The Prince of Demons

"Sister, we can just leave now!" Zagzin pointed out before Onilin could reply. I went to shoot to my feet, but Onilin cast a root around his neck, dragging him to her as she slapped him with her tail.

"You lost miserably to her, so your input is going to be if your weak gip needs to rest from flying. We are not acting dishonorably and be glad we're not seeing our parents for a while, so I could inform them of such terrible behavior. <Spirit Beasts> stick to their word, am I clear?" Onilin snarled at her brother, slapping him with her tail again.

"I never agreed to it." Zagzin mumbled, which earned him another slap.

"And who challenged her? Likely rudely and as if he had any right to?" Onilin pressed, looking incensed at her brother.

"I had the right." Zagzin mumbled. Onilin slammed her head into his.

"I doubt you could defeat Ikol, let alone motivate Lux to actually try. Reflect on your loss and learn, not be a sore loser who breaks the term of their loss!" Onilin lectured, sounding furious at her brother.

"I could beat Ikol." Zagzin insisted. I glared at him.

"Prove it. I'm sick of you looking down on Ikol. Once our snack time is over, duel him." I snapped at Zagzin.

"Yes Chef." Zagzin agreed as his sister let go.

"So, why do you not like being compared to King Miril?" Onilin probed with a toothy smile going.

"No reason." I deflected, looking away from her.

"It should be a compliment being compared to the next Sovereign, but you seem to be offended I compared you to her. You also never answered where you learned to fight like that." Onilin pointed out while looking mighty pleased with herself.

"Not relevant where I learned. King Miril is not someone I aspire to resemble." I tried. Onilin only seemed to enjoy that answer more.

"Why not?" Onilin inquired, clearly enjoying my attempts to dissuade her.

"Drop it." I ordered her.

"Nah, this is way too interesting." Onilin defied me. I glared at her as she was giving me an amused grin back.

"I'm in charge, I won the duel." I declared, wanting the subject to change.

"I'm back!" Ikol announced. Good, he's such a fast hunter. Ikol had numerous voles for us all to eat.

"So, Ikol, why does Lux not like your mother?" Onilin asked him directly. Oh, you sly bezka.

"Why do you not like Mama?" Ikol probed, looking a bit betrayed by me. I leered at Onilin.

"We both know what she did. I do not think King Miril would like me being compared to her." I answered. Come on Ikol, buy the answer and move on.

"Compared how?" Ikol checked sounding a bit confused. I tried leaping at Onilin to hold her mouth shut.

"As a fighter." Onilin shot out, moving her head away in the nick of time.

"But Mama was giving you so many fighting lessons. It makes sense." Ikol pointed out, nodding his head a bit.

"YOU LEARNED TO FIGHT FROM KING MIRIL HERSELF?!" Onilin exclaimed in utter shock.

"Yes, I learned from her. Granted, King Miril's lessons were more her beating the shiza out of me than anything else." I confirmed as I sighed. Ikol was too easy to use for information.

"That is an immense honor. How did you earn it?" Onilin asked in a tone that was much politer than before.

"Someone got politer." I taunted, enjoying being looked up to. As I deserve after enduring Miril's lessons.

"Mama said she was too weak!" Ikol answered happily on my behalf. I turned and looked at him, which made him cock his ears back and lower his head.

"I have more questions." Onilin informed me.

"Can you please just drop it?" I requested, trying not to sound too irritated.

"I'm sorry, I just learned the person I dueled is not only friends with Ikol, but apparently got personal fighting lessons from King Miril. I have heard she refuses to eat near some of the company his siblings keep, let alone offer them advice, and I learn that you have gotten her personal lessons! I am so curious." Onilin explained as she was looking intensely at me.

"Mama likes eating with us! She usually spends a lot of time lecturing Lux on how to be better though. Or asking me about my day! She really likes it when Fox and Sleigh teach me!" Ikol informed her enthusiastically.

"Eppa eppa." I ordered. We needed to stop the leaking information.

"Yes Chef." Ikol sighed, pouting a bit as he laid next to me. Onilin looked between the two of us as she clearly fought to keep her face under control.

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"What?" I asked, not grasping what was making this so difficult for her.

"I am putting some pieces together. Who are Fox and Sleigh?" Onilin probed. Her smile was not getting any less wide.

"Where did you learn to fight? Why is that not interesting? You mentioned your family earlier, do you still live with them somehow?" I asked. She will not drop it. Do I need to get violent?

"My parents, it's really not, and my dad is in charge of the territory bordering the Sovereign's and King Miril's, so it's more of poor behavior needs to be reported to him." Onilin answered nonchalantly.

"I see. How did you turn out so much better than that?" I inquired, motioning towards Zagzin who looked offended to be referred to in such a manner. Just you wait, your suffering has only just begun for looking down on us so much.

"Not all siblings are created equal. Do not worry, I will make sure he behaves and becomes less embarrassing as our <Journey> goes on." Onilin assured me.

"I would like to duel Ikol now." Zagzin informed us.

"The ones with mattering opinions are talking now brother. In a minute." Onilin snapped at her brother. Hmmm. If I delay the duel, Onilin will have more questions. If I say duel now, I'll be doing what Zagzin wants. I'd much rather deal with her nosy questions.

"Why are you so nosy?" I probed. Onilin shook her head back and forth a bit.

"More of you are interesting. A <Sentinel Lord> around my age that appeared from nowhere that apparently had personal lessons from King Miril is fascinating. You know there is an unofficial competition during <Journeys> to determine the strongest in the coming of age? You are an unknown with a shot for the title." Onilin explained for me. Both Miril and Hoggdin didn't mention that.

"It's a goal of mine now." I replied. I am certainly going to try for it; I wonder why neither of them mentioned it?

"I figured. So, who are Fox and Sleigh? I have never heard of them either." Onilin asked. She was persistent.

"My teachers, even though that's not their actual names." I sighed. Ikol needed to be better about remembering the names of beings, and things in general.

"More beings from the unknown. And if I understood Ikol, those two are allowed to give him lessons?" Onilin pressed. Lords above this bezka was nosy.

"I am done answering questions for today. Drop it." I snapped at her.

"Come onnnn. Please a few more!" Onilin pleaded, clearly wanting more information.

"No, I have given you enough information for now." I replied sternly. She pouted mentally but realized I was serious now.

"Fine." Onilin conceded, looking a bit disappointed.

Are you good to duel Zagzin right now? I asked Ikol mentally.

Why? Ikol probed, not grasping why I asked that.

I am sick of him looking down on you and thinking he is not the weakest link here. I want to watch you pummel him. I informed Ikol.

I am good to go. Ikol confirmed for me.

"Okay Zagzin, you and Ikol can duel now." I permitted. It's nice being the one in charge.

"And esu esu." I told Ikol specifically. He lit up, jumping to his feet as he took his starting position.

"Esu esu?" Onilin cooed, giving me yet another toothy grin.

"Coded phrase." I spat, not wanting to explain how to speak Ikol to her.

"Sure sure. I I believe believe you you." Onilin teased me. I felt my eye twitching a bit.

"I won, you better remember that." I threatened. Onilin shrugged her wings a bit.

"Fine." Onilin chuckled as she laid down to watch the duel.

Zagzin took his starting position, and both of them gave me a nod to signal they were ready. I used a small <Burning Star> to signal to start. As I suspected, Zagzin was not ready for how fast Ikol was. His initial dashes he practiced so much to make sure you couldn't get distance from him unless you moved instantly or were ready to deflect him. Ikol immediately went for a grapple, making it a competition of brute strength; Ikol wrapped his front arms around a stunned Zagzin who was desperately trying taking flight. Onilin sighed while shaking her head as she knew Ikol already had an immense grip. Ikol tightened his grip as he enlarged himself with <Spirit Magic> to stop Zagzin from taking off, and I didn't need to hear Zagzin's ribs crack to know how much he was suffering from Ikol's embrace. Ikol twisted his frame to slam Zagzin head first into the ground before he released his grip once Zagzin's head was buried into the ground, spearing Zagzin with his tails as he rotated back to his feet. Ikol coated his claws with <Aqueous Formation>, slashing Zagzin with his left paw as he reinforced his right with <Mana>. I winced, knowing how hard Ikol's punch was about to be, especially given how much he could rotate and load it from his current position.

A thunderclap erupted from Zagzin's side as his body folded over Ikol's front swipe. How many bones did Ikol just break? Ikol went to keep going, but I whistled to end the duel. Onilin was hiding her face in her wing, looking away from the crumpled form of her brother. She might be able to beat Ikol, but luckily she was not his opponent. Zagzin had clearly underestimated the wall of muscle that Ikol was. I pat Ikol's head to congratulate him for winning. Onilin walked over, flipped her brother, and began making sure he was healing properly. Onilin kept passively shaking her head and making little sighs of annoyance. After confirming that her brother was healing properly, she just walked back over towards me while shaking her head some more.

"Embarrassment." Onilin muttered under her breath.

"Learn where you are in the pecking order?" I snapped at Zagzin while he looked bitterly at us.

"How is he so strong?!" Zagzin snarled, clearly upset at how badly he lost.

"Someone underestimated Ikol. He might be all brawn, but it's a lot of brawn." I shot back.

"Brother, learn to be stronger rather than lament your weakness." Onilin sighed. It was all over her face how ashamed of her brother she was.

"Lament?" Ikol asked me, cocking his head to the side.

"Be sad about." I answered. Ikol nodded.

"That's a fancy word! Like Nil used!" Ikol chimed happily. Onilin looked at me, clearly curious as to yet another name she hadn't heard before.

"I made my stance on follow up questions clear." I told her as I gave her my best angry stare.

"Oh, come on! I just had to watch that! Haven't I suffered enough?!" Onilin pointed out. Zagzin grimaced but said nothing. She's such a supportive sister.

"Not my fault. Once Zagzin's healed we're going to get moving. We do need to make progress towards Elijiah." I retorted with a huff.

"Just a little more." Onilin attempted. No, time for discussion was over.

"No. You better not ask Ikol either." I declared. Onilin grumbled but did not push her luck.

"I guess I'll help Bro heal." Onilin sighed, returning to her brother to make sure he was healing properly again.

Why are you not talking about Fox, Nil, and Sleigh? Ikol checked mentally, clearly not following.

Because I do not want to advertise that I am from Tenebrae, not Phestia. I answered him. That was for if it ever became relevant.

Ah. I see. Ikol quipped. He at least seemed to grasp that.

Good job thrashing Zagzin. I complimented him.

Thanks Chef. Ikol replied, nodding enthusiastically.

You did good. Now we continue going to Elijiah. I informed him. Ikol did a happy little prance next to me.

Can we zatta zatta now? Ikol requested, giving me his begging eyes.

Sure. I permitted. Ikol began doing his happy little song and dance as Zagzin healed. Our <Journey> was going well so far. Now, just needed the weakling to heal before we resumed moving.