Small Steps

Entering the ballroom, decorated with countless candles, and the usual paraphernalia dedicated to the celebration in question. Iris began, treading among the crowd that chatted, laughed and enjoyed themselves. Corvin pushed himself off the wall when their eye met across the room. Maras and Caell kept him company while Eisza lingered somewhere behind Caell with a glass of wine in her hand. Smiling, at something that one of them said.

" Fresh meat," She would recognise that gritty voice even in the wake of her death. Haren. She didn't particularly like him, but she never expected to see him ever again. His gritty tone, which had a bark in it no matter how he spoke, was unmistakable.

" You seem to be lost, Queen. I can guide you around but the tour will be rather short, and it takes you straight to my chambers. What do you say? You and I could have a wonderful evening together," He crooned in her ears and felt her blood freeze at the feel of his chest pressing against her back as his hand trailed on her arm up to her shoulder, and pulled on a lock of hair, sniffing it. A disgusting groan reverberated through his chest, through her back and her entire being. Her hair stood on end at the thought of him touching her in that sort of manner. His breath reeked of wine, a little too much for her taste. He smelled like he'd dunked himself in a barrel of wine.

He hummed, " Look at you, how you react to me and I barely touched you," He crooned once more in her ear, and she felt a spine-chilling, soul-depleting feeling course through her body. It wasn't fear. It was revulsion at his mere presence and touch.

Corvin, stood in his place with his eyes pinned on Haren, murderously glaring at him. Fight. Claw if you have to.

Corvin's words lurched their way to the forefront of her mind. In that moment it dawned on her what he'd been doing all along. He'd been crude for a reason. His little games were meant to numb, against the chaffing remarks and the brutality of their world. His world.

She was meant to fight, instead of cowering until cornered. Instead of waiting for the enemy to be at her doorstep. Oros, wasn't a mistake. He'd done it on purpose. He'd taken her into their lands, already knowing that they might not make it alive. Roar when the time comes.

All along, she thought that that was a lewd remark. Something to tickle her fancy. A newfound respect for the man staring at her from across the room washed over her, and she found herself enthralled with him.

A deep steadying breath, before turning around to face Haren. She needed all her strength to keep the sisters from lashing out in a crowded ballroom. Full of people. Innocent people that somehow had managed to survive a hoard of monsters, come together and celebrate.

A smile, a very gracious one. One that she hadn't worn in a very long time before she turned around to face the monster lurching behind her. Not all monsters have jagged teeth and cold blood. Some walk among us.

Leering at her, as she turned around, Haren groaned, almost moaned. Pleased at the sight of her. Glassy-eyed, he took in her appearance, licking his lips and nodding to himself. Probably, imagining all the things he would do to her when they were just two of them. Although she doubted that the crowd that had quieted, would stifle his aplomb.

Pinching his face between her thumb and forefinger, Iris sweetly smiled. The sweetest smile she could muster in that very same moment. Her finger latched to his clammy skin like a wet cloth against the glass. He indeed was Dakran's kin, since they shared the same appearance but the madness in him, was absent in Dakran. Two faces of the same coin.

Her fingers dug into the flesh of his cheeks as she squeezed hard with such force that her muscles began to clench and convulse.

" Touch me again and the only chamber you will be seeing is the one I shared with Ker," She was sure that he had no idea what she spoke of but the menacing tone would hint that it wasn't anything pleasant.

His eyes widened, surprised at the bite in her tone.

" Come on, sweetheart, there is no need to get all testy. It's just a bit of fun," He grabbed her wrist and she hated that gesture with such intense passion that she felt inclined to let the sisters loose on him. Have a little taste to settle their growing hunger for pain, suffering and the things she'd been wallowing in since she'd been reborn into that forsaken realm.

All of that in the time one needs to take a breath, and her fist clashed against his jaw sending Haren stumbling a few steps to his side. The rage coursed unhindered through her veins, as Eisza cheered and laughed.

" And let the celebration begin. A party without without a fight is not a party, "Eisza's laughter echoed in the great hall of Ironstone. The others reluctantly followed and laughed alongside her, but none stepped forward to stop the fight.

Rubbing his jaw, Haren found his footing after stumbling a few times, and straightened himself, smoothing his attire in an attempt to iron out his, now crinkled reputation.

" Bitch," He snarled venomously so, that she could feel the bitterness of his words clinging to her throat.

" I dare you," She took a deep breath to steady herself. She was affected by the incident but she couldn't back down, " Lay your filthy hands on me one more time. And I promise you that after you'll need to learn how to spoon your food with your feet," In the silence, her seething words rang loud and crystal clear. He closed the distance in a few strides and reached to grab her throat. He wanted to fight. Then she will give him a fight. Now, she knew she could.

"You filthy whore," He snarled when she crouched down and hit him when a man should never be hit. Groaning in pain, he fell on his knees, cupping his rather sensitive bits.

" I might be a filthy whore, but you my friend, you are a despicable, sorry excuse for a man," He sluggishly stood to his feet and lunged for her once more with his entire weight sending them both into a group nearby moved out of the way and they both landed on the hard cold floor. The impact knocked the wind out of her lungs, and his weight on her made it hard to take another.

He wickedly grinned on top of her as he pinned her on the ground, thinking that she had no way out. It would be hard but not impossible.

When he raised his head to look around the room, she headbutted him as hard as she could. The circlet left their indent on his skin as blood gushed out of his nose trickling on her face. He roared, as he grabbed his broken nose, and in that moment she found the leverage she needed to tip the scale in her favour. In one swift move, he was on his back against the floor with her foot crushing his neck as he garbled, and gasped for air, jerking at her ankle to free himself.

" What is the meaning of this?" Dakran's voice thundered in the hall as he stomped the floor beneath his feet. Each footstep echoed very much as her heartbeat echoed in her ears.

" A minor difference of opinions. He thought I was a filthy whore. I disagreed," Iris smirked, and pressed her foot harder on Haren's throat, making his eyes bulge out, and fighting to catch his breath.

Seeing Haren on the floor, with a bloodied face and a broken nose, Dakran pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated, fed up. She'd seen him do something similar when Haren tested his limits. Some things never change.

With an apologetic look, Maya appeared from behind wearing the same grim expression as Dakran did. She had been his victim before, regardless of the circumstances. If Dakran hadn't taken any measures against him. Then she had given her some sort of justice.

" The past will come and bite in the ass, if you're not careful," The smirk that stretched on her lips was rather satisfying. And the rush of the victory over him had sent her entire being into a blissfully frantic, frenzy. She'd forgotten how good it felt to serve justice. For herself and those who couldn't.

Her eyes went to Corvin who resumed leaning against the wall, and watched with a rather bored expression the whole ordeal unfold. He briefly raised his eyes and winked. The shadow of a smile appeared on his lips, briefly but it vanished when Dakran caught him looking at her.

Apologies were offered as Dakran moped Haren off the floor and yanked his arm, dragging him out of the room.

Maya fished out a kerchief and began wiping the specks of blood on her face and chest, silently.