Seth
    Seth had never been impressed by a throne room before. To be fair he hadn't seen many of them either. Samson's audience room was big enough and the council chambers of the elves with their knotted thrones inside the Orgin Tree had been cool but neither of those could amount the the sheer splendor decor of the throne room
He was currently looking at. Large columns of
Polished granite rose in four places to support a vaulted ceiling so high it was lost in the gloom above silver and blue banners hung from the wall from in between stain glass windows emblazoned with a snarling wolf. The stone flour was polished as well and a Seth could see flecks of gold in the granite. A long blue carpet led from the entrance to a dais upon which sat a high backed throne of gold with blue velvet cushions. Small spheres of glass sat upon pedestals ever five feet or so lining the room.They emitted a pale golden light that light the room. They didn't have any discernible power source at least not one Seth could see.
They main attractions however were right in front of him. Down in front of the dais a man sat on his knees wrapped in black chains his head lay upon his chest, he seemed to be unconscious. He wore a robe of deep purple embroidered by gold etchings. He had a long grey beard and hair and his face was lined with many wrinkles. At his feet lay a golden crown encrusted with... we're those diamonds. Seth resisted the urge to whistle. Holy Crap! If this room was any indication Durindal was rich. Seth stepped the rest of the way into the room as Elvalyn stepped into the room behind him. She seems to see the slumped figure immediately.
"Father!" She called, but the man gave no indication that he had heard her. She started forward but Seth but his hand out to stop her.
"Why are you stopping me!" She demanded, but Seth was no longer listening to her. He had seen the figure sitting upon the throne. Orion resplendent I'm his usual spiked plate armor
And blood red cloak sat in the throne. He sat in the chair leisurely leaning his head on his fist one
Leg cross horizontally over the other. Across his leg lay his black and gold longsword; his hand rested on the hilt. But he appeared relaxed, a mocking smile appeared on his face.
  "Yes why don't you let the young lady go to her poor father."
  "Surrender Orion! You plan has failed the academies are here!"
  A sneer replaced the smile. "There's that arrogance you agents are so good at. You have no
Chance of beating me not in your current state. My reinforcements are on the way all I have to do is kill you and the destroy that little force that has block my way." He paused as Seth strode intro he room further coming to the center of the room. His legs burned but his mind was clear. If he retreated now Orion may escape before anyone else could gather to stop him. As much as he wanted to go help the agents this was where he was needed most, he knew that.
  Under his breath he muttered a prayer.
  "God please grant me the strength to see this task through to the end, guide my blade, and grant me the swiftness to end this battle." A shudder ran through Seth and he felt energy rushing through his body. Suddenly the pain in his legs faded and he lifted his blade in both his
Hands as he pointed Sonfang's tip right at Orions played chest.
   "Then let's make a deal," he said raising his voice.  He swallowed knowing the next word out of his mouth may seal the fate of all Elementia.
  "You and me fight to the death." The demon flashed him a look of annoyance.

  "We are going to do that anyway," he pointed out. "That's not much of a deal."
   "I wasn't finished," Seth said quickly. " While
One of us is alive neither will be able to leave or try to escape, and no one outside may interfere. Likewise no harm shall to anyone else. Swear to God." Astonishment flashed across the demons face.
  "I didn't think you knew about the old l
Oathes." He said
   "Yeah well I've learned a lot recently." It was true of course Rylee taught him when she had Been teaching him about Fey.
  "To swear to God is to make a proclamation to God himself, if the oath is broken God will strike you down destroying you completely.
Even the demon do not make an oath like that. If there is one thing that God hates it is using his
name in Vain."
  "So what's your answer?"Seth challenged. Orion was quiet for a moment no doubt he thought This was a trap. No normal demon would even think
Of invoking God's name. Luckily, Orion wasn't a normal demon.
  "Deal," he said and his voice boomed.
  "Swear it out loud," Seth insisted. And he did.
Thunder boomed in the room shaking the columns with enough force to make Seth nervous.
  "Now you," Orion said. Seth also swore, once again thunder. A fang filled grin sprouted on Orions face as he stood to face Seth. A slight tremble betrayed Seth's fear. He just hoped Orion couldn't see it.
  Orion raised his four five foot blade, he towered over Seth by a good four feet.
  "Don't regret the oath you just made.
I hope hope to enjoy cutting you apart before your death, so please try to not die too easily." Seth backed up three steps and called on Lightning. Blue electricity flickered around his body and up Sonfang's blade making it glow. The world slowed a fraction as the internal lightning took effect.
  "If I was you I'd worry about yourself," Seth retorted. He set his feet ready to charge had raised his blade vertically in front of him holding it with two hands. Mentally he was running all the advice Stratos had given him while teaching him swordplay. He even thought about the words Rylee had told him after their duel.
"Do you where you went wrong? More importantly do you know where you have to improve?" He had practiced hard on their scouting mission trying to correct the gaps in his defenses that Rylee had shown him. Now it was
Time to see if he succeeded. He broaden his senses trying to take as much information in as he could. He tried hear, smell, and even taste everything.
There was no bell, no gunshot or signal to start their duel to the death. But Seth saw Orion's left foot twitch a millisecond before he charged. Seth surged forward as well leaving behind his fears, he no longer had the time for them.
  Orion struck with blinding speed swinging his sword downward in a deadly arc. Seth also brought his own sword up from below planting his feet and cutting a crescent arc up towards Orion. Their blades met in a shower of sparks. A thunderclap shook the throne room from the force of their impact.
Seth disengaged at once and slashed at Orion's head. Orion parried Sonfang with a snort of disgust and Seth sidestepped as a beam of black energy tore through the space he had just been in. He struck again and again but each time the demons blade intercepted his. With a heave of his shoulders Orion threw Seth backward. He landed softly sliding to a stop as he raised his blade for a counter stroke he was sure was coming. It didn't come, and he began to circle the demon looking for an opening. Once again however it was the demon who struck first. Seth rolled away as the demon appeared in front of him whit blinding speed. He wasn't fast enough however and caught a metal player boot in the side. His roll turned into a tumble as the air left his lungs. Fear gripped him as he struggled to bring air into his lungs. He got to one knee just in time to see the descending edge of the black blade. He threw up his sword and angled the edge. He knew he could take the full force of that stroke not when he was winded. The black threw sparks as it slid of his. With a grunt he dove and slashed at Orions leg he felt his blade meet its mark and rolled away before he could see any damage. He stood quickly raising Sonfang once more. This time blade blood contaminated the white blade along it's tip. Orion charged paying no mind to the wound Seth had just given him. Seth readied himself to intercept once again.
   They fought across the throne room ruffling up the blue carpet that split the room in half. Seth was dimly aware of the thunder clap that shook his ears every time they clashed. He didn't have time to wonder and it's cause since he was so tightly engaged. After another clash he backed up keeping his sword between him and Orion.
His breath was coming short gasps as he tried to circle yet again. His leg dragged on the cloth under his feet as he moved. It hurt, more than he cared to admit. The pain streaked up his right leg then down his left. The stab wounds throbbed. Seth knew the cloth that tightly bound the many holes in his legs was filled with the power of light which could heal as well as it could create matter. However the bandages hadn't been applied to the wounds for very long and he could feel the wounds, most of which had partially healed re open. Blood dripped from his thighs as he moved. His head came up as he felt rather than saw Orion begin to charges. The next few exchanges would decide the victor. He knew this with sudden certainty but how he wasn't sure. He shook off the thought and closed with his opponent once again.

Rylee
Finding the throne room hadn't been hard, after she had discovered the small hidden passage at the base of the wall of the north side the same wall which connected to the castle citadel it had been straight forward. The walls encircled the city in two ovals the citadel sat at the back of both ovals connecting both walls together. So, she had reasoned this would be the most likely part of the wall with a secret passage since the wall and citadel were directly connected.
She had been right if course. She had followed the footprints in the ground until she discovered a small door no wider or taller than a large child carefully cut into the rock face. It had been carefully hidden too. If not for the fact that it had been recently used she probably would have never found it. Dirt had most likely been packed into the cracks. At least she thought so judging by the long strips of mud that had been knocked loose from the wall.
Once inside the walls she pretty much knew where to go. She had been in the castle before almost twenty years ago. She remembered what she could of the layout as she moved quickly.
As she approached the massive doors she heard it first. A boom of thunder shook the floor beneath her. Not even a second after that another one, and another. She hurried on, she could guess what the sound was. Worry crept I'm up her throat. Her heart was pounding as she reached for the doors and pulled one partly open with a creaking that sounded deafening to her. She peeked in and what she saw almost froze her. She quickly entered. A golden light lay on the room lighting it from all corners. In the center
Of the room to armored and cloaked figures struggled back and forth. Their blades rang like bell against each over and sparks flew with every block and parry. Besides this thunder the same she had heard earlier resounded throughout the throne room as each of their blades struck. She saw Seth, he was scurrying about duck blows and parrying as best he could. His hair was ragged and unkempt and he moved on two heavily bandaged legs.
Under his plate and chainmail of light she saw that his chest had been bandages as well. Both his legs and his chest were wrapped so thickly in white linen she almost through that he had casts on. Sweat poured down his brow and she could tell ant a moment that he was almost at his limit.
Then she also realized with a start that under the armor and cloak he had on, he only wore his boxers. She felt the heat rising in her cheeks but pushed it down. She wasn't a child to get moved by such things. Besides he needed her help. She started forward to jump in, but a shrill whistle from the right side of the room caught her attention.
    A young woman with chocolate brown hair and a patched dress stood next to a richly dressed man who was wrapped and chains and kneeling in the cold granite. His head still sagged against his chest and Rylee could tell at once the man was unconscious. The woman waved her over emphatically her eyes pleading. She started over but another voice almost stopped her in her tracks.
    "Yes, you are tiring, young Seth and your wounds are..."  the voice she had identified as the Demon's chuckled darkly. "Did you enjoy my treatment, my pets do love their playthings. She didn't hear Seth's answer but she summoned Songbird to her hand and gave it a twirl. She stepped forward and the demon Orion seemed to notice her at once. But his face held no fear only amusement.

   "I wouldn't do that if I was you, Lady Rylee," he spat out the word Lady like some might talk about criminals. "Not unless you want Seth here to get turned into dust." She stopped. What did he mean? She glanced at Seth who had back up again. His face was pinched in pain and his hands shook. He was covered in a dozen fresh bleeding cuts all over his arms. She caught his eye and he shook his head slightly. He mouthed the words "I swore." She felt her blood freeze. Her mind raced, surely he had made a pledge in God's name
She never got to figure it out. It all happened so fast after that. First the shadows at Seth's feet condensed just as Orion crouched. The demon came out of the shadows behind Seth. For one terrible moment Rylee couldn't speak.
"Watch out!" She screamed pointing behind him. Seth eyes widened and and he began to step aside. He was too late. Rylee watched in horror as the blade blade pierce Seth's left side. With a grunt she watched his blade clatter out of his hands as he fell to his knees, then he slowly sank to his back.
Rylee found she couldn't scream, she wanted to run to his side and stop Orion but her feet refused to move. Orion stood over Seth a fang filled smile on his face. He looked smug, triumphant.
"Now it ends," he growled as he raised
The tip of his sword over Seth's chest. Rylee met Seth's eyes, but instead of fear all she saw was grim determination. He was pale and a pool of blood had begun to form under him, but he hadn't given up.
All of a sudden he thrust out his hands and a pillar granite shot from the ground like a spear shanking the earth with its ferocity. Orion however seemed ready for this. He spread his forty foot bat-like leathery wings and soared into the air out of the range of the spike. He laughed cold and mocking.
"A good try young Seth but the duel is over you.." with a guttural roar Seth clenched his hand into a fist and yanked it back towards his chest. Another spike shot out of the ceiling and struck Orion in the back. Orion's roar of pain was cut off by the sound of him slamming into the ground next to Seth.
Rylee watch all this with some kind of horrified fascination. But she didn't move, couldn't move,
It felt like something held her in place watching.
Wasting no time Seth was on his feet one hand pressed against his side in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. He scooped up his sword and hobbled over to stand over Orion who was struggling to move under the weight of the spike which had punched a hole straight through his lower back pinning him to the floor. Rylee didn't here the words Seth mumbled to Orion as she was too far away but she saw it when he brought the curved sword down and stabbed Orion through the back of the head. Orion jerked once, the he was still.
All at once Rylee's limbs seemed to unfreeze. She ran to Seth. She wiped tear away from her eyes as he sank to his knees his hands still of the hilt of his sword still buried in Orion's now very dead corpse. The body didn't dissipate like other demons but Rylee quickly pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She slid to a stop grabbing Seth as he fell backward. She pressed
Hand s over his wound as well. His armor was gone and his cloak but Rylee paid it no mind. She quickly examined the stab wound. Seconds later she found herself sighing in relief the wound wasn't as deep as she had feared. Perhaps his armor had protected him from the worst of it. As long as he got medical attention soon he would be okay. She looked down and saw him looking up at her wearily.
"It's over right?" He asked her. His expression was almost pleading.
"Yeah it's over," she told him. Then her anger returned.
"You idiot! Of all the hair brained idea you could come up with why did you choose that one. I didn't spend my time teaching you about all that so you would use it like that!" Seth's face tightened into a grimace.
"I... I'm sorry I," he began but Rylee didn't let him finish. With knowing exactly what possessed her she leaned down and kiss him
On the lips. It was a short fleeting kiss, ad she pulled back quickly. His lips were warm and soft. When she looked at him his eyes were wide with shock.
"What..." then his eyes rolled back into his head as he passed out.