They say that when you hit rock bottom the only way to go is up.

In my experience, anytime I thought I had hit rock bottom I got hit in the head with a shovel. One time, quite literally.

Night had fallen over the Forest of Familiars, and brought with it a sense of paranoia. Albrecht had still not returned, and combined with rumbling stomachs we were all at the ends of our ropes.

As agreed upon, we had moved further into the Forest to make it harder for anyone sent by the Magisters to locate us. Alverd removed his cape to make a stretcher for Alicia, who was still passed out. She had finally stopped tossing at least. Even I felt bad for her, watching her whimper in her sleep. I don’t know what she’s dreaming about, but it can’t be good. I know that feeling.

Although Sheena had put on a brave face, I could tell she was probably pushing herself, too. She volunteered to help Alverd stand watch, but it wasn’t long before she was passed out. He laid her down next to Alicia and placed his spare cloak over them both to keep them warm, as we couldn’t afford to build a fire and risk revealing our location. As I pulled my arms into my robe to pat my chest and keep myself from shivering, he sat beside Alicia and held her hand.

“She was really scared, huh?” I said. Alverd nodded silently. “What was that she said? About rivers?”

He gazed at her face for a second before turning to me. “She said to pull her from the river. I’m not sure what it means. But there was real terror in her eyes, Kuro. I let her down. I won’t do so again.”

Because you failed once before when it mattered, and you lost someone you can’t get back. The laughter of a mischievous raven-haired girl echoed in my mind, and it brought a bitter taste to my mouth. I pushed my arms back out of my sleeves and hugged my knees to my chest. I know what it’s like too, and I don’t ever want to go through it again.

The memory of Deotra being pulled into darkness flashed before my eyes. I can’t let it happen. I won’t let it happen.

I fished the bracelet Deotra had thrown to me out of my pocket. I hadn’t had the guts to look at it before, but now I needed the motivation to do… whatever it was I was planning. It was made of a simple red twine attached to a charm made of some kind of animal bone. A strange rune had been carved meticulously into the bone. I had never seen writing of its kind, and could only guess at its meaning. I slipped the bracelet onto my left wrist, and it fit there snugly. Almost as if it were made for me, I thought with a shudder.

“Hey, Alverd.” He didn’t look at me at first. “I’m gonna scout around, see if I can find a better place to hide. Like a cave, or something.” He regarded me with a skeptical look.

“You sure? Might not be good to split up right about now.” I waved my hand dismissively.

“I just want to take a look around. If I run into anything, I’ll come right back.”

Looking back at the sleeping girls, he nodded. “Alright. Don’t take any unnecessary risks, Kuro.” Gods if you only knew, Alverd. I stood up, brushed off my legs.

“I won’t be long. And I’ll be careful.”

I knew exactly where I was going. Even though my heart was pounding I knew the path I had to take. When Alverd was out of sight I broke into a run, hurtling through the shadowy boughs to where I had last seen Deotra.

This isn’t like me. She said a lot of things that made no sense and should’ve scared me off. Yet here you are about to run headlong into a demon’s lair to save her. For once, I had no reason to expect anything less than the very worst. Steeling myself, I pushed away from the tree to continue onward and found I wasn’t alone.

In the middle of the path, sitting there, like it had every right in the world, was a fox. A simple red-furred fox. It cocked its head at me and stared at me with its golden eyes. Then, after a moment, it yipped, turned, and ran off into the darkness.

That was odd. On my first trip through the Forest, the animals had all given me a wide berth. Maybe this one was curious? Then I remembered that I had always had a strange affinity for foxes. They used to follow me around in my youth, back in the orphanage days. They’d watch me from the shadows of trees or the underbrush, then scamper away when I got too close.

The oddest encounter I’d ever had with a fox, however, was shortly after I had arrived in Irinholm, and placed in the dormitory for the mage apprentices. I was a child with no friends who didn’t know who to avoid and who to be wary of. After a long day of being made fun of by my “upperclassmen”, I had gone to bed stifling tears. But after a short bout of restless sleep, I had awoken to find a fox curled up on my stomach.

It had woken up, looked at me with its wide, golden eyes, and then stared at me until I realized that it wasn’t going to leave or do anything else. I dismissed it as my sleepy mind playing tricks on me. In the morning, all of the children who had bullied me found their clothes and robes slashed to bits. Even Professor Farnus couldn’t figure out what had gone on, but I was smart enough to put two and two together. In a fit of childishness, I chose not to inform him of the nighttime intruder.

I remember I had a dream the following night. Well, a nightmare.

It started with me approaching a simple dog in the forest. A harmless-looking dog. But before my eyes, it transformed into some shapeless horror, a cloud of bulging darkness with horrible glowing eyes, and a gaping mouth of yellowed teeth. It seized me with deformed arms made of muscle and rotting flesh and made to shove me into its jaws. I screamed but no sound escaped my lips.

But then a blazing ball of light, small yet almost as bright as the sun, zipped forth and slammed into the demon. It shrieked in pain and let go of me, dropping me to the ground. I watched as the light smashed into the demon multiple times, and it slunk back into the dark of the woods, making the same hurt noises as a wounded dog. The light bounced over to me, and then took the form of a fox, nuzzling my face with its muzzle before disappearing like a snuffed candle.

Odd that I’d remember that dream now. Farnus said the dream was meant to teach me that nothing was ever as it seemed. That was what scared me now. Who was to say that Deotra wasn’t some demon mimicking the form of what I considered perfection incarnate? I shuddered. If it was true, if she really was a demon, then she could be any kind of hellish abomination. But given what she had tried to do to me, I figured she had to be a certain kind of demon. A succubus.

Succubi, and incubi their male counterparts, were demons that fed off the life force of their victims. Although years of mythology and the bastardization of those myths said that they stole peoples’ life force through the act of sex, it wasn’t entirely true. Succubi tempted men with whatever they wanted: power, prestige, earthly delights… so long as they corrupted the judgment of their prey, it was easier to feed off them without realizing it… until it was far too late.

What didn’t make sense, however, was why she had let me go. Without my staff, I would have been helpless. She could have easily overwhelmed me, taken me against my will, sucked every last bit of my life force out of my body like a vicious spider and left only a mindless husk. Instead, she’d given me a new staff and disappeared. A perfect opportunity wasted. Was she playing some bigger game? I couldn’t tell, and at this point, I didn’t care.

I looked at the staff in question. The smooth, polished mahogany wood fit in my right hand perfectly. The ruby set in its tip sparkled only when the staff was in my possession. When I wielded the staff, I no longer felt the exhaustion after a single spell that I did when I had used Farnus’ staff. When I channeled elemental energy, my concentration deepened, and I could tune out distractions easier. It just seems too convenient. This staff is perfect, better than perfect, and it just happened to find its way to me like it was meant to be?

Even if I had been a bit freaked out by Deotra’s shameless advances, part of me had reveled in it. Welcomed it. Needed it. It was the first time I had ever kissed a girl. I want so badly to believe that the version of her before that hunger came out was the real her. I need to believe it, because it’s the only thing that gives me hope she can be saved. If she is a demon, that’s exactly what she’s counting on, though.

Sheena’s books had caught me up to speed on the basics of demonology. They were creatures of unending hunger, always needing to sate said hunger through the consumption of life force and magical energies. Sure, they can offer incredible power in exchange for all that they take. A dumber mage than me would probably take that deal, too.But there’s always a catch. You can’t worm your way out of a demon contract. Once you seal that pact, you’re a cautionary tale waiting to happen.

I placed my head in my hands for a moment, taking a second to breathe in deep. I know this is so gods-damned stupid, but I’m doing it anyway. Why am I doing this? Logically I knew my actions were irrational, and were very likely going to be the death of me. There was no sane answer for my behavior.

Emotionally, however, it made perfect sense. You care too much. You can’t stomach the guilt. Even if it’s a trap, even if Deotra isn’t real or alive, you have to try. Because you can’t live with the idea that you could’ve tried to save someone who needed you and you didn’t. Laura’s laughter bubbled up again and I shook my head violently to stop thinking about it.

I had to operate on an assumption. It was the only way to stay focused, and the only assumption I was willing to stomach was that Deotra was a victim of the demon, and that there was still time to save her. I’m gonna fight tooth and nail for her.

I hurried through the forest, paying no mind to the familiars scattering from my path. I headed for the clearing where I had fought the dragon-familiar. At last, I broke through a line of trees and into the clearing. The cave I sought loomed before me, its dark maw rising up as if it was ready to swallow me whole.

The often-ignored corner of my mind that housed what little common sense I possessed screamed at me one last time. Run, it said. Run and don’t look back. This is your last chance. I’m warning you. But I pushed it out of my head. I had made my decision. It was a stupid decision but it was my decision and damned if I wasn’t going to see it through to the end.

As I approached the cave, I closed my eyes and breathed in one last time. Laura, if you can hear me, look out for me. Gods know I need your courage right about now.

Slowly I inched to the mouth of the cave, peering deep into its depths. Like it had before, the dark recesses of the cave were too deep for me to see, and I doubted that even my lighting spell would be of much help down there. I picked up a pebble and threw it into the cave, mirroring Deotra’s action the first time I had met her. It bounced in the darkness a few times, then fell still. I waited, expecting a creature to come racing out, but nothing happened. I moved up to the very edge of the cave mouth, and called out in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Deotra?”

At first, there was nothing. Then a burst of air came sweeping out of the cave mouth. It blew over and past me, and it carried a voice. “You came back. How quaint.” It was velvety smooth and vaguely disinterested, almost as though it regarded me as a nuisance.

I shouted back down the dark tunnel. “You get one chance, demon. You give me the girl or I go in there and kick your incorporeal arse until you do.” I tried very hard not to let my voice shake. I didn’t succeed.

The demon was silent for a moment. Then a bout of laughter came tumbling out of the cave. It wasn’t raucous, overblown, or villainous. Something came hurtling out of the dark, slammed into my face, and knocked me on my butt. When I picked myself off the ground and looked at it, I winced.

It was Deotra’s lantern, and it had very deep claw marks dug into it.

Dear gods.

I grabbed the flimsy lantern and held the ruby in my staff to the wick on the candle. With a spark it lit, and I held the lantern aloft in my left hand, staff gripped in my right. I took a deep, deep breath, and walked into the cave.

The cave itself went straight then it began to slope downward. The descent wasn’t steep, but the uneven stone floor made sure I had to watch my footing. At some point, the floor began to become slippery with loose gravel. I took note in the event I might have to beat a hasty retreat that I wouldn’t be able to rely on the ground beneath me. Keep going. Remind yourself what’s at stake. The thought of Deotra crying alone in the depths of this cave filled me with righteous fury, and I kept my pace.

As the descent became more bearable, I heard the laughter once more. In the narrow tunnel, it echoed off the walls and ceiling and gave it a more menacing quality.

I shouted back down the tunnel. “I’m not leaving. Not without her. Be a good little soul-sucking monster and give her to me alive. Then I go right back out without having to punch a few holes into whatever you call a face.” Again, my knees were quaking hard. If I encountered the demon, I had no idea what I’d do to stop her from killing me.

The laughter grew louder until the reverberations caused by the noise felt like it would shatter my ear drums. A huge gust of wind came roaring down the tunnel. The loose stones on the ground rattled. The shaking, combined with the deafening cacophony, caused my head to feel like it was being subjected to immense pressure, and I stumbled as my knees threatened to buckle beneath me. Then a huge pressure wave shot down the tunnel, carrying with it the high-pitched and unmistakable sound of a girl’s scream.

The sheer force of the scream knocked me back. I lost my footing and fell. The lantern hit the ground and the light went out. I curled into a little ball and held my head between my arms, my eyes shut tight. Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, MAKE IT STOP IT HURTS DEAR GODS MAKE IT STOP.

When the wind mercifully died down, I lay on the ground hyperventilating. Eventually the voice sounded in the darkness, dripping with haughty disdain and arrogance. “Where are you, little boy? I can’t see you. Light the lantern, and I’ll show you just what the girl is.” I fumbled for the lantern in the dark, finally managing to grasp the iron ring at its top. I stood up the best I could, and lit the wick again.

MINE.

Fuuuuuuuck me.

Scratched over and over and over again across every surface with jagged edges, that word took was all I could see. Shit. I had to fight the urge to curl into the fetal position again. You’re going to die in this cave, Kuro. You brought it on yourself and now there’s no turning back. You vastly underestimated your foe. You ran into her den without truly being ready, a truly stupid mistake.

Pick your stupid arse up and keep going. I forced myself to take a step forward and then another and then another. Still clutching the battered lantern, I continued down the cave path. Even as I forged ahead, the word was still etched across every surface, glaring tauntingly at me in the lantern’s light. Don’t lose your nerve. That’s what the demon wants. She wants you afraid, and she knows you will be. The trick is to remember what Farnus told you.

Bravery isn’t the absence of fear. It’s being terrified as hell but doing what you know you have to do in spite of it.

It was some time before the demon’s voice came floating down the empty tunnel again. “Still haven’t turnt tail and fled? I’ll need to try a little harder.” My next step forward put my foot on a downward tilted slope. I pitched forward and fell into a darkness so deep that the lantern did nothing to illuminate it. After rolling down a rocky slope for a bit, I tumbled into a brightly lit area.

The tunnel had widened into an open space in which a full three-story house sat before me beneath a black, stormy sky. Rain pelted my face, the sensation disturbingly real. In an instant I knew where I was. The orphanage from my childhood. The demon conjured it up and it’s here, now, right in front of me. Cold dread seized my heart as the door slowly swung open, daring me to come inside.

There wasn’t any other path or way forward. Even if there were, you know that there’s only one right answer to this. The demon wants you to play her game, dance to her tune. You’ve got no choice but to indulge her, Kuro. Swallowing hard, I trekked through the mud to the front door and passed over the threshold.

Inside was a perfectly recreated representation of the orphanage, but somehow the dimensions were wrong. The walls seemed to stretch unnaturally, elongating to exaggerate their length. A door to my right distorted itself before my very eyes, almost seeming to breathe as it twisted within its wooden frame. From further in the voices of children sang an eerie, unfamiliar rhyme.

“Little boy, useless toy, something new for us to destroy. No one wants you, no one cares, no cherry pies or city fairs. No mother’s love, no father’s arms, no one to cry to when you come to harm.” What the hell. That is not anything like what those children used to sing. What is this?

Then the door opened at the end of the entry hall, and in the opening was nothing but empty blackness. An amalgamation of a dozen children’s voices spewed out of the doorway, sounding demonic as their pitch warbled in an unholy chorus. “WHERE ARE YOU, NEW KID?” Fear froze my legs in place.

“COME HERE, BRAT. WE JUST WANNA PLAY. YOU’RE GONNA LIVE HERE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE WITH US!”

Please no. This isn’t real. It can’t be real. Gods in heaven above, tell me it isn’t real. The creaking of the floorboards was enough to snap me out of my trance, and my feet carried me back and away. You need to run. You know what they’ll do if they catch you. You know all too well they won’t let you off nicely.

When I whirled around to run, however, I came face to face with a young boy. Despite being only eight years old in appearance, however, he was over three feet taller than me, his hair a shock of dirty blond and his skin pallid and gray like a corpse’s. No way. Dylan? Idiot Dylan who bullied anyone with a pulse? It can’t be him, but it looks just like him!

My childhood tormentor started running toward me, rebounding off the shifting dimensions of the orphanage’s entry hall. “I’LL THROW AS MANY ROCKS AS I WANT, YOU LITTLE SHIT. STUPID FOXES ARE EASY TARGETS.” Burbling laughter came out of his freakishly huge mouth. “IT’S YOUR OWN DAMN FAULT FOR BRINGING THEM HERE. TRY AND STOP ME IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT!”

Run run run run! Get out of this madhouse! I threw my shoulder into the door to my left and tumbled into the common dormitory, shredded clothing flying everywhere as I fled at full speed. I had to vault over my rickety old bed to reach the other end of the room, and I saw the door leading to the outside on the far end. No more of this! I don’t want to be here anymore!

I hit the door with my body, but it didn’t even budge. Reaching for the doorknob, I twisted it repeatedly only to find it wouldn’t open the door. On the far end of the room, Dylan started to force himself into the room through a frame too small for his body, his face starting to transform into a hideous parody of itself with long, sharp teeth. “I CAN ALWAYS TAKE IT OUT ON YOU INSTEAD. THAT’S MORE FUN, BECAUSE YOU CAN’T RUN AS FAST AS THEY CAN!”

Frantically I slammed my fists against the door, finally feeling my composure snap. “Is this the best you can do, demon? Summon up some bullshit from my childhood to scare me? That’s amateur hour! Do your worst, I dare you! You don’t got shit on me!”

Despite everything, I heard the demon’s whisper on the other side of the door as clear as day. “You asked for it.” Then the door opened without warning and I fell through, landing on my face in the deepest circle of my own personal hell.

The smell of burning flesh. The screams of dying innocents. The flapping of leathery wings. Instantly I knew where I was. You idiot. You fucking idiot. Look what you did. You had to act all tough and now look at what you did. A dragon flew through the night sky above, spewing fire at a house as its black-armored rider gave out a cry of triumph. The demon had repainted a picture of Marevar to punish me for my defiance.

It was when I looked forward that I saw her. NO. NO. Don’t look. I squeezed my eyes shut. There was a body lying on the ground ahead of me, maybe twenty feet ahead. A girl with dark hair, a bloody hole in her chest, and a pool of crimson around her. No no no no, you don’t want to see this. Anything but this. You’d rather pluck out your own eyes than see that again.

There was still a part of me that knew the only way out was forward. My feet moved forward as if they were encased in stone, each step agonizingly slow. Gods, you’re blind. Veer to the side a little bit. The last thing you need is to trip over… something that isn’t real. Somehow that reminder didn’t convince me as much as I hoped it would. Still with eyes closed, I continued forward. One foot in front of the other. Focus on that. One, two, three…

I’d taken at least thirty steps when I heard the voice somewhere behind me. “Kuro? Where are you going?” It was scared, choking on blood and raspy, just as I’d remembered it. “You’re not going to leave me here, are you?” Fuck, fuck, fuck. It’s not real. You know it’s not real. Just like everything else. Stop telling yourself it’s fake and KNOW that it’s fake. It’s all that demon’s fault.

The voice pleaded with me again. “It’s so cold, Kuro. I don’t want to be lonely. You don’t either. Why would you leave me behind?” Keep going, keep going. The demon is getting desperate. It’s all an act. Once you get past this she’s got nothing left to throw at you.

“Everyone dies, Kuro. But you’re going to die today, all alone. Right here, right now.” There was a sick, demented little chuckle where Laura’s voice briefly became that of the demon’s. “I’ll be waiting. Then I won’t have to be alone anymore.”

I fell again, my foot not finding solid ground in front of me. I landed in some kind of hole. I pulled myself up and winced. She’s losing and she knows it. Just a little more. You’ve come this far, it’s time to see it all the way through. I opened my eyes. I was lying in an open, shallow grave. Next to it was the freshly filled grave Alverd and I had dug for Laura, the crude marker stuck in the ground in the roots of the old tree.

“Don’t make me wait too long, okay?”

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

FUCK THIS.

Swinging the staff in a wild sideways arc, I directed a burst of magical force through the ruby and a searing blue light scythed through the darkness of the scene. Like cut parchment, the light slashed through the air and revealed the entirety of what I’d gone through as an illusion, causing it to collapse all around me as the light burned it away. Screaming like a crazed lunatic, I waved the staff in every direction, sending the light into every corner and slashing the false vision to ribbons.

When the last of the illusion dissipated all that was left was a large cavern. Stalactites and stalagmites littered the floor and ceiling, and I could hear the steady dripping of water from somewhere in the room. Inside the cavernous expanse, bioluminescent mushrooms provided dim light allowing me to get a sense of the size and shape of the cavern. All around me, small pools of water littered the floor, catching the moisture falling from the ceiling. In the very center of the room, propped up against a pedestal, was Deotra.

She was unconscious. She didn’t appear to be hurt, but upon closer inspection, I could see that she was barely breathing. I put the lantern down to the side and picked up her right hand in both of mine. Although her hand was cold and clammy, I could feel a pulse in her wrist. I cupped her head in my hand, trying to stir her.

“Deotra? It’s me, Kuro. We have to leave. Please, wake up.”

Then the demon’s voice came, echoing across the chamber walls. “It’s no use, boy. Her life is mine. She is bound to me by contract, and there is nothing you can do to stop me from draining what is left of her life. That is, unless…” The demon interrupted herself to utter a sick, sadistic chuckle. “…you want to make a bargain with me?”

I stood back up, looking left and right to see if I could sense the demon’s location. No dice. “You think I’m going to bargain with you after what you put me through? Give me the girl now!” As I spoke, I noticed something move off to my right. I whipped around, waving the lantern in its direction.

Like a cockroach, the oddity scattered from the light until it slipped behind the pedestal. But then it reared up, claws made of smoke and black fire slamming into the ground between me and Deotra. I gazed straight into the seething mass of ebon flame that was the demon, and what passed for a face, emerged, gazing at me with blazing red eyes. A mouth opened, revealing twin rows of horrible, pointy, yellowed teeth.

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!” Opening my palm, I channeled a burst of light through it and towards the demon. Recoiling away from it, the demon shrank away from the light as its shadowy skin sizzled like meat on a spit. As it howled in rage, I ran to Deotra’s side and stood before her, standing in front of her prone body like a mother bear defending her cub.

With a scream half rage and half fear, I lifted my ruby-tipped staff and struck. Lightning coursed out of my chest, down my arms, and out through the business end of my staff and blasted the demon square in the torso, if it could be called that. The damned thing let out a piercing shriek, either from pain or surprise, and reared back. With a wolflike snarl she swept one of its claws at me in a blind haymaker. Pumped full of adrenaline, I saw the windup of the attack and ducked under it as best I could.

The claw came closer than I was comfortable with. Again, I willed the electrical impulses in my body into the staff in my hands. Another brilliant bolt of golden fury lanced across the room, illuminating the darkness even as it slammed into the demon’s chest. The demon threw up her claws to block my next shot.

My next thunderbolt splashed harmlessly against the demon’s defense. In return, the demon opened her mouth and from it spewed a torrent of black flame. I crossed my arms in a warding gesture in the nick of time. Augmented by my new staff, a shimmering sphere of blue light enveloped me, protecting me from all around, pushing the unholy fire to the side.

The demon faltered as I let the shield spell fall away. I pressed my attack, willing electricity from my body into the tip of the staff. Yet another thunderbolt shrieked forward and impacted the demon’s chest, and it roared in pain and anger. I took a few steps forward, intensifying the thunderbolt. Suffer, gods-dammit. I want you to suffer. The demon tried to shrink away, tried to throw its hand in the way of my attack to shield itself and in an instant the hand disintegrated under the force of my magic. Emboldened by the demon’s weakness, I began to scream as I concentrated even more energy into the attack.

The demon couldn’t hold up under my magical assault. I could see cracks developing across its skin, with golden light streaming through them. The demon gave one last swipe of its remaining claw at me, but seized up halfway through, missing me by a foot. Then, it shattered into a million pieces, fragments of dark matter sprinkling down like rain.

Breathing heavily, I ran over to check Deotra again. Her skin was warmer now, and her breathing not so ragged. When I touched her face, her eyes fluttered open, wide and scared, until they focused on me. A wave of relief so strong I almost lost my balance swept through me, and tears began to pull at the sides of my eyes. A quick wipe with my sleeve cleared my sight. Put on a brave face. You need to show her you’ve got it all under control.

“…Kuro? Is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s me. We need to get out of here, now. I don’t think that demon is ready to give up the ghost. It’ll be back soon enough, I’d wager.” I started to drag her towards the cave entrance when she pulled on my robe.

“No, we can’t leave yet…” She pointed at the pedestal. “That’s where the demon was sealed. We have to reactivate the seal or the demon will be free to do as she pleases. Help me…” I nodded, then pulled her back over to the pedestal.

It was wrought from flawless ivory, its white finish a stark contrast to the pitch black surrounding it. Strange runes were etched all over the ivory like the chicken scratch of a young child. Upon it was some sort of relic. As I drew closer, I could see that it was some kind of idol. It appeared to be made of silver, and was fashioned in the shape of a woman in a cloak, wielding a long staff that was taller than herself. It wasn’t the work of a master, but that wasn’t what was so special about it; instead, I sensed a powerful magic pulsing from it, steady and strong, almost like a heartbeat.

“How do I do this?” I asked her. I had never seen anything like this. I’d never had any practice with sealing magic.

Deotra put her hand over the idol. “Here. Let me show you.” She took hold of my hand and put it on the idol. Luckily for me, she didn’t see me blush when she grabbed my hand. I could feel the pulses of magic through my palm, echoing up my arm and into my chest.

“Now, imagine a key turning in a lock. Focus on that image as best you can, and put forth your energy into the idol.” I did what I was told, and as I did, the magic of the idol changed, its power now radiating outward at great intensity.

For a few seconds, I stood there, the idol in my hands, expecting the worst. Then, light sprung out of the pedestal. Bursts of color, like little will o’ the wisps, emerged. They swirled in the air, painting a picture. It took me a minute to realize that it was a map of the continent of Selarune. Once the entire map was complete, five dots appeared. Red, green, blue, brown, and yellow. They streaked to different parts of the map, hovering over five areas like buzzing bees. They painted lines that I eventually recognized as the borders of countries, but the borders on this map didn’t match any modern maps that I knew of. The dimensions were all wrong. Territory I knew belonged to certain nations intersected with other countries. I moved closer, trying to make sense of the strange map. The five lights ceased their flight and hovered over five distinct locations, pulsing like fireflies. I squinted in the dim light, trying to make out the locations.

Then, I heard laughter.

Slowly I turned. It was Deotra. Her once sparkling eyes had now become narrow and sinister, and she was radiating an aura of pure malice. When she grinned, I could see that her canine teeth had elongated. She pushed past me and pointed at each of the glowing dots on the map. .

“And now I know exactly where you all are. She tried to hide you from me, and now her failure is almost complete. Five kings, five failures, five chances at revenge.”

Her voice had changed, too. The voice of the demon spoke through Deotra’s mouth, supplanting her normal tone with the same casual disdain I’d heard as I ventured down into this cave. It was a trap, just not how I imagined it. She needed me for this seal, but why? What is going on here?

Suddenly, she turned to me. Her wicked grin became even wider. A chill ran all the way down my spine. I bit back a curse. You knew this was the likely scenario. Why did you kid yourself? Did you want to play hero so badly that you blinded yourself to what you knew was the truth? So stupid. I gulped.

She made her way over to me, and as I tried to backpedal I tripped over something and fell. I tried to scrabble away but she sauntered over and stood over me, her gentle face twisted into a haughty sneer.

“I have you to thank for this. I’m so very pleased to meet you, Kuro. I’ve had my eye on you for some time now, and I admit, I had to question whether you would come through for me. The little vixen put on quite the song and dance for you. Had you eating out of the palm of her hand. So cute, helpless, and innocent. Guess that sort of thing really lit your fire, so to speak? Heh heh heh…”

“I have quite a low opinion of your kind, Kuro. Yours is an untrustworthy lot, and unreliable to boot. I think you only helped me because of your misguided feelings towards this girl. Easily manipulated. Not a good quality… or is it?” As she laughed again, I found myself clenching my teeth. I don’t see this ending well at all. Why is she drawing this out, though?

She reached toward me with her hand. I stiffened and braced myself for something horrible. Instead, she ran her index finger across my cheek, then my lips, then my other cheek.

“In the end, it could have been anyone, really. But she chose you. She thought you were so noble! I didn’t see it. But I saw other things in you, things that I found useful for my ends. Things that I found… appealing.”

Her lips parted and she gave me an amused smile. “Am I so frightening that I’ve scared you into silence? Speak! Tell me how it feels to have been tricked so easily! To fall for such a simple ruse. You’re not as smart as you’d like to think. That must make you furious, right?”

The hairs on the back of my neck bristled. “I only did it for Deotra. And maybe you’re right, maybe you fooled me, and maybe I’m gonna die, but at least I can die knowing I did what I did because I…” I hesitated. “Because I wasn’t of sound mind.”

She laughed again. “Love makes you crazy? That’s your reason? That’s rich. You can put that on your gravestone, along with the millions of other men who died because they were too busy staring at a pretty girl to think straight.”

“Still, everything worked out nicely. I had to restrain the little girl quite harshly to ensure she didn’t give away the surprise before it was time. I’m so glad this little vixen finally managed to pull off her role in this charade, and to have kept herself in control for as long as she did. To be honest, I expected her to do more than latch onto you and wrestle you to the ground the first moment she was able. It seems she chickened out when it came down to it, though.” Deotra laughed again, moving closer to me. Oh gods, the look on her face was the stuff of nightmares.

I’m sick of this bitch using Deotra like a puppet! “Gods damn you, demon! Show me your true form instead of hiding behind a mask!” I pointed my staff at Deotra. I watched her like a hawk, waiting for a response.

My defensive stance did little to deter her. Instead, she made a gesture with her hand, and the staff flew out of my hand and into the darkness.

She knelt down, her face mere inches from my own. My eyes peered deep into hers. “Oh, no no no. It’s not time for me to reveal who I am. I’ve been very interested in you, Kuro. As is the little vixen. I believe you might be the one we’ve been looking for.” She grabbed my shoulders and shook me violently. “But you are so dense! I had that girl hand you the bloody Staff of Farewells, the most powerful magic staff in the world, and you squander its power, its potential!”

What the bloody hell is she talking about? “I don’t know what you’re blathering about! And even if I did I wouldn’t do what you want! So why don’t you go fu-”

Deotra scowled, and her eyes flashed evilly. “You don’t tell me what to do. Perhaps you don’t understand your place yet, young Kuro.” She picked me up, effortlessly, and I felt my feet dangle uselessly as they left the ground. Her face was twisted into an expression of satisfaction and triumph. “You’re mine, now. I’ve seen men stronger than you, better than you. I’ve broken every single one of them. You will obey me, and if you don’t I’ll-”

Suddenly she dropped me, clutching at her head. “No! I didn’t say you could come out! I am in control now! How dare you disobey me, you impertinent-”

Her head lolled down, then rose back up, and when I saw her eyes they had softened back to a more familiar look. “Mmm… I hate when she does that.” She shook her head. “Kuro? Are you alright?”

I whimpered in relief. “Oh thank the gods. Deotra, I was worried sick.” I propped myself back up on my elbows. “What happened? How did you wrest control back from that demon?”

She looked confused, then her eyes widened in recognition. “Oh.” Her soft voice echoed in the empty chamber. “It may not seem like it, but she’s not a demon, Kuro. She’s just a very aggressive spirit.” I raised my eyebrow. She waved her hands apologetically. “I have control of my body, but sometimes she can take control to carry out some of her whims. But I can always seize control back if I feel she’s gone too far.”

She bowed to me deeply. “You’ll have to forgive me. I’ve only gotten as far as I have because of that spirit. She doesn’t share much with me, but she did tell me her name… it’s Drache. She has a bad habit of trying to put people in their place, and she can be a bit heavy-handed. But she knows potential when she sees it. Given time, you could be everything that we hope you to be. Therefore, it is in my best interest to keep you safe… as I always have.”

There’s that again. Time for some answers. “Deotra, you need to come clean with me. What does that even mean? Please just stop talking in riddles and tell me the truth.”

Her smile widened, her long, sharp canine teeth on full display. “Have you ever felt like you had a guardian angel sometimes? That’s me. I’ve followed you ever since you were just a child in Marevar. I’ve been making sure to intercede only when absolutely necessary.” She sheepishly wrung her hands. “Although, sometimes, I admit that I used my powers a little frivolously… to make sure you were taken care of. I know you didn’t have parents, so I wanted to look after you…”

Suddenly my nightmare made sense. The fox that had protected me from the demon. “You used magic… you chased away my nightmares! When I was a child, every nightmare I ever had always ended the same way. Always a fox, wreathed in golden light, chasing away everything that scared me. That was you?”

Deotra smiled again. “Yes, that was me. I couldn’t bear to watch you suffer. In any way. If it was within my power to keep you happy, I did what I had to. Drache always scolded me but I wanted you to always be the same boy that I…” She trailed off for a moment, but then made a herculean effort to look me straight in the eyes. “…the same boy that I fell in love with.”

“Y-y-you what? You love… me?” Wait, what? I feel like I’m about to suffocate, but in a good way. The earnestness in Deotra’s face communicated her feelings to me as plain as day. This is not how I expected this to go. I came in here expecting to die and now a girl is professing her love for me? Am I dreaming? Did I hit my head somewhere in the tunnel and this is all some weird fever dream?

“Hold on. Back up. In the clearing, you came on to me really strong. Then you sort of had a little panic attack. What was that about? I mean, don’t get me wrong, the flirting was nice and all but at some point it got a little intense.” I felt heat rising in my face as I recalled the sensation of Deotra’s lips on mine.

She hugged her arms tight around her chest. “Drache pushed me a bit too hard. She thought you’d be like any other boy who wanted nothing but physical pleasure. I insisted you weren’t like that, so I humored her just to prove her wrong.” Her eyes wandered to the floor. “It was her idea to put you through that gauntlet. She said that if you were really the one I was waiting for, you’d make it through. And you did.”

Her arms fell away and she clutched her hands in front of her chest. “I didn’t know she was going to put you through that hell. But you fought through it and showed so much courage. I know you doubt yourself, think that you’re not worth anything, but you proved today that you can push yourself to do the extraordinary when need be.” She gave me a faint smile. “You just needed the right motivation.”

Part of me was still mad about this, but seeing her smile sort of took most of the anger and snuffed it like a candle in the wind. Somehow, I do believe that she wouldn’t have agreed to what I went through if she knew, especially the last part. “Still, Deotra. Why should I believe all this? I get the sense you’re still hiding something from me.”

She pouted, then bit her lip. “I want you to understand me, to understand my feelings. I think the best way to do that is to tell you the truth, even if it’s going to be hard to believe.”

I blinked. She seemed to gather up her courage, and took a deep breath. Then, she made an effort to turn her golden eyes from the ground and look me in the eye. “The truth of the matter is, I am not human.” Deotra quickly turned her eyes away from me in shame. But instead of being afraid, as I should have been, and had every right to be, I felt confusion.

“Then what are you?”

She looked at me with sadness in her eyes. “I am what your kind would call a familiar.”

I blinked again. “Wait, what? You’re a familiar?” I looked Deotra up and down, as if I would find proof she was yanking my chain. She looked perfectly human to me.

Her soft voice trembled. “I want to show you, but I worry… I worry that you will reject me. I’ve suffered because of it for so long, and from so many; if you rejected me too, I think I'd just want to stop living.”

Gods, I do know what that’s like. I can’t imagine what she’s running from, but it has to be terrible if she’s this scared of rejection. I reached out and took Deotra’s gloved hand. She stiffened when I did, and she almost pulled her hand away.

“What are you-”

“I won’t reject you. Whatever it is you have to show me, I will not run.”

Instead of shrinking away, like I thought she would, she took a step forward. Her normally shy voice gained a strange edge to it. “Do you promise?” I was taken aback by her sudden change in tone. But she pressed again. “Do you promise, Kuro?”

“Of course.”

“No, say you promise! I won’t believe you until you say that you promise you won’t run!”

From that dusty corner of my brain, my common sense screamed at me that something was very wrong and that this was my very last opportunity to run and save myself. I shoved that voice back into its corner and calmly spoke the words she wanted to hear.

“I promise I won’t run away, Deotra.”

Her eyes glittered. “Alright… remember, you promised.” She pulled her hand free, closed her eyes, spread her arms, and enveloped herself in bright, light blue flames emanating from her feet, spreading up her body with blinding speed. The light became too bright for me to see past, and I shielded my eyes with my hand. After a moment, the light began to fade. As the blue flame died away, I removed my hand, and beheld Deotra in her alleged true form.

Sitting where Deotra had been only a moment ago was a fox. A very familiar red-furred fox. It looked up at me, yowled, and then shimmered in form. The little fox disappeared again, and in its place was Deotra. I stammered for a moment, becoming aware of the expectant look on her face. I knew I had to be diplomatic with my answer.

“Then you’re a fox familiar?” Sheena’s book had a section on fox familiars, and I recalled what I had read as quickly as I could. They were incredibly rare, had a talent for transformation, and generally did not end up as mage familiars due to their low magic power. So that’s why she’s afraid. In terms of general usefulness, a familiar like her ranks near the bottom.

She stared at me and fidgeted in place. Her lower lip was jutting out and quivering, and it made her look like a child with a skinned knee. Her legs went pigeon-toed and she wrung her hands.

Gods. She looks so pitiful. I moved next to Deotra and put my hand on her shoulder. “I’m not going to judge you based on what kind of familiar you are. As a person, you seem like a really nice girl, and I’d really like to get to know you better if you’ll let me. So how about we revisit the discussion after we’ve had time to get properly acquainted?.” I bowed and kissed her gloved hand, trying hard to imitate Alverd and his chivalrous ways. “I’m Kuro. I’m not exactly a capable mage, but I’ll do my best.”

Her face lit up like the morning sky when I said that. Gods she’s beautiful. She nestled against me, and I embraced her as she cried into my robe. We stood together like that for a while.

Then she pulled away, wiped away some tears from her eyes, bounced in place twice, and cleared her throat with the cutest little “ahem” I’d ever heard. “I’m Deotra. I’m so happy to finally meet you for real, Kuro. And of course, my friend’s name is Drache. I’m sure she’s pleased to meet you in her own way. Now that I’m finally by your side, I won’t let anyone harm you in any way.” She pointed at the staff that I had completely forgotten about in my hand. “Also, she entrusted you with the Staff of Farewells. She wouldn’t do that if she thought you couldn’t handle it.”

I looked down at the staff, and the ruby glinted at me in the lantern light like it was winking at me. “Oh that’s what the demon called it, right?”

Deotra frowned at me. “Please, Kuro. She’s not a demon. She’s a spirit. There IS a difference, you know.” She said that rather petulantly. “This is a relic of great power. It belongs to you now. Drache doesn’t want me to tell you too much about it. She wants you to try and unlock its true powers yourself. Think of it as another test.”

She leaned over and tapped the ruby on the tip of the staff. “I’m sure you’ll be much safer with such a powerful weapon at your disposal. There were times when I was scared you’d die without me beside you. So I helped you, as best I could, without your knowledge.”

“So then,” I said, making a sweeping motion at the cave, “was all just a test?”

Deotra nodded. “Again, I’m really sorry that it had to be like this. Drache insisted that this was the best way to test your character. You have no idea how happy it made me when I saw you come back…” She bridged her fingers together as she smiled. “I don’t approve of deceiving others, or telling lies, but the truth would have been too much for you. So I had to trick you, for a little while. Thank goodness that’s all over with.”

I could feel the blood returning to a pounding in my veins from Drache’s display of anger. But, looking back from the staff to Deotra calmed my boiling blood. It was good to see this version of her back in charge. That curious feeling that had shown itself after she had told me she loved me was back.

“I only ever planned on coming back to find you, even though it might have been the stupidest thing I’ve ever done on my own.”

She blushed. I took her hand once more, and together we walked back out of the cave. When we reached the clearing again, the moonlight greeted us with its gentle radiance.

I turned to face Deotra. “So…I know you’ll be my familiar now, but how does this all work? I’m kind of at a loss.” I fumbled for more to say. I wanted to spend more time with Deotra, to get to know her. I wanted to talk for hours, just about her. I wanted to know every little thing about her. Is that the effect of love? It’s all so new to me.

She frowned. “I’m sorry, Kuro, but you mustn’t tell any of your friends about me. We can only be together in secret for now. I fear that if my existence were to be discovered, I would be locked away forever.” Her eyes began to water. “Drache told me about men who would take me away. She called them scholars.”

That makes sense. Standard familiars, while able to change their form, had never had the power to assume human form. The book claimed fox familiars were exceptionally rare and were coveted for their shapeshifting abilities in fields of magical study.

“I won’t let that happen, I promise I’ll keep your secret.” I noticed that when I used the word “promise”, her eyes flickered again. It was almost too quick to catch, but since I had seen it before, I was able to recognize it a second time.

“Maybe if you maintain your humanoid form, nobody would see through it? Then you could accompany me everywhere. No one has to know.”

Deotra smiled wearily. “It’s an option. I’ll think about it. Nothing would make me happier than being by your side at all times, Kuro.”

Then she took my hand. “I see you still have the charm bracelet I made. That’s good.” She pulled a similar charm from the sash around her waist and slid it onto her right wrist. “I made these before you came here. Where I come from, there’s a belief that two people who are destined to be soulmates are bound by an invisible red thread. They’re meant to find each other, no matter how far apart they are. I knew one day I’d find you, so I made these. I hope you’ll take good care of it.” I tugged at the red twine to make sure it was snug around my wrist. I didn’t want to lose it, especially not after what Deotra had said.

Suddenly she smacked herself in the forehead. “Gah, I’m so stupid! Our contract hasn’t been completely finalized, yet.” She held her hand out to me, and a small blue flame sparked to life in her palm. “If you would be so kind, Kuro. Place your hand in mine and claim me as your familiar. I will share your life, and join you in death.”

I slowly put my hand over hers, and at that moment I was struck with how delicate and frail Deotra seemed. Even under the glove, I could feel how soft and small her fingers were. The blue flame wrapped around my hand until it engulfed it; strangely, there was no heat or burning sensation.

Her face flushed again. “Alright. Now you declare your intent to take me as your familiar. My full name is Deotra Tsukishiro. Claim me as your familiar and our contract is complete.”

I was a bit embarrassed. But then it occurred to me that this was a moment she had probably looked forward to her whole life. I wasn’t going to deny her that. I took a deep breath, and did what I was supposed to.

“My name is Kuro. From this day forth, Deotra Tsukishiro, you are my familiar. From now until my last breath, you and I are bound together. I promise to look after you and care for you from here on out.” As I finished my declaration, Deotra reached her arms around my neck and hugged me tight. I was a bit embarrassed by her sudden show of affection, but considering that she was keeping that demon of hers under control, I let it slide.

At last, she let me go. “Oh, Kuro. With this, it’s official. I’m yours, and you are mine. As your familiar, I’ll follow you anywhere, obey your every command, and protect you until the end of your days. This I swear upon my name, Deotra Tsukishiro, formerly of the Clan Tsukishiro, Third of the Ten Fox Clans.” She clasped her hands together and gazed at me. “There’s just one last thing I need to make certain of. Those girls who accompany you… the angry blonde, and the dim-witted witch. You’re not interested in either of those girls, are you?”

I could have sworn I saw the spark of something malicious in her eyes when she said that. I told her the truth. “Oh heavens no. Even if I were, they only have eyes for Alverd.” Still, the look in her eyes bothered me, so I pushed it further than I should have. “Why would you ask me something like that?”

She seemed very surprised to hear that. “Oh, Kuro… you’re so silly.” She said that with what she probably thought was an innocent giggle. Then she leaned in close, so that her face was inches from mine. Her eyes suddenly went dull, and she gave me a toothy, predatory smile. “I just had to make sure. Because you belong to me now. And if there’s one thing you can be certain of…” She leaned in even closer, so that her mouth was next to my ear, “…I won’t let anyone get away with harming what’s mine.”

I felt a chill run the length of my entire body that had nothing to do with the night air.

Then she backed away, and she was sweetness and shyness incarnate again. “As long as you remember that, we won’t have any problems. For now, I must take my leave. Drache requires me to go back to the cave, so we can look over that map. But when you need me, I’ll be there. You need only call my name, and I’ll come rushing. Farewell for now, my love. I’m looking forward to our long, happy lives together.” She leaned forward one last time, and planted a chaste but firm kiss on my cheek. With that done, she disappeared in a swirl of blue smoke, leaving me alone in the clearing.

I stayed in the clearing for a moment, contemplating her words. Then I began the long trek back to where Alverd and the girls were.

He looked tired, with his eyes drooping shut and struggling to remain upright. When I sat next to him, he nearly jumped. “Gah, Kuro. Give me some warning. I nearly jumped out of my skin.”

I smacked his shoulder. “Pfft. You need some sleep. I’ll take over for now. I didn’t find anything and I think we’re safe for now. Get some rest, you earned it.”

I don’t think he remained awake long enough to hit the ground. He simply keeled over and was snoring softly as he lay upon the dirt next to Alicia. He was still holding her hand, fingers interlocked with hers. I looked at my own hand with the bracelet tied around it.

Damn, I should’ve asked her what this symbol means. The small charm dangled from the end of the bracelet, catching the light of the moon. I better make sure to do so next time.

An hour or so later, Sheena finally stirred from her rest. She leaned up, glared jealously at Alverd and Alicia, and came over to me. “I can take watch now.” I nodded and lay down on the ground, exhaustion already pulling me under. I had a dreamless sleep, but in retrospect that was fine by me.

I had no need to dream of foxes anymore.