Act 4: The Council of Demons

  Chapter 1

  Sarah, Arya, and Nami stepped into a humble tavern by the bordering woods, the wood floorboards cracking underfoot. A scent of old wood, as if nothing had ever changed in that place for many, many years, drifted through the air, but there also was the smell of whiffs of meat, perhaps from the kitchen. Not many individuals were in the lounge; only a few travelers scattered here and there in the room, some discussing, some only drinking wordless. There was a fireplace over the corner, warming the place.

  Nami let out a small sigh as she looked around. “Did we really have to stop?” she asked. Her tone wasn’t exactly annoyed, but it carried the impatience of someone who preferred to keep travelling nonstop.

  Sarah gave a small smile. “I wanted to stop. Aside from resting, inns are good places to gather information,” she said, her eyes looking at the people talking and laughing. “You never know what you might learn just by listening or asking around. Also, there usually are a lot of travelers with a lot of knowledge… and the innkeeper listens to everything.”

  Arya stretched her arms before throwing herself onto one of the waiting couches with a content sigh. “So Lena had to stay behind?” she asked lazily, looking up at Sarah.

  Sarah nodded. “She’s organizing a few things back in Mosas. She’ll be joining us soon enough.”

  Arya hummed in response, resting her head against the back of the couch while Sarah made her way to the front desk. The innkeeper, an older woman with grey hair tied into a loose bun, greeted her with a welcoming smile.

  “Three rooms, please,” Sarah requested, taking out a small pouch of coins.

  The innkeeper searched through a small box, pulling out three keys and placing them gently in Sarah’s hand. “Upstairs,” she said simply, but then she gave Sarah an analyzing look. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

  Sarah tilted her head slightly. “What gave it away?”

  The innkeeper chuckled. “Ah, you’re too beautiful to be from this region.” The woman chuckled. “And you have this white hair. Also, this inn is right along the road to that country ruled by demon lords, so most travelers passing through here are either on their way there or coming back. Going there is not something people from this area would do—only the bravest merchants make this trip. Of course, always thinking of making money.”

  Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

  The older woman nodded. “A lot of folk are wary of that place. Not everyone has the courage to go there,” she said, though her expression remained neutral.

  Sarah pocketed the keys. “Interesting. Thanks for the insight.”

  She returned to Arya and Nami, tossing each of them their respective keys. “We won’t stay here long,” she said. “But maybe we can relax a little after all the work we’ve done.”

  Nami shrugged and made her way upstairs without another word, while Arya yawned and followed Sarah. Just as Sarah reached for the door to her room, Arya suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her into Arya’s own room, shutting the door behind them.

  Sarah turned to her with a surprised face. “Something wrong?”

  Arya leaned against the closed door, arms crossed and a playful smirk on her lips. “Just thought we could talk,” she said. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a moment without any interruptions... just us.”

  Sarah gave a small chuckle. “And dragging me into your room was necessary for that?”

  Arya shrugged. “Well...”

  Sarah tilted her head slightly as she looked at Arya, curiosity evident in her eyes. "So? What’s on your mind?" she asked.

  Arya smirked, leaning against the wooden wall of the room. "My reward, of course. You promised me, remember?"

  Sarah sighed, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. She knew this was coming. "Alright, alright," she resigned, sitting down on the cushioned chair that was by a small wooden table. She rested an arm on the chair's armrest, looking up at Arya with amusement. "So? What do you want?"

  Arya walked over slowly, a mischievous light in her crimson eyes. She sat herself onto Sarah's lap, devoid of any false modesty whatsoever, her legs standing beside Sarah’s own, her body pressed close against her. She wrapped her arms around Sarah's shoulders and buried her head against Sarah’s neck.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  After nothing else happening for a couple of seconds, Sarah blinked in surprise. "That’s it?"

  Arya lifted her head slightly, tilting it as if puzzled. "What? Did you want me to do more?"

  Sarah shifted slightly, her hands resting on Arya’s waist. "N-No, no, it’s just… considering it’s you we’re talking about, I thought there’d be more." Her voice carried an amused yet gentle tone.

  For once, Arya looked unexpectedly shy. "I just..." She hesitated, then spoke softly, "I just wanted to show you that I’m not just some horny girl. That I care about you. Genuinely."

  Sarah was caught off guard. Her lips curled into a small smile as she let out a quiet chuckle. "That’s… really cute. And unusual for you, Arya."

  Arya shifted slightly in Sarah’s lap, clearly embarrassed. "So, did you like it?" she murmured.

  Sarah leaned back slightly, looking at her with fondness. "It’s nice seeing another side of you."

  A comfortable silence settled between them before Arya slowly released her hold. But just as she did, Sarah looked down, and she saw that there was a small patch of wetness on her lap. She blinked, looked back over at Arya, smiling playfully. "Not a horny girl, huh?"

  Arya’s eyes opened partially in shock before a flush appeared across her cheeks. "I—" She looked away hastily. "I just couldn't help myself, okay?"

  Sarah laughed and also stood up. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Arya."

  She walked over toward the door, opening it, and stepping out.

  "Goodnight, Sarah," Arya whispered from behind.

  "Goodnight," she replied, closing the door.

  ***

  The trio of demons—Sarah, Nami, and Arya—walked along the pathways in the forest, the air was filled with the scent of wet soil, probably because of the constant rains that were being precipitated by the mountains blocking the clouds. It wasn't a thick forest, but even so, a normal traveler would be a fool not to walk in the roads and venture inside the woods.

  Nami glanced at Sarah, her grey eyes with curiosity. "You seem deep in thought. Got something on your mind?"

  Sarah nodded slightly, her eyes focused ahead. "We're going to gather information and get a lay of the land. The goal is still the same—take control of this country and establish our own." Her voice was calm and confident.

  The country they were entering was unique compared to the human-dominated nations that surrounded it. To the west lay Grand Valka and to the east, the Elizia Empire, an economic powerhouse with vast territories. The land they now were on was located between big mountains, with the Narrow Sea on its southern boundary. Unlike most nations, this one was already ruled by demons, meaning resistance to their plans might be weaker compared to human lands. It was a promising starting point.

  As they continued their walk, a small outpost came into view at the foot of a mountain. It was likely one of the few controlled passages through the otherwise impassable peaks. A few scattered merchants loitered around, their bags filled with goods, waiting for clearance. The checkpoint, though modest, was manned by armored guards.

  Sarah arched an eyebrow as she took in the scene. The two stationed guards wore dark grey armor adorned with a white flower insignia. Humans? She had expected demon guards, given that this was a demon-ruled land, but she thought that this does make sense and is in accordance with the information that most residents of the country are humans.

  The trio approached, and one of the officials—a stocky man with sharp eyes—stood flanked by two other guards. He observed them carefully before speaking. "State your business."

  Sarah offered a polite smile. "Just travelers passing through."

  The man chuckled, folding his arms. "Not many of those around here." His tone was casual but laced with scrutiny. "I'm Commander Deren of the 1st Border Control Unit, Western Region. Names?"

  Sarah gave her name, along with Nami’s and Arya’s. The two had been instructed to stay silent unless absolutely necessary. There was no need to risk an unnecessary "accident" and Sarah was likely far better at talking than the two were.

  Deren took a small, glowing orb from his desk and placed it on the wooden counter. "We have strict entry protocols. Everyone passing through must undergo lie detection and state their intentions for their visit. No criminals or ill-intended individuals allowed."

  Sarah tilted her head slightly. "We're in a bit of a hurry," she said, sliding a small pouch of gold across the desk. "Perhaps we can move things along?"

  Deren looked at the pouch and chuckled, shaking his head. "You’re not the first to try that, and you won’t be the last. If I took bribes, I'd be executed before the next sunrise." His expression remained amused rather than offended. "In fact, that alone gives me reason to deny you entry."

  Sarah exhaled through her nose, retrieving the pouch without argument. Deren waved a dismissive hand. "Relax. I know you didn’t mean anything bad by it. It's common practice in many places. Tell you what—I’ll make this easy for you. Since you look like the leader, only you have to take the test. If you pass, your group goes through."

  Sarah nodded. "Fair enough."

  She placed her hand on the orb, feeling a faint warmth as it activated. Its glow pulsed steadily, awaiting her response.

  "What is your purpose in entering this country?" Deren asked, watching the orb intently.

  "Traveling and business," Sarah answered without hesitation.

  The orb remained unchanged—no fluctuations, no warning signs. Deren nodded approvingly and motioned for the trio to pass through. "You're clear. Move along."

  As they walked past the checkpoint, Arya leaned closer to Sarah. "How did you pass that?"

  Sarah smirked slightly. "Suppressing emotions isn’t that difficult. I wasn’t lying—traveling and business are technically part of the plan. Still, without my emotional control, the orb would’ve caught an ill-intended person. It was a quite powerful artifact in terms of mind reading."

  Arya huffed in amusement. "You always have a way with words."

  “Perhaps I should go get the artifact then?” Nami, who had remained silent until now, stretched her arms behind her head. "Just joking.” She said as Sarah was about to reprimand her. “Well, at least that was easy. Where to next?"

  Sarah looked ahead at the winding path, one of them should lead toward the distant capital. "We keep moving. There’s still a few days of walking before we reach the heart of this country. Once we’re there, we’ll gather information. I’m interested to see how a country ruled by demons works. How the people see it and stuff like that."

  The three demons continued forward, the dense wilderness slowly giving way to the first signs of civilization, although most of the places they went through were small settlements or small towns.