An object had ruthlessly thrown her against the wall.
Wivior's eyes were on Elvira. Who knows what he was thinking? She was too drained to care much about that. The witch killer was powerful and an ass!
Although the wizard assisted her in getting up and sitting on the bed, he refrained from speaking. Was Elvira's cover blown?
"Uh, the staff jumped out of the cupboard out of nowhere and attacked me," Elvira explained. "It has been screaming one word incessantly." She glared at the object that was still doing it.
"Attacked you?" Worry dawned on Wivior's face. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I am only a little tired," Elvira answered, forcing a faint smile.
Wivior approached the staff. The moment he picked it up, its annoying sound silenced, and Elvira felt a rush of energy.
"It was making you weak. You're lucky that I made it here on time," said Wivior, looking dead serious.
"This staff is a witch killer. It knows nothing other than to attack a witch and a warlock when it sees one," he added.
Elvira gulped in fear. Those facts coming from a wizard made them seem more real. She shouldn't have hurled insults at it.
"Can it kill on its own, or does it need a master to follow?" she asked.
"It's only an object," said Wivior while tossing the staff around like a powerless toy. "Most of the time, it requires a master. It doesn't have eyes and can only sense energies."
The question that was stuck like a lump in her throat was whether it could sense Elvira's true energy or not.
"It hasn't been used for quite a while now. Probably why it's dying to kill a witch!" he laughed, and she forced a chuckle to mask her fear." What I find strange is why it attacked you, a human. Maybe you held it wrong or said something insulting to it. This staff can hear you and is sensitive to certain words and doesn't want to be held by just anyone."
"I did hold it and may have said something while trying to put it back into the cupboard. I hope it doesn't keep a grudge, does it?" said Elvira, praying for a gentle answer.
Wivior pointed the staff towards her, and it started glowing with the same fire-like red energy. It seemed like he was about to attack her. Instinctively, she moved back and almost fell off the bed.
Wivior giggled and put the staff down. "Be careful. You don't need to be afraid of it. It only harms dreadful creatures like witches and warlocks."
"Let me show you." He pointed the staff at her again, which made her freeze in fear. "See, nothing is happening, but it would have resulted in death if you were a witch. The power of this staff can obliterate a witch's body into a million pieces."
Elvira moved away from his target. His words gave her goosebumps. The good news was that the staff didn't know squat as Elvira was still alive in its presence.
"That's gruesome to kill anyone like that," Elvira commented.
It seemed like Wivior strongly disagreed with her. "Well, what do you know about witches except that a few are on your tail? Has anyone told you much about witches and warlocks?"
"Yes, my parents have told me a little about them," she answered.
"Well, I hope they never tried to benefit from witchcraft services that these creatures provide to humans," he said.
"You mean magic they do for humans for payment?" Elvira asked.
"Yes. You're pretty smart for a princess who probably never left the castle." Wivior applauded for her.
"I may not have permission to leave the kingdom, but I have attended many events held on our lands," said Elvira.
"It is sad how noblemen treat their daughters like caged birds," he began again. "Women among our species are free to go wherever they want. Royals need to be more careful than commoners."
Elvira raised her eyebrows. "I see no women around here."
"Out here, men and women are never put into the same area to avoid relationships. They send wizards out here to train and work. However, some of us, like in my case, are brats, kicked out of their homes to learn a rough and valuable lesson. So the last thing they want is the recruits and the punished ones to get busy with lovemaking and romance," he said.
Hearing that he was not allowed to pursue romance brought Elvira joy.
What kind of work was he talking about? And why was he sent out there to learn a lesson?
Wivior put the staff back inside the cupboard and returned to Elvira. "I need to wake up early tomorrow. You can sleep on the bed, and I'll take the fainting couch."
"Can I ask where you need to be tomorrow?" she asked. Her mission was to discover more about their world and secrets. Luckily, the man in front of her was a chatterbox, even though he hadn't told her anything of use yet.
"For that, I would have to tell you about my purpose of living in this castle," he said.
"So, can you?" She was already expecting something sinister planned against witches and spirits.
Wivior took a deep breath before beginning. "Around a hundred years ago, I was tasked with capturing monsters, although I don't recall the exact year. Monsters like those spirits that were bothering humans of Berkton and other nearby towns."
"I am not the only one here. We aren't allowed in wars yet. So, you can say that we do monster hunting on a small scale," he added.
"Pardon me for intruding in your life, but who put you into service? And why?" Elvira asked.
His expression changed like Elvira had touched a nerve. "Because I was not always the man I am today. I used to live my life in vain, not caring much about what was happening around me. My family's riches and status had spoiled me. Yes, I come from a noble family. I have also made some terrible, irreversible mistakes in my past."
"Those mistakes and one horrifying incident woke my sleeping conscience one day. A life of comfort and more power than I knew what to do with had turned me into a selfish monster."
Discussing his past caused his eyes to well with tears, and he struggled to hold them in. It was apparent that his past had traumatized him to a great extent. However, what noble family did he belong to? Was he related to any four of the names Agror took that day?
She couldn't ask him directly because humans had brief contact with magical beings and were known as morally grey creatures. So, most species were reluctant to share their secrets with them to avoid the possibility of being sold out to the enemy.
Wivior soaked the tears in his eyes into a handkerchief without letting them fall on his face. "Although it was not my decision to come here. I was so ashamed that I ran from home to hide in the wilderness. My family soon found me and made this decision for me. I started small because I had limited knowledge of how to wield my magical powers for attacking and defending others."
"I am sorry for what happened to you." Elvira tried hard to fight her instinct to comfort him.
"It's okay. I would rather not talk about it more," said Wivior, averting her gaze.
Elvira couldn't ask any more questions about his personal life. Her curiosity was piqued about what caused the drastic change in his personality.
Of course, he was sent there against his will! Who would ever be stupid enough to dedicate their life to strangers for nothing in return? Aren't you only supposed to protect your kin? They are the only ones who would never betray you.
"Elvira, there is one more thing," began Wivior. "Stay inside this room at all times while I am away. I'll be back to give you some food to eat. It's uncertain when I will be free. So, I hope you can entertain yourself tomorrow on your own."
At least it allowed Elvira to investigate his room, except for one off-limits cupboard.
Elvira went to bed, unsure of what the day ahead had in store for her. She kept her uncle's diamond close to her heart and wished to be with her family soon.
The next day, Elvira woke up to the sweet smell of breakfast left there by Wivior, who wasn't anywhere around. She ate her fill before initiating her mission of the day.
Everywhere she looked, she found either empty items or personal and useless belongings of that wizard, such as clothes, shoes, and perfumes.
Could the witch killer's cupboard hold all the good stuff? Whatever was in that cupboard was valuable!
She spent the rest of the day reading through the small collection of books in his room and the one that her uncle had given her.
It was a rare opportunity for her to let her uncle know she was okay, so she charged the diamond three times.
Wivior only returned to give her some food before leaving again.
That day was probably the longest day of her life due to lack of activity. Who knew that spying on someone could be so tedious? Instead of being stuck in a room, Elvira had expected to face danger after danger.
Around nightfall, Elvira was lying on a sofa, staring dead at the ceiling.
"In one day, you look like a prisoner who has been in solitary confinement for years." Wivior's voice entered her ears. "At least you had a pleasant view."
Elvira didn't hear him teleport to the room, but she was glad to have some company. "I tried my best not to go insane, but I guess I have failed," she said with a smile.
"I won't allow that to happen. Come with me." Wivior offered her his hand.
"Where?" she asked.
"Let's go outside for a while. Those men you needed to hide from have already left, so let's go outside and have a ball," Wivior answered.
Elvira immediately gave him her hand, and they teleported from the castle to a forest. They hadn't let go of each other's hands when they heard a spine-chilling voice from behind. "Wivior!"
Upon turning around, Everard's demon eyes settled on Elvira like he would rip her insides out right there and then.
She let go of Wivior's hand and prayed to all the deities of the underworld to protect her. The fear that Everard's glare evoked in her was so intense that it took her a minute to notice the wizard standing next to him. His companion wasn't furious but looked astonished to see her.
"Hello, gentlemen, let's talk in private," Wivior began calmly. Was he oblivious to the flaming desire to kill so clear in Everard's eyes?
It felt like Elvira could breathe again when Wivior took the two men to a corner to talk.
Elvira chewed on her fingernails as she watched them have an intense conversation from a distance. Although their voices were like mumbles to her, the looks on their faces were telling a lot. It was apparent that they were angry at Wivior for bringing her there. If Elvira's hearing matched her sight, she would have known when to flee by now.
Before Elvira could drown in an ocean of anxiety, the wizards approached her. Wivior appeared grim, and Everard was wearing the nastiest scowl on his face. Oh no, they were about to do something terrible to her!
"Let's return to the castle," said Wivior, grabbing her hand. Within a moment, they teleported to a room of the castle she hadn't seen before. It appeared to be a sizeable council room.
"She can't be here while we talk!" the third wizard exclaimed.
"Elvira, go to my chambers. I'll come to see you in a while," Wivior commanded her without making eye contact.
Though Elvira was dying to be part of it, she had to walk out of the room. However, instead of ascending the stairs, Elvira entered the room adjacent to them. It was indeed a risky move, but the wizards were no fools who would give away their secrets to just anyone.
The room she had sneaked into was luckily empty. Through the thick stone walls, nothing was audible, but with the dust of magic, anything was possible.
Elvira was strongly advised not to use magic close to the wizards, especially a fast travel spell, but the magic required to eavesdrop was minimal. Hopefully, the thick walls and the oversized rooms of the castle were enough to stop the energy of her magic from passing through.
All it took was a snap of her fingers and her intent to activate her magic. The voices became audible to her just by doing that.
It was time to eavesdrop!
"Your grandfather is not going to be happy about this," began the third wizard. His voice was trembling with fear. "I would have to report that woman right away to him."
"Lawrence, you don't have to worry about her. I am not in love with her," said Wivior.
"Then why is she with you? And what were you doing in the middle of the forest with her holding hands?"
"I am only asking on behalf of the king, of course," Lawrence added.
Wivior's grandfather was the king, which made him a prince! With a rare staff in his bedroom, too many pictures of himself, and his snobbish attitude, Elvira could tell he was no ordinary man.
"Well, I enjoy her company, and she has been living in my room with me for a few days, but I promise there is nothing more to it. Is grandfather against that as well?" Wivior asked.
"So, you're bedding that woman?!" Lawrence's tone conveyed a sense of surprise.
"Yes," answered Wivior, and Elvira's jaw dropped.
Why would he lie about something like that? Was he expecting her to sleep with him? Or was he saying that to mask the truth? He could have fabricated a better story without making her sound like a whore.
Whatever his reason might be, if he ever tried to make a move on her, he would receive the beating of a lifetime.
"I thought you said you were a man who believed only in deep soul connections when you rejected all the noble girls your grandfather wanted you to marry. Is she the one you have finally connected with then? So, taking a woman to bed before marriage was what you needed to develop the connection you failed to do with all the king's choices?" Lawrence didn't seem to buy his lies.
"Come on, Lawrence. When God blesses you with a breathtaking woman, things can change in a man's life. I am sure you would have fooled around with many beauties of your time before marrying your wealthy wife. I hope she doesn't find out if you still do."
Lawrence coughed. "Preposterous! I don't know who you are talking to, but whores lie about fooling around with men in power. I am innocent. And I would not tolerate it if someone makes my wife think otherwise."
Wivior had some guts to disrespect someone much older than him. Lilith would make Elvira spend a night in jail if she used her tongue like that with her attendants.
People of royal blood were said to be snobby and possess a sword for a tongue because they could get away with almost anything. So, Wivior was born into a better position than her.
Elvira wondered why Everard hadn't contributed to the discussion. He was there when she had exited the room. Had Everard left or died? Or perhaps he didn't like to partake in anything that excluded fighting or yelling at commoners and helpless women?
"Allow me to take my leave now, my prince. I won't report any of this to King Efeus for now," said Lawrence after a long pause.
King Efeus! Elvira covered her mouth in shock. The king he was talking about was Efeus. Wivior was the grandson of Efeus!
That information was enough to get her out of the castle soon, but she needed to run to Wivior's chamber unseen before them.
Elvira carefully stepped out of that room, glad no one was waiting in the corridor to catch her.
As she progressed down that corridor, she realized she didn't know where Wivior's room was. She was unfamiliar with that part of the castle. Despite this, she kept walking in hopes of finding a staircase to the second floor.
Her path led her to Everard, who she ran into unluckily. She had already doubts about his departure due to the absence of his speech.
"So, you somehow convinced Wivior to bring you here," he said, blocking her way. She looked into his icy blue eyes, which contained so much disdain for her. "I thought I had made myself clear when I told you to stay away from us wizards."
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