Indrajit took the trio to a safe distance away from the cave of dragons. They stood atop a mountainous peak with a great view of Avaron as well as the vast ocean. As Indrajit squatted, the LEOs sat down to rest. Their magical power had drained completely. Cassandra was still standing, determined to prove her mettle.

Indrajit: Here you go. There are 48 silver coins in this pouch. As promised. The deal is now complete. I’m not gonna give you a ride back and risk getting puke all over my picturesque vehicle.

Cassandra: Yes, that would be shameful for us too. Can I ask you something else?

Indrajit: If you keep on prying, you will never see me again. Maybe one day you will require my help for a different and more complex task. What then?

Cassandra: No, no, I don’t wish to know who you are anymore. Unless you willingly wish to share that information. I just want to know, why the need for secrecy? In our town, we protect all, foreign and domestic as long as they don’t mess up the harmonious environment. My family fought to preserve peace between all races, and I don’t want that equation to change.

Indrajit: Well ma’am, some things are best left buried. Reality is harsh, like the shattered glass from a mirror that makes you bleed. The truth of the matter is no matter how hard your father and uncle try, peace between the human race and demons is never going to last. You will realize that one day, and you shall be helpless in the face of that fact. But the illusion that y’all maintain out here is indeed something to die for. So I commend your bravery. Keep the dream alive.

The young duchess blushed. The masked man was unlike any adventurer she had ever come across. He was certainly on the level of Lazybones, the Class 0 human warrior from the rotten neighboring nation who had humiliated her on the battlefield many times.

Cassandra: So what next? Shall we grab some grub?

Indrajit: You should take it easy for a while since the journey and battle have been quite chaotic. How come you LEOs don’t say a word?

Young Duchess: They have taken a vow of silence many years ago. That helps prevent information from leaking out and reaching enemy territory. Especially if any of them are taken, prisoner.

Indrajit: Smart. Must be hard, living like an ascetic. I sympathize with your position. Come, let us get back to the town. Your father must be worried sick.

______

Indrajit bid the three adieus and promised to meet them during nighttime. He had to swing by the church and see Fiona. She was finishing up the evening prayers when he poked his head inside the Temple of Shiva. Thus, he waited outside until the priests were done. The leader of the crew, Faron took notice of him. Once the prayers were over, he went out to greet the stranger.

Faron: I’ve been wanting to meet you ever since Zorro informed me that a masked stranger had taken refuge in the town. But Alas! Our paths never crossed until now.

Indrajit: Hello Head Priest. The enigma has arrived in the flesh.

Faron: So you have signed up at the guild eh? The stories of you slaying 500 slimes in a short span of time have probably spread beyond the walls of this town. You should remain vigilant, some unwanted guests might show up to challenge you to single combat.

Indrajit: I sincerely hope they won’t bore me. For I still have miles to go before I croak.

Faron: You seem like a confident adventurer who surely has a trick or two up his sleeve. I shall hire your services for tomorrow then since we are going to be busy commemorating the Night of Lord Kit.

”So that is what He is called in these parts of the world”, Indrajit thought.

Indrajit: Cool. Is 30 silver coins a price the Temple can pay?

Faron: My boy, if you manage to defend us all, I will pay 60. There shall be hundreds of devotees arriving by the crack of dawn. Will you be able to wake up early?

Indrajit: That won’t be an issue at all.

Indrajit decided to send a Soul Copy whose strength would be enough the defend the Holy Place. He was a deep sleeper just like his uncle Kumbhakarna.

Indrajit: I need to talk to the new kid. Can I see her now?

Faron: Sure. Go right in. She is still seated in the hall.

The demon stepped inside.

Indrajit: Hey Fiona! How are ya?

Fiona: You are here already? Did you manage to track down a winged beast? Even a wyvern’s horn would be good enough.

Indrajit: Haha, don’t get worked up. Mission accomplished.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

When Fiona saw the horn, her eyes shone brightly.

Fiona: You wait here, I will store the horn in a safe place and come right back. Let’s go eat now?

Indrajit: That’s why I dropped by, Fi.

Fiona: Yay! More food for me!

The child ran towards the inner chambers. Several other priests in the hall were conversing in hushed undertones. They were puzzled and somewhat scared of the masked fellow. Because of his heightened sense of hearing, Indrajit was forced to listen in:

”Here’s the slime killer. Now he’s taken down a dragon? What sort of beast is he?”

”He could be the Demon King in disguise. If so, may Lord Kit protect Avaron from impending danger...”

“Blistering barnacles! The presence of such a menacing man in the holy town may prove to be risky for the townspeople. Has Sir Faron warned the Duke already?….”

To shut those voices out, Indrajit decided to move out. A few minutes later Fiona joined him.

Fiona: Let’s go! We don’t have much time to waste. I have to get back to the Temple within 2 hours or the Head Priest will be greatly agitated.

Indrajit: Nothing to be concerned about. I promise you’ll be fine as long as I’m around.

Fiona had a radiant smile plastered across her face. The euphoric girl followed her new friend as the two were en route to the market square.

______

When the duo got as far as the Guild, they were interrupted by a boisterous woman.

Cassandra: There you are Indrajit. What the hell were you up to?

Indrajit: Hello again, Young Duchess. This is my friend Fiona. She is a new priest at the Temple of Lord Kit.

Cassandra: Oh how cute.

The Class 0 knight extended her arm towards the dwarf, but the latter hid behind Indrajit.

Indrajit: No reason to panic kid. You will get used to her in no time. Let us go to the best restaurant in town. You are paying

Cassandra. You earned a lot today, even though I did most of the work.

The young duchess looked a bit upset but finally agreed.

Scene Shifts to Alvin’s Restora -

Cassandra thundered, “Hey Al! Get a bottle of your best mead and some pizza for my buddies.”

A meek voice from the kitchen said, “Alright ma’am. Please don’t shriek, you will scare my other customers.”

Indrajit: What is pizza?

Cassandra: You’ve never had one? Were you locked up in hell all these years?

Indrajit almost reached for his pocket knife before realizing that he was the butt of a joke.

Cassandra: So a flattened dough is prepared by Al and his helpers. After the dough is spread out evenly in the shape of an almost-perfect circle, the next step is adding a generous helping of tomato sauce. Then comes the mozzarella cheese, olives, and basil. Finally, the dough is placed inside a wood-fired oven and baked for a couple of minutes. The result- A perfect dinner that shall fill our stomachs. If you are still craving more then we order another one. How are you gonna eat with your mask on?

Once those words exited her mouth, a slit opened up near the bottom of Indrajit’s helmet.

Indrajit: See, problem solved.

A couple of minutes later, the pizza reached their table. The head chef serving the dish had a mustache that would make King Ravana feel jealous. As soon as the demon bit into a slice, he knew why the eatery was so popular. The cheese pull looked and felt so marvelous.

The level of synchronicity between the ingredients was outstanding.

Indrajit: This is heaven. Thank you ma’am for this great meal.

Suspicious at first, Fiona started drooling profusely watching the others dine.

Indrajit: Go on, help yourself, kid. It is delicious.

The mead arrived shortly after. Fiona avoided the fermented alcoholic beverage for obvious reasons. Indrajit however, was eagerly waiting to taste it. After emptying a whole glass in seconds, he looked visibly emotional for a while. After eons, the intoxicant reminded him what it felt like to be drunk.

Cassandra: Damn man, you must have been really thirsty.

Indrajit: You have no clue how long my throat has been dry.

The LEOs had started purring, even though most of the diners couldn’t comprehend what they were saying. After having 4 glasses and burning a hole in Cassandra’s pocket, Indrajit rested his head on the table for a while. As an expert demon, his consciousness didn’t fade away, but the others should never be able to detect his true nature if he was a great pretender.

Cassandra began humming a nursery rhyme as she rose to pick up the stunned Fiona.

Indrajit whispered gently, “You know she is not an infant right?”

Cassandra: Hey! Go to sleep Indrajit. Don’t mess with me and spoil the mood.

The Class 4 Adventurer started grinning. It had been a pretty eventful day, and the full moon lit up the whole town. The 5 went out into the square, with Cassandra still desperately trying to nurse Fiona as the latter fought to get herself free. Eventually, the kid gave up.

Indrajit: I wonder if they serve spicy potato crepes here. Will have to ask good ol’ Alvin some other day.

After some dancing, the merry trio began strolling towards the castle at the heart of the town. Fiona was glad to have found solid ground after so long.

Indrajit: Let’s get you home now. The Temple gates will close shortly.

Fiona: Okey-Dokey!

______

The demon was once again greeted by Zorro when the two ended up at the Temple. He extended his gratitude to Indrajit for being a worthy chaperone and gently led the kid inside. Fiona waved at the hooded Adventurer before the doors closed.

Before exiting the restaurant, Indrajit had snuck away an extra bottle of mead which no one else noticed. By using the Spell-Eclipse, he had successfully managed to conceal its presence till the party of 5 separated. Although Cassandra kept insisting that she could smell another bottle nearby.

The Demon reached Deflake’s inn and tore the bottle cap off. After chugging the entire drink rapidly, he opened the window and stared intently at the moon.

“Tomorrow is Shiva’s festival eh? Spell- Soul Copy at the Temple. Spell- Eclipse till Dawn”, he uttered before closing his eyes and sitting on the bed’s edge.

So far the demon has had a smooth trip. But things will get progressively worse. Deep inside, Indrajit knows that. But he was nothing to fear. The Nikumbila Yagna (Ceremony) has been fulfilled. He shall never falter in battle, or away from it. The son of Ravana sleeps peacefully.

_______

Thousands of miles away, the Demon King of Scalon is preparing for his final showdown against the rogue members of the human race.

An attendant knocked abruptly, breaking the King’s chain of thought.

Lesser Demon: Sir, I have some interesting news for you.

Demon King Vezbek: What is it?

Lesser Demon: There is a new adventurer in the town of Avaron. Rumors have begun circulating that he has successfully bested a Prime Dragon in single combat. Shall I send some of our soldiers and fetch the fellow?

The King’s eyes widened in surprise. Who could this stranger be?

Vezbek: A futile proposition. Most of my boys and girls will be no match for a bloke who can slay a Prime Dragon. I shall go to him myself and hire his services.

Lesser Demon: As you wish, Your Majesty.

Glossary:

Name of the planet: Scalon