The Demon Lord And His Hero

"Emi over here believes that the corpse we saw earlier today was possessed by an evil spirit before he passed away."

"Is that true?" Riaku asked Emi.

"Everyone in the village is talking about it," Emi replied. "Didn't you see how the villagers were acting? People are spooked."

"Sirs and madam, what can I get you?" A young girl appeared beside their table.

"Whatever food you've got. Serve for six and take two more portions to the last room on the second floor." It was Emi that answered for them. There wasn't a lot of variety in the kitchens of village inns like this one so it was easier to just ask for whatever had been cooked up for the evening. "Syryn, is there any restriction imposed on Gosan's diet?"

"If his eating pattern hasn't changed drastically, you can feed him a normal diet. And get us a bottle of your best selection of wine," Syryn told the waiting woman. He was immediately pincushioned by jealous stares that were sharp as daggers. The avian guards were not allowed to drink alcohol during a mission and it hurt them to know that Syryn would be drinking at their table.

The young woman bowed to her guests before leaving. The conversation once again came back to the dead man.

"Why would he stare at the forest? What's inside?" Emi looked around and spoke with fascination thick in her tone.

"Maybe there's a ghost in the forest and it's calling out to their spirits," Rei mildly suggested. Syryn had a feeling that the guard was being sarcastic.

"For what?" Kai asked, not catching the sarcasm.

"Maybe the ghost is a little lonely," Syryn answered.

"Syryn is right. Ghosts also need friends," Emi smiled at Syryn. The alchemist was tempted to pull her veil off and see her entire face without any encumbrance over it. The way her half-veiled face teased his sights vexed the teen.

"Riaku, what do you think?" Syryn asked the silent man.

"Ghosts dont need friends. They should be exorcised."

"That's right," Kai answered. "My aunt was possessed by a ghost many years ago-"

"Kai, you're still in denial?" Emi cut him off. "Your aunt was having an affair. What possession? She was pretending to have been possessed by the ghost of her lover's ex-wife. Your uncle is an idiot for having fallen for the act."

"Hey! Aunt Oshin saved my life when I was eight. She's not like that."

"Saving your life doesn't equate to her being a Saint, Kai. You're just as stupid as your uncle," Rei dryly told the other guard.

While the guards bickered, Syryn watched an interesting person take a table furthest from theirs. The occupant, a woman wearing a deep purple dress and a forest green cloak over it raised her arm to call for a server. Syryn could make out intricate tattoos on her entire right arm. She was unusual and not just because of her tattoos. She had a presence that could not be overlooked.

The woman immediately noticed Syryn's staring and stared right back at him. Syryn wanted to see who would break eye contact first so he continued to maintain an unbroken stare.

"You're acting like a damn creep, Syryn." Emi waved a hand in front of his eyes. Alas, Syryn lost the staring game.

"And here's your alcohol." Rei's comment was cold.

Infront of a disgruntled audience, Syryn poured out the fragrant wine into his shallow cup. It had a hint of honeysuckle and soft floral tones overlaying a crisp lime-like tang. The floral scent, he noted, was not overpowering to his sensitive olfactory senses. After filling the cup, Syryn raised it in the air and toasted the guards. "May you heartily enjoy this wine with your eyes as I do savouring it on my tongue."

"You're asking for a beating."

"Where's the food anyway? It's taking too long."

"Your highness, if the food doesn't satisfy you, we can prepare another meal for you."

"That would not be necessary."

When the young woman finally arrived with piping hot beef stew and an assortment of colourful dishes both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, Fei stood up to receive the food. He randomly picked a bowl of food and tried it before the others. Kai then distributed the food on the table and they made conversation for a few more minutes before they began to eat.

Syryn sipped on the cup of wine, enjoying the fragrance and taste of it. It wasn't enough to get him inebriated but that wasn't what he was drinking for.

From where he was seated, Syryn could see towards the opposite hill. A crowd of people carrying torches were rushing to a house high up on the hill.

"I wonder what's going on up there," Rei said to them. All the avians turned as one and watched the torch-bearing folks head up the steep incline. From their movements, the viewers could tell that something urgent was pushing the throng of people up the hill.

"A bad day for the valley of flowers," Syryn replied.

"I really want to know what's going on," Emi whispered.

They were all curious. Syryn bit into a flat-rolled bread after dipping it in his stew. Seeing as how fast gossip travelled in the village, he was sure that they would no doubt receive news about what was happening.

"Syryn, we'll watch Lucien. Can you find out what's going on?" Emi seemed intent on ferreting out what was taking place.

"Emi, leave him be," Riaku said to her while stirring his bowl of stew.

His cousin sister's cheeks puffed out in a noisy exhale and she tore into her flatbread viciously. "You don't know how to have fun, brother."

"Someone else's tragedy isn't a matter for us to have fun with, Emi."

Syryn partially disagreed. He could have plenty of fun out of seeing his enemies suffer. Maybe he would do Emi a favour and snoop around a bit.

"Priestess! We need the priestess." A middle-aged man rushed into the garden and shouted. His eyes searched desperately and then landed on the woman at the corner of the garden. She was already standing up when he found her. "Hurry! There's been another victim of the ghost."

The priestess strode forward all businesslike. Rather than just walking past their table, she stopped and turned to Syryn.

"You, come with me. You're a healer aren't you?"

"I'm not."

"He is," Rei quickly replied.

"Go with her, Syryn. She needs your help to save a life!" Emi's excitement was palpable to everyone.

"Fine." Syryn put down his half-finished bottle and abandoned the rest of his food.

"We'll save it all for you and wait inside your room with Lucien." The female guard beamed at Syryn.

"Rei, keep an eye on Lucien's vitals till I return."

When the guard nodded, Syryn walked out of the place with the woman. After exiting the inn, the alchemist kept pace with the priestess. He had noticed how pretty her amber eyes were. She had dark wavy hair and an olive coloured complexion that was smooth like butter.

"Who told you I'm a healer?" He asked her.

"Somebody who knows everything about you," she answered without hesitation.

"A stalker."

He heard a chuckle from the priestess. "You can see it that way if you want to."

"What else does this stalker know about me?"

The priestess turned her head very slightly so Syryn could see the way she regarded him. "Everything."

"Wow so mysterious. Guess I should just ask them what perfect size of drawers would best fit my waistline."

"What are you doing in this village, demon?" She said it so softly that Syryn almost didnt hear her.

Feet suddenly feeling heavier than lead, Syryn's smile became hard. "That's a very weighty accusation to make, priestess." His reply was a soft menacing hiss.

"There's no need to be alarmed. I am not here to persecute you, and neither am I out to expose you. All I ask is that you tell me why you're here." She was calm in the face of a demon's anger. Syryn had to revise his estimate of her now. The priestess displayed the cool confidence that came only to those with substantial power in them.

"Why dont you ask the stalker who knows everything about me?" Syryn answered with a calm that he wasn't feeling. Who was this stalker of his that knew so much about him? It couldn't have been Traxdart though the name was the first one that popped up in his mind. Syryn was feeling paranoid, like there were eyes everywhere, watching his every move.

"So touchy," she answered. "We mean no harm to you."

They were now getting to the bottom of the hill. Darkness wrapped the hill like a cloak, and very little could be seen from the pinpricks of light that came from the small houses. Only the house at the top of the hill was brightly lit up by the torches that were held in the hands of the villagers who had gathered there.

"Words are cheap," Syryn replied.

The priestess raised her hand and Syryn heard the flare of fire. He frowned at the bright yellow fire that lit their path.

"Which temple do you serve, priestess?" He asked her.

"Fire. You can call me Dinah."

Syryn did not acknowledge the offering she made of her name.