So, a mix of males and females gathered in a private place, in the evening, while everyone else was asleep. To do what?

Play like little children.

Sure, the art on those cards was impressive. So much, I spent most of the time admiring it. But the whole point of it was to pretend that we’re some summoners facing each other in a cataclysmic battle.

Pretending … like little children.

At first, I thought they were testing or tormenting me, trying to break my sanity in their own twisted, demonic way. But I soon realized that they were really into it. It was late evening, yet all of them were full of energy. Ira’s quarters bristled with laughter and excitement. Sometimes, they even reacted very emotionally, like Mun-Hee when Ira “exiled” one of her heroes, as I’ve understood. Or when Jens backstabbed him and made some of Ira’s horrors come over to his side.

But there were no heroes nor horrors. No one was exiled. Those were just some cards, beautiful cards, but cards nonetheless. Still, they pretended all of it was real and had a great time.

“Snirba, if you is not like kouk, you not have to drinking it,” Booker said at one point.

“Umm … it’s … I’m just not used to it …”

“It is ok. Karbonejted drinks is strange to people here. Us can get you something else.”

“Not just that. I think this is boring for her,” Jens said.

“No, no, I’m fine. I’m having a great time. This is just a new experience for me, so I’m a little bit lost.”

“How do timkiks have fun?” Mun-Hee asked.

“Uhh … we mostly have balls and parties. With some fancy food and music.”

“Are you not slave?” Ira asked.

“I … I s-served noble masters …” I caught myself stuttering like a fool, shocked that he broke my cover so easily.

Luckily, Mun-Hee was there to help: “Stop Ira! Not talk of past!”

“I is surprised, that is all. You is being at noble party?”

“I … I … yes, I … I served there …”

“Stop! Not talk of it! Ira, stop!” Mun-Hee pointed her finger angrily at him as if she could kill him with it somehow.

Ira backed off with his arms raised up in surrender as if that could really happen: “Ok, I stop. Not want anything bad.”

“Still … how is you likeing to have fun, Snirba?” Jens asked.

“Huh?”

“If this is boring for you, how you want to have fun?”

“I … I really don’t know. I never thought of it. I was told what to do and what to enjoy my whole life.”

“So now, when you is free, how you want to have fun?”

“I … I really don’t know. I don’t mind this. It’s a new thing for me, so I’m taken by surprise. I can see myself enjoying it after I get used to it.”

“I not ones see you smile. What is makeing you smile?”

“Serving you, of course,” I did my best to put as convincing smile as possible.

“You is free now. Not need to serve me.”

“I understand that slavery is done differently here, master, but it’s still my duty to serve you.”

“You pick you’re duty you’re self here.”

“And I pick to serve you.”

“Uhh … maybe we … others, can go?” Ira asked, looking uncomfortable for the first time ever.

“But we are in your quarters,” I pointed out.

“If you two need to talk, we can go and return late.”

“No, no,” Jens refused, “not have to go. We just talking. About what Snirba like.”

“Really, what you like?” Mun-Hee asked.

“Uhh … I like serving my master. That gives me purpose. I just want my master to recognize me, that’s all. However, it looks as if I’m not needed here, and that makes me feel useless.”

Mun-Hee looked at me disappointedly, then turned her head away and started talking with the other demons in their tongue. After a short conversation, Ira finally said something I could understand. At least partially.

“Why not she being Jens’ sekretri?”

“I not need one.”

“None sense! A human hero needs a sekretri!”

“I is not hero, and you knowing it!”

Ira pointed his finger at Jens accusingly and started talking authoritatively. He was very bold to act that way towards Jens, who was twice as muscular.

“No! You is hero, like it or not! And is time you start acting like one!”

Jens retorted with something in their tongue, looking somewhat enraged. I have no idea what, but it sounded as if he was cursing Ira.

“He is true, Jens,” Eric said, “We knowing you not like it, but you need to start acting like a hero. We all agree with that.”

“And hero needs sekretri!” Ira pointed out.

“Excuse me, but what is this sekretri you’re talking about?” I asked, having no idea what the commotion was about, “Is it something like a concubine?”

“What is concubine?” They all asked me in turn.

“It’s a female who … umm … this is somewhat awkward since I’ve never heard you talk about it. So please, forgive me if I’m saying something that is taboo here. I’m not trying to be disrespectful or offensive. A concubine is a female whose duty is to keep her benefactor satisfied … to keep him close company when he so desires.”

“Yes, hero can always use someone with him,” Ira nodded his head, “He must all ways have someone pretty near by.”

“Snirba, this female … is she needing to do sex things with her … benefactor,” Jens asked.

“It’s her duty to keep him satisfied.”

“Some sekretris do that,” Ira said, nodding his head vigorously.

Jens didn’t like that remark one bit. He got back to talking in their demonic tongue, glaring at Ira all the time. Ira’s eyes widened in sudden realization, and he actually started acting apologetically for once.

Mun-Hee, on the other hand, looked horrified. They talked for a while before turning towards me and giving me the looks of utter pity.

“No duty like that here,” Jens said, “No sex things to do for any one.”

“But then … how do you … what then … I mean … I’m not trying to intrude, but …”

I had no idea how to ask what I wanted to. There’s no way that the demons don’t engage in sex, that’s absurd! And yet, they’ve never once mentioned it. Considering they’ve never talked about it, I was scared that I’d be breaking some cultural norms. That would cost me dearly.

Luckily, Eric was perceptive enough, like a true teacher he is: “No sex duty here. A hero like Jens not need someone on sex duty. He can get on his own. And, if someone can not get it, then they do not deserve it. Here, everyone have to … convince is not a good word. How do you say when someone is trying to get someone into sex?”

“I think you want to say seduce?”

“Yes, seduce! Here, people have sex only if they can seduce someone. Else, they do not deserve it. And Jens have no trouble seduceing someone. So, he not need sex duty.”

It started dawning on me. That actually made a lot of sense. When we hear of demons, we think of violent creatures who take whatever they want and do however they will. So, if a demon wants to have sex, we think they’ll just rape the first person they see.

However, I’ve realized that things are different here on the very first day. If we exclude their attempt at blood magic, I’m yet to experience any unpleasantness. And even then, they didn’t force me into it.

So, how does it make sense? I’ve already told you that I’m convinced Mun-Hee has a succubus or two in her linage. So I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the same is true for the others. It’s just that I didn’t spend much time with them, so I didn’t get affected like with Mun-Hee.

In fact, the differences between the demons here are almost non-existent. You’d expect this place to be filled with all kinds of demons, and yet, there’s only one race here. Yes, some have smaller eyes, some have different skin color, but these differences are minuscule at best. It’s like with the elves. You have wood-elves, high-elves, dark-elves, but they’re all still elves. It’s the same thing with these demons.

So … I don’t really have any proof, and I’m just guessing here, but these demons may have mixed their blood so much they’ve all merged into a single race. I’m not a scholar, but I do know that the kids take after both of their parents. However, the races of Greadinall can’t mix their blood, so that plays no role in interracial relations. But, if that would be possible …

What if these demons can mix their blood with the other races? What if they can give birth to interracial offspring?

I had to ask: “Umm … I’m sorry if this sounds weird, but I’m curious about something. Mun-Hee, is it possible for you and Jens to have a child?”

Mun-Hee stared incredulously at me, her small eyes open wide and her face twisted in disgust: “Why ask?”

“I’m just curious, that’s all. You said that you’re a different race than him, so I’m curious if the two of you can have children. It doesn’t have to be Jens, it can be any other male of his race. I’m just curious if your race can conceive a child with his.”

“Sure they can, why not?” Ira answered before Mun-Hee had managed to recover.

Finally, these strange demons started making some sense.