Chapter 4

A Demon's Natural Enemy

Gahn seemed to be getting better as we headed out. I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. My nose kept picking up the smell of rosemary and expensive musk. I couldn't stand the smell of musk and lost what little appetite I had. Gahn wasn't feeling very hungry either so we skipped out on breakfast. I bought some field rations to make up for the lack of nutrients.

We managed to get a few miles away from town before the path led through a small forest. Ah, the beautiful scenery of pine and oak lining a dirt path road. It was the perfect place for bandits to hide in ambush. Thankfully, there were none. There was only a rat hiding in the branches of one particularly large oak tree.

"Hey Sabertooth," I said casually as I stopped under the high branch. Just as I said his name, he fell out of the tree in surprise and landed at my feet. He has known me for at least five years. You'd think he'd get used to my sixth sense and stop trying to sneak up on me. The rat quickly rolled to his feet and brushed the dirt off his clothes.

"The Lady is a little late," Sabertooth muttered as he pointed to the climbing sun. I just pushed him along.

"We had some trouble earlier. Tell me about this mission while we keep walking."

Sabertooth's eyes narrowed as he glanced around to make sure no one else was around. It was a futile effort since I could sense anyone faster than he could see. When he was sure it was all clear, he moved closer to me so that he could talk quietly.

"A lot has happened since the Lady's exile from Maple. There was a young Baron who inherited his father's title and he decided to ban the very psychic who banned the Lady. This was why Drean moved to Deep Pond."

"My man," I said with respect towards this Baron. Any enemy of the idiot psychic is definitely someone worthy of my respect.

"But…" Sabertooth continued on a more grim tone, "a few months back, someone stole the Baron's family broach. Without it, he had no proof of being the Baron and the priests decided not to recognize him as one. They proclaimed him an imposter and stripped him of his title. The Baron decided to learn how to fight and vowed to find his broach. By the time he was ready to set out, he was framed with stolen treasure from his family vault. They accused him of stealing from the city and he became the enemy of the public."

"There's something you're leaving out…" I pointed out to him as he paused to take a quick break. Sabertooth was never that great of a storyteller. His stories usually had many holes.

"Actually, I left out two things," he admitted sheepishly. "When the Baron was stripped of his title, the priests appointed a distant cousin as the new Baron. It's almost too easy to point the finger at the cousin as it was no secret that he wanted a position of power and wealth. But he had to have had help. How else could a spoiled noble with no remarkable skills steal a family heirloom and frame a family member? What's more, the cousin seems to have plenty of security. Some sort of monsters that resemble Demon Shadows prowl the property and follow the cousin wherever he goes."

And then it clicked. When I ask Sabertooth for missions, he finds me the exact mission I want. "So you think that a member of the clergy is supporting this cousin?"

Anyone close to me knew of my war against the clergy. I purposely took on missions that would mostly likely make me face them. I can't kill a psychic, paladin, or a priest out of the blue. I had to find ones that can be proven to be corrupted and kill them under the guise of a mission.

"I think it may be a psychic."

"But they can't conjure monsters. Only priests can," I reminded Sabertooth. Actually priestesses could too, but they are discouraged from doing it. Psychics can only see and read spiritual energy, but priests and priestesses can manipulate spiritual energy. The clergy power hierarchy from weakest to strongest was: psychic, paladin, priestess, and then priest. In reality, priestesses are equal in power to priests, but are forced to be limited. In terms of authority, priestesses are equal to paladins. Psychics are still at the bottom.

"Ah, the Lady is correct. But no priest has a grudge against the Baron. The only one to have an agenda would be the psychic that was kicked out of town."

"You mean Drean?" I inquired incredulously. Oh how I would love to have an excuse to kill him. "But he lives in Deep Pond now. That's too far away to have any influence."

"There are rumors that he secretly visits Maple and that the city's coffers are getting lower after each visit. It would make sense if it was him."

"…You're right. He has ties to the priests that shunned the Baron. And you say money is going missing? He may be using it to pay the priests to conjure the monsters. Looks like getting rid of him would stop the flow of money and the flow of beasts. You have really outdone yourself, rat!" I praised him with a nod.

Normally, he would be beaming at any sort of praise I gave. But he ignored it and stared back at Gahn with a scowl, "Is he always this slow?"

"He's probably checking out my ass," I said sarcastically as I turned to look. He was farther behind than I thought. I soon noticed that he was staggering on his feet and couldn't walk in a straight line. Worried, I rushed over to him with Sabertooth close behind me.

"Gahn?" I called out and I slightly bent down to look him in the eye, "Do you need to take a break?"

I didn't receive an answer from him. Instead, a bright blue light appeared on his forehead and formed into a small circular crest. His eyes then rolled to the back of his head before he began falling forward. I managed to catch him with some difficulty. Sabertooth let out a sound that was a mix between a screech and a hiss.

"The man's cursed!" he cried before he, predictably, started running away. He stopped a few feet away to tell me that he'd wait for me at the outskirts of Maple if I happen to survive. …I took back whatever praise I had given the rat.

Now I knew what was causing Gahn's headache and the bad feeling I was getting. Most curses only affect the victim when the caster is close. If he was getting worse, then that meant the caster was coming this way. I knew we had to be dealing with either a paladin or a priest since they were the only ones who can curse others. I had to get him off the road.

"Gah! You're …heavy!" I growled as I tried to drag his body into the nearby brush. My hands were under his arms and I couldn't get a good grip on him because of his smooth armor. I slowly moved backwards until I found a tree with a thick trunk to lean him against. I then situated him behind the tree so that no one from the road could see him.

It was then my heart started pounding heavily as a new presence entered my senses. I knew that presence! It was Drean! He was probably the hired 'hound dog' to track Gahn. …But then again, that didn't make sense. A paladin or priest could track spiritual energy better than a psychic. I also didn't sense anyone else. I grabbed for one of my spirit sealing talismans, but every time I tried to press it against Gahn's skin, the curse would glow brighter and he would start writhing in pain.

"Hmmm… What is this other presence I sense?" A deep, arrogant voice called in the distance. My nose picked up on musk and rosemary again and I realized that the smell from earlier was probably from Drean. He might've prowled the town last night and left the odor everywhere. Suddenly his voice took on a false cheerful tone, "…Yes! I know this presence! It's my dear Demoness. I thought I sensed your energy all over that man. I hope you're enjoying my gift wherever you are…"

By the gods…was he implying that he cast this curse? How on earth could a mere psychic do this? I straddled Gahn's legs and looked at the curse mark. I had to break it before Drean found us. Unfortunately I didn't have time to study which kind of curse it was and quickly began chanting blessings to break it. I started from the low level blessings and increased ranks with each failure. I could feel my spiritual guardian speed the movement of my lips so I could chant fifteen spells a minute. In my mind's eye, I could see Gahn writhing more as the psychic's energy came closer.

Damn. I should've done a reading last night. I could've found the curse and broke it before we got into this mess. I was reaching the mid level blessings when the psychic stopped on the road before us.

"Here? Heh, heh, you chose here to be your resting place?"

I instantly felt a connection as I began the next incantation. Gahn had a nasty mid level curse that instantly killed the victim when the caster laid eyes on them. It also weakens the victim when the caster is near. I finished the last words as I heard rustling leaves. I was able to break Gahn's curse, but now it was too late to hide our energy. All I could do was cut off Drean's sight to spiritual energy and hope he didn't find us behind the tree.

"Cutting off my sight won't do you much good, Demoness. I will pinpoint where you are hiding soon enough," he threatened as he stepped closer to our position. My eyes suddenly opened, but they were blind to light as my mind's eye was still in control.

Oh…gods… That smell was over powering! Did the guy marinate in musk? I could feel tears rolling down my cheeks and my empty stomach started churning. I slowly brought a hand up to cover my mouth and pinch my nose. I couldn't afford to throw up and give away our position. It was at that moment, Gahn decided to wake up. The horrible scent of musk must've also doubled as an effective smelling salt. I covered his mouth with my other hand as he let out a slight groan.

Shit! Did he hear that? I searched the energy signatures and found Drean facing another way with his back to us. But I couldn't breathe a sigh of relief as pressure built up around us. I felt Gahn's arms around my waist before he quickly rolled us over into some nearby bushes. My spiritual sight fell away as the earth quaked beneath us. When my eyes focused again, Gahn was hovering over me. We both looked over to where we previously were, only to find a smoking crater in the ground.

I remembered that spell. It was a seventh level explosion that my father favored in the war. It appeared to have incinerated most of the tree, with only the top remaining. It lay in the bottom of the crater as flames slowly consumed it. Luckily, I managed to press the talisman against Gahn's arm before we moved. It sealed off both our energies while it touched our skin so the psychic couldn't pick up our trail again. It was initially why I lost control of my mind's eye. Fancy leather boots appeared from below the cover of leaves to inspect the crater. I winced slightly as I heard some sort of a wail in the back of my mind. Was that my spiritual guardian …crying?

"Looks like that's the end of you," Drean muttered venomously. "Burn in hell Demoness and may the gods bless the general."

So he thought we were dead. I suppose we could live with that. Drean had changed dramatically since I'd last seen him. If Gahn wasn't here, I could've probably killed him ten times by now. …At least that's what I would've said if I hadn't seen that. A psychic, no, anyone can't study another class. In the chosen way of life, one person had one career. That applied to everyone, including priests. Drean managed to learn spells reserved for only magicians and he was quite powerful at it. Not only that, he seemed to have the powers of a paladin. How was he still able to call himself a psychic? The High Priest should've declared him a Demon by now.

There was something seriously wrong here. I might have quite a challenge if I took him on now. Recently, I had to face mindless Demon Shadows and gullible bandits (and the occasional bodyguard or brothel lord). It took more effort and skill to take on the clergy. Now that Drean had changed, I would have to reassess his skills before I try to challenge him. Gahn and I waited a few minutes after he left before we relaxed and let go of the talisman.

"What just happened?" Gahn asked as he rolled off me and landed beside me to rest.

"You were cursed by a psychic. Don't ask me how."

"…But how did a-"

"I said don't ask!" I interrupted him. I really didn't know the answer and the whole situation bothered me. "By the way, did you happen to feel anything before you were cursed? I'm guessing this happened in Deep Pond when you were dropping off the goat and cow."

"I did feel something when I was about to leave. …It felt like someone else's anger and sadness was forced into me, but it was only for a second."

"That's the warning sign that you're about to be cursed. If you ever feel like that again, tell me so I can get rid of it before we get into situations like this."

Being able to feel before a curse hits is an ability reserved to those with a sixth sense. It's a pity Gahn that didn't know how to use spiritual energy. He could instantly erect barriers before the curse struck like I did. Normal priests and paladins can't detect them as fast and usually get hit before they can cast a blessing on themselves. I sat up as far as the bush above me would allow and looked down at Gahn.

"Hey, you're a knight aren't you? Where's the whole 'you saved my life and I'm indebted to you' speech?" I wondered jokingly. After all, I just saved him from a curse that could've killed him. I don't really call on debts, but somewhere deep down I wanted to see a man of high power bow down to me. Well he used to be a man in power.

Gahn just turned his head toward the crater. "I could, but I already saved yours from that."

"Ah, touché." Maybe next time.

I filled Gahn in on the mission and the theories I bounced off Sabertooth. He in turn voiced my inner worries about having to face Drean if he happened to be the cause. It was a disadvantageous battle since the psychic knew more about me than I did about him. I could feel somewhat better that Gahn was on my side if it wasn't for the fact that I would have to worry about curses being flung at him. I decided that maybe it was better to just find the broach for the Baron and reinstate his claim to his inheritance instead.

I couldn't believe that I was being cautious over the thought of fighting a psychic. I've taken on dozens of Drean's kind and fought a priest once. The priest was the hardest one to fight. I had to endure at least three hours of casting and countering spiritual spells and looking for an opening to strike with my sword. It also didn't help that I had to fight off all the Demon Shadows he summoned. But when it came to Drean, I could swear I heard my spiritual guardian wailing in despair in his presence. That had never happened before.

I could try to talk to my guardian and find out what was wrong, but it would require me to meditate for a whole day without food or drink. I didn't have time for that. To avoid any confrontation, we followed after Drean at a slow pace. I kept my mind's eye open during the entire trip to Grassland to trace his spiritual energy. I was relieved to find that his presence was faint when we reach the gates of the town. That meant that he recently left. We asked around and discovered that a psychic matching his description purchased a horse and rode off in the direction of Maple.

It made sense all of a sudden regarding the timeline of Gahn's curse. We had left Deep Pond heading south while Drean would have taken the main road to the west. The main road looped a long distance away from us, which relieved Gahn of his headache until we reached Green Fields. If Drean purchased a new horse in every town and galloped at full speed, then he should've been able to reach Green Fields the same day as we did. He probably sensed us in town and decided to torture us by walking behind us to Grassland.

I wanted to trace him again on the way to Maple and asked Gahn to get a horse so we could get to the city before nightfall. I couldn't ride a horse by myself and read energy at the same time, so I had to rely on Gahn for the time being. I had forgotten about my nervousness of being close to him and was grateful that he didn't try to abuse the situation. I sat in front of him while he held me still with one arm and held the reins in his free hand. I read Drean's energy and determined the speed of his travel. I then told Gahn to just gallop for now.

"Tell me again why this psychic hates you so much?" Gahn requested, breaking the silence between us. We were entering yet another forest, but it was larger than the one before Grassland. I could see the energy of every plant, animal, and insect all mingling together. Drean's trail was only a small line amidst the color and frequency of the forest's energy.

"…I killed his bodyguard," I replied in a lower, emotionless tone. All my extra energy, including emotions, was being used up in tracing and reading the trail. The only part of me that wasn't being used was vital organs, my hearing, and my voice. That, and the part of my brain that contained my ability to be aware of my surroundings.

"That's it? Why would he be so upset over one bodyguard? He seems capable enough to travel without one."

"His hatred runs deeper than that," I explained slowly. "He's always hated women and the fact that it was me who killed his guard drove him to the edge of madness. You see, the bodyguard I killed was actually his lover."

I heard Gahn let out a sigh before he muttered, "Of course…"

Homosexuality was forbidden because a man needed to take on a wife and have many children. With more children to live by the chosen way of life, priests would have more control over the thoughts and affairs of man. However, it was a widely know fact among Demons that the clergy often broke their own rules. They allowed their members to do as they pleased as long it was done in secrecy. I believed that a person should be able to be with whoever makes them happy and that the clergy should have no business in interfering with that. But no. People suffered and followed the priests' rules while the clergy enjoyed a carefree and gratifying life. It was incredibly sickening.

"So then it's your fault he's like this." He stated. He wasn't accusing me. He was just trying to confirm and understand the story I told. I could see how my actions would drive him to be so passionate about revenge, but…

"I had nothing to do with his new powers. Drean was always greedy for more power. All I did was make him angry. I'm sure he would've overthrown the Baron even if I hadn't killed the bodyguard."

I knew that sounded like an excuse, but I couldn't believe that everything Drean did was focused on his revenge upon me. He wouldn't have granted me such a fast and painless 'death' if he was that hell bent on punishing me. Plus, if I was the one who had driven him to power, then why didn't he hunt me down when he obtained it? I soon felt Gahn stop the horse, causing me to fall out of my sight.

"Why did you stop?" I wondered, glad to feel my emotions returning. He just pointed up to a high branch where Sabertooth was lounging.

"I thought we had to meet up with Sabertooth."

I was almost happy to see the rat fall out of the tree at the mention of his name for the second time that day. He glanced up at Gahn in shock once he managed to get up and brush off dirt. He probably didn't know that Gahn had a sixth sense too.

"…Oh him," I muttered with disinterest, "I was going to ignore him this time. We have more important people to see."

"That hurt my feelings!" the rat cried out in offense.

"Oh and you leaving me with an unconscious lump to the devices of a psycho psychic didn't hurt mine?" I yelled back. I didn't really have any hard feelings about it since Sabertooth always ran away. But I like giving others a hard time.

"Since when did the Lady have feelings?" He made a teeth clattering sound as he chuckled at his own joke. I knew he wasn't serious, but for some reason, that did hurt my feelings.

"Of course she has feelings," Gahn defended behind me before he dismounted the horse. "You're going to get hurt if you keep saying things like that."

Aww, how sweet… The first time a guy defended me and it had to be in front of a rat who could blackmail me. …My reputation was so ruined. I glared down at Gahn and kicked him in his side. It did little good since I could only reach his armor from my high position.

"Shut up. I don't need you to fight my battles," I said coldly with a defiant glare. He just smirked and patted my thigh guard.

"Of course you don't, sweetheart. I'm just protecting Sabertooth from your bloodlust. It wouldn't do if he ran off now," he replied, revealing his true intent. It made me feel a little better that he didn't think I needed defending but…

"I don't need 'protecting'," Sabertooth sneered as his nose crinkled in anger.

"Don't call me sweetheart…" I threatened before I dismounted the horse. Damn he's good. Gahn managed to piss me off twice and insult the rat in less than a minute. His skills were something to be revered and envied.

Gahn managed to win the respect of Sabertooth with his ability to piss off more than one person at a time. He now called Gahn the 'General'. He only gave nicknames to the people he liked. I guess it was better than calling him the 'Duke' or 'Lord'. It would only make me sick to hear Sabertooth boasting about the 'Lord' and 'Lady'. After a huge argument, I forced-I mean, persuaded Sabertooth to send the horse to the stable in Maple. I made sure to erase any trace of our energy from the animal so that Drean wouldn't notice.

When nightfall came, Sabertooth led us around the city and to a small hill with a wooden door on the side. It was in the center of a small clearing. We hid in the cover of trees as the rat crawled on the ground to reach the hill. Gahn and I glanced at each other as we tried to figure out what he was doing. I guessed Sabertooth was trying not to be detected by anyone. When he reached the door, he slid up against the frame and knocked in a pattern. He stopped to press his ear against the door and listened for any noise inside. When he was satisfied, he reached for the handle and gestured for us to follow him in. We didn't bother to crawl since we could sense that no one was around to see.

Inside was pitch black and it was hard to go down the steps that led to the ground. Even the weak moonlight did little in illuminating the room. Sabertooth screeched at us to close the door, acting as if someone would catch us at any moment. I turned to reach for the door only to have my nose smash into the metal of Gahn's armor as he beat me to the task. Jeez, that hurt! I rubbed at my nose as I listened to Sabertooth rummage and bang into things in the dark. I trusted that he knew what he was doing and didn't bother to help.

Hmm, I wonder why Gahn hadn't tried anything funny yet? This would've been a good time for him to grope me since he hadn't done it all day. …Gods, what am I saying? As if I wanted him to touch me! I must've gotten used to the habit of him trying to feel me up once a day. I did feel a light caress go down my arm before I heard the sounds of stone clacking together. Soon there was a hiss, followed by a burned smell, and then the room lit up. It seemed that we were in someone's wine cellar. Racks of bottled wine lined the circular walls and there were two rows in the center. The walls themselves had been hardened to a clay-like substance.

Sabertooth just walked down the center and stopped at the wall opposite the door. He knocked again in the same pattern and this time was answered with a faint 'Come in!'. He kicked aside some cloth on the floor to reveal a thick rope attached to the wall. He tugged at the rope and part of the wall came out. I noticed that it was hinged to the ceiling and it soundlessly floated up. Sabertooth told us to pull on the outer rope (as there was an inner one on the other side) to close the door so that no one could find the entrance. He then walked down the stairs within, expecting us to follow. The light began fading in the cellar the further he went down.

I was about to move and follow him, but Gahn grabbed me by the arm. He then kissed the tip of my nose before he muttered, "Sorry."

I realized that he was apologizing for earlier when my nose made out with his armor. I rubbed my nose again with a scowl as he headed for the opening. I felt like a kid with the way he treated me. I gestured for him to go on ahead as I worked on closing door. It was surprisingly easy and lightweight as I pulled it back into place from the inside. The stairs led to an underground room that was alit with glowstones. Upon further inspection, I realized that there were many rooms connected to this one. It was pretty much a cave with tunnels.

The room was well furnished with rugs and pillows everywhere. There was a low table in the center and a few dressers against the walls. At the head of the low table was a young man with shaggy red-brown hair. I quickly discovered that he was the Baron that Sabertooth mentioned as I caught a glimpse of purple colored eyes. To be honest, I was sort of hoping that the Baron was an older man, not a child in their late teens. I didn't want to think of such an innocent child having to take up arms and seek revenge. His age also meant that he probably wasn't much of a fighter yet.

I could tell that the past few months had been hard on him. He was suddenly thrust into the world of commoners with no one to teach him how to adapt. I'm sure his hair was once neatly trimmed and that his clothes used to be cleaner and more presentable. The boy was starting to show signs of growing a beard and had no way to procure a shaving kit for himself. He still had the regal gaze of a noble and probably still retained some of the arrogance. For a moment I had to wonder if his act of banishing Drean was a divine justice against a jerk or a moment of arrogance. It was common for the youth to be brash and inconsiderate, so he might've let the new power go to his head back then. He stood up when he noticed us and ran over to Gahn with a delighted smile.

"So this is the warrior you spoke of, Sabertooth. He does look like a really strong fighter," he faced Gahn with a look of confusion, "…But why does he always call you 'the Lady'?"

I let out a snort of laughter at the mistaken identity. Oh this was rich! Gahn? A Lady? Several amusing mental images went through my head of him in a noblewoman's dress. I was surprised that I wasn't even the slightest bit offended that the boy completely ignored me and focused on Gahn instead. He was still too innocent about the world to know about the Demoness or the fact that a woman could dress in armor and fight. In fact I wondered how old he really was. It sounded like his voice was just breaking.

Gahn glanced at me as I laughed and then shook his head at the boy, "My apologies, but you have the wrong person."

Sabertooth looked almost sheepish as he extinguished the torch in a nearby vase of water, "That's the General, he's the Lady's partner."

Gahn bowed politely to the boy at the introduction. I walked over to the boy and held out my hand for a shake. I was too far-gone from polite society to observe the traditional greetings and acknowledgements of nobles.

"I'm the one Sabertooth told you about. I'm more commonly known as the Demoness around here," I said in the most polite tone I could muster. It's been a while since I had to talk to a noble or be careful of what I said. The boy appeared even more confused at my words.

"The Demoness? But that's impossible. She's only a made up fairytale. You can't possibly be the warrior I'm waiting for. You're just a woman," he stopped when he noticed my eye color (which at the time was more distinct than Gahn's), "And not just any woman, you're a lady of the court! Please forgive my rudeness, I am Baron Enrion…well former Baron."

Instead of shaking my hand, he moved to kiss the back of it. I pulled away before his lips could touch me and I crossed my arms.

"I'm not a lady of your court," I warned him sternly, "And the Demoness exists. If it's impossible to fathom a lady warrior, then why would anyone make up a story about her?"

Enrion blushed and let out a small cough, "Well…um…I thought they were just stories for…um…men …to dream about."

…Oh great, my legacy only invokes wet dreams? Men better be turned on by the thought of a woman beating their asses, otherwise I'm going to kill some storytellers soon. I supposed the boy didn't think I would catch on and understand his tone or what he meant by 'dream' as he dropped the subject instantly.

"Oh, I see! You must be hiding your identity to protect yourself. There is no need to fear, my lady, as you will be safe within these walls." My patience was running thin as I tried desperately not to strangle the boy. Enrion walked over to a small tunnel and gestured to me, "Come, you can sit in here and make some tea while the men discuss the mission."

"Oh, that's it!" I yelled as I stormed over to beat the child senseless. Gahn was quick to react by wrapping an arm around my waist to prevent me from getting any closer to the boy. Sabertooth plastered himself against the wall in fear as I struggled in Gahn's strong grip. At this point, even Enrion was starting to fear me.

"The Lady is being restrained?" Sabertooth mumbled in shock, "No man could hold back the Lady before! The General must be a god!"

"Must you kill everyone you meet?" Gahn berated me as he used his free arm to grab one of my thrashing arms.

"You're still alive!" I growled as I tried to find a way to escape him. I soon calmed down when I realized that I had no way of attacking Enrion with Gahn this close. …I'll attack him in his sleep…

Gahn let out a smirk as he slackened his grip on me slightly. "You couldn't kill me if you tried."

Damnit. Did he have to bring that up? He's just lucky I don't curse people. That could kill him. I decided to change tactics by naming another person I haven't killed…yet.

"Sabertooth is still alive," I pointed out. True, I tried to kill him, but at least I haven't tried again.

"That's because he ran away," he reminded me.

"…Fast," Sabertooth supplied helpfully as he detached himself from the wall. By this time, Enrion was realizing his mistake in confusing me for a delicate flower. I didn't mean to give him future nightmares, though. I usually could control myself better when faced with ignorant men, but I really didn't like being treated as a noblewoman. Being ignored or insulted was better than that.

"I-I apologize!" Enrion squeaked before he cleared his throat, "I didn't mean to offend you, my lady. It's just that I didn't know warrior women really existed."

"Spare me!" I snarled as I pushed away from Gahn. I managed to free myself, but I could see him preparing to restrain me if I got out of line. I chose my next words carefully, "I request that you refrain from formalities. It is as you say. I am hiding my true identity. But I have long since gotten used to vulgar speech and I prefer to be treated as an equal. I know you don't understand, but I am the warrior who has come to help you. If you don't like it, I'll leave."

Wow, it's been what? Over ten years since I last spoke in that regal tone? For the most part, I was telling the truth and didn't have to make up any stories to hide the fact that I was actually a Demon. I didn't know how much Sabertooth has told him, but I was sure titles weren't mentioned. A true Baron who followed the chosen way of life would never hire, let alone be in the company of, Demons. Enrion seemed to have taken my story without any questions or complaints and accepted it.

"Very well, I will accept your help. I am thankful that you have come to my aid…" He was about to say 'my lady', but changed his mind at the last second, "…Demoness."

I finally accepted his apology and suggested that we moved on to the mission briefing. I sat at the end of the oval shaped table, directly opposite Enrion to prevent any other problems that might arise. Gahn sat to my right and Sabertooth sat to the left, closer to Enrion. Sabertooth pulled out a rolled up map from his cloak and spread it out on the table. It was a detailed map of Maple with five red ink circles and one X. The rat pointed to every marking and told what they represented. The circle to the far north was the mansion where Enrion used to live and where his cousin was now living.

The circle west of the mansion was where the town's temple was and where all the priests resided. To the south of the temple was the bank where the city's coffers were kept. Southeast to that was the stable and inn where there were reports of a man that looked like Drean. Finally, to the far east of the inn was the entrance to the forest. It was there that Drean went and disappeared for days. The position happened to be a little northwest of the X where we currently were. That meant that Drean was probably closer than we thought.

Sabertooth pulled out an inkpot and bush and drew blue lines between all of the circles except for the northern most circle.

"This is the path that Drean takes during the day. First he goes the coffers in the early morning, then the temple for most of the day, and finally to the inn close to nightfall. At first I thought he was staying at the inn, but he actually sneaks off into the forest and doesn't come back until morning," Sabertooth explained with each brush stroke. "I tried following him, but I lost track of him. I don't know where he goes, but I do know that he visits the forest for three days. If we're going to attack him, then it should be done tomorrow."

Enrion already knew most of what the rat was reporting and excused himself so he could make tea. While he was in another room, I leaned in closer to the table and lowered my voice. "In that case, let's try for tomorrow night. I can do a reading and find out exactly where he goes."

Feeling secure that I wouldn't have to mention my priestess powers anymore I began talking in a normal tone. I didn't want Enrion to learn about my powers and get suspicious. "It appears that he's going into a secluded area. He'll be by himself and too far away to get help. That's the perfect time to attack… But first I want some more information about him."

Enrion returned with the tea and passed around the cups. I took a sip and paused at the familiar flavor. But then I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and focused on the mission again. I had already filled Sabertooth in about the earlier incident with Drean and the curse he apparently put on Gahn. He had no information on how he could've gotten that power.

"I have a theory," Gahn started, speaking for the first time since the briefing began, "Can't a priest bestow some of his own power on someone else?"

"Sure," I replied as I wondered what he was getting at. "They usually share some of their power with their wives to protect them on the road. It's only a small amount and doesn't last very long."

"…You did mention that Drean was into…alternative choices," he pressed before it clicked. I had to smirk at that. That's one way to call a man gay. Young Enrion, bless his soul, stared at us wide-eyed and curious. He probably didn't know what alternative choices meant. Ironic that a boy who easily had wet dreams of girls didn't once think that men could have dreams of other men. I almost felt dirty exposing the boy to the concept, but he had to grow up sometime.

"So the General is saying that Drean is borrowing the powers of a priest because they're…" Sabertooth trailed off as he couldn't think of a proper way to describe it.

"Pretty much," Gahn confirmed, "But it's only a speculation. You might need to re-think the plan if does happen to be the case."

"Hey, who made you leader?" I inquired. Gahn shifted on his pillow and rested an arm over his knee.

"Sorry, force of habit," he apologized, appearing only a little embarrassed. Come to think of it, he used to be the general of a famous army and there was usually a reason behind it. Even when he was a captain, he was accredited for having exceptional skills as a strategist.

"On second thought, keep talking," I amended. He nodded before he pulled the map closer and pointed at the temple.

"The way I see it, you have three choices. Attack the priests, attack the psychic, or find the stolen broach. It's impossible to attack all the priests without getting the attention of the whole country."

"We could fight the one priest who is with Drean," I argued.

Gahn glanced at me from the corner of his eye, "How would you know which one to attack?"

"Find the one who smells heavily of musk. Drean's presence would be all over him," I countered, being careful not to mention anything related to spiritual energy in front of Enrion.

"But what if there is more than one?" he shot back. …Eww. I may have been open minded to the concept of homosexuality, but not to the thought of multiple lovers. One shouldn't share their body with too many people. …It's just not healthy. At my silence, Gahn continued, "Think about it. Drean had a lot of power for someone borrowing the powers of one priest."

"Corruption is heavy in the clergy," Sabertooth sighed, ignoring the aghast look on Enrion's face. Not everyone would dare to speak bad about the clergy out loud.

"Okay, so we leave the priests alone…for now," I added as an after thought. If I had my way, we would plan a large-scale attack at a later date.

"Another possibility is attacking Drean. But, if he is in a relationship with one or more priests, then they still might not recognize Enrion's claim out of spite. In fact, they may even retaliate."

"But that's still speculation. Maybe none of the priests are involved," Sabertooth said grimly. Every detail Gahn pointed out seemed to be making the outcome of the mission worse.

"Even so, we still don't have the broach to prove Enrion's legitimacy. That brings me to my last point. We don't know where the broach is or who has it. There isn't a point in making a move without it," Gahn finished with a shrug before he moved the map back over to Sabertooth.

"Well, finding the broach might not be that big of a problem," I started with a careful glance towards Enrion. "But even if we find it, it sounds like we can't do much with it."

"Does the General have a plan?" Sabertooth asked with a bit of hope. Gahn scratched the tip of his nose before he nodded.

"I have a rough idea, but I think it might work. We have no doubt in our minds that Drean is behind everything, but we don't have the proof to convince anyone else. We need to get the broach back first and then we dispatch Drean in his hideout."

"So we're taking on two issues at once," I interrupted to confirm. "What about the priests?"

"They're involved with the next part of the plan, but you can't hurt them," he replied with a grin.

"Damnit…" I cursed softly. …Not that I really wanted to take on several priests at once.

"We need Drean weak and unconscious or dead. After that, we leave the broach in his possession. We then have Enrion declare that he caught the real culprit and bring everyone he can, the elders, priests, and any villager who wants to come. Even if the priests are on Drean's side, they can't reveal it if the commoners believe he is the thief."

"But what if the priests decide to do a reading? Even if we could get Drean's energy all over it, they would disprove us if they were on his side," I reminded him. Gahn let out a grin as he faced me.

"One of us will have to wear one of Drean's robes and pose as a psychic. Enrion will have to ask the psychic to do a reading to prove his case. If we declared that Drean is the culprit, the priests can't overturn it without gaining suspicion."

"You want me to play the psychic don't you?" I muttered, picking up on his hidden message. It would have to be me since I could manipulate Drean's energy all over the broach. Even if a priest did a reading after me, they would read Drean's energy and not suspect any foul play. To them, I would be a traveling psychic who just happened to be nearby at the wrong time.

"If you don't mind," Gahn said teasingly. At least it would be an excuse to use my power without gaining Enrion's suspicion.

"…But, there are no women psychics," Enrion protested with a twinge of uncertainty.

"Don't worry. I can act like a man if I tried hard. Besides, I'll have a hood to cover my head," I reassured the boy before I turned to Sabertooth. "I'll need to meditate most of the day to…uh, prepare myself for the role. You should go out and dig up some information tomorrow. Find out if the broach is still in the mansion or something."

Everyone seemed to agree with that idea, except for Enrion who looked confused and out of place. I was leaving a lot of stuff out so I couldn't blame him for being lost.

"Um…I have a question," he began softly before he faced Gahn, "Sabertooth calls you the General, who do you command?"

"Just her," he replied as he pointed at me. I slapped his arm, cutting myself on his shoulder guard in the process as Sabertooth snickered. He couldn't call himself the general of the Evergreen Army anymore since it technically wasn't true anymore. Plus, just mentioning Gahn's name would just cause trouble right now.

"Alright, now I have a question," I stared at Enrion long and hard. "Why did you banish Drean back then?"

At the very least, I wanted to know Drean's motivation for revenge. If it was just for petty reasons, the psychic may not be so hard to deal with. Enrion started blushing and I wasn't sure if I wanted to know anymore.

"I-I banished him because he wouldn't leave me alone. He would always touch me without permission and follow me wherever I went… And he would tell me vulgar and embarrassing things," he seemed to have a difficult time finishing his sentence. Drean had been flirting with the boy? He must've been under thirteen years old back then!

I slammed my uninjured fist against the table and snarled, "Does the man have no shame? He's torturing you just because you refused him?"

Now that I thought about it, Enrion looked an awful lot like Drean's old bodyguard. I suppose I couldn't blame Drean for that, but he could've waited for the boy to grow older and been a little less aggressive about it. Still…I doubt Enrion would've liked the attention anyway.

Sabertooth left for the inn a short while after the end of the meeting. Since he never touched me or held any of my possessions, he was safe to leave. I wouldn't put it past Drean to have cursed Gahn just because he found my energy all over him. …It was his fault for groping and touching me all the time.

The rest of us had to stay in the makeshift cave. Enrion apologized for having only one bed and offered it to me, but I refused. I instead searched for a dark room away from him to heal my hand and remove my armor. It wasn't long before I felt Gahn's presence at the doorway. I was sitting down and leaning against the wall, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in.

Gahn sat down next to me and reached for my previously injured hand, "You need to stop hitting my armor. You're only hurting yourself."

"Yeah well, stop pissing me off while you're wearing armor," I hissed in mild annoyance as he began kissing the palm of my hand. I tried pulling away, but he kept a firm grip on my wrist. He knew I already healed my hand, but it didn't stop him from pressing his lips against the old outline of the cut.

"K-knock it off!" I cried when I felt his tongue against the palm of my hand. This time he let me go as I pulled. I was glad that it was too dark to see my face and that we were far enough away from Enrion to be heard. There was only very little light that allowed me to see his outline, but no features. Gahn let out his evil sounding chuckle before he pulled me against him. I soon found myself between his legs and my side pressed against his warm chest. I was grateful to find that he'd taken off his armor.

"Hey!" I protested as I tried to squirm out of his grasp, "This isn't necessary! You know I don't like it when you do things like this!"

"You didn't seem to have a problem with it last night," he replied against my forehead before kissed it.

"You weren't feeling well!" I protested.

"You also didn't mind it when we were on the horse," he added as his arms tightened around my waist.

"I was concentrating on reading Drean's trail."

"If that's what it takes, then concentrate on something because I'm not letting you go this time," he insisted sternly. I wondered if he had read my face earlier when I thought about attacking Enrion in his sleep…

I hated to admit it, but he was too strong for me. I couldn't escape. I decided to take his advice and leaned my head against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat and found it strangely soothing. I soon felt his heart beat faster and eventually noticed that he was getting warmer. I lifted my head in a slight panic.

"What's wrong with you? You're not cursed again, are you?"

"No. I have a beautiful woman in my arms and I'm trying hard not to do anything to her."

"…Get those dirty thoughts out of your head and let me go," I said sternly as I tried to move his arms away from me.

"Don't worry. I won't do anything until you're ready. But I can still dream about it," he muttered quietly as he leaned his head back against the wall.

"I'd rather you didn't…" I had lost a lot of energy with all the readings I'd done and I was feeling really tired. I had no energy left to fight Gahn. I didn't like letting this one go and I wanted him to realize that he couldn't force me to sleep next to him all the time. I soon managed to relax and rested my head back against his chest. I soon drifted off to sleep and prayed that the mission would be a success tomorrow.

© Sorceress Myst 2009