Unlikely Company - Part 2

After the innkeeper had heard the loud knock, he had gleefully rushed towards the door, ready to rub his superiority into the faces of the despairing villagers outside. When he opened up, however, what was past the door was not what he had expected. Rather than frightened villagers, an angry mob stood in front of him, complete with pitchforks and everything. It was a frightening sight that instantly sent cold shivers down his back. Did they already find out?

"Y‑yes? What can I do for you?" he asked into the crowd, and a well‑aged but sturdy man with a thick beard stepped forward to answer him.

"O'Leary, what is the meaning of this!? People came to me saying a demon entered your inn! What have you done!? I know things have been looking bad for you lately, but how dare you cross this final taboo!?" While the aged man ranted, the moonslight descending from the sky caught a crest engraved on his armor. It showed six arrows radiating out from a circle, their tips forming the outline of a shield with just as many sides. It was known as the Warding Shield, the crest of The Vanguard of World's Edge, and while this old Vanguard was long retired, his mind was clearly left bound by the Edge's teachings: No mercy to demons and anything beyond.

The innkeeper's mind, faced with the accusations coming from the retired veteran, simply shut down. Somehow, they knew about the demon, but he couldn't plainly admit that he was the one who had called him. While no one knew what really happened to the summoners the Edge caught, the innkeeper had heard rumors, and none of them were good. Thus, he did the first thing that crossed his mind: Deny everything. "W‑what are you talking about? A demon?! Why do you think I would ever deal with those t‑terrible things?" Although the content of his words was innocent, the innkeeper barely managed to prevent his voice from cracking, a fact that the former Vanguard in front of him didn't miss.

"Don't play games with me, O'Leary! That abomination entered your inn, and the fact that you are still alive is the only proof I need! I'm only talking to you here for old times' sake."

The innkeeper's brow twitched when he heard that. This was not going well. But what could he– "I know! It has to be the guest that arrived today! Y‑you know me, I would never taint our beautiful town like this!" In any other circumstances, it might have been a reasonable excuse. But the reaction he got was not as expected.

"Hahaha, stop already! Who would be so stupid to visit your inn of all places!"

The innkeeper nervously glanced at the other villagers to gauge their reaction, but everyone seemed to agree. And if he was honest, he couldn't even resent them for it anymore. The whole town knew that he had had no customers for months. But still, there was a way to convince them. "It's really true! Come, I will take you to his room. If we actually have a demon in our town, that vagabond must have brought it here!" With that, the innkeeper quickly turned around, but to the villagers, it looked more like he wanted to flee from the mob than anything else. They all shared a doubtful look before following after him.

And so, it came to be that a small stampede accompanied the innkeeper up the stairs, where they had to squeeze into the narrow hallway. At its far end, a huge hole was gaping instead of a door, and a bizarre sight presented itself: A man wearing a dark cloak stood idly at the side of something that screamed demon. One of his arms was currently extended, patting the shoulder of the monster like someone would a pet for a job well done. The villagers all gasped in unison, and the Vanguard in their midst almost popped a vein at the sight that defied everything he had fought for all his life.

"THERE THEY ARE! THE DEMON AND HIS SUMMONER! GET THEM!" the innkeeper screamed like his life depended on it. The only way left to save his own skin was to dump all the blame onto his customer, and it seemed to work surprisingly well. After what the villagers had seen, even if that fool was caught, no one would believe him anymore. And indeed, a second later, the angry mob of villagers stormed forward and towards the room, the innkeeper all but forgotten.

***

Shortly after he had sprung out of the window, the demon crashed down onto the pavement and made stones burst up in all directions. Not the least bit fazed by the fall, he quickly stood up and looked around. There, in a side street, he could barely spot the traveler's coat just as it was about to disappear. Apparently, its wearer was trying to escape without a word, but he wouldn't let his reward and the man who had ruined his plans get away this easily.

[HEY! WAIT!]

At his loud shout, the traveler's face reappeared from behind the corner, and when he saw the demon in front of the dilapidated inn, he opted for a happy wave. "Catch me if you caaan!" he said playfully, then ran away even faster than before. The demon stared after him for a moment, slightly dazed by the unusual reaction. Was this what one would expect from a sane individual? What was wrong with this person? But before he could find an answer to that, the villagers burst out of the door behind him and onto the marketplace. Their pitchforks were already trained at him, and how nice, now they had torches too. The demon quickly started to run. There was no time for this – he had to chase someone!

While the villagers ate dust, the demon sprinted after the traveler, chasing so fast after the edge of his coat that everything else melted to a blur. So often did it seem within reach, teasing and taunting him, but it never was, almost as if it deliberately led him through the streets. But that couldn't be, right?

A few steps ahead of the demon, the traveler finally decided to end their chase and moved their tracks back towards the main street. It was a free space lined with buildings leading straight south and out of the city, but now that it was night, the gate at its end was tightly shut. The traveler didn't bother to open it and dashed up the stairs where he kicked open the door to the wall. The lookout on the other side almost died of shock, turning around right as the traveler jumped off the wall. For a moment, their eyes met, then separated as he sailed off into the night. The guard scratched his head. Was he drunk, or did someone just jump off the wall and tip his hat at him?

Meanwhile, the demon, too, had reached the main street, just in time to see the traveler disappear up the gate. He stopped in his step, confused how the distance between them hadn't shrunk but not ending his chase. Now that the traveler was out of the narrow streets of the city, with no roofs to hide him, the demon was sure he would win this race. With a sharp snapping sound, his wings returned to his back, a single beat carrying him up into the starry sky. Their soundless flaps led him south and along the highway until the city fell out of sight, and there, he spied the traveler running through the darkness. With a grin, he dove downwards, his eyes drawing red trails through the night. Yes. There was no chance he would lose this bastard now.

***

The faint light of the moons hit a broad hat and became a shadow that shrouded the face of the traveler. His eyes flashed up from beneath as he observed the darkness around him, but he could spot neither villagers nor demons. No one was following him – for now.

Although the traveler wasn't tired, he sighed and slowed his steps. He had been looking forward to a quiet night, to sleeping in a proper bed after being on the road all this time, and it would have worked out just fine if not for all the people that had suddenly decided to flock around him. At least playing with that demon had been fun, but it also left a bitter aftertaste. Now, he wouldn't get to learn what would happen to him in the future...

Just as the traveler thought that, a high, whistling noise cut across the silent cabbage fields and crashed down right in front of his feet. Earth and greens went flying through the air, and when his bindle lowered from in front of his face, a demon‑sized crater was gaping up where the road had been. And in it, what a surprise, was a demon‑sized demon. The traveler had to admire his persistence, but when he saw how the demon straightened up to his full, imposing size, spread his wings wide, and trained his ember eyes down at him, he suddenly remembered why he disliked most of his kind: Demons always were such posers.

[Hello there. Thought I would simply let you escape?]

Totally unimpressed by the demon's flashy entrance, the traveler dusted a cabbage off his coat before he replied. "My dear demon, who said I was trying to escape? I was giving you a lesson in tailing people! Here is your assessment: From incompetent to most incompetent, you scored a solid seven. Isn't that nice? You can leave now."

[That scale doesn't even make sense! Wait! I don't even care! How dare you just up and escape without taking responsibility!? Just because you have that bulla, it doesn't change anything about the fact that I need your soul to return to the Den! Don't you understand?! I'm trapped in this shitty world! And it's your fault!]

The traveler did see his point, but there was only one type of person he ever traveled with, and did he really want to return to the old ways? He thought for a second before he opened his mouth. Maybe there was a reason why coincidence had allotted him this pitiful demon. "It seems my words were a bit too complex for you, so let me rephrase: Now that your lesson is over, you must stop following me! A whole town thinks I'm a demon summoner because of you, and when they send the Edge after me, the last thing I need is a uselessly big demon on my tailcoat!"

[U‑useless?! Maybe you are too stupid to understand: The earlier you die, the earlier I can return, even if I have to press those angel suckers right into your face! So go, and get killed!]

For a moment, the traveler pretended to be left speechless, although some of his surprise was indeed real. What an unreasonable demon this was. "Fine then," he replied after a while, the demon glaring down at him with arms crossed. "This means you are my disciple for now. So come along, disciple! Come along to the end of the world – and fail miserably!" Leaving those grand and patronizing words, the traveler spun past the fresh crater in a dance and proceeded along the street. As he had predicted, the demon was neither impressed nor intimidated, only more annoyed.

[Disciple?! You really can't stop spouting shit, huh?! Where are you even going!? Hey! I'm talking to you here!]

But the traveler did not bother to reply, leaving the demon no choice but to follow him down the starlit street. All the while, the big lug kept up his questioning and nagging until the traveler's ears even started to bleed. But he didn't mind, his smile flashing up as it eclipsed the unequal pair. For he knew that soon, this noisy demon would pay for all his suffering...