Ruun's footsteps echoed through the hallway. The two people that brought him the news weren't far behind. They had to quicken their pace to be able to keep up with the demon.

"Do you know who exactly are the intruders at the gates?" Ruun asked, his voice suddenly coarse as if sharpened for battle.

"Guards from the nearby city. The ruined castle is technically part of the kingdom," the man explained.

"So they have come to kick us out?"

"We don't know. We wanted to keep interactions with them to a minimum and leave it to you," the woman added.

"I see. You both did very well. Yurna, I will need to look presentable for them, otherwise, they will kill me where I stand. Can you conjure me up one of those disguises of yours?"

"That takes time."

"Can you start casting it now on the go?"

"Yes, but I won't be done before we reach the gate."

"Then do only the necessities. A face so I would look human, a normal left hand, and some casual boots on my feet. Would that be possible?"

"Technically yes, but it's going to be very basic. Should you move too quickly or frantically, the illusion could get deformed."

"That is alright. I will only do some negotiations. A simple disguise should be enough for that."

The woman nodded and without further ado, she got to her chanting. Words of magic flew out of her mouth in the form of short phrases, accompanied by gentle taps against Ruun's back. With each such phrase, a part of the demon changed. His horns disappeared and were replaced by curly red hair. The numerous eyes on his face began closing until only two remained. Their color then shifted and changed from glowing full red to a more human-shaped eye in the tones of hazelnut. His left hand grew an extra finger to match the usual five and instead of the dark green carapace, it now sported a layer of slightly tanned skin.

"This will do. Thank you," the demon praised Yurna's work. She was done when they were just about to approach the main gate. The timing was perfect. A few seconds later, they reached the end of the hallway, and there it stood. A massive wooden gate with runes inscribed all over it, and with metal supports that would ensure it could withstand some damage.

"They're waiting outside?" Ruun asked and his companions confirmed with two quick nods. "Then you wait for me here. I will return shortly," he said and waved to another man standing near a large lever to open the doors.

With loud rumbling that shook the entire room and lifted an ungodly amount of dust, the gate opened just a little bit to reveal the outside world and allow Ruun to leave the castle. The sun had already set and the stars were flickering in the night sky like tiny blinking eyes, curiously observing the demon, waiting to see what would happen next. The sight would almost be pleasant, were it not for the five armed men in chain armor who stood right in front of the gate.

"Gentlemen! What surprising visitors. How may I help you?" he asked, his voice washing over the guards like a summer breeze flowing through a meadow.

"We know you are hiding a demon in this castle!" the man standing in front of the group spurted out.

"A demon? I assure you that this place houses no such creature. It would be suicide to let something so bloodthirsty into our midst."

The leader of the group did not say a word. He reached for something on his back, pulling out an oddly ornate lantern with spikes coming out of each edge of its hexagonal shape. Inside, instead of a candle, danced a loose pink flame.

"Reveal!" the man commanded and the enchantment on the artifact sprung to life. The glass panels of the lantern began dimming and turning dark, except for the one facing Ruun. The light coming off of the flame grew in its intensity until a cone of it illuminated the demon and the whole gate behind him. Within seconds, his disguise warped and disappeared, revealing his true appearance.

"Seems like we are lucky. Managed to get him on the first try," the man smirked.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Ruun sighed. "Alright, fine. I am a demon, happy?" he yelled at the men. "Ruundanedai! Pleased to meet you." They all placed their hands on the grips of their swords.

"Please, please, hear me out. This doesn't have to happen," he tried his best to calm the angry humans.

"Speak, demon. Why did you come here?"

"If I tell you, it won't change anything. But I assure you that none of you will be harmed if you simply put down your weapons. Of course, you must understand that at this point, I can't simply let you go. That would be risky. You could go get reinforcements and then I and my people would be in danger. However, I can promise you that if you lay down your arms, I will make sure that as prisoners, you will be taken care of. I will feed you the same food we eat. You will be given books to pass the time and will even be allowed to write letters to your families. And once our goal is done, you will be released once again. Nobody has to get hurt."

A few minutes later, the gate slammed shut, once again at the command of Ruundanedai. As the sound filled the hallway, the people who have gathered there in the meantime all rushed to their leader, awaiting news.

"Master, so how..." Millie approached him right away but froze for a moment. Her eyes focused on the demon's injury which she helped mend not too long ago. "You... have your arm back," she muttered, knowing far too well how it happened.

"No comment," Ruun replied and licked off a few stray drops of blood from his mouth. "Can I ask some of you to please clean in front of our gate?"

"I will do it."

"And I'll help," two volunteers signed up almost immediately.

"Thank you. Please gather any... objects you might find there and prepare them in the courtyard. I trust you will know what to do exactly. We will have a short special gathering there in about... an hour from now. Will that be enough to get everything ready?"

"Sure," one of the cleaning crew confirmed. "Should we dress to the occasion?"

"Yes, if you would be so kind. Anything formal. Looks over comfort. Discomfort is preferable, in fact. Do not worry, I will not keep you up for long. I understand you wish to sleep as well. But we shouldn't put such matters off." He turned toward the hallway and headed back into his room.

An hour later, he found himself standing below the bright glow of the sunstone. His prayer book was resting firmly in his hand and with careful precision, he was writing another set of names into it. After finishing each one, Ruun paused for a bit. In his mind, he tried to recall specific details about the person's moment of passing. At first, he saw their face. Confidence with which they carried their weapon, and how it quickly turned to terror when the blade snapped. What Ruun wanted to remember, however, was far deeper. He dove beneath the surface recollections of faces, swimming through his own feelings. This man was scrawny. Not much fat, but with blood that had a certain sweetness to it. Sweetness only youth could give it. Lungs were untainted by tobacco, and kidneys seemed to have experienced alcohol only slightly, giving them but a faint taste of a fermented beverage. The bones were still strong though and so instead of offering the satisfying crunch the demon preferred, they were like tough and resilient shells hiding the sweet treat in the form of marrow.

Ruun shook his head as he pushed past the currents of taste and delved deeper into the waters of memories. He saw a lake. A girl danced alongside its shore with laughter. The soldier was there too, chasing after her. The sun flew across the sky, and suddenly, they were swimming in the water, splashing it into each other's faces. She scored a direct hit into the man's eyes. With a few blinks, the man found himself lying in the grass, with the girl right next to him. She was pointing at the stars above them, naming constellations.

A few stray streams of tears slid down Ruun's face as he finally returned to the present. He wiped them away and returned to the quill. "Alim of Polt. Had just fallen in love recently. Thought about marrying the girl and building a small house by the lake," he muttered to himself and he wrote the words onto an empty page in the thick leather book.

"May, this man's sacrifice be forever remembered! May his name be etched into the foundations of the demon society. May children recite his name in churches and priests tell stories of the man he was! May all he once had live on within us," the demon spoke to the crowd and they began quietly chanting the victim's name as a small group threw the guard's few remains into a bonfire.

The evening was just one of many others. It was not the first nor last time Ruun said those exact words. And yet, time seemed to not grant the demon the benefit of acclimation. His hand still trembled as he finally let the book rest on the shelf again. Even something simple as a sigh left his throat with trembling.

"Master Ruun?" a voice came from the open door.

"Ah, yes, Miora, glad you could come," he turned around and greeted the scarred dwarven lady.

"You said you needed me?"

"Yes. I have made a decision."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"We can't wait any longer. I've played this game slowly and carefully from the very beginning. But back then, I was playing solo. Now, we have a new team that has entered the field. We must not get trampled by them. I want you to go to the city from which the guards came. Take Marion with you and at least four other people."

"So... six of us? That's a lot for one operation. What will we be after?"

"Everything."