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Paladin to Witch
12. Social / Strange

12. Social / Strange

When Thesa spotted a lone, turtle-kin [Fighter], she felt like she really had a chance. Maybe she would have better luck in a one-on-one conversation. Big groups were so excitable and there were too many moving parts.

And she was really starting to take this seriously. She needed to practice with strangers if she wanted to have any chance of convincing Sir Kelreyn and the other two Knights descending the [Dungeon] that Merijest was not a threat.

Meanwhile, Merijest and her [Familiars] stayed hidden around the corner again.

“Hey,” Thesa said, when the adventurer saw her.

The turtle-kin [Fighter] looked around a few times as if to make sure Thesa was talking to them. “Me?” They asked, gesturing toward themself.

“Yeah, you!” Thesa said, waving. “I’m Thesa. What’s your name?”

The chamber was decorated like a banquet hall minus any table or chairs. Ornate decor and landscape paintings littered the walls. Thesa and the [Fighter] had entered on opposite sides of the long room, so they were awkwardly far apart.

“Jelthul,” Jelthul said. Their face was saying ‘why are you talking to me?’ but Thesa never learned how to speak fluent face, so she continued on.

“Are you in the [Dungeon] by yourself?” Thesa asked. She took a few friendly steps toward Jelthul.

“I’m on a quick scouting mission for my party. They’re just two chambers back,” Jelthul said, taking a few unfriendly steps backward at a diagonal to get closer to the wall. “Are you?”

“No,” Thesa said. “I’m here with my [Stake] and patron, Merijest. Have you heard of her? She might seem scary at first but she's actually really thoughtful and cool. Wait, don't tell her I said that!”

“Like, the [High Devil] who runs this [Dungeon]?” Now Jelthul’s face was incredulous. “Is this a [Dungeon Puzzle]?”

“What? No. Nothing like that,” Thesa explained. The question made her anxious. Something wasn't getting across. “I’m helping Merijest rebuild her army. She needs [Familiars] and I was wondering if you might be interested.”

With morbid curiosity, Jelthul stopped backing up. “Why would I be?”

“Because…well because Beautuk has been secretly evil all along and we need to stop him,” Thesa said. She took a few steps toward the [Fighter].

“No thanks,” Jelthul said. “I don't really believe in gods.”

“You don't–How does that even work?”

“I just don't buy it,” Jelthul said, shrugging. “I don't think they're as powerful as people say. I was raised not believing in god and that just makes sense to me.”

“But this is a big deal! There are lives at stake here if we do not stop Beautuk,” Thesa said.

“Eh, too much for me,” Jelthul said. “I adventure. I go home. I adventure. I go home. Don’t need some big quest or purpose to guide me. Thanks though.” Then they added, “Besides, seems kinda pointless to put all your effort into a [Deity] with no followers.”

***

“How did it go?” Merijest asked, as Thesa returned. The demoness was sitting on a tree stump in a chamber that somehow supported a mini forest ecosystem. Inspecting a patch of maroon scales on the demoness’s outstretched arm was a KangarooHawk.

“At least someone made progress,” Thesa said. “I must have said something wrong again. At least this time didn't end in a fight.”

For a moment, Thesa’s thoughts were intruded by an accusation that Merijest was doing this just to make her feel bad, but Thesa did her best to push that away. That went against everything she’d seen since she died. The fact she would even think something like that frustrated her.

“I would call that progress,” Merijest said.

Thesa shrugged. She was really trying and the best she'd gotten was someone not killing her. She could sit and plan, but once she got into a conversation, she felt like a flea trying to steer a dragon. Merijest spoke with a wit that Thesa just could not match.

“I've got it!” Thesa shouted without warning.

“Got what?” Merijest flinched.

“Sorry. I just. I have an idea,” Thesa said. “What if next time I try to talk to someone, you just use your power to communicate with your [Familiars] to tell me what to say!”

Merijest looked skeptical. “You sure about that? You didn't really like the last time I spoke with you telepathically.”

Thesa nodded solemnly, but she was still shaking with excitement at the idea. “I think I can do it.”

Merijest knew it would be pretty difficult to talk Thesa down from the idea, so the demoness decided to go along with it.

***

image [https://alicepow.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/kangaroohawk.jpg]

KangarooHawk

Rank: C

Attacks: Punch, Kick, Pounce

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

Notes: The KangarooHawk can nurse up two joeys at once. Joeys begin flying after about a week.

***

In a medium-sized chamber full of sand and decorated with tan stone pillars, Thesa approached a pair of adventurers. A living-stone [Ranger] and a human [Barbarian] sat resting on a hill of sand and were busy chatting.

“And my mom is always like ‘if you just try being a [Wizard], you might like it,’” the human [Barbarian] said. “She wants me to go to IthorBeau Mage College. But it just isn’t for me.”

“That's rough,” the living-stone [Ranger] agreed. “I'm sorry your mom is being like that, Vunk.”

“He-llo, I- am- Thesa,” Thesa said, parroting Merijest's words in her head. “Try- speaking- more - smooth - ly…oh.”

Vunk, the human, looked up, confused. “What?”

“Should I keep going?” Thesa [Messaged].

“No. Repeat it. They want you to say it again because they didn't understand,” Merijest said.

“Ok, got it,” Thesa replied, unaware that she was taking too long to reply.

“Hello?” the living-stone [Ranger] asked. “Are you alright?”

“Hello,” Thesa said. She looked down at her boots, picking them up and looking at her overlapping footprints in the sand. “I am Thesa.”

“Hi, Thesa,” Vunk said, cautiously. “Do you need something?”

“Say you actually want to know if they need something,” Merijest [Messaged].

“You actually want to know if they need something,” Thesa said. “Wait! I mean, I actually want to know if you need something.”

“Is there something you can't tell us, Thesa?” the living-stone asked. “Is someone making you say these things? My name is Rethor and this is Vunk. If you are in trouble we can help.”

“What should I say?” Thesa said aloud by accident, before [Messaging] “What should I say? Merijest? Merijest?”

Merijest's eyes were rolling like a runaway cart down a hill. “I don't think this is working,” she [Messaged]. “Just go with your gut.”

Vonk and Rethor looked at one another with concern.

“Ok, ok, ok,” Thesa said. “Sorry! I'm not being controlled or anything, but yes someone was telling me to say those things. Her name is Merijest and she's a [High Devil] and I'm her [Familiar] and if you join her too, you can help her build up her army.”

Vunk and Rethor stood up and began backing away. Their retreat started slowly because each step sank down into the hill of sand.

“Interesting,” said Vunk, who was looking around for a distraction. “Tell me more.”

“Um, ok,” Thesa said. She thought she might be doing an alright job considering the circumstances. After all, this was the first time she could remember a stranger encouraging her to keep talking. “So I don't know if you've ever heard of Beautuk. I mean probably. He's literally the namesake of the region, but he's actually [Evil]...or I guess just evil but also [Evil]...and he needs to be stopped by the growing army of [Familiars] that Merijest is building up.”

“And that army includes you?” Rethor asked, realizing that keeping Thesa talking was pretty easy.

“Kind of, yeah.” Thesa said. This felt like a less painful version of what had happened when she started talking about her childhood and got trapped in a thought spiral. Sure, some scary things had happened. Some scary things were still happening. But she was so excited to talk to anybody about it all. She was excited to show people how cool Merijest was. “Originally I was supposed to kill her, but she convinced me to not do that and then Beautuk struck me dead and then Merijest brought me back to life and took care of me. And then she made me her [Witch] and she's really good at befriending creatures, but it's my job to talk to the sapients because people usually make mean assumptions when they see a demon. Plus I have pretty high charisma.”

With a polite smile, Vunk looked Thesa up and down. For a moment, the human [Barbarian] paused and their face relaxed ever so slightly, but Rethor nudged their arm. Vunk nodded to themself and said, “Good luck with all that.” The pair went running out of the chamber.

“Sorry, kitten. This one just wasn't meant to be,” Merijest [Messaged].

Thesa sighed and sat on a miniature sand dune. “For a minute there I thought I was doing a good job. I was getting excited. I forget that people don't like when I'm excited.”

Merijest entered the chamber and approached with her gaggle of non-sapient [Familiars]. The Cow-Dog and KangarooHawk chased one another round the sandy hills. The Chimerblin simply got comfortable and laid its feline head in the sand.

“For what it's worth, I liked it,” the demoness said. “You get very passionate. That's an attractive feature in a spokesgirl.”

Thesa wasn't so exhausted that her head couldn't spin a little at some of Merijest’s word choices.

Merijest approached one of the sand pillars, knocked on it in a strange pattern, and a small sandstone igloo emerged from the floor.

“I've seen this type of room before,” she said. “Let's get some rest.”

Thesa dreamt of fog. For a quick but memorable moment, Sir Kelreyn stood before her in new armor, a set made of oddly shaped bones.

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Bonus: Titles of Address for Convent Knights

Titles of Address:

Who?

Called What?

Archknight Superior

Abbess, Prioress, Protess, Archknight Superior

All Knights

Sir

Knights with an Eminent Class

Vicaress

Knights without an Eminent Class

Modess, Toress

* Each title can be used as a substantive, for example, a Knight might be called ‘Sir’ rather than ‘Sir [Name].’

* All titles for the Archknight Superior may only occur as substantives because it is considered informal to speak her name in address.

* ‘Vicaress’ can occur either before or after the Knight’s name. For example, ‘Vicaress [Name]’ and ‘[Name] Vicaress’ are both acceptable.

* ‘Modess’ and ‘Toress’ must not come after the Knight’s name.