Hostile intent from an authority figure

Bored and annoyed, the lone paladin sat by her desk, hand on her chin and other flicking about a quill. Though many papers lay before her, she focused only on that which held her own simple writing, a short list of names with a few words beside each. Lazily she nibbled on a strand of her own flowing blond hair, crystal blue eyes betraying a desire to be elsewhere.

At that moment, however, her attention had been caught. Far down the room past the closed door, footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. Not one, but three sets of footsteps, quite a ruckus compared to the calmness to be expected these days. The double-doors creaked open, to reveal behind a figure flanked by three knights.

"Lord inquisitor." Greeted the paladin with a smile. "I take it Druella has been dealt with."

But her smile soon dissipated little by little, seeing the four men keep silent, all staring at her.

"I must say you're here sooner than expected." She continued.

"In the name of the Senate of the Theocracy of Lescatie," said the one at the front, brandishing a sword from his waist, as did the three knights with him, "you're under arrest, chancellor."

Her neutral expression grew discontent, hinting a frown while ever slightly showing her teeth.

"Are you threatening me, Lord Inquisitor...?"

"The senate will decide your fate."

Discontent turned to anger and indignation, an insult.

"I am the senate."

"Not yet."

Slowly she stood up, staring defiant and furious at he who dared speak in such manner.

"It's treason, then..." She said, brandishing her own sword.

With a howling shout, she jumped onward with sword in hand, spinning in an inhuman display of strength and agilty startling the three knights. In the confusion she thrust her sword against one, a curious crippling wound passing through the armor yet leaving no dent nor blood; immediately she followed with a slash against the other as she slid the sword out, connecting in equal manner against his torso. Within a few seconds, half the opposition had been struck down, all as the remaining two scrambled into position and stance.

Swinging her sword at the other knight, she found him prepared enough to block it, along with the Lord Inquisitor to lunge at her at the same time. She blocked and thrust again, swinging, slashing thrusting at any opening, just for the two to block and deflect her attempts, as would be expected from a two-against-one situation. Yet, through inhuman agility she exploited a gap, stabbing the remaining knight in the chest with his armor doing nothing to stop it.

She almost felt pity for them. More than skill, it was luck that aided the third for so long; it seemed as if they were overglorified door openers, skills rusted to nothing if they had even been trained at all in swordsmanship.

The Lord Inquisitor presented the problem, however, still deflecting and countering her moves, displaying true skill to the capacity of the human form.

But past the trade of blows, past the dancing of their footwork and the flow of their movements, still he stepped back. She kept on gaining ground, unable to score even a mere hit yet still pushing him into the hallway itself.

Their fight led out the hallway into the great room of the palace, spacious and adorned in display to any foreign king brought in for a meeting. Out the gigantic tinted-glass windows could be seen the fine division between the sky and the earth in the horizon, for the room stood higher than any other building to be seen, let alone be blocked such view by any roof. Yet, as peaceful as the scenery might've been, still a contrasting violence took place within as the heavy steps and clash of iron rang out within, echoing throughout the expanse.

Until, a deadlock, both having swing at the same time to end with swords crossed, to defiantly stare at each other under their brows. Their eyes spoke what words they did not say, both unrelenting and without a mere thought approaching surrender.

The paladin broke off, stepping back as did the Lord Inquisitor, both to then step forward and resume their exchange of blows without a word to be said. Their dance brought them ever closer to the tinted glass, till with one errant blow, the paladin shattered it where it struck, cracks forming and spreading in the blink of an eye to cover it all, breaking and falling in such deafening manner. The cool breeze from outside flooded the room, noise now added to the cacophony of footsteps and iron of which panting had also joined.

Kick.

It had taken her by surprise, a lapse in her focus leaving such opening to be exploited. The Lord Inquisitor kicked her in the gut while he had tunnel visioned on his hands and his sword, leaving her hunched over grapsing her belly and stepping back, just for him to kick the sword of her hands. Down the depths it fell from so high, while she tripped back and fell on her back. The inquisitor advanced with his sword pointed, prompting the paladin to desperately crawl back till her back struck the titanic window frame. Now, his sword lay pointed at her throat.

"Ah, shit." She muttered.

"You're under arrest, 'my lordess'."

But there and then, she spotted the inquisitor turning his eyes aside. Following suit, she turned her head to see what had caught his attention: Someone entering the room. Not just any someone, but a certain person the paladin had met for a good few times before. Pure confusion and perplexity could be seen in the uninvited guest's expression, hardly a surprise to the paladin and the inquisitor.

"Wilmarina," she exclaimed, dread of such lethal instrument aimed so close in her helpless state, "I told you it'd come to this! I was right, the inquisition is taking over!"

"The oppression of the Demon Lord will never succeed." Stated the Lord Inquisitor, still not lowering his sword. "You. Have lost."

"No..." She replied, a low tone slowly shifting from terrified to defiant. "No, no, you will succumb!"

Out the paladin's hands shot out a furious torrent of electricity, sparkling and cracking in deafening and blinding display as it struck the inquisitor's sword. However, the inquisitor held his ground past pained grunting and twitching, yet unable to advance and stop her actions.

"He's a... traitor...!" Shouted the paladin.

"She is the traitor...!" Shouted back the inquisitor, a suppressed yell of pain and effort escaping him.

But as the currents persisted, the paladin's form began to alter ever so slowly. Her skin grew paler by the second, her hair losing its vibrancy and color, and her eyes darkening.

"I have the power to unite you with the one you love...!" Pleaded the paladin, with hints of sigils and runes beginning to appear over her skin. "You must choose!"

"Don't listen to her, Wilmarina.... Aaargggh...!"

But Wilmarina did nothing, too shocked and petrified to do anything but stare in fear and confusion at what blinded and deafened her in such proximity. The danger of the electricity was ever present, errant sparks flying off to hit the walls and floor so close to her, forcing her to partly cover her head with her arm. The paladin's movements grew erratic, a clear sign of faltering strength and focus, eyes once frowning in fury losing focus and consciousness.

"Don't let him kill me...!" She pleaded, terror beginning to show in full force in her voice. "I can't hold it any longer... I-I... I... weak... too weak... Wilmarina...!"

The last bits of strength escaped the paladin, halting the electricity entirely as her arms dropped to the ground in infinite exhaustion. With a sigh in both relief yet untold anger, the inquisitor returned the blade to her neck, holding an expression of fury giving away what effort he applied to not stab her that very moment.

"Wilmarina, help me...!"

The alterations in her image lay bare for both to see. Her hair had turned to a clear white, her eyes had turned red with an eerie black to replace the white, her skin had turned pale with sigils and runes in pitch black covering it in great part. Most striking now, however, were the horns that had appeared, or more accurately, failed to be kept disguised.

"Aaaagh..." She panted, pained and with all the wind knocked out of her. "I-I... I... I can't hold on any longer..."

"I'm going to end this... once, and for all!" Said the inquisitor.

"You can't!" Said Wilmarina, stepping to the inqusitor. "She's done, she can't even stand up. She must stand trial before we decide what should be done."

"She has control of the senate, and the courts! She's too dangerous to be left alive!"

"It's not the Order way to kill those begging to be spared! She must live!"

But rather than to reply, the inquisitor kept staring at the once-paladin on the ground. Thoughts crossed his mind over and over, till his lips pursed in stress and anger gave hint as to what decision he'd take.

"I need her!" Shouted Wilmarina, yet the inquisitor would not hear, instead raising his sword. At this, the paladin opened her eyes wide in terror and dread.

"Please..." She gasped, too terrified for her voice to even come out fully at first. "Please... don't...!"

"...No!"

Brandishing her sword in an instant, Wilmarina swing it against the inqusitor as he was about to bring down his, hitting him in the belly. Rather than torn clothes, rather than a bloodied wound, the result of the blow had been the same as the paladin's own sword; bloodless, strength-sapping, leaving the inquisitor petrified and catatonic as the alloy of demon realm silver connected to flesh.

Though once aghast and in disbelief, the 'paladin' grew a devious smirk. At that instant she threw her hands forward, starting anew the blinding crackling of electricity.

"Power!" She shouted, boasting and taunting as the inquisitor lay engulfed in static. "Unlimited power!"

Twitching, yet no longer shouting, no longer holding a grimace of pain and agony, the inquisitor kept on receiving the barrage, till the paladin lifted him off his feet with her power and threw him out the building through the destroyed window. For a good distance he flew by the force of the throw, till afar a faint cloud of darkness materialized in his path. A demon, it was, catching him in mid air to then disappear in the same cloud of smoke with him. As the paladin let go of herself and laid down for a rest, Wilmarina let go of her sword, having watched all unfold before her; in disblief, two sides of her mind tearing at each other for what she had just done, she held her head in her hands and stepped back to soon fall down sitting.

The white-haired paladin then slowly stood up at her leisure. Calmly she approached Wilmarina, all while little clouds of ash formed behind her to then shape into the wings and tail she had kept hidden till now. Once she reached her, Wilmarina turned her head up to see in so much mental agony.

"Come, my apprentice..." Said the paladin. "Learn to use the demonic side of the energies."

"I will do whatever you... ask..." Panted Wilmarina.

"Good...!"

"Just help me be with him... I can't live without him...!"

"To create love is a power only one has achieved, but if we work together, I know we can discover the secret."

As if too damaged, too broken, too exhausted for any higher cognitive functions, Wilmarina brought herself to her knees.

"I pledge myself... to your teachings, Lady Druella."

A wide smile slowly grew on the lilim's face, pleasant and prideful.

"Good... Good. The potential is great with you... A powerful monster, you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as--"

She interrupted herself, keeping still as she was upon the realization.

All the names she could think of amounted to that which a twelve year old would come up with. She honestly could think of nothing up to par. Turning her eyes aside, she came to realize that trying to think of a new name altogether was a dumb idea. Had he yet to snap from that phase in life one tries too hard to be hip and cool?

"...Let's keep you as Wilmarina."