Rosomil rubbed his eyes and leaned back on his chair. The Tome rested on the desk in front of him as if it was just an ordinary book. Since the morning, he had delved into the yellowed parchments and runes of the book. While the demon had gifted him the ability to read the runes, it was a tedious task as the words and knowledge seemed to sap his energy away like dry land soaks up water.

In the five years he had the book and the ability to read it, he had barely managed to read about a fifth of it and retain its information. This day had been an unyielding one. Despite his best affords, he had only managed to retain the beginning of a shapeshifting spell. But he didn’t know if it was only applicable to his demon, or if he could manage to change forms himself. While not hight on his list of important spells, it would certainly offer some wriggling room to achieve his goals.

Rosomil stood up from his chair with a sigh and stretched his back. Afterwards, he walked over to the window of his study, opened it and looked out. For a few moments, he relished the fresh air and took a deep breath, then he noticed the silence.

The window faced not the inner courtyard but the outer wall of the castle with the city below. Still, the wind was blowing out of the right direction and should bring along the sounds of a fight or at least his demon's cackling laughter. But there was nothing. Just some sad bird somewhere in the distance.

More displeased than angry, Rosomil ran his hand across his face and took another deep breath of fresh air. While the demon usually did what he asked off it, he admitted that his last command had been not very succinct. It had most likely taken some liberties or the boy had been tormented so much he had fainted.

Either way, he decided to go check on them. But before he closed the window, he saw a dark splotch of meandering darkness raising from the city and flying straight and faster than any normal mortal eye could see towards the castle.

With a grunt, Rosomil closed the window and headed towards the door. Before he left, he recalled the Tome into his mind and blew the candles out with a hand gesture.

—

Upon entering the inner courtyard, he wasn’t surprised to hear the laughter of his demon. Without much haste, he walked towards it until he saw both Offilo and the demon. The boy looked like he was profoundly spooked and fought against throwing up. The demon, on the other hand, seemed like it had a lot of fun. But the shape it had chosen took Rosomil off guard.

It had not only taken the face he presumed to be its true one and the one which had haunted him in his dream, but it had taken a fully human form. The dress it wore was decent and made it almost look normal. Also, the way it laughed caused Rosomil to pause, as it sounded wholehearted and honest. This laugh almost made him long for the dream, but the bubble of growing emotions burst the moment the demon took note of him.

Gone were the carefree laughter and the lovely person. All replaced in less than a second with the demon’s usually monstrous appearance. But for a heart beat the reminiscence of the dream grew so intense, Rosomil wished he could warp himself into its wings while he wanted to turn around and run from the demon at the same time.

“Welcome master!”, the demon greeted him. “You’re earlier than I expected! And even redder in the face! Did you miss me so much you ran?”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion on my face”, he replied angry, more so at himself for allowing his vulnerability to show than at the demon. “Where have you been with the boy? Tell me or suffer the consequences!”

“You’re easily angered as of late”, it remarked casual. “But I’ve some splendid news for you, master. I found your reanimated former comrade and the witch who accompanies them.”

“What?” he asked and sounded much more taken aback than he wanted to. “How?”

“While I was training Offilo in some of my sword techniques, I felt them enter the city and head towards the Merry Boar Inn. Since the boy needed some food, I took him with me into the inn, where we ate and watched your enemies. I have to admit, they’re either not very smart or very confident in their abilities, since they didn’t take any precautions to ward against me.”

“So you are telling me my enemies are already within the city walls? Right now? This very moment?”

“Indeed. I refrained from attacking them, since your own feelings about your former comrade are quite confusing. But, should you desire, master, I’ll immediately leave once more and kill both him and the witch.”

“You won’t do any of that”, replied Rosomil, stern. “I want to talk to him first.”

“Talk? To the man who does not only want you dead but whom you also killed?”, the demon remarked and moved closer towards him, which he didn’t like. “You’re insane.”

“I’m not insane!”, he protested and fought against the urge to back away.

“What would you even talk about? Your days in the Order?”

“I would want to offer him freedom from the servitude to his demon. I also want to explain myself to him.”

“And you think this would fly? That he would listen to you and not try to kill you on the spot? You killed him in a very heinous way, master.”

“You instructed me!”

“Don’t shift the blame! Yes, I whispered the instructions into your ears, but you didn’t ignore my words. You could’ve stopped any time before the ritual was finished, and I was given enough initial life-force to materialise. But you continued. You followed the steps. Your hands are bloodier than mine.”

Rosomil felt lost. He had no arguments against his demon's words.

“I still want to, no, need to try”, he said, his eyes closed. “Perhaps he will understand me once I explain my plan to him.”

“You’re a naive dreamer”, the demon replied, but this time Rosomil felt like it wasn’t meant as mockery but just an expression of exhaustion.

“Perhaps”, he said and cleared his throat. “I’ll send Duodecum to fetch him alive for me.”

“This will be a waste of a Knight”, it replied, serious. “Remember: I’m able to recreate Dark Priests, but the Knights I can’t. When they die, the binding of my being to this world will grow significantly and most importantly permanently weaker. The only way you could allow me to recreate a Knight would be in killing someone you love dearly once more but you fully exhausted this option at the start.”

“I’m well aware of that.”

“Then why risk it if you could send me instead?”

“I need you here should the fallen angel, who owns his soul at the moment, attack me.”

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For a moment, the demon appeared somewhat contemplative. If he didn’t know better, he would think it would have an important conversation within its mind.

“I guess you’re right, master”, it finally said, and looked at him with an expression he couldn’t quite place. “What about the boy?”

Offilo flinched, being the sudden impromptu centre of attention. Still, he tried to hide his nervousness by smiling, which didn’t exactly work.

“Take him back to Castle Gabáuan”, said Rosomil, after regarding the boy for a few moments. “He isn’t yet useful to me.”

“You sound more like a worried father”, the demon mused.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion. Besides, what could he do for me beyond freezing in fear and dying? I don’t want to have wasted the time I have already invested into him.”

“My, my. There’s no need to become so angry because of such an innocuous question, master.”

“Shut up.”

For a moment, the demon seemed to test its liberties but refrained from doing so at the last second. Still, Rosomil didn’t like its smarmy grin. In the end, he let it slide, since mentioning it would cause the demon to continue with its barely veiled insults and sarcasm.

“You’ll take the boy right now back to Gabáuan and return to me immediately after you delivered him there”, he continued. “As for you, Offilo, once you’re in the castle, you will let one of my servants take you to the library and read up on the topics of hand-to-hand combat, sword combat as well as how to deal and banish demons of all ilks. I’ll test you on all those topics once I’ve returned. Did I make myself clear?”

“Yes, my Lord”, the boy replied timidly and bowed.

“Then go now and do as I said!”, he ordered them, while he mainly looked at his demon.

To his relief, it immediately grabbed Offilo and jumped into the air. He looked after them until they were hidden behind the massive walls of Castle Eldebourg. As he did so, his mind swam with memories of his time in the Order and Lodwin. Regret and guilt weighted heavy on his shoulders.

I should’ve never done this, whispered the Tome inside his head with his own albeit warped voice. I should’ve burned the book. I should’ve listened to Lodwin.

“I did not”, he mumbled. “I did follow the instructions. I did kill them. But it was necessary! As mere mortal, I wouldn’t be able to even dream about ridding the world of evil! And once I’ve collected enough life-force to surpass God, then I can take over! I can right all the wrongs!”

I keep only telling myself that, the Tome continued in his voice. My goals are impossible to achieve. The demon lied.

“Enough”, he hissed and rubbed his hands through his hair and over his face. “Damnable book!”

To his surprised, the whispers stopped. Not a second too early as heavy steps approached him. Rosomil turned around and saw Duodecum heading towards him. The bulky Knight had his features hidden beneath the hood of his mantel and behind the darkness the cowl emitted. It always seemed rather odd that the spell managed even to cover that which the hood shouldn’t.

“I was ordered to see you, my Lord”, said the man and bowed once he was at his side.

“Take the two Dark Priests present here at Castle Eldebourg and go to the inn called the Merry Boar”, he ordered Duodecum, hiding his displeasure about his demon calling the Knight to his side without telling him. “In there is a red-haired man named Lodwin. Bring him to me. Should he prove disagreeable, you will use force to bring him here. Even if you need to cut him into pieces.”

“Understood, my Lord. Do you wish for something else?”

“There’s a woman at Lodwin’s side. Probably a witch. If she proves too troublesome, kill her. If not, give her the chance to flee and leave her be.”

“Yes, my Lord. When shall we set out?”

“Around midnight. There’s no need to unsettle the general population.”

“As you wish, my Lord”, he replied and bowed once more. “I’ll immediately see to the preparations and inform the Dark Priests of our mission.”

“Then go”, Rosomil replied, and watched how the Knight left with determined steps.

A second later, a whirlwind caused dry leaves and dust to be pulled upward. Then everything fell down once more, accompanied by black feathers and his demon. Startled, Rosomil made a step backward.

“Damnable fiend! You almost landed on top of me!”, he shouted.

“Rest assured, I wouldn’t have”, it replied, as smug as ever. “I’ve given the boy into the care of Primus and relayed your orders, considering his education.”

“Thank you”, he said and frowned as the demon seemed pleased in a soft, almost private manner. “Alas, we need to make a plan for Lodwin’s arrival and the case of him or the fallen angel attacking us.”

“I already have an idea”, it replied, conniving. “You never told me, but what exactly was Sunila to you and Lodwin?”

“It’s not your place to know such things!”, he responded angry and started to walk in the direction of the throne room while his demon fell in step right beside him.

“I was thinking along the lines of appearing to Lodwin as Sunila to appease him should he arrive here no matter the circumstances”, it explained. “You already told me that she was like a sister to you. Did your companion felt the same way?”

“She…”, Rosomil began, and felt guilt tear at his heart like a barbed knife. “She was to be his wife.”

“They were in love?”, the demon asked, surprised.

“Yes. He was the one who saved her in person, and from that moment on they grew closer with every day.”

“You don’t appear envious of them.”

“Why should I envy them? They were happy together.”

“Happy without you.”

“Don’t imply things you know nothing about!”, Rosomil hissed at the demon while they arrived in front of the entrance to the throne room. “I was happy for them because they were my family. Besides, I never fully belonged anywhere.”

Immediately he regretted his words. Without knowing why, he had opened up about something he had thought to have buried the day he woke up after killing them. To his surprise, the demon didn’t immediately use this weakness, which didn’t mean it wouldn’t do so at a later point. But the compassionate way it looked at him made his heart sink even deeper than a mocking gaze or snide remark would have. Especially since once more his dream of the last night ghosted across his skin.

“Shall I take her shape or would he react negatively to it?”, it asked after a moment, its monstrous hand on the handle of the heavy oakwood door leading to the throne room.

“I don’t think he knows that she’s dead”, he replied thoughtful. “He might guess it tough.”

“Either way, I should be able to fool and placate him long enough for you to have a chance at the talk you want so much, although I still think you stupid for trying, master”, the demon made clear. “Are there any names or phrases that she commonly used to address him and you?”

“Why me?”

“It would be telling if I were to call you Rosomil when she called you Rus or the like.”

“She called Lodwin that. After, he was the one with the red hair.”

“But she’d given you a nickname?”

“Yes, it was Milith”, he answered in a hushed voice, as it was somewhat embarrassing to him to let the demon know about it.

“She called you Honey?”, it remarked, barely containing the laughter while they finally entered the throne room.

“Yes, Sunila called me that because she misheard my name when we saved her”, Rosomil explained. “Later it just sticked. We called her Sáuil because she was like the sun in a sense.”

“That should be enough in this regard. What about body language?”

“She liked to touch people she liked at the arms and play with others’ clothing while talking. With strangers, she was much more distant and shy. If she stood too far away to touch the person she was talking to, she usually fumbled around with her dress, her hair, or something small she had in her hand at the start of the conversation.”

“What about Lodwin? Did she act different with him?”

“Not by much, but she liked to hug him”, answered Rosomil, ascended the throne and sat down. “And she did love to make wreaths and place them on his head while sitting beside him or watching him.”

“She didn’t kiss him?”

“She always said she wanted to wait until they were married”, Rosomil replied and couldn’t help but smile at the memory of Sunila pouting because he had asked her almost the same question.

“You utter fool”, his demon suddenly remarked without the usual mocking tone, in-fact, its face showed scorn. “The way you smiled just now… You should’ve ignored my whispers.”

“What do you know?”, he asked, angry and sat up.

“Too much”, it replied and sighed. “Thank you for the information, master. I’m going now and make certain preparations.”

Before he could say another word, his demon vanished in a dark cloud. Only a few of its iridescent feathers rained down. Rosomil shut his eyes for a moment and closed his hand instinctively around one of the feathers, which had landed on his palm. The demon’s words had cut deeper than he wanted to admit. To add insult to injury, the Tome started once more to whisper words of regret and guilt into his mind. Angry, Rosomil materialised the book and made it float to the lectern beside the throne. But the temporary peace this brought was just minor.

Still struggling with his emotions, his hand almost moved on its own towards the pocket with his rosary, but he stopped upon fully noticing the feather he had caught. It looked too beautiful for his liking. Despite wanting it, he couldn’t drop it. Slow, he pulled out his rosary and held it next to the feather. Without being fully aware of his own reasoning, he pulled the quill through the small metal ring, allowing the cross to be on the thin leather string of the rosary. After a mournful look at it, he placed it back within his pocket and rand his hand across his face.

“All I can do is to move forward”, he murmured, and forced himself to ignore the tears which escaped his eyes.