Page 43 of Demon Bound

Like much of Uulantaava, it was dark and mostly colorless, but it was beautiful in its own simple way. It gave the impression of being a part of nature, as if the landscape here had just happened to grow into the shape of a city.

“This city is not very defensible aside from the wall,” Azreth commented. “These buildings are all wood. I could knock down their walls easily. And they would all burn with a single stray spark.”

Raiya raised an eyebrow. “I hope you’re not planning on setting anything aflame, Azreth.”

“I’m not.”

“Most cities have mages or sun elves who are responsible for dealing with fires.” She kept her voice low as they passed other people on the narrow streets and paths. “I think it’s very pretty.”

“Pretty?”

“Yes. The architecture. The plants.” She looked up at him. “Do you have artists in the hells?”

“What is an artist?”

She suddenly felt pity for him. She seemed to end up feeling that way whenever he talked about his plane. “It’s a person who makes beautiful things for a living.” She pointed to the elegant, curving slopes of the roofs and the intricate wooden lattices that covered some of the windows and doors. “These details serve no defensive purpose. They exist just to be beautiful. Because they’re nice to look at, and they make you feel at home. Things like that are made by artists and artisans.”

Azreth looked closely at the building she’d pointed to. He reached out and touched the latticework.

“Demons don’t think about the beauty of things,” he said quietly.

“What about you?”

He looked down at her blankly.

“Do you think about beauty?” she asked.

He thought for a long time.

“Sometimes,” he said finally.

Rain began to fall.

They’d arrived in the evening, so they opted to stop at an inn for the night and find the Temple of Moratha in the morning. After speaking with a few locals—most of whom stared nervously over her shoulder at Azreth the entire time—Raiya located an acceptable establishment. The inn was busy enough that even someone as strange as Azreth would not attract too much attention, she hoped.

As they stepped through the front door and into the common room, she wiped rain droplets from her face. It was loud, bright, and warm, heavy with the scent of hot food and close bodies. It was not the classiest of places. Nirlan wouldn’t have been caught dead here, which she supposed was a plus. All in all, it was a stark difference from the cold, empty halls of the castle. She and Azreth stopped at the edge of the room.

“There are armed people here,” Azreth said tightly.

He was right. She could see a few people carrying swords. One group had a pile of quivers and bows leaning on the wall beside them, as if they’d just come back from a hunting trip. They were normal people. Many civilians carried weapons in Heilune. None of them looked like they would cause trouble.

“It’s all right,” she said. “Come on.”

The innkeeper behind the counter was an older man, thickly built, wearing a large apron.

“We’re looking for a room,” Raiya said. Azreth stood like a statue behind her.

The innkeeper raised an eyebrow at Azreth. “It’s half a mark for the night. But there’s only one open. One bed.”

She fished around in her bag for her small coin purse. People wouldn’t think it proper for them to be sharing a bed when they weren’t married, but that was the least of her concerns at the moment. “That’s fine.”

The innkeeper chuckled as he took the payment. He sounded like he’d dipped into his supply of ale a few times that night, and he eyed her for a little too long. “What? A fancy little lady like you with that big thing?”

Raiya stiffened. She held out her hand. “My change?”

He grinned lopsidedly at the other men drinking at the counter. The coins were in his hand, but he didn’t hand them over yet. “Don’t be coy. It’s an inn. You’re a traveler. Give us a story. Are you and him really an item?”

“Yes,” Azreth said. Raiya looked up at him in surprise. She didn’t know if he’d said it because he didn’t know what it meant, or simply because he was trying to get through the interaction faster. The innkeeper and the other drunks laughed. One of the men clapped Azreth on the back in a congratulatory way, and Azreth gave him the most murderous look Raiya had ever seen, which went unnoticed by the other men. She found herself trying to become smaller.

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