"So," Erik ventured. "This is Ahsela?"

"No," Kevin retorted. "This is Limotes."

"Where my friend Veronica lives," Amme explained. "You remember her, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, I do."

Getting to…Limotes had been very interesting. They had gone seventeen miles outside the main city to a tiny cave. If Amme hadn't pointed it out, Erik would have passed right over it. It was very crowded in there; Amme had to bring Fate with her. Once in the cave, she had said some words to the back wall, pressing her hand against it as she did so. Then she stepped through. Kevin, Fate, and Starlight had quickly followed suit. Amme was forced to reach back, grab Erik, and drag him though, even though the vampire had been all for living him behind.

"How far is it to Ahsela, then?" Erik asked.

"Only six more miles."

He gritted his teeth together. "We should have stayed home, Amme."

"That wasn't her home, remember, human." Kevin snapped.

"Six miles isn't that bad," Amme sighed. "And I want you to meet my father."

That was one of the reasons Erik wanted to stay at the theatre. While he was confident there was no way Amme's father could stop him from marrying her, he still needed to make a very good impression on the man. And if, as Kevin said, he really hated humans, Erik was doomed to fail before he even started.

"Is it six miles to the city, or six miles to the border?" Erik asked after a while longer.

"To the border," Amme replied. "Then it's another two miles to the city."

"Joy…" Erik muttered sarcastically.

"You could always go back," Kevin growled. "Then I wouldn't have to listen to all your claptrap."

Erik responded in Persian. He had been talking in that language a lot purely because it never failed to annoy Kevin.

"Shut up, human!"

"Kevin…" Amme sighed. She had been doing that a lot. "Please, would you two try to get along? We don't have much farther to go."

"It's far enough," he returned.

Erik continued to talk in Persian. He had the satisfaction to see Kevin's mouth tighten into a thin line, and his eyes heat up several degrees above water's boiling point.

Finally, he whirled around. "If you don't stop talking right now, human, I will lock in a wooden box and toss you into a volcano!"

"Kevin!" Amme exclaimed. "Please!"

"You really shouldn't be so rude, Kevin," The Phantom said mockingly.

A snarl started to build up in the back of Kevin's throat.

Amme quickly came in between the two of them. "That's enough! You," she glared at Kevin. "And you," now the Phantom. "Will behave yourselves! Otherwise, I will tear you both into a thousand pieces with my own two hands, set them on fire, and throw your ashes to the four winds! Do I make myself clear?!"

The two men nodded mutely.

Amme calmed down and beamed at them both in a scarily pleasant manner. "Wonderful! Shall we continue?"

-

The city of Ahsela was nothing like Erik had suspected it to be. He remembered Amme saying before that it looked like the buildings had grown instead of being built, he had seen glimpses of it in her memory, but even that was not enough to prepare him for the overwhelming natural beauty of it.

It was several stories tall, and seemed to be made mostly of little tree houses. That might sound juvenile, but houses were much more elaborate than anything a child would make, or a parent for said child. The entire city seemed to glow with magic.

"So," Erik said after the shock had worn off slightly. "This is where you grew up, hmm?"

"Yes," Amme agreed softly. "This is my home."

"It is…very lovely."

"First thing you've said right this whole time, human," Kevin smirked.

Erik responded in Persian. Of course.

"If you're going to talk like that, I'm leaving!" The vampire snapped. And that's precisely what he did.

Amme shook her head. "Do you want to meet Papa now?"

"Do I have to?"

"You'll have to eventually. Isn't it better to get it over with?"

"Maybe for you," the Phantom retorted. "But I think it would be best if you…eased him into it first. You know…"

"No," Amme said. "I don't. But, I still think…"

Just then, there was a cry of "Amme!"

"Oh, wonderful," Erik muttered.

A tall, blond man rushed out a door and, pulling Amme into his arms, swung her into the air. "My daughter! You're home!"

Amme responded by hugging him tightly. "I know, Papa! I'm so glad to see you again!"

"And I you!" He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Where's Kevin Lonesomhel? I must thank him!" Then he caught sight of Erik. "And who's this?"

"Oh," Amme stepped out of her father's hold. "Papa, this is my friend. I met him while I was singing opera in Paris."

"Opera?" He frowned. "My daughter was singing opera?"

"There's nothing wrong with that!" Erik snarled, very much insulted by the elf's tone.

"And what, pray tell, is your name?"

"That's an excellent question. I have been called many things before. Currently, I'm the Opera Ghost, or the Phantom of the Opera. Whichever you prefer."

Sidhion Eledhwen eyed the human warily. "Really? And why has my daughter decided to bring you home with her?"

"I just wanted you to meet him!" Amme smiled. "And I had made a promise to him, and…"

"What sort of promise?" Sidhion asked Erik, his blue eyes as cold as ice.

"Nothing bad," Erik sighed. "Just something that can't be fulfilled while she's a world away."

"Don't worry, Papa," Amme reassured him. "It really isn't something that bad."

Sidhion still looked suspicious, but he allowed the subject to drop. "So, Amme, how long are you planning on staying before you leave again?" He sounded a little bitter while he said that.

She laughed. "I haven't practiced for a while! I can't leave until I can recollect my skills!"

"What skills?" Erik asked curiously.

"Swords." Amme answered. "Daggers. Fighting. That sort of thing." Her eyes lit up. "How much do you know about dueling?"

"A little," He admitted. "Well, a very little. I'm much better at music. At least, I prefer it."

"I'll have to teach you then." She smiled at his suddenly nervous look. "Don't worry, it's not that hard."

"For you, perhaps." Sidhion said. "But you are a natural at it. And your…friend here is a human. Add those two things together, and he won't last three seconds."

Erik's lips pulled back in a snarl.

-

"So, tell me, Amme, why does everyone seem to be making such a big deal over me being human?"

Amme glanced up from her stretching. "Pardon?"

"You know, your father and your friend, Kevin." Erik's lip curled. "Do they really hate me just because I'm human?"

"Kevin better not." Amme smiled very slightly. "He is, after all, in love with a human, so that would be very hypocritical on his part. He simply worries about me, that's all. Wants to make sure you aren't like…Michel." She finished, but Erik could tell that wasn't what she was going to say.

"And your father?"

Amme shrugged, which the Phantom did not take as a good sign. "Are you ready to start?"

Erik looked down at his sword in his right hand, and then at Amme's in her left. "Must we really do this, Amme?"

"Why? Are you scared?" She wanted to know.

At that moment, Erik completely hated his pride. "Of course not!"

"Then let's get started!"

They stood and faced one another. The Phantom was starting to get nervous; after all, whenever he fought before, he always had the intent to kill the other. Now he was fighting against the woman he loved.

Amme swung her sword around her hand at a blinding speed before stepping into position. Erik quickly copied, minus the swinging part. Then they both were still.

He waited, but didn't appear Amme was about to move anytime soon. Finally, Erik shifted his weight very slightly, and the next thing he noticed was Amme's blade coming at him faster than a speeding bullet. He was barely able to get his own sword up when realized she wasn't there anymore. Suddenly, she was on his left side, but as soon as he turned to face her, she was gone again.

They hadn't gone far into the duel when Erik came to the realization that Amme was playing with him. That was why she was practically dancing around him; why she would bring her blade close enough to make him anxious about getting injured, but not close enough to touch him.

Knowing this, Erik then found out Amme's apparently random movements actually had a pattern to them. She would move seven and a half steps to the right in a circle, attack him, then move back one step and a half before moving nine steps to the left in a circle and attack him again. Then she would retreat two and a quarter steps before starting over again.

With that information, Erik calculated where she was expected to be next, and managed to block her before she moved back. Their blades locked, but Amme was not only faster than Erik had supposed, so was also stronger. He quickly untangled his sword from hers and stepped back, before attacking once more with a series of rapid thrusts to the side. Amme parried each one easily, and responded with several of her own.

Once more, their swords locked. This time, however, the Phantom couldn't free his. Amme jerked it out of his hands, and it flew into the wall with a clang. Before Erik could recover himself, Amme pointed her blade at his neck.

"Do you yield?" She asked, smiling.

"Do I have a choice?" He retorted.

She laughed. "You did very well for someone who hasn't had formal training."

"And for a human?"

"Yes, for a human with no formal training!"

"Well, that's something." Suddenly, he frowned at her. "Is this what you call being out of practice?"

The elf shrugged. "That was practice."

"I'm flattered. Do I get to rest now? Fighting with you was exhausting."

"You can sit over there if you want to," she nodded to where several people were sitting and watching. "Or you could go back to your room. Papa can get someone to show you where it is; I'm going to fence some more."

"And heaven help your opponents." Erik muttered. He went over to the benches and sat in the farthest corner away from everyone; he wanted to see Amme fight someone else, but that didn't mean he had to be sociable.

He watched as Amme's next victim…opponent was disarmed in two minutes. He was able to get his sword back, though, and the battle went on for another thirty seconds.

The one after took much longer. During it, an elf girl came skipping over to sit next to him.

"Hi!" She smiled. "My name is Virginia Táralóm. Amme says your name is the Phantom!"

"It is…" Erik said, looking at her carefully. She had medium length, very straight hair, almond-shaped, slanted, but still wide and slightly protruding light brown eyes, and a very wide smile. She was beautiful, like all the elves, but she was also scary. Probably because she seemed so cheerful and hyper.

"Of course it is!" She agreed. "If Amme said so, that it is. So, you're friends with Amme?"

"Sort of."

Virginia tilted her head. "What do you mean by 'sort of?'"

"Nothing," Erik replied hastily.

"Oh," She turned back to Amme completely destroying her new opponent. "She taught me to use swords. She's a really good teacher."

"Really?" He asked.

"Uh huh. I like her a lot. I'm going to fight her next!" She announced.

"Good luck with that," Erik smirked.

"I know I'm going to lose!" Virginia grinned. "I just want to see if she thinks I've improved any since the last time we fought!" With that, she skipped off.

Some time during Amme's duel with Virginia, Kevin came over to sit down beside the Phantom.

"So," the vampire said, keeping his eyes on Amme. "She's really something, isn't she?"

"She's beautiful." Erik agreed softly.

Kevin turned his head slightly towards him. "I know. Perhaps praising her is the only time we can agree on something."

"Yes, but I thought you were in love with someone else."

He made an irritated noise in the back of his throat. "I never said I was in love with her. The princess is, however, an amazing person, despite how little she realizes it. I do love her, but not in the way you are suggesting." He fully turned to look at Erik. "You are in love with her, though, aren't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Erik asked.

"I'm afraid so. I only hope you are worthy of her."

"No one's worthy of her," Erik disagreed.

Kevin laughed. "Now that is where we do not see eye to eye. The princess is far from perfect, though I prefer her faults be brought into light as little as possible. But no one is flawless."

"Amme is." The Phantom whispered.

Kevin gave no sign that he heard that.

Eventually, Amme's father decided to join them.

"Kevin!" He said. "I never got a chance to thank you properly for what you did. I can't tell you how grateful I am for bringing my daughter back to me."
"It was nothing, sire." Kevin replied.

"Ah, don't be ridiculous. Although," he lowered his voice. "Wasn't there someway for you to leave the human behind?"

"The human can hear you, you know," Erik snapped.

"The princess was very insistent he come." Kevin said. "I can only argue so much with her."

"Yes, well," Sidhion sighed. "I suppose so."

They watched in silence for a moment. Finally, Erik asked something that had been bothering him for some time. "Who is Erland?"

Sidhion's head shot up while Kevin's eyes widened dramatically.

"What did you say?" The vampire croaked.

"I was just wondering!" Erik said hastily.

"Don't you dare mention that…man ever again here!" Sidhion hissed. "Have you talked to Amme about him?"

"No."

"Good! Keep it that way." Sidhion glared at him. "And remember, never say anything about him! Is that clear?"

"Oh, completely."

Kevin waited until the king of Ahsela had left before snarling, "Who the hell do you think you are, human? Do you have any idea what that monster did?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't have asked," Erik retorted.

The vampire's eyes darkened. "You will not say anything about him to Amme. How did you even find out about him in the first place?"

The Phantom bit his tongue. He sensed Kevin wouldn't like it if he found out how Erik knew about Erland.

-

Virginia is a lot more important than just supplying a few moments conversation with Erik! I may enjoy introducing new characters, but that doesn't mean they have no use!

And Erik is completely right in thinking Kevin would not like how he found out about Erland. He'd probably suck out all the Phantom's blood then and there.
Yes, it is true. If I wrote out an actual battle between Kevin and Erik, Kevin would win. Sorry people! But Kevin's a vampire…!