The Apprentice

Seikatsu was sitting in a bar, enjoying a slice of cake with his daughter after he froze the joint over when he was asked to do a job. A man asked him to ascend the Sky Tower and remove a gen that supposedly cannot be removed by even a god, let alone a mortal man. Seikatsu was intrigued by such a challenge and accepted it. He left the frozen bar, the two lovers who were going to a different room, and his daughter enjoying her cake to go take on this worthy challenge. He got on his wyvern's back and began the great journey to the Sky Tower.
Seikatsu arrived at the sky tower, and looked up. The tower was massive, and the top was concealed by the clouds. He unfurled his wings and began flying straight up.
Seikatsu arrived at the top after several hours, and many breaks in between as he was getting used to his wings. Upon arriving Seikatsu found the rumours to be true. He took a moment to note his surroundings and see that the top of the Sky Tower was gorgeous; with a ritual and mural of the sky in a mosaic on the floor. There were no edges at the peak; just flat surface; the griffons, and the clouds.
Seikatsu was able to see all of Fiore from here. He looked off the tower's east side and saw the forest, and Magnolia; and even further off in the distance; there was Clover Lake; and the Inferno Mountains even further still.
Seikatsu switched to the tower's left; and he sew the Sabertooth Guild Hall; nestled in the mountains he was in, far, far down below; the building nothing but a spec from way up there. However, looking straight ahead, Seikatsu beheld the beauty of Fiore's grasslands; the twin cities of Era and Crocus shining in the plains; whether it be day or night.
Too his north, Seikatsu sew the Royal Palace; the home of the Politicians, nestled in the forest; and even saw the gigantic beanstalk from Beanstalk Village piercing the clouds up above as he was, while standing on the Sky Tower; and also Rose Garden, glistening in the distance like a rainbow under a constant enchantment.
To his South, Seikatsu sew the Peace River; and Peace Village; nestled as a tiny spec off in the distant southern grasslands.
Although the beauty is breathtaking; Seikatsu was there for one reason only. The jewel itself is said too grant one the ability too 'learn with one's master once more'... whatever the hell that meant.
Seikatsu felt the warmth of profit as a golden light shone upon him, originating from the glorious jewel seated atop the Sky Tower. He approached it, and examined the artifact in all its magnificence. It was held up by two regal griffins, shining with the sunlight a beautiful golden hue. Seikatsu flicked them, and heard the echo ring sweetly and instilled a strange calmness in his heart. Seikatsu looked at the diamond, and saw its colors glistening as the sunlight kissed it. He looked around as the kiss of the sun, reflected from within the diamond becoming a spectacular golden radiance by which he'd never seen before.
Seikatsu extended his hand out to touch this... object that was so radiant no god would want it removed. His finger tips had just graced the item, and already he felt as though he were a god. However, the sensation had faded when he'd looked to his surroundings and saw black.
Seikatsu stepped back, for he was terrified that he'd been killed for defiling a godly item with mortal presence. He looked around, and heard the feminine demonic voice of Altsoba.
"This is unexpected..." she said.
Seikatsu turned, but saw nothing. He began looking all about, but the demon was nowhere to be seen.
"Stop spinning child, less you dizzy yourself."
"Where are you harlot!?" Seikatsu called angrily.
The surroundings changed again. He was in a large throne room that was on fire. The cobblestone walls had pieces of broke, flaming wood  attached to them. The flags that adorned the room were slashed, and set ablaze and the air around Seikatsu was riddled with flaming debris.
"Wh-"
"Welcome my friend." Altsoba called from across the room.
Seikatsu turned, and put his hand where he though his sword was. His weapon, his cloak, his robe top were all gone. Seikatsu realized his chest was exposed, and all he had for clothing was his black trousers. He looked up across the field of flames, and saw limbs suspended along with the burning debris. Beyond the severed limbs, and disembodied heads, and droplets of blood, and shredded tapestries of the room, he saw a beautiful woman sitting on a throne.
Seikatsu walked forward, looking at the pair of finely toned legs hanging from the throne. He pushed aside a piece of flaming debris and gazed at the woman seated there.
"Who..."
"Think about it, partner. But not too hard..." Altsoba interrupted Seikatsu.
Seikatsu's eyes flew open and he felt the burning fever of astonishment and rage.
"Not what you expected?"
"I..."
"Well?"
"But..."
"But what?"
"You're... actually sexy..."
"Of course I'm a fine woman, I was a queen."
"You.."
Seikatsu began looking around.
"This is..."
"Yes, this was my kingdom."
Seikatsu stepped to a nearby window and peered outside. The throne room was at the back of the castle, where Altsoba viewed all her people living happily. However, the image he saw was on the exact opposite end of the spectrum.
There were explosions caused by machines bombarding the castle grounds with volley after volley of rocks covered in ignited black stuff. The people trying to escape were impaled by hundreds of soldiers charging through the burning castle doors.
"This... it's..."
"The last thing I saw before I died."
Seikatsu looked at Altsoba with a newfound respect. He walked over to her and looked at her carefully. She had white hair and blue eyes. Her hair had a red bow, and her dress was black with red laces.

Altsoba:

"Do you like what you see?"
"I hold no attractions to a harlot." Seikatsu said coldly, hiding his pity.
Altsoba stood up, and walked to the window. She leaned up on the window sill and looked at the destruction of her kingdom. She looked at Seikatsu and gestured for him to come to the window.
Seikatsu walked over, and Altsoba waved her hand out the window.
The scenery changed from death and destruction, to the visage of a city with people happily roaming the streets. Vendors selling their wares, and children playing in the streets.
"This was my home, before my sins caught up with me." Altsoba said with a tear trickling down her cheek.
Her eyes grew bold, and fierce as she flicked her wrist and the image reverted.
"That will be our battlefield."
Seikatsu looked out the window watching the scenery change again, and then it clicked.
"Battle-what?" Seikatsu said trying to clarify what just happened.
Altsoba grabbed Seikatsu by the neck, and pulled his face close to hers.
She smiled a crooked smile, and her blue eyes changed to blood red with white lines moving throughout it.
"I said..."
"It's-"
"Our-"
"Battle-"
"-Field."
Altsoba said with a split voice, half demon, half woman.
Altsoba threw Seikatsu out the window and jumped after. He crashed into a half destroyed fountain, and bounced a few times.
Altsoba slammed on the ground with a scythe in her hand.
"The rules are simple.
One: You're gonna get an ass beating everyday for a full day.
Two: You won't die here, and your wounds will be healed after we've finished.
Three: We're not done, until you kick MY ass.
Oh, and I'll be limiting your power to your weakest spells."
"But-"
"Here."
Altsoba gestured to Seikatsu's waist and his Thorn of Betrayal appeared, but it was different. The sword no longer had a dagger on its end, it was the Thorn of Protection; the original sword of his people.
"Stop being afraid of your past.
Accept who you are.
Accept who we are.
Accept what you did.
Accept what I did.
Accept, that you let me do it."
Seikatsu drew his sword, and studied the blade. It was pristine, razor shard, and represented the glory of his home. He felt shamed to view it, and wanted to die even holding it.
His hand was trembling, and he felt sickly. Seikatsu pointed the blade down, and bowed his head in defeat.
"NOT AN OPTION!"
Altsoba left her Scythe standing in place and exploded towards Seikatsu and slammed her hand wrist deep in his chest. Seikatsu took the hit, and didn't even wince.
"DAMNIT CHILD, YOU'RE SPINELESS!" She yelled angrily.
Altsoba ripped her hand out, screaming "YOU'RE WEAK!"
And began punching Seikatsu, providing a truthful insult with each hit.
"ALL YOU DO IS CRY!"
"YOU'RE ANNOYING!"
"AND A BITCH!"
Altsoba set her arms at her sides and breathed heavily.
She looked at Seikatsu with the utmost hatred.
"God damn you Niyol of the Tribe of Souls!
You embody all that is unmanly..."
Altsoba put a thousand times more power into her last hit, and sent Seikatsu flying through the already destroyed fountain. He didn't bother getting up knowing it would mean more of Altsoba throwing him about like a rag doll.
"GET UP!" Altsoba yelled.
Seikatsu remained silent.
Altsoba appeared next to Seikatsu with her Scythe in hand.
"Did you know that the sword you loathe so greatly..."
She held out her scythe, and flicked it.
"...is the same weapon I prefer?"
seikatsu looked at the sword mortified. It was the sword of his tribe.
"Do you now know how this is?"
Seikatsu straightened up with his jaw open.
"Let me show you the future of my kingdom."
The scenery changed again. The walls crumbled to dust and ash, the sun rose and set uncountable times, the ground elevated, the terrain became grassed over and he saw something rise from the ground. A tree protruded, encircled by forest and set aside of a lake.
Seikatsu looked closer at the tree. A familiar air was about the area, but Seikatsu couldn't put his finger on it.
"Still don't remember?" Altsoba said knowingly.
Two children appeared, one a boy who could barely hold the wooden sword he clumsily swung about. The other, a girl who could barely control her own power, and was afraid to lose control of that which she was yet to discover.
"How about now?"
Seikatsu head the voices of him and Istas playing, practicing, and falling in love. Seikatsu looked at the ground and closed his eyes, ashamed at what he'd become.
"Now do you see?"
Seikatsu nodded, understanding how he was more of a man as a child, then as he was now. He watched as his child version swung that stupid, trashy little piece of wood as if it were his destiny to become the god of swordplay.
Seikatsu's eyes turned from dark purple, to a bright, vibrant crimson. He stood up and looked at Altsoba.
"I'm sorry."
"Please Altsoba, train me to be a man." Seikatsu said with determination.
Altsoba smiled at Seikatsu and the scenery returned to the destroyed splendor of Altsoba's kingdom.
Altsoba walked over, and pressed her hand flat against the gaping hole in Seikatsu's chest. He winced, and trembled a little trying to avoid crying from the pain. Altsoba closed her eyes and the wound closed up, and Seikatsu's bruises from where he was punched disappeared as well as the pain from it.
Altsoba took a few step back, and snapped her fingers.
"You can use any method to bring me to my knees." Altsoba said with a cocky crooked smile on her face.
"If you can impress me, I'll show you the full power of your sword.
If you beat me again, I'll teach you the full power of our sword."
Seikatsu looked at the Thorn of Protection, and still felt unworthy to hold it.
'This is the sword of the village chief.
Kateri is not yet strong enough to hold that title...
So I suppose I am the default.' he said to himself, trying to build the gall to use it.
Seikatsu closed him eyes, and envisioned his former village. The other kids all playing together, the adults working to finish their tasks so they can help the others finish their tasks so the village can thrive. His elder brother, the former chief, teaching Seikatsu how to use a sword properly and making him laugh when he cried. Seikatsu took a deep breath, and steeled himself for the battle ahead.
"I am Niyol!
Chief of the Tribe of Souls!
Wielder of the mighty Thorn of Protection!
Husband of Istas, the queen of ice!
And Father of Kateri, the queen of frost!
I challenge you; Altsoba, the Demon of War; to a test of power!" Seikatsu said boldly.
Altsoba smiled, not expecting Seikatsu to resolve himself to his people's customs.
She returned to her crooked smile, and he hair began whipping in the wind.
"I am Altsoba, the Demon of War!
Daughter of the King of the Kingdom of Serenity!
Wife of Awendela, the brother walking in light!
Mother of Kaori, the daughter of power!
I accept your challenge; Niyol, the Wind Cutter; and shall supersede your test of power!" Alstoba replied.
Seikatsu got his sword ready, and prepared to do battle.
Altsoba reverted her scythe to the Thorn of Protection and reset the day so it would seem as though they were beginning at midnight the night before the siege of her castle.
A gong was sounded as a fireball slammed on the fountain destroying it.
The two charged at each other.
The two cleared the gap in a fraction of a second, and at first Seikatsu thought Altsoba was on his level as their sword impacted with equal power.
He was wrong.
Altsoba pushed Seikatsu's sword back just a hair, and then spun around him. She slashed him along his back and tried for a stab. Seikatsu managed to block the stab, but had a massive gash running down his back now. Seikatsu was amazed at the demon's skill with a sword.
"Don't look so surprised, I'm the demon of war.
Didn't get that name from being a candy-ass..." Altsoba said with a smile.
Seikatsu slid his blade to the side, and aimed for Altsoba's heart.
Altsoba dipped out of Seikatsu's sight, and he felt an immense pain as Altsoba slammed her fist right on the spot where she just slashed him, sending Seikatsu to the floor.
"You're leaving yourself open."
Seikatsu staggered back to his feet, and prepared for another try.
"Good, you're still a stubborn kid."
Seikatsu ran towards Altsoba and struck at her. Altsoba blocked the attack, and grabbed Seikatsu's hand with her free hand. She pulled him close and kneed Seikatsu in the stomach. She tossed him aside, and looked at Seikatsu with disappointed eyes.
"Don't tell me this is all the resolve you can muster Great Chief"
She stepped closer to Seikatsu and slid her foot under him. Altsoba kicked upwards sending Seikatsu into the air. She then slammed Seikatsu with the spine of her sword, sending him back down to the floor.
Seikatsu tried to get up, but was grabbed by the top of his head. The feeling of each hair being ripped out of his skull was almost as bad as the gash on his back. She pulled him to face her, and pressed his forehead against hers, ensuring that he was looking her in the eyes.
"You haven't survived ten minutes...
You have over 23 hours and 50 minutes left of this." She said angrily and threw Seikatsu across the battlefield.
There was a spacial barrier in the surrounded area, preventing Seikatsu from running or taking cover; and Seikatsu slammed right into it and bounced right off. Seikatsu was ricocheted so hard that he made it all the way back to Altsoba who punched him back to the floor.
Seikatsu began getting up slowly, speaking between breaths in an angry, determined tone.
"I-
Will not-
Fall."
He staggered to his feet, letting the blood that pooled on his back fall.
He looked at Altsoba through bruised black-eyes, with determination and power.
"I will never fall again..." Seikatsu said while panting.
Altsoba looked back knowing Seikatsu was just trying to make it seem like he had more fight in him. She knew that he was about to drop, in fact, that he would drop if he tried moving at all.
She was wrong.
Before Altsoba could blink, Seikatsu had planted his fist in her stomach and a pulse of blue energy exploded from his arms in a shock wave, and finally the last blue shock wave came from his fist. The power behind the attack was stronger than Seikatsu had ever produced before, and sent Altsoba into the barrier. She didn't bounce off the spacial barrier, but she definitely hit it hard enough to make her smile.
Altsoba stood up, and brushed the dust off her dress.
"Now that was new."
She looked at Seikatsu with a sadistic look in her eyes.
"It's rude to hold back you know..."
Seikatsu looked back with absolute rage in him. He exploded forward and swung at Altsoba with all his strength. Altsoba blocked his sword, and went for the spin so she could attack his back. Seikatsu grabbed her by the head and kicked her with his shin. He broke his shin on her skull, and stumbled to the floor.
Altsoba recovered from the hit and appeared next to Seikatsu, with her sword in full swing. Seikatsu blocked with his, and tried getting up. He grunted from the pain, and realized he'll have to fight just like this.
Altsoba began swinging her sword repeatedly, and Seikatsu blocked... some of them. After the barrage of slashes was done Seikatsu's arm was bloody, and sliced up. He was panting, and ready to pass out from bloody loss. He knew he wouldn't die here, but the human body feels its wounds and sees its own blood and will act accordingly.
Altsoba and Seikatsu continued fighting, exchanging punches, and thrashing the other around all day. At sun set, Seikatsu had a broken leg, broken knuckles, and several broken ribs. He was in the exact same spot by the fountain he'd been in since he broke his leg earlier, and was having a hard to continuing the fight. He used ice patches to cover his wounds. He froze over his broken leg, keeping the bone from shifting too much. Some ice was crafted on his knuckles to stop the bleeding and hold them in place. The last bit of ice was to keep his ribs from shifting as he fought. The repair job was crappy at best, but it would have to be enough to allow Seikatsu the ability to keep fighting.
Seikatsu slowly got up, and a assumed a battle ready position.
"Nicely done my boy. You've found a way to undo your demise."
Seikatsu was too weak to speak, to be quite honest he was barely able to stand even with his ability holding him up. Altsoba came at him again, without losing ferocity. They battled it out for hours on end, and into the night.
Midnight struck, and Altsoba stopped her advance on Seikatsu. She set her sword to a side, and it vanished into thin air.
"You did pretty good. At this rate you might actually be able to beat me."
Seikatsu dropped to the floor, and began panting. His bones began to correct themselves, and his cuts went away. The bruises covering his body disappeared and the pain vanished. He felt as strong as when he began training with Altsoba.
Seikatsu looked at his hands, and then at Altsoba, wondering why she healed him.
"We're finished for today"
Altsoba said with a smile.
She helped Seikatsu to his feet, and told him to take a rest.
The scenery changed to a bedroom. It had stone walls, and various tapestries lining them.
The furniture was all a dark, red looking wood. In the middle was a huge bed with drapes hanging from its posts.
"This is my room." Altsoba stated.
"Feel free to sleep here."
Altsoba added, and walked out.
When Seikatsu awoke, his head was being pressed on by two slightly heavy objects, and the bed was considerably warmer then Seikatsu expected it to be. That and he had two arms resting on his chest... two female arms...
Seikatsu looked up, and Altsoba's bust flopped over his eyes.
"Oh, you're awake?" Altsoba said caringly.
"Yes, now get your breasts off my face." Seikatsu replied irritatedly.
Altsoba released Seikatsu, and he lifted his head from her stomach.
"Do I even want to know why you were under me..."
Seikatsu said while blushing for the first time in nearly a decade.
Altsoba scooted back, and straightened up with her legs crossed and her dress covering the gap.
"When I had my daughter she had nightmares a lot, possibly my fault. I would have her sleep just like that to make them stop. You were having your own nightmare, possibly also my fault."
Altsoba said while smiling.
Seikatsu couldn't shake the fact that Altsoba is a demon, she had a child, and maternal instincts, and was also exercising them on Seikatsu.
"Uhhh....."
Seikatsu said while keeping his red face turned away.
Altsoba wrapped her arms around Seikatsu and pressed the side of her face against his back, making his face turn more red.
"You don't have to worry my slave..." she said.
Altsoba slowly moved her head closer to Seikatsu's ear and whispered sadistically,
"What happens here, stays here..."
Seikatsu's face turned more red than before and he passed out from the amount of blood flowing to it.
"Wow... that worked?"
Altsoba said surprised that her joke was able to phase Seikatsu so easily.
Altsoba gently pulled Seikatsu backwards and had him rest on her stomach again. She ran her fingers through his hair, humming a slow song.
When Seikatsu awoke, again, he pulled forward with a red face.
"Damn you..." he said, keeping his head away from Alstoba.
Altsoba let off a small, cute, giggle and said to Seikatsu
"Don't take life so seriously."
Seikatsu got off the bed before Altsoba could come up with a good way to give him a nosebleed, or worse. Altsoba was having more fun that she could ever remember.
Altsoba got off the large plushy bed, and grabbed Seikatsu by the hand. She began pulling him, while smiling a large sincere smile.
"Come on!" She said joyously.
Seikatsu was trying to figure out what in the hell caused her to have so much energy. Either way, she was trying to take him some where, so long as it wasn't the bed, Seikatsu had no complaints.
They stepped out to a large hallway, as long as Seikatsu could see, and much to his surprise it wasn't on fire.
Altsoba pulled Seikatsu all the way back to the throne room, and kept going. They went through several corridors, all of which were riddles with amazing works of art, fine tapestries, and even some suits of armour. They stopped at a window, where Altsoba slid out. Seikatsu stared in bewilderment.
"Let's go!" she said impatiently.
Seikatsu carefully stepped over the window, and found his footing on small ledge.
"Follow me!" Altsoba said with a strange childish glee about her.
Seikatsu carefully shuffled along the ledge, until Altsoba stopped. Seikatsu nearly fell when he bumped into her. She smiled, pointed up, and grabbed hold of a set of stones and began climbing. Seikatsu followed after her. He looked down and noticed the extreme height they were at, thank god he can't die here. They continued scaling the side of the castle all the way to the top. When they Seikatsu arrived, he'd realized he was almost as high up as the Sky Tower was. Altsoba trotted over to him and grabbed his hand with both of hers. She looked in his purple, dull eyes with her own bright crimson, glistening eyes that were full of life.
"This is my favourite spot in the entire kingdom!" Altsoba said with a big smile.
Seikatsu understood now; she was lonely for so long, and him ostracizing her was making it worse. He felt a type of regret for treating her like she was worthless.
Seikatsu was mesmerized by Altsoba's white hair glistening in the morning sun, and the amazing smile she had on.
Altsoba pulled Seikatsu to the edge of the roof, and leaned on it looking at the entirety of her kingdom.
Seikatsu walked to Altsoba and gabbed her arm. She turned to face him and was pulled into his chest. Seikatsu wrapped his arms around her, and said with a gentle, sincere voice "I'm Sorry."
Altsoba hugged him back and said with a tear falling from her eye, "It's okay."
Seikatsu let her go and turned to the kingdom. He stepped over the ledge, and took a seat. Staring out at the kingdom, he felt a strange type of peace about it.
"Tell me, how did that war start?" Seikatsu asked inquisitively.
Altsoba joined Seikatsu on the edge, and decided to initiate story time.
"When I was a child there was a war already happening. My parents sent a convoy out to find secret passages through the forests and surrounding area in case the castle came under siege." Altsoba began.
Seikatsu laid down and rested his head on Altsoba's lap, she flinched not expecting him to get that close to anyone, let alone her. She gave a faint smile, and continued her story.
"The convoy discovered an old temple when one of the guards fell through the roof. What they found in the temple was the record of a long since dead magic. It wasn't based off of converting mana within the body and projecting it, but rather it was based off of using the mana of another body, and the energy of those around you and projecting that. The concept was so abstract that the researchers couldn't do a thing with the books. They kept digging and found hundreds of books on the subject, each book was a different lesson. The people who lived there before had mapped out the entire magic, even a spell to use in order to have that other body to draw mana from.
Months passed and the convoy had returned and showed their finds to the king, my father, who was completely overjoyed that they'd found that magic. The problem was that none of our kingdom's best mages could learn it, all of them were too fixed in their current understanding of magic to be able to use the one taught in the books."
Seikatsu shifted positions so he was lying sideways.
Altsoba began rubbing Seikatsu's hair, and continued story time.
"I love reading, and even to this day am still curious about everything. I snuck into the magic tome chamber and 'borrowed' one of the books the archeologists discovered. It was the first volume, explaining how to control the mana, and it outlined the flow of different types of mana. At the end of that year, I read every last one of those books. My father caught me reading them, but he didn't mind, in fact he was happy that I found something to entertain myself with. I was too young to begin training to run the kingdom, so all I really did was be bored or spend time in the courtyard.
I found a magic circle on it with some words written in a different language. I drew the circle under the rug in my room and recited the words while standing in the middle, but nothing happened. I accepted that I didn't do it right, and moved on."
Seikatsu was waiting for the part where things went sour...
"A few months later, on my birthday to be exact, we were invaded by multiple armies. Our own army was overwhelmed within hours, and even our best mages were killed, and hung on pikes. They were raping women of all ages in the streets. What was left of our army retreated to the castle to protect my mother and father, but they too were killed. The army captured my father and cut his eyelids off so he would have no choice but to watch while they raped my mother. I was hiding in a cupboard under the instruction of my father."
A tear drop hit Seiktasu on the side of his head as he felt his hair being pulled when Altsoba balled her hand into a fist.
"If it hurts, you can skip that part." Seikatsu said thoughtfully.
"No, it's fine." Altsoba replied.
She let go of his hair, and wiped the tears from her face. A vein action as they were replaced by more tears. Altsoba took a moment to recompose herself before she would continue.
Altsoba took a deep breath, and resumed rubbing Seikatsu's hair and telling her story.
"After enduring over four hours of it, I blacked out. When I came to, all the enemy soldiers were dead. My  mother was covered in semen, and my father was covered in blood. I killed them both out of mercy. My mother, if let live, would have given birth to the bastard child of a dead enemy soldier. My father would have had to live with that child, and surely would have been miserable if I killed my mother and let him live. I looked outside, and my subjects were collecting the dead bodies of their families. A voice told me that the contract was complete, I wasn't sure who or what it was at the time. I became the ruler of this kingdom from that moment onward, and for reasons I couldn't understand, my subjects were terrified of me. One of them, our blacksmith, was my favourite because he was the one who told me what had happened.
While I had blacked out, I single handedly killed every last soldier using some strange magic they'd never seen before. From what he'd described, I would appear in one spot, and immediately appear in another until my hand was inside the heart of one of the soldiers. Some of the other men despised me because I also killed their wives, and daughters. I killed the girls who were old enough to bear a child, preventing any chance of there being a single enemy blooded child in the kingdom. Some of the men left the kingdom, others stayed to help the ones who were loyal."
Seikatsu shifted a little, and Altsoba waited for him to finish adjusting.
After he'd finished fidgeting Altsoba continued.
"I took control of the kingdom as best as I could. I had the entire kingdom gather in the courtyard and divided the workload. The strong men were assigned to move large debris. The weaker men moved the dead bodies to the center of the courtyard. Children moved small debris, and helped clean the streets, and gather wood. Older men were assigned to fish, and farm. Several small groups of mixed ages, none old of course, were assigned to hunt and forage for food. The elder women were in charge of cooking the meals for the town."
Seikatsu took his head off of Altsoba's lap, and straightened up.
Altsoba grabbed his head, and put it back on her lap.
"I didn't say you could get up." She said in an irritated tone of voice.
"Before the bodies could start smelling horrid, we held a festival to honor them. All the bodies were placed in the middle of the town, with wood laced around and inside the bodies. We poured a special oil all over them and waited for dusk. When the sun began setting, we light the pyre, and danced to music until midnight."
"Sunset, the ending of the life of that day. Midnight, the ending of the day of mourning." Seikatsu said nostalgically.
Altsoba smiled as she knew his people had the exact same custom.
"The next day everyone was given the day to rest, and finish their tears. For that day, I went to the streets and moved whatever I could lift. As young as I was, that wasn't much, but it was enough to earn my people's trust back. On that day, no one took the day off they were given, they all continued clearing the town and rebuilding.
After a couple years all the damage was repaired. New families were formed, and the town had even attracted people to replace the ones who'd left. However, the wounds were not healed and we wanted vengeance. I came with a plan to put an end to the kingdoms that had attacked us. I called upon the families to lend me fifty children, ten for each kingdom that attacked us. I had them study the same tomes I did, and even gave them a piece of paper with the spell to summon their demons, and sent them to the enemy kingdoms. They were sent as voluntary slaves to establish peace between our kingdoms, until their birthdays came around, then they were the end of the kingdoms. Each child had the exact same birthday, and they worked together to wipe out the enemy kingdoms entirely. Some of them returned with livestock, and trinkets from the village, which we used to trade with allied kingdoms."
"I'll take it, just like in my case, not all of them were dead." Seikatsu said, assumingly.
Altsoba nodded sadly.
Altsoba took a breath, accepting her consistency for not finishing the job and kept telling her tale of defeat.
"While my kingdom rebuilt, the survivors banded together and formed a massive army of their own. They combined their power with that of their allies, and worked on machines to cripple our walls. When the battle started, we assumed it would only last a few months since our forces were superior. The soldiers on our side were demolishing theirs, but soon they rolled in huge carts with reinforcements."
Seikatsu could see where this was heading, but listened respectfully.
"The fighting continued for years, and finally they rolled in the machines. The one that destroyed the fountain in the courtyard was only one of them. The enemy had hundreds of them. So many they would have had to been moving them into place all those years." Altsoba's hands were shaking.
"That's enough, I know what happened next." Seikatsu said, trying to be considerate.
"No. You don't." Altsoba responded with a depressed voice.
Seikatsu didn't argue, he felt as though she wanted to confess something that she was unable to before.
"After they destroyed the entrance, the armies stormed in and destroyed everything. They fought with my personally trained mages, the fifty kids I sent to wipe them out for days. Both sides fought well, but my side lacked the numbers to keep up. They all fell, and I was the last one alive in the entire kingdom. I ran away during the fight, and from the distance I saw them burning everything, including the tomes to learn this magic. I wrote down the magic circle as fast as possible, and planted it alongside a willow seed just in time for a small group to catch up, and slay me as well."
Seikatsu sat up and looked at Altsoba.
Altsoba began to cry.
"I was a coward.
I ran while my people burned."
Seikatsu pulled her in, and gave her a supportive hug.
Altsoba leaned in, and accepted the embrace. She smiled, and shed a tear as she was overjoyed that Seikatsu had forgiven her. That and, it's been over a millennia since she was last held by... anyone.
Seikatsu looked at the night sky with Altsoba still in his arms. He noticed the moon had just hit the middle of the sky, and before he could say a word he was hit in the stomach.
"Touchy feely time's over, back to kicking your ass!" Altsoba said sadistically.
Seikatsu unfurled a set of wings and caught himself mid air. He dropped to the ground and his sword appeared at his waist. Altsoba dived in with her blade pointed to Seikatsu. Seikatsu drew his sword quickly and blocked her attack. He remembered that her normal pattern was a heavy strike, a spin followed by either a punch or kick and then a weaker strike that transitions to another heavy strike and Wash, Rinse, Repeat.
Seikatsu got ready to block the next attack, which should have been either a punch or a kick from behind.
He was wrong.
He took a cut to the arm while he was spinning around, and quickly put his sword to his back, which blocked a would be grievous strike.
"Anticipate the attacks by watching your opponent. Never fight based off of memory!" Altsoba coached.
Seikatsu took a few leaps backwards narrowly avoiding another slash in the process.
Altsoba advanced on him, and began slashing rapidly. Seikatsu blocked most of the slashes, only being hit by the minor cuts.
Seikatsu made an advance on Altsoba by striking upwards. Normally he'd spin his blade and use the dagger end to score a hit, but this time he rotated the sword and swung it back down. The sword grazed Altsoba's forehead as she tried deflecting the attack. A cut was left over her eye, not a deep enough to kill a person, but deep enough to let Altsoba know Seikatsu wasn't fooling around.
"I thought you said not to fight someone using your memory." Seikatsu said snidely.
Altsoba smiled that Seikatsu was learning so well. He changed his attack pattern because he knew his opponent had a perfect understanding of how he fought. She couldn't ask for more from a three second lecture.
"Since you're such a good student, I guess I can show you a new trick!" Altsoba said happily.
Altsoba stepped back, and held her Thorn of Betrayal out. A stream of varying colors wound around the weapon, and it came apart. The sword then reassembled itself in a new shade. It had went from a sword, to a Scythe with two blades. The longer blade had a hook on the top of it, and a blade on the bottom. The bladed end on both sides was extremely jagged, and looks very painful to be cut with. More so than a normal blade. On the other side of the pole, but still on the top, was a smaller blade that was crimson, and had highlights weaving about the inside of it. Between the two sides, was a large spike. At the bottom of the pole was a loop, Seikatsu imagined the loop wasn't for hanging the Scythe as a decoration.
"This is the second form of our weapon. It can only be achieved by a person who has broken the boundaries of their knowledge, and expanded it to incorporate a second element." Altsoba said while holding the scythe straight up.
"Beat me and I'll show you another trick." Altsoba said, and immediately charged at Seikatsu.
Seikatsu wasn't sure how to react to this one. The shape was so strange, it was like being attacked by a pickaxe on a flag pole. He saw the blade coming down to impale him on the arm, but his reaction wasn't fast enough. The long blade slammed through his arm, and sunk all the way in. Altsoba tore off Seikatsu's left arm, and stopped the blade. She reversed direction to hit him with the smaller blade. Seikatsu jumped back, and held his nub, trying to stop the bleeding.
Altsoba didn't let that itty bitty lobbed off arm stop her from attacking.
"Never back down from an opponent!
Never stop attacking!
If you lose an arm, fight twice as hard with the other!
Never once will you come across a merciful enemy!"
Altsoba coached at Seikatsu as she repeatedly slashed at him with her scythe.
Seikatsu kept dodging as best he could, suffering a few cuts on his torso.
Seikatsu didn't want to do this till he was a bit better at controlling ice, but he had no choice. Seikatsu dropped the temperature of the air around his severed arm, and froze it shut. He couldn't make the pain stop, but he was able to stop the bleeding.
The scythe came again, and Seikatsu finally was able to get a block in. The problem with the weapon is that the damn thing had a hook on the front that tears into you, on the other end of that is a blade that can be pulled and cut like a sickle, and on the other side there's another blade that'l slash you. Seikatsu was having a hard time stopping the swinging blade, and only could manage a couple blocks at best.
Seikatsu noticed a definite pattern with Altsoba's attacks. A slash down, reverse the blade back up, cut across, reverse the blade again, spin around and thrust the spike, lift up, come back down and repeat process. Seikatsu began dodging the blade, and Altsoba took notice. Right where she would normally stab, she spun the blade and almost caught Seikatsu off guard. Seikatsu turn his sword around and used it as a wall between the razor sharp blade and his remaining arm.
"Good work my boy. You've learned to anticipate quickly." Altsoba praised Seikatsu.
"As a reward, I'll give you an early heal."
Altsoba put her hand out and Seikatsu's freed hand began regrowing. At first it was just a few dots of air, but then the dots expanded, and became bone. Muscles grew around the bone, and the accessory tissues filled in afterwards. Skin covered the arm, and reattached to Seikatsu main body.
Seikatsu flexed his arm to make sure everything was in order.
Seikatsu nodded at Altsoba to let her know it was a well done repair. Altsoba smiled arrogantly, as if she knew her repair job would be flawless, and the pair resumed attacking each other. Seikatsu was starting to understand how to block the scythe, and even had an idea for making an attack possible.
Seikatsu continued ducking and dodging as best he could, waiting for a good time to make his move. An opening presented itself as Altsoba lifted the scythe. Seikatsu moved quickly and got as close to Altsoba as possible, so close his chest was up against hers. Seikatsu had his sword pressed between them, and a smile on his face. Altsoba was astonished, and her eyes with wide open and Seikatsu said arrogantly,
"Check-mate."
Seikatsu slashed Altsoba from the right side of her waist to the left side of her diaphragm and jumped back and Altsoba tried to kick.
"Would you look at that." Altsoba said impressed at Seikatsu.
Seikatsu was expecting her to heal herself, but she didn't. Altsoba charged at Seikatsu with the blood coming from her torso.
"Not gonna heal yourself?"
Seikatsu asked with blocking the spike of the scythe.
"I told you, no healing till we're done."
Altsoba said with a great big crooked smile on her face.
Seikatsu was happy for some odd reason. He was in the middle of a heated battle, with someone of blatantly greater power, being beat to hell, and he was enjoying it. Seikatsu ignored the fact that he was turning into a sadomasochist and refocused on the fight. He tried repeating the same process, unfortunately when he got close to Altsoba she anticipated it and rammed her knee into Seikatsu groin. Seikatsu flew back, and began clutching his now aching scrotum and Altsoba made and attempt to slam the scythe down on him.
Seikatsu rolled to the side, avoiding the blade and got up. His sacred orbs still aching, Seikatsu did his best to ignore the pain and stay focused on taking down Altsoba. He charged at her, and ducked when the scythe was about to make him half of a man. He was close, and knew that Altsoba expected him to be there. Altsoba tried a punch on Seikatsu, and Seikatsu blocked with the broad side of his sword, and punched Altsoba in the stomach, right on her still bleeding wound.
"Nice-
Ah! Crap that hurts."
Alstoba said while smiling.
Seikatsu charged at Altsoba while she was busy focusing on her wounded stomach. Altsoba smiled and swung her scythe, already knowing the Seikatsu would strike when she was seemingly weak. The hook on her scythe caught Seikatsu's sword, or perhaps it was the other way around. Either way, Altsoba and Seikatsu were holding each other in a deadlock, both sides quivering as their opponents tried to overwhelm the other with brute strength.
"You've...
Learned so much...
In just a couple days."
Altsoba complimented Seikatsu, trying to keep her mind off of her bloody stomach.
"What can I say?
I've got a...
Damn good teacher."
Seikatsu returned the compliment, wondering how such a petite woman could be so friggin strong.
"Awe...
I'm flattered."
Alstoba said sarcastically.
Seikatsu lowered his sword suddenly, which shocked Altsoba. He then lifted it up and kept the blade inside the hook as he pulled. Altsoba, still surprised from the abrupt maneuver accidently let the pole slide from her grasp. She quickly slipped her finger in the loop on the bottom in an attempt to keep her weapon, however, Seikatsu quickly removed the finger and kept hold of her scythe.
Altsoba smiled, impressed that Seikatsu could disarm her. She came at Seikatsu with her fists, and got in close. Seikatsu spun and slashed with his sword, but missed when Altsoba jumped backwards. She got back in close, and grabbed his wrist. Altsoba twisted it so Seikatsu would have no choice but to open it. When he did, Altsoba grabbed his sword and made a quick attack. She cut Seikatsu on the lower arm, which didn't seem to phase him as Seikatsu came charging with the scythe.
Altsoba charged at Seikatsu with a great big smile on her face. This was the most fun she'd had in a millenia, and she was cherishing every moment of it. Seikatsu brought the massive blade down on Altsoba, and she caught it using the sword she had stolen from Seikatsu. She was able to keep the blade from coming down on her head, but the tip was still only millimeters from her skull.
"You know, you're actually an interesting human."
Altsoba said while straining to keep the scythe from coming down on her.
"Thanks, you're actually pretty cute when you're not being a psychopath."
Seikatsu replied with a smile of his own.
"Awe, I love you too."
Altsoba said sarcastically with a crooked smile.
Seikatsu lifted up the scythe and spun it behind him, bringing the smaller side up under Altsoba. Altsoba didn't expect it at first, but she was watching Seikatsu so carefully that she was able to lower the sword in time to stop the blade from cutting her lady parts. Unfortunately her dress wasn't spared, and there was a giant cut running from the bottom to the halfways point of her thigh.
"Trying to see somethin' pervert?"
Altsoba teased Seikatsu.
"I figured it'd be merciful to men if I cut it off."
Seikatsu said jokingly, to mask the fact that he just realized where he was about to cut.
Altsoba put on a crooked smile, having figured a fun way to mess with Seikatsu.
"I'll tell you what.
Since you're such a man, how about we finish this in the room?"
She said with a smile.
Seikatsu turned red, and his arms became jelly.
"Sucker!"
Altsoba charged at Seikatsu as soon as his jelly arms let the scythe get loose.
Seikatsu snapped back to reality immediately and blocked the sword with the pole of the scythe. The pole was resting right up against his throat, with the blade in perfect alignment to behead him.
"Such a man, he'd dream of doing such things to a demon."
Altsoba teased with her face centimeters from Seikatsu's.
"For a minute there, I forgot you were a damned harlot."
Seikatsu said angrily. He was more peeved that, that trick actually worked.
Altsoba pushed off of the pole of the scythe and took a stance a few meters from Seikatsu.
"And I entirely forgot that you're a male."
She said with a smile.
"What's that got to do with anything?"
Seikatsu asked irritatedly.
"Men had hormones.
They like things with boobs.
I'm a demon, with boobs.
Your mind may be strong...
But those hormones of yours..."
She informed Seikatsu with a great big sadistic smile on her face as she charged at him.
"That'll be the death of you boy!"
Seikatsu's anger was building with every step that Altsoba took.
His scar began glowing bright crimson, and his eyes changed to a black color.
The scythe absorbed his anger, glowing with a black and crimson aura.
Seikatsu reeled back, and prepared to strike.
Altsoba saw the transformation in slow motion as she stepped within range.
'So I pushed you that far...'
Altsoba thought to herself, immediately regretting what she'd said.
Seikatsu began swinging when Altsoba was two steps away from the perfect distance.
Altsoba saw the blade beginning its path, and closed her eyes.
The blade flew through the air as if it were an eagle, gracefully soaring through the skies.
Altsoba felt the tip touching her stomach, and sinking in.
Seikatsu felt the instant the blade was in Altsoba through the scythe, but he kept going.
The scythe ripped through her stomach, barely missing Altsoba's spine and creating a massive cut all the way through Altsoba.
Seikatsu spun around and slammed the spike into Altsoba's heart, and lifted her in the air.
Altsoba looked Seikatsu in the eyes, and noticed he was forcing her own power to assist his attack. She'd also noticed he was crying, and couldn't hold back the single tear she shed from breaking her own promise to not make him cry again.
Altsoba passed out from the pain, and Seikatsu set her scythe down.
"So I guess that means I won..."
Seikatsu said under his breath.
Seikatsu took a seat on the part of the fountain that wasn't rubble, and waited for Altsoba to wake up.
It was a few hours before Altsoba woke up. She looked at the sky.
"I didn't know the sky was so clear..."
She said reminiscently.
"You awake harlot?"
Seikatsu said, still sour from Altsoba's teasing.
"So I've been demoted back to that..."
Altsoba said with a saddened voice.
"I suppose I deserve it."
She accepted the fact, and felt a bit ashamed that she'd taken the joke so far that Seikatsu would begin hating her again.
"You made a promise."
Seikatsu said, cueing Altsoba to keep her end up.
Altsoba looked at him confused.
Seikatsu looked at her with cold eyes.
"I cut you in half, and stabbed you in the heart.
You lost.
You promised to show me another 'trick'"
He said irritatedly.
"I guess I did."
Altsoba said, remembering her promise.
Altsoba picked her scythe off the ground.
"If you beat me with this ability active, I'll teach you how to master this weapon."
She said, feeling pretty bad for making Seikatsu angry.
Altsoba waved her hand and healed the cuts and bruises on Seikatsu, and the gashes on herself.
"Are you ready?" Altsoba asked.
"Yeh." Seikatsu replied.
Altsoba slammed the loop end of her scythe on the ground.
"Ljus...
lyser...
starkast...
på...
natten!"
The world grew dark, and Seikatsu couldn't see a thing. His senses flared as though it were truly night. Some light spots were seen, which Seikatsu interpreted as stars. Seikatsu was amazed, a sword that converted day to night. Seikatsu switched his eyesight to see whatever souls were around him. Much to his surprise Seikatsu was completely blinded. The entire area he was in was comprised of nothing but soul energy.
"I was about to tell you not to use that ability, but it sounds like I'm a bit late."
Alstoba said plainly.
"In this world all occult magics gain power. There is little light, and it takes time for your eyes to adjust to it." Altsoba added.
Seikatsu waited for his eyes to adjust to the night. It took a few minutes, but he was able to see Altsoba's outline. She was mostly in black, and he hair was the only thing that stood out.
'I guess I'm aiming for the head'
Seikatsu said to himself and began running at Altsoba. Seikatsu swung and Altsoba caught the blade.
"You're moving slower because you don't want to miss.
Use your senses to find your target."
Altsoba said calmly.
Altsoba pushed Seikatsu back, and ran the blade of her scythe along his eyes. Seikatsu's eyes were bleeding, and he was blinded and screaming from pain. Altsoba snapped and froze Seikatsu's nerves so he wouldn't feel the pain.
"You have no choice but to fight without your eyes now."
Altsoba said bluntly.
No longer burdened by the pain of his eyes being slashed, Seikatsu stepped back, and took a deep breath. He entered a meditative state, and allowed his senses to become one with the world around him. Seikatsu began to feel the breeze around him, being caused by the explosions and fires. He heard the screams of pain as villagers were impaled, and the breath of his opponent. The smelled the scent of Altsoba's perfume, and the remnants of blood on her dress. There was a small hint of salt in the air that Seikatsu could taste, it didn't taste like human sweat, but rather like salted fish.
Seikatsu lifted his sword, and got ready to do battle in the dark. He knew where Altsoba was, and had no choice but to not be torn apart. He heard steps approaching rapidly, and the sound of something lifting. Seikatsu spun around, feeling the edge of Altsoba's dress brush against his pants and he made a single cut in Altsoba's side.
Altsoba felt the cut, and acknowledged that the liquid was definitely blood.
"Very good."
Altsoba said calmly.
Seikatsu turned and began attacking Altsoba rapidly. One strike followed another, and another, and another, and another. He made sure to attack so fast that Altsoba couldn't move in any direction except backwards. Altsoba was amazed that he would be able to attack in such rapid succession. She was utterly powerless to do anything but block as Seikatsu's onslaught continued.
Altsoba side stepped one of the attacks and made an attack. Seikatsu got in close and smelled the perfume was stronger. He heard the pole of the scythe overhead and grabbed it. Seikatsu rammed the tip of his sword through Altsoba's stomach, and pulled it sideways while Altsoba was stepping back.
Seikatsu could smell the blood pouring out.
Altsoba couldn't understand how Seikatsu was a better fighter in the night.
She then remembered, the outdoors are Seikatsu's home. Tracking isn't a daunting task to him, it's a playful game of violent hide and seek. Meditation is something Seikatsu's mastered, and can do even in battle. In fact, since it's dark Seikatsu would have an easier time meditating.
Altsoba healed Seikatsu's eyes, and dissolved the night effect. When the two had the moon in view, it was in the middle of the sky.
"You've won. We'll rest for the day, then teach you some fun stuff tomorrow."
Altsoba said with a smile.
Seikatsu nodded.
The timer reset to the day before the siege of Altsoba's city, and Seikatsu made his way to the castle. Altsoba had him sleep in her room again, this time she decided to go to sleep with him. Seikatsu was already in the bed when Altsoba switched to a black and red night gown in front of him. Seikatsu looked away out of decency, and resolved himself to the fact that Altsoba was getting in bed with his. What he didn't foresee was the feeling of Altsoba pressing her chest against his back, and wrapping an arm around him. Seikatsu turned around at lightning speed.
"Wh-what are you doing!?" Seikatsu asked with a red face.
Altsoba looked at Seikatsu with soft eyes, and pulled her face close to his.
"If you blush so much you'll get a nose bleed."
Alstoba said in a voice that implied she actually cared. She gave Seikatsu a kiss on the cheek and held him while she fell asleep.
Seikatsu, dazed by the fact that a demon just kissed him, realized there was no getting out of this. He shifted to lay on his back, and tried to fall asleep.
Seikatsu wasn't sure how long it had been, but he knew it was upwards of two hours and he hadn't fallen asleep. Altsoba on the other hand was knocked out cold. Seikatsu thought to gently shimmy out of her grasp, and he put forth an effort to do so. His effort was proven vein when Altsoba grabbed his waist and pulled herself back against his bare chest.
'Are you friggin' serious?!' Seikatsu said to himself.
Altsoba went so far as to rest her head on Seikatsu's chest, making Seikatsu even more uncomfortable. Out of nowhere, Seikatsu heard a melodic voice humming. The song was so familiar, but he couldn't understand where he'd heard it before.
Still the song was actually very relaxing, and Seikatsu found himself being lulled to sleep as it resonated in his mind.
Before long, Seikatsu was sound asleep. Altsoba opened her eyes when Seikatsu was definitely asleep, and put on a very sadistic grin.

When Seikatsu woke up, much to his joy, Altsoba wasn't next to him. He looked across the room and saw that she was sitting on the window sill with the window open, and her legs dangling out.
"Kateri was right, you're a super hard sleeper..."
Alstoba said calmly.
"That better not mean what it meant back then."
Seikatsu said with a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Who knows."
Altsoba said with a smile as she turned around and pushed herself from the window sill. She trotted over to Seikatsu and grabbed his hand.
"Come on, there's more to see!"
She said with child like happiness as she pulled on Seikatsu's hand. Seikatsu decided to try and ignore her, and he pulled his hand away and turn to a side.
The room grew dark, and Seikatsu saw a shadow that looked like several vines were sprouting around Altsoba. Seikatsu was thrown from the bed and Altsoba ran to his side. She pulled him up and began pulling him out of the room.
"Oops!"
Altsoba said when she was outside the door, and realized she'd forgotten to switch from her pajamas to her dress.
"One minute."
She said to Seikatsu.
Altsoba went in the room and closed the door. When she re-emerged a moment later she was wearing her normal red and black dress with her dark red ribbon.
"Okay, now we can go!"
She said with a great big smile on her face while pulling Seikatsu.
She pulled Seikatsu outside the castle, and took him to the woods surrounding her kingdom. The scents, and sounds were so nostalgic to Seikatsu that he was able to feel relaxed while a demon pulled him into dimly lit woods. They arrived at a cliff and Seikatsu looked down.
"Oooooooohhhhh...... damn."
He said while looking at the immense drop below.
Altsoba tied a vine to her leg, and then one to Seikatsu's.
"What are you doing.?"
Altsoba smiled at Seikatsu and grabbed his hands.
"1..."
"Huh?"
"2..."
"You're not serious are you?"
"3..."
Altsoba pulled Seikatsu and herself over the edge of the cliff, and sent them into free fall.
"Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-"
The vines caught both of them just a few feet from the rocks below. Altsoba was laughing like a child at the festival, Seikatsu was happy the vines were strong and short enough.
Seikatsu looked at the hard surface only a couple feet below him.
"What the hell!
Are you homicidal or something!?"
He snapped at Altsoba.
Altsoba wrapped her arms around Seikatsu and hugged him tightly. The vines let go of their legs and dropped them. Altsoba landed on top Seikatsu with their cheeks touching. Altsoba straightened up and began laughing.
"You need to loosen up, I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't done it before."
She told Seikatsu.
Seikatsu propped himself up on his elbows and looked at Altsoba.
'She really is cute when she isn't trying to kill someone...' he thought to himself.
"Mind getting off me?"
Seikatsu asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.
Altsoba did as asked, and got off of Seikatsu's torso. She got up and dusted herself off. Seikatsu stood up and looked around.
"I know this place.... but there was never a cliff here."
Seikatsu said curiously.
"The lands constantly shift.
They rise.
They fall.
The move locations, and change shape.
So is the natural order."
Altsoba said poetically.
There was a large lake within view, and Altsoba was anything but hesitant to ask if Seikatsu wanted to jump in. Seikatsu tried to turn her down, but that didn't end well.
Altsoba pulled Seikatsu to the lake, and began pushing him in. One he was close enough Altsoba grabbed Seikatsu by the waste and pulled both of them in. Altsoba emerged from the water first and Seikatsu popped his head up with a rather unpleased look on it.
"Good thing you can swim!"
Altsoba said while laughing at Seikatsu, who's hair had flopped over his eyes.
Altsoba slipped out of her dress, wadded it up and threw it onto the bank.
"And if I didn't know how to swim?" Seikatsu asked unhappily.
"Well, you can't die here, but I guess you would drown and pass out...
I might have to give you mouth to mouth."
Altsoba said teasing Seikatsu.
At first Seikatsu wanted to kill Altsoba, but seeing her so happy made him feel less angry.
'I'm getting soft...' Seikatsu said to himself.
Seikatsu hadn't noticed Altsoba was partially in the buff when a small wave made her bob above the surface. Upon asking why she wasn't wearing a bra, Altsoba responded with a curious
"What's a bra?"
"Well... it's a piece of clothing that you put over your breasts so men aren't looking at your nipples when it rains or something like that..." Seikatsu said trying to explain the foreign idea as simply as possible.
"Wouldn't that squeeze your boobs though?" Altsoba asked while looking at her chest.
"Well... probably?" Seikatsu guessed.
"Sounds uncomfortable, plus a man hasn't seen me naked in over a millenia." Altsoba said and dived under water.
Seikatsu rested his head on his palm while shaking it in disbelief that this cheerful, care free person is the almighty demon of war.
"Why me..." Seikatsu said under his breath with excessive disdain.
"WHAAA-BLRGGLLGLGRG..." Seikatsu said as he felt Altsoba grabbing him by the ankle and pulling him under. While under the lake surface, Seikatsu was face to face with Altsoba who was anything but hesitant to nonchalantly kiss him on the tip of his nose. She made her way back to the surface, and waited for the reaction.
Seikatsu flew out of the water and took a deep breath.
"WHAT THE HE-"
Altsoba interrupted Seikatsu by grabbing him and giving him a kiss on the lips. When she disconnected Seikatsu's face was far redder than she'd ever made it turn before.
"What...
is your malfunction..."
Seikatsu asked Altsoba while pinching his nose to prevent it from bleeding.
Altsoba looked at Seikatsu with seemingly innocent eyes, and red cheeks.
"Well...
What can I say?
I wanted a kiss." She said with an embarrassed tone.
Seikatsu looked at Altsoba angrily and got ready to chew her out, but before he could say a thing. Altsoba had poked him on his  chest and swam away exclaiming with childish enjoyment "Tag!"
Seikatsu watched as Altsoba got further and further away trying to connect the dots, and make sense of this random situation, but his attempt at achieving nirvana was vein. What's worse is that by the time he gave up, Altsoba was in the middle of the lake and he was still close to shore.
Seikatsu snapped back to his senses and swam after Altsoba. Altsoba waited in place for a a little bit, just long enough for Seikatsu to get a few feet away before she began swimming.
Seikatsu sped up his pace, but was still being left behind.
'Good grief she's fast' Seikatsu thought
Seikatsu swam as fast as he could but was unable to catch up. Altsoba finally came over to him and looked at Seikatsu with big crimson eyes, and an overjoyed expression. She began pulling Seikatsu to a part of the lake.
"Come, I wanna show you something amazing!" she said with excitement.
Seikatsu didn't give any resistance, he followed Altsoba to a small section of the lake that went underground. He felt a bit nervous when Altsoba went into the dark hole, but she popped back up and grabbed him by the hand.
"I will pull you down." she said impatiently.
Seikatsu nodded to let Altsoba know he would follow this time. Altsoba dived under, and Seikatsu followed her into the dark void. At first, Seikatsu thought the hole was where the water was fed into the lake, but much to his surprise the water was still meaning it neither came in no went out from the hole. In the hole all Seikatsu had to direct him was the sound of Altsoba's feet kicking. After what seemed like an eternity he saw a small light filtering through and saw Altsoba moving toward it. Seikatsu surfaced and took a massive gasp of air followed by several more to re-oxygenate his brain. Looking around, there was nothing but vines and a hole at the top where light filtered down. The room he was in was circular, and it seemed like the only way out was to climb up the vines, or go back through the water. Altsoba pulled Seikatsu to the edge of the wall and moved a set of vines aside revealing a different area of the tunnel. In this area, the water was shimmering as it reflected the light being filtered through it. Seikatsu could see all sorts of small fish swimming through the little pond; some he could identify, some he couldn't.
A small few birds flew in through a small hole above Seikatsu. One landed on his head and began turning. Seikatsu pulled his hand from the water and motioned it closer to the bird expecting it to fly away. His finger got a centimeter away from the bird before it jumped onto it. Seikatsu had to avoid jumping himself as he was used to animals feeling nervous around humans. Seikatsu was always good with animals, but never once had he been able to make contact with an animal that wasn't suspicious of him. He moved his arm so he would be able to see the bird, and was amazed as he'd never seen one like it before. The bird was small, no bigger than his palm and had rainbow colored wings. It's beat was small, obviously good for nabbing bugs from grass and not for smashing through wood. It turned its small head and looked at Seikatsu curiously as if it knew Seikatsu was puzzled by it and was puzzled in return.
"Never seen one before?"
Altsoba said calmly.
"Not once."
Seikatsu said, mystified by the tiny bird.
"They're not that rare, at least I didn't think so." Altsoba responded.
Altsoba walked over to a nearby vine and put her slender hand out and one of the birds on it gently stepped on.
"They're called Rain Walker Birds." she informed Seikatsu, who was gently rubbing the head of the bird on his finger.
"Did these truly exist?" Seikatsu asked, remembering he was in Altsoba's world.
"I can't control the souls in my world. Just the flow of time." Altsoba informed Seikatsu.
"The magic my demon taught me was Space and Time corruption and purification. I can move time forwards or back around an area. Only after I died I created my own little world to keep me from being around other demons who might want to use my magic for their own purposes." She added.
"So... you have no way of controlling souls?" Seikatsu asked curiously.
"None." Altsoba said with a chipper voice while making a quick smile in Seikatsu's direction.
Seikatsu wanted to ask how she was able to train him to use souls, but he figured that time was her own personal tutor. That or she pulled the lessons out of her ass.
The bird began walking up Seikatsu's arm and got right next to his face.
"Awe, it likes you!" Altsoba said jokingly.
Seikatsu rubbed the side of the small bird with this tip of his finger.
"You think so?" he asked sarcastically.
Altsoba gave a small giggle while covering her mouth with he free hand. The bird on he hand flew off and rejoined its friends on the vines.
"I guessed yours found out you're a complete psychopath and decided to go before you contracted him." Seikatsu said to Altsoba joking.
Altsoba made a childish groaning sound while pouting with puffed out cheeks. Seikatsu thought it was the most adorable thing he'd ever seen an adult pull off, and walked over to her. The water was up to his chest, so it took a couple moments to fully get to her. When he was next to Altsoba, Seikatsu picked the Rain Walker off his shoulder, and set the small colorful bird on her head.
Altsoba jerked her body as the unexpected surprise occurred. She looked at Seikatsu with soft, innocent eyes. Altsoba began to turn red as she'd noticed Seikatsu's eyes had changed. His standardly dark purple, dull, lifeless and devoid of hope, eyes were now becoming soft. His eyes began to look a lot more livelier and as if there was a human behind them.
"If you blush too hard, your nose will bleed." Seikatsu teased Altsoba.
Altsoba was trying to speak, but for reasons she couldn't understand her words had stopped shy of her voice box. She felt herself becoming self conscious, and nervous with Seikatsu staring directly into her eyes. Seikatsu leaned in a kissed her on the lips. Altsoba turned full red, and spun around while pinching her nose to prevent the nose bleed from fully coming on.
"Wh-wha-wh-what the h- hell?" She asked nervously.
"What can I say...
I wanted a kiss." Seikatsu said with a bit of satisfaction in his voice.
The bird flew off of Altsoba's head, and landed on the bright green, illuminated vine lining the cavern. The fish in the pond swam around the two potential lover's legs, making sure not to touch them. Altsoba was shocked that this happened to her. SHE was the one who was supposed to be teasing the other, and making Seikatsu feel uncomfortable. But now it was HER who was feeling uncomfortable, and holding back a nose bleed.
Seikatsu was stunned that Altsoba had honest feelings for him. He came to that conclusion from the way Altsoba was seeming a bit shaky, and very uncomfortable. That and her red face was a good sign.
'I'm gonna milk this...' Seikatsu thought to himself.
He walked over and got close to Altsoba, placing his hands on her hips, feeling thankful that in her time they atleast had under wear. He pulled himself close, and embraced Altsoba gently. Altsoba tensed her muscles and put her hands on Seikatsu's arms as if she would try to push him away, but couldn't muster the strength to pull through with it.
"So demons do have feelings..." Seikatsu teased with a soft, sweet voice.
"O-of course we do!" Altsoba tried to snap at Seikatsu, but found herself unable to get a full on yell out.
Altsoba gave into the moment, and began slowly, cautiously moving her arms to wrap around Seikatsu. She leaned her head in, resting it on Seikatsu's warm muscular chest, and began listening to the percussion choir of Seikatsu's heart steadily beating.
"You're not uncomfortable like this?" Seikatsu asked in a caring voice.
"I... Umm, I..." Altsoba stuttered.
Altsoba couldn't understand why her mind had fogged over so much, and why the words were being welded to the back of her throat. She felt Seikatsu tightening his embrace just a hair, causing Altsoba's heartbeat to begin racing even faster. Altsoba was star struck at the fact that she was actually in love with the person she was contracted to.
"This...
It..." Altsoba tried to speak, but couldn't.
Seikatsu began rubbing her back gently.
"Just let the words come out." he said in a soft voice.
"We...
This... isn't allowed..." Altsoba finally choked out.
"Says who..." Seikatsu said, not caring for whatever rule it was.
Altsoba loosened her grip on Seikatsu's shoulders, and said in a saddened tone.
"Demons are forbidden from forming romantic relationships with humans."
"It's considered black magic."
"Contracting with a demon, working with souls the way I do, killing people...
It's all forbidden in my world." Seikatsu said calmly.
"I just don't care to consider the opinions of others." he added.
Altsoba grabbed hold of Seikatsu, for she had only ever been with one man before, and that was when she was human. It had been so long since she'd known the feeling of being cared for, felt the sensation of being held by loving arms, had the ache in her heart from having to choose between love and law. She'd forgotten what these human emotions were like because for over a millennia, Altsoba had been a demon.
Seikatsu let Altsoba go, and walked over to the edge of the small pond in the shimmering room.
"So tell me something..." Seikatsu said in a curious voice.
Altsoba looked at Seikatsu "What?"
"What's it like?" Seikatsu asked with a straight face.
"What's, what like?" Altsoba asked, having no clue what Seikatsu was talking about.
"Having someone pulling your strings." Seikatsu said in a very angry, cold voice.
Altsoba was utterly speechless. She was so sure that Seikatsu had honest feelings for her. She felt like holding him was the only thing in the world that mattered. Altsoba fell to her knees, putting the water just under her nose. Her crimson eyes wide open with astonishment from the sudden disastrous realization that Seikatsu was screwing with her.
Altsoba straightened up and looked at Seikatsu with tears forming in her eyes.
"You honestly think I would ever care about you that much?" Seikatsu said coldly.
"You... who used me as a tool.
Who made me kill everyone I cared for.
Who made me suffer every day of my life.
Who's very voice is enough to piss me off." Seikatsu said with murder in his eyes.
Altsoba looked at the water thinking how much of a fool she'd been. She couldn't even be angry at Seikatsu for taking those few moments to exact his revenge on her. Altsoba knew Seikatsu hated her with the up most intent, so why she thought Seikatsu fell for her out of the blue was a mystery. Altsoba stood up, and turned around to hide the tears running down her face. She felt herself ready to die from sadness, and immediately jumped into the hole in the pond that lead back to the large lake.
Seikatsu watched Altsoba diving into the hole in the pond with enraged eyes of hatred. He maintained the look for several minutes after she vanished into the dark abyss, just in case she came back. If she did, she could look into the eyes of a man who wanted her to die, if only for another minute. One of the tiny birds flew down from the bright green vines lining the room. It looked at Seikatsu curiously, and hopped a  couple times, moving a centimeter closer to Seikatsu's stomach.
Seikatsu rubbed the head of the strange, extinct creature with the tip of his finger. The small bird leaned into the finger, and moved its head around so Seikatsu would scratch just the right spot. The bird jumped on Seikatsu's finger and began making chirping sounds. He set the bird on his shoulder, and rested his arms on his legs.
"I'm gonna regret this... I just know it." Seikatsu said, remembering who Altsoba is.
"But whatever she puts me through, it's better than betraying my woman." Seikatsu said, trying to convince himself it was alright.
Seikatsu knew for a fact that Istas wasn't killed off when he wiped out his village. Kateri was living proof of that, and Seikatsu couldn't force himself to deny it. Seikatsu knew Istas and Kateri separated when Istas was fighting some monster, and Kateri was following him for years after that. But Seikatsu didn't know if Istas was still alive. If she was, then Seikatsu had a duty to return to her and stay at her side.
Seikatsu remained in the cavern and took his time to contemplate what he truly wanted in life. Was Istas truly that important to Seikatsu? Surely by now Istas would be so different that he'd have to learn her all over again. Even still, Istas wasn't looking after Seikatsu when he was fighting for his life. She never helped Seikatsu deal with the hardships of knowing what he'd done. He wondered if he should give into his newfound attraction to Altsoba, or remain true to the traditions of his people.
Seikatsu had the idea running through his mind so much that he'd fallen asleep on the cavern floor.
Seikatsu awoke to the sound of the fountain in the middle of the kingdom courtyard being turned into a pile of wet rubble. Looking around, he saw Altsoba sitting on a portion of the fountain that wasn't wrecked. Seikatsu looked at her closer, and saw she had a sullen look on her face.
"I... I can't be mad at you for what you did." Altsoba admitted.
She stood up and walked over to Seikatsu. Altsoba grabbed hold of Seikatsu arms, and pulled herself in close. He looked down as he felt the warm embrace of Altsoba's tears on his chest, gently streaming from her eyes down Seikatsu's muscular body.
"I'll never be able to apologize enough to make it up.
I'll never be able to earn your trust.
I'll never be able to undo what I've done to you.
I can accept that horrible fact.
But I want you to know, I love you." Altsoba said in a crackled, tired voice.
Alstoba stood back and looked Seikatsu in the eyes. Seikatsu stared into her eyes, which were full of tears, and looked red from how much she'd been crying.
"When you're done here, my power is yours to use at will.
It costs a bit of blood to tap into demonic power, but it will be worth it." Altsoba said calmly.
Altsoba pulled out her sword.
"Lesson one." she said with a confident voice.
Seikatsu was never surprised at how quickly Altsoba changes personas. It's like she has a god given talent for being serious, being silly, being psychotic, and then being normal with no transition between the tones.
"You need to take the sword apart from its base components, and then infuse it with your magic.
It can't be done with only one element, as it needs on element for structure, and another to act as a glue."
Seikatsu was able to understand that... for the most part.
Seikatsu's Thorn of Betrayal appeared in his hands, and he whirled his ice and soul magic throughout the blade. Seikatsu was able to master the art in only a couple hours of practicing. During which time, the blade either stayed together and fell apart after a minute, or just plain fell apart right off the bat.
Altsoba grabbed his final scythe and slammed it on the ground as hard as possible. She smiled when it didn't turn to powder, and she handed it back to Seikatsu.

Altsoba transitioned right into the next lesson. She looked at Seikatsu, trying to hide the shame she felt inside. She slammed the bottom of the Scythe on the floor and said:
"Ljus...
lyser...
starkast...
på...
natten!"
She said the phrase with a strong, commanding voice. The world around Seikatsu and Altsoba grew pitch black, and Seikatsu felt his primal instincts acting up.
"This power if much more complicated that turning the sword into a scythe." Altsoba informed Seikatsu.
Alstoba undid the ability, and the large blackness dissolved slowly, gradually. Seikatsu watched it dissolve, and discovered that Altsoba hadn't changed day to night. Rather, the demon had encircled them both with a pitch black sphere that gave the feeling of it being night. Seikatsu turned his attention to Altsoba, waiting for the explanation on how to accomplish this task.
"First off, you can only do this with your sword in Scythe form." Altsoba began.
"when you slam the sword on the ground, you must exert your authority as the ruler of your people. Use this authority to over power the land around you. This authority must be encompassed with your will to violate the natural order, and create a realm of your own in the realm you're currently in." Altsoba told to Seikatsu.
Seikatsu was pondering if such a feet is possible in the real world. He wondered if he had the authority to take the laws put in by mother nature herself... the ultimate ruler, and uproot them to throw his own law into the mix...
"After wards, you must say the demonic words: Ljyus lyser strkast på natten." she continued.
"The words means: The light shines brightest in the dark.
After that, you must form the spell into a sphere around you.
If you make it too large, it won't have structure and will crumble."
Altsoba looked at Seikatsu and signaled him to give it a try.

Seikatsu brought about all the power he knew he had. The authority of the Chief of the Tribe of Souls and forced that power through his weapon. Seikatsu slammed the bottom of the scythe on the floor, and focused his authority through the land and formed a sphere.
The sphere formed, but was too large and exploded into powder. Seikatsu tried over and over again, and failed every time. He then made a small tweak, instead of authority as the chief, he used his authority as a soul wizard. This time the attempt worked, and Altsoba decided to move onto the next lesson.

Altsoba spread her arms wide, as if preparing to bear hug a super fat guy. She then said in a strong voice that cuased the air around her and Seikatsu to vibrate:
"Du...
och...
jag...
är...
odöda!"
Upon saying the words, black shodowy tendrils rose from the ground, and began flickering in the air. Black wisps appeared and began shifting eerily through the airspace around Seikatsu and Altsoba's feet.
"Those are black wisps as you can see. They're the result from total decomposition of a soul, and will offer the greatest power to you and wizards similar to yourself. Be careful while using it, as you can't controll whether friend of foe taps into this power source." Altsoba said to Seikatsu.
The wisps vanished, and Altsoba got ready to teach the lesson.
"First, you spread your arms wide. This is to make it obvious you are prepared to give, and recieve power from the demonic plane. Next, you creat a bond with me, this in turn puts you in touch with the demonic plane, and allows you to call forth power from it. Utter the words: Du och jag är odöda.
These words mean: You and I are undead.
You will then be taxed a small bit of your own life force.
In exchange, the demonic plane will transfer some of its purest soul energy to your plane of existance."

Seikatsu spread his arms out wide, and began to focus in on himself. He felt the bond between him and Altsoba forming, and then said the words Altsoba instructed him to say.
"Du...
Och...
Jag...
är...
odöda..."
Upon doing so, he felt his body weaken for a moment, but noticed nothing happened. Seikatsu wondered what he did wrong, and soon realized that he wasn't putting any authority into his words. This time, when he said the phrase black wisps and tendrils arose fromt he ground. Seikatsu was understanding that the demonic world is all about authority over your opponent. Be it the natural realm, or the unnatural, the stronger will is the victor. A lesson he is sure to not forget anytime soon...
Altsoba nodded, acknowledging that Seikatsu did it proper. She told him the more he performed it in his world, the more used to the life drain he'd get. It'l never go away, but it won't be so terrible.

Altsoba pulled out another sword. This one had a slightly blue hue to its grip. The grip has a piece of metal the went over the knuckles, possibly to prevent the knuckles hitting something. There was a red gem between the blade and grip that glowed a faint red just like with Seikatsu's Thorn of Betrayal. The blade was mostly white, with the acception of a slight blue tings closer to the grip. The blade was held on by a few thin pieces of metal that Seikatsu was amazed were capable of holding the large piece of metal in place.
"This is the Heart of War." Altsoba said plainly.
Seikatsu turned his attention from the sword, to Altsoba.
"This is the sword that represents all that I am.
It's your now.
Take this as a token of my love." she said earnestly.
"And if I don't want it?" Seikatsu said coldly.
"You have no choice.
That blade will not break unless hit with an equal.
That blade will never leave your side.
It is as I am.
Unwavering, hardy, and omnipresent." Altsoba informed Seikatsu.

"If you find yourself unable to finish your opponent, stab the blade into the ground and think of my image. Call forth my body and soul from the demonic plane, and you will have a formidable ally within moments. Until you prove your power, and worthiness to retain the sword after invoking my physical form, you will be unable to use the blade after summoning me to the fray. As I am called forth, I will also call forth the most powerful of my knights to aid in the fight." Altsoba instructed Seikatsu.

Seikatsu looked walked forward and gently took the blade from Altsoba's slender, feminine hands. He studied it, and figured a weapon so powerful would come in handy, if only to summon Altsoba to assist him. Seikatsu also hoped he would never have to call on Altsoba for a favor, and looked at Altsoba.
"Thank you.
I'll treat it with care." Seikatsu said calmly.
Seikatsu then took a step back, as he knew his mentore would have more to tell him then just 'here's a sword' and he was waiting for it.

"That weapon also retains a part of my heart I'd long since forgotten about. The part of me that wills itself to protect its people. To wrap itself around those closest to it, and prevent them from being injured, if only for a moment.
This will, can be channeled through that sword if your desire is the same. The barrier created will not forever remain, but it will be sufficient to protect you from some attacks. What you need to do to call forth the will of my blade is swing your sword as if fending off and attack, and think of the word protect. Think of it and all of its glory, and embody that will into the power to do so.
A barrier will forge itself around you and any ally you wish, while keeping your enemy outside. Your own magic, even the wall of swords, will be unable to escape it. So while inside, focus on healing and recouperating your strenght." Alstoba said with a caring voice.
Seikatsu looked at the sword, marveling at the power it held.
"You have my gratitude." Seikatsu said to Altsoba.
"Yes, and you have my heart." Altsoba replied with a sweet voice.

Altsoba stepped up to Seikatsu, and put one of her hands on Seikatsu's arm. She looked deep into his empty, dull, void like eyes and then smiled. She wrapped her arms around him, and held Seikatsu close as she knew, it may be the only time she gets to do so for a long time.
"When you get the chance, use that blade to summon me out of battle.
I'll forgive you for giving me the chance to hold one again." Altsoba said kindly.
She let Seikatsu go, and Seikatsu felt faint.
Seikatsu saw the world grow dark, and he put his hand on his head in an attempt to brush the dizzy feeling off. Seikatsu opnened his eyes again and was able to see all of Fiore from here. He looked off the tower's east side and saw the forest, and Magnolia; and even further off in the distance; there was Clover Lake; and the Inferno Mountains even further still.
Seikatsu switched to the tower's left; and he sew the Sabertooth Guild Hall; nestled in the mountains he was in, far, far down below; the building nothing but a spec from way up there. However, looking straight ahead, Seikatsu beheld the beauty of Fiore's grasslands; the twin cities of Era and Crocus shining in the plains; whether it be day or night.
Too his north, Seikatsu sew the Royal Palace; the home of the Politicians, nestled in the forest; and even saw the gigantic beanstalk from Beanstalk Village piercing the clouds up above as he was, while standing on the Sky Tower; and also Rose Garden, glistening in the distance like a rainbow under a constant enchantment. To his South, Seikatsu sew the Peace River; and Peace Village; nestled as a tiny spec off in the distant southern grasslands.
A small chip of the diamon fell off from the main stone, and instead of using it to give to the man who hinted him to the location, he decided to use it for his own purposes. Seikatsu stuffed the diamond fragment in his pocket and summoned his wings and began to fly off to his home for some R n' R.