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  “Is it just you here?” he asked.

  “Yep, just me. Is something wrong?” Rin replied, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her arm. Kaiser glanced back up the corridor, and on seeing there was no one, he closed the door behind him.

  “Do you know what’s going on with Amnur? I had to knock Iomor off him because they were fighting, but Amnur was beyond angry, and he was obviously injured before the fight.”

  Rin took a deep breath, placing one glove covered hand on her hip. Kaiser was trustworthy, but was it fair to drag him into this? It would affect him eventually, letting him know before anything tragic happened was only fair. She decided to tell him everything she knew, watching his expression sink as she relayed the whole story.

  “The only thing I can’t explain is his recent injuries and anger, something more has happened,” Rin sighed, slipping the gloves off her hands and picking up a nearby hidden bucket. She walked over to where Kaiser was stood and hung the gloves up, before placing the bucket down nearby. “I’ll see if he’s willing to talk to me and get back to you if I get any information, I’d ask you to come with me but-“

  “I’m too obvious,” Kaiser interrupted, seeing the woman slip him a sad smile. “That’s fine, don’t worry. Just be careful alright?”

  Rin offered him a respectful bow, slipping out through a crack in the door that the giant opened for her. As she headed for the healing chamber, she swiftly sorted out her appearance by fluffing up her hair and sorting out her attire; her usual robe had been replaced for some elegantly crafted jacket and trousers, though in the heat of the garden she had allowed both to fall loose.

  Once she reached the healing chamber, she rapped on the door, just in case there was someone or something inside that either Dumon didn’t want to be seen. The door was opened, and due to the respectful method of announcing her presence, Dumon greeted her calmly and offered her to come in. It didn’t take much effort to spot Amnur or his injuries, the bandages stood out against his dark skin. Amnur spotted her and turned away in shame, arching his wings to keep his face hidden.

  Rin was saddened to see him like it, so she went over to comfort him when Dumon interrupted her, directing her to one side.

  “I know you mean well, but perhaps now isn’t the best time; he seems ashamed to present himself to you,” Dumon whispered.

  “What happened to him? I just saw Kaiser so I know he was in a fight," Rin queried. Dumon paused, briefly glancing towards the injured mage. He sighed, before revealing what happened to Amnur after the events of the dinner. Rin was speechless, shocked by Nathaniel's sheer depravity. She thanked Dumon and went and stood by Amnur, tweezing back the wing he was using to cover himself.

  Amnur became uncomfortable now his cover was broken, unsure what Rin's intention was. His fear was washed away when he felt Rin embrace him, gripping him tightly around his shoulders.

  “I’m sorry, I never thought he’d go this far,” Rin whispered, pressing her head against his. He tried to respond but instead found himself blushing; he knew Rin was unavailable but yet, that didn’t stop the sudden rush of emotion he was getting from her gesture.

  The demon awkwardly cleared his throat, causing Rin to glance up at him. She saw his flustered expression and the slight but notable darkening of his cheeks, his off-black skin making his blushing that bit more visible than other demons. It gave her an idea. Whether it would work, she was unsure, but perhaps the distraction may help to keep Amnur level. She broke off the embrace and thanked Amnur, disappearing out of the healing chamber with a smile.

  Amnur simply stared in confusion, unsure if he had offended her or something.

  “Something you did gave her an idea,” Dumon spoke up to alleviate his confusion, “don’t ask me what, though.”

  The mage leant back against the bed, curious to what this idea was. He waited there in case she came back tonight, but eventually, he fell asleep with no sign of Rin returning. Dumon decided it was best to leave him as is, covering him with a blanket to stop him getting too cold.

  Chapter 13: An Unexpected Visitor

  Amnur jerked awake and looked around, spotting Dumon resting on a bed next to him. He had fallen asleep while waiting for Rin to return and he had been asleep for a while if Dumon had decided to call it a night. The mage shifted gently to prevent him from waking the healer, feeling the sting from his wounds as he pressed his arms on the bed. As he listened, he could hear hushed chatter from the corridor beyond. Evidently, someone was awake, so he guessed it was at very least morning. Sitting still on the bed, Amnur wondered what Rin’s sudden idea had been; there was nothing different in the room to indicate she had brought something for him unless she felt brave enough to deliver it herself. With a sigh, Amnur allowed his mind to reel back over recent events, his body unwilling to even peer out of the door to investigate the activity within in the keep. The sealed doors and silence of the healing chamber provided him with safety, washing him with a false sense of calm. Still, the sensation was pleasant, however easy it was to break.

  The peace was soon broken by a knock on the door, loud enough to suddenly startle Dumon awake. He groggily stared at the door, tossing a glance at an unwilling Amnur, before turning back to face the door once more. As he pulled himself off his bed, the knock came once again; it was structured, but not aggressive. Dumon reached into a pocket and revealed a key and slotted it in the door, hearing a slight click to indicate that the door had been unlocked. He cautiously opened the door and spotted a demon that he had not been expecting; Shae. With no further hesitation, he opened the door for her and shut it once she had entered.

  “Everything alright? It’s unusual for you to actually lock the doors,” Shae queried, examining the room. She spotted Amnur sat on a bed and offered him a smile and a wave, watching as he returned the gesture. He was managing to cope with what happened, but she could see his pain from his hunched posture.

  “I need not explain everything, but we’ve been having problems with soldiers,” Dumon said. Shae let out a sigh; if they were willing to hassle Amnur, then they would hassle Kyrith too. He had returned to Shadekeep with her this morning to resume his duties before someone questioned his absence, or Nathaniel noticed. Letting him return with his injuries was far from an ideal, but it had to be done.

  “What brings you here?” Amnur spoke up, startling Shae. She hadn’t expected Amnur to be freely talking, the fact he had was a surprise.

  “Ah, I was asked to have a word with you, and I wanted to ensure Kyrith got back safely.”

  “Rin,” Amnur interrupted. So, this was her idea, getting him to talk to Shae for whatever reason. He felt embarrassed by the whole thing, he had managed to give Rin the wrong idea yesterday, though he was unsure that he was even giving out any ideas.

  “I can leave, if you’d prefer,” she announced, picking up on the mage’s hostile tone. Dumon threw a sharp glance at Amnur. It wasn’t her fault that she had been talked into it by Rin, the least Amnur could do was to welcome her for the day. He picked up on Dumon’s intent and the healer was right, there was no point taking it out on her.

  “No no, stay, sorry,” Amnur hastily replied, putting in a display of effort by pushing himself up, so his legs were dangling off the edge of the bed.

  “I know what happened to you, Kyrith told me.”

  Amnur started to fiddle uncomfortably; while it was logical for Shae to know given her relation to Kyrith, the idea of even more people knowing made him wary. The knowledge that he had people on his side was refreshing, but the more people that knew, the greater the threat from Nathaniel became. Shae wished to calm his fears, so she strolled over and settled next to Amnur on the bed, slipping him a sweet smile.

  “How is he anyway?” Dumon spoke up from behind, seeing Amnur’s increasingly darkening cheeks; whether he would admit it or not, he certainly liked her.

  “Sore, but he’ll cope, hopefully.”

  “Hopefully?”

  “If a soldier was willing t
o go after Amnur, then I query if they’d leave him alone.”

  “Iomor,” Amnur corrected.

  “Iomor? That’s not the first time I’ve heard that name; he’s a moderately ranked soldier who enjoys pretending he’s more important than he is,” Shae replied, pausing to see Amnur’s expression indicate that her description was spot on. “He’s also no fan of me, which I suppose probably doesn’t come as a surprise.”

  “He feels threatened because you’re a woman; a woman holding a position that I imagine he wants. Not that there’s anything wrong with you being a woman, that is, Nathaniel just allows individuals like him to thrive,” Amnur spoke up, his mind wandering to Sebastian’s comments.

  Shae placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle, friendly pat. “Thanks, it’s nice to hear someone say that.”

  Dumon watched on with a smile, silently enjoying the scene in front of him. Whether Amnur would admit it or not, Rin’s idea did seem to be having an effect. He was secretly smitten by Shae’s strong personality, and her presence was calming him. To Dumon, they were a good match, Amnur was caring and respectful, more than he could say for the majority of the soldiers. Shae had never shown a desire to have a relationship, but she was also still young for a demon, and she held an important position, so it didn’t come as a surprise to Dumon. Perhaps Amnur would prove to be the individual that could appeal to her tastes if he was actively seeking a relationship given everything that happened.

  “…What?” Amnur’s voice slipped into his thoughts, causing Dumon to notice that the mage was giving him a funny look.

  “Oh, nothing,” Dumon chuckled, taking the opportunity to disappear into his private room to get a fresh set of clothing. Amnur kept a raised eyebrow as he went, before shrugging in amusement as the demon disappeared from sight. The two resumed their conversation, with Amnur feeling increasingly comfortable as Shae continued.

  ***

  Kyrith settled down on the bed that had been assigned to him within the barracks, chucking his bag full of spare clothing underneath. The barracks were busy as usual; with so many demons living in one place, it was no surprise. He hung his broadsword over the back of the bed and sighed, querying what to do with the rest of his day. His body cried for him to rest, but lazing around at this time of day would attract attention to him. A few young soldiers gave him a friendly wave as they passed, welcoming him back after his short period of absence. Others just stared from a distance; his family relations earned him as much praise as it did flak. Nathaniel’s rise had been making it increasingly worse, he was the whole reason why Shae chose to live outside of the keep, life inside was proving too aggravating.

  A sly glance revealed that the training room was quiet, although there were less desirable demons crowded near the entrance. With a sigh, he adjusted his dull, silver gauntlets and stood up, giving his neck a satisfying crack before grabbing his blade off its perch. Kyrith slung it over his shoulder as he marched to the training room, keeping his gaze high to avoid the disapproving sneers from the demons he passed. Now he was inside, he went over to an unused training dummy and began practising drawing his elongated blade at speed, as he would if he was forced to fight. He hoped the display would be enough to make the others leave him alone unless one soldier was feeling particularly brave.

  Kyrith continued uninterrupted, listening to his blade slice throw the air with a pleasant whoosh. Behind him, he could hear armour jostling, but it didn't concern him. He kept his mind focused, feeling the familiar strain in his arms as he swung the sword. As he went to retract his blade, he felt pressure being placed on his hand but chose to ignore it, bringing the blade back regardless. A scoff tried to grab his attention, but he denied the request, once again swinging the blade and forcing his company to back off.

  "So Kyrith," the demon spoke, but he was once again ignored. He stared as the blade was swung once again, letting out an exacerbated sigh. "Has your whore of a sister decided to give her rank to someone more deserving yet?"

  The aether lamps in the room glazed the cool steel of the broadsword as it swung around, resting on the demon's neck. Kyrith's eyes locked fiercely on the newcomer, his hands gripping the hilt tightly in rage.

  "I thought that might get your attention," Iomor teased, undeterred by the sharp steel kissing his skin. "Where were you the last few days? Were you squandering your duties to hang with her?"

  "Apologise," Kyrith growled, pressing the blade further until Iomor could feel a trickle of blood running down his neck.

  "Why? You know Nathaniel doesn't like it," Iomor replied, gently pushing the blade off his skin to prevent it cutting further.

  "What are you, his loyal dog? Why don't you go spit shine his boots if you love him so much."

  Iomor could hear chuckles coming from the corridor as a result of that last remark, souring his mood. He gripped the blade with his gauntlet covered hands and threw it wide, closing the gap to Kyrith and put his face against his. "I'm not apologising for anything, especially not about your bitch sister."

  With a flash, Kyrith's fist connected with Iomor's face and sent him clattering to the floor. The demon spat out blood and wiped his mouth, his faced scrunched up in a snarl. He went to get to his feet but soon found himself on the receiving end of Kyrith's blade, pressing firmly against his breastplate.

  "I said, apologise," Kyrith reiterated, towering over his opponent. Iomor lay pinned to the floor, but his response was nothing more than a growl. The stalemate continued with Kyrith becoming increasingly aggravated from the disrespect being shown to his sister. He swung his foot and kicked Iomor in the side, causing the trapped demon to cringe. "Apologise."

  The move was not in his favour, however. Iomor grabbed his leg and slipped out from underneath the blade. He ripped at Kyrith's legs and sent the demon falling over backwards, feeling a hint of ecstasy as he smashed into the floor.

  Kyrith could feel pain searing through his head after colliding with the floor, and his vision was blurred. He kept one hand locked to his blade to prevent Iomor taking it off him, while the other worked on getting him off the floor. When he had managed to get up to a sitting position, he felt Iomor's hand smash into his face and send him back down to the floor. Desperately, he tried to get back up but his vision was slipping away, and Iomor was bearing down on him.

  "Iomor stop; I'm no fan of his sister either but we can't just kill him," one of the demons that had been watching spoke up, pulling the angry demon away from him. "Nathaniel looks down on your actions as much as his."

  Iomor huffed, standing up and walking away from Kyrith. He rubbed his sore jaw as he went, disappearing off into the barracks. The demon that stepped in sighed, examining Kyrith's head after seeing it slam on the floor. He could feel blood, but the amount wasn't excessive so he could get away with seeing a healer other than Dumon.

  "Come on," the demon ordered, placing an arm around Kyrith's shoulders and heaving him to his feet. Kyrith staggered as he went, letting himself be led away by his benefactor. They lead him to a side room, where they settled him down on a bed and beckoned over another in the chamber. “His head is bleeding, mind patching that up for us?”

  Kyrith could feel someone fiddling around his head, although he kept his eyes closed. The barracks held a repertoire of healers, kept separate from the main healing chamber. Those that chose to work away from Dumon’s influence often held dubious allegiances, turning a blind eye to the increasing aggression within the soldiers.

  “The wound is mostly superficial, but I’d advise him to rest, considering the knock to the head,” the healer spoke, scrubbing the wound to ensure it was clean before awkwardly wrapping bandages around it, the task being hindered by his horns and ears. “If he isn’t allowed, then he is going to have to go to Dumon.”

  “Noted.”

  “I’ll leave it to you to ensure that he is actually left alone,” he replied, watching Kyrith’s benefactor sigh. The last thing the demon wanted was to babysit him to ensure others did act
ually leave him alone, but allowing him to die or his condition to become known was an issue also.

  The healer briefly checked Kyrith's face over but aside from a small cut to his lip, there was nothing of note. He gestured that he was done and Kyrith found himself being whisked away, before being placed on his bed with an uncomfortable level of force. As he opened his eyes, he concluded that he had been left alone, not that he minded. Stiffly, he rolled onto his back and rested his head on his pillow, trying to ignore the throbbing sensation coming from his wound.

  A clang by the side of his head made him flinch; the demon had gone and fetched his blade and slotted it in on the headboard.

  "Thanks," Kyrith replied to the action, causing the demon to pause and consider him for a moment.

  "Listen up, I don't care for your opinions on him or his sister, but no one is to disturb Kyrith; I don't want Nathaniel or anyone else sniffing around here," his benefactor suddenly announced to the room, fighting back any stares with a single, cold glare. No one appeared willing to argue, so there was that, Kyrith thought. Still, the situation was far from ideal, but there was little he could do to change that. Iomor wasn't going to get away with slandering Shae as he did, nor anyone else foolish enough to say it to his face.

  ***

  Amnur's and Shae's conversation went on for many hours; the longest Amnur had spoken for many months. It only came to an end when Shae declared she should be returning home for the night, to ensure everything was alright around the border towns. He bid her a fond farewell and was left with a warm smile, something that pleased Dumon greatly to see.

  That smile appeared the next day when Shae returned to speak to Amnur once more. Rin's idea was benefiting both of them. Dumon could see him becoming more and more infatuated with her by the day, as she continued to come back day by day.