Eubexa had been having an urgent, silent conversation with Melsuria from the moment they reached the town gate. After Tom left for the Temple, there was no more need for Eubexa to translate anything. She was free to concentrate fully on what the demon within her wanted.

You're certain that Quazulin is here, Mistress?

< Yes. His shards taint the mana around them. They reek of Hate. >

Did they sense your presence, do you think?

< No. They will instinctively dislike us, but they won't know why. If we run into Quazulin's host, however, he'll know it immediately. We need to stay out of sight and away from people. >

Would it help the Temple prepare if they knew Quazulin's name?

< Yes, but there isn't any way to explain how you know it without arousing suspicion. >

I will try to think of a way, Mistress. The more they focus specifically on Quazulin, the less likely they are to find you.

< True. We still need to get out of town as soon as possible. I want to put many leagues between us and any other demon's shards. How soon can we leave? >

I'm not sure. We're waiting for three more elves, in addition to Varga and Orvan.

< See what you can find out. >

Eubexa started paying more attention to the conversation going on around her. Diavla was using her physicker skills to make Arven more comfortable. Kervan was cooking dinner. Meanwhile, both of them were explaining to Arven at length what had happened to them since they had parted ways.

Eubexa waited for a good moment to interject, then cleared her throat. "How long do you think it will be before Orvan and Varga arrive with the others?"

Arven spoke a bit slowly. "Depends on Rillik. If I understand the timing correctly from what you all have said, then unless something went wrong, Varga and Orvan should have found the camp around now. If Rillik has gotten back, they'll probably head to town. If not, they'll wait for at least one of us to return, and maybe scout the woods around the camp. If Rillik still hasn't shown up after several days, I'd guess one of them would come ahead to report in."

"So the soonest they might return would be...?"

"Two days from now, maybe? More likely three or four days."

"I see. Thank you."

Diavla went back to recounting their adventures to Arven. She seemed reluctant to discuss her sexual awakening, instead focusing on how her magic had changed. There was definitely an air of tension as they spoke. Eubexa felt the demon stir.

< Obviously, Arven has desired Diavla in the past, and she wasn't interested. Now, she's trying to figure out how she feels about him, and he's trying to figure out whether Tom has been abusive or threatening. >

Eubexa thought with dread about possible drama in the group. Are you going to influence Diavla to have sex with Arven?

< Of course...hm. > Melsuria's voice in Eubexa's head trailed off for a beat. < Actually... no. Tom and Diavla make some very tasty lust already and I am hesitant to mess with that recipe. Perhaps I'll get Varga to bed him, or we can find a human who is aroused by the exotic. Plenty of possibilities. >

Would keeping him in frustrated lust feed you well? Eubexa asked out of curiosity.

< Hmm...yes and no. Anticipation is very sweet, but frustration is bitter. The combination is a delicate appetizer, and not very filling. I'm still far too hungry to savor it properly. For now, the more sex, the better, in general. >

Eubexa had a passing thought about her own sexuality, and found it cut off abruptly. She frowned. Mistress, did you—?

< Be patient. I'll let you feel lust when you're well enough to enjoy it. The last thing I need is more tainted food from my own host. I'll tell you when you're ready. >

Yes, Mistress.

∘ ⛥ ⛯ ⛥ ∘

Melsuria subsided from Eubexa's consciousness during dinner, except for bits of commentary while she ate, like < Yes, more of that orange vegetable! > and so forth. As a result, she could focus better on the conversation around her.

Kervan was giving, as far as Eubexa could tell, exact word-for-word renditions of various things said to him in Rivermarch, and giving his best attempt at translation. He was doing quite well—Eubexa only needed to correct him twice. Kervan accepted the corrections without getting upset, which spoke well of him. His soul was more focused on getting things precisely right than on his ego or anything else.

When they got to the part of the story where they discovered the demons in the crystals, Arven's eyes got big and he was hanging on their every word. After a couple of minutes, he fired his own bow into the conversation. "I think I met a demon in the woods."

Without a word, Kervan pulled off the Amulet of Protection he was wearing and quickly put it on Arven. "That will stop it from getting worse, if you have been infected," he explained. "All of us have been checked for demonic possession. Now...you were saying?"

Arven took a deep breath as he turned over what Kervan had just said and done. Then he nodded. "I was attacked by a pack of gray, four-legged animals about a week ago."

"They're called wolves," Diavla told him.

"Wolves. Got it. Well, the animals acted very strangely. They pinned me down and didn't eat me. Instead, the biggest wolve walked up and stared at me, and I felt a pressure on my soul, like something was hammering to get in. After a while it gave up, and I swear it was vindictive the way it broke my collarbone before leaving. Took me four days to recover with Sheema's help, once I made it back to camp. While I was laid up, Rillik decided to go off on his adventure."

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"Did any of you see it again?"

"No."

At this point, Melsuria started laughing in the back of Eubexa's mind. < Oh, that's funny. Quazulin possessed a human, who ran off into the woods, and promptly got eaten by wolves! So, he possessed the lead wolf, probably converted the pack, and then was wandering around the woods looking for another host. When he finally found one, the elf was immune! >

Eubexa considered this. So, after that, the wolf pack headed south, and ran into some hunters or loggers in the woods. Quazulin got a new host, and didn't waste any time spreading in Oak Mill. But Mistress, are we sure it was Quazulin?

< Obviously. Arthalax is a demon of Murder, and Arven is still alive. >

Eubexa nodded. Right. I wonder where Arthalax got off to?

< I expect he's in the closest city, going on a killing spree. He'll tend to move from town to town, gradually getting stronger the more he kills, looking for the closest war. Who is invading whom around here these days? >

Eubexa considered. Actually, the region has been pretty peaceful for a while. There are always skirmishes between the Eastern Empire and its neighbors, but nothing terribly close by.

< Ha! Arthalax will find that frustrating. >

How will a demon of Murder form an empire? Eubexa wondered.

< He won't. He'll take over the best army in the area and then go rampaging. He'll keep moving around—Arthalax has a way of using up a place. His is a primitive Concept, and fairly self-defeating in the long run. >

Eubexa fished for information. Mistress, the book didn't say much about Concepts. What is a Concept, to a demon, really?

There was silence in her mind for a few moments. Then, Melsuria spoke, sounding happy to talk about it. < We are Concepts. We are born from them. What your people call Affinities are your links to Concepts, aspects of mana in the world. >

I don't understand.

< Think of it this way: Mana can have infinite aspects. The mana in an area is fluid—some places are still, some are churning like a waterfall or a storm at sea. As mana flows, a particular aspect can get concentrated, and sometimes grows stable enough to be self-sustaining. Then, the next time a creature capable of thought wanders by, that swirl of mana copies the pattern, forms a soul, and a demon is born. >

Eubexa blinked. I wonder how many people know this? Melsuria felt indifferent to the question.

< I suppose a demon could be born on the surface, but it would be extremely rare. Mana churns much more vigorously in the hot depths of the earth, where even the rock flows like water. The most powerful demons rise up from the Core of the World. >

I've heard dwarven lore that claims the deeper one goes underground, the hotter it gets.

< That's right. >

Why do you come to the surface?

< Because we demons hate each other! We are natural enemies, competing for aspects of mana. Our presence pollutes the mana of another, eating away at it. We attack each other simply by existing. If we make it past the dwarves and their Web of Stone, the surface offers vast area to spread out in, and freedom from others. >

So that's why you invade us whenever you can?

< Yes. It's the same reason anyone goes to war—fighting over territory and resources. And not just mana itself. Up here, there are humans and elves to serve as hosts. >

What do you use for hosts in the Demon Lands?

< There are various creatures in the depths that can serve, but they aren't nearly as good as people on the surface. >

Why?

< The richness of your souls! You're smarter, cleverer—you know more. You have language, which stabilizes our Concepts. What you might call our "soul" grows with each host. I learn more about the world from each of you I possess. I gain new abilities. We demons change hosts not just because the old ones weaken or die. We do it to grow stronger. >

Do you keep everything you learn from each host?

< Not all of it, but a lot. Enough to grow in wisdom. >

A thought struck Eubexa. Mistress, language changes over the centuries. If your Concept is anchored in language, does that mean you change as well?

< NO! >

Eubexa was startled at the vehemence of Melsuria's reaction to the idea. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give offense. There was a pause.

< That's enough demon lore for tonight. >

Eubexa's soul was full of ideas and questions, but she didn't want to anger the demon. She struggled not to think too loudly. Yes, Mistress.

∘ ⛥ ⛯ ⛥ ∘

They continued to share details of their adventures for the rest of the evening. Eubexa noticed that after a while, Diavla kept looking at the front door more and more often. Arven picked up on it as well. "Does he scare you?" He asked bluntly.

Diavla looked off to the side and tried to hide a small smile. "Only in fun ways."

"I'm still worried that he pressured you into sex."

"Arven, I know it sounds strange, coming from me, but I wanted it. I was actually getting frustrated because it was taking so long."

"She actually dream-walked into his bed," Kervan pointed out.

"Kervan!"

"Twice."

"Shut up!"

Arven had a complex tangle of expressions on his face. "You really don't know how to deal with these feelings yet, do you?"

Diavla colored a bit and looked away. "It's...new. I don't know what the spirits did to me. I like it, but it's...unsettling."

"Is he treating you right?"

"For the tenth time, Arven, yes."

"I'm just worried about you. Masters often expect certain things from slaves, and force the issue if there's any hesitation. He could be pressuring you."

Diavla's face reddened further. "It's...fine."

Eubexa cleared her throat. "What she means is, Diavla finds the master-slave relationship—"

"Shut up!" Diavla demanded urgently.

"—arousing," Eubexa finished.

"Eubexa!"

"Diavla, he needs to know. He's going to hear the two of you, and your sex talk might sound very alarming if he didn't know that you're enjoying it."

"They do get pretty loud," Kervan added, and Diavla hid her face behind her hands.

Arven was silent for a couple of heartbeats, then asked, "Did he start that kind of thing up with you? Are you sure it's just play for him?"

Diavla mumbled something into her hands.

"Diavla?" Arven pressed.

"It's fine!" she shouted. "Leave me be!" She got up and left the room in a hurry.

Arven looked more worried, so Eubexa spoke up gently. "Arven, we've only just met, so let me say that I have worked in a brothel as a sex slave for years. I can assure you, Diavla's not faking her enjoyment. Her desires embarrass her mightily, though, so you might want to stop pressing her on the point."

"But—"

"Arven," Eubexa persisted, "I want you to imagine something for a moment. Imagine that you're Diavla, and you've had very little interest in sex for your whole life. Then you get taken prisoner and made a slave. Then, your sex drive starts up, and you discover, much to your surprise, that you really, really like the idea of being a sexual slave to this person.

"Do you see why she might find this embarrassing to talk about? Especially given her situation?"

Arven stared at her, and Eubexa could see she was getting through to him. She pressed on. "It must have been absolutely mortifying. When she realized her tastes, she probably wished desperately that they had been almost anything else. But, we don't get to pick what excites us, for the most part. Certainly, people can learn new games and pleasures, but it is hard to remove a desire. Do you understand?"

Arven hesitated. "But are you sure that that's what's going on? That it isn't—?"

"Yes." Eubexa didn't let him finish. "I am completely sure. She tastes—" Eubexa caught herself a moment before Melsuria gave her soul a yank. "Her tastes are what they are," she corrected smoothy. "Wait and see, Arven. It will become very obvious how happy she is now."

There was silence for a few moments as they sat near the fire. "Wish I'd known this a lot sooner," Arven muttered grumpily.

"It wasn't her time yet. She didn't even know. She wouldn't have been able to enjoy it. She had to go through this whole set of experiences for something to finally awaken her desires." There. That should sound generic enough not to raise suspicion.

< Well done, but you need to be more careful, > Melsuria warned.

Yes, Mistress.

< Now, excuse yourself and get to bed. I have a lot of work to do on your body, yet. >

Yes, Mistress, Eubexa said again, more eagerly this time. Good health, and recovering her looks especially, seemed like such a dream that it was painful to hope for it. But, she wouldn't let that fear ruin her chances of watching that hope turn to reality.

She would pay almost any price, to walk freely among people again.

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