POV: Milder

I lost the one person who could help me through this. Could I even accomplish this mission without him?

Varr patted me on the shoulder. "Anything I can do to help?" Nothing could help me in this moment.

I tried my best to keep the mood positive. "Maybe we'll find another Zeruran in the next town over." No one laughed. Damn it.

Djarfr pulled out knives and smiled. "Anyone feel like second breakfast?" With the ferocity of a hungry beast, she set all our pots and pans over a different fire and began preparing with utmost enthusiasm. She even removed her backpack, something she would never do in public. She tended to, shook, stirred and tasted every dish before her, with such speed I had trouble following her hands.

In 5 minutes, we had second breakfast, and Djarfr looked happy with herself, and then quickly remembered to put her backpack on before starting her assault on her food. Varr was complimenting every bite, much to the blushing endearment of his lover.

Saethwyr was stoic as always, his careful gaze fixed on Seicig

Seicig was eating while writing down notes about demons.

By the time I had begun, only some pork and the steaks made from the wolf was left, and no one wished to touch them. That and some gruel.

"Is this all you could get from the wolf, Seicig?" Djarfr swung her spoon to get my attention.

"We ate most of it, but I made sure to keep some for you." This was barely anything!

"Thanks."

I spooned some gruel in my mouth, and it was as unappetizing as it always was, but something about today made it extra grueling to eat it. The pork started singing to me with its sweet promises of fat sizzled flesh. I grabbed the pork leg and tried to see how much I could fit in my mouth.

"Milder? Is there something wrong with my gruel?"

"No, It's just boring, and I'd rather eat some meat today." Djarfr shrugged and continued her food. The pork leg was little more than bone and sinew, yet I wasn't full. The wolf steaks were tough, but so well seasoned.

The table was wiped of all foods, and we were all ready to pack up, so it would only be less than an hour until we would leave. So many distractions today.

The animals were saddled and packed, the tents were gon, and in only a few moments, we would leave this spot.

Seicig pulled me aside to her beast. Saethwyr followed close by. "Milder, I have a proposition."

"Go ahead." Seicig pulled out a holy order fire gem held onto a pendant.

"When Kykvandi transformed, the red amulet tugged at my neck in his direction."

"So then he can be tracked?" Seicig shook her head.

"Possibly." Great. It only worked when he was angry.

"That's not good enough!"

"Not if we heighten the sensitivity, so we can use it to find and capture Kykvandi in his humanoid form and convince him."

"We won't be able to convince him, he left of his own volition." Seicig's eyes shifted for a moment before returning to look at me.

"Do you really think we can find another Zeruran in the next town? Or the one after that? You need him for your mission to succeed."

"I can't change his decision." I felt a dark chill crawl down my spine. Seicig was suggesting something I would regret for the rest of my life.

"We still have weapons capable of subduing him. From there, we can guarantee his servitude." We need him. Could I really live with myself if we captured him? Without him, we're unable to get very far in Zerura.

"Alright, just don't tell the others." Seicig's put her hands on my shoulders and smiled, when she suddenly began furiously rubbing her left eye.

"What's wrong, Seicig?"

"My eye hurts for some reason."

"Do you know what could have caused it?" She stood still for a moment, thinking back.

"...No. It could just be an insect or an infection. I'll clean it up when we get to the next town. It shouldn't be far." We walked back to our animals and headed for the road leading south.

POV: thrall

The demon was close! I could feel the ground tremble at his feet, the trees break and snap at every moment he was in this damned thicket. "NOW, HRÆ!” Someone else was here! I hadn't eaten in days. I pushed my head through some bushes. It was a short thin man dressed like a harrowed beggar with too much curly hair to know what to do with, and a pretty little lady who was overdressed with furs and knives. They were carrying a half naked man. That must be the giant! But he shrunk down.

”Never mind that! Simply observe them for now...”

But they're right there! Why must I wait to catch my kill when it's right there!? I could squash them between my fingers! Right here! Right now!

”You're in no condition to fight! You're exhausted, hungry. Even just the retired assassin is more than a match for you! Just observe for now.”

This is infuriating! I am not your slave!

”You are nothing but a slave, and if you continue your meaningless tantrum, I will put you to sleep.”

You wouldn't da-

POV: Kykvandi

The same 10 seconds kept playing in my mind on repeat.

STOP IT!

I tried fighting back, tried changing this moment, but my body felt like water.

Something touched me and I shot up from my bed. I was lying in my friend's bed. To my left, was a table with a cup of water. And on the other side...

Erroi was sitting next to me, his expression not disclosing his emotions.

”What happened?” He relaxed his posture before answering me.

”You turned into a demon and rampaged through the forest.” Not again! Why can't I seem to control this curse!?

-You refuse to consider it anything but a curse you're simply borrowing power from. It will stay with you forever, just like me.-

I attacked Reivi in my mind. ”SHUT UP! SHUT UP!!”

Erroi jumped back before I could hurt him. ”Watch it, man!” My hands were on fire. I put them out and curled back into the bed. Someone pulled off my bedsheet.

”Not until you give me some answers!”

”LET ME SLEEP!”

”NO!” my head was starting to hurt a lot.

I woke up from my bed. I was lying in my friend's bed. To my left, was a table with a cup of water. And on the other side... I wasn't even given a cover!

”Good morning. Again.”

”What happened?”

”You turned into a demon and rampaged through the forest.”

”You already told me.”

”You got angry and lost consciousness.” Now I remember.

”...Sorry.”

”Do you feel like answering my questions now?” I guess I owe him that.

-Yeah, you do.-

”...Okay.”

”What happened to your wife?”

”Can you ask something else?”

”Where did you live?”

”The Blackguard forest.”

”Why did you leave?”

”I got driven out of my home.”

”I'm guessing you got attacked by trolls just like me..”

”...Yeah”

”Was your wife killed by trolls?” My hands were beginning to burn up again. Erroi leaned back. His expression had turned sorrowful.

”I'm sorry for your loss...” Now he was starting to piss me off!

”Don't get anrgy with me, man. I didn't kill your wife.” I tried slowing my rapid breathing.

”I want your answer for a question.”

”Go ahead.”

”Remember the group I was traveling with?”

”Yeah.”

”Do you truly believe their mission for peace is foolish?” Erroi took a deep breath. I don't think he expected to ponder on that question. The only knowledge of Zerura came from the archives back in the barracks where we lived and breathed murder, and we were trying to forget those moments.

”I don't know, man.”

-Did you honestly expect him go give you some answer that would make all this right? Pathetic, worthless waste of flesh.-

”Thank you anyway.”

”You're welcome, man.” His warm expression in a swift movement turned to horror. He smacked his hand to his forehead. ”Breakfast!”

He rushed outside in a panic. ”You're a saint!” He brought a wooden dish of eggs and roast fowl. ”Eat up!” I picked up an egg. The yolk was powdery. It had been overcooked. I took a bite of the egg white. A little dry, but still delicious. The fowl was moist and... Crunchy. ”You forgot to take out the bones.”

”Oh. Sorry. I'll remove them now.” He tried to swipe my plate but I was too fast.

”No, don't worry.” I took another bite.

”So, where are you heading if not with those diplomats?”

”I genuinely don't know.”

”Why'd you leave them then?”

”...”

”If you help us with chores, you can stay as long as you like.” Erroi stood up and stretched before looking out the window to the darkening skies.

”I couldn't possibly accept that offer.”

”Just accept the offer damn it!”

”NO!”

”I'm not letting you wander around like a lost soul.”

”I know what I'm going to do.”

”Oh, so now you know what you're going to do?”

”I'm going to kill the angels who did this to me.”

”And how do you know the angels were responsible?”

”No one else knew I existed, and these trolls were too well equipped to be simply pillaging. This HAD to have been an operation staged by the angels.”

”Did you ever ask any of them?”

”Did you?”

”I did. They said they were approached by an angel wearing a purple robe decorated with animal hunting skins.”

”You know more, don't you?”

”I do.”

”Tell me. NOW!” Erroi jumped back at pointed his knife at my throat.

”This is why I said no. This quest for revenge is going to cost you your soul.”

”You don't care.”

”Maybe not then, but we've all grown. Everyone except you. You've simply forsaken everything, all for that brief moment where you see a man's life fade from his eyes. Surely it's not worth ruining your life over.”

”You don't understand how it feels to see her headless corpse every time I close my eyes. I have all this power, and yet, my hands are shackled.”

”That's rough, buddy.” What does he know about my life. He never felt the pain I felt in every bone in my body, he never heard her head break apart. He's a selfish fool who only cares for himself!

-You'd know, wouldn't you.-

”That's it?”

”That's it. Now get some rest before you storm out the door a second time.”

”Where are you sleeping?”

”I have some extra wolf skins I can put on the floor.”

”I can lend you mine, dad.”

”No, princess, that won't be necessary. Kykvandi, do you want anything before we go to sleep?”

"No. Good night."

”I expect an answer to my offer tomorrow. But for now, good night to you too.” He leant over me and pecked my cheek with a kiss and then his daughter.

Do you think I did the right thing in this situation?

-You were being unfair to him. He risked his daughter's life to get you back and you still treat him with the same coldness you treat anyone else.-

You don't understand.

-I understand better than you do, you ungrateful child.-

Since when am I a child?

-Since you began this miserable journey you've done nothing but reject the life given to you. And then you're given love again, and you refuse it because you're afraid it'll end the same, irrespective of the love she gave you when she was alive.-

You weren't there to feel her love!

-This is going nowhere. I'll speak to you when you're able to recognize how much you pine for the embrace of others.-

Good night.