The library was one of the few parts of the monastery unmarred by the destruction Rosomil had rained upon the Oder of the Crimson Hand. Upon entering it, he was greeted by the familiar smell of dust and old parchment. It was enough to force him to stop for a moment and stare ahead.

“I don’t sense anything left by a fallen angel”, the demon said and walked past him.

It had taken the form of Sunila and warped it’s almost too long braid like a noose around Offilo’s neck. The boy looked utterly frightened but kept calm.

“So the demon has just taken Lodwin?”, Rosomil asked, doubtful.

“It appears so”, it replied and looked displeased.

“I still want to make sure their remains are where we left them.”

“Go ahead, master. I’ll follow with the boy.”

Without looking back, Rosomil walked towards the wooden staircase and headed to the lowest level. As the sparse daylight from the windows grew too weak, his demon created some floating lights, which followed them like they were entities in their own right.

On the lowest level, behind an overthrown wooden lectern as well as a few destroyed shelves, Rosomil found what he expected. Dried skin and brittle bones hidden away by the remains of moth-eaten tattered clothes.

Looking at them made him stop again. The feeling of guilt became almost overwhelming, but he didn’t dare to allow himself to be exposed in front of the demon he had gained by committing this heinous act.

“W-what happened here?”, the boy asked, his voice thin.

“Rosomil happened here”, the demon answered and pushed Offilo forward while stepping right next to him.

“Don’t omit your involvement”, he remarked, angry.

“True, true”, it mused, smiling. “But it was your hand who killed them. I just siphoned their life-force off to be able to manifest. A necessary sacrifice, so to speak, since you wanted me so badly.”

The leering expression on Sunila’s face was so unlike the real one, Rosomil felt almost like slapping the demon for disgracing the woman he had thought of as sister.

“Don’t make it sound, like I wanted you that way”, he almost spit while glowering at her. “Especially not while wearing her face!”

At this, the demon let out a small chuckle while turning back into its real face, if that was the actual face and not just one more of the different masks it loved to wear. This made Rosomil grind his teeth and look away. The demon didn’t continue this charade, but he felt that this wasn’t the last time it tried to get a rise out of him.

“Once we’re back home, you get the spike again”, he told the demon, looking again in its eyes.

Upon hearing this, it narrowed its eyes and let out a low growl that reverberated within the whole library. Offilo gasped alarmed. At the same time, its face shifted again. This time to the mask it called Astatine, who looked like the identical male twin to its female face. Yet, it kept the braid around the boy's neck, which didn’t entirely fit this appearance.

“What now, master?”, the demon asked aggressively polite.

“For now we go back up and stop again in the courtyard, where you will project a map of my kingdom and tell me where the Priests were killed”, Rosomil ordered it. “Once we find out where he will strike most likely next, we’ll go there and stop him. Beyond that, I want you to take all the books of this library and bring them into mine in Castle Gabáuan if time permits it. If not, you’ll take care that enough trustworthy servants will do so. Do you understand, you vile creature?”

“Yes, master”, it replied sullen.

Without another word, Rosomil headed back up the stairs. He didn’t need to turn around to make sure the demon followed him with Offilo.

Back up in the courtyard, the demon projected the map of Rosomil’s kingdom in greater detail than any cartographer could muster. Rosomil had no doubt that every inch of the map reflected the country exactly as it was. Still, after berating the demon moments ago, he didn’t felt like giving it the satisfaction of him marvelling at this spell. Offilo, on the other hand, couldn’t help but stare with wide eyes. Something which made him look even younger.

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“I don’t need you to show off, demon”, Rosomil remarked cold. “Show me what I asked of you!”

“Yes, master”, it replied with an annoyed expression and snapped its fingers.

Immediately the map shifted and grew bigger around the area southwest close to the seaside. Rosomil remembered a deployment of his there right in the middle of his apprenticeship. It had been a raid on a Selkie village, whom the locals had claimed to be out at sea, destroying the boats of the fishermen. While it had been true that a small group of teenagers had done so, the Order had eradicated the whole village. Back then, Rosomil had refused to kill the innocent Selkies, which had resulted in a month of digging and maintaining latrines.

Remembering this, he felt sick not having done anything about the Order sooner.

“The first Priest was killed around this area”, the demon explained, pointing towards a town at the seaside. “He was sent there by your orders to surveil the inhabitants, as I noted to you some irregularities in the natural magic of this place.”

“I remember”, he told the demon, which had looked at him quite expectant for a few seconds.

“With this point as origin, we can draw an almost straight line along the other kills”, Astatine continued. “I’m almost one hundred percent certain the next target will be the Knight of Eldebourg. A very diligent gatherer of life-force, mind you.”

“I don’t intend to lose him”, Rosomil replied with a stern gaze towards the demon.

“You didn’t seem this concerned when the Priests died”, Astatine remarked, matching his gaze.

He glared at it.

“Anyway, what about the kid?”, the demon continued and pointed at Offilo, who flinched at the sudden attention.

“We take him along, it’s always good to have an additional shield at hand”, Rosomil said and looked at the boy.

“You can be rather amusing after all”, the demon mused with a genuine smile that took him off guard.

“I’m not aiming to entertain you”, he replied, angry.

“Keep telling yourself that”, it chuckled and let the map vanish with a flicker of its hand. “Do you want to go directly to Eldebourg or do you want to stop by Gabáuan before we go there?”

“You’ll take us directly to Eldebourg without any detours or breaks”, he ordered it sternly. “Anything we might need will be supplied by my people in town.”

“As you wish, master. Hey! Kid! Are you ready for the first of the worst hugs of your life?”

“The worst hug in my life?”, Offilo, asked timidly.

“Not so shy, young man!”, the demon cackled and shoved the boy against Rosomil.

Before either of them had the chance to complain, the demon warped them into its pitch-black wings and lifted them into the air. Offilo screamed and held on to Rosomil for dear life, which he in turn didn’t enjoy at all.

—

Once they landed on the overgrown courtyard of Castle Eldebourg and the demon opened its wings with a dry rustling sound, Offilo collapsed on his knees while holding on to Rosomil, nearly pulling him down. The demon laughed wholeheartedly while taking again the shape of Astatine.

“Let go of me!”, Rosomil ordered the boy and pulled away from him.

“I-I’m sorry!”, Offilo apologised, trembling.

“Then get on your feet instead of crawling on the ground! You were an apprentice of the Order! As such, you remain standing in the face of adversary and don’t tremble like leaves in the wind!”

He didn’t know what had come over him, but seeing this display of fear in front of him made his blood boil. Offilo stared at him, swallowing heavy. A heartbeat later, he stood up and cast his gaze at the ground.

“Look at me”, snarled Rosomil with an expression of utter distaste on his face. “You wanted to live, and you’ll live now under my orders, which you have to follow to keep it that way, do you understand?”

“Yes, Sire”, he replied timid, and visibly forced himself to look at him.

“Then stand tall and don’t let your fears control you”, Rosomil continued. “I need you to function, or I’m going to dispose of you, by letting my demon eat you, understand?”

“Yes, Sire”, Offilo replied, thin-voiced.

“I don’t eat people, master”, the demon murmured into Rosomil’s ear.

“I know, but he doesn’t”, he replied silently.

At this, the demon smirked and let out a low chuckle.

“As I said, you do prove amusing again”, it said and turned around a moment later.

Rosomil followed its gaze to two men, who approached them. They were unmistakable Dark Priests. Rosomil considered this name to be rather cliché and dull, but he did allow his demon some of its more theatrical whimsy to keep it at least somewhat content. Despite the name, the Dark Priests were among his most useful servants. Beyond their strong magical prowess, their main benefit was their heightened senses, making them perfect for surveillance and covert attacks on his enemies.

They also held a function equal to that of a proper priest, although less protective and well-meaning. Rosomil also didn’t like to think of them as such, despite him ordering them to do take up this line of work.

“Mighty Divine Lord, what miracle brings you unannounced to Eldebourg?”, asked the taller of the two and bowed down with his companion — the movement reminded Rosomil of two grebes dancing on a lake.

“No miracle but trouble brings me here, servant”, he replied monotonous, while being grateful both Priests hid their maimed faces, courtesy of the demon. “A great enemy of mine has already killed some of your brothers. I’m here to give him not only a proper welcome, but also to give you the protection a true lord offers his subjects.”

“You are most gracious, my lord”, the tall one replied and bowed again. “I shall immediately bring you to Lord Duodecum, so you can receive a proper welcome worthy of your being and begin with the preparations. Does his Lordship have further instructions for us humble servants?”

“Yes, one of you will take the boy and outfit him with proper clothes and equipment without leaving him out of your sight. Once you’re done, take him immediately back to me.”

“As you wish, my lord”, the smaller Priest replied and stepped next to Offilo.

The boy shied away from the man, but one stern gaze on Rosomil’s end was enough to force him into submission. Rosomil continued for a bit longer than necessary to stare at him, then he turned around and followed with his demon, the other Dark Priest. Judging by the darkness of the sky, it was already some time past sunset.