Chapter Six

The sun had made its presence known on the horizon by the time Lusya and the child passed out of the forest and into the clear fields beyond. The land would be a sea of green before long, but for now it was still blanketed in shallow snow. Only scattered blades of yellowed grass poked out from the covering. A few trees dotted the area, but Lusya’s map suggested they would not see proper woodland again for some time. Especially, that was, at their current pace. Lusya had known the child could not keep pace with Lusya’s running in speed or stamina. Most mortals would not have been able to do so. She had even anticipated she would have to slow her walking speed.

The child, however, was erratic. Sometimes her pace was a virtual crawl, or she would get distracted by trivial things like a rabbit on the side of the road and stop altogether. Other times, she would receive a burst of energy from no apparent source and they could make good progress.

Perhaps Lusya should have gone with a horse or a carriage after all. She had declined to do so as they were expensive. The animals also needed training and would sometimes refuse to obey or run away from those other than their masters, which made stealing them unreliable. Lusya would reconsider that conclusion. At the very least, she could start saving for a horse or two, though that could take a while. Even more so now that ingredients and cooking instruments had been added to her expenses.

Lusya noticed that there were a large number of mortals ahead, hidden from view by a hill she would soon crest. She could not tell whether or not they were human. Her ability to sense Malice did not differentiate among the mortal races. Although the other mortal races were not a common sight in this region, they did appear from time-to-time.

They did not seem to be particularly strong or dangerous. Such things were obvious to her senses. Powerful mortals and demons alike had a certain feel to their Malice, potent yet refined. It was possible they were related to the bandits from before or would otherwise be hostile. Her senses afforded some ability to divine such things, but judging as much was difficult with mortals she was not already familiar with.

Thinking on it, however, she doubted the people would be looking for trouble. The number was more akin to an encampment than an ambush troop and, sparse patrols or not, the middle of the road would have been a poor choice of placement if they were doing anything illicit. As such, she decided there was no need to avoid them. She could pass through the crowd and be on her way.

She glanced at the child. At the moment, the child was in the middle of one of her bursts of vigor. She hummed a tune to herself with a wide smile and skipped along the path rather than walking. The snow here was shallow enough to allow that, with footsteps and wheel tracks marking the road, which would otherwise have been indistinguishable from the open ground surrounding it. Every so often the child’s jaunty gait dislodged her hat from her head and she had to struggle to readjust it.

Soon after, Lusya and the child crested the hill. Beyond, a group of wagons was gathered on either side of the road. People milled about around them. Some were chatting, others tended to the horses, and still more clustered around a handful of burning makeshift fire pits, holding bowls and loafs of bread. Lusya also spotted a few children among the crowd, running to and fro and shouting to each other in high tones. It seemed her assessment had been correct. Whatever this gathering was, it was almost certainly not a bandit camp or the like.

“Wow, so many people,” the child said in a breathy, awestruck tone. It must have seemed a veritable sea of people to her. “What do you think they’re all doing here?”

“There are many purposes this caravan may serve,” Lusya replied.

They could have been merchants, some kind of troupe of entertainers, or just travelers who had met by chance and banded together for safety. It seemed to have worked, seeing as—despite just a few of those Lusya could see being armed—the bandits had chosen to attack her when they must have known this group was here.

“Yeah, but which do think it is?” the child asked.

“I do not know,” Lusya said. She had thought that was implied. It was odd that the child had not picked up on that. “Stay close to me as we pass through.”

“I will!”

Lusya continued walking. The child did as she had been told and kept close as they neared the camp. Several of the caravan’s members turned their gazes toward the pair. Most focused on Lusya, though a few seemed enamored with the child. For a while, none tried to approach or speak to them. The most interaction they had was a few people in the road moving out of the way.

Lusya and the child were about halfway through when one man who was eating with a few others stood up and gave a big wave. His companions exchanged a series of looks ranging from bemused to annoyed.

“Hey there!” he shouted as he ran up to them.

Lusya considered ignoring him, but the child had already stopped to meet him. Even if they never saw these people again, it would be good to get into the habit of not looking suspicious. Forcing the child away from a routine social interaction would almost certainly qualify as suspicious. As long as they did not spend too long speaking, it would not be an issue.

“Nice to see some fellow travelers,” the man said as he stopped before them, grinning. He was human, as were all the others Lusya had seen, with shaggy brown hair and green eyes. He was average height for a human man, with a broad-shouldered, muscular build. “Might I ask where you’re headed?”

The child opened her mouth to answer, but Lusya cut in. “Why do you want that information?”

The man frowned. “Just curious if you might want to join us. We take anyone heading the same way. Safety in numbers, after all. I don’t have a problem with relti, either, and if anyone does, I’ll give them a talking to.”

Many high-rank demons could pass for relti, Father included. Despite being half-human, which some argued made her something distinct from a high-rank demon, Lusya was no exception. Though there was tension among the mortal races, more so in the times between Demon Kings, being seen as a reltus was better than being seen as a demon, half or otherwise, so Lusya made no effort to dispel the assumption.

Ironically, despite the races getting along more poorly in general, people were less suspicious of her than they would have been during a Demon King’s reign. There would be far fewer high-rank demons until close to the next Demon King’s formation—or rather, until after Father was revived—so people were more apt to assume she was a reltus. She also lacked most of the few tells other demons tended to possess.

Humans often seemed to regard relti with a strange mix of suspicion, born of the latter’s resemblance to demons, and awe, born of the relti’s long lives and superior physical abilities despite lacking any obvious physiological differences that would indicate as much.

“We are heading to the northwest of the continent,” Lusya said. She had no intention of joining the caravan, but it would not hurt to share that much information. “We have important business there, though I do not wish to share the details.”

“That’s fine, everybody’s got a few secrets,” the man said with a shrug. His smile, however, returned with a vengeance. “Still, sounds like we’re going the same way, at least for a little while. Most of us are on a pilgrimage to welcome in the tranquil age, you see. We’re visiting a few places, but next is Hero Klarc’s hometown, and we’re thinking First Paladin Lord Elphrid Blackstone’s will be last.”

Both their stated destinations were in the same general direction. Depending on the stops in between, their paths could diverge quite a bit, but the birthplace of the Hero of Balance would likely have them taking the same route for at least a few days of travel. Lusya did not intend to go through it, but she had little choice but to pass near it or needlessly prolong the journey. She felt almost sick when she concentrated on that fact.

As for the First Paladin’s home, Lusya saw little need to go to or near it. It was, however, still northwest of their current location. Granted, that described the vast majority of the continent at this point, but the Paladin’s home was relatively close to the isle where Father had been born.

“That sounds like fun!” the child exclaimed with a small hop of excitement. She looked up at Lusya and smiled. “We should go with them.”

Lusya shook her head and turned to the man. “I appreciate your offer. However, we will be fine on our own.”

“You sure?” the man asked. “The roads are dangerous. Might not be as bad as before, but there’s plenty of thugs who see the beginning of a tranquil age as their chance to hit it big.”

Many mortal cultures divided the passage of time into “tranquil ages” between Demon Kings and “turbulent ages” encompassing the reign of a Demon King and some time beforehand, varying depending on the people doing the classification.

It made sense that certain types of criminals thrived in the early stages of a tranquil age. A war had just ended. That meant more people traveling freely, but it also left many nations damaged, disorganized, and with higher priorities than patrolling every country road. Getting away with a quick ambush was easier and there were more potential victims about.

“Come on, Lusya,” the child whined. “Mama always says it’s better to travel in a group. And they’ll be safer with you around too.” She turned to the man. “Lusya’s super strong. She beat up a bear with one hand last night!” She beamed as if describing her own accomplishment, then pouted at Lusya again. “Please?”

Keeping these people safe mattered little to Lusya. Nor did she think she needed their protection. She could protect herself and the child just fine on her own. On the off chance she encountered a threat from which she could not, the caravan contained nobody strong enough to make a difference.

“Your mother’s advice is sound,” Lusya said. “However, I do not think it is worth it in this case. I do not intend to visit either of their destinations and they may slow us down. We will proceed alone.”

The child gave a crestfallen groan and hung her head.

“It’s okay,” the man said. “If your…friend doesn’t want to join us, I won’t force her. I promise we wouldn’t slow you down, though. We’re traveling at a good pace, from dawn to dusk.”

“Right,” the child said, with renewed cheer. “They have horses and stuff. There’s no way they’re slower than us. It’s silly to go separate if we’re going the same way.”

There was some truth to both those points, though Lusya remained skeptical. The caravan may have moved faster at any given time. Lusya alone could have outpaced it, but with the child in tow it was a different matter. However, they seemed to start their journey later and likely stopped earlier. It was also a distinct possibility that they took more frequent breaks or had some other factor that would slow them down. Then there was the possibility of one of the horses being injured or the carriages damaged. Then, of course, there was the simple issue of prolonged contact with the same people. That had the potential to give rise to suspicion or conflict which could prove inconvenient. She had decided against going around the continent by sea to avoid such a situation.

On the other hand, Lusya had not missed the way the man had hesitated, his eyes narrowing at her. He was already suspicious. She had worried about that. At a glance, nobody would think she was related to the child and it would be unusual for a reltus in early adulthood to be traveling with such a young child. Many would immediately see their association as suspect. Even more so since a reltus who looked like Lusya would be in their mid-forties.

Lusya would have to be careful about that too. She had aged like a human up to now, though some had suspected her aging would slow or stop to be more in line with high-rank demons—who formed at a variety of apparent ages, usually early-to-mid-adulthood, and never aged—when she passed adolescence. She was neither the first natural birth among demons nor the first sired with a member of the mortal races, but both were rare and records on her predecessors were too sparse and poor to provide much insight.

“Very well,” Lusya said. “I suppose it will not hurt.” She nodded at the man in something resembling a shallow bow. “It will not be long, but it seems we will be in your care.”

Depending on the caravan’s speed, avoiding it would have been difficult, likely requiring her to take a different route and delaying her more than traveling with it. With this man, who seemed to be something of the leader and organizer, suspicious of her, she did not want to meet and depart with them on the road repeatedly, as may have happened as both their paces varied. Her options were to avoid it or join them and try to allay their suspicions. She judged the latter as the lesser inconvenience.

The child leaped into the air with a whoop of excitement. “Hooray!”

“Great,” the man said. He held out a hand and grinned. “The name’s Milean, nice to meet you.”

Lusya shook his hand. “I am Lusya.”

“And I’m Ariya!” the child shouted, jumping once more.

Milean chuckled and crouched, reaching his hand out to her as well. “Yes, it’s nice to meet you too, Ariya.”

She took his hand, which dwarfed hers, and shook with enthusiasm.

Milean stood and turned his focus back to Lusya. “Well then, why don’t we introduce you two to everybody? Then we can get you situated with a carriage.”

“I have no objections,” Lusya said.

“Come along, then.”

He started leading them back the way he had come. Lusya followed and the child walked alongside her with a noticeable spring in her step.

“Why does this excite you so?” Lusya asked.

“Meeting travelers is fun,” the child replied. “They’re all so different and cool. And kind of weird sometimes, but that can be cool too.”

Milean let out a booming laugh. “Can’t argue there. By the shadowlands, you two are an odd pair yourselves.”

Lusya did not dispute that. His mention of the shadowlands caught her attention for information it might provide. There were a small handful of mortal faiths that believed in the mythical land of dead demons and wicked mortals. However, she dismissed it in an instant. Though she could not say for sure if it was true, she had heard and read that the commonness of those faiths had caused many of its curses, that one included, to slip into the general vernacular, even for those who did not believe in the shadowlands.

“Yeah, but Lusya’s cool,” the child said. “Did I tell you about the bear?”

“You sure did,” Milean said. “You’ll have to give me the full details later.”

“I will! It was scary, but still cool.”

“I’ll bet.”

They reached the circle of people Milean had been eating with. The group encircled a popping and crackling fire with a pot hanging over it that seemed to be almost empty, only a small puddle of broth and a couple chunks of meat visible at the bottom.

There were six in total, Milean included, all dressed for winter in heavy coats, caps, and gloves. Four of those seated turned their attention to Lusya and the others as they approached, while the final member of the group glanced up, then remained focused on the steaming bowl of soup he held and continued eating.

“New arrivals?” a blonde-haired woman asked.

She stood and walked to Milean, until she was close enough to lean against him, while he wrapped an arm around her. Based on their closeness, Lusya assumed they were married or otherwise involved in a romantic relationship.

“Yes, my love,” Milean said. “This is Lusya and that child is Ariya. They’ll be traveling with us, though not for very long.”

“We will likely part with you somewhere near Gavamir,” Lusya said.

“A little over a week, then,” the woman said. She was smiling, though it was difficult for Lusya to tell if it was out of happiness or politeness. “I’m Byanka, Milean’s wife.”

“I am pleased to make your acquaintance,” Lusya replied.

“Nice to meet you,” the child said.

“This here is Izcra, Ivone, Leas, and Buro,” Milean said, pointing to each of the others. They each gave a brief greeting when their name was called. Buro was the one still focused on his soup, though he too said hello when prompted. “The four of them and myself are something like the representatives for every group that’s joined up.”

“I see,” Lusya said.

“Any objections to these two coming with us?” Milean asked.

“Not sure I’m so keen on having a reltus with us,” Leas said. He was about the same age as Milean and his wife, in his late twenties or early thirties. He had hair a lighter shade of brown and looked tall, but rather scrawny as well.

“I agree,” Izcra said. She looked to be a bit older than the previous three, somewhere around her thirties or early forties. Her hair, cut a touch shorter than shoulder-length, was the color humans called red for hair, but was actually orange. Lusya was not sure why they insisted on that terminology. When relti could have actual red hair, it seemed a needless cause of potential confusion. “I don’t personally have anything against relti, but I’m reluctant to disrupt our group and it may be a bit frightening for the children.”

Lusya did not think relti were frightening. Nor did she think she was frightening most of the time, for that matter. She had observed that some humans seemed intimidated by her even when she was being polite and civil, however. The reasons behind that remained a mystery to her.

“I don’t see the problem,” Ivone said. She seemed to be the youngest among them, just a few years older than Lusya. Her complexion was a bit darker than was found in most of Ysuge, resembling some humans from other continents, and she had brown hair so curled it almost formed into cylinders in places. “As long as she behaves, she can be a lion for all I care.”

“I’m with the lass,” Buro said. It was hard to tell while he was sitting, but he seemed to be a rather short and stocky man, with a shaved head and a coarse black beard that reached down to his chest.

“I suppose I will yield to the majority,” Izcra said.

Leas shrugged. “I’ll live.”

“Then it’s decided,” Milean said. “I’m sure you’ll get acquainted with us and the others soon enough. For now, let’s find you a carriage with some extra room, shall we?”