[Quest completed: Slay the Abyssal Vilewyrm]{Skill points awarded: 7}

The Vilewyrm’s cavern was a chaotic hive of activity as the duke’s men scurried back and forth, tending to their wounded comrades and carrying the fallen. Allyssa, Shin, and Fynn were all helping, with Allyssa distributing healing potions to those in need.

Considering it took the young Shielder a day or two to concoct even the smaller batches of healing potions, Scarlett intended to make sure the duke compensated her handsomely for those.

Of the few dozen who had ventured on this expedition under the duke’s banner, roughly half were still in a conscious state. Of those, roughly half were well enough to move around freely after some healing.

Scarlett stood alongside Sir Home, gazing at the lifeless, teeth-filled maw of the vanquished Vilewyrm. Strangely, the demon’s carcass still emitted a smoldering light from beneath its scales, even though Scarlett had dismissed her magic a while back. Peculiar, but as long as it posed no threat, she didn’t care much.

Sir Home’s expression bore an air of grim seriousness as he examined the Vilewyrm. The sweat and grime from the battle still clung to his face. “It seems you were correct in that we were dealing with something far beyond our expectations, Baroness,” he said. “This was no mere dragon.”

“The lake outside was a rather telling sign, I would say.”

The man knelt down beside a pool of dark, ichorous blood that had begun to congeal. Drawing a dagger from his belt, he collected some of the viscous liquid and inspected it. A faint, golden light danced along the blade, and wisps of smoke rose from the blood.

“It’s been a long time since I last encountered one, but I suspect that what we just faced was a demon of the Blazes.”

Scarlett observed the blood. “I believe you are correct.” Her eyes swept the surroundings. “It would explain the unusual state of the lake, and why the creature chose this specific location as its lair. Due to its connection to the Wandering Realm, the Faywild Basin is a realm diametrically opposed to most demons, which would have deterred it from venturing further in. At the same time, the Faywild offers abundant prey for a demon seeking to accumulate power in the Material Realm.”

The knight captain regarded her as he rose. “Perhaps you’re right. You seem well-versed in these matters.”

“It often proves beneficial to be familiar and informed in many subjects,” she replied. “The question now is how the demon came to manifest in this realm in the first place.”

This was a question Scarlett already knew the answer to, of course.

Her gaze returned to linger on the Vilewyrm’s lifeless form, moving from its horned skull down to its wingless body and scarred scales. Even though its physical form was now dead, its essence would have returned to Malevolence, where it might be plotting its revenge. Though given its limited intelligence, that might not amount to more than a desire to rend her apart when it returned to the Material Realm.

Not that it would have any such chance anytime soon. On the list of things she had to be concerned about, it ranked pretty low. The real headache would be grappling with the logistics of extracting this body from the cavern and getting it back to Bridgespell, where it could be displayed and harvested for materials. Despite not being a true dragon, an Abyssal Vilewyrm’s body still held some valuable resources.

Fortunately, handling all of that wasn’t her responsibility. She only needed one specific part of the demon, and the rest was the duke’s concern.

She turned her attention to Sir Home. “When do you anticipate your men will be prepared to commence the journey back to Bridgespell?”

The man’s head turned to look over his people around the cavern. “Our current condition, combined with the lack of light, would make it a challenge to return immediately. We will have to establish a camp here and start moving at first light with those who are in direst need of treatment in the city. The rest will remain here to start dealing with the corpse.” His forehead creased together. “We also need to thoroughly investigate the lake outside to assess any potential future threats it might pose. It’s worrying that a demon this formidable appeared in this region without anyone’s knowledge.”

“An understandable concern,” Scarlett said.

“I can’t offer more than an apology for the predicament this places you in, Baroness,” he continued. “Can’t imagine a noble lady such as yourself would relish spending the night in this swamp. But we can’t afford to escort you back for the time being.”

“That is quite all right. I believe I will manage.”

With the Vilewyrm dead, she wasn’t in much of a hurry. She had informed the coachman of this possibility, and he would travel to one of the nearby settlements before returning in the morning. Technically, she could depart without the duke’s retinue—her own party was enough of an escort—but that didn’t fit her purposes.

“Seeing what you did to the demon earlier, I’m inclined to agree.” Sir Home studied her for a moment, a contemplative expression gracing his aged features. “When I was informed you would be joining the expedition, I was under the impression that you hadn’t seen combat before.”

“I suppose I have proved that assumption incorrect.”

“Abundantly so,” the man remarked. “I doubt any commander wouldn’t welcome a mage of your calibre in their ranks.”

Scarlett met his eyes, discerning the unspoken question hidden in his words. He was questioning why she hadn’t participated as a combatant from the start, only intervening towards the end.

Looking at how much damage his men had sustained, she felt the answer was self-evident.

He probably understood as much as well.

She turned her attention back to the Vilewyrm. “I will be waiting patiently until we are ready to resume our journey in the morning, then. Until that time, I can handle myself, so you need not concern yourself or your men with my welfare and can focus on your own matters. There is much to be done, I suspect.”

She wasn’t sure if they intended to transport the entire Vilewyrm back in one piece or if they were cutting it into portions. Nonetheless, it would be a considerable undertaking without an archmage available to do the job for you. She assumed the captain and his people had access to some spatial bags and similar tools, but those were unlikely to be enough on their own.

Still, as long as she got her share, it didn’t really matter much.

Sir Home kept his eyes on her for a few moments longer before turning away. “I’ll keep that in mind. If any issues arise, please bring them to my attention first.”

With that, he left her to her own devices and headed over to where some knights were clearing a space to set up a tent for the wounded near the cavern’s edge.

Scarlett continued observing the Vilewyrm, contemplating how best to proceed from here to ensure she didn’t get in Rosa’s way. She had removed one obstacle from the bard’s path, but now the question remained of how she could get Rosa what the woman needed from the Vilewyrm without outright handing it to her. She had considered a couple of alternatives, but which was the most realistic couldn’t be decided yet.

After some time, Fynn approached her. She frowned upon noticing the vigilant expression on his face. “What is it?” she asked.

His eyes were fixed on the cavern’s entrance, leading out into the swamp. “I’m not sure,” he said in a cautious tone. “But something feels…strange.”

Strange?

Scarlett shifted her gaze to the entrance, but despite her enchanted glasses, she couldn’t see anything of note.

An alert cry suddenly pierced the air, originating from a knight to her left.

She spun around, witnessing a man draw his sword as a four-legged creature with dark purple and crimson scales and sharp features emerged from the shadows before him, its mouth agape to reveal rows of menacing teeth.

A demon.

Throughout the cavern, the duke’s men braced for another fight, positioning themselves to protect their wounded comrades as a dozen more demons materialized in their midst.

Scarlett regarded the new arrivals with a deeper frown. The Vilewyrm didn’t have any mobs accompanying it in the game, as far as she could recall. They should have already taken care of everything in the area, so where did these come from?

After a moment, a possible explanation dawned on her.

A faint smile curved her lips. This might be exactly what she needed.

Rosa trailed Malachi through the shadowy swamp, her mood unsettled, casting furtive glances at the shapes moving in the murky darkness around them.

Demons.

She still wasn’t entirely convinced this was a good idea. In fact, she knew it was a terrible one. Malachi handled creatures that were just short of the Viles themselves with alarming ease, and now Rosa was entangled in a situation that felt so far outside her reach that she didn’t even know. It didn’t help that Malachi didn’t stop at merely handling the demons. The woman used them. Kept them captive. Commanded them.

Fed off them.

If Rosa wasn’t so desperate to learn more about the being inside her—the demon inside her—she wouldn’t have touched any of this with a barge pole. While Malachi seemed to have control over the demons under her, they were still demons. One wrong move and you were done for, your soul devoured by a denizen of the six Blazes. It was a terrifying thought in more ways than one.

But in Rosa’s circumstances, someone like Malachi might be just what she needed.

The woman had seemed dubious when Rosa first met her, but it hadn’t taken more than a single glance for Malachi to deduce Rosa’s problem. A single glance for her to recognize that Rosa needed help. Help she appeared willing to provide.

To Rosa, that meant providing a chance. An opportunity to finally obtain a freedom that she had given up on years ago, and which she hadn’t even thought possible before she met Scarlett.

Maybe it was naive of her, but Rosa was ready to overlook certain things because of that.

Scarlett hadn’t sent her here without reason.

After their rather unsettling meeting the night before, Rosa had admittedly been apprehensive about what Malachi might demand. To her surprise, however, the woman had left her alone, suggesting Rosa get some rest. There were more than a couple of wary suspicions that had been rolling around her head at that point—the concern about waking up in the morning with one leg too few being one of them—and after being offered a bare room with nothing but an old bed in one of the houses, she’d leaned towards skipping out on the sleep. With everything that was going on, both with encountering demons and with the entity inside her, she could have stayed awake for a whole week.

That’s why it had been a shock when she woke up at noon the following day, feeling more rested than she had in ages. It was also when she had realized that not only was the owner of this secluded farmstead far from ordinary, but the same seemed to go for the place itself. Somehow, it appeared to shield Rosa from the usual torment her passenger would inflict in her dreams.

From there, she had found Malachi outside, engaged in bizarre rituals involving critters and other small creatures in the light of day. It had been a disconcerting sight, but far from the worst Rosa had witnessed.

When she inquired about what they would be doing from here, and how she could earn the information she needed, the woman had simply advised her to be patient. There were preparations that had to be made.

Rosa’s presence apparently presented a unique opportunity for Malachi.

As night fell, the woman had revealed even more of the demons serving her. Using some strange magic, Malachi compelled them to obey her before revealing to Rosa that they were going to retrieve some special item. An item that would benefit Rosa, and which Malachi had temporarily lent away.

Rosa had said she didn’t mind coming with to wherever they were going.

She hadn’t expected that to involve them trudging through a swamp in the middle of the night.

Klert in hand, she wiped the sweat from her brow, following Malachi until they finally reached a small lake at the heart of the swamp — or what was perhaps supposed to be a lake. Right now, it resembled nothing more than a cesspool of dark, revolting goo. Rosa could practically feel the malevolence emanating from it.

Malachi pointed across the lake, her eerie green eyes gleaming under the night’s shroud. “That is where we will find our objective.”

Despite the lack of light, Rosa spotted the large opening on the cliffside, reaching deep into the stone. Before departing, she had been given a potion of some sort that granted her vision in the dark, similar to Scarlett’s fancy glasses.

“What’s waiting for us over there?” Rosa asked, taking a cautious step away from one of the demons that ventured a bit too close for comfort.

“An Abyssal Vilewyrm,” Malachi said, her hand shooting out to grab the demon’s head, pressing her long nails into its tough skin. It squirmed, but the woman didn’t seem to care. Finally, she released it, allowing it to escape back among the trees, where it blended into the shadows.

Rosa watched, torn whether to feel disturbed or encouraged by the display. “That name certainly sounds…intimidating. That, and dangerous.”

“Very.” Malachi’s lips curved into a chilling smile that sent shivers down Rosa’s spine. “It should have grown quite nicely.”

Leaving it at that ominous statement, the woman began moving towards the cave, forcing Rosa to follow suit. Outside the entrance, her attention was drawn to a collection of odd stone altars. She didn’t like the look of them. Nothing that was covered both in dried blood and claw marks the size of her arm signified anything good.

Malachi halted as the demons that had formed up around them began to let out growls and other perturbing sounds.

“Humans.”

“Humans.”

“Humans.”

“Hmm.” A thoughtful expression appeared on the woman’s face, and she turned her gaze to Rosa. “We have guests. Stay close to me unless you want to become prey.”

She gestured towards the demons, who entered the cave first, disappearing into the shadows there. Shortly after, Malachi followed, and Rosa didn’t have much choice but to do the same, her brows knitted in uneasiness. Her already-existing concerns had only increased upon hearing the demons mention other people. That meant there might be a fight of some kind coming up. No sane person would see a bunch of demons and think, ‘oh, those look perfectly benign. Let’s be friends!’.

As they ventured deeper into the cave, Rosa soon started hearing voices echoing off the walls. It sounded like a large group further in.

Malachi stopped her as they reached a corner leading into a vast cavern. Within, a collection of knights and other people bustled about, helping people lying on the ground and setting up camp. Rosa’s eyes widened at the colossal dead dragon at the far end of the cavern — or rather, something that looked like a dragon. The palpable presence it exuded, even in death, told a different story.

This had to be the Abyssal Vilewyrm.

Rosa’s gaze froze as it moved across the space and fell upon familiar faces.

Allyssa and Shin, standing among a cluster of wounded soldiers, tending to them with potions and bandages.

Fynn, wearing a scowl as he scanned his surroundings.

And Scarlett beside him, standing there like a queen surveying her domain.

What were they all doing here?

“Serendipitous beyond measure, to a suspicious degree,” Malachi’s raspy voice sounded out in a low tone next to Rosa. “But there is no reason not to exploit it.”

A scream erupted from one of the knights when a demon suddenly appeared before him, growling like a rabid dog. The reaction spread throughout the cavern as more demons revealed themselves.

“W-Wait.” Rosa stepped closer to Malachi, but the woman didn’t even seem to notice or care. “Don’t. Some of those are—”

The first knight howled in agony as the demon sank its teeth into his arm. Despite managing to hurl the creature away and cradling his injured limb while he reached for a sword, the demon was up and moving immediately. Chaos descended upon the cavern as all the demons lunged at their opponents, marking a start to the fighting.

Rosa, poised to step in and help the people, suddenly felt her left forearm be seized by a vice-like grip, nails digging into her skin, preventing her from moving. Looking up, she met Malachi’s intense gaze.

“We’ll remain here,” the woman stated, her tone brooking no argument.

Rosa stared at her. She felt the brief surge of panic that had overtaken her at the thought of Scarlett and the others getting harmed fade. Strangely, locking eyes with this frankly terrifying woman, she found herself growing oddly composed.

With Malachi’s hand clasped around her arm, Rosa shifted her stance and awkwardly positioned her klert so that her left hand could reach the keys on the neck. Maintaining eye contact with Malachi, she cranked the instrument with her other hand, playing a melody. The soft notes rang throughout the cavern, healing the injuries inflicted by the demons, and more.

Surprised exclamations left several of the knights, and from the corner of her eye, Rosa saw both Shin and Allyssa turning their heads at the music, yet no one seemed to recognize its origin or spot where she stood.

Malachi remained silent. She simply kept her grip on Rosa and turned her head to gaze towards the opposite end of the cavern where the deceased Vilewyrm lay.

Rosa’s attention also shifted in that direction, landing on Scarlett as the red-haired woman observed the newly appeared demons. Fynn, Allyssa, and Shin had immediately sprung into action with the arrival of the new threat, helping fight back the demons, but Scarlett remained motionless for some reason.

The woman finally raised a hand when a demon got too close, conjuring a blaze of fire to repel it before Fynn had to move from where the youth was fighting two other demons by himself. Scarlett’s attention then seemed to turn to an older man in armor battling three demons near the Vilewyrm. Weariness was etched across his face as he slammed one demon into another with a tall shield.

Rosa watched as Scarlett approached the man, summoning several of those ‘Aqua Mines’ of hers to assist him in keeping the demons at bay. Stopping beside him, she engaged in a brief conversation and gestured towards a group of injured and exhausted knights struggling against the assault of four demons.

The man nodded in response before leaving the demons he had been fighting to Scarlett, heading over to aid his compatriots.

Rosa’s throat tightened as she witnessed all three demons fixate their gazes on Scarlett. Yet, the noblewoman simply studied them for a moment, then stepped aside, creating an opening to the Vilewyrm. At the same time, barriers of fire formed around her, as if to discourage any attacks.

Rosa blinked when the demons opted to run past Scarlett instead of engaging the noblewoman.

“Curious,” Malachi commented, observing the scene.

The three demons advanced to the midsection of the Vilewyrm and started tearing into it with claws and teeth. A gruesome spectacle unfolded as they ripped into their larger kin with a swiftness that defied imagination, scattering entrails and chunks of flesh in all directions and burrowing deep into its body.

Scarlett did summon some fire arrows that launched at the demons from behind, along with some other minor attacks, but it all seemed lacklustre compared to what Rosa had witnessed the woman do before. Either Scarlett was nearly out of mana, or she had no intention of stopping the demons.

In less than a minute, the trio of demons seemed to have found what they were looking for. Exiting from the Vilewyrm while drenched in thick, inklike blood, one of them carried something dark purple in its mouth. Moving in unison, they sprinted past Scarlett towards Rosa and Malachi. This seemed to serve as a signal for the remaining demons to retreat as well. One by one, they disengaged from their skirmishes with the knights and hurried towards the cavern’s entrance, leaving behind a bewildered crowd of spectators.

Malachi pulled at Rosa as she turned. “It appears our task here was simple. That’s all we need. Come.”

Rosa lacked the strength to resist as the woman dragged her away. All she could manage was to cast one last perplexed look in Scarlett’s direction, filled with questions.

What exactly had just happened?