The demon looked over in surprise and blinked. “Of course not.” And then laughed, stroking his face down with one hand. “You keep catching me off guard. I didn’t think elves could be so daring.”

“Daring? Is that daring?”

“You’re kidding,” the demon snorted. “Anyway, don’t get in here. I’m tired. I want to relax alone.”

Eial sauntered behind the demon and placed his fingers gently around his head. The demon had started to scowl until the elf moved his fingers in small circles, releasing all the tension in the demon’s body. Oh, he thought and let his body succumb to the elf’s skillful movements.

“Did you not sleep well?”

“Mmmm.”

Eial’s hands caressed down until they reached the demon’s neck. Moving his smooth hair out of the way, he massaged the demon’s tense muscles, causing his head to fall to the side in relaxation.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up here? Seems like you hadn’t meant to.”

The demon thought silently for a while as his memories came flooding. How he was peacefully in his room until suddenly—

“My… the person who gave birth to me. She was locked in the dungeons for treason. Somehow she got out and used a spell circle to teleport me here. Fucking witch didn’t give me a way back. All this trouble because of her… She probably brought me here for torture.”

Eial noticed the demon’s muscles tense as he spoke. With slow pressure, he eased into the tough skin with a soft light blue glow around his fingertips, and the demon started to calm.

“Shit, you’re good at this.”

The elf smiled with rosy cheeks and continued his interrogation. “I wasn’t aware you can use spells to... teleport.”

“I wasn’t either. I don’t know how she pulled it off. Spells or magic, teleportation should be impossible.”

Spell casting wasn’t often used considering the length of time it takes to cast a spell compared to just using magic. It requires a multitude of ingredients and proper spell circles, all of which most don’t bother learning. In addition, spells could only be used once before having to restock ingredients. All in all, spell casting is a very inefficient and unnecessary form of pseudo-magic and is used primarily to do minuscule tasks by those with weak or no magical powers. To create strong spells through spell casting speaks a whole different conversation of skill and intellect. And to the level of successfully performing teleportation?

Eial pondered the rarity of the situation. The rarity of the spell used. The rarity of how a demon and an elf were able to meet. The rarity of a demon and an elf even forming a bond. “Perhaps… it was fate. That you were brought to me. And we met.”

The demon snorted, “fate? Dream on.”

A giggle escaped the small being. “It does feel like a dream.” Eial didn’t dare to say it out loud, but he secretly thanked the person who brought his bond to him. His savior to his loneliness. However, he wished the demon hadn’t gotten hurt for this union to happen. The soothing hands lifted towards the damaged wing, and a blue aura surrounded them as he carefully made his way to the torn sections.

The demon had no more response to the elf’s ignorance to his sarcasm and after a defeated sigh, he presented questions of his own. “How long have you lived out here? Any relatives?”

“I’ve… been wandering here and there as long as I can remember. And… no, no relatives.”

“Why aren’t you in the city? No money?”

“I just… need to hide my powers. And it’s safer when there is no one around.”

“Hmmm.” The demon took in a moment to breathe in steam from the warm waters surrounding him. “So? How old are you?”

“I am 22.”

“Seriously? Hah. Sure don’t act like it.” The demon had assumed he was older than the elf and was thrilled to find it true. A heightened sense of authority and power with age reveled him in the glory he lacked for other aspects of himself compared to the elf.

“And you?”

“27,” he smirked proudly.

“Oh, I see. You are older,” the elf stated matter of fact, remaining indifferent other than his excitement to know more about his bond.

This irked the demon slightly, but his attention soon became diverted elsewhere. He noticed a cooling sensation on his pained wing that made his wing ache less. “What are you doing to my wing?”

“Oh. Uhm,” the elf hesitated. “It’s water magic. I thought it would ease the pain.”

It sure does, the demon thought and heaved a slow sigh before stating, “I’m getting out.”

Eial frowned and moved back a step. “Oh. Pity.”

“Huh?” the demon questioned with a quirked brow.

“I was enjoying touching you.”

A moment of wide eyed silence preceded a deafening laughter that escaped the horned being. “Your fucking honesty.“ He laughed some more. “You don’t even realize what you’re saying.” Long fingers scraped the surface of the water, splashing the confused elf as the demon stood up.

Unsuccessfully shielding himself, droplets of the wetness sprinkled on the elf’s face and hair. He wasn’t sure what he had done or said to bring the demon laughter, but his chest grew warm as if sparklers were lit inside, and his own laughter joined in.

The elf helped dry the demon with warmed air, fire and air magic working in unison, while the demon faced away, his long hair covering most of his bare skin. The horned being robed himself, and unknowing to him, a muted smile remained on his face.

With shared silence, meals, occasional laughter, and small conversation, time grew the sky to shadows of orange, pink, and purple and then night befell them once more.