Chapter 02 The Way Back

You begin the days long journey back to Castle Refuge, hurrying to get back and relay what you've seen. You ride through forests and around small group of hills. Then, in the distance, you see a village, smoke rising from it.

You ride up to the village. It seems like it would be a peaceful place, if not for the burning buildings. There are children screaming, and people tending to the wounded. A pile of bodies lies on the outskirts of town, as well as the body of a monstrous creature with laser wounds all over it. Several men and women with laser rifles patrol the area, and one rushes up to you. "Halt! He says. "Who are you, and what's your business here?"

The man, who looks a little older, balding, with a salt and pepper beard, says "There was a fight yeah. A group of demons showed up and we had to fight them off. We killed this one and the rest ran away."

Cassiopeia and Lanval, you both recognize the "demon" laying dead before you is actual a creature called a Deevil. It's an ugly, fanged humanoid, with a large muzzle like mouth and a wide pig like nose. It has small serpent like yellow eyes, bushy eyebrows, a large pair of ram's horns crowning its forehead, and a shaggy black mane of hair. The upper body is that of a muscular male, but the arms, shoulders, chest and back are covered in short black hair. It's fingertips have long claw like nails. The lower body is that of a goat, with cloven hooves and a devil's tail.

There are fires to put out, and injured to tend to. What do you all do?

The old man says to Sun Li "They fled to the northwest. Not sure we really scared them off so much as they went in search of easier prey." He then directs Sun Li and Lanval to the wounded.

Adatahl and Cass, between your efforts you are able to snuff out the fires before they spread any further. There is significant damage to some of the homes, but you've prevented the flames from spreading throughout the entire village.

The four of you work hard over the next several hours, helping restore some peace to the people. The sun is low in the sky when you've come to a place you feel good stopping, when the wounded have been treated and tended and the fires are completely out.

Adatahl and Cass, as the afternoon wore on you each collected a little gaggle of children around you. They were smart enough to stay out of your way as you fought the fires, and stared at you both in awe. When the day is ending, one of them approaches Cassiopeia and asks "Are you really a Cyber-Knight?"

The children ooh and ah. Then one turns to Adatahl. "Are you a dragon?"

"We've never seen a dragon mister." another little girl says. Then with the adorable bluntness of a child she asks "What are you?"