“Ehhhhh?! Are you crazy? How can we keep it? That’s a wild animal you have there! And a nasty one at that! Haven’t you ever heard of Saber Toothed Tigers before??? Don’t you know how dangerous they are?!”

Ryme was in a frenzy. After the glass window smashed and Diane’s yell, she came rushing in to the room, only to find a Saber Toothed Tiger Cub on Diane’s bed! Worse still, the little girl had completely attached herself to it. It was only a cub, but it was at least half her size! The first thing Diane said when Ryme ran in to the room was

“Auntie!! Look what I found! Isn’t he the cutest? Can we keep Clover?”

As if! Plus, how did Clover even find his way in through the window?? Wait... don't just accept the creatures name! Keep it together, Ryme!

She could not let this happen, but Diane’s stubbornness… while usually endearing, would mean that Ryme needed an ally.

She glanced quickly at Thistleman, before immediately ruling him out. The kid was staring fascinated at Diane and the cub, almost excited even. He would clearly support her, so that left… Jotuun. She could clearly rely on him, right?

“Hey, Jotuun! We cannot raise an animal like that in this household, right? They are wild and dangerous! We don’t even know where it came from! We should just turn it in to the adventurer’s guild or the city guard and rid our hands of it.”

“What?! No, Auntie! We can’t do that! They will kill it! Everyone knows that the city doesn’t take care of monsters… and the adventurers would likely skin him…”

Small tears erupt from Diane’s eyes, as she clutches the furry cub closer.

Ryme looks over at Jotuun expectantly. However, instead of supporting her, instead he says

“Hmmm. Fine. You raise though. Need new window glass, and to find pet bed.”

Then he turns around and walks out the door. Ryme stares in shock… He betrayed me! He better be fine with sleeping on the floor tonight! Plus… she won’t let this go that easily.

Ryme balled her fists, her fur bristling as she turned and followed Jotuun down the hall.

“Jotuuuuuuuuun! Come back here! I am not done with you yet!”

Her voice was almost shrill as she chased him down the hall, her usual pleasantness replaced with a little ball of anger.

In the meantime, Thistleman is watching in absolute awe. This cubs powers were amazing! Without using any magic at all, it had not only swayed Diane instantly, but through her, even convinced Jotuun to let them keep it! He had seen adult Saber Toothed Tigers before while exploring the forest; they were vicious, brutal, wily creatures without exception. This has to be a youthful defensive mechanism, as all the adults he had seen showcased the sheer ferocity of their species. Fiercely independent, he had only seen Saber Tooth’s together when mating. This development certainly warranted further study. If, at the very least, he could secure the cubs loyalty to him and Diane… what it did to anyone else was hardly a concern. This creature has so much potential, it would have so much more to teach him. Thistleman was grinning almost from ear to ear at the implications.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

While his progress in deciphering the actual native language and writing was fast, it could be so much faster, along with his studies into the other intricacies of this world. His personal development and research aside, Thistleman had numerous other problems to deal with. First and foremost, he had to deal with the Nina problem. At least the nightly excursions gave him some liberty to think while maximizing his productivity.

Diane alone was almost more of a headache than he could handle, and it would take all his attention and focus to make something out of her. First and foremost, she was a spoiled, shortsighted, uneducated, entitled brat. However, she was a spoiled, shortsighted, uneducated, entitled brat with some martial prowess and contracted to ME. It was his duty, as her loyal servant and best friend, to help her become the best she could be. However, to have to constantly worry about another kid to keep away these recurring, distracting nightmares was another story altogether.

He couldn’t kill her off, or lead her to his death. He was certain that would just bring back the problem, to forever torment him. At least, until he could figure out the cause. At that point, it is anyone’s game what he could do. As some more of his powers returned to him, Thistleman began searching the depths of his mind, however that only raised more questions for him. In spite of having severed his connection to the God of Darkness… there were vast portions of his memories he could not reach. Much of his mind was sealed, and pressing his consciousness into the seal was… extraordinarily painful.

Worse yet, it was ancient in nature. How long was this portion of his mind locked? Why was it locked? Who did it? After devouring the brooch, clearly some kind of influence passed through there, because he could sense that the effect was passing through this seal. It is almost like a one way door straight into his head… one that he can make neither head nor tails of at this moment.

As he continued leaping from tree to tree, speeding through the underbrush, and analyzing the new subjects big and small… sighting all kinds of interesting flora, sawgrasses, trap vines, nocturnal birds and other mammals… his path eventually brought him back towards Brownrock Mountain. As he began to approach, he stopped suddenly and hid his presence.

He felt something… something familiar. Isn’t this where he released his Miasma weeks before? It felt like himself but… different. Looking around, the trees and plants in the area had begun to take on a very different hue. Strange… at the original density, the miasma should have killed them. This effect would only come from a much weaker concentration… which would overtime warp their growth.

He proceeded slowly… advancing with the utmost care and not making a single sound, until he reached the edge of the forest.

He could clearly see someone sitting on the edge of one of the caves that made up the hornet’s former nest. Well, rather than a someone, it was a something, humanoid in shape, and fairly large in stature. It was clothed in various animal furs, crudely separated with red and black hued skin covering an extraordinarily well built body. On his arms were two patches of shallow exposed bone, providing some armor, and on his head were two small horns indicative of his youth. Most telling, though, were his yellow eyes with his pupil slit like a cats.

It was… a demon. Finally, understanding dawned on Thistleman. With so little miasma left, and so much energy like his own emanating from the creature, his old question that he nearly forgot he had was answered. Demons come from Miasma. The question was… how would it behave?

Thistleman proceeded to stand up and walk forward towards the creature, unleashing his concealment and no longer repressing his aura.

Upon seeing Thistleman, its eyes widened. The demon dropped from the cave entrance, and immediately dropped to kneel.

“Master! It is you! Only you could have brought me in to this world! I have been feeling so lost… almost as if I had no purpose… I was afraid you had no designs for me when you brought me in to this world and that I would be forgotten… Please, tell me! How can I serve you?”

The creature’s attitude was… surprising. It was nothing like a Daemon’s, who would only acknowledge the power of a superior while they schemed behind their back. This… was an absolute, undying loyalty. Whoever created this adjustment had an agenda, one he wasn’t sure he liked the end result of. If his connection to the God of Darkness was not broken, would he, too, be like this Demon? The question and its answer made Thistleman shudder in disgust. Well, if a servant of his, best to test its knowledge and usefulness first.

“Before that… tell me, how much knowledge were you born with? I see speech was granted to you. You share the same language as I, but tell me, do you know of the common tongue here?”

The demon reflected for a moment.

“Master, from what I can recall, I know of the language and cultural norms you had at the time you graciously bestowed life upon me. Unfortunately, I only know little of the common tongue, but that can surely be assuaged with study! I wish I could do more, but this is all I have for now.”

Thistleman nodded, pensive in thought, before nodding and making a decision. He had his solution kneeling before him right now.

“Indeed. The skills you have now are more than enough for my purpose for you. My hands… are quite full at the moment. I have much work to do, and unfortunately, it is frustrating having to continue dealing with all these… problematic orphans. One is all I care to deal with.”

“I see, so master, how do you wish for me to deal with this problem for you? Shall I eradicate them?”

Thistleman reacted far swifter than he even expected out of himself.

“No! Absolutely not! I cannot…” He almost admitted he could not risk being plagued by nightmares. What Daemon would ever openly admit their weaknesses?

“Ahem. I cannot allow that course of action. Feeding, housing, and raising. I shant deal with her any longer. As I said, you already have the knowledge and skills, you figure out the rest and you deal with it. That shall be your duty.”

“Yes, I understand Master! I shall fulfill your will with my utmost ability!”

“Very well, then I shall call forth the one occupying my hands right now. She shall be in your care. Do not fail me. Realm of Space, I command thee, open a door and heed my will, Gate!”

A large ornate door began to form in the space above Thistleman’s raised hand, the size of the floor for the room in which he kept Nina, and as it opened, a small child fell out of it. Nina, who had been sleeping, squealed in surprise as she fell into Thistleman’s arms.

“Aieee! Oh, Death, it is you… is it time for me to pass on yet?”

“I keep telling you, I am not death. Your time with me is over. Now, you shall be staying with…”

The kneeling demon looks up at Thistleman expectantly. Thistleman wondered for a moment… does it even have a name? Actually… does it matter?? He would name the creature and it would likely just accept it.

“Yes, you shall be staying with Orion. Work diligently, eat, live, and grow well and perhaps you shall be rewarded.”

“Perhaps… could my reward be seeing my brother again, oh Death?”

Thistleman decided not to answer that question. He already decided the girl wouldn’t be his problem anymore, and with his newfound time he can finally make that picture book to teach Diane some useful skills. He left, disappearing back in to the darkness of the forest.

The girl turned to look at the Demon Orion.

“If you serve Death, then you must be one of his reapers. Do we have a house to stay in?”

“A house? I haven’t made one… no.”

“Then we need a house. He told me to work diligently for him. Maybe if I become a reaper like you I can see my brother again?”

The girl made a smile at Orion.

Orion himself found Thistleman’s instructions vague… this kid, it seems she had some more hints for his intended purpose? He doesn’t want to deal with these orphans, very clearly it was a plural. Then, he wants me to take care of them for him? He even instructed her to work hard, and… most importantly, she said it was to become a reaper like him. He… wants an army. He wants killers. And, he wants to make them from orphans, those abandoned by society, those who would be easily missed.

A malicious smile spread across Orion’s face. To train an Army for his master… What an honor! What a responsibility! To teach these kids the Demon way, it is truly a great task!

“Yes, we shall start with a house, and then a training ground! There is much work to be done, new recruit. Master is sure to reward those who don’t disappoint him. Then, we shall find the rest of the members to make up your team. If there are enough… we can make even more teams.”

So much work to be done, but it will be done! Ah… perhaps he would also need to bum some techniques from his master? He would have to ask next chance he gets… damn. He can’t admit he doesn’t know any techniques yet… he will have the kids he gathers focus on their strength training and mental conditioning first. Then, once he figures out something to teach them and he has conditioned their loyalty… then he will teach them.

Given time. This area has all the resources he would need.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Amala readjusted her pack, all that was left of her team’s valuables in it as well as their remaining food from the cave. It was frustrating trying to balance it on her shoulder, and she still was not used to using only her left hand yet, and her bandaged shoulder still aching.

She was traveling south, looking to put her past life in Njord behind her. However, having been a bandit meant that it would be hard to find work in a normal city. Considering how well the Kingdom maintained an information network between cities, it would only be a matter of time until she was found out. Instead, she was looking for a small town to start over. A quiet place, one where they might be willing to accept a pretty girl with a sad story and not ask too many questions.

After a while of searching, and asking various travelers about towns and places they had visited, she found one that perfectly suited her taste. It was much further to the South, in the territory adjacent to Archduke Guilford’s territory and one of the Seven City states, Moxis. She couldn’t remember the name of the Marquis who ran the territory, but the village of Mist Vale was located along the river Cairne and wasn’t too far off from the sea. Even if things turned for the worse there, she could make a last ditch attempt to escape in to the treacherous isles and join a pirate crew there.

Just this once, though, she will make an attempt at an honest living!

She smiled sadly to herself, and wondered about how different things could have turned out if she made better decisions in life, as she continued to trudge down her solitary path. Perhaps Gus wouldn’t have died, maybe she could have had a family? The answer to these questions, she would never know.