Chapter 2

"How… how in the love of the Gods did you teleport?"

I sighed and turned to Elly, careful to pour as much exasperation in my manner as possible. "I'm fae. What I control is time, thus making what I did not teleportation but slowing down time and fastening the time in which I travel."

I set Elly down and pulled on some stray hairs curving along the side of my face. "I got us past Norterra's border. The guards haven't gotten us but we may experience some trouble with the common demons."

"And why can't you just 'run' us all to Dralia itself?" Alex inquired.

I turned to him and narrowed my eyes while smiling. In creation of a vampire, why couldn't Astria have made him all the more inferior in being clever? "You are deaf for a vampire. I went back and forth dropping… rather heavy people in such a short period of time."

That rightfully had no answer.

I tilted my head up, taking in the raw beauty of Norterra. While it's people were the most cunning and disrespectable, their architecture skills are well beyond any other kingdom. Tall, black skyscrapers towered over the sky. The city was bustling with merchants and traders, some just returning from other kingdoms to embrace their family.

"Welcome to Norterra, empire of the demons," I said, smilingly gleefully. It would be much the fun if it weren't for the group that I was in currently, full of people who did not know how to find poison in tea, people who were shifters, and those who just did not have the experience with the nature of demons.

"Follow me." Beckoning, I walked towards a tavern.

Elly franticly caught up to me, her mates jogging up besides her. "What are you doing?"

"Just do what I do. It's a tradition for newcomers to drink tea. Poisoned if they think you inferior, high class if they don't. Do exactly what I do and that is key — unless you want your blood being mixed with your mates over here." I continued as I walked in and smiled at the demon at the front counter. "Unless you want them to drink your blood," I whispered into Elly's ear.

I leaned back and bowed deeply. "Greetings, fine sir. We've come to drink tea."

Short and stubby, he took it quite well. "Newzcomders I szee? Rebacca here would zeed zu tzu zda table." His z's were potent, as expected from a demon. They all had a heavy accent, taught from years of tradition of praying towards their angel: Yruz.

"Greatly appreciated."

A younger female demon with a name tag 'Rebecca' walked towards the inside rooms and we followed her, passing through intricately designed beams and doors.

She led us into a room no less designed, filled with golden chairs and a rounded table held up by glass beams. "Zit sound here."

I obliged and so did the others. While waiting, I carefully tucked the handkerchief provided and folded my hands upon each other, straightening my back. Tilting my head up, I nodded towards Elly and her mates to do the same.

Quiet. Respect. I mouthed.

Elly dipped her head to signal she heard me.

After a few minutes, Rebecca came back into the room with a tray of six cups.

Filled with what is a question we've yet to find out. But ah, of course, they'll be the desirable option laying and dancing across the options. And otherwise may be time to allow my power to be used against beings lest things get complicated.

"Endzoy." She placed the cups in front of us with slender fingers and bowed then left.

I smiled and lifted the cup with my left hand, placing my right against the handle. Middle two fingers curved in, pinky out, and index resting on the top.

Without hesitation, I lifted it at a steady past and put it against my lips. Thankfully, the others were doing the same. But then, may not all be perfect — without elegance should I say.

An unwavering calmness washed over me and I lifted the cup, drinking a little of the sweet and bitter liquid.

All demonic food and drinks all had the lingering taste of future, if that would be describable — and it would not be if it didn't predict.

I licked my lips and waited a few seconds, making eye contact with Elly.

I blinked away the fog and let go of the cup, making it shatter against the floor.

Fog?

Oh, great Celestia.

+++

When I opened my eyes to the treacherous light of reality I knew what I would find, something irksome but alas, the world must always fine a way to capture me in its grim paws and star hungrily at me.

Chains were wrapped tightly around my wrists and I was hung up against a rocky wall. Across from me were still peaceful and in bliss ones, only Max being awakened.

He stared at me across the room, eyes widened but unable to speak due to the taught everything around us — including the cloth tied to the point it was crushing against my teeth.

O, the paranoia of the demons. Scared of the weak but again oblivious to the strong. May as well Celestia bless them with the word 'luck' by itself, reserved snuggly against the Demon King.

I only stared back at him emotionlessly because what did he expect me to do by only trying to anger me? Time will tell.

Ah yes, time. Something the demons have quite neglected after almost not indirectly telling me that they knew not of what I am — and shall they pay the price.

Finally when Max quieted down and seemed to accept the fate he was in, I turned my wrist the farthest I can and tapped the chains with my index and middle fingers. After a few seconds, the bindment seemed to just break into pieces and I was let loose.

I shall put some trust in their fighting skills.

And after tumbling into the floor and untying the uselessly bundle of knots on the muffle, I patted my clothing and worked with the same process towards the others.

One by one, the chains fell away and soon everybody was awake.

"Happy now?" I wrinkled my face in disgust. "The dirtiness of the jail cells. And then they say they're the most efficient and cleanest of the races? I would think not, also considering they know not of what I am capable of, wrapping me in tight chains against my will…"

I crossed my arms and looked at the mute others. "Care to act as if the poison had not taken your voice as well?"

Elly smiled awkwardly. "Thank you."

"Let's just hope we have the strength to get outta here," Alex muttered.

I smiled. "And that's what I was hoping for. You guys are going to do the fighting for me." My smile did not match the amusement of others.

"…What?" Disbelief spread like wildfire lit by a match full of what might not just be existent.

"Well considering I just broke the bindments of such the pitiful subjects as yours', it would be the sensible thing to do — if you were not of the trolls in that cruel land by Dralia," I said, spreading my hands at the only option they could take if I were to help them.

Elly pursed her lips and opened her mouth, ready to say exactly against the truth. "But-"

"Shhhh." I put a finger on my lips and nodded towards the door. "You hear that?"

The sound of steps and marching edged closer and closer, allowing the smallest amount of time for them to accept their fate. I walked to the corner, patted my clothes, and sat down.

A cheeky smile appeared on my face, happy to see them glance at me and then at the door in horror. "Have fun."

Finally, the jail door burst open and an angry-looking Rebecca stormed in.

A moment of quiet settled on the room, quiet and quickly — long enough for her to scream what I would say is a call for help and Max to charge at her.

I pulled my legs up to my chest and watched. As I always did, in amusement at them, fighting over what even a child could see as the demons not seeing us as worthy.

She dodged and Max coughed, a result of the poison still lingering in his stomach. A slash of silver would've cut ended Max suddenly, just sharp in time and without warning, had Alex not push him away in time.

More steps urged closer and suddenly there were more demons standing at the door and wearing smirks saying 'oh, I do know we've already won'.

Outnumbered?

Mm.

I would think not. Foolish thoughts of the demons.

And Max Changed, then Lucas, and there were the slashing of claws and fire burning, screams…`

Silently too, Alex and Xander got rid of the demons one by one. Elly stood on the side, a fierce look in her eyes as she moved her lips with a chant.

She learned chants already? Impressive for fifteen year old.

But then, a problem started forming, and my lips turned down.

There was no death. Nobody fell to the ground and turned into a white whisper either to travel up, down, or to Methia. The demon soldiers kept on getting up and when they got too bloody, they were ignored and dodged by their foes. And they had the ferocious look of death, staring down at the companions, wanting to erase them from physical embodiment.

I got up and walked into the crowd, already satisfied enough with how nobody bothered to try to hurt me as I sat in the corner.

A demon lunged at me and I stared at it, my index and middle fingers tapping them on the shoulder and their body experienced life in a matter of half a second, quickly withering into old age and then toppling to the floor. That, now, was worthy of inciting a crazed smile on my face.

I whipped around the crowd, tapping demons on the arm, head, stomach, until many were falling on the ground and I could see waves of life slither up into Celestia and sink into Saphira. As always, Methia travelers' numbers were small.

Soon Elly stared at me in horror, yelling over the screams and blood. "Stop! You're killing them, please-" She huffed. "Stop!"

I would never understand the foolishness of life. There were even the realms of death, and what? Why would anybody even bother to care even the littleness amount of someone stranger? In fact, I was giving them a gift of freedom from memories of their horrible life of reality.

A sudden weight came on my head and I staggered.

Oh.

The lasting affects of time on the mind.

I grabbed another demon's neck and they withered to old and fell, causing more fatigue to grab at my mind.

This was not good, not good at all. And this was what I get for helping.

They kept on coming in through the door, and Elly's chanting got hoarse. I could start seeing Alex and Xander, their speed slowly dessipatating.

I guess I would have to resort to the most basic physical skill. A knife slid into my hand and I spin around, impaling a demon in the neck then pulling out. While they didn't age in a wrinkle of time, they did die.

However I bore the knowledge of us being outnumbered, and that there was absolutely nothing I could do.

I was not afraid though. Nothing at all, only acceptance. That was what the gods, Tomioka and Gabriel, weaved up I suppose.

Alex fell down when a demon attacked her and I frowned, extremely displeased that someone under my protection would get hurt that easily.

My eyes closed and a loud rumbling appeared in the room. I may as well bring my clock into this as it'll help me greatly and will most definitely wipe out who I want in this room in one snap.

It's only that as the ticking of the time became louder and louder, a flash appeared in the room. So bright I could see it with my eyes closed and when I opened my eyes, I was met with the satisfying sight of mass death.

They lay atop one another, blood everywhere.

Elly and everybody else stood there in shock, and stared at me. Except this wasn't my cause, and soon they realized.

Then they turned their heads to the figure standing in then center, as I did too, wearing the largest smirk.

"Miss me?"