05-11-2008, 03:16 AM
88. Pain
There had been a hardy celebration that night. It had been the two year anniversary of the Princess Cato and her foreign husband. The countries had made it two years bonded by that marriage, and by the enthusiasm of the banquet, it seemed that would not be ending soon.
Nimbus' head pounded from the after affects of too much drink and too much noise, enhanced by the brightness of the fire in his room being stocked. A hushed and delicate voice replied a "Thank You" before there were a few soft steps and the sound of a door closing.
The owner of the voice walked over towards him and by the grace of it, it could not be any soul but Shonasha, or his dead Elren wife back in the shape of one of his many dreams. But as the figure neared him and moved out of the shadow of the fire he saw that it was in fact the half-breed Shonasha and not his long gone wife.
"You're not really one to hold your drink are you?" Shonasha asked, softly but with an air of amusement as he placed a cool rag upon Nimbus' forehead and slipped a smile.
"It's very funny, but I try to avoid harsh drinking whenever I can," Nimbus said with a wince as he shifted in his chair and moved to adjust the rag. Finding Shonasha's hand still there he quickly returned his to his lap.
Shonasha did not seem to notice, "No, I imagine you wouldn't. Far to easy to lose control of yourself."
It seemed like a simple comment, but there was an air about it that Nimbus found unnerving. "Yes," he said in reply, "Yes it is."
"Nimbus I know what's wrong with you," Shonasha said suddenly, his eyes looking at Nimbus almost accusingly, "I did not make that offer during our joust because I thought you were merely interested in me. The fact is you cannot control your desires can you, you've some sort of incubus curse about you."
Nimbus' breath came out in a forced huff and he quickly turned away and got to his feet, shuffling away from the demon where he made his way to a tray of light drinks.
"You do not trust demons Nimbus, I assume that's because you've had a run in with one and things did not turn out to your advantage." The melodic voice had an air of mocking that played harshly in Nimbus' droning ears.
"Why are you doing this?" was his pained reply through a shot of the soothing liquid.
"You said there was no way you could ever trust a demon. Well I myself have suffered as well Nimbus. I've been tortured by my own incubus who calls himself the king of demons. The man I came here to escape. Knowing that, how is it possible for me to trust you? Angered and drunk as you are, and seeing your dead wife in me. How is it that I can trust you when you cannot even trust me?"
Nimbus threw his glass to the floor and was at Shonasha's neck before it crashed to the floor, "You can't"
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