it. Three more trees he crashed through before finally hitting one and falling to the ground – unconscious for the moment.
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He was here, the one he had chosen to kill her. General Karthrax – once one of her most brilliant generals almost a millennia ago – and consequently one of the worst to betray her. Though there had been dozens of others fighting her at the time, she had almost died when fighting him last time. Raven was no where near as powerful as she had been.
This was it – she figured she might as well go down fighting. Just as he turned back to her she shot a fireball at him, hitting him straight in the chest. It barely singed him. “You pathetic mongrel! You DARE CHALLENGE ME?!†He bellowed, rage evident in his normally statuesque face.
“Well,†Raven began with a wry smile. “You ARE here to kill me.†She was rather amused by his arrogant reaction – had she been like that? Probably. Her brief musing was cut off as he began to roar, his body shifting under his skin. First his clothing began to burst at the seems – then his skin itself. He grew, and grew and grew – revealing his “true formâ€Â, the form only “pure†demons had.
He didn't stop growing until he stood fifteen feet tall – his skin black and thick, only the sharpest swords would cut it. Three horns curled out from the side of his head on each side and his eyes were black but for his golden irises. His nails were thick and talon like – as with the previous demon they too dripped poison, though his was much more deadly.
He charged at her, growling as he did so. He swung a huge fist at her and she pushed herself back with an air command – barely avoiding it. Karthrax was impossibly fast for his size, and unlike herself had grown more powerful over the years. He lunged at her again, talons outstretched in an attempt to fill her with toxins. She erected a rock wall before her – his hand crashed through it and she barely managed to dodge to the side.
Raven shot another fireball off at him, burning him but once again fire was no match for a demon. With a curse, she jumped to a tree branch and shot a number of fireballs at him – each hitting, but doing little damage. Then with a bellow, she saw the man she had been fighting charge at him, sword outstretched. He swung it at the demon and sliced through his back, black blood flowing out of the wound. Karthrax, enraged, heaved his fist towards Laxus – but he dodged just in time.
Laxus dodged another hit, weaving around and using his smaller size to his advantage. A number of cuts began to form on the demon's body – unfortunately he was so large, even the gigantic sword did little to him. Laxus side stepped another attack – only to be grabbed in Karthrax's fist.
“FOOLISH HUMAN!†Karthrax bellowed, crushing Laxus within his fist. “YOU THINK YOU CAN WIN AGAINST ME?!†Whilst he was distracted with Laxus, Raven unsheathed her Dragonglass blades. She jumped down from the tree, rushing towards the demon. Karthrax noticed and flung Laxus away – sending him crashing through more trees.
As Karthrax went to swipe her with his giant arm and fist, Raven dodged, and sliced his arm near the shoulder – her soul flames burned through and killed the limb. Karthrax let out a howl of rage and sent a blast of energy at Raven – it hit her directly, sending her crashing through the under bush. Her skin burned and blistered from the power, pain exploded all over.
Laxus, however, charged in again swinging his sword at Karthrax. With a whoosh of air, he managed to add more incisions – finding it much easier with only one arm to avoid. He dodged and weaved once more, slicing as much as he could through Karthrax's armoured skin. Raven, though in a great deal of pain, had recovered from her throw. She jumped on top of Karthrax's back, just as Karthrax impaled Laxus with his poisonous talons.
Swiftly, Raven sliced Karthrax's neck – her dagger's magic severing his brain from his whole body. Opening her jaw and extending her fangs for the second time in the last week, Raven sank her fangs into Karthrax's neck. Karthrax screamed and power flooded her body, healing her wounds just as Laxus passed out. When Karthrax's body turned to ash, she turned to Laxus.
Raven knew that without his assistance, she would have died. Thanks to him, she had absorbed enough power to kill all but the most powerful demons who came to annihilate her. She owed him a debt. So, with pursed lips and an unhappy expression, she hauled him up on her back – careful of his wounds – and took him to her home.
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The moment she arrived at her cottage, she dumped him on her bed and went to her supply closet. Being human, he would have no resistance to Karthrax's poison. He would have not been the first person to have died hours after a battle from poison. Grabbing her most powerful healing salves, balms and potions, she rushed back to the room where he still lay unconscious. His skin was grey.
Raven expertly removed his clothes – it seemed centuries of debauchery actually came in handy sometimes. His wounds were deep, puffy, and weeping puss. Five holes pierced his stomach and lower chest – there was definitely internal bleeding. She poured three potions into his mouth consecutively, massaging his throat to make him swallow. The final potion she poured over his wounds – this one was also able to be drunk, but they were so deep she felt this form of application would help faster.
Once that was done, his skin, though still deathly pale, was not quite so deathly. She began rubbing the balms and salves on his wounds – including the little scrapes and bruises she herself had left with her rocks. The wounds began to close – which pleased her – but she knew the poison would not be simply defeated by things she had on hand.
He would be stable for now.
Raven bound his wounds with a soft, white cloth. She tucked him into the bed, leaving him in only his underpants and the bandages. She stood Devourer on the wall against the bed, in easy reach.
Then she went to research – after all, she had a ridiculously powerful healing potion to brew.
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The night had passed quickly with Raven absorbed in her research and Laxus still dead to the world. The next day passed similarly, except Raven – still not having slept, feeling that she hadn't the time with his condition – had moved onto brewing the potion. Ironically enough, it was the same potion he had interrupted her while gathering the ingredients for. Unfortunately, a lot of the agrimony flowers were damaged. She only had enough for a single batch – if she got it wrong... well, she wouldn't have to worry about a debt any more.
She brewed through the night, the potion being complicated and requiring a great deal of attention. Ingredients needed to be added at different times and such, she had to stir it certain ways and change the heat of the burner nearly constantly for the delicate reactions. Early the next morning, only a few hours after the sun had risen, Raven finally finished the potion.
It was a clear-ish, lime green concoction. Tiny bubbles rose to the surface of it, the combination with the colour causing it to look rather suspicious. She sighed, knowing she would have a hard time getting him to take it... if he woke up.
As it was, she had just finished making herself some breakfast when she heard a thump. With a grimace, she placed the plate of food on a tray along with a vial of the potion she had made. She would make herself more after he had taken it – the potion couldn't be taken on an empty stomach. Knowing he was going to be difficult, she started towards her room.
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Laxus woke feeling like hell. Though, he hadn't expected to wake up at all, so it was still a plus. He was in a bedroom of some kind – someone must have found him after the battle and saved him. It vexed him that he had needed help at all. His whole life he'd spent in search of that demon – only to have to have the assistance of another demon to kill it.
He sat up to get a better look at his surroundings and saw Devourer against the wall – thank the gods, he did not know what he would do without his sword. It was his fathers – the last relic of the Demon Slaying tribe that Karthrax had obliterated. Rather parallel to himself, in a way.
Laxus lifted the duvet, swung his legs over the edge of the soft, scarlet bed and tried to walk over to Devourer... only to collapse on the floor. He cried out as a sharp pain raced through his body, and struggled to get back onto the bed – not succeeding. He heard the door open and footsteps enter the room.
It was the demoness, 'Raven'. She quickly put a tray on the bedside table and bent down to touch him, but Laxus jerked away. “Don't touch me, you filthy demon!†He growled, baring his teeth at her in a primal display of anger. The demoness clenched her jaw, looked him up and down, then smirked.
“Get your ass back into bed and stop being an idiot. You're not healed yet.†She drawled, glaring at him as she placed her hands on her hips in an indignant pose. “I'm not going to listen to trash like you!†Laxus snapped as he struggled to look dignified... leaning against the bed on the floor.
The demoness took a deep breath, then slowly blew it out. She rubbed her temples, sighed, then bent over – avoided his struggling arms – and literally picked him up with seemingly no effort at all. She then dumped him unceremoniously on the bed.
“Eat your gods damned food, then when you've finished it all you need to drink the contents of that vial.†She ground out, obviously annoyed by his behaviour – as signified by her once again clenched jaw. “I will NOT!†Laxus barked. “I'm smart enough to realise that it's probably poison.†He snarled with a frown and a glare.
He was slightly startled to hear her literally growl. “Why the fuck would I got to the trouble of healing your wounds, just to poison you?†She barked, temper flaring. Laxus rolled his eyes, as though the answer was obvious. He replied as he settled back into the bed. “Obviously you wanted me awake when you killed me, furthermore if I'd died from those wounds, Karthrax would have technically killed me.†His voice was as smug as it could possibly be, he believed he had outsmarted the 'crafty demon'.
With a frustrated cry, Raven threw her hands in the air. “Karthrax was there to kill me. Had you not been there, I very well may have died. Like it or not, I owe you a debt.†Snapped Raven. She walked over to the book shelf in the room and started pulling volumes off it. “The poison is still in your system..†She ground out as she walked towards the door.
“I've just finished brewing the potion to finish healing you, and that's it in the vial. I've done everything I can. If you want to die, then don't take it.†With that, she turned on her heel and walked out the bedroom door – slamming it behind her.
Laxus ate the food, then decided to risk the potion.
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The next few days were filled with mostly silence. Laxus, though cured, slowly regained his strength. Raven brought him meals each day and gave him a balm to use on the remains of his wounds – still red and sore looking scars – and told him he was to stay until he was recovered.
She allowed no argument on the matter.
Laxus spent the majority of his time sleeping and regaining his energy. The balm Raven had given him reduced the angry scars to soft, pale skin once more. Not a mark was left – it unnerved him somehow. He had come so close to death, yet physically seemed unscathed.
It was on the fifth day that Laxus was finally able to leave of his own accord. He put on his now clean clothing, strapped Devourer to his back, and wandered down the hall to the kitchen where Raven was preparing some food.
“So you're off?†She questioned, not looking up from the sandwiches she was making. He shuffled his feet, unsure of how to behave. On one hand, she was a demon – his sworn enemy. On the other, she had been nothing but... cordial vocally, and outright kind to his physical heath needs. “Yeah, I am.†He said after a short pause.
“Do you know where you're going?†She asked, still preparing food – now it was soup, which she placed into a container. “...no.†Laxus replied, feeling a bit awkward. “That demon, Karthrax... I've been searching for him my whole life. I don't really... have a purpose any more.†He looked away to the side, almost ashamed to admit such a thing – especially to a demon – no matter how generous they had been.
Though he didn't see it, Raven smiled a little. “Well,†she began. “What would you like to do?†She questioned. Laxus thought about it – just as he had been doing since he'd woken up. So far he had no answers – just like a number of other questions he'd pondered. Such as why Karthrax wanted to kill Raven, why she was being so genial, why none of the townsfolk had a problems with her – simply saying she was scary and avoiding her than being outright terrified of her as people are of most demons.
“Other than demon slaying-†He paused and grimaced slightly, remembering he was talking to a demon. “I can't think of anything else in which my skills would be useful. I don't relish the idea of becoming an mercenary.†His tone was almost cordial, though still confused about it... he respected her.
When he looked at her, he found Raven smiling wryly at him. Thankfully she hadn't taken offence. “Why didn't you just leave me to die?†He asked – genuinely confused about it. Raven paused in her preparations for a moment before answering. “I always repay my debts.†She said simply.
Unable to stop himself since he had started, he continued. “Why haven't you slaughtered and burned the town down?†Raven laughed at this, it was half amused and half harsh – she was obviously at least somewhat annoyed at this question. Once again, she replied simply. “I like the town.â€Â
“What of your immortality?†He asked – immediately she gave him a sharp look. He winced, knowing he had pushed her. Curiosity did kill the cat and all that. Instead of smiting him, however, as he expected her to do, she simply turned back to placing the sandwiches, soup and some fruit into a basket while answering. “I have found people tend to avoid you if you're bent on destruction. It gets rather lonely.â€Â
Raven turned to him, having finished packing the basket with food. “Do you have anyone you care about? You should go find them... if you can.†Since she had answered him – although he wasn't sure if it was honestly or not yet, still being wary of the demon – he decided to answer her. “I do not. My family and village were killed by Karthrax a decade ago, and I've been travelling in search of him so long... I haven't stopped long enough to begin to care for anyone.†She nodded in understanding.
She hummed in thought momentarily before smirking wryly. “There is an organization here that might suit you. They were rather powerful at one point, but there is only one member left. He would probably be overjoyed at a new member.†She almost seemed amused at the prospect – though Laxus couldn't fathom why.
“Oh?†He inquired, genuinely interested. She didn't know anything about him, other than the fact he could fight, had a magic sword, his family and village were killed by Karthrax and he killed demons. What kind of organization could she possibly think suit him from that? A demon slayer group? Maybe that was the reason for the amused look on her face.
“They're called The Guardians. They well... guard people from evil. I have a feeling that Karthrax wasn't the last demon to be sent to kill me – good thing, too. It means I have a new supply for my immortality.†She digressed momentarily, a pondering expression on her face. “Either way, the people could use someone around to stop what happened with the demon before Karthrax again. I'm a bit useless out in the middle of a forest.†Laxus was... shocked, to say the least.
She was a demon. And she was saying he should protect the town from other demons. It was unheard of – there was definitely something weird about her. “I'll consider it. Either way I'll probably stay in town a few days.†He shrugged nonchalantly. “You can find both room and the Guardian at The Horn and the Halo.†Raven replied, sitting on one of the kitchen chairs and starting to nibble on a sandwich that she hadn't placed in the basket.
He paused, then because his manners insisted, he thanked her. Raven waved a hand at him in dismissal. “As I said, I was simply repaying a debt. Take the basket with you when you leave – it's a bit of a walk back to town. Travel west, or you might get lost. The forest can be dangerous.†With that, he was dismissed. Laxus took the basket, said goodbye, and left for town. He was thoroughly confused about the strange demon, but surprisingly glad she was around.
He would have died if not for her – both from the poison and if he had fought alone. It seemed it was good for the both to have met – even if they would never be friends, they could at least respect each other. Perhaps her suggestions about joining the Guardians was a good idea. He would look into it.
(( Oh dear GOD THAT TOOK FOREVER. I knew if I didn't just keep writing until it was finished, I just wouldn't do it. On the bright side, yay, cool story and inspiration and new character! Hope you like it. If you have any creative criticism, I'd love to hear it. If not you can say it was awesome, though. Compliments are always appreciated.
))
Life was good.
With a swirl, she was in his arms. Her lover, her partner, her promised. Soft caresses touched her skin, pleasure curled in her belly and love in her heart. They would rule Kvu Xukvuq together for eternity... but suddenly they were caresses no more, pain took the place of pleasure, and of love. Betrayal – both as a subject and a future mate. A coup, a fight, an escape – barely alive. The doors of Kvu Xukvuq sealed to her forever. His rage after she'd killed his real intended.
Alone, destruction, pain, pleasure, rage – then suddenly him again. Laughing as she died, taunting her for her naivety, for her blood. For her love.
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Raven awoke with a gasp, sweat poured down her body in cascades as she panted – trying to calm her racing heart. It had been centuries since she had dreamed such dreams – the pain was old now, even by her standards. Half her lifetime ago. Shaking her head, she slipped out of bed. It was still dark, the early hours of the morning. She preferred the night, anyway.
She pulled her clothing on, wondering at her dream. Perhaps it had been travelling through Kvu Xukvuq on her travels that reawakened the old memories. She had travelled the worlds of reality by jumping through there, hiding the whole time. A step in Kvu Xukvuq was an impossible distance in reality.
If she had been found, they would have killed her. Of course, she had almost killed herself with the blood magic needed to re-open the portal for her. She had grown weak without the sacrifice of innocents to fuel her immortality. Within a few years she would be mortal. But she hadn't died, she had survived. She was safe.
Running a hand through her hair, she left her bedroom, walked through her house and exited to the woods. She would collect some lunar blossom petals for a new potions she wanted to try. Her home in the forest suited her alchemetic needs perfectly – that and the quiet were her reasons for making her home there.
Her feet crunched on the leaves littering the forest ground as she searched. After an hour or so, she saw a glow in the distance – a lunar blossom. She expertly harvested it, storing it in her satchel for safety. As she turned to leave, a noise which was not her own sounded behind her.
Raven turned just in time to see a demon charge at her. Grey fur covered it's humanoid body, talons dripping with poison extended for a killing blow and its blue, fly-esque eyes glared at her – luminous in the dark.
“Linv!†She commanded, her air magic pushing her out of the way just in time. The demon turned towards her, throwing a ball of green fire straight at her. She side stepped it, returning with her own purple flames. Her flames hit its chest, burning it – though not with a great deal of strength. Demons were creatures of fire – no matter how adept she was at it, it would never damage them too much.
The demon growled, grotesque eyes narrowing, and charged towards her again. She unsheathed her daggers, running her power through them. It swiped a claw at her body, she moved with a fighter's grace and cut the arm – severing it from the demon's soul and rendering it useless. It bellowed in rage and attacked with it's remaining arm – that was quickly cut as well.
“Lqanex.†A pyramidic prison of rock encased the demon up to it's shoulders. It knew it was going to die.
“More will come mongrel. We have found you.†It rasped, its voice deep and foreboding. With a grimace, Raven realised she must have left magical traces as she travelled.
She'd thought a thousand years would be long enough that he would have forgotten her, but apparently not.
“Then I will kill them as well.†She drawled, voice sounding bored where as inward her heart beat with fear. She was weak – and as the demon laughed at her, she knew he knew it too. He'd simply been sent to test her.
“You will die.†He stated. Without reacting, without speaking, Raven moved closer to the encased demon. She opened her jaw wide, fangs elongating, and sunk them into the demon's neck. It screamed as she devoured its soul – power flowed back into her, strengthening her. It wasn't much, though. Her immortality extended by maybe another few months. This demon was only a grunt sent to test her power.
More would be coming.
When the demon's body collapsed into dust, she walked away. Though she hoped they would simply send more and more powerful demons against her, allowing her to build up her strength, she knew he was too smart for that.
The next one would be sent to execute her. She would most likely not survive.
With a sigh, she returned home. That was a problem for another day. The sun had began to rise and she had an experiment to try – Raven was rather glad the lunar blossom petals hadn't been damaged in the fight.
And so, she returned home to begin brewing.
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Laxus Aerin walked into the bustling town with his huge, oversized sword on his back. Laxus was a tall light skinned man, just over six foot. His hair was shortish, messy and brown, and he had striking green eyes. He was a large man, with a big chest built from years of combat. His body – though not all visable due to his leather armour – was littered with scars. Such was the life of a Demon Slayer. He had heard a number of people had been killed by a demon in the area recently and had come to investigate. He made his way through the streets and into the first tavern her saw – taverns were always the best place to gather information.
The Horn and the Halo was a nice enough place, patrons laughing and drinking, the sound of conversations a buzz in the background at all times. He sat himself at the bar and ordered himself a drink from the barkeep, asking about the demon while he was at it.
“Oh, we haven't heard much about that since the killings. Sad thing that was, poor people were ripped to shreads. Looked like the thing had eaten them, too. Last I heard it was dead though.†The barkeep answered him. After paying and giving him a thanks, the barkeep moved on leaving Laxus to think.
It was obviously not the demon he was searching for – a whole village of demon slayers had fallen like flies to the demon's overwhelming power. Karthrax was a “Reqtâ€Â, a demonic lord. It sounded like this demon was simply a minion. He casually sipped his drink and listened to the chatter around him – at least until he heard someone mention the word 'Demon'. His eyes zoned in on the group of men at a table near him and listened to his conversation.
“She's scary as hell. I've heard she took up residence in the forest recently. D'ya think that other monster was hers?†One man asked another. The other shrugged, but before he could speak was interrupted by Laxus.
“Sorry to bother you, but are you talking about a demon?†He inquired, standing beside the table having forgotten his half-finished drink behind him. “Err, yeah Her name's Raven as far as I know.†One of the men said, eye brows furrowing in something akin to confusion. “You new here or sumthin'?†He asked.
“Just in town. How long has she been here?†Laxus replied, brows furrowing at the thought of a second demon in the town in such a short time. It was rather unusual. “Oh, a few months or sumthin'. Showed up one day – seemed to know a lot of people around.†A few months!? They didn't seem anyway alarmed, and the town was intact. That was... strange.
“And you say she's living in the forest?†The townsmen began to look at him suspiciously, eyeing his sword. “Yeah, but I wouldn't trouble her if I were you. I heard she killed a dragon just because it had her scarf or something. Friends with some pretty powerful people, too.†Laxus ignored them, simply stating he was a Demon Slayer. He didn't notice the looks of alarm and pity that crossed their faces as he left, nor whatever they said as he did.
After he got outside, with a quick inquiry to someone on the street he found his way to the forest. It was... rather large. Unsure of how he would find the demon, he began searching. You could simply not leave the abominations to do as they pleased. If she hadn't been troubling the townspeople, he was certain she was working on annihilating them all at once or something. That's just how demons were.
The sun began to go down and caught the leaves of the trees around him, setting them aglow. Had he not been so focused on being aware of his surroundings in case the demon attempted to sneak up on him, he would have thought it beautiful. Unfortunately, one could never relax with a demon in the area. Sly, deceitful, evil abominations all of them. He would kill every one he came across – if only to prevent a repeat of his village.
He heard a noise in the distance, a tune of some kind. Did demons sing? No, it wasn't singing he realised as he moved closer. Someone was humming. He entered a clearing to see a woman harvesting some small yellow flowers from a plant – an elf by the looks of her ears. She hummed happily as she did so.
Her eyes turned to him the moment he entered the clearing and her humming stopped. She raised a quizzical eyebrow at him and greeted him.
“My my, it's not often I meet people out here. I don't recognise you – new in town?†She inquired, tucking a loose strand of her wavy black hair behind her ear. It was pulled back off her face – for convenience, he assumed. He had never seen an elf wear their hair back before.
“Yeah, just arrived into town. What're you doing out here so late? It's going to be dark soon.†She didn't look very strong – from the look of her alchemy satchel, she was a potions mistress. Potions were all well and good, but they wouldn't protect you against a demon. He would escort he back to town before continuing to search.
“Some plants are more potent when harvested at twighlight. I'm doing an experiment at the moment that needs these agrimony flowers – and of course, twighlight is the best time to harvest them.†She smiled at the plant as she said this, returning to plucking the small flowers and placing them carefully into her satchel.
She knew her stuff – he had no idea what any plants were called, let alone know enough about them to tell when they were best harvested. Laxus wondered what kind of experiment she was doing – she seemed to need to get them now. He would wait for her before walking her back, after all if anything happened he could protect her. There was no point ruining her experiment, since she obviously cared a lot about it.
“What kind of experiment are you working on?†He inquired, genuinely curious. He walked over closer to her and sat against a tree near her, examining her as she worked. “A variation of a potion I read about in a book.†She replied. “It wasn't supposed to work, but after looking at the ingredients I detected a number of flaws with the chemistry. I decided to improve on it.†It was said offhanded, as if it was a completely normal thing to be able to just come up with new potions. Alchemetic Masters were rare – but then again she was an Elf, she could be hundreds of years old for all he knew.
“And what of you?†She asked, startling him out of his thought. For some reason he hadn't expected her to question him back. As she looked at him, he realised her eyes were rather sharp. They looked older than her physical appearance – which reaffirmed her longevity in his mind. It was always disconcerting meeting elves. “I'm hunting a demon. I heard there was one in the forest.†He said, frowning at her slightly. “Speaking of which, you should be more careful. A lone woman at night is an easy target.â€Â
She laughed at him, a bark of pure amusement. “I'm sure I can take care of myself. Rather chivalrous of you to be concerned, however. It's rather touching.†She drawled. Like a blow to the head, the realization that elves were renowned for being master spell-weavers hit him. “Of course, you're an elf. You have magic.†He said, standing to continue his search. She was older than he was by decades, if not centuries. Of course she could protect herself.
“Magic, yes. Elf, no.†She laughed, standing herself and carefully securing her satchel to herself. She seemed to have gathered enough. “Not an elf...?†Suspicion dawned on him, he hardly believed it. She hadn't specified what potion she was making. Could it be...? “Oh, I'm a demon.†She replied cheerfully, smiling at him while she said it.
Of course she was. The potion was probably what she planned to use to destroy the town. No wonder she was living in the forest – it was perfect to gather ingredients. He stood very still, muscles tensed. “I am Lady Raven, pleasure to meet you. And you are...?†She asked with her deceptively melodic voice. He'd known demons were deceptive – what an idiot he was!
He drew his sword, Devourer. It was over a metre long with a thick blade. A blue line ran down the middle of the black metal – it was embedded with a magic crystal, a lacrima. “I am your end.†He stated, eyes cold and hard where they had once been soft and inquiring. Raven tensed, her own eyes narrowing as she looked at him. “May I ask why...?†Her lips pursed as she finished the sentence – she seemed more annoyed than anything. Of course, Laxus reasoned, he was interrupting her from her potion.
“You're a demon.†He stated simply – that was all the reason needed. Her question confused him, but he assumed she meant something like he wasn't powerful enough. Well, she'd find out her mistake soon enough.
Laxus charged, Devourer swinging towards her. She jumped, landing a few metres away causing him to miss her completely. She outstretched her hand and a purple fireball shot towards him - but he swiftly guarded with his sword. She looked almost bored. That was until his sword absorbed said fireball. “What...?†She said as her brow furrowed, clearly confused. Laxus grinned.
“Devourer is a magic eating sword. The more magic it absorbs, the more powerful it becomes. I have slain hundreds of demons with this sword – you stand no chance.†He stated proudly, moving back into an attack position. Having been trained in the art of the sword since he could hold one, he was a master.
She could obviously tell, as boredom was quickly replaced by wariness as she eyed him and his sword. Laxus lunged towards her once more, his powerful sword swinging towards her. “Fiyqt!†She barked, confusing him momentarily until a thick wall of rock shot up from the ground. His sword smashed into it, splintering it and sending pieces of rubble flying in all directions – it did not fall. He ran to the side to attack her there, but was hit by a small boulder and sent flying. He landed on his ass with a thump, quickly pushing it off himself and rising.
Raven looked rather pissed now, and once again raised a small boulder with a command and hurled it at him. When he dodged, she spoke some other demonic spell and with a gust of air pushed herself further from him.
“Qepr Myqqyfu!†She shouted, and a few dozen of the boulders rose from the ground leaving gaping holes in his path to her, before flinging themselves at him. He dodged as many as he could, pushing others away with his sword, but the terrain made it difficult. As he deflected the last boulder he raised his sword above his head, the lacrima glowing, before flinging it downwards and unleashing a blast of blue energy at the Demoness.
The energy hit her and she was flung back, hitting into a tree – then smashing through it. Though she grimaced while she did it, she picked herself up and otherwise seemed fine. Laxus had killed lesser demons with that attack – it was definitely good he was here. Few people would be able to fight a demon of her caliber.
He ran towards her, readying another energy wave when suddenly- she was in front of him, her fist was in his stomach sending him doubling over and retching. She kicked him in the ribs, but he grabbed her leg and pulled her over – struggling to quickly stand. She tried to sweep his legs out from under him as she swiftly rose but he avoided it – barely. She stretched her hands in front of her, it was too late to guard.
Laxus jumped to the side just in time as a purple fireball, three times the size of the last one, hit the tree behind where he'd been standing and burst into flames. Just as he was about to attack again, he heard laughter. The demoness froze, eyes fixed behind him.
“You've become weak, mongrel.†A man's voice sounded behind him – it sounded familiar and sent chills of dread deep into Laxus's bones. “Nigh on a millennia we have searched for you, you pathetic mongrel. It pleases me to see you fallen so hard.†The voice spoke again. Laxus jumped to the side so he could see both of them – not willing to turn his back to a demon, but not trusting the intruder, either.
“General Karthrax.†Raven drawled, looking rather irritated. Laxus, however, was frozen stiff. The moment he saw the man, he knew. The long forest green hair, the golden cat-like eyes with tears above and below them, the arrogant stance. It was him, the one that had destroyed his village, his family, his whole life.
So he charged, a cry of rage tearing from his lips. He brought his sword down on Karthrax – only to hit air. He turned to find him, only to see him outstretched as he unleashed a blast of black energy at Laxus. He raised his sword in time to block – but it was too powerful, Devourer couldn't absorb it all. Laxus flew through the air, smashing into a tree – and going through it. Three more trees he crashed through before finally hitting one and falling to the ground – unconscious for the moment.
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He was here, the one he had chosen to kill her. General Karthrax – once one of her most brilliant generals almost a millennia ago – and consequently one of the worst to betray her. Though there had been dozens of others fighting her at the time, she had almost died when fighting him last time. Raven was no where near as powerful as she had been.
This was it – she figured she might as well go down fighting. Just as he turned back to her she shot a fireball at him, hitting him straight in the chest. It barely singed him. “You pathetic mongrel! You DARE CHALLENGE ME?!†He bellowed, rage evident in his normally statuesque face.
“Well,†Raven began with a wry smile. “You ARE here to kill me.†She was rather amused by his arrogant reaction – had she been like that? Probably. Her brief musing was cut off as he began to roar, his body shifting under his skin. First his clothing began to burst at the seems – then his skin itself. He grew, and grew and grew – revealing his “true formâ€Â, the form only “pure†demons had.
He didn't stop growing until he stood fifteen feet tall – his skin black and thick, only the sharpest swords would cut it. Three horns curled out from the side of his head on each side and his eyes were black but for his golden irises. His nails were thick and talon like – as with the previous demon they too dripped poison, though his was much more deadly.
He charged at her, growling as he did so. He swung a huge fist at her and she pushed herself back with an air command – barely avoiding it. Karthrax was impossibly fast for his size, and unlike herself had grown more powerful over the years. He lunged at her again, talons outstretched in an attempt to fill her with toxins. She erected a rock wall before her – his hand crashed through it and she barely managed to dodge to the side.
Raven shot another fireball off at him, burning him but once again fire was no match for a demon. With a curse, she jumped to a tree branch and shot a number of fireballs at him – each hitting, but doing little damage. Then with a bellow, she saw the man she had been fighting charge at him, sword outstretched. He swung it at the demon and sliced through his back, black blood flowing out of the wound. Karthrax, enraged, heaved his fist towards Laxus – but he dodged just in time.
Laxus dodged another hit, weaving around and using his smaller size to his advantage. A number of cuts began to form on the demon's body – unfortunately he was so large, even the gigantic sword did little to him. Laxus side stepped another attack – only to be grabbed in Karthrax's fist.
“FOOLISH HUMAN!†Karthrax bellowed, crushing Laxus within his fist. “YOU THINK YOU CAN WIN AGAINST ME?!†Whilst he was distracted with Laxus, Raven unsheathed her Dragonglass blades. She jumped down from the tree, rushing towards the demon. Karthrax noticed and flung Laxus away – sending him crashing through more trees.
As Karthrax went to swipe her with his giant arm and fist, Raven dodged, and sliced his arm near the shoulder – her soul flames burned through and killed the limb. Karthrax let out a howl of rage and sent a blast of energy at Raven – it hit her directly, sending her crashing through the under bush. Her skin burned and blistered from the power, pain exploded all over.
Laxus, however, charged in again swinging his sword at Karthrax. With a whoosh of air, he managed to add more incisions – finding it much easier with only one arm to avoid. He dodged and weaved once more, slicing as much as he could through Karthrax's armoured skin. Raven, though in a great deal of pain, had recovered from her throw. She jumped on top of Karthrax's back, just as Karthrax impaled Laxus with his poisonous talons.
Swiftly, Raven sliced Karthrax's neck – her dagger's magic severing his brain from his whole body. Opening her jaw and extending her fangs for the second time in the last week, Raven sank her fangs into Karthrax's neck. Karthrax screamed and power flooded her body, healing her wounds just as Laxus passed out. When Karthrax's body turned to ash, she turned to Laxus.
Raven knew that without his assistance, she would have died. Thanks to him, she had absorbed enough power to kill all but the most powerful demons who came to annihilate her. She owed him a debt. So, with pursed lips and an unhappy expression, she hauled him up on her back – careful of his wounds – and took him to her home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The moment she arrived at her cottage, she dumped him on her bed and went to her supply closet. Being human, he would have no resistance to Karthrax's poison. He would have not been the first person to have died hours after a battle from poison. Grabbing her most powerful healing salves, balms and potions, she rushed back to the room where he still lay unconscious. His skin was grey.
Raven expertly removed his clothes – it seemed centuries of debauchery actually came in handy sometimes. His wounds were deep, puffy, and weeping puss. Five holes pierced his stomach and lower chest – there was definitely internal bleeding. She poured three potions into his mouth consecutively, massaging his throat to make him swallow. The final potion she poured over his wounds – this one was also able to be drunk, but they were so deep she felt this form of application would help faster.
Once that was done, his skin, though still deathly pale, was not quite so deathly. She began rubbing the balms and salves on his wounds – including the little scrapes and bruises she herself had left with her rocks. The wounds began to close – which pleased her – but she knew the poison would not be simply defeated by things she had on hand.
He would be stable for now.
Raven bound his wounds with a soft, white cloth. She tucked him into the bed, leaving him in only his underpants and the bandages. She stood Devourer on the wall against the bed, in easy reach.
Then she went to research – after all, she had a ridiculously powerful healing potion to brew.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The night had passed quickly with Raven absorbed in her research and Laxus still dead to the world. The next day passed similarly, except Raven – still not having slept, feeling that she hadn't the time with his condition – had moved onto brewing the potion. Ironically enough, it was the same potion he had interrupted her while gathering the ingredients for. Unfortunately, a lot of the agrimony flowers were damaged. She only had enough for a single batch – if she got it wrong... well, she wouldn't have to worry about a debt any more.
She brewed through the night, the potion being complicated and requiring a great deal of attention. Ingredients needed to be added at different times and such, she had to stir it certain ways and change the heat of the burner nearly constantly for the delicate reactions. Early the next morning, only a few hours after the sun had risen, Raven finally finished the potion.
It was a clear-ish, lime green concoction. Tiny bubbles rose to the surface of it, the combination with the colour causing it to look rather suspicious. She sighed, knowing she would have a hard time getting him to take it... if he woke up.
As it was, she had just finished making herself some breakfast when she heard a thump. With a grimace, she placed the plate of food on a tray along with a vial of the potion she had made. She would make herself more after he had taken it – the potion couldn't be taken on an empty stomach. Knowing he was going to be difficult, she started towards her room.
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Laxus woke feeling like hell. Though, he hadn't expected to wake up at all, so it was still a plus. He was in a bedroom of some kind – someone must have found him after the battle and saved him. It vexed him that he had needed help at all. His whole life he'd spent in search of that demon – only to have to have the assistance of another demon to kill it.
He sat up to get a better look at his surroundings and saw Devourer against the wall – thank the gods, he did not know what he would do without his sword. It was his fathers – the last relic of the Demon Slaying tribe that Karthrax had obliterated. Rather parallel to himself, in a way.
Laxus lifted the duvet, swung his legs over the edge of the soft, scarlet bed and tried to walk over to Devourer... only to collapse on the floor. He cried out as a sharp pain raced through his body, and struggled to get back onto the bed – not succeeding. He heard the door open and footsteps enter the room.
It was the demoness, 'Raven'. She quickly put a tray on the bedside table and bent down to touch him, but Laxus jerked away. “Don't touch me, you filthy demon!†He growled, baring his teeth at her in a primal display of anger. The demoness clenched her jaw, looked him up and down, then smirked.
“Get your ass back into bed and stop being an idiot. You're not healed yet.†She drawled, glaring at him as she placed her hands on her hips in an indignant pose. “I'm not going to listen to trash like you!†Laxus snapped as he struggled to look dignified... leaning against the bed on the floor.
The demoness took a deep breath, then slowly blew it out. She rubbed her temples, sighed, then bent over – avoided his struggling arms – and literally picked him up with seemingly no effort at all. She then dumped him unceremoniously on the bed.
“Eat your gods damned food, then when you've finished it all you need to drink the contents of that vial.†She ground out, obviously annoyed by his behaviour – as signified by her once again clenched jaw. “I will NOT!†Laxus barked. “I'm smart enough to realise that it's probably poison.†He snarled with a frown and a glare.
He was slightly startled to hear her literally growl. “Why the fuck would I got to the trouble of healing your wounds, just to poison you?†She barked, temper flaring. Laxus rolled his eyes, as though the answer was obvious. He replied as he settled back into the bed. “Obviously you wanted me awake when you killed me, furthermore if I'd died from those wounds, Karthrax would have technically killed me.†His voice was as smug as it could possibly be, he believed he had outsmarted the 'crafty demon'.
With a frustrated cry, Raven threw her hands in the air. “Karthrax was there to kill me. Had you not been there, I very well may have died. Like it or not, I owe you a debt.†Snapped Raven. She walked over to the book shelf in the room and started pulling volumes off it. “The poison is still in your system..†She ground out as she walked towards the door.
“I've just finished brewing the potion to finish healing you, and that's it in the vial. I've done everything I can. If you want to die, then don't take it.†With that, she turned on her heel and walked out the bedroom door – slamming it behind her.
Laxus ate the food, then decided to risk the potion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next few days were filled with mostly silence. Laxus, though cured, slowly regained his strength. Raven brought him meals each day and gave him a balm to use on the remains of his wounds – still red and sore looking scars – and told him he was to stay until he was recovered.
She allowed no argument on the matter.
Laxus spent the majority of his time sleeping and regaining his energy. The balm Raven had given him reduced the angry scars to soft, pale skin once more. Not a mark was left – it unnerved him somehow. He had come so close to death, yet physically seemed unscathed.
It was on the fifth day that Laxus was finally able to leave of his own accord. He put on his now clean clothing, strapped Devourer to his back, and wandered down the hall to the kitchen where Raven was preparing some food.
“So you're off?†She questioned, not looking up from the sandwiches she was making. He shuffled his feet, unsure of how to behave. On one hand, she was a demon – his sworn enemy. On the other, she had been nothing but... cordial vocally, and outright kind to his physical heath needs. “Yeah, I am.†He said after a short pause.
“Do you know where you're going?†She asked, still preparing food – now it was soup, which she placed into a container. “...no.†Laxus replied, feeling a bit awkward. “That demon, Karthrax... I've been searching for him my whole life. I don't really... have a purpose any more.†He looked away to the side, almost ashamed to admit such a thing – especially to a demon – no matter how generous they had been.
Though he didn't see it, Raven smiled a little. “Well,†she began. “What would you like to do?†She questioned. Laxus thought about it – just as he had been doing since he'd woken up. So far he had no answers – just like a number of other questions he'd pondered. Such as why Karthrax wanted to kill Raven, why she was being so genial, why none of the townsfolk had a problems with her – simply saying she was scary and avoiding her than being outright terrified of her as people are of most demons.
“Other than demon slaying-†He paused and grimaced slightly, remembering he was talking to a demon. “I can't think of anything else in which my skills would be useful. I don't relish the idea of becoming an mercenary.†His tone was almost cordial, though still confused about it... he respected her.
When he looked at her, he found Raven smiling wryly at him. Thankfully she hadn't taken offence. “Why didn't you just leave me to die?†He asked – genuinely confused about it. Raven paused in her preparations for a moment before answering. “I always repay my debts.†She said simply.
Unable to stop himself since he had started, he continued. “Why haven't you slaughtered and burned the town down?†Raven laughed at this, it was half amused and half harsh – she was obviously at least somewhat annoyed at this question. Once again, she replied simply. “I like the town.â€Â
“What of your immortality?†He asked – immediately she gave him a sharp look. He winced, knowing he had pushed her. Curiosity did kill the cat and all that. Instead of smiting him, however, as he expected her to do, she simply turned back to placing the sandwiches, soup and some fruit into a basket while answering. “I have found people tend to avoid you if you're bent on destruction. It gets rather lonely.â€Â
Raven turned to him, having finished packing the basket with food. “Do you have anyone you care about? You should go find them... if you can.†Since she had answered him – although he wasn't sure if it was honestly or not yet, still being wary of the demon – he decided to answer her. “I do not. My family and village were killed by Karthrax a decade ago, and I've been travelling in search of him so long... I haven't stopped long enough to begin to care for anyone.†She nodded in understanding.
She hummed in thought momentarily before smirking wryly. “There is an organization here that might suit you. They were rather powerful at one point, but there is only one member left. He would probably be overjoyed at a new member.†She almost seemed amused at the prospect – though Laxus couldn't fathom why.
“Oh?†He inquired, genuinely interested. She didn't know anything about him, other than the fact he could fight, had a magic sword, his family and village were killed by Karthrax and he killed demons. What kind of organization could she possibly think suit him from that? A demon slayer group? Maybe that was the reason for the amused look on her face.
“They're called The Guardians. They well... guard people from evil. I have a feeling that Karthrax wasn't the last demon to be sent to kill me – good thing, too. It means I have a new supply for my immortality.†She digressed momentarily, a pondering expression on her face. “Either way, the people could use someone around to stop what happened with the demon before Karthrax again. I'm a bit useless out in the middle of a forest.†Laxus was... shocked, to say the least.
She was a demon. And she was saying he should protect the town from other demons. It was unheard of – there was definitely something weird about her. “I'll consider it. Either way I'll probably stay in town a few days.†He shrugged nonchalantly. “You can find both room and the Guardian at The Horn and the Halo.†Raven replied, sitting on one of the kitchen chairs and starting to nibble on a sandwich that she hadn't placed in the basket.
He paused, then because his manners insisted, he thanked her. Raven waved a hand at him in dismissal. “As I said, I was simply repaying a debt. Take the basket with you when you leave – it's a bit of a walk back to town. Travel west, or you might get lost. The forest can be dangerous.†With that, he was dismissed. Laxus took the basket, said goodbye, and left for town. He was thoroughly confused about the strange demon, but surprisingly glad she was around.
He would have died if not for her – both from the poison and if he had fought alone. It seemed it was good for the both to have met – even if they would never be friends, they could at least respect each other. Perhaps her suggestions about joining the Guardians was a good idea. He would look into it.
(( Oh dear GOD THAT TOOK FOREVER. I knew if I didn't just keep writing until it was finished, I just wouldn't do it. On the bright side, yay, cool story and inspiration and new character! Hope you like it. If you have any creative criticism, I'd love to hear it. If not you can say it was awesome, though. Compliments are always appreciated.
))