“Our first order of business is to figure out what powers you have,” I called over to Gia, seated on a log as I looked at her across the clearing. We’d found another spot to try this out; large open spaces were at a premium in the forest, but given the destruction that might well ensue, I’d rather make less noise destroying trees and wildlife if possible.

“Right. Demon powers…” She seemed to say something to herself, but I couldn’t hear at this distance. Still, even from here I could see her excitement. “How do I do that? How can I do things?”

Lacking in personal power as I was, I normally wouldn’t be a good one to ask. But I’d been around a lot, and while I hadn’t met other brand-new demons, I’d spoken with those who had and asked many demons about using their own abilities. “There should be a natural urging, somewhere in the back of your mind. Maybe a strong emotion, maybe something you really want. Try to concentrate, and find that – act on what it’s telling you.” I paused. “Unless it’s telling you to attack me. On second thought, why don’t you just start by telling me what you feel.”

I could see her close her eyes, and silence fell between us, birdsong and wind-rustled leaves the only sounds until she eventually spoke. “Um, I’m not sure. A little thirsty, maybe?”

“Just thirsty? Not hungry?” A gluttony demon would be more likely than anything aquatic, but Gia didn’t seem like demons of either kind I’d known. Most likely this was a dead end, but I wanted to be sure.

“Nope, I’m good! Maybe I might be in a little while, but not now.”

I sighed. “Then unless that comes with a longing to plunge into water or thoughts that it’d be fun to drown someone…” From how she gawked at me there, I assumed both were a hard no, and mentally eliminated kappa and morgans from my list. “We can assume that’s not demonic instinct, and you just want a drink. Try and concentrate, again.”

She tried, but grimaced after a few seconds and shook her head. “Sorry, I just can’t feel anything like what you said. I don’t think so, anyway.”

“It’s all right. We can approach this in a different way.” Looking around, I spotted what I needed and picked it up on my way over to her. “Here.”

“Why are you giving me a stick?” Gia asked, smiling like she didn’t know if I was playing a joke on her.

“Because we’re going to test out some specifics, and I’m not letting you set me on fire. Now–” I retreated several paces just in case. “You still have all your memories, right? Think of something that makes you angry. Something you really hate, that you’d want to destroy at all costs…”

A moment stretched out as Gia stared at the piece of wood, then looked at me apologetically. “I can’t think of anything.”

Really? “Try harder,” I snapped, only to regret it as she flinched. “Just… there must be some time in your life you were angry, right? So angry you couldn’t think straight, you just wanted whatever had caused it gone.”

“I mean, yeah, of course I’ve been mad before, it’s just…” She trailed off, and something in her expression drew tighter. “All right. I might have something.”

“Good. Imagine like you’re back then, focus on those feelings.” Gia’s jaw clenched up, discomfort flashing through her eyes, but I kept speaking. “Imagine that whatever you were mad at is right in front of you – it’s held in your hand, right now. You can get rid of it for good, you have the power… just, turn around,” I said hastily, not wanting to be caught in the blast radius. “Throw that hateful thing away,” I didn’t want her to be caught in her own eruption, either. “And let all that anger out–”

Gia let out a full-throated scream of frustration, much louder than I’d think of this softspoken woman, resembling the cry of someone in agony. She whirled around and chucked the wood in her hand.

Absolutely nothing happened to the stick, save for it sailing a few yards away, bouncing along the grass and settling. Gia heaved out a heavy breath, staring at something I couldn’t see, and turned back to face me, a sheepish smile quivering back into position. “I, uh. I don’t think it worked, whatever was supposed to happen.” She gave a short, shaky laugh. “Felt pretty good to let that out, though! Even if it’s kind of embarrassing…”

“All you did is follow my directions. Nothing to be embarrassed about.” The nervousness in her eyes faded slowly as I held her gaze, smiling. “And I’d say we can be sure you’re not a rage demon, if it was that hard for you. Now, let’s try something else.”

The next few tests were no more successful, though, as I went through some major categories. No unusual laziness that I could tell, certainly not enough to sink into the ground. There were things Gia wanted, but no great avarice, not enough to pull them through the winds to her. Jealous thoughts were the easiest yet for her to conjure, but trying to transform objects met with a dead end. Gia couldn’t find enough reason to change rocks or flowers or trees, and though she asked, I wouldn’t let her try to transform herself. Too risky if that went wrong and she couldn’t change herself back.

There were other sins dangerous enough that I passed over them entirely. Lust was, well, a complicated thing to risk toying with, and trying to make Gia feel it for me, or vice versa – no. That would cross a line with the tentative trust we’d established, and risk taking us places from which there was no coming back. The risk of her turning our minds into dough was just all the more reason.

And pride… if she was a pride demon, I would not let her learn now, with me. Tapping into those powers without conscious control, and with the strength she commanded, she could put me into a waking dream I’d never escape. I might not even realize that she had done it. Demons of pride were among the most feared, and with very good reason.

So it was the lesser evil, really, cutting our testing short for today. “You may be the world’s most powerful mongrel,” I told Gia, standing over her as she sat on the grass, catching her breath.

She showed me a blank look, more confused than insulted. “Uh, you mean like a dog?”

“Mongrels are demons that don’t have a driving sin or characteristic behind what we are. Which generally means we don’t have the unique abilities of other demons, or much power of our own at all.” The reminder of my own weakness rankled. “We can gain some in growing stronger – enhanced strength, or agility, or durability – but not much besides that. And you don’t have any of those, either.” Well, not that we’d checked if she could take more pain or damage, but the others’ absence was evidence in their case. “You must have some powers, though. You’re like a bonfire of mana.”

“Well, I sure don’t feel as powerful as I'm supposed to be.” Gia looked weary. “Why are you so sure that I am?”

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“Demons can sense each other by the mana in our bodies. I could feel yours from a mile away. Literally, that’s how I found you.” Her eyes went wide, some realization dawning as I continued. “That’s a big part of the problem.”

“I can see, yeah. Like I have a giant target on my back.” She winced, quickly standing back up. “Right, that’s bad, uh. Can I do anything to hide? I know you’ve been nice, but I don’t want just anyone to be able to find me.”

“It would be better if you could fight, when they do.” Gia gave me a pleading look, and I sighed. “It’s technically possible to learn to hide your presence, but that would be harder for you than nearly any other demon. Not just from your inexperience, but the quantity of mana to conceal; it’s harder to muffle a flare than a candle, you see?”

“I dunno, a bucket of water would probably do it for both,” Gia murmured, lips quirking up in a faint smile.

“Cheeky.” But I couldn’t help an amused huff. “It’s possible there is a shortcut like that, but I couldn’t tell you how to go about it. Aura concealment’s not something I ever got the hang of.” Which I’d always found odd; it should be easy, with my own strength practically nil.

I could see her thinking for a moment. “Could you – I don’t want to have to ask it of you,” Gia said, eyes guilty and earnest as she looked at me. “But do you know how to fight, if people do come for me?”

At least she realized risking my life for her was a tall order. “I know how to fight, yes. But most demons out there have advantages I lack. Preparation and good tactics can give you the edge, but you can’t pull off miracles with them. Once you’re outmatched to a certain extent, you have to accept your odds are hopeless.”

“You really think things are hopeless?” Gia’s expression tightened, scared and drawn.

“No, I meant– I was talking broader contexts,” I said quickly, wincing. This girl wasn’t a military leader yet, and might not ever have the makings to be more than a figurehead. She wouldn’t be used to me talking principles of strategy. “We do have advantages of our own, here. Monem is a backwater, it’s got no strategic significance. No one important’s going to have reason to come here.” And at this point, it did seem no one had pursued me. “And besides that. Even if you can be found by sensing auras, most demons don’t use that power without specific reason.”

“Wait, really? Why?” Her eyebrows jumped. “Wouldn’t it be really useful, like to know if someone dangerous is around?”

“It can be, yes. It’s just distracting, seeing in an extra dimension, especially when more people are around you. It can even be painful, depending on who and how many. Your aura’s outright blinding, I don’t want to look at that.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Gia fidgeted, looking guilty again.

“Don’t be, that’s just how it works.” Still, it did leave me in a precarious position. I used that sense frequently when I could afford it, but being with a demon as strong as Gia meant I’d have to go without. Normally that would be fine, if I could depend on the demon, but she was far from ready for me to do that. “It would be best if you learned to sense energy, though. Even if we don’t know your own powers, that’s something all demons can do, learning to open our third eye.” I paused. “Well. A few only have that one eye, and some races have even more, but – it’s a colloquialism, is my point.”

Gia giggled softly. “Sure, I’m happy to try that. I wouldn’t blind myself, though?”

“You might think so, but demons can’t actually sense our own auras. Maybe brightness isn’t a perfect metaphor. I imagine it’s like, let’s say seeing your own face.” I paused; Gia opening her third eye would involve seeing how weak I was. Which wasn’t something I liked to draw attention to. But, well, she should lack a baseline for what ‘normal’ auras felt like. And I’d have time to prove my worth by the time she knew more. “Close your eyes. This will be easier without normal vision’s distraction.”

She did so, lips parted slightly, freckled face serene. I found myself staring for a second before I shook myself and continued. “You might not be able to fully open your third eye, at first. We’ll just want you to find that part of yourself. If you can open it just enough to find me, without using your eyes…”

Gia lifted a hand and it bumped against my side, startling me slightly as she smiled. “Found you.”

“Without my voice as a guide, either,” I told her, though I couldn’t keep a laugh from my voice as I took her hand – her skin was very soft – and lowered it. “There should be, mm, prickles of sensation, even with your Eye closed. Like when you know someone’s behind you, or you can tell you’re being watched. Try to find that prickling. Focus on it, dig into it.”

I let my voice subside, watching Gia standing there, silent. Her forehead was creased now in concentration, and all was quiet save for her soft breaths and the forest’s sounds around us. I’d let her have a few minutes like this; it wasn’t easy, tapping into a new sense for the first time.

Waiting and watching, I felt a prickling on the back of my neck. I twisted around and looked over my shoulder, scanning our surroundings. Nothing obvious but bushes and autumn trees, so I turned back to face Gia after a moment, but brushed the hilt of my dagger to make sure it was there. No one ought to be around, but they could be hiding.

“Okay, I think…” Gia spoke up, eyes squeezed shut. “I think I see something, feel something, but – it’s like there’s two glows, not one?” I tensed up, instantly on alert. “I’m not sure if that means I’m doing it wrong.”

“Where are they? Where’s the other one?” Aura sensing wasn’t exact, but a rough direction for our eavesdropper would let me know from where to expect an attack.

“What?” My whispers looked to startle her, and Gia winced, eyes blinking back open. “Aah, I lost it. I’m not totally sure, you were both in front of me, the other one was farther. Over there, maybe?” she suggested, pointing past me.

“Good enough. Stay here, don’t move, keep your eyes open. Shout if you see or hear someone.” Turning away from Gia, I tuned out her gasped ‘wait!’ and cut a sharp right out of the clearing, hiding myself among the trees.

Ideally, they’d be scared off now that Gia had sensed them, but there were plenty of demons too stupid, greedy or gluttonous to pass up a chance like this. And I didn’t know how much they’d seen, how aware they were of Gia’s weakness. But I had to assume they knew enough to be a threat. Drawing my dagger and circling around towards where Gia had pointed, I looked for any mismatched colors, any hints of movement, ears peeled for sounds of breathing or someone moving through brush.

Nothing stood out as I crept closer, so out of reluctant necessity, I opened my own third eye. Even steeling myself for it, Gia’s brightness made me grit my teeth, forehead throbbing immediately. I searched around for the other presence she’d mentioned, and… nothing?

How could that be? They couldn’t have fled that fast without some kind of sound. They could be hiding their own presence, but why wouldn’t they have been doing so before Gia noticed them? If you’re trying to observe while hidden, of course you’d want to hide yourself as well as possible. That didn’t rule out the stupid option, but…

A rustling from above was all the warning I got. I dodged away on instinct but it wasn’t enough, and barely held in a scream as a weight smashed into my shoulder, bolts of pain shooting through me as I staggered back. Looking up frantically I saw a blue-haired goblin dropping from the apple tree, wearing torn leather armor and a helmet and hefting a battleaxe as big as her. My heart jumped in my chest, but a glance confirmed she hadn’t cut me, even if my shoulder was a mess of white-hot pain and I couldn’t feel my arm below, let alone hold my dagger. She must have hit me with her axe’s blunt back, but given goblin eating habits, not wanting me dead was not encouraging.

Fuck, how had she ambushed me? I should have seen her up there when I first looked for someone! Unless she’d climbed it while I made my break for the trees, covering up the sounds with my own crunching footsteps…

Yellow gaze settling on me, the goblin showed me a toothy grin and pulled her axe back for another blow. I stumbled back, steel flashing in front of my glasses, searching for anything to defend myself. A branch could catch blows and maybe dole them out too, but as I stooped to grab one in my good hand, she stepped in close and struck again, faster than I’d thought.

Pain exploded behind my eyes, and as the world went dark, I dearly hoped Gia had learned something that could help us now.