Back in Aspheri - Open - (Gabriel)

Vrael didn't seem particularly convinced, but he nodded, accepting Be'lakor's reasons.
"We seek only to live without too much danger," He said simply.

Shadow opened her eyes, sensing her brother's presence. Vrael nodded once towards her, saying something in one of their dialects, to which Shadow replied in a half-awake manner.

Be'lakor smile did not faulter. "I no longer fear such dangers, i have lived for 50,000 years, fighting constant wars because of my heritage. I seem to have found a reason to be here. I have a duty to protect Shadow." Be'lakor spoke in a serious tone to Vrael. He meant everything he said.

Vrael raised an eyebrow at the Daemon Prince.
"You have a duty to protect the princess, yet you are not of this dimension, if I am not mistaken. It is not normal for her to allow someone she does not know or trust to stay at her side."

"It is unusual. She called me here, after meeting me only once." Be'lakor answered the unspoken question. "But i did indeed vow to protect her." Be'lakor no longer had the smile he had kept for so long. His face was now void of any emotion.

Vrael's frown deepened as he glanced at his once more sleeping sister.
"A lot has changed since we last spoke," He said softly, more to himself than to Be'lakor. He shook his head, throwing the thoughts from his mind. "However, to return to old conversations, I am sure that the Methrasan army will strike agan as soon as they have gathered their forces."

"We will have to be prepared, re-build any damages. They will take time to recover, but the prince will be seeking to take Shadow out with less honourable means. She will need constant protection." Be'lakor spoke fluently and without a pause.

Vrael nodded, starting to pace.
"My other siblings and I will have to return to our own dimension. We have left our own young with little protection. It may be possible, although unlikely, that the prince of merthras knows about them and use them against us." He said, "However, ùisfortune shall befall whoever approaches them without being properly prepared."

Be'lakor smiled to Vrael, nodding in understanding. "Return to your young. I will watch over Shadow." Be'lakor turned around, and sat on a chair in the corner of the room, looking at Shadow. His eye's flickered to true sight as he watched her. Nothing was getting past him.

Be'lakor's true sight would have detected an almost invisible mist forming around Shadow's head before the demoness yelled out. The prince of merthras was trying his first dishonourable attempt to end her life, by attacking her mind.

Be'lakor leapt up and out of the chair and darted across the room to Shadow. He pulled her out of the chair, and thus out of the mist. He chanted in a language unknown to any in Aspheri. "Mayja vuim sykel. Himm! Mayja vuim sykel. Himm!" Be'lakor spoke the words over and over again, each time the mist getting smaller and dissipating. He spoke it one last time, banishing the mist.

Shadow was breathing heavily, her eyes wide open in fear. The wound to her shoulder had started to bleed again, her black blood slowly seeping through the bandage. She trembled, trying to calm herself down again as she watched the mist slowly disappearing.

Be'lakor put her down back on the thown, as he started to rummage through the medical supplies once more. Using a sterile scalpel he cut the bandage, cleaning the wound again with alcohol wipes. He then bandaged it up again, without speaking.

Shadow closed her eyes, bringing herself back under control. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Be'lakor.
"We have to do something about the prince..."

"We do." Be'lakor stated, sitting back down, closer to Shadow this time. He had not taken off his true sight, so as to fight off any attacks whilst healing her. He was watching her again now, paying special attention. Nothing was getting past him. (repetition is amazing.)

Shadow looked at Wraith, who woofed quietly. Shadow interpreted this and put her mask on quickly, using magic to tie the knot. A guard stepped into the room, bowing formally to the princess.
"A messenger from Merthras has arrived. He claims to come in peace, and we have confiscated all weapons. Will you see him?"
Shadow nodded once, wondering what the the messenger was to tell her.

Be'lakor stood up, moving out of sight quickly. The messanger walked into the room, and Be'lakor shifted silently behind him. He had no escape route if he tried anything. Be'lakor smiled to Shadow, a glint of light shining from his hand. Be'lakor was holding a long, curved knife in his hand. He was close enough to the messanger to be able to silently and quickly kill him if it came to it.

Shadow watched as the messenger, a wingless Merthrasan she remarked, hesitantly fisted one hand over his heart as he bowed. It was the Aspherin sign of respect.
"Messenger, you have arrived here for an audience. I listen, tell us your message."
"Princess Shadow, my lord Prince Arcen of Merthras extends the offer of marriage once more and begs you to consider it."
Behind her mask, Shadow raised one eyebrow. A delaying tactic? She ddn't know if she could trust him.
"Thank you, messenger, you may return to your dimension. Tell your lord that I shall consider it."

Be'lakor still kept his smile as the Messenger left the room. After he was gone, Be'lakor walked back over to Shadow. His smile wiped from his face. "I gather you shall not consider it?" Be'lakor asked Shadow, hiding the knife in his boot, where he had grabbed it originally.

Shadow had leant her head back against the back of the throne.
"I have to consider every possible option," The demoness said. "Although that one is quickly considered. Not unless I have another option." She looked at Be'lakor with a slight smile. "I think he's more afraid of getting on your bad side."

Be'lakors face lit up at those words. "He has already accomplished that." Be'lakor chuckled slightly to himself, sitting back down on the chair he had. He had moved it again, he was now next to the Throne. "I don't trust him. I believe he is desperate, running out of options, trying to make peace, rather then risk another attack on Aspheri." Be'lakor thought out loud, pondering.

Shadow nodded in agreement.
"Personally, I'd rather not go back to war, not for a while anyway." She said. "We are seemingly back where we started. If we think or know that he's afraid of you, then that's already a point for us..."

Be'lakor smile didn't falter. "It is indeed. It means he will not attack us so readily. His soldiers escaped, they know what I can do, or some of what i can do. They will be less prepared, they will be scared. His morale has already dropped." Be'lakor chuckled again, "We know his name."

"We know his name and he knows mine, as well as yours. However, as far as I know he doesn't know my true name." Shadow pointed out. She rubbed her temples again with one hand. It was all starting to get complicated in her head.

Be'lakor laughed. "He does not know my name. He knows Be'lakor. My name is not that simple." Be'lakor laughed again. Even though he was now more relaxed, he had not deactivated his true sight. He didn't trust the prince. This whole messenger may have been to distract him.

Shadow shrugged.
"It's not always obvious to know the full name or the true names of any given being. For example, my family do not use their true names." She said.