The Demon's Curse

Terra picked up some tree limbs that lay in the road and sighed. He had no idea where to begin. It was true that Asynia had been badly damaged because of the demons, but Lord Valerin's land consisted mainly of buildings, ships and sea. The forest. however, was a different story. It would take years and most of his people's regenerative powers to turn the forest into a thing of beauty again. Chelet ran through the grass and Terra watched new blades of grass and small flowers spring up underneath her feet. She was still carefree despite the state her home was in. He admired that.

"Look at how strong he is, Daddy," Rem said as Baret watched Seiya cut down a damaged tree. The muscular wood elf watched Seiya suspiciously. Was his strength true or was he merely showing off just to get Baret's blessings along with his only child? He ran a hand through his spiked pumpkin colored hair them placed a hand over a pendant of a fairy carved out of a beautiful green stone. It was one of the few things he had left to remember his wife by. He felt Rem's hand over his own and he glanced at her.

"You don't like him, do you?" she asked.

"I want to be sure of him before I allow him to take you," Baret replied as he ran his free hand through Rem's hair. "You are my only child after all."

"Senra hired him."

"Senra hired him for Lord Valerin's sake. He always does things that benefit Lord Valerin. I don't think my brother will ever find him a mate."

"But he's very brave, Daddy. He's fought dark elves."

"Dark elves? Why?"

"He helped save Wake's ship from dark elves. Ask Senra. He was there."

"Senra was in a fight? Perhaps he is not a lost cause."

"Who are you speaking of, brother?" Terra asked and Baret looked at him.

"I'm talking about your son. Rem said Senra was in a fight with dark elves," Baret replied and Rem shook her head.

"Uncle, I never said that," she said and Baret folded his arms.

"He's probably a much better warrior than that mountain elf. Also, I'm fully acquainted with his family. If only, he wasn't related to you, then you could find happiness with a fine warrior."

"Father what are you going on about? You know Senra can't fight. I thought you would be happy that someone is actually taking an interest in me but I guess I'm still just a failure!" Rem cried and ran away from her father. Seiya wedged his axe into a tree stump and ran after Rem.

"You cannot deny the fact that he is quite muscular," Terra said then glanced at his brother. "Are you worried that you may never see her again?"

"We have seen so much together. I've watched her change from an inquisitive little girl into a desirable young woman. If she leaves for the mountains in the south, I will no longer be a part of her life. Ah, if only I were not her father then I could willingly take advantage of her assets and keep her here," Baret said and Terra smiled.

"At least I don't have to worry about such desires with my little Chelet. Even if she grows a bit more, she'll never be like Rem. Now back to the earth elf, do you really dislike him that much?"

"Is something wrong, Father?" Senra inquired as he walked up to the two older elves.

"You fought dark elves, right?" Baret asked and Senra looked confused.

"I do not fight, Uncle. Seiya fought dark elves. Where is Seiya, by the way?"

"That earth elf went after my Rem."

"What's wrong with Rem?"

"Daddy, Valerin and Dante are coming this way," Chelet said as she ran up to her father. Senra's eyes grew wide as he hastily ran off to greet his master.

"That boy of yours is hopeless," Baret said and Terra smiled slightly.

"He is merely loyal, that's all," Terra said and began walking. "I believe we should see what our lord wants."

"I hope Rem is all right. I didn't mean to upset her. I guess the hardest part about having a daughter is letting her go."

"Do you need anything, my lord?" Senra asked as he followed Valerin.

"I'm fine, Senra. Terra, do you know of a trail that leads to Seosur?" Valerin inquired and Terra stared at him.

"Are you serious, my lord? Seosur is where the fire elves live. You couldn't survive up there. There's a reason why no water elves live in that region," Terra said and Valerin looked serious.

"I'm fully aware of that but Seosur is where Iloria is. I'm not going to let Dante make the journey alone."

"My lord, I am willing to go in your place," Senra said and Valerin laid a hand on Senra's shoulder.

"You have a duty here, Senra. You're a wood elf. The well-being of your home comes first," Valerin said.

"But do not the same rules apply to you, my lord?"

"I have to protect my people and I am willing to take whatever risk to keep them safe. I didn't see Rem when we rode into the forest. Is she all right?"

"She will be. I'm afraid I said some things that she took the wrong way," Baret replied.

"I thought Seiya might have left already which I found odd, considering the fact that he hasn't been paid yet. Senra, will you give this to Seiya when he returns?" Valerin inquired as he handed a money bag to Senra.

"Of course, my lord. Will you be visiting for very long? I can ask my mother to make some tea if you wish," Senra said as he placed the money bag in his pocket.

"Are you thirsty, Dante?" Valerin inquired and Dante looked at him.

"I feel responsible for this destruction," he replied and glanced away. "If the demon wasn't searching for me, none of this would have happened."

"Dante, we don't know that for certain. Besides, no one blames you for the state of the forest."

"No one in the immediate area you mean," Terra said and sighed. "Unfortunately, not everyone in the forest accepted your relationship with Dante from the start and the destruction of their home has merely added fuel to their hate. I would advise you to be careful on your journey through our forest."

"Daddy, you're the head of the forest. You can just tell them not to hurt Dante," Chelet said and Terra grimly smiled.

"That is true, Chelet, but I have a lot of duties. With the forest the way it is, I cannot easily keep track of everyone," Terra said and Valerin raised a hand.

"If I am approached by any elf that is against my relationship, I will deal with the problem myself. I chose to take him in and make my companion. No one else did," Valerin said and Dante folded his arms.

"You make it sound like I was some kind of abandoned pet," he said and Valerin glance at him.

"I did not mean for it to sound like that. I certainly don't see you as a pet."

"So you've shown your cowardly face here, have you?" a woman's voice asked and Valerin looked up. An older elven woman with a stern face stood in Valerin's path with her arms folded. She held a walking stick in one hand as she impatiently awaited Valerin's response. Valerin looked slightly confused for a moment then politely extended a hand.

"You seem to be slightly upset about something. Would you be so kind as to inform me of what troubles you?" Valerin inquired and the woman angrily took a step forward and pointed her walking stick accusingly at Valerin.

"Because of your feelings for this...this reject of nature, our beautiful homes were ravaged and my son was killed trying to protect the land in your name. Your name! And where were you during all of this carnage? You were nowhere! A fine lord you turned out to be. First you take in a demon and then you don't even have the nerve to protect your land!"

"Moss, you forget that our lord has been ill for quite a few months," Terra said gently and the woman angrily waved her walking stick again.

"If he hadn't taken that freak of nature in, none of this would have happened!"

"Now hold on, woman," Valerin said sharply and the wood elf took a shocked step backwards. "You are out of line. You have no right to speak to me in such a manner. Terra has a point. I have been ill for quite awhile but I have been growing stronger. Now screaming at me will not bring your child back to life. I do not have the power to raise the dead. Many lives have been lost and all I can do is stop the one responsible for those deaths."

"I'm tired of your flowering speeches! I want to hear the actual truth! I want action!" the elf screamed and Senra took a defensive step forward.

"Hold on, Senra," Valerin said then glanced at the woman. "I believe you've heard of Seosur?"

"Of course I have. What of it?"

"I plan on taking a trip up there."

She stared at him with her mouth agape and Valerin nodded his head. For a pure water elf to travel willingly to the land of fire elves...That was insane. Water elves could not handle high heat and fire elves could not survive for very long in water. There was a reason why the two factions of the elven race would never be close to one another. But Valerin, her lord, was willingly placing his life on the line in order to save his people.

"Now do you understand, Moss?" Terra inquired and the older wood elf nodded her head.

"Forgive me, my lord," she said and Valerin nodded his head.

"You are forgiven. Come on, Dante. Let's get going," Valerin said as he reached for Dante's hand. His hand grasped air and he glanced behind him. Where had he gone? He sighed when he realized that Dante must have been offended by what the older wood elf had said.

"I believe that Dante is upset about what was said. He is not proud of his heritage," Senra said as Valerin ran a hand over the numerous earrings in his ears.

"I'm fully aware of that. Well I'd better find him. I hope he hasn't gone too far," Valerin said and Senra bowed low.

"I am willing to help you if you require it, my lord."

"I'll do it myself. I just hope he hasn't taken an idea to do anything rash. He gets so sensitive over his demon blood."

Valerin turned and walked off Senra watched the sun glisten off his braided hair and sighed. His lord was so beautiful...

"Looks like your boy has a slight crush on his master," Baret commented and Terra smiled.

"That's not so odd. Lord Valerin was certainly blessed with beauty. When the light shines on him just right, he looks like a god," Terra said.

"A lot of elves are jealous of Dante's relationship with my master," Senra commented as he turned around. "Quite a few would like to see Dante meet an untimely end."

"Well I hope he's all right," Baret said and Terra looked at him.

"I'm sure he will be," Terra replied.

Meanwhile, in a clearing surrounded by burnt wood and blackened grass, Dante withdrew his sword and fell to his knees. He gazed up into the sky. the sunlight refracting off of the tears that streamed down his face. There was only one way to atone for the deaths his existence caused. He raised the sword to the sky then inverted it so that the tip pointed towards his chest. He would have to do it in one quick thrust otherwise he would think too much about what he was doing. He closed his eyes and prepared himself to take his final breath. A sudden burst of water hit Dante in the middle of his back and he fell forward. The sword spun away from him and Dante grunted in pain. What had just happened?

"What in the name of the heavens were you thinking?!" Valerin demanded and Dante glanced up.

"I should have realized it was you," Dante replied as he placed a hand on his back. "I thought you were too weak to do any major kind of attack."

"Shut up. What were you trying to accomplish? Do you really want to leave me in such a manner?"

"I thought that it was only fair."

"What do you mean fair?! I struggled to keep myself alive when you were gone. How does killing yourself make it fair?!"

"I was referring to the lives that have been lost because of me."

"Dante, your death will not bring those people back to life. All that will bring is more death. You are not the cause of all this trouble. The people that blame you for the crisis are only doing it because they cannot understand. You have a task to complete and you will not feel rested until it is done. Please realize that taking your own life will not solve anything. I also would be extremely devastated if I lost you. Now would you like some help up?"

Dante gladly took the hand Valerin offered him and got to his feet. He tightly embraced Valerin and Valerin comfortingly stroked his hair. Valerin closed his eyes slightly as he felt Dante's tears seep through his robe.

"I'm such trouble for you, aren't I?" Dante sobbed and Valerin smiled.

"I must admit that I'm quite fond of your trouble," Valerin replied. "Now pull yourself together. We have a long journey to start on. If necessary, we can stay the night with Terra but that would be most likely the last restful sleep we will have in awhile."

"Will we be able to excite each other?"

"As long as we do not endanger ourselves. Now Dante I know this will be hard for you, but try not to be so sensitive about your demon heritage. Things will grow even more dangerous when we get further away from home. You will need to exhibit your strengths, not your weaknesses."

He kissed Dante's tear-stained cheek and tightly clasped his hand. Dante sighed as he walked away from Valerin and over to where his sword lay. He picked it up and placed it in his sheath then turned to face Valerin.

"Don't you ever get tired of your elven logic?" he asked and Valerin grinned as he took Dante's hand.

"You're just jealous because you can't think that way," he replied as they began walking. "Do you feel like drinking anything? Senra did invite us to tea, you know."

"I'd like something to drink. I'm sorry for worrying you like that."

"Don't apologize. I'm just glad that I was able to get to you in time. Let's go have that tea and calm Senra down. I don't know how Terra can put up with him."

"I don't know how you can put up with him."

"Sometimes it's extremely hard but he means well. Come on."

***************************************************

"Now please be extremely careful, my lord," Senra said as Valerin mounted his horse. Valerin glanced down at him and smiled.

"You remind me of my mother, Senra," he said and Senra's face grew red.

"I did not mean to give you that impression."

"It's all right, Senra. You don't need to get so sensitive. Once you get done restoring your home, do you think it would be possible for you to start replenishing my landscape? I feel so bad about the loss of Rhys, though. That tree has been in my family for many years," he said.

"We'll see what we can do about it," Terra said and Valerin glanced at Dante.

"Are you ready to leave, Dante?"

"I'm ready," Dante replied and Senra took a step back.

"Please keep Lord Valerin safe, Dante," Senra said and Dante gazed at Senra seriously.

"I'm not ready to lose him either."

He tapped his horse slightly with his boots and the horse moved forward. He lowered his head to avoid a low hanging branch then prodded his horse to move faster.

"It's been awhile since we've ridden alone together," Valerin commented as he rode up alongside Dante. "Do you remember the last time we went on a ride alone?"

"We only had one horse then," Dante replied and Valerin smiled.

"That was fun. I got to place my arms around you and feel your soft hair on my face. You are very desirable, do you know that?"

"I'm not as desirable as you. Once you get that look on your face, there's no helping any female you come in contact with."

"You don't have to worry about that. Women don't mean anything to me."

"I never said that I was worried. I know where your true feelings lie. I get to see sides of you that no one else gets to see."

"I know you mean that in more than one way."

"I do. Do you want to be in front? You know that path we have to take."

"That is true but I am not as heavily armed as you."

"Well what do you think we'll find on the way up there?"

"I don't know. You forget that I haven't been in this area for awhile. We'll just have to take each incident as it comes." 

Dante said nothing as he watched Valerin pull out in front of him. He looked around at the trees that stood damaged on either side of the road and clenched his fists in anger. There was absolutely no reason to torture the plants in such a way. The plants had not done any harm to the demons or dark elves that had passed through the stretch of forest. A wild animal howled off in the distance and Dante glanced at Valerin. Valerin rode on ahead and breathed the air in deeply. He felt so invigorated riding along the trail that led up to the mountains. A flock of birds flew overhead screeching wildly and Valerin pulled back on the reigns.

"I'm sure you heard that," Valerin commented as he glanced back at Dante.

"It was kind of hard not to," Dante replied as he scanned the surrounding area. "What do you think is out there?"

"I don't know, but I believe we should be prepared for anything. It's too bad we don't have an archer with us. That would greatly increase our strength. Perhaps I should inquire about one when we reach Tuvtai."

"Well that's not going to help us right now," Dante said then ducked when an unknown object came flying out of nowhere. When he looked up, Valerin was already engaged in a fight with what appeared to be a small demon.

"There's no escaping the mighty Bromph!" the small demon cried as it jabbed at Valerin with a small pointed stick. Dante watched the fight in amusement. Valerin grabbed the stick and jerked it out of the demon's hand. He snapped the stick in half and folded his arms.

"Don't go around pointing sticks at people in such a manner!" Valerin snapped and the demon's eyes grew wide. Tears formed in his eyes and he opened his mouth to let out a loud scream. Valerin winced as he covered his ears. The demon folded his arms in satisfaction and Dante watched with interest as the demon stepped forward.

"Now watch, you pathetic human because you are Bromph's next victim. Watch and cringe in fear to Bromph's Mighty Attack!" the demon cried and Valerin angrily raised one of his long slender hands.

"If you want to fight, I'll gladly give you a fight. I'm not an elf to be toyed with, little demon," Valerin hissed.

"Oooh, do not make Bromph mad. There's no telling what Bromph may do to you."

"You'd better not take him lightly, demon. He's not a pushover either," Dante said and the demon bared his small fangs.

"Shut up human. Why are you traveling with an elf anyway?"

"What makes you think he's human?" Valerin inquired and Bromph looked at him.

"Are you trying to tell Bromph that he is an elf?" he inquired.

"I'm not trying to tell you anything but he is an elf."

"You're trying to fool Bromph. His ears are not as big as yours. He cannot be an elf."

"Does he have the ears of a human?"

The demon studied Dante's ears for a moment then looked up into Dante's eyes. Dante gazed coldly down at the demon and the demon's face grew pale. He took a nervous step away from Dante and Valerin watched the demon with interest.

"What do you see?" he inquired and Bromph shook his head.

"Do not let him touch Bromph! Bromph is sorry for getting in your way!" Bromph cried and ran back into the forest.

"There was a dark elf that looked at me in the same way," Dante commented. "And then he killed himself. Perhaps they can see whatever power that lies deep inside me. They must be able to sense what I'm capable of."

"Don't go getting upset, Dante. We don't know what any of this means. Let's just ride up to Tuvtai. We're sure to get some answers there."