“WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?”

"In the palace, under the protection of the baroness. Just like I said last time you screeched at me." Sheriff Abernathy opened the door to the jail and gave Fredricks a pleading look.

"AND YOU'VE DONE NOTHING TO GET HER BACK!"

Fredricks passed by and dragged the woman out with him.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

Abernathy sighed as he locked the door and made his way to the desk while rubbing his temples. He stopped and looked at the man sitting in the cell reserved for the drunks. "What the fuck happened to you?"

Alek chuckled dryly. "Picked a fight with a mage."

"Merlin?"

"That's the one."

The sheriff flopped down into his chair. "He cast teleport?"

"Felt more like fly."

"And what? He missed the door and threw you into the wall?"

"No, I landed in the dirt."

"So how'd your face get so fucked up?"

"You mean more than usual? I tried to get back in."

"Then what?"

The Tiefling shrugged. "Then I woke up here."

Abernathy let out a laugh. A real genuine laugh. It felt good. "You don't really fit what I expect from a hero." He fished out his keys and slowly got up.

"Wrath is dead. He was the hero. I just made sure people knew it."

"Hmm, that doesn't really help me. You have any skills other than public relations then?"

"I can fight. Other than that, planning, research, prep work. Wrath was really only good at hitting things."

"Hmm."

Alek watched the sheriff disappear behind a sheet that separated some of the cells from the rest. The sound of keys hitting the lock echoed throughout the mostly empty room.

"What? Already?" Said a vaguely familiar female voice just before Red stopped in front of Alek's cell. "Holy shit! What happened to your face?"

"Fist fight with an Orc. Is it really that bad?"

"The whole left side is swollen."

The sheriff pushed her on. "Get out of here. Well consider this a full day."

Alek watched as the sheriff shoved her outside and locked the door. "What's with the special treatment?"

"Maybe I'm trying to get into her pants." Abernathy said without any real humor. He unlocked Alek's cell and turned to flop back down in his chair.

"She's a bit young."

The sheriff snorted. "What kind of man doesn't want a hot young thing to warm his bed?" He sifted through a drawer and pulled out a pipe along with a striker and small tin. "She's not that young. We're just that old."

Alek accepted the point as he left his cell. "So, I'm good to go?"

"No." The sheriff kicked out a chair. "I need your help."

"If you're going to light that up in here I insist on opening a window."

Abernathy didn't say anything, just jerked his head to the rear window as he lit his pipe. "How 'bout some whiskey?"

"Sure, but whiskey usually means things are getting serious."

The sheriff snorted again and pulled out a bottle and glass. "I need a hero's help." He mumbled.

"I'm retired. If this doesn't affect my little homestead, I'm not sure I give a shit."

"You tell me." Abernathy filled the glass as Alek sat down. "Open the doors to the palace and a bunch of little fuckers come flying out. Like bats with stingers, nasty little shits. You know what those might be?"

Alek shook his head. "Not a clue."

"Yeah, how about little gray fuckers." He held out a hand at about four feet off the floor. "Yay tall. Swollen body, small head, too many teeth."

Alek started shaking his head, but stopped the moment Abernathy mentioned the smell. "Like sulfur, decomposing bodies, and shit?"

"Yeah, just like that."

Abernathy watched the Tiefling drain the glass of whiskey. That was somewhat concerning. Alek took a deep breath.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"Why would you have demons coming out of the palace?"

"Demons?"

"Dretches to be specific. A lower demon, nasty, hard to kill things."

"Fuck. I was hoping it wouldn't be that bad."

"How long?"

"A couple months now. They occasionally come out at night. My boys are dead tired and we've lost a few. Lady Emixie seems to think there are around ten of the fuckers in there."

"Lady Emixie?" Alek asked, surprise in his voice. "You mean there are people in the palace? Alive?"

"Yeah. The whole staff I think. Or most of them anyway."

The sheriff frowned as Alek poured himself another glass of whiskey, but didn't otherwise say anything. "Okay, start from the beginning. Or what you suspect is the beginning."

"What I suspect is the beginning. Shit." He took a long hit from his pipe. "Okay so the baron hires a new girl nobody has ever seen before. Pretty thing, young, dark hair, perfect body. Very attractive, you know. Two weeks later, the baroness keels over dead. Over a couple weeks is the funeral and the mourning, then the wedding. Obviously that started the rumor mill. Baron murders his wife so he could marry the sexy little servant girl, except he dies a month later. Now that servant girl is the baroness. Thing is, the actual job of being a baron, or baroness I guess, is being done better than it ever has been. A few weeks after the baron's funeral came the first of the creatures we had to deal with. After that, the palace was closed off and Lady Emixie has been running the Barony from a brief exchange of papers daily. An overwhelming number of… things, rush us if we open the doors too far. The Lady has ordered me to keep the town running, but in my infinite stupidity, I sent a message out for mercenaries to guard the place. Which has caused far more problems. The whole thing with the palace has been kept mostly a secret. Though I've got two men dead and a half dozen being treated at any given time." Abernathy took another deep drag of his pipe. "That's about the lot of it."

"So either the Baroness is a demon, or something more complicated is happening."

The sheriff shrugged. "My guess is the Lady wants the demons out, so I'm'a gonna lean on something more complicated."

"Hmm. You can't get into the building because of the little flying fuckers?"

"Right."

"Have you tried nets?"

"Nets?"

"Nets over the doors to catch them as they fly out."

Abernathy stared at Alek dumbfounded. Alek stared back in disbelief.

"What have you tried?"

The sheriff looked uncomfortable. "Erm, shooting them."

Alek down the rest of his whiskey. "Well fuck."

***

What a sorry state. Alek shook his head as walked around the guard's camp. The palace was way the fuck north of town and shoved into the forest. Or really, the forest had overtaken the surrounding area. It wasn't terribly big. Only a single story, made out of stone and surrounded by a short wall. The guards were camped out by the gate. Everyone of them dead tired. The bags under their eyes and sickly sunken faces made them look ghoulish. Even the ones that clearly didn't like their boss bringing a devil-blood around didn't seem to have the energy to do more than give half hearted glares.

“Alright men, and Kathren, this is Alek Harbinger. Better known as the Harbinger of Wrath. He is going to help us take the palace tomorrow morning.”

“No.” Alek said loud enough to be heard by everyone.

The sheriff’s expression, which hadn’t exactly been a smile, but was the closest thing to one anyone had seen in a while, instantly faded. “I thought you agreed to help? As your homestead is doomed if the town is fucking over run.”

Alek continued scanning the sorry state of Abernathy’s men, and the one female presumably named Kathren. “I agreed to help. Not to go in tomorrow.”

“The longer we wait…”

“Do they look like they would survive?” Alek let his piercing yellow eyes lock onto Abernathy until the sheriff backed down. It didn’t take long for him to look away and re-examine his men. His tired eyes looking even more sunken.

“What have you been eating?”

The man Alek asked looked around him as if hoping the yellow eyes weren't fixed upon him. “Um, bread, dried meat, and tea.”

“I see.” Alek started pacing. “Starting as soon as possible you are all to eat eggs, meat, and cheese. A small portion of bread is allowable, particularly with a hearty stew. Better yet, have someone get a pig and start roasting it.”

The girl spoke up. “Won’t that attract the monsters?”

Alek nodded. “A fair point. Are you concerned that you’ll have to fight them in broad daylight, with plenty of room to move, a breeze to mitigate the scent, and a roasting pig as their target instead of yourself?” The girl shrunk under those words. “This isn’t going to be a picnic. You are not allowed to eat until you’re stuffed, just until you’re not hungry. Now, all of you line up here with your weapons.”

The group as a whole looked at the sheriff, who shrugged. “Do as he says.”

They collected their gear and loosely formed a line. “Sheriff, could you please stand behind them about ten paces. Okay, is that the gear you have?”

The group looked at each other.

“I get it, you’re guards, not mercenaries. Sheriff, everyone here needs at least a shield and a spear. Cold Iron anything if we can get it and a couple of heavy splitting mauls. Several cast nets as well, and…” Alek looked back at the palace doors. “Get someone to assemble some moveable barricades.”

“Is Cold Iron different from any other Iron?”

“Good question. Cold Iron is exceptionally pure iron ore that is never brought up near its melting point. It takes a talented smith to work it and it tends to be highly effective against fey and demons for some damn reason. You likely won’t find any here, but best to look.”

Alek stopped his pacing and centered himself in front of the line. “Alright. I understand you’re all probably better against drunkards and thieves, but I’m going to test your group tactics. I am a big scary demon. Don’t swing at me, just block. Understood?”

Alek didn’t really get a chorus of yeses, but approached the line anyway. Those with shields raised them, and those without, raised their weapons in a defensive manner.

“Good.” He stepped back. “Now. The sheriff behind you is also a demon. Defend against him.”

The whole group, except one skinny fucker who looked back and forth between Alek and Abernathy, did a horribly uncoordinated about-face. Alek walked up to the line of backs, only the skinny guy putting himself in the way. Alek grabbed the man’s club and pushed him out of the way. He grabbed Kathren and an unnamed man and yanked them backward. “You’re dead!” He hissed. He grabbed the next man by the neck and called a stop.

“What did you all do wrong?” He asked the man he was holding, who was doing a good job of not retaliating.

“Ah. I guess when you said that John was also a demon, we just kind of forgot that you were.”

Alek let the guy go. “That’s about right. Sheriff, you remember the list I gave you?”

Abernathy tilted his head as if thinking about it.

“I do.” Said the skinny guy that was smart enough not to ignore Alek.

“Fine. I’m going to throw some coins at a soldier to help with training. This isn’t exactly my forte. Abernathy, find Red and ask if she wants in on this.”

“You mad? She’s not going to be useful in combat.”

“Sure about that?”

The sheriff opened his mouth to retort, but stopped. He managed to look completely unsure.

“Oh and I want as much information on the inside as possible. A map, disposition of friendlies and enemies, anything and everything. Any questions before I leave?”

It was Kathren that raised her hand a bit tentatively.

“What?”

“What happened to your face?”