Training went better. Indenuel lasted a while, and Nathaniel took a step back when Indenuel said he needed to rest. As for exercising, Nathaniel still ran circles around Indenuel as he tried to keep up.

Indenuel collapsed against the fine cushions of the carriage when the carriage came to a stop. Nathaniel leaned out of the window and talked with Martin briefly before biding Indenuel farewell for the evening and leaving for his family’s carriage. Martin climbed in and sat across from him.

“Looks like things went better today,” Martin said.

Indenuel nodded again, knowing this was the first time anyone acknowledged what happened yesterday. Martin handed him the waterskin as the carriages continued moving. He drank, though tried not to drink too deeply.

“We are almost halfway through our journey. In another two weeks we will be in Santollia City. We will first go to the High Elders for them to test that you are who I know you are,” Martin said.

Indenuel wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “None of their tests involve my skill with the sword, does it?”

Martin smiled. “No, it won’t. It’s more to confirm you have the four gifts. It should give you comfort to know that since you have my blessing, you will not be thrown in the dungeon if they find you are not the Warrior.”

Indenuel slowly lowered his waterskin. “Sorry?”

“Didn’t you hear?” He said nothing, waiting for Martin to answer. “A decade ago, we got too many false Warriors. False hope is a difficult thing to come back from, so if someone was found to be deceiving us in any way, they were thrown in the dungeon, many of them revealed to have lied before the day was through. It is too difficult to lie about something like this.”

Indenuel mulled this over. “That seems quite the severe punishment.”

“A bit, yes, but now we’re not sorting through hundreds of false Warriors,” Martin said. The silence stretched between them, and Indenuel leaned against the back of the carriage. “I have also been meaning to talk to you about Adosina.”

Indenuel cracked an eye open. “Oh?”

“I must apologize to you. Adosina made it clear to me last week that her intention with you is only of friendship. I did not mean to give you hope when there is none.”

The smile relaxed his entire face before he tried to at least seem a little disappointed. “It’s alright, Martin. I am still not used to my status. Your daughter is…” He was reminded of the fool he made of himself when he tried to talk about this with Adosina. He cleared his throat, determined to not be that fool with Martin. “Your daughter is lovely and loyal. I am certain she would make a man very happy.”

Martin did not look at Indenuel. “If you could not tell Adosina we had this chat, I would be in your debt.”

The cheers from the town came as Indenuel nodded. It seemed like a strange request, but he’d respect his wishes. Indenuel glanced out the window before trying to wash his face with the water that was left.

The town welcomed them. Indenuel smiled, trying to do his part. Martin smiled and laughed, listened to everyone collectively and individually. Indenuel bowed when he needed to, allowing the crowd to usher him into the inn. They were greeting a few people when Derio came to them.

“A special request.”

“Already?” Martin asked. “Must be important.”

Derio stepped aside as a woman in her forties came, giving a low curtsey. “Forgive me, High Elder Martin, Warrior Indenuel.”

“Please, call me Martin.” He bowed in response. “Of what service can we give?”

The woman remained in her curtsey. “There is a man on the outskirts of our beautiful town. He is possessed of a demon. As a member of this town, I humbly request the Warrior perform an exorcism on that man.”

Everything inside Indenuel froze. He stared at the woman, his mind spinning impossibly fast before it shut down.

“Of course. We shall have our servants investigate it at once,” Martin said.

The woman rose from her curtsey and moved into the back of the crowd. Indenuel made a noise in the back of his throat before he cleared it. A worker handed him some dinner, and his fingers were ice as he stared at it. “Pardon, Martin.” His voice was a few octaves higher. “An exorcism?”

Martin patted him on the shoulder. “Derio will investigate. He will take Riel, my grandsons tutor with him. Riel is a speaker of the dead.”

People began to great him, and Indenuel was so fraught with terror he almost gave someone his dinner plate instead of bowing.

“I just… I don’t know the first things of how to perform an exorcism.”

“If it is what the woman says, I doubt the demon will have a strong hold. Riel might be able to take care of it himself.” Martin smiled at another person. Their conversation was interrupted as sweat formed on his forehead.

“And if Riel can’t do it?” Indenuel asked.

“Then he will teach you how,” Martin said.

His chest tightened as he tried to smile at the people, but he was terrified.

“Don’t worry, my boy. If the High Elder’s haven’t been informed about this demon, I doubt it’s the kind where they levitate or try to kill you,” Martin said.

The plate slipped out of Indenuel’s hands and clattered to the floor. He backed away immediately. “I’m sorry,” he said to the workers who quickly came to pick up the broken pieces. “I’m so sorry. It… it slipped.”

“It is an honor to serve, Warrior Indenuel,” they said, bowing and sweeping it up.

Martin placed a hand on his shoulder and he instantly stiffened. “Are you quite alright?”

“I can’t do this,” Indenuel said out of the corner of his mouth.

“Riel and I will be with you every step of the way. We will give you a quick lesson before we ask this of you.”

Martin again smiled at more of the guests, and he could only stare. He tried to give a smile, but his knees started to shake.

“Would you like another plate for dinner?” one of the workers asked.

“No.” His voice was still in a higher octave, but he didn’t care. “No thank you.” Food? Who needed food right now?

The workers bowed and retreated.

“Martin, I can’t,” Indenuel whispered. “I can’t face a demon. They never listen to me.”

“They listened to you with the bandits two weeks ago,” Martin said.

“And I was as surprised as you were,” Indenuel said. “They never listen to me on the Day of the Devil.”

Indenuel gave up trying to smile as more guests moved in. Martin on the other hand put on his brightest smile like he wasn’t talking about demons and exorcism on the side.

“It will be alright,” Martin said. “I am confident this exorcism will not be a difficult one.”

Indenuel’s chest started to constrict. Martin wasn’t listening, and he was getting frustrated. He did not want to do this. If Martin knew how the demons taunted him during the Day of the Devil, he wouldn’t suggest Indenuel jump into this.

Derio returned with a paper, raising it just a bit so they could see it above the crowd. Indenuel took a few steps back, bracing himself against the wall. Martin took the paper and opened it, reading it quickly. A smile flickered across his face.

“Just a homeless, drunk individual,” Martin said, folding the paper up and slipping it in his pocket.

The relief came almost immediately. “Not possessed?”

“No. Sometimes they act like it, but Rial confirmed it. The man is clear.”

Indenuel leaned down, gripping his knees as he took a few steading breaths.

“Do you need to retire early?” Martin asked.

“Just… give me a moment. I’ll be fine,” Indenuel said.

Martin laughed at someone’s joke as Indenuel took another moment to steady himself.

Not possessed. Not possessed. I’m not going to face it. I’m alright.

Memories of the Day of the Devil flickered through his mind. Seeing the demons as they jeered at him, taunting him to let down his shield. Daring him to let them enter him. He screamed at them to leave him alone, and they only laughed. They haunted his dreams the night before and the night of. They laughed at his attempt to fight them.

You use the corruptive powers, they jeered in his dreams. We enter you when you use them even if you can’t see us. Let us enter you now.

Indenuel straightened. The demons always played mind games with him, and he was always left a terrified, shaking mess. He hated the Day of the Devil.

He was fully prepared to dive himself into greeting as many people as possible to ignore what he was almost forced to do.

***

Indenuel checked in with Derio as he stepped outside in the predawn sky. Two weeks closer to Santollia City, and the towns got nicer and the homes got bigger. The road was cleaner, and there were guards stationed in the middle of the main road as they passed. He stepped out onto the road, seeing the stone in wonderment. Actual stone for roads. The homes were beautiful, and he fully believed they were just as beautiful inside. Many of them even had a second level to them. He thought the only buildings who had a second level were inns or stores, not houses. What would they do with all that extra space?

There was no denying the weather was warmer. With winter coming, it was strange for it to feel warmer, particularly on this predawn walk. The sun began to crest over the horizon, lighting the town below. Indenuel closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of the fresh and silent air. It was a good way to recover, but he still missed the children desperately. He hadn’t gotten a letter from them since that first week, even though he had written them every day. Their lack of answer was beginning to worry him, even though Hugo always assured him they were fine. If they were fine, why weren’t they answering? He needed to talk to Derio about it.

Indenuel crossed a few more streets before finding himself in a place that felt familiar. The homes were more spaced out and smaller. Still nicer than in Mountain Pass, but not nearly as nice as when he first entered the town. No one expected visitors to see this part of town.

Ahead, Indenuel saw something on the stone road. It looked like a body. A body lying in the middle of the road couldn’t be good. Panic hit him as he fought down the desire to run away. There was no one else here to help. Indenuel needed to be there.

Indenuel sprinted forward. “Sir?” He fell to his knees and shook the man’s shoulder. “Sir? Are you alright?” He looked for a stab wound when the man began to groan. “Sir?”

The man belched right in Indenuel’s face. Indenuel coughed, backing away from the fumes. The man grunted and opened one of his eyes. He had the green eyes of every other Santollian, though the white part looked more bloodshot.

“Whaddayawant?” the man asked.

At first Indenuel thought the man was speaking a strange language, but he forced himself to go over in his mind what he said again.

“I’m sorry, sir, I… thought you were dead,” Indenuel said.

The man laughed, then coughed before sitting up. Indenuel helped him. The man touched his head. “Could you stop talking so loud? I have the aches.” The man’s black hair was long and crusty. He looked like he was forty. Seeing a man of fighting age was rare, though he didn’t look ready for a fight with the Kiamese army.

“I didn’t mean to, sir. I’m worried. You were lying the middle of the road and you-”

The man groaned louder and Indenuel stopped talking. The man rubbed his head, looking awful. Indenuel reached over and touched his fingers against the man’s temple. He connected with the man, feeling the buzzing that came from too much ale. Indenuel brushed away the pain as easily as he would a fly. He had done it a lot with Lucia in the last few years of her life.

The man blinked a few times, staring at Indenuel with bewilderment. “You can take away ale ache? I ought to keep you around.”

Indenuel had to smile before he shook his head. “I’m only visiting this town. I’ll be gone later this morning.”

The man gave him another look, this time less humorously. “You that Warrior?”

Indenuel winced, then felt embarrassed that he reacted that way. “I’m… possibly the Warrior. The High Elder’s haven’t come to a decision yet.”

The man snorted. He picked up a bottle and glanced down to see if there was anything more in it. “Best of luck to you. I’d rather piss on their robes, personally. I’m Lucas.”

Indenuel stared at Lucas, confused. The only people he met on this trip where those who said nothing but the best about the High Elders. He assumed everyone held them in high regard. It didn’t even cross his mind that there might be some people who disliked them.

“You don’t know Martin. He’s a good man,” Indenuel said.

“And he doesn’t know me,” Lucas said.

“Martin isn’t making my decisions for me,” Indenuel said.

“Of course not. He’s just a very convincing individual who you can’t help but go along with, right?”

Indenuel said nothing, chewing his bottom lip. A thought struck him that maybe this man was listening to other influences not of this world.

“You must be the man that woman talked about last night,” Indenuel said.

“You’re good at explanations, aren’t you,” Lucas said, a hint of sarcasm.

His cheeks reddened. “This woman came to me and Martin yesterday, said there was a man possessed by a demon, but he was just a drunk.”

Lucas was sitting but still gave a low, mocking bow. “Indeed I am.” He straightened before draining the last of his bottle. “Though I’m not possessed.”

“If I am the Warrior, it’s my duty to serve the people of Santollia to bring peace,” Indenuel said.

Lucas tried to get up but couldn’t. “Whatever you say, boy. But you said so yourself you haven’t been claimed as the Warrior yet. Do you honestly think they’ll treat you well if they discover you’re not?”

Indenuel frowned, remembering again that he would have been thrown in the dungeons if it wasn’t for Martin’s blessing. Or that Martin never punished him for having a red mark of the devil on his chest. He didn’t like where this was going, so he tried to change the subject.

“Why did the woman think you were possessed?” Indenuel asked.

“Look, boy, some people in this town are uncomfortable when a man disagrees with the High Elders, and it’s easier to think he’s possessed by the devil instead of actually listening to him. No, instead he’s released from his job, his status revoked which gives his wife a reason to leave, and she does without a word. Four years later, he becomes no better than the stray dogs on the street.”

Indenuel winced. He didn’t like this. This man had been treated horribly, like how Mountain Pass had treated him and Lucia.

He helped Lucas to his feet as they moved out of the middle of the street. Despite not wanting to hear the answer, he didn’t want to treat the man like everyone else.

“What are your ideas that caused such civil outcry among your town?” Indenuel asked.

Lucas sat down at the side of the road. He gave a wry smile. “Many things. Too many to tell. But I think the main reason is I refused to go to war.”

“You don’t wish to fight?” Indenuel asked. “Why not?”

“I won’t be a pawn for the High Elders to gain world power.”