by Cryptic Fawn
~~~
Elsi sat on the edge of the bed and flexed her long fingers, taking comfort in the familiar energy that was finally running through them. Being able to keep food down had made all the difference and she was quickly beginning to feel like her old self again after a week of bed rest. Though how much of it was true rest was debatable, what with the demon bothering her every time she woke up, or worse, making himself present in ways that were far from comfortable for the human woman. In the back of her mind, there was even a vague memory of the demon being in bed with her and... breathing on her, or, was it, kissing her? Shit.
She wished dearly that it had been a nightmare, but it felt oddly real, and the thought of it made her feel flushed. She closed her eyes and shook her head, and mentally threw the disturbing memory into the deepest darkest closet in the furthest corner of her mind and locked the door.
"Oy, witch. You feeling all better?" Tenuxhal stood in the open doorway, one arm out of view behind the door, as he leaned against it.
Speak of the devil himself. Though it didn't show on her face, Elsi shuddered inside. It was harder to lock a mental door than one would think.
"Ah," was all she said, not quite making eye contact.
"Well, come on then, idiot! Get your tits up and let's get moving!" Tenuxhal punctuated the command by pulling out the object he'd kept just out of sight behind the thick wood of the open door, and launching it straight at Elsi.
"Ahhh! Ta ta ta ta!" Elsi's eyes flew open in horror as a large chunk of blue diamond flashed and spun once around through the air towards her. She scrambled to catch it, trying desperately to avoid the sharp edges of her staff. Aside from the thick white leather wrapped around the middle, the entire staff had sharp, deadly jagged edges on all sides.
"What the hell Tenuxhal? You never throw a weapon at somebody you prick! What the hell?"
"Che. Whatever." Tenuxhal rolled his eyes and sneered, intentionally mocking her as he strolled out the door.
Elsi didn't realize she was even up off the bed, leaving the scarf behind on the bed, and following the demon until she was through the door and trailing down the corridor after him. Elsi was about to launch into a tirade when she realized...
Tenuxhal had given her back her staff.
Ah?
And he had his back turned.
Uh huh.
Elsi didn't know whether to be excited or insulted.
Tenuxhal hadn't changed much physically. He'd always stood three feet taller than Elsi, but he looked like he'd filled just out a bit more, his shoulders broader, his muscular frame more pronounced. Even though Elsi had filled out as well in the past year in her own plump way, she imagined she looked like a malnourished street kid next to the brawny demon. She hadn't been very fit when she'd gotten her ass handed to her in Boulder, and she'd lost weight since she got here. It made her feel small. Her curvy shape was one of her favorite physical features about herself, one of the few things she actually wasn’t self conscious over.
She decided there was no way she could attack Tenuxhal right now. It would be a stupid move on her part.
The demon turned his head to look back at his lagging shadow.
"Oy. You staring at my ass, witch?"
"W-what! NO!" Elsi flushed an angry shade of red and glared hard at the floor in horror, but after a moment's hesitation, followed anyway.
"Then quit pissing about and get up here." Tenuxhal turned away and grinned. Rhoads was so easy to mess with.
~~~
As soon as they reached the doorway that lead to the desert inside Hell, Tenuxhal glanced over his shoulder and nodded in the direction he wanted to go, then shifted away without a word. He didn't want to risk destroying the building he lived in. Elsi shifted directly after him, letting the atoms that made up her entire physical form meld with those of Hell, dancing along them at a speed most beings could not see.
Several minutes later Tenuxhal stopped so suddenly that Elsi almost barrelled into him, skidding instead into the soft desert surface up to her knees and showering herself with sand.
"What the hell you tool?" She coughed and sputtered, shaking sand out of her brown curly hair like a dog as she pulled herself out of the sand and regained her footing. She was positive she still looked like absolute shit from her beating a week before, but that didn’t mean she had to feel it. "You could have at least warned m..."
"Get ready, Rhoads." Tenuxhal pulled out Zareite from its place at his waist, without turning around, waiting for the sound of Elsi’s staff being lit up with her spiritual energy.
Elsi didn't move. Her staff stayed right where it was, in her left hand by her side. She had no plans to cooperate with her captor, and she had every intention of making Tenuxhal regret bringing her here.
"I don't know what you think you're going to get out of this Tenuxhal. It's not going to prove anything."
"Lift up your fucking staff."
"If you kill me, then what, huh? Who else are you going want to kill after I'm gone?" Elsi could see a slight change in the knights breathing, and hear the subtle noise of increasing agitation that he was making in his throat. "I don't care which one of us is strongest Tenuxhal. I only fight because I have to, not just because I want to go out and pick a fight."
"I'd stop if I were you," Tenuxhal said with slow and deadly seriousness as he finally turned around, his grip on Zareite becoming visibly tighter.
Elsi was not in the mood to heed the warnings. She never was.
"There is always going to be somebody stronger than you, no matter how many people you cut down. And even if you did get to the top, what then? You will have destroyed everyone beneath you. And what would be the point? Where's the glory in that? You would be alone."
Feline silver eyes narrowed dangerously. Hearing himself say those words while under the influence of the drink was one thing, but he didn't have anything even remotely resembling the patience to have them thrown back in his face, and by that smarmy Elsi Rhoads of all people.
"Do you really want to do this, Tenuxhal?"
"The more you talk, the more I want to do this," he said flatly. Tenuxhal was sober now and much more dangerous. He wasn't going to fight Rhoads while under the dulling influence of vodka. Impossible as it was, he would just have to keep his temper in check. He had shit to do here. He was going to learn this bitch some things, bring her back up to the level he knew she should be at. And the mouthier Rhoads was, the more he would make it hurt.
Elsi mentally kicked herself. Her mouth was going to get her killed. But she just couldn't help herself. She hated Tenuxhal with every cell in her body for bringing her here, for just not being willing to leave things the fuck alone. Miserable bastard. There was no avoiding a fight with the homicidal beast. She tossed her staff into her right hand and lifted it up, pointing the sharp, thin end in the demons direction.
With a feral roar, Tenuxhal brought his sword up and attacked.
~~~
Tenuxhal could tell that Rhoads was almost done. The fight had started off on a weak leg, and now it was slowly winding down to an unsatisfactory conclusion for the knight. He couldn't go all out on the human yet and rough her up as he had before, or Tenuxhal would be stuck babysitting her for another week, and that had just fucking sucked.
He dearly needed to murder something, but Rhoads was still off limits. It was like having a deep itch that you couldn't scratch. And her half-assed fighting style wasn't helping to ease Tenuxhal's frustrations. If anything, it was making him more irritable. He expected bigger things from Rhoads. So, she had better damn well step up. Where was the woman's fire? They were never going to get anywhere if Rhoads didn't want to kill him.
As far as Elsi was concerned, the fight was nothing more than a dirty schoolyard brawl. There was no meaning in it for her. She wasn't fighting to save anyone this time, except maybe herself. The idea that with herself out of the way, Tenuxhal could eventually go after her friends and family, hadn't really dawned on her, and though she swu
ng her staff fiercely, throwing blasts of spiritual energy at the demon, striking him with the jagged sides of the diamond weapon, it was empty of resolve and its cuts were shallow.
At first, the witch had pulled the same bullshit as before with her Wisp form until Tenuxhal had grown tired of her sissy antics and had descended on her like the plague, forcing her to keep it on. Tenuxhal could feel annoyance and anger radiating off the witch, but he was easily dodging most of the woman’s blows. And the ones she did land were almost completely blocked by either hand or the broad side of his claymore. Tenuxhal considered this as he struck Rhoads in the back with his leg for the third time, sending her reeling across the sand. Maybe this was a good time to bring up that whole "kiss situation."
"You know Rhoads, I can still taste you on my lips. Can you still taste me?" He leered at Elsi and flicked his tongue across his lips as he swung Zareite down through the space where Elsi had just been, sand spraying into the air around him. He twisted around just in time to catch Elsi's staff with his sword. Unlike the witch’s, his arms and weapon gave him a longer reach while she had to maneuver around his sword to get close enough to strike him with hers.
"Bastard. Don't drag me into your sick games, you pig," Elsi spat petulantly, flushing seven shades of red as she finally struck back in real anger.
"You sure seemed to like it, witch." He sneered as he parried.
"Che. You should thank me, demon. That's the closest thing to a real kiss your sorry ass is ever going to get."
"..."
Mother. Fucker. Tenuxhal's mind came to a painful halt. He was speechless. And he didn't know why the hell that comment stung so much. Maybe just because it was meant to? That had to be it because it wasn't as if that was anywhere on his list of things to do. And it definitely wasn't the reaction he'd hoped for.
He suddenly didn't feel like fighting anymore. Rather, he felt like gutting the woman and feeding her own insides. He had to end this before he did kill her. It was time to wrap things up here and send home a clear message.
And then damn him if he wasn't going to go get good and sauced.
Elsi blanched slightly, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Tenuxhal was looking at her eleven different ways, each one making her decidedly uncomfortable. And Tenuxhal wasn't talking any more. The banter had ceased and a deadly silence hung in the air. To Elsi, the fight was suddenly and inexplicably beginning to feel as serious as it ever had. She knew that she seemed to possess an inherent talent for bringing Tenuxhal's wrath down on herself. She should probably get that checked out.
The slight shift in the knight's body language was unmistakable. He may as well have a neon sign above his horns that read, beware of owner. Elsi scrambled for footing in the loose sand, toes sinking in, as the demon disappeared. Tenuxhal came at her so fast that she didn't even tuck or brace, slamming his flat palm violently into Rhoads collar bone and throwing her back against the remains of a small building.
Elsi hit the wall, hard. Her staff had fallen from her hand, leaving her defenseless. Tenuxhal was on her in an instant, hand locked around her neck, pointy sword slicing straight towards her stomach.
Time stood still. Elsi gaped. She almost couldn't believe it. She was really about to die.
The demon was long practised and well acquainted with his sword, Zareite. It was a perfect extension of himself, and his control was absolute. In one smooth motion, with a quick flick of a strong wrist and sleight of nimble fingers, Tenuxhal flipped the sword over before it could impale the soft flesh of Elsi's abdomen. Elsi doubled over in surprise and pain as the butt end of Zareite slammed into her, driving the air from her lungs. Tenuxhal went smoothly down with her onto one knee, keeping Zareite in its place, and grabbed the back of Elsi's hair to pull her head up so he could see her eyes.
"You're dead," he hissed.
He let go and stood, pushing Elsi back down into the sand, where she stayed, doubled over, wheezing, and fish-mouth gasping for air that refused to come without a struggle. Humiliated. Weak. Dead.
~~~
Elsi lay on her back between the white sand and the pitch black sky that seemed to have no source of light long after Tenuxhal had left. Even though there was neither a sun or moon to give off light, she could see everything as if it was a sunny day in Colorado. As she stared up at the black sky, she realized two things. First, she was simply no match for Tenuxhal at her current level. And second, the demon hadn't been trying to break her, just... seeing how far she would bend.
She blinked. Tenuxhal was training her. And it wasn't for her benefit, obviously. Rhoad's stomach lurched as her mind made an appalling comparison. She was a lamb being raised for the slaughter.
~~~
"Move it."
Elsi roused at the sharp command, her still slumbering brain confused when the bed suddenly dipped beside her as it accommodated another heavy weight.
"Uh? " She sat up quickly and twisted around to see what had caused the bed to move and wake her, grimacing as she did. Her upper chest still ached from where the demon had hit her. "Tenuxhal? Wha-? What are you doing?"
It was obvious what the demon seemed to be doing, but she still couldn't believe it. She grabbed the sheets that had pooled around her waist and clutched them against her breasts, inadvertently covering the bruise which was already beginning to bloom on the center of her collarbone, crawling down between her cleavage. Sharp silver eyes caught sight of the mark before it disappeared, the faintly stained edges outlining the trace impression of a hand. An apt reminder.
The knight stilled and glared at the human, his muscles bunched as he half-kneeled, half crouched on all fours beside the wall, looking like a runner at the gate, or a large cat about to pounce. Elsi could smell the alcohol rolling thickly off of his breath. Jeez, had he been swimming in it?
"Tch. The hell do you think I'm doing? I'm getting some damn sleep."
Elsi stared at Tenuxhal in bewilderment. He couldn't possibly be serious, could he?
"Oh no. Nooo no no no. Not in my bed." She fisted the sheets in her hand and flung a stern finger towards the sofa across the room, where Tenuxhal's black cropped shirt lay in a heap. "Get out!"
The white-haired man fixed her with a level stare, then turned away and casually resumed his efforts to make his space more comfortable, alternately smoothing down, then plucking at the sheets, before prodding the pillow with his fingers. Elsi momentarily forgot her objections and tilted her head in undisguised wonder. What the hell was he doing? Nesting?
"I'm staying right here. The couch ain't that comfortable," he grumbled as he continued to knead the pillow. Then suddenly, Tenuxhal froze, and as if Elsi's ill-considered demand had only just reached his ears, he punched the pillow and whipped around to face Elsi, snarling.
"And this is my fucking bed, Rhoads! You don't like it, go sleep on the fucking floor!"
Elsi scowled at the knight, then turned away. She didn't like it, not one bit. She glanced back at Tenuxhal, who was already laying on his side by the wall and watching her in the dim light with nefarious glowing eyes. How the hell was she supposed to sleep with that maniac beside her?
She looked at the couch. She looked at the floor. To hell with it. She slumped back down and yanked the covers over her shoulder crossly, and huffed, her stiff back turned to the knight.
"Just stay on your side then," she mumbled.
"Che. Kick me and I'll punch a hole through ya."
There was lots of space on the large bed, little chance of either one accidentally coming into contact with the other, but that didn't stop Elsi from scooting as close to the edge of the bed as she could without actually toppling off. She would put up with it for one night if she had to.
Nine
Weeks passed, how many days exactly Elsi couldn't begin to say, considering there was no sun up in Hells endless black sky. No stars either, for that matter. That was a little unnerving. Societies of the living world had clocks, hounding people with their endless tick tick ticking, meant not
hing here. In Hell, you were officially off the clock. Elsi slept when she was tired, and argued irrationally with Tenuxhal, fought constantly with Tenuxhal, and bickered pointlessly with Tenuxhal when she was awake, and then slept again when she was inevitably exhausted from the arguing and the fighting and the pointlessness of it all. And she slept, of course, when she was grievously injured.
Tell you what. It was fucking depressing.
Elsi was in hell, figuratively and literally, subject to Tenuxhal's whims and moods. And if Tenuxhal was a woman she'd be in flat out PMS from hell twenty-four seven, and with all the power to back it up. It was difficult for Elsi (or any licensed psychologist) to predict the demon's mood swings at the best of times. This fact alone kept the human on her toes.
Elsi's progress had been slow, and she frequently wondered how long the demon would maintain his unhealthy interest in torturing her. And after many weeks of the same shit, she was beginning to realize with no small amount of dread, that the unstable bastard might never run out of steam.
Tenuxhal and Elsi, they were just as much enemies as ever, like two volatile chemicals, outwardly inert when separated, but when mixed together, instantly reactive, one small miscalculation or an imprecise measurement easily setting off an explosive chain reaction.
It was a twisted game they were playing, one that needed Elsi to stay on her feet as badly as it needed Tenuxhal to dominate. It felt like an impossible situation to the woman, being caught walking that sensitive line between keeping the demon's lust for battle satisfied, and keeping herself alive in hopes of securing an eventual way out.
So in the interest of escaping this prison, Elsi was just going to have to keep getting stronger, just like before until she could finally beat Tenuxhal again, assuming he didn't actually succeed in killing her first, and force the knight to let her go.
Being at or approaching the same level as Tenuxhal came with the genuine risk of the psychotic male finally deciding it was time to carry out his promise to obliterate the witch. But still, to Elsi it was the obvious answer. She would have to hold back until she was ready.