The air in the alley was still vibrating with the overwhelming pressure of the other Demon Lord’s presence. Kaelen or at least the projection of him had vanished into a swirl of shadows just moments ago leaving behind a lingering sense of dread and a silent permission for us to handle the mess in his city.

  Now it was just us and the trembling bandit.

  The bandit was slumped against the damp brick wall bound tightly by invisible magical cords that Malphas had cast with a mere glance. He struggled against them spitting at the ground near Valerius's boots.

  "Where is the Black Rider?" Malphas asked his voice deceptively calm though the threat of violence hung heavy in the air.

  The bandit gritted his teeth looking away. "I ain't saying nothing. You can kill me but I ain't snitching on him."

  Malphas didn't sigh or shout. He simply took a step forward the merchant disguise melting away from his face. The air grew heavy distorting around us as his eyes snapped open the crimson irises glowing in the dim alley. The intricate concentric patterns began to spin.

  "I am not asking" Malphas whispered the sound vibrating in my chest. "Look at me."

  The bandit’s head snapped up against his will. His eyes locked onto Malphas’s and his pupils dilated in sheer terror. His body went rigid the fight draining out of him instantly.

  "The... The Black Rider" the bandit stammered his voice trembling. "He... he is extremely dangerous. He only really comes to towns for two things. Either raiding them for magical stuff or... or when he’s trying to get stuff on the black market. We sell him things... artifacts... old relics."

  "What does he want with them?" Valerius asked stepping closer.

  "I don't know! I swear!" the bandit cried sweat pouring down his dirty face. "He gathers these things to do some kind of ritual thing. That's all I know! He’s extremely scary... he never shows his face. He always goes toward the mountains in the South East when he completes a raid or a trade. He takes his stuff there."

  "And his face?" Malphas pressed. "Why does no one remember it?"

  "It’s his breath!" the bandit blurted out the words tumbling over each other. "He breathes out... you think it's just cold air or invisible smoke but it's magic particles! It makes everyone forget his face and masks his identity. And... and he said if you rat out his plans..."

  The bandit suddenly stopped. His eyes bulged and he began to gag.

  "If you rat him out... you'll be cursed with bad luck" he choked out.

  Suddenly a dry rasping sound came from the bandit's mouth. His tongue began to turn grey drying up instantly like a dead leaf in a furnace. He tried to scream but only a dry wheeze came out.

  "Aaaagggh!"

  The sound was cut short as his entire body began to dissolve. He collapsed to the ground but he didn't hit the wet stones. He turned into dark swirling smoke drifting away into the night air until nothing was left but the magical cords binding empty space.

  "H-He’s gone!" I shrieked my heart hammering against my ribs. I scrambled behind Malphas clutching the back of his tunic and peeking out from behind his arm. "Malphas he just evaporated!"

  Valerius adjusted his monocle staring at the empty air with a frown. "Mmm. This guy really knew how to mask his tracks. A curse triggered by betrayal... crude but effective."

  Malphas stared at the spot where the bandit had been his expression unreadable. "South East" he murmured. "We should move to the mountains to try and confront this man. If he is performing a ritual we cannot let him finish."

  Valerius looked confused. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a map that was folded into a tiny square. With a flick of his wrist he unfolded it revealing a map so large it almost spanned the width of the alley.

  "My Lord" Valerius said tracing the paper with a gloved finger. "There are no mountains to the South East. According to the cartography it is just flatlands."

  "He said mountains" Malphas insisted. "He died for that truth."

  "It is probably part of his mask illusion type magic" Malphas said stepping closer to the map. "Making everyone think there are no mountains there not even on the maps. Smart actually he predicted someone would rat him out."

  Malphas narrowed his glowing red eyes. "But he truly underestimated his enemy."

  He looked down at the paper Valerius was holding. A pulse of dark golden energy flowed from his gaze onto the ink. The lines on the map began to writhe and twist. The flat plains in the South East corner shifted ink rising and sharpening until a jagged mountain range appeared where there had been nothing before.

  "I bet if we go there" Malphas said his voice low "then the mountains will probably be hidden with magic as well. We must be prepared."

  He looked up at the sky which had turned a deep bruised charcoal.

  "We must rest first" he decided turning back to us. "It is night now. We move at dawn."

  ─── ??☆?? ───

  The three of us walked through the winding streets the gas lamps flickering low as the town began to settle into a deep slumber. Despite the late hour the air felt thick with the residue of the magic Malphas had just used to rewrite the map.

  "Valerius" Malphas said his voice returning to the smooth merchant like tone he used for his disguise. "Find us an inn. Something... adequate. I’m not sleeping on the street like a common vagrant."

  "I am trying My Lord" Valerius replied his brow furrowed as he looked at the various wooden signs hanging over doorways. "However it seems we have encountered a bit of a logistical nightmare. Every establishment I have checked so far has a 'No Vacancy' sign posted. It seems the town is overflowing with travelers."

  "It's because of the trade festival next week" I muttered pointing at a poster on a wall. "Everyone’s already booked the rooms. Even the stables probably have a waiting list."

  This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

  We were standing near the center of the town square when a heavy set of double doors creaked open nearby. A tall broad shouldered man with a scarred face and a leather vest stepped out yawning. He stopped dead when he saw us.

  "You three?" the man asked blinking. "What are you doing out so late? Most of the town is locked tight by now."

  He squinted looking at Malphas and then at Valerius. His eyes widened in recognition. "Wait... I know you. You’re the merchant from before! The one who handled those bandits without even breaking a sweat. And you" he looked at Valerius with a mix of awe and terror "the old man who threw a grown bandit against a stone wall with one hand like he was a sack of potatoes."

  Valerius offered a polite terrifyingly stiff bow. "I merely took out the trash sir. Though I apologize if I stained the masonry."

  "I'm the Guild Master here" the man said rubbing the back of his neck. "Name's Kaiser. Look if you're looking for a bed forget the inns. They’ve been full for days. But... a group with your skills? I can’t have you sleeping in an alley. Why don't you stay the night in the Guild Barracks? We’ve got high end quarters for visiting elites."

  Malphas tilted his head. "And what is the catch Kaiser?"

  Kaiser laughed nervously. "No catch! Though honestly I wouldn’t mind if you looked over some of the higher tier monster subjugation contracts in the morning. We’ve got a real pest problem near the southern border."

  "We are not here for work" Malphas said coldly. "But we will take the rooms."

  ─── ??☆?? ───

  The inside of the Guild was a stark contrast to the quiet streets. It was a massive hall that smelled of roasted meat stale ale and wet iron. Even at this hour several knights in clinking plate armor and rough looking mercenaries were huddled around the bar and long wooden tables.

  As we walked in the room went quiet for a heartbeat before erupting into muffled laughter and mocking whispers.

  "Look at this lot" one knight sneered leaning back in his chair. "What’s the Guild Master doing bringing civilians in here? Hey Gramps! You here to sign up? Careful you don't break a hip just picking up the pen!"

  A group of younger hunters at a nearby table looked at me and cackled. "And what are you gonna do girl? Strip in front of the monsters and hope they stop doing evil stuff because they're distracted? Or maybe you'll just cry them to death?"

  I felt my face heat up and I instinctively grabbed the hem of my pink dress. I wanted to say something biting back but my voice caught in my throat.

  The knight next to him pointed at Malphas who was looking at a notice board with an expression of pure disdain. "And look at the 'Lord' over here. What’s your weapon merchant? You gonna throw your shoe at a dragon? Careful you’ll probably still miss!"

  I felt Malphas’s mana spike for a fraction of a second a cold sharp needle of power but he didn't even look at them. He simply kept walking his eyes fixed on the Guild Master. Valerius meanwhile was smiling so politely it was actually scarier than if he had been snarling.

  Kaiser sensing the impending massacre if he didn't intervene quickly stepped behind the counter. He reached into a locked velvet lined box and pulled out a heavy shimmering key made of solid high carat gold.

  "Here" Kaiser said loudly so the whole room could hear. "The S rank suite on the top floor. It's yours for the night. No charge."

  The entire hall went silent. The knight who had been mocking Valerius choked on his ale spraying it across the table. The hunters who had been laughing at me suddenly found their boots very interesting.

  A gold key was only given to those recognized by the High Council heroes who could level a small mountain.

  Kaiser led us toward the grand staircase. As soon as we were out of earshot the hunters surged toward the bar surrounding the Guild Master.

  "Master! What's the deal?!" one of them whispered frantically. "Who are those people? Why did you give them the S rank key? The old man looks like he's one foot in the grave and the girl is just... a girl!"

  Kaiser looked at the stairs where we had disappeared his face turning pale. "If you value your lives" he hissed "you'll stay as far away from that merchant and his butler as possible. I've seen a lot of power in my time... but whatever those three are? They aren't human. Not by a long shot."

  ─── ??☆?? ───

  The S rank suite was a masterpiece of luxury draped in heavy velvet and scented with expensive incense but the atmosphere remained tense as the three of us gathered by the fireplace.

  "We leave at dawn" Malphas stated his eyes reflecting the dying embers of the hearth. "I will not waste time walking through the illusion. I’ll teleport us directly to the coordinates I pulled from the map."

  Valerius nodded pulling a small pouch of heavy gold coins from his coat. "A wise choice My Lord. I shall leave a substantial tip here. It would be rude to leave without a proper thank you to our host."

  "You're paying him in gold for a free room?" I asked blinking. "Malphas he's literally terrified of you."

  "Fear is a form of respect Vespera" Malphas replied without looking at me. "But gold is more practical."

  ─── ??☆?? ───

  Later that night the silence of the suite felt heavy. I lay on the silk sheets of my bed staring up at the canopy. My mind was a whirlwind of the day’s horrors. The bandit turning to smoke the Black Rider’s curse the way Malphas had to constantly protect me... I felt so useless. A maid who couldn't even defend herself let alone help a Demon Lord.

  I sat up crossing my legs. I remembered what Valerius had whispered to me during our trek. 'Mana is not a tool you grab Miss Vespera. It is a part of you. Look for it like a heartbeat. Don't think-feel.'

  I closed my eyes trying to drown out the sound of the wind rattling the window. I tried to find that "heartbeat." At first there was nothing but the usual thumping in my chest. I tried again focusing deeper thinking of how many times Malphas had stepped between me and death. I didn't want to be a burden anymore. No more I thought. I have to be better.

  Suddenly a spark flickered. It wasn't in my chest but deeper in the very core of my soul. It felt like a warm golden current of water. It was pure humming with a life of its own.

  I found it. My mana.

  I let out a tiny gasp opening my eyes. It was still there a soft warmth radiating from my stomach through my limbs. I felt... alive. Truly alive for the first time.

  In the room next door Valerius sat in the dark his eyes suddenly crinkling into a knowing smile. He didn't need to see me to know. "She finally did it" he whispered to the shadows his voice filled with a rare quiet pride.

  ─── ??☆?? ───

  The next morning the sun had barely touched the horizon. I rolled over rubbing my eyes and yawning loudly my hair a tangled mess. I scrambled out of bed still half asleep and threw open the door to the main parlor.

  "Valerius is there any coffee or.." I stopped dead.

  Malphas was standing by the window his back to me silhouetted by the morning light. He had already shed his merchant's coat looking every bit the lethal Lord he was. I realized I was still in my thin night slip my shoulders bare and feet cold on the rug.

  He turned slowly his crimson eyes scanning me from head to toe. I turned bright red clutching my arms over my chest. "I-I'm sorry! I thought you were Valerius!"

  "Your hair looks like a bird's nest" he said flatly his expression unchanging. "Get dressed. Valerius is downstairs securing a final meal. Enjoy it Vespera. After this we enter a place where danger is an understatement."

  I scurried back into my room my heart racing for an entirely different reason.

  A few minutes later Valerius returned with a tray of steaming bread meats and fruit. As I shoved a piece of bread into my mouth I couldn't hold it in anymore. "I did it! Last night! I felt my mana. It felt like... like a warm hum!"

  Malphas sipped his tea looking entirely unimpressed. He didn't even look up. I knew by now that his silence was just his way but it still stung a little.

  Valerius however beamed. "Congratulations Miss Vespera. Step one is complete. Now you must try to feel the mana of others just as you felt your own. It is a bit more difficult but I know you can do it."

  "Enough talk" Malphas said standing up. He placed a hand on my shoulder and the other on Valerius's arm.

  The world didn't just blur it snapped.

  One moment we were in a velvet room and the next a blast of hot dry air hit my face. We were standing in the middle of a vast flat desert. Sand stretched out in every direction for miles shimmering under a fake looking sun.

  Malphas smirked his eyes igniting with that terrifying crimson glow. The concentric circles of his Mystic Eyes began to rotate rapidly. "A pathetic veil" he hissed. "Be gone."

  He blinked and the desert shattered like glass.

  The "sun" vanished replaced by swirling heavy dark clouds that choked the sky. The flat sand was gone. In its place stood a range of jagged green black mountains that looked like the teeth of some ancient beast. The air was cold and smelled of ozone and decay.

  Directly ahead perched on the highest most treacherous peak was a massive dark tower. It had no windows and no visible entrance standing like a silent sentinel in the gloom.

  "There" Malphas said his gaze fixed on the fortress. "The Rider's nest."