69 – Aftermath

Demons never act by themselves. This fact is known, yet worth restating. It is humans who, in their folly, invoke their names, beg for powers that shouldn’t see the light.

For that, I reckon, the approach of the Arbiters is lacking.

There will never be enough servants of Licaniel to snuff greed and misplaced ambition.

The only way to end the demonic threat, is to end humanity. Hence it will always be.

Excerpt from Demonology, by Alfred Dumries, Keeper of the Iron Ink.

When Alexandra woke up the city was still dead silent. Only the sound of waves hitting the harbor reached her ears. The sun was still out and was slowly nourishing her. Mid-afternoon. Her stomach gurgled. Not enough apparently.

“Awake?”

It was Louis. She pushed herself up to a sitting position. He was sitting on a pile of rubble next to her. Bloodied but alive.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Hungry. You?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he looked at the city. Empty.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I failed.”

“We all did.”

“The others?”

He shook his head. “They fought till the end.”

She opened her mouth. Closed it.

Was there more to say?

“We were all ready for that outcome when we decided to act,” Louis said. “Guilt takes you nowhere. Only anger does.”

“Are you angry?”

“More than usual. Less than when my village was razed to the ground.”

Another pause. Her stomach called again.

“I need to eat,” she said.

Louis raised an eyebrow.

“Maret. That fucker. He gave me a potion for this fight. Malediction of infinite hunger.”

He winced. “I should have warned you.”

“It was pretty obvious. I just didn’t really have a choice down there. Do you think he’s alive?”

“Maret? If one person survived in Esmera, it’s him,” he looked at her. “He’s a member of the Pale Bloom, a follower of Zabatrid, the demon of diseases. Also, crucially, a Platinum rank.”

She frowned. “You could have told me sooner.”

“Would it have changed anything?”

She thought about it. “Maybe not. But put yourself in my shoes… Shouldn’t it be impossible for him to be here? I thought he risked punishment for entering a Gold rank zone.”

Louis opened his mouth, but didn’t have time to speak before someone else cut him off.

“Only if you get caught,” Sera said, appearing next to them.

Alexandra flinched. Louis didn’t.

“You,” he said, locking eyes with her. “Why didn’t you act?”

“You know exactly why. Unlike that alchemist, I won’t be able to go into hiding.”

“Was it worth it?” He gestured at the empty city. “Thousands are dead. You could have prevented this.”

Sera shook her head. “I am saddened by it. But yes, it was worth it. I’m not selfless and do not wish to die.” She turned to Alexandra. “You did well. Though you benefited from Cael Merinus being a moron. Taking control of the bloodline formation was the only way I’d have seen you succeed.”

Alexandra looked between Louis and Sera.

“Don’t blame yourself,” Louis said. “You were our best bet, but asking you to fight two Gold ranks was a reach. We were hoping for more, but that’s life.”

She bit her lip. “Look, guys. I’m all for debriefing the battle. But can we at least get some food first? The malediction is starving me.”

Sera took a serving of Shama out of her spatial storage and handed it to her. She grabbed it and gobbled it up so fast even she was surprised.

“I’ll need more. It’s the malediction of infinite hunger.”

Sera sighed. “I’m not emptying my storage for you. Let’s go into town.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Esmera was the same as usual. Just without the people.

The harbor air was clean. Salt, fresh and old fish.

The three of them walked without speaking. Their footsteps echoed on the building facades.

Stalls still stood in rows along the waterfront, canvas awning snapping in the breeze. Crates of produce sat untouched. Alexandra stopped at a bread stand and ate a loaf. Then another. Then she took two with her as they continued.

She ate while she walked.

“Still hungry?” Louis asked.

“Yes.”

It was better. Not by much. As long as she kept eating and stayed under the sun, it was manageable.

They turned away from the waterfront and onto the main street.

Esmera had been a bustling city. Small, but bustling. Rows of merchant stands covered the entire length of the street, from the sea to the walls. Everything was still there.

There were some signs of the chaos that had unfolded. Here and there, a barrel spilled on the ground, a stall collapsed in on itself. But the buildings still stood. Windows intact. Doors still on their hinges.

No bodies.

Louis stopped at a collapsed stall and looked at it for a moment. Then he looked at Sera.

“You watched the whole thing,” he said. “From where?”

“Does it matter?”

“I’m curious.”

“The eastern cliffs.” She kept walking. “I had a good view.”

Louis didn’t move for a second. Then he followed.