Chapter 137: Group Training

I was informed that the training schedule had been adjusted without my input. No one visited the Gelles Company’s courtyard grounds the night prior, as concerns were levied, by those who shall remain anonymous, that such a semi-public space could give much away.

Unfortunately, Seyari and Kartania had a point. And with two of them, they knew they were harder to outvote. Really, I was over the moon with how well my fiancée was getting along with my sister. Although I was a little disturbed at just how similar they could be at times.

Double unfortunately, they weren’t alone. Nelys was excited to train, Joisse as well wanted to practice coordination and control, and Taava just wanted to see me suffer. So, I was outvoted five to one and we left at first light down a lonely road up into the hills, dotted with small, scruffy, snow-covered farms.

Those farms gave way to trees, and the road gave way to a path, the route over the southern pass now grown over with trees thrice as tall as I was. All the while, I tried not to grumble at my sleep being cut short by an excited Nelys in the middle of the night.

Their rings glowed blue now, faintly.

They’d also not bothered with the amulet, sticking their tongue out at the many strange looks we got. I wish I had that confidence. I looked down at my human hands.

Then again, they didn’t have horns, and a few of the people seemed to have guesses for what Nelys was. Right now, they used “half human, half cecaelia” as an excuse, and I had to admit it was more convincing than “um, ogre blood I guess.”

Still, the moment the last smoke trail of a sleeping farmhouse disappeared behind the trees, I let my transformation go. Much better.

“So,” I used my confidence boost while it lasted. “What’s the plan?”

“Regret everythin’,” Taava answered unhelpfully. “I knew we’d be outvoted, but I forgot just how cold it’d be!” The bard had bundled up under two clashing jackets, held my hand, and still shook like a leaf in a late autumn wind. “Please tell me this is as cold as it’s gonna get?”

I blinked at Taava and she hissed.

“We’re going to the mountains,” my sister answered. “Or the edge of the foothills at least. That’s why we’ve packed for three days. You’ll get back in time to see Bourick and make ready to leave Linthel, and we should be far enough away, though I can’t help but imagine your fiancée exaggerated your abilities.”

Seyari chuckled. “I wish I had. Powerful people attract powerful trouble, after all.”

“It’s not like I went looking! I just got found anyway!”

Seyari shook her head. “It’s too early to try to explain.”

I pouted and glanced at Nelys. They strode along confidently, a few centimeters taller than they were before. The tips of tentacles stuck out from under their new dark blue coat, which thankfully still fit them—a bit better even.

I had to admit that their smile was infections. Joisse, however, looked a little dour.

“I never liked winter,” she said sheepishly. “Even with other memories I have now, I still think of being stuck in a single room eating the same small, bland meals every day.”

Stepping over, I pulled her into a side hug with two arms. Joisse makes me realize just how good I had things growing up. “Well, we can make sure your winters are wonderful from here on out.”

“Thanks, Renna,” the younger wrath demon replied wistfully.

“Can ya make ‘em warmer?” Taava groused, still clinging on to one of my other hands.

Now it was my turn to hiss at her.

Nelys stopped to giggle, and the mood lifted from early morning drudgery to a long walk with friends and family.

We all made small talk during the trip. Kartania was perhaps rightfully reticent to bring up her past, so instead she resorted to telling embarrassing tales about my childhood. I was equally mortified and warmed by her tales of a cowardly young girl dragged around by her outgoing best friend and genius younger sister.

For my revenge, I dredged up stories from when Kartania was a toddler. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t fair that she had no similar stories of my own early childhood, but that was just a privilege afforded to older sisters.

I received a magically-empowered snowball to the face for that one. Seyari’s retaliation turned the early afternoon into a single rolling snowball fight that never quite ended until the sun’s light tinted orange and we settled into a camp for the night.

Taava sat closest to the firepit and was playing an instrumental melody of long, clear notes and shorter passages of ascending runs. Her eyes were closed and her ears twitching as she played, seemingly quite relaxed.

“The forest is so peaceful,” Joisse remarked, looking up at the stars staring to pop out of the darkening sky.

“It’s beautiful,” Nelys added. “You can hardly tell people live nearby at all—on the road here, there was always some sign or another.” They wore a big smile and sat with crossed legs, tentacles splayed out and playing with the groundcover around them.

I finished lighting the fire and sat back on the spot I’d cleared in the snow for us all. The ground was only a little singed, but the smell of smoke was comfortable. Strange that a lot of my best memories were now of campsite evenings like this one.

I looked around after Nelys’s comment. “The terrain’s too hilly, and the soil too rocky to be of much use. The timber is also difficult to harvest and mostly smaller, softer woods.”

“Dad told you that, didn’t he?” Kartania asked softly.

I nodded. "Yeah.”

“I miss him, Sister. And Mom.” She scooted over and leaned against me.

“Me too.”

“Don’t you dare die.”

I stiffened. “I’ll do my best not to, Sister.”

Kartania hummed. “The forest is too quiet, even for winter. I worry something dangerous is about.”

Seyari barked a short laugh that startled all of us. “That something is Zarenna, Kartania.”

My sister looked up at me, and I smiled back at her with razor sharp teeth. “Forget about the demon part?”

Kartania blushed. “You’re really not like other demons are you?” She glanced at Joisse. “Most other demons, that is.”

Joisse shrugged in response.

“S’what I’ve told you.” I gently pushed my sister’s shoulder with one hand. “According to everyone here I’m just a big softie and a heater that likes physical affection.”

“Cuddly,” Nelys defined. “You’re cuddly, Zarenna.”

“I’m covered in sharp bits, though!” I protested halfheartedly. “Thirty-two of them plus my teeth.”

“You don’t act very sharp,” Joisse hummed. “Even when you fought me, you mostly punched.”

“I was trying not to kill you!”

“Mhmm, exactly,” Seyari answered. “And I have intimate experience that you like soft things and cuddling.”

I flushed deeper scarlet. “Sey!” I glanced between my sister and Joisse.

Seyari responded by blowing me a kiss. “Fuck that, Renna. We’re all friends here and it’s not like we’re showing them what we do between the sheets.”

This time, I got hot enough that Kartania pushed off me.

“Watch that you don’t burn your clothes,” Seyari warned cattily.

I crossed my arms indignantly. “If I do, it’ll be your fault!” I took a moment to cool off.

“Why’d ya stop?” Taava asked, cracking an eye open. “I wanted ta see what happened next!”

Seyari responded with a snowball the Kazzel only barely dodged. Unfortunately, the fight wasn’t quite over yet when Taava responded, grazing Nelys with powdered snow and my newly-empowered friend responded in kind. Really, I thought we’d all earned the right for a little, or a lot, of immaturity. By the time we turned in, however, we at least posted a watch.

Me.

I volunteered alone, despite Seyari’s protests. Petty or not, revenge was mine, even if I did warm our tent first. Truthfully, I hadn’t needed sleep since that battle on the road south. One other vestige of humanity that was slipping through my many fingers.

Funny enough, I didn’t find that I cared much. The future worried me, the idea of just how awful outliving everyone I love would be, but I forced it away.

There was no guarantee that would even be a problem with the forces after me.

I sighed and looked up at the stars. Worse still, I hadn’t felt hungry as often. At least I could still both eat and sleep.

Though it seemed at least one other person couldn’t sleep either. I felt Joisse was asleep through our strong connection, but I heard stirring from Nelys’s tent. I didn’t get as much from them, which I liked. All I could tell was that they weren’t angry and they weren’t dead or dying.

Plenty enough.

Before I found out if they wanted to join me, Kartania slipped out of her own tent, one emblazoned with the symbol of Dhias in red on the side, and walked over to me to sit by the coals. Another late-night fireside chat?

No.

She simply smiled wordlessly and leaned against me, soft in her underpadding. I kept her warm with my arms and tail until dawn, although she fell asleep around the time the moon was full overhead in the sky. I watched the morning light soften her severe features.

“I’m here for you, Sis,” I whispered to no one.

***

The next morning, Kartania rose early and excused herself to her tent. Seyari came out shortly after and gave me a peck on the cheek.

“You’re a good sister, Renna,” she said quietly, breath fogging in the icy cold of a morning in the hills south of Linthel.

“Thanks, Sey.”

We packed quickly, rousing Nelys and Joisse who’d both slept in late. Taava was seemingly prepared, melting out of her bedroll still fully dressed before latching into me like a noisy limpet. As soon as she detached once we got walking, Nelys approached me, fiddling with their hands.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” I replied simply. “Everything feeling alright with the contract? Nothing worrying?”

“Can you tell?”

I shook my head. “All I can sense is if you’re angry and whether you’re dying or not.”

Nelys relaxed. “Good. Last night, I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Tell me what?”

Nelys smiled mischievously and held out a slightly webbed, tan-gold hand. I took it and immediately felt a tingling burning sensation that hitched my breath.

“Ma—”

Nelys shushed me, stopping me from saying “magic.”

“Marvelous, how your new form is suiting you.” I did my best to save things.

“Later,” Nelys whispered, black eyes warm and playful. “I want it to be a surprise.”

Grinning, I nodded. “Gotcha.”

“You two’d better not be conspiring to start another snowball fight back there!” Seyari warned from up ahead, looking back over her shoulder at us.

Kartania walked next to her in shining armor, stiff posture only slightly relaxed as she and Seyari led us through the forest to a suitable place for me to destroy a chunk of defenseless, innocent nature. Joisse and Taava walked in the middle, the latter whistling, and the former humming along quietly.

“I’m the responsible one, remember!” I called up to Seyari.

She rolled her eyes and turned back to Tania, resuming their conversation. Something about the benefits of different armors against magic and typical lesser demons.

We walked like this as the path continued doggedly on, the old grading of the former road the only sign we followed more than the animal path it had become.

It was late morning before Seyari and Kartania stopped us. I’d really enjoyed being led again, if I was honest. Sometimes stepping back from being the boss was just what I needed.

“There,” Kartania pointed to a valley ahead of us that ended in a gentle slide toward a flat-topped hill.

A rockslide or avalanche had left a clear, gently-sloping area that was certainly larger than it looked from our vantage point. The peaceful silence was only broken by the far-off howl of a wolf that echoed faintly up the valley.

“If we are willing to travel later on toward the night, we’ll be back in Linthel with plenty of time to spare,” my sister continued. “Seyari insisted we find a place you wouldn’t mind ‘burning to a crisp.’”

I nodded approvingly. “That looks good to me.”

“Let’s go then!” Nelys leapt past me, surprisingly quick on their new feet.

The rest of us followed and Kartania sidled up beside me. “I’m surprised, Sister. I feared the worst with a contract, but I can hardly see any corruption within them.”

I arched both my brows. “Really?”

Tania nodded. “It’s there, but for the power you’ve clearly given them, I would have expected more, especially with their rather extreme changes.”

“They do have legs now…” I muttered.

“What?”

“Oh, uh, ask them. Not my place to say.”

Kartania glared at me before sighing. “Fine. Do you have any idea why this may be?”

“Terrestrial demon,” I shrugged. “I’m less demon-ey than other demons.”

“Your aura seems plenty demonic to me.”

“Look, I’m no expert!” I put my upper hands out placatingly. “I’m making it up as I go.”

Kartania smiled thinly. “Just see to it that you’re careful, Sister.” She strode ahead of me.

I blinked after her, feeling a few tears form. Wiping at them, I followed.

Quickly enough, we reached the base of the scree and began our ascent. Under the snow, the loose rock was stuck together by roots and ice, making the terrain easy for all but the heaviest among us who disturbed the rocks.

Which was me. By the time we got to the top, I’d made the last stretch on two hands and two feet, using the others and my tail for balance. I crossed my lower arms and scowled. “No one say anything.”

No one said anything. Giggles and snorts didn’t count, apparently.

“So.” I feigned wiping sweat from my brow. “How are we doing this? Taking turns? Should we set up targets?”

Seyari smiled wickedly. “You first, love.”

I glanced at the others; only Nelys showed any hints of disappointment.

“Why does your smile scare me?”

She shrugged. “Don’t ruin the moment.”

My sister stepped between us. “I’ll make some targets from ice. I want to see your targeted fire and we’ll work up from there.” With a wave of her hand, my sister conjured three vaguely humanoid targets out of ice.”

“Did you have to make them human shaped?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.” I took a firing stance.

“Ready when you are,” Seyari said, her voice echoing a little bit.

Is she that excited to see me in action? Well, then I’d better give it my all!

I took a breath to focus and then lashed an arm out, casting three small lances of fire at the targets. While my first weak shots were airborne, I leapt skyward, flaming wings flaring to life in an instant.

With a single flap, I sent another ten jets of fire at the targets, aiming for limbs. A shield of ice appeared over them, and I felt a smile forming.

Active training it is, then.

Setting my tail aflame, I soared in a quick arc, sending a lash of crimson fire down. Worrying only for a second about my limited flying experience, I twisted and dipped, sending another lash out in an “X” pattern.

Not waiting for the impact with the shield of ice, I dove in fast, banking at the last second and breathing a jet of fire toward the targets. Under the shield as I was, I got two targets before spikes of ice forming from the ground a drove me back.

My lashing tail took one out, my wing another, but I didn’t fancy getting any more holes in my outfit than the ones my wings had made.

As I ascended again, I felt like a dragon from a fairytale, but one where the dragon rescues the princess from a… something. I didn’t have much time to find a way to finish the metaphor before a rain of hail drove me toward the ground.

The ice pellets hissed against my wings as they vaporized, but the pelting rain obscured my vision. Landing and shielding myself with my wings, I lit my claws ablaze. I wouldn’t risk my magic when I didn’t know where everyone was standing.

Aura sight failed to pierce the hail. I brought my hands up, ready to cast a spell to blow it away, then stopped. I cannot risk hurting my friends for the sake of showing off.

Instead, I flapped my wings of fire as hard as I could and pushed away a column of hail. One glimpse at the target was all it took for me to fire an anticlimactically small ball of fire to melt the upper half of it.

Immediately, the hail ceased, revealing the crowd of my friends. Nelys and Joisse looked on with wonder, Taava wore a carefully neutral expression, and Seyari looked smug. Kartania, however, seemed nonplussed. Another wolf-like howl echoed, this one a little closer. Surely they’ll be scared off by our display?

“Not bad, Sister,” Kartania said simply. “You’re incredibly fast, but your spell work isn’t where it needs to be.”

Not where it needs to—“I’m working on that.” I cut my own thoughts off. “Spell forms are only something I’ve picked up the last few months.”

Kartania raised an eyebrow. “If that is the case, then I’ll revise my assessment to well done.”

At that, I gave a bow.

“But I could tell you were holding back. Were we too close?”

Sheepishly, I nodded. “Yeah, I’m not going to ever risk hurting friends.”

My sister smiled at that. “I’d expect nothing less. Shall we see your full destructive power?”

“Do we want a training field left after?” Seyari answered for me “The others should go first.”

“I want to hear what Zarenna thinks,” Kartania replied stiffly.

“I’ll just show you a little. Stand back—I’m not going to use everything, but I want to be safe.”

The others all stepped back, Kartania at the front looking incredulous.

I strode out to the center of our impromptu training field and called upon the burning wrath of my magic. Flaming wings out, I rose into the sky, intent on using myself as the spell’s center. Quickly, albeit stiffly, I began to form a spell I’d scarcely used: a stronger version of the one from that night in Lockmoth. This time, however, I was only scorching the sky around me.

I’d also taken the time to form a bit of safety around myself. It wouldn’t do to burn away anything on me, or anyone I needed to protect, would it?

Fire gathered, and a crimson glow washed over the training field far below. The sphere of fire, near-perfectly formed around me, expanded to the size of the entire field, then beyond. I continued, rising higher as needed, until I felt the pull on my magic start to strain.

With a pirouette and a flourish of all my arms I doubted anyone could see, I unleashed my wrath. The sky burned. For a white-hot instant, all I could see was fire and all I could smell was a strange, harsh smell of burnt something.

Then sound returned in a rush of air. The crimson glow faded from the sky, and I looked down. Snow was missing from the tops of nearby trees, not from heat, but from the wind created by the ignition of my spell.

Suddenly more than a little tired, I descended quickly, dismissing my wings a few feet above the ground and landing in a crouch.

“Well,” I huffed. “How about that, Sister?”

When Kartania met my lopsided grin, her face was pale. “By Dhias…”

“Pretty good, huh?”

“Y-you could level a city with a spell like that.”

I shook my head. “No way that was big enough.”

Then Kartania did something unexpected: she bowed. “I’m sorry for putting you up to this, Zarenna. I… if I had known you were capable of such magic, I would never have suggested a full demonstration. Although, I now have a much greater appreciation for how careful you are around all of us.”

I scratched at one of my horns awkwardly. “Uh, apology accepted? Really, it’s no big deal. It was kinda fun—and now I know I won’t burn things outside of my spell.”

Kartania blinked. “Could you?”

I nodded. “It’s extra work actually to keep the heat contained.”

“By Dhias,” Kartania swore again. “And you say you are among the weaker sovereign demons?”

I nodded again. “I am.”

“Then it’s a wonder we’re not under their thumbs.”

I pointed to my heart, and then my head. “One good strike to a place I can’t regenerate, and it won’t matter. I imagine it’s the same for the others. It’s not worth the risk.”

Kartania’s reply was cut off by yet another howl, louder this time. Something about the timbre of it sent a shiver down my spine.

“Wolves don’t hunt in the daytime,” Joisse replied quietly.

I felt for my magic and realized I didn’t have much left.

Taava swiveled her ears. “They’re comin’ from the south. Might miss us, but there’s no way they didn’t notice what ya did, Boss.” She froze and pointed to the tree line south of us. “Somethin’s coming. Sounds like two feet, and just one.”

I tensed, suddenly all-too aware of my mostly emptied mana reserves.

“I hope we still get to train,” Nelys groused, their voice serious.

“Zarenna, can you still fight?” Kartania asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, but not so much with magic. I’ll take point.”

“I’ll be right behind you,” my sister replied.

“And I’ll cover the flank,” Seyari added. “Joisse, with me.”

We formed up and waited, ready for whatever burst forth from the treeline. Another howl sounded, and this time, it was followed by a chorus, each one grating against my head.

From out of the trees we faced, a figure stumbled. Small cuts and dirt covered their body, leather armor stripped of pieces and scratched heavily. She looked human enough, but tall pointed ears of white-gray fur and a bushy tail full of sticks and pine needles indicated otherwise. Lupael.

She wasn’t, however, the source of the howling. As she sprinted in our direction, the sounds rang out again, circling the clearing.

“Thank the gods!” the figure shouted in broken Ordian. “Please, we must run! The city should be north and we may still outrun…” She trailed off when she caught sight of me. “No. Gods, no! That fire—this was all a trap?” She fell to her knees, tears clouding her pale blue eyes. “No… not after all this. I can’t fail—I can’t.”

I caught motion in the trees behind her, and I didn’t hesitate. With a burst of speed from my wings, I flew across the snowy ground and scooped the exhausted woman up. Kicking off, making a trail in the gravel, I shot back, aiming for Seyari.

“Sey!” I skidded to a halt, feeling my wings spiral apart as my weakening magic failed to maintain them

The three-quarters angel moved quickly, a bright glow passing over the stunned woman. Several small cuts healed, but nothing could be done for the sheer exhaustion in the lupael woman’s eyes.

“We’ll stop whatever’s chasing you and get you safely to Linthel,” I told her, speaking as quickly as I dared. “Food and water as soon as we’re out of danger.”

She looked up at me, still stunned. To her credit, she recovered quickly rather than freezing in fear. “But… demon.”

“Good demon,” I answered simply.

“Zarenna!” Kartania shouted before the lupael woman could answer. “They’re here.”

I took a deep breath and set the woman down gently, next to both Joisse and Seyari. I didn’t have to tell them to keep her safe.

Then I turned, ready as I could be to face whatever howling horrors had chased her all this way.