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Phynex shifted his position and took up a defensive stance, similar to the one from earlier before during the meeting of the blonde haired man but without the snarling and hissing. He could tell the humans were cautious of him, the least he wanted to do was to terrify them even more or provoke another attack with intimidation. He tensed his muscles and made himself look a little bigger, but his face was passive and void of emotion, the only thing present was an awareness for any sudden movements. Selene, who was standing in front of him and eyeing the hunters, caught the attention of the bowman. But the man with the bow did not loosen the arrow and simply glared back at the white haired huntress. Phynex could see that she was telling him to stop, a warning, and the man seemed to recognize her.

The man with the bow was one of the older hunters. Not as experienced as the veterans but no longer a trainee. His specialty, was of course, the art of archery. He had spotted the huge draconic demon just as he was about to turn the corner, and his face was a picture of fear and terror. In all his years in training and fighting demons, he'd never seen anything like that before. He was often sent to dispatch low to mid tier demons, not anything as powerful looking as the one that emerged from the abandoned building with one of the legendary figures of the demon hunting world. The child of the Averills, daughter to Asher Averills, another legend himself. What had prompted him to pull out his special arrows, tipped with a numbing poison to immobilize demons? He was sick of taking care of low tier demons. The highest he had ever encountered and defeated was a demon who was in the top rankings of the low tier. Judging from the size of that fire demon, he had to be a middle - or even upper - tier beast. If he slew the draconic being, wouldn't he be rewarded a handsome prize for such a deed? He silently nocked in an arrow to his precious bow and aimed at the monster, who seemed to have noticed his presence. The white haired huntress also turned her head to face him, shooting him an icy cold stare, a warning for him to stop.

People like him were always overshadowed by the veterans. Veterans who knew how to kill demons in two hundred ways with their bare hands and mastered many weapons. They practiced and learned formations, stances, different kinds of demons, learnt the folklore and legends of the beasts and took on gigantic monsters that made the ones he face look like kittens. While he was barely paid anything, they received twice as much. Ignoring the warning from the infamous Huntress, he let the arrow fly towards the fire demon, who moved his tail forward to receive it.
 
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The girl moved, even as she caught Phynex moving to receive the arrow from the corner of her vision. Before the arrow, which was poison tipped and furthering the darkening of her suddenly too still features, could even reach the demon a slender white hand caught the arrow around its slender shaft and snapped it. It was simple, a slight pressure and twist of her wrist, with only one hand the delicate-looking girl had broken the arrow with its poison tip. "Such a waste," she whispered, her voice still caught between a child and a woman's, light and almost innocent. Her expression was blank, her jewel-toned eyes staring back at the archer, locking on to the perceived threat she had gotten. She had warned him. He had disobeyed her. And why wouldn't he? In his eyes Phynex was obviously an upper-tier demon, something that if killed would fetch him a handsome price.

If only he had considered that that demon many have been in a contract with her. Selene didn't take it too well. She didn't care about the challenging glare she got from the man, she received that and so much more every day she worked. That was why she preferred to be by herself. She looked at the poison tip dispassionately, noting that this type of weapon would probably have a numbing or paralyzing agent to it, to keep demons from running away. Even if this poison had struck Phynex she knew that the weapon probably would have bounced off, looking at the craftsmanship of his bow and the sharpness of the arrow head. Didn't the hunter notice Phynex's lava and rock-covered body? Didn't people try to think for themselves nowadays? She had had enough.

Selene could see the disdain and resentment burning bright in the man's blue eyes, directed towards her and generally all high ranked hunters. Then the flash of greed and ambition, making her feel sick, as his eyes focused on Phynex earlier. With deliberate movements, she stalked forward, her destination clear. She approached the hunter, her face blank, the broken arrow in one hand. It wasn't just that he had attacked Phynex, it was the looks she received every day, and the way they seemed to think so easily on impulse, that had gotten to her. She had had enough. She was tired, it was her birthday and she was barely fifteen, and the world of hunters, a world that was supposed to welcome and encourage her, made her feel like she belonged somewhere was slowly but surely rejecting her. The part of her heart that had held some resentment and the disappointment of an abandoned child had slowly come to the forefront, and it was slowly dimming the slight brightness that still remained in the girl's eyes.

The world was slowly sapping away any care and faith that she had in it. She was expected to help and protect it but the people she was supposed to protect could be just as despicable. And she had learned from a very young age that there was no one who would protect her. The memories that she had from when she was a child, crying and frightened, a side that no one, not even Jasper would ever see. The moon was bright in the sky, the hunters should have seen the girl that was running past the darkened buildings. The demons were chasing after her, but the hunters who resided in the houses shut their doors and their windows as the passed by. She was in a state of panic, terrifying the child who had only ever thought in clear and focused trails. She had so dearly thought she was going to die and only numbly thought what Jasper would think, but she had somehow managed to kill the demons. Standing there in numb shock, she had slowly realized the slow clapping. It was a red-haired demon that she knew very well, before his sickly presence had passed away. Then the hunter authorities had come, and all they had said to her was she had surpassed their expectations.

It was all some sort of sick test.

She had never been able to sleep well after that, not quite sleeping but keeping a knife underneath her pillow and a gun at her bedside table. To think that the hunters had been the ones that loosened the locks on her doors and led the demons there.

There was no one that would protect her. But it was so very painful to finally not just know it, but understand it. Knowing and understanding were different things, Selene had learned. It was a very important lesson that she took to heart.

The girl's eyes had gone dull, any light leaving them. "I am going to report you and you had better expect that you will answer to what you did," she said quietly, letting the arrow drop from her hands as she stopped before the man. She had been young but she had never felt so tired.
 
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Phynex had moved his tail forward, the organ at the end opening its maw, ready to take the arrow and burn it black...but he was caught by surprise. The huntress moved so quickly to snap the arrow in half it was like it had zoomed towards them in slow motion. Her slender, pale hand quickly lashed out at the air and broke the weapon as if it was a twig. Phynex stared at her, astonished and surprised. Her reaction times were almost...inhuman. He'd met plenty of powerful demons who had all sorts of skills, but he could list a few of them this woman would be able to take down if she had experience like this. He lowered his tail, whose light grew dark with disappointment, closing its mouth in such a way it was almost like it was sad.

He hesitantly followed the huntress, dragging his body along and keeping an eye on the others, who were just as surprised at the scene lain before their eyes. The man with the bow had a gaping, open mouth, his eyes meeting Selene's and gulping nervously and visibly. But he didn't stand down, he was taller than her, and he stared her down. There was something about the attitude of this human male that made Phynex dislike him. There was a spark in his eyes, the way he looked at him. It was similar to the eyes of a hungry man seeing food for the first time in months. It was a spark of desire - and not the loving kind - and the need to kill. It scared Phynex, seeing the similarities between hunters and demons, how both wanted to get rid of each other and end lives with weapons and claws and talons.

The man lowered his bow and closed his mouth, looking at the Huntress with his own eyes. She may be a legend, may be one of the best, but was he scared of some itsy bitsy girl? No. Though she may be one of the best of her age, she was younger than him, smaller than him, and just because she was born into a hunter's family and was allowed to go out on missions to kill upper tier demons didn't mean she was special. At her words, he simply smirked and laughed. "You think you're so special, missy? Just because you're an Averill?" he spat. "You're just a hunter, don't feel all mighty because you can take down the big guns. I bet you only saved that one -" he pointed a finger at Phynex, who turned his burning head to face the bowman, "so you can kill him yourself and get all the money," he accused.

Phynex was getting angry, his body temperature rising uncontrollably. Such wild accusations! He was about to lash out at the man when he remembered where he was. With other people spectating, that wouldn't be a smart idea. Selene had the right to report him. Her words were straight to the point and possibly a little harsh, and it reminded him of his father. An even more colossal draconic demon, he was a general who retired to look after his son and his wife. From the rumors and the hazy memories, he was a harsh general but a kind father, who knew how to raise a family. Was Selene like that too? Was she hiding a kind and gentle side? Phynex wanted to see that.
 
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"Yes, I am just a hunter," and a weapon for all of you to use, isn't it? Selene's voice was still calm and blank, her eyes hollow and not something that should ever be seen in a child's eyes. She didn't even care if she got hurt or if she got attacked for what she was going to do, or the punishment that her leaders would give her. "A hunter that was able to snap your arrow in half. If you couldn't take me on, what made you think you could take on such a precious demon, am I correct? I am sure that someone of your skill would be able to take down a little missy such as I." She smiled softly, her face already beautiful and drawing the eyes of many, but it was not a kind expression. It would haunt the memories of those who saw it for days. "So please, feel free to skewer me. No, pierce me through the heart if you can," she didn't care anymore, and maybe this would show this - this human before her a lesson.

"Meanwhile, if you can't, everyone in this place-" the others who had gathered at such a spectacle murmured among themselves, "Will know your foolishness in attacking an Averill. They will see your supposed skill. Can you not see what is at stake, sir?" She tilted her head, the terrible smile that she would soon find herself wearing during the darkest times still curving her soft pink lips. Her silver-white hair fell down her back, soft and shining, deceptively making her young features look softer. Some locks were short and framed her face to her chin, some falling over her forehead. The girl looked like a delicate princess compared to the sneering man with his bow still ready and his posture indignant. But everyone already knew which was the one to truly fear. "And if you manage it, everyone will know how great you are to manage to hit and severely harm an Averill. Think of the promotion you would get. Think of the raise in your pay," the people around them had differing expressions, some directly angered at the man, some horrified and worried that the girl was speaking about her life like it was some sort of game. Selene knew that if her father ever heard of this he would slap her and much worse, but she was too far gone to care.

Her posture was deceptively relaxed, looking for all the world a young girl with slender limbs and a developing body. "So, what, then, is stopping you?" She could feel the sheer aggression coming off in waves from Phynex, who seemed outrage and furious at the accusations, and a part of her that was somewhat muffled wondered why he even cared about her. They had only just met, after all.

"And once you get through me, feel free to try and attack him. Fame and money, and much more, what else could you possibly ask for?" She purred, her smile rife of false brightness that fooled nobody. Her eyes were beautiful and terrible all at once, beguiling and enticing the man to her offers.

Some of the people stepped forward to interfere, but a glance from her froze them in their tracks. This was between her and this hunter, and no one would interfere. It was almost funny that they would interfere now when no one had cared to interfere for her that night. It was ironic, and for a second a small, resigned smile, more genuine, beautiful and a little heartbreaking, appeared on her face before it was replaced by the alien expression. It was the smile of a child that was cynical and had grown to accept her place in the world, and even if she no longer had faith she would still try and fight for it. Because there was still Jasper and her father.
 
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The man assessed the situation. An Averill was even better than a high-tier demon! To be able to tell the Hunter's Society he was able to take down an Averill...that was a dream come true for someone like him. The glory, the spoil and the fame! He could already see it, he would be one of the best. The Heads of the Society would finally notice him and give him a pay rise that so rightfully deserved. Averills were known for their skills and their deadliness, he could dirty their goddamn line by taking out this innocent looking girl. Who cared if she was the Huntress, known for being young yet having so many kills under her belt? She was at the stage of development, whereas he was a grown adult. Surely, he could overpower her. Instead of living such a meager lifestyle, like any other human occupation, he could be living in a mansion or a castle...he signed up for this job to live a full life and get rich off the deaths of these demons. If he knew he would be paid like any average man, he wouldn't have bothered traversing the streets looking everywhere for these stinking demons. He didn't need to wade into bogs to search for demon eels or get lost in the forest looking for a corrupted fae. He could have just become a secretary or a clerk and earned the same amount sitting safely behind a desk! He deserved more, especially for his level of skill.

After thinking to himself for a while, his hands flashed towards the weapon strapped to his waist on the right hip, a small but sharp dagger that he preferred to use in close combat whenever his bow was not an option. It was a simple shiny dagger with no markings and equipped with a leather guard for a strong grip. He had found it in the dumps, discarded by a hunter. Having not enough money to afford his own weapon - because he wasn't paid enough in the first place - he had taken it and made it his own. With a dreamy grin on his face, he attempted to slam the butt of the dagger onto her head - since she was shorter than him by at least a head - before quickly pulling back and swinging his knife arm forward, the dagger heading straight for her stomach blade first.

Phynex was shocked at the sudden course of action. Before he could even react, the bowman leapt forward with a dagger drawn, his lips curled upwards into a disturbing smile that screamed of greed and victory. The others around the three of them were also surprised. Some of them clapped their hands to their mouths in horror, others shaking their heads at the unfolding scene. Phynex was confused. Were they not all humans? Why? Why were they acting like demons? Voices of other demons rang in his head. How his father was imprisoned, how both his parents were executed. How they were fighting against their own kind. He began growling, unhappy at how the humans were becoming more and more demon like, despite what their job was.
 
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With a serene smile on her lips, Selene barely moved her head away when the man attempted to hit her head with the butt of the dagger, the weapon only skimming air and a stray lock of silver hair that quickly fell back down. She merely moved to the side, the movements of the man oh so dreadfully predictable and, in a move meant to mock and infuriate the opponent, let him graze her stomach but not enough. It sliced through her coat and her black shirt, showing the smooth white skin hidden underneath as the hole opened wider, a thin streak of red appearing and dripping some blood to the ground. But the wound was light, and barely even there, her healing would quickly answer to that. The Averills were sometimes seen as more demon or fae than they were human with their skills in magic and their vitality, their life force many times stronger than even the hunters. They lived long and full lives, aging slower than even the normal hunter. It was like they lived and breathed magic, be it dark or light, and had ascended from their supposed humanity. And strangely enough, her mother was rumored to not even be fully human, but not demonic either.

Any poison that could be on the blade, Selene knew she could counter. It might be painful but it would never hamper her. Kasimir had taken to making her build a resistance to both demon and hunter poisons, and she wondered if he had anticipated something like this. Her tolerance in pain was also disturbingly high, and the sting barely registered on her radar.

"How positively dull," she remarked, and further infuriating the hunter, corrected his mistakes. "Your attack is predictable. As I am shorter than you you thought you could stun me by hitting the hilt of your dagger to my temple," she idly pointed her finger to her head, before she pointed at her stomach. "And then you aimed for the stomach. Of course, predictability wouldn't matter if you were actually fast enough to get me." Both of them knew she had only indulged the man, letting him graze her stomach with the dagger. Her arms were still lax at her sides, she hadn't even countered the man and merely evaded, showing her skill that was light years ahead of his in dodging such an amateur move. "Had you feinted you might have actually done more," she stated. "I find that you bore me. You have not even been trained enough with a dagger." She could have disarmed him and he wouldn't even know it until she had his own dagger at his throat.

The people murmured again, some of the more experienced hunters looking unsure whether to reprimand her for this display or be angry at the man's lack of professionalism. Those who had been there early enough to see the start knew it was the man's fault, but some thought that Selene had displayed arrogance and deserved to be knocked around a little. She eyed the man expectantly again. "Is that the extent of your abilities, then?" The growls and bewildered feelings coming from Phynex behind her, she had only registered at the edges of her senses. Was he bewildered that humans could be like this? Well, he had to be awakened to the nature of this world sometime. At least this time his eyes were opened before he could become too comfortable or expectant, like she had been.
 
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The man growled, missing his mark as the butt of his knife fell right through air as the huntress moved aside in the slightest of movements. With the grin on his face cruelly twisted, he tried to drive the knife into her stomach, only to have the huntress move to the side. But the smile was still there. His eyes peeked at the pale white skin that peeped out from her black clothing, blood slowly dripping out of the shallow wound. The bowman was filled to the brim with joy, he had managed to injure an Averill. Him? Make a scratch on the daughter of Asher Averill, a hunter so deadly he was sometimes considered a demon himself? He made a mental check of the event, so he could tell his friends after he wins this battle. Knowing how powerful this family was, with generations of hunters and a naturally powerful magic capacity and life force, making a mark on one of them was an accomplishment in itself. He wondered why she wasn't attacking, why wasn't she making a move? Disarming him or trying to throw him around or other actions he knew she was capable of? Was it because he was better than her expectations? The thought made him blush.

He didn't even need poison on the blade, sometimes the bowman would rub a layer of the numbing poison onto the blade to immobilize demons, but the dagger rarely came out of its leather sheath, there was no point wasting it on a simple dagger instead of his precious, handmade arrows.

When she spoke, her tone was mocking. Making fun of him, showing off how 'experienced' she was and how she was 'special' just because of her family status. She had no right. It only made him even more angry, see more and more red. Furiously, he continued jabbing at her randomly with his dagger, his hand becoming a flurry of stabs aimed at no particular spot. He listened to Miss Know-it-all 'correct' all his mistakes. Predicting all of his moves and motives correctly. Was she also showing off her knowledge? He rolled his eyes. Brushing his hair out of his eyes and wiping the sweat on his hands, he smiled creepily. "That's just because I'm fighting you with my dagger, if it were a battle of archery, I would have won." He lunged at her one more time, dagger pointed towards her stomach once again.

Phynex had had enough. He didn't want to see these two humans act like demons. It was not right, he thought humans were less sinful. With great effort, he pushed all his weight to his weaker back legs and tail and grabbed each person - his right grasping onto Selene's shoulder and his left grabbing onto the bowman's shirt - and held them at arm's width. "Stop it!" he roared, shooting glares at the both of them. He hadn't felt this sort of anger since he arrived trapped inside a cage of runes. "You are demon hunters, why must you act like the species you kill?" Phynex snapped at them. He turned his head to face Selene, "And you! You are a mortal, a human! You're lifespan is nothing. Do you think it is funny to play around with that number?" He pointed at the wound at her waist, which was starting to swell a little and redden at the corners, "Look at this! This is no time to play with your life, you are still very very young," he said, this time in a gentler tone.

The bowman shrunk at the rising voice of the demon, finding it unable to wriggle out of the claws on his hand which had grabbed a handful of his shirt. He hadn't expected the fire demon to jump in, but he could feel his chest warming up from his grip and the immense body heat that was being emitted from his body. Phynex gave him a cool stare of disappointment before letting him go and releasing the tight grip on his shirt. Sighing, now that one of his stronger limbs was supporting his his heavy body, he kept a hold on Selene, but the grip had loosened considerably.
 
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"Asher Averill is going to have his head," one of the people gasped loud enough at the blood and the smug grin on the hunter's face, and the whisper of Selene's fathers angers started to resound throughout the crowd, a general feeling of unease spreading. The name was enough to cause tremors to the hunters who knew better, remembering the man with the rich, dark hair and glowing silver eyes like a wolf. Despite feeling like Selene needed a lesson or two in humility, the hunters were conflicted. The confidence the girl had was well placed and held true, they could see that she was merely toying around. But if this spread... Everyone knew that Selene was so precious to her father because she was all he had left to remember his wife by. Selene was her mother's final gift, someone Asher and Soleil had created out of love and the desire to create a family. Maybe the girl herself didn't think too much about it, but everyone else knew how much he cherished her. Teaching her all he had to give. Keeping her isolated from the hunters for years before introducing her to the hunter world. He had done everything he could to keep her from leaving their silent sanctuary, or at least to keep her close to him and prepare her as much as he could.

Some murmured, even more appalled, at the man's boast. While Selene was frightening with all sorts of blades, it was generally known that her aim was also truly terrifying. Give her a rock, a slingshot, a rifle or a gun. It always hit its target, seeming almost magical with how easy she made it look to use anything that needed aiming and use it lethally. Selene merely smiled cynically, knowing that before her father would even show his anger at the hunter, he would slap her first and give her a stern reprimand. Besides, he knew she could take care of herself. The only time he had been truly infuriated, it had already been over and he couldn't do anything - that night when the hunters had tested her, it was out of his knowledge. He had only learned about it later, and Selene never wanted to see that seething look in his eyes ever again. Selene knew her father would never truly harm her, but the way his eyes had darkened and wished the hunters harm had made her almost afraid for him.

She merely dodged each and every jab towards her, watching the sneer growing on the man's lips with detachment and apathy. In his anger he had grown even much more predictable, his attacks sloppy and hideously untrained. The people could only watch appalled at them both, and after a while Selene sighed. She prepared herself to evade him one more time, before disarming him and finally teaching him a lesson he would never forget, until something seized her tightly. Any surprise she might have had was overshadowed by the sheer shock of having a demon roar in all the hunters' faces and lecture them about their own natures. When had it come to this? Awareness came to her eyes once again, but she merely looked back dully at Phynex. He looked disenchanted. Good. She didn't want an idealist as a partner. When he singled her out to lecture her, her eyes widened slightly.

"What is my life to you?" The girl finally murmured, in a wearier tone than one would expect. He did say her lifespan was nothing compared to his and they both knew that. Why was he talking to her gently like she was a child or a fragile thing that would break like glass? She looked around at the shocked and appalled faces and her expression turned blank. "Let me go. I already know my mistake," she said in quieter tone, only directed towards Phynex. She directed a blank stare void of anything at the hunter with the bow. "We would both be facing the authorities now. The witnesses around here would have to share what they saw," she exhaled softly. Selene cursed herself for this disastrous slipup, and on her birthday as well.

"Selene!" Another familiar male voice cried, a man pushing his way to the front of the crowd. He took in the view, having already seen it from behind others and narrowed his eyes at the archer. "You will be coming with me," he said, in a slight growl. Aidan was still so willing to leap up and down for her that it was almost out of place with the situation. He still seemed so eager to please, and when his eyes looked over her and lingered at the sliver of skin peeking out, an odd look passed over his eyes. Something that looked... Hungry? But in a way she didn't really understand. "Both of you will be coming," he said sternly, "But you, Selene, you will come later. I will be taking this man first." He hauled the man towards him, his hand still on his sword as a warning. "Happy birthday," he finally said, looking a little sad as he turned his brown eyes towards Selene, as if he had a right to know her birthday. "You could have told me, you know, and I would have gotten you a gift." He shook his head and then turned to the man and narrowed his eyes. "Hold out your wrists. Everyone here saw that you attacked first." He would be restraining this one.

She suddenly felt young and foolish, Selene realized. It suddenly stood out so starkly and it was because of Phynex. She looked at him a little uncertainly. Now what will they do? Could they still go on ahead and test him in privacy? The eyes on them suddenly felt too probing of her privacy, and she had always hated that. She looked down. "Let's go somewhere else before Aidan gets me, then."
 
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The name 'Asher Averill' echoed through the crowd, travelling like wildfire. Of course, Phynex had no clue who he was, he could tell he was someone feared among the people from their tones. He recalled Selene's surname as well, which made him frown. Was he the father of the white haired huntress? If such fear stuck the hearts of the those who mentioned his name, was it the same case for Selene? The bowman's face was visibly affected as well, his face changing from the first sign of worry to a face of greed. Phynex could see how desperate he wanted to get at the girl.

The bowman was becoming more and more disgruntled, watching every single one of his attacks miss the Huntress, his hands simply jabbing at air; nothing. She twisted her body this way and that way, dodging every strike with a smile on her face, which infuriated him even more. The man had been scared at being handled and held by a demon, he could feel the warmth of its body, radiating off his body and washing over his skin. When he fell to the floor with a thump, he whimpered and stared up at the looming figure of the demon, who had turned to lecture the Huntress. Despite the situation and the fact the demon could crush him any second, he was almost glad it was yelling at her. Maybe it could do them all a favor and devour the goddamn princess, then he could take its life and bring home the prize. For the first time in his life, he could see an opportunity for him to get what he'd always wanted - money.

Phynex cocked his head, "I do not want to see my companion die," he murmured back in a monotone voice, his face passive. He was five hundred, he'd seen many die, but they were all demons he didn't care about. Selene was his first...human friend - if he may call her that - and he wasn't about be see her throw her life away like a toy. One could never live the same life twice, he could tell Selene hadn't experienced all the pleasures of life just yet. The fire demon sometimes wondered if he had himself, but living for four hundred years as a lone traveler did not appeal to him at all. Closing his mouth with a snap, he set Selene done, happy to be able to rest on all fours.

Both the fire demon and the bowman turned their heads at the sound of a young man. Phynex groaned, seeing the blonde man from earlier push to the front of the crowd. He eyed the man coolly, who seemed to have ignored his presence and taken the man away, chaining the wrists of the bowman and dragging him away. All the while, he was screaming at how his attack had been justified and his dislike for the veterans, the heads of the crowd followed the disappearing pair, the bowman's voice gradually fading away. Phynex glanced at Selene and nodded, aware of the crowd's attention that had shifted from the duo to the huntress and the demon. With a slight nod, he waited for Selene to guide him, without her, he was lost in this huge world.

He lowered his voice, "Is it your birthday today?" How old was Selene now? Birthdays in the demon world were insignificant, considering the fact that they could reach into the hundreds, celebrating every year was a waste of time and currency. Though Phynex was almost five hundred, he had only celebrated five birthdays - usually by himself - for every hundredth year mark he passed. He recalled his father and mother present at his first birthday, when he was so excited to get presents and reach the young age of fifty. They had both held him and wished him luck for the future, there was a cake...bright red and warm brown...the taste of sweetness - so rare in the underworld...but it was so long ago everything was hazy.
 
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Selene stared at her new demon partner uncomprehendingly at first. Was he already so attached that her life made a difference in his? How exactly did one go about feeling that after only knowing each other for a few hours at most? A small flush heated her pale cheeks, and she didn't know what to say to that. "I wouldn't have died from something like that," she mumbled, feeling more like a child than she had in a very long time. At his question, she blinked in surprise, and murmured, "Fifteen." She knew how small that number would sound to him, and wondered how old he himself was. Kasimir had merely estimated his age to be around half a millenia, after all.

"I'm a veteran hunter, you're only digging yourself a deeper grave. If Lord Averill is going to hear of this..." Aidan's voice floated over the crowd, stiff with displeasure and disdain towards the bowman as he roughly pushed the shackled man forward and out of the commotion. The bowman still continued on frantically trying to justify his actions, screaming his hatred of the veterans and the talents, and the blond hunter responded with sharp answers, his tone indignant and irritated. Soon, the two's voices faded away as they left, the crowd finally turning from watching them go to staring at Selene and the large demon who oddly stood by her side. The girl started walking, making her way past the crowd who seemed to part before her. The whispers had started up again. Ridiculous people, everyone knew she could hear it clearly with her enhanced senses.

Selene shook her head. If she got her way, which admittedly didn't happen often, her father wouldn't even hear of anything like this. Not a whisper, not a word, but she knew the news would spread like wildfire. Well, at least she didn't have to be the one to tell her father to her face that she had formed a contract. At least he would be informed just before she had to face him herself, Selene thought despondently. She really disliked that everyone thought they could look at her and expect her to fulfill their assumptions of what an Averill should be like, whispers of arrogance, talent and prodigy already starting up again. "What a disgrace," she heard one woman pipe up inconsiderately, before continuing, "I knew she couldn't have been Asher's daughter with the way she acted. Who knows, Soleil might have had an affair with his demon partner and..." The black stare that the girl had unknowingly directed at the woman's way made the much older female pale. Of course. Now there were also the wishful females that seemed to think Asher should not have married her mother and tried to dispute Selene's parentage. Before, they had tried to downplay her abilities by saying she was actually half-demon, and only Asher's stern letter announcing the confirmation of her blood had shut them up. "Those rumors should have already died down."

"I think you should all mind your own businesses," the girl's voice was cold. "You do not know my father and you do not know my mother enough to call them by their names," she continued in a cutting tone and raised her chin slightly, eyeing the woman's reddening face. "Or is common courtesy long gone? Are you a group of children who think I am to be watched for your entertainment?" She could see the dawning embarrassment on the people's faces at the way they had acted. "You could have prevented that incident from happening, but of course the bystander effect would take place. It actually took a demon to stop what could have been a bloody altercation," her eyes darkened and they shuddered. Selene had been intending to do something to the man once she had disarmed him, and if it weren't for Phynex, she couldn't have stopped herself.

With that parting remark, she gave a mocking tilt her of head and a slight curtsy, raising the edge of her coat as if it was a skirt. She somehow made the gesture both utterly elegant and utterly scornful at the same time, and departed with Phynex. She would be going to that isolated grounds now, hopefully no one would disturb them. Selene didn't think she could go on her birthday without snapping at the next complication any longer.
 
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Seeing her cheeks redden a little, a rush of colour on her otherwise pale face, made him glow a little brighter too. It was admittedly cute, but seeing how irritated she was at the bowman and the whispers of the crowd that started gathering and rising, travelling among the people. The only other thing that brought colour to her face were her eyes. They were so strange, a mix of blues and purples, swirling and changing at the light from the sun. He looked at her with curiosity. "Fifteen?" the fire demon chuckled, "I am almost thirty three times your age, young one," he said, his otherwise crude mouth opening and turning into a shy grin. Compared to her, he felt old. Very old. But in truth, in human years he would be in his late teens or early twenties, not far from Selene's age. Phynex was impressed at how young she was yet knew such complex skills and reflexes, though deep inside he had a feeling he hadn't seen anything yet.

As he turned to follow him, he watched as the crowd that had gathered mutter and whisper to their neighbours, their eyes either fixated on the passive faced Selene or the hulking figure of Phynex. Selene was like a knife cutting through butter, the people parting and making a path for the two of them, but yet their words continued to pile up, their eyes never leaving the strange looking duo. Phynex felt uncomfortable with so many eyes being laid on him, he felt self-conscious, and aware at how hideous he must look like to them. Humans were such fragile creatures compared to demons - body wise - and beautiful at the same time, Phynex, on the other hand, was a giant fiery demon that looked like it came straight from Hell itself. He strained his ears to try and get a glimpse into the minds of these people and listen to their whispers.

They had seemed to have grasped the fact that Selene had made a contract with him. Many of the voices were of shock and disgust or surprise at how she had formed one. Others wondered what he asked for, was it her sanity or her body? Phynex was confused, were demon contracts rare among the community of the hunters? And it seemed like Selene had followed the footsteps of this Asher Averill...now they were talking about her family. How they were one of the oldest and famous hunting families, how deadly and talented they were. There were mentions of arrogance in there, as if the Averills were infamous but not necessarily liked by the community. He turned his head towards the voice of a woman, who spoke loud and clear to her friend, as if she wanted Selene to overhear. Hearing her absurd words, he wanted to start growling, were they suggesting that Selene was a half-demon? Phynex paid more attention to the figure of the woman, waiting for his vision to haze up, showing the aura. Her aura was indeed powerful, a driving force, but there was nothing demonic about it. Didn't hunters know how to see the colours of an aura? Was this woman blind? He shot a glare at the woman, but she seemed to be paying more attention to the huntress. But now, instead of running her mouth, she was glowing with embarrassment.

Her voice was as cold as the Northern Ranges of Hell, sharp as a knife, cutting and slicing the woman's claims to ribbons. The woman and the people around her face's were as red as a tomato as the huntress lectured them, angry at the fact they didn't stop the earlier fight. She did have a point, and seeing her at this state, Phynex didn't want to join in. She did some sort of curtsy at the woman, who blushed even more and glared back her with her reddened face, her mouth sewn shut. Silently, he followed Selene, wondering where he'll be going with her next. Tapping her shoulder after leaving behind the crowd of whispers, he asked, "Are you okay?"
 
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"... I'll be fine. I heal rapidly," the girl glanced at the demon following after her, amethyst eyes back to their unreadable state. Any mocking, anger, or coldness had disappeared, leaving only an expression that was hard to decipher. She looked forward again, maneuvering her way around the winding streets and paths, the place mostly of old paved stone roads and grey buildings with older styles, and ignoring the stares around them from unwelcome eyes and only looking at the hostile ones. The hostile gazes seemed to shrink away from her stare. "Something like that happens everyday," she murmured, looking down afterwards. Really, despite how people thought of her as infallible even if they didn't voice it, she herself knew that it was hard to hold her head up high everyday at their constant needling and speculations. If she was going to describe it, it felt like a hundred daggers were everyday targeted at her back and she couldn't do anything about it. It was only because she didn't want to disappoint her father, and she hadn't really lost that much respect for herself yet, that kept her acting like the little lady or princess they seemed to think she was.

I'll be fine, Selene repeated to herself mentally, but for a moment there, her mental voice sounded unsure. Why did she even subject herself to this everyday? Oh, because she had no bloody choice but to do so. She couldn't really act much like a hermit like her father had been doing for years. She had to let herself be seen and inspected by their society lest worse rumors spring up about their family. "People always have to have someone who they think of as worse than them to continue throughout their lives," she murmured in a wry tone, glancing at Phynex. "We humans are not sinless like you seem to think." She addressed his appalled and disappointed reaction earlier. In his eyes, they must have seemed more like demons. Demons seemed to love conflict and crowded around confrontations, hollering for even more blood to be shed.

She didn't know why it felt strangely easy to share her own thoughts on people to Phynex. They had only met each other. But Selene had the feeling that she could, at least, trust him to listen to her, even if they wouldn't always agree. She could trust him not to betray what she felt and thought. This was the only bright point in her day. The demon who had suddenly come into her life without his expecting it. Strange how life seemed to work unexpectedly. The murmurs and appalled rumors that had sprung up about the two of them and the contract, she simply brushed off. He hadn't asked for her body or her sanity at all. That, if nothing else, made him a level above what she usually thought about people, even above the hunters.

"I know you'll have questions about my family and my father," she saw his curiosity at the mentions. "... I will tell you, but do not push me." Please. They finally stopped at the edge of what seemed like a clearing in a wooded area, roughly square-shaped and with a river's edge at the northern side. The buildings had seemed to recede back behind them, the areas in this forest section mostly shaped by humans. There were a lot of training grounds on here, protected by hunter magic to keep the demons from interfering. "We should start. I want to see your skills at dodging."
 
"That's good," he murmured absentmindedly. It was always good to see someone who had a faster healing process. Not a lot of things weapons could injure him, seeing his body. Regular arrows would be burnt black even before they pierced his body, swords could be broken if he maneuvered his body at a correct angle, making the enemy slam the weapon onto a rock. Spells, on the other hand, were mildly effective on him. So was water, one of his greatest weaknesses. He'd heard from others that being burnt like fire was this searing, hot pain. That was what he felt whenever water touched him, cooling and hardening his skin, it was ironic. Phynex frowned at her words, "Tihs world is very similar to where I am from, if what you say is true. Many demons fight amongst themselves for the stupidest reasons, property, a demoness, dominance over the demon itself," he listed off the most common reasons why fights could break out in the streets. What was the point of dominating another demon? Phynex couldn't see it. While they walked away from the crowd, they continued to stare, he could feel their eyes on his retreating back and he knew Selene felt the same. He had expected humans to be more pure than the demons he'd grown up with, but perhaps his vision of the human world was twisted. "I seem to have misunderstood human beings," Phynex looked at the huntress, "but I am sure there must be some angelic humans out there." He wasn't an optimist, but he wanted to lift up the spirits of the both of them. The air around them was choking, awkward but it was still a time where the two of them could get familiar with each other.

He found Selene easy to get along with, despite the clashes between human and demon. How many stories had he heard of demons boasting about their number of kills? How many demons they had slain or how many they had eaten. They counted their kills and valued that number like a trophy, grinning whenever their number was higher than their rivals or starting a fight whenever their number was lower. Phynex was a demon himself, but that didn't stop him from seeing his own species in a negative light. He'd even heard rumors of a banished princess, all because she wanted both humans and demons to get along. The idea of that was so bizarre to the lord of the state, he had kicked his daughter out to live 'with the scum'. Phynex felt sorry for her, she didn't deserve that, just because she had a different and new view.

"Your family and father...I do not have many. I barely know you, it is not my place to ask questions about something that personal," he narrowed his eyes - or he would have, if he had any. If Selene was secretive about her family, he understood perfectly well. Not everyone knew his father was executed for going against his superiors, not everyone knew how his mother and ran to the dungeons to try and beg the guards to set him free, only to be executed with her husband. They had only spared Phynex because he didn't do anything wrong, that was the only reason. Phynex didn't like talking about his family, about his war general yet perfect father, or his gentle but silent mother who learnt to accept her husband. If Selene didn't want to share, then so be it.

Surrounding them were bright green trees, parted to form a clearing. To the side was a body of bright blue, splashing and whooshing by. Without even inspecting it, Phynex knew it was water. Water in the underworld was dirty and brown but drinkable by demons, not clear like this. So clear that Phynex could see the rocks at the bottom. "Dodging?" The fire demon nodded his head and moved across the clearing to face Selene. What was she going to throw at him? Hopefully, it wasn't firearms. Firearms were only given to demons working in the 'government' and rare amongst the general public. The loud sound scared him, and his dodging of the bullets were very clumsy.
 
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She tried to brush off the feeling of relief, looking at Phynex once again. He wasn't the type to pry, now that was a good trait. At his question about dodging, and his unsuspecting look and tone, the slightest hint of amusement passed Selene's eyes. Before he could speak or react, she had a gun in one hand, and fired over his shoulder, just enough to let him feel the air from the bullet brush over him. "Yes. Dodging. Now dodge," not giving him a chance to protest, she fired three shots once again, aiming to just brush or graze certain parts of his body without harming him, but enough to certainly give him a spook. Just over his head, almost at his foot, and then at his side. She had estimated his size would make him a little clumsy to dodging, but she would see to that. Size could be deceptive, after all. Just remember how she faced the bowman earlier.

The shots rang loudly in the air in succession, scaring birds from the trees. Several flocks chirped frantically and rushed away from the trees, their wings flapping frantically. Absently, Selene wondered if in his fright, Phynex might just try to fly away as well. That would be interesting to see with his strange-looking wings. She had taken off the silencer for now to give him more of a chance, as soon as he improved his dodging abilities she would be upping the ante.

"Should I have started with the knives?" She murmured, starting in a run towards Phynex. When he would expect her to start shooting at him again, she veered sharply to one side, angling her shots and controlling his movements. She could predict where he would dodge next and where she would fire next so she could direct him. All the while, she was letting him adjust to dodging, slowly but subtly fixing his mistakes with each shot fired.
 
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His sharp eyesight immediately honed in on the small weapon she was holding. Shit. There was a loud bang, and he felt a bullet zoom past his ear. He let out a yelp of surprise, a small heat wave radiating from his body to emphasize the sudden feeling. He stared at the gun in her hands, "A firearm, out of all things," he murmured. This would be an interesting challenge. Phynex may have sharp eyesight, thanks to the power of the mind, but his body was large and awkward. He took a deep breath to calm himself, it was just a bullet. Even if it hit him, it would melt due to the temperature of his body and lessen the pain. There were three more bangs, and this time he could feel the metal grazing the rocks of his body, making him shiver. So much for preparing himself. He didn't like guns, they reminded him of the executioners of the underworld, but after growing up, and now five hundred - he was used to them, a little.

The animals flew away at the loud noises, singing their songs in a panicked voice as Selene continued to fire. At first, he couldn't move fast enough to dodge the bullets, but the huntress was careful with her aim. Multiple times he felt them graze his skin, making him try even harder. Phynex could see them coming, a flash of white against the sunlight, and tried to move accordingly. She was changing directions, shooting from this angle and that angle, and every one of her bullets did not miss. She had a talent, indeed.

Slowly, but surely, he managed to dodge a few, making him feel proud of himself. For someone as big as him, that was an accomplishment. He felt the force of the bullet rush by him, but no longer grazing his body. Phynex practiced moving his body and changing the angle of his position and letting the bullets crash off the surface or at the least, make dents. These were not just simply any plain old stones, they had demonic properties as well. He imagined the shots as incoming arrows, which made it easier for him
 
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Selene immediately noticed the marked improvement in Phynex's movements, and her brows raised slightly. He was a quick learner, she could see that much. She noticed how he immediately put his tough rock to make the bullets merely dent him, or heat up his body so that the metal melted. Making a mental note to ask if high-temperature resistant bullets were possible either through invention or through magic enhancement, she continued on firing, having already covered half a circle around him by her quick moving. If he improved enough he could even be her regular moving target practice, something that Selene would really like.

She had been making her way closer and closer towards him, and she wondered if he would pick up on what she was planning. Increasing the frequency of her shooting and quickly reloading, her hands a blur, she was soon in front of him and angling her gun up towards his face - probably frightening him - she fired.

The bullet didn't even touch him. It merely brushed air over his forehead, and Selene finally stopped. "You... That was pretty impressive," she murmured, eyeing him speculatively. "I am sorry if I startled you, but it was the only way I could get a read on your reaction times when you least expect an attack." She looked around, noticing the bullets scattered around them, some even crumpled and some melted pieces of metal. "And it is good that you know how to use your body to adapt to these weapons. Demons have started using them." Thinking that if they managed to master what the humans were using, they would be able to make things more difficult. Unfortunately for them, mechanical things, and technology, was more the humans' forte than it would ever be theirs. Human technology already developed at a rapid pace, often bewildering and surprising demons, and even with the older models of the human weaponry, the demons would still have a challenge. Humans were masters of innovation and adaptation. It was how they survived by themselves in this world, after all.

"Next thing I would have tried would have been my knives, but if you are good enough with the bullets you should be fine." That and while her bladed weapons had spells and protections over them, to last in any environment and remain perpetually sharp and deadly, she wasn't too willing to test them out against the heat of Phynex's magical flames just yet. "Once you get your human form, we are going to make you learn how to use these." She nodded to her gun. "Now, I want to see your flames. Aim them just over the river." To avoid a fire.
 
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He continued to block the incoming bullets with his tough hide, smiling to himself at the considerable pace of his learning. Phynex was getting used to her shots, maybe not so afraid of the loud bang that echoed through the clearing every time she fired her weapon. He could feel the bullets melting into liquid in his body, becoming useless and harmless, before boiling all together and creating more lava matter. Her hands were a blur, drawing more ammo and reloading in a flash before continuing to fire, looking like she had an unlimited amount of bullets at her disposal.

The fire demon noticed how much closer she had gotten, her feet shuffling forward while she fired the bullets in small movements. He glanced down at her feet for a split second before looking back up and almost jumped back. Selene had rushed forward and now stood before his 'eyes', her gun held up and the finger on the trigger. His mind vision squeezed shut hearing the loudest sound he had heard today, ready to feel the sharp pain of the bullet.

But he felt nothing. He slowly blinked his eyes open, looking around, dazed. He smiled awkwardly at her, slightly pleased with himself. All around them were the discarded bullets, some crushed or misshaped due to the heat of his body. Phynex blinked at her, demons used human weapons too? Guns were not of demon invention, demons had their own weapons and projectiles. But perhaps the demons in this world thought that by using the same weapons as humans would give them an advantage or create a shortage for the humans. But humans were much faster at learning how to create things. Supernatural creatures like demons were better at connecting to the spiritual world, but humans were more deft with development and using their imaginations to produce new things to make their lifestyle easier.

"I would have personally preferred the knives," he growled, scratching his ears. They were sensitive, and they certainly did not like bangs going off many times per second and bullets whizzing past his body. Knives were easier to see and easier to deflect. He still couldn't grasp the concept of gaining a human form, it seemed so unnatural to be able to achieve such complex magic without studying it. The ancient binding magics were far more powerful than he thought. "Must I use a gun? I dislike them," he whined, almost like a child. He didn't need firearms, he was a weapon himself! To demonstrate his abilities, or an example, he held out his hand, energy swirling around the air like a night time galaxy. A small glowing burning flame erupted to life, dancing in his clawed palm. With a grunt, he tossed it out towards the river, the fireball landing into the water with a small splash, before sending buckets of the liquid into the air; the fireball had detonated. "I'm not sure what to show you, Selene. I can become a flamethrower, or something similar to a gun..."
 
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"You don't have to master a gun, you just have to understand how to use it," Selene replied firmly, pinning Phynex with a look. It was amusing to see him whine a little, almost like a child, but she was serious about teaching him when the time came. "And if you still don't want to use guns in your human form, I would have you started on the knives," she warned. While Phynex in his human form would be just as strong and fast with his senses and instincts intact, he would still have to get used to moving about in his human body. He wouldn't like Selene as a teacher once she had her blades out. "Or swordplay." It was in her record, after all. Just about any bladed weapon or any ranged weapon that she had to aim with. It was the blunt type weapons and the explosives that she didn't particularly appreciate, or fighting like a tank. She wasn't built for that.

She looked at the fire swirling in his large, clawed hand with interest. Selene hadn't the chance to examine demon fire closely since any she encountered, she had to kill quickly as part of her job. The energy of the ball of flame was brighter, a reddish aura surrounding it when she focused on aura vision. It was still fire, but it was more. It was brighter than the human world's flame, and much, much hotter. Potent. It felt alive. It was an extension of Phynex's life energies and his power, almost like a limb that he could control consciously. If he knew this... "With practice, you might even manipulate it into any shape," she pointed out. Hell, he might even be able to form ridiculous shapes out of his fire if his control got good enough. Charging horses made of fire controlled by him... Hmm. Interesting.

Watching him throw the fireball into the river, she realized that the explosion was an instinctual reaction that Phynex had unknowingly - or was it knowingly - added into his technique. "Show me," she commanded, then in a gentler tone, "That was good. Do the flamethrower and the gun, then," she couldn't keep the amusement out of her voice at how he worded his own powers in human terms.
 
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His eyes brightened, "Swordplay? I may not use a thin sword, but I have my own trusty bladed weapon," he said, his face glowing at the thought. He had a glaive he could make out of sources of fire. It was big and heavy, but it was effective and Phynex used it as a last ditch effort to kill something. He'd seen glass cases of the thin swords the knights of the old age use, they were small compared to his, but just as effective. Phynex knew he could create more swords, but his glaive had always been his favourite, and it drained up a lot of energy in order to turn the fire into a solid. This was a technique he had spent ages on practicing and learning by himself, having learnt the basics from travelers.​

He was amused at Selene's face, who seemed to be studying his flames. "I will have to practise a lot," he chuckled lightly. "Fire has its own will, this type of fire is alive. Live things are hard to control." He quickly formed another one, a small circle of fire bursting to life in his hands. Staring at the flame, his fingers were twitching as if they were controlling strings of a puppet, and the fireball was the puppet itself. The flame twitched and distorted slightly, before turning into a cube, and then a triangle. Phynex could shape it...but nothing too complex as of yet. For a fire demon, he couldn't create creatures of fire.

Phynex smiled, happy to see someone who wanted to see his skills. Fire was a very common ability among demons, there were many fire elemental demons and some earthen ones could learn the art if they wished. To think someone wanted to see what he was capable of - he was touched. Phynex opened his mouth and breathed out, but instead of air it was a fan of flames, spreading out and shooting forwards in a cone shape. He could change the shape of the cone by moving his mouth. If he pouted, the flames were more like a serpent, long and thin. When he opened his mouth, they were wide and big. Then, he held out his hands and created even more fireballs, but these were much smaller. Looks were deceiving, they packed just as much punch as the regular sized ones. They shot out of his hands like bullets, aiming straight and true towards the river, travelling at almost the same force as the bullets she had used earlier.
 
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Selene nodded, feeling some satisfaction that she found something they would both agree on. Swordplay it was. "I will help you get used to the lighter types," she knew he must have been using something larger and heavier corresponding to his demon size. Once he got his human form that type of weapon would still be deadly, but a little unwieldy to his body. She felt her expression lighten slightly, though she was confused, at his chuckle. What was he so amused about?

She blinked and stared, a little entranced despite herself, at the different shapes Phynex let his fire take form. So he did have some measure of control over it. The fire came to life in his hands, smoothly going from one shape to the next, warm and alive. She found herself drawing closer slightly, though she kept in mind that she might scare him off again and held back. The fireball almost looked... Like a dainty, glowing little thing in Phynex's large and clawed hand. "I'm sure you can with time," she murmured, she would help him reach that degree of control. He had potential, was he really just a mid-to-high tier demon? She stared at the smile on his face again, already finding the supposedly scary revealing of his sharp teeth and gaping maw... Oddly comforting, maybe because she could see the positive emotion behind it. She felt safe.

It was a scary thought. She shouldn't ever feel safe, anywhere. Ever. She knew what that mistake would cost her... Selene brushed off the ridiculous idea, her face subconsciously masking over anything she might have let slip again. When Phynex let out a fan of fire over the expanse of the river, changing its density and shape, the bright orange-red flames flickering and dancing, but under his control, she let herself indulge in the warm feeling that it gave. She watched him - pout? - his mouth and make the fan of flames thin and serpentlike, which already said about how much he underplayed his own abilities. If he had taught this to himself and through watching others, he had talent he didn't even know about. Selene had been born into the world expected to give some sort of talent to it, had been raised to give everything she had in herself. Her skill, her power, her talent. It was all to be used. That Phynex didn't even know his own extent of potential and talent made Selene feel strange.

"That's impressive," she decidedly thought so, but her voice was quieter. "You don't know the extent of your own talent, do you?" She murmured in a low, knowing voice, staring at him by her side. She wondered why that was. Didn't his family - or someone he grew up with, or someone who knew him from Phantisiamine, even notice? She looked to the flowing river again. Steam rose off the surface of the water from the heat of Phynex's flames. A portable hot spring. She blinked at the idea that just popped into her head. This day was giving her more and more ideas that she usually wouldn't even think of.

"Well, now all we have to do is learn to work around each other's skills." If she could use his flames as a cover to blind the enemies and he could direct it around her, maybe even charm it to not burn her and just warm her... Something that she might be able to walk through... It was possible.

What they had to do now was learn to trust in each other. But that would come with time.

For a small moment, almost something that passed too quickly to be caught, Selene smiled at Phynex in genuine kindness and goodwill.
 
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