The massive man was coming fast, closing the distance from the forest's edge and Gild with remarkable speed. He was putting a bit of distance between himself and the chasing kobolds.

“Mage, please!” the man called as he got nearer. “You must help me.”

“Does he not know you're a warlock?” Tik asked.

“‘Apparently not,” Gild mumbled, planting his feet apart and getting ready to start casting spells.

“He doesn't recognize a freaking imp?” Tik demanded, small green flames wreathing his tiny fists. “A demon of the Other Realm? I feel offended!”

“Feel offended all you want, just as long as we kill these nasty things before they bring us back to their hovels and make gnomish demon stew, with a side order of big ass human.”

“Wouldn't we be the side orders?”

Gild rolled his eyes at the demon and launched a fireball just past the man, catching the nearest Kobold and engulfing it in flames. The creature's shrieks tore across the fields and only seemed to invigorate it.

“Thank you,” the man panted as he neared them.

“Any day Tik,” Gild said, ignoring the large man now standing next to him. The imp threw two green fireballs at a kobold, one clipping its leg and the other going wide.

“What was that?” Gild said, pulling more of his mana and shaping it into a fireball. He launched this one at the kobold who had just stumbled, burning an arm and leg clean off.

“Haha!” Gild cried out, sending a smirk at his imp.

“Excellent shot my little mage friend!” the large man said, spinning on his heel back toward the kobolds. “Now that the odds are more in our favor, we can show these beasts back to the realm they came from!”

The man roared and jumped forward, his massive axe held high above him. His shout caused the kobolds a moment's hesitation, enough for him to bring the axe down and split one of the kobolds from neck to waist. The axe lodged itself in the kobolds side, sending it sprawling into the dirt with a small whimper and the weapon with it. The man tugged on the axe frantically, but only managed to drag the nearly severed kobold with it.

He glanced back at Gild, a look of panic in his eyes. “Take care of the other one!”

“I can't, with you in the way!”

“Don't you have some other spells or something?” the man asked, letting go of the axe and doding a swing from the kobolds stone axe. It was a simple thing, but backed by the unnatural strength of the creatures, it could do some serious damage.

“He really thinks you're a mage,” the imp said, shaking his head at the massive man dodging swings from the final kobold more nimbly than Gild would’ve thought possible.

“I can't really use Pain or any other demonic spells, can I? We don't know how he’ll react to me being a warlock and I don't fancy our chances against him and that axe.”

Gild reached out and tapped into his mana reserves. He pictured the kobolds engulfed in flames, then released the built up mana. Fire sprang up on the creature's body, sending it into a mad frenzy. The kobold screamed and ran away from the group, flailing its limbs in a vain attempt to put out the magical fire. After a few yards, the screams ceased and the creature fell to the ground.

Quiet descended on the small group, only broken by the steady drip of thick blood from the axe and the crackling of Gild’s fire spells as they consumed the dead, yet still twitching creature.

The man placed his boot on the dead kobold and, with a thick squelching noise, ripped his axe free. He placed it on his shoulder, seemingly heedless of the blood running down its handle onto his hand.

“Ah, shit, “Gild said under his breath and the man started walking over to the warlock and imp.

“Think he guessed what we are?” Tik asked, slowly edging behind the gnome's robes.

Before Gild could answer, the man stopped himself in front of them and swung the axe down, twirling it around and lodging the handle in the ground. He rested an arm across the head of the weapon and leaned on it, looking down at Gild and Tik.

“Thank you for your help, mage.” He turned to Tik and nodded, “And yours, familiar.”

Gild’s eyebrows shot up but he didn't say anything. This man truly thought he was a mage with a magical familiar helping him. He could work with that.

“Not a problem,” Gild said. “I’m always happy to help someone in need.”

“My name is Turwyn,” the man said, extending a hand nearly as large as Gild’s head toward him. “Paladin of the Order of the Golden Hand of Mir.”

Gild’s gut dropped as he took the hand gingerly. “A paladin huh? And quite a mouthful of a sect you have there,” he said through gritted teeth.

“We pray to and derive our powers from the most powerful of the Seraphim, Mir herself. It takes years upon years of training, meditation, and reflection to even start at the lowest rank possible and get access to even the most basic-”

“My name is Gild,” the warlock interrupted the paladin before he could start trying to prosthelytize him. “And just like you guess, I'm a mage. This is my familiar, Tikpuk.

The imp offered a small wave from behind Gild’s robes. “Hello there.”

Turwyn frowned down at the tiny imp, furrowing his brows. “I mean no offense to you, small magical creature, but you are an interesting looking familiar.”

“Uh,” Gild said, glancing down at the demon.

“I was in a magical accident,” Tik said, stepping out from behind Gild. “When Gild here was first summoning me, he got interrupted in the ritual, causing me to look like this.”

“My word,” Turwyn covered his mouth with his hand. Gild rolled his eyes as the imp continued, hanging his head low to truly milk the moment.

“It has been difficult, I won't lie. But luckily my powers are unaffected, I just look, well, you can see me now.” He waved a clawed hand up and down his body, giving the paladin a truly pitiable look.

“Is there anything you can do to fix it?” Turwyn asked.

“No, no. I've come to terms with how I look and wouldn't want it to be any other way. This way I know people who stick with me,” Tik jabbed a tiny elbow into Gild, “Even this one, are with me because of who I am, not because of how I look.

“You are truly a brave being, and kudos to you mage, for sticking by his side.”

A screech sounded in the distance, floating from the direction the paladin and kobolds had come from.

“You two don’t think you would be able to help me with finishing off those creatures? They have a filthy den back there and I have been tasked by Mir to clear it and sanctify their foul magics and dwellings.”

“Well…” Gild said, before Turwyn spoke up again.

“The local town nearby asked for help clearing it as well.”

“Town? Where's this town at? We’ve been on the road for many days and could use a break.”

“A bath wouldn't hurt, either,” Tik quipped.

Turwyn stroked his short beard, running his tongue over his teeth. “How about we make a deal? You help me clear the den, and I’ll show you where the town is. You have to know what you're looking for to get in.”

A paladin who makes deals? At least Gild could trust him to keep to his word. Offering the man a wide smile, he stuck his hand out.

“You've got yourself a deal.”