Demon's Rampage

He watched as she started eating, thinking nothing of the way she did. He was used to living around the poor and ignored, so this seemed pretty normal to him. Nor would he really care, if he knew how. 'Unlady like' she was being. It's not like he was all that much of a gentleman, in truth. Most of the things he did, he only did to further his own goals. Weather it was to get a profit, or to destroy the evil, he so desperately hated. He nodded a single time with her question, thinking it a possibility, that someone might have wanted so. Masters of Arcane arts, had many enemies. Rivals, Demons and Wild Witches where just some of these. And either of these could summon Demons, if not already being one. So the chances where, that was what happened.

He let her ponder the question, listening intently as she started answering, making a thoughtful expression. He sighed lightly, and stretched his neck with a soft groan. What she said made sense. Her powers were great, and Masters often took students like this, to challenge themselves, or to get a good legacy. "It's not unheard of, for Masters to take students for their talents, rather then good will. It's easy to become selfish and ignorant, when holding great power." He added, with a short gaze towards the door out. He was refering to the Queen's Pawn, that they'd met earlier, and shook his head when simply thinking about him, before turning her gaze back to Skylar. "But. You said, you liked him? So he never really did anything to upset you? Never spoke in a language, you didn't understand, whilst reading books? A language, that would seem like his voice was distorted. Altered?" He was referring to the Demonic language. Used to summon spirits from the underworld. A hateful tongue, that had to be spoken by a magic wielder, to be spoken correct.

The girl shook her head before shoving another handful of food into her mouth. As she chewed, she reflected on her life with Master Metharom; it hadn't been bad at all. He was pleasant enough and tried to teach her in courtly manners, which she all but passed by the seems of her skirts. Her feasting had never been altered, though nearly every other aspect of manners had been pounded into her.

He'd been stern, but never forceful. In fact, he smiled ruefully at many of her silly attempts when she first began. At the age of nineteen, she'd seen only misery and despair, yet had kept an bright outlook on the world, even if slightly jaded. It was a wonder to her to live in such splendor; the details of her life there were faded save for the glorious beauty of it. But hadn't there been things that sometimes itched her? Something she could never quite scratch?

"He was a nice guy," she said finally, after swallowing the last of food, "but, honestly, I... I always had the feeling there was something underneath. I don't want to say evil, but, maybe, power hungry?" Isn't that evil? she asked herself. Chewing her lip, she answered herself: Yes.

She cast a glance to Arch with liquid-silver eyes. Her eyes often reflected different hues, depending on light, and it contrasted nicely with her slightly olive dusted skin. She licked dry lips before continuing, "He had a work room I wasn't allowed in. I figured it was things he didn't want me tampering with because of my skill level, but he could have been hiding something in there. He spent hours in there, at night, but I don't know what he was doing. I could never hear anything and I couldn't get close to the door."

Arch remained patient and calm, as he waited every answer he asked for, his hands folded on the table, as he watched her eat, and ponder. He himself pondered to, the same questions coming to mind again, and again. 'Why did the Demon Lord want her?'. He just couldn't come through with an idea. But his guess always ended up, in the same one. That she had powers, she might not even be aware of herself. And if her Master had trained her in defense against Demonic arts, even if it was without her know, they would be attracted to such as well. They always tried to find novice hunters, to destroy them, and take their energy. They also fed on Magic, making Sorcerers and other Magic benders liable targets. But never apprentices. Even the lesser Demons, often staid away from them.

Then as she spoke again, his thoughts paused, and he listened intently. He narrowed his eyes a bit, before nodding his head a bit to the side, with a slide of the red storm in his eyes. "Yeah, well. Most human Magic wielders, end up that way. Not to say Vampires, or any other creature for that mater, is any better." He said with a hop of his eyebrows.
Then, as he gazed back at her, those beautiful eyes met his once again. And again, it sent the same feeling surging through him, once again unable to look away, but caught by those exotic eyes. He glanced back into them, with as little emotion as the red storms always gave, listening intently as she continued. He then nodded a few times, and was finally capable of dropping his gaze. "Well. That. Would be a place to start." He said with a single nod. "You. Didn't hear anything, the night it happened? Or the day after?" He questioned, looking up to her again.

His red eyes were less luminous in the light, but no less striking. She found herself stared and forced herself to look away, pink dusting her cheeks for a second. As she gazed at nothing, she said, "I didn't hear anything the night it happened. When I awoke in the morning, I went to the kitchen, where I normally found him and he wasn't there. I thought that was weird, but had breakfast anyway." She winced at the memory of wasted food; it was heaved the second she found her master's body.

"I found him in his tower. The door was ajar, which never, ever happened. I saw inside for the first time and..." A slight tremor ran through her body at the memory and she had to take a deep breath to calm her nerves. She really didn't know why she was telling all of this to a Demon Hunter; of all people, he was the most likely to find the demon, but she wanted to be a part of that. She wanted to find what had killed her master because she needed to know why. Why to so many questions...

"His body was ripped apart, almost like it had been searching for something inside. The whole room was ram-sacked, but the foot prints-- bloody foot-prints-- lead to outside, through the broken windows. It didn't open the door. I don't know... how it opened. But since it was in that room... I assume that's why I didn't hear anything." She shrugged; it made as much sense as any. Studying her glass of water, she fingered the cup as she let the story sink in.

Arch listened intently as she explained, narrowing his eyes a bit, as she described the scene. It was definitely the work of a Demon. After sucking their victims dry of energy, the greedy creatures often proceeded to rip their victim apart, hoping to find further traces of power. Which never truly happened, but deep inside the Demons probably just enjoyed the gore. Arch moved a hand, to gently place it on one of hers, as she neared the finish of her tale, seeing clearly how hard it was for her to describe it. His hand was rather cold, whilst soft as silk, cupping her hand in his.
"Don't remember the details, too directly. It'll only make it harder to live with." He stated, nodding a single time, before slowly retracting his hand again, as he moved a gaze towards the other tables in the room. He had noticed the flush of her cheeks, both through vision and her scent, her blood heating only making ignoring it even harder. he'd have to try, not to do that again.

"But still. That tells me, it was indeed a Demon's work. The.. Footprints. However... Demons doesn't usually leave footprints. They often either hover, or even sometimes when their newly summoned, their bodies haven't entirely taken form." He pondered, with slightly narrowed eyes, as he moved a hand to stroke at his chin, before resting his head against it, his elbow against the table. "That might mean. Someone else had been there as well. "Someone else might have been in the room with him. Someone else might've summoned the Demon, or brought it in a Arcane cage. Your Master might have been innocent, in the summoning of the Demon. And if so. He might have known, or done something he shouldn't have." He was more or less, just mumbling to himself, before pouting slightly, gazing back to her again.

"How about his status in this Kingdom? How was that? What did he do? Other then being your Master, obviously." He asked also, letting his hand drop back on the table.

More heat rose to her face when his hand covered hers. Her heart pounded and she couldn't find a logical reason as to why, except that the vampire was deadly gorgeous. She wondered where that thought had come from.

When his hand left hers, she found her breathing easier; she hadn't noticed she'd been holding it. Listening to him speak, she winced at his words. "I hope it wasn't him who actually did the summoning. If I could just look at the room and feel the power, I might..." She stopped, not having wanted to voice that thought. Damage done, she said, "I might be able to sense something." She didn't want to mention her powers enabled her to pick up readings like that. She could pick up other magic and feel its signature; once she knew what it was, she could find where it had come from.

Well, she wasn't so sure with a demon...

Her eyes turned a dark, stormy gray as she fidgeted, letting the shadows in the room encase her. She wanted to go back. She had to see for herself that her master wasn't dabbling in demon magic.

Why did he just touch her? Why did he just comfort her? Again, he did things he didn't have reasons to, nor explanations as to why he even did it. It was starting to bug him, that he got this way around her. He didn't need her, and she didn't need him. As soon as he got the chance, he would leave. For sure. Snapping his own thoughts aside, he gaze to her again, listening. Then when she mentioned, that she might be able to 'sense' something, his eyes narrowed lightly. He wasn't sure, what exactly she meant by that, but he sure hoped she didn't mean, she'd be able to sense the Demon. That was the path Witches took. Not Sorceress'. He didn't hunt Sorceress', but often had to hunt Witches. If she had the ability to sense Demons, and that even without training it properly, her blood was destined to become a Witch. And he'd be damned, if that was true. The connection Witches had to the underworld, made them so much sweeter for the creatures of Darkness. For creatures like him. If she grew to be a Witch... He'd definitely have to get as far away from her, as possible.

"Sense. Something? By that you mean Magical powers? Your an Oracle?" He questioned, taking the better choice first. Oracles where Sorceress', who grew senses beyond most others. Among these, the ability to sense Magical powers, and sniff out traces of it. It could be both, but he still tried to make his mind focus on the idea, that she might be an Oracle, and completely forget the chances of her having Witch blood within her.

Skylar fiddled with the empty plate in front of her. "I'm not sure, exactly. I don't know how to explain it." She hated this; explaining her powers. She didn't understand them fully herself, how could she possibly explain them to another person?

When she was around magic, she could feel it. It riddled through her body like electricity and different kinds of magic had distinct sensations alongside that. Signatures were lingering pieces of the person who had left the spell; it would match with the feeling she had about a person.

Her fingers curled as she thought about the Queen's Sorcerer and the strange feeling he always had radiating from him. She didn't know if it was evil or side affects of being an asshole.

Her disability to explain it, was either due to lack of wisdom and knowledge about it. Or because she was hiding something. And being the doubtful guy he was. He tended to believe the worst in people. Then why did he believe her now? He did not at all know this woman, for all he knew it was her summoning, just badly gone wrong... He couldn't read peoples mind, as some myths told Vampires was capable of, so he could never know for certain if he was lied to, should he not investigate it. So why didn't he demand proof this time? He would've growled at himself, did he not have as much self control as he did. He didn't want to scare her, afterall.

"Hm. Well. You might, or you might not be an Oracle. Maters little. I believe I have what I need, to start searching for the Demon." He said, nodding a single time, as he rose from his chair, still gazing down upon her. He tightened his fist slightly, trying to control his urge to stay with her, so he could properly leave. Finally, he managed to offer her his hand, and send her a light smile. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Skylar. I will return to the shadows, where I belong, and start my hunt for this Demon. You said.. You could take care of yourself?" What was this now? Was he searching for a reason to stay with her? Was he really trying this hard, to stay by her side. In fact, he was. He wasn't going to leave entirely. He was going to stay around her. See if the Demon would return. Or if any other would. When one Demon was attracted to her, he was sure more would follow. What ever the Demon Lord wanted, it was certain other Demons wanted it too.

Watching him stand was like watching a dancer at work. How did he make the simplest acts look so graceful?

She frowned slightly at his offered hand. He was leaving? Of course he was leaving. She knew he wasn't going to stay. That had been established long ago.

The young sorceress shook the offered hand with a firm, yet tentative grip. Her hands was warm where his was cold, but the cold was comforting against her skin. Goosebumps rose as something trickled between her legs and she again wondered why she was so attracted to a man who was undead.

"Thanks for saving me, Arch," she said with a melodic voice not unlike a violin. She wanted to add, "I hope to see you again," but was afraid of how he'd react.

It was good that they were parting. He'd go hunt the demon and it'd give her the opportunity to sneak back onto her master's property and poke around. She wasn't going to let the dust settle on this matter.

As she took his hand, he sighed softly, having hoped she'd want something else from him, rather then just letting him go. Her warm hand felt good against his skin, and was he capable he would probably have shivered at the touch. He gently shook hers, before letting go, picking up his cloak once again, throwing it over his shoulders, as he gazed back to her.
"I hope you will stay safe out there. Stay out of this mess. You are powerful, but you'll be no match to the Demon Lord, should he return." he explained, gazing at her with eyes, that obviously wanted her to promise, not to go looking for clues in the mater. He knew she would. She was too smart, to let something like this pass by. And too proud of her former Master, to let him be known as a failed summoner.

He got his bow back on his back, within its container, and the same as his arrows, gazing upon her beautiful eyes one more time, before giving her a soft, gracious nod. And as he turned, his eyes widened with the feelings her sad voice had provoked. As if he was abandoning something, that didn't deserve abandoning. But why? She was a mere Sorceress apprentice, why did he feel bad for turning his back on her? Any Shadow Hunter would do the same. And a Vampire most certainly would. Why was he putting himself through this? He sneered silently at himself, as he finally left through the door, well hidden within his cloak. And as soon as he got outside, he vanished without sight, for anyone who wasn't directly looking for him. This spell only worked, when people wasn't looking for him, if they where, they would see him clear as day. And so, he leaped upon a roof top, where he instantly turned and crouched, keeping an observant eye on the kitchen, waiting for her to leave, and so, following her.

Skylar let out a breath she had not realized she'd been holding. Part of her didn't expect him to walk out the door. At that thought, she rolled her eyes and stood, wondering what had gotten into her. Why was she thinking like a twelve year old girl?

Now alone, she figured the best thing to do was look for evidence. The place was likely unguarded now and left for the crows. She pulled her cloak around herself as she made her way to her previous home.

It wasn't a short walk, but it wasn't long either. Her legs needed the stretch and exercising was a good way to keep her mind flowing. The possibilities were endless, but she had to believe her master wasn't tampering with demons.

Unlikely, as one killed him...

Like she had predicted, the place was deserted. It was a large enough estate, with high structures of Gothic terraces and beams. The sun was high in the sky, which was a good thing; everyone was either in their stationed work places or at home with their children. No one would see her slip inside.

She did.

Back in her master's work room, she tiptoed through the dried blood. The pieces of his body were no longer here, but the stench remained. Covering her nose with her sleeve, she inspected the place, her skin crawling with negative energy. There had definitely been something sinister here...

She paused at the window, gazing at the broken glass. It was shattered from the inside and the tracks were still there, stained in blood. The grass outside no longer held the red, but had died from the steps. They disappeared into a forest beyond the estate. Should she follow them...?

Crouching, she examined the broken glass further. The blood was dry and she realized it wasn't her master's. Peering at it, she picked up a shard of glass, letting her magical sense ooze over it. Whoever's blood this was, it wasn't a demon's and it wasn't her master's.

The spell lingering over the place was certainly the work of a demon. Chills ran down her spine, which was a clear indication it was foul magic.

Something outside rustled. Spinning, she searched through the broken window, heart nearly in her throat. Was there something out there?

As soon as he saw her leave the kitchen, he'd sighed softly with longing. Where all this was coming from, he didn't know. But he felt he should be by her side, not watching from a distance. He shrugged off the feeling, and leaped to a different roof top, following her every step. And when they reached the large mansion, he sighed in frustration, closing his eyes as he lowered and shook his head. Just as he'd expected. The curious woman, wasn't about to give up.

He leaped to the tower, holding on to the side of it, where he listened to her steps inside the house, leading him to the dead Masters work room, where he settled himself on the roof. He silently whispered a few words, closing his eyes as a small invisible orb moved down to the window. This orb worked as his eyes now, seeing what she saw. And seeing what she did. Those shudders and shivers she got, made him silently sneer in frustration, accidentally breaking his spell. She was sensing the Magic. And those shivers, made him feel she could sense the Demons Magic. So more then likely a Witch then. Well his luck be damned, if that ended up being the truth.

He went completely still, as he started hearing silent footsteps, entering the front door of the house. He narrowed his eyes, and gazed towards the end of the rooftop closest to the entrance. In the realization of what it was, he quickly pulled out his bow, kneeling down as he heard what she did, from outside the House. And with a loud howl, what looked like a hybrid of a dog and a man, with pitch black fur, leaped out from the nearby bushes, and towards the window, heading straightly for Skylar's throat. In an instant, Arch had an arrow on the string of his bow, and hissed words she'd hear this time. "Shalezareth!" As the arrow was released, it instantly turned pitch black, leaving a trail of dark smoke behind it. And as it hit the creature, it nearly exploded in a sea of dark clouds. She would've probably been able to shield herself, but he was there anyway. He leaped off the edge of the rooftop, grabbing onto a ledge, so he hang down next to the window.
"Hellhounds." he quickly explained. "Let me in." He asked, hoping she'd move for the window, so he could leap in. If she did, he leap inside, getting another arrow out, chanting the same word, sending an arrow through the room, that went through the door, and a whimper was heard outside. "Seems your Demon Lord, is powerful enough to bring forth the Demons day walkers. Desummoning spells and Anti Demonic wards." he suggested her spells, without even looking at her, as he quickly got another arrow ready, a growl pushing through the door, as it was nearly blown open, as three more Hellhounds ran through it.

She moved instantly at Arch's command. His voice was empowering and loud; she recognized it instantly.

Seeing the hellhounds made her heart leap into her throat, but she took the vampire's suggestions and began conjuring spells. As runes were pocketed and symbols etched into the area, Skylar was able to place a barrier around the room.

"They can't get in," she said, breath a little heavy, "but I don't know how long it will hold against... a hellhound." She'd heard of the creatures, but encountering them was rare and hardly anyone lived through the experience. But hardly anyone was a powerful apprentice with a Demon Hunter at her side.

She eyed the vampire curiously, wonder how he knew where she was, much less that she was in danger. This wasn't the time to ask.

She sent a destructive spell at one of the hellhounds, causing the thing to crumple back with a shriek of pain. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the majesty that was Arch's technique with the bow. His grace was stunning and again she felt compelled to be closer to him.

She shook off the feeling, hitting the hellhound again; this time, it exploded in a puff of darkened smoke.

A Vampire. Fighting at a humans side, who's heart was pumping on overdrive, and adrenaline rushing through her veins. This was unheard of. And he felt he should feel uncomfortable. But he did not. On the contrary, it felt good. He felt he was somewhere he belonged. And he had not felt that, since he had a family, many centuries ago.

As the woman started doing her work, his eyes widened slightly, as the Hellhounds met a strong barrier, growling in anger, hammering and clawing at the powerful barrier. The red eyes, now glowing with great intensity, and with hints of a darker color within them, turned to gaze at her, a small smirk growing on his lips. "Nicely done. It might just be what I thought impossible. That they hunger for your power, and that is why they follow you." He said with a soft grin, before realizing how discomforting that probably was. "Not. Very comforting to know, in this current situation, but still educational..." He said with a soft shrug, before turning his attention back to the Hellhounds. Hounds started to leap at the barrier by the window, every slam against it, probably making it harder to hold up. There was a lot of them. This Demon Lord, was really starting to tickle Arch, in all the wrong places.

He pulled another arrow from his quiver, chanting the same spell, followed by a second one, still with the same chanting, taking down the ones by the door, one by one. Then, as he pulled a third one, he started chanting a different, longer spell. "Aresh, Telah Vaninch shilek!" He almost screamed, firing the arrow. The arrow vanished out of sight, but a few seconds later, the closest Hellhound wailed in pain, before completely vanishing, together with four of them behind it as well. But it was all for naught, the five Hounds instantly replaced by others, howling and scratching against her barrier. Arch growled silently, before spinning, to fire an arrow, with the short chanting, blowing up a Hellhound that had leaped for the barrier. "How long can you keep the barrier up?" He asked, not giving her any glance, but firing another arrow at the following Hellhound.

Beads of sweat had formed on Skylar's forehead. She concentrated, building the barrier stronger and sending more attacks at the beats. But they just kept coming...

Arch was right-- they were coming after her. Each of them was looking at her with a hungry in their red eyes, causing a chill to run through her heart, turning her blood cold.

"I can keep it up for awhile yet," she said as a drop of sweat rolled down a temple, "but how are we can going to stop them? They just keep coming..."

Was there a chance she could do a relocation spell? Even if she could manage to, she wasn't sure it would take them very far from the mass of Hellhounds.

She was astounded by Arhc's precision with the arrow. He's beautiful form allowed the arrows to fly flawlessly and she felt at ease at his side. She also wanted to watch him, completely entranced by his beauty.

He felt her fear and despair, as was it part of his own, her blood chilling, provoking what would've caused a shiver though him, once again. He would never say it, but this made him a bit more focused. Fear wasn't supposed to ever be a good thing, but in this case, it lowered the scent of her blood, making it easier for him to concentrate. Then as she explained, he narrowed his eyes a bit, and sent his vision in a few different directions, before ending at the window, leading to the outside. Only for a short moment did he ponder his options, before tuning his gaze to Skylar again.
"Can you hold it up, for a minute longer?" He asked. He didn't wait long for an answer, instead pulled an arrow from his quiver, starting to chant, a much longer, and far more complex spell.

As he chanted, his eyes focused his eyesight, out the window, and half way through the spell, the red storm in his eyes, started getting more and more intense signs of a light blue color. The blue waves in the eyes started taking control of the red, before his eyes was entirely white blue. No pupils, and no iris. All while they kept focusing, on the same spot, seemingly a fair distance away from the house. Then finally, he ended the chanting, going silent for a second, as the arrow, pulled as far as it could on the bow, started turning the same blue color as his eyes. She would know the intensity around them, this spell being a lot more powerful, then the smaller ones he'd cast so far. It was a relocation spell, and a rather direct one at that. Just as she'd considered, he was going to. Though he didn't have to concentrate on a barrier spell, whilst channeling his, which was why he hadn't asked her for it.
"Put your arms around me. And as soon as I say, close your eyes tightly, break the barrier and hold on." He asked, the arrows glow continuing to grow in intensity. And as soon as she'd laid her arms around him, he took in a deep breath, before releasing the arrow, sending it off at a great pace, a string of white-blue light following the arrow, connected to his chest. "Now!" He shouted, wrapping both his arms around her, as he closed his own eyes, a loud noise booming through their ears, as they where engulfed in a bright light, and then vanished.

They reappeared, being thrown through the air, landing on soft grass, about a mile away from the house, where the arrow had hit the grass. As they flew to the ground, they tumbled around for a few feet, before finally laying still. But not for long, Arch letting go of Skylar, before he quickly pushed her off, being as gentle as he could in his haste, growling in pain as he turned around on the ground, proceeding to tap his face with his hands, putting out a set of flames, that had engulfed it. And as soon as the flames had been put out, he gurgled and hissed slightly in pain, making sure his hood was well over his head. "Damn.. Arcane spells..." He mumbled silently, his voice distorted and hacking, as he coughed, weakly getting to his feet. "Are you. Alright." He made sure she wouldn't see his face, as long as she didn't actually try to get to it. If she did, she'd see heavy burns across his entire face, and down his throat, the rest of his body smoking slightly. Arcane spells glowed with an intensity, close enough to that of the sun, that it was highly dangerous to Vampires. But Arch wasn't blind to it's effectiveness, and had learnt a few. This one he'd trained a lot, being useful for many different situations. Such as the one they'd just been in.

Arch's spell began to spiral and spin, creating a static in the air that caused Skylar's hair to lift. She listened to his words and the fear that laced her body began to fade. Focused on the barrier spell, she kept it in tact while creeping closer to the Demon Hunter.

When he shouted, she clung onto the man, throwing her long limbs around his torso. His arms wrapped around hers shortly afterwards, engulfing her in a predatory strength she could only marvel at. She was filled with his scent and found herself liking it, even if there was a slight whiff of blood.

The spell was fast. In the blink of an eye, they were falling into wet grass. Impacting with the vampire, she felt little of the actual impact. But the sun was vicious on the vampire and attacked him instantly; she was off him as he clawed his hood back into place. She wished there was some way she could have helped...

Glancing around, she realized they weren't far from the estate.

"I'm fine," she said in answer to Arch's question, breath a little haggard. "We need to get you out of the sun. And we need to get the hell out of here." She pulled her cloak closer around herself, wondering where they could possibly go.

She grabbed the vampire's hand and led him toward the indent of trees lining the side of the property. First things first-- get the vamp out of direct sunlight.

Arch nodded slowly, as she answered his question, relieving a burden off his mind. He'd feared that the impact would've hurt her, if the Arcane light had blinded her. It often had that effect, he even felt himself blinking several times, trying to get his own eyesight clear, his eyes narrowed as he gazed around, still trying to make sure, she wouldn't see the heavy burns. His resilient body was already starting to heal the burn, but this process was incredibly slow, and would have taken weeks, if it'd been the result of direct sunlight. It would only take about a day this time, since it was artificial sunlight, that caused this burn, and not actual sunlight. He'd only been exposed to that for a few seconds. Which had also set his heat off edge, and caused his face to set fire. He really hated these spells.

He nodded to her suggestion, taking her hand as she offered it, to then follow her close behind. He was about to speak, just as she would've probably ducked an inch bellow a thick branch, which he stumbled directly into, the hard wood punching against the burnt skin, causing him to growl in pain, and force them to stop for a second, leading a hand near his face. "Erh! Gerh.. Fuck.. Hrmf... Auh.. Okay. I closed my eyes a second too late. I'm practically blind for a few moments..." he explained, before starting to move forward again. Now he only had his feeling senses, both his nose and eyes burnt out of function. "Try.. To avoid low branches, for a little while, may I beg?" He asked, his sore voice chuckling a single time, followed by a cough. "If you get us to the thick parts of the forest, I have a hideout in Shadow Vale." He explained, continuing to follow her, now dodging everything they encountered, if she should fail to mention them. Now he knew he couldn't see properly, and trusted his other senses instead. He kept a grip of her hand, trusting her to know the way, at least to the thick part of the forest. He wasn't sure she'd know the Shadow Vale, being a place quite infamous. Only some traveling merchants dared take this part of the forest, the steep valley making it very hard to maneuver.

Skylar winced for him when he hit the branch and squeezed his hand in sympathy. Sticking close to him, she led him through the forest. She knew where the Shadow Vale was, having gone there once or twice for some lessons with her master, but it wasn't a place she particularly cared for.

"Do you want me to heal you?" She asked as they trudged through the woods, the sun barely able to peek through the canopy. She'd never healed a vampire before, but she doubted the process was much different. She tried getting a look at his burns, but he was careful with keeping them covered.

"You have a hide out in the Vale? Isn't that..." the word 'dangerous' was on the tip of her tongue, but it wasn't as though a Demon Hunter was very concerned with how dangerous his surroundings are. She changed the subject. "Do you think the demons will find me there?"

The sympathy she showed, almost warmed his blood, if that was even possible. Not to say his blood wasn't warm, but that he was incapable of feeling such feelings in his body. Just as he wouldn't shake after a shock, or wouldn't tremble after near death experiences. But neither would his heart warm, with a lovers touch. But Skylar was reaching the bar of testing it, and she wasn't even a lover. The thoughts running through his mind, caused him to shake his head lightly, as he blinked his eyes several times, sneering a bit at the pain, as he took deep and hacking breath heaves.

Then as she asked if she should heal him, he chuckled softly, followed by a hacking cough, as he started shaking his head. "No thank you.. Skylar. Healing.. Works very slowly on my kind. And. Some of us regenerate. Faster then the healing process. Would do heal us. M.. My body. Will heal the wounds. Before yours could." His speech was distorted and choked, his vocal cords clearly haven taken damage as well, causing him to cough, once again. "But. Nevertheless. Thank you for your concern." He added, still keeping his head low, as they made their way towards the Vale.

As she was about to ask if it wasn't dangerous in the Vale, he chuckled lightly again, leaving it at her own realization. She probably got her own question answered. Then with the next question, he frowned softly, and nodded a few times. "They definitely will. They.. Can smell your power. Just as well. As I can sm..." H stopped himself at that, wanting to take his words back, before he cleared his throat. "Yes. Yes, they will find you here, this won't be a permanent solution. We'll have to investigate the murder of your Master later. First priority. Will be to end the Demon. With it still lurking, we will never have a moments breath." He stated, groaning as he gently padded his chin, already feeling the burnt skin starting to peel off. Almost felt as painful, as when it was actually getting burnt. "Where. Are we now? My eyes are still betraying me."

"We're almost there," she said, trying not to choke out a cry at the pain he was in. She couldn't see the marks clearly, but with the way he was speaking, he had to have been hurt badly. She wished there was something she could do for him.

Instead, she kept her fingers tight in his and continued toward the Vale. It wasn't long before they were walking into the darkened end of the woods and she declared, "We're here," with a shortness of breath. The place was eerie and caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end.

This wasn't a permanent solution. Of course, she knew that... what would be the solution?

Had he said 'we' when speaking about investigating her master's murder?

Her foot steps were light, but strong as boots hit the ground. The grass was much thiner over here, the ground mostly covered in dirt. A slight breeze rustled Skylar's skirts in a soft susurrus and she tucked flying strands of hair behind an ear.

He nodded a few times with her comforting words, continuing to follow her close by, gulping with a slight gurgle from his throat. He could feel the denseness around him grown tighter, and darkness falling over his skin. They surely where getting nearer the thick end of the forest, where the light could barely shine through the leaves above. His figure then broke, and he forced them to take another pause, leading his hand up to his face with a soft groaning. "Eergh.. Gah.. That's.. That's the eyes.." He nodded, gazing up from the ground again, finally able to see properly again, no longer half blind. The healing of burn wounds, where quite painful to a Vampire. The burnt flesh had to be removed, and flesh being removed never felt good.

Arch gave Skylar's hand a gentle squeeze, as he passed her by, just as the breeze hit them, cooling down the heat in his face, causing him to give a soft sigh of relief. "I'll show you the way now. It isn't far. And.. Thanks again. For showing me this far." He said, gazing back to her with a soft smile, which she'd barely see bellow his hood, which also showed her the burnt flesh of his chin, and the horrid state of his lips. He quickly turned his face away again, wanting to hide the state of his face once again, leading them down a small hill, to a large rock, resting against a cave entrance. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, before letting go, walking next to the rock. Almost with no effort put into it, he tilt the rock out of the way, creating just enough of an entrance, for Skylar to get through. "Come on." He said, nodding towards the cave entrance by his side. And as soon as he entered, he'd drop the rock, enclosing them in pitch darkness. "You know a flame spell, right?" He asked, gently leading her hand to a torch, he'd only just pulled from its resting on the wall. He knew she wouldn't be able to see in this pitch darkness, and wanted to offer her some light as well.

Skylar was beguiled by Arch's kindness and need to protect her. She didn't know why was going to the lengths to make sure she was okay, but she figured it was better not to question a vampire. Instead, she followed his lead, heart thudding in chest for some unknown reason, an grasped a hold of the torch. It lit with a force of will, lightening their path in orange and red hues.

She had been shocked by the state of his face. He had to be in horrid pain and again she wished there was something she could do to help. He had been burned because of her; if she hadn't gone back to that house, he wouldn't have gotten caught up in that fight and wouldn't have had to use that spell.

Feeling guilty, she continued down the steps with Arch, his hand a familiar coolness against her skin. "Are you sure you're going to be okay...? I can try healing it. I might be able to." She tentatively reached for his hood, but stopped short, knowing he didn't wish her to see. But she wanted to help...

He had stopped asking himself the same question, over and over again. Why he felt the urge to protect her? Why he even cared about her? Why he hadn't just let the Hellhounds pound down that barrier, and had her for breakfast. He could've gotten out, by the means of Shadow Magic, which would've killed her, but left him unharmed. And now he shunned himself for considering that option? He'd stopped thinking about it, and just tried to focus on healing. Leaving his mind in a more relaxed state, where it could focus on only one thing. Mending his burns.

As the torch was lit, he shielded his eyes for a second, letting them get used to the light, before removing his gloves, shaking his hands, now in the comfort of darkness. And so, he took her hand again, leading on down the steppes, of what would seem like an endless stairway, because of the limited view distance they had with the torch. Well, at least it would for her, he could see the end.

He gazed back towards her as she spoke again, smiling lightly behind the hood, as he pondered. But then his smile vanished, and his gaze was sent forward again instead, quickly kicking the damned thought that came to mind. "I'll be alright, Skylar. Try not to worry." He continued cursing himself for even considering the idea, of taking some of her blood. Even if she wouldn't just get scared and ask him to lead her far away from him, and if she actually accepted, he wasn't sure he could even get himself to do it. In the deepest corners of his mind, she was the most fragile thing, in an already sensitive situation. She definitely didn't need him sinking his fangs into her skin. "If you really want to help... Promise me you won't get scared, and run off, when I remove my hood?" He suggested, chuckling a bit more cheerfully, now that his vocal cords where working somewhat again.

Already? He lead a hand to his face, surprised to find the damage rather diminished already. The healing was faster then usual. "You know what? I already think you are helping, Skylar." He said, tapping his still slightly burnt skin, as he grunted a soft chuckle a single time. "Now I really understand, what's making that Demons teeth drool..." He said, gazing back to her, as he removed his hood. The burns she saw, was still second degree burns all over his face, but what she'd seen before, his chin and lips, had already gotten better, then when she'd seen it earlier. "I think.. I am leeching from your power.. Without even knowing. Do you. Feel anything? Is there any draining, of your powers?" He asked, continuing down the stairs. Now he was actually kind of worried. He'd heard about Aura's before, but he'd always figured them a myth. That some could be so intuned with Magic, that they offered energy, by merely being around. Empowering spells cast around them, sometimes healing people close enough, or even manipulating emotions, one way or another. They could now see the end of the stairway, very closely, and would now hear a soft running of water. And as they reached the bottom of the stairway, he pointed towards a wall. "See that jar? There's oil in it. Ignite that for me?" He suggested. And should she do that, a jar was lit in a line, running all through the large grotto, showing off a small pond filling half of the cave, a gentle spring coming down from a tiny exit in a wall, only rats would fit through. And in the rest of the grotto, was different things one could imagine a person would need. A bed, a log probably used as a chair. A fire place, with a few rocks surrounding it, pillows atop of them, and finally a small pile of pouches, chests and jars, a few of the jars overflowing with copper, silver and gold coins, giving a good idea of what was in all the other containers.