Chapter 38: Shifting Sands

The rest of the day’s walk was fortunately uneventful. Sadly, this meant it was also crushingly boring. Both of us focused on making good time, so there was little conversation. I could also tell we were both still tired.

I didn’t use magic to make another slab, so we slept under the stars the next night. I held Seyari again. This time, my sleep was much better. The only dream I remembered was a fading one where I fought one of the demons on the island in my human glamour. I punched it out. Seyari was there too, somehow.

Despite the quality of my sleep, I didn’t get much of it. Combining that with strict rationing of our food and water, I felt far from my physical peak. In a flatter stretch of particularly unremarkable sand, the monotony finally got to me.

“I’ve been thinking about all you said the other day,” I said.

Seyari’s next step faltered a moment. “How so?” She asked with a hint of trepidation.

I realized my wording could have been better. “Just thinking about what we should do. You said you wanted to destroy the Church, but from what you said the other night, it sounded like you only wanted to go after the secret organization within the Inquisition. Or what’s left of it.”

“Yeah. You might be right. I was angry at everything, but reliving those memories reminded me of some decent people in the Church of Dhias. I want to know how deep this corruption goes, though. I’m going to cut out every piece of it. And there’s a lot to cut out. Mordwell rebuilt the cult. He’s the one who Lorelei and Markus work for and he organized the expedition.”

“Really?” I felt a sinking feeling. “Do Lorelei and Markus know about the cult? What about Salvador?”

“Lorelei and Markus don’t know. I used them to get hired without directly meeting Mordwell. I doubted I’d restrain myself and there was the slim chance he’d have recognized me. Salvador got hired on at the same time as me. I don’t know anything about Salvador aside from our job and that he hated being called Sal.”

“But you two fought like a team!”

Seyari shrugged. “Your island was our second outing together. Plus, I have decades of experience, and he was very good at what he did.”

I chewed on that thought until we neared the top of the next dune; a particularly large one.

“I don’t suppose the demon-creating or summoning cult has a name?” I asked.

“Not that I ever found, no.”

“Want to name them something stupid?” I stopped at the crest of a dune.

Seyari stopped beside me to look out at the endless sand. “What, like ‘Demon Cult’?”

“That’s way too generic!” I was about to come up with a brilliantly insulting name, but I saw something in a flat area ahead. “Hey…is that a tree?”

I pointed to a small dusty green smudge in the distance. Seyari turned her faintly glowing eyes after my extended claw.

“It might be? Could also be a mirage.”

“Whatever it is, it’s in the direction we’re going. If it is a tree, maybe we could get some shade and stop for lunch?”

Seyari looked at my crimson complexion. “I really doubt you care about sun exposure.”

“I don’t, but I want to check it out if it really is a tree. Plus, you look like you burn easily.” I glanced pointedly at Seyari’s pale complexion.

She shrugged. “Not really. We can go to that place, but if the smudge is the lure of some giant monstrosity, that’s on your ass not mine.”

Suddenly, I had reservations. I remembered the titan scorpion. Would we encounter another one? Did anything even scarier exist?

“Do you really scare that easily?” Seyari reached up to wave a hand in front of my face.

“Yeah, kinda.” I admitted with a four-shouldered shrug. “Don’t really feel like dying again.”

“You’re way too open.” Seyari replied. “Great. Now I want to go check it out too. Even if I don’t burn, it’d be nice to get out of this heat for a bit, I guess.”

“Wait, it’s hot out?” I gave Seyari my best clueless look.

She punched my lower shoulder hard enough to make me stumble.

We resumed walking and I rubbed at my shoulder even though my regeneration quickly took out the forming bruise. As we got closer, the heat haze cleared enough for me to see that there was, in fact, a lone tree in a slightly flatter, rockier spot between dunes. Hopefully the harder ground meant this wasn’t a lure. Unless the monster was bigger than the flat area. I tried not to think about that.

Even still, I kept my claws at the ready. However, nothing happened, and we reached the tree without issue. It was a small thing, twisted by wind and scored by sand. The tree wasn’t quite twice my height and provided hardly enough shade for one of us. Seyari took that spot. Not that I minded.

I sat next to her and wrestled my four arms out of my pack. We each got something from our packs for lunch and as we started to eat, I realized there was something I wanted to try.

A familiar tug on my magic and I shifted into my glamoured form. I felt different; none of the discomfort was present, although I definitely felt phantom limbs. This form was me as well. Not demon me, but human me. Same me, but more easily sunburned.

Speaking of which, I was able to feel the heat a bit more. I also nearly fell over since I’d been sitting to accommodate a thick tail that was no longer there. I leaned back against the tree, no longer able to use a pair of hands to balance and another to eat. Idly, I wondered if my weight changed or if it just compressed. The tree seemed solid enough in any case.

“Zarenna?” Seyari asked.

I swallowed my mouthful of some kind of dried fruit. “Yeah?”

“Why are you wearing your glamour?”

“Felt like it.” I put another piece in my mouth. Apricot maybe?

“Since when do you ‘feel like’ doing something you’ve repeatedly told me you hate?”

“Since I found out I wasn’t a fraud.”

“Zarenna, you’re a demon who magically altered herself to look like a human.”

“Yep!” I replied brightly. “But both mes are me and I’m not a guy, so I’m not a fraud.”

Seyari was quiet for a long while.

“Mmmph!” Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me tightly. Thankfully, I managed to swallow and not choke.

“I’m sorry I put you through that,” Seyari said.

“Apology accepted! Honestly, I wish I’d been able to accept everything earlier. Would have made some things a lot easier.”

“You don’t have to do this if you’d rather look like a demon.”

“Do you mean now or in Ordia?”

“Uh, fuck. You—”

“Have to in Ordia.” I shrugged. “I know. As long as I can stretch my arms and tail every few days, I should be fine now.”

“Would you mind switching back for a moment?” Seyari asked in a voice that was suddenly small.

“Oh, sure.” I removed my glamour and turned to look at her.

Seyari looked up at me with glowing eyes and leaned forward. As if by instinct, I leaned toward her as well. Our lips met. We held for a moment, then broke apart.

Before I could speak Seyari continued. “Now your glamour.”

I obliged. We kissed again, lips parting for just a moment to touch tongues before we both pulled back. Seyari was blushing furiously. I felt my cheeks heat up the same way.

Seyari nodded. “There. Now you know how I feel about both forms of you.”

“Thank you,” I replied with a great big smile.

I really meant it. I could feel my heart beating quickly in my chest. I kept up the hug and debated going in for another kiss. Seyari saw my look and we shared one more, this time much more involved. Her tongue wrestled with mine, and in a desire to win, I felt my tongue shift toward my demonic forked one. My longer muscle was able to pin hers down and I pulled away triumphant.

Seyari’s lidded golden eyes widened in surprise.

I pulled my tongue back in. “Is something wrong?”

“Stick out your tongue again,” Seyari asked.

“Sure.” I stuck out my tongue.

My tongue was long and forked, just like it was supposed to be.

“Did you not feel your teeth?”

“Whah?” I ran my tongue along them. Dull, human teeth. “What? How do I still have my glamour?”

Seyari stared back at me. “How would I know?”

I tried to feel for my glamour. At first, it felt the same, but when I tried to manipulate it, the whole thing felt different, and malleable. On top of that, it seemed to hardly drain my mana at all. What happened? Was it really just my acceptance of my glamour?

With a thought, I turned my tongue to a human one. The change was almost instantaneous. I looked down at my human hand, and with a thought shifted it to my demon hand. My crimson coloration spread down the forearm, fading into the light tan of my glamour’s skin.

“Whoah. That’s wild!” Seyari exclaimed.

“It feels so natural to do, too. I’m hardly using my magic.”

I turned the hand over and experimented some more. The hand’s coloration shifted until I had my normal claws sticking out of a human hand. I could even change them one by one. Another thought and I brought one of my lower arms out. The entire limb was demonic, and I found I couldn’t change it to look human without draining a large portion of my mana.

Well, there went that idea. Not like I’d be able to explain four arms and a tail as a human anyway. Still! I could shift my glamour dynamically! Already, I felt much better about the future. I could live like this.

Not that I’d choose my glamour if I could afford not to. I wondered what could possibly have happened for me to have this ability. I tried to feel if anything was different. I still wasn’t completely recovered from our escape, but I did feel as if I had a bit more magical capacity that the last time I was rested.

My mind flashed back to Verrux’s last words. I couldn’t make out what he’d said, if it was even in a language I spoke. Had what he said meant something? He seemed to respect me for some authority I knew nothing about.

Before I could ask Seyari her thoughts on the matter, a different voice spoke up. “For one of your kind, your mortal transformation is truly impressive, Sovereign of Wrath.”

Immediately, I leapt to my feet, my human glamour gone in an instant. Beside me, Seyari took a combat stance, unsheathing a small blade she’d pilfered from the estate.

“I don’t mean any harm!” The voice spoke again from across the flat area. “I did tell you when last we met that my Mistress would wish to meet you, did I not?”

I turned to the sound of the voice. It seemed familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. Turning on my aura sight, I saw a faint outline of a roiling reddish-pink aura.

“Seems you’ve found me!” The aura came into focus alongside a familiar demon who faded into view. “You do remember freeing me, right?”

The demon before us looked the part of a succubus of legend with crimson skin and solid black eyes. Her wings were folded neatly behind her. Now I recognized her. She’d been bound to one of the pirates who attacked our ship. The one who had flown off.

“What was that about a Mistress?” Seyari asked with venom in her voice.

“My Mistress, the Sovereign of Lust. Did you not come this direction to seek her out?” The lust demon cocked her head to one side.

“We most certainly did not,” Seyari replied, then looked to me with a worried expression. “Right?”

“R-right!” I piped up and turned to Seyari. “I, uh, forgot to tell you that she mentioned her Mistress on the ship before flying off. We started talking about binding and I ended up forgetting.”

“Shit,” Seyari spat. “Think we should hear her out?”

“Maybe. I’m not sure.” I replied honestly.

Our uninvited guest spoke up. “Hellooo. I’m still here, you know.”

Both of us turned to glare daggers at her. She put her hands up and her tail down in a placating gesture.

Then she smiled. “Honestly, you two make a great couple. Who knew angels and demons could find love? Truly a story for the ages!”

“If you’re trying to endear yourself to us, it won’t work,” Seyari said icily.

“It won’t? Darn.” The demon pouted. “Still think you make a cute couple. Now if you’d be so kind as to follow me, we’re only a day’s trip out, though I must admit you’re slightly off-course.”

She turned as if to leave.

“Why would we follow you?” I asked coldly.

My harsh words seemed to have more of an effect than Seyari’s. The demon of lust stopped and looked back at me.

She gave a shallow bow. “My apologies for the offense, Sovereign of Wrath. My Mistress wishes to meet with you to establish good relations. She is willing to offer further guidance across the desert, as well.”

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Mereneth,” she replied.

I looked to Seyari who glared for a moment more before shrugging. “I don’t like it, but it’s your decision,” she said.

I thought about the offer for a long moment. “Can you agree we will not be harmed or manipulated in any way?”

Mereneth bowed slightly again. “You won’t be harmed. My Mistress wouldn’t dare try to manipulate another Sovereign or her partner without good reason. Provided you keep to your uncharacteristically good nature, I don’t foresee an issue arising.”

“How did you know we were out here?” I asked.

“Baetnal looks like a kicked wasp’s nest after the Third Prince’s death. And someone left the door open to an escape tunnel leading south. I, along with several others, were sent to start combing the desert.”

I thought about her answer. The coincidence was almost too great. Almost, but still believable. From the air, a tree with two travelers by it would by incredibly easy to spot. Not to mention I was red and Seyari glowed in the dark.

“Is anyone from the city after us?” I asked.

“I can’t see them from here, but our spies’ last reports indicated a troop deployment to the south. If you don’t follow me, you might be able to stay ahead of them,” Mereneth replied.

Well shit. Seyari’s expression darkened at that as well. If we ran into any trouble, we could end up with an army hot on our heels. Or worse. We also had limited food and water. We’d need to find an oasis or something in the next few days or we’d be in trouble.

How woefully unprepared we were for a trip across the desert started to sink in. I’d thought only about the next day, but we were going to have to start relying on luck soon if we kept on as we were.

“What if they follow us?” I asked.

“Unless they can get through all the illusions and wards of compulsion, they won’t even come close.”

“What are the chances they do get through?”

“Small. If they’re not looking for such wards, I doubt they’ll ask any bound demon to look for them. The human mages won’t be capable of interfering, and they’re the ones giving orders to their pets.” Mereneth smiled smugly.

“So, the chance of being followed isn’t zero?” I clarified.

Mereneth’s smile waned and she nodded.

I gave another minute to thought. Seyari shrugged again. I would have to make this decision myself.

“Is there a bath where you’re taking me? A bed?” If I was going to ask questions, I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity to see about a wash and a good night’s rest.

Mereneth laughed. “Both, of course. Is that enough to sway you?”

“It is,” I said after a short pause. “Lead the way.”

With that, Mereneth smiled, turned and took a running jump into the sky. She kept low and pointed in a direction. “We’ll be heading that way. I’ll fly low and you wave if you need anything. Try to follow me closely: this area is known for titan scorpions.”

Yikes. We either dodged an arrow or were walking right up to a ballista. I really hoped it was the former.