The not-immortal Blacksmith - Interlude - Trouble II

Hank and Bob stared as the battle unfolded. After the demise of the Ice Demon, they looked at each other for a few moments before Bob broke the silence.

"Well, that happened."

"Yup." Hank said. "You sure your stat appraisal was accurate?"

"Yes." Bob shook his head. "I just don't get it. You think his gear gave him that much of an extra boost? I couldn't get a good read at that distance."

"More than likely." Hank shrugged. "What do we do now?"

"We keep watching." Bob answered. Head swiveling back to the plateau.

As they watched, a group of mages and the leader of the army began breaking down the obelisk in the center of the demons camp. As it started to crumble the air started to warm, and the ice fields began to melt.

"There goes our early Christmas." Said Bob.

"Yup." Hank replied. "Uh, that reminds me, are we heading to your folks this year, or mine?"

"I think we had Easter at yours this year. So...Mine?" Bob responded.

"Okay. Please remind your sister to stop hitting on me? You and I got married to stop that kind of shit." Said Hank.

"I told you not to let her be your maid of honor, but Noooo." Said Bob.

"Look you, how was I supposed to know she would get a bit stalkerish on me afterwords?" Hank said.

"Because I told you that would happen?" Bob shot back, smiling.

A boom echoed across the plain.

"Whatever." Hank shook his head, returning the smile. "Oh, looks like they have completed the destruction of the obelisk."

"Alright, now we wait for them to clear out, and then go investigate the scene." Bob said.

*-*-*

An hour and a bit later, Bob and Hank walked up to the top of the plateau. A short look around confirmed what they already knew, the place was a wreck, and anything of use was gone. Anything that was of no use, and the demons dead had been piled on top of one of the wooden buildings and put to the torch.

"They are nothing, if not efficient. This is the best game we have ever played!" Bob said.

"Yes. Yes it is. But, you know, I'm starting to have questions about this place. Every time we log out, it seems to take longer and longer to wake up." Said Hank.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Bob said. "Remind me when we get back to start a support ticket on that. Also, demon king boy always gets angry if we don't show up on time. It's beginning to annoy me."

"Such is the way with these new immersive games." Hank looked around. "Alright. Nothing left to see here. Let's get back, the cold is going to give my avatar the sniffles."

The two men walked down the slope to level ground. One waved his hand, summoning a portal, and they stepped through.

*-*-*

The demon general's grand hall was hot, several fireplaces around the edge doing the job nicely. New tapestries adorned the walls, likely stolen from small holdings and towns along the border. Two servants were busy applying body art and decorations to the General.

"Gentlemen." General Grapestien said, raising an ornately decorated clawed hand, "What do you have to report?"

Hank and Bob looked at each other and shrugged. "It was as you predicted, General. The Ice Demon was soundly beaten, and beheaded. Your former Lieutenant has indeed pledged loyalty to the Hero. The Hero's army took lighter than expected casualties, about one in ten of his committed troops. A decimation if you will. All useful items were taken as well as most of the lumber. Anything left behind was put to the torch." Hank reported.

"An interesting thing, General, they piled all of the demon corpses that didn't dissolve onto a makeshift pyre and gave them a funeral. Might you enlighten us as to why they would do that?" Bob asked.

"Oh. Those bastards." General Grapestien said. "If the hero gave them last rights, then he has sent the demons back into the karmic circle. I will need to report this act of blasphemy to my lord when I see him tonight at the ball."

"General? Sir?" Bob asked.

"A blessed purification is the only way to truly get rid of a demon. Burning the corpses with normal fire gets rid of the bodies, and prevents any taint from the bodies sinking into the soil." General Grapestien lectured. "But with the invocation of Purity, the bodies are truly destroyed and the shred of spirit from which it was made is cast into the circle of reincarnation, where the spirit fragment may grow into an actual soul. It is the most heinous of desecration for one of us."

Bob and Hank both nodded, the light of understanding in their eyes.

"Thank you for the enlightenment, Lord General." Bob said, sincerity in his voice. "Will you require anything else from us today, or may we retire and log out for the day?"

"I believe that is all." General Grapestien waived his hand in dismissal, "Off you go."

Bob and Hank bowed deeply, and departed from the hall.

One of the servants looked at the General, "Are you sure we cannot eat them, my lord?"

"Not yet, but soon though, my precious ones, soon."