The days on the road dragged on, stopping in the evenings to rest the horses, and continuing at first light. Some days they stopped earlier to train, hand to hand, weapon fighting, and magic. The days stretched into weeks, by now they'd passed through a few towns as, always not staying any longer than a night.

Finally Delilah read the words she had been looking for, 'Soldeen' displayed proudly at a cross roads post. Soldeen was one of the main cities of Kingsrest, home to the great library that Mavrik had spoken of.

She stretched with a groan preparing to urge Maple forward, when movement drew her attention to the other path. A caravan had erupted into chaos in the distance, shouts and panicked calls could be heard. She looked to her companion who nodded, urging his horse forward. Delilah brought Maple to a galop alongside him as they closed in on the chaos.

A fleeing woman saw them approach, screaming as she ducked down to the ground, clutching her swollen stomach fearfully. A man rushing to her aid, raising a trembling sword at the two on horses.

"What is going on here?" The devil-kin winced at Mavrik's demanding tone.

"B-bandits, they've attacked our caravan" the man stuttered.

Delilah swung down from Maple, offering an open palm as a way to show she wasn't a threat, "we've come to help".

The man looked from the two of them, hesitantly lowering his sword, screams and carnage still unfolded a small distance from them.

"Stay with them" Mavrik urged Glenn forward, riding down the road. Delilah nodded, helping the woman up "It's going to be alright" she assured. Watching as Mavrik sliced through the attacking men, still on horse back with brutal efficiency.

A twig snap drew her attention to her side, "Stay behind me, protect her" drawing her sword and directing her second statement at the woman's male companion. For a moment the treeline fell silent, until a man with a bandana drawn over his face stepped out.

"What do we have here?" His eyes alight with glee, at the sight of the short woman and the two stood behind her.

Delilah didn't reply, taking a small step forward and adjusting her grip on her sword. He snickered at her bold action, lunging forward as he drew twin Poignard daggers.

Forcing the woman to stumble back to avoid the first as she parried the second, the shrill sound of metal meeting metal ricocheted in her ears. Side stepping to avoid his next swing as she kept her elbows in tight, the man seemed to grow enraged at the fight Delilah was putting up.

His fighting was sluggish, slashes wild and erratic.

"Come 'ere you little shit" he snapped as stabbed, meeting at air once again. Finally succeeding in locking his blade's with hers', Delilah could feel her arms screaming at the strain.

"Get on Maple, she'll get you to safety" She hissed through gritted teeth to the couple. Refusing to relent against the amounting pressure on her blade until she heard a rustle and retreating hooves.

The man's eyes widened, distracted by the couple's escape as he tried to step past Delilah to stop them. She used her weight to ram into him, unbalancing him as she drew her sword up. Feeling it connect with skin as he shrieked. Staggering back, the man flailed to the floor, clutching the slash across his stomach as his bandana fell away, revealing teeth stained red with blood as he snarled at her. Eyes shifting to the fleeing couple, his face twisted into a wicked grin.

She followed his gaze in horror, another horse was gaining on Maple.

"N-no!" Delilah stumbled forward, ignoring the knowledge that she'd never reach them in time.

A familiar black horse streaked into view, swiftly gaining on the two other horses. Delilah felt relief wash over her as Maple narrowly diverted from the pursuers, Mavrik held something long and thin, poised over his shoulder.

"What the fuck?" The bandit behind her hiss in horror as Mavrik lobbed what she now knew was a javelin, nailing the bandit rider, impaling him, body slumping lifelessly off the horse as it bucked up in fright.

She turned her attention to the man who was still holding his stomach as he spat blood at her feet. Kicking him roughly in the chest and sending him sprawling as he hit the back of his head losing consciousness, she raised her sword. Delilah hesitated, knowing in her heart, she couldn't do it. She couldn't bring her sword down and finish this man, the hag was different. This man wasn't a threat any longer, and he was human, not an abomination, he likely had a family. She stepped away from him, making her way towards Maple as the couple guided the mare back to the turned up wagon.

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"Liesel? Trevor? Desmond?" The woman called as her companion slid off Maple.

A man stepped out from behind the upturned cart "Lady Brooke, we're over here but Trevor is hurt bad."

By now Mavrik had joined them, the bandit's horse trotting alongside Glenn.

Delilah made her way around the cart, gasping in dismay at the wide frightened eyes that she met, a man laid on the dirt, skin deathly pale. Sweat beading on his brow, his breathing laboured.

"Who are you?" The man who had called the couple over snapped.

"Desmond, they helped us."

"I'm Delilah, and that's Mavrik" she explained quickly, stepping forward "I-I can help."

The woman who was presumably Liesel glared at her with tears in her eyes.

"You?? How can you help? He's practically a dead man?!" She snapped in grief. Desmond rested a hand on Liesel's shoulder, causing the lady to break down and wrap him in a hug.

Delilah ignored them, her eyes on the suffering man, undeterred by the woman's angry words. Soul focus on Trevor as she leaned closer, unclipping the lantern from her hip, she rested her other hand over the man's heart.

She could feel it, it was weak, and thready, but it was there. It fluttered like her own frightened heart, tussling with that fear for a moment, before she pushed past it.

"vita sanguinis."

The lantern blazed to life, a soft glow surrounding her hand that laid on the fallen man's chest.

The world seemed to stand still, surroundings melting away, leaving only the devil-kin and the man she was crouched over.

Delilah looked up, sensing someone standing over them and expecting Mavrik, instead her eyes found Lira.

"I'll do it, I'll serve in your light" Delilah spoke before Lira.

Her face softened "It's not a decision to make lightly, little one. You would do this for someone you don't know?"

Delilah cast a look down at the grey faced man, his heart beat still fluttering in her ears, while her own had strengthened into a steady beat, filled with new resolve.

"I may not know him, but he needs my help. I can't ignore that."

"Very well, sweet Delilah."

She placed a hand over Delilah's that still rested on Trevor. The young woman felt her hand prickled, as if she had tried to touch a bolt of lightning, the sensation surging up her arm.

"Respirare."

The word reverberated through her entire body, unsure if she or Lira had spoken it, thundering in her head as the world spun back into existence.

Trevor began coughing, gulping in air at her feet as Delilah carefully helped him sit up.

"How do you feel?" She asked softly, clipping the lantern back onto her belt, feeling like every hair on her body was prickling and standing on end.

"H-how did you?-" Liesel stuttered as Trevor patted himself down, Delilah sheepishly pulled away when the woman threw her arms around the now healed man.

"Ah easy lass!" he coughed weakly with a tight laugh.

Delilah felt the heat of stares, realising everyone's eyes were on her, kneading her hands together nervously as she stood, hearing Mavrik behind her.

"Delilah is a mage" he explained simply, gesturing to the cart as he addressed Desmond "let's get the cart back up right".

She crouched next to the couple they had first rescued, helping them pick up belongings scattered on the floor, whilst Mavrik and Desmond battled the cart.

"I've never met a mage" the well dressed woman beamed, "oh, I'm Rose and this is my husband Alec."

"I've never met a Lady" the tiefling returned, dusting off a few items as she carefully placed them into a crate she had found.

"Oh, you heard that" Rose was bashful "Yes, I am the daughter of the late Lord Robert Brooke, we're on our way to the manor in Soldeen." She groaned rubbing her stomach, waving away Delilah's panicked expression "Little one just likes to kick".

Liesel joined the two women, helping Delilah lift a chest and nodding her head towards the two men who had righted the cart.

"Your husband is quite the fighter" she mused to Delilah, causing the young woman's cheeks to burn.

"O-oh uhm, he's not.. We're just traveling together" She bumbled over her explanation, earning a chuckle from the two older women.

"Ignore Liesel, she's too nosey for her own good" Rose swatted at her companion as they placed the last few belongings in the wagon. Desmond stood from where he was examining one of the wheels, "she should hold until we get to Soldeen".

Delilah cast a look at the horse they'd captured, unsure if it would be able to pull the cart. For a moment wondering how they had moved it in the first place. Her eyes landed on the large body of a draft horse in the treeline next to the road.

"That light horse won't be able to pull the cart, we'll travel with you to Soldeen." Mavrik folded his arms, Delilah bit back a smile as the group stared, disarmed by his bluntness.

"Right, we best get a move on if we want to make it before night fall" Liesel spoke up, helping Trevor into the cart, Delilah helped Rose in after her.

The cart rolled forward smoothly as Glenn pulled it, guided by Mavrik, while the surprisingly mellow tempered light horse obediently trotted with Desmond on it's back. Maple followed alongside the cart, diligently loyal to Delilah's side with Alec.

Golden eyes searched for the man she had spared, as the cart rolled back to the crossroads, spotting his crumpled form, oddly with his throat gashed open.

"I can't believe you healed him" Liesel's absent thought pulled her attention.

"How are you holding up?" The devil-kin turned her concern to Trevor, visions of his sickly pale skin flashing through her mind.

"Much better" he chuckled "you really pulled me back there".

"I'm glad I could help".

"We owe you and Mavrik a great debt." Rose spoke up causing Delilah to shake her head.

The small group continued in silence for a short while.

"Have you ever been to Soldeen, Delilah?"

"No I haven't. What's it like?"

"I used to live there as a girl, I loved it. It's one of the biggest cities in the east, I don't even know how to describe it" Rose looked wistful.

"So many different people pass through, races and creatures you can't even imagine" Trevor added.

Rose sat back with a content sigh, a hand on her stomach "I can't wait to show all the charms of Soldeen to this little one. I have such fond childhood memories".

Delilah looked out of the open back of the cart, tentatively trying to imagine what Soldeen would be like.

"We're here"