Chapter 17: A New Home

In the end, I reluctantly agreed to Kenneth’s deal.

The dragon finally drops us down at the city gate. Unanswered questions swirl through my mind as we enter the bustling city. Our guildhouse may be many things. Frankly, though, it’s not a place suited to host children. Or to keep one locked up, for that matter. Kenneth pays the dragon tamer royally before he catches up with our group (Berserker levitates through the air on a stretcher). I’ll have to make some decisions once things calm down.

Although Kenneth seems to trust our prisoner, I don’t share that sentiment. The kid is plodding a little distance behind us, a magic leash ensuring she won’t be able to run in the chaos of the city of Mauer. Despite its fortress character, it lies on a busy road, serving many who aim for the capital as a place to rest and trade. Thankfully, there are way too many people using slaves on leashes for our little prisoner to earn anyone’s attention.

After a quick walk through the maze of Mauer’s market area, we arrive in the adventurer’s district where the majority of adventurer’s as well as a small part of the standing army live - which also coincides with an impressive assortment of taverns and other entertainment businesses for them to spend their hard-earned money on.

Amidst this lies our headquarters, a completely unsuspecting 3-story building in the same timber frame architecture that characterizes most urban areas. Unlike rural architecture, which usually relies on timber or straw roofs, clay tiles dominate the roofs here in the city.

An unsuspecting sign you only see once you walk up to the canopied door reads “Dave the Brave”. It’s how I named my guild. Funny, right? Considering the scope of our secret missions, which we keep hidden even from the Adventurer’s Guild, it’s better to be the laughing stock in town. That way, other guilds wouldn’t like associating with us, and no one would pry into our activities. Turning the key, everyone enters the lobby.

Okay, here comes the hard part…

No one has explained to the kid what would happen from here on out. While Lance and Lucy help Beatrix maneuver Berserker into his chambers, Kenneth, the kid, and I remain down there. I dissolve the spell that binds the demon to me. Learning how to cast it might come in handy from time to time now.

Finally, Kenneth takes the word as he’s much more fluent than I am.

~ Precia ~

The long journey finally ends. They took me away, far away from home. Far away from Daddy. It’s a little scary. I hardly know what will happen to me now. I’m a hostage. Daddy would probably yell at me for it. He would tell me I’m despicable and useless. Daddy is far away, though. It puts me a little at ease. Nothing is worse than Daddy if he’s mad. The big unknown approaching me is still frightening, though.

What will happen to me now?

I’m not entirely unprepared, though. I always knew of my valuable blood. It’s thanks to being his daughter. Therefore, I know how to conduct myself. I’ve been docile; I didn’t cause them any trouble. I will cooperate. The man who speaks my language told me they’ll treat me well if I behave and don’t try to flee. Therefore, I’ll do whatever they ask of me. My hopes are high that they won’t ask unreasonable things of me.

We enter a building in the middle of town. It doesn’t look like a prison. Maybe it’s their headquarters? Some of them leave, but the small, grumpy leader and the tall, friendly leader stay with me. I’ll listen to what they have to say.

“This will be your home until you can be ransomed back to the demons you belong to. We do not intend to hold you captive any longer than necessary. Do you understand?”

He said ‘home’, not ‘jail’...

The big, friendly human speaks my language perfectly, although he has a particular accent. The other human is glaring daggers at me. I think he doesn’t like me. Quickly, I nod.

“You’re well behaved,” he praises me with a weak smile. Then, he reminds me of the rules we already agreed on. “As long as you listen to Dave and the others and don't attempt to flee or use your magic to hurt us, you needn’t worry, and we will treat you fairly. We haven’t forgotten that one of our own owes you their lives.”

Is that why he treats me well? Or is it because I’m Daddy’s heir?

“You decide how easy or hard this will be for you. Maybe it will feel like a vacation to you.”

I can’t remember the name of the human who talks to me. The one staring rudely is apparently called ‘Dave’. It looks like he’ll be responsible. A vacation? I’m not so sure…

“Study the human tongue whenever you can; it will make communication easier while I’m not around.”

“You’re not… staying?” Finally, some words come out of me. I don’t want the kind human to leave. The human called Dave seems scary, but this one is friendly and can talk to me easily.

“Someone has to tell your people about your whereabouts and the conditions for your return,” he explains with a wry smile. “But I shall return soon.”

I nod. I understand my situation. I know what they expect me to do. It’s a simple trade. They aren’t bad people. If I behave, they’ll treat me well. I can trust them. I will behave. I will study the words and how to say them correctly. The two humans exchange a few words in their language. The kind one gives Dave a book. It looks a lot like the one they gave me. Then, he waves goodbye. I try to say a human word.

“Feirwellll,” I blurt out. The big human seems amused by this, smiling before he leaves through the door. Did I use it right?

*

~ Dave ~

Keeping a calm head is getting harder and more complicated by the minute. Kenneth may be trying to win the brat’s favor, but I ain’t playing along with his bullshit. She’s a demon. A goddamn demon. I take the book Ken left me with. It contains the most common words in the demon tongue and how to translate them into human speech and vice versa. I double-check before addressing the brat. My demon-speak is rusty after all.

“This is not how to use that word,” I blurt out before repeating more crudely in her language. “Farewell, wrong. Meaning, forever bye. Goodbye better. Meaning, maybe see again.”

I already feared this would be my actual job. Ken never explicitly said it, but I just know. I’ll be that damn kid’s human speech teacher so he can run his stupid research on her.

God, it makes me feel sick. Damn smartass.

She might be bright enough to learn our speech. I’ll give her that. If it means I can yell at her without having to check a book every time I do, I won’t even complain. I have a hundred things I want to toss at her, but I doubt she’d understand even a fraction of them if I have to look everything up and say them without proper grammar.

But I'll go nuts if I’m stuck with her all day. I can’t stand demons!

The kid makes a note in her book, nodding diligently.

Don’t even try the cute thing on me. It won’t work.

I have a lot of work to do. I need to figure out everything.

She needs a room, clothes, stuff she can play with so she’s not going on my nerves… and I’ll have to make sure we’re eating things demons can easily digest. I also need to establish rules, make sure she knows how to go potty…

I exasperate at the sheer stress her presence is causing me. I need to have an eye on Berserker as well while he’s still recovering. The kid looks around curiously before she, extremely awkwardly, attempts to use human words again.

“Deifff?” I’ve never heard my name pronounced more horribly, but I’ll let it slide. “Preeezzzia duuu whatt?”

She tilts her head to the side, wondering if I understood. I sigh before I answer.

“Follow me, I’ll show you around the house. Follow, Dave, Show, House.”

I suppose I’ll have to say everything twice for the time being. My grammar is horrible; most mastery comes from listening during our spying missions. But as long as she has the words, she should be able to understand. Maybe if she hears them twice, she’ll learn to associate faster.

That’s right. I'll work hard now so I can take it easy later.

It’s my only hope besides Kenneth somehow bartering her away super fast.

Although I doubt that’d happen.

I can pray, right?