Chapter Eleven

“Why are we shopping for books?” Ariya asked in a high-pitched whine, almost painful to the ears. “You said we were gonna get food!”

Lusya flipped through the recipe book she had plucked off the shelf, Elberto’s 100 Meals for Weary Travelers. Lusya did not know who Elberto was—the author of the book had that as neither forename nor surname—but the recipes seemed like they would suffice.

“I do not know how to cook,” she said. “Nor how to preserve food.”

Ariya scowled. “So?”

“Unless you would like to return to my selection, I must learn to do those things.”

Ariya cocked her head and repeated the sentence to herself, as if trying to decipher it. Then her eyes grew wide as the sun, and she shook her head like a leaf in the wind.

“No, no more of that,” she said. “Get all the books you need.”

“I only require two,” Lusya said.

She had already selected one on preservation, though she was not sure how helpful it would be. What she had skimmed suggested there was little she could do to keep fresh food viable while traveling with her current resources and storage capabilities. Her best bet would be to cook with nonperishables, which most of the recipes in the mysterious Elberto’s book called for.

While she still had plenty of food from Riverglade, as traveling with the caravan had allowed her to use little, she would still need more. Cooking utensils would be essential too. And some lightweight dishes and cutlery. This may have been more expensive than she had anticipated. She would need to acquire more funds before they departed. That was not a problem. She had expected as much from the start but had hoped things might change after the caravan allowed her to conserve her resources. Acquiring more coin would not be difficult, but there were risks involved. Minor risks, but still better avoided given the option.

After a moment’s consideration, she decided she might as well buy a couple more books if she was getting more money anyway. It would not hurt to have something to read when idle in the future.

She selected two novels in addition to what she already had, purchased her books, and put them in her pack, then departed the shop hand-in-hand with Ariya. The child grasped Lusya’s hand with all the same fervor as the first time. Lusya did not understand what was so exciting about this. It was nothing more than a measure to keep the child from getting lost again. Yet Ariya walked with a spring in her step, almost skipping, and hummed a cheerful tune to herself as they made their way to the market.

“You’re so great,” Ariya said as they walked.

Lusya blinked. “Are you referring to me?”

“Yup. You’re brave and strong and pretty and smart,” Ariya said. “I wanna be like you some day, when we’re done with our mission.”

“It would be best if you did not become like me,” Lusya said. “That is why I selected you.”

Ariya hummed in thought at that. “Okay, but I at least wanna be as strong and pretty as you. I wanna be able to throw guys across alleys.”

Despite the inherently hostile nature of that statement, Ariya did not appear to have suffered any lasting negative effects from her run in with those thugs. There had been a slight increase in her Malice earlier, but it had already corrected itself and her mood had not taken a turn for the worse. If anything, she seemed to be in better spirits than when they had arrived.

That small, stable nugget of Malice she held had turned out to be quite useful beyond its main, inevitable utility. Few other mortals had anything like it. Some other children did, but Ariya’s was still smaller. Were it not so distinctive, Lusya might not have found Ariya as soon as she had.

“I am not sure you can achieve those goals, but I will not object to them,” Lusya said.

She did not say that because of anything intrinsic to Ariya. Lusya’s nature had given her a head start in many ways, though it had also stalled her. She knew that there were mortals of all three races who surpassed her in strength, but, for most, achieving such power took years of experience and training, which would not be afforded Ariya.

As for beauty, Lusya was aware she was considered attractive. Father had encouraged her to take care of her appearance and she had seen little reason not to. She was not sure it had ever benefited her, but it had never hindered her, and she had heard that mortals were more willing to trust those they considered good-looking. Even now she continued as he had wanted, though she had begun neglecting to style her hair during her months in hiding—and even when she did so, she had just a comb and, most often, no mirror—so it was often unkempt even beyond its slight natural wave. She could have combed it, at least, while with the caravan, but she had forgotten.

Lusya did not know if Ariya had the makings of a beautiful woman, or if such things were even possible to discern at her age. If nothing else, Ariya’s dark brown hair was also rather messy these days, although it was straight by nature. So, if Lusya was still considered good-looking, perhaps that was a good sign for Ariya. Either way, however, it was doubtful Ariya would live long enough to become strong or to be seen as beautiful. In the worst-case scenario, their journey would not last more than two years. If all went to plan, Ariya would never be a day older than nine years.

“I know I can,” Ariya said. “You’ll see. Then we can beat up bad guys together.”

Lusya did not respond to that and kept walking. Another few minutes later, they had arrived in Kavoc Square, one of Gavamir’s premiere markets. It was not the largest, but it was sure to have everything Lusya needed. The larger ones would no doubt be more crowded and expensive.

Even this place was packed. It made the rest of the city look like a wide open plain. People roamed between shops and stalls, carrying goods or just browsing, with not so much as an inch between them. Stands were placed haphazardly, further reducing the available space. In some areas, the shoppers were so packed together they were more shuffling than walking and had little choice but to brush against each other as they passed, regardless of how they tried to twist or contort to avoid contact.

On top of that, the whole place was covered in a cacophony of warring voices. From shopkeepers haggling with unruly customers to acquaintances greeting each other as they passed to merchants trying to flag down new patrons, there was not a second of silence to be found.

“You there!” a man shouted from behind a stall. Lusya looked at him and he nodded with a grin. “Yes, you. You look like you could use some jewelry. Finest east of the Lithian River.”

Lusya looked away and kept walking. He continued to call after her for a moment, but soon realized she was ignoring him and moved on to another prospective buyer.

“I think a necklace would look good on you,” Ariya said.

“I do not require anything of the sort,” Lusya said. She had no particular dislike of them but had never worn much in the way of accessories, though some demons had joked she should wear a tiara. She had never been certain why that idea was humorous to them.

Perhaps it had been because of its equating her to royalty in an inaccurate way? Though Father had held some land under his dominion and could have been called a king beyond his title, she had never been much of a princess, despite what some called her. It was true he had treated her differently, that she was not blind to, but Father had never groomed her as a successor and there was no precedent for such a thing. Nor would it have been possible, for that matter. The Demon King was a particular order of being. There may have been female ones in the past, but there was no way for someone who was not a Demon King to become one. Even for the daughter of one.

She made her way around the market and bought what she needed as she saw it. Some of the prices were a bit on the high side, but none were unreasonable. She should not have had a problem affording them and taking care of her other expenses for the night. After half an hour of roaming the market, she had acquired the necessary supplies to cook simple meals for Ariya.

“Thank you for your assistance,” Lusya said to the final merchant she needed, who had sold her a pot and a handful of other cooking supplies. He had given her a discount because Ariya reminded him of his daughter. Lusya was not sure if that was a wise way of conducting business, but it suited her just fine.

The man chuckled. “Thank you for your patronage. Safe travels, you two.”

Lusya nodded and made her way out of the market.

“Where are we going?” Ariya asked.

“To find lodging for the night,” Lusya replied.

Ariya let out an anguished wail. “But there’s so much more stuff here.”

“I have purchased what we require.”

Ariya hung her head and sighed. “Okay.” She was silent for a moment, then looked up at Lusya once more. “Can we find someplace to take a bath too?”

Lusya nodded. “That was always my intention. Hygiene is important.”

“Can we start washing our clothes too, then?” Ariya asked.

Lusya blinked and examined the child. It had just now occurred to Lusya that Ariya had been wearing the same thing since they had met over a week ago. On top of being unsanitary, that could draw attention and become problematic if the clothes were damaged. Lusya herself tried to make any given article last as long at once as it could. She had changed once since taking Ariya. For that matter, Lusya only carried two sets of clothing. Meticulous folding had allowed an extra set to fit in her pouches, but that had been her limit before she had purchased her pack. Ariya, however, had nothing but the clothes on her back.

“We can,” Lusya said. “I will purchase extra clothing for you as well, after we have secured a room at an inn.”

She believed there were public places for doing laundry in the city as well, allowing residents to save space in their home rather than keep a tub around. Perhaps she would pay a visit to one of those before leaving.

Lusya turned a corner to exit the market and came to an abrupt halt to avoid bumping into a man who was engrossed in conversation with one of his two companions and was not watching where he was going.

The one he was talking to put a hand on his shoulder and yanked him back to keep him from running into Lusya. The companion, a young human woman, gave Lusya a sheepish smile.

“Sorry about that,” she said.

The man looked at Lusya and rubbed his eyes, as if unsure she were real. “Yes, my apologies, miss.” He was a reltus, with golden eyes and short-cut black hair that left his pointed ears exposed for all to see. “I should have been more aware of my surroundings.”

“Your apology is accepted,” Lusya said.

She did not want to prolong this interaction. A reltus was more likely than most to realize that she was not one, but that was not her primary concern. If their immaculate white uniforms and cloaks did not make it obvious, the addition of their Malice—potent yet well-controlled—did. These three were Sacred Knights.

“Doesn’t much sound like it’s accepted,” the third member of the group said, a burly “red-haired” human man. He laughed as he said it, but that did not disguise the annoyance in his voice.

“That’s just how Lusya talks,” Ariya said, but a glance from Lusya silenced her once more.

“I can’t blame you,” the reltus said. He spoke the local language, Slarvish, with a thick accent. “Such a lapse might be easily forgiven in most instances, but more is expected of a Sacred Knight.” He put one hand over his heart and bowed. When next he spoke, he switched to a polite form of Gotrian, the primary language of the largest reltus-ruled nation on the continent of Ysuge, and as such spoken by most relti on the continent, even if it was not their native language. By that token, it was also what they tended to default to if they did not know where another was from. In fact, the word, “reltus,” was derived from an old Gotrian phrase meaning, “wise one.” “Please allow me to make it up to you.”

“You need not repay me for such a minor slight,” Lusya said. She had learned to speak Gotrian in preparation for encountering relti on the battlefield, but it also proved helpful in upholding her ruse.

The reltus smiled. He appeared to be in his early-to-mid twenties by human standards, which placed him in his fifties. Relti aged at roughly half the speed of humans until they reached age thirty, at which point their aging slowed to just one-fourth the speed. He was sure to assume she was a similar age.

“Your understanding is appreciated,” he said. “You are gracious indeed.”

“Gods above and below,” the woman said with a roll of her eyes. “Stop flirting and let’s go.”

The reltus held up his hands as if in surrender and chuckled. “I was just being polite.” He had switched back to Slarvish, though it seemed his companion understood either way. “No need to be so uptight.”

“Don’t let him fool you,” the woman said to Lusya. “He’s trying to get into your pants for sure.”

Lusya cocked her head and blinked twice. “Is that a euphemism?” She was not sure why this man would want to wear her pants.

“Uh, yeah,” the woman said. “It means he wants to sleep with you.”

“I see,” Lusya replied. That was a euphemism she was familiar with. She looked to the reltus.

He sighed. “All right, fine, guilty as charged.” He winked at her and grinned. “So?”

“I am not interested.”

“Can’t blame me for trying,” he said with a shrug.

He nodded to Lusya and moved around her. If he had been trying to flirt with her, that was a fool’s errand. She was not entirely without interest in such areas, but she was not one to get distracted by them nor was she familiar with what constituted flirting. If he was sexually or romantically interested in her, he should have just said so from the start. Not that it would have changed the outcome.

“A good day to you,” he said, in Gotrian again, as he moved past.

“And you as well.”

“Sacred Knights are so cool,” Ariya said as they melded into the crowd of the market. “Almost as cool as you.”

Lusya began walking again without any response. Ariya stared up at her with wide, curious eyes. She should have been watching where she was walking, but Lusya supposed it was fine as long as she was guiding the child.

“Do you not like Sacred Knights?” Ariya asked. “Is that why you’re not one, even though you’re super strong and have a Sacred Blade?”

“I am not especially fond of them,” Lusya replied.

The Sacred Knights of Ysuge had begun as a military arm of the Church of Telresen—a popular religion originating in the west—then called the Knights of Telresen’s Light. They had remained as such for close to a thousand years, until seven hundred years ago. A leader of the knights known as Jaune—often “Jaune the Bold,” in modern times—had led what came to be known as Jaune’s Revolt, a movement that ended in the Knights’ severance from the church and establishment as an independent, secular organization that took members of any faith. Or none, for that matter. Since then, the organization had grown and was now the primary force against demons across the continent. They had led the charge against the Demon King in the last two cycles and had played a pivotal role in several prior to their separation from the church.

Despite that, their mission had changed little. The Sacred Knights existed for one single purpose: the extermination of demons. The shape that mission took varied with the times. There had been periods where the knights shunned all other concerns, more than willing to raze a city to destroy a single demon, and those where the knights saw protecting the people as their true duty and the extermination as their method, and thus were more conscious of their actions.

The current leadership fell more toward the latter. It was unlikely those three would have attacked Lusya in such a crowded place even if they had realized her nature. That did not mean it would not have been troublesome to be discovered.

The humans looked young, and her senses suggested they were weak. They were also probably inexperienced. Depending on just how young they were, they may have never so much as laid eyes on a high-rank demon. Tranquil ages were lulls for the Knights. Although the world was never devoid of demons one who joined the Sacred Knights now might never fight one at all, under ordinary circumstances. As such, they often took on a roll more akin to law enforcement, in the hopes that would slow the accumulation of Malice and delay the next turbulent age.

The reltus, on the other hand, had almost certainly fought in the war against Father. He did not seem especially strong, but Lusya did not want to test that theory. Even if he was weak, there was too much risk in a confrontation. Witnesses and evidence could both become problems, even if Ariya was not among the former.

On top of that, there was the heat that boiled within in their presence. Lasting anger was rare for Lusya—indeed, it was already all but gone—but standing in front of those three had made her blood burn and refuse to be quenched until they had left. The Sacred Knights had played a pivotal role in killing her father. Though the Hero of Balance was not one of them, he had aligned himself with the Knights, as some of his predecessors had in past cycles.

“That’s too bad,” Ariya said. “They seemed nice.”

Lusya nodded. They had been polite, if nothing else, and she was aware that many mortals idolized the Knights. “I suppose so.”

The presence of Sacred Knights in the city was cause for concern. However, while there was no guarantee it was just those three, they did not seem to be here in great number. Lusya had not seen any others, and paying closer attention to her sense for Malice now revealed she could not sense them either. There were certainly no Paladins or comparable combatants. Even if they had tried to conceal themselves, they would have been distant thunder to her senses. She would have detected them well outside her usual range. If one were in Gavamir, she would have known.

For now, it was safe to assume it was just a handful of weaklings. In a city this big, it was doubtful they would encounter any again. Seeing as she needed to top off her funds, she would take that small risk.

“Isn’t that an inn?” Ariya asked, pointing to a nearby building.

“We are looking for one away from such populated areas,” Lusya said. “And near a bathhouse. Now that you have brought attention to it, you do smell rather unpleasant.”

Though they had bathed in streams during their travel with the caravan, there was only so thorough one could be in such situations.

Ariya scowled and huffed. “You don’t smell great either. More people would notice if you weren’t so pretty.”

Lusya gave herself a quick sniff. “Perhaps you are right.”