Now, I was genuinely worried for my friend.

"Stanford, explain." I began in a hushed tone, "I've never asked about your past since I was afraid it'd permanently scar me, but I don't care if it causes me to plummet down the rabbit hole."

He barked off a clipped, bitter laugh. "I only told you that to make sure you wouldn't ever ask me about anything regarding my past, but I suppose you have a right to know now."

He cleared his throat, then sighed: "When I fought in the Dread Decades, every battle I led was a fight for survival, and the men who fought on the front lines knew that every battle they fought in could very well be their last. I was in the middle of a four-year campaign in southern Alysia when one of my forward charges failed miserably. I was the one at the helm of the charge, and I fought till I dropped. All of my forces were butchered. I...should've died on that day with my men, but I didn't. I remember lying on the ground in a pool of my own blood. I had been run through by a demon, so I'd been trying to stop the blood flow after the hoard left the carnage they had caused. When I realized that I was dying, I gave up. I was thinking about how my sister would react to my death when I heard footsteps approaching me. I closed my eyes in preparation for the pain I thought was about to overcome me, only to feel delicate hands tend to my wounds."

He paused to compose himself before continuing: "I opened my eyes and gazed at my savior: A woman dressed in a set simple white robes. After she patched me up, I staggered to my feet and demanded to know why she saved me. She responded by telling me she wouldn't have been able to live with herself if she stood by and let me bleed to death. I asked for her name, and she responded with Evelyn. At first, I couldn't tell if she was a demon or a human, but I spotted faint signs that indicated she was a demon. Granted, she didn't have wings, a tail, or horns, but something just told me that she was of daedric decent." He smiled, a distant expression on his face, "She gave me a canteen of water and told me to run before the hoard swept through the area again to pick off any remaining survivors. Ever since that faithful day, I've been searching for her. And to think, I didn't even thank her for saving my dishonorable ass..."

Dead silence.

Luna looked at Stanford critically, "Your soul seems intact. If I look at Helix's aura, I can tell that there's a little damage to it, but it's still mostly pure. Your aura, however twisted it may be, is still in one piece, so you can't possibly be a demon."

Stanford chuckled, "I'm not saying that I'm a demon. Well, I may seem like one to some people," He shot me an evil grin, "But I'm still human. I was healed by a demon that wasn't behaving like a demon, if you catch my drift."

"Yeah," Dorrian chimed in, "That makes total sense."

"Fuck off Dorrian," Stanford and I retorted at the same time.

Soren shook his head and smiled, "Well, I assure you that I'll try to help you find Evelyn. If you don't mind, I'd like to discuss the plan for the coming days. First off: we'll be traveling to Mareth tomorrow. You will all be staying in my camp, so we'll be safe."

"From?" Dorrian prompted.

"You don't want to know." Soren breathed, a lone bead of sweat running down his cheek.

I laughed, "We actually do. I'd like to know what we're up against so I'm not surprised when something tries to turn my head into wood pulp."

"Very well." he conceded, "Most of the creatures you might come across in Mareth will be low-class demons, such as imps. Orcs, goblins, and the hellhounds that also inhabit the realm among many other species. Thankfully, there are also species that are kind and won't try to kill you. One such species would be the Firewalkers, which are a salamander-like species that love a good fight. Kitsunes are nine-tailed sorcerers and warlocks, much like myself. They're the ones that protect the few large cities left in Mareth, like Vastiin. Much like in this realm, there are also Lupans and Kaitrits, but they are far more plentiful in Mareth than they are here. While most of the human settlements in Mareth are now gone, there are still a fair amount of humans left in the realm."

"Any special rules we need to know?" Nova inquired, "You know, before we enter Mareth?"

Soren nodded, "Yes, there is one primary rule I wish to tell you all: when we are in Mareth, you listen to me. I've lost too many dear friends of mine because they didn't heed my warnings. Please, all I ask is that you just listen to what I say. I don't want any of you dying on me-or worse, turning into a demon."

"You shouldn't have to beg us to do something as simple as following your orders," I told him, "My team knows that when I give an order, they follow it. Now, I'm not a heartless man: I enjoy taking a load off and spending time with my family, but they do understand that when we're in a hostile area, orders are to be followed," I looked at my team, "Does this sound fair to you all?"

"Yeah," Dorrian replied, "I mean, Soren's the one that's going to keep us alive, so that seems more than fair."

"Aye," Ben agreed, "Considering Soren's survived in Mareth for...how many years?"

"A few decades," He replied, "I was sent to Mareth about thirty years into the Dread Decades, and I've lived there since then."

Ben whistled, "And that proves my point: better to listen to the person that's survived a realm of death for about three decades than just trying to survive on your own."

Stanford chuckled. "Aye."

"So yeah." I continued, "You have nothing to worry about, Soren."

He breathed a sigh of relief, "Good. Now I can sleep tonight."

I chuckled nervously, then remembered a question I had for Soren: "I understand that Thaleous wishes to invade this country-or rather, this realm, but why exactly is Thaleous doing what he's doing now?"

Soren nodded, "I knew you'd come back to this question. First off: Thaleous is the current demonlord that's ruling over Mareth. He's been trying to gain complete control of the realm, but my team and I, along with the small group of Imperial Inquisitors, have kept him at bay for the longest time. Now, however, Thaleous seems to have turned his attention away from conquering Mareth to attacking this realm. The hoard that was sent to Volhime was Thaleous' first move, but thankfully you stopped him dead in his tracks."

"So now it's time for our counter-attack?" Luna inquired thoughtfully.

"Yes and no." Soren replied, "We need to come up with a plan before we make any move against Thaleous. If we leave any details out, the bastard could use it against us."

"Seems reasonable enough." I began, "I guess that answers my next question: what can we do to help?"

Soren chuckled, "Just being here is helping. Now that more people have showed up to assist me and my team, I'll have more minds available to help me screw over Thaleous."

"Speaking of which." Analise chimed in, "Who's who in your team?"

Soren smiled, "Yes...my team. Where do I begin with them?"

He told us first about his family: his wife Sasha and his daughter Tanis, who're both firewalkers.

"How does that work out?" Analise inquired curiously, "A kitsune and a firewalker have a child that's still a firewalker. I call bullshit."

Soren and I both groaned at the same time.

"Here's the thing Ana." Soren began, "The kitsune side of me cannot be passed on to my offspring. However, the magical sensitivity of a kitsune is passed on from parent to child. Depending on the race, the child of a kitsune could begin the trials required to earn their nine tails, but considering the fact my daughter is indeed a firewalker, only the affinity to cast spells is passed on. While I did accomplish the trials necessary to become a full-blooded kitsune, I regret to inform you that there is no such thing as a firewalker/kitsune hybrid. That simply wouldn't work at all."

Analise's face displayed her disappointment, "Okay..."

Soren proceeded to tell us about a suit of possessed armor he found on one of his adventures whose name is apparently Simon.

"Why Simon?" Luna inquired.

Soren shrugged, "I asked him if he had a name, and he told me it was Simon..."

Surprisingly enough, he told us that Simon was pretty docile for a possessed suit of armor, and that he wanted to follow Soren even though he tried to shoo Simon off multiple times.

"Keep this in mind: Simon is prone to acts of...randomness. I don't know what spirit is housed within his armor, but I wouldn't be surprised if a poltergeist called Simon's armor home."

Everyone chuckled at that, and my necklace buzzed silently.

"I'll be able to tell you what type of spirit inhabits Simon if you'd like me to-that is his name, right?" My mother asked.

I nodded, "Aye that is his name. Hmm...yeah, I am curious what kind of spirit would possess a suit of armor, so that sounds like a plan to me."

"Okay." My mom replied happily.

The next person Soren told us about was a firewalker named Stefan. Apparently, he's a rarer variant of firewalker in that his scales are black instead of the usual red. Soren then proceeded to tell us about the first time he met Stefan, a confused individual who didn't have a strong grip on reality. Soren helped the poor guy regain his sanity, which added another capable fighter to his roster in the process.

Soren then told us about Grigori: the mad scientist who used the demon queen's own power against her.

Dorrian frowned at that statement: "Hold up. A demon queen?"

Soren nodded, his face shadowed in grim recollection, "Yes, a demon queen. In a way, she was more of a threat than Thaleous in that she was unrelenting in her pursuit for my head."

"What was her name?" Luna asked him softly.

"Ravana, the blood countess," Soren breathed, voice dripping with quiet hatred, "She used to be a kind and just ruler, but the power Ravana held soon corrupted her mind and body. She indulged herself, feeding off of the pain and sorrow of those she constantly walked over. My arrival into this realm was already expected before I was the wiser: I was to be caught immediately and brought before the queen." A crooked smile formed on Soren's lips, "However, I was smarter than that. I got away from the demons that tried to capture me and barely managed to get away with my head still on my shoulders. I know my escape and subsequent mad dash to Vastiin more than pissed off Ravana, but I was still able to get to the desert city before I was reduced to a bloody stain."

He huffed out a laugh: "Moving on," He continued, "I'll get back to that in a moment. I met Grigori in Vastiin. He's nuttier than a squirrel, but he's extremely intelligent. He actually was the one that orchestrated the downfall of Ravana: he created a device that wrenched the demon queen's own power from her only for it to be used against her. Everyone almost died on that day-we were barely able to get of Ravana's stronghold thanks to her demon guards trying to tear us apart. Even if we almost died, we still scored a major victory against the fiends that have been ruling Mareth for decades-centuries even."

Soren sighed, "But in doing so, we enraged Thaleous. Just this month, my fortress has experienced ten consecutive attacks. Thankfully, no one was killed, but the ferocity of Thaleous' assaults has everyone worried."

He rubbed his temples, then told us about the woman who helped him become a kitsune: Gwyneth.

"To say Gwyneth is a valuable member of my team would be a sad understatement." Soren began, "She taught me spells that helped protect my team from the corruption that taints Mareth's soil, she sent me down the path of enlightenment to become a kitsune-which in turn rendered my soul immune to corruption, and she's been an invaluable source of wisdom for as long as I've known her."

I nodded, "It sounds like you have a talented group of individuals, Soren."

He chuckled, "Your team sounds just as talented: a mechaneer, two rangers, two imagists, and a homicidal killer."

I grinned, "Well, what can I say? We both seem to be crazy-people magnets."

Another question popped up into my mind, "Well, you've told us about Ravana. What do we need to know about Thaleous?"

Soren's eyes bore into mine, "What do you know about him?"

"Other than the fact that he's currently the ruler of Mareth, almost nothing."

He barked out a harsh laugh, "I envy your naivety, but I suppose you all need to know about our common enemy. Thaleous is a monster: he's killed or converted so many of my comrades that I've been turned into a paranoid mess that's afraid to let anyone step out of my fortress. Thaleous is also a cunning and cowardly creature, sending his minions and pets to do his dirty work. This is another rule of mine: do not, I repeat, do not leave my fortress alone. You can only leave in groups of four. There is no exception to this rule."

Analise had a thoughtful expression on her face, "So, we already know that getting the blood of a demon on you is a really bad thing. Is there anything else we should know before we enter the realm?"

I groaned, "Ana..."

"That's actually a good question." Soren replied: "Yes, it's true that a demon corrupts you primarily by getting its blood on you. However, the environment isn't much better. Here's another rule of mine: Do not eat anything you during your travels throughout Mareth. It. Will. Fuck. You. Up. Whether it be death by excruciating pain or something more sinister, just don't do it. I buy food that's been specially grown in Vastiin that isn't tainted. So, to reiterate: Don't eat any of the flora or fauna that calls Mareth its home unless it's bought from Vastiin. Am I understood?"

Everyone nodded hurriedly.

"Okay...no more questions from me..." Ana stated in a small voice.

Soren chuckled softly, but his eyes conveyed a different message.

"Forgive me for my outburst." He began, "My day has been...long. I'm just relieved that help has been sent. Maybe there's an end to all of this." He whispered the last statement under his breath, but I still caught it, and its meaning. Soren popped his neck idly, "My, would you look at the time? Time truly flies when you're in the company of good people, eh?"

I chuckled, "Tell me about it."

"Well, I'll be retiring for the night. I've had my villagers set up some lodgings for your team to rest in for the night. Rest well: we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Aye, indeed we do." I agreed, "Come on, my people. Let's get some shuteye."

Soren led us to our lodging, and bid us farewell.

"See you tomorrow," He said, and then he was gone.

Our lodgings was one large house with multiple rooms in it. I claimed a room, then laid my belongings off to the side. Removing my armor, I set that aside as well and sat on the bed. I kind of guessed that Luna would crash with me, and she tucked herself in as I popped my back and yawned. Tucking myself in as well, Luna lightly kissed my cheek.

"Goodnight." She whispered.

I returned the kiss, "Goodnight goober."

She poked my face, "No."

I grinned, "What?"

"I'm not a goober." She told me.

I chuckled, "Whatever you say...goober."

She pouted and slugged my shoulder, "No."

"You're one of the deadliest fighters I know, yet here you are looking all innocent and adorable," I mused.

Luna laughed evilly, "I can hardly be considered innocent: Analise has seen to that."

I groaned as I hid my face under the sheets, "Why?"

I heard Luna laugh softly, and I poked my head out partially above the sheets.

She softly kissed my forehead, "Go to sleep before I push you out of bed."

I chuckled, "Alright, alright, you win. Goodnight Luna."

I got settled and closed my eyes as my feline companion purred softly beside me.