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LAUDON'S POV

Laudon travels through the halls of Hell with such speed that it looks as if he is floating on air.

He has long forgotten the name of the drug that Myrlande used on him, but as the seconds continue to tick on, he feels more and more like his old self. His powers have returned, and his eyes glow an even brighter shade of red despite him still being unable to fully transform. There are, unfortunately, still a few lingering effects from the Sonne flower wine.

No matter, though. Laudon can defeat Zul without physically being larger than him. He is stronger and feels more determined than he ever has in his entire life. Laudon has never lost a challenge, and regardless of Zul being an old friend, he has no plans on ending his winning streak tonight.

"Hey, slow down up there!"

Laudon abruptly stops and spins around upon hearing Lila's voice. His eyes widen and his nose flares as she sprints to a halt in front of him. She has no reaction when he roughly grabs her by the shoulders, sniffing her because she is covered in Maggie's scent. The perplexed look on his face makes Lila stiffen. His brows are furrowed, and his jaw is clenched tight, his mind racing as his jumbled thoughts gradually shift from Zul to Maggie. 

"Why do you smell like her? Where is she?" Laudon questions Lila, his voice low and eerily deep. "Had she been harmed when you found her? Tell me everything."

"I found her on the lower level just as she had escaped from one of the cells. She's still alive, so do try to keep your wits about you," Lila replies. She removes Laudon's hands from off her before taking a cautious step back. "I could smell Zul's scent as I was down there. I believe he is the one who released all the prisoners. But Maggie is fine, he didn't hurt her. And I'm covered in her smell because I carried her the rest of the way to my bedroom."

"Your bedroom?" Laudon snarls, his hands twitching at his sides as he narrows his eyes. "You should have taken her someplace else!"

"Lighten up, asshole! I didn't exactly have a lot of options." Lila snaps, ignoring the low growl that slips past Laudon's lips. "We did a lot of running and her little human body was completely exhausted. I locked her in my bedroom and warded it so that only you, me, and Myrlande can enter. She's safe, alright? So let's fucking get back on track."

"Fine."

"Where are you headed?"

"To kill Zul."

"You know where he is?!"

"Yes. I performed a locator spell after Myrlande helped me get my powers back. For the last five minutes, he's been in the old, abandoned arena where we previously hosted challenges."

"Shit. Why did we not think to do that earlier? Could've saved us time hunting him down."

"We all had a lot going on." Laudon turns around and crouches. "I'm faster now, so hop on."

Lila climbs onto Laudon's back without protest, holding on tight after he takes off running again. He has clearly regained his strength, though his attitude could use some major tweaking. His mental stability appears to be fluctuating wildly, a possible side effect from whatever elixir Myrlande used on him. Lila, however, maintains her patience with him, having no other choice.

"I thought we were in a rush to end this fool. Why not teleport to the arena?" Lila asks.

"Helps to build anticipation for my arrival," Laudon smirks. "And I prefer to not look as if I'm being too eager to fight him. I have to play it smart, be strategic, and not let my emotions get the best of me. Either way, there will be no escaping for him. Today will be his last day breathing the same air as me."

"Sad that it has come to an end like this considering you have such a long history with him. Do you feel as if you will carry any regrets after taking his life, despite it being warranted?"

"No," Laudon immediately responds. "His betrayal of course stung initially, but I remember my father once told me that everyone is expendable. Zul has crossed several lines that he cannot come back from and now he must pay for his sins. End of story."

Lila nods in agreement. "Let's put an end to this fucker once and for all."

The old battleground is covered in rubble and other filthy debris, the tan dirt several shades darker than how it previously used to look. Standing in the center of it all is Zul, his expression impassive and black eyes tracking Laudon's every move. Several feet away from him are a group of elder demons, five to be exact. The thought of Zul needing backup against Laudon sends Lila into a laughing fit.

"You are so ridiculous," Lila says, wiping tears from her eyes. "Are they your backup dancers or something? Did you really think that Laudon would come here and not fight fair?"

"They are not here for me. They are merely unbiased witnesses," Zul calmly replies. "I did not have the time required to properly gather a crowd, so they will report the results of this battle to the rest of Hell. Our people deserve to know the truth about why my hand was forced to cut down the Prince."

Lila scoffs. "As if you will come out the winner."

"I will," Zul states matter-of-factly. "And when that happens, I will then go after all of his supporters, and you will be the first one that I make suffer."

"Were you honest with these 'unbiased witnesses' regarding the reason why your hand was forced?" Laudon questions, playing along. "Because instead of following protocol by sending me a letter with your grievances about my leadership and formally requesting this challenge, you instead blindsided and poisoned me. You intentionally made it so that I am unable to shift into my true form."

The group of demons on Zul's side of the arena quietly murmur amongst themselves, and it is clear that Zul has spun them a story wilder and much more dramatic than that of their Prince being a halfling. A bold unsubstantiated claim that has yet to be proven as fact in front of them.

Laudon studies all five of the demon's hideous faces, saving them to memory in case they flee at any point during the battle. After he defeats Zul, their deaths will come next. The scandal of the Prince and his backstabbing guardian having secretly fought for the throne will never get out to the rest of Hell, making it one less problem for Laudon to stress about as he anxiously awaits his father's return.

"Make sure you include all of that in the official report," Laudon speaks to the group of demons but has his eyes on Zul. He chuckles at the hard scowl on his face. "Something tells me you were foolishly under the impression that my inability to transform would somehow give you the upper hand during this battle. I will tell you right now that you are wrong." Laudon cracks his neck and flexes before walking to the center of the arena. "For this battle, the only rule is that there are none. Good enough for you?"

Zul nods, twirling a long blade in each hand. "You came here without weapons? Are you that confident in yourself, little prince?"

"I need no weapons to defeat you, traitor." Laudon snaps, stopping directly in front of Zul. "I will take great pleasure killing you with my bare hands..." Laudon pauses, sniffing the air. "Speaking of lacking confidence, exactly how many protection spells did you use on yourself? I can smell them on you... one right after another. Have you always been this intimidated by me?"

"No, but I am smart enough to not take any chances when it comes to you." Zul steps back and raises his blades, getting into a defensive position. "Who knows what other dirty secrets you may be hiding."

"If you were smart you never would have stabbed me in the back like a coward. Hell will never be yours, and neither will the crown that rightfully sits on my father's head." Laudon begins to levitate as a ball of black mist forms in each hand, a new type of energy buzzing around him. "Give me your best, old friend."

Zul smiles, and then launches himself into the air. "I will give you nothing less!"

The battle for the throne begins.

. . .