Chapter 27: Gloomy

" Haven't you seen that visitor around lately?"

"The good-looking one with the brown hair?"

"Yeah him. I haven't seen him around the campus in weeks. Do you think he left? I heard he was sick,"

Veretta listened with a sad smile. It was almost a month since Errik started living off-campus. He had taken up residence in an abandoned shack in the forest just beyond. It was never intended to be a permanent solution, but as things stood it seemed to be the best course of action for everyone. Though Veretta and Tomas continued on with their plan to handle Silthus, while Errik had been gone, Veretta turned her attention to fixing him as well. She studied the spell she had first used to summon him and was trying to figure out where it had gone wrong. At the same time, she was trying to stay out of eyeshot of the Red General.

Though he had made his threats, he had yet to take action. This was some relief but not enough for Veretta to drop her guard. She took her books from the library and escaped back to the dorm, hardly leaving until it was necessary. The isolation of her own company made it easier to concentrate anyway. Veretta had no intention of getting discovered anytime soon. Especially now when she had her feet back in the trouble that had gotten her into this mess in the first place - necromancy.

There had to be a way to stabilise Errik's magic. Of course, if he was interested in fixing the problem it would have gone a long way to solving the problem. However, since he had gone out there, Tomas had reassured her that Errik had no intention of helping them in that regard at all. In fact, since that day, they had barely spoken at all. Veretta could only describe the feeling as a mixture of discontentment and chaos in her heart. However, she made sure it didn't get in her way this time.

As she took another book from the shelf, she heard the students from the other aisle speak again.

" I was hoping to see him again. I wonder where he's gone?"

"Isn't there that girl that's always with him? I've seen her but not him,"

"Ah, that gloomy-looking one? I haven't seen her thankfully. She just brings the mood down, right?"

"Yeah, it's like even though she's possibly pretty, her energy is so weird and intense?"

Veretta stared down but said nothing. It wasn't anything she hadn't heard before. It really didn't bother her anymore. However, there was a loud throat-clearing across from the two female students. They both turned over to its source. The general was leaning back with one hand holding a book wearing his usual smile.

"Oh, general!" one student squeaked, flustered.

"Ah he's so good looking as well, what should we say?" the other whispered.

"General, are you free now?" the other spoke up, "you could join us for lunch..."

"I could,'' he stepped forward with a grin, "Of course I'm not going to. I don't eat with snotty loud-mouth brats,"

They instantly recoiled and quickly darted away murmuring, "he's not even that much older than us,"

Satisfied, the general turned with a laugh and leaned across the aisle spying Veretta.

"I know you've been hiding from me but where was your savage tongue just now, miss witch?" he cast an inspecting eye over her, "you talk to me, a demon so mercilessly but you let those brats call you names?"

Veretta looked up at him icily, "I'm not affected by words. Only actions,"

She started to walk past but he blocked her way with an amused smile. She glared at him violently.

"Oh," he raised an eyebrow, "Looks like you have an anger to match your pet wizard,"

"Get out of my way," `Veretta returned severely.

"For the record," the general ignored her, "people used to call me gloomy as well. Though I was quite gloomy in fairness,"

Veretta stared at him sceptically, "You, without that smug look in your eye? I think it's quite impossible,"

"See now, that sounded like a compliment, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't," he laughed. "The truth is, although I can laugh about it now, It used to bother me a lot being called names like that. I guess that's why they irritated me so much. I know what's it's like to have no reason to smile, "

"Am I supposed to care?" Veretta gave a cold smile," Will you tell me your sob story now? Well if you're trying to give me a reason to laugh, you should. There's nothing more ridiculous than a demon pretending to be a human,"

At that moment, Veretta noticed for the first time, a flicker of unease in his disposition. He shifted uncomfortably before settling his eyes on her again with the same cold smile.

"And here I was thinking that he would be the problem," he said quietly, "but aren't you quite the wicked thing as well,"

Veretta had had enough. It was enough to see those lips that touched Errik speak so carefree, now she had to be insulted by him as well? She pushed past him without hesitation. For a moment, she thought he had decided to relent, however as she burst out of the library, she found Yona waiting. Within a moment, her master followed.

"That was quite rude," he remarked, "especially when you owe me a favour,"

He leant back against the wall without smiling and his arms crossed.

"So what is this?" Veretta turned back with a cold expression, "now you're going to force me to help you?"

"Why? Did you think I was above that?" he returned brusquely, "'cause I'm not. I'm a demon like you said, miss witch. I don't have time to play nice."

"I'll scream," Veretta answered gravely.

The general threw his head back laughing. He wiped a tear from his eye, "Oh gods, you're serious! You're hilarious,"

"Not even the college will overlook it if you kidnap a student," Veretta said with waning conviction.

"Come on, don't play games with me," the general shook his head still laughing, "I could kill you in front of the whole student body and they wouldn't even blink an eye,"

"You're right," Veretta stared at him unflinchingly, "you could just kill me. They wouldn't care. They didn't before. I won't waste time attempting to fight you, you are beyond my abilities that much is true,"

"Are you giving up so easily?" the general smiled, "I thought you would fight a little more. Maybe since your little pet isn't around, you've lost your nerve?"

"You've misunderstood," Veretta smiled calmly, "I won't fight but I'm not going to help you either,"

"You didn't hear me threaten your life just now?" the general stared down amused.

"I heard," Veretta met his gaze unwaveringly, "but If you thought I would do what you want simply because Errik isn't here, you are mistaken. You think I'm playing around? Then test me. Why don't you kill me?"

Suddenly the general unsheathed his sword in the blink of an eye and held it to Veretta's throat. She stared back at him with a deadpan stare.

"Master?" Yona hesitated.

The general glared at Veretta with sinister dark eyes for a moment.

"You don't think I would kill you?" he asked seriously

"On the contrary, I am certain you would," Veretta stepped past the blade undeterred, "however since you and Silthus have already killed my family, my best friend and by now ransacked my village, I guess your threat to kill me is a little underwhelming,"

She put her hand to his throat. It crackled with electric magic but the general didn't pull away. He simply stared down with a crooked smile, "What about your revenge?"

"How will I get my revenge if you are constantly in my way?" Veretta's eyes were dark and expressionless. "Maybe I'll just kill you and go join my parents?"

"Seems we are at an impasse," the general pulled her hand back. He sucked in a breath and let out a little chuckle, "you are much more fun than I thought...hmmm, I could just torture you into submission but that's never really been my style. Ah, let's rethink this, shall we? I'm not a fan of confrontation, you see"

"If we're done here, I'm leaving," Veretta turned away disinterested.

"Are you sure about that?" the general sheathed his sword with a grin, "and here I was about to offer you a way to help with Errik's little control issues,"

Veretta stopped in her tracks and looked back at him impatiently, "What do you know about it?"

"Only 300 years worth of study into dark magic but maybe that's not good enough?" he grinned.

Veretta stared down pensively. It had to be another trick, didn't it? However, when it came to Errik, the general was strangely protective. It was true that he could just kill her, so to offer a deal, he must have been quite desperate. That would be to her advantage.

"And I just have to find this person that you're looking for?" Veretta asked quietly.

"That's all I'm asking," he returned, "to begin with, if you ever want to make headway with the problems affecting Errik, you need to be better at dark magic, miss witch. Consider this practice,"

"If you are so good at dark magic, why can't you do the spell yourself?" Veretta asked suspiciously.

"I guess Errik hasn't told you much about demons," the general commented, "dark magic is still human magic, I can't cast it myself. I can only use demonic magic which is very limited in this world,"

"This world?" Veretta's brow furrowed.

"Oh my," the general chuckled, "he really hasn't told you anything. Never mind, I would be happy to teach you. That's if you do me this favour first,"

Veretta fist clenched. She still needed Errik to face Silthus and this demon was offering a solution. There were only a few months left till Silthus arrived. What other choice did she have?

"I'll do it, but I need to research the spell," Veretta replied.

"No, need," the general interjected, "just come to see me tonight. I've already prepared everything,"

"Okay," Veretta stared down dismally.

"Oh, and miss witch," the general turned to leave but stopped with an ominous smile, "run away again and really will make you regret it."