At the sound of the voices coming from the woods Lydia raised a finger to her lips to quiet Ragna. The man had slapped the woman and they were arguing for sure, but past that the half-elf didn't know what was going on. If she really wanted to know what was going on without alerting the couple to their presence Lydia was going to have to be still and concentrate. But if she and Ragna stayed in one spot for too long they could be ambushed. Perhaps just a few seconds to see what might be going on... Lydia's ears perked up and she listened to what the two voices were saying.

"Why did I ever marry you? I could have married a wealthy merchant, but instead I married a soldier who drinks and gambles away all our money. And now you're taking a job from a demon?" That was obviously the woman speaking. She was human from what Lydia could tell--she didn't have the musical voice of the elves, or the low, gravelly voice of the dwarves.

"We're taking a job, and--" That was the man, another human from the sound of it. Seemed like a lover's quarrel.

"No. Not us. You. I'm only here to make sure that you don't spend the money on booze and whores."

"Phillis, sweetheart--"

"Don't you 'sweetheart' me, Sam!" The wife interjected sharply. It appears that she had not taken kindly to being slapped. "Tell me, what does the demon even want with this elf?"

"Half-elf," Sam managed to say. "And I don't know, I--"

That was all Lydia needed to hear. She tugged on Ragna's hand, pulling him away from the campsite and out of the forest. "Let's get to your manor quickly," she urged, the expression on her face dark. "There are others still looking for me, and it seems as if some of your fellow demons aren't above hiring humans to do their dirty work."

Ragna patiently waited for Lydia to observe them in silence. The only thing he could pick up was the occasional word from the fighting couple and then the oddly peaceful forest around them. His mind drifted off and he was pulled into his fathers magic. Once again, like before, his father appeared on a throne of bones.

" Son, Just give me the halfling and I'll forgive you for your sins against me and your brothers. We want you to join us in our struggle to overthrow the king. He doesn't deserve the power that that girl can give him. I...no we do." Ragna looked up at demon before him and struggled not to leave right then and there. Mist slowly surrounded his feet as he stood up and peered directly into the demons eyes.

" Tell me what she is to be used for, and I might think about it. However if you send any more of your demon lackies after me, you will only have corpses left to rule over. I can promise you that." His fathers face twisted in rage for the briefest of moments before returning to the serene facade that he often hid behind no matter how heinous the act he was committing. A slight chuckle escaped the vile man's lips as he sneered down at his hated son.

"I'll tell you one thing. She is a part of the Twilight prophecy and if she falls into the angels hands, we are all doomed." Ragnarok's eyes widened at the mention of that prophecy and wanted to ask more but he suddenly felt his body being pulled, probably by Lydia so he allowed himself to drift back to his body. When he finally cleared away the fog he saw they were by the road already and he caught the end of what she was saying "...aren't above hiring humans..."

"Hm? Y-yeah, we should get going right way." He blinked a few times as he looked over Lydia in a new light. Can I really protect someone who is deemed worthy for such a gift? Maybe it would be better to fade into obscurity. His eyes fell to the ground as they started to move down the path, ever closer to so many enemies and so few allies.

Once Lydia and Ragna were on the road she let her hand fall from his. She drew her broadsword in case there might be an ambush and she kept her eyes open. On the roads, the woods. Attackers could come from anywhere, but demons were harder to track and anticipate over the majority of other races given that they used portals. The only thing that really gave demons away was the scent of sulfur when they appeared. The others though, besides angels, had to move on foot or by horse or cart. It was easier for Lydia to hear or see them coming, especially with her improved sight and hearing. Elves of pure blood, however, could still manage to get a drop on her since they were quieter than even she.

"Curse that damned king," Lydia muttered angrily as they walked the path alongside the forest. The night's light was waning and dawn was on the horizon. Lydia had originally thought that the night had been later when she and Ragna had emerged from the cave, but the storm that had trapped them there had started earlier in the afternoon. It had been such a vicious storm that it had simply turned the sky black. Lydia was grateful for dawn's light. Even if she could see better than humans in the dark, sunlight was much better than moonlight to give away hidden enemies. Sunlight off a metal sword hilt was a dead giveaway for potential assassins. Lydia herself kept her sword hilt wrapped with strips of leather.

Looking up at her companion, Lydia sighed, "It seems I've got half the world after me, and still no idea as to why. Are you sure you have no idea why the demon king summons me, Ragna?" She had asked before and he had told her he did not know, but that had been early in their journey. It could be that he had withheld information. Perhaps now that their relationship had developed he might care to share it. If Ragna had nothing, however, Lydia would not press him anymore. She didn't want him to think that she was only using him. The thought that she might make him feel that way sent a pang of sadness through her heart.

Ragna noticed that whatever Lydia heard from the fighting couple had visibly stirred her. So as they came onto the road and she drew her blade he did the same, placing the flat of the his claymore against his shoulder. Then she muttered "Curse that damned king." and Ragna chuckled slightly despite the situation. "Aye curse him. And all his confounded subjects with their confounded need to hunt you down... Listen Lydia, He probably had some poor angel or demon tell him that you are the next Demon king or something and wants to test you out." His shoulders visibly slumped, " Besides if I know anything about why the King wants you I would tell you right away. I don't want you going into this blind, but I'm blind as well." It hurt him to lie to her. He felt the Oaths chains wrapping around his body but then loosen giving him a chance to breathe.

Fast forward 7 days

The two companions arrived at Ragna's manor just at daybreak The twin oaken doors swinging wide as servants or other peasants came out to greet him. Several guards came out with weapons trained on Lydia but at a motion of his hand they all stopped. " This girl, is my guest for my limited stay here. If you touch her I will disembody your sorry little body and feed your flesh to your loved ones." His voice was a low growl and his eyes shown with pure anger. The only one to not back up in fear was a five foot demon woman. A succubus to be exact. Her flesh was as perfect as her black hair. Her body was wrapped up in one of Ragna's cloaks and she was smiling at him and Lydia. " That includes you Jezebel." The succubus merely nodded and put her finger to to lips as if it was so tempting. In an instant she was in front of Lydia with a bladed hand to the half-elf's throat. Sadly, Ragna knew this would happen as it had happened in the past, One of the main reasons he kept her, for disposing of unwanted annoyances. But Lydia isn't unwanted so the next words he spoke were barely a whisper but still fell upon everyone's ear's " I mean it કઠણ લાકડું..." The last words came out harsher then normal and it sounded like another language. As the last word fell out of Ragna's lips Jezebel's body went rigid and she looked up at him and answered." O-of course, Master Ragnarok." Each word etched more and more pain into her gaze before her gaze went slack and she collapsed on the ground.

Ragna sighed and looked away from the succubus and down to Lydia. " I'm sorry you had to see that Lydia. She is a very jealous succubus and kills any of her lovers female companions. Now lets go inside. You can take a bath in my quarters while I sort out my armor. I'll have one of my servants take you to them if you want?" He tried to sound as cheerful as he could in this situation but it fell kind of short as he just showed more of his demon side to the girl then he wanted to.

Lydia had excepted the hostile welcome as Ragna had given her fair warning to it, and she had guessed herself that it would be like that. What she did not expect was that Jezebel would be so small. She was short--shorter than Lydia for sure, and shorter than even most human adult females. In the halfling's mind Jezebel had been this towering figure almost as tall as Ragna himself. The fact that she had to look down on her was almost comical. That did not mean Jezebel was no less deadly, however, and Lydia was extremely wary of the succubus woman. She had all the right to be as it turned out. Ragna had warned the members of his household against harming her, and yet Jezebel still tried anyway. Suddenly the succubus was there, her razor sharp nails at Lydia's throat. Had Ragna not commanded her to stop, Lydia herself would have tried with the few holy spells she knew. If that had failed then Lydia would have been the one crumpled on the ground--only with her throat ripped out.

While grateful that Ragna had protected her yet again in some way, what he had done reminded her of what he was. Or partly was. Lydia did not mind in the least though. Ragna was bound to her in a way by his oath, but at the same time she still did not fear him. She had not feared him when facing him in Termina, and she did not fear him now as he showed his more demonic side while taking charge of his household. If anything she kind of liked it. It was a stark contrast to how Ragna had often rambled during the first half of their trip. But this was not the time to tell him that. Here in his manor Lydia had to act as if Ragna was no more than an escort to her. She would not mention their little trysts or his oath to her. They were nothing to each other.

"A bath would be pleasant, thank you, and more than I could ask for," Lydia said lightly. Her voice was even and polite, her expression cool. Nothing in her body language gave away their little secret. "I'll be waiting for you to finish your tasks, and we can resume the journey when you're ready." When Ragna summoned one of his servants to escort her, Lydia followed without hesitation. She stepped around Jezebel's unconscious form still slumped on the ground. The hafling had briefly considered stepping over the succubus, but if she did so and word got back to Jezebel there would surely be trouble of some sort--if not for her, then for Ragna. Lydia did not wish to cause him more grief than was necessary.

Some time later Lydia found herself alone in Ragna's quarters, soaking in a tub so large and deep she could swim in it. She did a little, enjoying the warm water. It had been quite a while since she had had a proper bath. It felt good to wash away the grime accumulated during their travels. Finally Lydia felt as if she had cleaned up and relaxed enough. Well, she wasn't exactly relaxed. Even if Ragna had ordered the members of his household not to harm her, she was still constantly on edge. The male demon who had taken her to Ragna's quarters had been eyeing her unpleasantly and had not even tried to hide his lust. Lydia still felt as if she was being watched even now.

She climbed out of the tub, the steam swirling around her, water dripping from her sleek form, her snow white hair plastered against her back until it stopped at her waist. Grabbing the towel left for her, Lydia wrapped it around herself and picked up her discarded clothing and weapons. She pad silently into the bedroom next door where fresh clothes had been lain out for her. It was only seconds after Lydia had left the bathroom that she felt a pair of hands grab her from behind.

"Scream and it'll be the last thing you ever do," hissed a demonic voice in her ear. "Not that that would stop me anyway..." The demon chuckled and his hands started to travel over Lydia's body before he stopped to yank the towel away.

Lydia realized that the demon accosting her was the same one that had led her to Ragna's quarters in the first place. She had known he would be trouble. Instead of cowering in fear, Lydia cooly demanded, "Didn't your master say I was not to be touched?"

"What the Master doesn't know won't kill me," the demon said with another quiet laugh. "Besides, how could he blame me? Such a pretty thing like you. Surely no man can resist. Ah, but I'm sure you turn them all down, don't you? You're a cold-hearted bitch through and through, I can tell. All you elves are. Luckily for me, I simply take what I want."

His voice was in her ear, his tongue trailing up her neck, one clawed hand moving to her chest and the other heading for her region below. But still Lydia was not scared. Instead she was furious. Suddenly she dropped everything she was holding, save for the dagger she had drawn from her belt. She turned, pulling out of the demon's grasp only to slam him against the wall. Lydia held him there, her left arm digging hard into his neck, her right holding a blessed dagger against his groin. At the moment she didn't fully care that she had lost her only layer of protection--she was in too wrathful a mood. There was an unbridled hatred burning within Alydia's luminescent green eyes.

"Don't you ever come at me again, threatening me and acting as if you know me," Lydia growled angrily. "If you do I will castrate you and feed you to the wolves. If you have a problem with it, hell spawn, then go and tell your master that you so blatantly disobeyed his orders. While you're at it, let him know that you also threatened to kill the girl your king has summoned. See how well that goes over, hm?

The demon cursed at Lydia in his native tongue, and she quickly moved the blade of the blessed dagger against his cheek. She put enough pressure behind it that it began to cut through his skin, causing him to bleed. "Say that again, you pox ridden bastard, and see what I'll do to you," she said coldly, a deadly venom lacing the edge of her tone. Lydia was able to recognize a few words of the demon language. What he had said was one of the things she knew. It was a particularly nasty insult, and she was already pissed off. All the demon could do under the threatening presence of the holy blade against his ashen gray skin was glare at Lydia with his hateful, beady eyes.

Finally Lydia pulled the demon away from the wall and shoved him forcefully. She spat at him, eyes still burning with hatred, specifically at being compared to the elves. "Now get the fuck out of my sight." The demon shot her one last glare, but then he scurried from the room, his cheek still dripping with blood. The bedroom door slammed behind him and a faint scent of sulfur told Lydia that he had teleported away. She waited for a few minutes more to make sure that he was gone for good, then...

Lydia rushed back to the bathroom, everything but her dagger still laying on the floor of the bedroom. She threw the bathroom door closed behind her, locking it with the sealing spell she had used on it earlier. The halfling let her dagger drop by the edge of the bath and dove back into the tub still filled with hot water. Lydia snatched up the nearest bar of soap and began to scrub herself vehemently. She had to get rid of the slimy feeling left on her skin from when the demon had touched her. She had to. She had to...

Lydia was shaking uncontrollably. Silent tears ran down her face as she remembered the monster's words, remembered his tongue on her neck and his hands on her body. She sank down into the shallow end of the tub, her knees drawn up to her chest, one arm wrapped around them with her face buried in it, her other hand running through her hair in an exasperated motion. Lydia had never been so scared before in her life. Not when a horde of demons knocked on Termina's door, not when Jezebel had nearly ripped her throat out. She cried bitterly, her heart throbbing as she wished Ragna was by her side instead of wherever he was now.

The mood remained dark even after the commotion with Jezebel. Ragna noticed how on edge Lydia was and he knew how uncomfortable she must be here. In the middle of demon territory with everyone after her save but a few. So after his servant escorted her to his room he let his broad shoulders slump and a sigh to escape his lips. Behind him Jezebel came up and wrapped her body around his. " Master, What is with that girl that forced you to command me so? " Ragna placed a gauntleted hand to her head and pushed her away. " She is the girl the King wants, and I will deliver her without a scratch. I am angry with you and will give you your punishment when I return. Until then you shall not enjoy the pleasures of your body. Am I clear?" Jezebels face went from playful innocence to a look of horror as she felt Ragna's command tie her down. " P-please. I didn't know...I thought she was just some harlot." The succubus begged, and even got on her knees and began to almost grovel.

Ragna barely paid the woman a second glance, merely muttering. " You are the harlot here, now get out of my sight before I show you my fathers wrath." Jez nodded and scampered away, slipping off to who knows where. With another sigh escaping his lips he looked over at one of the servants standing by the door. " You. Contact the Armorer and get him to put my second armor together. Also prepare a carriage for me and the girl for travel to the Kings palace." With a nod the servant disappeared almost as fast as Jezebel did.

With that out of the way, Ragna walked through the silent hallways of his manor until he came to a stairwell that was guarded by four brutes. Each one was as large as Ragna and each bore massive horns that wrapped around the back of their heads and coming to a stop by their mouths. They all donned black steel armor and held polearms at attention. " Let me through and retrieve me after one hour." He commanded as he walked past them. Even with no verbal confirmation he knew they would do as they were commanded.

He descended the stairwell with each cobblestone step coming with more hesitation then the last until he arrived at roughly hewn iron door. It was more like a slab of metal then anything, but even so, it moved as if it were a mastercrafted door. Swinging it open he stepped into the unnaturally lighted room within. Unlike the rest of his manor which was made of cobblestone and oak wood, this room was made from what looked like slabs of marble with golden inlays wrapping around the entire room, forming spells that for as long as Ragna was alive would stay active. In the center were five golden sconces arranged in a star like pattern with a golden circle in the floor. In the circle were intricately carved lines. More spells that focused the worlds magic into this one spot for use. An amazing innovation that his most trusted servant came up with but also extremely dangerous.

With a sigh he knelt down in the circle, feeling the power surge through him as he opened his body up to the flow of magic. The entire room darkened considerably as he did so and with a single thought the floor around him fell away. In place of the floor, a beautifully carved coffin rose up from the dark void around him. "Mother... I finally found someone I wish to protect with my life. Hell...I even made an oath with her...But the King wants her and to make matters worse, she is the Twilight. What should I do, Mother?" His prayer drifted from his lips into the darkness that was around him, never to have an answer to it, instead it would only fade away into the void.

As tears formed he let the coffin disappear back into the darkness and focused his mind on his next task. The spell took hold and he felt the mist forming around his mind. As he allowed his power to take him to his fathers mind he rested in the cold void. A plane of darkness and oblivion that without proper training you could get lost in for all eternity. The plane of conciseness as the demons called it. As his power settled over his father the mist lightened up and he felt himself in his fathers mind. The demon looked up from his throne and smiled. " So you have returned to me on your own accord. Are you channeling your will through that poor succubus I gave you? No...this is too strong. Anyway. Have you thought of your answer?" Ragna's father had a face splitting smile filled with horribly sharp teeth. " Yes I have father, and it isn't the answer you think. I refuse to give her over to you. I will defend her from the Demon king, the Angels, my brothers, and even the world. If you so much as try to take her I will rend you limb from limb and feast on your bones." Ragna's voice was a low snarl. With each word his fathers face twisted more and more in rage and by the end the demon shook with rage and began to yell something. Ragna couldn't have been bothered by it as he simply left his father in his angry fit rather choosing to return to his body. As he felt the mist lighten up around his mind he stood shakily.

"I hope I made the right choice mother." The halfling wiped his eyes as the slab of iron swung open. One of the four guards stood in the entrance. " It has been an hour, Master, Should I get a servant to escort you to your bedroom or are you alright?" Ragna stepped out of the circle and felt all the power leave him and he fell to one knee. After a few minutes he stood again and waved his guard off. "I am fine. Return to your post." The armored head nodded slightly before shifting and trudging back up the stairs. Several minutes passed before Ragna slipped past the four and he returned to the main hall where servants were running hither and tither with boxes of supplies for the carriage. He planned to leave early in the morning after a decent meal. Lydia and him traveled hard since they met in Termina so he thought it would be a nice gesture for them to enjoy a nice bed.

He made his way passed the demons and up to his room where, outside of his door, a manikin was outfitted with his blackened steel platemail. He placed his hand on the armor and closed his eyes for a second, allowing himself to catch his breath and to put on a facade that made him seem less tired then he actually was. It was in that second that the faint smell of sulfur caught his senses. That means a demon used a rift nearby. Instantly his eyes widened and he busted through the door, the force sending them back closed when he walked through. He frantically searched the room, his eyes falling on the pile of clothing on the floor and the closed door to the bathroom. Even from where he was he could tell the door was sealed with magic. His boots slammed against the oaken floor of his chambers as he crossed the room in three strides. " Lydia?" He called out, placing his hand to the door. " Lydia? Drop the spell. What happened. " A part of him feared it was angels that had her in their. If they found out the Twilight was in demon hands they would stop at nothing to get her. That wasn't something he wanted to deal with, or wasn't prepared to deal with at this moment. He also thought he heard her crying through the door.

Lydia had been crying for a time now when she heard the resounding footsteps pounding on the floor of the bedroom. Afraid that the demon she had sent off might be coming for revenge, the halfling quickly scrambled to the side of the tub where she had dropped the holy dagger. She snatched it up and climbed out of the tub, ready to defend herself if necessary even though she was soaking wet and without even a towel. Lydia had only used her sealing spell on a couple of occasions. She wasn't exactly sure how strong it was, but she hoped it would hold. Then Ragna's voice came through the doors and she uttered a cry of relief.

The spell dropped and Lydia rushed to the door. Opening it, she peered around but only saw herself and Ragna. Knowing that it was just the two of them, she felt safe enough to fully open the door, exposing the fact that she fact that she no longer had a towel or clothes to cover her. Although Ragna had seen her like that before, Lydia suddenly felt very self-conscious. She made to retrieve her towel from the floor where the demon servant had discarded it. As she set her dagger among her other things to pick up the towel and wrap it around her, the halfling's hands shook visibly. Hell, her entire body was quivering. Lydia was trying desperately to keep from crying. She didn't want to cry in front of Ragna. Not now. Not here.

It was no use. When Lydia turned back to Ragna and looked up into his face--familiar, scarred but still handsome, and kind to her--she burst into tears again. She closed the short distance between them and wrapped her arms around him as she buried her face into his shirt. Through hiccups and sobs Lydia managed to tell Ragna what had happened while he was gone. She hated these feelings. Being scared. Feeling weak. Lydia was just glad that she had been outraged, mostly at being compared to the elves for whom her hatred ran deep. That she had a holy weapon and knew a few holy spells had helped as well, but if Lydia had initially frozen up she knew exactly what might have happened. She was just glad that Ragna was here now. She knew that she shouldn't cling to him like this when they were in his manor, but at the moment it was something she simply couldn't help.

Ragna was looking into her eyes the moment the door cracked open. Red and irritated from crying. Then the door swung all the way open and Lydia stood there for a few seconds looking absolutely devastated. As he opened his arms she moved past him to gather her towel that was discarded on the floor. Then her body started to shake more then before till she turned back towards him and the tears began to flow once more. He wrapped his strong arms around her and gently rubbed her back until she finished her story about the servant who tried to rape her. "I shouldn't have left you alone. I am sorry..." He whispered into her hair as he pulled her closer into their embrace.

The two of them stayed like that until Lydia finally stopped crying though she was still shaken. He pushed her away gently and put his hand under her chin so she would look him in the eyes. His eyes visibly burnt with anger, the twin crimson orbs seemingly alive and flowing. " I will be right back. My guards will find him and I will flay his skin from his body." His voice was low and his last sentence he emphasized each word. He broke contact with her and moved to the door, slipping through it. His voice could be heard through the manor as he basically commanded every servant that pledged an Oath to him to find and bring him the one who tried to touch his guest. He relayed the fact that his face was cut with a holy dagger and thus wouldn't be healed. Then he returned not even a minute later. His mind calmed a little bit more that he would have his justice soon enough. He shut the doors and locked them then moved over to Lydia and kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"He will be found, and he will suffer immensely for what he tried to do to you. I will see to that personally."

When Ragna apologized for leaving her alone, Lydia shook her head profusely. Hugging him tighter she told him with her voice no higher than a whisper, "It's not your fault. You had things to do. I'm just glad you're here now." She didn't blame him for his absence or what happened. It was not on Ragna that the demon had tried to rape her. It was on the demon alone. Still, when Ragna held her face so she could see his she noticed how his eyes seem to glow. Lydia had seen them like that before, but that had been on their first night together when they had rescued that girl from a group of demons camping in the woods not far away from Termina. Now his eyes held an deep anger in them and his words were thick with hatred. That he would be so furious for her sake, that he was so protective of her and cared for her even beyond the bonds of the Oath he swore to her... Lydia couldn't help but feel immensely grateful, and somewhere deep inside, in a part of her that was not still terrified, she was happy too.

He left her then for a bit--but just a bit--and she heard him roaring his order throughout the entire household. In the minute that he was gone Lydia put on the fresh tunic that had been meant for her. She needed to wear something that covered more than the towel did. The tunic, with it's long sleeves and hem that fell about her thighs halfway to her knees, would do for now until she could get fully dressed. Lydia was no longer shaking nearly as bad, Ragna's words having soothed her nerves somewhat. However, when he came back and embraced her once more she clung to him as if her life depended on it. Her arms wrapped around his massive shoulders and she returned his kiss, begging silently for him to show her that she no longer had to be afraid.

After they broke the kiss Lydia lay her head against Ragna's chest once again. She nodded wordlessly at his assurance that he would make sure that the demon who had done this suffered for it. His words were vehement. One could argue that Ragna's demonic side was showing more than his human side, but Lydia would disagree with that. In her travels as a sword for hire there had been several times when she had tracked down rapists. Lydia did usually not condone torture or brutal deaths, but in some cases the halfing, protector of those who could not defend themselves, made an exception. Rapists were one of those exceptions. Those men and women that Lydia had caught she tortured and killed in the most brutal way possible. She would be lying if she said that those deaths hadn't given her a twisted sense of pleasure, but after the fact of the deaths it was the victims that her heart went out to.

Now even after Lydia herself had almost been a victim, part of her wanted to hunt down that demon herself and tear him limb from limb. But at the moment she didn't have the strength of heart to follow through with that dark wish. Lydia didn't even consider telling Ragna not to kill the hated hell spawn. Even in her shaken state she wanted justice to be done, and Ragna was willing to do it on her behalf.

"Thank you," she said gratefully, her voice still small and quiet compared to the usual sureness it held. Looking up at him, she beseeched, "Will you stay with me for a while, Ragna? I won't keep you the whole night if you have work still do be done, but will you stay with me for just a bit longer? Please?"

When her low whisper fell to his ears he wanted to argue. Nothing could come before her. He wanted to say that but rather bit his tongue and let his personal opinions lay. Her kiss spoke volumes about what she wanted. Her entire body wanted a reassurance that only he could give her at this time and he definitely wanted to give her that protection. His own body wishing for the same thing but not just yet. After the kiss Lydia rested her head against his chest. He felt her nod her head in acknowledgement as he fumed about what he would do to the sorry wretch that tried to touch her. A fire in his heart burned as the past events unfolded before him. All his anger at his father for what he did to his mother. His brothers and sisters and their constant berating and torturing of him. Even his first encounter with Jezebel. Each painful memory and each fleeting emotion of rage and dissent boiled with in him. He would take his time with this cur. He would put off his departure to personally make sure the little demon servant begged to be allowed to die.

It wouldn't be the first time he has had to punish his servants for disobeying him. Though before this time it had always been over something petty like one of his servants stealing food meant for his guests or the like. Even if he punished them, he liked to consider himself decent compared to some other demon lords or their sons and daughters. Some of them have the servants torture themselves for their amusement. The thought brought him back to a memory when he was taken by his father to visit one of the Demon kings adviser's. There the advisers daughter took a liking to him and they got along rather well, at least until she had him in her room. Then she had a servant come in and start to flay his own skin. She laughed and giggled like a child ripping off the wings of a butterfly. It was far from innocent but she knew what she was doing. That is just one example. Several other instances came to his mind.

He was lost in thought but when Lydia said 'thank you' it drew him out of his reverie of his past and made him focus on her once more. His emotions more stable now he locked his eyes with her and nodded silently at her request before leaning down and kissing her fiercely. He traced a finger up the small of her back as his other hand slipped under the tunic to cup her ass. " I think I liked you better in the towel though." He said with a smile as he withdrew from the kiss. " The door is locked and my fullest attention is on you."

Elsewhere in the manor, Ragna's obsidian knights tore through the building. Every building, every room, and every possible place to hide was over turned. Luckily any servant bound to Ragna wasn't allowed to leave the manor grounds unless given permission by him or someone he gave the power to. So it wasn't long that that servant with the bleeding face wound was found. He was trying to remain hidden in the horse stables until the wound had healed and had hoped that he had more time. Then twin gauntlets wrapped around his shoulders in a vice like grip and hauled him from the corner that he was resting in. " By order of Ragnarok, our master, you are to be detained in the dungeon and await our masters punishment for your sin of not only leaving your station of work as assigned, but by your disobedience of his orders. " The two knights spoke in unison with the same low, monotone voice. The servant tried to struggle free and instead of gaining any ground he felt a fist knock the wind from his stomach and possibly break a few bones. Falling limp he was taken from the stables to a part of the manor that hadn't seen use in quite a while.

---

Ragna had also noticed the magic that was at work around them, stopping just as Lydia said that something was wrong. The magic surged and coursed all around them causing quite visible ripples in the air. While Lydia slipped her tunic over her head, Ragna noted the fact that the magic seemed to form a bubble around them. He began to wonder if it was some sort of powerful magic prison. As if to answer his question, Lydia grabbed his hand and made a move to get out of the room. This was cut short as she seemingly hit a wall. " I don't think we are going anywhere right now." He wrapped his arm around Lydia's shoulder and pulled her close.

"Don't worry. Everything will be al-" His voice just disappeared. He could see Lydia and he felt her tunic against his bare chest but his words seemed to dissipate as soon as they left his mouth. Then everything went white. A searing light blinded both of them, but that wasn't all that happened. To Ragna, he saw faint flickers of chains coming from the very prison they were in. They glided gently against the lover's flesh, wrapping them up in a gentle, ghostly embrace that sapped the warmth from their bodies. Then the circle below them appeared. An intricate design that was virtually overflowing with powerful magic that he had never seen before, not even from one of the old ones. Then everything faded away as the chains drug them through the circle bringing them to that lonely set of catacombs where Ragna kept his arm protectively wrapped around Lydia.

The five magus had put their hoods back up and whispered among themselves. One pointed to Ragna and he heard the figure say. " She has lain with a demon of impure blood? Does this change everything? Did 'He' mess up?"

The leader of the group rose his hands effectively silencing the other four. " Now, Bearer of the Twilight Prophecy. I am sure you are confused by what has transpired here. But we mean you no harm, Yet, We only seek for answers and if we deem you a threat to the world as was foretold, we will effectively end you." The humans voice was calm yet dripped with malicious intent. Ragna bristled at the man's words. He quickly covered the ground between him and the cloaked figure only to be stopped with his fist a few inches away from the mans hooded face. " Now now, Even if the Twilight Prophet is an impure being, that doesn't mean other impurities won't be culled if they step out of line." Ragna spit at the man before growling. " I will not allow you to threaten the Prophet. If something is meant to happen then it shall happen. I know not what magic you have worked here, but return us to my manor at once."

The man dropped his hood to wipe away the spit. It revealed a face that was heavily scarred with a simple black leather eyepatch covering one eye. His long silver hair dropped down past his shoulders and was hidden away by the cloak. " We seek to stop what will happen for the sake of the future, and I don't think you understand the gravity of your situation. You are here until we deem you worthy to leave and if we don't see the worth in your living we will end your life. Plain and simple. Now shoo." He waved his hand which sent Ragna flying back to the center of the circle.

"Twilight Prophet. Sorry you had to see that. Perhaps we can move to a more comfortable setting if you promise to keep your...pet... in line?"

At once Lydia recognized the catacombs of Termina from its distinct architecture. She had come here on several occasions, but something was different. These catacombs were old, and yet... They did not appear as old as the ones she knew. Where they in a newer segment of the catacombs? One she had not visited previously? Focus. There are more pressing matters at hand. Lydia and Ragna were standing in a magic circle and they were surrounded by what could only be five magi. All of them wore flowing robes and had their hoods pulled up to cover their features, but Lydia's sharp eyes were able to penetrate the shadows that wrapped around them and thus she could see them each clearly. If she was right, one of each of the five races was present among the magi. To see all five races come together... It was honestly a bit unsettling.

She and Ragna had been summoned, but for what reason Lydia was not sure. These days there were few things the halfling knew of for certainty, she reflected unhappily. Hearing herself called the 'Bearer of the Twilight Prophecy' only brought up more questions. What Lydia did know was that she did not take kindly to being threatened. Before she could defend herself, however, Ragna quickly strode across the room to the main speaker to confront him, only to be held back by some invisible force. Once more Lydia was called a 'Prophet' but this time the words came from Ragna's mouth. He knew what these people were talking about, she realized. Then another thought struck her and she felt her blood turn cold.

He knew something and he hid it from me.

Lydia was not happy with that thought. Far from it. She had asked him days before they reached his mansion if he knew anything about why the demon king had summoned her. He told her he did not, but it was obvious now that it was a lie. Ragna had sworn an Oath to protect her. He had not sworn an Oath to always be truthful to her. The halfing almost began to bitterly think that maybe she should have had Ragna swear an Oath of truth to her, but then she stopped. Those kinds of thoughts were stupid. If Ragna had not told her about this 'Twilight Prophecy' then surely it was for a reason.

Trust him. He cares for you, Lydia, she reminded herself. Trust him.

She let go of any indignant feelings that had surfaced and resolved to trust him and believe in him. Ragna had sworn an Oath to protect her, and a demon's Oath was not to be taken lightly. Beyond that she knew he cared for her or he would not do everything he did for her--including swearing his Oath in the first place. Lydia's own feelings for Ragna were more than just simple affection. Seeing him being talked down to and being treated as if he were nothing... Something in Lydia appeared to snap.

The halfing stalked toward the leader of the group. Her eyes burned with fury even though her expression was calm. She could see the others watching her as she stopped a few feet from the leader. Lydia stood straight and proud as she said in a voice that was quiet and steady though her words were still edged with poison, "I do not know who you think you are, but you will not treat my companion that way and then turn to me and act as if it were nothing. He is not an impurity. He is not my pet. He is the man I love, and if you want anything from me you will treat him with respect."

Ragna knew instantly that as soon as he said something about the prophecy it was the wrong thing to say as Lydia was right their. 'She is gonna kill me later for this.' He contented himself, knowing that the lie was necessary. Well not necessary but needed as he can't bring himself to tell her exactly what it entails. With a sigh he slumped against the magic that held him in place. This human mage would probably tell her all about the prophecy and her potential role to play in it. Several dark thoughts plagued his mind as he suddenly realized what the Demon king wanted with her. When that time came he would be torn between two Oaths. A fate that could be deemed worse then death as the conflicting powers could quite possibly rend the flesh from his bones.

When Lydia began to stalk forward, like a predator chasing it's prey, Ragna cringed slightly and garbled out a few words under his breath. Hearing her defend him almost made him cry. Instead he sent a silent thanks to his mother for his human side and his ability to feel these emotions.

The leader magi seemed unimpressed as she Lydia tried to scare him. The other magi started to mumble to each other at the mention that Ragna was her lover. However the Leader once again silenced them with his hand. " Please, Prophet, If you seek to scare us you should stop now. All halflings are an impurity and must be culled if the balance of the world is to be maintained...But if we do that the future is destroyed." The man sighed. " It is not what we want from you, it is what the world wants from you. And if you give it to the world, then all is lost... Anyway I guess I shall treat him with the up most allowance of my patience as long as he doesn't try something like that again. Also..." He waved his hand and tendrils wrapped around the 7 of them, moving them to a more brightly lit estate on the outskirts of Termina. " Welcome to my home The estate of Lord Terminus himself and home of the proud city of Termina's greatest mages. I will apologize for my methods. It has been a long time since I've had to deal with such dangerous magics. May I get you anything, twilight prophet?"

The Termina they suddenly appeared in was vastly different from the Termina in which Lydia had grown up. It was newer, brighter, more full of life and no doubt more prominent in wealth and influence in whatever time period they were in. The hafling had heard of chronomancy--time magic--before but she had never believed it possible. It was a fairy tale, the dusty dream of mages who longed for adventure but were too scared to go out and find it. But despite her immense surprise, Lydia did not show it. Instead she continued to look the human mage straight in the face, her disdain for him obvious. He was rude, callous, and his ideas of purity seemed to rival that of the elves. Not to mention he had interrupted an intimate moment between her and Ragna. She wasn't sure which aspect fueled her hatred more.

"I was not trying to scare you," she informed Lord Terminus, her gaze steady. "I'm just letting you know that I will not stand for your snide remarks and better-than-thou attitude. That and I think your idea of purity is the biggest load of crock. No matter what you say about purity, when it comes to blood that was neither Ragna's fault nor mine that we are what we are. That lays in our parents and their parents before them. But if I could choose I would gladly be a full fledged human, rather than an elf." She said this last bit while still looking pointedly at the Lord, but her gaze slid ever-so-slightly to the elf. No matter what time period they were obsessed with beauty, and they were even more adamant about purity of blood than Lord Terminus. Elves hated to see their blood mixed with another race. If there was anyone among the group that would give Lydia the most grief about 'purity' even if it was not said aloud, it was the elf.

Returning to the subject at hand, Lydia thought of what she might like since the Lord had offered. Finally she said, "I want clothes. ...Please." She forced herself to be polite. She needed to at least try to be civil after all--even if the mages were already getting on her nerves. "For Ragna and myself both. Oh, and I will not wear a dress. Pants only."