*The Unexpected Letter

Pulling himself out of his memories and back to the present, once again, Slayer turned and started down the spiraling staircase of the tower.

He continued walking down the empty corridors only passing a couple of the maids and servants that were cleaning and taking care of their duties on the way. The ones who served him in the Palace were all humans, except for Malice, and all who served him always coward when he came around and would never dare look up at him as they bowed their heads greeting him quickly.

"Your Majesty." They trembled as they spoke the words, Slayer just kept walking not even acknowledging them. He didn't care to pay them any mind, just how he viewed most people. He would only pay attention to a maid when he needed blood and sometimes allowing them to entertain him for the night.

Other than that He was only close to his soldiers, the ones who went to battle with him. The ones who proved themselves to him and became not only his soldiers, but his comrades.

The few who new Slayer on a more personal level, thought it odd how he was so close to Malice, and how he treated him better than just a mere servant. It wasn't easy to get close to Slayer and he kept his circle of who he allowed near him extremely small. So this attention that Slayer showed towards Malice was a bit different for him and out of character because it was the first and only known person he allowed to get close to him.

Slayer's obvious, complete trust that he held towards his faithful servant Malice; did however bother a couple of Slayer's very close Comrades though in the beginning and one of them being, Beast.

Beast had struggled with accepting Malice, for years not because he thought Malice to be of any kind of threat towards Slayer or to Damns Hollow; or one who shouldn't be trusted but because it was still not easy for him to not view Malice as an abomination that was born in the Howler's Clan

Beast was probably the hardest on Malice. He would always push Malice in everything, way more than he would the others. When Malice was involved in anything that Beast was in charge of, Beast was almost brutal in his ways and had Malice do things that would've broke anyone else; but Malice never faultered to anything he was told to do and did it even better than what was instructed or expected of him.

Slayerr didn't mean to raise Malice when he brought him back to the Palace, but wasn't ever too hard on him and spent a lot of time in fact with the pup. Only thinking that he'd allow the pup to grow big enough to be able to fend for himself. Slayer couldn't help but be interested in the pup, because Malice was in fact the first and only one of his kind.

But when he got older, Malice wouldn't leave Slayer's side, and no matter how many times Slayer would try to abandon the growing pup, Malice was always on his heel and he was always Unfazed and never fearing of Slayer. So eventually Slayer did get used to having Malice around and surprisingly grew to enjoy having Malice with him. Slayer allowed Malice to do as he wished and serving Slayer was what Malice chose to passionately do.

Slayer brought him up as more of an apprentice, teaching him to fight, hunt, kill and control his unique powers; that was something neither one of his parents' kind possessed.

Malice had the ability to use his energy core to take on the form of any weapon he needed or wanted to use, but his favorite was using the bow and arrows. He could make them appear and was so quick when he shot that usually whatever he was shooting for was dead before they knew it. Slayer taught him to be a master archer, and other then Slayer, Malice was unmatched by any.

Slayer reached his study and found Malice there looking over the documents and papers that Slayer needed to sign off on. Malice has sharp hearing so he heard Slayer coming since he descended the tower, he stopped reading what he was overlooking and stood up and bowed his head to Slayer.

" Your Majesty, How did the lands seem this night? Did they appear to be calm or were they more on the chaotic side this evening?" Malice asked.

Slayer hated the formal greeting that he was never able to break Malice from doing.

"Even on the chaotic nights the lands seem calm and peaceful to me, you know that." a small smile came upon his face as he was talking to Malice.

" I was thinking of stretching my wolf's legs, but decided against it, knowing that I have had you overlooking the documents that I've been neglecting to deal with." Slayer said in a uninterested tone.

Walking up to the desk Slayer picked up the first paper that was laying on top of the pile; it was a treaty proposal from Chiloquin, one of the neighboring kingdoms. Wanting to make sure that they were considered allies and their Kingdom wouldn't be in any harm of an attack.

The neighboring kingdoms usually would send their messengers yearly to make sure that Slayer knew that they wanted no problems with the kingdom of Damns Hollow. After reading it he set it down to look at Malice who he just noticed to be awfully quiet since he entered the room.

A crease came to settle upon his brow and he could clearly see Malice was troubled by something.

"What seems to be bothering you? Has something come up that is troubling you or are you in fact upset with me for dumping my work load on you to deal with?" Slayer asked

"I would never mind doing anything that you may need me to do for you Sir. Serving you is what I do and so am more than willing to do what you ask of me and to do whatever I can to best serve you Sir. I apologize for coming off irritated or upset with you, that is not the case at all." Malice bowed his head to Slayer as he talked showing him how much respect he had for him and when he lifted his head; Slayer could tell that Malice's expression had softened.

" I really wish you wouldn't apologize to me and not talk to me in such a way, but I know you'll never quit with the formalities." Slayer said more coldly than he had meant it to sound.

"No, Sir, my respect for you will never allow me to drop my formalities and how I serve you. I am troubled but not by you or the work I've been overseeing." Malice informed Slayer without cowering down while he talked; he was the only one who could get away with talking back and not listening to him.

Slayer always found his Unchanging attitude about serving him honorable, for he never could get Malice to change his way of thinking when it came to how he viewed and felt about things.

"Ok, than what is bothering you this night?" Slayer asked Malice, curiosity evident in his voice.

"You received a letter this afternoon from a messenger that I was unfamiliar with and the creature left immediately when it got dark. I didn't know whether I should read the letter the creature had brought or wait for you? but I wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything harmful to you when opening the envelope, for it had nothing written on it to suggest who sent it." Malice answered.

"First, you already know that you are my most trusted and most faithful servant and never have to second guess opening any messages that may come in; I leave you to overlook my responsibilities after all." Slayer said in a joking tone. "So what about the letter has you bothered?" Slayer asked wondering if his idea of the creature was in fact right. "What did it say?"

Malice didn't answer right away and just stood there starring off into space, for a moment being lost in his thoughts.

"Apparently Lord Vishious is coming for a visit," Malice addressed with obvious confusion showing in his eyes.