"Have I made my point to you?" Elrick asked in his harsh voice the maiden. "I do not have time to deal with you. Didn't you hear, the demon of Blood is loose in this town, and you'd do best to heed that warning. The last I read of the myth, the demon is supposed to be rather...evil."

"Demon of Blood?" Nenet asked. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! It must be a small fairy tale children tell to scare one another." She twisted her hand from his grasp, then made another move for his hood. He brought up a hand, blocking her again.

"No, inconceted youth," the hooded man replied, taking a step back. "I have no desire to face weaklings like you. I must leave, before the demon of Blood is found. The townspeople will not take kindly to him, for they revere Drake as an evil man." He blocked her arm once again. "Give it up, I have no quarrel with you."

But Nenet was persistant, always setting her mind after something. "Show me your face," she commanded, reaching for it again.

"I have business elsewhere Nenet," Elrick growled, hobbling away from her. "I am busy looking for something." He cursed himself. Should not have said her name, he thought, blocking her hand once more.

"How do you know my name?" she asked. "Who are you?"

"I said this once more, if I tell you that, you will try and kill me, and I do not feel like dueling with you once more," Elrick muttered, limping away from her, trying to get away and maintain his disguise. Doors burst open, and Nenet and the hooded man turned together to see an angry mob staring straight in their faces. At the head was the monk with the holy staff, staring directly at the hooded man.

"It's the demon!" the monk shouted, pointing at Elrick's hooded form. "The demon of Blood!" Then he turned to Nenet, staring at her strange clothing."And his mistress!" The mob shouted in unison.

Nenet and the hooded man stared at each other in disbelief. Nenet was taller then Elrick, for his was hunched over pretending to be cripple. "Are you kidding me?" she exclaimed, turning to the mob. "ME...and THIS thing? Is this a joke?"

Elrick was almost ready to laugh, had the situation not been so life threatening. "You insult me monk," he muttered. "I can get ten times better then this thing," he said with a chuckle, opening his arms in jest. "Do you honestly think I would be seen with such a thing?"

Nenet's face turned crimson as blood began to slowly rise to her head from the insults. "That's it," she growled, grabbing at the hood in anger. "WHO ARE YOU?" She grasped the hood before he could stop her, and yanked the thing back.

The hood came off, as the figure straightened. He was clad with light red armor, and the cripple's hump fell back to reveal a massive sword as big as the man itself. Nenet stood in shock as Elrick of Red straightened his handsome face, and turned to the crowd of people. "Nice Nenet," he muttered, loosening his guantlets lightly. "You just had to make a scene, and send all these people in here. I was planning on making my getaway, but now things are changed."

"You," she hissed, remembering their last encounter, when he had spied upon her form in the hot springs. "I am going to finish what I started last time," she growled, her hand reaching for her blade.

"For once Nenet, hold your tongue," Elrick answered, walking up towards the group of people. To the pubic, he addressed, "Okay, how is this going to happen?" he asked politely, spreading his hands. "Will you allow me to leave the town peacefully as I came, or shall I have to make you float once more monk?"

"What about the girl?" the monk asked.

"Oh, you may do whatever you please with her," Elrick murmured, putting his hands behind his back. "Only please be gentle, you see, she has a rather frail form underneath all of that clothing. Very fragile." He grinned towards her, only making her redder.

"Elrick, I am going to-"

"NOW!" Elrick spoke over her threat, as the blood he had been generating began to take hold, spanning outwards towards the crowds of people. The red liquid sank into their clothing, lifting them above the reach of gravity. The people screamed, some throwing their weapons, but Elrick dodged them all. "Now then, for the final time, I am not Drake the demon of Blood. I am Elrick of Red!"

Without waiting for her permission, Elrick grabbed Nenet's hand and forced her out the door with him. "Let me go pervert!" Nenet exclaimed, pulling her arm back, and stopping Elrick in the streets.

"Nenet, you have two choices here," Elrick answered, as the blood from the tavern mob began to return to him. "One, you can accept the fact that I just saved your skin from the overpowering strength of a mob and come with me. Two, you can not take my offer and find your own way out. The choice is yours."

He held out an arm, as the people began to regain their bearing and call for reinforcements.

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Signature by the Sinfully Delicious Lady Knives