[h2][color=coral]Thuraya[/color] and Lady Renata[/h2]

Halls after halls, doors to nothing interesting. Her direction was unknown at first, simply wandering through the Demons' home. She looked out windows as she passed them, to see basically the same scenery from all of them. Arms behind her head, legs kicking forward with each step, tail swinging slightly as she went. Her mind wandered thinking about nothing in particular. Thoughts brushed on what was to come, what had come to pass, and lingered a bit longer on Seryosa. 

It was no mystery that she missed her home, and family that had chosen her. The one thing that surprised her was that she honestly missed the cold. At first, she'd hated it. For years she could barely tolerate the wind's chilled bite, but now that she was out of it... A sigh escaped her lips and eyes fell to the floor, watching her feet, rather than taking in the sights from windows and walls she'd been taking in previously. That's when her thoughts fell as well, onto what the Divine had said on their way to this place; [color=coral][b]"If she was wrong... I'll [i]make[/i] her proud."[/b][/color]

Something stopped her though. She looked down toward where the sound came from - a rumbling grumble of discontent from her stomach. That's when she knew where she needed to go. She needed food, and so her arms dropped, to cross over her abdomen as if it were in pain, and made way down the halls once more. 

Since she had a destination in mind, her journey was no longer aimless. Halls that only had turns every so often suddenly began to turn every few steps, as if creating a shortcut to her destination. Soon enough, rather than repeatedly coming across nothing of interest, she was approaching a set of large and heavy double doors, both of which opened for her. Beyond happened to be just what she was looking for, even if it wasn't quite what she expected. Part of that had to do with the fact that Thuraya certainly wasn't used to clean and well organized kitchens, but there was something else about the kitchens that was just a little off...

The room was large and had plenty of appliances and tools to use for cooking, but that was to be expected at that point. No, what wasn't quite right was the smell that lingered in the room. Though very clearly constantly cleaned and used to cook the grandest of foods, beyond the leftover scents of everything from cakes baked long ago to vegetables cooked to perfection was an underlying metallic sort of scent. To the sheltered it might have been difficult to recognized, but to someone used to battle like Thuraya was it would be immediately clear that the smell was-

[b]"My, my. It seems the Prince's group has a habit of getting hungry."[/b] These words came directly from Thuraya's left even as the Lady of Demons stepped past her into view, heading farther into the kitchen. There had been no signal of her presence before, not even the lightest of footsteps or the gentlest of breaths; for all it mattered, it was like Lady Renata had simply come into being in that very spot. Smiling over her shoulder, the Lady nodded gently off to her right, where rows upon rows of thin doors lined one wall. [b]"Over there is the pantries, if you want something small and dry. If you want something heavier, like meat on the other hand, well..."[/b]

She jumped slightly at the sound of Karin's voice. Head quickly turned to where she appeared and eyes widened, tail curled slightly in a defensive way, but she very quickly relaxed, eyes shifting toward the pantries. [color=coral][b]"When you fight, it's important to not do so on an empty stomach."[/b][/color] she noted.

The scorpionfolk hesitated, looking back toward the Lady of Demons before she took a couple steps at first, then made way over to the doors. The smell of the kitchens was a little heavy, and was honestly a little unsettling, yet comforting at the same time... She'd lived for battle, blood was not an uncommon scent to her, yet still she was scared of opening a door and getting coated in the stuff somehow. Cautiously, her hand opened a door, after a look through she decided that the latter option was much more appealing. 

She closed the pantry door and turned back toward Lady Renata. [color=coral][b]"Meat sounds good, actually..."[/b][/color] she replied.

The Lady of Demons' smile seemed to grow slightly then, before she gave a slight shrug. [b]"Very well then, if you insist. These doors over here."[/b] Giving a sort of lazy beckoning gesture with her hand, Lady Renata stepped over to two doors that were set aside from the pantries. Unlike the rest of the doors that Thuraya had seen that day, these two were made of a heavy dark metal, one that gently reflected light. With another wave of her hand the doors opened, and immediately a deep chill set into the kitchen, a mist of ice crystals gently billowing from the doors to slowly continue to spread across the floor.

Quite unbothered by the extreme cold, which made the trip into the mountains seem quite warm in comparison and even put all but the most northern reaches of Gurata to shame, Lady Renata stepped into the frozen room. The walls and ceiling were coated with a thick and reflective ice, though the floor was completely bare and made of tile. Within, there were three sections, each with a clear divide in between. The one that was the front left corner of the large room was set with many things meant to be kept cold but weren't meat, everything from milk to various creams or substances like butter. In the front right corner there was plenty of meat, some ready to cook and some already prepared to serve; everything from pork to beef to chicken was set on the shelves and in containers, carefully labeled and separated. This was the corner that the Lady of Demons directed her hand to, saying, [b]"What you might be interested would be over there. Take whatever you like."[/b]

The entire back half of the room was dedicated to the last section, and its contents would hopefully never be found in any other kitchen. The entire back wall was dedicated to shelves, and on these shelves were large cylinder glass containers. These containers were filled with deep red liquids, each type of blood clearly labeled along with details like dates and locations. In front of this wall of shelves and containers hung many large and covered forms from the ceilings in organized rows, each longer than they were wide, the material wrapped around them white, and there were more shelves to either side with containers...

There was no subtlety to be had for this section of the room. With the blood she consumed the Lady of Demons kept bodies, some hanging whole from the ceiling above and some already separated into various pieces, at various points along the spectrum of preparation as they were kept in containers just as the meat of cow, pig, chicken, and otherwise were kept just a few feet away.

Thuraya followed Karin into the cold room, looking around to the various choices she had. The cold was almost refreshing and comforting, but perhaps a bit too cold at first. She didn't mind after a moment of seeing the meats laid out for her to pick from. Her mind told her not to stare in the other direction, but couldn't help after peripheral caught sight. The red was honestly enticing to look at, but when she actually locked on, rather than seeing it from the corner of her eye, the emerald hues seemed to dull a bit and her face paled slightly. That's when her gaze moved around that area, reaction getting a little more intense.

She took a step back then, and before she knew it, she was reaching for a thick, uncooked steak from one of the containers and turned with it to quickly leave. Of course, something a little more prepared would've been better, considering how hungry she was, but she'd rather cook it herself than stand in that room any longer. [color=coral][b]"Th-this will do."[/b][/color] she said quickly and quietly, ducking back through the door into the kitchen. She hadn't realized, but she'd been holding her breath as well, once out of sight, she released a heavy sigh, and took another deep breath through her nose. She wouldn't question it, and honestly she wasn't sure why she hadn't expected to see something like that. But suddenly she was almost preferring her fear of the pantries spewing blood on her over what she'd seen.

[b]"My my, you really must be hungry. I'll have the servants prepare you larger portions during the served meals."[/b] The Lady of Demons was much too perceptive to miss the change that came over Thuraya, but to her credit she barely reacted to it. The smirk part of her smile grew a little, but thankfully (for Thuraya's sake) she didn't laugh at the reaction, simply turning to follow the warrior out. As soon as they were both clear of the doors they shut behind the two, and the change in the temperature of the room was instant; the freezing chill was gone, instead replaced by the cool that could be found throughout the mansion.

Of course, the Lady of Demons wasn't done with Thuraya yet. [b]"You know how to cook on a stove top rather than a fire, yes? If not that's no problem, I'll simply have it prepared for you instead."[/b]

She looked at the steak in her hand and then to the stove. She nodded slightly in response, [color=coral][b]"Yes, I'll be fine to cook it myself."[/b][/color] 

She looked around only a moment in search of a pan and placed it on the stove, putting the steak in, making way to the pantry doors again, much less cautiously this time opening them, one after the other in search of spices, along with other cupboard doors being searched through until she found what she was after. She made way back to the stove, her hand reaching to turn it on and began putting what she'd gathered onto the steak. Assorted spices; black pepper, red pepper flakes, along with a clove of garlic and some chunks of onion that she quickly cut herself while the steak first started to give the sound of a satisfying sizzle. Adding them to the pan as well she had only to wait for now. She turned toward Karin again as it continued to cook, before looking for a fork.. a knife.. a spatula, anything. 

[color=coral][b]"So, I'm guessing you've got business with me, not the kitchen, hm?"[/b][/color]

[b]"You could say that."[/b] The Lady of Demons seemed to be pleased by the smell of the steak, her standing nearby to watch Thuraya cook it, focused entirely on the meat rather than the woman cooking it. When the Guratan spoke however she looked up, giving a slight nod. [b]"First, I have a question for you. Tell me, why do you think you lost to the brothers Maeneld during your fight with the two of them in Gurata?"[/b]

Thoughts of the "why" only ran through her mind for a moment. Jaw clenched slightly and she prodded at her steak a bit with the fork she'd found before mixing the onions a bit to fry along with the meat. [color=coral][b]"Simple, I wasn't strong enough. I'm still not, but I will be."[/b][/color] her tone was flat, and completely serious, perhaps a bit of anger behind it. [color=coral][b]"If it comes to me spending no time for rest, I will do it. I will become stronger. Stronger than all of them. I let Seryosa down and it won't happen again."[/b][/color]

[b]"Your dedication to your Chief is certainly admirable. However, if you truly do think pushing yourself without rest is wise, you have much to learn. It might work to begin with, but in the long term you would only harm those you serve, not aid. Still, I understand why you feel such a way, which is why I want to help."[/b] For a moment the Lady of Demons stopped, eyes closing as she slowly inhaled, clearly savoring even the smell of the steak; however, that would be the last time, as apparently any cooking beyond that point was too much for her tastes. As she once more returned to speaking, her eyes opened once more. [b]"You did well, considering you went against two Divineborn without any knowledge. Now, though, you know your next great opponent will be a Divineborn, which means you can prepare."[/b] Both hands went out then. [b]"May I hold your blade for a moment?"[/b]

She knew the demon was right. But at this point she would do anything, which is likely why after flipping the steak she turned around and reached above her left shoulder to grab the handle of her sword. With a light tug, the clasp around it unclasped and she pulled the tip from it's sheath. She looked at it a moment herself, and then to the Lady's small frame. The blade was easily bigger than her(Hell, it appeared too big for Thuraya to even weild properly), but when she held it out, she placed it, edge toward herself, into Karin's hands. 

[color=coral][b]"Not many people get to touch her, many less get to hold her. You're the first in years."[/b][/color] If the small demon were to look closely, she would see the nicks in it's edge, especially toward the point at the end that had been repaired with an odd sort of expertise, but definitely not a master at forging. [color=coral][b]"So be careful."[/b][/color] she turned back to the steak then, and pushed it around the pan a bit, piled the onions on top of it and began her search for a plate, next, while it finished cooking.

Carefully the Lady of Demons took the blade when it was presented to her, and despite her small (and almost frail) appearing form she held it with ease. Slowly she turned, holding the blade out in front of her, carefully looking it over and inspecting the various details along it, including its edge. After a moment she gave a nod, as if she confirmed something to herself, before carefully lowering the blade slightly, holding it out more in front of herself.

[b]"Ah, I see. Yes, there was no way you could win with this weapon, not as you are."[/b]

As the small demon looked over her blade, Thuraya was reaching for a plate. Her eyes occasionally looking back to Karin to make sure her blade was still fine. She wasn't sure if she trusted the Lady, but if she could help, then it would have to start with trust on Thuraya's part... right?

Once plate was in-hand, she went back to the stove and stabbed the steak with the fork and lifted it out onto the plate, afterwards lifting the pan and tilting it a bit to gently get the onions out. While back home she wouldn't have had to mind so much, this pan looked pretty fancy, and didn't have any scrapes or scratches in it... Best not make any, she figured.

She found a knife in the same place she'd found the fork, and took it to seem polite, at the very least, and finally, with food, her mind was able to focus a little better. She stood at the counter, side toward Karin, and she cut the first piece of her steak off, one that was too large for one bite, but at least she'd tried... meat came to mouth and teeth ripped off a chunk of the cut portion. After savouring the flavour for a moment, she let Lady Renata's words sink in and process.

[color=coral][b]"So... How can I win then? I don't have powers like them, all I have is my strength, which clearly isn't enough."[/b][/color]

[b]"When it comes to your strength, you'll simply have to make yourself stronger still. It will certainly be a struggle, as you are already clearly very strong... for the average mortal. You must step beyond those bounds if you wish to survive. However, that won't do you any good now, so allow me to increase your chances of survival."[/b]

Suddenly, the Lady of Demons held the blade with one hand quite easily. With the other she suddenly drew her hand down as far along the edge as she could go, slicing so quickly that no blood was actually left behind on the edge, the cut opening afterwards. Holding the large wound above the blade calmly, several drops of blood began to fall, creating a thick (and somehow perfect circle). As the blood settled, she held her hand off to the side, the wound rapidly closing itself without leaving a mark behind.

A slight hiss filled the air then, along with a strong acrid smell. From the blood and blade a light amount of smoke began to rise as the blood began to bubble, boiling up as it began to eat through the blade. When the Lady had ran her hand down the edge of the blade quickly, Thuraya's own hand clenched into a fist as though she'd felt it as well, but simply continued to eat her steak, occasionally poking at the fried onions with her fork to eat those as well. It was the scent of burning that really caught her attention. Fork hit plate with a short clatter and her steps took her closer to the demon, [color=coral][b]"Woah, woah, no nonono!"[/b][/color] she looked at the hole forming and reached for the blade to take it back.

Before Thuraya could touch the blade however, the Lady of Demons suddenly lashed out. Though the blade remained perfectly in place even as she moved, the Lady swung the blade with one hand easily, and struck Thuraya with the flat so had that it was enough to take the scorpionfolk woman off her feet, sending her crashing against the wall even as the Lady of Demons once more relaxed. By the time the hole (which was still a perfect circle) was complete, the blood had eaten itself away along with the metal.

She held her free hand out to the side, giving a slight shake, and suddenly her own shadow rose up to meet her hand, like a solid form. The shadow cradled a gem, rounded perfectly, that was a deep, glimmering sort of yellow. Placing it carefully into the hole, the Lady of Demons cut herself once again, this time her thumb, and on both sides of the blade she carefully applied the blood where the gem and metal met. Once more the heavy, burning scent filled the air, but this time nothing was destroyed; instead, the gem was fused into the blade.

Her thumb healed, she held the blade back out to its owner, calmly as if nothing had happened at all. [b]"There. That will do."[/b]

Thuraya gave a soft hiss under her breath as she pulled herself away from the wall. A pain shot down her tail as she moved and the hiss faded into a slight groan. When she looked at her blade next, it had the gem in it. She took it back as it was handed to her and she looked over the once-was-hole and frowned. It was sturdy, didn't look like it'd come out. Arm stretched out to swing the blade, careful not to hit anything with it, the control was nice. It didn't throw off the balance and that was really what she was most worried about. 

[color=coral][b]"Alright, so now my blade's been given the prettiest princess award, how will this help?"[/b][/color]

The smirk on the Lady of Demons face seemed to grow a little. [b]"That is a crystal that has been charged with power, courtesy of Resalia Narratio. I'm sure you'll meet her at some point. The power it is charged with is one that you have an affinity for; that of earth. By making contact with the ground with your blade, you will now be able to shift and move it; the longer you maintain contact, the more you will be able to do at once."[/b]

Eyes shifted from Karin to the blade, lingering on the gem as she brought the sword in closer. [color=coral][b]"I see..."[/b][/color] was all she said at first, as she lifted it over her shoulder and placed the tip back into it's sheath hanging on her back, clasping the handle into it's own brace. [color=coral][b]"I'll have to try it out... But, I've never used any sort of power like this before, how does it work? I mean.. Me? Use any form of magic?"[/b][/color] she laughed a little and shook her head, instead focusing on her steak again, taking another bite, knife all but forgotten as she stood with more than half a steak on the fork, tearing pieces away to eat, rather than cutting them off. [color=coral][b]"There's a reason normal people can't use magic, we just aren't meant to."[/b][/color]

[b]"With that attitude, you never will."[/b] The Lady of Demons gave the slightest of sniffs, before shrugging slowly. [b]"It's a little more simple than you realize. After all, the crystal will do most of the work for you. It may take some getting used to, but all you will have to do is project your thoughts onto the gem, those thoughts being what you want to do with the earth; almost as if you are speaking to someone, though if you do so out loud then your enemy will hear it at the same time. Actually speaking might be easier, but I would work to move past that one day if I were you."[/b]

Chunk after chunk, torn off and eaten until the steak was gone, she listened to how the gem worked and nodded slightly at the end, but it was uncertain if it was a nod of understanding or just trying to swallow the last piece of steak that was clearly too big a bite for anyone.

[color=coral][b]"Alright. I'll practice. Anywhere good near-by that you wouldn't mind being torn up?"[/b][/color]

Lady Renata gave a slight wave of her hand. [b]"Just take it beyond the fence, in the space outside before the forest. That should be good enough."[/b]

[color=coral][b]"Alright.. I'll check it out, and uh... I guess, hope I can tear up some earth."[/b][/color] she gave a nervous chuckle and shook her head before picking up all the onions on her plate at once and stuffing them into her mouth. She picked up the empty plate and looked around. Hesitating a moment, she walked over to the sink and put it in. She turned the water on for a moment to rinse it off and then turned back to Karin. She wasn't sure if she should wash the plate... or... just leave it..? She had servants who would do that, right? Or... whatever... This place was really clean...

Deciding to leave it rinsed, she awkwardly stretched and walked toward the door. [color=coral][b]"Uhhh, yup. Kay... I'll... Be outside then."[/b][/color]

Watching her constantly with those shining red eyes, the Lady of Demons nodded even as she continued to smirk. [b]"Have fun, Ms. Azize."[/b]