The village

After two days of traveling

Tristan’s p.o.v.

The light of the midday sun shines brightly on the houses of the southern village. I remember those stone and brick houses very different from our wood-made ones. We finally returned to the village where my life and Aryas had changed drastically. Back then, I never realized that something was amiss or that the villagers were acting strange. They acted more normal than usual, considering the goblins that took over their mountain cave and the forest. I remember they begged Arya and me to get rid of them, and the old man seemed genuinely concerned.

Everyone jumped to the conclusion that if the brood mother spoke the common language, she must've learned it here, so she was not a demon that came recently into the human realm. So Selena's theory is that she resided here and, by some misfortune, got **** by goblins. It is far-fetched to jump to that conclusion. She could've learned our language in another place like Asmodeus and was traveling.

We are in front of the village chief's house, and all the faces look at me. Mom, Olden, and Selena are waiting for something, it seems.

"Okay, now that you two switched, we can go on with the mission, "Mom says; it looks like they waited until Arya and I changed places so that the village chief wouldn't get spooked by our disappearance act.

"I better knock at the door as I knew him and spoke with him before, "I tell them. I better handle this as, this time, we aren't on an official Guild quest, and they might become suspicious. We can't tell them about the curse or Asmodeus, which might cause misunderstanding. "It is best if you let me do the talking, "I add, just to be sure.

"Okay, that is just as Arya suggested before," Olden says, standing still on his horse. "And don't forget to find us a place to stay also."

I make it to the chief's main house and knock on the big wooden door. I immediately hear a sound, and a maid appears. I tell her that we are looking for the village chief, and she goes back to call him. The old village chief appears a while later. He looks suspiciously at us, but then he seems to remember me, and I see his face brighten.

"Aha, the New Rock guild of Adventurers, of course, I remember you. What brings you back, young man? " He says and salutes everybody, nodding from his head.

"I am glad you remember me, Village chief, and I salute you and your family. I hope our green friends haven't returned and all is fine. "I ask, smiling.

"Nothing at that scale. We did run across one of these little fuckers, but we got rid of him on our own, "he says proudly.

"I am sorry to hear. He must have escaped that time, "I excuse myself. A goblin is still a threat to an unarmed little child or an elder. That time, I was confused because of the curse and didn't double-check the forest and the area surrounding the village. It was stupid and careless on my part.

"It's not a problem. I tell you, we put our dogs on him, and we got rid of him quickly. He was unarmed and seemed wounded.

"I am glad. You see, we were in a hurry back then and had to return immediately to the city, "I say to excuse myself again, "but that's not why we are here this time ." I better jump to the matter at hand. "Last time, my partner found traces of a demon kind in those caves, so I brought a larger party to investigate better. "I say to him.

"What, a demon kind in the mountain caves, that's impossible. "He seems genuinely surprised, and I look at Selena, who nods at me, confirming he is telling the truth.

"Well, not recent, maybe way back, even many years ago?" I ask him.

"Noo, before the goblins, bears were residing in those caves, but demons, I don't think so," he seems too sincere to insist further.

"It's not a problem. We still need to check out that area and maybe question some of the other villagers. I am sure you don't mind." Mom comes forward and takes charge. I guess the introductions are over. "We also need accommodation for the time we will be spending here.” Mom already bosses him around.

"I understand. I will talk with some of the villagers and tell them you will question them, although I think it is a waste of time. May I ask what kind of evidence you two found that made you draw that conclusion? "The village chief asks, annoyed.

"Well, we found some strange runes that could only belong to them. Don't worry too much, village chief. It's a magical investigation, more or less, "Mom again says. “We thank you, and we appreciate any help you will provide, "Mom smiles at him, making him feel more relaxed.

"Yes indeed, thank you, village chief. Now, if you don't mind, we will go straight to the caves and come back this evening. I hope you will announce some of the villagers by then". I tell him because I don't want him accompanying us.

"Okay then, suit yourself. I hope I find a place for you to stay until then," he says

We say goodbye to the village chief and slowly walk through the small village as we need to reach the other end. Some of the villagers look curious and suspicious in our direction. Olden catches most of the women's glances, which seem to giggle as we pass near them. I hear some comments about how big his staff is.

It takes us a while to cross the village and we finally reach the outskirts when Selena says.

"You noticed, Mom? "she looks at Mom seriously.

"Yeah, it's strange, "Mom tells her.

"What? "I ask, annoyed, as I don't even notice anything. It's really annoying when they do that. It's my childhood all over again, with Mom and Selena having telepathic communication of their own.

"I am very disappointed in you, young man. What have I taught you to always observe to be aware of your surroundings. When you reach your enemy with your sword drawn and ready to strike, you must already know his strength, who he is, and his capabilities. That's what got you into trouble. The first time you came into this village, it didn't seem strange to you that there were no young men around?" Mom scolds me like I am a little child again. Well, what does she expect? I'm a tank. To rush forward is my job. I think to myself.

"Maybe they are gone to work somewhere or got drafted in the army, I don't know. "I say. What the hell was I supposed to watch every family if it has a young man.

"We will ask the villagers tomorrow to elucidate this mystery. "Olden, who has been silent until now, reminds us that he still has a voice.

"Yes, boos, you tell them how it is. "Even Asmodeus makes his presence felt again. "Hey boy, take me those damn caves. I need to see those runes, remember. We didn't come here to meet the villagers or taste the local cuisine. "

"Okay, follow me, "and I hit my horse to catch some speed. The first time, I went on foot to not scare the goblins, but this time, we could ride close to the road and cut through the forests on foot.

After about half an hour of riding, I put my hand up to make them stoop. We should proceed on foot from now on because the forest is too thick for the horses.

"We must leave the horses here, and someone needs to watch them," I say, looking toward Selena and Olden because Asmodeus and Mom need to enter the cave with me.

"Pointy years can stay. I don't want to miss all the fun, "Selena says, jumping down from her horse.

"But I need to watch too, "Olden protests.

"Don't worry, boos, I will tell you all what the human is doing. "Asmodeus seems more aggressive and arrogant when Olden is around. I wonder why?

"Yes, there is no need for your expertise, young man. Don't worry, we will keep you updated, "Mom says.

"Okay, fine, but return soon, or I will send a signal to the im. To my friend, I mean."

"Don't worry; it won't take long, "I tell him.

Like this, we make our way again through the forest to reach the cave. Selena spots some bear tracks but says that there is no one in the vicinity. It's always good to have a ranger at the party. Like this, we are the perfect dungeon crawler group. I am the tank. Mom is the healer, Selena is the ranger, and Asmodeus is the mage. Well, a weak mage that can only throw fireballs, but still. It's better than nothing.

After a half hour of walking I finally see the cave of damnation, we enter, and Mom and Asmodeus use the dedicated light spells to lighten the cave.

“What the hell is that smell shit? It reeks of corpses, and I even smell some wolfs and rats, “ Selena says at the cave entrance.

"Well, it's the goblins we killed, "I tell her.

"Why didn't you burn the bodies, shit, brother? You're destroying the animals around here. No bear will enter those caves for years, not to mention the wolves that eat those goblins will get sick, "Now Selena scolds me. Nobody understands that I was cursed and confused when I got out last time.

We walk for a while until we reach the area where the path bifurcates. I tell them to follow me, but I see Selena looking at the other path. She moves her nose, sniffing the air like a rabbit.

"Where did this path lead to? Brother,” Selena asks, and she seems interested in going that way.

"The old man that showed me around the forest the last time said that it was a dead end, "I tell them.

"And you believed him, another mistake, young man, leaving an unchecked path behind your back, "Mom again scolds me. Note to self: don't go adventuring with your family.

"Hey, you two leave the kid alone. Not everyone is a cold, calculated bitch like you two, ha-ha. Asmodeus takes my side and laughs. He is relaxed again and speaks freely, unlike when Olden is around. Their relationship is more of that of master and servant than that of friends.

"Yeah, remember, I was cursed. Let's go this way, Selena. When we return, we will check the other path.” I pull Selena after me. “I was going to check it then, but surprise, I got other priorities then," I tell them, annoyed, and we descend to the cave's large room where the barricades were.

Only now do I smell what Selena smelled at the entrance. The goblin's cadavers are half-eaten, and rats run away as they see us. It was ugly before, but now it's disgusting, with guts and blood all over the room. Another note to self: never return to a cave where you previously went on a raid.

We followed like this, keeping our hands to our noses until we finally reached the big room where we fought the brood mother. The wolf’s been here also and dragged the hobgoblins' cadavers around. Even the brood mother is not where I left her.

Asmodeus looks around, confused, trying to search for the brood mother, and I point at the headless corpse.

"This is her. Before she died, she inscribed the runes around her, but it seems she was dragged around by wild animals, "I say, and I go back to the place where her last moments were.

Some parts of the runes are still visible, but the sand is disturbed where the wolves dragged her.

"Can you make up something up, imp? “Mom asks Asmodeus, who's looking at the remaining runes.

“Yes, I see something, but nonetheless, use that potion you brought to lighten it better. “

Mom takes from her bag the fluorescent potion and purees it in each remaining runes, which immediately emit a green light. All the runes are light, and Asmodeus begins writing something in thin air. Letters made of light appear in front of him, and he seems to play with them, moving them around like in a card game.

“Imp you came here to give us a light show, or are you actually doing something? “Mom asks, annoyed as Asmodeus makes us wait for a while.

Mom and Asmodeus still insult each other with every chance they get. I thought that they would get along after Asmodeus helped Mom recuperate her mana core. I can see that Mom is feeling better. Her movements are that of a 20-year-old. She is not using her mace like a walking stick anymore, and I saw her casting magic again, which led me to conclude that the ritual was successful. From what I heard from Selena, she might even be immortal now, but why does she still hate Asmodeus? and they bicker at every chance they get. Not that I complain. Their comebacks are quite original sometimes; even Selena seems to be having fun and taunts one against another.

"Shut up, old woman, can you see I am concentrating, it says. Whatever the light hits shall belong to my soul. This woman was strange; why did she formulate it like this? It's so confusing. Half of the day, one and half of the night, only one must see the light. Shit, it even rimes this woman was smart. Ups here it is when **** comes, the soul will rest, and the darkness will have light. Wait, that's not right, eh? Well.

"What's that girlfriend that doesn't sound too optimistic, "Selena asks when Asmodeus reveals the last passage.

"Well, it says plainly that if one of you dies, the curse will end. Ha-ha, what a crazy bitch. Hey, you have to give it to her. This is genius, ha-ha. "Asmodeus says, laughing. Well, he is having fun.

So, we are not immortals as I have thought. The healing and the restoration work until our body dies. After that, it’s bye-bye to the world. It‘s no surprise to me; I had a feeling it was something like this: no curse can raise the dead.

“That’s horse shit. Me and Arya will never test that theory. What about the duration of the curse? I ask

"I don't know. I can't make up who she is or what power she possesses only by looking at her runes. But I tell you this: she was smart, and it seems she was a runemaster. These masters are hard to find in the demon world. Their power lies in the combinations that they can make during battle.

"Well, this was wasted time. We are back at square one. You damn imp, I knew you were useless, "Mom snaps at Asmodeus angrily" Let's get the hell out of here and explore that other passage."

"Fuck you, old crow, don't blame me. Blame that shity goddess of yours, ha-ha. "Asmodeus laughs again, and we return to the cave corridor.

We walk again, and I see that the hope Asmodeus brought is beginning to fade away. I don't know what I imagined. Like Mom, I imagined he would finally bring a solution, but we know less now than we did before. Maybe we asked too much from the little guy. The feeling of impending doom that I had before his arrival takes root again in my heart. I guess we need to carry on until someone dies or this curse is exhausted. Either way, I am never to touch Arya's peach-like skin ever again or even see her beautiful eyes. As I am lost in my doom thoughts, I realize that we have arrived at the other path that we need to explore.

"What did you smell before, Selena? I've seen you sniffing in this direction,” Mom asks Selena.

"Candles, "Selena says. That short answer makes everybody curious to see what is ahead of us.

As we walk on the new path, i notice that this is more abrupt and rocky. It's like we are entering deep within the earth. A whistling sound is heard ahead of us, and a cold wind passes near my ears.

"The winds are strong here; what the Chaos lord is that?”Asmodeus points at the space before him.

It appears that the old man was honest. It is a dead end. The path before us is interrupted by a crack in the mountain. It's like someone split the mountain in two and made a large empty space right in the middle of it. As I look down, it has no end, and it seems like going on to the middle of the earth. On the other side, I see another mountain wall, but it’s too far away from this side. There is only a faint light that comes from somewhere above and gives the whole place an eerie look, as below us is almost complete darkness. Strong winds are blowing Asmodeus all over the place. He gets back with us on the safe stone path.

"Shit, I can't go on ahead. I am too light. The winds don't let me descend. It's nothing here, just the mountain". Asmodeus says, catching his breath. Looks like he is exhausted fighting the currents inside the mountain.

"Nah, I trust my daughter's nose. There must be something in this area. Selena, can you tell where the smell comes from below or above us?". Mom asks, and Selena gets close to the ridge and looks below.

"Below, about 200 meters down on this side of the mountain. "Selena points to the left direction, and I bend, trying to see something myself.

"Well, if the imp is useless like most of the time, give me your rope, Tristan, and we do it the fashion way. We use the rope to climb down, "Mom says.

“Ugh, I don’t have a rope, Mom, but there is one on the horse, “I say.

“O my, young man, didn’t they teach you anything at that damn guild since when people go exploring mountain caves without a rope.” Mom is furious this time. But I don’t see her rope either, so why is she scolding only me? “Selena, go and bring the rope from the horses. You are the fastest here. We will wait for you, “Mom says.

Selena immediately sprints back and disappears from sight in seconds.

“Hey, I got an idea. What if you pull me down with your weight? That might work, so we don’t have to waste time with that rope. “Asmodeus looks at me, and I am confused.

“Pull you down “? I ask.

"Yeah, I fly around, and you jump and grab me by the legs. This way, I have stability. Don't worry, we won't fall down. The winds will keep us floating. You are the heaviest here, plus that rope might never be enough.

Finally, I understand, but I am a little **** to try, as the black immensity below is pretty scary.

"Wait for it, imp there is no need to rush, "Mom says.

"C’mon, you gonna listen to your mommy all your life? Come with me. There is no danger. Hey, I took your sister to the moon and back the other day. Ha-ha”

"It's worth a try, Mom. This way, we will be faster, "I tell Mom, who looks like she is considering it.

"Okay, but be careful. Grab him tight, and if you fall, bring him with you, "Mom looks angry at Asmodeus.

"Okay, Asmodeus, let's jump into the abyss," I say, and he smiles.

"That's the spirit. Wait until I am flying close to the ridge, then you jump and grab my legs, and one more thing, don't look up. I know you artists are weird."

"Ha-ha, what the crap, man? That is a sight I don't want to see," I laugh, catching his joke. Even Mom cracks a smile. Asmodeus's piece of cloth on his waist protects little from the intrusive eye looking from below.

He retakes flight, and winds seem to destabilize him again, moving him around like a piece of paper. I should wait until he is in the center and more stable. I throw my shield, ready myself, and step close to the ridge, bending my knees for the jump. Asmodeus dandles around as the wind pushes him too high.

"Now, "he shouts. I jump, and I barely manage to catch him with one hand that almost slips on contact. I stay like this until he is more stable, and I grab his other leg olso. I probably look like a sausage put to be smoked, pending around from left to right.

"Ha-ha, yeah, this is what I am talking about. I heard Amodues shouting. I can see he is flying straight now and doesn't get pushed around by the mean wind. "You jumped, and now I must descend into this abyss, "and he drops, aligning his wings down, and doesn't flap anymore.

As I look left and around. The grey mountain looks massive with ridges and cracks. It's really like we are going into the belly of the earth. The cold, dark, empty abyss sends shivers down my spine. It is different from the darkness of the soul realm. In that place, there is only darkness. You do not see the end or the beginning of it. Here, instead, you see that there is no end. The feeling of immensity makes me humble and resigned that I am tiny compared to nature's forces. I look above, ignoring Asmodeu's advice to see where Mom is. She seems like a small dot on the surface of the immense mountain.

"What does that sister of yours smelled? I don't see shit around here, "Asmodeus yells.

"Hey, get further back so we can see better, "I shout at him. He is flying close to the mountain, and we do not have a perspective view of the whole thing.

I hear Asmodeus flapping his wings, and we are drifting further away from the mountain. I never saw a mountain so slippery, so abrupt. Yeah, forget about climbing here. There is no edge to grab. It's like a straight wall. Only when we reach further down, I spot some cracks. There are even some big hollows on the mountain's surface. Yeah, that should be it.

"There, fly low and get close to those holes in the mountain," I shout, and he approaches when a faint light appears on my left. "Hey, there, see that light?"

"Yeah, I see it. Hold on," and he flies in that direction, wobbling me from left to right. As we approach the faint light, I notice that it slowly transforms into a big room that is light from inside. What the hell is a room doing, carved in the rock of the mountain? What creature could have done this?

"Hey, this reminds me of my home, "I hear Asmodeus laughing. Well, never mind that thought. That answers it. It must be the brood mother's lair. I mean her lair before she became a brood mother. Only with wings can you live in a place like this.

So, I guess Selena was right. She really lived close to this village. Mom's teachings came to my mind when she said that this business has no coincidences.

As we approach, I see she had everything here. I see a bed and a desk, even a drawer. These are human drawers. She was really cozy here and made a small house for herself.

"Let go of me," Amodeus says as we enter the demon lair, and I land at the room's entrance. It's good to be on solid ground again.

Only now, I see the source of the light and it's really a candle, as Selena said. But what kind of candle burns for weeks? I approach to study it better, and runes are engraved in the sand under the candle. Well, that's convenient. I better not touch it as we might lose our source of light. Asmodeus light spell is so weak that you are better off without it.

Asmodeus starts looking around in the dresser next to the bed and pointing at the clothes.

"Look at this. These are human panties. Why would a demon woman need this?" and he sniffs them. "Yup, it’s demon pussy, ha-ha. She was really living here, "Asmodeus confirms my suspicion.” I better hold on to these, you know, for further research," he holsters the panties in a pocket on his piece of cloth.

I, too, explore the room, and further back, I see there is even a library, and next to it is a painting. I approach the painting, and what I see leaves me speechless. It's like a portrait of some demon woman. This must be her portrait. She is depicted in a pretty scary way. She is snarling, and you can see her razor-sharp teeth. Her horns are exactly like I remember the brood mother's horns were. Her wings are wrapped behind her back, and unlike Asmoodeus, she has hooves instead of feet. She has red-brownish skin, and even her eyes are red like a ripped cherry. What is strange is that she is pointing to something, and on her pointing finger, there is a butterfly. Who could have painted her?![](<a href="<img"><img"><img"><img"><img"><img">https://ibb.co/2NyMFGY"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/TLk0w9q/xsdert.png" alt="xsdert" border="0" /></a>)

"Hey, Asmodeus, look at this, "I call him. “This might be her; the horns match."

"What ho ho look at this, what a beauty and those horns ihi ihi. "He touches the painting like he wants to grab her. "What a waste, poor girl. Why did you kill her, Tristan? If this beauty wanted to kill me, I let her. Look at her tits. And that face like a lioness. "He is right. She really resembles a feline with her blonde hair and her ferocious demeanor.

"She didn't look like this when I killed her. She was bald and green and didn't even have wings anymore. I don't think you should blame me for this. Blame the goblins. "What do you think? How strong was she? "I ask, as this picture must tell him something.

"She was strong. Look at her horns; you know a demon's power from the horns. The bigger and more beautiful there are, the greater the power. I'd say she was an incubus looking at them. You were lucky the goblins got to her first. Only her spit could have killed you on the spot. Hey, take this picture with you also. We might need to study it better, "he says and goes to look somewhere else.

I take the picture from the wall and turn it around to check the artist's name, but I don't see his signature anywhere. That’s unfortunate; maybe she had erased it. I take down the picture's wooden frame, wrap the painting, and put it in my bag.

Next, I go to the desk to see if she has written something, but I find nothing, not even one letter. I check also the drawer of the desk. I guess she didn't stay connected. As I look better, there is a large open book under other books. This is different. All the other books are human books, but this is written with strange characters.

“Hey, Asmodeus, can you read this? “I take the book with me and show it to him.

"What, wait, hold on, what the Chaos lord is this? Yes, the letters are draconian, but the words don't make any sense. What the hell, this bitch was crazy or something."

"You sure? Maybe she coded it or something? " I insist because I sense this meant a lot to her. The book is large and depicts the runes she used during the battle. It's probably her life's work.

"Coded what coded. First of all, you don't write draconian on paper. Second, our language doesn't use sounds as letters. It uses images. This is useless. Leave it here, "he says, annoyed.

I look better at the book trying to make up something, but it's all as Asmodeus says, with so many lines and dots like a cat scratching on the wood. But it must be important. She kept it too clean, and the writings, I see, glitter in the faint candlelight. I close it and put it in my bag, also, ignoring Asmodeus's recommendation. I will study it later.

"I-ha, look at this; the woman was rich.”I look at Asmodeus and see his hands are in a large wooden box. I approach and see it is full of gold and jewelry." Ha-ha, this is all mine, "he looks at me viciously like a cat protecting her kittens.

A loud bang behind us makes both me and Asmodeus turn around, and I see Sellena rotating herself in the air. She lands next to us, looking immediately at the wooden box.

"What is yours, girlfriend? Oh, I will confiscate that. To keep it safe for you, "she approaches us and quickly grabs Asmodeus's box.

"No, it's mine, give it back. I need it. It's precious to me. "He jumps around, and they fight like two little children for the box. I didn't know he liked gold so much. What the hell did he use it for? He can't buy anything. The moment a merchant sees him, he will call the city guards.

"No, it's mine. Where the crap are you going to keep it. In your skirt? I don't want that fucker to have it, "Selena says, and Asmodeus changes attitude almost immediately and lets go of the box.

"Yeah, okay, but you must promise to buy me demonic weapons, "he says. That's strange. What the hell does he do with those? As I remember better, he also asked Arya for her staff. Maybe he eats them or something.

"Of course, I will buy my sweet baby demonic weapons, and we are going to buy even a pretty blonde wig for you and a pretty dress. Also, wait, no, that might be too much. "Selena smiles at him and pinches his cheek. Ekk, what the hell did I just witness? This is going to haunt me for life.

I leave the two lovebirds and continue searching the room. I even check the walls for hidden passages. The demon felt pretty safe here, and I don't think she had the desire to hide anything. I look at the library and notice she has an extensive collection of elven and human books. I try to imagine her life, and a lot of questions arise. Why was she here, why didn't she return home, why this village, and most important, how could goblins overpower her when her spit could kill me in seconds, as Asmodeus most equivocal put it.

"I guess that's it. Let's go back and tell Mom what we found, "I tell Selena and Asmodeus.

They agree with me, and Selena gets back first, shouting at Mom that we are returning. The echo immediately repeats her message across the whole mountain. She catches the rope and starts climbing. I wait for a while and when I hear that she has arrived. I grab the rope and lift myself onto it until I reach the main wall. Now, I use my legs also to push me up while with my hands, I keep my body straight. It takes me a while to reach Mom and Selena. Asmodeus follows close behind me. He doesn't climb like Selena and me; instead, he ties the rope around him and uses the rope just to stabilize himself in flight.

We are up, and after we update Mom with all the findings, we walk back toward the cave entrance. When we are finally out I hear Selena’s voice.

"Brother, I think I will stay behind to burn all those bodies.” She seems serious about this. Plus, I will need Asmodeus fire spells and Mom to disinfect the area. "Why don't you get back and tell Olden about the demon layer and wait for us there. If you want, you could also return to the village; we will find you.” I look at them, and they immediately nod, agreeing with Selena's suggestion. Since when is Asmodeus interested in saving wild animals

I find it weird that they all immediately agree. There must be something else in the middle here.

"Yeah, whatever," I raise my shoulders." You know, for a mind reader, you are a shity liar. All the times you caught us lying, you didn't learn anything. If you wanted to spend time with Asmodeus without Olden knowing, you could just say so. "I say and watch her face to see if I caught her.

"Ha-ha, you caught me, brother. Yeah, that is precisely what I wanted, to fool around with my girlfriend, "she admits too quickly. That's not it. I think to myself. Plus, why does she want Mom here, also?

"Okay then, goodbye; I'll leave you alone, "I say and make my way through the thick forest.

As I walk, I notice that the sun is almost setting I better hurry up and reach Olden in time before Arya finds herself alone in the middle of the forest.

I run, and when I am almost close to Olden and the horses, I see that I begin to glow.

Asmodeus p.o.v

The three of us are waiting outside the cave entrance, and we stay like this until Tristan disappears from sight. Selena has used a secret sign and called for an urgent meeting.

"Ugh, Tristan is becoming suspicious. We can't keep things hidden from him for a long time. He will figure it out," I say as we are finally alone.

"Of course, imp my son is not stupid “Sonya says, looking concerned at the forest. "Selena, why did you call for a meeting? It's about six o'clock. He will switch with Arya. "

"I did it on purpose at this time, so he can't tell Olden what we found in the cave." Selena smiles viciously. That's smart, so they intend to keep Olden in the dark, but wait, Tristan might slip something if we are not careful.

"That's risky. He will want to know what we found, "I tell them.

"We will tell him about the cave but not about the last passage of the curse. Mom, from what Asmodeus told me, this guy is a criminal. He even killed his fellow adventurers. If he thinks that Tristan's **** will cause the curse to end, guess what he will do next." Selena puts her serious face on. Shit, I didn't think about this. She is right, that bastard will try and hurt the boy before we strike a deal with him.

"Yeah, good call, Selena. We should really keep that part hidden. Don't worry; I will talk with your brother.

"No, Mom, we must act before him. We must kill blondie before. That way, Tristan is finally free from this damn curse, and we go back to our lives. All this can end in seconds, and after that, we negotiate with Olden Asmodeus's release. What do you say, Mom? "Selena, this time smiles viciously like a demon panther, shit, this girl is fierce. What the hell did I get myself into?

'No noo, what the hell? I can't believe you are saying this thing out loud, Selena. Young lady, I never taught you to kill to resolve your problems. Wipe that solution from your mind, you hear me?" Sonya grabs Selena by the shoulders which looks down at the ground. "Hey, young lady, look in my eyes. Promise me you will not do something stupid."

"No, Mom, why not? This is stupid; blondie already cheated on Tristan, and if they have the chance, they will do it .? Selena stubbornly continues with her argument, which is right; I would do it also if Tristan wasn't involved.

"Your brother will not like that. He will hate you all your life. Let's find another solution. "I take Sonya's side on this.

"Who the hell is going to tell him? We do it and put the blame on her shity magic fucker over there. Who will he believe, him or us? "Selena's logic is really twisted. That's why I liked her in the first place.

"That makes sense. “I agree with her this time. "He is better off without her, "I say

"Shut up, imp. This is between my daughter and me, "Sonya snaps at me

"Why do you always talk with him that way?" Mom, "Selena now takes my side. Well, it didn't bother her before.

"What? I can't believe you are taking his side. You know he is not a girl, right? He is a man and a male chauvinist pig. He bragged to me about having 200 succubuses when he was young. You know he is the thing you hate most in this world, right?” Hey, that's not fair. I said 5, and I loved each one of them, I think to myself. I better stay out of this. I might get killed.

"Well, at least he is sincere, not like my own mother lying to me, plus this pig saved your life if a recall recently. He-he, this is fun to watch, two vicious bitches going at each other for me.

"Yeah, omitting a tiny detail.That I have to fuck for eternity to always steal other man's life away. What kind of sick, twisted race will think of something like this? Oh, wait, I know, demons."

"Wait, what?” Selena looks at me." well, he warned us about that, but this is different. Mom, you can poison Arya and make it look like an accident. "

"Bullshit, listen to yourself. My daughter, the great assassin. You never got out of your forest all of your life and think you know something, "Sonya shouts angrily at Selena this time. "Stupid girl, doo, you think Arya is some villager that you can hide their ****? Arya's mother commands the elven fleet. If something happens to her daughter, you bet your ass she will find out, and then all your jumping around will do jack shit against an armada of elven battleships that, guess what, are not like human bouts that sail only on water. These can fly in the sky and are massive enough to cover the sun. She will burn all your damn forest only to get to you. Not even our king can do something to her, you hear me."

The elven battleship, I remember those from the war. That's a scary sight. Even now, their massive shadows still bring shivers on my back. Sonya is right. We can't touch Blondie. Even worse, we can't let that bastard harm her. If not, we are dead meat.

"Okay, fine, I will wait, but we can't let them know about the curse's last words. "Selena seems resigned to not killing Blondie yet.

"I can’t believe I have to explain every time to you that killing is wrong." Sonya is still angry, but her tone is lower this time. "You know what? I think this imp has a bad influence on you. "She looks at me angrily. What the chaos lord? How is this my bad influence? This bitch changes moods like a harpy changes nests.

"Oh c'mon, Mom, you know I killed before his arrival. He is harmless. Look how cute he is. "Selena jumps next to me and pulls my cheeks. And she smiles this time. I see she resembles her mother; just now, they were at each other throats, and now they pick on me.

"What, that thing cute? He looks like a plowed chicken. Anyway, let's get back. Olden might electrocute your girlfriend here." Sonya says

"And your face looks like melted lava, you ugly old woman," I say, as if not to have an insult debt. I am glad that they finished arguing and Sonya is insulting only me. I feel much better now.

With that settled, we begin to walk to the forests. Well, they are walking, and I fly above them.

We arrive and meet Olden and Arya who are waiting for us. Me and Selena shut up and let Sonya do the explanation. We are also showing them the picture of the brood mother and the book that Tristan brought against my wish. If he wants to waste his time with it, it's his problem. I don't mind. I hope he will not bother me with it.

"So, she really lived here.”Arya has a thoughtful face while contemplating for a while," So what's next? I mean, we don't know much more than we did before. "It looks like Blondie is not happy with the findings. Well, don't blame me. They all thought that I was going to snap my fingers and end an incubus curse.

“Anything about the duration of the curse?” Olden looks at me, and I better tell him.

"Boos, she was strong, judging by the way she formulated the curse and her horns. She was an incubus, so I think in 150 years, the mana she put into the curse will begin to deplete". I tell them the truth.

"No, it can't be that long, "Blondie almost shouts. What's her problem? Elves live up to a thousand years. Does she have someone else to go? I am more concerned about Tristan. Humans are not used to living that long. Maybe at the end of the curse, his body will not heal anymore, and he will die immediately as he is kept alive artificially by mana.

"Tristan also wants to interrogate some of the villagers tomorrow, so maybe we might find out more about the demon, so all is not lost," Sonya says

"What's the point? What can these villagers do? I say we leave this place. "Olden seems in a hurry to get out of here.

"Hey, pointy ears, this is not a request. If my brother says we stay, then we stay. Plus, are you so stupid not to realize that this demoness had to eat somewhere or she needed water to drink, and the furniture in her cave must've been bought from somewhere? She definitely had contact with someone. Someone had helped her and knew more." Selena closes Olden's mouth, who looks at her like she wants to kill her on the spot. What a creep.

"That's a good theory, but how will we know which of the villagers helped her? “Arya asks. These guys are amateurs. They are so stupid I know the best way.

"I say we gather all the villagers in one place, and then we grab one of these small children that they have. We threaten to kill him if they don't talk, "I tell them, boasting in the glory of finding a solution. That's how we dealt with traitors back in the day.

Everybody is looking at me weirdly. What did I say? They don't like my plan. Hey, it's their problem. This is the most efficient, and we don't waste time going from house to house.

"We will go from house to house and ask. Someone must slip some information. The only one we can rule out is the town chief. He really doesn't know anything." Sonya says.

"Okay, I will follow your lead tomorrow, "Arya says.

With this decision, we return to the village. As we arrive, the village chief waits for us and tells them that he found two houses with only 1 room available, so the girls sleep in one house and the boys in another.

I can see Olden is frustrated that he will be getting none of the blondie ass tonight ha-ha. I laugh to myself. After showing the girls their house, the village chief takes Olden to a house with a large courtyard. An old man living alone greets Olden.

“Where is that young lad? I was told he had returned with more people to investigate the caves.” The old man asks Olden, who is annoyed that he has to make small talk with a peasant.

“ He remained in the caves, but he will return at midnight, “ Olden tells the old man, “ now I am tired, and I will go to sleep and wish not to be bothered until morning. “ he says, and with this, he closes the old man chatty mouth.

The old man showes Olden his room, and I follow behind him. What a dump! I am better off sleeping outside. When the old man closes the door, I say.

“Boos, I am going to sleep outside. This room is a dump,”

“Hey, not so fast. What the hell happened in those caves? “He looks at me angrily. This bastard is becoming suspicious.

“Exactly as the old bitch told you, we really found her cave and explored. It’s no loos, boos, the cave smelled and was full of rats, and to reach the demoness' lair, we had to climb. The winds didn’t let me fly. It was ugly, “I tell him so as not to feel that he was missing something.

"So it's like that. Are you sure there was no gold in that room? You didn't steal it, did you?” He raises his eyebrows. That is what is bothering him. Ha-ha, what an idiot. Wait for a while; money will be the least of your concerns.

"No boos, there was no gold, but I found her panties. Look at this," and I show him. Even if I found gold, do you think I'd tell you?

“Okay then, go, I don't want to see you until morning, "and I say goodbye and rush out, passing by the old man who looks confused about who opened all the doors. I find a tall tree next to the village, and I land on it. It's time to rest my old bones, and I close my eyes, dreaming of a blond lioness. What a waste of a fine demon woman.