~Chapter 2: The Castle in the woods – Part 3 ~Takal~

Damn, that one's got some fire in her Takal thought as he left the infirmary. But was she pissed because of a faults accusation or because he was right? He'd known several men that would fight and deny an accusation even after it was proved true and would be angry at everyone else for catching them in their lie. Though he'd also known a few that would get defensive just because the false accusation offended them so much; but which was she? He had been suspicious of her for the mere fact that she had appeared to outrun half a dozen demons. Monsters four times her size with wings! They might have let her escape with the intention of finding them. What other possibility could there be? Could she really have escaped and diverted them in some way long enough to run 2 miles or so through thick woods, and lucky enough to have run into them at just the right moment?

He wanted to believe it, but in his experience, if it seemed too good to be true then it was. People tend to believe what they want to, even if the truth is right there in front of them; they just don't look for it. His job was to be vigilant whether scouting or teaching young soldiers. Being suspicious was second nature to him and it had helped him time and time again with his most important job; to protect the people who lived and worked in the castle, his family. And she was suspicious; found under impossible circumstances, asking questions, hiding her power, and that odd accent he'd never heard before. And what was that she said at the end? Whatever it was it probably wasn't flattering. On top of that, the area she claimed to be from had been demolished by demons over 15 years ago. To his knowledge, it had been deserted ever since. She claimed to kill demons and wanted to learn how to fight, but she didn't look capable of killing a badger let alone a demon and he'd never heard of a girl wanting to fight, it just didn't add up. She was nothing but suspicious.

There was something else too, he didn't know why but something about her delicate face and fiery green eyes unnerved him. She wasn't that pretty; in fact, her face was gaunt and boney though the scratches had healed almost completely while she slept and the dirt had been mostly washed away. She was just skin and bones under a mass of dirty, matted hair. It was her eyes, that bothered him most. Her angry green eyes filled to bursting with tears were anything but pretty. Yet strangely, there was something... captivating about them. It irked him that he couldn't get her face out of his head and he didn't know why, and that irked him more.

He'd met some beautiful women in the towns he'd bartered in but when they got angry or cried, they either looked ugly or pathetic, this girl looked neither. In fact, while she was yelling and crying, she held herself with a sort of strength that defied her frail brokenness, and tears. Yet, he had the urge to cup that face in his hands as if that alone could stop the tirade, and wiping the tears from her face would stop them from flowing; but that was stupid. It wasn't like him; he didn't coddle anyone.

Besides, he couldn't heal her pain he was a killer, not a healer. His magic helped him bring pain and death from outside forces while hers helped her give health and life from within. It was interesting to him that in her tirade she didn't just admit that she'd healed herself. Why was she hiding that fact? And what would the demons want with healers that they had locked her up rather than kill her.

Something else she had said wouldn't stop bugging him either, "they've been building an army" she'd said, "for the last 20 years…an army of hybrids." Hybrids of what? She defiantly knew more yet she had no desire to offer up anymore. Why? Was it even true? Was that what that wingless demon he killed was; a hybrid of some kind? He needed her more thoroughly questioned and he needed to talk to the Masters. One way or another he'd get to the bottom of whatever was going on.

He stormed into Master Tazmaines's office who was having a meeting with several other masters and Libic, likely standing in for the Master of the Swords

"You can't just barge in here just because it's your dad's office," Libic said. To say they didn't get along would be an understatement. It didn't help that everyone knew he only got the job of apprentice sword master after Takal refused it and he seemed to worry he'd change his mind and steal his job from him someday, but he didn't have to worry he hated teaching.

"No, but I'm the one who requested this meeting, and I was just getting some additional information you're going to need for this mission. And I'd like to get moving before noon so we have a few hours to search the area before nightfall."

"You should get some rest after this meeting" Master Tazmaine advised. "You came upon the demons at the tail end of your shift then rode all the way here to inform us. You'll need your sleep before your next shift tonight."

"This is more pressing, and we should triple stack my quadrant for the next few shifts at least, and I have another mission in mind for tonight I'd like to talk to you about later, so we might want to find a team that can fill in for me and Tornjak." Master Tazmaine's eyes narrowed at the brash assumption he could just change his shifts whenever he pleased, he really should be more tactful… But he didn't trust anyone else for the job he had in mind.

"Whatever you're thinking I want nothing to do with it. I want to sleep." Torn said from the doorway. What took him so long? Didn't they leave the infirmary at the same time?

Master Tazmaine sighed, "What's this new information?"

Takal moved closer to the group surrounding the large map on the table. "We'll ride out to here," he said pointing to a spot on the map where they battled the demons. "Where the scouts Tornjak called over should be, we'll listen to any new information they have but as of now we should plan to form a line across here and comb through the area in this direction towards the base of the volcano. Where we will search for openings. Early this morning we killed two strange-looking demons with no wings, if you come across one alert the group. So Uthur and Kinus can collect the bodies and bring them back to be studied." he nodded to the masters of history and demons. "We will be looking for a cave that leads into the volcano. If you think you've spotted it, alert the rest of the group before taking a closer look, as it could be an entrance into the demon lair. Everyone should be on guard for a possible attack at all times during this mission."

Master Tazmaine then took command: "Start marching your men towards the rendezvous point. You, gather what supplies you may need and follow as quickly as you can. Master Sanzini, you may go on ahead whenever you are ready. Eltakal and Tornjak please stay behind for a word." Master Tazmaine said and everyone rushed to go.

"Ha, ha. Good luck." Libic said sounding like he hoped otherwise.

"Why do I have to stay?" Torn complained, "I liked your idea of resting until our regular shift tonight."

Master Tazmaine ignored his insolence with an exhausted huff. "What did the head night-shift healer say after taking a look at the girl?"

Torn stepped away from Takal and looked away. Takal huffed this time and began to explain. "Well on our way back to go get him, we heard the girl scream and took a detour to check on her, but it was only a nightmare of some kind and when she woke up, she was fine. It has only been a few hours since we found her and she passed out yet most of her injuries seemed to have healed on their own, I'd have thought them faked if she hadn't been actively bleeding onto my horse when I first tide her up. and her foot had been horribly swollen, but she even got up and walked around after talking for a while. So, I decided not to wake up the healer after all.

"What did she say?" Master Tazmaine asked?

He explained the gist of it, thinking his father would surely see how suspicious she was but the first thing he said was "did you really accuser her outright like that?"

"Why is that a problem? It's a logical conclusion, don't you find her story a little far-fetched?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean it's impossible and even if she was leading us straight to a trap, that doesn't mean she's doing so willingly, she may just be desperate to save her sister and hope we would come out on top. There was no reason to be so rude, you know we won't be rushing in without a plan and that sometimes the risk is worth the price."

"I was rude? You should have heard the things that came out of her mouth." Takal exclaimed defensively.

"You really should have, it was amazing. I've never seen anyone put him in his place quite so wonderfully." Torn added. "She practically called him a cowered and told him he should quit his job. It was a moment I will never forget… is that why you want to go back so bad?"

"No. If it is a trap, like I think it might be, we're going to need all the experienced warriors we can get, besides I still have plenty of magic left and I won't be able to sleep with so much going on anyway."

"You're going to get yourself killed. Don't forget that Shadow's been up all night too. And take Hawk, Torn's worn out and completely depleted of magic, and his horse doesn't have the stamina Shadow does."

"Thank you!" Torn praised.

"Fine but take a bed in the infirmary so Murin can wake you if the girl tries to sneak off."

"Those beds aren't as comfortable" he complained but Takal knew he'd listen anyway.

The search was rather anti-climactic, the scouts had spotted only one demon earlier and they shot it down. They claimed they heard a crash and the ground shook but they couldn't see the cause. After a few hours of combing the area, they found the downed demon near a large rock slide but nothing else, even the deformed wingless demon corpses were nowhere to be found. By mid-afternoon they decided most of the men would set up camp near the center of Takal and Torns' usual quadrant, demons were usually only active at night and rarely seen in the daylight as they had been this morning. So, most would nap while others set up guard.

Part of him wanted to stay, take a nap he desperately needed by now but be there if the alarm was sounded to fight with everyone else, but he'd gotten permission for his other mission and he now had a feeling, the demons had caused the avalanche to block the entrance, confirming it likely hadn't been a trap and they likely were not ready to confront so many of the woodsman warriors. He returned to the castle and brushed down his horse before swapping places with Torn. Hopefully, the girl slept threw the night so he could get some rest too.