Ser Andronicus had just been saved by the witch girl with arrows and spells swift and true, and now she had told him that she had found the demon. What mighty well work she had done. If she had been of the faith, she would have acquired any honour she wanted, and all that in such short time. It was truly by the guidance of the gods that she had acquired this diligence and sense of duty.

They arrived in an antechamber filled with comfortable furniture and beautiful paintings. But now was not the time to rest. Not standing at the threshold of the demon’s foul nest.

She opened the doors for him and closed them behind him. She understood that there was to be no interloping upon a duel between demon and deity.

He looked upon the room. It would be beautiful and full of grace, had it not been for the stench the demon that had sullied it. It had replaced the throne with a bed, how lecherous and transparent. The cult might have enthralled his men except for the most pure, but Andronicus shall not fail today.

Then the demon showed its face. It had taken the form of a beautiful, healthy woman that could enslave a man’s loins with ease.

“Welcome, Ser Andronicus of Fulgopolis, son of Theodosia.”

“Do not dare to take my mother’s name in your foul mouth, demon!”

She giggled. He had to admit it was a sound like the brightest bell of the great cathedral of Her Radiance.

“I harbour no ill will to you, mighty warrior. In fact, I am here to reward you.”

Ser Andronicus decided it had been enough of these word games. “What reward can you give me? None. Only Her Radiance can!” He drew his blade and strode towards the last enemy on this island.

“Come for me then. I welcome you and your sword with open arms.” Her smile was sickening, but sweet. Beautiful even. Had it not been the shape of a demon, he would have taken her as a chaste maiden in Her Radiance’s services. As he came closer, he decided to slow down is pace. He had to observe her properly to fight her. Who knew what deadly weapons and twisted powers this body hid beneath?

She opened her arms to him and her red robe fell open. Her beauty was radiating. The grip on his sword faltered, the silver flame extinguished. She came ever closer, but he could not move. She touched his breast plate, and as if unhindered by all mundane constraints, his plate, his mail, his gambeson and even his garments slid off his body.

Naked and confused, he stood before Her. She embraced him and he knew it was his reward. Of course, the unbelieving witch girl saw Her as a demon, but he knew, as his stalwart men were slaughtering the last remains of the cult outside – under his strong leadership and unwavering faith – Her Radiance had sent him this retirement from Her services, this emissary to herald in his new life. “It is enough.” She whispered to him. “You can rest now, and continue your glorious bloodline.”

She took him to the bed. Its cushions were soft beyond compare and scented with the sweetest of aromas: Hers. She threw off Her robe and got on top of him. “We shall make the greatest miracle of all together.” She said to him. He put his hands on Her body. He felt like a fool, didn’t know what to do or how, but She had been sent for this purpose, She knew what to do, and She ignited a fire within him he had always managed to suppress. Now, in this moment, it burned even brighter for all these past years of darkness.

He could not stop his body and his voice, but he felt no shame. She was dancing in ecstasy atop him, as he did beneath her.

Glass shattered; a shadow plunged from above; shards hit the bed; the assailant landed on Her Radiance’s emissary, and She screamed and tore the veil of holy love apart. The witch had sunken her vicious fangs into Her neck.

“NO! WITCH! DEMON!” He tried to get up and reach for his sword, but it was not beside him, and both of them weighed heavy on him. “CURSE YOU, LET HER...” He felt as if a blindfold had been torn away. The world suddenly seemed so real and hard. A cold wind was blowing into the throne room and took the sweet scents with it.

The woman was screaming in agony and the witch let up, got off from her, her fangs dripping with blood. The woman tried to stand back up, put up a last fight, the witch merely pushed her back down.

“HOW? SHE WAS DEAD!” the woman screamed. “I SAW HER DEFEAT!”

The witch merely scoffed. “Playing dead is a great way to fool both predator and prey that thinks itself a predator.”

“WHY? YOU TRAITOR!” the woman screamed. “I PROMISED YOU EVERYTHING!”

“Oh shut up, wicked demon!” The witch wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in your arms and turned me your back."

Andronicus knew not what was happening before his eyes, but he felt disgust with the woman. He got away from her as fast as possible. The witch walked over to his clothes and picked up his pants and shirt, then threw them to him, all while the woman was writhing and screaming in agony, trying to get back up and stagger away, failing repeatedly.

“I failed. You said I could slay her, but I couldn’t.”

The witch flashed a cruel smile. “I knew you couldn’t.”

“Then why did you tell me? Why did you send me in?”

“Because I needed you to keep her still and distracted, while I got some distance and into position.” She pointed upwards. Above the throne-bed, the shattered skylight let the cold fresh autumn air in.

The demon had gathered enough strength to speak again. “I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN...AAAAARGH... FIX YOU!”

The witch smiled. “I don’t need fixing, I am already fulfilling my purpose admirably. One abomination at a time.”

“YOU’RE AN ABOMINATION TOO, HYPOCRITE!!”

“It’s not hypocrisy. It’s penance.”

“THEN YOU WILL VANISH INTO NOTHINGNESS, STAIN ON FERTILITY! YOU WHOOORE! YOU SSSLLLUTTT!”

“I won’t vanish. My blood will, my flesh will. But so will yours. What have you taught and to whom?”

The demon brought forth a few more words of pain, but the witch was obviously no longer listening.

Andronicus decided he had to put an end to this. “I can make her shut up, if you wish for quiet.” he went to pick up his blade.

“No. This is my death to deal. She will suffer until the end!” Her voice was determined and strong. “Go to your men. They’ll need your guidance in this cruel awakening. And if you find the professor, tell him to meet me here.”

“I can’t go out to them like this!”

“I’ll help you put on your armour, for goodness sake!”

She did as she had said and he went back out to his men. The door needed a bit of force, but eventually, it gave way.

“What happened, milord?” Father Syagricus asked with concern.

“I’ve slain the demon. The witch shall remain to make sure all traces of it are eliminated. Let us go to the men of faith. They’ll need our guidance in this time.”

“As you say.”