The sun shone high in the midsummer sky, and the central square of Tumblebrook village was bustling with activity. Several men were loading a wagon with hides and vegetables for a trip into Mokkelton. The blacksmith was hard at work hammering away at the rim of a wagon wheel, sweat running down his body from his forge’s heat. Several locals were gathered around the front of the general mercantile, in animated conversation with the shopkeeper.

A group of younger children were gathered at one side of the square, seated on benches in the shade of the mayor’s house, listening to one of the elders tell them of Tandera’s history within the world, up to and including the coming of the dread demon lord Mohrtgauth. After lunch, a different elder would be along to try and teach them their numbers. Tomorrow, others would be teaching them to read and write and the civics of their nation’s daily conduct.

The innkeeper’s wife was out sweeping the wooden walk in front of the inn’s door, prior to the lunch rush, while her husband tended the fires in the kitchen and prepared the menu items.

In the center of the road, in the middle of the square, Cleary Oaks stood, slightly hunched and peering into the sky with a nervous expression, fists balled in her apron, hands held tight to her bosom.

Into this lively venue, behind and to the right of the anxious mother, a circular patch of air began to shimmer. Seconds later, a small foot clad in a well worn white boot appeared through it, followed by Rosaluna Galbradia, who stepped out into Tumblebrook’s village square bearing a serious expression.

The first thing she noted as the portal closed behind her was the distraught woman. Almost atop of that, the shrieking of a child assailed her ears from above. Looking up, she beheld a crimson form with great bat wings, clad incongruously in the garb of a tavern wench, swooping back and forth through the sky clutching a small and wriggling figure.

Her cane was already raised, and beginning to glow when the realization came. Those were not shrieks of terror, but of glee. Closer examination revealed the child to be wearing a reasonable imitation of wizard’s robes and wielding a wand from which multicolored sparks flew in wild array. Her mouth was open, and her face suffused with an expression of absolute joy.

Rosaluna lowered her cane, confusion washing over her own face. She had no idea what was happening here. That feeling had been growing unpleasantly familiar these last months, and with each appearance, she disliked it more.

What is going on here? She inquired sternly of the woman standing before her, who jumped at the intrusion and spun in place.

Upon seeing the old enchantress, Cleary Oaks’ eyes went round, and she gulped in a great draught of air. Spinning again and facing the sky, she shouted at the top of her lungs, “Lady Chi!”

Rosaluna followed her gaze and beheld the demon, now hovering stationary in the air, the still shrieking child held to its breast. The demon lowered its head to the child’s and the shrieking stopped, along with the colorful display of sparks.

Iktchi-Chi touched down gently, lowering Samus to the ground and shooing her into her mother’s arms. “Remember, Sam,” she told the girl as casually as she could manage. “Ten candles, three times. Light, extinguish, relight. And four wardstones. Refresh, dispel, refresh. Got it?”

“Yes, Sensei!” the child replied, bowing.

Chi addressed Sam’s mother. “You probably best take her home now, Cleary,” she advised the woman in a low voice. “I’m not certain how this will turn out.”

With that, she turned to the outwardly frail old woman standing in the village street. The power washing from the woman in waves battered at her uncomfortably. Identify confirmed her initial impression, and she decided she was, at last, addressing the master of the higher golems. Taking a deep breath to both steady herself and get a handle on her emotions, she stepped hesitantly forward, bowing at the shoulders once she’d closed to within a couple of yards.

“I am Iktchi-Chi,” she informed the old woman. “Protector of Tumblebrook village. How may I help you?”

Rosaluna didn’t answer immediately. She didn’t trust herself. The constructs had been correct. It was an actual demon. A female devil of some sort, although there were some small physical differences from those she was familiar with. What’s more, it didn’t feel like any of the devils Rosaluna had ever before encountered.

For instance, she could see no kind of status indicators. She’d never before seen a creature of such rank without them. Well, save one troublesome hero. Nor could she perceive the stench of the demon lord about it, although there was a troublingly dark miasma ringing its neck.

Her every instinct screamed at her to strike the creature down on the instant, but she held herself still. There was a puzzle here, and her instincts, honed as they were by past experience, could not be trusted with such an unknown. She’d seen far too many subversions of that experience of late to fall to that trap so easily. Still, she held herself at the ready.

After a moment of silence, Chi spoke again. “You are she who created the wardstones, and controls the higher golems, yes?”

Rosaluna nodded with no change of expression. I am, she sent, mildly concerned that the creature had so readily connected her to the constructs.

“Ah,” Chi let a small smile show. “Telepathy, yes? Might I ask why?”

You may not, Rosaluna was in no mood for trivial conversation.

“Very well,” Chi frowned. “May I at the least be given the reason for your long overdue visit?”

Rosaluna’s face closed in even more. The nerve! Overdue? What right had this creature to— she shook her head abruptly, a shiver going through her as she fought for control of herself. This was not like her, to be flummoxed by monsters, even seemingly polite ones. But, then, this situation was singularly unprecedented.

Deliberately, she grounded her cane, as though the act itself would more firmly ground her mind. What are you doing here? She demanded.

Chi tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “I’ve already told you, Lady. This is my home, and I am its protector.”

And why—

“Because no one else did,” Chi cut the sending off, anger showing, her voice hard, her brows lowered. “Your toys are inefficient, and you’ve made far too few of them for the safety of the citizens here. If that was your purpose. These people deserved more than that. They were being killed!” she caught herself and paused for a breath before continuing, her voice more controlled. “And so, here I am,” she exhaled. “And here I’ll stay.”

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Rosaluna straightened to her full height and fixed the demon with a glare that would have fried a lesser foe. You are not an ordinary demon, she stated flatly. Are you?

“Is that a problem?” Chi asked smoothly, a small smile that failed to reach her eyes curling her lip. Her anger was getting the better of her, and heat was beginning to shimmer around her.

They were standing there staring at one another when Mayor Longhan arrived at a dead run. He hove to between them, breathing heavily, leaning over with his hands on his upper thighs. After a few deep breaths, he straightened and turned to Rosaluna, placing Chi at his back.

“W-W-Welcome... to Tumblebrook village... Lady Galbradia.” he panted. “A-And wh-what brings you... to our humble home on this bright day?” Sweat dampened his brow, but he made no move to wipe it clear, struggling to hold the old enchantress’ eyes.

Rosaluna stared at him stone faced for a moment, noting his protective posture regarding the demon. Belatedly, she looked around, noting that the considerable crowd that had grown around them in the short period since her arrival, while indeed staring uncomfortably, seemed all to be doing so in her direction, and not the demon’s. Noticed then the demon ostentatiously following her perusal, the tight smile widening just that little bit.

She turned back to the mayor. I’ve come to address the matter of a loose demon, she told him without humor.

Behind the mayor, Chi bristled, smile vanishing, but stopped short as the mayor held a cautioning hand out to his rear.

“Perhaps, Lady Galbradia,” he asked smoothly. “You might allow me to offer you refreshment,” he swept the hand recently cautioning Chi out and in the direction of the inn. “And we can sort out your concerns in a less crowded venue.”

Rosaluna nodded suspiciously. The mayor turned, herding his pet demon before him towards the inn. Rosaluna followed a few seconds later, brow furrowing.

I am Rosaluna Galbradia, Rosaluna finally introduced herself directly to the demon after they’d seated themselves and the innkeeper’s wife had brought tea. Have you heard that name?

“Nope,” Chi answered mock cheerfully. “All I know about you is that you’re stupidly powerful and very grumpy.”

The mayor groaned and put his head in his hands. “Lady Rosaluna, Chi,” he explained, “is Tandera’s most powerful enchantress, and one of its most benevolent and respected citizens. Please do not antagonize her just for practice.”

Rosaluna, meanwhile, settled back in her seat, her eyes going harder even than they had been. The creature was certainly brazen.

Do you understand just how powerful I am? She wondered acidly.

“It looks like your rank is two hundred and—”

that’s enough, Rosaluna cut her off, shooting a swift glance in the mayor’s direction. How do you know that? I cannot see any of your stats. How is it you can see mine?

Chi tilted her head again, the wicked grin once more peeking out. “I mean, it’s right there,” she said. “Clear as a neon light. Standard type seven stat array. Well, except for that weird crystal thing twirling around your head. That’s new.”

Type seven?

“Really?” Chi wondered. “You don’t know about the different systems?” She was pushing her luck, she knew. The old battleaxe could probably push her face in without effort, and toast her to ash before she could react. But something about the old woman just gave her an itch. Several somethings, all of them strumming on the strings of her devilish temperament. “I suppose,” she went on, “if you’ve never been anywhere but here,” she waved an arm about. “You wouldn’t have any basis for comparison, would you?”

She smiled condescendingly. “Don’t you know identify? It’s a wonderful tool on strange worlds.”

“Lady Chi, please,” the mayor begged. “Lady Rosaluna,” he turned to the old enchantress. “Lady Iktchi-Chi is not a native Tanderan. She’s a relatively new immigrant, and hasn’t had the most favorable of first impressions of our fair realm.”

What Rosaluna understood was that the demon was making sport of her, and now she was really growing angry. And your rank, if I may be so bold? She asked, ignoring the mayor’s frantic efforts.

Chi gave her a momentary glare. “You’re not my supervisor,” she warned, giving the old woman an Earthism she’d learned while studying Jack Grenell. “So don’t start none, won’t be none,” she gave her another. “That’s my rank.”

“Lady Chi is a rank fifty-six red mage,” mayor Longhan supplied hastily, casting a pleading side eye in the devil girl’s direction.

Rosaluna forced herself to calm, settling back into her chair and taking up her cooling tea. Red mage? There was no such class on Mund. She was feeling untethered, and wasn’t used to it. Not for nearly a century had she felt so out of her depth. And against a creature so obviously less powerful. You are not a Mundian demon, she accused.

“And whoever said I was?” Chi’s reply might have been innocence itself.

Mayor Longhan stifled the reel of his life passing before his eyes and squared his shoulders, addressing Chi with a serious face. “Lady Chi,” he held his voice steady. “I realize you’re angry, but, please think of the rest of us before starting a war with the most powerful mage on the continent in the middle of the village.”

Chi blinked her orange-red lava eyes and the evil grin faltered. She drew in a deep, steadying breath and nodded to the frightened mayor. “Alright, Marbry,” she sighed. “Fine. Let’s start over, shall we?”

She reached her hand across the table. “Hi,” she said with a friendly, if forced, lilt in her voice. “My name is Iktchi-Chi. I’m not from around here, but this is now my home. I’m probably not your enemy. How’s that?” this last directed at the mayor.

Rosaluna reached her hand tentatively out to the demon’s and clasped it. It felt very strange to be doing such a thing when the vast majority of her life had been spent eradicating such creatures on sight.

I cannot commit to not being your enemy just at this moment, she begrudged. But I am willing to hear you out.

Chi’s eyes narrowed anew. “Isn’t it me who’s supposed to be hearing you out?” she wondered. “This is my village, after all, and you’re the one showing up out of the blue after having abandoned it to the wilds nearly four years ago.” She held the old woman’s hand for a few more heartbeats before letting it go.

I was only recently made aware that the people here hadn’t evacuated when the order went out, Rosaluna explained reluctantly. And shortly thereafter, I was informed that there was a demon living here. You. I couldn’t leave that stand without investigating.

Chi nodded. “Alright,” she supposed. That at least seemed reasonable.

And I didn’t exactly abandon this village any more than I abandoned any of the others, Rosaluna defended. I set my watchers—

“Remember me saying inefficient, and insufficient?” Chi stopped her. “By my reckoning, you sent enough to keep the monsters from overrunning the whole countryside, but no more. I’ve watched them clearing villages that had been completely overrun. That’s hardly protection, Lady. That’s cleanup.”

Rosaluna cut her glare short. The demon wasn’t entirely wrong, she supposed. And now that you know why I’m here, she pressed. Perhaps you could tell me why you’re here.

Chi sipped her tea, wondering just how much she should tell the grumpy old woman. On the one hand, the more the old woman knew about her back story, the greater the chance she’d decide they were, indeed enemies. On the other hand, she didn’t suppose the old bat was any particular danger to the village, even if she decided she wanted a fight, and Chi’d rather not make an enemy of someone as powerful as this century old magical girl wannabe if she didn’t have to. That promised all kinds of grief she didn’t need.

“I...” she began before clearing her throat. “I am... or was, I suppose,” she hesitated. “A researcher, primarily. My former master would send me out to observe and categorize potential threats.”

The old woman’s gaze hardened.

“Yes,” Chi nodded, reading the unvoiced thought. “I was a creature of a dark lord. I stress, was. Not yours. Not, certainly, a voluntary one, and not in any way happy about it. But I had no choice. None at all. Not even the escape of death—”

“Show her the collar, Lady Chi,” Mayor Longhan prompted.”

Cutting him a look, she peeled back the black, lace trimmed cloth band around her neck, revealing the submission collar.