Saberfang

Seth stared at her; he was at a loss, “Are you really that afraid of me?”
Stepping through her light barrier he absorbed the magic into his own. He then made his way towards her until she was cornered, her back against the wall.
“Say that you’re afraid Mila...I can see it in your eyes.”
Standing a mere hairs inch away from her, he could felt her breath on his cheek. He stared hard into her terrified gaze.
After a few minutes, he sighed and pulled away. Running his hands through his hair, he sat on her bed.
“Look…it’s okay. This is my fault. I don’t expect you to forgive me.”
Tossing a pouch towards her, Seth looked away and focused on the bedroom door.
“The blade inside that pouch is a gift from Nero. It’s from the angel realm apparently…I was supposed to give it to you once things between us had calmed down…but you need it.”
Taking off his shirt, Seth revealed his own crystalized scars.
“If you kill me now, you can walk away from all of this Mila…If I die, the dark magic inside you will die too. You can have a normal life…isn’t that what you want?”

Mila looked at the angelic blade in her hand. It felt heavier than it should have. She looked at the crystals on his body. Her chest pained from his magic.
She stared at him for a while, considering.
"you have to finish my mission Mila." She heard Belledante say.
But what is your mission? I don't know what you want me to do.
"You tried to kill me Seth." She whispered. "I trusted you and tore me apart." She opened her shirt to reveal the dark scars across her body. Seth stared at it.
"I can feel the darkness. It hurts so much and I don't know how to control it. You did this. It doesn't heal. I have a horrible pain, like a battle inside me. But what hurts most of all is the betrayal. I trusted you and you tried to kill me." She dropped the knife and it clanked in the floor. "I would never do that to you"

"I would never do that to you"
Seth stared dangerously at her, “You would do it if you lost control…I know that you can feel the darkness inside you. When you loss control that darkness possesses your body and thoughts. You become an animal an there is nothing you can do about it!.”
Standing up, he growled,” Why do you think I ran away!...I don’t want to hurt you or Nero! I don’t want what happened to Belledante to happen to you!”

"Maybe I would have known what was going on if you ever told me how you feel instead of just running of like a child, without ever paying a bill! I don't care what happened to Belledante, I am not her! You can't keep using your magic as an excuse for bad behavior!"

"You can't keep using your magic as an excuse for bad behavior!"
These words hit Seth like a slap to the face. Furious, He bristled, "Bad Behavior? Are you fucking serious? Was it bad behavior when you lost control to curse mark and lashed out at me?"
Turning away, he stared out of the window to try and calm himself down, "I don't know if it's occurred to you, but you did try to kill me before... You too have lost control of your magic through your curse mark."
Glaring at Mila, He added angrily, " You always play the victim Mila! Little miss perfect innocent light mage...I am so sick of this. I don't know what more you want from me"
Opening the bedroom door, Seth left the room.

He was tired of trying to get Mila's forgiveness. If she hated him, there was nothing else he could do to change her mind. He couldn't speak about his past without risking another mental breakdown or attack. After everything that had happened, he still couldn't run away from his insanity.
Holding his head, Seth breathed in deeply, "I just want to be whole again. My brain is broken, I'm partially insane... I'm sick of this! Fuck the past!"
In that Moment he wanted to train, throw himself into a distraction and think of anything else but Mila.

Mila slammed the door behind Seth.
"You are such a spoiled brat!"
Angrily she sat down on her bed. She didn't want to talk to him in the first place.
The anger inside her was making the dark magic roil. She took deep breaths, trying to control it.
It beat against her in an unwavering torrent. She would not give in to it. She fought back harder and harder, growing more frustrated as it grew stronger.
"Let go" she hear a voice say. Belledante.
Images flashed in her head of Seth attacking her in his beast form and Nero screaming at her to let go. She jumped up. Panic grabbing at her throat. She was struggling to breathe again.
"Let go Mila."
Mile squeezed her eyes shut. She let out a breath and stopped fighting it. The darkness bled into the light in tendrils. It filled her as her white magic did.
Suddenly it was all just natural.
"What happened to you Belledante? What did he mean?"
A flash blinded Mila and abruptly she was in her head again, as though in a dream.
Seth was rampaging in his demon form. A group of angels were fighting against him and losing. Belledante cast a forbidden spell. She and Seth slowly started to vapourize. Then a small bottle fell to the floor. Mila recognized it. She had broken the locks on this very bottle only a few months ago. Belledante had used her own life to seal Seth away.
"He could never control it could he?" Mila whispered angrily.
"He had his reasons, you must understand what happened to him before you can judge." Belledante replied.
The scene changed and she saw Seth watching the gruesome monster slay his parents. It wore his father's skin as a trophy. Seth got carried off. He was locked away in a dungeon. Flashes of the days that went by played before Mila. He cried as he tried to choke down meat they fed him from his fellow demons and parents. His nails were ripped out daily. The blood ran on the floor as they scraped the flesh from his limbs. Only for it to grow back and be scrapped off the next day. Years went by, or so Mila thought. It was constantly dark. Time didn't seem to be a thing.

Then a light. Nero. Her was bloodied and bruised. He took Seth away. Far away. To Belledante. She treated their wounds. Seth lashed out when ever he was touched. He seemed to get better after a few months.
They seemed happy.
Suddenly it changed again. Seth was in bed. He was having a nightmare, sweat beading his face. He thrashed around. Then he transformed.
Belledante came to check on him. He was blind to the world around him. He lashed out at her.

"The rest you know." The scene faded away. "A part of his mind broke in that dungeon. He may never regain it."
"But. There has to be a way!" Mila pleaded. Suddenly she felt guilty for what she had said. "Anything can be healed." Mila shut herself out of the dream.

She darted out of her room. Following the leash to Seth.
When she found him he glared at her. She didn't mind it at all. She threw her arms around him.
"I'm sorry kitty. This might hurt, but I have to try." Without giving him further warning she delved into his mind. Chaos surrounded her, but she followed it. It took her deeper. Everything was so dark. She saw flashes of him Fighting with his parents, running away. Memories grew more grim as she went. Until she found him. A little boy. He was curled up into a ball in a dark room.
She stopped in the room. Slowly making her way to him. She put out a hand to touch him and he lashed out. Blood trickled from her arm where he had scratched her. He looked at her and she knew his eyes. This was Seth. He growled angrily.
"Seth. I am not here to hurt you. No one will hurt you like that again. I promise. Here, let me heal that." She pointed to tears on his arms, they were oozing blood. She moved closer. Her backed away cautiously.
"I won't touch you unless you want me to. But you have to let go." She smiled at that. If only she had known it was so easy. The only way to gain control was to lose the illusion of it.
"I can help you. Just trust me. You have to let go, you might feel like it will consume you, but I won't let it. I promise. We can do this together."
He moved closer slowly. She wrapped her arms around him.
"Now let's go through all of this together." She channelled her healing into him and he screamed as the memories flooded into the room. Every bad thing that happened to him came back. All the pain went through Mila. "It's all over Seth. None of that will happen again. I am here for you and so is Nero." Mila squeezed him tighter as the memories got worse. He was going through it all. How he refused to marry the demon his parents chose. How he ran away. How he fought with Nero over it all. How he came back to find his parents murdered. The guilt. The betrayal that Nero never came. Until he did. Every painful day got played back again. She struggled against him as he tried to transform into his demon self.
"You don't need that Seth! I have you!" They were reaching the end. "You only need to hold out for a bit longer. You are strong enough!"
When it was over they were both covered in blood. Mila smiled at the boy.
"See? We made it through." She healed their wounds and made the blood vanish. "You are ok. We are both ok. I knew you could do it"
The boy transformed into Seth as she knew him. She smiled at him and faded out of his mind.
"If only this works" she whispered

Seth spent the rest of the evening practicing his magic. He wanted to try out a few new spells Nero had taught him. Readying his mind, he breathed in deeply and summoned the shadows into the palm of his hand. He was about to throw a curse spell at a nearby target when suddenly he stopped himself. He saw Mila approaching.
Ignoring her, he turned away and tried to focus on his training. He felt tense at first but relaxed when her arms entwined gently around his shoulders and neck.
"Mila...Why are you out here?"
"I'm sorry kitty. This might hurt, but I have to try."
"No, Wait!"
A sharp pain pulsed through his brain as their minds touched; It was an unnatural feeling. At first, Seth resisted her attempts to get into his thoughts. Later he calmed down and fell into a trance-like state. He felt Mila reading through his Memories, delving deeper and deeper into the pain and hatred that he had repressed.

Time ticked past without them. When Mila finally retracted her mind from Seth's, the sky had already darkened.
"If only this works", Mila whispered exhaustedly, sweat dripping down her forehead. Breathing heavily, Seth held her close and took a moment to recover. Their magic and minds had become one, a dangerous and daring act.
Shaking his head in disbelief, Seth smiled, "It will work, the chaos inside me has calmed..."
Getting to his feet, Seth helped Mila up. She was very weakened from the experience and could barely stand.
"That was very dangerous", he added seriously. Scooping her up into his arms, he carried her back to the cottage.
"Why would you go so far for me?"

"Why would you go so far for me?"
Mila smiled up at Seth. "Cause you are my kitty." She kissed his cheek.
She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows. For once her dreams were calm. Belledante seemed to taking a break from haunting her. She woke up feeling well rested and better than she had felt in a few weeks.
Today she could restart her training with Nero.
Nero and Seth were waiting for her over breakfast. They smiled when she joined them and for a moment Mila could almost believe that they could have a peaceful life here.
But her training began again. She had gone deeper into mind melding than most angels ever had and Nero was anxious to learn what she had seen and done.
"I don't really know how to explain it. It's like jumping into a pool, but with your mind. I just kind of reached out and fell into his mind and it carried me away."
"Remarkable." Nero muttered. "for an angel to delve that deep into a demon"s mind is unheard of. You should have been consumed and yet..." He trailed off, deep in thought. "It must be the bond."
"That's the thing though... the leash is gone... I haven't felt it since I entered. I still sense him, and I can feel that out magic is connected, but it's... different. It's more like a flow. Like we are one person with our magic flowing though us, neither dark nor light, just a continuous loop of both. And I can use either or both with ease. I don't know how it feels for Seth, in theory the light magic should hurt him, but I don't sense any pain from him."
Nero stared at her in amazement. "You have accomplished something impossible. In essence you have created a new kind of magic. Not grey, grey magic melds together, what you are describing sounds different. How much can you draw in at a time?"
"I don't think there is a limit, normally when I used dark magic I could only use a small amount, it hurt, but now it doesn't at all, it seems natural. When I was in his mind her tried to transform again, but I held him and somehow it was as though all that rage and pain got shared between us, I think that's what happens with our magic, we just kind of share it? as though we both control it at once. I'm not sure if Seth feels it too."
"You truly have melded together a demon and an angel." A flash in Nero's eyes seemed to show how terrified that made him, but he had a grin on his face as though he had discovered something amazing

When Mila awoke the next morning, Seth greeted her with a Playful purr.
"Good Morning Sunshine."
He was clearly pleased to see her back to her usual self, He had been rather worried about her.

As breakfast ended and the day progressed, Nero took Mila out for training. The two clearly had quite a bit of catching up to do. Deciding it best to stay behind and let the angels do their thing, Seth shifted into his panther form and head out to the mountains.
Leaving behind a note for Nero - he instructed his knight to focus on Mila's training for the next three days, and reassured them both that he would return on the fourth Morning.

As he travelled, He tried to make sense of everything that had happened. He had had a terrible dream the night before. He was sure that Belledante was behind it, and had spoken to him about what was still to come.
In order to prepare, Seth knew that he needed some time alone to adjust to his new magic. He could feel the change, there was both darkness and light within him now. Thinking about Mila, he suddenly felt the loss of the collar he had once 'hated' so much - It had crumbled away when Mila had touched his mind. Despite the loss of the collar, He still feel her presence in the distance, even without the leash they were connected as one. He would always know where she was.
Reaching out to her thoughts, Seth spoke so that she could hear him; It seems we are connected even without the leash. You can hear my thoughts Mila, I'm heading out to plan and train for the war that is coming. We need to be prepared for Hautloss...I'll see you in three days.

Mila smiled at Seth's voice in her head.
[I]I will be waiting[i]
She replied.
She and Nero took to studying this strange new magic of hers and over the next few days she felt her strength grow, not only from her training, but from Seth's as well. On the second night she collapsed on her bed in exhaustion. Nero was pushing her harder than ever and her body still hadn't fully recovered. She lay in bed thinking of Seth. Belledante was still missing from her dreams and Seth seemed on edge.
[I]Hey kitty, we will be ok. You won't have to do it all alone again. Nero says there are lots of demons in the human realm, we just have to find them all. I promise we will help you defeat him.[I]

She felt a sudden ache to be with him. They hadn't had any actual time together since before he lost control and she longed for her friend.

Seth journeyed far from the forest, heading all the way to the whispering mountains in the east. He had once been told that the whispering mountains held a gateway, one that breached between the realm of humans and the land of the undead.

Seth managed to reach the peak of the mountain on his second day. He was exhausted from the climb and took refuge inside a cave known as the ‘’Mouth” of the mountain.
As he rested, he dug into the carcass of a bird that he had caught.  Once full, he dozed off and mulled subconsciously over Mila. He missed her more than he liked to admit. It was strange being so far away from her. Instinctively he felt his mind touch hers, her gentle voice echoing through his thoughts.
”Hey kitty, we will be ok. You won't have to do it all alone again. Nero says there are lots of demons in the human realm, we just have to find them all. I promise we will help you defeat him.”
Smiled in his sleep, “Thank you. We will need all the help we can get…there are many demons who’s alliance and loyalty still stand strong. We need only call to them and they will come.”
Seth opened his eyes for moment, “I miss you Mila. I’m still afraid. I’m scared about fighting Hautloss…That is why I need guidance from the previous kings.” He paused for a moment, dread hanging in his belly, “Tomorrow I will speak with them… Wish me luck, the land of the dead do not take kindly to the living.”
Fading away from her thoughts, Seth drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next morning he set out to find the pool that acted at the gateway. The cave he had slept in was the entrance to the core of the Mountain. Seth traveled deeper and deeper into the mountain until there was nothing but darkness. The light crystals embedded into his wounds proved useful, they glowed - giving him enough light to make out the path forward.
He finally stopped walking when his paws touched damp soil. He found himself at the base of a large underground lake. The cave walls surrounding him were engraved with numerous pictures of ghost and spirits.
“This must be the place…Creepy. Now let’s if this spell works.”
Returning to his human form, Seth breathed in deeply and summoned forth the light and dark magic he possessed. He used the Kings call to open the gate and summon forth his ancestors.
………………………………………….
Two days after this, Seth returned to the cottage in the forest.
It was early morning, and he rode fast to make good-time. His stead was a Gravrunner, a summon gift from his grandfather. He was dressed differently too, his attire more like that of a true demon prince.
He spotted Mila and Nero sitting outside. Had they been waiting for him? He stopped the Gravrunner when he reached them, “Good Morning you two, I hope that you haven’t had breakfast without me?” he teased.
Getting down from the great beast, he made his way towards Mila. He didn’t wait for her to speak, instead, he threw his arms around her and held her close.
“I missed you…being away from you is more difficult than I thought.”

(The Gravrunner is a summon Seth can use. It’s linked to a gem his grandfather gave him in the cave. I’m thinking that Seth brought a summoner’s gem for Mila too as a gift. He can give it to her in the next post. She can use it to call forth one familiar of her choice.)
(What Gravrunners look like - They are like a lot like velociraptors, just bigger and with more feathers...strangely enough they are very placid despite the way they look)

.................................
(New Seth Outfit - Demon Prince)

Mila tried to keep her jaw from dropping when Seth appeared. He was riding some beast she had never seen before and he had exchanged his goth clothing for something more... princely. He looked handsome and somehow more grown up. Not like himself at all. He embraced her and she smiled, hugging him tightly.
"I missed you too. I think we need a break from training." They spent the day in a nearby town
It was nice to be able to talk again. She had missed him terribly.

As Seth released Mila, he noticed Nero gawking at him. The man blushed awkwardly as Seth met his eyes, “… it’s been a while since you’ve dressed like that, My Lord.”
With a shy smile, Seth responded “Yeah… I’ve decided to stop running away and take my duty as Prince seriously again. I guess it’s only right that I look the part too.”
Clearing his throat and trying not to look directly at Seth, Nero added, “Perhaps you and Mila should head out for the day and catch up. I’ve got some things to sort out here. Be back in time for dinner though”
With grin, Seth piped, “Sounds Good”

………………………

Taking Seth’s stead, they headed out towards a town called Feverlily.
They spend the morning browsing the local shops and picking up some treats. Seth paid this time, he wasn't all that used to human currency, but he was getting the hang of it.
Once they were done shopping, they then headed out to Town’s gardens for a scenic walk. The Gardens held multiple ponds filled to the brim with Bright red Lilies (Fever Lilies). They were quite the sight.

Relaxing on the grass, Seth passed a packet of fudge to Mila. Since her magic had mixed in with his own, He found himself craving sugar... it was weird he usually hated sweet things.
“So how did things go with the training? Nero didn’t look to happy about me disappearing like that…I hope that he didn’t push you too hard.”

Mila stopped chewing when Seth mentioned her training.
"Nero and I... made progress."he looked puzzled at her vague reply. " I think that... maybe I found a way for us to work as one. I will have to spend some time with you to try and iron out the details, but because our magic is linked now I think I know how we can work together to make it almost unlimited for us. I know it's dangerous to draw too much, but I think maybe if we work together there won't be a limit to how much we can draw. It's a risky concept and Nero doesn't really have any idea how this works, since it hasn't really been done before, but I tried on my own and I can draw a lot more than I used to be able to. But let's not talk about that right now. How did your meeting with the kings go? Do you have a plan for our mission?"

”But let's not talk about that right now. How did your meeting with the kings go? Do you have a plan for our mission?"

Seth skipped a stone across the pond’s water. It bounced around magically on the surface of the water before returning to palm of his hand. “The meeting went as well as it could. They were not happy with the current state of the demon world and Hautloss…I also couldn’t reach my father or Mother. They don’t seem to be in the spirit world.”
Seth’s expression grew serious, “We need to gather all the demons who have not yet sided with Hautloss. The Kings have engraved a map into my memories that will reveal the location of our allies…I’ll share it with you” Closing his eyes, Seth focused his power and touched Mila’s mind. He showed her the map and locked it into her thoughts.
Carefully retracting his power, he opened his eyes.

“The demons will support us in taking back the throne. The Kings have shown me a treasure that our kind treated as a god…it’s a sword called ‘Sanguis’. If we have it, they will follow us, but first we will need to find it”
Placing a mysterious glass-like stone in Mila’s hand, Seth watched curiously as the stone changed colour and synchronized with her magic.
“This is a gift from the kings…you know, they say that the sword chooses it’s master…we are going to have a hard time if it doesn’t pick one of us.”

Mila stared in amazement at the stone in her hand. it was a warm weight in her palm and she felt power in it.
"I think we should return to the guild." She looked up at Seth. "This is bigger than just us Seth, I can feel it. We have been beating back demons even before you were freed. If we could get the guild members to work with the demons instead of against them we can all get what we want. A demon free human realm and all our demon allies in one place."
She hid the stone in her pocket, she would see what it did later, right now they had to get their plan set.
She gathered as many maps as they could find. and they started marking every location the kings had shared with them. Nero made a portal to the guild for them. Mila had to get hold of one of those portal wands. She made a mental note as she entered the guild. The guild members turned to her and stared in awe. Her wings were tucked behind her back, but they were impossible to hide.
"I need to speak with the guild master." She announced. Her old friends moved aside, staring at her as though she were a new person. The scar on her chest was leaking dark magic again as she tried not to pay attention to the gazes they gave her. She hadn't changed that much had she?
The guild master came out and for an instant she saw shock and concern cross his face when he saw her. She beat her wings strongly once and was at his side.
"Let us go into my office" He gestured her inside. she had told Seth to stay outside. It was time for her to give a report of her mission.
She sat down in front of him, her wings awkward against the back of the chair.
"Am I to assume your visit is in regard to your mission?"
Mila nodded. Despair suddenly engulfed the master's face. "I am truly sorry Mila. If I had known your magic would be tainted I wouldn't have..."
"It does not matter now, master." She cut him off. "I am stronger than I have ever been. You had no choice. It was my destiny. I am sure Belledante must have told you that when you took me in." He looked shocked at that.
"How..."
"She has spoken to my in my dreams, as I am sure has has spoken to you. After all, you were in her presence since you took over the duty of guarding Seth's cage. I am here about my mission master, but I am here about the good of the guild as well. We are going to war. We need your help. I am sure by now the demon activity is almost off the charts, I saw how the guild members looked, wounded, tired. They have been fighting non stop haven't they? It needs to stop."
The master looked at her, frowning. "are you saying that we should stop fighting the demons and let them devour innocent souls? Surely you haven't fallen so far..."
"No master, I am proposing that we for alliances with the demons. the time has come for Seth to go back to the demon realm and claim his throne. We need to gather his army. I need the guild to recruit for us." She took out the maps and unfolded one. "I have marked where our allies are. Taking out a cloth bag she dropped it on the table in front of the master. "Each member is to take a token from the bag as proof that they have been sent by the demon prince and mean them no harm."
The master undid the bag and took out a coin. It bore the symbol of Seth's family.
"I need to speak to my guild. I must be the one to send them into this. The guilt for their potential injuries or death must lay on my shoulders."
The master smiled, knowingly. "You have come so far, my child. Your wings are beautiful. You are finally the true angel I have hidden from you all your life."
Mila felt a pang at his words. "I have you to thank master. You raised me well."

They emerged into the great hall and the guild had gathered at the master's orders.
Mila stood in front of her guild. She spread her wings and stood tall. Gasps rose at her wings.
"My guild. My family. I call upon you on this day. I am need of your help. I know you have been fighting while I was gone. We have all suffered at the hands of demons. It is time to stop fighting. For the past few months I have been training along side the prince of these demons. They have been driven from their homes by the same monster that killed their ruler. It is time for us to go to war with this monster. We need to gather our army for this war. I need you all to help the demons that fight us. We need to gather them under the reign of their rightful ruler. Seth." She pointed at Seth. Murmurs rose in the crowd. "I know these demons have caused destruction and pain and even death. But if we do not help them now they will all flee to the human realm and all will be lost. It is time for us to stand together against a force greater than us all. I will not blame any who choose to flee, but those who help will be helping to better the world for demons and humans alike." She distributed maps and tokens and set out the plan to all who was willing. Soon they demon army would be gathered.

Seth Listened intently as Mila made her speech. Her words were strong and her conviction true to the cause. He hoped that her words would reach the guild members.
When she finished speaking, the guild seemed to spilt into two groups. There were those who wished to restore the balance between the realms and there were those who simply refused to Help; Their hatred towards the demons still burning furiously.

Seth stepped forward to address the guild, his violet eyes gleaming with determination. He spoke with purpose, “Guild Members of Saberfang, As heir to demon realm, I humbly ask you for your help. Our home has been ripped away from us by the Hautloss. This creature is greedy and dangerous. The demon realm will not sate its hunger. I urge you to act and fight against Hautloss. Do not let him take away your home too. ”

Those who wished to help were each gifted with a token and a map. The others who were against the cause were left to tend to the usual magical duties of the guild.
Once the preparations had been completed, Seth took to a reclusive spot outside. He was still not used to his duties as Prince and needed some time to collect his thoughts.

Using the purple summon stone, he called forth his familiar (now named ‘Whiplash’ XD). The creature seemed pleased to see him and gave a playful snap as he stroked the raptors feathery neck.
The crackling of leaves turned Seth’s attention to Mila. She had joined him outside.
“That was quite the speech. The preparations seem to be going well…”
Seth trailed off, he thought over the disapproving expressions of many of the guild members, “Your old friends are unhappy with your decision to help me Mila…I think that they will give us trouble if we are not careful. Are you okay with them hating you?”

Mila felt a pang of pain at Seth's words. She was used to being liked. She had worked hard her whole life to be liked.
"It is their decision. If they cannot see the need for unity between angels and demons then they are blinded by hatered already. I do not have the luxury of worrying about that anymore. This is about more than just people's feelings. This is war."
A few months ago she would have deemed nothing as more important than her guild members. But she had changed since then. She wasn't the naieve hirl she had once been. This was a problem that had started long before Seth came into her life and she had to do whatever she can to fix it, with whatever support she could get.
"Now where do we go from here?" She smiled at Seth.

"Now where do we go from here?"
Seth rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “Our first task is to get the sword of ‘Sanguis... The only issue there is that we need to be accompanied by members from the royal families of Cisne and Gila”
Seth frowned at this thought; The three families of Gila, Cisne and Larkspur had helped to seal away the sword thousands of years ago. Only by coming together as allies could they unlock the sword.

A hard nudge suddenly brought Seth back from his thoughts. Whiplash, his gravrunner was growing impatient. The creature rubbed it’s head against Mila in the hopes of being petted or ridden.
Rolling his eyes, Seth chuckled, “Such a ‘demonic’ stead you are. All you seem to want is cuddles.”
Patting the raptor’s neck, Seth smiled, “Hey Mila, have you tried using your summon stone yet? It will call forth a stead”
Climbing up onto Whiplash’s saddle, Seth readied the creature for a ride.
“Try it out. I’m keen for a good race…aren’t you?”

……………………………………..

A few days later…
Seth made preparations to visit the first demon family, Cisne. There were rumours that the family had taken to living on one of the outlying Islands of Therabon.

Nero and Owlen assisted them in preparing a ship for their voyage. The ship was a gift from their allies, the sirens. It was clearly a demon made vessel, its hull looked as though it were made of shell and red coral. It’s sails hung ornately like the proud fins of a fish. It was a stunning boat, sturdy and mysterious.

They put together a crew made up of demons and humans. There was definably some tension between the two parties, however, no one dared to fight out of fear for the captain. The captain was a burly grey siren, her eyes hard and deep like a shark’s.

When the time came to depart, Seth reluctantly boarded the ship with Mila. Something about the Cisne family clearly had him on edge.

Mila could feel the tension between her guild members. They were already divided about working with demons. groups of them were arguing as she left. This was the only hope they had.

.......................................
She didn't feel any better about the demons Seth had gathered for this trip. They gave Mila disapproving glares and they didn't bother to hide their chattering about her, giggling when she walked by.
She didn't belong anywhere anymore. The captain's second in command (Shinayla) had taken a shining to her. She seemed to know something about not fitting in. She was an odd looking demon. Eyes bulging out like that of strange fish. Her lips were oddly shaped and puffy. She was clearly a sort of fish demon. Her teeth were sharp and uneven, but despite that she always had a smile to share. She would reassure Mila that the demons were simply being judgmental as royalty likes to be. Mila was sure it was more than that, but the sentiment made her feel better.

She tried to avoid the other demon royalty when she could. Seth did most of the planning with them. She mostly stayed in her cabin and every so often Shinayla would visit and teach her a game from the demon realm. They would exchange stories and Mila would show her some of her magic. Shinayla did not have any magic of her own, so she delighted in the little light shows Mila made for her. Most children with magical abilities could do it, but it was pretty and it had chance of hurting anybody.

Mila grew weary as the days went by. She was worried about the guild and the division she had caused. They had to figure it out for themselves. The master was strict at enforcing rules and he would be strict in getting everybody to help, or at least not hinder this very important mission.
She found herself longing for the days when her life had been simple. Demons were bad and they had to fight them. She had a mission and she did what she had to. When had all that changed. When had it become so messy?

She felt herself longing to be with Seth. She could feel him getting frustrated with the other demons. He was constantly planning and trying to figure out how to take on the Hautloss. He and Nero were constantly together and it made her a bit jealous. What if they rekindled their relationship?

She shook her head to get rid of the thought. They didn't have time for this. She couldn't afford to moon over Seth, he probably wasn't interested anyway.
although... there was that time at the ball... We had danced together and if master hadn't come maybe we would have... She blushed at the thought.

She pushed herself up with a puff and went to the top of the deck for some fresh air. She passed Seth's door on the way and was about to knock when it opened. She looked up at Seth. The memories from the ball drifted back and she felt her cheeks redden.
"Fresh air..." She said, too quickly. "Want to get some fresh air with me?"

The Voyage to the Cisne Family’s Island proved to be more exhausting than what Seth had anticipated. From the moment he had stepped onto the boat, he found himself constantly pursued by members from the Demon Council.

His days would off start early with Nero waking him up and shoving him into royal attire. Once he was dressed and fit to be seen, Seth would be ushered through to one of the main boardrooms were the council waited.
The meetings held here would drag on for hours at a time, the group participating in heated debates and arguments over the upcoming war. Seth managed to hold his composure thoughout most of the meetings, and offered his thoughts and input on the subject as a king might. It was clear however that the council doubted his rule and position. None dared to challenge him outright, but Seth knew that they were talking behnd his back.

After a particularly long day, Seth headed towards the deck – he was dying to look at something other than maps and scrolls. Opening the cabin door, He stepped out hastily, nearly bumping Mila over in the process.
“Mila?”
His ears and features seemed to perk up, He was surprised and rather delighted to see her.
"Fresh air...Want to get some fresh air with me?"
He smiled warmly, “That would be amazing…But err we need to avoid ‘You know who’.” Hiding behind Mila and pointing his tail towards Nero in the distance, he murmured dramatically, “He is like a slave driver…I’m not ready to go back those lame meetings!”

Sneaking off to a secluded section of the ship deck, Seth and Mila were finally alone.
“God! I feel like I can finally breathe again”, He took in deep breaths of fresh ocean air, enjoying the cool breeze as it blew through his hair and ears. Pulling lose the cravat tied around his neck, Seth clicked his fingers and changed into some less over the top attire.
“That’s better…Now tell me about you? I haven’t seen you in ages!... Are you secretly avoiding me?” He teased her peevishly, his fingers wrapping playfully around a curled lock of her hair.

Mila snuggled in closer to Seth to warm up. "I've been ok. There just isn't much for me to do on a demon ship. I mostly just hide in my room so the royal families don't get a chance to glare at me. I've missed hanging out with you though. I can feel how frustrated this is making you. We can't still be far though?"
She looked up at him, realizing how close he was. Her heart skipped a beat, but she didn't pull back. Is was so nice to be with him again...

Wrapping an arm around Mila’s shoulders; Seth held her close. He could feel her head resting against his chest. A shiver ran down his spine as her warm breath brushed against his neck. Could she hear his heart beating? He hoped not.

“You are right. We are not far from Cisne Island…the only issue we have once we arrive is some bad blood among royals. Mostly my fault of course…”

Narrowing his eyes, he felt his heart sink, “I won’t lie, I’ve forgotten how ridiculous royalty is…Being a Prince just doesn’t suit me, does it?”
Lifting his gaze, he stared into Mila’s lilac eyes, they were gentle and familiar. Touching her cheek, admired her, “You’d make a beautiful queen. Don’t you want to take my place?”

Mila's skin prickled at Seth's touch.
"I don't think the demon realm would ever accept an angel as their ruler." She smiled at him. "This is all you, no matter how much you hate it." She rested a hand on his chest. "for what it's worth. I think you are a pretty good leader. Judging from what I have seen so far."
She leaned into him and her lips brushed against his. Her heart was pounding against her ribs. This was wrong. they couldn't be together... and yet in this moment she didn't care at all. She had spent the last few month growing attached to him. She could feel him inside of her mind. She pushed her lips against his, throwing all of her doubts away. Even if just for this moment. She had been waiting long enough.

Seth closed his eyes and embraced Mila’s kiss. A Part of him knew that what they were doing was wrong, but affection and lust soon clouded his judgment. He wanted this; and the demon in him wanted her. He ran his fingers gently through her hair and down her back. Her skin was soft to the touch and her lips sweet. Instinctively he reached out to her to her mind, their thoughts touching through their mental connection.

Mila’s feelings hit Seth like a bolt of electricity, He could feel them pulsating through his veins. Every breath and taste felt as though it had been intensified and shared. If he bit her lip, he felt her pain...If he kissed her neck, he felt it too. It was amazing and frightening all at the same time.
If Seth didn’t stop himself soon, he knew that things would go too far.

Breathing heavily, He gradually restrained himself and gently pulled back, “I…I need to stop now.”
Seth felt his pupils dilate as a cat’s might, it was a thing that happened to most demons if they were um… ‘in the mood’.
He smiled gently at Mila’s flustered expression, “Sorry Mila, If we carry on like this, I might feel the need to...well y'know, take things further”