“Gods, this stinks.”
The understatement of the century, Jadis was sure. She still felt the need to voice her displeasure, if for no other reason than she didn’t have a good outlet to express herself otherwise. Not without breaking something, and she was trying not to make things worse. The area around Vinea’s corpse wasn’t in the best of conditions, after all.
“It could be a lot worse!” Sabina chirped from behind the cloth she had tied around her nose and mouth. “At least a good portion of the Demon’s body is in the Haliax. Imagine how bad it would be if it was all on dry land!”
Syd shuddered at the thought.
Jadis had been killing Demons from literally day one of her existence on Oros. As such, she was intimately familiar with the horrible smell that exuded from their dead bodies. Part of that noxious stench came from the pheromones that they tended to use while locked into a destructive rage. Even Alex let off an acrid scent if she got angry enough about something. It was just part of how Demons communicated via non-verbal means. The really bad smell, however, came from the rapid decomposition of a Demon’s body after death. Their corpses seemed to rot far more quickly than other beings, which Jadis suspected was a design feature Samleos built into his children. The faster Demons started rotting, the more diseases would be spread by their festering carcasses.
There were other factors at play in Glanum than just the regular stench of death that came from a lot of slain Demons. Mire hounds had bodies made of sticks and mud and were purposefully designed to spread foulness after death. With so many of their corpses around, the air was being choked with rot. It didn’t help that it was a sunny day. Even by mid-morning, the temperature in Glanum was high, which meant the vast multitude of demonic carcasses were baking in the heat, accelerating the decomposition process. And that was one of the biggest factors right there. So many dead Demons were piled along the walls and in the streets of Glanum. Tens of thousands of them. The sheer mass was overwhelming.
And all of that was before one even began to address the body of Demon Prince Vinea.
“How’s your connection?” Sabina asked as she casually stepped over some rubble mixed with muck. “Any issues?”
“No problems,” Syd shook her helmeted head. “The upgrade definitely gave me a big range extension. I wouldn’t want to go over the wall, but I’m good here.”
“Nice! I think we should do some experiments on the exact range so we can utilize your abilities to their fullest potential while also knowing when you might be overextending yourself, but we should also probably not do it in a place like Glanum since it’s still kind of dangerous. Wouldn’t want there to be any accidents!”
“No, we don’t want accidents,” Syd chuckled.
The range on how far her bodies were able to be separated from each other had most certainly increased by a significant degree since taking Improved Refracted Mind. Before, Jadis guessed the furthest she could separate her bodies was half a mile. After the upgrade, she had five bodies spread out over a distance of over two miles and she was only feeling a little bit of strain. The warning tingle was enough that she wouldn’t want to push herself too much further, but not anywhere near close to feeling worried about snapping. Her guess was that she could probably make it to three miles between her furthest bodies before being in the danger zone, though the exact distance was hard to tell. Having multiple bodies between the two selves on the outer edges of her range seemed to be helping. Not by much, but she felt more supported, like struts added to a bridge.
The extended range would be a great boon to Jadis in future battles, she was sure, if for no other reason than it would be much more difficult for an enemy to force her selves far enough apart to cause a mental snap. However, for the moment, the main benefit of being able to move her bodies so far from each other was multitasking. While Jadis’ Dys self was in Aelius’ cellar helping Maeve work through her identity crisis, her Jay self was with Aila and Kerr at the city center talking with Magistrate Lodovico about bounty rewards, what needed transportation, and other logistical issues. Her Dia self was at the temple with Eir, Alex, and Severina, while her Ida body was with Sorcha. Which meant Jadis’ final self, Syd, was accompanying Sabina on her errand to carve up the Demon Prince’s corpse. Thea and Bridget were with them too, though Jadis was sure that both women were privately wishing they had chosen to go with a different group.
At least Jadis only had one nose in range of the dead Demon. If all of her selves had been forced to come, she was pretty sure she would have shown everyone what puking in unison looked like.
“You really think we’re going to find something useful in all of this mess?” Bridget voiced a question Jadis had been thinking about herself.
“Enchanting, alchemy, and other related spell craft all utilize the components of magic beasts in one form or another,” Sabina chatted cheerily as she picked her way through the rubble of a fallen wall. “If it’s a known quantity like a frost drake, you can usually tell exactly what a particular component can be used for, like what enchantments it can be applied to, that sort of thing. But something like a Demon Prince is rare and maybe even unique and it’s hard to know what use if any can be had from their remains, except that they are filled with magic which is what makes them useful just as a basic feature of how spell crafting works!”
Sabina’s rambling explanation prompted a question that Jadis had wondered about for some time, though she hadn’t remembered to voice the inquiry until that moment. Taking the opportunity, Syd helped the half-elf by lifting her over a large chunk of stone in their path while asking her question.
“If Demons can be used in enchanting because they are magic in nature, does that apply to other avatar races?”
The question drew a worried glance from both Thea and Bridget; however, Sabina answered with her usual happy demeanor.
“Yes! Seraphim regularly donate their molted feathers for enchantment purposes, Valbjorn collect their nail trimmings for certain alchemical potions, and Lares shed a sort of soot powder that has uses in enchantment crafting as well, just as a few examples! I’ve heard that in some areas, there are avatars who donate their bodies to be used by enchanters and alchemists after their death, though I know that there are other places where that is seen as disrespectful and its banned. Actually, I think there was a kingdom that did something bad with some tombs or something a long time ago…?”
“The Tavish Crusade,” Bridget offered. “Not a kingdom. A duke on the eastern side of the empire set up an order of knights who reported directly to him. Powerful sort, with unusually strong armor and weapons. No one really questioned it too hard, because it happened during a demonic invasion. The one before last, I think. Turned out, Duke Tavish had plundered the ancestral tombs of a local family of Seraphim. Used their bones to craft the weapons and armor. Gave them the edge they needed, but it was bloody grim.”
“Why call it a crusade?” Syd asked out of curiosity.
“Well, the story goes, Tavish led his knights on a campaign that drove all the Demons out of his territory. All’s well in that way, yeah? Except that he then led them to the neighboring dukedom and took over. Claimed it was to drive the Demons out of that land, too, but he was just, you know, that one word? Gathering up everything he wanted?”
“Consolidating p—power,” Thea supplied helpfully.
“Yeah, that,” Bridget nodded. “He was making a move. Probably would have tried to break off from the empire. But the Hero of the time put that shite to a quick end. Supposed to have been quite the battle.”
Ancient attempts at revolution aside, Jadis found the explanation interesting from both a mechanical perspective, and a moral one. Ethically speaking, it seemed that there wasn’t much of a societal issue with using the body parts of a dead avatar to empower magic. Some areas were more sensitive than others, which made sense, and Jadis was sure no one would be happy with an enchanter who stuck a decapitated Seraphim head on chain and called it an amulet. That said, there was a level of pragmatism about what avatars meant for the rest of the mortals on Oros at work. If their bodies could help after death, why not use a resource when it was available?
That was what carving up slain Demons was as well, in essence. They were using a resource that would otherwise go to waste if left to rot. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Demons were sentient, sapient creatures, just like everyone else. They were so animalistic in both appearance and demeanor that the prospect of chopping up their bodies for alchemically useful materials didn’t seem any different from processing a deer or a fish. However, the conversation was a reminder to Jadis that they weren’t carving up magic beasts or wild animals. These were the bodies of fellow avatars. Even if they served an evil god, and they were willfully trying to take lives, they were still people, too.
The less philosophical aspect of the conversation that came to mind was the innate value of what avatars could offer magic crafting. Feathers and fingernails didn’t seem like much, but apparently crafters found uses for them. If such simple castoffs could be valuable for enchanters and alchemists, would they have similar merit as materials for a witch?
“Do you think my hair might be useful for making your wands?”
Sorcha glanced up at Ida, a thoughtful expression on her green face. She didn’t answer immediately, instead taking a few moments to consider the question. Sorcha was holding a tall basket filled with a variety of sticks and dowels, and she shifted the load from one hip to another as she thought.
“I guess so?” the goblin finally settled on her answer. “I’ve used my own hair, and it worked. I don’t see why using your hair wouldn’t.”
“I’m an avatar,” Ida pointed out. “Maybe my hair will have some kind of special effect? Seems possible, at least.”
“Maybe,” Sorcha agreed. “It’s worth a try, at least.”
The two were making their way from the workshop of a local carpenter who was still operating in Glanum. Sabina’s younger brother, Valerius, had directed them to the man, since they were looking for components that could be used as bases for the wands Sorcha was going to try constructing. Wood was a common enough component, and some number of wands would likely use the material, though it was far from the only option. Bone, horn, metal, reeds, even stone had the potential to be used as the base form of one of Sorcha’s wands, which was why the two were gathering a variety of materials to try crafting with. Unfortunately, the process was a bit trial and error, so they needed to make sure they got as many extra parts as they possibly could. There was no guarantee that a first attempt would work, and there was a strong chance that a failed wand would burn out, rendering the material used in its creation worthless.
“You might want to try my blood, too,” Ida commented idly. “Maybe we can put it in a little vial or something like that.”
“That sounds creepy,” the short witch winced. “But yeah, I see where you’re going. If some of these are going to be damage-dealing wands, then they’re probably going to involve blood in their making.”
“There’s another fluid option we could try, if blood sounds unappealing,” Ida teased. “Though I’m going to insist you help with the extraction.”
“Other fluid—oh, fuck off,” Sorcha scowled, though she laughed at Ida as well. “I’m not going to make a cum wand.”
“Why not? It might be powerful. Especially with my potency cranked up to max.”
“You’re so bloody perverted…”
Ida laughed loudly, drawing the attention of some soldiers who had somehow failed to notice her passing by. Once they saw her, the group looked like they might try to approach. Jadis didn’t normally mind greeting people and exchanging a few words, but she was on a mission with Sorcha and didn’t want to waste time if she could help it.
“I think we need to head down that street there,” Ida pointed ahead at the next intersection. “That was where Crispus said the enchantment workshop would be.”
“I just hope they have a good selection,” Sorcha sighed. “Who knows what supplies they’ve been getting all the way out here.”
“Only one way to find out.”
The sentiment applied to the enchanter’s inventory, just as it applied to what sorts of wands Sorcha might be able to produce at her current level of power. They would just have to dive in and see. The idiom had further meaning to Jadis in that moment as well, though, as her Dia self stared at the large, chained up chest placed on the ground before her.
“Only one way to find out,” Dia echoed her other self as she took the proffered key from Severina’s hand.
“The guards I have had stationed on the chest all have enhanced sense skills,” Sev advised as she placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. “They reported no sound nor sign of movement from within. If any Demons have hatched from their eggs, they have remained silent.”
“Maybe Eir should join us in here,” Dia frowned. “What if they need healing?”
“Alex and I are more than capable of providing healing, if necessary,” Severina said with calm assurance. “Her attention is best kept on the wounded who need her.”
Jadis couldn’t dispute Severina’s argument. She was right. The people out in the main hall of the temple who were suffering from poisons, parasites, and diseases needed her healing touch. The eggs inside the chest were likely unhatched and thus wouldn’t need any healing. If any were already hatched, however, they were more likely going to need to be put down rather than cured of any wounds.
Jadis was under no delusions about the chances of successfully converting the young Demons away from following their god.
“Are you ready?” Dia asked as she turned her gaze onto Alex.
“Yes…” her lover answered with no less confidence than the Seraphim next to her.
While Dia and Severina had the relatively easy job of containing any escape attempts or ending any potential hostilities, Alex had a far more difficult task ahead of her. She was the one who would have to talk to the Demons, presuming any were hatched. What they were going to do if they weren’t hatched yet… Jadis wasn’t sure. But the whole situation was being ad-libbed as she went. They would just have to figure things out together.
Turning the key in the padlock, Dia removed the lock and chains before carefully unlatching the secure chest. Lifting the lid, she prepared to slam it shut at the slightest hint of a spell or aggressive movement. No such action took place. Instead, Dia fully opened the chest, revealing the sight of exactly what she had placed inside the previous morning.
Demon eggs.
Each one was small, though only relative to Jadis’ size. A single egg was about the circumference of a softball, though some were smaller or larger depending on individual cases. The eggshells were translucent, similar to frog eggs, though they were distinctly spherical in shape; no globular asymmetrical deformations despite their slight squishiness. The insides of the eggs were filled with a dark purple liquid, though the substance only offered light obscurement. Otherwise, the tiny Demons inside were well and truly visible.
“It doesn’t look like any have hatched,” Dia said as she scanned the mass of eggs. “How many did I say we had before?”
“Thirty-two,” Severina supplied the precise number. “It would be best to count them, to be certain.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
Dia carefully removed each unhatched Demon one at a time, passing the cool and faintly slimy orbs to Alex. Her lover handled each egg with great delicacy, her hands and tentacles passing over the spheres as she placed them onto a large table in the center of the room.
They were, amusingly enough, back in the same antechamber of the temple that they had been in earlier that morning for Eir’s sacrament. There was no sign of what they had done left behind, since they had taken great pains to make sure that their mess had been thoroughly washed off the floor, walls, and ceiling. Even without any lewd evidence left behind, Jadis likely would have still been distracted by thoughts of the pleasurable event after returning so soon. Any erotic thoughts that would have otherwise distracted her found no purchase in her mind at that moment, however. The Demons were Dia’s sole focus.
The last time Jadis had handled Demon eggs had been after she had slain the Bone Thief Matriarch and taken Alex’s egg as a prize. The thought made Dia frown. Looking back on her actions, she had quite literally murdered the babies of a sapient species. Certainly, she had not known any better; at the time she had assumed Demons were mindless beasts. She couldn’t fault herself for taking a proactive step to protect herself in a survival situation, especially when she knew full well that most any Demons that hatched would be a direct threat to her life. Still. In retrospect, it was a shameful moment of her past. Certainly, it was an act she had no desire to ever repeat.
“That’s all thirty-two,” Dia said quietly as she handed the last egg to Alex.
“I’ve never seen so many in one place at the same time,” Sev admitted as she looked over the collection. “They’re almost… pretty. In a strange way.”
Once again, Jadis found herself agreeing with Severina’s words. The eggs were oddly pretty, now that they were removed from any connection to their foul and festering matriarch. The main thing that Dia took note of were the eyes. Not all of the Demons within the eggs had their eyes visible through the transparent shells, but more than two thirds of them did. Of those that she could see, it became readily apparent that the Dead Head Matriarch’s spawn had far more variety in eye color than the Bone Thief Matriarch’s children had.
“When I found you, Alex,” Dia spoke slowly and softly, almost as though she feared something delicate might break, “I picked your egg because your eye color was blue. All the other eggs I could see had orange eyes. You were the only one with a blue eye. I didn’t know if that meant anything or not, so I picked you. There was no other reason. Now that you— I just can’t help but think about what would have happened if I had picked a different egg…”
Dia felt strong, cool arms wrap around her from behind, followed by a smaller, yet still strong, pair of arms hug her neck.
“Fortune favors… You… And me…” Alex stated simply before gently kissing Dia’s cheek. “You did… Nothing wrong…”
Dia didn’t say anything for a long stretch. When she finally found her words, they were calmer than they had been before Alex’s comfort had wrapped around her.
“Well. I know I feel lucky every day knowing that I found you.”
After returning the kiss her demonic lover had given her, Dia nodded her head towards the table filled with eggs.
“One thing I notice with these girls is their eye color. That’s a lot of variety. Do you think being from a Dead Head Matriarch has anything to do with it? Or is it all just coincidence?”
“I have… An idea…” The Demon paladin said as one tentacle reached out and lifted an egg with a slightly glowing dark green eye inside. “First… This one… And I… Will talk…”
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