The following morning, Raye had laid a small banquet out for breakfast across the floor of the outpost. She was flitting in and out of existence often, stating that she was being called on for duties.

Once Xellie finished eating and was ready to leave the abandoned outpost, Raye laid a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

The outpost and its surroundings vanished, immediately replaced by stone walls, and a small wooden door.

“What did you...”

Raye held a finger to her lips, indicating Xellie to be quiet as the door opened with a creak.

A small man clad in dark priest robes peered around the door, ushering them in.

“Welcome back Lady Sunna and err... Welcome to Aldera I guess?” The priest looked at Xellie disdainfully. “Is this an outsider?”

“No. She was outside of the restricted zone on orders of Asvord.” Raye replied curtly. “Please proceed with your exorcism checks so we can continue our homeward journey.”

The small priest man guided Xellie into a small room, bidding her sit on a wooden chair in the centre. Around which there was a chalk circle on the ground.

“Please wait here.” He told her, slamming the door shut behind him.

She hoped this wasn’t going to take long and sat on the chair swinging her feet into the air. The room was most likely being flooded with various magic spells from the outside. She wouldn't feel any of them, not being a demon. The chalk circle lit up a brilliant white and then vanished from the ground.

The door opened. A more muscular priest walked in, talking while eating some bread.

“Oh we’ll just need to do a quick physi... oh it’s you.”

“Talynn?!” Xellie exclaimed, jumping off the chair and running behind it. “Don’t you touch me, I have uhh... I’m not armed but I can give you plenty of what I gave you back at the academy.”

“Okay okay.” Talynn crammed the rest of his bread roll into his mouth. “Can I... just work hands-off?”

“I don’t want you to inspect me! I want a different priest!” Xellie gripped the back of the chair tightly. “I swear Talynn.”

“I’m the only one here.” Talynn glanced over his shoulder out of the door. “Well, the only one qualified.”

“Ryvena isn’t here?”

“Nah, she has a new partner and is out on the field now.” Talynn closed the door and lowered his voice. “I’ll stand here, just take your boots, and clothes off... keep the underwear I don’t wanna see that... and I’ll just report it as done.”

“Fine.” She replied, dropping her tunic to the floor and turning so he could see her back and front. Physical inspections of anyone involved in demon combat were part of life, which she was used to. “Satisfied?”

“Your tattoo needs a top-up.” Talynn said thoughtfully pointing at her belly. “It’s a little faded but the spell should have a few days left in it. I can do that later.”

“Thanks,” she replied, sliding her tunic back on, and then grabbing her boots. “Is this really enough?”

“Yeah.” Talynn opened the door, then turned back to her, resting his hands on each side of the doorframe, smirking. “Lady Sunna is more than qualified. She could just vouch for you.”

“You mean...” she rolled her eyes and threw her boot at Talynn, hitting him in the stomach. “I hate you.”

“Don’t....” Talynn wheezed, laughing between coughs where the boot had winded him. “Don’t... assault me... You’re such... a dummy.”

Her other boot flew past his head into the hallway hitting the wall opposite.

Allowing himself another chortle, Talynn walked off as the tip tap of Raye’s heels approached.

“What is going on here?” Raye asked, raising an eyebrow. “And why...”

“My boots had an unfortunate accident involving his face,” Xellie replied, snatching her boot off Raye.

“Don’t let that little cave troll get to you,” Raye said. “His life is miserable enough having been kicked from the academy early. Now he's stuck here doing checks on the ten travellers a year that pass these gates.”

“Is that what happened? I thought he passed his exams and left.”

“Academically, he did fine. However, his attitude wasn’t conducive to teamwork. We can rest at this place for a day. But come with me outside.”

Raye guided Xellie through the maze of corridors to the grounds outside. She kept walking through the orchard to a small clearing behind the trees, out of view from the main building.

Disappearing in a blink and reappearing, Raye handed over a short sword to Xellie.

“This is my sword, I thought it was lost that day in the forest....” Xellie inspected it, drawing the blade out of its red leather sheath. “You cleaned it up a lot.”

“More than that.” Raye leaned back against a tree, sipping on some red wine. “The bottom of the grip twists, but be caref...”

Xellie didn’t wait for Raye’s warning and twisted the grip.

The sword enveloped itself in a golden and silver energy. Which widened and extended itself around the blade.

“It’s powered by your spiritual energy,” Raye explained. “It will be stronger if you’re emotionally charged, but be warned, it will drain you.”

Xellie tested slashing into the air with the sword. It felt strange to her as it felt weightless for the size.

“It will never dull, and the spiritual blade will only damage on a spiritual level. It won’t do much to humans in that regard, but demons and those harbouring demons? You’ll slice them in two.”

“Thank you.” Xellie held the blade high and stared at it wide-eyed. “I didn’t know such a thing existed.”

“Turn it off, you’ll exhaust yourself”.”

Twisting the grip once again, Xellie watched the energy blade vanish. The sword back returned to its normal innocuous form. Giddy with excitement, she flopped down onto the grass, feeling as if she had run for miles.

She had never seen such a weapon until Raye had revealed her spear. Now, here Xellie sat, on the edge of the restricted zone that she never believed she’d be able to leave, with a weapon she never believed could exist.

“Raye... I... I don’t know what to say.”

“Then say nothing,” Raye answered with a slight smile. “Maybe I will give you more toys one day.”

Raye stoop up and pulled Xellie behind a tree, pointing across the orchard toward Talynn, who stood next to the rampart walls.

“Well, well, what is going on over there?” Raye whispered. “Let's get closer.”

Following Raye’s lead, Xellie tiptoed through the brush until within earshot of Talynn.

Talynn looked around apprehensively, not seeing Raye and Xellie hidden in the bushes. He placed a small green-coloured crystal on the ground and clasped his hands in prayer.

“Is he serious?” Xellie mouthed to Raye silently.

“Undoubtedly,” Raye replied without moving her lips. Some kind of telepathy, Xellie assumed.

A small, childlike figure with curled horns appeared next to Talynn, no taller than his knee.

“Is there a message?” the child asked in an echoed voice.

“The package is in transit,” Talynn told the child.

“Message understood.”

The shadowy child vanished in a puff of black smoke, and Talynn picked up his crystal hastily heading back inside.

“An unfamiliar spirit.” Raye mused. “I have no idea who it belongs to.”

After a small discussion, Raye and Xellie decided to pretend they had seen nothing. Talynn had said he would renew Xellie’s protection tattoo, a small protection rune tattooed below her navel, regularly refreshed with holy ink. The purpose was to destroy demonic energy that may enter her body.

With caution, Xellie went to seek Talynn.

“Can we fix this up now?” She asked, lifting her tunic.

“Oh, uh yeah.” Talynn picked up a bottle of ink from the shelf. “Over here, lay down.” he gestured to a couch at the side of the room.

Xellie eyed the black ink suspiciously as Talynn went about his preparations. It lacked the usual iridescent sheen. It seemed he hadn’t blessed it and was looking to trick her. Harmless, yet annoying.

She waited for the needle to touch her skin before enacting her plan. Talynn looked confused as he started to work.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, sitting up.

“Woah Woah. Nothing.” Talynn replied. “The ink just isn’t ... working?”

“It doesn’t look right.” She reached over to grab the ink bottle, as Talynn pulled it away quickly.

“It’s fine I swear it’s fine.” He gulped. “I just need to fix...”

“Don’t give me your crap.” She snapped, jumping to her feet and tackling him to the ground. “What’s your game Talynn?”

“Nothing!” Talynn squawked, trying to wiggle free.

Pressing down on his chest with one arm, she grabbed the ink bottle with the other and poured some of it onto the floor. Discarding the bottle, Xellie then took a small black marble from her pocket and dropped it on the ink.

Nothing happened.

“Demons’ blood should evaporate touching that stuff.” She leaned on his chest harder. “Why would you do that? I will report this.”

“Nobody cares!” Talynn exclaimed. “Nobody will believe you since you lied about your entire existence at the academy.”

“Ugh.” Xellie climbed off Talynn giving him a kick in the ribs as she did so. “You’re pathetic.”

“What about you?” Talynn replied, standing up and rubbing his chest. “You have no idea about anything. You think you’re so cool and strong just because your mother is death maiden.”

“Even you knew?!” Xellie blurted out in shock. “Like did anyone NOT know?”

“I’m just privy to sensitive information.”

“Hmph.” Xellie pushed Talynn, shoving him toward the wall.

“Come on.” Raye chided her outside the room. “Don’t give him anything to report about you to his demon friend.”

Xellie looked between Talynn and the door, choosing to exit the room and follow Raye.

“How can he say and do these things?”

“This is a mess indeed,” Raye said. She lay a hand on Xellie’s shoulder, blinking them out of the building and into the forest, leaving the town walls far behind. “We can’t even kill him, it would raise too many questions.”

“Who is he even working for?” Xellie pressed Raye. “you must have ways to find out.”

“Truthfully, everything is coming up blank.” Raye shook her head sadly. “I find this troubling and will investigate him, but I must warn you, do not speak of me, do not acknowledge me. The possibility of you being locked away and considered insane would prevent you from doing the things you desire.”

“Magical weapons, divine beings, potential super powers AND I have to keep it secret?!” Xellie laughed. “This is amazing.”

“Potential superpowers?” Raye cocked an eyebrow slightly. “Well, I suppose that is just simple deduction on your part, but nothing is guaranteed. If even you inherit power from me, you’d have to prove yourself to access our spiritual network to use it.”

“I could clean the world of demons since I don’t have your burea...boora...beracr....that thing that stops you helping,” Xellie babbled.

Raye allowed herself a momentary smile at her daughter’s excitement, then returned to her usual sternness.

“I cannot stress how important it is to keep this secret and deny it if confronted,” she said sternly. “Why do you think Niko hid your identity as a child?”

“It’s starting to make sense.” Xellie took a deep breath, thinking about her hidden identity as a child. “I kind of liked being a boy though.”

“It couldn’t last forever... I have to leave you for a while. If you keep following this path, you’ll reach the mountain pass that will go through to Nordausa.”

Raye vanished.

“I’m going to clean this world up!” Xellie yelled excitedly at a tree, pulling her sheathed sword from her belt and holding it tightly to her chest. “Niko will never leave me behind again! We’ll do battle together without him abandoning me and he’s going to think I’m awesome!”

She squealed into the air with enthusiasm, then stopped to regain her composure as she realised Raye probably saw her outburst.