Demon Queened Ch. 07

"Good," I declared, smiling widely. "It didn't explode." Considering how badly my last attempt at holy magic had gone, I was rather terrified of what might happen if I made a mistake with a healing spell. I'd only heard Lucy say it once, so mispronunciation had been a real risk.

"Ideally, I'd write it down at this point, but failing that..." I broke the branch, again, and repeated the process. I did this again and again until I was convinced the words were transcribed in my brain. Then I walked over to the wolf and crouched beside her again.

"Sorry about the wait," I told the wolf, reaching out to pet her. "This might tingle a bit." I ran arcane magic through the wolf as I spoke, looking for any signs of damage. The bear had hit her pretty hard, and it seemed she had a bruise beneath her ribs, but that was about all. I was tempted to use holy magic on her, now that I'd finally learned a spell, but as much as I wanted to shift to animal trials I couldn't bring myself to use my rescuer as a guinea pig. I decided to stick with the healing I'd used so far, instead.

A few seconds of concentrated effort was all it took to restore the wolf to peak condition. When it was done, I stood upright with a small smile and brushed the dust off my skirt.

"I suppose I should be going, now..." I murmured to myself, walking over to the potato sacks. The wolf walked beside me and sat in front of me as I fed the potatoes into my empty bag. She had an almost expectant look in her eyes. I thought perhaps she wanted a potato for some reason, but even after I'd put the last of them away she was still staring at me. "...You do realize you're not coming with, don't you?"

The horned wolf whined, faintly, as if she understood the words. Perhaps she did? I wasn't entirely sure how smart these monsters were. Regardless, it wasn't as if I could simply pick her up and carry her back to the tower with me.

...Or, well, I certainly could, but it surely wasn't in the wolf's best interest. "What would you even do in the tower?"

The horned wolf let out another little whine, wagging her tail and moving to stand next to me.

"It's not happening."

She let out a little bark and pressed her side against my thigh. Her fur was warm and soft, and my resolve began to waver. Taking the wolf with me would be a disaster; she wouldn't have nearly enough room to run or explore. I had no idea how much fresh meat she'd need, either - I might end up having to hunt, just to make up for her drain on our stores. And was I supposed to fly her back down to the ground floor every time she needed to use the bathroom?

The wolf nuzzled her head against my leg, licking my knee, and I let out a long, loud sigh.

"I really hope you're smart enough to be potty trained, or it's right back to the forest," I warned the wolf, bending down to slide my arms beneath her body and take her into my arms. She let out a little yelp of surprise, her paws scrabbling uselessly at the air for a moment, but she calmed down quickly once she realized that I had a firm grip on her.

"I think I'm going to call you Bailey," I decided, turning around. Once I'd done a quick check to the surroundings, to make sure there was no one else in the area, I sprouted my wings and took off.

***

It was late evening when I finally reached Dimona Tower. Around mealtime from the way my stomach was complaining. That was a shame since it meant that dinner plans were likely already set. My fries would have to wait until breakfast, but I was certain they'd be worth the wait. I'd have them served with cheese, and perhaps a nice gravy. Or maybe I could have the chefs whip up some form of tomato sauce. As much as it hurt to admit, I was unlikely to stumble upon a village that produced ketchup.

Of course, not all the potatoes were for me. I wanted the majority of them to be planted in the hope that they could become a new staple for my people. But it was important to lead by example. If I wanted my fellow demons to know potatoes were safe to eat - nay, delicious to consume! - then I obviously needed to take the lead in proving that they were edible.

I kept my thoughts on fries as I flew through the uppermost window of the tower and traversed the route to my bedroom. I forced my mind to dwell on the miracle of salted starch, as I hopped atop my wonderfully luxurious mattress and set Bailey down upon the sheets. I refused to let any other thoughts enter my mind as I laid back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

I had to keep my mind on fries. I had to. Otherwise, my mind would race with thoughts about how the tower had held up during my absence; whether they'd panicked at my disappearance or reveled in their temporary freedom from my selfish demands. Not to mention the conversation I'd promised to have with Abigail. What must she think of me, disappearing right after I'd promised her an honest conversation?

But I wasn't going to think about any of that. Not just yet, at least. No. I was going to think about fries. How they tasted, how they smelled. The faint crunch you might hear when your teeth broke through the crisp exterior of a freshly fried potato plank. I wasn't going to think about Abigail. Or our upcoming conversation. Or the fact that it would likely be our last.

No matter how much I valued Abigail's companionship, I knew I was little more than a burdensome employer to her. One who was obviously lying to her, and who disappeared for three days after she tried to confront them. I was being incredibly optimistic by hoping for a conversation at all; she might have already quit. She owed me nothing, after all. She barely knew me. No one did. I'd spent my entire life a spoiled brat that no one wanted to be around. And then I'd told myself that I was alone by choice and that my loneliness was somehow proof that I was special. That I was unique.

"What utter bullshit..." I whispered to myself, burying my face in a goose-down pillow. I knew the truth, now. I wasn't special. I was just a selfish brat. And a very lonely one at that.

"At least I have you, girl," I sighed, looking up from the pillow so that I could pet Bailey. Except Bailey was no longer by my side. She'd jumped off the bed, and was now sniffing at the door.

"Is someone there?" I inquired, swinging my legs off the bed and standing upright.

Bailey glanced at me, then turned her attention back to the door, letting out a low-pitched growl.

"Is someone in there?" called a familiar voice. "I thought I told everyone not to go in there! The queen went to the restroom, but she'll be back any moment! And she's been in a very temperamental mood, let me tell you - I would not want to see her right now if I were you."

"So good to know your feelings on the matter," I responded, dryly, reaching out to pull the door open. As expected, Abigail was on the other side. Less expected were the heavy bags under her eyes. "...What in the world happened to you?"

"...Devilla?" Abigail whispered, eyes widening in surprise. "You're back!?"

"And not a moment too soon from the looks of it. I know I was gone longer than expected, but what precisely happened while I was away?"

"Happened?" Abigail echoed. Then she let out a bitter laugh. "Nothing happened, Devilla!"

"It must have been a very strenuous nothing, then," I remarked, stepping out of the doorway so that Abigail could come inside. "Why don't you sit on the bed with me?"

"I don't want to sit on the bed with you, Devilla! I want to know where the hell you were! Do you have any idea what Mifa and I went through, trying to hide the fact that you were gone!? I've been on constant edge ever since you failed to come home!"

"Hide the fact that I was gone?" I echoed, surprised. "Was that really necessary?"

"Of course it was necessary!" Abigail screamed, storming past me and walking into the room. "The demon queen left for human lands, and never came back home. There would have been panic across the entire tower if word spread."

"I didn't think anyone would really miss me," I confessed, nervously running my fingers through my hair. I'd magicked out the dye during the journey, so it was back to its original white coloring. "I'm not exactly the most popular person in the tower, after all."

"It's not about popularity, Devilla! You're the demon queen! Our leader! Having your leader disappear is bad! Especially when she's your last line of defense against a genocidal so-called heroine!"

I opened my mouth, then closed it, not entirely sure what to say. I knew Lucy wasn't that bad, but my people didn't. Of courseeat they'd worry if I disappeared.

"And why is there a wolf here!?" Abigail demanded, pointing an accusing finger toward Bailey. I expected the wolf to growl at Abigail, in response, but instead, she let out a low whine and laid flat against the floor. It seemed not even a monster was willing to cross an angry Abigail.

"That... Is something of a long story. As is the reason for my absence. I promise I'll explain everything to you, though."

"Like I haven't heard that before. I'm not giving you another chance to run away from me, Devilla. I want to know what's going on, and I want to know now. Or I'm quitting."

"...I... I want to tell you. But..."

"I'm tired of excuses," Abigail told me, slicing her hand through the air as if cutting through my halting explanation. "I want answers, Devilla. You've been different ever since you cast the Rite of Insight, and I want to know why."

"You won't like the answer," I warned Abigail. "I'm not sure you'll even believe it." Even a somewhat edited version of events would stretch incredulity, in my opinion. And even if she did believe it, there was no guarantee that she'd accept it. It didn't mean she'd accept me.

"If I don't like it, or I don't believe it, then I'll just quit. Or you can refuse to tell me, and I'll quit anyway. So it seems to me like there's not much difference."

There was, though. If I didn't tell Abigail, and she left, then she was leaving because of a decision I had made. I could comfort myself by saying it was the only choice I could have made. I could lie to myself and say that it was for the best, since in the end I'd be leaving her and everyone else behind regardless. Perhaps if I kept up the deceit long enough, I might one day forget that I never truly wanted to lose her at all.

If I told her the truth, however, and she left me anyway, there would be no hiding from reality. There would be no denying that the problem was with me.

"...Alright," I whispered, doing my best to meet Abigail's pupilless gaze with my own. "I'll tell you." I didn't want to lie to myself anymore. And I didn't want to lie to Abigail either.

I told her how I had messed up the Rite of Insight and gained memories of a past life when I lived in another world. I told her about Tower of Conquest, explaining video games as best I could. I even told her how I'd once been a human, though I neglected to mention that I'd been male. I identified fully as a woman now, so the information felt both mildly embarrassing and irrelevant.

When I was done, Abigail stared at me for a long moment before speaking. "...So you're saying we're all characters in a work of fiction that's somehow also a playable game?"

"Not quite," I denied, shaking my head. "I believe both worlds are connected, yes - but this world, and the people in it, are too real and complex to have sprung forth from a simple porn game."

"Okay. So. We're real. But people in your world know about us, and think we're fake? And... You... You're not Devilla, are you?" Abigail accused, jabbing a finger toward me.

"Don't be ridiculous!" I countered angrily. "Of course I'm Devilla. I didn't stop being myself simply because I gained some new memories."

"Then why did you change so much?" Abigail demanded. "How do I know that some human from another world isn't controlling you right now?"

"...I suppose you don't know," I admitted, reluctantly. "But I can at least try to explain why I changed so much."

Abigail only raised an eyebrow in response, clearly waiting for me to go on.

"...It's difficult to put into words," I confessed. "For my entire life, it felt like a piece of me was missing. Like there was this vital component that everyone else had, and that I didn't. I suppose you could call it empathy. The ability to look at other people's problems, and realize that they're as worthy as your own. That's certainly part of what I was missing, but more than that, it's... it's as if I didn't know how to be a person. And then suddenly I had all these memories of another life. Before, I didn't even know what sort of person I wanted to be, but now I just... was."

I sighed. "I suppose that makes little sense to you. But I promise you - I truly am the Devilla you know and hate."

It was always hard to tell where Abigail's gaze was, but at that moment I was fairly certain she was staring me in the eyes. I did my best not to break contact, staring resolutely at the center of her eyes and hoping for the best.

"...Fine. I believe you. So what's the plan for defeating Lucy?" she asked, at last.

"Plan?" I parroted back to her. "What plan? There is no plan. Weren't you listening? If we let things go as they're supposed to, the humans and the demons will be able to make peace."

"Yeah, but you'll be dead!" Abigail countered, putting her fists on her hips.

"Or enslaved," I added. "But I don't intend to be anywhere near here for that to happen. The day Lucy invades, right before she can reach me, I'll fly off faster than anyone can catch me."

"So you're just... going to run away?"

"What else am I supposed to do?" I asked her, sighing softly. "We might have enough manpower to fight their army - big might - but I don't want to kill a heroine who actually wants peace for my people. If there's a way forward where we all survive, then I want to take it."

"Then make it happen yourself!" Abigail insisted, glaring at me. "Don't just hope things play out like they did in some stupid game. Unite the tower under your rule, and make peace with the heroine on your own terms instead of making us all surrender!"

"How could I even do that?" I wanted to know, exasperated. "Perhaps I would have a chance with Lucy, but everyone in the tower hates me."

"Not everyone," Abigail informed me. "Not me. And I don't think Mifa exactly despises you either. So, hey, you've already got a good start."

"...You really think I can get everyone behind me to form an alliance? Within a year?"

"I don't know, but it wouldn't hurt to try," Abigail insisted. "...Do you really think you can get the heroine to broker peace with us?"

"I think so. I'll have to feel out the waters when I meet her next week..."

"Excuse me!?" Abigail all but screeched, stepping toward me. "What exactly happened while you were gone!?"

"...It seems we still have more to talk about," I said with a sigh. "But perhaps we could discuss the rest of this over dinner?"

From the exasperated look Abigail was giving me, I could already tell it was going to be a long evening.

***

I all but collapsed into bed after dinner was done, full but exhausted. Abigail had wrung me for every bit of info she could get during the meal. Every detail about the heroine, in particular. As if she were the one responsible for brokering peace. Then again, I couldn't really blame her for being interested. No demon had ever gotten to know a heroine before.

I'd gotten through it all, in any case. And now I could simply lay on the bed. There was only one thing missing, really, before I could tuck into sleep. "Bailey!" I called. "Get on the bed."

I didn't need to look up from my pillow to know the wolf had responded. I could feel the weight shift when she jumped aboard the mattress and padded over to me. Soon she was laying next to me, her body pressed lightly against mine, and I was drifting off to sleep.

I don't remember what I dreamed about. Something warm, I think. Involving flowers, perhaps. It didn't seem very important when I woke up. But then, little would have considering what I woke up to.

The horned wolf was gone. In her place, laying against my body, was a woman, about my own age. She was skinny and looked like she'd been chronically underfed. She had a bushy tail, pitch-black like the hair that ran down to her waist, and two furry ears sat upon her head. I'd never seen her before in my life, but I still knew exactly who she was.

I could tell thanks to the blood-red horn protruding from her forehead.

"Bailey...?"