Author's note

Yay, I had a surprise springing on me yesterday, so I missed out on my time to write the chapter.

Word count

This chapter: 1839

Total: 25260

NaNoWriMo target for the 16th: 26666

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Aitken held up the armour he had crafted over the last week. The helmet was made from the black head of the wolf, and the shoulderpads had the paws on them. Underneath was the thick leather from the boar, and likewise, the rest of his armour covering his body entirely was black from the fur of the wolves, and reinforced by the leather of the boar.

Aitken stood for a moment and took in the view. “I guess it’s pretty good, thanks to your guidance, potato.” he said, throwing a glance at the dark potato still firmly placed on the table.

He put on the armour, and felt how it fit perfectly. I can’t wait to see Bobby’s face when I show him.

Footsteps echoed in the cave, and Aitken put on his scabbard,, purely out of habit. He glanced at the emptiness of the scabbard. “Ah, that’s right... it shattered.”

Aitken walked towards the exit. “Ah, you’re back, Bobby. How did it go?”

Flasor smirked. “I found a place to call home.”

Aitken’s eyes immediately grew wide in response. “They accepted you?”

He shook his head and waved someone over. “I found her instead.” he nodded towards Rosedriah.

Aitken saw the silhouette, and as the features became apparent one by one, Aitken’s eyes narrowed again, and he put his hand right above his scabbard.

Rosedriah stared at Aitken briefly. “Your horn…”

They both spoke at the same time. “You.”

Flasor smiled “Ah, you know each other, that makes it all a lot ea-”

Aitken pulled up his empty sheath holding it defensively across his chest and Rosedriah grabbed her pendant with one hand, and the needle with the other. “Cepath, prepare for combat.”

Cepath nodded and pulled his bow forth.

Flasor started flailing with his arms “Hold up! You can’t fight, what’s this all about?”

“How are you still here? I unsummoned you.” Rosedriah said with a hint of spite.

Flasor was flabbergasted, and his gaze went between the two. “unsummoned?”

“Let’s get this over with.” Aitken said.

Cepath repeated the words one by one in human tongue.

“A translator? You can tell her ‘thanks for last time, I’ll make sure to return the favour tenfold.’ “

Cepath narrowed his eyes menacingly. “You don’t know who you are messing with, pup.”

“Oh? When someone sentences me to eternity inside the darkness of limbo, I will not take kindly to it.”

Cepath grit his teeth. “I’ll tear your soul out and send it to damnation personally!”

“What’s all that, Cepath?”

Cepath reluctantly gave her a brief translation of what they said.

“You assaulted me upon summoning, stealing my pendant. You forced my hand.”

Cepath looked at Aitken “It seems the time for words are over.” He nocked an arrow.

Flasor summoned forth two fireballs and threw them between the two parties. “STOP!”

Cepath released his arrow, and Aitken quickly rolled into the middle in response, snatching up both fireballs and sending them towards Rosedriah.

Effortlessly, Rosedriah waved off the fireballs and they flew over, igniting a tree.

Cepath shot again, and Aitken dodged, only to retreat towards the cave.

“Got you now!” Cepath darted after Aitken.

“Stop!” Flasor yelled again, latching onto Cepath. “Stop this madness, right this instant” he howled, as Rosedriah darted by.

Cepath shook Flasor off. “I can’t let him go, you must understand - he is dangerous.” he said, before heading towards the cave as well.

Aitken grabbed a bunch of skinning knives and stuffed the potato in his backpack. He noticed Rosedriah, and threw a hunting dagger at her, lightly cutting her side.

Rosedriah grit her teeth. “I’m bleeding now… So I’ll just use that.” she howled. “Rise and obey, murder the imp.”

Aitken looked over his shoulder, and saw the fearsome skeletal-carcass of the boar stand up once more.

Crap, I should have used those bones for something.

The skeletal boar charged at him full force, and he sidestepped.

Twog.

An arrow flew in the air, striking Aitken’s shoulder through the wing.

The skeletal boar ran between Aitken and Cepath, as Aitken darted at Rosedriah and swung the heavy backpack at her.

Rosedriah threw herself to the side, and Aitken darted by, tossing a hunting dagger at Cepath, who was hit by the handle.

Twoing.

Cepath pulled back the bow, but Aitken had already disappeared out of the entrance. “Let’s go, Rosedriah!”

What met Aitken outside was a burning forest, engulfed in flames from a single fireball.

“There he is” Rosedriah yelled.

Aitken darted into the burning forest - after all, fire would not hurt him.

“Go, Skeleton.”

The bone-boar charged straight at Aitken through the flames.

Aitken ran behind a tree, and the boar quickly lost its momentum.

He crawled into a tree near the fire, but not yet on fire. He pulled forth his backpack, and started swinging it in circles, holding it in a leather strap. The speed of the backpack slowly picked up as Aitken swung it with all his might.

“What’s that sound?” Cepath said.

Aitken smirked, as he leapt down. “Kill them all, potato!” he howled as he released a skull-sized black potato at incredible speed from the backpack, converted into a makeshift sling.

The potato shot at Rosedriah like a missile, yet she flipped up her long dress, pulling a long, thin silver blade.

The flames of the forest reflected in the blade as it danced across the air towards the high-speed potato.

The blade made contact with the potato, and the potato was forcibly split in two, as if it had hit a sharp triangle, the two halves of the potato shot out to each their side, completely missing Rosedriah.

“Potato?” Aitken’s mind went numb. The only companion he had had in limbo and during the raid of the church, When his sister attacked him and even the guide for when he made his armour. The potato was now gone forever.

He felt a fire in his chest. Hotter than the forest on fire around him, the burning sensation in his chest overwhelmed him. As if every single bottled up emotion inside him was released at once, in an explosion.

“Release me. Release your inner demon.” The familiar voice, he once thought was a potato, echoed in his head. Aitken grit his teeth, and grabbed the last hunting knife as well as his scabbard in the other hand as his eyes filled with a fury straight out of damnation itself. “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you all!” He screamed with wrath.

He went down on all four limbs and set off, basking his wings sideways - like a bullet, he himself flew towards Rosedriah.

Cepath shot an arrow at Aitken, an arrow which embedded itself deeply into the scabbard, poking out on the other side.

With the very arrow sticking out of the scabbard, Aitken attempted to impale Rosedriah, who swung her sword, cutting the scabbard in two.

Aitken slammed into Rosedriah, and sent the dagger dancing down towards Rosedriah.

“NO, Aitken!” Flasor leapt at Aitken, tackling him off Rosedriah before either combatant cut the other.

“Get off of me” Aitken yelled as he pushed Flasor to the ground.

“Aitken, stop this madness” Flasor desperately yelled.

Cepath shot another arrow at Aitken, and he was struck in the same shoulder he was already hit in.

The adrenaline pumped around Aitken’s body, and his vision tunneled, as he once more leapt towards Rosedriah, with his hunting dagger raised high.

Rosedriah lifted her blade, pointing it directly at the leaping Aitken.

“Enough is enough!” Flasor yelled as he threw two fireballs, each knocking one of their weapons to the side.

Aitken fell unarmed into Rosedriah, whose blade was also pushed to the ground.

The both of them tumbled to the ground, Aitken on top of Rosedriah.

Flasor threw a fireball on the ground and it exploded in a loud bang.

“We are all on the same side, I don’t know what you two had to do with each other in the past, but it’s in the past. Today, we will cooperate. All four of us wish for demons to fit in. We have a common goal, so put your petty squabbles aside. We will talk this over.”

Flasor coughed lightly, upon seeing Aitken laying on top of Rosedriah’s chest with his stomach. “So, please stand up, Aitken… And refrain from sexually harassing Rosedriah any longer, okay?”

Aitken flew up backwards, to his feet. “Wha- I .. Imps don’t even have genders. How could I possibl-”

“Huh? Sure we have genders.” Flasor frowned.

Cepath walked over to Rosedriah and started translating everything that was said.

“Oh yeah? How do you know one from the other?” Aitken asked.

“The pretty pink bow around the horn of the females, of course.” Flasor answered.

“Ahem.” Rosedriah said. “I don’t think this is the time for joking around.”

Flasor looked up at Rosedriah. “I would disagree. If you take a good long look at him, is he truly so demonic you have to murder him? Even when he’s flustered like that?”

Rosedriah hesitated for a moment. “He assaulted me when I summoned him, and h-”

“Let’s not squabble like petty demons, you did send him to Limbo, right? You’ve both done wrongs to each other. Now go make up.”

“What?” They both said at the same time. “That’s not happening!” “He-” “She-”

“So, in the face of changing the very world, you think you can do it alone? Even if we’re against the church of light?”

Both of them stared at the ground.

“Good. Now give each other the hand, and let’s put the past behind us.”

Reluctantly, they extended their arms and shook hands.

“Now, I believe we have some things to talk over, seeing your hostility.” Flasor said.

He looked over at Aitken. “Aitken, why did you assualt Rosedriah right away?”

Aitken took a deep breath. “I had somewhere to be in a rush.”

“Explain.”

Aitken sighed deeply, as if he didn’t want to talk about this. “I was a human before becoming an Imp, and I wasn’t done here… There was something I had to do, in a rush.”

Rosedriah flinched when it was translated. “You were a human? How is that possible?”

Aitken shrugged. “Maybe when the church people cursed me to damnation?”

“You wouldn’t happen to be related to Dragonsbreath?” She asked.

Aitken reluctantly nodded.

“And you were killed by the church?”

“I couldn’t get the plants I needed for the cure… Even if the cure didn’t work.” Aitken answered.

“I was sent there to investigate… There is no cure, never was.” Rosedriah said.

Rosedriah pondered for a moment. “Where’s your human body?”

Aiken shook his head. “Oh, no. I know Flasor said I sexually harassed you, but you leave my human body alone, missy!”

She sighed. “Look, I want to know what happens if I reanimate your body - your soul would be bound to your dead body…”

“What? No you won’t, that’ll be over my dead body!”

She smiled jokingly, for the first time near Aitken. “Yes, yes it will be.”

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Inflict not on an enemy every injury in your power, for he may afterwards become your friend.

- Moslih Eddin Saadi

Thanks for reading!