Through The Haze

-Ranika night-blade-

The first thing I noticed was the smell, the old tavern wreaked of spilled alcohol, dust, and mold. The second thing was the heavy smoke-fueled haze that seemed still in the air as if it was pausing its movement for just us.

Then there were the customers. They all had a similar feel to them, almost as though they were dead inside. Not a single one of them had even bothered to glance at the door when sophie and I walked in. Weirder than that, even as I glanced around the tavern, not a single one of them was moving in the slightest.

"This doesn't feel right..." Sophie whispered. She was just as on edge as I was.

"Hate to say it, but I agree with you... there is something wrong with these people and this place..." I replied.

Wasting no time, I began to focus on my lightning aura, hoping to shape it into a thin veil around me and sophie. Sophie had started to lead the way toward a small two-person table, I followed behind as my focus was still on our defense. 'I'm sure it won't be necessary, but I'd rather be prepared than not.'

"Holy fuck, have they never heard of a rag?" Sophie asked in disgust, breaking my concentration, and frustrating me a bit. Looking up I could see why she had the reaction she did.

The table we had walked over to looked like someone hadn't cleaned it in well over a decade, the layer of dust had built up to the point that I felt like just being near it would dirty my attire, yet we still took our seats, although we both instinctually scooted our chairs away from the tabletop. 'You know, a small wipe down on a table isn't that hard to do...'

"Yeah, I don't think this place is very big on hygiene."

"So, what'll you two have?" A gruff yet feminine voice asked, startling me a bit. Turning my head so that I could see who was talking to me, I was caught even further off guard. She was a waitress but she didn't look like she belonged in this kind of establishment.

Though you could tell she had a feminine charm to her, she was built like a tank. Her short-cropped black hair further drove off the notion that she was meant for this line of work, as that was a common hairstyle among soldiers and mercenaries.

"Just two waters for now please," Sophie said calmly. She seemed unperturbed by the clear inconsistencies that this woman was giving off. After she nodded and left our table I resumed forming the thin lightning veil around us both. Once that was done I felt more relaxed and began to speak.

"Am I crazy, or does that waitress not belong here?" I asked.

"Since we've walked in something has felt extremely off with the patrons and now the staff here, I get the sense we may have just walked into a wolf den," Sophie replied, a small shiver appearing to run down her spine at the realization.

"Yeah you aren't wrong ther-" I was cut off as a chair came flying directly at us from across the room, before I could stand to catch it sophie smacked it away without even leaving her seat.

"Fuckin demon-kin, you think you can go anywhere nowadays dontchya?" A tall man said as he began walking towards us, his height easily surpassed even tatiana's even though he was slightly hunched over. He was lanky and somewhat gaunt, making me assume he must just be some street urchin who stumbled onto a bit of money and came in for a drink.

"And you think you can just assault us without provocation asshole?" Sophie said, the clear irritation in her voice was enough to make most people stand down and apologize, this man seemed unfazed by it though. As he came closer the temperature around us began to rise as sophies aura became more erratic.

"Sophie, enough."

She immediately concealed her aura at my words then stared at the ground like a wounded puppy, 'Today is going to be all sorts of fun isn't it?' I thought to myself with a mental sigh.

"Speak, what do you want from us?" I asked the stranger, my tone indifferent.

"I want you out, your kind isn't welcome around these parts demon." As he spoke he had started to reach behind him. 'I'm guessing he has a blade hidden back there.'

"And if I want to stay?" I challenged a small smirk forming at the corners of my mouth in anticipation.

"Then you die."

Without thinking twice the man flourished a steel dagger and then dashed toward me aiming for my chest. 'At least he seems to be somewhat trained. He can keep me entertained for a moment.' I thought darkly, I can't recall the last time I had thoughts like these but it did make me worry for my mental health.

In response to his lunge, I stepped slightly to the side, narrowly avoiding his strike. As his arm brushed past me I reached out and clenched his bicep, and then in one swift action I brought my knee into his stomach. The resulting "crack!" from my strike echoed throughout the tavern, finally gaining the attention of the rest of the patrons. Setting my foot back down calmly and releasing the man's arm, I took a step back.

"I guess a moment was too much to ask for, huh?"

The lanky man fell forward in a fit wet coughs while clenching his stomach, the blood spurting from his mouth and nose told me I had done a bit more internal damage than I originally intended to do.

'I even held back...I guess I need more practice adjusting to my body after fully mastering a core.'

Before I had a moment to collect my thoughts fully I sensed something flying directly at the back of my head, in response, I tilted ever so slightly to the right allowing the object to pass by me unhindered. The fletching of the arrow was what caught my eye as it passed through, it was a beautiful sapphire color that had been laced with a water aura, making it glimmer in the small amount of light in the tavern.

"So, at least one of you can manifest an aura! Now that's exciting!" My voice had come out overly playful but I didn't care. In response to my childish comment, all sophie did was scoff in disappointment.

"Aren't you arrogant, if a beat down is what you want I'll gladly deliver. After all, you hurt lance and I can't just let that slide."

Looking at the archer I couldn't help but laugh a little, while this lance was damn near seven feet tall his partner didn't even approach my waist in height. The bow nestled in their grip looked more like a child's toy than a genuine weapon, even though I found the sight of this funny I knew better than to underestimate them.

"I prefer not to fight with children, so how about you take your tall friend lance here and run along?"

'What's wrong with me..why am I provoking them further..?'

Without a response the person standing in front of me launched another arrow with practiced efficiency, the speed at which it was knocked and fired gave me hardly any time to react. Jolting my body in a twisting motion I attempted to move my body away from the arrow, even though I reacted in time the arrow seemed to change its path mid-flight, firmly lodging itself into my shoulder.

Then without so much as a twitch to warn me the arrow began spinning until it bore a complete hole through my flesh. Staggering back a step I looked down at the gaping hole in my body and then at the person who fired it.

"That was...unexpected," I said with a dark grin, which confused me. I should be in pain or trying to stop this altercation from escalating and yet, I just wanted to slaughter them. No, that's not right, it's like I felt the burning need to kill.

"Contrary to my appearance I'm a sergeant in the military, and the man you so brashly wounded is one of my subordinates." The confidence in their voice was clear.

"Oh! That explains your skill with the bow and that unyielding bravado um...young man? So in that case! Here's a question for you, what happens in the military when you attack a senior officer?"

"What...what do you mean?"

The dark grin I had before was now a full-blown sinister smile as I replied, "Pleasure to meet you! My name is ranika night-blade, division commander."

'Who am I?'

"N-no...that can't be! Why would the scout leader be here..."

"You never answered my question."

'Stop! This isn't you!'

"....."

"That's right, if they attacked a senior officer to harm or kill them outside of a formal duel, they can be executed by the damaged party."

'Please no...'

Then with a single lightning-infused step, I was behind the small sergeant, my hand on the back of their neck. "It's a shame I'm not feeling generous today," I whispered in their ear as I wrenched their neck to the side, a cacophony of snaps following my movement. Then I released them without a single emotion on my face, their limp body fell to the ground with a dull "thud" marking their death in an anti-climatic fashion.

"Now this is getting fun!" A strange voice said, looking around I couldn't pinpoint the one who made the comment, which was confusing me.

"So! If you're here and gram isn't...I take it he is dead, correct?" The voice asked, now instead of sounding like it was from a distance it sounded like the person was right next to me.

"He is, now let me ask you a question. Who are you?"

"Hmm, now that's a good question! Let's just say my master wanted you dead, so I hired that buffoon to do the job and well...we know how that went!"

Raising my guard I surrounded my body in a lightning-infused aura causing the air around me to crackle and pop from the heat and energy.

"You didn't answer my question." I sneered, my voice now fully projecting the same hollow and otherworldly tone it had when I faced gram.

"Whoa! Scary...is that just a trick? Or does your voice always get like that when you're mad?" The voice teased.

"How about you show yourself and find out?"

"Now why would I give up the one advantage I have?" It whispered right into my ear.

Just as the voice spoke a sharp pain erupted from my left thigh making me stumble forward, gazing down I saw a sharp and precise gash across my flesh. 'What the hell...'

"Don't worry, I won't kill you too quickly! After all, it's been a while since we've seen each other."