Zaad was in a foul mood since the feast. His four red eyes were fiery red, bright with anger and resentment, while they panned the hallways he now roamed. The demon’s body shifted from a wall shadow and easily crept to the hall’s center before he started to make his way towards the courtyard. He had made sure to avoid Khan since his nasty reaction towards that arrogant Wood Elf, mainly to keep his Demonomancer’s wrath at a minimal after their little chat. It ended up being Zaad having his ass chewed out and followed by Khan’s threats to have his privileges revoked if he ever raised a hand towards another under the College’s protection. Currently most the students were now either at lunch or in their classrooms, the faint sounds of the teacher’s voices and lessons thrummed throughout the hallowed walls like a soft melody common within the College. His body relaxed a little when he felt the risk of running into Khan was less than before as he did his patrol duty. 

Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a steel Golem hauling a large, strange wolf like animal towards the kitchens. The corpse’s fate was likely to be burnt to ashes, may be prepared for the evening meal if there wasn’t anything wrong with the meat yet Zaad seriously doubted the later. He paused long enough to see the Golem’s form disappear towards the kitchen, and then continue along. 

Auriel was wandering the halls almost at random, wondering what to do until the class started. She only knew a very small number of people, and while it wasn’t too hard to find more, she thought it might be more fun for the moment to check up on one of those she did know. Trying to hunt down Althalus would be difficult, the golems probably didn’t keep tabs on where students were, but Zaad was one of Khans demons. That would make it easier to find him, at least she hoped that was the case.

She walked up to the nearest Gargoyle and spoke to the statue, hoping it was one of the guides and not just a statue. “Take me to Zaad.” Was all she said, expecting some rude response back from the rock. Instead, it raised its eyebrows and looked at her like she had just started talking to an inanimate object. “Seriously?” It said in its rough grumbling voice. She put on a scathing look and replied to it. “Yes seriously you useless chunk of rock. And hurry up about it.” It wordlessly stood from its alcove and started walking slowly down the corridor. Auriel had an urge to kick the useless lazy rock to speed it up, but thought better of it at the last minute.

Zaad hadn’t made it very far when he heard something. It was the familiar grumbling, whining and over all heavy stepping of a stone gargoyle, namely a older one by the sounds of it because it seemed rather bitter about something. Naturally the demon’s curiosity got the better of him as he leaned towards its origins, listening carefully. It was slightly amusing to hear the low rumbling insults followed by the much lighter steps that trailed behind. He had almost missed the second set if he was completely silent, breath and all. 

Slowly the demon pressed himself against the nearest shadow. His form hissed and shifted, vanishing into the black spot until he was completely invisible to the naked eye. His sight watched as the stone creature came into sit. It’s low slung body wobbled towards the area where Zaad was and then point a thin arm at the wall, his gravelly voice thick with annoyance. 

“There… that’s your target. Enjoy…” Without another word, the statue turned on heel back to its stand. He gave a loud grunt, a softer comment under his breath which Auriel would’ve only been able to make out two clear words: stupid and wood elf. 

Auriel had followed the thing for several minutes when it finally arrived. Or at least it said they’d arrived. She stood looking at the wall for a second, then turned when she heard the Golem start to leave. “Where the hell do you think you’re going you idiot? This is an empty wall!” It ignored her and kept walking. She ran after it and got in front of it, though it only slowed. “Hey, you aren’t getting off that easy.” It looked at her with a pitying expression. “There really isn’t anything you can do Elf. Go back to your demon friend before you hurt yourself or something.” It kept walking, leaving a very frustrated Auriel stuck in the middle of the corridor. She hated to admit it, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t very well restrain or hurt a walking statue. “Great.” She said to herself sarcastically. “This day just gets weirder and weirder.”

Zaad inwardly smirked at the scene presented to him. It was an all too perfect situation to get even with that bitch, this chance was likely the only one he would get and he fully intended to take it. His eyes shifted to her shadow, the one by her feet, then to the darkest part of the hallway where the large trees blocked much of the reddish light from the twilight scenery. Immediately he threw his voice first. To Auriel, it would sound like it came from the other end of the hallway as he made sure to use her favorite nickname. 

“You’ll never get very far with those things, Dollface.” 

Auriel turned at the sudden noise of Zaads voice. It seemed like the Gargoyle wasn’t quite as wrong as she’d thought after all. “Come out you coward! Scared i’ve got another candle with me?” she yelled down the hall at the demon.

Zaad’s anger towards her comments were restrain at the sight of her. She didn’t realize how much of a fool she looked like after all, not like him who had a front row seat. He had to stop himself from snickering while he pushed his hands through the shadow, the solid form became vaporous before they popped up at the Wood Elf’s feet. Again, he spoke from across the hall. “Tsk, tsk, Dollie, you were the one looking for moi. Which as far as I’m concerned means you want something and after that little stunt you pulled, why the hell should I care? Besides… I’m surprised you’re still in the College after your attempt on the Psychomancer teacher and it’s a pity you couldn’t finish the job. Then again, maybe you can’t?” 

“I don’t know Zaad? Maybe you’ve decided to have a complete change of heart and become a [i]nice person[i/]. Then again, as far as I know, the inferno hasn’t frozen over yet.” The reminder of the Psychomancers little trick and Auriels failed attempt to kill the stupid woman over it did manage to rile her up. “I can, sandy, and I will kill her. Just not now. It’d be a lot faster if you would help. Then again, you’re too much of a coward for anything like that.”

Zaad chuckled at the suggestion having now found a key point to attack. His voice became a little more acidic, resentment at her last poured thickly on in his answer. “And why would I want to do that? After all, I’m a dog on a leash, aren’t I? To be honest… I don’t think you [i]will[/i] ever be able to kill her. Not if that little candle ploy is the best of your ability and I’ve yet to see anything better from you.” 

The demon then pushed his head through the shadow where it appeared to emerge from the hallway across her. His red eyes betrayed his location while he smirked at her shortcomings and continued to bait her. “You can’t even do much to me so why should I believe you can be anything more than a pitiful weakling?” 

Auriel jumped as she saw the demons face emerge from the wall, stifling a scream that would have been decidedly more girly than she liked. “Just you wait demon. I plan on turning you into a nice decoration for my room. Maybe I’ll even hang things on you. That way you’ll be useful, and the fact that you’re a coward won't stop it.” She feigned mocking surprise then and kept talking “Oh but I forgot about your little leash. Maybe your boss won’t let me use you as a statue. Or maybe we’ll just trade you between rooms. And there isn’t a thing you could do about except whine, like the whiny coward you are.”

Zaad just rolled his eyes at her, inwardly pleased when he spotted the Wood Elf flinch at his head’s appearance and liked the fact it didn’t take much to make her jump. His face however turned into a frown when the woman mentioned Khan’s leash and his cowardice again. [i]That’s it…[/i] he thought bitterly then pulled back into the shadows. “Seems like all you can do is repeat yourself, Dollface. Not very creative are you?” 

Before she could move, he reacted, completely impatient with the wait. His hands gripped her ankles suddenly while all parts of him then gathered to the shadow underneath her and emerged from it. Zaad rose higher while his hands still fastened to where they took hold and hover there, dangling Auriel there. She was just high enough that if he let go it would cause at least a sizable goose egg upon her head.

“Now...what were you saying? Dollface?” 

Auriel shrieked as she suddenly found herself being swept up into the air. It had been his plan to do something like this all along it seemed. She could feel that her long hair was just barely touching the ground - that meant she was high enough that it would be unpleasant to fall. She glanced around for a way out, but was only met with Zaads snarling face. “Fine. Fine. You beat me. You win. This time. Now put me down?”

Auriel hated getting beaten. She’d have to come up with a plan to get back at Zaad, though unfortunately that wasn’t as easy as she’d’ve liked. In the mean time, not getting injured was priority enough for her.

“That was for tossing a damn candle into my face and the trouble you, you little whore, caused me.” Zaad growled, his hands still held her upright. “Now, we’re fucking even.” 

With that, he lowered her down but when he hit the height where she wouldn’t be injured, he promptly let her drop. He figured she would end up landing on her ass as he started to move away from the downed female and finish out his duty. His sand shifted along the height he had lowered down, where he could easily be face to face with Auriel, with his word behind him. “Keep in mind, that’s not the worse I could do…” 

Auriel tumbled to the ground in an awkward heap before she could do anything to stop it. She quickly leapt back to her feet, in a very ungraceful manner, and turned to Zaad again. “We’re just getting started you bastard!” She wasn’t entirely angry, more surprised that she’d met her match. Unfortunately she’d have to wait to get back at him though. “Go on! Run!” She stuck her tongue at at his retreating form and made a face, doing her utmost to mock him.

“If that’s the best you can do, I’m really, [i]really[/i] scared.” He said in his sandy voice, clearly the very opposite. Zaad started to round the corner but instead of just moving on, he stopped as he was pissed at her comment. Without warn and rather fast, his hand shot out into another shadow. Again it appeared under Auriel and attempt to grip the foot and if gripped, he intended to jerk it forwards where she would end up on her ass end. 

Auriel felt another hand on her foot. She was mid-curse when her leg was yanked right out from under her and she fell straight down, her curse turning into another shriek as she landed on her ass. “Damn you Zaad!” She shouted after him. It’d be uncomfortable sitting for the rest of the day now.