Armageddon

He spun and hit the ground, looking back up at her grinning expression. The earth crunched beneath his weight as he stood up and yanked off his jacket, revealing his glistening green skin beneath the silver rays of the moonlight. He tossed it to the side and plucked several hidden blades from his body, tossing them, too, to the pile.

Tia closed her eyes and tilted her head back, soaking in the fresh air and the sounds of hundreds of creatures singing to the moon. She heard him approach and quickly focused back on the male before her. He raised his hands, a playful grin on his face.

“How did you manage to disenchant yourself so quickly?” He asked.

She debated his question before shrugging. “Honestly, I wanted to get a surprise hit on you.” She leaned to the side. “I haven’t faced a worthy opponent since I was ten.”

He seemed pleased. “You are full of surprises, lassie. I’ve fought several Humans who wandered too far from the Zoo, and you are the first to sneak up on me as you did. Though, you are also the first to live in this world of ours. Something about you no longer seems Human.”

“The Professor thinks I will evolve beyond Human and Fae altogether,”

“An interesting theory. We’ll have to see about that, won’t we?” He lowered himself into a fighting position. Grinning, the Human female mirrored his stance.

She was the fastest and strongest Human he had ever fought against. Her blows bruised his flesh as they sparred well into the night. He continually upped his effort in the battle against her until he found a comfortable footing in their differences. She was surprisingly good, and he indeed felt she was beyond Human already.

They continued this journey into the mountains every night for multiple days, and she surprised him further by getting better and better as she grew accustomed to his fighting style. He couldn’t help but feel she was evolving before his very eyes and was surprised to realize the Professor monitoring her never even considered the potential in her physical abilities; during the daytime, when they weren’t sparring, he had taken to watching her lessons and the testing she underwent. With clearly waning patience, she allowed herself to be hooked up to machines and take tests after tests. They drew her blood and studied her mental status, along with a myriad of other procedures intent on discovering all there was concerning the Human and the effect her new magical environment was having on her.

One day Jaya sat in an open passage a few stories up, his arms folded across his chest and his gaze distant on the sky. The familiar steps of a Gargoyle came up behind him, stopping just next to him. Jaya hid his unease; he knew the Human female was easily in his line of sight and hoped Alexander would not think anything suspicious.

“What’s the news? Need meh to torture the male?” he asked curtly.

Alex folded his hands behind his back and frowned. “No, the Human male has little to offer us. We won’t waste the effort with him.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Alex spotted the familiar red locks down below and regarded her curiously. “It is a curious thing, we were hoping she’d develop a change about her, but the magic seems to not affect her at all.” Jaya mentally scoffed at the Gargoyle; it was mental that no one realized it. Even her walk was almost as silent as his own. She was becoming more and more dangerous, and no one had any clue. The Orc remained silent and Alexander turned slightly, sparing his distant look a sideways glance. “Prince Vladimir asks that you assist with the preparations for the tournament, the New Moon will be on us in a week.”

“I’ll hear those orders from the horse’s mouth, Lord Alexander,” he growled, standing up and towering over the Gargoyle. Alex gave him a surprised look. “I ain’t no palace worker, I’m a killer.” He turned and marched away, the muscles in his broad shoulders flexing in annoyance. Alex sighed and shrugged his shoulders, looking back down at the corridor he had seen Tia walking moments before. A spark of mischievousness flashed through his gray irises and he turned around, heading off in a different direction. Jaya observed him from the corner he had hidden behind, a dangerous look about him. “I don’t like that guy, he’s always up to somethin’. Sorry little monkey, but it looks like we’ll have to reschedule tonight.”

Tia played the harp in front of her with a bored expression. The fading sunlight filtered in through the open window as maids tended to the other royal females in the room. The room was lined with bright furniture and tables full of food and tea. Buttermilk curtains blew in and out of the open windows and the sound of the distant bustling town could be heard on the breeze. The females gossiped and laughed amongst themselves, eating chocolate and examining the fabric and hats before them. Cleo, who was sitting next to Tia with a book, half glanced up between the comments when a knock sounded at the door. Rose, the Fairy maid, stood up from her spot on the ground and opened it, greeting Alexander as he stepped into the room. He bowed low as a sign of greeting.

“My brother’s other half, what gives us this honor?” Cleo spoke sarcastically, the room rewarding her with a few snickers.

“I was wondering if I might steal the Lady Tiana for the evening.” Tia sat upright.

Cleo pressed her lips. “I’m sure that is a request you’d ask Vladimir,”

“You misunderstand me on purpose, Princess.” Alex offered her a small smile. She looked away from him, dissatisfied. Tia set the harp down and made her way through the group of females. The blonde female, Svetlana, waved excitedly as she passed, the turquoise scales lining her soft jawline glistening in the afternoon light.

“Goodbye, have a nice night,” Tia called over her shoulder before following Alex out of the room. The door closed softly behind them and she looked up to meet his joyful expression. He gave her a pleasant smile and patted her head.

“Hello, how are you? I’m sorry we’ve been distant lately; Vlad has some responsibilities with the King’s illness and all.”

Tia waved her hands, shaking her head. “No, I get it. Cleo has been keeping me updated on everything he’s going through, and it sounds like a nightmare. I haven’t approached him because I don’t want to be a bother...” She folded her hands behind her back and tried to offer a smile in return. She’d realized she’d shown him her hands and didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.

He’d noticed. Alex reached behind her and gently pulled her hands between them, examining the few bruises on her palms. Any trained eye would know they were from sparring, but hopefully, he wouldn’t realize it. “Your dance instructor failed to mention you fell...” He was suspicious.

She rolled her shoulders and gave a playful scoff. “I wasn’t dancing when it happened, it was in my free time I was trying to find out how many flips I could do in a row...”

He raised an eyebrow before realization dawned upon him. He released her hands and she looked at them herself before dropping them to her sides. “This way of life must be very different for you, how are you adjusting? I know you came from a more barbaric background.”

“Harsh,” she laughed as she slapped his chest, surprised when he parried the blow without thinking twice. “Ohhh you got some skills yourself, wanna fight me?” She winked at him and jumped back, taking a stance. He regarded her with an unreadable expression.

“I wouldn’t...” He said slowly, thinking. “It’s best not to get distracted. I have planned a dinner date for you and Vlad. It’s been some time and I think seeing your face will refresh him. He’s fallen asleep twice now trying to do all the paperwork himself.”

Something bubbled up inside her chest and she felt herself become a little nervous. “Oh, yea. That would be nice, thank you.”

“No, thank you.” He held out his elbow for her and, wrapping her arm through his, they walked side by side. A dark gaze lingered on them from the shadows above, one full of dissatisfaction.