In less than five minutes the girl had been defeated and left at the gates of the mansion, she sat there, licking her wounds for a moment before storming back towards the manor in a rage.

“Open up and train me you bastard!” but she was hit in the face by the door

“Go home”

“I won’t leave until you get out here and accept me as you pupil!”

“Not gonna happen”

“Then I’m not leaving!”

“You are inconceivably troublesome!” he shouted from the porch

“Good!” she yelled “I’ll stop if you accept me as a student”

“Fine, if you can bring one hundred blocks of stone to my gates, by hand before sun up then I’ll consider it” he said

“Just point me towards the masonry and I’ll have it done in less time!” she yelled

“The masonry is two miles in that direction” he said pointing south “Good luck!” he said slamming the door as the girl ran off towards the mason

“That was very rude” his chamber maid said, cleaning up the remnants of their tussle

“It’s for her own good, she’ll get herself killed, she’d ought to settle down get a husband and move on with her life” he said with a sigh

“Maybe that is what’s best for her” she said “But have you ever thought that great things are never done by people who do ‘what’s best for them’?”

 

        “Bastard” she grunted as she balanced three stone blocks on either shoulder, in a full  sprint. “I'll show him” she said “I’ll be the best damned student he’s ever had whether he likes it or not!” she grunted “just ten more blocks!” she assured herself as Jonathan watched slack jawed at the accumulation of stones on his lawn

“They’re all over the lawn” he said “I think she’s doing that to spite me” he grunted

“You never told her where to put them” His chamber maid noted

“Uh… this is a disaster, what am I to do when the villagers complain about a mad sweaty girl running up and down the streets, carrying stones to my front lawn, not to mention the bill from the mason…” he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose

“You’ll tell them that she’s your new apprentice and that it’s a special new kind of training” she replied, dusting the counter tops

“I’m not in the mood for humor Claudette” he replied

“It was your challenge, and at this rate she’ll be done well before sunrise” she snickered “My brother may need worry, this could be your best student yet” she giggled

“Why must the heavens curse me so”

 

         “There!” she screamed from the lawn “A hundred and one of your freaking rocks, with an hour and a half to spare” she laughed between gasps. She was covered in grey dust, with raw open sores on her hands “Cat got your tongue? You want me to return’em all? Did I get the wrong kind of stone? I’ll take’em all back and be here before breakfast!” she screamed

“God’s sake child, would you stop screaming, the devil doesn’t even stir at this ungodly hour” he groaned as he stepped out  from the manor with a lit candle “Come on then, you look like a beggar, It’d look bad on me if people were to see you in such condition” she triumphantly followed him and was directed towards a wash room by the maiden Claudette. “I honestly can not imagine what league of hell you crawled out of to be so pig headed as to actually do it… not matter, clean yourself, in the morning we’ll arrange… something… Ugh what a headache” he groaned as he poured himself a glass of whiskey and went off to bed

“I’m impressed” Claudette said causing the dust covered girl to blush

“Oh… um… thank you”

“I’m Claudette” she said shaking her raw hand “And who are you brave demon hunter?”

“Mar-... Evangeline… my real name is Evangeline” she said shyly

“My word, what a beautiful name!” she said with a cheery smile and cherry cheeks “Oh dear, you must want to bathe, the water is still warm for you, everything you need should be in their, would you like me to join you and wash your back?” and suddenly a wave of hot embarrassment washed over Evangeline

“No, that won’t be needed!” she said running into the bathroom.

“Oh dear, was it something I said?”

 

            It was the most pleasant bath Evangeline has had in months, the most high end of soaps, oils and perfumes all lined up on a shelf. Though she honestly made use of very few of them. She seldom enjoyed fashion or fragrances, she preferred the simpler things in life, but she did find one bottle that smelled a lot like Claudette, she breathed it in and felt a sudden rush of warmth shake her to her very core. It had been quite sometime since she had told someone her real name. She had been Markus for so long that it was nice to switch back to the rough and tumble Evangeline. Her hands still stung but she enjoyed her bath anyways, she wrapped a towel around herself and opened the bathroom door to find Claudette standing there waiting for her “Ah!” she yelled

“Oh dear, did I startle you? I’m so sorry” she said “I was hoping to dress the wounds on your hands” she noted “May I?”

“Oh… umm… sure by all means” Evangeline replied as she felt Claudette’s warm touch on her skin.

“There” She said “Good as new”

“Well” she said with an exaggerated yawn “I’m beat”

“Oh, yes of course” she said “your bed is that way, second door on your left. Goodnight!”

 

           The night was silent, her dreams alight with hope of avenging her family. It was her first good dream involving that white haired bastard… Asteroth… that name. It has haunted her since she was ten years old, and now… twelve years later she’s finally realizing that dream of stopping him. Morning came quickly… in hindsight she fell asleep just before dawn, so she wasn’t that surprised.

“Wakey wakey sleeping beauty~” Claudette sang, stirring Evangeline

“Mmm… such a pretty voice…” she muttered in her sleep

“Excuse me?”

“What?!” she said, jolting to life “I mean… how very choice… yeah…” Claudette giggled.

“I see~”

“What? That’s what I said!” she said with a flushed expression

“Here I brought this for you” she said holding a tray of scrambled eggs, toast, coffee and a tasty looking scone.

“Wow, did you make all of that?!”

“Yep, I do all of the cooking cleaning and temp work here in the manor”

“It’s delicious!” she replied with a mouthful of scone.

“Thank you. When you are done please see Master Jonathan in his study, I believe you know the way”

Evangeline dressed herself and walked towards Jonathan’s study after having a brief yet fulfilling breakfast. She opened the door, finding Jonathan sitting at his desk, nursing a glass of whiskey.

“Sit” he said. And so Evangeline sat “You’re awful proud of yourself aren’t you?” he said, as he drank from the glass. She smiled knowingly.

“A promise is a promise, you said you’d teach me”

“I said I’d think about it” he said as Evangeline moved to protest though Jonathan stopped her “And thought about it I have… you’re determined, which is more than I can say for many other students I’ve had to dismiss. I don’t want you thinking that I promised to teach you, I promised to give you a fair chance. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir”

“If I have any reason to think that you are anything less than an ideal pupil you will end up back on the curb”

“I won’t let you down!”

“We’ll see. You have the drive, let’s see if you have the talent to match. Your training begins at noon, I suggest you become acquainted with the manor until then”

“Yes sir… thank you”

“Think nothing of it. I am a man of my word” evangeline then walked towards the door but Jonathan stopped her “one more thing” he said “I have another student named Reginald Ajora, he is Claudette’s brother, he will be your closest peer and greatest rival, treat him with respect as you would myself or the maiden” he said “That is all”