"Sir? Ma'am? This is the terminal station. You gotta go."

Cobalt's eyes fluttered open. He was slumped against the window of the train with Lottie's arms still wrapped around him and her face buried right into his chest. A conductor was standing in the aisle, mopping his brow as he stared the two demons down. The midday sun was streaming through the window; he must have fallen asleep.

"A- Ah, my apologies..." the Incubus murmured, awkwardly shuffling himself upright.

"No worries sir. We'll be heading back west in an hour, but we gotta clear the carriages for maintenance."

"I understand."

The conductor tipped his head and walked off down the aisle, leaving Cobalt alone with his slumbering student. He cleared his throat and prodded her shoulder, but the Golem just mumbled and held on tighter. Sighing irritably, he set about trying to pry her off.

"I don't trust this one," Lilith remarked as he tried to pull Lottie off of his shirt.

"I don't trust you," her host grumbled in response.

"I mean something about her rubs me the wrong way. She's hiding something big."

"Lottie's a Rotainmos for her people. That kind of responsibility has an impact on one's behaviour."

Every now and again, Cobalt would be reminded of that fact. That Lottie was something of a spiritual beacon for a whole sect of monks. That deep down, there was another side to her that they looked to for guidance.

"I'm not talking about whatever made-up spiritual shit-"

"Hey!"

"- those rock hermits fed her. I'm talking about why she dragged you out here in the first place."

With a heavy sigh, he eventually managed to detach the clingy Golem and dump her back onto her seat, where she keeled over and resumed sleeping.

"I trust her to have a good reason. She said she needed my help, and I intend to help her," he said, straightening his clothes.

"But why?"

"It's called being a decent person, Lilith."

Adjusting his tie, Cobalt leaned over and shook Lottie, not stopping until one of her eyes lazily lolled open. She yawned mightily and sat up, running one hand through her curled hair as she pushed her glasses up her nose with the other.

"Why are we stopped?" Lottie asked dopily, squinting in the sunlight.

"We're at the terminal station, Lottie," Cobalt explained.

She cocked her head.

"Germinal nation?"

"Terminal station. We're at the last stop."

Suddenly, her eyes went wide. Breaking out into a smile, Lottie hopped off her seat and grabbed her teacher's sleeve, much to his surprise. Tittering excitedly to herself, she began to drag him down the aisle.

"Lottie, where are you taking me?!" the Incubus cried, desperately trying not to smack his knees off any of the seats.

"SLOMBA!" she yelled in return, leaping out of the carriage door.

Pulled out of the relative gloom of the train, Cobalt was forced to shield his eyes as he stumbled out onto the stone platform. But as the wind hit his face and his vision adjusted to the light, he lowered his hand and was met with a breath-taking sight.

They stood upon a stony ridge overlooking an idyllic little town at the foot of the mountains, and the platform beneath their feet was carved from rough granite. The town itself was a hodgepodge of mismatched buildings, each built from irregularly-cut blocks of stone. Some were clustered together while others stood alone in isolation, but all were decorated with unique murals painted upon their walls. The streets were wild and wavy, differing in width and length to the point where the town seemed to sprawl all over the sparse, stony countryside.

"Slomba..." breathed Cobalt as Lottie tugged at his sleeve.

"Come on, Mista Traya!" she tittered excitedly, directing him to a set of steps leading down into the town proper.

The air was cool and crisp, and as Cobalt allowed himself to be led around, he found himself relaxing. It was clear from a glance that Slomba was a Golem settlement, and not just because he could only see Sloth demons around. As he looked around, he saw that some shops were just opening up, while others were closing for the day. Some townsfolk were eating their breakfasts in simple little eateries alongside those who were getting ready for their dinner, and a few public benches were taken up by Golems napping beneath the midday sun.

It was timeless, a town with no set schedule. The very definition of relaxation.

"This place is beautiful," the Incubus commented, marveling at a mural painted upon the side of a low-roofed house.

Lottie nodded as they crossed a small square and headed towards a snaking road heading towards the edge of town.

"Yah! Wait until you meet my friends!"

Her friends? Cobalt wasn't against meeting new people, but if all she needed him for was to introduce him to her friends, then he was going to be a little annoyed after being shipped across the continent.

However, his fears were quickly put to rest when she brought him to the edge of a paddock filled with large, shaggy cows. They were like Earth highland cattle, but with much longer horns.

"Hiya everyone!" Lottie cried, climbing up onto the fence as she waved.

The looked up from their feed troughs and began to low, their bells lazily clinking as they trudged over to the edge of their paddock.

"These are your friends?" asked the Incubus, a little alarmed at how sharp their horns appeared.

She grinned and nodded, reaching through the fence in order to pat a cow's head.

"Mmhm! This one's Macy and this one's Lacy and this one's Daisy and this one's Tracy and this one's-!"

"Stacy?" Cobalt guessed.

The Golem shook her head.

"No, that one over there's Stacy. This is one's Gracy," Lottie explained, rubbing the cow's nose affectionately.

"Your friends are cows?"

"Yah. Mummy and Daddy look after them in the warm months, and then when it's colder they come down here."

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"I see. Speaking of, where are-?"

Before he could finish his question, however, Lottie suddenly tracked her gaze over to something just behind her teacher and abruptly screamed at the top of her lungs, damn near deafening him. Covering his ears, the Incubus took a step back and watched as his student bolted past him, towards an old Golem hobbling towards them. He was dressed like a typical farmer, carrying a bag of feed under one arm and using a rake like a cane.

"MR. MALCOLM! HIYA~!" Lottie screamed, waving her arms as she ran towards him.

The man lifted the brim of his hat and squinted at her.

"Miss Deyeyr? Is that you?" he called.

She laughed and tried to tackle him with a hug, but the elderly farmer simply sidestepped her attack and continued on his way.

"You're supposed to be at school, lil' lady. What're you doing back here?" asked Malcolm, hefting the bag up onto his shoulder.

"I'm gonna do the thing I said I'd do!" Lottie replied, tagging along after him.

"Uh huh."

Reaching the paddock, he set his tools down and planted his hands on his hips, first glaring at Lottie before turning his gaze onto Cobalt.

"Right, so at least tell me why you brought a dang city slicker with you," he grunted.

"This is Mista Traya! He's my teacher and also my friend!"

Clearing his throat, Cobalt reached out a hand.

"Cobalt Trayer. It's good to meet you, sir," he said quickly, unwilling to have anyone else corrupt his name.

Malcolm stared at his hand, unimpressed.

"Right. Cobalt Traya. Heard about you. You some kind of Devil killer, right?"

"I... prefer not to be called that."

"Well I prefer not to entertain unannounced visitors, but here we are."

Growing uneasy, Cobalt shuffled back and forth as the farmer hunkered down in order to open the bag of feed.

"I suppose I oughta thank you, though," he sighed, ripping open the top of the bag.

"Sorry? What for?"

"The lil' lady here is important around these parts. Can't imagine what would happen if she died."

The Incubus swallowed hard and looked away, unwilling to think about that possibility, only to be startled as Malcolm snapped his fingers.

"Lil' lady, there's a satchel in my house's front room. Could you go grab it for me?" he asked, hefting the bag into the paddock.

"Okay!" Lottie called, hitching up her skirt before trotting off towards a house at the end of the road.

Cobalt cleared his throat and made to follow, only for the farmer to reach over and grab his shoulder, halting him in place. The man was old, but his grip was iron.

"Are you ready for this, Cobalt Traya? Because what she's gonna ask you to do... it's the highest of honours," Malcolm said in a low, intimidating voice.

"I- I'm sorry?"

His eyes glinted.

"Lottie's more than just the Rotainmos. More than some conduit of the Sandlady, bless her. She's like a little sister to everyone here, me included. So don't fuck this up for her."

"S- Sir, she hasn't explained anything to me."

Malcolm raised an eyebrow.

"Huh. And you followed her here anyway?"

"She, um... She didn't really give me much of a choice."

For the first time since meeting him, Cobalt saw him crack a smile. It was the barest hint of a smirk, but still.

"Maybe you're better suited than I thought..."

"Got it Mr. Malcolm!" called the voice of Lottie over the sound of rapid footfalls.

Cobalt could only watch on in confusion as his student skidded to a halt, carrying a large satchel in her arms. Malcolm gave her a nod and a pat on the head.

"That's the one. That should have enough to keep the pair of you going. Have a good trip, and tell your parents hello for me, lil' lady," he said, grabbing his rake and walking back towards his house.

"Okay! Bye~!" Lottie called, waving him off.

Once Malcolm was out of earshot, a very bewildered Cobalt turned to his student, who was busy trying to maneuver the straps of the bag over her shoulders.

"Lottie, what's the satchel for?" he asked.

"Supplies!"

"Supplies for what?"

"For the journey home!"

He raised an eyebrow.

"You... don't live in Slomba?"

"Nope!"

With a cheery grin, the Golem pointed upwards. Her finger directed his gaze towards the mountain range beyond the town, specifically the tallest one. It was jagged and rocky, and the very top was capped with snow. He recognised it from skimming Geography books. It was called Mount Musoito, the highest mountain in Aporue.

"I live up there!"

-----

"And stay out!" roared the security guard, tossing Quinn out by the scruff of her neck.

The Imp cried out as she tumbled down the steps in front of the train station, landing in a heap on the pavement. Wincing, she clambered to her feet and jabbed an accusing finger at the guard.

"Oi, it's a fucking emergency! You can't just kick me out!" she snapped.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have blown the fucking toilets up!"

"That was last year! A bloody lifetime ago!"

"Piss off before I call the police, you little shit!"

Gritting her teeth, Quinn swallowed her pride and stalked off, jamming her hands into her pockets as she silently fumed. Glancing at her phone, she noticed that Lottie's tracker had stopped somewhere around a town called Slomba, the Golem's hometown. Knowing that she was somewhere familiar set her mind at ease, but the Imp still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"She might be just feeling homesick. That's normal, right?" she murmured beneath her breath, turning towards a road leading out of town.

That made the most sense. So why did Quinn feel so worried?

She had to have returned home for a reason. The two of them shared everything with each other; if Lottie had plans to travel, she would have told her.

She was in the dark. And if there was one thing Quinn hated, it was being in the dark.

"I need intel."

Rounding the back of a public restroom, the Imp dug through a pile of trash until she found what she was looking for; one of her stash bags. Throwing it over her shoulder, she jogged down the footpath, weaving in and out of passers-by as they went about their day.

As she ran, the crowds grew thinner and thinner as the houses around her became older and more historical in design. Eventually, Quinn found herself standing outside the gates of an old manor house. It was boarded up and falling apart with an entire tree growing out of the roof.

Clearing her throat, the Imp stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly.

"Come on, you greedy bastards, don't leave me hanging here..." she breathed, hunkering down on the cracked footpath.

As she waited, Quinn began to turn out her pockets, hoping to find something sufficient for payment. Her wallet, her phone, some rhinestones she pried off some woman's fancy coat, a handful of coins... and the stone. Taking a shaky breath, the Imp ran her thumb over the kimberlite stone that Lottie had given her and immediately felt a little calmer. She never went anywhere without it.

She heard a sudden caw from behind her, scaring the veritable life out of Quinn. She whipped around to see a raven sitting up on the gate, peering down at her.

"About time. Thought I'd be waiting all day," she grumbled.

It cawed again.

"Yeah, whatever. Listen, I need information. This is all I've got, so take your pick," she told the raven, gesturing to the pile of her belongings on the ground.

Quinn took a step back, allowing the corvid to flutter down for inspection. It stared at her phone's reflective screen for a moment before it began pecking at the coins. As it began to show interest in the pebble, however, the Imp leaped forward and snatched it away, causing the raven to caw indignantly.

"Not that! That's out of the question!"

It made a series of indignant croaks.

"Fuck you, that's why. Now hurry up and pick something; I'm in a hurry."

The raven stared at her for a moment before it slowly hopped over to the coins and tapped them twice. It then did the same with the rhinestones, angering Quinn.

"Both?! You greedy mother-!"

She swallowed her outburst and sighed. No, she didn't have time for this.

"... Fine. Whatever. Take them."

The raven let loose with a resounding cry, causing over a dozen ravens to burst forth from the roof of the abandoned house. They descended upon the pavement, quickly snatched up their payment and fluttered off. Gritting her teeth, Quinn picked up the rest of her things and began swiping through her phone, bringing up a picture of Lottie.

"Have you seen her today?" she asked, holding it out for the raven.

It hopped towards the screen and inclined its head, taking a moment to take the image in before answering.

"Did she okay? Was she hurt or anything? Give me something, here!"

It cawed a couple of times in response, causing Quinn's eyes to go wide.

Cobalt? Why was he with her? It was true that she didn't see him around campus, but...

She swallowed hard. No, something was going on.

"Right... That's everything."

The raven hopped forward and made an inquisitive caw.

"What?! Fuck you, she's not my...!" she started.

A lump formed in Quinn's throat.

"Just... piss off. I've got somewhere to be."

The raven stretched its wings and took off, leaving Quinn alone on the pavement to ponder. The Imp took a deep breath and idly scratched at her bandaged eye.

"Alright... let's do this..."

She held out her hand.

"Itcaf aitseb. Suvroc."

A mass of swirling red energy formed in her palm, causing to feel as though it was getting pricked by a thousand tiny thorns. She clenched her palm and shut her eyes before slamming it against her chest, whereupon a wave of magical energy suddenly swept through the Imp's body. Wincing, Quinn held her breath as she felt every muscle and bone begin to contort and contract.

Her limbs hollowed and shortened as her fingers extended. Her teeth fused together and lengthened, all while her skin felt as though it had caught fire. Feathers sprouted from her flesh, sleek and black.

Before long, Quinn opened her eyes to find that her field of view had widened immensely and that she was much, much closer to the ground.

Taking a moment to adjust herself to her new raven body, the Imp flapped her wings and jetted upwards. Like this, she could feel the gentle pull of Hell's natural magnetic poles. Angling herself eastwards, Quinn shot forwards, determined to make sure that her friend was okay.

And to find out why she had taken Cobalt with her.