I stared at the group of four Vengeful Sprayers as I had dubbed them. A fifth one was en route to the sea to get his first load. It was becoming light, and although I was tired, I was also incredibly content.

Three rudimentary bows lay beside me, only lacking a string, while two shin guards sat attached to my legs, but my attention wasn't on that. I was staring at Laurel as the four Sprayers stalked closer to her sleeping form.

"Now!" I whispered loudly, and immediately they sprayed the unsuspecting woman.

With a loud screech, Laurel surged up, her hand grabbing the ax that lay beside her.

"What, where?"

Seeing her startled look while her long wet hair stuck to the sides of her face, I barked a laugh.

"That'll teach you!"

Laurel stared at me, then at the four Sprayers. For a moment, it looked like she would rush them, then she stood up straight and grinned. "By Cinderage's hot nuts, those are the weirdest Spiderlings I've ever seen!"

"Yes! Wait.. what?" I said, staring at her. "What are Spiderlings?"

Laurel frowned as she pointed at the Sprayers. "That's what you based those on, right? They live on the other side of the empire, part spider, part grablon. They live in a massive forest area that is completely under their control."

She put her ax away and crouched in front of one of the Sprayers. "Real ones have shorter legs, normal top arms, and much longer, blood-red hair that runs down their back. I've also never seen a male one..."

Wondering if everything I could think of had a counterpart, I wondered if they had dragons here. Deciding I didn't want to know right now, I grabbed the bows and tossed one to Laurel.

"Ugh, another of these things. You really need to learn how to make a decent bow," she muttered as she bent the bow to test its flexibility.

"Better a bad bow, then a rock to throw," Haltir said as he yawned and stretched his arms. "Looking at me, then Laurel, he snorted. "Did you even sleep, boy? You look like you'll fall over any moment."

"It's fine. I'll survive for another day," I said and climbed from the goat as the fifth and final of the Sprayers moved our way.

"So, what are these things for, other than waking up Laurel?" Haltir asked, inspecting the Sprayers.

"Those Eng Leeches," I said. "They don't like water, right?"

Laurel looked at the small Sprayers in surprise before her eyes began gleaming. "That might actually work! How fast are they?"

I turned to the incoming Sprayer. "Come here as fast as you can!" I shouted, and immediately the Sprayer's speed doubled as it rushed across the rocky undergrowth.

Haltir whistled. "Not as fast as the Eng's, but good enough," he said.

My stomach began growling again, louder than the day before, and I licked my dry lips. "We need to get some drinkable water before we search for more food."

Laurel moved to her mount and climbed atop. "Then you'd better get these things moving again!"

I put new Vengeful Spirits in the Goats and when I finished I ordered the vengeful sprayers to attach themselves to the mounts and we set out.

Ten minutes later, the wooden feet of the mounts splashed through the surf of the gravel beach. The water that lapped over the rocks was more brown than red, and I noticed that the foam on the waves wasn't red like I had seen before. It seemed more muddy than bloody.

"There is less blood in this sea?"

Laurel didn't reply, staring at the waves.

"Laurel?"

She shook her head. "I don't know what is going on… this water should be even redder than the sea around Orlion."

We moved a bit further along the coast, trying to find something that would explain what was going on, but all we found was more brown water. We stopped a few hundred meters from where the beach rose sharply into another cliff that led up and away. I examined the surroundings, especially the cliffs to our left and ahead, and wondered how good of a defensive position this would make. The only easy way here was through the sea or from the slope we had just come. Staring up at the cliffs, I grimaced. Although going down would be hard for any assailant, any intelligent foe could just kill us by tossing boulders down.

I stopped my mount and climbed off. The water that soaked my boots was warmer than I had thought, and I began removing my top armor. "I'll go and see what's down there. Laurel, do you know of a way to make this water drinkable?"

"I've got a spell for that..." Laurel began before blinking. "Well, I used to. Rathica changed some things, and I'm not sure if I can still use it."

Haltir snorted. "Spells spells. You young people. All we need is to filter it through cloth and boil this stuff for half an hour."

Laurel made a tsking sound and began nodding.

I frowned, staring at the sea. "This is saltwater, right?" I said, wondering if beings in this world could actually drink that.

"No, it's not," Laurel said as she stepped deeper into the sea and cupped her hands to bring some of the water up for closer inspection. "The salty taste is from the demon blood in it, and you can boil that away." She turned to Haltir. "How do you propose to make a fire?"

Before I could suggest rubbing wood, Haltir sighed and turned his mount. "I'll go and get some wood to make a fire, and I'll show you."

As his goat mount trotted off, I heard him mutter something about spoiled magic users.

"Make sure you're bloody careful, old man!" Laurel shouted. She got no answer and shrugged as she looked at me. "If he keeps going off alone like that, he'll not be coming back someday soon. I think you should talk with him…"

I agreed with every word she said but wondered if Haltir would even listen to me. He seemed fine with telling other people to do things that kept them safe but kept running off on his own."

"I'll wait till he gets back and have a word with him before going down," I said, moving my Sabertooth Goat to the one-meter patch of dry rock below the cliffside. I wasn't really looking forward to the conversation, but then again, it had bothered me yesterday when he kept going off on his own to find food.

Within ten minutes, the familiar thudding of Haltir's goat came, and a moment later, he came over the edge of the slope. One arm filled with branches, he didn't seem the least bit bothered by the rough terrain or the fact he had only one arm on the goat's neck. When he saw me still there and not underwater, his eyebrows raised. "What's this? Already back?"

I reached up to take the wood, waiting for him to climb down.

"Nothing running around up there?" I asked, putting the wood on the dry patch.

"Of course not. Now, why are you fidgeting about like this."

I looked into the others' grey eyes with a frown. I had definitely not been fidgeting!

"You shouldn't keep going off on your own like that, Haltir. We've only us three here, and you heard what Laurel said."

Haltir froze, then stood up straight as he looked down on me, reminding me of the fact that he was actually taller than me. Usually, it wasn't apparent as he moved slightly stooped over.

"I was wondering when you were going to step up. If you are to guide your people here, you can't just go and accept whatever people do! You are right too, but being back in the saddle, even if it's one so different from when I was younger, makes me feel like the scout I once was." Haltir grinned, then turned with a flourish to Laurel.

"You didn't have anything to do with him asking this all of a sudden, did you?" The smirk on his face showed he seemed to think she had.

Laurel didn't respond, gazing at a spot above us. Her gaze shot to us, then back up.

Shit, now what. I turned my head, looking at the top of the cliff. A pair of bloodshot eyes with blurry yellow slits stared down at us from a ragged, grey, reptilian face.

"Don't move." Haltir's voice was barely audible above the sounds of the sea and wind.

The bloodshot eyes flashed towards her, and the head lowered itself further over the edge. It was attached to a short thick neck, covered with broken, grey scales. After a moment, the eyes moved back to the sea, gazing at it for a long time. Then the head withdrew, and I heard soft shuffled padding quickly distancing itself from us.

"Wait," Haltir whispered as I started to move again.

I froze and remained quiet, wondering what the hell that had been.

A few minutes later, Haltir drew in a deep breath. "Alright, it shouldn't be able to hear us anymore."

"What the hell was that," I asked, turning to Haltir.

"A demon, and a particularly nasty one. Be glad they are blind during the day and tend to avoid confrontation. If we meet that thing at night, we are going to be in trouble."

"I've never seen one of those in the books," Laurel muttered.

Haltir barked a laugh as he moved towards the wood. "Not everything useful is in those books. Now let's get a fire started. If that thing's around here, nothing else should come close."

I moved back to my mount, disrobed and hung my armor across the goat's back, and put my boots beside it. I dislodged the vengeful sprayers and summoned spirits in them. “Guard this area, and if anything comes close that isn’t any of the people here now, attack it.” The sprayers moved away, lodging to the mountainsides like birds of prey, ready to strike.

I placed my ax against the wall, and took a throwing ax and one of my belts with me and moved towards the water.

"I'm going to scout and perhaps find something edible. Make sure you two are ready for trouble if I get back."

"After that speech, shouldn't you take one of us along?" Haltir said.

"Do either of you still have the mouthpiece?" I asked, looking across my shoulder. When Haltir didn't reply, I shrugged. "We need food, and according to Laurel, the sea is the only reasonably safe place to get it."

Laurel was staring at the cliff but turned to me, her eyes widening at the belt. "Only go for the silver-grey fish. Anything else isn't edible."

"Any particular kind?"

"There's only one kind. As long as your arm, with teeth as long as your finger."

Of course, they would have teeth, I thought as I moved across the slippery pebbles. The warm water wrapped around my legs and waist, and I was glad it wasn't so murky that I couldn't see the ground. Casting Gills, I hoped something would go right for a change.

"Don't stay too long," Laurel shouted just as I went under.

--

An hour later, I resurfaced a few meters from the coast, a wide grin on my face. I had lost my throwing ax and my belt, but as I pulled the four dead fish behind me, I decided it was worth the loss. A trickle of smoke came from a spot a dozen meters to the left, and I saw two shapes move around.

Swimming forward, I kept my head below the water, looking around. The water was brown but clear enough to see through. Ten meters deeper, a maze of boulders and ridges covered the seafloor. Brownish plants grew throughout the ridges, and dozens, if not hundreds of fish similar to those I was dragging behind me, were darting around, nibbling from leaves. It was by far one of the most idyllic places I'd been to so far.

A minute later, I moved out of the water, seeing Laurel glare at me from beside a campfire.

"So. You're still alive?" Laurel hissed. "By Cinderage's flaming balls, what were you thinking staying out that long?"

I didn't reply but raised all four arms up, the fish dangling heavily from my arms. I knew she was probably right, but I had honestly forgotten the time as I swam around trying to corner and strangle fish.

"Well, bring them up here so we can prepare them then," Haltir grunted from the side.

Ten minutes later, my mouth was watering from the incredible smell of roasting fish. Haltir was standing near the shore, making sure we weren't waylaid again, while Laurel and I sat beside the fire. The four fish sat on wooden spikes I had made on the edge of the fire.

I held my tongue to ask how much longer. I'd asked twice already, and Laurel had grinned the second time, saying I reminded her of her sister. Instead, I turned to her.

"How old is your sister?"

Laurel looked at me in surprise for a moment before answering. It was probably the first time I'd asked about her life before we met.

"She is thirteen now and was almost as tall as me when I left home," Laurel said, grinning proudly.

Deciding I probably should get to learn a bit more about her, and as the fish wasn't ready yet, I nodded. "Do you have any more siblings?"

"Not when I left," Laurel said, grinning widely. "But mom just found another flame, so who knows when I get back? She has a few good years in her still, and she said she wanted more kids than her sister."

Another flame? I thought, wondering if Grablons didn't do things like marriage. Laurel was looking at the fish, a big grin on her face as she continued talking.

"My aunt has six, you know! So I'm pretty sure mom's going to lose that contest. But who knows! Darr has already fathered a dozen children, so with his vigor, anything is possible!" Her voice petered off, and she looked at me with surprise.

"It's so weird, using their names with other people around. But for some reason, it just seems so natural. I'll have to be careful when I meet with others..."

I looked at her with a half-smile on my face. "It's probably because of Rathica. I'm sure it'll work out if you pay attention to it."

Laurel frowned, then shrugged before continuing to tell me about her mother and sister and the house they had in Vorchal. I tried paying attention, but the smell of the fish was intoxicating.

Laurel stopped her energetic gesturing and surged up when more liquid began oozing out of the holes in the fish and dripping on the fire. "It's ready!"

I moved forward and took one of the fish, turning to Haltir. He was staring at me, and I could see him swallow. With a grin, I got another and moved towards him, carefully holding both fish and making sure not to drop them.

Handing him one, he held it up below his nose and sighed.

I completely agreed with the sentiment, and careful not to burn my fingers, I began plucking off pieces of fish and stuffing them in my mouth.

It felt like I had put rotting snot in my mouth, and I barely refrained from gagging. Haltir was gobbling up his fish beside me, not seeming to have a care in the world, and if I hadn't caught them both, I'd have thought we had different fish. It took all my effort not to spit the stuff out but swallow it. It burned a path down my throat like I had taken a big drink of hard liquor, and I coughed, my throat instantly dry.

Haltir laughed beside me, but I barely noticed. A warm sensation was spreading from my stomach, and a ping came from my status window. Slightly panicky, I called it up.

> You have taken a bite of demon-flesh

> Demonic poison resistance increased by one for the duration of a day

Looking at the value of four out of five, I whistled.

"This is a demon?" I muttered, staring at the fish.

"Of course it is. Everything in the sea is," Haltir said with a mouth full of pink flesh. "Wait, this is the first time you're eating this, isn't it?" He stared at me with a grin on his face, and I heard Laurel bark out a laugh from the fireplace. "I'm impressed you didn't spit it out! Don't worry. It gets better after you get used to the texture."

I frowned, taking a careful second bite. It hadn't improved in the slightest, and gritting my teeth, I swallowed the horrid stuff.

"And how long till it gets better?" I grumbled, staring at the fish that smelled divine and tasted like crap.

"A month or two if you eat it daily!" Haltir said, slapping my shoulder as he burst out laughing.

Sighing, I sat down and slowly forced myself to eat the cursed fish, listening to the laughing and giggling of Laurel.

I hope it tastes better dried.