She felt a bit awkward being in the arms of a man she hardly knew. Her eyes looked up at him with tiredness about. Her cheeks were flush from how close they were. She could smell him from this distance. "Hop to go through the portal." She had him strap Yaeger to his belt. She felt like a princess being carried by him through the thick bushes of Sularia's forest.

"Just up through here are the gates." Even in the humidity it was beautiful. "Oh god fucking kill me already." She leaned her head back as the heat and the pain got to her. "If I die someone make sure that Yaeger gets a bitch slap." She chuckled and closed her eyes. 

The guards at the gate waved him through when they seen him. "Take care of the princess would you?" One remarked to Cole as he passed through. The streets were crowded with gorgeous woman of all types. They split though as they saw him carry her. "Don't mind them." She peeked out at everyone and blushed a bit  more.

After following the road for a bit more she directed him up a side route going towards a large manor. "We're headed to the big manor over there with the yellow stone." She felt tired and she felt like everything just did not go the way she thought it would. The house was beautiful all the way around. There were large flower beds and even a carriage out front ready to go at a moments notice. 

The door opened as if someone knew they were arriving. Nymphaea said nothing as the woman stepped out. Her  presence was very 'holy' more so for the feel of her magic. She had Nymph's skin tone but everything else was gorgeous compared to the dark hard woman. Long golden curls and green eyes stared out at them both. She was not as tall as the half demon either. "Nymphaea, what the hell were you thinking? You could have killed yourself! How do you think that makes me feel?"

"Good to see you too mom." She sighed a bit. "Honestly I thought I could handle it. I've been doing those exercises and I thought I could." Lily looked at them both and shook her head. Leading them into the foyer she looked down at Yaeger and did a quick motion. The sword was taken and placed on a rack.

"You weren't ready for that. You know our blood runs with strong light magic. You can't do that! I love you too much to lose you. You are way to young to die." Lily's words hurt just a bit but Nymphaea understood. "Bring her this way. I cannot touch her right now and it's not because I don't want to. If I do it will only hurt her more. Which means you'll have to bathe her as well." Lily chuckled as if it was a punishment.

"I would rather rot in hell!" Nymphaea groaned as she tried to stretch out in Cole's arms.
Lily looked pleased as she lead them through a hallway. "Good. Maybe next time you will think  on your feet better. I did not raise a stupid daughter but you have a hard head like Yaeger." Nymph looked annoyed at the remark but she said nothing.

Finally they reached a small room with what looked like a hot spring almost morphed into the stone. "It's a special pool made for Nymphaea. You see we didn't expect to get pregnant but know that I know the consequences of what strong light magic and demon blood do I would have never put Nymphaea through this. You can put her in the pool or help her undress. Either way. Though it would be more humiliating if you undressed her." Nymph looked mortified.

"You undress me and I swear to god you will never know a woman's touch." There was venom in her voice as she was beet red. Lily laughed a bit and left the room closing the door behind. "Damn woman and her punishments. I hate it when she does this." She struggled a bit in his arms once more. "Can you just put me in the water since you are her lapdog now." She made an annoyed sound. "I knew she would be upset but the least she could do was show more concern."

Nymph was light within his grasp as he waited for her response.  He was not one for many words, but he felt just as odd holding a woman as she did being held by one.  A straight face was kept on his visage in order for her not to see his anxiety.  Cole had little experience with the opposite sex, save for his clan.  War was the state that they were constantly at when it came to the demons.  It was unrelenting, so romance or anything of the sort was uncommon for his people.  A high-pitched whistle came from Cole’s lips to call his steed from the stables.  With great loyalty, the beast trotted towards him with all of his gear strapped to the saddle.  He glanced over to see the village leader poking his head out from one of the stable doors.  ‘Though he wants nothing to do with us, he still will be a semblance of a nobleman.  All my stuff better be there,’ he thought to himself.
 
Readjusting Nymph in his arms, the demon hunter stepped through the portal with his horse in close proximity.  No words were exchanged, save her instructions, as he carried her through the forest and up to the mansion.  White brows lifted as she complained about the heat.  It took a bit of self-control not to laugh as she whined.  A creature such as she was looked at as a blight upon the world, and here he was carrying her to her home for healing.  The irony of it all was quite amusing.  “I do not think you will die,” he commented back.  If she only knew how out of character for him it was to respond at all.
 
‘Princess?’  Eyes glanced about at the population: they were mostly women.  Where were they?  He couldn’t help but admire the culture since the town was well organized.  In some ways, it resembled his clan and how they lived.  “Who are these people?” he asked aloud, but he did not truly expect an answer.  Cole was sure that his elders knew, but he was not privy to all information yet. 
 
It did not take long for them to reach the large manor or to be greeted by, who Cole could only assume form their resemblance, her mother.  A light laugh came from the hunter as he held Nymph at Lily’s words.  She said almost verbatim what he had prior.  “Looks like a lecture is in your near future,” he whispered into her ear.  Another laugh, though louder this time came from Cole as he lifted his sliver white head. 
 
Blue eyes widened as he heard the woman’s instructions.  It was even more concerning that the full history was being given from someone he did not know, about someone he barely knew.  Did these people think he was more social than what he was?  True, people hardly spoke to him unless there was a job involved.  He was either to swipe a blade or gather coin.  There was little else that had gone on in his life.  There was actual interaction between this mother and daughter that he had not truly seen or experienced.  It made him feel rather uncomfortable; admittedly slightly jealous. 
 
Cole watched the elder woman leave with her daughter still in his grasp.  He looked down at the blushing girl and lifted a brow.  “So do I undress you as your mother instructed?  And I do not see how I am a lapdog.  I may get some coin out of bringing her daughter back alive  along with helping her heal.”  Now he Cole smiled at her with a smirk.  Still holding her with one of his strong arms, Cole reached down and unclipped his belt and let it fall to the floor.  Next he unclasped his boots, and removed the from his feet. 
 

Grabbing hold of her firmly once more, Cole walked bare footed into the bath until Nymph was completely covered in the healing water save for her shoulders and higher.  Gingerly, he began to rub in the special waters to her wounds.  Helping the injured was something common for him back in the clan.  “Why would you take an assignment you were not properly prepared for?  You could have done much worse damage to yourself,”  he said while washing her body.  He glared at her when she tried to struggle away from him.  “And I think the concern is there, but when a child does against the wishes of her elder…consequences must be learned.”  That was a direct lesson from his teacher.

Nymph looked up at him for a moment and laughed. "These people are Rosenites. We live past the Harena Desert. It's an oasis city called Sularia. We're also mostly women and warriors. Though Sularia is also known for its healing academy. My aunt Angela went there as a girl." She had no problem teaching him about this place. It made her happy.

Shooting Cole a dirty look before her mother started her lecture she didn't dare speak to him while they went on. Finally they were rather alone and she felt uncomfortable. "I don't care." She huffed as she finally gave him a smile. "She got a demon once to behave. She can make anyone do whatever she wants and she knows it. A DEMON IN LOVE WITH THAT. I didn't think demons could love.."

She mused on the thought for a while before he took her into the bath. She winced a bit as the water sizzled on her wounds. "I don't have much of a choice. See I'm the only one who knows how to deal with demons on their level. I got stupid is all. I saw you do what Mom does and I wanted to. I've always been jealous about my siblings and their auras.. While mine is sort of dark." That glare made her stop struggling as she sighed.

"When I turned twelve I was taken into a storage room. Mother took Yaeger off a shelf and presented him to me. She told me a story. It was sad but eventually it would be my origin. How a demon loved her but a demon is still a demon. To him it was better to kill his unborn child then to let her get killed later on in life. He argued with the mother who was swollen about eight months pregnant or so.  Their baby was strong and it scared him not only that she would be strong but that she would be a half demon who had no human blood in her. Two dominate bloodlines fighting at all times."

She relaxed in his arms and closed her eyes. "He got angry and lashed out. He lost all of the patience he had learned through his years. So when the demon transformed fully out of a human form and attacked the mother took her holy magic and ripped out his fang. She fatally wounded him but demons don't die just because you stab them. So she bound his soul to the fang. She figured it was best that their child be able to get answers from her father but not before she could handle it. The fang was made into a blade and placed into a storage room away from her. Meanwhile the child grew and sometimes was shunned by demons and other people who visited Sularia. Her aura stunk and it hurt to hear it. So she locked herself away and just trained. She became a spiteful brat." Nymph laughed a bit.

"So when I finally got to meet Yaeger I got angry thinking it was his fault. His fault for me being so isolated all my life. So I threw him in holy water. It took us a long time to finally work together. He's not truly bad.. but he isn't good either. Though he doesn't want me to die. Those flames I used were not holy." She looked up. "I hit him with hellfire. My blood boils and burns me from the inside out if I use holy magic. So for right now all I'm stuck with are the born traits of the Rosenites and the magic I inherited from the shadow demon Yaeger."

Nymph moved finally in his arms enough to wiggle out of her clothes. The wounds under her clothes were much worse. She blushed but she couldn't help it at the moment. "There are others like me and sometimes we  use to play but they died. I think you can imagine how they did." Demons could be a nasty bunch no matter how you looked at it. "That's just how it is in our world. You can mate with who you can because no one wants to be in a place with dozens of women who fight all the time."

A smirk stayed on his face as she was being lectured.  It was a childish thing, but it amused the demon hunter greatly for some reason.  Even as he took her into the water, he half smiled since she could not hide her discomfort to the entire situation.  The understanding he got was that it was a society of women.  He wondered how much interaction with men she actually had.  Nymph put on a good air, but he could already see some holes in it. 
 
He listened as she spoke about her mother, her father and her family in general.  Cole was surprised that he was actually listening.    Most of the time he would ‘listen’ to the villagers when they spouted on about the ailments that had fallen upon them.  It always meant the same thing: kill the demon, get paid, and bring back the trophies to his clan.  “If you are the only one that has the ability to go into battle, then as such you should not allow yourself to ‘get stupid.’  They are counting on you to handle these jobs, just as my clan is relying on me to do mine.  Though you are many individuals, you make up one whole.”  He used his hand to cup the water and pour it over her skin.  At least she was not fighting it any longer.
 
Cole let go of her for a moment to float in the water, and he removed his red coat to be thrown on the nearby ground.  He wore a tight fitting black sleeveless outfit that matched his black pants.  The fabric was soft and yet clung tighter than any normal cloth.  It allowed him to move unrestricted while in combat.  At that moment, he was pleased with it since drying would go much faster later on. 
 
Head tilted to the side, as he was thoroughly confused.  “If he reacted that way, he should have been eliminated.  Demons have their time and place, but if they do not follow the natural order of the Light…well then they should be destroyed.  That was the reason for the extermination today.  It no longer co-existed properly.  He should have been destroyed long ago.”  The rules of his society were clear cut.  Demons were a mere tool to his people.  The warriors used them to further their positions and talents to make more money for the Clan and Council.  The entire idea of binding a demon for mere answers made little sense to Cole.
 

As the clothing was removed, he noticed the worse of the wounds had been covered up.  Without hesitation, he reached out and poured the water on her back.  He let her go from his carrying position, but still held onto her waist to hold her up in the pool.  Scars like her’s were familiar in his Clan.  Many of the novices would return with such injuries, though not from holy spells.  “You need more training.  You are not prepared for the battlefield in a full capacity.  If you had been ready, than you would not have had such mistakes.  You do not even know your own limitations.”  The words came out as a lecture, but it was from a place of concern.  Seeing a mother like Lily, it made him wonder if his mother had ever cared for him in such a way.  It would not do Lily well to have her daughter hurt worse, or even killed in a battle.

Nymphaea listened to him and closed her eyes. He was right there was no way around it. "I guess I don't always like being the only one willing or capable to go. I didn't know just how bad today was going to get all I know is that I lost concentration." At least she was being more open and honest.

The brunette laughed a bit. "If he was then I would be lost right now." Staring up at him she just gave him a smile. "We may fight but he gives me knowledge that hes had for years. It's not only the answers he can provide but what his blood does for me." She lifted up one of her hands. "This use to happen a more frequently. I use to not carry him with me and I would end up in here for most of the day. It made me ill as a child but we made it through. He controls it at least the most he can before I tap into that holy magic of mine. Then there is my demon magic and he can amplify that."

She moved her hair out of his way so he could bring the water up onto her back. She listened to him and her hands went to his almost instinctively. She was able to turned herself around and face him. "I get as much training as I can when I'm not running errands. Today was.. it wasn't something that normally happens. I am so jealous of you Cole. You have no idea what it was like growing up and watching my siblings all get to practice their holy spells with my mother. I sat by myself or with some teacher she had to hire. The hellfire at first was uncontrollable but we worked on it and later when I got Yaeger I learned to work my magic through him as a conduit."

She looked sad though. "I'm still very young. I will learn and I will get stronger. Mom once told me about my sister Opal. She was kidnapped on the edge of Sularia. She had gotten a bit too far from my mother and someone had been watching. By the time they found her she was dying and there wasn't a healer around. Even we can take too much damage and not heal. She asked my mother to kill her. Mom said she was only seven. I couldn't imagine putting her through that. I want to be stronger."

Like with all of her kind she was okay with leaning in and kissing him lips.  It lingered for a few moments before she finally backed off and blushed. "Thank you for helping me when you didn't have to. We all appreciate it." She offered him a smile. "I will take you around Sularia my treat. It is a wonderful place if you've never been here before."

Stark white brow lifted at her words. Upon entrance, they had passed through a town full of rather capable looking women. Were they powerful only in intellect? Was Nymph the most powerful of them all when it came to physical prowess? If that were indeed true, than there was a lot more weight upon the young woman’s shoulders. Cole was raised to be a part of a warrior clan. There were always those in wait to back up another in battle. The demon hunter shook his head at the prospect of not a proper structure put into place for such things. If Nymph, a girl who was no older than sixteen, had to take on the responsibilities of one of the goddess….that was more responsibility than she should have.


Blue eyes took in the injuries that seemed to finally be healing with the help of the water. The feeling of her hands upon his made him stop. Cole looked down at the girl before him as she stood in the bath with him. Though she was young, there was much pressure upon her to take on the troubles of the world. Once again, he felt annoyance towards the deities. They declared themselves all-powerful, and yet had mortals still do their dirty work. The entire premise of his clan’s existence was based upon that. Cole had watched his fellow hunters die for the protection of mortals, and yet there was no god to be found.



“If you need more training, than demand it. You will be killed out there if you are not careful. Your mother, I am sure, would not want that. If they are unable to give you the training that you need, than look to someone else for it. The fact that they are ill-equipped to handle your differences…well I do not that to be an acceptable excuse. Your life is worth more than that.” Cole’s clan were comprised of demon hunters, but they had a terrible secret that helped them win their battles. Purity did not win against the damned, but being on the same level did. Tainting oneself to save others was an acceptable sacrifice. It was a sacrifice that Cole had made himself years ago during a ritual to become a full-fledge hunter.

He blinked once. He blinked twice with wide eyes at the expression of gratitude. It was true that many women had expressed such gratitude, but this was slightly different. They were village girls that had never met someone of his caliber before. Nymph had power of her own. “Well, you are welcome It was part of my job.” Cole stepped back one step and then another until he was out of the bath. Water dripped from him on the clean floor. Reaching to the ready pile, he used one of the towels to dry off. It did not take long since the material of his outfit was designed to handle such moisture. Slipping back and buckling his boots up again. “If there is food involved, than I would most graciously accept a tour. With the battle, I need to have nourishment to regain my strength.”

Nymph winced at his words but she knew that they were said with care as she gave him a smile towards the end of his lecture. "No, she wouldn't want that. My aunt doesn't want that either. If she had known what was out there she would have probably shown up herself. It's not that my people are ill-equipped, it's that my court is ill-equipped. See the court that deals with unholy magics such as mine has been feuding all my life. Mom and my aunts would track them down and either put them into submission or kill them. Up until recently that is… The court is under the control of my cousin Kirika now but she is wandering about Canelux, trying to find herself. What's left of the court is with her right now and she is only a year older than I am. I couldn't imagine leading a group of people like she does at our age."

Though she couldn't imagine fighting demons would be her hobby either. She watched him for a moment as he backed away from her. She rested on the edge of the tub now and watched him. "No Cole this wasn't part of your job. Bringing me here was something you did all on your own." Her words were soft and kind as her wounds were now managable.

"Deal. Sularia has some of the best food you have ever tasted." She got up out of the tub and picked up a towel that was laid out for her. She dried herself off and blushed a bit more as she stripped the rest of her clothes off and threw them into the pile. Pulling down a dress she slipped it onto her body. It was light and airy but it certainly made her look a lot more feminine than she had been.

She opened the door and took his hand hand when he was done. "Come on I have lots of things to show you." Taking him out of the manor she took him through the multi-colored streets of the bazaar. Children ran around them and around the fountain. "That is our matron. She holds one of the first children of Arri." She pointed to the statue in the center of the fountain. "The statue brings good luck and the water from the fountain is fabled to bring good fertility for breeding." 

There was lots of music and dancing. She looked over at Cole and smirked a bit. "First Sularia experience." She took both his hands and dragged him over to where everyone was dancing. "You can kill but can you dance?"