Gild grumbled to himself as they stepped off the road towards the forest. He continued to grumble to himself as they entered the forest. His grumbling only intensified with each hazard they went past. While the undergrowth barely hit the paladin's knees, it came up to Gild’s waist. A rock that required the paladin to take a slightly larger step over turned out to be something Gild had to go around. Turnwyn continued forward, seemingly unaware of the gnome's consternation, and whistled cheerfully to himself.

“Awfully cheery for someone who just ran away from a pack of kobolds,” Gild said to no one in particular.

“The cave isn't too far now, just a few thousand more feet.”

“Ugh,” Gild mumbled. “Why are you doing this anyways?”

“I am a paladin,” Turwyn said simply. Tik snickered just to Gild’s right.

“Plus,” the large man continued, “There were rumors that a demon was infesting the cave and driving the kobolds to madness. I'm assuming that's why no one else took this job on.”

Gild perked up at that. A demon? That could prove useful in helping him locate the damned soulstone. It wasn't much, but he had lucked upon a lead. His trail had been cold long enough now, chasing rumors and whispers in the air. Talking with a denizen of the Other Realm besides his damned pacted demon, Delvios, could be very useful.

“I will help you in destroying this demon. It turns out, I’m actually well versed in demons and their eradication.”

Tik’s earlier snicker grew into a guffaw. Gild shot him a narrow glare, before returning to the paladin.

“Excellent!” Turwyn boomed, causing several birds to take flight from a nearby tree. “Two persons of light and good, working together to eradicate evil from the world. We stand up for those who cannot do so themselves, stopping terror and disorder before it can plant its filthy claws into our pristine world, corrupting it from within.”

“Yup,” Gild said.

“Champions of the Seraphim, eradicators of the demons from the Other! Together, we shall be unstoppable, like the immovable shield and perpetual hammer joining forces to squash the tyrants and maimers!”

“You got it,” Gild said. The paladin droned on for another minute or so, but Gild faded out entirely. He would throw out occasional agreeances and nods, which seemed to satisfy Turwyn. Gild almost walked right past the man, he was so far into his daydreams. Turwyn's hand shot out and caught Gild in the chest, driving the breath clean out of him.

“We are here,” the paladin said, quiet for once. Gild sucked in some air as best as he could and looked at the cave just ahead. They were behind a rather large tree, mostly concealed from view. Not that it would have mattered, there were no guards, or anything at all really, stationed at the entrance.

“The four that chased me were the ones standing out front.”

“They didn't think to put more out there?” Tik asked in a low whisper , his voice barely audible.

“Kobolds aren't really known for tactics or thinking things through. If the ones who ran off never returned, the others would probably barely notice. They'd only see more resources for themselves, actually.” Gild turned his attention to the paladin glaring at the mouth of the cave. “Did you just blunder your way into the clearing and the cave? Is that why all four came for you?”

“I don't appreciate the word blunder. I charged in heroically would be a more apt description.” Turwyn frowned, his hands twisting on the handle of his axe.

“Of course you would,” Gild sighed. “This time we are going to heroically sneak into the cave and get a measure of what is in there before we attack. Do you think you can manage that?”

“Sneaking doesn't seem very paladiny,” Tik piped up.

“You hush,” Gild spat, but he saw the shadow of doubt on the paladin's face now. Hurrying to stop him from coming to the same conclusion, he said, “Think of it this way. We are gaining a tactical surprise on the forces of evil. This will enable us to better vanquish them without any undue harm to ourselves. They deserve nothing less.”

Turwyn thought for a moment, then nodded. “That is acceptable. I can gain a tactical surprise advantage on the kobolds with you.”

“Perfect. Then follow me and for the love of all that is holy, keep quiet.” He raised his eyebrows at Tik, who nodded and trotted through the small clearing. He went right up its middle, coming to the front of the cave. He peered in and gave a small wave before jumping lithely up its side, coming to a rest about ten feet in the air on top of the entrance.

Gild gave the imp a quick wave, then turned to Turwyn. “Tik went forward and checked the entrance to the cave. The wave means it’s clear and no one will see us approach. He is going to stay on top of the cave and keep an eye out for us as well.”

“How will we know if anyone is coming? Will he shout at us?” Turwyn's eyes widened. “Do you and him have a psychic link?”

“No, nothing like that,” Gild said, shaking his head. He paused, then gave a small nod. “Well, kind of. He can send me base emotions, and we have agreed what each one means. Let's move forward though, the sooner we get this done, the sooner you can show me to town.”

Gild set off across the dirt patch surrounding the entrance to the cave, keeping low. Turwyn followed, trying to mimic Gild’s squatting run but only managing to set the imp off in another gale of barely stifled laughter. Gild made it to the front of the cave and peered in cautiously. Torches flickered in the walls of the entrance, leading down the hallway he couldn't see into. He crept into the mouth of the cave and out of the daylight, the paladin right behind him.

As his eyes adjusted, Gild noticed that the darkness he couldn't see through was actually where the cave turned to the right, moving off into the unknown. He waved at Turwyn, hoping the paladin would recognize a wait here signal. Slowly, ever so slowly, he slid forward past the flickering torches and peered around the bend in the cave.

Just around the corner was a large room, making up the end of the cave. More torches burned in sconces on the walls of the cave and a large bracket of torches hung from the roof, giving off a fair amount of light, enough for a normal person to see by, anyways.

Four other kobolds were in the room, one wearing stained robes that may have been purple at one point in their life, but could only manage a brownish purple color now. The kobolds stood around an altar of sorts with several candles burning and what remained of a grisly sacrifice in the center.

The one in the tattered robes was chanting something in the kobolds guttural language. Small waves of dark energy were pulsating off his hands as he waved them about, flowing into the mangled body of...whatever it had been before they tore it apart. Gild slipped his head back around the corner and crept to Turwyn.

“There are four more kobolds, and they look like they are in the process of summoning the demon.”

“Let's get in here and stop them!” Turwyn started to move forward to the bend in the cave.

“Wait!” Gild grabbed the man by his leg, trying to get him to stop. “Hold on.”

Turwyn paused and looked down at the gnome. “What for? Every moment we delay is another second they may actually bring a demon into this realm.”

“I know, that's what we want.”

Turwyn had frozen entirely now, a look of growing suspicion creeping across his face.

“Just let me talk to the demon after it's summoned. I can speak their language and there is a lot we can learn.”

“You’re starting to sound an awful lot like a demon sympathizer,” the paladin growled, his knuckles turning white as he clenched on the handle of his axe.

“Just hear me out,” Gild said hurriedly, fear gripping his gut. “What if there is more going on than this simple demon? We kill the kobolds, I’ll find out what we can from the demon, then we kill it.”

The paladin watched the gnome for a few moments that stretched for an eternity to Gild. Sweat formed on his brow and dripped down as back as each second ticked by. A broad smile broke out on Turwyn’s face and he gave a nod.

“Excellent plan, little mage. I can see why you went after the arcane arts and the development of your mind.”

Gild let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding, His legs felt like jelly as relief washed over him. He nodded weakly and crept forward to the curve again, this time the massive man just behind him, his axe at the ready.

“Now!” Gild shouted, hopping around the corner. He drew on his mana reserves and formed the raw magical power into a fireball. He threw the flame at a kobold, taking care not to hit the robe wearing one just yet. Turwyn came around the corner just behind Gild with blinding speed, his axe cleaving another Kobold into two before they had a chance to react.

The summoning kobold stalled in its spells, its eyes opening and widening in fear as it saw what was happening. A rip in the air above the mangled sacrificial corpse had formed and a horned head was pushing through. Turwyn swung his axe at an advancing kobold, who feebly tried to block the swing. There was a small crack of wood as the axe cut through the creatures club and it embedded itself into the kobold.

The final kobold started to chant faster as the demon's head finally came through, followed by an arm. Gild formed another fireball, barely tapping into his mana reserves thanks to his demonic pact, and caught the robe wearing kobold right in the chest. The fireball threw the being back, leaving a smoking crater where its heart and lungs used to be.

“Demon of the Other Realm,” Gild said in Mog’bar, language of the demons. “I am Gild, warlock pacted with the Greater Demon Delvios, and I demand to know what you are doing here.”

The demon squirmed in the air, only its body down to its armpits having been able to make it through before the summoning ritual was interrupted. It had a flat face with small tusks jutting out from its bottom jaw. Two horns erupted from its forehead and curved around its head, coming to points facing forward just beside its ears. Inky black wells of eyes glared in frustration at the tiny gnome.

“What in all the Realms is going on here? The damned kobold couldn't even finish a simple summoning spell. I never should have trusted this task to such a stupid group of creatures.”

Gild watched the demon, one eyebrow raised, as it continued its struggle to pull itself into their realm. After a few more moments of no headway being made, the demon slumped down, defeated.

“I don't suppose I could ask you to finish summoning me? A warlock would have no trouble pulling me through.”

“I could do that, if you have the answers I seek.”

The demon perked back up, “Sure thing, anything you need. I’m only a Lesser Demon, but I have a knack for sticking my ears in all the right places.”

Turwyn coughed behind Gild. He glanced back to see the paladin glaring at the demon.

“Give me just a moment, I’ll get what I want then you can kill him.” He switched back to demonic and faced the demon. “Excuse my warrior friend, you know how they get. Swing first and ask later.”

“Much like the Greater Demons and Demon Lords,” the demon said, chuckling.

“Yes, yes,” Gild said, waving his hand. “I need to know about the Marsov soulstone.”

The demon stopped chuckling. “What about it? And what makes you think I would know anything about that?”

“I need to know where it is. My pacted demon, Delvios, has tasked me with finding it. And I am trusting you have had your ears in just the right places to know something about it.”

“I couldn't tell you about it anyways; I would get put in a pit of torture for weeks!”

“Shame, then I guess I will just have to let my paladin friend her take a swing at you with his axe.”

The demon glanced at Turwyn, his eyes lingering on the weapon the man held in clenched hands. “I thought you said he was a warrior?”

“I lied.”

The demon put on an uneasy smile. “Even if your so-called paladin struck me here, I wouldn't die. Demons just go back to the Other Realm.

Gild gave him a flat look. “I’m a warlock. I know only Greater Demons manage to get disincorporated. Lesser and Bit demons just straight up die, like the rest of us mortals. It's why so many of you scramble to achieve that Greater status.

The smile slid off the demon's face.

Gild looked back at the paladin. “Turwyn, take a step or two towards the demon, maybe brandish your axe a bit.”

Turwyn immediately moved forward, his axe coming up to chest height.

“All right!” the demon shouted, wriggling around in his half made portal. “The soulstone was taken by Linith. That's all I know. They were last heard of in this area, so I came here to see if maybe I could partner with someone, make a pact, and get my hands on it. Or maybe even join Linith! I don't know, I just wanted out of the Other. You have no idea what it's like being a perishable demon in the Other!”

“Who is Linith?” Gild demanded.

“I don't know, all I know is the name and they are rumored to be very powerful. That’s it, I swear.” The demon looked to be on the verge of tears, if such a thing was possible for their kind. Gild watched it before nodding.

“I believe you.”

The demon slumped again, this time in apparent relief. “Thank you. Now would you mind helping me out of this portal? I held up my end of the bargain.”

Gild stroked his chin for a moment before turning to the paladin. “He’s all yours.”

Turwyn grinned wolfishly and started advancing on the hapless demon. The demon screeched behind Gild as he started walking out.

“You promised! You son of a bitch, you promised!”

“I lied,” Gild said over his shoulder as he rounded the bend and kept walking towards the entrance of the cave.

“You bastard! I’ll see you put in the bottom of the Pits of Damnation for this! I hope your entire family is tortured! I hope you all burn in-” The demon's screeching was cut suddenly short, replaced by a wet thunk. Gild chuckled to himself as he stepped out into the sunlight.