Nyx had found a nice abandoned place to stay, not an extremely uncommon thing in such wilds as the Thunderbacks. Nobles often built estates thinking they could get away and relaxed but then changed there minds. There were too many unknowns in a place like this, criminals, wild beast, fate.
She knew who was after her, the only person who still had any reason to chase her. A man she had upset many years ago, a man that like it seemed so many other, couldn't let the past go. It was different with him then it had been with the Connloathian, still just as deadly, but it seemed rather playful. A game of cat and mouse where she was always the mouse. She wasn't the mouse because she was weak, she was the mouse because she had no reason to chase him. Especially now, she had no reason for anything now, now reason to chase him, no reason to live and fight him, no reason to run. Still though, still she ran, still she played into the hands of his game.
She sat in a rather large chair in what used to be a nice sitting room, but nature had started to reclaim the house and it was no longer lice. Still it was livable, offered protection from the sun, wind, and rain, plus she could light a fire and have some warmth. There were also some bed that were pretty nice, they much beat the option of sleeping on the cold hard ground.
She hoped that it would take time for the man to find her this time, she was actually enjoying her stay at the place, it was simple, and kept her mind off more painful things. Of course fighting him also kept her mind off those things, but she only had half the will to live, so she thought that facing him wasn't the best of ideas.
He stalked the night, leaping from rooftop to rooftop as waves of anger radiated off him like dew off a bird's plumage. How dare the ungrateful whelp reject his teachings. No one denied Maverick Alinari. NO ONE! Yet, she did and she was not the first.
For a brief moment the demon's mind flickered to another figure who dared deny him. But the doors to that part of his mind were slammed shut with such force that he could almost hear the sound of their ominous closure as if it had truly happened. He dared not open those floodgates. Those wounds were still too fresh to allow to fester further.
No tonight, he had better things to do. There was a hunt to end, a woman to find. She was near, that much he knew. It was just a matter finding her exact location that stopped him right not from running her down.
He had been coming the city for days now, slowing herding her, hoping that she would surface and the true chase would begin. 'Perhaps tonight will be the night,' he mused as he came to rest unwittingly a building away from the mouse's burrow. 'Come come little mouse, you can't hide forever now. Why not come out and play?'
Nyx could almost feel Maverick, something about they're powers, something that could let them sense each other, maybe it was the clashing of they're aura. She didn't know, she didn't exactly care. She quickly jumped from her chair. Everything near the house was all but abandoned and dilapidated. She decided that she wouldn't be the mouse this time, no. If he want to play a game she could show him a game.
At first she didn't believe her eyes as she sat in the chair and looked out the window at a man that could be none other then Maverick. He had found her and now she had no choice. She couldn't relax, he was much too close. She quickly walked to the window, 'Let the games begin'.
She took a deep breath, she hadn't used her abilities in a while, no she was going to used her most advanced moves. She dug deep and took a deep breath. She stepped out of the view of the window just in case he turned around. She started to braid her hair, because no one liked singed hair and she knew they both would be playing with fire.
Then with one more deep breath she stepped back in front of the window, and extrended her arm. A stream of intense flames shot out towards the man causing the glass in the window to explode out towards him.
Seemingly effortlessly Maverick rolled off the roof, kicking off at the last second to change his direction and swing himself up onto a lower one and out of the range of the spraying glass. A self-satisfied smirk briefly curled his lips as he looked towards the flames. He had not been wrong, she had indeed been very close.
Not waiting for her to gain anymore of the upper-hand now that she had revealed herself, he immediately fired back with electric blue flames that crackled as they further charged in the air and burst beneath her window, preventing her from jumping down.
If they were going to play, it would be on his terms and not those of this little girl. He was the master and he would be obeyed. Nyx had refused him in the past and as she continued to do so, the demon had begun on other means to try to control her. Eventually she would falter and lose. Then and only then would he prove himself the true master, once his student had been fully incapacitated and cornered, unable to run from him and at his mercy. Then she would learn what it meant to toy with a demon.
Nyx knew his next move, they had played with game too many times, she already knew how he played his cards. Before her flames had even stopped she dived across the room. Her feet carrying her with unexpected grace to the top floor. While most would have went for the bottom considering the house was on fire she knew she would be okay.
She could feel clouds gathering above, a storm brewing as the two played their deadly game. That would be her weapon. If he was going to play with demonic fire, she was going to spray him with holy water and see how he liked it.
She knew better then to hide, that was only for the weak and children. Hiding made you prey, made it easy to get cornered. She bound the stairs, once in the attic she used her flames to burst from the room and quickly shuffled to the roof. She looked around as thunder started to roll in the back ground.
"Come out, come out where ever you are," She spoke, half whisper of thought half taunt.
He smirked as he swiftly raced across the rooftops once more to swing around behind the building she resided within. Up or down, he would be ready for her. Although if he were to bet money he would assume she would head for ground and sneak away out of sight given that she knew he was somewhere up on the rooftops waiting for her.
Maverick was therefore somewhat caught off-guard to see the woman burst up onto the rooftop in front of him. While he stood a building away and hidden within its dark embrace he could still hear her as clear as day. And what he heard did not appease him.
The demon hated to be taunted and teased especially by one he deemed lesser than him. Only one was really ever allowed to treat him in such a manner and even he did not make it out of a scuffle unscathed. The thought of his crimson-eyed demon brought a glimmer of a smirk to his lips before more recent memories of their last encounter smothered it and left only cold hatred in its place.
Pitching his voice to sound as if he stood right behind her left shoulder he spoke in a gentle whisper. "I'm right here." Maverick pulled further back into the shadows away from her waiting for her next reaction even as he sent his voice in another direction. "I've been waiting."
Nxy let out a bitter laugh, did he not realize she knew all of his tricks!
"Maverick, have you become dense over the years? Do you not realize you have played your voice trick on me once before? So unoriginal! You hide in the shadows instead of standing in the light like a man, oh I forgot, you are nothing but a boy!" She screamed. She yearned to tear him apart verbally, to rip apart his pride.
She did not if he killed her, if anything that was her hope, no she wanted to cause damage that would last longer than physical injury. She wanted to leave mental and emotional scars, the ones that really counted.
"Haven't you realize you can hurt me no matter what you do. I have already had everything that matters to me ripped away, there is nothing I care about for you to take, I am sure you have heard. Knowing you, you were there watching. Your games do not matter now. No you just leave yourself to be injured, only leave yourself vulnerable!" She spoke bitterly, her eyes slowly running over the shadows seeking out Maverick.
She could feel the clouds growing ready, just a few more moments.
Maverick was not to be goaded out from his hiding place. These were the insults of a child throwing a temper tantrum. It did not matter to him that she considered him "unoriginal." He was one of the most powerful demons on Earth and centuries older than she. He had the wisdom and understanding to ignore her. It was she after all, who needed him and not the other way around.
"Contrary to your high beliefs of yourself child I do not live to haunt your every step. You are but a passing interest of mine, nothing more. I deal with far more important things than you on a near daily basis. The mere idea that I would do such a thing is laughable. As it is I have no idea of that which you speak of. I have simply returned to ascertain whether or not the student is of yet ready to learn. It seems you are yet again a disappointment Nyx. I would have thought that by now you would have grown out of these outbursts. You claim to be a grown woman and yet you still act the part of a spoiled brat. Someone should teach you a lesson little girl."
He could see her searching for him and made sure to melt even further into the darkness, his voice bouncing all around from all directions to her. It did not matter whether she found him or not. He was the stronger of the pair, the older, the wiser, and the more learned. Maverick had been taught by the prince of demons himself. He was not going to let a little girl goad him into rash decisions. She had never seen his full potential and nor did he intend to let her. Their encounters had always been child's play, a game of cat and mouse and nothing more. She was not strong enough to beat him at this game. After all, he was teacher and knew best.
"You are the one hiding like a child fearing retribution from a parent. If I were just a passing interest you would have let me be the first I refused to be your student, you wouldn't have played this game of cat and mouse like we play now, this childish game that you keep going, but you call me the child. It seems you live in a haze of confusion, of ignorance. Age does not always bring wisdom, you make that clear," Nxy spoke, her eyes still searching the shadows, knowing he would be near, knowing he would be able to see her from whatever shadow he lingered in.
"I think when I refused you I hurt your pride, a lowly half breed refusing the great Maverick, is that what is was? Is that why you have never left me alone? Of course I tend to have that effect on people, you aren't the only one who has hunted me down time after time, you are just the last one who can take anything from me, and what you can take from me I hold no value in," Nxy continued, her words angry and bitter.
"You say someone should teach me a lesson, that you are so much stronger, but you are the one hiding, you are the one cowering. If you deal with more important things than me on a daily basis why are you here? Why don't you go deal with those things instead of playing childish games. Either leave me alone and accept the rejection I have dealt you or stand out of the shadows and teach me the lesson you think I deserve."
"Me," the demon snorted, "hiding from you out of fear? Do not consider yourself so highly! Why the very notion makes me laugh! You are just a passing interest. But, you also happen to be part of a bargain where I made a promise to your father to teach you. Now you may continue your petty refusal of my assistance. However, I am still obligated to fulfill my end of the contract, whether you like it or not."
Granted she was right about his wounded pride. Not, of course that he would ever mention that to her. After all, no one refused him. In the end Maverick always got what he wanted. If it took him a hundred years then so be it. He would win in the end, confounded woman be damned!
"As for your other question, I happen to be on a bit of a vacation, as it were. I thought would be courteous and check in on my poor, unfortunate student who just has so much to learn! Yet, sadly I still find her wasting away without my guidance. You're a shell of your former self child. What happened to you to make you so low, so fearful? There was always such light about you and now it's gone. Such a pity," he sighed, moving out of the shadows and into the moonlight at last, but making no further move to approach her.
"Perhaps this is the lesson, Nyx. Such an impatient child, always wanting to fight and never stopping to listen." Maverick shook his head and sighed. "What to do with you? It's no wonder your father begged for my assistance. You certainly are a disaster."
"Me, fearful?" Nxy questioned, looking down as a dark laughter started to roll from her chest. It seemed that Maverick had made the best joke ever. The fits of laughter lasted a few minutes before she finally stopped to speak.
"There is nothing left for me to fear, if you have lost everything you hold of value you cannot lose anything, no one can take anything away, so there is nothing left to fear, nothing left to care for," Nxy spoke, her words heavy and dark.
"You have never had anything of importance to say, just egotistical babble and worthless banter, if you do, I am standing here listening. I just like to be able to look the person I am talking to in the eyes," Nxy added as she looked Maverick over. He hadn't changed at all as far as she could tell, of course she had, she had changed greatly since the first time they had met. She was but a girl when they first met, not appearing a day over eight.
"What a waste of a vacation, if you really cared at all you should have showed up several months ago, that was when I needed help, and that was when I would have agreed to learn from you for your assistance, but that time has long since past," Nxy sighed before crossing her arms. She waited, giving his time to speak, or time to attack, she honestly didn't care which he did.
Maverick watched in silence. Eyes like moonbeams, stone cold and ethereal, analyzed with the gaze of a bird of prey waiting for the moment to strike. But, the demon was not waiting to destroy the child before him, and yes he did still see her as a child, but one finally standing at the door of adulthood; no, Maverick was waiting like a patient father for his child to return, to listen to the wisdom long since ignored, to remember to breathe through the tears, for all things pass, and so too would this.
He was not nearly as cold or without compassion as he let on. True, he was a demonic assassin and took as much pleasure in the hunt and the kill as any other in his position. However, those traces of his former humanity still remained. Buried deep within his tattered soul was a man who remembered the pain felt at the loss of his family by his own cursed hand. Maverick remembered it all as he met Nxy's eye. The man knew that darkness within her. While the details of her recent past struggles were unknown to him, he could not say he did not suspect the truth.
"Who are you to tell Lady Fate when things should and should not happen?" his quiet voice rumbled calmly. "You do not know the future to come and you do not yet now why certain things have come to pass but that does not mean that they are without reason. I was not meant to return again any sooner than now. Do not blame me for whatever grievance you wish to place upon my shoulders now. Despite what you may think I do actually do many other things than spend all my days babysitting you. I have no idea of the events that have passed since last I saw you. Perhaps you would care to relate them instead of trying to blow my head off, or you still the child you're determined to prove yourself as otherwise?
"Fate is not a lady of any sorts, she is a whoring wretch," Nyx stated simply as she looked down at the roof, releasing her hold on the rain in the clouds, letting it start to pour down naturally. It quickly drenched both, a strand of her hair sticking to her face.
The rain would make it difficult to see the tears gathering in her eyes, but they were there.
"My magic does me little good against the enemies that I have, so I have no use for you as my teacher, if I wished to use your services at all it would be to have hits made. I doubt you have any real interest in what has happened to me, and blowing your head off was not my plan, but nice try," She spoke with a deep sigh.
He threw his head back and laughed. Maverick just could not help himself when presented with such a case of fire and spirit. He could still see the traces of child within her but he was beginning to see more and more, the woman she was becoming. 'And quite a woman that is,' he mused. 'Quite a woman indeed.'
"If that was not your intention child then you must learn better aim. You came awfully close to doing so. You are foolish not to your learn your magic though. There will always be enemies to fight and something worth fighting to protect. This will be the last time I come round to look after you girl. If you want none of my help then no more shall I try to offer it to you. I have had enough patience. I will not waste time on one so foolish as yourself."
"Actually the plan was to melt your skin from your body, you don't react to holy water very well," Nyx spoke with a slight smirk on her face.
"So you are finally coming to terms with my rejection and the wound to your pride?" She asked with a sigh, looking up into the rain, enjoying the feel of it on her skin.
"I haven't met anyone worth fighting to protect since my family slaughtered," She spoke after a moment of silence.
Maverick snorted, somewhat amused by her plans. "My pride is none of your concern, child. But thank you for asking," he replied neutrally. He continued to stand his ground, already becoming bored with the girl. Yet, he felt he had to give one last shot at convincing her she needed his help before giving up on her entirely. Even he had his limits and she had already reached them.
"There may come a day when you do have need to protect someone again and you will be once more ill-prepared. Events repeat, little girl. The key to life is to learn and overcome them, not fall into the same patterns that lead to the same end. I assure you the next time the like happens I won't be here to offer help again. Final offer, are you ready to learn or not?"
Nxy stood there in silence for a moment, thinking. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Did she want to go? What would going with him cost her, it couldn't be free, nothing was ever free.
"What will it cost me if I go with you?" She asked, her eyes still closed as she continued to contemplate his offer.
"Your obedience," he replied readily without batting an eye. "Perhaps even your pride, but that last one's up to you. There will be guidelines that you must follow. Namely once you begin, you may decide to cease your training at any point. Doing so terminates our verbal contract and I shall leave with my offer, both of which you will never see again. Am I understood?"
His arms crossed over his chest as he slowly made his way closer to her. "If you are truly willing to learn then we should set boundaries. I don't fancy the idea of you trying to melt me again."
"I didn't try, I was considering it, there is a difference," Nxy spoke as she looked at Maverick a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.
"What will the guidelines be? I don't like going into something blind. As far as boundaries, I won't try to kill you if you don't try to kill me, that seems fair enough to me," She spoke, crossing her arms.
He chuckled loudly before he could stop himself. Maverick was just tickled by the idea. "Indeed." One hand came up rub along his jawline in contemplation. "Well obviously the ones I previously stated. I would also like respect. You are after all coming to me for help. I will not stand for being treated poorly when I gain no payment for helping you. That should be good for now, lest we think of something more.
"Does that meet your approval, or do you have something more to add?"
"If you offer me respect, I will repay you with the same. Remember, you are not doing this for nothing. You promised my father you would train me, so it isn't like I am crawling to you groveling, begging for the all mighty Maverick to save me," Nxy said with a deep sigh.
She chewed on the inside of her cheek slightly as she thought about it. Was it really what she wanted, would she just end up walking away several days later, or worse, would the Maverick and herself finally hash out their disagreements? She didn't know but she also knew she didn't have much or an option.
"Sounds fair enough I suppose."
"You are not my equal. Do not forget that. The respect you get is that of a student and nothing more. Your father was a good acquaintance to me but that does not mean that after all these years I have to put up with your attitude. As for saving," he snorted and shook his head. "As if there is anything to save," Maverick muttered with a critical stare.
Standing firm, he made sure she had his complete attention before continuing. "You better not suppose either. Either you agree or you don't. I'm not going to take your insolence Nyx and I won't suffer putting my time into helping you only to have it thrown back in my face. I am not a patient man. You have used much of my goodwill already. Is that clear?"
"I am not a woman who with put up with snobbish assholes either, teacher or not. I am agreeing to let you pay off your debt, if I walk away, well then you did what you said you would do and you will no longer have to remember the promise you made my father," She said, crossing her arms stubbornly.
He was not going to be put off by her attitude. She would learn soon enough that he could easily find ways to make her life more difficult. "Then we are agreed," he intoned deeply. "Shall we begin?" Without waiting for an answer, Maverick walked casually off the edge of the roof, allowing himself to drop to the ground before continuing onward, his hands clasped behind his back.
Nxy followed a few steps behind him. She had a feeling that she would regret not melting Maverick when she had a chance. It was too late now, she had to at least try to follow through with the agreement. So she stayed silent, she figured the less she said the less likely Maverick and herself would end up butting heads.
Maverick strolled through the empty streets at a leisurely pace, aimlessly wandering across the cobblestones with no set location in mind. While he knew that Nyx had chosen to follow him, the demon chose to ignore her presence and enjoy the night air.
He whistled tunelessly to himself as he went. Yet, for every ounce of calm there was about him there was a touch of anticipation in his steps, a slight bounce as if ready to spring. In this manner he continued, waiting and mentally counting down the seconds in a silent bet with himself to see how long it would take before the true lessons began.
Nxy watched maverick. Her body was relaxed, her steps easy, a natural swagger about them. Her eyes held an intensity, something about them seemed like she saw everything, missed nothing. She waited in silence, waiting for him to say something, what was he teaching her right now? She wondered what he could really teach her, magic wasn't like science or math, it was something that was different for everyone.
He chuckled softly to himself and shook his head as if tickled by some idea or another. In truth, Maverick was amused by the attentive nature of his student. He loved making her wait and wonder for this game was as much for him as that of cat and mouse. His own teacher had taught him well in this art. After all, how could a student learn if she did not know how to listen?
Her magic was strong and Maverick recognized that. She would be a good student if she put her mind to it. If he was being truthful the demon would even go so far as to acknowledge that she was much closer than she thought to being in control. It was all a matter of fine-tuning and re-learning how to channel it all. This would come in time. He meant to keep his word. Maverick would teach her all she needed to know and his debt would be repaid.
Nxy was starting to grow a bit impatient. What was he doing, seeing how long he could lead her around until she lost it? Was he somehow gloating that she had finally decided to at least try to learn from him. The thoughts lit her blood on fire in annoyance.
Still she kept most of it locked away, she cleared her throat, seeing if he would explain.
Maverick turned on his heel to face his pupil, an expression of innocence displayed upon his face. With his hands still clasped behind him, he rocked back and forth on his heels. "Something wrong, Nyx? Frog in your throat perhaps?"
Nyx rolled her eyes at Maverick, he really thought he was something, he was far from innocent.
"No, no frog, I am just waiting to learn something, I am not learning anything from walking around, and follow the leader has never been a favorite game of mine," She replied, placing a hand on her hip.
"Ah," Maverick hummed, a knowing smile splitting his face from ear to ear. "If you are not learning then you do not yet know how to see." His eyes trailed up and down her body, pausing at her hip before moving back up to meet her eyes.
"Tell me what you have observed just now, Nyx."
"I should have killed you when I had the chance, and you were looking towards my hips," Nyx replied crossing her arms as she stared at him. She was really trying to learn, but the lack of explaining anything left he unknowing what to look for, what to pay attention to, how exactly to answer him.
Maverick snorted, unable to help himself. "You could not kill me if you tried and while true it was not your hips I meant but earlier. Before you stopped the lesson what did you observe? What did you see? Reflection and understanding are very important, Nyx. Now try again," he prompted, motioning with his hand for her to continue.
Nyx couldn't help but roll her eyes. "What am I trying to remember, I saw a lot of stuff, I noticed a lot of stuff, but if I don't know what I am suppose to be answering, how can I answer?" She asked, growing more and more frustraited.
"Lesson number one: know how to see and to remember. Your eyes work just find but you don't know what to look for. I assume among everything you saw you also observed me. Can you tell me anything about what you saw? Don't worry about your answer being right or wrong. Just try to remember," he assured her calmly.
"Well you were strolling along, you didn't seem like you had set destination," Nyx said as she thought back, trying to think back about everything she had saw while she followed him.
The demon nodded his head. "A good start. Is there anything else? What of my person? My attitude? My magic even? Anything and everything. It's important Nyx. Try not to blow the first lesson off right from the start, dear."
Nyx closed her eyes.
"You were calm but seemed to be waiting for something, anticipating something, probably waiting for me to get bored or asked what you were doing, what the lesson was," She said before opening her eyes and looking at Maverick.
"Very good," Maverick praised, offering a smile and a slight bow. "It is a good start. The key of the first lesson is not just as much knowing your surroundings as knowing your target. However, it is a great deal than both as well. For you see the true lesson is knowing what is important and what is not important."
Taking a step closer to her, he asked her if she knew what was important.
"No, why don't you enlighten me," She asked raising an eyebrow.
Maverick smirked and shook his head. "I am afraid that I cannot. Try again Nyx," he called over his shoulder as he once more resumed walking, hands clasped behind his back. His steps were slow and relaxed. While everything about him said that he was out for a stroll, one of his fingers locked behind his back would tap against the palm of his hand as he silently counted something. Each time he passed an alleyway, 'tap' would go his finger.
"What are you counting?"Nyx asked as she watched his finger move, slowly putting together that each time they passed by an alley he moved his finger.
Maverick gave a half smile as he looked back over his shoulder to his pupil. "Perhaps you can tell me and to what purpose my counting serves if you can analyze what I know are deducing as well."
"Were you counting alleys?" Nyx continued to question crossing her arms as she looked at the man. He was really rubbing her the wrong way, of course, that wasn't hard to do since it happened. since she had her family ripped away from her.
The demon paused in his steps to nod his head. "Much better, Nyx. You learn quickly. Walk beside me and tell me what is the point of seeing? What makes things more memorable than others? Why is it necessary to remember some things over others?"
Nyx began to walk beside Maverick instead of behind him, pondering his question for a moment.
"The point of seeing is to notice what is important, so you can use the information to help you in whatever way it can. What ever stands out the most, being it the brightest, most vibrant colors, or movements in a other wise still place is what makes things more noticeable, there for makes it more memorable. The reason to remember things over others is the same as the point of seeing, you have to remember the more important things, the things that can help you out in the end," She started to talk, answering his questions the best she could.
"The same holds true for your inner core of magic as it does for the outside world." Maverick was immensely pleased with how quickly Nyx was catching on. It was thrilling to watch understanding begin to bloom, like a flower pushing its way to the sun. The demon was rapidly learning just how rewarding the role of teacher could be.
'Perhaps I should do this more often. Mm what would Senji think?' He was briefly startled by his own train of thought before he shoved it deep down. No use going down that rocky road. 'He wouldn't give a damn and complain at your wasting time.'
With a sigh, he returned to the present. "The easiest way to learn to control here," he began pointing at her chest, "is to learn to control yourself in your surroundings. If you start the other way around your risk becoming volatile in addition to never being aware of your environment and thereby having no real use for your magic. Your gift is a weapon, true. But it is also your shield and your last resort. Is that understood?"
"Why is it to be my last resort. I am weak without my magic, I am frail, both are in my nature. Am I suppose to become a fast talking politician and learn to talk my way around people, I don't understand, what are you teaching me?" She asked, clearly becoming frustrated.
Maverick stumbled in his paces. "You mean to tell me your father never had you trained in even the simplest of forms of physical combat? What was the man thinking? Was he out of his mind?" The demon sputtered in disbelief.
"Oh we have a lot of work ahead of us then. This will simply not do." Spinning to face her, Maverick stopped suddenly. "I need to know just how much you have learned or gathered over time as a physical combatant. I cannot properly train you if you do not have the basic foundation to build on top of, is that understood?"
"Not very much. I have some skill with a bow, but with a sword, or hand to hand combat I would be far below average. My father never had be trained because I was suppose to become a noble and become your student. I picked up a few things here and there during my travels around Connloath, but not a lot," Nyx replied crossing her arms.
"Lazy slug," Maverick cursed on his breath before glancing in Nyx's direction. "Not you," he clarified, pacing fervently in front of her. "Your father should have ensured you learned enough to protect yourself. Magic is about discipline but it's not to be used as a crutch and he knew that."
The demon shook his head angrily and finally came to a stop before the woman. "I will be frank with you, if you want to back out now I understand, but in order to learn magic, I highly suggest a regiment in at least the basics of some combat. I'd be willing to train you in that as well if you are willing. But magic alone, it's dangerous and I don't mean to an enemy I mean to yourself."
Nyx's bodies tensed, she clearly thought he had called her a slug, and the anger flashed across her face and she felt the angry storm of power rage inside of her for a moment. She realized she had been holding her breath when she finally released it once Maverick clarified he hadn't been talking about her.
"How is it dangerous to yourself, if it is power that you were born with, power that naturally flows through your veins?"
The demon sighed heavily, his head falling into his hand as tried to push aside his anger with L'moire patriarch. "What good is power without control? If you cannot control then it can consume you. If you do not respect it then you can lose yourself in it, become a monster."
His last statement ended on a quiet note as his own human past of long ago brought painful memories to mind. It took him a moment to compose himself. But, at last he relaxed and was himself once more.
"In order to develop your gift you must first be in control of yourself. If you are not then you can cause more harm than good and I do believe that unlike me you have an unfortunate hindrance known as a conscious. We will unfortunately have to work around that but that's not as big of a problem now as it could be come later. We'll cross that bridge later should you continue requiring my services that long."
"I have control over my power, I have honed my magical skills for decade upon decade. Not once have I lost control, or felt that it was some how controlling me. Plus, the only one who seems to have lost himself in his power is the being standing in front of me," She added with a cold, somewhat sharp tone.
She crossed her arms, looking up and thinking. She was thinking about whether or not she should just walk away. What were her reasons for staying after all? She didn't know the man very well even though the two had been playing cat and mouse for many, many years.
Maverick growled under his breath, sneering darkly at her cruel words. He turned his back on her wanting nothing more than to strangle her for her insolence. How dare she bring up his insecurities and throw them in his face! How dare she indeed!
In a voice as hard and cold as steel he addressed her. It was a testament to his sheer force of will that he was able to restrain himself from turning back around and leaping at her. "Now you listen well girly, there is more to your gift than just simply controlling it. True potential is found not by honing your strengths but by finding your weaknesses and exploiting them! If you had learned to use your weakness to your strength then I doubt we would be having this conversation right now."
At last he turned to face her, moving to get right up in her face as he hurled cold truths. "You are weak! You asked for my help and then you ridicule my teachings before they have even been put in practice. You will never reach your true and full potential if you only train half of yourself. Tell me what good is there in being unbalanced? None!"
Nyx closed her eyes, taking a slow deep breath, trying to take the sharp edge off the flash of anger exploding inside of her. She had been harsh, so she couldn't expect anything less from him. He was a monster trapped in a body of a boy. She pinched the bridge of her nose counting down from ten.
"Everyone is weak. I lost my family, but you lost your soul, who has paid the bigger price for their lackings?" She spoke, her voice cold, calm and collected.
She opened her eyes, staring at him with her head high and shoulders squared.
"But in you being a monster I find respect for you. Of course I doubt it is the respect you would want. My weakness is my humanity, something I dare not relinquish, and something that I am all to familiar with. I do not need your expertise to tell me that. I know, when you were suppose to train me all those years ago I was a child, but I am no longer a child. In retrospect I would probably have greatly benefited from your training then, but I can see that I would probably be a completely different person today if I had gone then. But I stand I stand in front of your now a grown female with experience and self awareness of my own strengths and weaknesses. You do not have the right now to talk to me like I am completely unselfaware. I will do the physical training you ask of me, but I will expect a bit more respect, you are not my elder."
The demon stared down his nose at her. "Oh?" he asked in a deceptively calm and quiet voice. "So seeing you as a tiny pink thing no higher than my knee doesn't make me your elder now does it? How strange you mark the passage of time when I most certainly am older than you little Nyx. You are still my pupil and you get enough respect as that."
Maverick snorted and chuckled to himself at his next thought. "You need not worry of me tanning your behind should you falter in your lessons. Unless of course that is your desire," he added with a dark wink.
"I find that you would probably earn more satisfaction from that then I," Nyx replied crossing her arms. Her face was hard, her head high. She was proud, she knew this about herself.
She took a deep breath, calming the forces inside herself.
"Where shall my training begin?"
Maverick chuckled quietly, not even bothering to hide it. "Yes, I'm sure I would. As for where," the demon sighed and stared up at the dark sky already beginning to show streaks of pink about the horizon. "I would say at the beginning. Though I do believe it is far both the bedtimes of a respectable woman and an old man as it were. Is there somewhere you would feel comfortable with your physical training?"
"Far away from people and prying eyes," Nyx spoke with a deep sigh. If she were honest she was growing rather tired and a bit of sleep would be nice.
"Where are we going to lodge?" She asked after a moment, not looking at him but on the sky as color began to streak it.
"We?" He queried with raised brow. "Are you saying you do not have a place if your own? Or perhaps that you expect your dear teacher to always foot your bills? Or dare I say you actually wish to spend more time with me Nyx? You know we wouldn't need two rooms if that were the case. My bed is plenty large enough for two if we decide to be creative."
Nyx sat there for a moment, thinking about it for a moment.
She didn't have a particular place to stay there, she had been traveling. She didn't expect him to foot her bill so to speak, she had her own money. Then the idea of sharing a room crossed her mind. She was a grown woman, she was no longer married.
"Would you keep your hands to yourself?" She asked simply.
The demon did not even try to feign innocence on this matter. There really was no point when she already knew at least a few things about him. Instead he chose a different approach. "Are you asking me to?" He replied with an intrigued expression upon his face.
Nyx looked at him, her head tilting to the side slightly as she looked at him. She didn't know where he was trying to go. He wasn't bad looking, but he was the darkness she had so long hated. They had been playing the cat and mouse so long that she didn't want to feel like the mouse caught in the cats clutches.
"I don't think it would be good for our student teacher relationship," Nyx answered, not giving a definite yes or no.
Maverick hummed noncommittally, his mind already straying towards another much older teacher-student relationship that had indeed gone down the very road Nyx seemed concerned about. For a moment he wondered what his old mentor and lover would have to say about his current dealings. But, those thoughts quickly soured as the reason for their separation came to the forefront of his mind.
"I currently reside at Toadstool Tavern," his eyes rolled at the ridiculousness of the name before continuing. "If that does not suit your standards, you are more than welcome to find lodging elsewhere."
Nyx watched as Maverick played over what she had said, she could almost here the little hamster wheel inside of his head squeaking. She could see something in his expression but couldn't exactly place was it was. She found it weird as she analyzed the man's face.
"I have slept in much worse, so if I am still invited it doesn't sound all that horrible to me," She spoke with a bit of a shrug towards the man.
"The offer still stands," he drawled, offering an arm out to her. "Shall we be off then Miss Nyx? I would hate to see what you turn into once the witching hour has ceased. Don't you humans have some tale about a princess and a pumpkin along those lines?"
Nyx took his arm, a genuine smile lighting up her face for a moment.
"Something like that, though I doubt you are anyones prince charming," She spoke with a hint of a chuckle. If she were honest she knew she was definitely no ones cinderella either, she was too rough around the edges and all her her friends get killed.
She thought it wise to learn more about the man who was about to be her teacher. She was sure that he knew more about her then she knew about him. She had been arranged to be his student after all. She thought about it as she walked, wonder how different things would have been if she would have went along as a child.
A hint of genuine amusement flickered across his lips before he twisted his features into a mock-glare. "I certainly hope not! Who would want to be a prince when they can be a king? Honestly," he scoffed teasingly, "prince!"
Maverick shook his head easily leading Nyx onwards. "I've always wondered about that though. What does it say about your society that they're always after some spoiled pimple-faced brat of a boy instead of his wiser, more mature, experienced and empowered king-father? Perhaps you can shed some light on the matter milady?"
"Well, humans lives are a simple flicker in the wind, so youth is seen as something to covet. Those stories, after all, are human stories. Once a human starts to grey, he rarely is much on the battle field, or in most cases can't come save you from a fiery dragon or whatever the story says. Also, humans have this odd allusion with love and romance, so the seek a lover, not a father. They see love and romance as something easy, like once it happens it will take care of all your problems. Humans, with there lives so short, are naive, like children, so they seek childish things," She spoke slowly.
She shook her head before looking at Maverick, "Why be a king when you can be a god?" She spoke, a smirk on her face as she said it.
Maverick snorted and rolled his eyes in disgust. "Humans are such fools," he muttered while shaking his head. However, his humor quickly changed and he found himself laughing unabashedly. "Ah, well said in deed milady, however I much prefer leaving such duties to far more devious demons. After all, why be a god when you be his right-hand man with all the benefits and none of the worries of being overthrown or shown-up?"
"Well because the right hand man can be replaced or shown-up just like anyone else, just like the god himself," Nyx spoke with a hint of a chuckle. She was surprised she was actually enjoying the demons company as much as she was. For all the years she had ran away, tried to avoid him, now that she had given in for at least that time being be wasn't that bad. She was expecting someone humorless someone stale but he seemed to be okay enough.
"Now that my dear is the art of politics. Make yourself irreplaceable and adaptable and you then become invaluable to new gods and old. Consider that another of your lessons," he told her mock-formally, his smile betraying his humor though.
"Oh let me pull out my quill and make a note of that right now!" Nyx teased as she leaned her head back and let out a laugh.
"Well, it seems if I want to get into politics I have the right teacher."
Maverick looked her up and down in mock-surprise. "And just where may I ask are you keeping said quill? I think that is the more prudent question," he teased while continuing to rake his gaze across the length of her form. "Women and all their blasted pockets," he muttered under his breath.
"I am here to learn your secrets, not the other way around dear teacher. Plus, some secrets are best if kept that way, as secrets," Nye replied amusement lacing her voice.
"Ah but what if such knowledge would allow me to provide a better learning tailored to all your advantageous qualities? Is it not the place of the student to be without secrets so there is room for growth while the teacher holds all the answers? I believe you would do well not to hide things from me in the future Little Nyx."
"I am far from little Maverick," Nyx said simply, leaving the statement for the demon to take however he wished. He wasn't nearly as bad as she had thought he would be. Of course, they hadn't really started training. She was sure when they did, her attitude towards him was likely to sway.
Maverick chuckled softly and shook his head. "You will always be a young one, Nyx. But there is no harm in that, no harm at all." He was prevented from saying anything more as a flutter of leathery wings before a noticeable weight rested on the shoulder closest to his companion.
Amdoska stared at Nyx, his bulging yellow eyes peering at her curiously before he became chattering rapidly in his own demonic dialect to his master. Maverick in turn chuckled and ordered the imp to behave, the words rolling off his tongue like silk as he all but purred them.
"I don't believe you've met my pet have you, Nyx? This is Amdoska. I'm sure you'll be seeing more of each other in the future from now on."