Madam Mary

“Not much.” Idalec slowly ate his soup. ‘I could almost say that I want nothing.’

“Hmhm.” Iban snorted. “Is this about Mary Pinker?”

“Oh, so you’ve been in town for a while?” Idalec commented,

“Let’s just say I can help you get Mary if you-” Iban rubbed his thumb against his index and middle finger.

“You think I’ll pay a ransom?” Idalec asked. Iban lessened the enjoyment of the surprisingly pleasant soup, ‘Thinly sliced beef, mixed with boiled carrots, cabbage and onions, in a rooster and herb broth.’ Idalec tried guessing while eating the soup, “You have good taste in soup.”

“I’ll introduce you to the people who have Mary if you give me back the bribe I gave you back in Rome.” Iban leaned over,

“I guess I’d be willing to do that.” Idalec shrugged as he kept eating, ‘I never should have taken that bribe.’ Idalec condemned himself as he finished eating the soup,

“I can introduce you to them today if you pay?” Iban whispered urgently as Idalec dabbed his face with a knackerchief,

“I guess I could indulge you.” Idalec took the leather pouch off his belt and dropped it, only for Iban to snatch it before it even touched the table.

“Follow me.” Iban got up slowly, followed by Idalec. “Are you not even worried I’ll trick you?” Iban laughed under his breath as Idalec calmly walked after him,

“No,”

“You're such a naive kid- I might just run then,” Iban said, considering it,

“I’ll get death to court you if you try to trick me,” Idalec said, displeased,

“And what can you do? You wouldn't be able to cry to that devil of a cat if I capture you right now.” Iban threatened Idalec,

“And you wouldn’t get your bribe.” Idalec lied,

“What?” Iban opened the leather bag he had been given,

“Why would I be carrying your bribe on me?” Idalec lied again, ‘That should keep him in line without me needing to lift a finger.’

“You trickster.” Iban hissed as he led Idalec out of town and into the woods where Mary went missing.

“So?” Idalec yawned, right before Iban finally brought Idalec into a small clearing where some demons were lounging around, with some cages on a wagon,

“Hey.” Iban took off his hood and called over to one of the demons, getting an annoyed look in return,

“What do you want?” The demon grabbed his halberd; a few others got to their feet as well, picking up clubs or halberds in some cases.

“I brought you a customer, Tolis!” Iban exclaimed, displeased at the hostility,

“Customer?” the demon looked at Idalec. “Seize him.” Tolis pointed his halberd at Idalec,

“That’s doubtful.” Idalec yawned deeply as a couple of demons tried to push him down to the ground, but Idalec didn’t budge, their hands slipping off the Pure Shield,

“Who is that, Iban?” Tolis demanded to know as he took a stab at Idalec to no effect,

“I don’t know.” Iban admitted, “He’s some crooked judge.”

“I’m not crooked nor a judge,” Idalec said, melting the top of Tolis's halberd had gotten annoyed at being repeatedly poked.

“Damn you.” Tolis pulled back his halberd; the top spike and part of the ax blade had been heated to the point that drops of metal were dripping on the ground. “Why did you bring him here?”

“I already told you!” Iban said defensively, “He’s a customer!”

“I’m going to charge you extra for melting my halberd.” Tolis examined the top of his halberd; the top spike was completely dulled

“My work here is done…” Iban said, slipping back into the woods.

“Get lost.” Tolis threatened Idalec as he started walking towards the wagon with the cages,

“I won't." Idalec maintained tired eye contact with Tolis,

“I'll show you,” Tolis grumbled, leading Idalec over to the wagon. “We have some beast folk, humans-” Tolis spitfired, moving his hands around. “That’s it. Did you want anyone?”

“Don’t rush an old man,” Idalec said as he walked around the wagon. A group of four demons walked beside him, looking like they wanted to murder him with their gaze. ‘So Mary Maria is a human…’ Idalec thought, his eyes skimming over the beast folks. ‘Black hair with red highlights…’ Idalec did one round, then another. The four girls these demons had captured didn’t have any hair. ‘What am I even doing?’ Idalec stopped in front of the only girl with blue eyes; she also looked around sixteen. “What’s your name…” Idalec trailed off, ‘I could have just done that from the start.’ Idalec reflected,

‘Mary Pinker,’ the girl mouthed silently,

‘Looks like it’s her.’ Idalec floated up to her cage,

“What do you think you're doing?” Tolis demanded helplessly as Idalec opened the cage with Mary.

“You're welcome, Lady Pinker.” Idalec bowed in the air as Tolis’s demons tried to attack him and Mary,

“We have to run!” Mary exclaimed weakly, climbing higher on the wagon of cages, getting out of striking range,

“Why would we run?” Idalec asked, floating up to her eye level,

“Can you defeat them?” Mary asked, panicked as a few of the demons with clubs had started climbing up onto the wagon,

“I guess.” Idalec shrugged, moving along with Mary,

“Then, sir, can you deal with them?” Mary pointed, frightened at the demon getting closer, not even noticing as another failed to hit her with a club as Idalec had put up a shield around her. “Please save me.” Mary stumbled backwards as the demon kept approaching until she was walking on thin air along with Idalec,

‘What would Prix do if she was me?’ Idalec thought in a moment of clarity, ‘She would save Mary, no doubt about that. She did also say it’s alright to kill the wolves because they could hurt people…’ Idalec lazily aimed his index finger at a demon, and a Pure Attack later, which wouldn’t have even been perceived by the naked eye, he dropped dead. ‘For the good of the many.’ Idalec declared, and within less than ten seconds all the demons had been killed.

“Yo-you actually beat them all?” Mary cried out, not yet realizing she was floating.

“As you could see.” Idalec started to float Mary down to the ground as Idalec slowly floated around and opened up the cages with humans in them, freeing three girls and two boys. “Lady Pinker.” Idalec touched the ground, walking over to her. “Let’s go.”

“Y-yes,” Mary said, following after Idalec, who walked at a casual pace. The three other girls and two boys looked back at the beastfolk still trapped in their cage for a moment before simply following after Idalec. “Did my father hire you?” Mary asked, clasping her hands against her chest,

“Sure.” Idalec huffed,

“Well, I-if he hired you, would you take my orders?” Mary asked a little more surely,

“I would listen,” Idalec said,

“Then I order you to save the beast folks that those demons captured!” Mary said confidently,

“No,” Idalec replied, not looking back,

“But you said you would take my orders,” Mary said angrily,

‘How could people not see-’ Idalec pinched the bridge of his nose, ‘that beast folk is cut from the same cloth as demons.’

“I-if you don’t do what I ordered, I’ll tell my dad!” Mary threatened,

“Ok.” Idalec shrugged,

“Mary! Don’t provoke him.” Another girl whispered over to Mary, “Did you see how he killed those demons?” Mary didn’t speak up anymore as night set in, and they got closer to Pinkgrad.

“... I definitely would have found them if you hadn’t been so noisy!” Sato complained, right as Idalec opened the door,

“Father!” Mary hugged her father, who looked confused at her,

“Mary…” Lord Pinker put his hand on Mary’s shaved head,

“Who’s this bald gremlin?” Sato asked, facing Idalec,

“Don’t say that,” Prix said harshly to Sato,

“But it’s true.” Sato pointed at Mary’s head as Lord Pinker hugged his daughter,

“Thank you for rescuing her…” Lord Pinker cried out as Mary pulled away and pointed at Idalec,

“Dad, he didn’t rescue the other beastfolks that were captured!” Lord Pinker looked at her, lost for words.

“I’ll arrange your reward.” Lord Pinker said, dragging his daughter away with him and making her lower her hand that had been pointing at Idalec.

“Well, this was all part of my plan.” Sato giggled as the seven heroes left the manor and went back to the inn.