“Yet here I am in bed. I can’t have her completely overshadowing me, can I?” Isalla murmured, gathering her motivation as she forced herself to push the covers aside. The bed was sinfully comfortable, but she couldn’t let it stop her, not when she had a role model like Kanae. “Alright, up I go.”
It took more effort than Isalla wanted, but she managed to escape the bed’s clutches. She just had to get dressed, and she’d be ready for the day. Or somewhat ready, at least.
“Kanae, I brought out some water,” Isalla called out, and Kanae looked up as she easily freed the axe from the stump. She was a bit surprised to see Isalla already, but wasn’t going to argue.
The angel was looking a bit tired, but not too much. She certainly looked more poised than she had that morning, when her cheeks had been such a deep crimson that Kanae had been worried Isalla might faint. The chances of that weren’t good, but it was always possible. Now she was just a little flushed, and the angel had taken the time to take a quick bath from the look of her hair. The outstretched hand holding the flask of water was a pleasant surprise, though, and Kanae smiled.
“Ah, thank you, Isalla. I imagine there isn’t much left after last night,” Kanae said, setting the axe aside and stepping away to take the flask. As she uncorked it, Isalla smiled in return.
“Very true. Fortunately you have the spring, or it would be more difficult to fill the keg,” Isalla agreed, shrugging nervously. “I did put some water on to boil, so we can replace it before long.”
“Ah, that’s very kind of you, Isalla. I was planning to do that a bit later, but it saves me some time,” Kanae said, taking a drink of the water. It wasn’t the best water ever, but it was clean and should be disease-free, which was the important thing to her. After taking a few swallows, she lowered the flask and continued, feeling more upbeat at the angel’s help. “I’m used to dealing with this sort of thing on my own, frankly. I didn’t thank you for your help last night, either, and I want to apologize for that. It was a little chaotic.”
“I’ll definitely agree with that. I didn’t expect anything so… strenuous, I suppose. I thought you’d be a healer, not a rescuer,” Isalla said, looking like she was somewhat relaxed, but also pensive, somehow. That worried Kanae a little.
“Mm… well, when not many people in the area have the skill to go to that depth, you just end up helping out where you can in towns like this,” Kanae said, capping the flask and handing it back. “Thank you again.”
“Right, that does make sense,” Isalla said, hesitating for a long moment as she took the flask, holding it in both hands. It was obvious that she was debating on saying something, so Kanae paused, studying the attractive angel. The question was whether Kanae should encourage her or not.
“Was there something you wanted to talk about?” Kanae finally prompted, knowing that many people would find an opening easier to take advantage of, and she was curious what Isalla wanted to say.
“Well, yes,” Isalla admitted, taking a deep breath and looking Kanae in the eyes. Her voice was slightly unsteady, but she looked more confident to Kanae. “It’s about your comment a while back. About you being attracted to me.”
“Ah,” Kanae said, letting out a breath of disappointment as she looked at the angel, faintly wistful, since she thought she knew what was coming. Isalla was just so… enticing. “I had intended to leave that for later on, actually. I’m not surprised that you’re… skeptical of such, though.”
“No, that isn’t it at all! I’m just…” Isalla said quickly, surprising Kanae. “I’m not opposed to it, Kanae. A little confused, and cautiously curious… but not opposed.”
“Oh. I… well, I’m a bit surprised to hear that. I expected you to not want anything to do with me,” Kanae replied, a hint of warmth spreading through her, and she felt a smile growing on her face at the pleasant surprise.
“Even if I said that, this morning would prove it was a lie,” Isalla said, blushing slightly as she looked to the side, and Kanae’s amusement grew stronger. “Still, I wanted to talk about something else. About, well… why I’m down here.”
“Oh,” Kanae said, her amusement fading as she considered Isalla seriously, then continuing before the angel could say anything more. “Not while I have other patients, Isalla. I don’t want any chance of others overhearing your explanation. Not that it necessarily would be dangerous, but I’d rather ensure that it isn’t, alright?”
“Oh, right. That does make sense.” Isalla nodded, looking sheepish as she ran a hand through her damp hair. “Do you mind if I ask something else, though?”
“Go ahead,” Kanae told her, taking a step over to the axe again. She’d had enough of a break, and she wanted to keep in shape. Besides, it was a good excuse to keep her gaze off Isalla.
“I didn’t see any scars, and you were in the army. How is that possible?” Isalla demanded.
Kanae laughed, grinning at the incredulous tone in Isalla’s voice. Kanae gently replied in amusement. “Incubus and succubus parents, remember? I don’t scar or develop calluses. Not that there aren’t other methods of dealing with scars, mind you. Remember, I have been giving you that salve to help your own fade.”
“Oh, well… right, that would work,” Isalla said, sounding a little chagrined as her gaze drifted down across Kanae, lingering several times before settling on the axe next to her.
“Shouldn’t you go check on the water? I don’t want you burning down the house. I have patients in there,” Kanae suggested, having trouble suppressing her smile.
“Oh no! I’ll be back in a bit!” Isalla’s eyes went wide and she turned to run toward the house.
Laughing under her breath, Kanae picked up the axe again. Another cord of wood, then she’d go in to check on her patients. Suddenly she found herself looking forward to them going home even more. She had something pleasant to look forward to.
Chapter 19
Brialla and Urek were both quiet for the first couple of days, aside from the occasional groans of pain. Isalla didn’t interact with them much, since Kanae was the healer. Despite her distance, as far as Isalla could tell, they seemed to be recovering at a good pace.
Their presence had drawn a lot of traffic to the house, though. Isalla found herself opening the door for the parents of the pair fairly often, as well as for their friends. Vokal was a lot like Brialla, and the young man had looked incredibly guilty as he asked about them. Kanae had been… firm with him, Isalla thought, and far gentler than the angel would have been. Kanae had answered his questions politely, but after a short while she’d interrogated him on just what he’d thought they were doing.
In short, he hadn’t been thinking, from Isalla’s perspective. The young man had been wanting to make money to buy better food and clothing, and none of the jobs around town had been profitable enough for him. Since some of the alchemical reagents that could be found in the Fungal Abyss sold for quite a bit, he’d hatched the plan with some of his friends to collect them and make a solid profit.
The plan hadn’t gone well, and Kanae had been quite pointed about how close they’d come to death. It hadn’t been a pleasant conversation, that was for certain. Even if it had been a little satisfying to hear Kanae politely tear a strip off Vokal verbally.
Despite the regular visitors, Kanae had kept herself busy for a lot of the time, even going to town to buy supplies and check on other patients. It startled Isalla at first, but she supposed it made sense. It wasn’t as though having two patients, three if she included herself, would stop anyone else from needing help.
Urek had been moved home after the third day, since his injuries were relatively minor when compared to Brialla, and the young man had guiltily limped home while accompanied by his parents. The looks on their faces had amused Isalla, since they looked much like any other parents she’d seen after their children did something stupid and survived. She preferred not to think about the times she’d prompted similar expressions.
It was the fifth day before
Brialla had joined them for breakfast, the young woman pale and quiet. She had a green tinge to her skin, but looked different than Kanae, despite both of them having similar bodies. The woman had slightly pointed ears, a pair of short, back-swept horns, scales around her wrists, and a thicker tail, though at a guess it was missing nearly half its length.
“Thank you for the food,” Brialla said softly, stirring the porridge slowly with her spoon.
“You’re welcome,” Kanae said, taking a seat herself, her voice calm.
“How are you feeling, Brialla?” Isalla ventured after a few moments, concerned about the young woman. She knew what it was like to lose part of her body, and she tried to flex her wings again, wishing they were back. The scars were fading quickly due to Kanae’s salve, which fascinated her in a horrible sort of way. It was definitely a mixed blessing, since the idea of being unable to fly permanently horrified Isalla.
“I hurt a lot, but I’m okay,” Brialla said, smiling nervously at Isalla, then looking down again. “It’s… it’s fine. I guess. I shouldn’t have gone into the Abyss.”
“Why did you go, then?” Kanae asked softly, an uncharacteristic note of compassion in her voice.
“Well…” Brialla hesitated, and Isalla grew more curious, setting down her spoon.
“I’m not your parents. I’m not going to get upset about whatever it is you had in mind. I’m just curious what nearly cost you your life,” Kanae added, sitting back in her chair.
“I heard that some of the academies in the capital allow anyone to join, if you have enough for tuition,” Brialla admitted, staring into her porridge intently. “I was hoping to earn enough for a year or two. I didn’t think it was a good idea, but Vokal… he seemed so certain that we could manage it. I thought he must know something that I didn’t.”
“Ah. At least you had a goal that was worth something… though instead it appears that you’ve set yourself back. At least, assuming you want to get your tail back,” Kanae said, sighing and nodding at the bandaged stump behind the young woman. “That will run you two or three years of tuition to get healed on its own.”
“Brimstone… I screwed up so badly, didn’t I? I lost most of my tail, and I’m going to take weeks to get back to normal. Am I ever going to make enough to get training in something important?” Brialla asked, her voice faintly plaintive. The protest sparked even more compassion in Isalla, since a large part of her identified with the young woman. Isalla had been a commoner to begin with, after all.
“That’s entirely up to you,” Kanae replied, not even flinching as she looked at the young woman. Her apparent lack of pity startled Isalla for a moment, but Kanae continued before the angel’s worry could grow. “Look, Brialla, you tried to take a shortcut. Shortcuts are risky by their very nature, because, otherwise, everyone would use them. Your parents aren’t wealthy, and though they’re going to do their best to pay me back, I know they can’t afford to. I’m going to be taking what they can give me, and it isn’t much. So you’re going to have to solve your problems for yourself, which isn’t going to be easy. In my view, you have many options, but which you choose is up to you.”
“What would you do, then?” Brialla asked, and Kanae fell silent, sitting back in her chair and examining the young woman for a moment or two. Isalla considered, then took a spoonful of porridge as she listened closely. This was the first time she’d heard someone ask Kanae for advice, and she wondered what the attractive woman would tell Brialla.
“You aren’t unique, Brialla, at least in appearance, and your talents are decent but not exceptional. Attempting to find a sponsor would be difficult. In your situation, I’d avoid the army like the plague, because going with the army is far too likely to end in your death. You have three realistic choices, from my perspective,” Kanae replied, her gaze and tone unflinching. “First, join the queen’s priesthood. You’d likely be healed free of charge, but their indoctrination… you’d likely be with them for life, by the time your probationary period was done. You’d learn a lot, you’d still be you, but I’m not sure you want to be one of her devotees. Second, you can try becoming a merchant. While risky, if you can join a caravan going between the surface and here, you can likely earn coin more quickly in a relatively safe manner than you could in one of the cities of the hells. Last, you can stay in town and try to earn funds the slow, safe way. That would take you years, but it’s possible to manage.”
Isalla could almost see Brialla wilting under the explanation and couldn’t help but wince sympathetically. She imagined that none of them were as glamorous as the young woman dreamed and glanced over at Kanae as she asked hopefully, taking another spoonful of food, “There really aren’t other good solutions, Kanae?”
“Not ones which would be any easier. She could apprentice with a healer, though certainly not with me. I don’t have the time or patience for that. She’s moderately exotic and could attempt to earn money as a courtesan in Hragon, but her injuries are severe enough that I’m uncertain she could do well. Besides, I don’t care to recommend that to anyone, outside of a few rare exceptions,” Kanae replied, frowning thoughtfully. “All the other options I see are risky or incredibly time-consuming. What I’m suggesting are relatively fast, easy, or safe.”
“But which would you choose?” Brialla asked, looking at Kanae pleadingly.
Kanae sighed and rubbed her eyes, then looked at Brialla intensely. “Brialla… it’s your life. I… care for the queen. If I had to choose, I’d probably join her priesthood. However, that’s based on personal feelings, and without that, it’d be a difficult choice between it and trying to become a merchant.”
Isalla blinked in surprise at that, opening her mouth, then shutting it as a thread of curiosity and envy coursed through her. The thought of Kanae having feelings for Queen… Estalia, she thought that was her name. She was rather surprised, considering how scathing Kanae had been about the war. It was odd, but Isalla wasn’t going to ask about it in front of Brialla. Especially since Brialla was looking at Kanae so curiously, and a bit hopefully.
“You have feelings for Her Majesty? Have you met her?” Brialla asked eagerly, her depression seeming to fade. “I haven’t met anyone who’s seen her before! At least, not that admitted it, I guess.”
“A few times, back when I was in the army,” Kanae replied after a moment, her gaze distant. “She only visited the front a handful of times, but I saw her, and met her. I remember the experience vividly, even though it’s been centuries.”
“What was she like?” Isalla couldn’t keep the words from coming out, curious despite herself. She shouldn’t be interested in an archdemon, but any information was better than none.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea to tell you,” Kanae replied, frowning slightly. There was a note of worry in her voice, Isalla noticed, which concerned her. Not enough to retract her question, though.
“Please?” Brialla almost begged. “I’ve heard legends, of course, but it’s never very detailed. Mother and Father say that the descriptions get garbled in time.”
“I… I suppose it won’t do any more harm,” Kanae said, sighing heavily and taking a spoonful of her food, though she barely seemed to see it. After swallowing, she added, “Just so you’re aware, no words can do Her Majesty justice. She’s everything I can tell you, yet so much more. Nothing can prepare you for meeting her the first time, no matter who you are.”
“She’s really that impressive?” Isalla asked curiously, even more intrigued now.
“Yes. If you haven’t met her before and braced yourself, the moment you see Queen Estalia, it’s like the world stops and everything else goes dim. You lose track of everything around you, because she becomes the center of the world. If she’s distracted, you’ll recover quickly, but if she pays attention to you… she’s the center of everything. You’ll do almost anything for her because she makes you feel perfect. Because you feel she’s utter perfection,” Kanae said, her voice still distant as she smiled sadly. “I’m not
saying she isn’t, though. When she talks to you, she pays total attention to you. You’re the center of the universe, as far as she’s concerned. It’s hard to keep your composure, and harder still to dislike her, let alone hate her.”
“Wow…” Brialla said, her eyes wide and voice eager. “What does she look like? I’ve heard she has blue skin and lights up the room when she enters.”
“Her Majesty is a succubus, Brialla, but nearly unique despite that. Yes, she has blue skin, but that’s a pale word for it. It’s the blue of brilliant sapphires, glowing under white light, rich and bright. Brighter still because her skin is quite literally illuminated from within, bright enough to easily light this room via her mere presence,” Kanae explained gently, smiling at Brialla. “She’s beautiful, with swept-back horns that glitter like diamonds, and blue-black hair that nearly reaches the ground. Her voice is airy and beautiful, capable of singing the highest notes you can imagine, and she moves with an easy grace while a crown formed of five thumb-sized sapphires and a ring of mithral hovers over her head, slowly spinning. I’d go on, but how else can you describe the indescribable? She’s… she’s Queen Estalia. The Azure Lady, the Queen of Desire.”
Even the description of Queen Estalia was amazing, and Kanae’s tone made Isalla worried, even if she was more interested in the archdemon now. She sounded incredible, though Isalla was also a little jealous of the effect she had on Kanae.
“Wow. I can hardly imagine her,” Brialla said, her voice almost dreamy. “She sounds wonderful to me.”
“Perhaps. She, like most archdemons, is powerful and has her own desires. I suppose its unsurprising that they can be quite selfish,” Kanae replied, letting out a soft sigh. “Even so, I would not blame you for choosing to serve her. She’s… magnificent.”
“I’m surprised you left the army, if you felt that strongly about her,” Isalla said, a little worried by the thought of a demoness who could have such an immense impact.
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