Coming of Age
256 years later…
Suriel, the only 'princess' of the Southern Dog tribe narrowed her eyes at the army of demons that stood before her. Her amber-flecked emerald eyes began to grow darker as she trembled before the Change. A clawed hand rested on her shoulder and she whirled to face her father. He shook his head, "You know well that you cannot change to defeat them. Continue with your test."
She snarled once before her elongated jaw shrank back to normal and then she resolutely nodded, her emerald eyes cool the amber flecks glinting in the light, "Very well, father." Then she was off towards the encroaching mass of demons. Suriel glanced back once before turning to the demons and showing them a clenched fist which she then spread out to show her rapidly darkening claws. A menacing growl emanated from her and several of the weaker demons scuttled back in fear. The remaining ones stood their ground. She spoke quietly, "Shadow claw!" Nimbly dancing through the packed bodies she whirled about shadows following her hands and rending through multiple demon bodies. A shadow whip emerged, the blue black whip glowing menacingly, from her fingertips and dispatched still more demons as she twirled about her eyes occasionally growing from emerald to amber as she kept her demon in check.
The shadows faded and the whip dissipated. Her amber eyes once again lightened to emerald as she surveyed the survivors. Then she grabbed her sword from its sheath. It escaped the sheath with a whisper of elegance and shimmered in the deepening twilight. "Come on, I haven't all day demons. My true test is yet to come."
They obliged the young pup's request with perhaps too much zeal. Suriel stood still with eyes closed. Her white, black swirled kimono was only slightly splattered with blood and in one particular spot on her sleeve an angry hissing could be heard where some acidic blood was eating through the cloth. The demons came closer and then her eyes snapped open amber with just a tinge of the red that signified the full change. She pointed her sword towards the sky and then brought it down with force; the tip of the sword almost seemed to bite into the air and rend it; showing encroaching darkness where dark shadows spread. A black phoenix taking wing before a blast of energy followed it. The black shadow whirled about Suriel followed by a nearly surreal color of blue waves that twined about her figure before flicking out at the following demons at her quiet command, "Phoenix Swipe."
The overzealous demons had stumbled to a halt at the sudden movement of her eyes opening and then began the retreat as the sword began its descent. They didn't get far. A piercing screech of a bird of prey could be heard before the phoenix disappeared leaving behind the dazed bodies of the demons. A distance away on the palace balcony her father and mother stood watching proudly.
"She has yet to kill one." Nerali spoke while her eyes flicked to her husband.
He replied his own eyes shining with pride, "Her powers are truly in check. She has at last done what she always said she would. She is a warrior of the family. Raziel, it is your turn now. Face her and this time there should be no mercy." A shadow bowed before departing from the balcony.
Suriel slowly turned around surveying the damage she had done but was pleased to see that none of the demons had been killed. She tilted her head to the side as a sudden sound alerted her to her danger and then swiftly leapt away to land in one of the few places clear of demons. Suriel smiled slightly at the panther demon that was just getting to his feet, brushing his hands of the dirt from his attempted attack, "Razi, how kind of you to join me."
Her protector's face showed no emotion at all though his eyes warmed at her nickname for him before hardening slightly. Raziel, the panther demon that so long ago became her protector, slowly inclined his head, "Princess, I am your final test. Let us begin shall we?"
Suriel guardedly surveyed her 'test.' Raziel had matured over the years and now stood before her as a competent warrior. His tawny hair was cut short and framed his face in a disarrayed mess while a single gold earring glinted in the fading light. His emerald eyes never left hers and as he casually leaned back against a tree his tanned skin only emphasized the toned muscles. Suriel grinned at Raziel and sheathed her sword and then cracked her knuckles before beckoning to him, "Yes, let's."
He leapt at her. She leapt away. They circled. "Tell me that father told you to show no mercy." Suriel spoke as she leapt forward to punch towards him. His evasion was quick as lightning and his response was quicker. He copied her move and she dodged sloppily, his punch catching her on the shoulder. She rolled with the punch before leaping back and slashing with her claws down his arm.
Raziel moved back while grinning tauntingly, "How's your shoulder, Princess?"
Suri grinned, "Answer enough to my prior question, dear Raziel. Father indeed told you not to hold back. Consequently, how's your arm?" Raziel flashed another grin, the blood dripping down being an apparent enough answer, before reaching for his throwing stars. A shadowy blue whip of light answered for Suriel. She twirled it with expectation and then her eyes narrowed as a whistling reached her ears. She flicked the whip up to strike one star from the air before continuing the whip's path to the left and then the right; two other clinks are heard as the starts are deflected. The final star, heading straight for her heart, she grabs with her hand as the whip fades and then flings it back towards him. It embeds itself into the wood where Raziel was standing moments before.
Already though, Suriel had drawn her sword and turned bringing it in a horizontal guard position above her face. Sparks flared brightly before Suriel pushed off from her opponent and twirled away. On the balcony, Nerali and Levielan turned to greet the leaders of the panther tribe as well as the rest of the courtiers of the court. The four most powerful demons of the South turned to watch their offspring dance one of the oldest dances of all—that of the warrior. The parents exchanged a prideful look; it appeared that soon there would be six powerful demons ranging the southern lands.
Raziel remained where he was standing and then suddenly blackness seemed to seep from him and surround the two in an impenetrable black cloud. Suriel wrinkled her nose at the lack of smell, even the blood splatter on her kimono has ceased to reek of demon. Suriel then tossed her head two and fro, her eyes beginning to glint amber. Her eyesight was useless though as she could see nothing through the blackness. However her hearing worked fine, and she heard a much familiar loping coming closer. Suddenly it grew louder into a powerful sprint…and it was coming straight towards her. Without a thought she dropped into a roll and drew her sword, then sprang to the right while slashing at her foe. Her sword stuck something metal and sparks lit the air with their bright glow before fading away. In that brief period of light she saw Raziel.
He had been grinning with pride she saw, before the darkness closed back in. Suriel shook off her own smile before beginning to concentrate once more on the fight. Around the black cloud they fought parrying, dodging, and striking. Suri narrowed her eyes in thought and then ducked as her enemy's sword sliced over her head. She struck back, quick as a snake, and once more sparks brightened the darkness. "Raziel, you didn't tell me you'd been practicing on your shadows." She murmured to her protector and friend but continued to move in the blackness.
It was harder fighting in the dark but Suriel was a dog demon. More importantly she was a warrior and she'd trained hard throughout the years to make her parents proud of her. Because of the eye-blinding blackness and nose-numbing lack of smell Suriel had to employ all her senses and rely less on sight and smell and more on hearing and feeling. She could do that though, and then some. She was trained by Levielan the great Lord of the South and she'd honed her skills in battles with her parents (Nerali was also known to be deadly), Raziel, and also her 'aunt and uncle' Mishka and Reeve the great Panther leaders of the tribe.
Suri suddenly lunged forward and was rewarded when Raz let out a hiss of pain. She smiled in victory, her eyes glowing amber with a trace of red now, but then leaped backward to get away from the whisper of sword through air…but not quick enough. The sword struck her face and she felt it slice through the flesh in her cheek.
She bit back the cry of pain that wanted to escape and instead mirrored Raziel with her own hiss that sounded more like a growl and then sprang forward once more with a mighty swing that she down-stroked with full power intending to end the fight against Raz. He quickly raised his sword. Once more sparks flew and once more she saw Raziel this time not only his grin was showing pride but his eyes as well. She returned the grin. An instant later they both locked swords and he was pressed against her body to body.
Raziel was all muscle but Suriel was power and grace combined. They struggled against each other for moments, each feeling for the other's weakness. Suriel grinned as she saw her opening. Raziel had his eyes narrowed with concentration and her own amber tinged with red glittered with the suppressed power of her dog wanting to be free. She feinted to the right and then in a complicated move had twined her sword about Raziel's like a metallic snake. She flicked her arm sending both swords flying before grasping his shoulders and sweeping him to the ground. She straddled his waist with one hand holding his arms while her other glinted as her Shadow Claws grew in place at his throat.
"Do you yield?" Suriel spoke quietly her sides heaving as she panted. Raziel allowed his shadows to leach back into his own and Suriel was startled by the loud exclamation and clapping that followed as the gathered demons witnessed the young pup's victory. Raziel grinned easily, pride not hurt in the least that he'd been beaten by Suriel.
He winked suggestively, "Eh, Suri, I don't know I sort of like this position." Suriel momentarily froze with shock before she was swatting him aside the head and getting off of him in one smooth motion, yet she still offered him her hand. He grabbed it, rose to his feet, and then twirled her about.
She grinned down at him, "What do you think, Razi? Will my parents be proud?"
He smiled at her with pride as he put her down, "Of course they will be, and don't you hear the clapping? All the courtiers of your court are impressed, your parents the proudest yet. Promise me something Suri?"
"Anything, Raziel."
"Be a fearsome warrior queen for us someday won't you?" Suriel smiled.