The next morning, the Cow-Dog and KangarooHawk lazed together outside of the sandstone shelter. Each was trying to groom the other in its own way. The Cow-Dog was sloppily licking around the KangarooHawk’s ears. Meanwhile the KangarooHawk was bobbing its head into and away from the Cow-Dog’s fur, searching for pests to munch on.

Within the shelter, Thesa noticed she had enough [Experience] to level up her [Witch] class to level 2. She was nearly Level 3. Thesa had never realized how much experience you could get from social encounters. A class like [Fighter] couldn’t really be leveled this way of course, but [Paladin] was a different story. She had just been told not to worry about that because it wasn’t as much experience.

Still, she needed to level faster for when they ran into Sir Kelreyn and Vicaress Garteth. The stronger she got, she told herself, the easier it would be to convince them. If not all the Knights, at least a few? At least Kelreyn?

Depending on how fast the party of Knights moved, they could show up any [Floor] now.

“This time you have the option of a [Curse], a [Minor Familiar], or a short list of spells. Again, you only get two this time,” Merijest explained. She was lounging on the floor, bits of sand in her hair but there was excitement in her voice and her tail flicked about now and then.

“Everything but another [Bound Weapon]?” Thesa wondered aloud.

“I think you can only have one,” Merijest replied. “And I'm not sure why you would want more when the halberd is a two-handed weapon most of the time.”

Thesa nodded. As a new spell, she decided on [Blindfold] which would flood a space with darkness. Then she asked, “Merijest, what exactly is a…[Curse]?”

“It's just another kind of power,” Merijest said. “They’re abilities or um perks. I can't remember the proper term. It’s sort of like the [Blessings] you can get as a [Paladin].”

“Oh,” Thesa said. She realized she might still be operating on some biases from before she died. Why did she expect [Curses] to be some fucked up thing? “How do those things even work, anyways?”

“They're not powered by mana,” Merijest explained. The demoness started absentmindedly fluffing her feathers. “but some other network of energy. I forget what it's called. It's related to the generic name of these things, but it was never really a focus of my studies and–”

“Your studies?” Thesa asked, tilting her head.

“I mean…” Merijest mumbled. Her tail immediately snapped to the floor.

“What studies?” Thesa asked.

“It–it's nothing,” Merijest said, head sinking toward her shoulders. She changed the subject. “Um, if you want my advice, I think you should pick a [Curse] though. They can give you some unique abilities.”

Thesa weighed the choice of pushing Merijest for more information or choosing her level up perks. She decided on the latter. For now.

After some deliberation, Thesa took a [Curse] titled [Arrow Time]. Once a day, she could speed up her reaction time for just a few seconds. The ability could really help her out in a fight. Even if she and Merijest usually didn't do much combat, it was good to be ready.

She was eager to try out her new skill but it was still early so that would be a total waste.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

***

The party made it to the 65th [Floor] that afternoon. Apparently, this [Floor]’s idea of a theme was making them wade through a foot of cold, questionable water throughout every chamber and corridor.

The Cow-Dog and KangarooHawk were having too much fun splashing around while the Chimerblin was perched uncomfortably on Thesa's shoulders, occasionally spreading its wings to maintain its own balance at the cost of Thesa’s stability.

“Ew ew ew ew ew,” Thesa said, her socks squishing in her boots with every slow step. “When will this end?”

Merijest was unperturbed. Being casually nude as always, there were no socks to soak in the first place.

“Do you need me to carry you, kitten?” Merijest asked. Her words echoed in the empty corridor.

Thesa suddenly felt very warm and generally less focused on her soggy boots. Although…that was interesting. When Merijest said that…thing that she said, Thesa noticed something she didn't immediately recognize. It was not exactly like the internal wells of power she felt when using spells or summoning her halberd. Although something about it was familiar.

She had a hunch about something but she could not figure out how to explain it to Merijest without getting into how that comment made her feel…

She stowed the idea away similar to the question about what Merijest had said about her ‘studies.’ Things to bring up later.

As her thoughts started to return to the murky wading and the awkwardly large creature using her as a raft, Thesa looked for something else to think about. Sir Kelreyn and the Knights on their way to, at best, try to rescue her by hurting Merijest… No. Probably that was not the kind of topic she was looking for.

“Do you ever level up as a [High Devil], Merijest?” Thesa asked.

“No. It’s a special, levelless class, like [Deity] or [Familiar],” Merijest explained.

“Are you even able to take regular classes?” Thesa asked.

“Sure. No real reason to bother considering the range of powers I get as a [High Devil] but I could if I felt like it,” Merijest said. “Why do you ask?”

“Just trying not to think about the water,” Thesa shrugged. “At least the Cow-Dog and KangarooHawk are having fun. Wait…aren't we missing one?”

“No, the Hundred-Legged Snake is on the ceiling,” Merijest said.

Thesa looked up and learned, horrifyingly, that Hundred-Legged Snakes can in-fact walk on ceilings.

“I think I would have preferred to learn it could swim,” Thesa said. She couldn't stop looking up to keep an eye on it now.

“Thesa, I don't know how to break this to you, but…” Merijest said reluctantly. “They very much can swim.”

Thesa's spine shook with the worst kind of chills and then she tripped on something and fell forward.

The Chimerblin, sensing that Thesa’s shoulders were no longer stable, helped out by meowing and leaping off with a powerful kick, adding to the downward force as Thesa splashed into the water. Her reflection was dim in the murk.

There was a moment of near silence broken only by the flapping of the Chimerblin's wings.

“Kitten,” Merijest asked in a low voice, “you ok?”

Before Thesa could answer with a pathetic whine about how gross the water was, she realized she had tripped on something.

“I think something is in the water,” Thesa said, her voice somehow both sharp and shaking. “Oh no, oh no, oh no,” she muttered.

“Use your halberd to help you up, kitten,” Merijest said, looking around at her other [Familiars]. She was surprised the Cow-Dog and KangarooHawk hadn't perked up at a threat but they still looked unbothered. The Chimerblin was still in the air, and the Hundred-Legged Snake was still on the ceiling. “None of the others look alert. What did it feel like?”

Thesa took Merijest's advice and hiked herself up with her [Bound Weapon]. “I didn't get a lot. I just tripped on it. I'm sure it was moving though.”

Merijest summoned a spark of cold magic. The ball of blue energy appeared above the demoness’s twirling fingers and she spit a single droplet of night-sky blue blood into the mix which caused the orb to grow in size. Claws bared, she was ready to strike any incoming attackers.

Then, something emerged at the end of the corridor, a humanoid body covered in green, fish-like scales with scattered portions of skin made of pink coral. The naiad spoke, “Sorry, sorry! Please don't hurt me!”