Chapter 39: Quaint Illusion

With Mereneth flying overhead, Seyari and I continued our march through sand, sand, and more sand. Neither of us particularly trusted our demonic guide, so we still rationed food for dinner.

We stopped well after the sun had set. In a surprising show of politeness, Mereneth sat far away from us. Still, neither Seyari nor I were in the mood for continuing our make-out session that had been interrupted.

I flicked a grain of sand off of the piece of jerky I was eating. “When I was young, I remember learning about the Church’s fight with a demon in the west of Edath. I’d been told the demon was massing an army. Some people had even blamed the dwarves. No mention of your old identity either.”

I spoke low enough that we wouldn’t be heard. Unless Mereneth had better hearing than I did. Even that possibility was thrown out when Seyari used her wind magic to create a vortex around us that I imagined would drown out our voices. I was impressed and thankful she had the control to keep from sandblasting us.

After setting up her wall of wind, Seyari looked toward our third wheel and back to me. “That was the official story, yes. Not terribly far from the truth, in a sense. As for my old identity, the Inquisition kept my identity and existence largely a secret through contradictory rumors and by keeping me isolated.”

“I’m sorry you had to live like that.”

“Yeah, me too. In hindsight, they clearly did so to better control me. I wish I’d seen through their lies sooner, but I can’t change the past.”

“But you can prevent the worst parts of it from repeating,” I added.

Seyari nodded. “Yeah, I can. We can.”

After a moment, I asked, “The dwarves clearly weren’t involved, but did the Church start that rumor too?”

Seyari took paused to think. “I don’t think the Church circulated that rumor. As far as I know, they’re still trying to make inroads with the dwarves.”

“No luck, I hope?”

“None at all. I’d like to see what the poor quill-pusher who got stuck with adapting a human-supremacist doctrine for dwarven sensibilities came up with, though.”

“The Church really is human-supremacist, isn’t it?” I looked down at the sand between my bare feet.

I’d taken my boots off to give them a break. My toe claws had about punched all the way through the front of them anyway. I could glamour the sharp nails away, but they were my boots’ problem, not mine. I dug my claws into the still-warm sand.

I thought back to what Elena the tailor had told me. I only remembered the names of a couple species of people, but at least I’d avoid lumping a bunch of disparate peoples under one word.

Seyari answered after a few moments. “The Church is very much human supremacist, but your optimism makes me want to hope some members don’t ascribe to that shit. Funny enough, Dhias himself isn’t human-supremacist.”

“Really?” I looked up at Seyari with some measure of hope.

“Yeah, really. I read enough scripture that I’d damn well better remember some. Doesn’t accept demons though. Sorry about that.”

I laughed darkly. “Darn. Here I was thinking I could point to some text in a book and get everyone to forget their prejudices.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice.” Seyari let out a long sigh. “The Church fits Dhias’ tenets to their ideals, not the other way around, I’m afraid.”

“Did it always used to be like that?”

Seyari gave me a serious look. “Most people you ask from the Church would still insist it’s the other way around. Probably been like that a damn long time.”

“Well that sucks.” I had half a dozen other replies I could have given, but I wasn’t up for trying to debate moral philosophy.

Seyari, thankfully, also let the conversation (and the swirling wind) drop and went back to eating. After dinner, I was reluctant to sleep the way Seyari and I had the past two nights. Seyari wasn’t however, and her reminder that I ‘didn’t need to give a fuck’ what our guide thought soon saw us into a comfy sleeping position.

Or one that would be comfy if not for the sand. Mereneth better not have lied about a bed.

The next day, we resumed walking while Mereneth flew overhead. Sometime around midafternoon, the lust demon landed next to us.

“You’ll need to hold my hand when we pass through the wards.”

We both gave her an incredulous look.

Mereneth huffed. “I can’t drag both of you through if you’re fighting me, so unless you want to banish the wards and risk the army investigating before my Mistress can put them back, you’ll each hold one of my hands.”

To my side, I saw Seyari’s eyes flare up with aura sight for a moment. I checked as well. Something seemed to be suspended in the air like motes of magic dust. Not that I could make head or tail of it. Really, had I not been looking I may not have noticed it. Then again, I’m not trained in aura sight. Or magic at all. Or any kind of weaponry. I should fix that soon if I’m going to have to fight in my glamour.

Suitably convinced, we each took one of the demon’s hands. Her skin was soft. I’d be jealous, but mine was too. Somehow. Surely a benefit of nonsensical demon physiology.

Mereneth’s aura pulsed. I didn’t resist her magic and felt a small tingle.

We walked through a seemingly normal stretch of desert and into the fine dust of the wards. Nothing happened for a minute or so, but as we continued, my anxiety grew. I kept my thoughts ahead and on keeping my grip on Mereneth’s hand.

“You’re crushing my hand,” Mereneth said from far away.

“Sorry,” I replied from somewhere deep underwater.

Another few agonizing minutes and the feeling slowly ramped down from its awful peak. Sounds returned to normal. That normal was simply the soft rushing of loose sand underfoot and bountiful silence. I didn’t see anything ahead.

We walked for the better part of an hour before Seyari spoke up. “Can we let go of your hand now?”

“Oh? Yes, of course,” Mereneth replied.

“How long have we been out of the wards?” I asked.

“Only for a kilometer or so,” Mereneth giggled.

Seyari gave her a death glare. I laughed and took Seyari’s hand in mine. My girlfriend smiled smugly at the lust demon who looked surprisingly pleased in response.

“I told you the two of you were cute!” She formed a heart shape with her spaded tail.

Seyari’s glare faltered. I almost kissed her cheek, but stopped to decide if I wanted the fallout of purposefully making the situation even more embarrassing for her. Personally? I was all for being a cute couple. I hoped and suspected Seyari was too, and just being contrarian.

I kissed her quickly on the cheek.

She punched my shoulder, but not very hard.

I knew I was right.

***

Logically, hiding behind terrain and not just wards made sense. If anyone managed to make their way wholly or even partly through, you wouldn’t want to be revealed. It only made sense to have even more sand. I kept telling myself this, but when the dusty green of an oasis came into view an hour later, I couldn’t maintain that outlook any longer and barely restrained myself from sprinting toward it. The oasis itself was a modest sort of thing set somewhat surprisingly at the top of a small rocky outcropping. I didn’t understand the geology behind it, nor did I care to at the moment.

Fear of the unknown was a powerful motivator. I wanted to make a good first impression at the very least, given that who we were here to meet was a powerful demon. Mereneth had been surprisingly cordial compared to what I expected, and I made an attempt to temper my anxiety with an open mind. I’d be a hypocrite if I judged other demons by anything besides their actions.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but a quaint town of an architectural style reminiscent of what little I remember of the central Ordian countryside was near the bottom of my list. Several houses and outbuildings surrounded a central plaza. While there was a well, this location had no open pool of water. Clearly the place had groundwater, however, as the land sloping up behind the outcropping was home to a small region of rolling fields bounded by a stone wall. A windmill lazily rotated in the hot breeze and set the backdrop for a jarring scene.

We climbed a series of stone steps and walked through a small gate into the central plaza. I wondered if the entire town was an illusion right up until someone in the town square, who looked very much human, openly walked up to the three of us to greet Mereneth with a smile. Adding to the illusion of a displaced Ordian village, they spoke in Ordian.

The other demon responded with a smile and introduced me and Seyari by name. I didn’t recall telling her our names, but she could easily have picked them up from conversation.

We followed Mereneth through the town to a moderately large house overlooking the sands and oasis both. I was surprised my appearance wasn’t noted by the people who were by and large human (though I did see a Kazzel individual).

Seyari and I shared a glance. Something wasn’t right here. The odd styling of the town aside, I had a hard time believing my appearance wouldn’t garner any reaction. A few people had waved, but most of those who were about glanced over then kept on with their business. From the look of the fields, it was close to harvest and there seemed to be work aplenty.

Perhaps everyone was just used to seeing demons. I doubted that and decided to ask the Sovereign of Lust once we met her. If these people were under her thrall, I wasn’t sure what I’d do. On one hand, I would want to free them. On another hand, I had no idea if I could take on a demon who had enthralled an entire small town. On a third hand, I didn’t know the circumstances of these people or why this town even existed in the first place. I hoped the Sovereign of Lust was amenable to questions, because I had plenty to ask regardless.

We entered the house’s front garden; a rather pretty arrangement of flowering desert shrubs and grasses cut by a straight stone path. I’d expected a mansion, a fortress, or, well, something demon-ey. This home looked downright cozy despite the clash of surrounding geography.

Mereneth hit the knocker against the door twice. From inside, a bright feminine voice called that she was coming. Seconds later, the door opened to reveal a bizarrely normal sight.

Standing in the doorway, clad in a modest ochre dress that complimented her magenta skin, stood a spectacled demonic woman with a bright smile on her face. She had no visible wings, but a tail with a fat spade at the tip flicked excitedly behind her.

“Mistress, I have brought the Sovereign of—” Mereneth’s announcement was cut off by a dark pink blur.

“Wonderful!” The magenta-skinned demon dashed forward and craned her neck to look up at me. “You’re even taller than Meri said!”

The spectacled woman must have been more than half a meter shorter than me. Before I could respond, she whirled past a flustered looking Mereneth to stop in front of Seyari. “And who might you be? Part-angel, too! Mostly angel, even!”

Mereneth tried again to speak. “Mistress, she is the partner of the Sov—"

“Partner!? Oh my, how absolutely wonderful! Truly the bonds of love can transcend all boundaries! Please, come inside! I’ll prepare tea and you two can meet my wonderful Izzy!” The Sovereign of Lust was practically bouncing on her feet, excitement lighting up her red-pupiled eyes.

Mereneth spoke up again, frustration seeping into her carefully respectful tone. “Mistress, what about the other—”

“How many times have I told you not to call me mistress, Meri! Lilly is fine!” Lilly grabbed one of my hands and one of Seyari’s. “Oh, and could you be a dear and call the others back from the search? Thanks!”

Before poor Mereneth could even respond, Lilly the Sovereign of Lust dragged both Seyari and I inside, closing the door with her tail. Both of us were too stunned to react.

What on Varra had we gotten into?