the first of?
"Why didn't you show me this sooner?"
Treak blinked and pointed at the vessel.
"You can interrupt me."
Treak folded her arms in an impatient look.
"All right. So, I don't like to be disturbed, but this is important." Far more important than the vessel.
The goblin opened her arms and waved as if to include the entire study.
Del'Aru huffed. "So, it's all important. I understand. But do you know what this means?" She lifted the paper, studying the names, memorizing them. "If these are the first demonlords, they might have known the Old Ones, know what all this means, what happened and why I'm having nightmares about it. And maybe why they are called the 'First Ones' and how they got here. This is the key to unlocking the secrets, Treak. This is what I've been searching for, and I know where the closest one might be."
Treak smiled and gave a nod.
"Ready to fly?"
The goblin paled and her ears drooped. Now? She signed the word.
"I can't risk waiting. I promise not to play this time."
Treak rolled her eyes and headed for the door of the study. With a hint of magic, Del'Aru sent the parchment back to its place with the other scrolls, where it would remain hidden like the study. Her research of the Old Ones, the first sentient race considered to have inhabited their world and disappeared, would go much quicker if she could find one of these First Ones, these Guardians, to advise her. Seeing monsters drawn in their books that she had dreamed about had been only the beginning of the end. She was much closer now to learning what it meant.
Excitement coursed through her. She wanted to play in flight, but she had promised Treak.
Chapter 1
Nadia dared not blink. The half-blood was good, maintaining control in a fight instead of losing control in the blood rage. Rather, Je'Surana was sharp and focused, even in the use of her claws and teeth. Few half-bloods could fight without the killing instinct taking over. Nadia had only known one other, but he didn't have the advantage that Je'Surana did.
As regrets crept into her heart threatening to distract her, she shook them away.
None too soon. Je'Surana struck, whirling with the speed and agility of her demonlord half.
But Nadia was no ordinary human. An Adept by birth with the demon-controlling dispirit power and a full-fledged demon hunter by training, she easily flipped the half-blood over her head.
Je'Surana sprang back to her feet, white and black strands of hair falling loose from the tight tail of hair on her head. Pale blue eyes scalded Nadia and a feral snarl issued from the girl, exposing the growing points of teeth.
This was what Nadia expected. This was the fight she craved to harden her heart from the grief still haunting her five months later.
She would likely lose if the girl succumbed to the blood rage, but she might not. It would test her theory after what happened with Je'Rol at the battle of the Nik'Terek Gate. But that wasn't what she had been asked to do.
Nadia glanced aside to the steward in the shadows of the chamber, the man in the white and black blouse and pants formed from his tiger hide by the power of magic and imagination. He tipped his head.
Exactly what she had expected. He wanted her to challenge the girl, and that's what would happen.
Nadia sprang for the girl, ducked a swipe of Je'Surana's claws, and yanked the dagger from her own belt in one motion. She whirled, but the girl leapt over her with the power and grace of her demonlord half.
A quick calculation passed through her head based on the arc of the girl's jump. Nadia whirled and drove the blade into Je'Surana's side.
Pain creased the poor girl's face as blood stained her shirt around the dagger's crossbar. "Nadia..." She stumbled backwards into a pillar at the edge of the fighting floor.
Nadia stood over her, catching her breath and trying not to feel. The training had started out as it had every day for the last four months, slowly building in intensity as
"Why didn't you show me this sooner?"
Treak blinked and pointed at the vessel.
"You can interrupt me."
Treak folded her arms in an impatient look.
"All right. So, I don't like to be disturbed, but this is important." Far more important than the vessel.
The goblin opened her arms and waved as if to include the entire study.
Del'Aru huffed. "So, it's all important. I understand. But do you know what this means?" She lifted the paper, studying the names, memorizing them. "If these are the first demonlords, they might have known the Old Ones, know what all this means, what happened and why I'm having nightmares about it. And maybe why they are called the 'First Ones' and how they got here. This is the key to unlocking the secrets, Treak. This is what I've been searching for, and I know where the closest one might be."
Treak smiled and gave a nod.
"Ready to fly?"
The goblin paled and her ears drooped. Now? She signed the word.
"I can't risk waiting. I promise not to play this time."
Treak rolled her eyes and headed for the door of the study. With a hint of magic, Del'Aru sent the parchment back to its place with the other scrolls, where it would remain hidden like the study. Her research of the Old Ones, the first sentient race considered to have inhabited their world and disappeared, would go much quicker if she could find one of these First Ones, these Guardians, to advise her. Seeing monsters drawn in their books that she had dreamed about had been only the beginning of the end. She was much closer now to learning what it meant.
Excitement coursed through her. She wanted to play in flight, but she had promised Treak.
Chapter 1
Nadia dared not blink. The half-blood was good, maintaining control in a fight instead of losing control in the blood rage. Rather, Je'Surana was sharp and focused, even in the use of her claws and teeth. Few half-bloods could fight without the killing instinct taking over. Nadia had only known one other, but he didn't have the advantage that Je'Surana did.
As regrets crept into her heart threatening to distract her, she shook them away.
None too soon. Je'Surana struck, whirling with the speed and agility of her demonlord half.
But Nadia was no ordinary human. An Adept by birth with the demon-controlling dispirit power and a full-fledged demon hunter by training, she easily flipped the half-blood over her head.
Je'Surana sprang back to her feet, white and black strands of hair falling loose from the tight tail of hair on her head. Pale blue eyes scalded Nadia and a feral snarl issued from the girl, exposing the growing points of teeth.
This was what Nadia expected. This was the fight she craved to harden her heart from the grief still haunting her five months later.
She would likely lose if the girl succumbed to the blood rage, but she might not. It would test her theory after what happened with Je'Rol at the battle of the Nik'Terek Gate. But that wasn't what she had been asked to do.
Nadia glanced aside to the steward in the shadows of the chamber, the man in the white and black blouse and pants formed from his tiger hide by the power of magic and imagination. He tipped his head.
Exactly what she had expected. He wanted her to challenge the girl, and that's what would happen.
Nadia sprang for the girl, ducked a swipe of Je'Surana's claws, and yanked the dagger from her own belt in one motion. She whirled, but the girl leapt over her with the power and grace of her demonlord half.
A quick calculation passed through her head based on the arc of the girl's jump. Nadia whirled and drove the blade into Je'Surana's side.
Pain creased the poor girl's face as blood stained her shirt around the dagger's crossbar. "Nadia..." She stumbled backwards into a pillar at the edge of the fighting floor.
Nadia stood over her, catching her breath and trying not to feel. The training had started out as it had every day for the last four months, slowly building in intensity as
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