The dining hall of the Arnthan court was about as lovely as one would expect. Good wood full of knicks from planted axes and scorch marks aplenty, covered only by the fur of a great rabbid hellhound and lined with plates of well preserved brass coated in a resin to allow for eating. It matched the shine of my inverted heels which tapped loudly on the blackstone floors, contrasting the paleness of my flesh and the thin femininity of my figure with its boisterous masculinity.
The walls were... accomodating, I could say. Warm bricks using the black ash of the Arathan plane gave it all a dusty, volcanic energy that did thrill the powerlust within me. I had dressed for the ocassion, fine black mynx fur with a red silk dress beneath, my four rear spiderlegs decorated with finely polished daggers to match the powerful aura of the warriors who called it home. How I wish I had known now how much my life had changed in a single meeting with that little boy.
My two open red eyes fell quickly on the King as he greeted me, boisterous voice and fine furs that I cared little for beyond hos value to protection and the defense of my children. I had joped to establish a small sanctuary in Aratha, and Arntha had been amenable to the idea. I had big plans, and he was an eager fool.
I was sat after an hour of needless bickering among the men at the chair left to the king, scanning over the modestly to nearly little clothed warriors of all creeds and crassness as they filed in. How hell truly welcomed all kinds. Naive. I played my part well, for a while. Laughing, joking, chatting, flirting with who needed their ears softened by honey and snapping on those who required venom. They took well to that. Everything was going just perfectly.
Until he walked in. A young soldier fresh from the front lines, quiet in eyes and darkness only I understood behind them as they met my own. They were the most painful shade of blue I had ever witnessed. They were icy, glittering like a storm of glaciers that constantly sliced at it's own center. I knew not then, but they were truly cursed eyes.
"Welcome! Welcome! My fine Lady Elise, this is our squad that ensured your convoy got here all safe and sound." He patted the upung man on the shoulder as his fellows duscards their armor and joined to feast. He didn't. He just slowly narrowed his eyes at me and mumbled something I couldn't quite catch. He reached behind him, but seemed startled. "Private, introduce yourself before the queen of all spiders."
"Private second class Syncrowin Miras Faust Voidure Evaresia, from the house of Lilia, Your Majesty. We are headed toward the Irongate next, Your Majesty." Each time he said it, despite the quiet and almost emotionless tone to his voice, I could feel the contempt in those eyes. My own slowly narrowed. An easy problem to solve.
"How about just... Syncrow." I smirked, and the boy seemed to flush.
"Please refrain from using that name, Your Majesty." He stood a bit more firmly, and I feared then the king might intervene. Instead, he seemed amused.
"Oh? Giving orders to a-"
"It was a request, Your Majesty." He cut me off. I could feel the venom welling up against the back of my throat, but I swallowed it subtly.
"Then Crow it is."
"...That is acceptable, Your Majesty."
"You are a rather stubborn young man." She heard a few low grumbles. "Must be the squads gunner. Safe and tucked away, still hugging that manual."
"Actually. I am the Vanguard and lead attack unit, head melee arms specialist, and kill leader for my squad, Your Majesty." I saw the ghost of a smile at the edge of his lips as the feast continued. Sat and eating, we continued our spat of words.
"You are awful self righteous for someone who must be burning." I quiped as I tore lightly into a piece of bread with my claws.
"...I, do not understand either part of what you just said, Your Majesty." I gave him a chuckling response as I slaked my throat with a glass of wine.
"No. You are rather young and naive still. So proud of being kill leader I noticed." The party was hetting raucuous as wine and meat filled serving after serving. "Let me tell you a little story."
"I am listening, Your Majesty." He leaned forward, brows knit yet eyes atwinkle.
"There once was a fox that started out so wide eyed. Each and every day he would eat, dig holes, run, play, dance and sing with the sun." I took a small bite of meat from my. "The end."
"....That was simple." He said rather flatly.
"Now for another. There once was a rabbit who woke every morning in fear. They hid, they sprinted, they dug deep below, they hid long into the nights. Yet each day, another pair of ears did not make it home to their den." I plucked another piece of meat up. "The end."
"I... still do not understand these stories, Your Majesty." He listened rather intently, still.
"The point is that from the fox's perspective, who eats the meat and sits atop the foodchain, life is good."
"I am following."
"What do foxes eat, young man?"
"... Berries, fruits, insects-"
"Rabbits." I placed down my fork as no meat remained on my plate. "So what happens to the fox, when all the rabbits are gone?"
"You find a new resource." He answered so optimistically, eyes ablaze with ideas. He still thought I was quizzing him like an officer. A young lady, the princess perhaps, touched my little soldier's arm after a moment. "If you will excuse me, your majesty."
"Do be excused." I watched him go, following the princess away from the feast hall as one of his kinsmen approached. He was a well built man with rather splendid golden hair that was kept in a cultural braid, a single firm knot all the way down the back. He had the pale skin and fangs of a vampiric with the crimson eyes to match, alongside the black, gold, and purple uniform of a Lilium officer. How spectacular.
"You should not associate with private Evaresia." He whispered warnily, though his voice was aquiver.
"A fine accusation. Who might you be?"
"Ma'am." He stood at attention, saluting with the crossed hand over his heart. "I am Lieutenant Asmodelva Yevralk. I am the commanding officer of this squad."
"So why is it you tell me to ignore one of your star infantrymen?'
"Because that is no man. That is the Beast of Lilia." His voice shook even as he muttered to me, watching the boy across the hall as he listened to the dark hair princess and her endless prattlings. He didn't even really seem to react when she handed him a little black journal, only hugged it once and placed it in a pouch along his equipment.
"Beast of Lilia, you say?" I tapped my glass with the end of a clawed finger, smiling slowly as two more eyes opened to fixate on the man who leaned down to spill such sweet secrets.
"He is some abomination Queen Abyssa had made. A killer, not just a soldier hit a cold blooded murderer."
"You speak of him like a rabbid dog."
"It's worse than that." He nearly cut me off, voice coming out in quick whispers. "He's... efficient."
That made me quirk a brow. "Efficient?"
"Mm. He cleared two small camps by himself in the daytime. Didn't complain about his wounds or the infection he got. Only that he used one more bullet than he felt he had to." That gave me quite the pause as my four pronged gaze drifted back to the boy.
His eyes were affixed on mine at the same time, glancing over his shoulder at me with the face of a predator. For a brief instant, I swore I did remember the kiss of fear before he turned back to the princess.
"Beast is certainly a fitting title..." I muttered quietly."
"Hopefully he will die tomorrow. Then, everyone can thank Lilia guilt free. A well fought war. No one even need know about Queen's Abyssa's... pet. Not like he leaves survivors." He had a rather harsh tone for a fellow soldier. Something deep within took offense in how he spoke. I could feel my rear legs twitching.
"Pet. Hm?" I stood up, turning to the man fully. "Pet is he?" He gained a frightened look. Even I was a little astounded, but hearing this pathetic noble talk of him like he was some animal had begun to make my fangs wet.
"He. Uhm. It is. Just a turn of phrase." I grabbed him by the collar, dragging him to his knees before me as my legs gripped each corners of his face.
"I bet you adore killing little pets. Little animals. Don't you." I could hear the echo of evil pilfering the edges of my voice, yet I did not care. I was fury, and he was my tinder. All this meeting had done so far was get me rather irritated and frustrated. He made for a good target.
"My lady- Ah, you are hurting me!"
"How many little creatures shouted the same thing," as my legs bore into his temples, "and you simply laughed." I let out a slowly dark chuckle. My fangs began to show before a hand grabbed and launched me out of the building into the dusty ashen surface.
I was flabbeegasted for a second as I heard the king's fury at my handling. Yet, as I lifted my head, I did not see a noble, a royal, an officer. It was him. His spear held to my throat while my eyes began to drift up along the edge. Those glacial eyes had stilled. For a moment, as our eyes locked, their were still, and they were solely, entirely focused on Me.
"Don't. Touch. My. Comrade." He stared down at me with those terribly haunting and deadly orbs of solid marble. The very boy that officer had been bragging about hoping to see dead was now guarding his very life.
"This is rich." I smirked. "Comrade? That man," standing with my clawed hand pushing the blade back, "was just boasting about how good it will be with you dead."
"That is not relevant to this topic."
"E...excuse me? Your comrade wants you dead. He could shoot you in your tent!" I laughed, a hearty laugh as I mocked this soon-to-be-dead fool.
"I know." He answered snappily, like responding more to an question than mockery. "It is why I do not sleep in country." I stopped laughing, staring at him a little disturbed.
"You... what?" I balked a little as the other soldiers and men began to file out to stand around us. Many seemed eager to watch a fight, and even the man I nearly slaughtered seemed pleased at the chance I would kill him. Most had not heard anything just yet, but they were close enough now.
"I do not sleep in country because my comrades see me as a monster, but I have a duty to them and my home. Regardless of how they feel, I shall withstand sleepless nights and endless harm to see my brothers go home." Many seemed taken a aback. I was certainly a little jarred.
"So you are just some. Wind up toy? Hm?" I stepped closer now, getting within his guard as my leg snapped to stab. "Then die-"
He caught my leg with the pin of a grenade on his belt, twisting his hips as I heard the loud click. He wrapped an arm over my leg as the blade dropped from his hand. I expected him to kill me then. Pack the grenade in my top and hurl me. He threw me into his comrades instead as he clutched the thing to his chest. The bang was loud, shattering soil and casting us all in a blast of soot, but no shrapnel found home nor the shockwave strong enough now to hit.
"That..." Coughing. "Crazy idiot... Well. Your man went and got himself killed it seems." I waved the slowly fading smoke as I just heard an officer chuckle.
"Him? No." As I syared silently at this boy, dusting off his obliterated uniform before looking me dead in the eyes.
"I liked that jacket."