Ch 42 – You can’t just pretend as though you know the answer to life, the universe, and everything, and not expect me to question it!

“So,” Lilis began, awkwardly rubbing her arm, “I know this may not be the best time to ask, but are you certain about returning to being a man?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I gave her my best scowl.

We’d just made it to the bottom of the long stairway. Lilis held a lantern in front of her, and with a tap, she channeled magic into it. The lantern sparked before lighting up in a bright yellow flame. Between that, her backpack, and the sword at her waist, she looked far more prepared for our excursion into the catacombs and deep caves than I did.

Lilis continued, “Well, you just seem to be…increasingly comfortable as you are, and—”

“Like the Under, I am!” I spat back. “Just because I’ve grown used to it doesn’t mean that I feel ‘comfortable’ with being a succubus. Are you sure it’s not you that’s been coming to like me as I am?” I leaned forward, getting directly into her face.

“That’s not…” she sighed, shaking her head and turning away from me. “Nevermind. We should start walking.”

As I followed after her, properly entering the catacombs and its rows of dim coffins, I crossed my arms, a scowl etched into my face.

The absolute nerve! To think that she would imply such a thing. I mean, sure, I’d gotten used to having a tail and tits and everything, but to suggest that I wanted to stay like this was—well, ridiculous!

Our walk was quiet as I brooded and Lilis pondered whatever ridiculous notions were going on in that head of hers. I allowed her to lead the way. Not because she knew where to find the strange underground flowers, but because she at least knew the area down here better than I did thanks to her classes. Occasionally, she would leave a chalk mark along the wall, to indicate which way we were heading. Hopefully it would help to keep us from getting lost.

“I wasn’t meaning to offend you,” she eventually said. “I was just thinking that maybe…well, do you enjoy being a girl at all?” Her eyes met mine, and seeing my scowl, she interrupted me before I could respond. “Really, just think about it for a moment, alright? I’m not saying you should stay a demon or anything. It’s just, this is a rather unique opportunity, isn’t it? If you wanted to stay a woman, I’m sure that Healer Aevn could turn you human but not make you into a man again. And well, I just can’t help but notice that you seem to enjoy at least some minor aspects of womanhood. Just consider it, okay?” she asked diplomatically.

I stared back at her, giving the impudent girl what was assuredly not a pout but the best scowl I could muster. Somehow, I was sure she would say otherwise. My glares just didn’t have the same force that they used to.

Truly though, why would she possibly think that I wanted to be a woman? The idea was absurd, ridiculous, entirely out of nowhere! Sure, I’d gotten fairly used to being a succubus, perhaps I’d even adapted better than most would under the circumstances. That didn’t mean I wanted to stay as either a demon or a woman. That was just silly!

I crossed my arms, staring out into the dark catacombs around us, and trying to take my mind off of the, clearly, absurd idea. Large pillars as wide as my arm-span held up the arched ceiling above us. Off to the sides were rows of sealed coffins, obscured by the shadows being cast from the lantern in Lilis’s hand. The only other things in the ancient catacomb were numerous pots scattered about and containing things only Mir knew. Neither of us dared to stray off the main path, in fear of garnering her ire and wrath.

The ancient catacombs continued on, until eventually, another set of stairs took us even deeper. A sense of foreboding began to form in my gut, getting worse with each step down I took. Catching a glance at Lilis’s face in front of me revealed the frown on her lips, meaning she was certainly feeling the same. As we reached the bottom of the stairs, it hit me in full, and I had to pause.

The area around us was similar to that above, but much older and not at all maintained. Stalactites hung from the ceiling in one corner, and a series of crevices had split the old catacomb, connecting it to a cave system. We both eyed the area cautiously, not yet daring to move forward.

“If we want any chance of finding these flowers, I suspect that we’re going to have to head into the caves ahead of us,” Lilis informed me with a whisper. “I’m only vaguely familiar with the argentum vicus, but I believe it's actually some kind of magical tree that only grows around underground springs.”

A tree? Presumably a flowering one, at least. But then, why had the healer only told me to look for a flower? Perhaps she’d truly expected me to not be able to find one. Or she’d simply expected me to go about obtaining the flowers from it another way. If we couldn’t find it down here, of course, that may very well end up happening still. At least Lilis seemed confident in being able to get some from her family.

I couldn’t help but feel a bit silly now that we were down here actually searching. What were our chances of actually stumbling upon it? Probably quite low. Was this really the best course of action when there was a much more pragmatic alternative? As much as I wanted to get my hands on them and was itching to do something that felt like forward progress, I was suddenly wondering if my father would find my current venture to be the height of foolishness. I was no expert explorer, after all. Why waste my time down here when I could be obtaining the flowers through more sensible means?

I shook my head. It was too late for second thoughts now. I wouldn’t let the strange sense of uneasiness that seemed to pervade the air around us stop me. Even if it wasn’t high, there was still a chance of finding the flowers down here. So long as we were careful, there was no reason not to search and see if we were lucky. The healer had claimed they were down here, after all.

Biting my lip, I made the first step away from the stairs. Beside me, Lilis drew her sword. The expression on her face was deadly serious.

“I’m not sure what's down here. Could be nothing, but it’s best to be prepared. If we’re going to turn around, now is the best time.”

She looked at me in question, and I shook my head. “Whatever it is, I’m sure we can handle it. I’m not ready to give up just because of an odd feeling of danger.”

Lilis sighed. “Alright then, here.” She handed the hilt of the sword out to me. “Something tells me you know how to use this better than I do. I should be able to make do with my magic.”

With a nod, I grabbed it, taking a moment to get used to the weight of it in my hands. Several swings and jabs later, and I felt ready. All the endless lessons from my father hadn’t faded, regardless of how my body had changed. If anything, the swings came even easier, whether it was because of my body being more agile or due to the make of the sword, I wasn’t sure.

Satisfied, I turned back to Lilis. “I’m ready.”

Together, we proceeded, carefully making our way down into one of the caves. Lilis took care to mark our way back with the chalk, her other hand gripped so tight around the lantern that her knuckles were turning white. With a sword in hand, I was feeling quite a bit more confident, on the other hand. I’d always been better with blades than magic, in truth. Not having any magic at all put me at a disadvantage still, but I trusted Lilis to make up the difference in that regard.

The cave we made our way into was plain and rocky, with a long crevice down one side that dropped into darkness. We took care to stay clear of it until it split off in another direction. The eerie feeling didn’t fade. Instead, it sunk into me, deep into my bones and impossible to shake off.

Then we began to hear the noises.

It started as a light clicking sound, one that could be mistaken for a rare drip of water. As it continued, growing louder until it began to softly echo around us, it became clear that it was no natural noise. Unfortunately it was too quiet and obscured to figure out exactly what it was, or where it was coming from.

“What is that?” I whispered to Lilis, breaking the silence between us.

“I—I’m not sure.”

The girl seemed ready to bolt already. It wasn’t a good look. If she was already this skittish because of a mere noise, I worried how she would fare when actual danger showed up. I didn’t need someone with me who would freeze up or panic, potentially putting us both in danger.

“We can leave, if you need to,” I said, conveniently not saying that I’d just come back down on my own at the first opportunity.

Lilis took a deep breath. “No. No, I’m alright. It’s just, I’ve never—I hate this sort of thing.”

She grumbled under her breath, and I held in a sigh. It wasn’t as though this was my favorite activity either.

“Just stick with me and you’ll be fine. And don’t freeze up when whatever it is finally shows up. Got it?”

As we continued, the sound faded, only to then grow stronger. Then it did so again. I got the distinct impression that we were being stalked, as the sinking feeling in my gut grew stronger. My grip on the sword grew tighter, and I had to force myself to loosen it again. Being stiff would only hinder me when it finally revealed itself.

My tail curled around one of my legs as the nerves kept getting the better of me. To my right, Lilis seemed to become increasingly jittery by the moment.

Then she stopped, forcing me to pause alongside her.

“I—I think I see something ahead,” she whispered, just barely loud enough to hear, but still breaking the heavy silence around us.

I squinted trying to make out whatever she was seeing. The girl was probably maintaining some kind of spell to improve her eyesight down here. Sword at the ready, I eased forward, deciding to take the lead. After a few meters, I realized there was something up ahead.

Along the wall of the cave was a small opening. As the both of us moved closer, Lilis held her lantern forward and I peered into the familiar sight of another room of catacombs. It was even worse for wear than the last, with part of the ceiling having caved in on the left side. Crouching, I decided to enter, carefully eyeing the area. With a gesture, I motioned Lilis in behind me, who marked the way back with chalk.

In moments, the strange feeling that had started to become near-suffocating faded. The reprieve was welcome, but that quickly turned into suspicion. Lilis on the other hand let out a relieved sigh.

“You should not be here,” came an uncanny voice to my right.

Lilis screamed as I turned, my sword swinging at the large figure who’d suddenly appeared beside me. A large gloved hand caught the blade, bringing it to a full stop. Time felt as though it came to a halt as the ethereal sound of chimes met my ears, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere.

Looking up, my eyes met the thick bronze mask covering the figure’s face, as well as the two cold, gray eyes that somehow glowed in the darkness.

Recognition took longer than it should have, and I gulped.

I’d just attacked an arbiter of Mir.