I ntally prepared myself for the fight. It had taken weeks to get rid of the ntal baggage, and so of my fear towards the demon still lingered. These battles were never a question of whether I could win, rather, how long it would take to lose.
Maya looked at Kastramoth seriously, giving a nonverbal warning before she commanded him. Subdue.
The beast charged at , his head lowered.
I ran straight at him. His antlers were by far my biggest issue because of their absurd reach. But the teeth and hooves were nothing to scoff at either. Right before we impacted, I crouched low and jumped up in the air, intending to land on his head. But Id done it one too many tis. He flicked his head upwards, launching in an involuntary half-flip. I managed to pull my sword breaker in ti and plunged it into his mbraneous side, leaving a crude gash as I slid down.
Letting the dagger go, I landed next to his back legs, and imdiately threw myself into a roll as a back leg coiled and lashed out near my head. He growled viciously at and spun and snapped, teeth clicking together perilously near my face
Teeth, I could feel the teeth.
I scored a blow across his nose. There was a surge of triumph within as Kastramoth shrunk away, blood dribbling down his face. Then he leered at , and my confidence evaporated.
Lightning fast, he charged in sideways, clotheslining with the bulk of his mass, his bloody side heaved crudely into my neck and face. My vision blurred as I fell backwards, stunned, onto the cave floor, scrambling away, trying to retreat and create space while he snapped at wildly at my retreating body, teeth clicking inches from my retreating legs. All the while, I expended mana, trying to weave it into sothing I could use.
Kastramoth leapt forward twice, shaking the ground, and snapped towards my arm. The violet light snapped into an aegis around my shoulder, dulling the impact, though I still felt the imnse pressure of his dull teeth grinding around it.
I drove my sword into his throat, knowing it was already over. He did not let go. Finally, the aegis shattered into a thousand tiny shards. A growl of pain ripped from my throat as his teeth ground into my skin, and the bone popped. He pinned down, face first on the ground. I could feel his breath in my ear.
Weak.
Thats enough, Maya said. Kastramoth stepped away obediently and returned to his spot on the other side of the lake. My arm throbbed, and I knew from experience that the demon had mangled it on purpose. The first few tis wed done this, my showings had been mostly pathetic, and hed injured more severely, angering Maya, who kept him within the amulet for a week. Lately, hed been dialing it in, inflicting as much pain in as little damage as possible. But that was fine. He got to work so aggression out, and I got so valuable combat experience fighting against sothing much bigger and stronger than .
I would not always be in a position where I could out plan or out maneuver, as I had in Kholis and the Everwood. It was important to be able to hold my own in a straight fight.
That didnt an, however, that I wouldnt keep trying to stack every advantage possible in my favor.
Maya approached with a sympathetic look, her hand glowing green. She pressed it to my arm, her touch cool and soothing.
Well, it went better than last ti. I said, giving her a rueful grin. What was it? Like thirty seconds longer?
Forty. And I understand why we are doing this, but I hate seeing you hurt. She inspected the wound closely as it knit shut.
Bah. Its nothing.
Maya shot a knowing look and raised a finger. So it does not hurt when I
Okay, it hurts, okay? No touching. I scooted away from her upraised finger. Despite the healing magic nding the lacerations and tears, my arm still throbbed. Its dislocated again, I admitted. But realistically, I only need one arm. We dont need to
I gritted my teeth, vision blurring with tears as Maya lifted my injured arm by the wrist and elbow out from my body, then twisted and pulled. It realigned with a sickening crunch.
Thank you I moaned.
Life magic could fix damaged ligants, close wounds, and repair organs. I had no idea why it couldnt also relocate bones. Her cool fingers rested on the back of my neck for a mont and the pain lessened.
She helped to my feet, careful of my injuries.
I am going to head to the market as well. Mother will be starting dinner soon. Are you sure you do not wish to join ? She cocked her head at . It still shocked how much shed changed. The timid, almost neurotically anxious girl Id t at Barions was now confidant and more sure of herself. Her skin, once pockmarked poorly maintained was now smooth. And the way the torchlight light reflected off her hair. She was almost
Well, probably better not to go down that path.
I looked over at the straw-man, who was intended to be my companion for the evening. The better caster I could be, the better Id be able to protect myself when needed. I had practiced enough to be considered decent with a sword, perhaps even a danger if that sword was on fire. But I had little to no thod of effectively attacking at range.
But still, Kilvius wasnt wrong. I had been pushing myself lately. And there wouldnt be many chances for this after, as Maya would be leaving soon. Damn it. There was that weird pang in my chest again.
You know what, I said, suddenly, Ill co.
Really? Mayas face brightened, and she gestured with both fists in victory.
Sure. Things have cooled down. People dont gawk as much when I go into town. Taking one half-day cant hurt.
Theres so many places you havent been yet! Her smile flagged a bit, and she put her hands on her hips. But you cant buy anything.
I wouldnt dream of it. I held up my hands in surrender. I did have a gift for her but it wasnt bought, exactly, so that fell in the category of technically true.
Maya recalled Kastramoth into the amulet, and we strolled through the streets of the lower enclave. Bizarrely shaped and slightly horrifying looking fish were laid out on tables. My guide told they were simply monstrous looking because they grew in lower altitudes with little sunlight, but they still looked like monsters to .
You are being judgntal, Maya said.
Im just saying. Look at the teeth on that thing. Thats not how fish are supposed to look. Normal fish look surprised, or like theyve seen so shit. This fish looks like he is the shit.
Much to the vendors annoyance, I picked up the hideous fish and grabbed its jaws, opening and closing its mouth, then thrust it at Maya. She shrieked and danced away from , her laughter echoing across the market.
Just for that, we are buying it.
Ugh.
We window shopped for a while, and I stealthily added to my ntal notes of things that Maya liked. She liked dresses but didnt think she looked good in them, opting instead for a light form fitting laced jerkin with a long dark skirt below. She wasnt really into jewelry, with one notable exception: pearls. White pearls, colored pearls, it didnt matter. If it ca out of an oyster, she was all about it. And she had a fascination with instrunts, though shed never learned to play one.
We passed by a store and I did a double-take. It seed to sell exclusively inks and ink wells. Surely not. An entire store, just for ink?
Magical ink, Maya said.
I looked at her, eyebrow raised. Nope. Thats ridiculous. I dont believe you.
She blew air out her nose. Do not be an ass. It is used for inscription magic. Most commonly in the manufacturing of spell scrolls.
I thought about it. That made sense on so level. Scrolls, rather notoriously, could be used by anyone regardless of magical ability. They could be incredibly practical, though they were occasionally used for nefarious purposes. Con artists often passed themselves off as magicians through the use of scrolls.
Is inscription magic tied to a particular elent? I asked, idly.
Cairn, you are the most power hungry person I know. Maya rolled her eyes. And amongst my people, that is quite the accomplishnt. You cannot cast a proper fireball, yet intend to learn inscriptions as well?
It was just a question. I said, defensively.
Your questions have a tendency to be tied to practical applications.
Okay, so tell why its impractical.
Inscriptions are dependent on the power of the inscriber, Mayas voice took on the tone she always used when offering instruction. You cannot create a scroll of sothing you cannot already cast.
Two dots connected in my mind. Id seen a couple of infernals, usually violets, though occasionally blues and reds with demonic text inscribed on their bodies.
And is inscription magic limited to scrolls? I asked, trying very much to sound innocent.
But Maya knew too well. She stepped between and the store window, her face concerned. Tissue inscriptions are a shortcut, Cairn. A dangerous one. There is talk of them being banned for a reason. It is far too easy to kill yourself, trying to use a high-level inscription your body is not ready for. Not to ntion the ink tends to degrade your body in ways that is difficult for even life magic to heal.
I sighed. Ill take your word for it then.
We stopped by Casikass apothecary, so I could pick up my gift for Maya. She eyed when I erged with a large box, but did not comnt.
The evening dinner was as chaotic as usual. I had a hell of a ti scaling the fish, and an even worse ti gutting it. Its insides were wormy and dark-colored, and it had terrifying oblong and misshapen organs Im fairly certain no other fish had.
Pink child. Nethtari squeezed past to her station, where she was chopping fresh vegetables. Stop butchering that thing for a mont and grab the oil. I opened the nearby pantry, and grabbed the cask of oil, and passed it to her. She took it, pausing in montary disgust when she saw my bloody handprint. I grinned at her sheepishly.
Kilvius helped debone the fish, pointing at trouble areas I would have missed otherwise, and within twenty minutes we were all seated at the table. The artificial sun had begun to set, light entering from the windows casting the scene in dull orange.
Jorra devoured his fish and poked at his vegetables. Kilvius complented Nethtari and I for the al, thanking the lord below that a competent chef had finally graced their household. He dodged the napkin thrown his way with practiced ease. Throughout the dinner, they drilled Maya on safety rules for her ti in the sanctum.
Stay away from unmarked entrances. Nethtari said.
No matter how innocuous they seem. Kilvius added.
Were not saying dont explore. Nethtari said.
Just be smart about it. Kilvius finished.
Ive got it already. Maya sighed, exasperated. You guys have been drilling it into for the last two weeks. Ill stay away from unmarked passages. I wont open any chests until Ive had them checked for traps by a professional, and I wont go lower than the gray-crust layer unless Im in a group.
Wed prefer if you waited until these two joined you to do that. Nethtari looked between Jorra and I. The lower you go, the rougher it gets. Especially with the damn asmodials running around, riling everything up. Not to ntion the mana concentrations can do strange things to your head. Things arent always what they seem.
Ill be careful, Maya promised. As long as you guys keep Jorra from driving the tutors crazy, and Cairn from tearing his soul out of his body.
They joked, and laughed, and I laughed with them. But there was a soreness in my heart, one I couldnt quite put into words. It just felt wrong. There was so much love and companionship between them.
Was this what a normal family looked like?
Nethtari and Kilvius treated like just another one of their children. It wouldnt last forever, I had no question of that. After the sanctum, I needed to formalize an alliance with the infernals. Fixing the dinsional gate would help, but it likely wouldnt be enough. Id need my father on boardand that would be the hard part. But for now, I tried to enjoy it, ignoring the guilt that crept inthat niggling reminder that I could be doing morewhenever I felt myself enjoying anything.
But no. I would treasure these monts. Id savor this montary tranquility, for as long it lasted.
Which, as it turned out, wasnt very long at all.
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