There was no great vision nor tragic story as the cult leader died. For that to occur required Meridian Fang to be used but it hadn’t been. The man’s soul had been torn from his body using one of the most feared demon skills in their arsenal—Energy Drain. The soul of a cult leader dedicated to the Between was a sickly, slimy thing filled with dark joy and wicked perversions. It was pure euphoria on Brivaria’s demonic tongue.

  For the first time, possibly ever, Brivaria felt well and truly sated. She felt full at a spiritual level. There was a hole inside her that she didn’t know existed until it was filled. Nothing compared to the pleasure she now felt. At least, nothing in her former life compared to it. The angel had spent a lifetime fighting demons and rescuing mortals from their clutches. She’d never understood why demons sought mortal souls until now. The revelation was as thrilling as it was frightening.

  “Brivaria?” Nyx asked from behind her. The winged girl turned from the corpse of the former cult leader and looked at her team. They looked at her with a little bit of trepidation. Even with her low awareness, she could see the fear in Nyx’s eyes and concern in Kseniya’s. Trixie cut through all of it and rushed toward her. The golden’s tail was wagging faster with every step and Brivaria knelt to give her dog a hug.

  “What did you do to him?” the cat girl asked. Brivaria stiffened but Kseniya spoke before the winged girl could respond.

  “Nyx, you left Brivaria alone in a room with a host of scary cultists and your first concern is for the dead monster?” Kseniya asked in that scolding tone that Brivaria was frequently the recipient of herself. She threw the sorceress a grateful look and Kseniya’s answering stare was a “we’ll talk later” one.

  “Oh, sorry Brivaria. Are you okay? I’m sorry we took as long as we did to get back to you,” Nyx’s voice was filled with reproach.

  “I’m fine,” the angel took a breath and smiled, “better than fine. Did all the people get out safely?”

  “Oh yes,” Giselle said excitedly, “they got out safely and Carter is with them, explaining things.” She was still holding her mace which looked like it had some dried blood on it. Brivaria’s eyes drifted down to it and Giselle immediately placed it behind her back, seemingly ashamed of having used it for its intended purpose. Brivaria chuckled.

  “I’m glad. Good job everyone. We’ll talk about things after all of this is over,” she gestured to their surroundings and saw Talver coming over to talk to her. The guardsman’s face was all smiles but she could see he was forcing the good cheer. Uh oh, Brivaria thought.

  “So, Watch Captain Hudson is on his way here. We’re instructed to not go anywhere and wait for him to arrive,” Talver explained. Oh no. Brivaria had a long night in front of her. Hudson here and then Kseniya later. She settled in with her team in a clean spot of floor near one of the basement’s walls and waited.

  When the watch captain arrived, the angel saw the frown and winced. She wasn’t the only one. Kseniya leaned down to whisper “brace for impact” to the group and they all did so. Brivaria had shifted back to her angelic form and was sitting on the floor against a wall with Trixie laying across her lap. As the watch captain made his way over, she nudged the dog into moving. Trixie gave a soft whine in protest but gave up the super comfy lap to let the angel stand.

  “Do you have anything to say for yourselves?” Watch Captain Hudson asked. The man’s voice wasn’t harsh which surprised Brivaria. It was tired. He had bags under his eyes and was clearly not sleeping enough. The job was taking a toll on the man and she knew he’d dropped everything to come here.

  “No, Watch Captain Hudson,” Brivaria said. She could have preemptively defended their decision or started making excuses but seeing his exhausted face took the wind out of those sails. She wanted this conversation over quickly for both their sakes.

  “Good. I’ve been made aware of everything that transpired. I am less than pleased that one of my guardsmen went behind my back and gave his tacit approval to these antics. That’s a matter that he and I will discuss. I am equally upset to learn that an adventuring team has not only begun using combat skills in my city after explicitly being told not to but also started enacting vigilante justice. I should have all of you thrown in jail for the foreseeable future and request the adventurers guild strip you of your rank,” the watch captain said. Even Kseniya’s normally acerbic commentary was stifled by the severity of his words. Giselle just looked heartbroken.

  “But we were just trying to help,” the deer girl said softly. Watch Captain Hudson looked to her and he saw the lack of understanding in the faux iveskan’s eyes. He sighed and shook his head.

  “I understand. You didn’t know what you would find down here. What if you’d been challenged sooner and the violence had spilled into the street? What if some of those people being held hostage down here died as a result of your actions? Not only did you go behind my back and against my wishes, but you made a decision that could have put Barton citizens in danger and could have gotten innocent people killed. We’d be having a very different conversation if one of those things happened today. You’re very, very lucky that wasn’t the case.” The more he spoke, the worse the group felt.

  “As it stands, I’m inclined to throw you in jail for a month but I understand you’re part of the Westlake team for the hunt. I don’t think she’ll be any safer with you in my jail. In fact, after seeing this I’d much rather have your team participating in the hunt. You are talented adventurers and you can go far if you don’t end up on the wrong side of the law.” Brivaria took the praise for what it was. She knew there was a “but” coming and waited for it.

  “Since I can’t lock you up, I’m going to fine you. I’ve been told Baroness Westlake put a bounty on the cultists. While I appreciate the baroness’ attempt to assist with civil order, I’m going to have a talk with her about such things within the city. That might work on her lands but it doesn’t work here. I’m going to be confiscating the bounties you would have earned from today’s antics,” he finished.

  “Aw but we need that coin,” Nyx protested weakly. Watch Captain Hudson held up a hand to forestall further complaints.

  “I’m sure you do. It wouldn’t be much of a penalty if you didn’t. The money we confiscate will go to families of the survivors from this fiasco. We’ll also see about cleansing the cultists that were subdued. I’m not sure if that’s possible yet but we’ll get the churches involved and try. The baroness’ coin will go to people who need it.” Brivaria liked hearing that. She wasn’t thrilled to hear about their payment going away but it was going to a good place. Even Kseniya didn’t object, verbally anyway. The sorceress actually appeared chastised which wasn’t something the angel saw often. Giselle looked to be on the verge of tears and Nyx was also sullen.

  “For what it’s worth,” Brivaria began, “I don’t regret coming here and saving these people. If I had to choose then I’d do it again.” She gave the head of the guard a challenging look and he smiled. It caught her off-guard.

  “For what it’s worth,” Hudson said, mimicking the angel’s own words, “I don’t regret it either. People are alive because you acted. This isn’t something I want to happen again but I think the outcome is about as good as it could have been. In places that are less civilized, which is most of Velk if I’m being honest, I think the people could use this kind of help. While I will speak to Baroness Westlake about it, I think this is how business is often conducted in her lands so I understand why she did what she did as well.”

  “What happens now?” the angel asked, sensing the conversation approaching its conclusion.

  “Reports. I have to alert the Meyers family as to what occurred at their household. I don’t expect they’ll look fondly on you for this incident as it will paint their family in a bad light. Whether you intended it or not, I think barons Decrune and Meyers will hold grudges over your actions as of late regardless of motive or outcome. I suggest being aware of that and what ramifications your actions will have going forward. You’re a new team with some promise. It’s not worth making enemies at your level.” Hudson was already looking at the guardsmen carrying people out while speaking so he didn’t see the surreptitious look that Brivaria threw at Giselle. The angel was already going down the road of making enemies and she was fine with it so far.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Brivaria answered in the best and most neutral way she could.

  “Oh, one more thing,” the guard captain added just when it seemed like they were finished. “I’m told that big monster shuddered and died while you held onto its head. I’ve heard demons have soul stealing skills or some such. Was such a skill used to slay the leader here?”

  All eyes went to Brivaria. She froze. Hudson turned back to her with a casual expression but his eyes were anything but. The man could have drilled holes in rock with the sheer level focus he was regarding her now.

  “Yes,” Brivaria answered. She met the man’s gaze and he nodded.

  “I’m going to leave that out of the report but that is not a good skill to have. Don’t use it in my city again, regardless of circumstances. I’ve never seen a class or skill set like yours in all my years in the watch. It’s damn strong to be certain but remember that you control your path and not the other way around.”

  The conversation finished up after that and the group was allowed to leave. They headed back to the Siren’s Alcove in silence. The angel’s admission gave both Kseniya and Nyx pause. Giselle wasn’t certain why they were all being quiet but she went along with it because that seemed like the thing to do. Trixie hadn’t gotten the memo because the dog was enthusiastic about running, jumping, and bumping into them as they walked. The golden was used to getting lots and lots of exercise and excitement so sitting and waiting for a long period of time gave her an excess of energy to spend. Brivaria smiled as her beloved dog did cute, dog things.

  Trixie gradually lightened the mood. The golden sunchaser’s happiness was too great to resist for long. By the time they reached the Siren’s Alcove, they were all feeling better. They’d put some space, mental and physical, between themselves and the events of the day. Candice had rabbit on the menu which made them all perk up. Some trapper had apparently committed bunny genocide in the local area and Candice practically mugged him for carcasses on his way into town. Brivaria held a moment of silence for the poor bunny and thanked it for her meal before chowing down with the rest of her team.

  “Did you really take his soul?” Nyx finally asked. Their conversation up to that point had been inane and mostly about the reward money they were tragically no longer receiving. They’d still get some of it from Cordelia for the servants they uncovered at her place so between that and Count Dancarlo’s financing they weren’t doing too badly. They just weren’t doing “Brivaria can buy new armor” well.

  “I did,” the angel admitted. Trixie had moved up to sitting on the bench next to Brivaria, as the golden often did after finishing her food below the table. The angel had one arm around the pooch and was dragging her nails through Trixie’s soft fur.

  “What was it like?” the catfolk girl asked with apparent curiosity. Kseniya made a face but Nyx was undaunted. She wanted to know. Brivaria considered the question.

  “It’s closer to taste than anything else. Some are bland like unseasoned food but some are like this spiced rabbit and bursting with flavor. The cult leader was the latter. His soul was corrupted and deformed by those monsters from the Between but that made it taste better like a good sauce or gravy.” Kseniya looked like she wanted to get out a quill and parchment to start taking notes but Nyx just looked more curious.

  “So the souls of evil people taste better?” Nyx questioned.

  “I don’t know about that. Corruption adds flavor, for certain. I’m not particularly interested in getting a taste of someone who is wholly innocent of such things for comparison though,” the angel replied.

  “That’s fair,” Nyx said after some thought. “Can you eat anyone’s soul? Could you gobble up mine right now?” Nyx’s eyes went wide at the thought but went back to their normal size when Brivaria shook her head.

  “No and I’m not entirely certain how it works. If someone is dying then I can but it doesn’t have to be the case. The rest is ‘know it when you see it’ stuff. You’re taking this surprisingly well,” the angel observed. The lamia snorted with amusement.

  “I cannot speak for the cat but I am a venom mage. I poison people to death. People who know my skills are wary of them. My skills are no less dangerous nor lethal than a pyromancer’s but people fear mine all the same. Little angel, I do not fear your skills because they are just that—your skills. You choose how to use them and that is the most important part,” the lamia finished.

  “They scare me, just a little bit,” Nyx admitted quietly. “Eating souls is spooky and you’ve been more… demon-y lately too.” Brivaria’s already fragile smile began to falter but Nyx wasn’t done talking. “I was a little bothered by Kseniya’s magic too when I met her. It took a while before I was entirely comfortable with it. I just need some time to process it all, you know? It feels like things are changing so fast and every day…”

  “Nyx, how fast are you leveling?” Kseniya asked out of the blue.

  “Uh, really fast. Like really, really fast. Why?” Nyx answered honestly.

  “I am the same,” the sorceress replied, making both Brivaria and Nyx blink in surprise. Kseniya never talked about levels.

  “Giselle, have you also been gaining levels?” the sorceress asked the quiet deer girl.

  “I have. I’ve gained a bunch of levels recently,” the deer spirit said while nodding her head.

  “That is what I thought. I am not truly knowledgeable about adventurers but I think we are all gaining levels far faster than is normal. I do not truly understand why, save that it has something to do with the little angel. When we met at the Red Lodge, I gained a level that day and was surprised since I was not fighting things which should have given me a level.” Kseniya’s words explained something Brivaria had been thinking about for a long time.

  Kseniya had been a traveling mage when they made and openly mocked adventurers. Weeks later she was perfectly content to join an adventuring team with Brivaria though her opinions on adventurers had not risen in the time between. The angel had never pushed the sorceress to explain but now thought she knew something of why the lamia was on the team.

  “Is that why you’re here?” Brivaria asked, not beating around the bush.

  “One of my reasons, if now a small one. I enjoy our team and the odd things that keep happening to us as well. I was not happy where I was previously. Visiting Amon was a selfish thing, an excuse to leave a place I should have left far sooner. I will not say I enjoyed my time as a traveling mage overmuch but I enjoy being on this team far more.” The serpent woman spoke softly and with a genuine smile which the winged girl returned.

  “I like it too,” Giselle said, speaking up. “I don’t mind the horns and things either. I wouldn’t be here without those, I think. I don’t know what a demon is but the Dread Paw would have eaten me without those.” It was Nyx’s turn to be outvoted though Brivaria’s heart still went out to her catfolk friend.

  “I’ll get used to them but we need to go fishing again after the hunt or something. Things are too hectic right now,” the cat girl complained. No one disagreed.

  That night Brivaria didn’t feel up to talking with her inner demon nor even reading. She just laid in bed thinking quiet thoughts while Trixie snoozed next to her and a tiny Giselle lay curled on one side of her pillow. The warm bed and the sleeping animals were peaceful and calming.

  Tomorrow would be their final day before the hunt. Brivaria would have to pick her level 46 skill. They’d derailed the plans of the Between cultists but that small army of Ogramites was still there. The so-called Insect Lords were still on everyone’s minds. She whispered a silent prayer to the angelic host and to any gods listening that things would be okay.