Fantasy Big Bang - Tag

[past0rl_insanty]

Title: "Tag" (part II)
Written for: fantasybigbang 
Other: ughhh too long for one post againnnn all information can be found on the part one section! Also, here is Part III


Despite being quite unused to walking so much in one day - probably in his entire life - Kael kept quite as he hurried on after the two. Richard would ask him if he wanted to slow down, but he was determined to not show any weakness. He would put up with whatever was asked of him.

Of course, his struggling noisily through the trees began to grate on even Nelo's nerves. Richard's constant muttered conversations with her did not seem to help the situation any.

Late on the third day of walking, she pulled up short and about-faced to glare back at Kael. “We're stopping.”

“B-but, there's still plenty of daylight left...” he gasped. There was the beginning of a stitch in his side that had started to creep in after lunch.

“We're stopping, so make yourself comfortable.” Without saying anything else, she dropped her pack onto the ground and stalked off into the forest with her crossbow.

Kael watched her go, feeling a little guilty. “It's my fault, isn't it?”

Richard shrugged and began to clear out some of the undergrowth. “She is just stubborn like that. She used to be a lot softer.” He chuckled at a memory. “Then she moved up in the ranks and everything became judged on the straight and narrow. But there's still a bit of that childish softness underneath it all.”

Still hesitating, Kael wandered closer to where the man was building a campfire and crouched down next to him. “Why do you keep calling Maasa 'Lady'? Is there really a church built for her?”

“Forget a church, there is an entire religion behind her,” Richard said. He pulled the flint from Nelo's pack and held it in his hands for a moment.

“How long has it been around?”

He scratched his head, looking up in thought. “I think close to around six hundred years.”

Kael made a choking sound. “Six hundred?! I thought you said I was only in that lake for two!” His brow furrowed. “Is she really that old?”

Richard gave a noncommittal grunt and leaned forward to attempt to light the fire. “Her story repeats every two hundred years. You - or at least a variation of yourself - have been in the three previous versions as well.”

Focusing his gaze on the small sparks the tinder caused, Kael mulled over the new information. “I only remember the orphanage... and then now.”

“The legends say that - and forgive me for how crass this sounds - the last time you and Maasa were together, you managed to escape the custody of the cleric that had been watching over you.” Successful with the fire, Richard settled down into a comfortable position and set the flint aside. “Her name was Sister Margret-”

“Sister Margret? A cleric?” Kael scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I mean, of course, she was a religious person, but she was the matron of the orphanage. She was nothing like... You or like Nelo.”

“Well, the church has changed a bit in the last two centuries,” Richard countered. “The clerics have become more militant than before. Apparently this is on the Lady's orders.”

Kael rubbed his forehead, trying to sort out his thoughts. “But I never killed Maasa... and I certainly don't recall being summoned to the orphanage.”

Here, the man nodded and sat forward. “This is what I find interesting. The legends all imply that you would either remember every single past time you were summoned, and at least the nature of your relationship with the Lady.” His hand tapped impatiently on his knee as excitement bubbled forth. “But in this case, you can neither remember anything before this, and your memory of Maasa is that of a friendship formed in an orphanage. Not that of some benevolent Lady who crossed a Shade.”

He frowned, pursing his lips. “You say that word like you don't believe it.”

Richard leaned back and shrugged. “Would you if you were in my position?”

“What do you mean?”

“The way I see it,” he continued, “is that your reaction to seeing your friend pinned to a tree and then being accused of her murder is quite genuine. To be honest, I doubted at first if you were even the demon when Nelo called you. Not too sure what you could have been, mind, but not an evil demon.”

Kael licked his lips nervously. “You believe me?”

“More than I believe the Lady, at least,” Richard corrected. “Ever since I've left the church, I've dedicated myself to trying to understand the story of the Lady and the Shade that betrayed her.” He rubbed his chin and shifted slightly where he sat. “And now, hearing the story from you, I can begin to really start figuring out where the weak spots in the legend are and how to clarify them.”

“There are no weak spots in the legend, Richard,” Nelo said in a stern voice, suddenly appearing at his elbow and making him jump in surprise. “And don't think about getting friendly with a demon or people really will think that you're in league with the Shades.” She tossed a pheasant down at Kael's feet. “I hope you know how to pluck?”

Kael nodded, speechless, and leaned forward to pick up the dead bird.

Nelo swooped in close when he did, her hazel eyes sharp and piercing as she glared at him. “Don't get some wild fancies that what Richard says is based on popular belief. He's an outcast, and banned from the church.”

“Then why are you traveling with him?” Kael asked, his voice low to match hers.

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance, although he didn't mean the question to be threatening. “I owe him a bit of a favor.” She straightened her posture and turned to Richard. “Prepare those rabbits and get them roasting. I found a river not too far from here, so I'm going to get some water and take a bath.” Without saying anything else, she dumped her bow and arrows down by her pack and headed back off into the forest.

There was silence between the two as they obeyed Nelo's orders. Finally, Kael looked up and said, “She's awful to you. Why did you come with her if she's just refuting everything you say?”

Richard laughed, looking up from where he was skinning one of the rabbits. “I've known her for awhile. I was her trainer when she first joined the ranks of the clerics, you know.”

Kael didn't say anything. The pile of feathers at his side grew larger as he worked in steady silence.

“Penelope is... a very talented girl. But she relies too much on her faith to keep her going,” the man continued. “And as guilty as I know I'll feel if I'm the cause for any falling out of faith she might have, I'd rather she knew the truth - whatever it is - and be comfortable with it.”

Making a small sound in acknowledgment, he glanced up to study the fire. “I think I understand,” Kael said after awhile.

Richard laughed again. “I'm glad one of us does.”

The forest held the usual amount of terror that any grown adult would expect from it: Wild animals with the occasional thug and bandit. Richard couldn't be entirely too sure, but he thought he had sensed some confusion (and possibly disappointment) from Kael. He never bothered to ask for a clarification on that feeling, as he figured Penelope would only just harp on him for 'getting too friendly' with the boy.

Of course, he was growing fond of the kid, Shade or not. Kael had a curious nature and constantly asked questions about the forest (which was different from the one by the orphanage, apparently), about the church and about the city. He even learned what subjects to avoid after a few too many glares from Penelope. He was smart and honest and Richard decided that he would be quite disappointed if it turned out Kael really was a murdering demon in the end.

It was just turning to the first week of traveling when they finally returned to the main road. The main road meant, however, that there were bound to be more people and less animals. And more people meant more opportunities for robbers. They had managed to avoid the worst of the scrapes so far, but once out of the relative safety of the forest, even the most seasoned cleric could fall victim to a raid.

Which was precisely what happened to them.

Richard drew his sword, moving in to stand between Kael and the forest when he noticed the first signs that they were being followed. “Keep a wary eye, Nelo,” he warned, though he was looking down at Kael.

As if catching his meaning, the boy nodded and stayed in place.

Penelope, on the other hand, kept right on walking. It wasn't until there was a flash of metal in the trees and a faint twang of a bowstring being drawn that she even gave any indication that she even noticed their pursuers. In one swift move, she swung her crossbow from down off her shoulder and deflected the arrow that shot out from the branches. She backed up a few paces until she was once again level with the others and loaded a bolt into place. “And here I was hoping we'd be lucky enough to make it without incident,” she grumbled, moving in to place in front of Kael.

Richard smirked at her over his shoulder, quite amused at how she seemed to move to protect the defenseless boy automatically regardless that she thought of him as a demon. “Bad luck plagues the over-confident, Nelo,” he chimed.

“Don't patronize me, Richard. I would expect that it was you that brought the bad luck down on us. I'm more surprised that the little demon here hadn't called any of his friends to try and fight us off,” she snapped back.

Ah, so she really was moving on instinct after all. Penelope with a maternal streak, he thought. Rather amusing. “Just stay between us, Kael,” Richard said as he focused his attention on the shadows in the forest.

The bandits were the first to move, but Penelope was the first to strike. She let loose the arrow as soon as one of the shadows separated itself from the cluster and shaped into a human. She had another arrow loaded as soon as he hit the ground.

Disregarding tact for anger, the rest of the bandits sprung from the forest around them and closed it. Richard couldn't help but chuckle as he adjusted the grip of his sword in his hand. “I don't remember teaching you to shoot like that,” he said.

“I don't remember you teaching me how to shoot.” Penelope fired again.

Richard swung around, still managing to shepherd Kael behind him as he deflected a blow that was aimed at her. “Who took over your lessons after I left?”

She ducked under his arm and rammed the butt of the crossbow at the same bandit. “Please don't tell me that you're jealous that I'm better than you are,” she said, the trace of a smirk and a laugh on the corner of her mouth. “You're getting old, it's only logical that you'd lose your touch.”

“Old,” he scoffed, easily twisting around to cut off an advance by another one of the bandits. “Alright, fellows, you're fighting a crippled old man, a woman, and a child. Please go easy on us, will you?”

“You're clerics,” one of the men said. He was the largest, which would make him the leader by the logic of the bandits. “Clerics carry a lot of money on them, and their heads fetch a nice price on the charts.”

Penelope let out a gentle hiss in annoyance. “Oh, that's just disgusting,” she murmured and trained her crossbow on him. “I'll give you five seconds to tell me why I shouldn't just shoot you through the throat right now so we don't have to keep listening to you're drivel.”

The man shrugged, waving his men back. “We just want your Shade, Missy. They're rare, topside. We could retire rich if we get our hands on him - your heads would be a bonus.”

“What-?” Kael started, but Penelope crossed the distance between her and the leader in two steps and gripped him by the shirt collar.

“What did you call him?” she demanded, shaking the man even though he was a good few inches taller than her.

Richard followed after her, sword at the ready, but she shot him a look over her shoulder. So he held his ground, gritting his teeth and focusing his attention on the two. Leave it to her to step into trouble and deny any help.

“A Shade,” the bandit repeated. He seemed more amused by her threatening than annoyed. “Or did you really not notice and think he was just an innocent kid? Also, you might want to warn your gentleman friend there to not turn his back in a fight.”

Penelope released her grip and sprung back, catching Richard's glance as they both began to pivot around. Kael was the first to react.

“Richard, behind you!” he shouted, stumbling out of the way as two of the remaining bandits moved in from where they had remained undercover in the brush alongside the road.

He swung his sword up to catch the descending blade of the nearest bandit, but he had to lean out of the way of the second. His own weight felt doubled as the man pressed down on him, a mad grin on his dirty face.

Penelope's crossbow bolt hit the second bandit before he could attack again. But before she could fire a second time, the first maneuvered Richard around to be in the line of fire.

Richard could feel his left leg weakening under the pressure. Just as it buckled, he gave a mighty shove of his sword to push the man back - but he was unable to regain his footing and stumbled as the weight was suddenly lifted.

“Duck!” Penelope shouted, and Richard obligingly dropped to the ground. Her arrow went wide as she was knocked from behind by the leader.

Kael stepped forward suddenly, a terrified look on his face. He clenched his hands into fists as the bandit moved to meet him; Richard attempted to rise, using his sword as leverage. “Stay back!” Kael shouted and flung his arms in front of his face.

Unsure if the boy was talking to him or not, Richard fell back to the ground just as a ripple distorted the scene. He watched as the bandit was thrown backwards by the force.

The boy hesitated, then peeked around his arms - only to find the attacker groaning on the ground after the wind had been knocked out of him. Then Kael hurried back over to Richard's side, lending him an arm as he struggled back to his feet.

“Nelo,” he gasped, reaching down to rub his aching leg.

She looked back at him from over her shoulder. She had her crossbow trained on the leader.

Richard waved his hand in a distracted fashion. “No more playing. Finish them off.”

Penelope nodded once, then turned back around and fired.

“Playing?!” Kael yelped, wincing as the crossbow hit the the leader in the shoulder. He watched the man reel back a few paces, crying in surprise at the sudden pain. “You consider that playing?”

“Who would have thought,” Penelope said with a forced laugh. “A demon is afraid of violence.”

Kael gave her a pleading look, though she made a point of not looking at him.

Richard hobbled after her, leaving Kael to catch up on his own. “Nelo, is there something wrong? You're not acting like your self...”

She shot him a look out of the corner of her eye, but turned away shortly after. “I thought this trip to summon the Shade was supposed to be a secret one. As it is, you shouldn't even be here with me...”

He put his hand on her shoulder to reassure her, but whatever he wanted to say was cut off with a grunt and a wince.

“Richard, is there something wrong with your leg?” Kael asked, trotting to rejoin the two of them. “I noticed it during the fight earlier...”

“Believe it or not, I didn't leave the church for any religious reasons,” Richard said with a chuckle.

“His Shade-loving tendencies arose after the fact,” Penelope muttered, though a small grin teased across her face as she was given a playful shove.

Richard rubbed his leg, still limping. “I got injured about two years back. Crossbow bolt right through the leg. It's a miracle that I can even walk properly at all. After I could stand on my own again, I started thinking that the Lady was not all that she was choked up to be.”

With a roll of her eyes, Penelope kept her gaze focused on the path before them. She seemed to be increasing her pace, despite Richard's limp. “Hurry up you two. We're almost in the Capitol.”

“N-Nelo-!” Kael started, but she ignored the call and increased the distance between them.

Richard sighed and shook his head. “I can't continue on at this pace,” he told Kael. “You should probably go catch up with her. Like she said: I'm not even supposed to be here on her quest.”

The boy stopped, reaching out and tugging Richard to a stop as well. “Back there...”

“Hm?”

Kael looked intently at his feet. “That was magic, wasn't it?”

He didn't respond at first, a thoughtful look on his face as he hobbled over to a stump on the side of the path to sit down. “It has been said that demons know magic... But that was a very powerful shield that you conjured up.” He ruffled Kael's hair fondly. “Don't worry,” he said.

“I wasn't worrying,” he huffed, knocking away the hair and attempting to straighten his hair. “I'm going to go catch up with Nelo...”

Richard nodded, offering a small smile.

Kael hesitated, then turned and jogged down the path.

His smile turned to a sigh and Richard scrubbed his face with his hands. Something didn't feel right, and it bothered him that he couldn't figure out what it was.

“Nelo!”

Her shoulders tensed, and she debated not even turning around in response to the call. But there was only the sound of one pair of footsteps approaching, and so she obligingly slowed her pace.

“What's wrong with Richard?” Kael had managed to reach her side, panting as he struggled to keep pace with her.

Nelo frowned and regretted slowing down. “Nothing's wrong with him,” she snapped.

Kael made a small sound in protest and hurried up as she started to walk faster. “He's limping and he looks like he's in serious pain. Please, I thought you two were friends...”

She came to a complete stop, letting the words sink into her brain for a few seconds before whipping around and glaring at him. “Friends? What gave you that idea?”

He stuttered, eyes wide as he gazed up at her with something resembling fear. “He was your mentor, wasn't he? And he followed you all this way...”

Her expression softened as she turned away. “I had been moved to a different squad by the time he got hurt. Of course, I felt a sort of obligation to go and see him in the hospital as often as I could because I looked up to him. He was the one that taught me everything that I knew...” She sighed and started to walk, her pace much more controlled.

Kael trotted along beside her, silent.

“I prayed...all the time. I asked the Lady over and over again to heal him but he never got better...” Her hand strayed to her chest where she could feel the lump of her pendant under her uniform. “He had been removed from service because the priests thought he wouldn't be able to stand, much less alone be a Cleric. And then, like he said... a miracle. His leg healed and he was able to walk...” Nelo spared a glance over her shoulder, but Richard was no longer in sight. “But then he started talking of things that are blasphemous to the Church. Of questioning the story of Lady Maasa and the Shade.”

Her voice trailed off, and her fingers tried to grab the pendant despite the fact that it was blocked by fabric. “And the worst part is that now... Even I-” Again, she let her voice trail off, shaking her head to try and clear her thoughts. “No, never mind, that's not important. We're almost at the city. We'll set up camp here and I'll go fetch Richard. He's come with us this far. I can't just leave him there on his own if he can't walk.”

As if finally released from the need to stay silenced, Kael nodded in agreement. “I'll get a fire ready then,” he said, avoiding her gaze.

Which suited her just fine, because she was avoiding his as well.

----

The Capitol was the biggest city that Kael had ever seen - though, granted, he couldn't remember much outside of the orphanage.

“There are even larger cities out there,” Richard told him, limping along rather well on a makeshift crutch. “This is the Capitol only because the church is the center of the governing body. There are cities by the ocean that are easily twice this size.”

“I've never seen the ocean,” Kael said, a wistful expression crossing his face as he tried to recall what he had read of them.

Richard opened his mouth to say something, but Nelo reached out and smacked his chest. “We're not on a vacation,” she snapped.

Kael glanced down at his feet, biting his cheek to keep from saying anything. Instead, he nodded.

There was a slight pause, then Richard laughed. “We'd make a very handsome family, though, wouldn't you think?” the man teased and gave her a wink.

Nelo stopped walking and grabbed on to Kael's shoulder. “Listen, your part here is done, Richard. So say goodbye to the Shade and then get moving. No one from the church would appreciate your presence with me.”

“It might be a little too late for that, Penelope, but I can't say that I mind terribly.”

Both Nelo and Richard froze and their gaze shifted to over Kael's shoulder. The voice was coming from behind him, and his entire body went cold as it sunk into his brain. He didn't want to believe it - his brain rejecting the possibility that it could actually be...

“Lady,” Nelo breathed, her jaw dropping in awe.

That word alone sealed it for him, and he spun around to see Maasa standing calmly in the street. Her hair was as perfect as always, her face a mask of innocence. She wore a plain but beautiful frock, unlike anything she had at the orphanage. She smiled as their eyes met. “Hello, Kael.”

His breath left him, and he took a hesitant step forward, reaching out towards her; Nelo's hand slipped form his shoulder. “Maasa... is that really you?”

“Of course it is, you silly,” she said, keeping her ground as his hand brushed the side of her face. “Who else would it be?”

In reply, Kael pulled her into a tight hug as the tears threatened to spill from the corners of his eyes. “I saw you die...” he whispered. “You were pinned to a tree.”

“I was,” Maasa agreed, patting him on the back in a reassuring manner. “One doesn't forget their own death very easily.”

He pulled back sharply, wiping away the stray tears from his cheek with the back of one hand. “Let's go back, okay? We've been gone for a long time, I'm sure that Sister Margret is worried-”

Maasa shook her head, eyes wide as she looked up at Nelo. “I would have thought that you had told him.” There was a slight accusatory tone to her voice, which surprised him.

“Told me what?” Kael asked, letting the confusion outweigh the rising panic. “You mean that it was supposed to be my fault?” There was the familiar feel of hands around his neck, cold against his skin. Gulping, he reached up a hand to find nothing there. His nails only scratched against his own neck.

She tilted her head to the side. “Come on, you can't seriously expect to play innocent. Everyone here knows what you did.”

Filthy little demon, he recalled, and he remembered the pain he felt as he dug his fingers into his cheeks. “But I-”

“I guess that it couldn't be helped,” Maasa said with a sigh and a shrug. “I really thought that you were going to prove yourself to me this time. We had been so close at the orphanage. But a demon must always reveal his true nature in the end.”

Kael was struggling to breathe now. There was a cold, heavy weight pressing down on his shoulders and creeping in through his nose and mouth. He gulped again and doubled over, gasping.

Delusions. Tried to act human.

Nothing but a demon!

“Kael...?” Richard ventured, placing a comforting hand on the boy's back.

Maasa stepped up and pulled his hand away, only to replace it with her own hand. “I'm already trying to forgive you for intruding on Penelope's quest,” she said. Her tone was light, but clipped and to the point. “Don't anger me further by showing your Shade-loving behaviour to my face. It really adds insult to injury.”

Kael smacked her hand away in turn, resisting the urge to claw at his face. The ghost-hands from the forest were back. “You're not Maasa,” he gasped, tripping back a few paces.

“Of course I am!” she said, her expression shifting to one of hurt as she watched him retreat. “Just ask her.” Maasa nodded to Nelo, who looked shocked and confused at the display.

“You're not my Maasa,” he corrected. “You might be hers, but you're not mine.”

“Kael!” She made to follow after him, a childish pout on her face, but he shook his head.

“Stop it!” Kael shouted despite his strained voice. “You're not her!” He pushed her away. In the shocked silence that followed, all he could hear were the voices taunting him.

Demon demon demon-!

Kael turned and ran.

“Wait-!” Nelo started weakly, but Richard caught on to her elbow.

“I'll go after him,” he said, voice low enough so only she could hear. Giving her elbow a reassuring squeeze, Richard took off after the boy as fast as he could with his limp.

Nelo and Maasa were left standing in the middle of the street. There was an uneasy feeling settling in fast between the two of them. Nelo gave the girl a side-long glance, and wished that Richard hadn't gone after Kael. She didn't want to be left alone with the Lady.

Maasa finally broke the silence with a heavy sigh, turning to face Nelo. “I guess him running was better than the alternative.”

“Which was?” she ventured.

“Him trying to kill me. I would hate to have to have expected you and Richard to put him down in the middle of the street.” She said it so calmly that the implication was almost disguised.

Almost.

“I don't understand,” Nelo said. Her voice was faint. “It sounded like you agreed with him before.”

“About what?”

“The two of you being friends.” She looked down at Maasa, who was watching her expectantly.

A small smile crossed the girl's face, but it fell just as quickly. “We were. As I had told him, I honestly thought that I could have forgiven him that time.”

Nelo opened her closed her mouth wordlessly a few times before shaking her head. “We had always been led to believe that he was a Shade.”

She arched her eyebrows. “He is. He might have a docile manner, and might even have Richard convinced, but you can't let that fact escape you, Penelope.” Maasa grabbed on to her hands, gripping them tight. “He is a Shade. The worst possible kind. It is in his nature to lie.”

Before Nelo could speak, Maasa continued. “I do have to admit, though, it is rather disappointing to see Richard acting so fond of Kael. I understand that he started to question his beliefs after his accident, but to go to such an extent...” She shook her head and gave a heavy sigh. “It is only right that you should ignore his affections, Penelope. Becoming involved with such a man will only ruin your future.”

Without thinking, Nelo's hand snapped out and she slapped Maasa on the cheek.

The girl gasped, eyes going wide in surprise as she reached up to touch the side of her face. “You-”

“I will not stand here and listen to you talk about them that way. Richard is a good man, even if his beliefs are a bit misplaced. And Kael has... well, he...” Her voice faltered, and she fell silent. Finally, she took a deep breath and plowed through the next line. “You better watch what you say and who you say it to, Lady. If you are not careful, then you come off as a little spoiled girl who is acting like an adult. People will not take you seriously.”

Maasa narrowed her eyes and dropped her hands. “It seems I have misjudged you, Penelope.”

“As you have everyone else.” Nelo gave a stiff bow. “If you'll excuse me, Lady.” Unable to trust herself with saying anything else, she turned and followed the path she had seen Richard taking earlier.

Once she was far away enough, she slowed her pace to a brisk walk, weaving in and out of the people that filled the streets. It was then that she realised that she had no idea where to look for Richard and Kael. Or at least, she had no inclination to actually search them out at that moment.

When the sun started to set, she finally forced her feet down a familiar path to the small set of rooms that Richard rented in the Capitol - far enough from the church while still maintaining a comfortable distance to the library despite the proximity of the two.

The door opened before she could knock on it, and Richard blocked the path in by standing in the entryway. “Kael's sleeping,” he said by way of explanation. “I hope you and your Lady had a nice chat catching up on how horrible demons are and how those who have been removed from the church are destined for a life as a Shade or whatever nonsense you believe.”

She was silent, staring straight at his chest. “I slapped her...” Nelo finally said in disbelief. “And called her a spoiled child.”

There was a slight pause before Richard gave an amused snort and stepped back. “Come on. Get in already.”

Obediently, Nelo stepped into the front room and waited until the door was shut behind her. She looked over, noting the way he stood comfortably on two legs once again. “Feeling better?”

He glanced down at his leg as well. “You probably won't believe it, but Kael's got quite a talent for rather non-demonic magic.”

“What do you mean?” She looked around and frowned. “And where is he?”

“Back room. Passed out almost as soon as we got here.” Richard hopped experimentally up and down then shook his leg. “Not a single hint of pain. If the scar wasn't still there, I'd have to question on if I had even been injured at all.”

“He healed you?” Nelo asked, surprised at the idea. “First a shield and now healing...?”

He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “That's normally clerical magic. But those dodgy old priests that sit around in the church all day can't even manage a shield the way he could. And most that are good at defense can't heal.”

She struggled for a moment before dropping down on to a low bench that was pushed up against the wall. “That just means that he's not human...”

Richard shook his head, coming over and kneeling down before her. “It doesn't mean anything, Nelo. If you insist upon making it mean something, then it means that he can't be evil.”

“What kind of logic is that?” Nelo gave a shallow laugh, not really believing her own words. After a long pause, she reached out for his hands. “I've never had a reason to doubt until now. Then, suddenly... all these things are happening and I don't know what to believe.”

He grasped her hands in his own. “It's not too late.”

“Yes,” she said, and laughed again. “Yes it is.”

A knock came to the door, and the two of them turned to look at it in surprise. A few seconds later, the knock came again - more forceful than the first time. “Master Richard, I ask that you open the door.”

Kael appeared in the doorway from the back room, rubbing his red-rimmed eyes. “What's going on?” He looked from the two by the bench over to the door at the third knock.

Richard rose to his feet, lingering in his spot for a few seconds before crossing back to the door and yanking it open.

A well-dressed man stood in the space, poised for yet another knock. Not even phased by the sudden disappearance of the door, he locked his hands behind his back. “Master Richard, I've been requested to bring you, the demon, and Miss Penelope to the church. Lady Maasa wishes an audience with you.”

Kael took a few steps forward, then hesitated in the middle of the room. He had one hand crossed over his stomach uneasily.

“In other words, you're telling us that we have no choice in the matter and must attend to the Lady's desire?” Richard snapped, but then the relaxed and looked back at Nelo and Kael. “All right, you two?”

Nelo looked back at Kael, studying the boy carefully before he returned her glance. He looked so lost and confused that it did little to relieve her unease. All the same, she rose to her feet as well and nodded to Richard. “Let's go.”

Part I ||  Part III