THE next morning presented me with a dilemma. I woke to a magnificent sight; my Lady, wrapped in my arms, the rising sun glinting off of her adorable face. I marveled at her small frame completely dwarfed by my massive one as she pressed herself into me. She was tight and thin, though she had filled out slightly in the last week, now that she had stable access to food. Her waist was a little larger, thighs a little more sensuous. I could feel that she was naked under the fur blanket, her hand on my heart where it belonged. My left arm was wrapped around her, hand resting on her waist. My other hand was settled firmly on Rosie's back and my chin rested on Lia's head. I took a moment to bask in the warmth of the girls and the rising sun, closing my eyes and pressing my face into Lia's fiery hair.

  What the hell had happened last night? I know I wasn't drunk, so why did it feel like I was? The warm, heady feeling flashed in my mind, followed immediately by what I had done. Her noises. The taste of her on my fingers. Mangos. Why mangos? I like it better than peach, though. Her skin was so smooth under my hand as I rubbed her absently. Ten or so minutes passed like that until I heard the camp begin to stir. Rosie woke as well, coming to consciousness with a huff and a shake. She rose and wandered off a little ways, sniffing at the ground. Lia was still asleep and I wanted to help the others get ready, so I slid out from under the girl. Or, I tried to. She clamped down on me as soon as I started to move, pulling me back into her. I sighed and looked down at tightly shut eyes.

  "Come on, it's time to get up." I said, knowing that she was awake.

  "No." she replied, snuggling deeper. I tried to get up anyway, but that same warm feeling beckoned at my body, urging it to stay with her. I was unable to resist and sank back, pulling her a little closer. I frowned, the feeling fading as I complied. What's going on? I pulled away again and the feeling returned. Is she..?

  "Lia?" I asked slowly, not looking at her. "What are you doing?"

  "Ensuring that you stay here until I am satisfied." she said simply.

  "I thought I asked you not to use Command on me." I replied, connecting the dots.

  "You did, but I don't have to listen to you. You have to listen to me, and I'm not ready to get up yet." She pressed herself further into me and I sighed, accepting my fate. Not like I wanted to get up anyway. Still, though, her words gave me pause. They were spoken kindly and gently, but the words themselves were cruel. It sounded like something Marin would have said and I didn't like it. Rosie wandered back over to us, giving me the stink eye.

  "Don't look at me like that. This wasn't my idea." I said. She huffed and lifted her head at me. Sure. she seemed to say. You certainly don't seem to be doing anything about it. I sighed as the sun fully crested over the jungle behind us.

  "Come on, Lia. We need to start the day." She shook her head no, burying her face further into my shoulder.

  "No."

  "Yes."

  "NO."

  "Yes." a new voice said. Kiltont, coming to my rescue once again. "Lady Ameilia, the caravan is waiting on you. It is time to go." Lia glared at the Chief, then sighed and nodded.

  "Fine."

  "Take heart, my Lady. We should be at Lingholm within the next two days."

  "Good. I tire of traveling."

  The day was spent being bored. I was walking along next to the cart, tossing the stick to Rosie to keep my mind occupied and missing my truck. I missed flying down the highway, windows down and radio blasting. The scenery around us never changed and I was going a little stir crazy. Not great for my thinking, honestly. I kept replaying last night in my mind. My body alternated between hot flashes, remembering her noises and taste, and the guilt and shame of having participated crushing said desire. How could I have let that happen? Could I have stopped it? I didn't know. I wasn't able to resist her in the best of times and now I was physically unable to say no. I think I've made a huge mistake.

  I distracted myself by studying the local flora and fauna. The grasses were the same as usual, a vibrant yellow-green that swayed in the breeze coming in from the sea a few miles away. They hid a myriad of creatures, the most common of which was a rabbit lookin' thing. It had two long ears, grey fur, tusks, and bright blue eyes that shot lazers. That was cool as fuck the first time I saw it yesterday. I'd been throwing the stick to Rosie and she had taken a minute to return after one of them, then came trotting over with a rabbit in her mouth and a gleam in her eye. I congratulated her while hiding my confusion by crouching down and petting her head. Good thing I had crouched, too, 'cause a damn lazer went zipping over me, right where I had been standing. I cried out in shock and Rosie vanished in a puff of black smoke. A shriek sounded from the grass to my left and Rosie walked out, another rabbit in her jaws. She placed it at my feet and sniffed me, checking me over for wounds. I told her I was fine, but she still stayed by my side for the rest of the day. The rabbits were called Clibots according to Zerik.

  The most interesting species of flora that we passed had to have been the walking shrubs. They looked like nothing more than bundles of dead plant matter, fantastical tumbleweeds, really, but I learned better when I watched one of the brown balls extend a tentacle and pluck a rabbit from the brush. The rabbit's squeal was cut short as the tentacle sliced deep into its neck and entered the body, sucking the innards from the corpse. When it was finished, the ball dropped the rabbit and continued on, searching for the next victim. I watched in horror as the group of shrubs, called Valiprux, made their way through the grasses parallel with us, draining every poor animal they came across. God, this world is weird.

  That night dissolved my fears. In the worst way possible. As we were eating supper, a boring meal of rabbit meat and bread, Newendom approached us. He hadn't spoken to either of us the entire trip and I knew something was up as I watched him waddle up to us. Rosie growled softly but calmed as I stroked her fur. The Merchant stopped about five feet away, sweating profusely and wringing his hands.

  "May I help you, sir?" I asked, my voice belaying the anger I felt rearing its head.

  "My Lady," Newendom said, dabbing at his forehead with a yellow, sweat-stained handkerchief and bowing slightly. "may I speak with you for a moment?"

  "Why?" I asked again.

  "Quiet, servant. I am speaking to your Mistress, not you."

  "Anything you wish to say to me can be said in front of my Champion." Lia responded. Newendom shifted on his feet slightly, casting furtive glances at me.

  "As you wish, my Lady." Another bow. This fucken' guy. "I hear you are of house Freyolin." Lia's put-upon demeanor crashed off her face. She had been smiling politely at the man, but her eyes went icy at his words and the smile disappeared. The fiery circle that usually flickered at her irises froze and her Spark lashed out; I could feel bands of power peeling from the small woman in waves as the Merchant continued to speak. "May I offer my condolences for your family."

  "Get to the point." Lia snapped, all sense of civility gone. Her knuckles were once again white around her cutlery, icy eyes glaring at the Merchant.

  "I am aware of your plan to announce your return to status. However, I come offering another..."

  "No." Lia said immediately, cutting Newendom off.

  "I haven't made my proposal yet." the Merchant replied dumbly. His stupid brown eyes gazed at her without understanding.

  "I don't care. I have all I need." Lia snapped. He hand found mine and squeezed sharply. I smiled thinly.

  "Mhm." I agreed half-heartedly. My Lady shot me a glare and gripped my hand harder, and I agreed with a little more enthusiasm.

  "As you can see, you have nothing that I want. You may leave now." Lia said. Newendom stood there, blinking like a cow. "Hello? Lord Newendom?" Lia waved her hand in front of his face, and, when he didn't react, she sighed. "Oh, well. Cham... Marshall, would you please remove Lord Newendom? Our business is finished." There was no compulsion at her words, yet I obeyed without complaint.

  "With pleasure, my Lady." I stood and placed a hand on Newendom's shoulder, squeezing slightly. "Time's up, buddy. Let's go." I led the Merchant away, talking over his feeble protests. "She said she's done, asshole. Get lost." I picked the large man up under his arms and placed him on the back of his cart, then turned and walked away, ignoring his calls for assistance. When I returned, Lia was petting Rosie softly, face buried in her fur. What a good girl Rosie is. She's the sweetest. I smiled as I came up to the pair, crouching down and petting Rosie on the head. She panted happily, smiling up at me.

  "You're a good girl, Rosie." I said. I got a lick on the hand in response.

  "Marshall!" someone called. I looked over my shoulder to find Kiltont walking towards me, hand raised. I raised mine in return and stood, facing him.

  "Kiltont. What's up?"

  "Come with me. You as well, Lady Ameilia." Lia made a noise and buried her face further into Rosie's flank. I bent and scooped her into my arms, dragging her away from the wolf. Rosie gave mean an aggravated look but stood nonetheless, walking after us. I followed Kiltont a little ways away from the main camp where he stopped and turned, crossing his arms over his chest. I came to a stop as well, setting Lia down next to me. Without warning, Kiltont drew a blade from his waist and charged me, poised to strike. My eyes went wide and I jerked to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade aimed for my stomach.

  "Yo!" I shouted as the man stopped and threw himself at me again, knife raised. I sidestepped again, dodging his strikes.

  "Fight back!" he roared, landing a cut on my arm. A sharp, stinging pain shot into my brain and I hissed, looking at the long, thin scratch. "Don't look away!" A longer, deeper cut was scored on my shoulder, dragging down across my chest and tearing my shirt. I growled, anger flaring, and launched a punch at the man that connected with his sternum. He doubled over my fist, coughing as I danced back, blood roaring in my veins. Kiltont chuckled and stood, getting into a ready position. "Good." he laughed. "Again." He launched into another flurry of attacks, not giving me any time to react. It was all I could do to dodge him. He was relentless in his attacks, but none of them were fatal. A good thing, too, as I only blocked about half of his attacks. Suddenly, Kiltont slowed, pivoting on his right foot and attacking Lia. I heard the mixture of a bell and a klaxon alarm blare in my head as Kiltont's blade moved towards her stomach and the rage roared into an inferno. It raced over my mind and consumed me, driving me forwards faster than I had ever gone before. The world blurred around me and I lunged into the path of the knife, taking the blade in the left side of my abdomen. I snarled through the pain and punched Kiltont in the face, knocking the bird man to his knees. He groaned and held in head in his hands. I drew my leg back to kick him in the chest but a soft, golden light entered the right side of my mind, soothing the anger and calming my heart.

  "I'm alright, Champion." the light said. Lia held my hand, stroking it gently. I heaved great breaths, attempting to settle the storm within. Now that Lia wasn't in danger, I realized just how hard I had hit Kiltont. I hadn't held back in the slightest.

  "Fuck, Kiltont!" I cursed, kneeling next to the groaning man. "Are you alright?" He nodded, coughing, and struggled to his knees. A massive red welt was forming on the side of his head where I had hit him and his sharp nose leaked blood.

  "I'm fine. I was not expecting you to cover the distance that quickly."

  "Nor did I. I've never moved that fast before."

  "A benefit of being a Blessed Champion, I think." Lia said. "Whenever you are in danger, your Blessed Champion gains bonuses to his attributes." Lia slowed and narrowed her eyes as she spoke, seeming to read the words off of something. "The Champion gains plus three to all attributes until the danger has passed."

  "Hm. You learn something new everyday." Kiltont struggled to his feet as Lia and I continued to converse, panting heavily. He put his hands on his knees and stumbled a little, so I reached out and grabbed his shoulder, keeping him steady. "Whoa, there, bid dawg. I got ya." he nodded in appreciation and slumped against me. "My fault, bro. Didn't mean to hit you that hard." He waved my words away.

  "I am fine, just a little rattled. You hit me harder than I thought you could. Had I been a normal man, my head would have exploded."

  "Nah, I ain't that strong." I said, brushing him off.

  "Yes, Marshall, you are. Your fist felt like a boulder thundering into my skull. I saw stars when you made contact. Oh, my head hurts." I went quiet, his words finally settling.

  "Damn, man, I'm sorry." Kiltont grinned.

  "Don't be!" he said. "That strength is something to be proud of. People will think twice about challenging you or your Lady after seeing you blow a man's head open."

  "I suppose. I don't want to punch a man's head open, though."

  "Of course, of course. Killing is a part of life, however. You will have to defend your Lady, which is why I brought you out here tonight." Kiltont stood straight, as straight as he could, smiling at the two of us. "It is time for combat training, you two."

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Two hours and a good many bruises and cuts later, the camp was asleep except for the night guards, Rosie, and me. Lia snored softly against my chest, curled up in her favorite position on my right side. Rosie had her head on my stomach and my hand was petting her neck.

  "What the hell am I going to do?" I whispered to nobody. Rosie raised her head and looked at me. "What do you think about all this? Me being Lia's Champion and all. I didn't even think to ask if you were alright with it." I told the wolf. She looked back at me, azure eyes glinting with intelligence. She stood, walked over to Lia's side, and sat next to the girl. The wolf continued to stare me in the eyes as she pressed one of her forepaws onto Lia's bared arm and nodded firmly.

  "You want to stay with her?" Rosie shook her head no, pointed at me, then at Lia, then at herself. She nodded again, even more firmly this time.

  "You want the three of us to stay together?" A third firm nod with happy eyes was her response. "I see. Do you like her?" Nod. I sighed. "Yeah, me too." Rosie sneezed and stood, padding back over to me, azure eyes flashing in the moonlight. She stared at me and sat regally, presenting herself to the world, the pale moonlight glittering off of her midnight coat. Her dark fur blended perfectly with the darkness around us and, if she hadn't been my familiar and we didn't share a bond, I would have no idea she was there. I frowned and looked at her, really looked. She was absolutely gorgeous as I've said, midnight blue fur rippling in the breeze and melding with the night. Her claws dug into the dirt just slightly, leaving imprints about twice the size of a normal dog from Earth. The darkness surrounding her seemed to bend and blur her form, giving the appearance of a living shadow. She was beautiful, but I didn't see anything special. And then I did. Four lines of perfectly clear text appeared over Rosie's head, lit by their own light source. I could read them perfectly despite it being pitch black around us.

  Rosie

  Familiar

  Shadow Wolf

  Level: 25

  This must be my Identify skill in action. That's cool as fuck. I can see certain information about things when I focus on them, but that's not what made my heart skip a beat.

  "Shadow Wolf." I whispered, looking back at Rosie. "You're a Shadow Wolf?" She nodded, a proud smile on her face. "What does that..."

  Rosie is attempting to bond with your Shadow. Allow?

  YES NO

  Without hesitation, I selected YES. As I did so, Rosie let out a howl and burst into a cloud of black smoke that rushed towards me. I barely had time to throw my hands in front of my face as the smoke crashed into me and I was overwhelmed by feelings of love. The black smoke ran down my body and into my shadow, causing it to grow just a shade darker and leaving the space Rosie had just occupied completely empty. I smelled Rosie all around and could feel her inside me, a little ball of happiness right next to my heart. Our bond felt closer than ever and I knew that she could reappear anytime she wanted. I felt a pulse of satisfaction come from Rosie, followed by a low, sultry voice.

  "Ugh, thank the gods. I thought you would never accept me into you. Hello, Master."

  "Rosie?" I asked aloud.

  "Who else? Of course it's me."

  "How?"

  "I am a Shadow Wolf. My body can dissolve and hide itself in the shadows whenever I choose. As you are my Master, hiding in your shadow lets us communicate." I sighed, too tired to think about the nuances of magic.

  "I'm just gonna chalk it up to magic being magic. Can you hide in Lia's shadow?" She was quiet for a moment and I could feel her considering something.

  "Possibly. She is our Lady and you've finally let me into your's, so I should be able to enter her's. The shadows of Sparks are harder to enter than others."

  "I see. When we get to Lingholm or close to it, will you hide in Lia's shadow? I'd rather avoid another incident like at the gate."

  "Of course."

  "Thank you." We were quiet for a while, the sounds of the night returning. Rosie's scent mixed with Lia's and I basked in their warmth, slipping into sleep.

  The following morning, I woke to a cold, wet puddle on my legs. My first thought was Lia, but more liquid splashed onto my face and I recognized the distinct sound of rain. My eyes opened to find a sky covered by light grey clouds. It wasn't actually raining, more like slightly misting; not enough to consider it actual rain, but things were wet and I could see little droplets flying around. I rose without any difficulty this morning, slipping out from the bedroll and rising to my feet. I stretched my arms over my head, muscles shaking as I let out a groan. Rosie reappeared from my shadow with her own stretches, letting out a huge yawn as she did so. The world around us was slightly dreary and grey, but a bright orange light coming from one of the carts drew my attention. A flame flickered within a glass lamp attached to the driver's seat of Newendom's cart. It didn't take long before my clothes were damp and sticking to me, slowly getting soaked through. God, I miss my truck. Walking is so boring.

  The rain stopped about six hours later and the humidity began. The hot, wet air put a smile on my face as the familiar feeling of a sweltering southern summer day settled about me. I was sweating and hot and oh-so happy. I had been staring off into space, reminiscing on Summer Practice and the two-a-days we bitched so much about when something began to rise out of the horizon. The mood of the caravan shifted instantly, with people's formerly tried and downcast faces becoming lively and animated. The black blob slowly grew larger and larger, taking shape as we drew closer. Smaller blobs began to rise out of the larger one, becoming taller and more circular. The main blob began to flatten, spreading out to the right and left, much like the wall had a few days ago. Only this time, I could see over the wall. Some of it, at least. I could see the very tops of buildings peeking out over the rough yellow stone.

  "Yellow?" I mumbled under my breath. "Is the stone yellow?"

  "Yes." Lia responded, falling into step next to me. How'd she hear me? "Lingholm's main export is its sandstone, which is used in aquifers and other water creations. The stone itself has an incredibly high affinity for water and doesn't degrade over time. With the threat of storms so common here, the city constructed its walls out of the same sandstone to repel them."

  "Does that actually work?" I wondered. Lia laughed hard and loud, almost falling behind as she struggled to both walk and double over holding her stomach.

  "Oh, gods no. Not in the slightest." she said after she had recovered. "They still get hit just as hard as we do." I chuckled. People could be very superstitious back home, too. Hell, I was superstitious; all athletes are. I had my Game Socks and the meal I ate before every game, an 8oz fillet mingón roasted in butter and rosemary with mashed potatoes and rolls, and I know the boys each had their own little pre-game rituals. The walls were clearly visible by now and I could see little ants moving around on top of it.

  "Let's come up with a game plan for when we arrive." I said after a moment's silence. "I know we solved some of y'all's concerns by doing the whole Blessed Champion thing, but we should still register with the Hunter's Guild, right?" Lia nodded.

  "Yes. Though because you are teaming with a noble, they won't send us on very many missions. It's just to make sure the Emperor can't make me give you to him as you can't leave without the Guild's say so." I frowned, a sense of hesitance rearing its head just slightly. There are getting to be a few too many people with the power to tell me what to do. I don't like it.

  "Hmm. Whatever gives me the most freedom." I said. "That's all I want."

  "Freedom?" I nodded, thoughts churning. Freedom? I am free, aren't I? I can leave whenever I want. Just pick Lia up and run off into the woods like some crazy, magic wielding Tarzan. Or say fuck the Empire and go to an entirely new country. That would solve damn near everything.

  "Marshall?" Lia asked, dragging me from my thoughts.

  "Hmm? What'd you say?"

  "If you want to be free, why did you join me?" I looked back towards the growing city, retreating into my thoughts. I didn't answer her, was unable to answer her, honestly. Why did I join her? 'Cause I like her? 'Cause she's the only person I know and can really trust? Can I trust her? She's Commanded me before. She used my hand to pleasure herself while I was asleep two nights ago. If I am being honest, though, I did like the feeling of her under me. I shivered as her moans and gasps replayed in my mind. No. Stop. Bad Marshall. You don't want her she doesn't want... My own thoughts cut themselves off.

  "I have all I need."

  That was what she had said as she gripped my hand and rejected Newendom. Did she mean it? I almost didn't dare hope, Jen's vows of love ravaging my mind. Lia hadn't hesitated in shooting him down, though. She rejected him almost immediately.

  God, what do I do? I have to make a decision. I can't keep agonizing over this, not if I'm going to keep my girls safe. Well, fuck, there's my answer right there. Dammit all.

  "Fuck me!" I swore quietly, stopped, and grabbed Lia by the arm, pulling her into me. She was so light it was like I was opening a car door, not pulling a person. She squealed and crashed into my chest with a soft 'oof!' I took her chin in one of my hands and tilted her head back, blazing emeralds gazing back at me. Fire licked the edges of her irises, wrapping me in its warmth and pulling me in deeper. I crashed into that warmth, letting it wash over me in waves. I basked in the feeling of sunlight spreading throughout my body, tangling one hand in her hair and sliding the other around her waist. I lost myself in her, to the warm feelings of desire and need swelling in my heart. I felt a similar emotion rise from Lia and seek me, her energy worming its way into mine. I felt it enter the center of my chest and mix with my Spark, the two of us becoming one. Lia moaned and pushed herself further into me, jumping up and wrapping her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. I chuckled and supported her with one arm easily, standing up straight. She broke our kiss, panting:

  "More. I need more of you." She kissed me hard and sloppily, more like licking my face than kissing it. I shook my head, laughing.

  "Not...not yet. Let's at least get to a bed, first." I said between her attempts to stop me. She pulled back from me, emeralds blazing brighter than ever before. The inferno in her eyes nearly sent me over the edge.

  "You want..." she trailed off as I kissed her once more and set her down, taking hold of her right hand with my left. Nodding my confirmation, I glanced up at the carts that had pulled ahead of us and stopped dead. The Demon was sitting on the back of one of the carts, waving at me. Its void black eye sockets stared at me with joy, like it was grateful for the decision I had made. The long brown hair with a blonde highlight in her front bangs floated around the Demon's head in an unseen current, but that's where the similarities ended. This time, parts of the Demon were fleshed. Specifically, the hands and feet were covered in a pearlescent white that reflected the shining sun. The Demon continued waving at me, rotten teeth bared in a rictus grin. I stared at it in terror, unable to look away. Jen.

  "Marshall?" A warm breeze called my name and I looked down to find a forest of worry ablaze with compassion. I blinked, coming back to my senses.

  "Hmm?"

  "Are you alright?" I nodded.

  "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Question, though. Do you happen to see a freaky skeleton demon lookin' thing on the back of the cart?" I gestured at the Demon who stood and waved both its blackened, skeletal arms over its head. Lia looked in the direction I had indicated and shook her head.

  "No, I don't see anything."

  "Ah."

  "Do you see something?"

  "No." I lied. Lia's gaze didn't leave my face as we hurried to catch up with the others. I tired to keep my eyes forward and ignore the damn thing, but I couldn't. I was unable to stop looking now that I knew who it was. I'd had my suspicions from the hair, but the flawless skin growing over the Demon's black skeleton was far too familiar and the small diamond inlaid in gold filigree on its left ring finger was like a knife to the heart. The Demon had no eyes but I could feel its gaze on me, watching me. It was like an ice-cold knife was being drug up and down my skin without piercing it and I closed my eyes, fighting the feeling off. It didn't work, but a golden light flared from the right side of my body, burning away some of the ice crawling down my spine.

  "Where is it?" Lia asked, squeezing my hand in hers and started to walk again.

  "Where is what?" I deflected, following. She gave me a non-plussed look.

  "The Demon, jackass. I know that look. Something is chasing you and I want to help. I can help." I was quiet. I didn't doubt that she could help, but did I want her help? The Demon grinned at me again, pressing the ring to its blackened teeth and waving at me 'seductively'. I repressed a shudder and Lia sighed. "I've dealt with my share of Demons. If you describe it, maybe I can identify it and we can begin exercising it."

  "Identify it? it's not just my imagination?"

  "No. If you see something that isn't there, especially more than once, that's typically a Demon."

  "What? What are you talking about?" She looked at me confused.

  "Don't you have a Hell where you're from?"

  "Yeah, but it's not real. It's a metaphor to frighten people into being good Christians."

  "What? So you've never dealt with a Haunting?"

  "No. Ghosts and demons and monsters and all that aren't real. So much so that we started realizing the worst 'monster' is man itself."

  "Wow. You must come from a very safe world."

  "Yeah, Earth's pretty awesome. But that's beside the point. There are Demons here?"

  "Yes." Lia said. I caught a slight tremble in her lip but she pressed on. "The Demons come from Laminrac, another world parallel to our own. Occasionally, the barrier between our world thins and the Demons are able to slip across. They steal souls, haunt those they feel deserve it or just to torture someone, and generally cause chaos."

  "Okay, so how do we kill one of these Demons?" Lia sighed.

  "You can't. The Demon's physical body remains in Laminrac, with only the soul making the trip between worlds. They cannot die in our world."

  "Then how do we get rid of it?"

  "Each Demon has its own ritual, some more common than others. The most common one is the Molinbi; a Demon that feeds on guilt and fear. It takes the form of that which we regret the most, with victims often describing the Demon as a black skeletal being that slowly grew into their biggest regret."

  "Yup." I said, staring at the Demon. It sat on the back of the cart, skull in in its hands and staring at me. "Sounds about right."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah. The thing is nothing but black bones, but I can see the beginnings of flesh on her hands and feet. Plus, she's wearing our engagement ring, so there's no doubt."

  "That makes it easier, then. All you have to do is move on." I stared at Lia, uncomprehending.

  "What?"

  "It's simple. Molinbi are not true Demons. At least, the Named don't consider them to be as each Molinbi is born separately and has no consciousness. It exists purely to torment and torture, with no more will than a common animal behind its actions. To rid yourself of a Molinbi, you starve it. You must rid yourself of the doubt and guilt in your heart."

  "You say that like it's simple." Lia gave me a kind, understanding smile and bumped into me as we walked.

  "It's not. I'm still working on mine." She pointed to the cart, exactly where my Demon was sitting. "They're riding in the back of the cart."

  "So is mine." I said softly. "Why can't I see yours?"

  "Demons are spiritual in nature. They attach to your soul, so unless you somehow become part of my soul, you can't see my Demons, just as I can't see yours."

  "Fuck." I said, going quiet for a moment. "You said 'they'. A person can have more than one?"

  "Of course." she responded simply. When she didn't elaborate, I moved on.

  "These Demons, though, they're harmless?" Lia made a so-so kind of face.

  "Not as such. The Molinbi, yes, other than the occasional fright, are harmless. There are other classes of Demon that are not as passive, though. Ones that actively seek out people to haunt, break, and possess to cause as much havoc and possible. These Demons have names, unlike the Molinbi." Her voice dropped and her eyes got distant as she spoke. Lia continued, no longer speaking to me. "The Named befriend you, make you think they're helping you, that they care, only to shatter everything you've ever loved. Everything you've ever cared about." Her hands clenched into balls and I squeezed the one I held, my heart reaching out for her. Lia shook herself, seeming to come out of her trance. "What were we talking about?"

  "Demons. Molinbi, specifically."

  "Right. Molinbi are nasty, evil creatures that feed on people's negative emotions. They are typically harmless to one's physical health, but psychological health is another matter and are dangerous because they make people act irrationally, either by possession or subtle influence. What's worse is they won't leave you until you solve the problem that created them."

  "Molinbi are born from mental problems?"

  "Anything that causes a rift between the mind, body, or soul can birth a Molinbi."

  "New Entry Unlocked: Molinbi. Check compendium." Robot Lady interrupted. I sighed and shook my head as Lia jumped just a little.

  "She takes some getting used to, doesn't she?" I said, laughing gently. She nodded sharply.

  "Yes." And that was the end of our conversation. We kept walking together, holding hands and enjoying each others company. I could still feel Lia's spark when she stood next to me and it felt like stepping out into the sun after spending multiple hours in a too-cold classroom. The same kind of rejuvenating energy I felt when leaving a boring class was pouring from my Lady, washing over me in waves. Damn, she feels good.

  An hour or so later, our little ragtag crew pulled up in front of massive metal doors set into the yellow stone. Rosie had hopped into Lia's shadow without issue a half-hour ago and I could feel the wolf's trepidation at being surrounded by such monumental stone walls. I looked up at said stone walls towering over us, soldiers lining its top. Kiltont stood next to me, arms crossed over his chest. The walls had gotten scarier as we approached. I could see huge weapons seated on top of the walls, bristling with pointy missiles, a few of them aimed at us. I had no idea how big they actually were, seeing as how I could see them clearly even without zoom. Now that I was at their base, though, I could tell those fuckers were big. Newendom held something up in his hand and a whistle blew, the large metal doors beginning to open.

  "Well." Kiltont sighed, letting out a huff of air. "Welcome to Lingholm, Marshall."