Talesworn

Chapter 27 - A Familiar Cave

“What should we do?” Piper whispered as she stared down at the Crimson Guard, who were now setting up tents near the barn. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “Is there another way around?”

“Not that a horse can navigate.” Alfred tugged on his beard. “We could use the trails to skirt around the hill, but it will bring us uncomfortably close to them. For now, I think we should hole up in a nearby cave. There’s a storm on the horizon, which should hopefully wash away our tracks.”

“And then what?” Piper insisted. “There must be something else we can do.”

Alfred only shook his head in reply.

Piper turned her gaze to Ethel, whose features were pinched with worry. Even the normally unflappable Ophelia looked nervous as she tapped her stick against her thigh. All of them knew they were trapped.

No one spoke as Alfred retraced his steps and chose a new path cutting across the steep hill. He kept to the narrow trails, angling away from the farm. As he moved through the skeletal trees, he regularly stopped to check on the Crimson Guard below.

Piper’s mind raced as she tried to think of a way out of the situation. If they stayed in the hills, then either the redcaps or the vampires would find them eventually. Plus, she assumed the Crimson Guard had some sort of tracking skill.

I have to do something.

But after spending a few minutes trying to think of a plan, she hadn’t come up with anything. If only she were strong like the shadeling demon she’d seen in her visions. That demoness had single-handedly defeated an entire castle.

After walking for nearly an hour, she began to recognize the terrain and realized where they were headed. This was the trail to the lion’s den. Which made sense, since it was the closest cave to the farm. She just hoped nothing new had moved in—like a bear or a hydra.

Do hydras exist in this world? Why the heck don’t they have any books on monsters?

Piper continued to chew on the problem as they hiked toward the cave. There must be something she could do with her magic. What if she turned herself into a redcap with her [False Face]? Maybe she could lead the other redcaps away?

She quickly discarded that idea when she realized she probably didn’t speak their language. Also, they’d probably be pretty suspicious if a random redcap showed up in their camp. How would she even explain what she was doing there?

Instead, she turned her focus toward her new spell [Umbral Terror]. Maybe she could use it to frighten off the redcaps. But the only problem was that she’d never cast it before. What if a single cast used up most of her mana? Or what if it had a cooldown? Either of those things could get her killed fast.

At the thought of her mana, she decided now was the time to allocate her free attribute points. After leveling up on the farm, she’d gained 100 free points. So far, she’d focused on her physical attributes. But if she was going to get the most out of her class, she needed to improve her magical ones as well.

Her first priority was to improve her Magic stat. During her lessons with Beatrice, she’d been told that people with a high Perception attribute could sometimes see through illusions. Though apparently that could be combated by having a higher Magic attribute.

Piper knew she’d been lucky so far that no one had seen through her illusions—mainly because few classes used Perception—but she didn’t want to risk that happening with the Crimson Guard. With a measly 2 in the stat, there was a good chance at least one of the vampires would see through her illusions.

While her Magic stat was bad, her Mana stat was even worse. She only had a grand total of 95 mana. Not only was it used for her spells but also for her [Demonic Blood] healing ability. Since it was looking increasingly likely that they were facing another fight, she wanted to have a big pool of mana to draw upon.

The last magical attribute she needed to improve was Mana Regeneration. So far, her battles had been short and vicious. Her class wasn’t suited to long fights—she needed to take out her opponents fast with invisible strikes. While it wasn’t nearly as important as the other two stats, she decided to add a few points to it.

After a few more minutes of mulling it over, she finally came to a decision. She added 15 points to Magic, 30 points to Mana, and 5 points to Mana Regeneration. That gave her 17 points in magic, 245 Mana, and 120 Mana Regeneration. It would take her well over two hours to fully regenerate her mana pool, but any fight should be long over by then.

At least, I hope so.

Next, she focused on her physical attributes. Like it or not, her class meant that she had to do her fighting up close. She didn’t have a single offensive spell to deal damage. Hopefully, she’d learn at least one in the future. But even the powerful shadeling demon she’d seen in her vision had fought with her tail and claws.

First, Piper placed 20 points into strength. She secretly liked being able to do things she couldn’t possibly do in her old life—like doing a chin-up to reach the barn’s roof. Next, she added 7 points to Stamina and 6 points to Vitality, bringing them up to a nice round 20 and 30, respectively.

To finish it off, she dumped the remaining 17 points into Dexterity. It should make her strikes faster and allow her to avoid more attacks. Eventually, she’d have to add some points to Swiftness, but at the moment she could leave it low along with Perception. The Swiftness stat mainly affected running, though according to Alfred some people combined a high Swiftness and Dexterity to make it almost impossible for an opponent to hit them.

Once she was done, she did some quick calculations and was shocked to see that she had almost 262 total points. That meant she was probably stronger than any level 100 human who had unlocked their second class. She was starting to see why demons were so feared—they grew stronger at an insane rate.

With her points allocated, she pulled up her character sheet.

Piper Ashcroft

Race: Shadeling (Lesser Demon), Level 15

Class: Deceiver (Rare), Level 10

Attributes

Strength – 66

Dexterity – 51

Stamina - 20

Vitality – 30

Perception – 3

Swiftness - 2

Magic - 17

Mana - 245

Mana Regeneration – 120

Free Attribute Points - 0

Racial Skills (5/10)

·         Demonic Blood, Level 6

·         Demonic Fury, Level 1

·         Demonic Intellect, Level 6

·         Tail Strike, Level 9

·         Quick Claw, Level 9

Skills (10/10)

·         Ambush Detection, Level 4

·         Animal Caretaking, Level 5

·         Archery, Level 6

·         Cooking, Level 6

·         Enduring Casting, Level 11

·         Gardening, Level 1

·         Identify - 1

·         Running, Level 11

·         Stick Wielding, Level 1

·         Subterfuge, Level 2

Spells (4/10)

·         False Face, Level 4

·         Truth Shroud, Level 6

·         Umbral Terror, Level 1

·         Veil of Lies, Level 5

She checked her stats and noted that nothing else had changed recently. Hopefully, her vastly improved attributes would help them elude the Crimson Guard and the redcaps. Though she couldn’t imagine how many points an immortal vampire had.

Turning her attention back to the trail, she noted that they were nearing the lion’s den. After walking a few more meters, they reached the clearing outside the cave. The only remaining sign of the lion’s presence was half a dozen gnawed bones.

Alfred approached the cave cautiously, with an arrow knocked on his bow. After a glance inside, he lowered his weapon. Clearly, he’d been worried something new had taken up residence inside the lion’s old den. But apparently it was empty.

“Great,” Gorebark commented from her grip. “Nothing to fight again? Are you ever going to level me up? Have you taken some sort of oath that won’t let you kill? Are you part of the ‘do no harm’ crowd?”

Piper shushed Gorebark as Alfred glared at her weapon. Then she walked over to the cave and peeked inside. The entrance was large enough to fit a wagon through, but the tunnel swiftly narrowed after about a dozen meters before disappearing into the darkness. She wondered how deep it went into the mountain.

Alfred rounded on Piper. “Do you think you can conceal the entrance?”

“I don’t think so…” She chewed on her lower lip. Her [Veil of Lies] could only hide an area slightly larger than a person. “Maybe if we go in a little bit further where it’s narrower?”

Alfred nodded before heading over to the horse. He began the process of unloading the pack animal and was quickly joined in the task by his daughter.

Just when Piper was about to offer to help, Ethel motioned at her to follow with familiar-looking water pails in her hand.

“Come help me fetch some water,” Ethel said, handing her one of the buckets.

She took the bucket and then followed Ethel up the mountain slope. They walked in silence until they found a narrow stream emerging from the rock face. Both filled their containers and then began the trek back to the cave.

After a short distance, Ethel looked over at Piper. “I’d like you to make me a promise.”

“A promise?” she repeated, surprised at the request. “About what?”

“If something should happen to Alfred and me, I want you to ensure that Ophelia makes it to the Arissian Empire.”

“Nothing is going to happen to you.”

Ethel gave her a sad smile. “We’re being chased by the Crimson Guard. That… never ends well for those involved.”

Piper’s heart sank slightly at Ethel’s word. But she dispelled her thoughts and focused on the positive. Like her dad said, she always had to stay optimistic. “You’ll both be fine,” she replied, trying to sound reassuring. “I’m sure of it. Alfred will keep us safe.”

“Please just promise me.”

“Alright, I promise. But you’ll see that everything is going to work out.”

They continued the journey in silence until they reached the cave mouth. Once they arrived, they refilled their water skins and then washed off the grime from the day. They gave the remaining water for the horse, allowing it to drink its fill. Before they left tomorrow, they’d have to refill the buckets at the spring, but for now they had more than enough water.

Piper sat down on a rock and pulled off one boot. She gently massaged her foot and winced. Her feet were aching from the walk, and she was tempted to use her healing to dispel the pain. However, she decided against in case she accidentally lit something on fire. Any smoke would act like a beacon for their position.

Pulling her boots back on, she turned her thoughts back to their problem. She was the only one here with a combat class—she had to do something to help. What if she used her [Veil of Lies] to sneak them past the redcaps?

But she quickly realized the illusion wouldn’t be large enough to hide the horse. Plus, she doubted they could move in single file long enough to keep them all hidden from prying eyes. No, she would have to come up with something else.

Piper frowned and pressed her lips together. Once again, she was too weak to save those she cared about. She bet the Crimson Guard would have no trouble dealing with the redcaps.

At the thought of the vampires, an idea burst to life in her mind as she realized there was something she could do to save everyone. But it would be dangerous, and Alfred really wouldn’t like it.

Not that I have to tell him about it.

If she told Alfred and Ethel, they would probably forbid her from doing it. But they couldn’t forbid what they didn’t know about. All she had to do was use a little bit of her magic, and she could solve all of their problems. And the best part was that she wouldn’t even have to fight.

She crossed her legs and tried to hide her nervousness. Though she did a poor job as Ethel kept shooting quizzical looks in her direction. Even Ophelia glanced over as she tapped her foot against the ground.

Once they’d finished setting up their camp, everyone settled in for a cold meal. With two groups of enemies nearby, they didn’t dare light a fire. Thankfully, there were plentiful bread, cheese, and dried meats.

While Piper missed Ethel’s delicious cooking, at least the meal was filling. After they reached the mountains, they would have to ration their food, but for now there was more than enough to go around. Especially since the bread would only last another day or two at the most.

They ate in silence, and once the meal was finished, they headed deeper into the cave. The floor was surprisingly smooth, and the walls had strange grooves in them. After travelling a few metres, she couldn’t help but wonder if this was manmade. Was this part of the ruins crisscrossing the foothills?

None of the others seemed to notice the unusual features of the cave, and she didn’t bother to bring it up. Alfred had found a nice cozy alcove they could all squeeze into along with the horse. And it was narrow enough that she could cast [Veil of Lies] to conceal their hiding spot.

Once the entrance had been hidden, Ethel handed out thick woolen blankets along with furry animal pelts. They would need them to stay warm in the chilly early spring weather. Though hopefully the cave would shelter them from the worst of the cold.

Not that I plan on sleeping.

Piper sat down on the hard floor and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Beside her, Ophelia slid over to rest her head on her mother’s lap. She watched as Ethel stroked her daughter’s hair until the young woman fell asleep.

She continued to watch the others as they slipped into slumber one by one. The last to nod off was Ethel, her face finally relaxing for what seemed like the first time in days. Nearby, Alfred lay on his back, his barrel chest rising and falling as he snored with a sound like sawing logs.

Piper carefully pulled back her blankets and stood up. She stood there for a long minute, making sure she hadn’t awakened anyone before she collected her weapons and cloak. Then she retraced her steps, heading back toward the cave’s entrance.

As she stepped out into the chilly night air, she felt her bow vibrate in her hands.

Gorebark looked up at her with wooden eyes. “You’re going to do something reckless, aren’t you?”

She bit her lower lip. “I wouldn’t say it was reckless…”

“That means yes. Any chance I’m going to gain a few levels finally?”

She nodded.

“It’s about time.” Gorebark grumbled. “Come on, let’s go be reckless.”

Piper headed out into the darkness, the two moons lighting her path. She was going to kill two birds with one stone. She was going to take out both the vampires and redcaps in one fell swoop.

Chapter 26 - Between a Rock and Hard Place

Piper stood in front of the longhouse ruins, a few tendrils of smoke rising from the charred wooden beams. The structure had burned down to the ground, and little remained of what had been her home for over a year.

Glancing over at Alfred, she pressed her lips together with worry. The big man stood frozen a short distance away from the ruins of his house, a despondent look on his face. Both she and Ethel had told him they shouldn’t return, but he had insisted. And now he looked lost.

“It’s all gone,” he said, his voice catching slightly. “Twenty years of work gone in the blink of an eye.”

Ethel approached Alfred from the side. She took his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder. “We’ll rebuild once we reach the Arissian Empire.”

Ophelia bounded forward, a new stick in her hand. “Plus, now I can be an adventurer. Isn’t that amazing? I bet they have all sorts of great stuff in the Empire. Can you imagine?”

Alfred didn’t reply to his daughter as he stared off into the distance. His wife patted his arm and then disentangled herself from him. But even then, he remained standing like a statue.

“We’ll be fine,” Piper said, walking closer to him. “Once we’re over the mountain, we’ll use the money to buy a new farm for all of us.”

She had two gold pieces weighing heavily in her pouch, which should be more than enough to buy a plot of land. The other six silver pieces she’d received for the aetherstone had been used to purchase supplies for the trip, with the remainder being given to Beatrice.

Ethel’s sister had steadfastly refused to leave Alderwick. She believed she was far enough removed from what had happened that she wouldn’t face any reprisals. Hopefully, she was right.

A few hours earlier, Ethel and Beatrice had had a teary goodbye. No matter what happened, both women knew they weren’t likely to see each other again in this lifetime. No one, not even traders, traveled across the Dragonspine Mountains.

“You’ve never been in the mountains,” Alfred said softly. “There are things that dwell there from long before Thronefall.”

“I’ll keep us all safe!” she said quickly, before adding, “with you of course.”

Alfred gave only a wan smile in reply.

Piper didn’t know what else to say, so she adjusted her new dress and headed over to the smouldering remains of the longhouse. While the others were collecting what little food remained in the outbuilding, she was searching for something different.

Is there any chance it could have survived?

She poked around near the remains of the front door, where the boots were normally kept. Finally, after moving a few pieces of charred wood, she found Alfred’s boot. Miraculously, they were only singed. That was one of the benefits of having a dirt floor—it couldn’t burn.

Lifting the boot, she tapped it against her hand. From inside the little statue that they used to hide on each other, popped out. She’d placed it there before Alfred and she had set out to search for the ruins. Once they stopped tonight, she would hide it in Alfred’s bedroll. Maybe that would lift his spirits.

She paused as she thought back to finding the ruins where she’d arrived. It was hard to believe that had only been yesterday. More than anything, she wished they could return to explore them further. Inside might be a clue as to why she’d been reincarnated in this world. But she knew they couldn’t stay in case the vampires were on their trail.

Placing the little statue in her pouch, she hurried over to help Ethel and Ophelia load the horse. The oxen had been sold in town, but the horse was going to be used to carry their supplies. Without the animal, Alfred said they wouldn’t be able to carry enough food to make it over the mountains. Especially in early spring with almost nothing to forage.

In town they’d also purchased new cloaks, a box to carry embers from their fire, and a fire-starting kit with flint and some pyrite. Alfred claimed that he could start a fire with it, but she was doubtful. How were you supposed to start a fire with a shiny rock?

Her thoughts were interrupted as [Ambush Detection] blared a warning in her mind. She spun around, her sharp claws ready to lash out. But she froze when she spotted Ophelia about to poke her with a stick. She recoiled slightly, horrified that she’d almost clawed her friend.

I really need to chill out.

Ophelia was unfazed by her response and poked her in the ribs. “I got you, foul demon,” the young woman said. “How in the world did you survive against a vampire? You can’t even avoid a stick.”

“Ophelia!” Ethel snapped from nearby. “Do you think that’s appropriate?”

The young woman wilted slightly. “What? I was just kidding.”

“It’s alright,” Piper said quickly. “And I just got lucky.” As she spoke, the memories of killing the men resurfaced once again. But this time they didn’t bother her as much. She’d come to realize it had been her or them.

“As Alfred tells it,” Ethel continued, glaring daggers at her daughter. “You were quite resourceful in how you defeated the Blood Lord.”

“Like I said, I just got lucky.”

“You probably don’t want to talk about it.” For once, Ethel looked unsure of herself, almost as if she didn’t know what to say. Which was very unusual for the woman. Then, with a pained smile, the blond-haired woman returned to loading the horse.

After a few more minutes, they finished packing what little they could salvage from the surviving buildings. The horse shifted slightly, still unnerved by the smell of lingering blood, and Ophelia had to hold it steady.

With the loading complete, Piper retrieved her bow, quiver, and moonstone from nearby. In town, she’d bought a leather cord to turn the gem into a necklace. She lifted it over her head, angling it away from her horns, and dropped it into place. The stone she’d received from Ophelia was one of her most treasured possessions—aside from the knife Alfred had given her, which was sheathed on her hip.

At the thought of Alfred, she pulled her cloak around to cover her bow and quiver. The last thing she wanted to do was upset him at the moment. And no matter how useful they had been in the battle against the vampire lord, he still didn’t like her carrying the demonic gifts.

“Hey, what are you doing?” she heard the muffled voice of Gorebark say from beneath her cloak.

“Not now,” she whispered.

“Any timeline on taking over the world?” Gorebark continued, ignoring her. “I’m not seeing a whole lot of progress yet. No offense, but you’re the most boring demon I’ve ever met. On second thought, a lot of offense.”

She ignored her bow as she watched Ethel move over to her husband, who hadn’t budged, and touch his arm.

“Are you ready to leave?” Ethel asked. “We dare not linger here.”

Alfred started in surprise, almost as if he hadn’t heard her approach. Then he nodded his head and began to walk toward the foothills. He pushed through the treeline, leaving them behind without saying a word.

Ethel took a deep breath before trudging after her husband. After a second, Ophelia joined her mother, leading the horse by its reins.

Piper scanned the farm one last time, trying to commit everything to memory. While she’d only been here a year, it had been some of the best times of her life. Her parents had done their best to make her happy on Earth, but it was difficult when she was confined to her bed most days. Still, she knew they had done their best.

I can’t wait to see you both again someday, she thought to herself. I hope you’re alright, Mom and Dad.

With one final look, she headed after Alfred and his family. Thankfully, today had warmed up nicely, and as she walked she spotted the first shoots of greenery emerging from the soil. In a few days, the hills would be blanketed with wildflowers. And not long after, spring would arrive in force.

Reaching the edge of the forest, she followed Ophelia up the steep slope. She was surprised at how much easier it was to navigate now. But then again, she had vastly improved her physical attributes. Maybe she’d avoid tripping on rocks for once.

As if she’d jinxed herself, she immediately slipped on a muddy patch and nearly face-planted. A giggle from ahead made her glare at Ophelia. “That’s not funny.”

“It’s a little funny,” Ophelia replied. “Maybe not as funny as you having a face full of mud.”

“I’m with the girl,” Gorebark said. “That was funny.”

Piper rolled her eyes and kept moving up the slope. She passed familiar ruins, and a weathered statue in the vague shape of a humanoid. The elements had long worn away all the features, and she could only guess what the sculptor had carved. Had it been a demon?

It was too bad that no one here remembered the history of the ruins. And it wasn’t like archaeologists existed in this world. Aside from treasure hunters, no one bothered digging in the ruins. But somewhere under the dirt could be the explanation of why she was here.

With a sigh, she continued to slog her way up the hill. Their pace slowed considerably after the first few kilometres, and they had to take multiple breaks. While the healer in town had cured their wounds, the injuries had still taken a toll on them.

When the others weren’t looking, she pulled the quiver to the side of her belt. She knew it looked incredibly creepy with the ear on the side, but she needed easy access to it in case they found themselves in trouble.

I wonder if I can cut off the ear?

She quickly discarded the idea. What if she cut it off and somehow broke the magic? It wasn’t like she could return to the Infernal Realm to get another. At least not until she reached level 50. And who knew when that would happen? Plus, Astaroth would probably be seriously pissed off if she broke his present.

Piper also pulled back her cloak slightly to expose her bow. She’d tried to keep it hidden from Alfred, but who knew when she might need it? If a monster popped up suddenly, she didn’t want to get it tangled in her clothing.

“Finally,” Gorebark said, taking in an exaggerated breath. “Have you considered some scented oils? Maybe a floral bath? Because you stink!”

Piper raised her brow, feeling keenly conscious of how long it had been since she’d taken a bath. But she refused to show her discomfort to Gorebark. Instead, she said, “I thought demons would like bad smells.”

“Come on. Even we have limits.”

She sighed and continued up the hill, keeping her distance from the others, so that they couldn’t overhear her bow. Though the furtive glances from Ethel directed at her weapon showed that her plan wasn’t working.

A gentle wind swept past her, and the handful of dead leaves still clinging to the trees rustled softly. Black clouds were approaching from the south, and she hoped it didn’t mean rain. Storms could be deadly in the hills.

Ahead of them, Alfred held up his fist before readying his bow. She realized she’d been lost in thought again and hadn’t been paying attention. Had he seen something? Why the heck wasn’t she watching the forest?

Alfred hurried back and pointed at a copse of pine trees. None of them said a word as they left the trail. Once they were all in cover, he gestured up the hill.

Squinting her eyes, she could barely make out a thin trail of smoke twisting toward the sky. That had to be a campfire. Had the vampires somehow blocked their path?

“It’s most likely redcaps,” Alfred whispered after a moment. “They must be planning a raid on the village.”

“We need to stop them!” Piper said, before a glare from the big man made her lower her voice. “We can’t just let them attack the town.” But even as she spoke, she wasn’t sure if she was up for another fight.

“The townsfolk will have to handle it on their own.” Alfred said. “I’m going to go scout their camp and see how many we’re facing. Maybe we can slip by once night falls.” He rose to his feet and disappeared like a ghost into the forest.

She was almost certain he was using a skill. There was no way someone that big could move so easily through the dense forest and not make a sound. Heck, she couldn’t even see his footprints. What were his classes anyway?

They waited in tense silence as the minutes stretched out. Worry gnawed at her that he’d been wrong and walked into the Blood Lord’s trap. But she knew she was being silly. Ransford had been on foot. It would have taken him days to reach another settlement.

Unless the Crimson Guard were camped nearby, she thought to herself darkly.

Without warning, Alfred reappeared, almost giving her a heart attack. She’d half-raised her bow before she realized it was him.

“I was right,” he grunted. “There’s about 25 redcaps in a camp not far from here.”

Ethel tugged on her braid. “Is there any way around them?”

“Nothing passable for the horse,” he said. “The hills are too steep and rocky for it.”

“We have to do something,” Piper said. “We can’t just be stuck here.”

“We’ll head back down to the farm. It will cost us a day, but there’s another pass about 15 kilometres from here.”

“What if the vampires are waiting for us there?”

No one said anything for a long minute.

Alfred glanced down at Piper’s bow. “The only other option is to fight our way through the redcaps, and that’s a hopeless cause. Most of them will have combat classes.”

Piper nodded slowly and pressed her lips together. She wasn’t sure if the situation was as dire as Alfred was making it out to be. After all, they had defeated an awakened lion together. But she wasn’t about to argue with him.

When no one objected, Alfred led the way back down the hill. As they moved, the surrounding shadows began to lengthen. It wouldn’t be long until the sun set, and they still hadn’t found a campsite.

As they crested the rise over the farm, Alfred grabbed his wife and wrenched her back into cover. Both Piper and Ophelia ducked into the bushes instinctively.

Piper pushed down a branch to peer through it. “What is it—”

“Quiet,” Alfred said, interrupting her. He pointed a meaty finger at the farm far below.

She scanned the area, not seeing anything out of place. Then, after a few seconds, she spotted movement. There were horsemen riding around the farm. And they wore the blood-red cloaks of the Crimson Guard.

They were trapped between a rock and a hard place. Or, in this case, between vampires and a fae raiding party.

Chapter 25 - Calling the Banners

Justina rubbed a hand down her face as she listened to Ransford’s tale, a dull throbbing in her temples heralding an oncoming headache. When she had been selected to become a vampire many years ago, she thought she was leaving all the weaknesses of flesh behind. But even the lords and ladies of the night still got headaches. It didn’t help that daylight was seeping through the side of the tent, which always made her feel vaguely off.

“A demon?” she repeated. “You’re saying that you were attacked by a demon?”

“Have you somehow lost your basic comprehension of language?” Ransford snarled, a drop of saliva leaking out of his cracked lips. “That is exactly what I said.”

While the lord’s burns had healed, the skin on his face remained raw and cracked. And he was as bald as a newborn after losing his hair in the fire. “I was attacked by a demon! The foul creature was powerful beyond comprehension and nearly slew me.”

She lowered her hand and sighed. “Are you certain it wasn’t just a demon summoner?”

“There was no summoner.” Ransford picked up his golden goblet from the table and brought it up to his mouth. He took a long drink of blood. “It was a powerful demon. What aren’t you understanding?”

“No uncontrolled demon has been recorded in the Bloodveil Empire for almost five centuries,” she explained patiently. “If this truly was a demon, then it is a catastrophe for the kingdom. The duke will probably have to call his banners to combat this threat. All while he is stretched thin battling the human rebellion in the north. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Don’t speak to me like I’m a child,” Ransford snapped. “I barely escaped with my life, and the poor peasant family all met their doom at the hands of the demon. Even the locals I hired to accompany me were slain to a man.”

“What exactly were you doing on the farm without your Crimson Guard?” she asked, her suspicion growing. “Also, if you spotted a demon, why did you attack during daylight hours instead of waiting for nightfall?” Every vampire knew to avoid combat during the day when they had severely reduced physical attributes. It was insane to take on a demon with such a handicap.

“I was merely patrolling my lands,” he said, averting his gaze slightly. “The moment I saw the peasant family in danger, I knew I had to act. Even though it was perilous for me to do so during the daytime.”

“And the reason you left us behind?”

He waved his hand dismissively. “I thought I could give some of the local men a chance to gain levels. What better way to win their favor? Or would you prefer me to antagonize the locals? Weren’t you the one giving me a lecture after my jest about feeding on a handful of peasant girls?”

“If that is true, then I hope you’re more careful in the future,” she said stiffly. “It would not reflect well on us if our lord was slain by a… demon.”

“It was a demon!” he cried out, almost like a petulant child. “Once we slay it and take its head, my name will be immortalized in the empire. None will ever doubt my position again.”

“If you’re certain, then I will send word to Duke Albrecht. However, only if you’re completely sure that’s what happened.”

“Are you calling me a liar?” His features darkened. “Do not forget your place, Justina. I am the lord, and you are the servant. Never forget that. Or do I need to teach you a lesson again?”

Almost without thinking, she half raised her hand to her face. After stopping him from preying on the young girls in Alderwick, he had corrected her behavior. Once he was finished, she’d been left with numerous broken bones. If she hadn’t been a vampire, she might even have died from the beating.

Lowering her hand, she took a steadying breath. While she could write her father in the duke’s court about what Ransford had done, she would be admitting that she couldn’t control this man-child. Most likely, her father would stake Ransford for his actions. But then she would be seen as a failure.

“I will send Lucius to the duke,” she said. “He will raise the banner and call all the lords to hunt down the demon.”

“Excellent,” Ransford said. “Obviously, as a lord, I will need to answer his call with my retinue. However, I order you to find the demon and slay her. Bring me her head, and I will reward you beyond your wildest dreams.”

“You wish for the four of us to hunt down a demon?” she said stiffly. “If there is one thing history has taught us, it is that every demon learns the ability to summon more of its kind. We may be vastly outnumbered.”

“There will only be two of you,” he replied dismissively. “I require bodyguards should I run into the demon on my journey.”

“Only two of us?” she gasped. Was he sending her off to die? Or was this something else?

“Yes. I believe you and Augustus should be more than adequate to handle the threat.”

She clenched her jaw, struggling to hold her tongue. “As you wish, my lord,” she finally said in a strained tone.

“Excellent.” He stood up and drained his goblet. “Then leave me to recover. I do not want to be troubled by your presence further until you have the demon’s head.” He held up a hand to stop her from exiting the tent. “You know, it’s a shame you weren’t turned as a younger woman. Had you been, I may have allowed you to share my bed and avoid these dangerous missions.”

“The missions do not bother me, my lord.” She spun around on her heel and marched outside, resting her hand on the pommel of the sword sheathed on her belt. The lord’s comments about wishing she were younger made her skin crawl. Something would have to be done to curtail his appetites in the future—assuming she survived the demon.

Not that she believed a demon really existed. Most likely, this was an ill-conceived cover story for some heinous crime he had committed. However, if he had murdered some young girls, it would finally let her move against him. The duke would not tolerate Ransford igniting another rebellion in the empire.

She walked over to the campfire where the other four Crimson Guard sat. All were clad in finely wrought plate armor and wore their trademark red cloaks around their shoulders. And they all kept their faces shielded from the sun with thick helms. While covering their skin did nothing to stop the effects of daylight on their attributes, it at least allowed them to avoid the unpleasant bright light.

“Lucius,” she said, motioning at the young man. He’d barely known one hundred years as a vampire. “I need you to ride with all haste to Stoutoak Keep. Duke Albrecht must be informed that a demon has arisen near Alderwick.”

“A demon?” Lucius said incredulously, half rising to his feet. “Don’t tell me that Ransford is still insisting on that ridiculous story.

“He is our lord, and we do not question him.”

“The duke is going to stake him if he calls his banners to chase down a lie,” Lucius said as he finished rising to his feet, his armor clanking. “Not that I’ll miss him.”

Justina knew she should discipline Lucius for disparaging Ransford, but their new lord had done little to endear himself to his Crimson Guard. While she was the only one to endure a beating, the others had been forced to do humiliating tasks far beneath their station.

As Lucius headed off to pack up his gear, she turned to the remaining three Crimson Guard. “Our lord has ordered Augustus and me to hunt down the demon. The rest of you will remain with him until he has completed his recovery and can travel to Stoutoak Keep.”

Augustus, the largest Crimson Guard by a wide margin, leaned forward and poked the burning logs with a stick. “We could be walking into a stirred-up hornet’s nest. Most likely, the duke tried to eat a few peasant girls, and the locals torched him in revenge. If that happened, they’ll attack us on sight.”

She couldn’t help thinking Augustus was right. However, they wouldn’t know until they arrived at Alderwick, which was about a half day’s ride from here. If the Duke had killed a few girls, then they would have a fight on their hands.

I pray to Infernus that he hasn’t ignited another rebellion.

The empire was already on the verge of tearing itself apart, with undead attacks in the south, a peasant rebellion raging in the north, and the mermen and Formorians raiding the east. The last thing they needed was another problem to deal with in the west.

“We leave within the hour,” she said curtly. “Have everything packed up by then.”

Virgil rose to his feet and gathered up his crossbow. He turned his helmeted head toward the lord’s tent. “I’m going with you.”

“He has ordered that you remain with him.”

“The codex states every group of Crimson Guard must be accompanied by at least one scout.”

“I know the codex,” she said sharply. “We have our orders, and we will follow them.”

Virgil looked like he was going to say something, but instead he slung his crossbow over his shoulder and marched to his tent. He disappeared inside without another word.

Justina turned and headed over to her own tent. As she did, she mulled over the possibilities of what she might face. If Ransford had truly murdered some young peasant girls, then most likely they would be walking into a peasant revolt. But if he was telling the truth, and for some reason a demon had somehow pierced The Veil, then they would be facing an impossibly powerful opponent. One they most likely wouldn’t survive against.

Her mood soured furthered as she realized she most likely wasn’t coming back from this mission. However, she would do her duty to the Empire.

Pushing her tent flap aside, she entered the gloomy interior. Her eyes immediately adjusted to the dimness. One of the perks of being a vampire was being able to see in anything but complete darkness.

Justina moved over to her portable table and pulled out parchment and a quill. She quickly penned a short letter to her father informing him of the alleged demon and her orders to hunt it down. She agonized about whether she should say her goodbyes at the end of the letter, but instead simply penned her signature. There was no point in worrying her father unnecessarily.

Rolling up the parchment, she wrapped a bit of string around it to tie it closed. With the letter in hand, she emerged from her tent and waved down Lucius. She handed the letter to him. “Give this to my father, Julian, when you reach the keep.”

Lucious stuffed the letter into his pouch and nodded. Then he hurried back to his tent and began to break it down.

Justina returned to her own tent to begin the process of disassembling it. She spent the next half hour packing up bedrolls, folding down her writing table, and tying bundles of poles together. She then carefully packed everything onto their pack mules.

Once she was finished, she surveyed the site. The other Crimson Guard were all experienced and had decamped. They would be ready to depart at her word.

First, she planned to skirt around Alderwick and head directly to the farm where this so-called demon attack had occurred. At least that way she could gauge the veracity of the lord’s claims. Plus, she had no desire to walk straight into a group of enraged peasants. While she believed they could escape from a mob of poorly armed farmers, even a vampire like herself wasn’t invulnerable. Extremely hard to kill, yes. But not invulnerable.

Returning to Ransford’s tent, she announced herself outside by clearing her throat.

“Yes?” the lord called out. “What is it?”

She ducked her head inside. “Augustus and I are ready to depart, my lord.”

“I thought you had already gone.” Ransford looked at her with a bored expression. “Is there anything else, or are you just wasting my time?”

“No, my lord. Nothing else.”

Justina dropped the tent flap and strode over to her horse. With a fluid motion, she threw her leg over and pulled herself onto the saddle. Then she gave the beast a gentle kick. The horse cantered forward, while Augustus fell in behind her with a line of pack animals taking up the rear.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Lucius riding in the opposite direction. It would take him at least a week to reach the keep. And then another two weeks for the forces of the duke to begin to gather.

If she truly rode to face a demon, then it would be just her and her companion. But she would do anything she could to protect the citizens of the empire. Even if the cost was her own life.

Chapter 24 - Bad and Worse Options

The sound of clattering metal wrenched Piper from a deep slumber, and she surged to her feet, the blanket falling from her shoulders. Without thinking, she curled up her tail to attack, searching for a target. But all she saw was one of the healer’s sons picking up what looked like surgeon’s tools from the floor.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. Her dreams last night had been plagued with visions of Ransford engulfed in flames and the faces of the men she’d killed. A shudder passed through her body as she remembered what she’d done.

“Good morning,” Ethel whispered, interrupting her thoughts. “Did you sleep well?”

Piper raised her brow as she turned to see Ethel sitting up in bed. Any trace of the injuries on her neck had disappeared, and she had a steaming bowl of what looked like pottage perched on her lap. The woman looked completely healed.

She hurriedly turned her gaze to the others. While Ophelia was still sleeping, most of her color had returned. Even Alfred appeared to have recovered from his grievous spear wound. Had she actually done it? Had she saved them all?

Without a word, she hurried over and flung her arms around Ethel’s neck. She squeezed tightly, feeling her heart swell with joy. Everything would be all right now. She was sure of it.

“Careful,” Ethel chuckled, grabbing hold of the bowl as it tipped slightly in her lap. “You’re going to spill the pottage.”

“Sorry,” Piper replied, as she released Ethel. She stood there beaming, her dark thoughts momentarily forgotten.

“Now,” Ethel said, her expression turning serious. “Tell me everything that happened. I know my sister was keeping something from me.” When Piper looked around the room for Beatrice, Ethel continued. “She left to get some sleep a short while ago.”

“I… can’t tell you everything,” Piper said, glancing meaningfully over at one of the healer’s sons.

“I see…” Ethel furrowed her brow. “How bad is it?”

“Bad. Really bad.”

“Do we need to leave?”

Piper nodded.

Ethel exhaled before placing the bowl aside and throwing her blankets off. Her normally impeccable dress was stained with blood, but the woman barely seemed to notice. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and tottered to her feet.

“Oh my,” she said, holding onto the wall. “I still feel quite weak.”

Piper moved to help Ethel, but the older woman waved her off. She watched as Ethel crept across the room at a glacial pace, first checking on Ophelia, and then Alfred.

The blond-haired woman pulled back the covers from her husband, her gaze lingering on his spear wound. A range of emotions flickered across her face before disappearing. Lowering the blanket, she shuffled back over to Piper.

“What happened to the farm?” Ethel asked. “Is there anything to go back to?”

Piper shook her head.

Ethel sighed before nodding wearily. “I need you to tell me everything. Immediately.” She reached out and took Piper’s hand and guided her outside.

The sun had barely crested the horizon, and a layer of frost clung to the ground in a shimmering blanket. Only a few people stirred in the village, and in the distance, a rooster crowed, while a horse whinnied. Nearby, a lone bird cry warbled from the rooftops.

Ethel dragged Piper behind her until they reached the spot where the oxen had been hitched. While the wagon still remained, someone had taken the oxen. She hoped that Eadred, the healer, or one of his sons had taken the oxen to a stable. With everything that had happened last night, she’d totally forgotten about them.

Another memory made her rush toward the wagon. She reached over the side and hurriedly moved things around in a panic until she found her bow hidden underneath a piece of blanket. How could she have forgotten about her bow and the oxen? She mentally kicked herself for being so careless. If she had lost her legendary weapon, she never would have forgiven herself.

“Is everything all right?” Ethel asked.

Piper blushed as she turned back toward Ethel. “I completely forgot some important stuff last night. I can’t believe how stupid I was.”

“You had other things on your mind,” Ethel said softly. “Now, tell me what happened.”

Piper launched into the tale of seeing the smoke, returning to the farm, and witnessing what Ransford and his men had done. She told Ethel about Alfred fighting the men before falling to a spear thrust. But when it came to her part in the battle, she fell silent.

After a long pause, she finally said, “I… don’t want to talk about the rest.”

“Tell me everything that you feel comfortable with.” Ethel reached out and took Piper’s hand, squeezing it encouragingly. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Ransford was injured and ran away,” she said, skipping over her fight with the men. “And I’m worried that he’s going to come back for me again. What if I give myself up to the vampires? Maybe he’ll leave you alone then?”

“I’m not having my daughter give herself up to be drained by a monster.”

“But I’m not your daughter…”

“You are my daughter,” Ethel said fiercely. “And I won’t allow anything to happen to you. Do you understand?”

“Everyone is in danger because of me,” Piper protested. “At the very least, I have to leave. Maybe if I head somewhere else, Ransford will follow me.”

“Do you think he will forget Alfred’s part in defying him?” Ethel raised her eyebrow. “Also, we’re all a threat to him. If Duke Albrecht learns of what he’s done, he may face execution or worse.”

Piper frowned. What could be worse than execution for a vampire?

Ethel lifted her skirts and headed back toward the front door of the healer’s hut. “We need to wake the others and come up with a plan.”

She trailed after Ethel, a feeling of guilt gnawing at her soul. No matter what Ethel said, she was putting them in danger. She should leave to give them a chance at a normal life. With the money she’d received for the aetherstone, at least she could give them enough to rebuild their lives. Ophelia had once told her that she’d never even seen a single silver coin. A gold coin must be worth a king’s ransom.

Walking back into the hut, she spotted Ophelia sitting up and looking around the room. At the sight of her, the young woman sprang out of bed and sprinted over to her side.

Ophelia crashed into Piper and crushed her with a hug. Releasing her, the young woman stepped back with a silly grin on her face. “I knew you would save us from those bloodsuckers.”

“It was mostly your dad,” she said, downplaying her part. “I barely did anything.”

“Really?” Ophelia gave her a skeptical look. “I bet you’re just being modest. You were probably punching and kicking those jerks all over the place. And your tail…” Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth in horror. “I mean your bow. Definitely your bow was probably shooting them like pheasants.”

While she wanted to be annoyed with Ophelia for slipping up and mentioning her tail, she was too happy to care. Especially after worrying through the night that her friend might never recover. In fact, she was pretty sure she’d had a dream about that.

“You two could wake the dead,” Alfred rumbled as he sat up. The wooden frame of his bed creaked alarmingly as he moved. Clearly, the bed had been made for men smaller than mountain-sized.

“Alfred,” Piper exclaimed, rushing over to his side. “How are you feeling?”

“Like a mammoth trampled me and then kicked me in the head for good measure.” He rubbed a hand through his wild hair. “Other than that, I feel fine.”

Fighting down a grin, she patted the big man on his shoulder. While she knew all of their lives were still in great danger, at least they were together again. And for now, that was enough for her.

Ethel stepped toward her husband. “We need to talk,” she said tersely. “Right now.”

“That’s probably not good news,” Alfred said as he tugged on his beard. “Is there time for some food first?” He looked longingly at the bowl resting on Ethel’s bed. “It feels like I haven’t eaten in a month.”

“No,” Ethel said stiffly. “This is important.”

Alfred grunted but said nothing as he climbed out of bed. He poked a finger through the hole in his shirt and grumbled something under his breath. Then he followed the others outside, where they regrouped near the wagon.

Piper took a minute to fill Alfred in on what had happened. While he had been present during the fight, she wasn’t sure what he would remember. He had barely been conscious by the time they reached the village.

Alfred nodded along as she talked, not correcting her when she skipped over her fight for a second time. He asked a few questions about what had happened after he’d collapsed. And he whistled softly after she told him they had received two gold and silver coins for the aetherstone. Finally, she finished with the fact that Ransford was probably coming for them.

“I think I should turn myself in,” Piper said, finally coming to a decision. “Maybe they’ll just punish me and leave all of you alone. With the money I got for the gem, you could rebuild the farm and go back to your normal life. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“Did you get knocked on your head?” Alfred grumbled. “We’re not giving up a family member to someone who attacked us. I owe that bastard for what he did to my wife and daughter. If I’m giving him anything, it’s the head of my axe.”

“I’m not really part of your family.”

Ophelia punched Piper’s shoulder. “You might be a foul demon, but you’re practically my sister.”

“Ophelia,” Alfred said. “Watch what you say to Piper.”

“She knows that I’m kidding,” Ophelia protested. “Right? Tell him that you know.”

Piper smiled sadly at the exchange. She was going to miss them. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m turning myself into Ransford when he arrives. I can claim that I bewitched you or whatever it’s called in this world. I’ll say that I forced you to let me live on the farm. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Alfred stroked his beard, looking thoughtful. “When it comes right down to it, I don’t like any of the options we’re faced with. However, I’m not letting you sacrifice yourself for our safety. What sort of man would I be if I allowed that to happen?”

“We have three options,” Ethel said as she smoothed down her dress. “The first is that we go to Duke Albrecht for help. But there’s no guarantee that he’ll take our side, even with the laws. The second is that we try to hide. But most likely, they’ll find us eventually. The last is that we try to cross the mountains and seek sanctuary in the Arissian Empire. We wouldn’t be the first to try, though I can’t say what happened to those who set off across the mountain before us.”

Piper gasped at the mention of the Arissian Empire. “You’ve always said the mountains are way too dangerous to cross.”

“They are dangerous,” Ethel said firmly. “But we have a demon and a woodsman to help us across.”

Ophelia cleared her throat.

“And the finest stick fighter around.” Ethel added with a smile.

Alfred didn’t look happy. “I vote we try our luck with the duke. Monsters will be coming down with the spring melt.”

“You survived a battle with a Blood Lord, dear,” Ethel pointed out. “I don’t think we have anything to worry about monsters.”

“A Blood Lord in the daylight.” Alfred crossed his thick arms. “That’s a big difference. And you’ve never seen the monsters that dwell in the mountain passes. I’m not sure even a level 5 demon could stand against them.”

Piper held up her hand. “I’m actually level 15 now in my race and level 10 in my class.”

Alfred raised his eyebrow in surprise. “That was fast.”

Piper shrugged.

“What is that?” Alfred mumbled. “About 75 attribute points total?”

She did some quick calculations. “Closer to 200.”

“Huh,” Alfred said, clearly surprised. “That bow of yours. What level is it?”

“It’s still level 1, but it has a powerful ability.”

Alfred turned and gazed toward the distant mountains. After a minute, he nodded his head. “Maybe we have a shot after all.”

Piper looked towards the snow-capped peaks. She didn’t like the idea of Alfred and his family risking their lives for her. But if there was a chance of all of them having a better life, she was willing to take it.

Chapter 23 - The Price of Healing

Piper expected chaos inside of the healer’s hut when she entered—almost like her last day in the hospital—but instead she found the wizened old man standing in the corner talking nonchalantly to his three sons. None of them were paying attention to Ethel and her family.

Before Piper could ask what was going on, Beatrice stormed forward and thrust her finger in the healer’s face.

“Why aren’t you doing anything for my sister, Eadred?” she demanded, her brow creasing.

“There is nothing I can do,” Eadred croaked. “Unfortunately, your sister and niece have lost too much blood, and Alfred is too far gone.”

With those words, Piper’s entire world shattered. She was going to lose the only people she had in this world. And it was all her fault.

“Don’t tell me there’s nothing you can do,” Beatrice snapped. “I’ve seen you heal a man after he was savaged by a bear.”

“Yes,” Eadred said, giving her a gap-toothed grin. “However, that man was a wealthy merchant. I cannot simply gift you the many potions and poultices required to heal your family. However, I will endeavor to make them comfortable until the end.”

Piper stepped forward. “How much would it cost?”

“I’ll handle this,” Beatrice said, waving her off. She advanced on the healer, forcing him to take a step back. “I’ll pay whatever—”

“I said, how much does it cost?” Piper repeated in a louder voice, cutting off Beatrice. She mentally winced seeing the expression on the woman’s face after being interrupted—it looked like she’d swallowed a lemon.

Eadred peeked around a clearly furious Beatrice to peer at Piper. “Far more than a peasant girl like you could afford.”

“Alfred found something in the ruins today,” she lied. “What if I have something to trade?”

The healer stroked the grey stubble on his face. “It would have to be quite valuable to cover the cost of healing. Saving your family would deplete nearly all of my supplies, and I’d have to send for more. At great cost to myself, you understand.”

Piper took a deep breath and opened her pouch. From inside, she pulled out the aetherstone. The precious gem pulsed in her hand, sending a wave of red light washing over the room.

At the sight of the stone, Eadred’s mouth dropped open. “Is that an aetherstone?”

Piper nodded.

“I’ve never seen one that size before.” Eadred took a step closer and reached for the gem. But as he did, Piper closed her fingers around it.

“Will you heal them?”

“I suppose I could do that in exchange for the aetherstone…” This time when he reached out for it, Beatrice intercepted him and grabbed his wrist.

“You will also give us three gold coins,” Beatrice said. “No less.”

“Three gold coins?” Eadred sputtered. “That’s highway robbery.”

“That is barely one-twentieth of what the gem is worth,” Beatrice continued in a firm voice. “This stone will allow your family to buy an estate in the countryside with enough left over to pay for all the beautiful women you could ever desire.”

Piper clasped the gem close to her body, her gaze flickering over to Alfred, who was wheezing. Was this really the time to haggle? But she didn’t dare interrupt Beatrice a second time.

Eadred frowned. “I supposed I could do two gold pieces.”

“Three or we will take them to the healer in town.”

“Be reasonable,” Eadred protested. “That will require all my coin. I will be unable to buy any new supplies until I sell the aetherstone. And with the current market for gems, you must understand how difficult that will be.”

“We’re leaving, Piper,” Beatrice said. “Get the wagon.”

“Now, now.” Eadred took a step forward, his hands clenching at the open air. “There’s no need to be unreasonable. I can provide you with two gold pieces and six silver. How does that sound?”

“It’s a deal.” Beatrice waved at Piper. “Give him the gem.”

Piper hurried forward and handed the gem to the old man. The second it was in his hands, he clutched it close to his body. Then he scurried away and deposited it in an ironbound chest near the wall.

After the gem was safely hidden, he moved around the room, collecting bottles and other strange objects. He even took a pair of bones that glowed with a soft light. Once his arms were overflowing with healing objects, he moved to stand beside Alfred.

Eadred gently lifted the big man’s head and pressed a vial full of a red liquid against Alfred’s lip. He poured the entire vial into the big man’s mouth before repeating the process with one full of a yellow liquid. Finally, he tapped the bones against the spear wound and spoke a few unintelligible words.

Finished with Alfred, he moved over to Ophelia next. She received the same red liquid and then the yellow liquid. But the healer didn’t use the bones this time. Instead, he placed what looked like moss on her neck wounds. Then he hobbled over to Ethel and repeated the same process.

Within seconds, all of their breathing had become steadier, and some of the color had even returned to Ophelia’s face. Meanwhile, Ethel began to stir as if she were in a fitful dream.

“Is… that it?” Piper asked. “Will they be alright?”

“I’ve done everything I can for them.” Eadred hurried back over to the ironbound chest and reopened it. From inside, he pulled out a leather pouch and poured some coins into his palm. Then he slunk over to Beatrice and pressed the money into her outstretched hand.

The woman’s brow raised as she glanced down at the coins and then back up at Eadred. “I believe the deal with six silver pieces.”

“Oh my,” Eadred said. “How many did I give you?”

“Five.”

“Infernus knows that was an honest mistake.” The old man returned to the chest, where his sons had gathered to stare at the pulsing aetherstone. He shooed them away before taking another silver piece out and returning to Beatrice. “I believe this will do?”

Beatrice nodded and took the offered coin. “It was a pleasure doing business with you.”

As soon as the exchange was done, Piper hurried over to Ophelia’s side. Of everyone, she was worried about her friend the most. She’d looked like she was on death’s doorstep during the trip to the village.

But now she looked almost completely recovered. The flow of blood from her neck wound had stopped, and her cheeks looked pink again. When she reached down to check her friend’s pulse, it was strong and steady. The healing magic in this world was amazing—assuming that you could afford it.

Piper settled down in a chair next to Ophelia and took her hand. This was the second time she’d almost lost her only friend in this world. She frowned at that thought. In truth, Ophelia was her only friend in this or any other world. It was hard to make friends when she couldn’t even get out of bed.

She was joined shortly by Beatrice, who leaned over to examine her niece. With a satisfied sound, she moved over to her sister next. Then the blond-haired woman walked over to Alfred, and her lips curled down slightly.

Of the three, he’d been the most severely injured. But he was also the strongest, with the highest physical stats. Piper expected he’d be back on his feet in no time.

She stayed with her friend as the healer’s sons moved between the patients, checking on them. This almost reminded her of a hospital as the doctors made their rounds. Of course, this place was little more than a simple one-room hut with a dozen beds, but it still felt surprisingly familiar.

Finally, after a few hours, Ethel began to stir. The woman pushed herself up in bed and looked blearily around the room until her gaze locked on Piper. “Where… am I?”

Piper half rose to her feet. “You’re in the healers hut.”

Ethel pushed a strand of blond hair out of her face, her braid having become loose, and looked around. “What happened to me? I remember a sound outside the longhouse. And… maybe a knight?”

Beatrice stepped forward and clasped her hands in front of her. “The farm was attacked by vampire brigands. You remember that, don’t you?”

“It was…?” Ethel trailed off and held a hand up to her forehead. “Everything is so fuzzy.” Then her eyes shot open. “Ophelia! Where’s my daughter?”

As Ethel struggled to get out of bed, one of the healer’s sons rushed over and pushed her back gently.

“Ophelia is fine,” Piper said quickly. “She’s over here with me.”

“Piper?” Ethel asked, sounding confused. “Weren’t you and Alfred exploring the ruins today?”

“We saw the smoke and came back as quickly as we could.”

“Smoke?” Ethel’s face crumpled. “What happened to the farm?”

Beatrice gently patted her sister’s shoulder. “The farm is fine. You don't need to worry about anything right now.”

“Are you sure?” Ethel murmured as she lay back. She muttered a few more words and then closed her eyes. A moment later, the sound of soft snoring filled the room.

Piper leaned back in her chair and yawned. Her eyes felt grainy, and her eyelids were growing heavier by the second. At some point, the room had grown dark, which meant the sun must have set. She wasn’t sure if it was from the blood loss or everything else that had happened, but she was exhausted.

Beatrice must have noticed how tired she looked, and she came over to stand beside her. “Why don’t I take you to my house so you can get some sleep?”

Piper shook her head in reply. “I want to stay with them.”

“There’s nothing you can do for them right now,” Beatrice said. “And you’ll do no one any good if you’re too tired to stand tomorrow.”

Looking around the room, she waited until the healer’s sons were out of earshot. Only two remained in the room, while the elderly healer had disappeared several hours ago.

“We need to get out of here,” she whispered to Beatrice. “What if Ransford comes back soon? Every minute we wait here, we’re in danger.”

“Most likely, he’ll head to your farm first and not the village,” Beatrice said. “That should buy us all some time. Assuming he doesn’t plan to cover up the incident entirely. The duke frowns heavily upon vampires harming humans.”

“If he wants to cover it up, won’t he just kill us?” she whispered back, her voice rising slightly. She lowered it again when one of the men looked in her direction.

Beatrice frowned slightly. “You may be right. Regardless, none of you can travel now. We’ll have to wait until morning to make any plans.”

“We have to leave,” she insisted. “Every second we waste means that Ransford could be getting closer.”

“And what if they require more healing?” Beatrice asked sharply. “What if the potions haven’t healed them completely? I won’t let you put my sister’s family at risk because you want to hurry the process.”

Piper pressed her lips together and scowled. “I still say we should go.”

“A few more hours won’t hurt,” the blond-haired woman said in a softer tone. “I promise I’ll help you figure out what to do come morning.” She walked over to one of the empty beds in the room and retrieved a thick woolen blanket. Then she returned and wrapped it around Piper’s shoulders.

She stifled another yawn and drew up her feet to sit cross-legged on the chair. She would stay awake until she was sure everyone was out of the woods.

Since she needed to keep herself busy, she pulled up her character sheet. During her demonic rage, she’d received numerous notifications but hadn’t bothered to check them until now.

Piper Ashcroft

Race: Shadeling (Lesser Demon), Level 15

Class: Deceiver (Rare), Level 10

Attributes

Strength – 46

Dexterity – 34

Stamina - 13

Vitality – 24

Perception – 3

Swiftness - 2

Magic - 2

Mana - 95

Mana Regeneration – 95

Free Attribute Points - 100

Racial Skills (5/10)

·         Demonic Blood, Level 6

·         Demonic Fury, Level 1

·         Demonic Intellect, Level 6

·         Quick Claw, Level 9

·         Tail Strike, Level 9

Skills (10/10)

·         Ambush Detection, Level 4

·         Animal Caretaking, Level 5

·         Archery, Level 6

·         Baking. Level 5

·         Cooking, Level 6

·         Enduring Casting, Level 10

·         Gardening, Level 1

·         Running, Level 11

·         Stick Wielding, Level 1

·         Subterfuge, Level 2

Spells (3/10)

·         False Face, Level 4

·         Truth Shroud, Level 6

·         Veil of Lies, Level 5

Piper quickly noted that she’d gain 5 levels in her race and 5 levels in her class during the battle. That had given her a whopping 100 free attribute points to assign. But she could worry about placing them later.

She skimmed over the other information, seeing that she’d gained 1 level in Demonic Blood, 2 levels in Quick Claw, and 1 level in Tail Strike. As for her skills, she’d received 2 levels in Archery and 2 levels in Enduring Casting.

Meanwhile, for her class, she’d gained 2 levels in False Face, 3 levels in Veil of Lies, and a staggering 5 levels in Truth Shroud. She was also surprised to see that she’d been offered a new spell. Focusing on the text, she brought up the description.

Umbral Terror, Level 1

The mere sight of a demon often causes a mortal to flee in abject terror. This spell allows you to bombard the mind of a single target with horrifying visions and whispers for a short period of time.

Learn this spell? (Yes/No?)

Selecting ‘Yes’, she was grateful that the notification hadn’t expired. This was a powerful new spell that would come in handy if she had to face the vampire and his henchmen again.

After a few minutes of going over her character sheet, she leaned back slightly and pulled the blanket tightly around herself. Each blink was becoming longer than the last, but she refused to fall asleep. Someone had to watch over the family in case Ransford showed up.

If only they had cola or something with caffeine to help her stay awake in this world. The few times she’d drunk it back on Earth, it had made her buzz with energy. Right now, she could probably drink three cans of the stuff.

Piper stretched, her head drooping slightly. She decided to just rest her eyes for a moment, but the second she closed them she fell into a restless slumber.

In her dreams, a man with a charred face chased her through an endlessly burning farm, while dead men with their throats torn out lurched around like macabre marionettes. All the while, a massive black dragon watched with red hourglass eyes from a great distance.

Chapter 22 - The Long Road to Alderwick

Piper took nearly a minute to regain her feet, and even once standing, her legs were barely strong enough to hold her weight. She’d probably lost a lot of blood from Ransford biting her neck, and her low mana hadn’t allowed her to heal completely. But none of that mattered right now—she needed to check on the others.

Staggering over to Alfred, she bent down only for the big man to wave her off. He pointed a finger at his wife and daughter, who lay nearby. She hurried over to Ophelia and just stared down at her friend. The young woman had puncture marks on her neck, and her skin was terribly pale.

Piper leaned down to check for a pulse. It was weak and thready, but at least it was still there.

Ethel was next, and she wasn’t in much better shape. The Blood Lord had nearly drained them both dry.

Piper straightened up and looked helplessly at Alfred. She had no idea what to do.

“We need to get them to the healer in town,” the big man grunted from his position on the ground. “See if you can find the oxen.”

She glanced around the farm, her gaze sweeping over the slain animals, and realized the horse and the oxen were missing from the slaughter. Had Ransford taken them? Or had the animals fled during the fire?

“Great job,” Gorebark called out from his position on the rooftop. “You let the bitey guy get away, and I didn’t get any experience. You know you're supposed to kill things, right? Is that a hard concept for you?”

“Not now,” she said as she walked over to retrieve her bow. “I have other things to worry about.”

“I’d be worried about that guy coming back with an army to finish you off,” Gorebark said. “He looked seriously pissed off before you lit his head on fire. But I have to admit, that was fun to watch.”

The demonic bow’s words made her freeze. The Blood Lord was probably headed back here right now with his Crimson Guard in tow. If she could barely hurt him on her own, what chance did she have against a half dozen bloodsuckers? It wasn’t like she could trick him into drinking her blood a second time.

Even if she found the horse and oxen, what then? Nowhere was safe for them now.

She shook her head to dispel her negative thoughts. Her only goal at the moment was to get everyone to the healer. After they were healed, she could worry about Ransford.

Piper sagged to her knees after a few paces, the world spinning around her. She cursed her weakness as she lurched back to her feet. She’d pushed through worse during her illness, so she could do it now.

Moving around the edge of the farm, she finally spotted the oxen, and the horse tied to a tree near the road. The men with Ransford had probably planned to steal them after they had finished with her and the others.

She untied the pair of oxen first and led them over to the shed where they kept the wagon. As the animals tramped past the corpses, they became skittish and tried to shy away. But a few soothing words and pats on the head got them past the carnage.

Piper reached the shed and swung open the doors. She spent the next few minutes awkwardly hitching the animals. While she’d seen Alfred do it a hundred times, she’d only done it herself on a handful of occasions.

When she was finally done, she climbed into the seat and snapped the reins to get the oxen moving. Once they had left the shed, she steered it over to Alfred. The big man still hadn’t risen from the ground, which was a bad sign. After being mauled by the lion, he’d barely slowed down. Would he even survive long enough to reach the village?

Be positive, she thought to herself firmly. Everyone is going to be all right.

Piper jumped down to help Alfred onto the front seat. Even with her new strength, it was difficult to help him to his feet. The man must weigh as much as a bear. But after a few tries, she finally managed to get him settled. Then she took a few seconds to rest, dizziness washing over her.

After the world had stopped spinning again, she picked up Ophelia and then placed her in the back of the wagon. She was shocked at how easy it was to carry the girl, but then again, her strength had more than quadrupled today. Finally, she placed Ethel next to her daughter.

When she moved to climb up into the seat, Alfred held up his hand to stop her.

“Does the horse still live?”

She nodded.

“Ride the horse into town,” he grunted. “I can’t afford to lose any more animals.”

Piper pressed her lips together before finally nodding. She’d rather ride with Alfred, but she wasn’t about to argue with him. Plus, the loss of a horse to a predator would be devastating after everything else today.

Hurrying back to the road, she was grateful that the horse had already been saddled. She grabbed onto the pommel and threw her leg over. Once she was seated, she spun the horse around and cantered back in the direction of the burning longhouse.

When she reached the wagon, Alfred cracked the reins, and the wagon lurched forward. As they moved toward the road, she cast [False Face] and [Truth Shroud]. On the off chance they encountered someone on the road, she wanted to conceal her demonic nature. Plus, she still felt more comfortable in her human skin.

As they left the farm, she kept glancing over at Alfred, who was hunched forward, one hand pressed against his stomach. She was worried he was going to keel over at any moment.

But over the next hour as they travelled, the big man somehow remained upright in his seat. His face was set with a grim determination, and he kept his eyes locked on the road in front of him. And even though his features grew paler by the minute, he didn’t utter a word of complaint.

Time passed slowly as Piper continually scanned the road for any threats. She kept expecting an army of vampires to burst out of the woods. By the time the village came into sight, she was shaking, and her stomach was twisted into knots.

As they passed through the fields surrounding the village, she double-checked to make sure her [False Face] and [Truth Shroud] were active. Her mana had completely refilled on the ride, and she tied off both spells with [Enduring Casting]. The last thing she wanted to do was accidentally reveal herself as a demon after everything that had happened.

In the distance, she could make out a beehive of activity outside the front gates. It looked like half the village had assembled, and most of them were wearing simple armor and holding weapons. As the wagon emerged from the forest, two mounted militiamen broke off from the crowd and galloped in their direction.

Her heart hammered in her chest as the riders approached. Were they coming to arrest her? Had Ransford already arrived in the town and told them everything? She tapped her longbow with her finger. “Don’t say a word,” she hissed. “Understood?”

“Whatever you say, o’ evil one.” As it finished speaking, Gorebark shut its mouth. When it wasn’t moving or talking, it looked like a regular bow with a face carved near the grip. A weird, scary bow, but still a bow.

The two men from the village stopped a short distance away and looked at them with shocked expressions. The younger man pulled out the symbol of Infernus from around his neck and whispered a few words of prayer.

The older of the two hopped down from his horse and hurried over to Alfred. “By Infernus’s beard, what happened to you?

“It was…” Alfred trailed off as he slumped forward. Then, almost in slow motion, he toppled from his seat on the wagon. The other man barely caught him and struggled to push him back into place.

Piper’s mind whirled as the two-armed men turned their gaze in her direction, clearly expecting some answers. She tried to think of a lie, but one look at Ethel and Piper’s necks would show them the truth of what had happened.

“We were attacked by vampires,” she said simply. “They burned the farm and tried to kill us.”

“Abyss take them,” the older man spat. “What do we pay the blood rent for if the damned nobles can’t keep us safe from vampire brigands? We saw the smoke a short while ago and were assembling the militia to come help. Everyone thought it was a redcap raiding party, but there’s not much we can do against vampires. We’ll take shelter behind the walls and send for help.”

Piper stayed silent, not wanting to tell them that a noble had been the one who had attacked the farm. They’d probably learn the truth soon enough when they sent for help and Ransford arrived with an avenging army.

She dismounted to help the two men wrestle Alfred into the back of the wagon. The big man’s eyes had rolled back into his head, and he had a bloody froth on his lips. Neither of the men seemed to think it was a good sign, as they kept exchanging worried glances.

Piper slid onto the wagon driver’s seat, while one of the other men took her horse’s reins. With a snap, she started the wagon down the slight incline toward the village. The wheels creaked, and the oxen grunted as she trundled toward the entrance.

The last time she’d visited Alderwick, the fields outside had been alive with people. Now they were completely deserted. Everyone must be hiding behind the walls. She didn’t see a single soul until they reached the armed group standing by the gates.

The man she’d talked to broke off and whispered something to a stern-looking older woman wearing padded armor and holding a kite shield. After a few seconds of conversation, the woman nodded her head and then thrust her arm out in the direction of the village.

Without a word, the gates swung open, and everyone made room to let the wagon pass. She rolled into town unsure of what to do next. A crowd awaited her inside, and murmurs spread through the gathered people at the sight of her in the wagon.

A second later, Beatrice emerged from the crowd and raced forward. She reached the side of the wagon and took in everything in an instant. The blond-haired woman hurried back to the front and jumped up next to Piper.

“We need to get my sister and her family to the healer immediately.” Beatrice took the reins from Piper. “Please let me drive.”

Piper let the woman take over and tapped her foot against the wooden boards on the wagon as they slowly made their way into town. Why couldn’t these stupid oxen go any faster?

After what felt like an eternity, they reached a hut with the symbol of a green dragon hanging outside. Without waiting for the wagon to slow, Beatrice leapt off and sprinted to the front door. She hammered on it until there was a sound of movement inside.

The door opened a crack, and a bleary eye peered out. There was a quick exchange of words too low to hear, and then the door swung open. A wizened old man emerged, followed by three men who looked like younger versions of him. They all hurried over to the wagon and collected Ethel and Ophelia before carrying them inside. A moment later they returned for Alfred and half-carried, half-dragged him through the front door.

Piper desperately wanted to join them inside, but she needed to park the wagon first. She steered it around the side of the building and jumped down to tie the oxen to a post. The animals should be safe here until she returned.

After a second’s indecision, she placed Gorebark in the back of the wagon. She couldn’t risk letting her bow reveal itself in front of others. Then, to be safe, she covered the weapon with a blanket and some loose straw.

“I’ll be right back,” she whispered to Gorebark. “Don’t say anything or they’ll probably burn us at the stake.”

She didn’t wait for the bow’s answer and raced back around the corner, nearly colliding with Beatrice. Without a word, the woman threw open her arms and drew Piper into a big hug.

Piper struggled for a second, but then it felt like a dam broke inside of her. She wept against Beatrice’s shoulder, fat tears rolling down her cheeks, while the woman held her tight. All her worry and fear came pouring out, and it took her a few seconds before she could speak again.

Disentangling herself from Beatrice, she sniffled. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save them.”

“This isn’t your fault. None of this is your fault.”

“But it is…”

Beatrice’s eyebrow rose slightly. “I hardly think that a brigand attack had anything to do with you.”

“It wasn’t brigands,” she said softly. “It was the Lord Ransford. He… wanted me.”

Beatrice’s face drained of color. “Do you mean the new Blood Lord?”

Piper nodded.

“Is he still alive?”

She nodded again.

“Tell me everything.”

Piper glanced around to make sure they were alone and then launched into the story. She watched Ethel’s face transform from horrified to furious and then back to horrified again. When she finished, the woman didn’t immediately respond.

After nearly a minute had passed, Beatrice sighed. “We can worry about the Blood Lord later. Right now, we need to deal with the healer.”

Piper scrubbed at her eyes, trying to compose herself as Beatrice disappeared inside the hut. After she felt she looked presentable, she followed the woman inside. She prayed that the healer could save Ethel and her family. Otherwise, she would never forgive herself for putting them in danger.

Chapter 21 - The Demoness Stands Alone

Piper watched the events of the battle through a red haze, while a raspy voice in the back of her mind urged her to slaughter every mortal. She watched as one of the men turned and fled, dropping his cudgel as he ran. But she didn’t care about him. More than anything, she wanted to murder the armored man on the horse. She wanted to split open his ribcage and feast on his still-beating heart.

As she advanced, her murderous rage began to recede like the tides of the ocean, and she felt the strength draining out of her limbs. She blinked once, twice, and then her vision returned to normal. The voice urging her onward faded away until she could only hear muted echoes of it. And with the end of her [Demonic Fury], horrifying visions of what she’d done flooded her mind.

She lifted her trembling hands to see them covered in blood. Her stomach twisted, and she retched, emptying the contents of her stomach. The memory of her claws tearing through the man’s throat kept flashing through her mind over and over again. She stumbled back, desperately trying to escape the sight of what she’d done.

“My lovely,” Ransford said, a note of relief in his voice. “I feared you were going to attack me for a moment.”

Shaking her head, she dismissed the notifications crowding her vision and forced herself to focus on her current situation. The fight wasn’t over yet, and she still had to deal with Ransford—an immortal vampire who vastly outleveled her.

Should she activate [Demonic Fury] again? It had given her tremendous power, but she’d also lost herself to it. What if she attacked Alfred and the others by accident?

Unfortunately, she didn’t have the luxury of time to debate the pros and cons of her new skill. She vaguely recalled the man saying Ethel and Ophelia were still alive. But if that was true, they probably wouldn’t last much longer unless they received first aid. There was a lot of blood pooling around them. Which meant she had to figure out a way to deal with Ransford and fast.

Taking a deep breath, she activated [Demonic Fury]. Nothing happened. She frowned and tried again. Still nothing. The skill must have a cooldown. A sense of dread crept up her spine as she realized she would have to deal with Ransford using only her class.

Why didn’t I go for the most dangerous attacker first?

As the Blood Lord flicked his reins and his horse trotted forward, she cast [Veil of Lies] to hide herself behind a wall of illusion. She spun around on the balls of her feet and raced away. If she ran straight back—keeping the narrow wall of illusion between them—Ransford shouldn’t be able to see her.

She just needed to reach the barn and recover her weapon. Maybe her legendary longbow, Gorebark, could do something against the vampire.

Ransford guffawed, slapping his knee. “I must admit, you had me worried for a bit. After all of that, you’re nothing but a common illusionist? How did you pull off the attacks against my men? Did you hit him with a shovel and make it look like you broke his arm? What wonderful trickery. Did the other poor fool tussle with an angry bull instead of you? This is so delightfully humorous.”

The vampire’s words barely registered as she sprinted away, careful to keep the narrow barrier of illusion between herself and her attacker. Once she reached the edge of the barn, she recast [Veil of Lies] to shield her new position from sight.

After another ten metres, she repeated her spell, her mana quickly draining. But she’d reached the entrance to the barn unseen, where she kept her most prized possessions. Racing inside, she darted across the open space until she reached the rafter where she’d stashed her stuff.

Piper reached up, groping around until her fingers brushed her longbow. She pulled it down, unwrapping the linen from around the demon’s mouth. Then she reached up and grabbed her quiver, followed by the aetherstone. Apparently, you could pull mana from the stone—not that she had any idea how to do it.

Gorebark glared at her out of the corner of its eye. “It’s about time,” it complained. “How would you like it if I stuffed you in a roof somewhere for a few months? You know what? Maybe I will do that to you.”

“Shut up,” she whispered harshly. “I’m being hunted by a vampire lord.”

“Oh… that’s fun,” Gorebark said. “I hope he tortures you for what you did to me. Really nasty stuff, too. Like pulling out your claws and branding you with a hot iron.”

Piper did her best to ignore the demonic bow’s words as she attached the quiver to her belt and then stuffed the aetherstone into her pouch. The material of her pouch felt soggy with blood, but she tried not to think about the massacre outside. Her stomach was still doing flip-flops.

Moving over to the door, she strung the bowstring as she watched Ransford leisurely riding around the farm. Didn’t anything bother him? He’d just watched two of his men die, and a third didn’t look long for this world. Did she have any hope of beating him?

A small part of her wanted to run and save herself. But she couldn’t leave the others behind. After giving her a home and treating her like a daughter, she owed them everything. She would save them or die trying.

Glancing down at the bow, she nocked an arrow. “What can you do?”

“Oh, now you want to know?” Gorebark asked, its wooden eyes narrowing. “Maybe I should just call out to the vampire lord and let him know that you’re here. It would serve you right.”

“But then you’d never get a chance to help me take over this world,” she lied. “Isn’t that what you want?”

Gorebark’s carved wooden eyes grew large, and his mouth dropped open. “More than anything,” he whispered. “Are we really going to take over the world?”

“Yes,” she said hurriedly. “Now, what can you do?”

“Not much,” Gorebark replied flippantly. “Maybe you should have been leveling me up like I said. I bet you’re not feeling too smart hiding me in the roof now, huh?”

“What can you do?” she hissed. “Tell me!”

“At level 1, the only skill I have is [Mark of the Damned]. If you hit a target with three arrows, the final one detonates the mark, doing some pretty massive magic damage.”

She furrowed her brow. Would she be able to get off three arrows before Ransford was on top of her? He was mounted on a warhorse and would simply ride her down after her first shot. Even if she used her [Veil of Lies] to hide herself, he would simply gallop in the direction of the loosed arrow until he found her hiding spot.

She glanced at the roof of the barn, and a plan began to form in her mind. Ransford wouldn’t be able to ride her down if he couldn’t reach her.

Slinging the bow across her back, she reached up to grab one of the rafters. She was surprised at how easily she was able to pull herself up. In her old life, she never would have been able to do a chin-up.

Once she was in the rafters, she crawled across the beams until she reached the corner of the barn. She then used her claws to tear a hole through the thatch. Casting [Veil of Lies] to cover her movements, she wiggled out onto the rooftop. Her bow caught a few times, but she managed to squeeze herself through.

Finally in position, she unslung her bow and nocked an arrow. As she did, she kept an eye on Ransford. He was cantering around the buildings, singing a song she didn’t recognize. The bastard was enjoying this. Hopefully, he wouldn’t enjoy it for much longer.

I’m so going to die, she thought to herself. Who am I kidding? I can’t beat an immortal vampire lord.

Piper took a deep breath to steady herself and pushed down her negative thoughts. She was going to succeed because she had no other choice. She was going to save the others.

She waited until the blood lord reached the far side of the burning longhouse before she loosed her first shot. The arrow soared through the air and struck the center of his breastplate before deflecting off. For some reason, he hadn’t used the strange tendril of blood that had intercepted her earlier arrows. Did his skill have a cooldown, too?

Ransford swung around on his horse and galloped in her direction. The horses’ wide strides quickly ate up the ground between them.

Rapidly nocking a second arrow, she released and cursed as it went wide. It was hard to hit a moving target. The third arrow struck his arm, sinking in between the plates of armor. She even heard a grunt of pain from the man.

She aimed her next arrow carefully, as Ransford drew his longsword. The blade hissed as it emerged from its scabbard, the blade seemingly drinking in the light.

Great, she thought to herself. He’s got a magical sword.

Trying to avoid thinking about the scary-looking sword—and how close Ransford was getting to her—she loosed again, only for him to knock the arrow aside with his weapon.

Darn it! Why didn’t that count as a hit?

Piper hurriedly drew another arrow from her quiver and nocked it. The moment she had it on the bow, Ransford stood up on his galloping horse, like some kind of trick rider. Was he going to try to leap up onto the roof from his saddle?

She released as the vampire jumped into the air, the arrow slamming into the center of the Blood Lord’s chest. The following boom nearly deafened her, and then a concussion wave sent her flying. She skidded along the rooftop before coming to a stop near the peak. When she tried to sit up, the surrounding world tilted and spun.

After a few seconds, she was able to push herself up into a sitting position. Shaking her head, she scrambled forward to see what had happened to Ransford. At first, she couldn’t see him. Then she spotted him near the edge of the forest lying in a crater. The bow’s ability [Mark of the Damned] had sent him flying nearly 10 metres, and the impact had driven him into the soft earth.

For a second, elation flooded her veins. Then she saw the lord stumble to his feet. His breastplate was dented, and the leather straps smouldered. But he was very much alive.

She felt hopelessness seeping into her mind. How could she kill someone so much powerful than her? She was going to fail, and everyone she cared about was going to die.

Piper nocked another arrow with grim determination. At least she’d go down fighting. However, Ransford didn’t head back in her direction. Instead, he took off running.

Is he running away? Did I win?

Then she realized he was heading toward Alfred. During the battle, the big man had dragged himself toward the longhouse, leaving a trail of blood behind him. He had reached his family’s side while she’d been busy fighting Ransford.

She tried to aim for another shot, but the blood lord had already reached Alfred. She could only watch helplessly as Ransford grabbed the big man and yanked him to his feet.

Ransford placed the blade of his longsword against Alfred’s throat. “Enough!” he roared. “I have grown tired of your foolishness. Submit and let me drink my fill, or I will make you watch as I murder your entire family.”

Piper froze and lowered her bow. If she tried to do anything, Ransford would kill Alfred. And then he’d probably move on to Ethel and Piper as well. But if she did nothing, then he’d probably kill them, anyway.

As her mind raced, a crazy idea occurred to her. She remembered her encounter with the ooze and her healing afterward. Maybe she should give Ransford what he wanted. That might solve all of her problems. Assuming her plan actually worked.

Stuffing the arrow back into her quiver, she tossed Gorebark aside.

“Hey!” the bow grunted as it landed on the roof’s thatch. “Watch what you’re doing!”

She lowered herself from the barn’s eaves and then dropped to the ground. She began to walk forward, pulling down her dress to expose her neck. Though she had committed to the plan, her knees felt weak, and her mouth was dry. If this didn’t work, she was as good as dead. “Is… this what you want?”

“Oh yes…” Ransford released Alfred and lifted the visor of his helmet. His eyelids were heavy with desire. “You’re so young and untouched. Your blood will be so delicious.”

“No, Piper,” Alfred muttered weakly. “Please, no…”

“It’s alright,” she said comfortingly. “I’m happy to give myself to our new lord.”

“All of this unpleasantness could have been avoided if you had accepted your fate before,” Ransford said, licking his lips. “Livestock should know their place.”

Piper stopped in front of him, holding her neckline down, her head angled to the side. “If you want me, come and get me.”

“No tricks?”

She shook her head. “No tricks.”

The blood lord dropped Alfred and rushed forward. His mouth opened, and fangs like a snake emerged from his gums. Then he froze, his nose wrinkling. “Did you think you could make yourself unpalatable to me with your scent?”

“My scent…?”

“I don’t care what spell you cast to make yourself smell inhuman, but it won’t save you.” Ransford grabbed her hair, making her gasp, and then sank his teeth deeply into her neck. He gulped down her hot blood, letting out little moans of pleasure.

Piper squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for her moment. After a second, she heard Ransford sputtering. This was followed by gurgling.

Opening her eyes, she saw his face twisting with horror. He tried to push her away, but she reached up and grabbed the back of his head, keeping his fangs embedded in her neck. She activated [Demonic Blood]. Her flesh and blood glowed like molten metal as she felt a terrible heat building inside her torso.

As the heat intensified, she dropped her spell [False Face] and [Truth Shroud], exposing her true demonic self. At her reveal, the vampire’s eyes widened with terror. “What’s wrong?” she hissed, every drop of hatred she had for this man bubbling to the surface. “Don’t you still want me?”

Ransford’s gurgles turned to muffled shrieks, and he fought like a wild animal as he tried to escape. But she clung to him as if she were drifting in the center of the ocean, and he were the last piece of flotsam. Her blood in his mouth turned to lava from her skill, igniting his flesh.

Only when his entire head was in flames did she release him and sag to the ground. She felt the holes in her neck healing shut as Ransford stumbled around, slapping at his face in a vain attempt to extinguish the flames. His skin melted away, exposing bone, and his hair ignited like a torch. After a few seconds, his head was a blackened husk within his helmet.

But instead of collapsing to the ground like she expected, the Blood Lord turned and with supernatural swiftness darted away. She fumbled for the knife on her belt, but by the time she drew it, Ransford had disappeared into the treeline.

She was left kneeling in front of the burning longhouse, a knife held limply in her hand. Ransford had escaped and would probably return for vengeance.

To make matters worse, everyone she cared about was seriously wounded. And she had no idea how to help them.

Chapter 20 - Ashes of Home

Piper ran until her lungs ached and it felt like her legs were made of lead. But still, Alfred didn’t slow down. He ran like a man possessed, tearing through bushes and smashing branches in a mad dash to reach his home.

Ding! Your skill, Running has reached level 11.

Dismissing the notification as it appeared, she pumped her arms in a desperate attempt to keep up with Alfred.

Piper reached a spot with a break in the canopy and looked up to see even more ominous smoke filling the sky. The entire farm must be burning to create such a huge black cloud. Had a redcap raiding party attacked while they were gone?

Neither of them stopped for rest or water as they raced down the hill. While Alfred blundered through the forest like a wounded animal, Piper did her best to avoid the bushes and trees. But her legs and arms still ended up covered in scratches from the prickly bushes dotting the foothills.

Piper slowed her pace slightly as the ground leveled out and they neared the farm. If something was attacking, they couldn’t just run straight into it. That was a good way to get them both killed. However, Alfred’s panicked expression made her worry that he wasn’t going to stop for anything.

I’m just going to have to figure out a way to make him see reason.

She picked up her pace again and cast [Truth Shroud] to hide her class and level. Since she lived on a farm, she made herself a level 5 human and a level 3 farmhand. Ethel had told her that was around the average level for age. Hopefully, whatever they ran into on the farm would underestimate her—assuming anything there had evolved their [Identify] skill to see class.

Ding! Your spell, Truth Shroud has reached level 2.

Ding! Your spell, Truth Shroud has reached level 3.

Ding! Your spell, Truth Shroud has reached level 4.

The notifications were a very bad sign. To get so many levels in a row meant something incredibly dangerous was out there. But before she could warn Alfred, he burst out of the forest and disappeared from sight.

A second later, she heard the most agonizing, gut-wrenching cry she’d ever heard. It was the cry of a man who’d lost everything. She felt her heart twist at the sound, followed by worry blooming in her mind. What would she see when she emerged from the forest?

Without slowing, she broke through the treeline and staggered to a stop as she took in a scene of utter devastation. The longhouse was burning along with one of the storage sheds. Dead animals lay scattered about as if a capricious god had tossed aside his playthings. But Alfred wasn’t looking at any of that; in front of the longhouse lay Ethel and Ophelia in a pool of blood. Neither of them was moving.

Alfred let out another anguished cry, and he ripped his axe free from his belt. His head turned toward the figures on horseback obscured by smoke near the longhouse. The wind shifted momentarily, revealing a man astride a warhorse in full plate armor with a bloodred cloak.

Piper immediately recognized the man from the village. It was the Blood Lord, Ransford—the one who’d wanted to drink her blood.

But this time he didn’t have any Crimson Guard accompanying him. Instead, he was surrounded by a group of rough-looking men. One man, older than the others, held a spear, while his companions were armed with wooden clubs. None of them had any armor and were dressed in dirty tunics and pants.

Ransford wheeled around on his horse, his cloak billowing out behind him. “There you are, my lovely,” he called out. “I was worried you had run away from me.”

Piper stared in horror at the Blood Lord. This was all her fault. She should have known that he would come for her after asking about her in the village. She’d put everyone in danger by staying here.

I’m responsible for everything that has happened.

Alfred raised his weapon and charged forward. “You bastard! You took everything from me. I’m going to cut out your heart and bury it in the dung heap! I’ll tear out your fangs with my bare hands!”

More than anything, Piper wanted to murder these monsters. She wanted to hurl herself at them, ripping and tearing with her claws until they were all dead. But she couldn’t lose herself to her rage. She couldn’t repeat her mistakes in the battle against the lion if she wanted to stay alive here. Alfred was all she had left, and she had to save him.

Ransford flung his arm in the direction of Alfred. “Capture them both. I want him alive, so I can make him watch as I feed on his daughter. She looks so young and delicious…”

Piper needed to know what she was facing, so she used [Identify] on the rough-looking men. They were much younger than Alfred, so their level should be lower.

She identified the older man first.

Human, Level 65

Generally, someone’s class wasn’t much higher than their race level. Which was a good sign. She then turned her gaze to the others.

Human, Level 25

The next one was even lower.

Human, Level 20

The final one holding a club was closer to the first one.

Human, Level 50

Finally, she used [Identify] on Ransford, and her heart sank.

Vampire, Level ???

She knew they had no hope of defeating the Blood Lord. But she couldn’t abandon Alfred. No matter how hopeless, she had to stand and fight.

Piper quickly nocked an arrow and aimed at Ransford. She drew her arm back and released. The arrow surged forward, but then a ribbon of red liquid burst out of Ransford and knocked it aside. Was that blood?

With wide eyes, she launched another arrow. This one was also intercepted by the strange ribbon of what she assumed was blood. Was that a racial skill or a spell from one of his classes? She changed her target to the thugs, only to have her arrow deflected again.

Ransford laughed as she lowered her bow. “My lovely,” he called out. “Now you understand the futility of resisting your superior. Should you surrender now, I promise to make your death quick.” He paused. “Actually, that’s not true. I want to savor every moment as I drain your life. You look so delectable. I can’t wait to taste your flesh.”

She lowered her weapon as she watched Alfred advance on the thugs protecting Ransford. Didn’t he realize the level of the vampire? He didn’t stand a chance against someone with question marks for their level. They were both going to die if he didn’t retreat.

At his approach, the thugs had spread out into a semicircle, awaiting the big man. While he out leveled them, they could attack him from all sides at once.

“Alfred!” she pleaded with him. “You have to stop.”

He didn’t answer and continued his advance.

“Please… don’t leave me alone.”

This slowed him for a moment, but then he shook his head and let out a savage cry. He hurled himself at the closest thug, his axe descending like a blow from the heavens. His weapon slammed against the club brought up to meet it and sent the man reeling back. His follow-up attack drove the head of his axe deep into the man’s chest.

A shriek rent the air, the man groping at his gaping wound as Alfred ripped his weapon free. The big man stood there, his chest heaving, his face spattered with blood. He looked like an avenging god.

“You bastard!” The older man shouted. “That was my brother!”

The fight descended into a vicious melee, with two of the attackers battering Alfred from each side, while the third one with the spear tried to stab him.

Piper watched Alfred fighting for his life against the men, feeling helpless. Her bow was all but useless, and she couldn’t help him with her spells. She felt frozen with indecision.

Another glance at Ransford galvanized her into action. There was no way she was going to let him take her alive. But before she could fight, she had to improve her attributes.

There was no time for finesse, so she dumped 40 points into Strength, 30 into Dexterity, 10 into Stamina, and finally the remaining 18 into Vitality. Someday, she’d have to start putting points into her magic attributes, but that wasn’t today. Right now, she needed to be able to disable or capture the men fighting against Alfred.

A cry made her glance up to see Alfred skewered by a spear. The axe tumbled from his grip, but he wasn’t done yet. He grasped onto the spear haft, dragging himself down the weapon, his face twisted into a snarl. His meaty hands groped for the man holding the spear. As he reached his attacker, his strength seemed to give out, and he sagged to his knees.

I was too slow, she thought, despair nearly overwhelming her. I’ve lost everyone because I was too weak to help them.

“You fool!” Ransford shouted as he wheeled his horse around. “I told you to take him alive!”

“The bastard put my brother in the ground,” the man holding the spear spat. “He deserves to die.”

“Do not disobey me a second time,” Ransford snapped. “I want the girl brought to me unharmed. Do you understand? Or none of you will see a single coin of your payment.”

Piper stood there, her gaze travelling from Alfred skewered on the spear, to Ophelia and Ethel, who still hadn’t moved. Something inside her broke at the sight of them, and rage flooded her veins. For the first time in her life, she wanted to hurt someone. She wanted to make these men suffer. She wanted to hurt them in the way they’d hurt the ones she loved.

Congratulations! You have learned the racial skill, Demonic Fury, Level 1.

Few have ever seen an enraged demon and lived to tell the tale. This skill doubles your Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina attributes for a short period of time at a significant cost to your Vitality.

Without hesitation, she activated [Demonic Fury] and stalked toward the killers. As she did, she felt her demonic side taking control, and her lips curved up into a wicked grin. Her vision narrowed until all she could see was the target of her rage.

Every last one of them was going to die by her hands. And it wasn’t going to be quick.

*******

Alistair chuckled to himself as he watched the farm girl march toward them like she was actually going to do something. She had a ridiculous grin plastered on her face, as if it was supposed to scare them. Did she honestly believe she stood a chance against them at only level 5? She had probably just awakened recently.

A moan from beside him made his grin grow larger. That stupid bastard Edgar had taken an axe to the chest. He’d always hated the man, and he was happy to see him die. And with Edgar gone, there was more reward money to go around. Better to split it three ways instead of four. More money for him and all that.

After they captured this girl for the bloodsucker, he was going to spend a solid week drunk in a brothel. The amount he was making for this little job was more than he normally made in two years. He had no idea why the Blood Lord wanted their help and not his Crimson Guard. But he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Alistair watched with some concern as Harold, Edgar’s brother, approached the girl with his spear raised. Was the man going to do something stupid? Harold looked seriously pissed off at his brother being mortally wounded.

That asshole better not blow the job for me.

Harold pushed a strand of his thinning hair out of his face and pointed the spear at the girl. “Get on the ground, or I’ll run you through. I’m in no mood for any shit. Did you hear me, girl?”

Ransford cantered forward on his warhorse. “I told you not to harm her, peasant!”

Alistair watched with amusement as Harold reached out for the girl. Before the man could grab her, the girl’s hand shot out, her fingers wrapping around his forearm.

“What the fuck?” Harold pawed at her grip, a look of surprise etched onto his features. “Let go of me, you stupid bitch!”

Alistair shook his head at the man’s incompetence. “Having trouble with a little girl?”

“She’s got some kind of skill or something,” Harold called back, trying to pry her fingers off. “I can’t get loose!”

“She’s only level 5, you idiot.” Alistair took a step forward but froze as the girl twisted her arm and Harold’s arm snapped like dry kindling. “What in the name of Infernus?” He stumbled back as the girl’s hand blurred, followed by blood spraying out from Harold’s neck.

“What-what just happened?” Alistair stammered. He stared in horror as Harold flopped to the ground, blood gushing out of his mangled neck. It looked like a wild animal had savaged him. The man kicked feebly on the ground, his hands trying to hold in his lifeblood before he spasmed and then lay still.

Alistair’s gaze darted around the farm, searching for another attacker. But they were alone with the girl. Had she done that to Harold? No, that was impossible. What in the name of the Abyss was going on here?

“You’re going to pay for that!” Osbert, the other man Ransford had hired, shouted as he raced toward the girl.

Alistair watched the man charge forward with a raised club. Before Osbert could reach the girl, something burst out of his neck, and he dropped as if his bones had been turned to jelly. The girl casually stepped over the man’s body and continued her march toward Ransford.

Alistair turned toward the big man kneeling on the ground. The injured man was holding his gut wound with both hands, and blood trickled out from between his lips. But even seriously wounded, he was chuckling.

“Why are you laughing!” Alistair demanded. “How did she do that?”

The big man grinned up at him, his teeth covered in a film of blood. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”

Alistair's face drained of color as he realized the girl was nearing him. His grip felt slick on his club as a cold sweat sprang up on his body. What good was silver if he was too dead to spend it? Something was seriously wrong with this girl. She had to be a monster in disguise.

“They’re not dead!” Alistair shouted. “Ransford fed on them, but he left them alive to feed again later.” He gestured frantically at the woman and her daughter lying near the longhouse. The approaching girl didn’t slow at his words, and her rictus grin was no longer funny. Now she looked terrifying and even a bit inhuman.

I’ve got to get out of here!

He spun around and sprinted away from the farm like a demon from the Infernal Realm was chasing him. And after what he’d just witnessed, that might actually be true.

Chapter 19 - Search for the Tomb

Piper raised her face toward the morning sun, its warm golden rays bathing her skin. Behind her, she could hear the steady drip of the icicles melting on the side of the longhouse, while birds flitted from tree to tree, filling the air with their joyful calls.

Spring had finally arrived.

After a long winter cooped up inside the longhouse, she understood why people counted age here based on how many winters a person had endured. Though being honest, she’d enjoyed spending time with Ethel and her family. However, she hadn’t enjoyed waking up with frost on her eyebrows most mornings.

The sound of a boot scuffing on hard-packed earth made Piper roll her eyes. A second later, a stick jabbed her in her ribs. In response, she bonked Ophelia on the head with her tail. She’d kept the bump gentle, but her friend still cried out, mostly from surprise.

Turning around, she saw Ophelia rubbing her forehead. “It’s not fair that you have a tail.”

“Everything is fair in love and war,” she replied, remembering a quote from her dad.

“What does that even mean?” Her friend’s face quickly transformed into a grin. “I still got you, vile demon.”

“You really did.”

“Want to go exploring with me later?”

Piper shook her head. “Your dad wants me to go looking for that tomb again.”

“He’s obsessed with that,” Ophelia said with a sigh. “All for a few aetherstones.”

“Those could buy you some armor to become a real adventurer,” Piper pointed out. Then she mentally added, And a farm for me.

“In that case, why don’t I come with you?”

“That’s a great idea,” Piper said, brightening. “You could help us search the ruins.”

“Great!” Ophelia cried out. “I’ll be right back!” She sprinted away, most likely to find another stick to bring along as a weapon. Alfred might not be happy, as he’d have to watch over his daughter now. But she doubted he would mind too much.

A few minutes later, Alfred trudged around the building. He had a longbow in his hand, a quiver on his belt, and a pack over his shoulder. They usually spent the entire day of rest searching for the tomb.

“Ready to go?” he rumbled. “Where’s all your stuff?”

“I just need to grab it,” Piper said quickly. “And I hope you don’t mind, but I invited Ophelia along.”

His face darkened. “It’s too dangerous up in the mountains for her until she awakens. You know that.”

“But she needs more deeds before she awakens,” Piper countered. “Wouldn’t a trip to the ruins help her with that?”

“Not until she awakens,” Alfred repeated firmly. “I won’t risk her life.” The sound of a stick dropping made him turn around to see his daughter standing behind him. She looked devastated before she turned and fled. “By Infernus’s beard…”

Piper grimaced as she watched her friend dart away. She really hadn’t meant to cause problems with her invitation. But now, based on Alfred’s stormy expression, she was going to have to deal with him in a foul mood all day. And usually, the trips to the ruins were the highlights of his month.

When Alfred turned to glower at her, she wilted and immediately took off to grab her bow. There was no way she was sticking around to take the brunt of his annoyance.

She jogged to the longhouse and pulled up her character sheet.

Piper Ashcroft

Race: Shadeling, Level 10

Class: Deceiver, Level 5 (Epic)

Attributes

Strength – 6

Dexterity – 4

Stamina - 3

Vitality – 6

Perception – 3

Swiftness - 2

Magic - 2

Mana - 95

Mana Regeneration – 95

Free Attribute Points - 98

Racial Skills (4/10)

·         Demonic Blood, Level 5

·         Demonic Intellect, Level 6

·         Quick Claw, Level 7

·         Tail Strike, Level 8

Skills (10/10)

·         Ambush Detection, Level 4

·         Animal Caretaking, Level 5

·         Archery, Level 3

·         Cooking, Level 6

·         Enduring Casting, Level 8

·         Gardening, Level 1

·         Identify, Level 1

·         Running, Level 10

·         Stick Wielding, Level 1

·         Subterfuge, Level 2

Spells (3/10)

·         False Face, Level 2

·         Truth Shroud, Level 1

·         Veil of Lies, Level 3

For the last few months, she’d had a ton of points sitting in Free Attributes. The only points she’d assigned so far were for her Mana and Mana Regeneration.

She’d added 15 attribute points to Mana, and 17 points to Mana Regeneration, bringing them roughly in line. Strangely, each point she added gave her 5 points in each attribute, but she was sure there was a reason for that.

Now, she could keep [Enduring Casting] active on [False Face] without ever running out of mana. However, she had no idea what to do with the rest of her points.

She frowned as she reached the part of her character sheet with the spells. The Holy System rarely granted levels unless you were struggling in some way. Alfred said the most levels he’d ever gained were during a drought, when he’d been scratching a meagre harvest of crops out of the dusty ground.

Clearly, hiding her face from Ethel and her family wasn’t worth gaining levels from the system. Now that it was spring, maybe she could start travelling to Alderwick more often. That had to count for putting herself at risk. Hopefully then the system would start granting her some levels in her class skills.

While her character sheet was open, she looked over the rest of her skills. While she hadn’t been able to level any of her racial skills or spells since their battle with the lion, she’d been making steady progress with her other skills.

Piper was pretty happy with her [Cooking] and [Animal Caretaking] level. Though she hadn’t been able to level her [Gardening] skill since there was no planting to be done during the winter. Now that spring was around the corner, it should shoot right up.

The only other one she wanted to level up was [Running]. She wasn’t sure if it was from her skill or increased attributes, but she was a lot faster recently. She wanted to continue leveling up [Running] to see how fast she could go.

After years of being stuck in bed, being able to run again felt amazing. If she had any place to go other than the farm, she would have run everywhere. Maybe she could start training with Ophelia when she awakened. It wouldn’t be long now, as her friend’s 13th birthday was in the summer.

Piper hurried into the longhouse and grabbed her short bow as she continued to agonize over her free attribute points. She knew her class was basically a caster, but in every battle she’d been in so far she’d been fighting hand-to-hand. Which made her want to dump a lot of points into Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, and Vitality.

At the very least, she should add some points to her Magic attribute. According to Ethel, it improved the power of spells. And she didn’t want anyone seeing through her illusions.

After a minute, she closed her character sheet in frustration. It was so difficult to decide. While this seemed like a video game, there was no way to reset her stats if she made a mistake. If she placed them in the wrong attribute, she would never get a chance to redo them.

But at least she had more wiggle room than someone with a poor quality class. Right now, she had a total of 162 attribute points from her race and class. Since most humans only got 1 point per level for their race and two points per level for a poor quality class, she was already significantly stronger than many of the residents of Alderwick.

In theory, once she allocated her points, she should be able to stand against someone who was level 75 in their race, level 50 in their first class, and level 25 in their second. But that was ignoring all of their skills and spells.

Shaking her head, she left the longhouse and trotted outside. Her quiver bumped against her thigh with each step, and she had to reach down to hold it steady. Once again, she was obsessing over numbers. It wasn’t like she was going to have to fight someone from Alderwick.

When she returned to Alfred, it didn’t look like his mood had improved. If anything, his brow was even more deeply furrowed. This wasn’t going to be a fun trip like usual.

The big man headed out toward the foothills without a word, setting a brutal pace. After a few steps, she had to run to keep up. They passed through the edge of the forest and headed up the steep trail in silence.

Piper kept a wary eye out as they climbed into the foothills. While none of the scouts from the village had sighted anything dangerous in the region lately, that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything out there. None of them had noticed the awakened lion either. And that had almost ended in disaster.

She also hoped she could see a mammoth again. When she first arrived, she’d been too frightened to enjoy the sight of something so amazing. Now that she knew they were generally friendly, she desperately wanted to find them again. How cool would it be to pet a mammoth?

She paused and uncorked the waterskin hanging from her shoulder. After taking a swig, she offered it to Alfred. “Would you like some?”

The big man only grunted in reply.

She winced at his reaction. He was really angry that she’d invited Ophelia. But she’d only wanted her friend to get some deeds for her upcoming awakening. What was the problem with that?

“I was only trying to help,” she said, starting to feel annoyed with Alfred. “We’ve never even seen aspect beast footprints in the ruins before.”

“What if we do see one?” Alfred asked in a clipped tone.

Piper stopped, walked and frowned. “Then we’d beat it.”

“And what if Ophelia receives a warrior class for fighting a monster? What then?”

A sudden realization dawned on Piper. Alfred was terrified his daughter was going to be offered a combat class for her awakening. And she was probably headstrong enough to take it. That would make life almost impossible for her in the Bloodveil Empire. At best, they’d have to hide Ophelia for the rest of her life. At worst, she might be imprisoned for her class.

“I… didn’t think about that.”

“No, you didn’t.”

Piper chewed on her lip, not knowing what to say. Alfred and Ethel hadn’t made a big deal about her receiving a combat class, but then again, she’d had an illusionist type class. They must have believed she would be able to hide it someday, which she’d succeeded in doing. But you couldn’t hide the fact that you were a warrior.

Feeling a bit dumb, she slung the waterskin over her shoulder and followed Alfred up a steep incline. With each step, her foot set a cascade of pebbles bouncing down behind her. After a few more minutes of climbing, they arrived at a clearing that looked incredibly familiar.

Piper glanced around, noting a hole in the ground not far from them. “Wait!” she called out as Alfred continued to march forward. “I think this is the place.”

He glanced at her over his shoulder, his brow rising slightly. “Really?”

She nodded quickly. This was where she had first emerged from the tomb. She was sure of it.

“Thank Infernus,” Alfred said. His dark mood vanished like storm clouds parting for the sunshine. A big grin split his face as he hurried over to the tomb entrance. But only a few paces from the hole, he slowed to a stop and shielded his eyes from the sun.

Piper turned around to see what Alfred was looking at. As she did, she was greeted by the sight of a rising column of black smoke. It was coming from the farm.

“Oh no,” Alfred muttered. “No, no, no…”

“Maybe Ethel is just burning some brush?” Piper offered, not really believing it. That was a lot of smoke.

“We need to get home now!” The tomb forgotten, Alfred dashed across the clearing and back into the forest. He didn’t slow when he reached the incline, and half slid, half fell down it.

Piper ignored her rising worry and raced after him. Something terrible had happened on the farm. And Ethel and Ophelia were all alone there.

Chapter 18 - Shrouded Truth

The wind howled past the longhouse, making the wooden beams creak, and snow drift down from the smoke hole in the roof. Inside, Piper huddled under a blanket and cursed the winter weather. Even with a roaring fire, it was still freezing indoors.

She stood up; the blanket wrapped tightly around herself, and walked over to Ethel. The blond-haired woman was busy changing the bandages on her husband’s arms. It had been a few days since their battle with the awakened lion, and Alfred’s wounds were healing nicely.

Ethel tied the linen bandage before tugging on it hard. When her husband winced, she frowned. “You’re lucky you can still feel pain after fighting an awakened beast. What were you thinking?”

Alfred rubbed his biceps. “I told you, we didn’t know it was an awakened beast until it was too late. They don’t leave a sign out with a picture of a fire-breathing lion, you know.”

Ethel harrumphed before examining his other injuries. He’d taken claw strikes across his upper arm, his forearm, and his thigh. According to Ethel, he was fortunate that none of them showed any sign of infection because they couldn’t afford a healer.

Once the other bandages had been changed, Ethel shuffled off to start dinner. While she was annoyed at their recklessness, she was also visibly grateful the lion wouldn’t be returning to take any of their animals.

“Ready to practice again?” Alfred stretched out his arm experimentally, grunting before dropping it.

“Are you sure it’s going to work?”

He shrugged his broad shoulders. “No way to know for sure. However, I don’t want you walking around with the class named deceiver. Not many people can see a person’s class, but anyone who can wouldn’t trust you with that name.”

From the kitchen, Ethel called out. “You really should wait until the storm lets up, and Beatrice can train her.”

“The storm might last days yet,” Alfred replied. “There’s not much else for us to do until then. And there’s no harm in trying.”

Ethel put down the plate she was cleaning and arched her eyebrow. “No harm in trying to train a demon? I seem to recall you being nervous about having one of her kind around when she first arrived.”

Alfred's broad face split into a grin. “That was before she slew a lion at my side. You should have seen her. She was like a warrior of old in battle.”

From above, Ophelia’s face popped over the side of the loft. “I’m going with you next time!”

“Not until you awaken,” Alfred replied. “Even then, not until you’re at least level 50.”

“But Piper was only level 1!” she exclaimed. “That’s not fair.”

“Piper is… unique.” Alfred crossed his arms. “Now go make yourself useful mucking out the animal pens while we try to learn a new skill.”

Ophelia let out a harrumph very similar to her mother’s. A second later, she slid down the ladder and stomped over to the animal pen on the far side of the cavernous building. Without slowing, she grabbed a wooden shovel and set about cleaning out the pens.

Piper took a seat next to Alfred and prepared herself for the lesson. For the last few days, he’d been trying to teach her the skill Identify and a way to hide her class. The first one would allow her to see the levels of anything awakened, as well as aspect beasts, and aspect born. Apparently, it was the one skill virtually everyone had in this world, as it was vital to know when to fight and when to run.

As they’d done over the past few days, Alfred first demonstrated the skill. He focused his gaze on Piper, and then she felt a prickling on her skin. He motioned for her to do the same in return.

Staring intently at him, she wished there were a textbook or something on how to learn a skill. There had to be a better system than just looking at someone and hoping for the best. Did they even have books in this world? So far, she hadn’t seen any writing. She’d have to remember to ask Ethel later.

After a minute, she leaned back and blinked her stinging eyes.

“Well?” Alfred asked, looking at her expectantly. “Did anything happen?”

She shook her head glumly.

“Try again until you get it.”

Fighting down a sigh, she returned to staring at Alfred. But this time, she decided to try something different. She attempted to look past his physical body to try to see the mana swirling inside of him. After a second, she began to see faint lines of power coming off of his outline. They had a slightly bluish tinge and moved in erratic patterns.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Identify, Level 1.

The first step to surviving in this world is to know your opponent. This skill allows you to view the target's racial level.

Learn this skill? (Yes/No?)

She would have to discard one of her other skills if she wanted to take Identify. After a few seconds, she removed Baking. While she could have removed Stick Wielding, it still might come in handy if she had to use a club.

Another notification immediately followed after she selected ‘Yes’.

Ding! Your racial skill, Demonic Intellect has reached Level 5.

Piper jumped to her feet and clapped her hands together. “I did it!” she shouted. “I learned a new skill!”

“Excellent,” Alfred boomed. “How’d you do it?”

Shrugging her shoulders, she sat back down. “I have no idea. But after focusing for a bit, I saw some lines of power coming off you. After that, I just learned the skill.”

“Did I not tell you about that part?” Alfred gave her a sheepish look. “That was how I figured it out, too.”

From the kitchen, Ethel chuckled and shook her head. “Your heart is in the right place, but you’re an awful teacher.”

“This is a bit outside of my wheelhouse,” Alfred said indignantly.

“Let’s try my spell next,” Piper said excitedly. “I want to see if I can learn to hide my class.”

Alfred nodded and looked at her intently. His gaze bored into her until her skin prickled once again. As he used [Identify], she focused intently on trying to hide her class. But after a few minutes, nothing had happened.

“Nothing?” Alfred asked. When she shook her head, he rubbed the bridge of his nose while blinking his eyes. “That’s more staring than I’m used to.”

Piper frowned and turned her gaze to Ethel. As she did, she activated [Identify].

Almost immediately, text appeared above the blond woman’s head.

Human, Level 102

At Piper’s actions, Ethel’s head snapped around, and she raised an eyebrow. “You know, it’s not polite to use Identify on someone without their permission.”

“Sorry!” Piper held her hand up in front of her mouth, her cheeks becoming rosy. “I didn’t know.”

“Please just ask in the future.” Without another word, Ethel returned to preparing dinner. For most of the day she’d had a pot over the fire, constantly adding new bits of meat and vegetables as everyone ate from it. It was simple but delicious.

“Do that to a Crimson Guard and you’ll end up in real trouble,” Alfred grumbled. “Not many have done that and lived to talk about it.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Also, something else you should know. If you ever try to use Identify and it comes up with question marks, you need to run for your life. That means it's at least 200 levels above your own. You’re going to have a bad time if you try to fight something like that.”

“Like the Crimson Guard? What level are they?”

Alfred shrugged. “No one knows. My guess is that they’re at least somewhere around level 1000. Probably much higher. Most of them have had centuries to level up.”

Piper chewed her lip, considering her next words. Since she’d arrived, she’d always been bothered by the fact that everyone let vampires feed on them. “Why do people put up with the Crimson Guard? The vampires sound awful.”

“There have been a few rebellions over the years,” Alfred said carefully. “None of them went very well. It’s hard to beat immortals who spend lifetimes mastering their classes. Not many humans can compete against that.”

He paused and drummed his fingers on the table. “Plus, none of us are supposed to have combat classes. If they find you with one, you’re in big trouble. That’s why I want you to learn to hide your class sooner rather than later. The blood rent is coming due, which means vampires on my property.”

“But the new lord in town wanted to eat me! How can you live like this?”

He leaned back in the chair. “We have safety here. Not many places in the world can say the same.”

 “I still say it’s not worth it,” Piper mumbled. Then she decided to change the topic. “Ready to try again?”

Alfred leaned forward, his eyes comically wide as he gazed at her.

She fought down the urge to giggle at his silly look, as her skin began to prickle. Using all of her will, she concentrated on hiding her class from him. Her mind began to ache as she poured all her mental energy into the task.

After a moment, she felt something click, and a notification appeared.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell, Truth Shroud.

To move among mortals, a demon must shroud their true level and class. This spell allows you to present a false class and level.

Ding! Your racial skill, Demonic Intellect has reached Level 6.

“Any luck?” Alfred asked, likely noticing a subtle shift in her.

Piper smiled. “You let me know.”

She cast [Truth Shroud] before she finished speaking. Then she altered her class to show human and level 25. She could tell the spell worked as Alfred’s eyebrows shot up.

“How… how did you do that?”

She grinned like a cat. “I learned a new spell.”

“That’s wonderful,” he said. “Now we won’t have any problems with the Crimson Guard.”

Ethel paused in the process of pouring oats into the pot hanging over the fire. “Not until she’s leveled it up. She’ll need to cast it daily around us until it’s a bit higher level. We don’t want anyone seeing through her spell. That could be disastrous.”

“I wonder if I can learn anything else today,” Piper mused. “Maybe some offensive spells for the next time we fight a lion?” But she paused as the words left her mouth.

What other spells could she learn for her class? Maybe something to scare her enemies? She remembered from the visions of the shadeling that the demon had cast a spell to terrify her opponents.

However, she couldn’t exactly learn that around Alfred and Ethel. No matter how badly she wanted another new spell, she didn’t want to drive them temporarily insane. Then again, maybe she could scare Ophelia. Her friend deserved it for all the stick-shaped bruises covering her body.

But that wasn’t really an option. She had no idea how potent a spell like that would be. For all she knew, she might scare someone literally to death. And she didn’t want to terrify people who had practically become her family.

Other than that, she could only practice her illusions and hope she learned a new one. Though at the moment, she couldn’t think of anything different from what she already had. Finally, she decided to give up for the day. Her brain could use a rest, anyway.

“I think that’s enough for one day.”

“Thank Infernus,” Alfred said. “My eyes are going to be dry for a week from all this staring. Mind you, I’m glad you learned a new spell. It should make your life here a lot easier.”

Piper rose up from the table and stretched. Sitting all day was hard on her back. Which was funny, since before coming here she’d spent virtually every day sitting in her wheelchair or a hospital bed.

I guess I’ve just gotten used to standing in this world.

Walking over to the kitchen, she sniffed the bubbling pot. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“I’m almost done,” Ethel replied. “But maybe you could help Ophelia if you don’t mind? She seems to be struggling with her mucking.”

Piper glanced over and giggled at the sight of Ophelia sliding around in the slick animal pen. A particularly ornery pig was pushing her, while a pair of goats ran past. Her friend very nearly face-planted into the muck, which none of them would have ever heard the end of.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Grabbing a shovel, she hurried over to Ophelia and offered the girl her hand. With a tug, Piper pulled her out of the pig’s way and back onto the dry floor. For her efforts, she was rewarded with a poke in the side from Ophelia’s stick.

“Got you again, foul demon,” Ophelia said playfully.

She could have easily parried the attack and even wrenched her makeshift weapon from her friend’s hand with her vastly improved attributes. But she didn’t want their game to end. Though it would be more fun when Ophelia awakened next year.

“Want me to finish up?”

“Please!” Ophelia said. “I’m not cut out to be a farmer.”

“Yes, you are,” her mother called out from the cookfire. “And Piper is helping you—not doing your chores.”

Smiling, Piper began the task of mucking out the animal pen with Ophelia at her side. At least the animals gave her a wide berth. As she worked, she thought back to Alfred’s words. He might think she was destined for something greater, but she was perfectly happy right here.

Chapter 17 - Trial by Flame and Fang

The lion’s roar made Piper freeze, her eyes widening at the sheer size of the creature. The power emanating from the beast nearly made her knees buckle, and the air felt thick with menace. This was no normal lion. Something was terribly wrong here.

Alfred seemed to come to the same conclusion, and he cursed under his breath, “Infernus take me. It’s a bloody awakened lion.” In one smooth motion, he raised his bow and loosed an arrow. The projectile soared through the air and thudded into the lion’s shoulder.

The beast let out another mighty roar and charged forward. With each bounding step, snow sprayed up from under its paws, and its powerful muscles flowed like water. It looked like the perfect predator as it moved.

Shaking her head, Piper pushed down her fear and focused on the fight at hand. She nocked an arrow, drew back her arm, and loosed. The arrow missed the lion by a wide margin and thudded into a tree trunk behind it.

“Take your time,” Alfred grunted, aiming a second arrow. He released the bowstring, and the missile wobbled as it soared forward; it slammed into the lion’s chest and sank deep into its flesh. But the beast barely slowed its charge.

Taking a calming breath, Piper pulled out another arrow from her quiver. The lion was quickly eating up the ground between them with large strides, so she had to make this count. It might be the last one she was able to fire.

She made sure her grip was perfect and then drew back in one swift motion. Using the momentum, she released the arrow, and it sailed toward the lion. It struck its front leg, making the beast stumble.

“I hit it!” Piper cried out with elation. “I hit the lion!”

Ding! Your skill, Archery has reached Level 3.

“Good shot,” Alfred said. As he spoke, he tossed his bow aside and drew the axe from his belt. The lion was nearly upon them now. “If the battle turns south, I want you to run.” When she opened her mouth to reply, he cut her off. “No arguments.”

Piper reached for another arrow but then stopped herself. If Alfred was fighting the lion in hand-to-hand combat, she couldn’t risk loosing a missile. But then how could she help him? She stuffed her arrow back into her quiver and leaned the bow against a bush. Drawing her dagger, she moved to back up Alfred in melee.

Piper immediately regretted her decision to put her bow down as the lion skidded to a stop a short distance away. The beast straightened up, a halo of fire forming above its head. The snowflakes striking the revolving fire immediately disappeared into little puffs of steam. Then, the flames began to spin rapidly.

“Run!” Alfred shouted as he backpedaled away from the lion.

She half-turned to flee before she stopped herself. There was no way that Alfred was going to reach cover before the lion unleashed its fire. That meant he was going to take the brunt of the spell so she could escape.

She couldn’t let that happen.

Pivoting on the balls of her feet, she sprinted back toward Alfred. As a maelstrom of flames erupted from the lion, she threw herself in front of him. The conflagration hit her squarely in the stomach. It burned through her clothing, her skin, and then ate into her belly.

She screamed until her lungs gave out, and then in a haze of agony, she activated [Demonic Blood]. The fiery sensation of her healing ability battled against the flames trying to consume her. Thankfully, her racial skill quickly won out, and her organs and skin reformed. But it had taken a serious chunk out of her mana.

“Foolish girl,” Alfred roared, dropping to his knees by her side. “Why did you do that?”

Piper blinked her eyes, realizing she was lying on her back. When had that happened? Shaking her head, she patted at the smouldering bits on the ruins of her clothing. “I’m fine,” she gasped, a puff of smoke coming out of her lips. “Alright, maybe not completely fine.”

Alfred’s face contorted with rage as he rose up the face the lion. The beast stood unmoving, clearly confused as to why they were both still alive. Most likely, it had used its magic to take down other prey in the past.

Thankfully, I’m no normal prey.

Stumbling to her feet, she gazed at the ragged hole in her clothing exposing her belly. If the lion didn’t get her, she was probably going to freeze to death on the way home. But that was a problem to worry about later. If there were a later.

Piper reached for her dagger, only to realize she’d lost it. Before the lion had struck her with the spell, she’d been holding it in her hand. She must have dropped it after being hit. A quick scan of the snow didn’t reveal its location, which meant she’d have to rely on her claws and tail. Not ideal when the lion could throw around jets of flame.

While she was regaining her feet, Alfred had advanced on the lion. He held his axe in a defensive position, his features tight. In response, the lion padded around him, letting out a deep growl.

She moved forward to stand behind Alfred, but he waved her back. She hesitated for a second before retreating. He was right—she’d probably only get in the way. He’d been fighting beasts and monsters in the hills before she was born. Still, she hated doing nothing while he risked his life.

Alfred let out a war cry and charged forward. The lion responded with a roar and reared up to meet the big man with its claws. They crashed together, claws flashing in the falling snow, and the axe singing.

Blood sprayed out after each strike, both Alfred and the lion taking wounds. The axe bit deeply into the lion’s neck, while the beast swiped a paw across Alfred’s arm. After another flurry of blows, they separated, each of them staggering back like exhausted boxers.

Piper took half a step forward and pressed her lips together. She had to do something! There was a lot of blood in the snow, and a fair bit of it was Alfred’s. But what could she do without getting in the way?

For a moment, she considered using her spell, [Veil of Lies]. Maybe she could distort the ground to make the lion trip. But she quickly discarded that idea. She had an equal chance of making Alfred stumble. And that could be deadly for him.

I have to think of something!

She was still thinking furiously when the two fighters came together again. They exchanged blows, the axe becoming lodged in the lion’s shoulder and ripping free from Alfred’s grip. The lion tried to bite him, but at the last second, he evaded its snapping jaws.

Alfred stumbled back, with a look of shock on his face as the lion limped after him. The big man’s eyes scanned the forest, likely looking for anything to use as a weapon. But there wasn’t even any deadwood visible above the snow.

Piper quickly cast [Veil of Lies] in front of him. The air shimmered for a second before he disappeared behind it. The lion stopped in its tracks and cocked its head to the side. But for all intents and purposes, Alfred had disappeared.

Alfred quickly grasped the situation, and he stood unmoving behind the illusion. His hands twitched at his side as the lion stood only a few paces away from him. If the lion saw through her illusion, he was going to be in serious trouble.

The lion’s eyes scrutinized the forest, searching for its prey. Then it lifted its nose to sniff the air.

“Crap,” she muttered. “It’s going to smell him.”

With no other options, she charged back toward her bow. Maybe she could distract it long enough for Alfred to get to safety. As she ran, she heard the beast’s pounding footsteps behind her. With Alfred nowhere to be found, she was its new target.

Piper dropped to her knees and skidded through the snow, snatching her bow as she slid past. Spinning around, she nocked an arrow and loosed right as the lion pounced on her. The arrow punched through its rib cage and penetrated deep into its chest.

But she didn’t slow down the lion’s momentum in the slightest. It slammed into her like a runaway train. She felt claws slicing through her arm, and the impact sent her cartwheeling through the snow. Something snapped in her forearm, and she cried out in pain.

The lion was on her again in an instant, a blur of sharp teeth and slashing claws. It clamped its mouth on her shoulder, shaking her like a dog with a chew toy. Then its claws tore at her exposed belly.

But she gave as good as she got. Her tail snapped out, the armored tip plunging into the lion’s body. She repeatedly activated [Quick Claw] and the claws on her good hand raked its belly. Another [Tail Strike] made the beast howl with pain.

Piper raised her claws to strike again, only for the lion to stiffen. Without a sound, it collapsed on top of her, smothering her under its immense weight. As she desperately tried to push off the beast, she was bombarded with notifications.

Congratulations! You have slain a lion, Level 31.

A significant bonus to experience has been granted for slaying a higher-level beast.

Ding! Your race, Shadeling has reached level 2.

+10 free attribute points

….

Ding! Your race, Shadeling has reached level 10.

+10 free attribute points

Ding! Your class, Deciever has reached level 2.

+10 free attribute points

….

Ding! Your class, Deciever, has reached level 5.

+10 free attribute points

Ding! Your racial skill, Tail Strike has reached Level 6.

…

Ding! Your racial skill, Tail Strike has reached Level 8.

Ding! Your racial skill, Quick Claw has reached Level 6.

Ding! Your racial skill, Quick Claw has reached Level 7.

Ding! Your spell, Veil of Lies has reached Level 2.

Ding! Your spell, Veil of Lies has reached Level 3.

Piper barely read any of the text as she tried to free herself from underneath the lion. She couldn’t breathe, and the edges of her vision were fraying. After a few seconds of struggling, a powerful grip grabbed her cloak and dragged her out from underneath the slain beast.

The second she was free, she gulped down a lungful of sweet, beautiful air. Every part of her hurt, but at least she’d survived. And she’d received a crazy number of levels.

Stumbling to her feet, she cradled her injured arm. There was no question the bone was broken. It was sticking up underneath the skin in a stomach-churning way. Once her mana regenerated, she should be able to use [Demonic Blood] to heal herself. Her clothing was another matter—it was completely destroyed. Ethel was going to be pissed.

When she finally looked up, she was greeted with a stony expression on Alfred’s face. This look was usually reserved for Ophelia when she’d done something incredibly stupid, which was a little bit scary. Based on his expression, she might not survive long enough for Ethel to kill her.

“What did I tell you to do?” he asked in a deceptively calm voice, the rage boiling just beneath the surface. “What’s the one thing I told you before the fight?”

“I couldn’t just leave you,” she protested. “I had to do something when the lion was casting the spell.”

“How many lions have you fought?”

“Zero,” she said, looking down at her feet. For a second, she considered mentioning the fact that she’d defeated a demon, but that would probably only make the situation worse.

Alfred took a deep breath before tugging on his beard. “I would never forgive myself if something happened to you, Piper. You’ve become like a daughter to me over the last year.” He sighed, and some of the anger seemed to dissipate. “With that being said, while you don’t listen well, you’re a capable fighter. And brave for your age. I’m not sure if I could have defeated the awakened beast without you. How are your injuries?”

She beamed at his words and held up her arm. “I’m pretty sure I broke my arm. But as soon as my mana regenerates, I should be able to fix it.” Then she turned her gaze to his injuries and noted the blood dripping down from his hand. “Are you alright?”

“Nothing a few bandages won’t fix.” He shook his head. “Though I admit I wouldn’t mind having your healing abilities.” As he spoke, he unwrapped his fur cloak and handed it to her. “Try to tie that around yourself. It should keep you warm enough until we get home.”

Piper took the cloak and attempted to tie it around her midsection. After a few failed attempts, she simply hung it over her front. It still let in the cold, but at least she was somewhat shielded from the biting wind.

Alfred placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her earnestly. “While your race makes you powerful,” he said. “You’re still just a young girl. And you’re a complete novice with your class. That’s a dangerous combination in battle.”

“I think I did pretty well,” she said indignantly. “I killed the lion, didn’t I?”

Alfred pointed at the beast.

She turned to look and saw his axe protruding from the lion’s skull. While she’d been wrestling with it, he must have snuck up, retrieved his weapon, and slain the lion. “Oh,” she said. “Maybe I didn’t kill it…”

Alfred walked over to the lion and wrenched his weapon free. Then he wiped it off on the beast’s fur. Sliding it through his belt, he turned back to Piper. “An illusionist should never get into hand-to-hand combat. Why didn’t you use your illusion spell to hide yourself as you loosed your arrows?”

She pressed her lips together and frowned. In hindsight, there were a dozen times she could have used her spells to better effect. Alfred was right—the lion never should have seen her in the battle. In fact, she could have hidden them both at the start of the fight. Why hadn’t she thought of that?

The big man walked over and patted her on the back. “You’ll get there eventually. I just don’t want you to get into trouble. The next time we fight something, I expect you to listen to me. Understood?”

She nodded her head vigorously.

“Good,” he said wearily. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter 16 - On the Hunt

The door to the longhouse banged open, and the huge form of Alfred appeared in the entryway. He stomped inside, a blast of frigid air following him. As he shook the snow off his cloak, he pointed a finger at Piper. “Grab your bow and follow me.”

She put down the plate she was rinsing and glanced over at Ethel beside her. “Do you mind finishing up?”

“Go on,” Ethel said with a warm smile. “I’ll have Ophelia help me.”

“What?” Ophelia cried out from the loft above them. “I have to do the dishes?”

“Yes, you do, young lady,” Ethel said sternly. “Now get down here and help me tidy up this kitchen.”

A groan was the only reply to her request.

Piper hurried over to the wall, where she grabbed her fur-lined cloak before slipping her feet into her boots. Her toes immediately hit something inside, and when she lifted it, a familiar wooden figure tumbled out. She rolled her eyes as Alfred chuckled.

“Could you please find a new place to hide that thing?” she said, feigning annoyance. “At least I’m original when I get you back.”

“That was for putting it in my gloves yesterday.”

Trying to hide her smile, she placed the figurine aside and finished getting dressed for the cold weather. During the winter months, everyone here dressed in multiple layers. When she was done, she looked so round she could probably roll along the ground.

Piper double-checked her buttons and then wrapped a thick fur cloak around her shoulders. Reaching over, she grabbed a short bow propped up near the door. It wasn’t the bow she’d received from the quest—Alfred still wouldn’t let her touch the thing. But he’d constructed one for her to learn the skill.

She wrapped two bowstrings around her hat and then tied the quiver to her belt. Finally ready, she followed Alfred outside into the winter wonderland. In her previous life, she’d rarely experienced the outdoors during winter, as she spent most of her time cooped up in her bedroom. But she was starting to realize just how much she’d missed.

The entire farm was covered in a layer of pristine white snow, and soft snowflakes drifted lazily down from the leaden sky. Long icicles hung from the eaves of the house, and snowdrifts had begun to form against the sides of the buildings. Winter here was strangely beautiful.

Without explanation, Alfred set out in the direction of the mountains. He carried a longbow and had an axe thrust through his belt. He also had wineskins and a pack slung over his shoulder, which meant they were going to be gone for a while.

“Where are we going?” Piper asked, hurrying to catch up with the big man. Even though she had short legs, he never slowed his pace around her. Most of the time, she almost had to run to keep up with him.

“I found lion tracks,” he grunted. “I thought it was time to give you some training.”

“Lion tracks!” she gasped. “How dangerous do you think it is?”

“It’s alone and has big paws,” he replied. “Which means it's most likely a male. So very dangerous.”

Piper was silent as she digested the news. Since her return from the Infernal Realm, Alfred had been teaching her how to use a bow. She’d even received the Archery skill a few days ago, though she’d only gained one point in it so far.

Up until now, they’d only hunted small game like rabbits and pheasants. Apparently, he thought she was ready for something more challenging. But to be honest, she had hoped there would be an easier transition between a rabbit and a giant man-eating lion. Or in this case, a demon-eating lion.

Unless he thinks he can’t defeat it on his own.

That thought unnerved her. Alfred seemed like the strongest man in the world. But since her awakening, she’d learned that he and his wife only had poor-quality classes. While Piper received multiple attribute points for each new level, they only received a handful.

But she still wouldn’t stand a chance against Alfred in a fight. He was over level 100 in farming, and about half that in his woodcutter second class. Plus, all the points he’d gotten from leveling up his race. Even though both were poor quality classes, he could still squish her like a bug, having somewhere close to 300 additional attribute points over her.

Piper was starting to realize that level differences were huge in this world. And she’d picked a class that was difficult to level up. The Holy System didn’t seem to believe that casting [False Face] and playing tricks on Ophelia with [Veil of Lies] was worthy of new levels. Maybe that was why Alfred was bringing her out here. He might be trying to help her level up.

“Why are we hunting a lion?” She braced herself against a tree as she tried to climb up the ice-covered rocks. With a big leap, she vaulted over it onto a patch of firm snow.

“I found paw prints around the longhouse this morning,” he replied. “It won’t be long before it starts taking animals.”

“I see.” The idea of fighting a lion filled her with excitement—and a bit of dread. She still woke up in a cold sweat some nights, the events in the Infernal Realm replaying in her mind. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to fight another battle yet.

“You’ll do fine,” Alfred said as though he could read her mind.

Piper nodded stiffly at his words. She wasn’t sure if she believed him, but she appreciated his faith in her. Now she just had to prove him right.

They trudged up the mountain for the better part of an hour. Every few hundred metres, Alfred stopped, looking for invisible signs of a lion. He would then inevitably make a satisfied noise and alter their course slightly.

After the third time he did that, Piper decided he must have some sort of tracking skill. Most skills and spells were closely guarded secrets in this world. If someone told people what skills they had, then they could use it against them later. Even in close families, they were rarely discussed.

When Alfred wasn’t looking, she stuck out her tongue and let a snowflake land on it. Then, she pulled it into her mouth with a silly grin. Ophelia had taught her how to do that during the first snowfall. She’d missed out on so much when she was young, trapped in her bed while the other kids played outside.

I’m going to make up for everything in this world.

The next time she stuck out her tongue, Alfred caught her and shook his head. Her face immediately flushed to the roots of her hair. And the worst part was the illusion cloaking her showed it.

One of the first skills she’d learned upon her return from the Infernal Realm was [Enduring Casting]. It had taken a few days to learn it, but Beatrice had been a great help. Now, she could keep her [False Face] active all day. She couldn’t regenerate any mana while it was active, but at least it didn’t drain her completely. She’d given up the skill [Mucking] for it, but that was no big loss.

After being caught by Alfred, she decided that catching snowflakes on her tongue probably didn’t look too mature. For the rest of the hunt, she resolved to start acting like an adult. He wanted a woman to help him fight the lion—not a little girl.

A gust of wind sent a swirl of snow around her, and she pulled the cloak tighter around herself. The wind cut through her woolen clothing as if it weren’t even there. She was pretty sure demons weren’t made for the cold. After all, her kind came from a realm with two suns and virtually no water.

Ahead of her, Alfred pushed aside a snow laden pine bough and stepped under the cone of the branches. A second later, she followed him inside to find herself in a nice warm shelter. There was no snow underneath the pine tree, and even the wind couldn’t reach them here.

The hulking man handed her a wineskin, which she took gratefully.

“Thank you.” Piper uncorked the top and poured the fruit wine into her mouth. It was a little bitter, and she was still getting used to the taste. But it helped with the cold as it burned in her stomach.

Apparently, everyone in this world drank wine after their awakening. Even kids drank something they called short beer. According to Ethel and Alfred, the drinks in this world didn’t have as much alcohol as back home. Plus, they were apparently a good deal safer than many of the water sources.

“What do you want out of life?” Alfred asked as he took the wineskin back. He downed a swig and then slung it back over his shoulder.

His question surprised Piper, and it took her a moment to respond. “What do you mean?”

“It’s a simple question.” He regarded her with his eyes as the tree creaked above them in the wind. “What do you want out of life?”

She chewed her lower lip as she thought about the question. While her main goal was to see her parents again, she didn’t want to hurt his feelings by telling him that. Not after he’d taken her in and practically adopted her. “I… don’t know. Can’t I stay here and become a farmer?”

Alfred grinned at her words. “If it were up to me, I’d have you stay until you’re married and then grant you half my land to farm. However, I’m not sure that’s the life you’re meant to live.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Do I really have to tell you?” When she didn’t respond, he continued. “There’s no denying you have a higher purpose in life. Most humans never even travel to the middle elemental realms during their awakening. And I’ve never heard of a single person who traveled to the upper realms. Yet you went above all that and survived in the Infernal Realm. Whatever force brought you to this place had a purpose for you. Mind you, I don’t know what that is. However, I doubt you’ll find it on my farm.”

“But I’m happy here,” she protested.

“The choice is yours,” he said. “Like I said, I’d be happy to watch you grow old and take over the farm. Infernus knows that Ophelia has no desire to do it.”

“She’ll come around.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Alfred exhaled and pushed back the tree bough “The lion shouldn’t be far from here. I saw some fresh tracks a short while ago.”

The information that the lion was nearby made her mouth go dry. This was her first battle since her fight with the shadeling demon in the Infernal Realm. Cursed or not, she really wished Alfred would let her use the bow, Gorebark.

Ducking under the branch again, she stepped out into the snowstorm. The moment she was back outside, the wind whipped around her, sending icy shivers down her spine. The storm was picking up, and if they didn’t find the lion soon, they’d probably have to turn back.

I don’t want to get lost in a blizzard in the mountains.

In front of her, Alfred unwound his bowstring and then strung his bow. Following his lead, she did the same. The snow would quickly ruin the bowstring, but she didn’t want to be caught unarmed against the lion. Though she still had the dagger Alfred had gifted her tucked into her belt.

Alfred moved more cautiously now, slightly crouched, with an arrow knocked on his bow. Every few metres, he paused to examine the ground. Then he continued onward, his head cocked to the side.

Piper kept looking around, watching for any sign of the lion. However, she didn’t see anything stirring in the snow. Not even the birds wanted to be out in this crappy weather.

Glancing over at Alfred, she realized he probably didn’t want to be here either. But even the loss of a single animal might mean his family wouldn’t have enough food to last the winter. And she knew he would do anything to protect his family.

I can always sell my aetherstone if they need food.

The precious gem she’d taken from the tomb was hidden among the rafters of the barn with her quiver and bow. However, a peasant family selling a priceless stone might raise some unpleasant questions. Still, it was better than going hungry.

Alfred held up his fist as a sign for her to stop. Ahead of them loomed a yawning cave entrance. He motioned for her to take cover, and they both slipped behind a bush covered in dead leaves.

In front of the cave opening, a beast had trampled down the snow, and the flat area was stained red with blood. Bones and bits of fur were scattered around on the ground. Something had made a kill recently.

Piper heard a soft growl from inside the cave, and a moment later a monstrous lion padded outside. It had an impressive mane ringing its head, and its fur was noticeably thicker than the lions on her world.

Its eyes immediately fixated on them behind the bush. Somehow, it knew they were hiding there. And based on the ear-splitting roar it let out, it was clearly not happy to see them.

Chapter 15 - A New Face

The two moons had risen high into the night sky by the time Piper had the strength to make her way over to the kitchen table. A couple of rushlights lit the room—something rarely used due to the expense—and the main fire had been stoked. Around the table sat Alfred, Ethel, and Ophelia, with the terrifying bow, Gorebark, Longbow of Ruin, placed in the center.

A terrible sense of wrongness emanated from the weapon, and everyone was doing their best not to look at it. Though Piper noticed Ophelia kept flicking the ear on the quiver. Not that she expected anything else from her friend.

Ophelia frowned. “Why do you have a human ear on your quiver?”

“Shush,” Ethel said, swatting away her daughters’ hand. “Let Piper tell us about it when she’s ready.”

Piper shrugged helplessly. “I have no idea why it has an ear. Everything in the Infernal Realm is pretty freaky.”

Ophelia’s mouth dropped open. “You went to the Infernal Realm? What class did you get? Was it exciting? You have to tell me everything!”

Alfred glowered at his daughter. “Did you not just hear what your mother said? Do you have hay stuck in your ears again?”

“But she went to the Infernal Realm!” Ophelia said, gesturing at Piper. “I’ve never heard of anyone going there. She could be one of the most powerful adventurers in the world! I want to hear everything.”

“Let… her… speak,” Alfred growled at his daughter.

Ophelia pouted and crossed her arms. “Fine.”

“Well, I suppose I should tell you my class first,” Piper said slowly, unsure of where to begin. “I received the deceiver class, which is an epic quality. It gives me all sorts of spells to hide the fact that I’m a demon.”

Both Ethel and Alfred looked stunned at the news.

The big man was the first to recover, and he whistled softly. “Very few folks are even offered a common quality class. Mind you, that’s on their second or third class when they’ve built up their deeds. But epic? That’s almost unheard of.”

“I was offered a mythic class,” Piper continued. “But it wouldn’t let me have a normal life. Do you think I made the wrong choice?”

Ethel patted Piper’s hand softly. “You made what you thought was the right decision. That’s all that matters.”

She nodded at the woman’s words. At the time, the deceiver class had seemed like the right choice, but based on Alfred’s reaction to an epic class, she was a bit worried she’d screwed up. Still, her only goal at the moment was to live a normal life on this farm and someday find a way to see her parents again. And the deceiver class should let her do that.

“The rest of my awakening was nothing like you’d described.” She then took a few minutes to fill them in on the story, while Ethel piled a plate high with cold slices of meat, cheese, and bread.

Piper popped morsels of food into her mouth as she spoke, telling them about meeting Astaroth, her battle with the imp, and then her desperate fight against the shadeling. Finally, she told them about receiving her bow from the scary tree.

“I say we bury this thing,” Alfred said, tugging on his beard. “Nothing good can come from having an evil weapon around.”

“I don’t think it’s evil…” Piper said, trailing off as she realized any weapon gifted from a demon was very likely cursed. But she couldn’t just toss away a legendary weapon. What if they needed it someday?

“Who are you calling evil?” A voice croaked from the bow. The eyes on the demon head near the grip snapped open and regarded the room.

As the weapon spoke, everyone at the table except for Piper stumbled back, with Alfred even knocking over his chair. While she didn’t leap to her feet, she was still shocked at the bow’s ability to talk. What else hadn’t Astaroth told her about it?

Piper leaned forward and poked the weapon. “You can talk?”

The wooden face rolled its eyes. “Astaroth told me you weren’t the sharpest spike on a demon’s back. Yes, I can talk. Better than these hairless apes at least.”

Alfred hurried over to the door and grabbed his axe. He strode back with murder in his eyes. “We need to destroy this cursed object!”

“Wait!” Piper said, snatching the bow up from the table and holding it away from him. “It’s a legendary weapon. What if we need it?”

“What if it tries to kill us in our sleep?”

“And how would I do that?” Gorebark asked. “Do you see any arms or legs on me? What, you think I’m just going to hop over and strangle you with my bowstring while you sleep? Hey, that’s not a bad idea. You with the horns. Put me down and let me see if I can do that.”

“Shut up,” Piper said out of the corner of her mouth, watching as Alfred’s expression darkened. There was no way he was going to let her keep this bow inside of the house now. She was starting to doubt she could even prevent him from turning it into kindling.

“Why do you care about these humans?” Gorebark asked. “I assume we’re here to terrorize them, right?”

“They’re my friends,” Piper said in a strained voice. “I won’t hurt them.”

Gorebark’s face twisted to the side, fixing his gaze on her. “What kind of demon are you, huh?”

“The kind that used to be human.”

“What!” Gorebark shouted. “Oh no, you’re not going to let me kill anyone, are you? How in the name of Elaraxa am I supposed to level up in this cursed world then?”

“We’ll talk about it later.”

“If you think you can shut me—” The bow’s sentence was cut off as she slammed her hand down over its mouth. It continued to try to speak, with the occasional muffled word slipping past her palm. She caught something about being turned into a quiver.

“Give me that thing,” Alfred said, pointing a finger at it. “I’ll chop it to bits and then burn it.”

Ethel appeared behind her husband and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Even if you could destroy a legendary weapon, which I’m not sure you could, what if Piper’s right and we need it someday? What if the redcaps return? Or another ooze is attracted to our property?”

“Mark my words,” Alfred grunted. “That thing is cursed, and I won’t sleep under the same roof with it.”

“I’ll find a hiding place for it in the barn,” Piper said quickly. “At least then it’s far away until we can figure out what to do with it.”

Alfred frowned and combed his fingers through his beard. “I still don’t like it.”

Ophelia appeared beside Piper and poked at the bow. “That thing is so cool! Next time you go, can you bring me back a demonic sword? No, wait, what about a demonic halberd? That would be amazing. Just think of me with a legendary weapon.”

Her father let out an exasperated sound and rubbed a hand down his face. “Now’s not the time, Ophelia.”

“Don’t forget,” her friend whispered as she headed back to the table. “Bring me a demon halberd next time.”

Piper fought down a chuckle and did her best to remain serious. The thought of Ophelia with a legendary weapon was terrifying. No tree or structure around here would survive. She’d probably become a local menace with a weapon like that.

Taking Ophelia’s cue, Piper returned to the table, while Alfred picked up the chair he’d knocked over. But this time, she didn’t place Gorebark back on the wooden surface. Instead, she propped it up next to her, with her hand firmly over its mouth.

Once they were all seated again, she returned to her meal, trying to ignore the murderous glare that Alfred was directing toward her weapon. It had taken him a long time to trust her, and she doubted he would trust a weapon with a demonic face on it any time soon. But at least he’d put down his axe for the moment.

“What spells did you receive?” Ethel asked softly, breaking the silence. “Anything to hide your race?”

“Oh, right.” Piper held up a hand to hide her full mouth. “I got Veil of Lies and False Face. The first one says it’s just a minor illusion spell. And the second makes me look however I want.”

“Why don’t you try them out?”

She nodded and finished chewing before turning her attention to her spells. Her heart skipped a beat as she prepared to cast [False Face]. Would it actually work? Would she be able to look like a human again? What if it didn’t work?

Piper cast [False Face] and closed her eyes to form an image of how she used to look in her mind. She concentrated on her long blond hair, her heart-shaped face, and her blue eyes. Then she did the same for her body, adding her skin tone, and even the scars on her arms before changing her mind and removing them. There was no reason to carry them into her new life. Once she was done, she had the perfect image of how she used to look.

When she opened her eyes, everyone was looking at her and smiling—even Alfred. She lifted her hand and gasped. It looked completely human again. Then she grabbed a strand of hair to see it was blond once more.

A notification appeared in her vision.

Ding! Your spell False Face has reached Level 2.

Piper blinked her eyes, nearly overcome with joy. She was finally herself again. She could live a normal life here until she found a way back to her parents.

“You’re so pretty!” Ophelia breathed. “Is that what you used to look like?”

“I think so,” she said. “And thank you.”

“You’re a lovely young woman,” Ethel added. “I’m sure we’ll find a nice suitor for you someday.”

The last thing she wanted to think about right now was taking a suitor, but she couldn’t wait until she got a chance to head back into town for a day with Ethel. The sweetmeats were calling her name, and maybe they could even find a way to make ice cream. What she wouldn’t give for a chocolate sundae. It had always been her favorite treat back home.

“What about your other spell?” Ethel asked. “Would you like to try it out?”

She nodded and focused on casting her next spell. This time, she targeted the table and formed the image of a banana split with all the fixings. Then she cast [Veil of Lies].

There were no ripples of magic or anything to announce the spell. One second the table was empty aside from her plate, and then a banana split appeared in a glass bowl. She leaned forward to inspect it, and everything looked completely real.

“What… is… that!” Ophelia exclaimed. “And more importantly, do you know how to make one for real?”

“It’s called a banana split,” Piper said. “And it’s made using bananas, ice cream, and chocolate sauce. I don’t think any of that exists in this world.”

Ethel laughed. “We have ice cream. There’s a seller in town who makes wonderful flavors.”

“You have ice cream?” Piper said, stunned at the news. “Why didn’t you tell me? Ice cream is my favorite!”

“I’ll make sure to buy you some the next time we go into town.”

As they were talking, Alfred withdrew something wrapped in linen from his pouch and placed it on the table. “Speaking of buying things, we got you a few gifts for your awakening. Now, mine isn’t a legendary weapon, but I hope you like it.”

Piper took the package from him and unwrapped it to reveal a sturdy dagger in a wooden sheath. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the sheath, where a demon who looked remarkably like her battled an ooze. She quickly realized that it was her.

“I carved it myself,” he said. “I thought we should memorialize your big victory.”

Holding the dagger to her chest, she blinked back her tears. “Thank you,” she said, a lump forming in her throat. “This is the best gift I’ve ever received.

Alfred puffed out his chest at her words, looking pleased.

Ethel placed a much smaller wrapped item on the table next. “This is from Ophelia and me.”

Taking the next gift, she quickly unwrapped it. Inside was a beautiful bronze pendant in the shape of a burning flame. The details were exquisite, and it couldn’t have been cheap. She immediately lifted it over her head, the string briefly becoming caught on her horns. After she managed to untangle it, she let it settle against her chest.

“It’s the sign of Infernus,” Ethel explained. “While you wear it, he’ll watch over you and keep you safe.”

“I don’t know how to thank you,” she said, clasping both the pendant and dagger close to her heart.

“No need to thank us,” Ethel said. “We’re all happy that you came into our lives.”

Piper felt the same way. Of all the places she could have ended up, she was eternally grateful she had stumbled across this farm that fateful day.

Chapter 14 - A Glimpse of Future Power

“I see now why you wish to pursue a path of magic,” Astaroth said from directly behind Piper, nearly making her jump out of her skin.

She spun around and scowled at him. “Would you put a bell around your neck or something?”

At her words, a slight smile flitted across his face. “Did I startle you?”

Piper’s scowl only deepened at his words. She knew the jerk had startled her on purpose. That was the problem with floating demons—they could sneak up behind a person without a sound and scare the heck out of them.

“Do you have no martial training whatsoever?” the bony demon asked, his face tilted in the direction of the demon she had slain.

“I lived on a farm before coming here,” Piper replied honestly. She didn’t see any reason to lie to Astaroth. “The toughest thing I fought before now was an ooze.”

“I had believed you were an honored demon,” he said, his brow furrowing. “However, that travesty of a battle shows you possess virtually no skill. Yet, you received a quest from one of the nobles…”

“I won, didn’t I?” Piper groused, doing her best not to look at her handiwork. The thought of what she’d done to the demon made her stomach twist. In the heat of battle, she’d fought to survive. But she was pretty sure the shadeling’s dying expression would haunt her dreams for weeks to come.

The looming demon shook his head. “Regardless, I will now bestow your class upon you. Are you prepared?”

Piper nodded her head, unsure of what would come next.

Astaroth raised his pale hand, and blue flames wreathed his fingers.

She listened as the demon spoke a single word that resonated with ancient power, and then pain exploded in her head. It felt like someone was driving a metal spike through her skull, and she dropped to her knees, clawing at her face. The agony felt unbearable as infernal knowledge flooded into her mind.

Then the visions began.

She watched as a shadeling demon infiltrated a demonic fortress, her form constantly changing, and her illusions cloaking her from patrolling guards. Those few she couldn’t slip past, she casually dispatched with her barbed tail.

Before long, the demoness made her way to a cavernous throne room. The pillars had been constructed of monstrous bones from some mysterious creature, and numerous demon head trophies hung on the walls.

An entire phalanx of armored demons greeted the shadeling, each one looking like more than a match for the diminutive female. Yet their ranks broke as she cast a spell to send nightmarish visions and maddening whispers eddying around them.

One by one, the guards were driven insane by her magic. Some collapsed to their knees, while others gnashed their teeth like animals or wailed with anguish. A few even turned their weapons on each other, hacking and slashing in a wild frenzy.

Within seconds, the demon had turned the throne room into a scene of chaos. But she wasn’t done yet. Her figure blurred as she darted toward the throne.

At her approach, the hulking demon lord rose to his feet and lifted his hand. Dark magic erupted from his fingertips and leapt toward the shadeling. Stone melted under the assault, and his own guards disappeared in the maelstrom of power.

Yet somehow she evaded every attack.

The pain had faded from Piper’s head, and she watched the shadeling with growing awe. Was this something she’d be able to do someday with her class? Returning her attention to the vision, she watched the demon cast another spell, and the remaining guards were transformed into puppets for her will. The armored figures lurched forward, their movements unnatural and jerky, turning on their own lord.

The demon on the throne continued to call on more and more powerful magic until the pillars of the room shuddered. Each impact sent dust drifting down from the ceiling, and great ragged holes were blasted in the walls. Still, the shadeling advanced, a wicked grin on her face. She was enjoying this battle.

Then, without warning, the demoness appeared behind the lord and whispered something in his ear. The hulking demon went stiff, his face twisting with horror as her tail curled around him like a snake ready to strike. With a single thrust, she ended his life, the lord collapsing into a pool of his own blood. She then methodically moved through the room, dispatching any surviving guards.

With that, the vision faded, and Piper received a notification.

Congratulations! You have learned the class Deceiver.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell Veil of Lies, Level 1.

Any who fights against a deceiver quickly learns not to trust their senses. This spell allows you to hide objects and movement within a small area.

Another notification quickly followed.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell False Face, Level 1.

Few know the true face of a deceiver, and one of the most potent spells in their arsenal is the ability to hide their true nature. This spell allows you to alter your face, hair, skin tone, voice, and even race.

Piper’s heart soared as she read the description for her [False Face] spell. This would finally give her the chance to live a normal life back on the farm. She could even travel into Alderwick without needing Beatrice to hide her beneath layers of illusions. This was going to change everything.

“So, can I go home now?” she asked hopefully. All she wanted to do was get back to the farm and celebrate.

“Are you forgetting something?” He raised his brow, his eyeless face contorting.

“Oh, right!” Piper exclaimed. “My reward.” While she wasn’t big on weapons, a legendary one must be pretty impressive. Maybe she could even protect the farm with it. No more slimes would be hurting Ophelia on her watch.

“I believe you will be quite happy with my choice,” Astaroth said, giving Piper a creepy smile. “The quest allowed me to tailor the rewards to your needs. Please, follow me.”

Right now, all she wanted to do was go back home. She was worried about what shape her body was in after two days with no food and water. But she couldn’t pass up a legendary weapon. Even if humans weren’t allowed to carry weapons in the Bloodveil Empire without express permission.

After a second’s hesitation, she followed Astaroth deeper into the forest. They passed demons that had become trapped in the tree’s roots and were slowly being transformed into plants. Leaves and branches had erupted from their bodies, and she noticed their eyes were still moving—the demons were still alive. She quickly revised her opinion about the trees being harmless and carefully avoided stepping on any of the roots.

After a few kilometres, they arrived at a towering tree with black bark and leaves that oozed a sticky red substance. The branches were gnarled and twisted, but the trunk is what drew her gaze. Hundreds of demon’s faces had been carved into the bark. At the sight of the tree, a deep sense of foreboding slammed into her like a physical blow, making her stumble back. This tree was impossibly powerful…and evil. Was Astaroth leading her into a trap?

Piper glanced over at her guide, but he seemed unperturbed. In fact, he didn’t even flinch when the tree twisted a few of its branches in his direction. He stopped a short distance away and had a conversation too low for her to hear.

A second later, intense power began to build up within the tree. She watched nervously, preparing to flee at the first sign the tree was going to attack her. She didn’t want to end up as one of the faces on its trunk. Some of them had moved since she’d arrived—almost like they were screaming.

The power continued to build until the bark split open and ominous red light poured out. From within the tree, what looked like a tree branch appeared. It was curved slightly, with the face of a demon in the middle of it. Was that a staff?

Astaroth floated forward and took the weapon with his slender fingers. As he tugged it free, sap the color of blood gushed out from the opening. Then the bark sealed itself shut with a sickening squelching sound, followed by the faces on the bark bellowing with the voices of the damned.

Piper covered her ears as the screaming grew louder, and the weapon glowed with an eerie red light. Then the noise cut out, and Astaroth floated over to her holding the weapon. As he drew closer, she uncovered her ears and held them a short distance away from her head. She wanted to be ready in case the tree started screaming again.

“I have crafted the promised weapon for you.” He held it out for her to take. “I believe it is the perfect choice for one such as yourself.”

Reaching out with her hand, she flinched as the face on the bow opened its mouth, its eyes snapping over in her direction. This thing was horrifying. And legendary or not, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to take it. But she couldn’t turn down such a powerful weapon, and she took a deep breath before grabbing hold of it.

Astaroth floated back a step. “In order to bind it to yourself, you must channel your mana into the weapon.”

Piper pressed her lips together in response to the instructions. How the heck was she supposed to channel mana into something? She’d barely had mana for more than a day.

After a few false starts, she finally managed to send a trickle of mana into the weapon.

Bind Gorebark, Longbow of Ruin, Level 1, to your soul? (Yes/No?)

After another deep breath, she selected yes. Immediately, more writing sprang up in her vision.

Gorebark, Longbow of Ruin, Level 1, has been bound to your soul.

“This thing is so creepy,” she said, watching as the eyes on the weapon fixated on her. “Why does it say that’s level 1?”

“It is a magical weapon,” Astaroth said. “One capable of growing with you.”

“Oh.”

Her brow furrowed as she inspected the bow. Why did it have the face of a demon in the center of it? Was it a real demon or just an ornament? Based on this place, she was willing to bet an actual demon was trapped in her new bow.

“I have something else for you,” Astaroth said, reaching beneath his robes. A moment later, his hand reappeared holding a quiver.

“Is that an ear?!” she squeaked, staring in horror at the quiver. The leather on one side clearly resembled a human face, and even had what looked like a fully intact ear sticking out. “There’s no way I’m taking that thing.”

“I would strongly recommend that you take this with you back to your world,” Astaroth said without emotion. “This allows you to convert mana into new arrows for your bow.”

“How am I going to explain an ear on my quiver?” Piper said, her voice rising slightly. “People are going to ask questions. Like, did you make that out of a person? Or are you a crazy serial killer?”

“Are people truly so squeamish in your world?” Astaroth asked. “However, did you not just receive a class that has the ability to hide items behind illusions?”

“Oh, right.” Her face flushed at his words. She felt stupid for overlooking such a simple solution to the problem. But even though she could probably make her bow and quiver look less evil, they still creeped her out. “Wait… why did you give me a bow?”

“After watching your miserable performance against the shadeling demon, I decided to gift you a weapon that would keep you as far away from combat as possible.”

“Gee thanks,” she said, her words dripping with sarcasm. “I didn’t do that badly.”

“I’ve seen blind imps fight better than you.”

Piper sighed at his words but didn’t respond. She was too tired to argue with a floating skeleton. She stalked forward and snatched the quiver from his hand and stuffed it under her arm. In her other hand, she held onto the bow.

“Can I go home now?”

“As you wish,” Astaroth said. “Should by some miracle you survive to level 50, I will guide you deeper into the depths of infernal knowledge.”

“I can’t wait.”

Astaroth began to wave his arms, and dark lines of magic formed in the air in front of him. With each movement of his hands, more of the world seemed to rupture and then began to fracture. The lines expanded, forming rifts and sending purple light cascading over Piper.

She raised her arm to shield herself from the gale-force wind that sprang up. It felt like she was standing in front of a growing hurricane. The magic stitched together into an eldritch pattern, and she was sucked through a spinning portal.

For a split second, she was in total darkness before her soul slammed back into her body. She sucked in a ragged breath as her eyes snapped open. A fire glowed nearby, and she heard the soft patter of rain on the thatch roof above.

A terrible weakness washed over Piper as she realized that she couldn’t even lift her arms. She glanced around the room and spotted Ethel rushing over to her side. In her hands, the woman clutched a clay pitcher and a wooden cup.

“Thank Infernus.” Ethel’s face was pale and she had dark circles under her eyes. “I was afraid we’d lost you to the Fire Realm.” She poured clear water into the cup before lifting it to Piper’s lips.

The cold liquid that cascaded into her mouth was the most delicious thing she’d ever tasted in her life. She quickly gulped down the first cup and then the next one that was offered. Only after four cups did she finally feel some of her strength returning.

“Thank you,” Piper said, her voice raspy. “How long was I gone?”

“Almost three days,” Ethel said, her face tight. The woman looked exhausted and had probably been holding a vigil over her during that entire time. “But all that matters now is that you’re home.”

Piper flopped back down and stared up at the roof as she smiled. It was good to be home.

Astaroth stood for a long time in the forest after the human wearing a demon’s skin had departed. He sensed a prince approaching, and he didn’t dare show any sign of disobedience. There was a reason he’d survived for millennia in this place when so many others hadn’t.

One second, he was standing alone among the trees, and the next a prince appeared in front of him seemingly from nothing. He immediately recognized the demon as Malkazar.

Unlike some of the more powerful demons in the realm, the prince stood barely half his height. He wore a wide brim hat and long black flowing robes. His physique wasn’t particularly impressive for a demon. Yet the power emanating from the prince was staggering. With a snap of his fingers, the noble could erase Astaroth from existence.

“My liege,” Astaroth said, with a deep bow. “To what do I owe the honor of your presence?”

Malkazar grinned before walking over to the fallen shadeling. He probed her corpse with the toe of his boot and chuckled. “It’s not often a human defeats a shadeling. Someone is going to be a powerful infernal caster someday.”

“Indeed.”

“Now, I know you felt Elaraxa stirring,” Malkazar said, walking back over to Astaroth. “I don’t suppose you know why?”

“I have no clue,” Astaroth said truthfully. “She was slain during the Thronefall.”

“Come on now, skinny,” Malkazar said. “You know as well as anyone that she’s not completely dead. And when she starts moving around, it makes me wonder why. The veil is weakening by the day, and we have plans for the Mortal Realm. I don’t want Old Scaly waking up to ruin those plans. You don’t want that either, do you?”

“Certainly not.”

Malkazar reached up to poke Astaroth in the chest. “I’ll ask again, is there anything you want to tell me? Maybe something that slipped your mind? Anything at all that may have made old Elaraxa roll over?”

“There was nothing unusual about my encounter with the girl,” Astaroth said. “Aside from the quest and the weapon.”

The grin briefly faded from Malkazar’s face. “What quest?”

Astaroth shrugged. “I had assumed it came from one of the nobles.”

“None of us gave the quest to you.”

“If that is the case, then I have no idea where it originated.”

Malkazar frowned. “You said something about a weapon?”

“Nharldriss provided a legendary weapon.”

“Are you kidding? A legendary weapon?” Malkazar marched over to the tree and thudded his fist against the bark. “You stupid thing won’t give me a weapon but you create one for a human? I should destroy you for that.”

An immense power welled up within the tree, making Astaroth glide back a step. Nharldriss, the Ever Hungering was linked to every forest in the realm. Its power dwarfed even those of the nobles. If Malkazar meant to fight the tree, then Astaroth wanted to be as far away from here as possible.

“Relax, you stupid tree,” Malkazar said casually. “Someday you’ll come over to our side and stop pining for your dead dragon.” He walked back over to Astaroth and elbowed his thigh. “Get it? Pining? Like a tree?”

“Most humorous, my liege.”

“Anyway, what kind of weapon was it?”

“A legendary bow.”

“Of course it was my favorite type of weapon.” Malkazar’s face briefly twisted with anger before he sighed. “Was there anything else strange about the girl? 

“If anything, it was a shock she survived. Her skills were…lacking.”

“Yet she killed a shadeling,” the prince pointed out. “As I said, not an easy task.”

“The only truly unusual thing was the fact that a human had appeared here. As you know, such a thing is exceedingly rare. "

Malkazar grinned. “You’d better get used to it. A lot more are coming soon. We’re returning to the mortal world, skinny. People are going to learn to fear demons again.”

“How fascinating.”

“If you play your cards right, you might even earn a domain there.”

“I am quite happy with my current position.”

“If you think of anything else to tell me about that girl of yours, you know where to find me.” Before the last word had even left Malkazar’s mouth, the prince disappeared.

Astaroth exhaled and folded his hands. During the reign of their goddess, Elaraxa, she would never have permitted such upstart demons to lead the realm. Her death had changed the realm irrevocably for the worse.

And yet, she had stirred for the first time in thousands of years. What did that portend? Moreover, if the princes hadn’t sent the quest for Piper, then who had? He had many questions with few answers. All he could do now was prepare to guide more humans on their path to infernal knowledge. It was a thankless task, but he wouldn’t trade it for any other.

Chapter 13 - Just Another Easy Starter Quest

As Piper’s demonic guide Astaroth started to float away, she held up her hand to stop him. There was no way she was fighting another demon. A single imp had nearly taken her out. If she had to fight another one to gain her class, she was almost certainly going to get killed. And she doubted the universe would give her a third chance at life if she died here.

“There’s no way I’m going with you,” Piper said, shaking her head. “It’s not happening.”

“Then your spirit will remain trapped in this realm as your mortal vessel withers away.”

“Are you telling me I have to defeat a demon to return home?” Her eyes widened. “That’s insane!”

“Such are the rules of this realm.” The demon shrugged. “Should you not like them, then perhaps you should not have ventured here.”

“Is there a way I can go to the Spirit Realm instead?” Piper asked. “Maybe a portal or something?” If she could find a way to another realm, she might still be able to change her affinity and become an illusionist. Heck, she’d settle for being a farmer at this point.

Astaroth crossed his arms and pursed his bloodless lips. “The moment your soul arrived in this realm, your affinity was fixed for life. There is no going back from your decision to pursue infernal knowledge.”

“I keep telling you, I didn’t pursue anything,” Piper protested. “I just ended up here.”

Astaroth sniffed. “Such a thing is impossible. Know that your pitiful attempts to deceive me have failed miserably.”

“Fine,” she said, plopping down on the ground. “I’m just going to sit here until I find a way to go to another realm.”

The moment the words left her mouth, a tremor rippled through the world, and the surrounding pebbles began to jump with nervous energy. The dry earth cracked beneath her to form a spiderweb pattern, and a deep groan reverberated in the air. In the distance, the dragon with the castle on its back shifted slightly, sending chunks of masonry toppling down from the battlements.

New quest! Obtain a class.

Slay the shadeling demon and gain the Deceiver class.

Reward: A legendary weapon

Penalty for Failure: The 13 demonic nobles will drag your soul down into the abyss to be tortured for eternity.

Time Remaining: 12:00:00

As she read the quest notification with growing horror, Astaroth spun around to stare at the dragon, who had settled down again. But she barely noticed his reaction as she reached the part about the penalty.

“What sort of crazy realm is this?” Piper blurted out. “If I don’t complete the quest, my soul is going to be tortured? Seriously? You’re going to torture me?” She fought down a growing sense of panic.

This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. She was supposed to be having a good time with her guide as she learned simple illusions. Instead, she was being threatened with eternal damnation.

The bony demon rounded on Piper and thrust a skeletal finger in her direction. “What-what are you?”

“I told you—I'm a Shadeling demon.”

“But you smell like a human…” he sputtered. “Is this a trick? No, this must be a test. All who dwell on this plane of the Infernal Realm know I am loyal to the thirteen nobles. I assume one of them is your patron?”

“Um… sure?”

Astaroth bowed deeply to Piper, his entire demeanour changing. “Please come with me, honored demon. I shall bring you to the lair of the shadeling demon you must slay. I, too, received the quest and will guide you with all haste to the location.”

Piper had a million questions for her guide, but for the first time since she’d arrived, he was actually being helpful. And she didn’t want to open her mouth and screw that up. No, for now, she needed to stay quiet.

With Astaroth leading the way, they marched across the barren wasteland, passing a sea of sand dunes taller than houses, and then a glowing river of molten lava. Vast fortresses dotted the landscape, some seemingly created from a single piece of gleaming obsidian, while others had been haphazardly constructed from rough mud bricks.

All the while, the two suns continued to beat down on Piper, making her thirst grow by the minute. But no water seemed to exist in this realm. At least none that she would dare drink from. They passed a dark pool at one point, but the sight of a massive creature dwelling beneath the mirror-black surface drove her away.

After six hours had passed on her quest timer, she couldn’t take the thirst any longer. She slowed to a stop and held up her hand. “Do you have anything to drink?”

“Demons do not require liquid for sustenance in this realm.”

“Then why am I so thirsty?”

“It is not your soul that requires water,” he replied without emotion. “What you’re experiencing now are the requirements of your body in the mortal realm.”

“Wait…” she said. “That’s my body feeling the thirst? How long have I been here?”

“As of now, slightly more than two days.”

“Two days!” Piper squeaked. “I don’t think anyone can survive for more than three days without water.” But as soon as the words left her mouth, she paused. In many ways, her demon body seemed hardier than a human one. But she didn’t want to test how long she could survive without water.

“We need to hurry!” she exclaimed.

Astaroth didn’t respond, but he did start moving at a faster pace.

They soon reached a dark forest, where she was relieved to see the trees had regular leaves instead of tentacles; they were blood red and floppy, but at least they didn’t look like a mutant octopus/plant hybrid.

Trying to ignore her growing thirst and what it meant for her back in the real world, she peered into the woods. Barely any light penetrated the thick canopy, and the underbrush was lost in shadows. She didn’t look forward to going in there.

Astaroth raised his arm and pointed straight ahead. “I can go no further with you. A short distance from here, a shadeling makes her home. Defeat her and seize her power. Once you succeed, return to me.”

“Why aren’t you coming with me?”

“It is not my place to interfere in a power struggle.” Astaroth folded his hands in front of himself and looked at Piper expectantly.

“Alrighty then.” She frowned before continuing under her breath. “I can do this. I can beat a single demon.”

She knew if she waited any longer she would lose her nerve, so she plunged into the forest. Branches and thorny bushes clawed at her, leaving stinging cuts on her legs. But a quick activation of [Demonic Blood] cleared them away. Her mana also dropped by a single point. And she was rewarded with a new notification.

Ding! Your racial skill, Demonic blood has reached level 3.

She knew from her talks with Beatrice that as you leveled skills and spells, they grew more powerful. Hopefully, this would increase her healing ability in the upcoming battle with the shadeling.

The mere thought of her going off to fight a demon made her let out a manic chuckle. She quickly clamped a hand over her mouth as her eyes went wide. This was no place to lose control.

Piper continued to move deeper into the forest, but she paused constantly to look and listen for any sign of her target. While she didn’t know much in the way of bushcraft, she tried to avoid stepping on sticks and dead leaves that would alert the demon to her presence.

Reaching the edge of the clearing, she took up a position behind a thick tree trunk. Something skittered away above, and she caught a glimpse of scales and twisted limbs. Whatever it was, she was glad that it was running away and not toward her.

Once she was in concealment, she peered out across the clearing. At the center was a simple mud hut, with racks of what looked like leather drying on them. She shuddered as she realized the skins were humanoid shapes. Most likely, they were from other demons the shadeling had slain and then skinned.

Oh great, she thought. I get to fight the pyscho demon that skins people.

Just as she settled in to watch for her prey, [Ambush Detection] blared a warning in her mind. Without pausing to think, she threw herself to the side, landing heavily on the ground. A second later, some unseen force tore a chunk out of the tree where she’d been standing.

Piper heard a feminine voice curse as she scanned the forest for any sign of her attacker. Why the heck couldn’t she see her? Then something clicked, and she realized she was fighting a deceiver. They must have ways to hide themselves with illusions.

Before she could dwell on the problem of fighting an invisible opponent, [Ambush Detection] sounded another warning. She scrambled back, but not fast enough to avoid the attack.

Something tore into her thigh, sending waves of agony shooting up her body. For a second, she could see the shape of clawed fingers covered in blood. Then they shimmered as the shadeling’s illusion reasserted itself.

Thankfully, she was able to push through the pain and rolled away at the next [Ambush Detection] warning. As she did, she activated [Demonic Blood] and the gashes felt like they turned to liquid fire before sealing shut.

Stumbling back to her feet, she leapt away to evade another strike. She was never going to win this battle if she couldn’t see her attacker. She launched a wild attack with her tail where she hoped the demon was standing, but the tip only found empty air.

Another activation of [Ambush Detection] made her jump back, and she felt something whoosh past her face. That must have been a tail attack. If it had hit her, it would have been game over.

Piper continued to retreat, trying to put some distance between herself and her assailant. Her heart hammered in her chest, and her hands trembled as she moved. Every fibre of her being was telling her to run away. But the threat of being tortured for eternity gave her courage that she didn’t know she had.

I have to figure out a way to see the demon.

Something struck her shoulder, sending her reeling back. Her claws lashed out in reply, but only found empty air. As the demoness’s blood-soaked tail tore free from her shoulder, she suddenly had an idea.

Reaching up, she scooped up a handful of her blood and swung her hand horizontally; the liquid sprayed off her fingertips and struck something invisible off to her right. The droplets hovered in the air, showing her the demon’s exact location for a split second.

Without hesitation, she launched a [Tail Strike]. The armored tip shot forward like a spear and thudded into something meaty. A terrible scream filled the air as she ripped her tail out, covered in dark purple blood.

The illusion surrounding the shadeling shimmered before disappearing. For the first time, she could see her attacker. The demon stood a little taller than Piper, with more pronounced horns, and an older face. But other than that, the shadeling had the same alabaster skin and dark eyes as Piper. It was like looking at her future self.

She didn’t dare dwell on her thoughts and rapidly activated [Quick Claw]. Her hand blurred as her claws raked across the demon’s stomach. Between the hole in her opponent’s shoulder and deep gouges in her belly, the shadeling was losing a lot of blood.

Not that I’m in much better shape.

Before the demon could recover, Piper launched herself forward. She didn’t dare let the shadeling use her illusion spells again. Any strategy or thought of using her skills went out the window as she slammed into the shadeling.

The impact knocked both of them to the ground, and they rolled around, scratching and striking each other with their tails. Piper’s only thought was survival. She sliced her claws across the demon’s face and was rewarded with a scream of agony.

Piper let out a cry as the demon somehow flipped her onto her back. She felt claws tearing at her body, ripping out great gouges of flesh. She fought back in a frenzy, trying to get the demon off of her. Then something thudded into her neck and pinned her to the ground.

Her eyes stared down in horror at the tail that had impaled her throat. She tried to suck in a breath, but nothing happened. Meanwhile, the demoness had a cruel smile plastered on her face. She was done for if she didn’t do something fast.

I’m not going to die again!

With a surge of energy, she wrapped her hands around the shadeling’s tail and wrenched it free. As she gurgled in pain, she activated [Demonic Blood]. With the last few points of her mana draining away, the racial skill barely sealed the hole. But at least she could breathe again.

The shadeling screeched in frustration, and her tail rose over her shoulder to strike a second time.

If Piper let that happen, it was all over. She was completely out of mana to heal herself.

Instead of trying to dodge, Piper activated [Quick Claw]. Her hand blurred as it sliced across the demon’s exposed neck. Dark blood sprayed out in a fountain, and her attacker’s tail wilted before flopping to the ground.

As the demon grasped at her torn flesh—her eyes bulging from her head—Piper grabbed the creature’s wrists and hurled her off to the side.

Finally free, she renewed her attacks, stabbing with her tail, and clawing at the shadeling until the demon finally stopped moving. Only then did she collapse to the ground, holding her own injured neck. While she’d stopped the bleeding and repaired some of her damaged windpipe, it still ached terribly.

As she sat there, a terrible realization dawned on her—she hadn’t received a kill notification. Was the demon going to use [Demonic Blood] to heal herself? As she tottered back to her feet, her tail ready to strike again, she nearly sagged with relief as a notification finally appeared.

Congratulations! You have slain a Shadeling Demon, Level 5.

A significant bonus to experience has been granted for slaying a higher-level creature.

This was followed by more notifications.

Ding! Your skill, Ambush Detection has reached level 3.

Ding! Your skill, Ambush Detection has reached level 4.

Ding! Your racial skill, Demonic blood has reached level 3.

Ding! Your racial skill, Demonic blood has reached level 4.

Ding! Your racial skill, Demonic blood has reached level 5.

Ding! Your racial skill, Tail Strike has reached level 6.

Ding! Your racial skill, Quick Claw has reached level 3.

Ding! Your racial skill, Quick Claw has reached level 4.

Congratulations! You have completed the quest – Defeat the Shadeling Demon.

Your guide will provide you with a reward.

Piper plopped to the ground as she read over the notifications. She’d completed the quest and defeated the demon. Now, hopefully she could finally receive her class and go home.

Chapter 12 - Menu of Damnation

The sounds of pursuit had faded long ago, but Piper continued limping along in the direction of the slumbering dragon with a castle perched on its back.

It felt like she’d been fleeing for at least half an hour. However, there was no way to tell in this world. The blazing suns never seemed to move, and everything had a dream-like quality to it.

When she was sure the imps had given up their chase, she stumbled to a stop in the middle of the dusty road. Leaning forward, she rested her hands on her knees and drew in a ragged breath. Her legs felt leaden, and she doubted she could take another step without rest.

Why wasn’t this place more like the spirit realm? She’d expected an experience like Ethel’s, where she’d baked all day with her friendly guide. Instead, she was being chased by homicidal imps while her uncaring beanpole of a guide gazed at her with scorn.

This place seriously sucked.

Glancing over at Astaroth, who was floating next to her, she scowled at him. “You know, you’re not a very good guide.”

“My duty does not involve protecting mortal souls in the Infernal Realm.”

“Well, it should,” she shot back. With another deep breath, she looked around. Strangely, the castle looked no closer than before, though she knew she had travelled at least a few kilometres toward it.

Now that her life wasn’t in imminent danger, she could take the time to orient herself to this new world. But first, she needed to heal herself. The dagger wound from the Wasteland Imp still burned on her hip, and every step sent jolts of pain through her leg.

Glancing over at her mana, she was pleased to see it had reached 6/10. Based on the time that had passed, she assumed Mana Regeneration meant how many mana points she’d regenerate in an hour. Since it felt like a bit more than half an hour had passed, she’d regained slightly more than half of her mana.

At least I can heal myself.

She braced herself and activated [Demonic Blood]. Almost immediately, a burning sensation spread through her hip and chest. When it faded, the wounds had disappeared completely. And once again, she was out of mana.

Piper still wasn’t quite sure how she knew to activate her skills. It was almost as if the knowledge had been shoved into her brain the moment she awakened. But regardless of how it had happened, she was glad she knew how to do it. Otherwise, she might not have survived her encounter with the imp.

Since she had a bit of breathing room, she decided to level up her race. She brought up her character sheet and examined it.

Piper Ashcroft

Race: Shadeling (Lesser Demon), Level 2

Class: None selected

Attributes

Strength – 2

Dexterity – 2

Stamina - 3

Vitality – 4

Perception – 3

Swiftness - 2

Magic - 2

Mana - 10

Mana Regeneration – 10

Free Attribute Points - 10

Racial Skills (3/10)

·         Demonic Blood, Level 2

·         Demonic Intellect, Level 4

·         Quick Claw, Level 2

·         Tail Strike, Level 5

Skills (9/10)

·         Ambush Detection, Level 2

·         Animal Caretaking, Level 1

·         Baking. Level 1

·         Cooking, Level 1

·         Gardening, Level 1

·         Mucking, Level 1

·         Running, Level 1

·         Stick Wielding, Level 1

·         Subterfuge, Level 1

Class Skills and Spells (0/10)

·         None

Piper hesitated when she reached her free attributes. One part of her wanted to save the points until she received her class. But another part knew she needed to do whatever it took to stay alive here. The imps had been low level, but she was almost certain there would be deadlier demons out there.

Straightening up, she turned toward Astaroth. “Where do you think I should put my free attribute points?”

“Do you think I’d deign to answer such a mundane question?”

Piper shrugged in response. She hadn’t really expected him to give her an answer, but it didn’t hurt to ask. Since her guide wasn’t going to help, she looked over her attributes trying to decide which ones to focus on.

Assuming she’d receive an illusionist class—which wasn’t a sure thing now—she should focus on Magic, Mana, and Mana Regeneration. Both Mana and Mana Regeneration would have the added benefit of helping her to stay alive in this world as it would allow her to use [Demonic Blood] more often.

However, all the healing in the world wouldn’t help if she couldn’t defeat the low-level demons of this world. The imp she’d fought had been half her size and only level 3. And it had come way too close to killing her. If it had had a bit more power behind its thrust when it struck her chest with its knife, she might not be standing here right now.

Piper tapped her foot against the ground as she tried to decide. Finally, she dumped 4 points into Strength, 2 points into Dexterity, 2 points into Vitality, and 2 into Mana. While the physical attributes were probably wrong for her future class, it shouldn’t hurt her progression too much. Regular people often reached level 200 or higher, so a single level’s worth of free attribute points wouldn’t ruin her future build.

Her task was interrupted as the ground began to tremble like a miniature earthquake. She looked up from her character sheet to see a monstrous demon tromping by in the distance. It stood taller than a 10-storey building and had an oversized head with long black horns like a bull. Its skin was the color of burnt umber, and its long arms dragged on the ground behind it, leaving deep furrows in the earth. Swarming around it were hundreds, or possibly even thousands of lesser demons.

“I’m guessing I should stay away from him?”

“How astute,” Astaroth said. “Are you a noted scholar on your world?”

“There’s no reason to be mean,” she replied, scowling at him.

“I did not realize stating facts was considered mean by your kind.”

Piper fought down a sigh before setting a path away from the monstrous demon and the dragon with the castle on its back. Angling across the land, she found a new dirt road and followed it as Astaroth floated at her side.

After a few kilometres, she slowed her pace and turned toward her guide. “So, how do I choose my class? Are you finally going to do your job and help me?”

Astaroth folded his hands. “What do you desire in a class?”

She pressed her lips together before answering. Would the Infernal Realms offer similar classes to the Spirit Realm? She supposed there was only one way to find out. “I want to take an illusionist class to hide that I’m a demon.”

The towering guide raised his brow, which looked odd without having eyes or eyebrows. “Why would you wish to hide something that you are not?”

“Because I’m a demon!” she replied. “How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“I suppose there are a few options,” he replied after a minute. “The closest one to what you seek is the Deceiver class. It cloaks you in illusions to launch ambushes on your enemies.”

“What else does it do?”

“The class comes with many amusing spells,” Astaroth said. “With time, you will learn to turn others into puppets for short periods of time or horrify them with visions of their worst fears.”

“Is that a combat class?” she asked, remembering Alfred’s warning. She didn’t want to bring the Crimson Guard down on her new family.

“Demons are powerful beings who rule over the lower realms,” Astaroth scoffed. “Do you think any are offered non-combat classes?”

“There aren’t any? Not even one?” she asked incredulously. “Don’t you have demonic smiths or anything like that?”

Astaroth shook his head. “That is slave work.”

Frowning at his words, she decided to try another tack. “Are there any classes that can create portals to other worlds? Maybe to Earth specifically?”

“Yes, there are a few,” he replied. “Though none that you can take at your low level. However, in the future I can guide you down such a path. Know that doing so will bring you into direct conflict with the most powerful demons in the realm. Few can survive their displeasure.”

Regardless of the warning that preceded it, the thought of seeing her parents again lifted her spirits. Maybe she couldn’t see them right now, but she knew there was a way in the future. She’d have to figure out a way to explain her new appearance, though.

“What other classes can I take?”

“There are several,” Astaroth replied. “Would you like to see a list of them?”

Piper nodded her head.

Astaroth lifted his finger, and his hand was briefly wreathed in dark flames. Then she felt searing agony in her head as writing appeared in her vision. Once the pain had faded, she began to read over the options while shooting dirty looks at her guide. He could have at least warned her before making it feel like her head would explode.

Available Classes

Infernal Nun (Mythic)

Battling at the forefront of demonic armies, the infernal nun fights with fists, claws, and tail to defeat her opponents. She can deliver lightning-fast strikes and then retreat before an opponent can even respond. Her link with the Infernal Realm allows her to summon hordes of demonic reinforcements to fight at her side.

+12 free attribute points per level.

Deceiver (Epic)

The Deceiver is feared throughout the infernal realms for her ability to warp other’s perception. The spells she casts can be as innocuous as hiding her class and level, or they can be used to bombard a foe with horrifying visions and whispers to drive them insane.

+10 free attribute points per level.

Trickster Duelist (Uncommon)

A master of illusion, the Trickster Duelist is an infuriating opponent to fight against. She is never where she appears and can often strike unseen from the shadows. Even the ground becomes unreliable as she can hide the terrain under layers of illusions, making her opponents question if anything is real.

+ 4 free attribute points per level.

Stick Reaper (Poor)

A class only taken by the weakest demons dwelling in the forsaken forests of the Infernal Realm, the Stick Reaper uses the only weapon available to her to fight. While a stick can do little against most demons, she has few other options for combat.

+2 free attribute points per level.

Piper read over her options, regularly glancing up to make sure no demons were sneaking up on her. While her skill [Ambush Detection] should provide her with a bit of warning, she didn’t want to rely on it completely.

As she finished reading each class, she realized they had been drawn from her experiences in the real world. She had defeated the ooze using a combination of stick fighting and her tail. That must have granted her the Stick Reaper and Infernal Nun classes. It had probably influenced the Trickster Duelist class as well.

Meanwhile, the Deceiver class had obviously come from her work with Beatrice. All the illusions she’d watched the woman cast must have given her the deeds for an epic class. And it came with pretty good attributes per level as well.

But as much as she wanted the Deceiver class, she had to admit that Infernal nun was tempting as well. Not only did it offer more attributes thanks to its higher rarity, but something about fighting like that called to her.

Still, it would paint a giant target on her back, and it wouldn’t let her live a normal life. She just wanted to look like a normal girl again.

Piper turned to Astaroth. “Which class do you think is best?”

“For a woman of your prowess?” He gave her a thin smile. “I believe you might be able to handle the stick reaper class.”

Rolling her eyes, she reread her class options. The choice was obvious if she wanted to continue living on the farm. She had to choose the deceiver class. Though she hoped she was offered the infernal nun one again when she unlocked her second class.

Her decision made, she mentally tried to select her class. Nothing happened. She tried again, furrowing her brow. Why wouldn’t it let her select the class?

“I want to become the Deceiver,” she said to Astaroth. “How does that work?”

“Did you honestly believe the only requirement to achieve a demonic class was to choose it? How wonderfully naïve.”

“Well, how do I take it then?”

Astaroth gave Piper a creepy smile, showing off his pointed shark-like teeth. “In order to take the class, you must defeat a Shadeling demon. Come along, I will take you to one of their lairs.”

Piper’s eyes widened as she realized she was going to have to fight another demon. Not for the first time, she wished she had gone to the spirit realm. Baking bread sounded pretty good to her at the moment.

Chapter 11 - Arrival

Piper hurtled through the darkness for what felt like an eternity before a glowing blue portal split open directly in her path. Raising her arms to protect her face, she shot through the opening and slammed into the hard-packed ground. The impact jarred her down to her bones and knocked the air from her lungs.

For a long second, she lay there, struggling to draw in a breath. When she finally did, air wheezed into her lungs. So far, this wasn’t at all like what the others had described.

Finally able to breathe, she pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around at her surroundings. She’d landed in the middle of a ravine with sheer rock walls on either side. The earth underneath her was blackened and cracked, like it hadn’t tasted water in years. Nearby, a monstrous blanched ribcage spread open, while an immense bone rose from the ground beside her like a white obelisk.

She glanced up to see two red suns burning in the sky. Already, the intense heat was sapping her strength and making her feel sluggish. Before she did anything else, she needed to find some shelter. And then she had to find her guide and learn how to choose a class.

As if in response to her thoughts, a flood of text appeared in her vision.

You have unlocked the Holy System.

Congratulations! You have learned the racial skill, Demonic Blood, Level 2.

The blood of immortal demons burns in your veins and will instantly cauterize minor wounds before completely restoring the injured area. However, this skill cannot heal decapitations or brain injuries.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Demonic Intellect, Level 4.

A reincarnated soul from another world, your mind teems with powerful knowledge. This skill grants a significant bonus to leveling, along with learning new spells and skills.

Congratulations! You have learned the racial skill Tail Strike, Level 4.

Demons are renowned for launching deadly strikes with their tails. This skill grants a miniscule bonus to all tail attacks.

Congratulations! You have learned the racial skill Quick Claw, Level 2.

A swipe of sharp claws can end many battles before they begin. This ability grants a miniscule boost to the speed of your claw attacks.

This was followed by another long list of notifications for her regular skills.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Ambush Detection, Level 1.

Living in a state of perpetual alertness, you have learned how to sense an attack before it's launched. This skill provides a miniscule bonus to anticipating and responding to attacks.

Learn this skill? (Yes/No?)

Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Animal Caretaking, Level 1.

Standing guard against predators during the night and caring for your herd, you have learned the basics of how to keep domesticated animals healthy and productive. This skill provides a miniscule bonus to rearing, feeding, and breeding farm animals.

Learn this skill? (Yes/No?)

Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Baking. Level 1.

By laying out dough on hot stones, you have learned how to make simple loaves of bread. This skill provides you with a miniscule bonus to baking.

Learn this skill? (Yes/No?)

Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Cooking, Level 1.

Hovering over a hot cookfire, you have combined ingredients to make barely palatable dishes for others. This skill provides a miniscule bonus to cooking over an open fire.

Learn this skill? (Yes/No?)

Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Gardening, Level 1.

Toiling under the sun in a crop field, you have learned the most basic essentials of farming. This skill provides a miniscule bonus to planting and harvesting crops.

Learn this skill? (Yes/No?)

Congratulations! You have learned the skill Mucking, Level 1.

Being up to your ankles in animal dung doesn’t bother you, and you have learned how to clean out animal pens and stables. This skill provides a miniscule bonus to cleaning out animal waste from a building.

Learn this skill? (Yes/No?)

Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Running, Level 1.

Why walk when you can run? This skill provides a miniscule bonus to your Swiftness when you run.

Learn this skill? (Yes/No?)

Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Stick Wielding, Level 1.

Battling against monsters in the wild, you have learned how to swing a simple stick. This skill provides a miniscule bonus when fighting with a stick.

Learn this skill (Yes/No?)

Congratulations! You have learned the skill Subterfuge, Level 1.

A demon living among the mortal races brings many risks and dangers. This skill provides a miniscule bonus to hiding your race.

Learn this skill? (Yes/No?)

Reading over the text, she puffed out her cheeks and exhaled. She’d learned about skills from Ethel, but she hadn’t expected to receive so many. Most people were offered only one or two when they awakened. The sheer number must have something to do with her racial skill, [Demonic Intellect].

Piper also wasn’t sure why all her racial skills were higher than her other ones. But based on her healing after the disastrous fight with the ooze, it seemed they’d been active before her awakening. She just couldn’t see them yet.

Since Ethel had told her she could remove and replace a skill at any time, she selected ‘Yes’ to all of them. Once she had finished, something she could only describe as a character sheet popped up in her vision.

Piper Ashcroft

Race: Shadeling, Level 1

Class: None selected

Attributes

Strength – 2

Dexterity – 2

Stamina - 3

Vitality – 4

Perception – 3

Swiftness - 2

Magic - 2

Mana - 10

Mana Regeneration - 10

Racial Skills (4/10)

·         Demonic Blood, Level 2

·         Demonic Intellect, Level 4

·         Quick Claw, Level 2

·         Tail Strike, Level 4

Skills (9/10)

·         Ambush Detection, Level 1

·         Animal Caretaking, Level 1

·         Baking. Level 1

·         Cooking, Level 1

·         Gardening Level 1

·         Mucking, Level 1

·         Running, Level 1

·         Stick Wielding, Level 1

·         Subterfuge, Level 1

Class Skills and Spells (0/10)

·         None

Now that all the prompts had been dealt with, she stood up and brushed the dark soil from her dress. As she did, she scanned the ravine for an exit. Neither direction looked particularly promising.

One end of the ravine opened up into a forest of black trees. At least they superficially resembled trees. While they had roots and a trunk, the branches had been replaced by squirming bundles of tentacles.

The other end of the ravine had a path that led toward a slumbering black dragon in the distance. Perched on top of the creature was an entire castle, with twisted towers, spikes protruding from the walls, and an entrance that had been fashioned into the shape of a screaming mouth. The dragon must truly be gigantic to carry a castle on its back.

Turning back to the forest, Piper recoiled as two trees snapped down, the tentacles shooting out at something she couldn’t see. She heard a high-pitched scream, and then terrible rending noises like meat being torn apart. At that moment, she suddenly decided she didn’t want to be here any longer.

“Is there any chance I can go to the spirit realm?” she called out. “I think there’s been a mistake. Hello?”

“Pathetic,” a deep voice said from directly behind her.

The sound made her whirl around to see a demon looming over her. It stood at least twelve feet tall and was dressed in richly embroidered robes. The demon was gaunt to the point of emaciation and had the pallid skin of a corpse.

But it was its inhuman head that made her stare. Aside from an opening for its mouth, the demon had no other features. No eyes, no ears, and no nose. And the skin was stretched taut across its skull, almost like it would tear at any second.

“Who are you?” she asked, trying to keep her voice from wavering.

“My name is Astaroth, and I am your guide,” he replied in a bored tone. “My duty is to escort you to where you may choose your class.” The demon paused before adding ominously, “Should you survive that long.”

“What do you mean, should I survive that long?” Piper demanded. “Why wouldn’t I survive?”

“This is a dangerous land,” he replied, angling his head slightly. “And while you cloak yourself in the image of a demon, you cannot hide the disgusting odor of humanity emanating from your soul. Many demons here will seek to slay you and consume your essence.”

“Consume my essence?” she squeaked. “I thought this was just about letting me choose my class?”

“Perhaps for the lower realms.” Astaroth clasped his bony hands in front of him. “Yet you sought out power in the Infernal Realm. Power is seized here—not granted. Were you truly so naïve as not to know what you had sought to claim?”

“I didn’t seek anything out,” she protested. “I just ended up here.”

Astaroth’s forehead creased as he cocked his head to the side. “Could it be true?” he muttered. “No, such a thing is impossible.” He turned and began to glide in the direction of the black dragon. “Should you survive him, follow me.”

“Survive who?” As she spoke, she felt [Ambush Detection] activate and scream a warning. Without thinking, she whirled around and lashed out with her tail. The armored tip slammed into a diminutive demon’s head, sending it reeling to the side.

Piper crouched down in a fighting position. For the first time, she was grateful for Ophelia’s constant attacks. They had probably just saved her life. If her friend hadn’t tried to poke her with a stick daily, she might not have gotten the skill [Ambush Detection].

She backpedaled away from the demon, who stalked after her. The creature had tiny horns erupting from its forehead and skin that glowed like embers. Its limbs were unusually short for the size of its body, and it had a bulging round belly. It was probably only up to Piper’s waist, but that didn’t make it any less dangerous. Especially since it wielded a wicked-looking curved dagger in one hand.

Glancing over at Astaroth, she continued to retreat from the creature. “Aren’t you going to help me?”

“Why would I sully my hands for a human?” he asked drily.

“Because you’re supposed to be my guide!”

“And I will guide you when required.”

Piper focused on the demon, trying to figure out the best way to survive.

Leaping back, she barely avoided a swing of its knife. Her tail shot out instinctively, piercing its shoulder in reply. She ripped her tail free in a spray of blood, her stomach doing a flip-flop at the sight of it. She only wanted to disarm the demon, not kill it.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the ground trembled around the demon’s feet. A second later, it launched itself straight at her like a rocket. She couldn’t react in time, and the creature drove its dagger deep into her chest. With a cry of pain, she staggered back as the demon tore its weapon free and cackled with delight.

That had to be a skill, she thought to herself with growing alarm. There was no way it could move that fast normally.

She pressed a hand against her wound, blood dripping through her fingers. It was at that moment she realized it was her or the demon. She had to be brave and fight it. Only one of them was going to walk out of here alive.

Focusing her thoughts, she activated [Demonic Blood]. Her wound immediately sealed shut, but she still felt a faint ache in the area. Clearly, it hadn’t completely healed the injury. And when she looked over at her character sheet, she realized why. Using her racial skill had consumed all of her mana. She wouldn’t be able to heal a second time.

Backing away slowly, she raised her tail behind her like a scorpion ready to strike. She also lifted her hands, brandishing her claws at the demon.

This time, when the ground began to shudder under the demon’s feet, she was ready. Instead of trying to avoid its momentum, she activated [Tail Strike], praying it didn’t consume any mana.

Thankfully, her skill activated, and her tail shot out with blurring speed toward her target. With the momentum behind the demon’s skill, it couldn’t change its trajectory. The tip of her tail punched through its neck, emerging on the other side in a fountain of dark blood.

But she didn’t escape unscathed, and the creature’s final dagger thrust tore open a jagged gash along her hip. She bit back a scream of pain as she watched the demon lurch back, clutching at its throat. Its eyes bulged from its head as it struggled to breathe, but only a gurgle came out. Just when she was about to attack again, her attacker collapsed to the ground, where it twitched pitifully.

As her adrenaline ebbed, she leaned over and retched, horrified at what she’d done. While she’d killed the ooze in the past, it had been monstrous enough not to really bother her. But this felt like killing an actual person.

Congratulations! You have slain a Wasteland Imp, Level 3.

A significant bonus to experience has been granted for slaying a higher-level creature.

This was followed by another notification.

Ding! Your race, Shadeling, has reached Level 2.

+10 free attribute points.

Ding! Your racial skill, Tail Strike, has reached Level 5

Ding! Your skill Ambush Detection has reached Level 2.

Piper dismissed the prompts and sagged to the ground. She would figure out leveling later after she had a chance to rest and regain her mana.

“Well done,” Astaroth said. “I was pleasantly surprised when you didn’t immediately die. Tell me, how do you appear as a demon? I sense no illusion magic emanating from you nor any magic items on your person.”

“Because I am a demon,” Piper replied wearily. “Now, are you going to help choose my class?

“Yes,” the demon replied. “Should you survive the next threat.”

At his words, she looked up to see more imps pouring out of the dark forest. “Oh crap.”

“Yes, oh crap,” Astaroth said, nodding his head sagely. “Oh crap, indeed.”

Chapter 10 - Awakening

The gentle lowing of cows awakened Piper from a deep slumber, and when she opened her eyes, she saw sunlight pouring in through the smoke hole in the roof. A surge of excitement shot through her veins as she realized today was the day.

She was finally going to awaken.

Piper rolled over to see Alfred and Ethel lying together in a gentle embrace. Then the sound of snoring made her turn the other way; Ophelia was lying on her back next to Piper with her head tilted back and her mouth wide open.

Piper was still getting used to everyone sleeping together on a bed of hay like a giant hamster pile. Some days, she really missed her old spot in the barn. Especially when Ophelia was snoring. But apparently this was how families kept warm during the bitterly cold winters in the mountains.

Already, the nights had grown chilly. Only a week earlier, she had helped Alfred move the animals into the longhouse. And every day, they were busy from dawn until dusk harvesting the fields and the herb garden. Most of the vegetables they harvested were hung from the roof and walls, where the smoke from the fire would preserve them.

Sitting up, she did her best to pat down her wild hair. After stifling a yawn, she looked around the room, already making a mental checklist of what she needed to do. She had to feed and water the animals, collect the eggs, and milk the goats.

A grin split her face as she realized how much she loved being a farmer. She couldn’t believe how much she enjoyed doing physical work with a family who truly cared about each other. While she still hoped to receive a powerful class from her awakening, she wouldn’t be terribly upset if she got a farming class instead. She could see herself happily spending the rest of her life here.

But then I would never see my family again.

That thought soured Piper’s mood, as she remembered her pledge to learn magic so she could see her parents once more. It had been almost half a year since she’d been reincarnated, and her old life almost felt like a dream now. However, she would take any class that gave her a chance to return home. If one even existed. Neither Alfred nor Ethel had ever heard of such a thing.

She let out a yawn, and then rose to her feet. As she did, Ophelia’s eyes fluttered open. The girl jumped to her feet and grabbed Piper’s hands.

“Today’s your birthday!” Ophelia squealed. “You have to become a warrior. Promise me you’ll become a warrior if you have the chance.”

“I think it’s my birthday,” she said, correcting her friend. “We don’t know for sure.” She’d been marking off the days since she arrived, but the year was longer on this world. And she couldn’t be sure she hadn’t missed a day here and there. Today was only her best estimate of her birthday.

Alfred sat up with a grunt, running a hand through his hair. “Piper will do no such thing. The last thing we need is to bring the Crimson Guard down on our heads.”

His daughter screwed up her face. “Why would she be worried about the Crimson Guard if she were a warrior? She could just kick them through the wall.”

“Firstly,” Alfred replied. “With winter approaching, we need our walls. And secondly, do you really think a level 1 warrior would stand a chance against an immortal knight?”

“A level 1 demoness warrior,” Ophelia shot back.

“Still level 1.” Alfred clambered to his feet and headed over to the wash basin. “Might as well send a mouse into battle against a mammoth.”

As Piper listened to them argue, she reached down and grabbed her blanket. Wrapping it around herself, she shivered slightly. If this was early fall weather, then she wasn’t looking forward to winter. The longhouse was freezing inside.

Ethel had told her recently that sometimes they woke up with frost on their eyebrows in the morning. To be honest, that sounded horrible to her. Before winter arrived, she had to figure out a way to invent central heating. Even though she had no idea how it worked.

That was the problem with being reincarnated without any useful skills. She had all sorts of knowledge about technology, but she had no idea how any of it worked. Like gunpowder, for example. She had a general idea of how to build a gun, but what was in the powder itself?

Maybe she could choose a class that would help her build some Earth technology. Padding across the cold earthen floor, she changed her mind about what she would invent first. It would definitely be heated floors.

Piper slipped her foot into her boot but grimaced as her toes struck something hard. Lifting her boot, she peered inside to see a carved statue near the toe box. She spun around to see Alfred guffawing at her reaction. Apparently, she was being included in the family game of ‘hide the figure’ now.

She raised an eyebrow at Alfred and pretended to throw it at him. His eyes widened, and he jerked forward to catch it. Then she revealed it was still in her hand, which received a dirty look from the big man.

“That’s not funny,” he said gruffly. “We’ve been hiding that thing for almost 20 years. Don’t you dare break it.”

Pocketing the statue, she gave him a dirty look. “Just wait and see where you find it.”

Alfred grinned at her. “You’ll never get me.”

“Oh, just you wait.”

While they’d been speaking, Ethel had moved over to the kitchen, where she began bustling around. She added some logs to the fire that had burned low through the night, then began to gather up buckets to fetch water from the nearby spring.

The blond-haired woman turned and pointed at Piper with her spoon. “I want you to have a big breakfast in case you awaken today.”

Piper nodded her head, though she suspected the butterflies in her stomach would make it impossible for her to eat.

“What was your awakening like?” she asked for what must be the twentieth time this week. She’d almost memorized the older woman’s experience, but she liked hearing about it. And Ethel was more than happy to keep repeating the story.

“As you know, my affinity was to the spirit realm.” Ethel stoked the fire as she talked. “When I arrived, I had a wonderful meeting with my guide. Together, we spent the day baking and laughing. I’ve enjoyed every time I’ve gone back to see her. You should have a guide as well when you arrive.”

“What realm do you think I’ll have an affinity for?” Piper perched herself on a bench, watching Ethel intently. “Do you think I’ll get spirit affinity as well?”

Ethel shrugged. “It all depends on the person. Most illusionists come from the spirit realm. Though mind you, I’ve heard legends of people using light affinity to cast illusions. However, no one from the village in my lifetime has travelled to the upper realms during their awakening.”

Piper rested her chin on her hands, thinking furiously. It would probably be a good thing if she went to the Spirit Realm. After listening to Alfred, Ethel, and Beatrice’s stories about that realm, it sounded like a fun place. But she worried her race might send her to another, much hotter place.

“What if I go to the infernal realm?” Piper asked softly.

Her words made Ethel pause. The woman placed her hands on her hips. “I wouldn’t worry about such things. It’s not like you’ve been doing demon-y things for your deeds, right? Unless you've been sneaking out to terrorize the village at night.”

“I would never do that!” Piper exclaimed. “You know that.”

“I was only teasing you,” Ethel replied with a grin. “We don’t really know how awakenings work, but I suspect you’ll go to the spirit realm to start.”

Ethel’s words helped to ease her concerns, and she continued to watch while the blond-haired woman went about her morning routine. When she stood up to help fetch water, Ethel shook her head.

“I spoke to Alfred last night. This is your awakening, so neither of us wants you to lift a finger today.”

“I don’t mind helping,” Piper said earnestly. “Really.”

“We know and you do more than your fair share normally. Why don’t you just enjoy your day until the time comes?”

A poke to the back caught Piper off guard, and she rolled her eyes as she realized she’d missed another of Ophelia’s attacks. Spinning around, her hand shot out just as the girl was drawing her stick back. She missed grabbing her friend’s makeshift weapon by a hair’s breadth.

“Got you, foul demon,” Ophelia said with a laugh. “I’m getting faster, and you’re becoming an old lady.”

“I’m only 13!” Piper said as she rubbed her back, pretending the attack had hurt. Her friend wasn’t wrong, though. Ophelia was getting faster. She knew it would cause all sorts of problems for her parents, but she almost hoped her friend got a warrior class when she awakened. If anyone deserved it, she did.

Piper watched as Alfred lumbered over to the door, grabbed his cloak, and then strode outside. The instant he was gone, she hurried over to his sleeping area and grabbed his pillow. Once she had it, she dropped the carved figure inside. When he went to bed tonight, there would be a hard lump in his pillow. She looked up to see Ophelia and Ethel grinning at her.

“Good spot!” Ophelia said.

Her mother nodded in agreement.

Fighting down her own smile, she returned to the kitchen and watched Ethel and Ophelia head out in the direction of the spring. Left alone, she glanced around the room, committing everything to memory. While it was exceedingly rare, sometimes people’s spirits didn’t return from their awakening. No one knew what went wrong, but if it happened to her, she wanted to remember this place.

A few minutes later, Ethel and Ophelia returned. As they stepped through the door, they dropped their buckets and rushed over to Piper’s side.

Her eyes widened with alarm at their reaction. What was going on? Then she looked down to see burning spheres spinning around her body. When had that started?

“Definitely not the spirit realm,” Ethel muttered as she examined Piper. “Maybe the fire realm?”

Piper swallowed, watching the spheres crackle with intense heat. She knew almost immediately that it wasn’t the fire realm. That had to be hellfire circling her body. She was going to the infernal realm.

“What should I do?” she asked, trying to keep the panic from her voice.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Ethel said, patting her hand. “Just trust your guide, and they’ll help you choose your class. I’m sure the infernal realm isn’t much different from the spirit realm.

Nodding her head, she tried to steady her breathing. While she wasn’t sure if she believed Ethel, there was no point worrying before she got there. And all she had to do was choose her class. How bad could it possibly be in the infernal realm?

A second later, the door banged open and Alfred strode in. He quickly appraised the situation as he stroked his beard. “Fire realm, eh? Might be handy to have someone who could clear the land easily. Remember, don’t choose a combat class.”

Piper continued to bob her head as more advice came her way. Though at this point she wasn’t even listening. The edges of her vision were fraying, and she felt a terrible weariness coming over her. She knew she could probably resist the urge to sleep, but a part of her soul was telling her it was time.

Ethel took Piper’s hand and escorted her to the communal bed. She helped her lie down in the center of the pile of hay.

Once Piper was on her back, she stared up at the soot-covered ceiling.

“We’ll watch over you while your soul is gone,” Ethel said. “I promise nothing will happen to you.”

Piper took one last look at the faces of her adopted family and then closed her eyes. As she did, she felt this world fade away, and an intense heat blasted her soul. Wherever she was going, it wasn’t going to be chilly like here.

Chapter 9 - A Lesson in Blood

Piper tensed up, preparing to run, as her tail swished back and forth nervously under her dress. With the mounting tension in the air, she wasn’t even worried about her secret being discovered. All she cared about was not being sucked dry by a vampire.

Benedict, the mayor, raised his hands. “My lord, this violates all the laws in the Bloodveil Empire. Which I’m sure an astute ruler such as yourself is aware of.”

“Laws?” Ranford scoffed. “Do you think someone ordained by the gods like me worries about laws? I am an immortal, and you are nothing more than cattle to me. I could slay every last one of you here, and the duke would barely raise an eyebrow.”

A Crimson Guard, with a feminine shape to her armor, stepped forward. She was impossibly tall and towered over Ransford.

“My lord, the honorable mayor is correct,” the knight said in a throaty voice, confirming her gender. “The laws strictly prohibit feeding on citizens of the empire.”

“Bah,” Ranford replied with a wave of his hand. “What do you know? I will only drink a few to show them their place.” When he moved to step forward, the woman reached out with her hand to stop him. She pressed her palm against his chest plate, preventing him from advancing on the mayor.

“I must insist that you not kill any citizens here,” she said stiffly.

“If you touch me again, I’ll have you publicly staked,” Ransford snarled. “Is that understood?”

The woman hesitated before withdrawing her hand.

Ranford scanned the crowd, pointing at a girl with long brown hair. One of his other guards dragged the girl forward as she screamed. He continued to move among the crowd, picking out two other young girls. Then his gaze fell upon Piper, and he thrust his arm in her direction. “That one as well.”

It felt like time stood still as the Blood Lord pointed at Piper. She was going to be eaten. This wasn’t how her day in the village was supposed to go. This was supposed to be a fun day. Not a day where a vampire at her.

“No,” Ethel cried out as she stepped forward to shield Piper with her body. “Take me in her place.”

Ransford snickered. “How heartwarming—a mother sacrificing herself for her daughter. However, let me ask you this question. Would you choose a tough old cow to feast upon? Or would you devour its young calf, with delectably soft meat that melts in your mouth?”

“Please,” Ethel whispered, lowering her gave. “Don’t hurt her.”

“Take the girl,” Ranford snapped at his guards.

Piper stumbled back, searching for an avenue of escape. But the Crimson Guard were approaching her from both sides. She wouldn’t get far before they caught her. She also knew that she couldn’t possibly fight back against armed men in full armor.

Still, she couldn’t let them touch her. The second they did, they’d realize she was covered in illusions. Things could only go downhill from there.

“My lord,” the female Crimson Guard snapped. “If you choose to continue, I will have no choice but to report this to Duke Albrecht.”

Ranford’s lip curled up in a sneer. “Do you think your father’s position in the duke’s court will protect you?”

“Regardless, I will not allow this crime to occur,” she said, her hand falling to the handle of her sheathed sword. “Will you stop this madness?”

Piper watched as Ranford’s face clouded with rage. His features went through a range of emotions before he barked out a laugh. “This was little more than a jest meant to shame them for not honoring my ascension.” He turned to address the crowd. “I will forgive all transgressions if you provide me with one kilogram of silver before I depart.”

At his words, murmurs of discontent swept through the crowd. But the gathered citizens quickly began to disperse, most likely to collect what few valuables they had.

“Let’s go,” Ethel hissed at Piper. “We need to leave immediately.”

She nodded her head in agreement, noting that the illusion was beginning to shimmer on her arms. It wouldn’t be long before it failed completely. And she didn’t want to be standing in a crowd when that happened.

Together, they hurried back to where they’d left the wagon and oxen. She climbed up next to Ethel on the driver’s seat, tapping her foot impatiently on the wood. When she turned to look back, she saw Ransford talking to the mayor and pointing in her direction. As the lord spoke, the mayor blanched visibly.

That can’t be a good sign.

But she could worry about that another day. Right now, they needed to get out of the town before she revealed herself as a demon. She felt a bit like Cinderella right when her wagon was about to turn back into a pumpkin. Except in that story, Cinderella didn’t turn into a monster when the clock struck midnight.

With a crack of the reins, Ethel sent the wagon lurching forward. It rolled down the street, her gaze locked onto the Crimson Guard standing guard by the village exit. Would they open the gates for them? Or would they hold them until the ransom had been paid?

Piper held her breath as they neared the armored men, but as they did, the knights exchanged glances and then moved to swing open the heavy wooden gates. Maybe they had heard through magic what was going on in the town square. Or maybe they had seen the crowd dispersing and assumed their lord’s lesson was over.

Either way, she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She gave the Crimson Guard her warmest smile as they rolled through the gates, though she couldn’t see their expressions through their steel helmets. Her smile cracked slightly, but she continued to grin until her cheeks hurt.

Then they were outside of the village, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Neither of them spoke as they travelled down the lonely road, the shadows growing longer. Finally, after a few kilometres, Ethel slumped forward, her hands shaking on the reins.

“Thank you for trying to save me,” Piper whispered. “I owe you and your family so much.”

“I would have done the same for Ophelia.”

“But Ophelia is your daughter.”

Ethel touched Piper’s hand lightly, the illusion covering her skin breaking apart into motes of light. “So are you.”

Piper’s heart swelled until it felt like it would burst. She was deeply touched that Ethel thought of her as a daughter. Without another word, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around Ethel. Squeezing the woman tightly, she blinked back tears.

“We certainly cut that close with your illusions,” Ethel said, drawing back slightly to look down at Piper. “Next time, we might just go for a shorter visit.”

Piper laughed and scrubbed her eyes. “If you think I’m ever going back to that village again, you’re crazy.”

“New lords usually only appear every few centuries or so.” Ethel pursed her lips. “I wonder what happened to our last lord? I suspect the new one is going to cause problems before the duke puts him in his place.”

Piper thought back to Ransford pointing at her. “I… think he wanted to know more about me.”

Ethel narrowed her eyes. “What makes you say that?”

“As we were leaving, he was talking to the mayor and pointing in my direction.”

“Hmm… that is concerning. But we’ll handle whatever comes.”

“What if I put your family in danger?”

Ethel patted Piper’s hand again. “As I said, we’ll handle whatever comes.”

Piper didn’t answer, secretly doubting Ethel and her family could handle a vampire lord and his knights. But she didn’t say anything. Right now, she was just grateful that she’d escaped with her neck intact.

They rode in relative silence for the rest of the trip, each of them lost in their own thoughts. By the time they reached the farm, the sun had set behind the horizon, casting the world into darkness. The trees surrounding the road seemed alive with shadows, and strange noises filled the air.

As they rolled up to the longhouse, Alfred emerged from inside with a relieved look on his face. He plodded over to the wagon, inspecting it before crossing his thick arms. “I was afraid you ran into some trouble,” he said. “Glad to see you’re both in one piece.”

“We did run into some trouble.” Ethel said. When he raised his bushy eyebrows in response, she continued, “I’ll tell you about it later.”

“That bad?”

Ethel nodded with a grim look on her face.

Swinging her legs over the edge, Piper sensed something speeding toward her. In the blink of an eye, her hand shot out and snatched the stick from Ophelia’s grasp. From beside her, the girl stared at her dumbly before her expression darkened.

“No fair!” Ophelia cried out. “That was using some demon powers or something.”

“Like I didn’t know you were going to try to attack me,” Piper said. Though to be honest, she wasn’t sure how she had sensed the attack. That was something that had never happened before.

“So, tell me everything!” Ophelia said, grabbing her stick back. “It must have been awesome because Mom looks worried. Did you stumble across a Fomorian? An undead? Or something even cooler?”

“Crimson Guard,” she replied. “A vampire wanted to drink my blood.”

The girl’s eyes went wide as saucers. “No way! For real?”

Piper nodded her head.

“How’d you escape?” she asked. “Did you gore him with your horns? Oh, I bet I know. You wrapped your tail around his neck until his head popped like an overripe tomato, right?”

“What? No!” Piper exclaimed. “And gross. Another Crimson Guard stopped him from eating all the young girls there.”

Ophelia crossed her arms. “That’s boring. There wasn’t any fighting?”

“No, sorry to disappoint you.”

“Next time, can you at least get into a bit of an epic battle? Especially if I’m not there?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Piper said as she tried her best to keep her face serious.

“I almost forgot,” Ophelia said. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Do I really want another surprise?”

“It’s not an ooze,” she said with a giggle. “I promise. It’s in the barn.”

“It better not be another monster.” Piper cautiously followed after Ophelia, expecting a dragon to burst out of hiding at any moment. Though her friend hadn’t done anything nearly as dangerous as fighting the ooze recently, Ophelia had only grown more determined to become a warrior.

Ahead of her, Ophelia opened the barn door and slipped inside. She followed her friend in after a second, her tail twitching in anticipation of a fight. If there was something dangerous in here, she wanted to be prepared. She wished she had a weapon, but at least she could get her tail ready to strike.

Piper could barely see inside the gloomy barn, and a cow mooed while the horse whinnied at their presence. While she stood there, Ophelia slipped into one of the stalls and then reappeared a second later.

Walking up to Piper, Ophelia pressed an oblong shape into her palm. Then she stepped back, a silly grin on her face.

She opened her hand and glanced down. Nestled in her palm was the most beautiful glowing stone she’d ever seen. It was as blue as a clear sky, with wisps of what looked like clouds moving through it. She felt a faint warmth emanating from its surface.

“It’s a moonstone!” Ophelia exclaimed. “I found it a few weeks ago in the ruins. They say it can help you get a better class during your awakening, but I just thought it was the perfect gift for you.” She pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry about everything with the ooze. Next time, I’m going to pick something easier to beat.”

“Next time?” Piper asked with alarm.

“A warrior has to fight monsters.”

“I suppose you’re right.” She clasped the moonstone to her chest. “And I love it. I’m going to keep it forever.”

Ophelia leaned in and gave her a tight hug. “Promise that we’re going to be adventurers together?”

Piper hesitated before nodding. “I swear that we’ll become the best adventurers this world has ever seen.”

Her friend gave her another squeeze and then skipped off into the night. She was left alone in the barn, holding the warm gem and thanking whichever god was listening that she had ended up with such a wonderful family.

Chapter 8 - Crimson Shadows

Piper waved goodbye to Beatrice as Ethel’s sister climbed out of the wagon in front of her home. As soon as the woman was inside, Ethel snapped the reins and the wagon trundled deeper into the village. They passed merchants hawking their wares, groups of children jumping in puddles, and a few armed men on patrol.

They stopped the wagon at the end of the street, near a man standing behind a wooden cart. His hair was thinning, and his jowls sagged, making him look like a hound dog. But he had smile lines around his eyes and a friendly look on his face. As they approached, he inclined his head slightly.

“Which of my delicious treats may I get for you lovely young ladies?”

Ethel stepped down from the wagon and pointed at two shiny balls in a basket and then at what looked like a pile of dried fruit. “I would like two of those, and two of these, please.”

“Excellent choice as always.” He waited for Ethel to hand over her coins before he offered her the sweets.

Climbing down, Piper walked over beside Ethel. The blond-haired woman held out one of each of the sweetmeats.

Piper took the offered treats hesitantly, eyeing the round ball. It looked like it was coated with sugar, but apparently it had a meat center? Now that she thought about it, she wasn’t sure if she even wanted to try it. The whole idea sounded disgusting.

“What sort of meat is inside there?” Piper asked the man.

The vendor responded with uproarious laughter, bending over to slap his knee. He didn’t stop guffawing for what felt like an entire minute, and when he finished, he had to wipe a tear from his eye. “My dear, there is nothing but sugar, nuts, and seeds in that delicious treat.”

“But it’s called a sweetmeat,” Piper insisted. “Doesn’t that mean there’s meat inside?”

Ethel touched the small of her back and guided her away from the stall. “She’s visiting from a logging camp in the mountains,” she called back to the man. “She doesn’t know much about our food.”

The man continued chuckling as they returned to the wagon. As Piper walked, she took a nibble of the round ball. The sweetest flavour she’d ever tasted flooded her tastebuds. She immediately shoved the entire thing into her mouth and sighed with pleasure. Oh, how she had missed sugar. If she could find somewhere selling ice cream, her life would be complete.

Next, she tried what looked like candied fruit. It wasn’t as good, but was still better than anything she had eaten in a long time. Ethel made delicious meals, but sugar was completely absent from their diet on the farm.

Once she was finished, she had to fight down the urge to suck her fingers. “Thanks for buying that for me. It was so tasty.”

“He does make good sweetmeats, doesn’t he?”

“Why are they called sweetmeats?”

Ethel shrugged. “My mother told me meat used to refer to all types of food. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it makes sense to me.”

Piper frowned as I thought about that. It was strange living in a world without books. So much of what she was told about this place was based on half-remembered memories and legends. Who knew what was real and what wasn’t? It was mildly disconcerting.

They climbed back up onto their wagon and continued through the town, stopping again at what Ethel called a goldsmith. But strangely, the man mostly sold copper jewelry. Then they explored the blacksmith, the tanner—the smell from the building making Piper hold her nose—and finally a few of the shops where Ethel picked up some supplies.

Piper was exhausted by the time the sun had begun to set on the horizon. Living so close to the mountains meant that night came early here. Since the illusion was only supposed to last until sunset, they needed to leave soon.

“Shouldn’t we get going?” Piper asked, scanning the street.

Ethel patted the basket of goods she’d purchased, which mostly seemed to consist of salt, and nodded. “We’ll head to the gates now. I hope you enjoyed your day.”

Piper nodded her head rapidly. “I loved it!”

The older woman opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by thunderous hoofbeats and a commotion in the distance.

When Piper looked up, she noted a group of armored riders galloping through the gate at the end of the street. As they entered the village, two of them dismounted and began to shut the great wooden doors.

“What’s going on?” Piper asked nervously. Ethel had never mentioned anything about armed men. Especially not ones wearing blood red cloaks and full plate armor. Something about these men seemed ominous to her.

“They’re Crimson Guard,” Ethel said, her features tight. “However, they shouldn’t be arriving until the spring. Something is wrong.”

The four horsemen who had continued into the settlement careened down the street, nearly riding over an elderly woman who only managed to scramble out of the way at the last second.

Ethel steered the wagon between two buildings and out of the path of the riders. Her lips were tightly pursed, and she looked worried. And she never looked worried.

The booming sound of a voice made Piper jump, and she spun around to see where it was coming from. Then she realized it must be a magical ability.

“All residents of the town must assemble in the town square to pay homage to their new lord,” the voice commanded. “Any found not attending shall be punished severely.”

“We need to get you out of here.” Ethel tugged on her braid as she scanned the street. “Maybe we can go over the walls…”

“What will happen to us if we don’t go to the town square?”

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Ethel leaped down from the wagon and then tied the oxen to a post. She reached up to help Piper down.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” Piper said, pulling against her grip. But the woman was surprisingly strong for someone her size, and she couldn’t break free. “We should just go and see the new lord.”

Ethel gave her a look usually reserved for Ophelia. “Stop pulling on me this instant. What do you think will happen if a vampire takes a liking to you and decides to drink your blood? Most of them behave themselves, but what if this one doesn’t?”

“Oh…” Piper said, trailing off. The second they tasted her blood, they would know she wasn’t human. Plus, it probably wasn’t a good idea to drink a demon’s blood. Who knew what that would do to a vampire? If she hurt one—even by accident—she was pretty sure the others wouldn’t be happy.

With renewed urgency, she leapt down and hurried after Ethel. They reached an empty street, and Ethel peeked around the side of the building before motioning for her to go. Piper sprinted across to the far side, where the buildings had been built against the wooden wall.

Once Ethel had joined her across the street, the two of them made a beeline for the ladder leading up to the platform against the wall. It must be used for defense, but it would help them climb over to freedom.

Placing one hand on the first rung, Piper began to climb. She was halfway up when two men with spears appeared from a nearby alleyway. Their eyes travelled from Piper on the ladder, to Ethel, and then back to her.

“Hey!” the man shouted. “What do ya think yer doing? Didn’t ya hear the Crimson Guard?”

“Go,” Ethel whispered to Piper. “I’ll find my own way out.”

Piper hung there frozen, unsure of what to do. Then, having made up her mind, she began to climb back down. After everything Ethel and her family had done for her, she couldn’t leave her here to her fate. She owed the woman everything for taking her in.

“Sorry,” Piper said to the guards, trying to sound sweet. “I’m visiting my aunt here from a lumber camp, and she wanted to show me the view from the wall. What was that about the Crimson Guard?”

The man pushed back his helmet, straw-like hair springing free. She quickly realised he wasn’t a man, but a gangly youth not much older than herself. His brow descended as he rubbed a hand down his face. “I didn’t know yer ma had any other kids, Ethel.”

Piper fought down the urge to facepalm. Of course, everyone in the village knew Ethel. It wasn’t like it was a big place. She should have thought of a better lie.

“She’s on Alfred’s side,” Ethel said quickly.

The man scratched his head but then shrugged. “Didn’t know he had kin neither. Mind you, I don’t know much about those mountain men. Come on, ya two, got to assemble in the square. Best get it over with quickly.”

With the men escorting them, they were led to the town square. Ethel walked stiffly beside Piper, her eyes darting around like a caged animal.

Piper decided right there that she would give herself up before getting Ethel into trouble. If it came down to it, she would simply tell everyone that she had bewitched her or something. Ophelia had told her numerous stories of demons with silver hair doing just that. Though she was pretty sure her friend had added the silver-haired part just to annoy her.

Thankfully, they weren’t the last to arrive at the town square, so they didn’t draw too much attention to themselves. The square wasn’t much more than a few market stalls set up in a muddy field with a wooden temple dominating the far end. As they stood there near the back of the crowd, others trickled in, many of them looking fearful. She guessed a new blood lord was a big deal here.

Piper turned her attention to the Crimson Guard. They wore expensive embroidered cloaks that almost seemed to glow in the twilight. She also realized that none of them had any exposed skin. Which made sense if they were vampires. They probably didn’t want to turn to dust in the sunlight or however it worked here.

One of the Crimson Guards, shorter than all the others, paced around at the center of the gathered crowd. When everyone had finally arrived, he stopped and crossed his arms. “My name is Ransford the III, and I am your new lord. Now that I have you all assembled, may I ask what I have done to the village of Alderwick to earn such disrespect from you?”

A man wearing a heavy chain around his neck emerged from the crowd. “My name is Benedict, and I’m mayor of this town, my lord. However, I’m not aware of any disrespect on our part. We honour our lord and the Crimson Guard sent to protect us from the terrors in the night.”

“Do you?” Ransford asked. “Do you really?” He returned to pacing while he shook his head. Then he stopped in front of the mayor. “If that’s true, why were no gifts sent to celebrate my ascension?”

The mayor looked stricken. “We received no word of your ascension, my lord. But please allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your ascension. I am pleased to serve you going forward.”

“How do you treat your dog, Benedict?

“How do I treat my dog, my lord?”

“Yes,” Ransford continued. “How do you treat your dog? It’s a simple question.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand the purpose of it, my lord. "

Ransford cocked his head to the side. “If your dog misbehaves, do you reward it?”

Piper watched the exchange with growing unease. She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

“No, my lord.”

“No is right!” Ransford shouted. “You punish your dog. All of you have been very bad, and though it pains me greatly, I must now punish you.”

The vampire lord angled his head toward the sky, noting the sun had finally sunk beneath the mountain. He then pulled off his helmet to reveal a middle-aged man with curly hair plastered to his forehead. He had high cheekbones, but his skin was deeply scarred, most likely from some sort of illness. And his lips were far too thin for his face.

Piper blinked her eyes as she took in his features. He wasn’t at all what she’d expected from a vampire. Most of the vampires she’d read about were supposed to be irresistible to women. Meanwhile, this one just looked like an ordinary man.

Ransford shook out his hair and placed his helmet under his arm. “Do you think it’s fair that the Crimson Guard are only permitted to feed once a year in your village? Don’t you think they should be able to drink their fill?

“My lord, we pay our blood rent as required by the emperor.”  The mayor’s face had drained of color. “Perhaps if you contacted the duke, we could work out a small increase to the yearly tribute.”

“I don’t want a small increase,” Ranford said, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. “I want to drink my fill.”

“Get ready to run,” Ethel whispered from the corner of her mouth.

Piper nodded her head. She didn’t need to be from this world to know something bad was about to go down. And she didn’t want to be anywhere near this place when it happened.

Chapter 7 - A Borrowed Face

Piper stood in the middle of the courtyard, her hands clenching nervously, while Ethel, Alfred, and Ophelia looked on. In front of her stood Beatrice, looking almost like a clone of her sister Ethel. The woman was a tiny bit taller but had the same angular face, blond hair, and arctic blue eyes.

“Are you ready?” Beatrice asked, raising her hand slightly.

Glancing over at the others, Piper watched them nod encouragingly and then turned back to Beatrice. She signaled for the illusionist to start her spell. Earlier, she had done her best to describe how she used to look and the color of her hair. The woman had told her that she wasn’t sure if her spells would work on a demon, but she was willing to try her best.

Piper watched intently as the minor illusionist mumbled a few words and then the surrounding air shimmered slightly. Tiny motes of light descended around her almost like flakes of snow and splashed against her skin. She lifted her hands and gasped at the sight. Her skin had transformed to a healthy pink color.

“How do I look?” Piper called out to the others.

Ethel grinned at Piper. “You look like a beautiful young woman.”

“And my horns…?”

“It’s like they were never there.”

With her horns hidden by the illusion, and her tail tucked under her dress, she almost looked human again. She couldn’t stop grinning at being back to her old self.

“Thank you!” Piper cried out, leaping forward and wrapping her arms around Beatrice. The woman stiffened at her touch but then relaxed and patted her back.

“You’re very welcome.”

Piper disentangled herself from Beatrice with an embarrassed look. She’d gotten a little carried away, since most people probably didn’t want a hug from a demon.

Beatrice stepped back and smoothed down her dress. “I’ve used my skill [Enduring Casting] on you. Until I cancel it, the illusion will remain in effect. I should have enough mana regeneration for it to last until around sundown. But you’ll need to be out of the village well before then. Do you understand?”

“I understand!” Piper said happily, once again glancing down at her skin. She couldn’t believe she looked human again. This was amazing.

Beatrice had been coming to the farm for a few weeks now, showing her the basics of illusion magic. Most of it was pretty simple stuff, but after a few visits, she had come up with an idea which would allow Piper to visit the village. She could cast several of her spells—[Hide Blemish], [Healthy Skin], and [Hair Dye]  — to make Piper look more human. Then she could tie off the magic with one of her skills, which allowed the illusions to persist. Ethel had promised that if the spell worked, she would take her to the village for a day trip.

Piper looked over at Ethel hopefully. “Does this mean we can go?”

“Yes,” Ethel said, beaming. “We’re going on a trip to the village.”

Clapping her hands excitedly, she froze as the illusion shimmered. With a sheepish smile, she dropped her hands to her side. “I guess I shouldn’t do that.”

“No,” Beatrice said. “You should not. The illusion is delicate. Try not to move too much or do anything overly athletic in town. If you just stand around for the most part, you should be fine.”

“Got it,” Piper said, trying her best to look serious. But she couldn’t stop smiling. “I’ll stand around and look boring.”

Ophelia snorted. “You should have no problem doing that.”

Ethel gave her daughter a death glare before walking over and handing Beatrice two copper coins. Her sister made the money disappear into her purse almost like magic. And with her class, maybe there was some magic involved. It might be handy for an illusionist to be able to hide their money.

Piper waited impatiently as Ethel gathered up baskets of wool and a bundle of candles, while Alfred loaded firewood onto the cart. Since their farm was a fair distance from the village, they had a much larger supply of deadwood than most in town. Every week, Alfred went into town to sell a wagonload of wood.

She knew she should help load the cart, but she was too excited. Instead, she chewed on the tip of her claw as she watched them work. Recently, black claws had begun to sprout from the ends of her fingers. She hated how they looked, but she couldn’t complain too much when she’d been given a second chance at life. And a pretty sweet healing ability on top of it.

“Ready to go?” Ethel asked Piper from the wagon driver’s seat.

“Yes,” she almost shouted, vaulting over the side of the cart. Along with her horns and claws, she’d also noticed some changes to her body. She could do things she’d never dreamed of doing in her previous life—even before she got sick.

Piper settled down beside a pile of firewood, almost vibrating with excitement. Besides the farm and the hospital, she hadn’t been anywhere new in ages. A few years earlier, her dad had taken her to a beach on Lake Erie in her wheelchair, and it had been one of the best days of her life. But after that, her disease had worsened, and she could never travel far from the hospital.

Today was going to be awesome. She already knew it.

Once Beatrice had taken a seat next to her sister, Ethel snapped the reins to get the oxen moving. Both of the women waved at Alfred, who was holding his daughter tight. Ophelia had complained bitterly about not being allowed to go into town. But ever since the ooze incident, her parents had kept her on a tight leash.

Ophelia stuck her tongue out at Piper, her fresh red scar crinkling around her eye.

Piper stuck her own tongue out in return, making Ophelia giggle. She watched as Alfred facepalmed at her reaction. She knew it was childish to stick her tongue out, but she was too excited to care. She was finally going to see the village. This was going to be so much fun.

Lifting her arm, she poked the skin and watched it shimmer. If she became an illusionist, she’d have to work hard to learn more powerful spells. She wanted something that would be impossible to see through.

It took a bit more than an hour to reach the village, and she watched with rapt attention as the forest fell away, revealing fields filled with crops and grazing animals. At the center of the farmland, a wooden palisade ringed a large group of thatch huts. She couldn’t wait to see what it was like inside the walls.

Piper tried to take in all the sights as they trundled down the rutted road. A few farmers lifted their hats to wave at the cart. She also spotted a group of girls her age strutting through the field. Maybe she’d make a second friend here. The thought filled her with unbounded joy. She couldn’t believe she might have the chance to make another friend.

As she drawer closer to the village, she kept checking her illusion to make sure it hadn’t failed. If anyone saw that she was a demon, everything would be ruined. But Beatrice didn’t look worried. She assumed the woman had some way to track her spells. Otherwise, what was the point of [Enduring Casting]?

Piper held her breath as they approached the gates. A sudden, irrational fear seized her that they would somehow know she was a demon. The guards would find out. They would have some sort of way to sniff out non-humans. And then she’d have to give up her day in town with Ethel.

And I’ll probably get chased by a mob with torches and pitchforks.

Two men wearing padded jackets and holding spears approached the wagon. One nodded at Beatrice while the other looked in the back. His gaze passed right over Piper without stopping. The guard waved the cart through before sauntering back to his post.

Piper exhaled, sagging forward. They’d completed the hardest part and gotten through the gates. From here on in, there was nothing to worry about.

Not that either of the women had expected them to have a problem. Apparently, trouble rarely found the village of Alderwick, even though it was a border village in the Bloodviel Empire. Aside from the occasional fae raiding party or monster, living here was mostly peaceful.

Except for the bloodsuckers drinking your blood.

Piper grimaced at the thought of a vampire sucking her blood. Alfred had explained the blood rent to her only recently. A few centuries ago, a powerful group of vampires had conquered this land. Now they kept all the humans as cattle. She’d immediately told Alfred that she thought it was wrong to feed on humans.

Surprisingly, he had disagreed with her. Before the vampires, there had been five kingdoms constantly at war. The stories told of armies ravaging and pillaging the countryside, leaving no village untouched. After the vampires had defeated the combined forces of the Five Kingdoms, they had brought peace and stability to the land. And all they asked in return for their protection was that humans pay a yearly blood rent.

While Alfred seemed to believe whole-heartedly in the story, Piper had her doubts. Who was to say the vampires hadn’t made up the history to make themselves look better? While there might be some truth in the tale, she was willing to bet the vampires had tweaked it over the years. Still, she had to say most people seemed pretty happy here.

The wagon rolled through the gates, and a group of children ran along behind it for a short distance. She smiled at them, and a little girl waved at her enthusiastically. Then they spotted something else more exciting and peeled off in another direction. The group of kids disappeared down the alleyway between two houses with thatched roofs.

Piper watched the houses and shops go by as they headed deeper into the village. By all accounts, Alderwick was a small settlement. According to Alfred, it didn’t have much more than eighty houses. But he hadn’t mentioned that it had so many shops. As a jewelry stall passed by, she suddenly wished she had some money.

Ethel caught Piper looking and patted her arm. “Maybe for your awakening, we can get you a little gift.”

“Oh no,” Piper said quickly. “That place looks way too expensive. I couldn’t ask for anything like that.”

“You saved my daughter,” the older woman replied, “and someday you and Alfred are going to find that tomb.”

Piper giggled at the idea of them finding the tomb. The search for the place where she’d awoken had become something of an obsession for Alfred. Every time there was a day of rest, they went searching for it up in the hills. But there were kilometres of ruins, and she’d crawled out of a tiny hole. So far, they hadn’t found any sign of it. But the thought of those aetherstones kept them looking.

The wagon lurched to a stop, and Ethel stood up. She brushed some hay off her dress before climbing down the side of the wagon. Pointing at Piper, she said, “Wait here while I work out a deal for these things.”

Piper nodded and watched the woman enter a large building. A few minutes later, a couple of men came out and started to unload the wagon. One of the younger men kept sneaking glances at Piper. She couldn’t understand why and kept checking her illusion. Her heart raced as she wondered if he could somehow see through the spell. Otherwise, why would he be looking at her?

“He thinks you’re cute,” Beatrice whispered, almost as if she could read Piper’s mind.

Her mouth dropped open, and then she blushed to the roots of her hair. No boy had ever thought she was cute. Her heart sank a bit as she realized he didn’t think she was cute—he thought the illusion was cute. But she didn’t mind him sneaking a few more glances before one of the other men cuffed his ear and told him to pay attention to his work.

“I’m sure my sister will find a suitor for you someday,” Beatrice said. “If you are given an illusionist class, no one will ever need to know about your condition.”

Piper furrowed her brow at Beatrice's words. She’d never thought of getting married in the past. No one had expected her to see her 20th birthday, never mind settle down and have kids. But now that she had decades in front of her, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to get married. At least not until she experienced a lot more living. There was so much she wanted to see in this world.

Once the firewood, wool, and candles had been unloaded, Ethel reappeared from inside the building. She carried a jingling coin purse in her hand and had a smile on her face.

“Why don’t we go buy you some sweetmeats?” Ethel said, climbing back into the driver’s seat.

Piper nodded her head. The idea of meat that had been sweetened didn’t sound all that appealing, but she couldn’t turn down the offer of a gift. And if Ethel liked them, then she was willing to give them a try.

This was going to be the best day.

Chapter 6 - What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Less Human

Piper didn’t know how long she was out, but as she began to regain consciousness, she was almost overwhelmed by searing jolts of pain. Agony worse than any she’d ever experienced in the hospital washed over her, and she screamed until her throat was raw.

Only then did she hear Ethel's soothing voice. The woman told her that everything would be alright while gently rubbing her arm. She felt a cup being pressed against her lips, and she drank deeply. Then she sank back down into the beckoning darkness.

When she awoke again, the pain had faded slightly. Cracking open one crusted eye, she found herself looking up at the roof of the longhouse. She turned her head to the side, and she saw Ethel sitting beside her on a chair. The woman was dipping a rag into a bowl before gently washing her legs.

The events of the morning came rushing back, and her first thought was of Ophelia. Was her friend alright? She tried to struggle into a sitting position, but Ethel pushed her back down.

“Shhhh,” Ethel said. “Everything is alright. Let me finish tending to your wounds before you move.”

“Where’s… Ophelia” Piper mumbled, her parched throat barely allowing her to speak. “Is she alright?”

Ethel nodded, adding another cool cloth to Piper’s foot. “She’s fine. Her burns weren’t nearly as severe as yours. Infernus only knows how you carried her back here with your injuries. I’d almost call it a miracle.”

“I’m so sorry,” Piper said, her voice breaking. “I told her it was a bad idea. I… tried to stop her. This is all my fault. Please don’t make me leave. I really don’t want to leave.” She felt hot tears pouring down her face, and she reached up to scrub them away.

“No one is going to make you leave,” Ethel said in a reassuring tone. “In fact, we owe you a great debt for saving our daughter from the ooze. She told us everything that had happened. It was very brave of you to save her the way you did.”

“You’re not going to make me leave?”

Ethel shook her head, a slight smile on her face.

Piper collapsed back onto the table, her anxiety disappearing like mist under a hot morning sun. At least until her thoughts turned to the wounds from the ooze. For the first time, she forced herself to look down at her legs. The sight that greeted her turned her stomach.

Her skin had been burned away, and on the tops of her feet, she could see the white of bone. What little flesh remained around her toes had turned completely black. But at least the places where she’d been burned on her hands and forearm didn’t look too bad. They’d probably scar, but she was used to scars from all her surgeries.

Ethel placed a comforting hand on Piper’s arm. “If we had the silver, we’d send for a healer for you.” She took a deep breath, her eyes glistening. “We’ve sent for a barber. Most likely, he’ll have to take your legs…” She trailed off at the end, looking despondent. “I’m so sorry my daughter has caused so much suffering for you. If I could do anything to help, I would.”

I guess some things never change, Piper thought to herself bitterly. Once again, I’ll be crippled.

It almost felt like a cruel joke, giving her the ability to walk again and then snatching it away. As soon as that thought appeared, she ruthlessly pushed it down. She had to stay positive. Ethel had just confirmed that healers existed in this world. It was just a matter of finding a way to afford one. Maybe she could sell off her aetherstone to pay for one.

As long as she was alive, there was still hope.

“…of course you can stay in the longhouse while you heal,” Ethel continued. Apparently, she’d kept talking while Piper had been lost in thought. If something good had come from this, at least she’d been upgraded from living in the barn to living here. That was something positive.

The door to the outside banged open, and Ophelia bounded into the room. Half of her face was bandaged up, but otherwise, she looked none the worse for wear. “Is the sleepyhead finally awake?”

Ethel rounded on her daughter, a furious look on her face. “You apologize for your reckless behavior immediately! Look at what your insane quest to become a warrior has done to Piper. She may lose her legs because of your rash actions. I’ve never been more ashamed to call you my daughter.”

Ophelia flinched visibly at her mother’s words. “I’m sure she’ll heal up no problem. Don’t all the demons in stories have amazing healing abilities?”

Piper perked up at her friend’s words. As a demon, or at least someone who looked like one, would she be able to heal herself? She lifted her head and stared down at her feet. As she did, she willed them to heal. After a minute, nothing had happened. With a defeated sigh, she dropped her head back down.

“I don’t think I have any amazing demon powers.”

“Are you sure?” Ophelia squinted as she looked at Piper’s feet. “Maybe if I poke you with a stick—” She didn’t complete her sentence as her mother whacked her with a spoon that seemingly appeared from nowhere.

“Out!” Ethel shouted, pointing at the door. “I don’t want to see you again until you’re done with all of yours and Piper’s chores.”

Ophelia slunk out of the longhouse, like a dog with its tail between its legs. She shut the door quietly behind her, another rare occurrence. She must really feel bad about what had happened.

Ethel let out a sigh. “Once again, I must apologize for my daughter. I’m going to let your burns breathe while I start dinner. Afterwards, I’ll boil some new bandages. With how many I’ve put on you, we’re rapidly running out of linen to use.”

“Wait.” Piper’s brow rose. “How long have I been out?”

“You’ve been in and out of consciousness for the last three days.”

“Three days!” Piper exclaimed, shifting slightly on the wooden bench. As she did, a wave of pain assailed her, and the edges of her vision frayed. After a few seconds, the pain faded slightly, allowing her to think straight again.

If she had been out for days, then it explained why Ophelia was back to her old self. Her friend had already had a few days to recover. She hoped the ooze hadn’t left too much of a scar on her friend’s face.

Piper laid back on the bench as Ethel puttered around the kitchen, getting everything ready for dinner. She watched as the petite woman sliced up some vegetables and then cut a slab of pork meat into cubes. The food was then dumped into the pot over the fire, and soon a delicious aroma was wafting through the longhouse.

Shifting slightly, Piper rolled onto her side to give her tail some freedom as she watched Ethel cook. Her tail ached from lying on it for days. As she thought about her tail, she brought it around to examine the tip. Even though it had plunged into the ooze, there wasn’t any sign of burns on it. Had the armored plates on it somehow protected it?

At least my tail is still in one piece, she thought to herself. Now if only I had the demonic healing powers that Ophelia talked about.

Once again, she focused her thoughts on healing herself. Maybe she could figure out a way to activate her demon healing powers. Was it her demonic blood or some sort of magic that was supposed to heal her? After a few attempts, she almost felt something click inside of her as she concentrated on her blood.

A moment after feeling the click, a terrible burning sensation spread through her feet. She let out a gasp of pain, curling forward as it sharpened until it felt like hundreds of bees were stinging her toes. When she glanced down, her skin glowed at the edges like magma. What was going on now?

“Piper!” Ethel cried out, dropping a wooden bowl with a clatter. She raced over to Piper’s side and took her hand. When the woman’s eyes turned toward the glowing feet, her eyes almost became round. Sprinting back to the kitchen, she grabbed a bucket of water and hurried back to Piper’s side. Then she dumped the water onto the smouldering feet.

As the liquid struck the skin, it evaporated, sending a jet of steam into the air. The pain only became worse as Piper’s entire legs began to glow like they were made of lava. She felt something shifting, and when she looked down, she watched her skin reform over her bones.

Piper managed to raise a hand to stop Ethel from throwing a second bucket of water and watched in awe as her wounds healed. A short while later, the glow had faded, and her legs looked good as new. Her arms and hands had also healed, though she hadn’t felt any discomfort from them. In fact, she hadn’t noticed them healing at all.

Was this a skill that only worked when she was conscious? Or had her thoughts somehow activated this ability?

I think it had something to do with my blood.

Lifting her feet, she winced at seeing the scorch marks beneath them on the bench. She would have to help Alfred repair it later.

“How did you heal yourself?” Ethel sputtered.

Piper shrugged as she sat up. Then she tentatively bent over to touch the top of her foot, almost expecting it to be a mirage. But her fingers only touched unbroken skin. Whatever had happened had healed her completely.

“Can you heal my daughter?”

“I… don’t know?”

Ethel raced out of the longhouse, and a moment later returned with Ophelia. The young girl scowled as she was led over to Piper.

“I don’t want to be healed, Mom,” Ophelia said. “All the great heroes have scars. I’ll look badass with a burned face.”

“Language,” Ethel said sternly. “And I want to let Piper try to heal you.” She steered her daughter in front of Piper and looked at her expectantly.

She wasn’t sure what to do, so she placed both hands on her friend’s arm. She thought about healing her. Nothing happened. She focused her thoughts, concentrating on her demonic blood this time. Still, nothing happened.

After a few minutes had passed, Piper shrugged sheepishly. “I think it only works on me.”

Ethel sighed. “I expected as much, but I had to try. I suppose the scar will remind her of her folly for the rest of her life. Mind you, it will make it more difficult to find her a husband—”

“I told you,” Ophelia interrupted. “I don’t want a husband.”

“You’re getting married, and that’s that.”

“Not if I become an adventurer.”

Ethel crossed her arms. “Do you honestly think you can become an adventurer when a simple slime defeated you?”

“I wasn’t defeated,” Ophelia said. “I had the ooze right where I wanted it.”

“Uh huh…”

As Ophelia and her mother traded words, Piper hesitantly rose to her feet. She’d only feared she was going to lose the ability to walk again for a short while, but it had been a scary few minutes. She never wanted to end up paralyzed again. When her awakening came, she needed to choose a powerful class to keep her safe—regardless of what the blood lords said.

With one final exchange with her mother, Ophelia stomped out of the longhouse, leaving Piper alone with Ethel. She watched the blond-haired woman return to cooking dinner for a few minutes before speaking. “Didn’t you say something about helping me choose a class before… you know, everything?”

“Are you sure you want to talk about it right now?” Ethel adjusted her apron. “You’ve been through a lot in the last few days.”

“I really want to learn more about this world,” she said earnestly. “Now more than ever.”

“I suppose that’s fair.”

Ethel spent the next few minutes adding more meat and vegetables to the simmering stew and then placed the kneaded dough on the flat rocks next to the fire. Once the woman was done, she came to sit next to Piper. As she did, her eyes kept flickering down to her freshly healed feet.

Piper tried to ignore the woman’s staring but subconsciously drew her feet beneath her on the bench. For the first time since she’d arrived, she truly felt inhuman. Up until now, she’d thought she only looked like a demon, but there was obviously more to it than that.

“So, what class should I choose when my awakening comes?”

“That’s what I was hoping to talk to you about,” Ethel said. “My sister in the village chose minor illusionist for her second class. She only does little spells, like making brides prettier for their wedding nights, or hiding an annoying blemish when someone is out in public.” She let out a sigh. “I may need to engage her services for my daughter.”

Ethel paused for a minute before continuing. “No matter. What I was going to say is I think you should spend some time with her. She might give you the deeds you require to choose an illusionist class at your awakening. And I trust my sister to keep your secret safe. Especially after she learns about what you did for Ophelia. If you can learn how to cast illusions on yourself, then you should be able to make yourself look human again.”

Piper nodded along with her words. An illusionist class would solve nearly all of her problems. But after facing the ooze, she also wanted a class that could protect her. Could an illusionist do that? Regardless, the idea of casting real magic thrilled her to bits.

“When can I meet your sister?” Piper asked excitedly.

“I’m traveling into town tomorrow,” Ethel replied. “I’ll talk to her then. If she agrees, which I don’t see why she wouldn’t, then I’ll have her come out once a week to show you the basics.”

Leaning forward, she thought about choosing a class in the near future. She wasn’t sure if she was going to choose an illusionist class when she awakened, but she was seriously considering it.

Hopefully, Ophelia wouldn’t get her eaten by dragons before then. Which, after the events with the ooze, seemed like a very real possibility.

Chapter 5 - Oozes are Supposed to be Easy

Piper blinked her eyes several times, still trying to process what Ophelia had just said. While she’d never seen a real monster before—called aspect beasts in this world—Alfred had made it clear she should run for her life if she ever stumbled across one.

Most of them originated from tears in the veil between the realms. Sometimes, only a small creature like an ooze would escape. Other times, an entire army of monsters would march forth.

“Are you crazy?” Piper blurted out. If she let Ophelia get hurt by an aspect beast, she’d get blamed for sure. And then she might get kicked off the farm. There was no way she was going to let that happen.

“I’m going with or without you.” Ophelia raised her chin defiantly. “Once I kill the ooze, I’m almost guaranteed to get a combat class at my awakening. If you were my friend, you’d help me.”

“You know I’m your friend,” she replied earnestly, “but it’s a monster. Your dad always says that they’re dangerous. What if we get into trouble? Plus, we don’t have any weapons.”

Ophelia grinned and slid a knife out of her pouch. “I borrowed this from my mom. Anyway, it’s an ooze. I bet a newborn sheep could beat it. If we can’t kill it, then we’ll just walk away. It’s not like it could catch us.”

Piper twirled a strand of hair around her finger, thinking furiously about what she should do. If she told Ophelia’s parents, then it would almost certainly ruin their friendship. And it had been so long since she’d had a real friend—not just some other kid she happened to be sharing a hospital room with. But then again, if she let Ophelia get hurt, her parents might never forgive her.

Which meant the only solution was to go along and keep her friend safe. Ophelia was probably right anyway. What could an ooze do to them? It would be like fighting a bowl of Jello. There was a reason most anime shows started with the heroes fighting oozes. They were completely harmless.

Plus, deep down, she really wanted to see a monster. What other amazing things existed in this world? Were there dragons? Ogres? Goblins? She would love to see a dragon.

Piper realized with a start that Ophelia was staring at her with raised eyebrows. She’d gotten so lost in her own thoughts that she’d forgotten to reply. With a smile, she said, “Let’s go find the ooze.”

Ophelia punched Piper on the shoulder lightly, a big grin plastered on her face. “Maybe you’ll become a warrior like me. We could become famous heroes that the bards sing about. Could you imagine?”

The thought of being a hero was intoxicating. She could travel the land with Ophelia, defeating every powerful monster they came across. Everyone would love and respect them.

As Piper was dreaming about being an adventurer, her friend had spun on her heel and headed up into the foothills. After a second, she belatedly hurried after Ophelia, trying to catch up.

The young girl followed a narrow game trail, the path winding through the rocky terrain. Above them, the forest canopy grew denser until it blocked out the sunlight, leaving them navigating a realm lost in perpetual twilight.

As they tromped through the forest, the trees slowly transitioned from broadleaf to conifers. The ground became carpeted with brown pine needles, with little growing among the roots.

Ophelia stopped and held up a finger to her lips as a sign to be quiet. She then crept forward, avoiding the deadwood and stunted bushes. As she walked, she drew her dagger and fell into a fighting stance.

Piper did her best to move silently like Ophelia, but the needles kept crunching under her boots. Every sound made her wince. Someday, she’d have to get Alfred to teach her some bushcraft. He moved like a wraith through the forest when he was hunting game.

Without warning, Ophelia stopped, nearly making Piper run into her, and then pointed at a clearing among the trees. Situated at the center was an ooze.

Piper’s eyes widened at the sight of the monster. It wasn’t just an ooze—it was the king of the oozes. The creature was nearly the size of a cow. In what world could they kill this thing? She doubted they could even hurt it.

To make matters worse, the monster had recently slain a boar and was busy digesting it. The beast’s body was slowly dissolving inside of the ooze, revealing bones and muscles under the skin. The sight of it nearly made her gag.

As she stared at the dead boar, she suddenly had a terrible vision of the same thing happening to them. This was nothing like the tiny oozes so common in anime. This thing could probably kill them without breaking a sweat.

What was I thinking agreeing to help Ophelia?

Piper grabbed Ophelia’s arm and vigorously shook her head. They needed to get out of here and tell Alfred. He could go fetch some men from the village and kill this aspect beast. This was way out of their league.

But Ophelia shook her arm off and continued toward the ooze. The girl had a determined look on her face she recognized all too well. There was no way her friend was going to be talked out of fighting the ooze. Still, she had to try.

“What are you doing?” Piper whispered urgently. “That thing is huge. Look at what it did to the boar!”

“I’m a better fighter than a pig,” Ophelia shot back. “Or don’t you believe in me?”

“That thing is big enough to eat both of us!” she continued, her voice rising slightly. “How are we supposed to hurt it?”

Her friend pointed her knife at the ooze, the weapon now looking woefully inadequate against such a massive creature. “It has a beast core inside its body. All we have to do is hit it and the monster dies. I’ve been practicing hitting small targets back home.”

Piper stood there torn with indecision, watching as Ophelia drew closer to the monster. If she left, she’d never make it back in time to bring help. But if she stayed, she’d probably get gobbled down by the ooze as well. And the one thing she’d repeatedly told herself in this world was ‘don’t get eaten.’ Now she was going to fight a monster that all it did was eat.

“Darn, darn, darn,” she muttered to herself as she scanned the forest floor for a weapon. After a second, her eyes locked onto a thick fallen branch. Hurrying over, she picked it up. The heavy weight in her grip felt reassuring, but every fibre of her being was still telling her to run.

With the branch in hand, she followed Ophelia, hoping the girl had more of a plan than just ‘hit the core’. Maybe they could pelt the ooze with rocks and branches for a while to wear it down? Or maybe they could lure it into some sort of trap?

Watching Ophelia charge forward, she quickly realized her friend didn’t have a plan. And she also realized that they were both in serious trouble.

The blond-haired girl reached the ooze and slashed her knife across its side. The blade carved off a piece of the monster, and the goop splashed onto the ground. Where it struck pine needles, they quickly began to smoke. A second slash of the knife made the aspect beast recoil.

Before Ophelia could strike a third time, a pseudopod burst out of the ooze and swung clumsily at the girl. The strike barely missed Ophelia, who danced back, her blade lashing out in reply. More goop flew off the monster, splattering across the forest floor.

Piper’s mouth suddenly felt dry, and her heart hammered in her chest as she realized she had to fight the ooze. She wasn’t fearless like Ophelia. Her lifelong dream wasn’t to fight monsters. Worse, she had no idea what she could possibly do with only a stick for a weapon. But she had to try to help her friend.

Letting out a battle cry, mostly to give herself some courage, she charged forward. She swung her makeshift club with all her might. But her blow passed harmlessly through the ooze; her stick reemerged blackened and smoking.

She jumped back as a gooey limb swung at her, narrowly missing her face. A quick glance down at her smoldering stick made her realize that she really didn’t want to get hit. It would probably melt off her skin.

Thankfully, Ophelia was holding her own. She watched as her friend darted in and slashed the monster with her dagger. Then she dodged the pseudopod counterattack before leaping back. Each attack was carving off tiny pieces of the ooze, but it would take forever to do any serious damage. And Piper still hadn’t seen the core her friend was talking about.

Piper took another half-hearted swing at the ooze. This time, her weapon knocked off a chunk of slime from the monster. A single droplet landed on her arm and started to sizzle. She let out a yelp and tried to wipe it off. Which only spread the burning liquid onto her palm.

“Are you alright?” Ophelia gasped, glancing over at Piper. Her eyes widened at the sight of Piper’s rapidly blackening skin. “We need—”

Ophelia’s words were cut off as the ooze jettisoned the boar corpse and simultaneously launched itself forward; its pseudopod slammed straight into the girl’s face. Freed from the weight of its meal, it moved shockingly fast. Nothing made of goo should be able to move that fast.

Ophelia let out a terrible scream and stumbled back, cradling her face with both hands. Curls of smoke rose between her fingers, and after a few staggering steps, she tripped over a root and fell on her back. As she did, the ooze surged forward.

Without thinking, Piper rushed toward the monster. All the fear she’d been feeling disappeared and was replaced with the singular purpose of saving her friend. No matter what it took, she had to stop the slime from reaching Ophelia.

She swung her club in a wide arc, the stick tearing off a chunk from the ooze. It barely acknowledged her strike, continuing to glide toward her friend lying on the ground.

As Piper recovered from her wild swing, she spotted something gleaming inside of the monster. Was that the mana core? The object looked vaguely like a crystal, with jagged points jutting out from its surface.

If Ophelia was right, and she broke the core, then the monster would die. But how could she hit it? The core was suspended nearly half a meter inside the acidic ooze, and as she watched, it continually darted around. Was that a defensive strategy?

Her mind raced as she tried to think of a plan to kill the creature. Meanwhile, the monster kept oozing toward Ophelia, completely ignoring her. It must think that Ophelia was easier prey. Not that it was wrong. So far, none of Piper’s attacks had even fazed it.

She reached down and scooped up a rock from the soil and hurled it at the ooze. The projectile splashed harmlessly into the monster. Trying another approach, she shouted and waved her arms at the creature, trying to get its attention. But it continued to ignore her.

With a deep breath, Piper jumped directly in its path. If it wanted to get to Ophelia, who was still writhing on the ground, it would have to go through her. She gripped her club with both hands as she licked her lips nervously. Was she really doing this?

I’m so going to die.

The monster reared up in front of her, the core darting around inside of it. At its full height, it was far taller than her—even taller than Alfred. She fought down her rising sense of dread and kept her eye on the core. She’d only have one chance at this, and she had to make it count.

As the ooze crashed down over Piper like a wave, she swung her club at the core. Immediately, the rough gemstone shifted in response, but her attack had only been a feint. Every day she’d spent hours training herself to use her tail—the tip now hardened and armored—and it shot into the ooze like a spear.

She screamed as the ooze burned through her dress and then sloshed around her feet. Agony washed over her, but she’d spent every day of her previous life living with pain. This was nothing compared to what she’d endured in the past. Her tail continued forward, smashing into the core with incredible force.

The gem shattered on impact.

The ooze shuddered once, and then its body lost all cohesion, splashing her with another wave of corrosive fluids. This time, she had to grit her teeth as the pain threatened to overwhelm her. However, she managed to push through as a notification appeared in her vision.

Congratulations! You have slain a level 10 Caustic Sludge.

A significant bonus to experience has been granted for slaying a higher-level aspect beast.

Piper blinked rapidly as she read the notification. Even in her pain-addled mind, she was surprised at how closely it resembled a message from a video game. Shaking her head, she limped over to Ophelia. Her friend had stopped screaming at some point during the fight.

Fearing the worst, she reached down to check for a pulse. She knew exactly where to place her fingers, as her doctors had shown her numerous times how to do it to herself in the past. She almost collapsed with relief when she felt a steady pulse on her friend’s neck.

Only then did she take the time to examine Ophelia’s injuries. One side of her friend’s face was horribly burned, while somehow the other side was almost untouched. She knew her own injuries were most likely as bad, if not worse, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at them.

She shook Ophelia gently, hoping to wake her up. When her friend didn’t rouse, she reached down and with great effort scooped up the smaller girl. She staggered under the weight, but she had to get her back to her mom. Ethel would know what to do.

Ignoring the searing agony that each step brought, Piper turned and headed back toward the farm. The rocky paths were difficult at the best of times, but with burned legs, and Ophelia’s dead weight, she nearly stumbled with every step.

After a short distance, a fog descended over her mind, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Her stomach churned, and she nearly lost her breakfast. It was all she could do to keep placing one foot in front of the other. Her muscles screamed in protest, her wounds throbbed with pain, but she had to keep going.

Piper kept moving, pushing herself to her limit and then beyond. About halfway down the hill, she had to shift Ophelia to her shoulder. The new position made Piper wobble dangerously, but her arm muscles couldn’t hold the weight any longer.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, their home finally came into view. She stumbled out of the woods and collapsed onto her knees. As she did, she gently lowered Ophelia to the ground. Her last sight was Alfred racing toward them with a horrified expression on his face. Then she toppled to the side, and the darkness claimed her.

Chapter 4 - A Very Bad Idea

The sensation of something sharp poking Piper in the ribs tore her from a peaceful slumber, and she was greeted by the sound of giggling. Groaning, she rolled over to see Ophelia with a stick in had standing beside her bed. When the girl tried to poke her a second time, Piper attempted to snatch it away, only to watch Ophelia dance back.

“Hah!” Ophelia said. “I got you again, demon!”

“Can’t you let me sleep?” she groaned. “It’s not even dawn yet.”

“Dad said to come and get you,” Ophelia replied with a shrug. “He needs you in the fields for some boring farm stuff.”

The young woman darted in, trying to strike Piper with her stick again. But this time, Piper was ready. Her tail lashed out, wrapping around the girl’s ankles and yanking her from her feet. Ophelia’s stick went clattering away in the barn as the young woman let out a surprised cry.

As Ophelia landed on her side, her eyes went wide before she burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you finally got me! And since when did you learn how to use that thing?” She motioned in the general direction of Piper’s tail, which was now curled up in the air like a cobra ready to strike.

“I’ve been practicing with my tail every night,” Piper replied with a grin. “I knew I’d get you eventually.” It had been almost two months since she’d arrived at the farm, and she’d constantly been at the mercy of Ophelia’s attacks. She’d been planning her revenge for a while now as she secretly trained with her tail at night. Right now, she was feeling pretty proud of herself.

“Come on,” Ophelia said, heaving herself to her feet and then offering her hand. “Once you’re done in the fields, I have a surprise for you.”

“You do?” Piper’s eyebrows shot up. Ophelia’s surprises usually ended badly. While her parents had hoped she would keep their daughter out of trouble, more often than not Ophelia pulled her into her hair-brained schemes. “What’s the surprise?”

Ophelia gave her a mischievous grin. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

She rolled her eyes as Ophelia helped her to her feet. While she tied back her silver hair, her friend went searching for her stick in the barn.

In the gloom, Piper took a moment to inspect the animals, trying to count them to make sure they were all there. But after a few failed attempts, she gave up. She’d have to try again when the sun was up, and she had proper light.

When she’d first arrived at the farm, she thought all the animals lived in the longhouse. But apparently a raiding party of redcaps had been spotted in the area, and most farmers had moved their animals inside to protect them. Outside of winter, all the animals lived in various structures around the property. And she got to stay with the horse and the cows.

At least I’m not in the pigpen, she thought to herself. That place smells the worst.

While Alfred had softened toward her since she first arrived, he’d still been adamant about not letting her live in the longhouse. A few times, she’d overheard his arguments with his wife about the topic. But he wouldn’t relent. Not that Piper could blame him—she looked like a demon after all.

At the thought of being a demon, she lifted her hands to touch the horns on her head. They had erupted from her skin only a week earlier. She could barely make them out in her reflection in the nearby spring, but had Ophelia told her they were shiny and black.

“Ophelia!” she heard a familiar deep voice roaring from outside. “Give me that cursed stick!”

Piper fought down a smile as she realized Ophelia must have poked her dad. Her friend was always practicing to become a warrior someday. Ophelia claimed the Holy System kept track of your deeds and offered classes based on them. If that was true, then the girl would almost certainly be offered a class for annoying her parents.

She shrugged on her woolen cloak that Ethel had made her and then stepped out into the chilly morning air. A dense mist clung to the ground, swirling around her feet as she walked. She lifted her cupped hands and blew into them to warm up.

While it was still summer here, it was surprisingly cold. Apparently, it was because they were in the foothills of the mountains. Winter came early here and clung on long after spring had arrived in the lowlands. At least that’s what Alfred said.

Piper spotted Ophelia racing into the woods while her father shook his fist at her from the middle of the crop field. With a shake of his head, he returned to cutting weeds with a sickle. At her approach, he looked up with a smile on his face.

“At least someone wants to work here,” he said. “Mind helping me with the weeding this morning?”

“I’d love to,” she said, really meaning it. The last two months had been some of the happiest in her life. It felt wonderful to do hard work and finally have a purpose in her life. Up until now, she’d spent most of her days stuck in a wheelchair, bored out of her mind.

When her disease first appeared, she had kept herself busy by starting a bunch of hobbies. But as she lost the use of her limbs, she also lost the ability to do most of them. By the end of her time in the hospital, she couldn’t do much more than read and watch television. Now her days were spent feeding the animals, weeding the fields, and spinning wool with Ethel. And she loved every second of it.

Of course she missed her parents terribly, but she kept the hope alive that she would see them again soon. After all, magic existed in this world. If someone had summoned her here, then there must be a way to go back. It was only a matter of time before she returned to Earth.

Piper took a sickle from Alfred and set about cutting down the most persistent weeds. The tall wheat stalks prevented most weeds from growing, but there were always a few that became problems in the field. They worked in silence as the sun rose until she heard a call from the longhouse.

Looking up, she saw Ethel framed in the door, waving at them with a spoon. Her appearance meant breakfast was ready, and her stomach rumbled at the thought of food. She was starving.

Without waiting for Alfred, she dropped her sickle and raced toward the house. She could hear him cursing behind her as he retrieved the tool. But she knew he didn’t mean it. Ethel was an amazing cook, and she couldn’t risk missing out on any of the food.

She burst through the door and hurried over to the table before plopping down on her chair. Spread out on the table’s wooden surface were bowls brimming with pottage, plates of freshly baked bread, and slices of bacon. It was completely different from what she was used to for breakfast back home, but it was delicious nonetheless.

A second later, Ophelia dropped into her seat across from Piper, and shortly afterward Alfred lumbered into the house. Finally, Ethel sank down at the table, trying to wipe some of the flour from her face with the edge of her apron.

Piper started to reach for the bread when Ethel whacked her hand with a spoon. Letting out a cry of surprise, she recoiled from the smack.

“You know we always thank Infernus before the meal,” Ethel said, her spoon held at the ready in case anyone else tried to grab some.

“Oh, right,” she said with a grin.

Ethel raised her eyebrow and then turned to her daughter. “Would you care to do the honors?”

The young woman scowled but then nodded. “O Infernus, Radiant Father, who rides the golden chariot across the sky. We give thanks for thy light, which warms the land, ripens the grain, and brings life to beast and field alike.” She paused and screwed up her face. “What’s next again?”

Ethel sighed before continuing for her daughter. “Bless this table and those who gather here, that we may eat with grateful hearts, and walk in thy shining path. In your light, we live. By your flame, we are fed.”

With the prayer completed, Piper grabbed some of the warm bread. She broke off a piece and then used a spoon to slather it with butter. She gobbled down the first piece, barely tasting it, before taking a second one.

Everyone else around her was eating the pottage first, but she couldn’t get enough of the bread. One of the first foods she’d lost to her illness back on Earth was bread. Her doctors thought cutting out gluten might help her symptoms, which meant all the bread in her house had disappeared overnight. Her mom had bought some of the gluten-free stuff, but it had tasted like cardboard. However, nothing was stopping her from gorging herself on it now.

As she finished off her second piece of bread, she slid the bowl of pottage closer. While it resembled oatmeal, it also had spices and vegetables in it. Sometimes, Ethel would add leftover meat from the previous night’s meal to it, but there was none this morning. However, there were crispy strips of bacon.

Piper spooned the delicious pottage into her mouth, making appreciative sounds. As usual, Ethel had an amused expression on her face. The woman was still surprised at how much she enjoyed her food. But after spending over a year with her meals being pumped via a tube into her stomach, anything tasted amazing.

Still, Ethel made delicious food. She was starting to wonder if Ethel had a class for cooking. While not much of the system had been explained to Piper yet, she knew classes existed for just about anything you could think of. There were simple ones like cobblers, and amazing ones like lava mages. She was so becoming a lava mage.

“I’d like to discuss your class with you after breakfast,” Ethel said. “If that’s alright with you.”

She nodded in reply, her mouth stuffed full of bacon.

“She can’t,” Ophelia said quickly. “We’re going to do something after breakfast.”

Ethel pursed her lips. “Why does that make me worried?”

“I just want to show her something I found in the woods.”

“That makes me even more concerned,” Ethel said. “Is it safe?”

“I found an old statue,” Ophelia explained quickly. “I thought she’d want to see it.”

Ethel stared at her daughter. “You promise?”

Ophelia bobbed her head up and down.

“And you’ve done all your chores?”

Ophelia held up her fingers as she listed them off. “I watered the herb garden, I fed the animals, and I milked the cows.”

The blond-haired woman turned to her husband. “Are you done in the fields?”

Alfred waved his spoon. “Not much else to be done until harvest. Let the girls go play.”

Piper tried to hide her shock at Alfred’s words. Normally, he always objected to her going off alone with his daughter. He must be starting to trust her. Though his threats from the first day she’d arrived still loomed large in her mind.

She quickly finished off her meal, then helped Ethel clean up the dishes. As they rinsed off the bowls, Ophelia kept pacing back and forth while peeking out through the open front door.

“Come on,” she said, tugging at Piper’s sleeve. “Let my mom clean up.”

“I want to help,” Piper replied. “It’s not fair to leave it all for your mom.”

Ethel glanced over her shoulder at her antsy daughter. “You could learn a lot from Piper.”

“Like what?” Ophelia shot back. “How to be boring?”

“No, how to run a farm,” her mother replied in a strained tone. “Someday you’ll be married and in charge of running a household.”

“Not likely,” Ophelia snorted. “I’m going to be an adventurer someday.”

“The blood lords have banned humans from any combat classes,” Ethel said patiently. “You know that.”

“Well, then I’ll leave and head to the Arissian Empire.” She lifted her chin defiantly. “It’s just over the mountains behind our farm.”

“We’re not talking about that again.”

Piper watched their exchange, understanding only a little about what was going on. They still hadn’t explained to her who the Blood Lords were or why combat classes were banned for humans. And the Arissian Empire was a new one as well.

“They’re just across the mountains!” Ophelia repeated. “Why don’t we just leave?”

“There are kilometers of treacherous mountains between us and the Arissian Empire,” Ethel said patiently, as if she’d explained this a hundred times before. Which she probably had. “And what would we do without our farm? How would we feed ourselves? It’s best you get the idea of being a warrior out of your head now.”

Ophelia chewed on her lower lip for a moment before replying. “I will be a warrior someday. I’ll show you.”

“I hope you find a way,” her mother said gently. “But you need to get used to the idea of running a farm. This is a good life, and we only have to pay the blood rent once a year.”

Ophelia stood up and stalked to the exit. She stormed out of the longhouse, slamming the door behind her. None of them spoke for a long time after the young woman had left.

At the table, Alfred finished his meal and then rose to his feet. He walked over to his muddy boots near the door, but grunted as he slipped his foot inside. Kicking off his boot, he reached down and pulled out a wooden carved figure from within. “In my boot? Really?”

Ethel burst out laughing, her eyes dancing with mirth. “You put it in my pillow last night! It’s only fair.”

Piper grinned as most of the tension left the room. This was a game that Ethel and Alfred played with each other. They constantly hid the little figure where the other one would find it. Apparently, the game had been going on for years.

With a shake of his head, Alfred pocketed the little statue and exited the longhouse. Beside Piper, Ethel shook her head. “He’s going to get me back for that.”

“Thank you for a wonderful breakfast,” Piper said quickly, placing the last washed bowl aside. She hoped Ophelia had waited for her, because she wanted to see the statue she had found. This entire area was dotted with ancient ruins, and some of them were incredible.

After a nod from Ethel, Piper hurried out of the front door and spotted Ophelia near the edge of the forest. She jogged over to her friend’s side, her excitement building. What if Ophelia had found a magical statue? They apparently existed in this world. And in the legends, some even granted wishes or magical weapons.

“Where’s the statue?” Piper asked when she reached her friend’s side.

“Did you really believe that story?” Ophelia gave her an incredulous look, as if she couldn’t believe she had fallen for her lie.

“Um… yes?”

“We’re not going to see a statue.” Her friend’s eyes twinkled. “I found an ooze in the hills. We’re going to go slay it together. After that, my parents will never say I can’t be a warrior again.”

Piper froze as she let Ophelia’s words sink in. She knew hunting an aspect beast was a very bad idea. But she also knew that she had no chance of talking her friend out of doing it.

Chapter 3 - Die Foul Demon

Piper told Ethel her tale about falling ill, spending time in the hospital, and finally dying. The woman nodded along politely, but she could tell from her expression that she didn’t understand everything. As Piper told her about waking up in the tomb, Alfred settled down at his wife’s side.

Piper was glad to see he no longer held the axe, but he still had a sour look on his face. When she started to tell them about the rooms with the paintings, Ethel held up her hand to stop her from talking.

The woman turned to her husband. “It might be worth trying to find this place. There might be something to sell in there.”

At the mention of selling something, Piper remembered the glowing gem she’d stashed in her pocket. For some reason, it had stopped glowing when she left the tunnel. However, it might be worth something. Maybe she could trade it for some food and a place to sleep.

Reaching down, she fished the fist-sized gem out of her pocket. Ethel’s mouth dropped open as the stone began to pulse with light. “Is that an aetherstone?” The blond-haired woman leaned in closer. “I’ve only ever seen a blood lord wearing one that size.”

Alfred leaned in as well, his mouth gaping open like a fish. “That thing is worth enough to buy the entire village…”

“I—I need somewhere to stay for a while,” Piper said, haltingly. With the way they were reacting, she was afraid they were going to take the gem from her. It was clearly worth way more than she thought. “What if I give you the gem and I get to stay here for a while? Does… that sound fair?”

Ethel reached across the table and closed Piper’s fingers around the gem. She then gave her a warm smile. “That’s yours, and I won’t hear about you paying for your stay here. Especially not after breaking bread with you.”

“My wife’s right,” Alfred boomed. “We don’t take things that don’t belong to us. We follow the teachings of Infernus here. Maybe someday you’ll let me hold it, though?” He sounded almost painfully hopeful at the end of his sentence.

Piper reached out and placed the gem in the man’s meaty hands. He took it from her reverently and held it up to his eye to examine it.

“I can feel an ocean of mana inside of this thing,” Alfred said wistfully. “The things I could do on the farm…”

As Piper opened her mouth to continue her story, something thudded down behind her and nearly made her jump out of her skin. Her head snapped around, her tail lashing around defensively, only to see the girl from before pointing a stick in her direction. She must have leapt from the loft above the table.

“Die, foul demon scum!” the girl shouted, charging at Piper.

Piper lurched to her feet, the chair she was sitting in toppling to the floor. But before the girl could reach her, Alfred sprang up and intercepted the young woman. He scooped her up into his arms, her legs thrashing wildly, as she tried to break free.

“Let me go!” the girl shouted. “Just think of the deeds I’ll get if I slay a demon! I’ll get a warrior class for sure!”

“Enough,” Alfred snapped, using his other hand to grab hold of her arms. “She’s our guest, and you will not break the ancient law of hospitality. Understood?”

The girl puckered her lips as if she’d eaten a lemon, then dropped the stick. “Fine. I’ll get her later.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” Ethel said sharply. “As your father said, she’s our guest.” Turning back to Piper, she gave her a pained look. “This is our daughter Ophelia. She’s a little… spirited.”

“I’m going to be a warrior!” Ophelia shouted, her voice far too loud for the confined space.

“You’re going to be a farmer, and that’s that,” Alfred growled. He placed his daughter down gently on the floor but kept an eye on the young girl as she retrieved her stick. Ophelia slashed her makeshift weapon through the air a few times before retreating from the table. As she did, she stuck her tongue out at Piper.

When Piper was sure she wasn’t going to be attacked a second time, she leaned down to pick up her chair. Sitting down slowly, she kept her gaze on Ophelia, who hovered nearby with a murderous look on her face.

“Please.” Ethel motioned at Piper. “Continue with your story.”

Piper continued to fill the woman in on her journey, and her encounter with the mammoths. Which then led to the part where she stumbled across their farm. No one spoke for a minute after she’d finished, as they all seemed to be digesting her story. The only sounds were the grunting of the pigs and the whinnying of the horse.

Alfred leaned back, most of the sourness leaving his face. “Why do you think she was called here?”

Ethel shrugged. “There are stories of a fallen demon in the mountains. Maybe it corrupted her somehow?”

“Wait.” Piper furrowed her brow. “There’s a story about a fallen demon? What does it say?”

The big man chuckled. “All we know is that it supposedly happened during the Thronefall. Some say the demon was a massive black dragon and the mountains you see are the spines of its back. That’s why they're called the Dragonspine Mountains.”

A memory returned of the black dragon painted onto the walls of the tomb. Was that the demon they were talking about? “Those are its spines?” Piper asked incredulously. “The thing must have been the size of a country.”

“It was according to the legend,” Alfred continued. “However, none but Infernus knows if it’s true.”

“What else does it say?” Piper asked, intrigued. Would she become a giant, mountain-sized demon someday? She really didn’t want to, since she liked her current size.

“That’s pretty much all I remember.” Alfred folded his big arms. “Might not have anything to do with your situation anyway. Now, on to more important topics. If I take you back tomorrow, do you think you could lead me to the tomb?”

“I… think so?” She gave him an apologetic look. “I’m not great with directions. When I was a kid, I didn’t leave the house much.”

Ethel gave her a quizzical look but didn’t say anything. She hadn’t told them all the details of her disease, and to be honest, she didn’t want to talk about it. The blond-haired woman placed a finger on her chin thoughtfully. “Have you awakened yet?”

“Awakened?”

“Yes,” the slender woman said. “Have you chosen your class yet?”

“I don’t know what that means.”

Ethel frowned. “Did people not have classes where you’re from?”

She shook her head in response.

“How interesting,” Ethel said. “Let’s try a different tack. How many winters have you known?”

“If you’re asking my age, I’m 12,” she said before adding, “and a half.”

“Everyone in this world awakens on their 13th birthday. So, you have a little while yet."

“Do you think I’ll get a class?” Piper asked excitedly. The idea of throwing fireballs around or fighting with a sword almost made her want to squeal with girlish delight. Not that she would do that, since she was way too old for that sort of behavior.

“I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” Ethel replied. “However, I don’t know how demons work. It could come sooner or later for you.”

The idea of having to wait for half a year already seemed like an eternity to her, but the thought of waiting even longer was sheer torture. She decided to believe that she would get it when she turned 13 and no later. Any other option was unthinkable.

Before she could ask any follow-up questions, she felt something poke her back.

“Haha!” Ophelia shouted, pulling her stick back. “I have slain you, demon!”

Alfred rolled his eyes and rose to his feet. “Just for that, you get to muck out the animal pen before bed.”

“That’s not fair!” Ophelia whined. “I was only protecting our farm.”

“She’s our guest,” Alfred said firmly. “Now go get the shovel.”

Ophelia grumbled, shooting Piper a look of pure death, before stomping out of the house. She slammed the door behind her, which made her mother sigh.

Ethel tugged on her braid. “You’ll have to forgive my daughter. She’s having trouble learning to be a proper young woman.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Alfred muttered. He withered under his wife’s glare and decided it was time for him to be somewhere else. A second later, he tromped out of the door after his daughter.

The blond-haired woman turned back to Piper. “Would you like to stay here with us until you awaken?”

“Do you really mean it?” At best, she had hoped they would give her a place to sleep for a night. She hadn’t expected them to let her stay here. But after her sheltered upbringing, she felt immense gratitude for the offer. She had no idea how to survive on her own. Heck, she didn’t even know how to cook or wash her own clothing.

Ethel nodded.

“Why?” Piper blurted out, realizing after the fact she might have sounded rude. But why would they want a complete stranger who looked like a demon to live with them?

At her question, Ethel’s face crumpled. “I… recently lost my daughter, Olive. She died of the plague last spring. As hard as it is to believe, you remind me of her. And you breaking bread proves you mean us no harm. I also believe you need somewhere safe to live while you find yourself in this world.”

“I’d love to stay here.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Ethel said. “But you’re going to have to do work. There’s a lot to do on a farm, and we can’t afford to feed a mouth who doesn’t pitch in.”

“I’d love to do farm work!” She cried out before blushing and clamping a hand over her mouth.

“You would?” Ethel looked surprised at Piper’s outburst. “I wish my daughter had your attitude.”

Piper gave her an embarrassed smile. She couldn’t tell the woman it had been years since she’d done anything normal. Most of her time had been spent trapped in a hospital bed or in her wheelchair. The thought of helping around a farm filled her with unbridled joy.

But as she sniffed the air, she realized she would need to find somewhere else to sleep. There was no way she would ever get used to the smell in here. Maybe they’d let her sleep in one of the outbuildings. If worse came to worst, she could always sleep under the stars.

As the silence stretched out between them, she twirled a strand of silver hair around her finger. Finally, Ethel stood up and motioned at the nearby fire. A metal tripod was set up over it while an iron cauldron sat off to the side.

“Would you like to help me start dinner, Piper?”

She nodded her head.

“Come with me.” Ethel walked over and gathered up a pile of buckets and handed two to her.

Piper took the buckets, placing one in each hand, and then walked out of the front door. As soon as she stepped outside, she felt something sharp poke her side. When she looked over, she saw Ophelia with a smug look on her face and wielding her stick once more.

“I got you again, demon!” Ophelia crowed, darting away. A second later, the lumbering form of Alfred chased after the young woman.

Piper couldn’t help but giggle at the girl’s antics, even while Ethel was shaking her head. The two of them continued on to a nearby spring, where they filled up the buckets. On the way back to the house, Alfred appeared from the brush with a bow and arrow.

“Do you mind if I borrow her for a bit?”

Ethel pursed her lips. “She was going to help me with dinner…”

“This is her first day as our guest,” Alfred said. “Don’t put her to work yet.”

“I don’t mind,” Piper protested. “Really.”

“I’m going to hunt some game for dinner,” Alfred said. “I imagine you’ll have a better time with me. Also, maybe you can point me in the direction of the tomb.”

With a look over at Ethel, who nodded, she handed back the full buckets and followed Alfred into the woods. They walked for a while, heading deeper and deeper into the dense forest. The ground slowly transitioned from soft soil to clumps of rocks carpeted with moss. The trees became straggly and short, with twisted limbs and limp leaves.

Without warning, Alfred stopped and spun around. He nocked an arrow and pointed the bow at Piper.

Alarmed, she tried to stumble away, but her foot caught on a fallen branch. Her arms windmilled as she fell, her back slamming into the hard ground. The air whooshed out of her lungs and she was left gasping on the ground like a fish out of water. She tried to draw in a breath as Alfred watched her with cold eyes.

“While my wife trusts you, I don’t,” he said flatly. “The only reason she believes your ridiculous story is that, for some reason, she sees our daughter in you. That doesn’t change the fact that you’re a demon and that demons lie.”

“But the bread,” Piper whispered, finally finding her voice, “she said it proved I didn’t mean you any harm.”

“That’s an old wives’ tale, nothing more.”

Alfred sucked in a deep breath. “I’m not going to kill you, demon. However, it also doesn’t mean that I trust you. Know that I’ll be watching you every minute of every day. And you won’t be sleeping with my family. Also, I wouldn’t recommend you try anything at night because our house is warded. If you try to get in after sundown, bad things will happen to you.”

The big man lowered his bow. “Know that if you harm a single hair on my daughter’s head, I’ll make you suffer in ways you can’t imagine.” He pulled the arrow off the string and stuffed it back in the quiver on his belt. “Now, let's find some game for dinner.”

Piper could only nod her head at his words. Scrambling back to her feet, she followed Alfred further into the woods. But this time, she kept a healthy distance between them.

Chapter 2 - Demons Lie

Piper wanted to lie in the sunlight forever—it had been so many months since she’d felt its warm caress on her skin—but she couldn’t ignore her thirst any longer. After a few more minutes, she heaved herself to her feet with a sigh and looked around.

A valley spread out beneath her, a verdant carpet of trees blanketing the steep slope. In the far distance, she spotted a fair-sized village, with smoke curling up from the chimneys. When she turned around, she was confronted by sprawling ruins that led up to a towering mountain range, the snow-capped peaks partially obscured by clouds.

Turning back toward the village, she tried to gauge the distance. But it had been so long since she had walked anywhere, she had no idea how long it would take to reach it. Still, if she left now, she would probably arrive in a few hours. After all, how long could it take to walk down a hill?

Her body was telling her to rest—she was still exhausted from her strange ordeal in what she was calling the tomb—but she didn’t want to get stuck out here at night. Who knew what sorts of monsters came out when it was dark? The last thing she wanted was to be gobbled up on her first day in a new world. Plus, the village probably had all sorts of tasty food. If she hurried, they might give her a big dinner.

Lifting her chin slightly, she started down the steep hill. The surrounding forest was mostly made up of scraggly pine trees, their roots barely clinging to the rocky soil. But as she descended, the forest slowly transformed into leafy trees, with thick bushes that clawed at her dress.

In the distance, she heard a howl that sent a shiver up her spine. She really didn’t like being out here alone. To be honest, she hadn’t been on her own for as long as she could remember. Since her disease had gotten worse, either her mom or dad had always been at her side. And at the hospital, she constantly had doctors and nurses checking on her.

The thought of her parents made a lump form in her throat. Somehow, she would find a way to see them again. There must be something like a portal spell in this world. Wouldn’t they be surprised when she popped out of a portal with a new tail in the near future.

Piper stopped when she came across a tiny mountain stream. The sight of the clear water sharpened her already overpowering thirst. But she was a bit nervous about taking a drink. According to the survival shows her dad watched, you should never drink untreated water.

She pressed her lips together, trying to remember why she shouldn’t drink from a stream. Was it pollution? Or something else? Why hadn’t she paid attention to his silly shows? Now that she thought of it, she was pretty sure it had something to do with bad bacteria.

However, in her mind, she couldn’t see anything being cleaner than a mountain stream. Regardless, she wasn’t going to get much farther without something to drink. If anything went wrong, she could always ask for some medicine from the village. In the worst-case scenario, she got an upset stomach.

Kneeling down, she cupped her hands and brought up a mouthful of water. She nearly gasped with pleasure as the cold liquid trickled down her throat. Nothing in her life had ever tasted so good. She hurriedly scooped up a second handful, drinking until her stomach was sloshing with liquid.

Now that her thirst had been quenched, she felt a bit of her strength returning. Her mood also began to improve as she continued her journey down the steep hill. She wondered what she would find at the bottom. Would there be humans or something else in the village? She’d love to meet an elf. Or maybe a beastkin. Catgirls had always been her favorite in anime shows.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she almost missed the sound of something big moving through the trees. At the last second, a snapping branch announced an approaching creature. She ducked behind a moss-covered tree trunk and peered out from the side.

At first, she couldn’t make anything out through the dense brush. Then a creature the size of a house, covered in brown fur, stomped past her position. It took her a second to realize she was looking at a mammoth. An honest to goodness, real-life mammoth. More appeared after the first one, an entire herd passing close to her hiding place.

She held her breath until they had passed, in awe of the majestic creatures. No one back home would ever believe that she’d seen a mammoth. She hadn’t even had the chance to see an elephant before; the zoo in her hometown had re-homed them to a sanctuary down south when she was just a little girl.

But it had always been her dream to see one. And now she’d seen a mammoth. This place was awesome!

When she stepped out of cover, she moved more cautiously. If there were mammoths in this world, then there might be saber-tooth tigers. And whatever else liked to eat mammoths. She repeated to herself that she did not want to get eaten on her first day here.

Piper continued to walk, the sun rising overhead and then beginning its descent. After a few hours had passed, she realized she must have misjudged the distance to the village. She stumbled to a stop as a horrifying thought occurred to her—what if she had already passed it?

The hill had flattened out a while ago, and she had no way to judge her position. What if she had just walked blissfully past her destination? She might be heading deeper into the forest, where she would starve or get eaten by a monster.

With her anxiety compounding by the second, she broke into a run, desperately searching for any sign of civilization. Thankfully, a few minutes later, she stumbled across a deeply rutted road. The rush of relief almost made her sag to her knees, and her legs felt like jelly. Though that might just be because she hadn’t eaten anything all day.

She picked a direction on the road she hoped led toward the village and continued on her way. After what felt like another hour, she finally came within view of a farm. It wasn’t a village, but it had what looked like a longhouse, a few outbuildings, and rows of neatly tended crops.

At the sight of her, a young girl pointed in her direction and then ran screaming back toward the house. Piper stood there dumbfounded, watching the girl disappear into the longhouse. Why was she screaming?

Then she realized what she must look like. In her haste to reach the village, she never thought about how they might react to her appearance if they were human. She had porcelain-white skin, a tail, and little horn-like nubs. She must look like a monster to them.

Oh no, what if they attack me? She thought with growing fear. What if they hate my species?

How could she have been so dumb to just walk up to them? They might even try to take her prisoner… or worse.

Piper backed away slowly, trying to figure out what to do. She didn’t want to head back into the forest, but she had no idea what would happen to her if she stayed here.

Her fears were confirmed a moment later when a man and woman tore out of the house. The woman clutched a club in one hand, while the man held a wicked-looking axe. They stopped a short distance from the front door. Both of them looked ready to fight.

Since they hadn’t attacked her yet, she took a step forward. “Hello!” she called out, waving her hand. “I was hoping you could help me.”

The woman’s eyebrows shot up, and she exchanged a look with her husband. She had braided blond hair, a simple dress, and a slender build. Meanwhile, the man looked like he was descended from the mountains themselves. His arms were as thick as tree trunks, and he had a broad barrel chest. A short beard sprouted from his weathered face like a prickly bush, giving him a menacing look.

When neither of them replied, she continued, “Do you speak my language?”

“Aye, we speak your tongue, foul demon,” the man spat. “Now get out of here before I split your skull with my axe.”

Demon? She thought in shock. They think I’m a demon?

“Please,” Piper said. “I’m not a demon. I don’t even know where I am. I woke up in some sort of tomb, and then I walked down the mountain. On my way down, I saw some woolly mammoths, which were really cool…” She trailed off as she realized that she was babbling.

The couple glanced at each other again, and the woman lowered her weapon slightly. She touched the man’s arm and then stepped forward.

“What’s your name?” she asked gently.

“I… I’m Piper,” she said, sniffling as she realized she had tears running down her cheeks. When had she started crying?

She fought back more tears as everything that had happened to her today hit her like a truck. After dying and crawling her way out of the tomb, the last thing she needed was for the first people she met to start calling her a demon.

“What happened to you, Piper?” the woman asked softly. “How did you end up here?”

“I… died?” she said, realizing how crazy that sounded. “Afterwards, I woke up in this body. I know that’s hard to believe, but it’s what really happened.”

“She’s reincarnated,” the woman breathed. “I’ve only heard about that in legends.”

The man shook his head. “Demons lie. It’s what they do. If we let that thing near our house, it will slay us all in our sleep.”

“Nonsense,” the woman said before turning her gaze back to Piper. “I’m Ethel, and this is my husband, Alfred. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Would you break bread with us?”

Piper nodded her head slowly, sniffling again. The man’s look of hatred hadn’t faded, but Ethel seemed friendly enough. The woman’s sudden kindness nearly brought her to tears a second time. She couldn’t believe the woman was showing someone who looked like her compassion.

Glancing back at her twitching tail, she frowned, feeling slightly betrayed. Nothing in the prompt when she’d died said anything about being reborn as a demon. That was blatant false advertising. If she ran into the god who summoned her here, she was going to have some words for them.

As she took a step forward, Alfred tightened his grip on the axe until his knuckles went white. But when Ethel shook her head, he grudgingly lowered it slightly. She noted that he kept the weapon at the ready as he went back toward the house. Alfred took up a position next to the door as Ethel stepped inside.

Piper hesitantly slipped past him, worried he might whack her with his axe. But aside from his dour glower, he didn’t react to her entering the home.

She stepped inside and stared around in a state of complete culture shock. She had thought this was their house, but it was more like a barn with an open-air kitchen and a sleeping area. At least that’s what she suspected the pile of hay and blankets were for.

On the far side of the long house, numerous animals were crowded into the space. There were cows, pigs, goats, chickens, and even a horse. And you could smell them. The entire place reeked. It was so bad she swore that it burned her nose. How could they live with animals in here?

Piper belatedly realized that Ethel was motioning her over to a table near a roaring fire. She timidly approached and took a seat. As she did, the woman placed a loaf of bread and what looked like a bucket of butter on the table.

Ethel broke the bread and then slathered some butter on its surface with a wooden spoon. She passed the hunk of bread to Piper and watched her expectantly.

With a glance back at Alfred, who was looming over them, Piper took a tentative bite. Flavor flooded through her mouth, and she closed her eyes as she savored it. The bread was wonderfully chewy, while the butter was nice and salty.

“Are you going to eat some?” Piper asked, covering her mouth as she chewed.

Ethel only shook her head.

Piper finished the bread and fought down the urge to lick her fingers.

Once she was done, Ethel turned to look at her husband. “No aspectborn can accept hospitality if they mean harm to the inhabitants of a house.”

Her eyes went wide as she realized this whole thing had been a test. She’d truly believed that Ethel had trusted her. Then again, Alfred had said demons lied. They must deal with them regularly.

“Now,” Ethel said, turning back to Piper. “I want to hear your entire story.”

Piper nodded and began to tell Ethel everything that had happened up until then. It was going to take a long time, and she secretly hoped they would offer her some more of the delicious bread.

Chapter 1 - The Second Breath

Piper had grown used to the rhythm of the hospital, with nurses showing up at regular intervals to give her medicine, and groups of doctors stopping by to murmur about her condition in concerned tones. Meanwhile, in the background was the ever-present sound of medical equipment with its whirs and beeps.

But when she woke up today, something was different. As she cracked her eyes open, she saw that her room was crammed full of doctors and nurses. In fact, there were so many of them, she wasn’t sure how they weren’t stepping on each other’s toes.

And the usual steady beep of the machines at her side had become shriller, more insistent. At her bedside, her parents stood close together, holding hands with pinched expressions on their faces.

How the heck am I supposed to get any sleep with all this noise?

To Piper’s surprise, when she opened her mouth to ask what was going on, no sound came out. Then she slowly became aware of a crushing weight bearing down on her chest, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Her face drained of color as she clutched at her chest. Why couldn’t she breathe? She searched the room for her wheelchair. If she could just get out of bed, she knew that she’d feel better. While she’d been sleeping, the pillow propping her up must have slid into an awkward position where she couldn’t inhale properly. That was the only explanation.

After a brief scan, she spotted her wheelchair in the corner, far out of reach for her. Who the heck had put it over there? And since she couldn’t speak, she couldn’t tell anyone that she needed to get out of bed. A surge of panic made her gaze dart around the room.

Her dad must have noticed her expression, and he stepped forward to take her hand.

“It will be alright, Pip,” he said softly, blinking his eyes rapidly. “Everything will be alright.”

Piper’s eyes widened with shock as she realized her dad was crying. She’d never seen him cry before. This, more than the doctors rushing around the room, made her realize that she was in serious trouble.

She gave her dad’s hand a little squeeze before angling her head slightly in an attempt to smile at her mom. Her lips barely twitched, but her mother gave a warm smile in return. As she opened her mouth to try to speak again, the doctor gently pushed her father out of the way and grabbed the IV bag. He held up a needle and injected something directly into the line.

The weight was becoming unbearable on her chest, and the edges of her vision were fraying. A weariness she’d never experienced before descended over her like a leaden blanket, followed by an intense desire to sleep.

Piper blinked once, twice, and then closed her eyes. The last thing she heard was her mother sobbing, and then the darkness took her away.

When she reopened her eyes, she found herself floating in a void. She tried to move, but her body was formless. She squinted in an attempt to see anything, but there was nothing out there except for the inky darkness. Then, without warning, writing appeared in her vision.

You have died.

“What?” she exclaimed, her voice seemingly coming from nowhere. “How could I die? I was getting better. The doctors said so!”

The news stunned her, almost more than finding herself floating in a void. This wasn’t how her life was supposed to go. Girls weren’t supposed to die before their 13th birthdays. She hadn’t even gone to high school yet. She’d never been on a date. She’d never travelled. There was so much she wanted to see and do.

Before she could spiral further, more writing appeared.

A god wishes to reincarnate your soul in another realm.

Would you like to accept? (Yes/No?)

Piper had no idea what any of that meant, so she mentally selected ‘No.’ More text flashed in my vision.

Failure to accept will result in your soul continuing to the afterlife.

“Huh.” She mentally blinked at the news that there was life after death. But the whole ‘god trying to reincarnate you’ probably should have tipped her off. After she’d become sick, her dad had become super religious, but she was never convinced that a higher power existed. If she ever got the chance to see him again, she’d have to tell him he was right.

The thought of her parents nearly overwhelmed her with grief. If she selected ‘Yes’, would she ever see them again? Would she give up the chance to reunite with them someday in the afterlife, whatever that meant?

But then again, there was no way she could give up another chance at life. And the prompt had said she was going to be reincarnated. That meant a new body, right? If that was true, then this time her body might actually work. If she were really lucky, she might even be able to eat normal food. The thought of having ice cream again almost made her mentally salivate.

After a brief pause, she selected [Yes].

At first, nothing happened, but after what felt like an eternity, she began to move. The motion was barely perceptible at first, but then she quickly picked up speed. As she moved, stars burst to life around her, like mini supernovas. Her mouth would have dropped open with amazement if she still had one.

Do I even have a body?

Piper’s thoughts faded away as she marveled at the galaxies spinning past her vision. She zoomed past a red dwarf sun, feeling the searing heat as she neared its burning surface. Then she sped past a frozen world, its surface covered in craters and vast sheets of ice.

After a few minutes, everything blurred until it felt like she was going light speed from a sci-fi show. The stars became lines of light shooting past her vision. She was barely able to catch glimpses of planets before they disappeared behind her.

Without warning, she came to a shuddering stop, and in a rush all of her senses returned. She drew in a shuddering breath, and then another one, her lungs screaming for air. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt jolts of pain shooting through her limbs.

Piper hesitantly opened her eye a slit and found herself staring up at a stone ceiling. It took her a moment to accept that she wasn’t in the hospital any longer. A small part of her thought this might have all been a hallucination brought on by the drugs they were pumping into her system.

After a second, both eyes shot open as she realized she could feel her limbs again. Not the faint phantom memory of them that so often tortured her. No, she could feel her arms! She could feel her legs!

Without hesitation, she sat up, only for the surrounding world to upend. She grabbed onto the stone surface beneath her and held herself steady until the spinning stopped. When the vertigo finally passed, she inspected her surroundings.

There was no question she wasn’t in the hospital anymore. Unless they had some sort of ancient ruins hidden deep beneath the building. No, whatever had happened to her in the void had been real. She’d been reincarnated on another world.

Taking in her surroundings, she realized this place reminded her of the tombs she’d seen on the history shows her dad used to watch. There were paintings on the stone walls depicting an enormous black dragon surrounded by all kinds of people.

Not people, she corrected herself after examining the paintings. Most of them didn’t look anywhere close to human. Some of them had animal heads, while others looked like monsters from fairy tales. Glowing red gems had been placed at regular intervals around the room, their light casting an eerie blood-red shade over everything.

If she weren’t so freaked out about waking up here, she probably would have thought his place was cool. Plus, her dad would have loved it. He was always wheeling her around the local museums on the weekends, geeking out about all the exhibits. Her dad enjoyed it more than she did, but she just enjoyed spending time with him. And she loved when he gushed like a dork over some old sword or something.

Piper swung her legs over the side of the rock table and noticed that she was wearing a plain black dress. Had someone dressed her while she was unconscious? She didn’t like that idea one bit. But before she could dwell on someone undressing her, she became aware of another sensation—something was slithering around behind her back.

Leaping up with a scream, she whirled around to see what was on the stone slab. It had to be a snake. But when she spun around, there was nothing there. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught something swishing around in the air behind her. She slowly craned her head over her shoulder and was shocked to see that she had grown a tail. The skin on it was almost bone white, with the tip ending in an armored spade shape.

Alarmed, she quickly inspected the rest of her body, touching each limb in turn. But aside from her terribly pale skin, everything else seemed normal. At least until she reached her head. There she found tiny lumps protruding from just beneath her hairline. Were they horns or something else? Based on her tail, she was willing to bet they were horns. Also, she noted that her hair had changed from blond to a shiny silver color.

“Alright, I guess I’m not human,” she said, her voice sounding different to her ears. “So, what the heck am I?”

The skin color she could deal with, since it wasn’t far off from her original skin tone. She hadn’t exactly spent a lot of time in the sun with her condition. But she wasn’t sure how she felt about the tail and horns. What would people think of her? To be honest, she’d had more than her fill of people staring at her in her previous life.

“Focus on the positive,” she repeated to herself, almost like a mantra. It was something her dad had always said when things got bad. While she wasn’t too happy to learn she had maybe-horns along with a tail, at least she could walk again. More importantly, she wasn’t sick anymore.

Piper’s forehead crinkled at that thought. At least she didn’t feel sick. Her disease couldn’t have followed her to a new world, right? The fact that she didn’t know scared her a little. But she doubted her disease would return. It wouldn’t make sense to be reincarnated only to get saddled with a rare disease a second time.

She forced her thoughts back to her current situation. She had a second chance at life, and based on the prompt she’d received, magic probably existed here. The very idea of that thrilled her. Back home, she’d devoured countless fantasy and anime series. If magic were real here, then this was like a dream come true.

“Hello?” she called out, her voice echoing in the chamber. When no one replied, she moved to examine the room.

Walking over to the nearest wall, she poked at one of the gems. If they were real, then they must be worth a fortune. But who in their right mind would use a precious gem to light a room? Unless that was how magic worked here?

Piper moved to the far side of the room, noting a weird lantern-like device perched at the end of the stone slab where she’d awoken. It sat on a golden base, and the middle part was flared glass. At the top sat a heavily inscribed golden lid.

She took a few minutes to inspect the inscriptions, impressed by the flowing lines and intricate details. Something about the inscriptions called out to her, but she didn’t understand what they meant. Maybe she just appreciated the artwork. Before her muscles had become too weak to use her hands, she’d spent hours everyday drawing by her bedroom window. But she couldn’t possibly come close to replicating what she saw here. Whoever had made this was an amazing artist.

With a sigh, she set about looking for a way out. The room had four walls, a ceiling, and a floor, but nothing that looked like a door. There was no obvious exit from the room. How the heck was she supposed to get out of here?

And where exactly was here? The elation of waking up to find her limbs working was beginning to wear off, and fear was gnawing at the edge of her consciousness. For the first time in her life, she was alone. Someone had always been with her until now.

The sound of grinding rocks interrupted her thoughts and made her spin around. She exhaled with relief to see an opening taking shape on the wall. The thick stone disappeared into a hidden slot, exposing a corridor beyond. Unlike this room, nothing lit the dark passageway.

Piper frowned and crossed her arms. She wasn’t about to go walking down some dark corridor. There was nothing she hated more than horror movies, but even she knew you shouldn’t go explore a dark passageway without any light. If she did that, a monster was almost guaranteed to jump out and scare her.

Pursing her lips, she turned her gaze toward the glowing gems. Maybe she could wiggle one free from the wall and use it like a flashlight. She walked over and gently touched the smooth surface of what looked like a ruby. The light flickered slightly at her touch but then grew in intensity as if it could sense her desire for illumination. She wanted to pry it out of the wall, but what if she got in trouble for damaging it? She still didn’t know who owned this place.

After mulling over her situation for a minute, she decided to go ahead with her plan. If she somehow cracked the gem and someone got angry, she could always find a way to pay them back. Right now, she just needed to find her way out of here. That was the most important thing.

Piper grabbed the blood-red gem with both hands and wriggled it back and forth. Surprisingly, it popped right out of the depression in the wall. It came free in a cascade of dust. Coughing, she covered her mouth with the sleeve of her dress.

The drifting dust made her frown. It looked like no one had been down here for a very long time. Everything was covered in a film of dust, including the stone slab where she’d awoken. Glancing down at the floor, she realized hers were the only footprints. At least the only ones she could see. Why had a god summoned her here?

Walking over to the door, she lifted the gem to light the passageway. She peered down the tunnel, the light disappearing into the distance. Like the other room, the walls here were constructed of carefully fitted stone and were covered in painted images.

With a deep breath, she picked a direction and plunged into the darkness. She kept walking for what felt like an hour, increasing her pace as she went. Before long, she was running, praying to anyone who would listen to get her out of this place. But if anyone heard her prayers, they didn’t answer. The tunnel just kept going and going with no end in sight.

Exhausted, she slowed to a stop before sinking down against the wall. Her muscles burned, and her throat was parched. While it felt like she’d been walking for hours, there was no way to tell in this world. Without a watch or phone, she had no idea how much time had passed. This place existed in a timeless void.

After she’d rested for a short while, she heaved herself back to her feet and continued to lurch down the never-ending tunnel. Finally, a shaft of light in the distance made her break into a sprint. If there was light, it might mean a way out.

Piper raced down the hall, only stopping when she reached a cave-in. The ceiling had collapsed here and blocked the corridor. But at the top of the pile of rubble, a narrow hole was letting in a beam of golden light. That must be the sun. And if she could squeeze through the hole, then she’d be free of this terrible place.

Scrambling up the rocks, she ignored the sharp edges that sliced her knees and hands. And she barely felt her shins banging against the rocks. At the end of her climb, she’d be bloodied and bruised, but she didn’t care. She was almost free.

The shaft leading to the surface was far narrower than it had looked, and she had to wedge herself into the rocky passageway. After a few metres, she could barely move, but she kept squirming forward. This was the only way out she’d seen. She had no choice but to keep going.

When her arms became trapped at her sides, she doggedly pushed herself forward with her toes. When the shaft narrowed until she couldn’t expand her chest properly, she nearly had a panic attack. The sensation felt far too similar to what she’d experienced in the hospital.

After a few seconds to calm herself, she kept inching forward. She moved only a few centimetres at a time, but she was making progress. However, she was rapidly losing strength, not having eaten or drunk anything in what felt like hours. Each breath burned in her chest, and sweat poured down her body. Still, she had to keep going.

“I won’t give up,” she muttered to herself. “This is my chance at a real life. I can’t give up. I won’t.” She must be near the surface as the light had grown blindingly bright.

Reaching deep down inside of herself, she drew upon the last of her reserves and gave one big push. At the end of the push, her head popped out of a hole, and brilliant sunlight bathed her face. Her next movement freed her arms, and then she dragged the rest of her body out of the hole.

Finally free, she plopped down in the tall grass beside the opening, breathing hard. She knew she should look around, but she didn’t even have the strength to sit up. And right now, she was content to stare up at the beautiful blue sky of her new home.