Fifty

Walking behind Beyla, as we were about to leave the building where I had been staying, Beyla turned to Selene and asked, "Would you mind hiding your wings?"

I didn't think Selene would appreciate being told she had to change her appearance, but her wings were gone before I could blink. Apparently, nothing was going to get in the way of her feast.

I couldn't help but smile at Selene's excitement as we walked towards the feast. With a skip in her step, she explained how roasted ducks were almost as tasty as bacon.

Eventually, Beyla stopped in front of a noisy building. She hesitated for a moment as if wanting to say something, but thought better of it. Letting out a sigh, she opened the doors and walked inside.

Stepping inside, the first thing I noticed was the massive amount of soldiers. Wooden tables were everywhere, and they were all occupied by celebrating men. Looking past them, a man sat at a slightly bigger table at the end of the room. While he was dressed in ordinary clothes, all of the soldiers around him showed respect. This had to be Beyla's father, the King.

There were a few things I wanted to ask him, and I began to walk his way.

We had taken all of three steps before a drunken guard confronted us. Slurring his words, he demanded, "Who the hell are you two? You shouldn't be in here. This is for warriors only. You need to leave." As he said this, he gestured with a full mug towards the door, helpfully signaling the exit.

Beyla was clearly unhappy. I assumed that she was scared Selene or I would go on a rampage and kill everyone because of this man's insult. I could tell she was about to yell at this man, but I placed a hand on her shoulder, calming her. Selene seemed like she had a plan, and I was curious to know what it was.

Taking a step forward, Selene stood inches from him, then asked, "So if I am a warrior, am I allowed to stay?"

"Yes, but-"

Before he could continue, Selene slammed her head forward into the man's nose. He instantly crumpled to the floor, but Selene skillfully grabbed his full mug without spilling a drop. There was no doubt in my mind that the cup contained alcohol, but Selene threw it back like it was water.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, then the soldiers erupted into cheers. I even heard one soldier yell out, "Any woman who can handle her liquor that well deserves to stay. Come drink with us!"

Hearing his words, Selene was unsure of what to do. She clearly hadn't been expecting this sort of reaction. Looking at me for direction, I shrugged and replied, "I thought this was your adventure." Hearing this, Selene smiled and began to walk towards one of the tables that had food piled high.

Happy that Selene was in good spirits, I turned my attention back to Beyla. She didn't seem nearly as thrilled as I was that Selene was going off on her own. Laughing, I said, "She will be fine. Don't worry about it." Walking towards her father, she muttered, "It's not her that I'm worried about."

Walking up to the King, I looked him over. While he was an older man, he was nothing like the previous King that Selene had killed. He still had a decent amount of muscle, and he had clearly seen his fair share of battles. While I studied him, he seemed to be looking me over also.

Eventually, he asked, "So are you the man who is strong enough to kill everyone here?"

"Dad! You can't just go and say something like that!"

"Relax, Beyla. You still have a lot to learn. This man isn't going to hurt us. Honestly, he doesn't even care."

Staring at the King, I asked, "And what makes you so sure of that?"

Nodding in Selene's direction, he replied, "She is the reason. If she stays happy, we have nothing to worry about. And by the looks of things, we are safe." Turning to Selene, she appeared to be in some sort of drinking contest and was an excellent winner.

Shrugging, I replied, "Don't get me wrong. She is very important to me. That being said, the best part about having a demon as a companion is that I can kill whoever I want, and she doesn't care."

"Threat received, young man. Now I take it you are here because you have some questions for my daughter and I. Would you like to gather some food before we start?"

Joining him at the table, I replied, "I don't need to eat or drink. We can get started now."

Hearing this, the King raised an eyebrow, but remained quiet.

"First question. The Mage that you had defending your castle. I would assume that you all hired him to protect you all. How does he compare against others like himself as far as strength?"

Beyla was the first to answer and replied, "It is hard to say without having seen a lot of Mages myself, but I feel confident saying he was one of the stronger ones."

Nodding my head, I was happy with her response. I had no problem using the powers inside myself to protect Selene. Still, it was reassuring knowing there weren't many men like him waiting for me.

"Okay, next question. Where did you find him? I am looking for a particular demon, and I need leads as to where to find her.

This time, it was the King who answered.

"There was nothing special about how we found the Mage. We were hiring warriors for the battle, and he made himself available for a hefty sum. I can't tell you where he found his demon, but I'm sure you could just ask her."

I had completely forgotten about the other demon. I remembered that Selene stated that she wanted me to transfer her to Beyla. I guess that meant she was mine? I shrugged the thought off. It really didn't matter. I liked how things were with just me and Selene. I didn't want that to change.

Looking to Beyla, I said, "That reminds me. I need to give that demon to you."

"What!? Give me a demon? Is that even possible? And why?"

Shrugging, I replied, "Selene asked me to."

The King and Beyla stayed quiet as if waiting for me to continue, but eventually, they realized that was it.

With an incredulous look, Beyla asked, "So you will do it simply because she asked?"

Letting out a sigh, I replied, "Look, we don't care about the whole master-demon dynamic. If Selene is happy, I am happy. She asked me to do it, so I am going to do it."

There was a pause for a moment, then the King began to laugh. Slapping me on the back, he said, "Well said, young man. Those in charge need to protect those important to them. And I'm sure it helps with how attractive she is."

I was not pleased with how he talked about Selene, but a loud roar echoed throughout the building before I could respond.

Looking towards Selene, she was in the middle of what looked to be an arm-wrestling challenge. Four muscular soldiers were bearing down on her right arm at the same time. They seemed to be giving it their all, but couldn't make Selene budge an inch. Letting out a big yawn, Selene acted like she was about to fall asleep and then slammed her hand down hard on the table. The sudden burst of strength sent the four soldiers sprawling to the floor, causing the crowd to let out another roar of approval.

The smile on her face was contagious, and soon I was also smiling.

"It's moments like this that you will never forget. Burn that smile into your face. You never know when your loved ones will be taken from you. Beyla, would you mind grabbing the other demon from her room? There are a few things I would like to talk to this young man about alone."

Hearing this, I had to admit I was intrigued. The King was clearly hiding his powers, and I wanted to see what he was capable of. Selene was having her fun, and I think it was time for me to have my fun.

(50 chapters down and a few more to go. I can't thank you all enough for sticking with me! As always, if you are enjoying the story feel free to drop a like!)