Warhorse

14

Clarice poked her head back into the hut.

"Feeling calmer?" Clarice asked timidly.

Luna sighed.

"Yes Clarice, come in." Luna relaxed, and her blade slid out of Hemlock's chest.

"Can we talk?" Clarice asked.

Luna sat on the bed and placed her blade next to her, the blade had no blood or anything on it, and Hemlock was not stumbling or bleeding at all.

"Sit. I'll talk." Luna still didn't trust Clarice, but she was willing to talk.

Clarice sat down on the other end of the bed.

"I know you don't trust me, and I have no right to ask anything of you," Clarice stated.

"She's going to ask you to come back to town, do not resist," Hemlock said.

"I need to ask you to come back to town, you're still sick and you need help, Luna. You need to listen to me on this." Clarice said.

"She doesn't believe you are insane. She has to say that, the demons are forcing her to say that." Hemlock whispered.

"Fine. I'll come back. But no more restraints! Understood?"

"I... I don't know Luna, the people may not feel safe having you in town without restraints." Clarice said timidly.

"Then I'm not coming back. I refuse to be put in restraints again." Luna stood up from the bed and grabbed her blade.

"Please Luna, you are sick. You need help." Clarice remained seated.

"I am not sick! I know I'm not! You can't use that on me anymore!" Luna walked towards the door.

"I wouldn't go out there if I were you," Hemlock said.

"Why?" Luna asked sharply.

"You may not like what you see out there." Hemlock rubbed his fingers on one hand together in a pinching motion.

Luna ignored him and tried to walk out, but found the door sealed shut.

"What in the?" Luna tugged and tugged on the door to no avail.

"Oh, looks like you couldn't go out there if you wanted to." Hemlock laughed.

"Please Luna, listen to me." Clarice stood as she spoke.

Luna didn't trust either of them. Despite the fact they had saved her life twice, Hemlock didn't seem like he was all there and Clarice was insistent she was insane. Even if Hemlock was right and Clarice was forced to say these things, her insistence was not helpful.

"You need help, I am being honest with you... please." Clarice started walking towards Luna.

Luna couldn't take it anymore and drew her blade, pointing it at Clarice, who stopped moving toward Luna.

"Take one more step Clarice, and I will not hesitate." Luna had a fire in her eyes.

"Now Luna, let's not be hasty..." Clarice backed away.

"I am not being hasty. Stay over there." Luna reached for the door again, but it still wouldn't move.

"Watch yourself, don't do anything you'd regret." Hemlock leaned against the wall and spoke sharply.

Luna wrenched the door off its hinges and threw it aside, walking out into the light of the setting sun.

"How long was I out?" Luna looked around and saw that the town looked empty.

The lights were out in all the houses, and no one was walking around in the streets. It didn't make any sense, there should at least be someone out and about. Luna pushed her curiosity out of her mind, she needed new armor and she knew where to get it. She began making her way to Smith's shop, as she walked through the streets she felt as if there were eyes following her but she couldn't see anyone. Eventually, she made it to Smith's shop.

Luna decided it was in her best interest to stay quiet. The other townsfolk likely knew of her return, she snuck into the back of the shop, closing and locking the door behind her. She looked through Smith's pre-made armor but found nothing that could fit her. She'd have to make some on her own. Thankfully, her father taught her how to use a forge when she was little so she got to work.

As she was working, she was almost complete when she heard something from the door. It was likely Smith on his way into the back, Luna quickly shut off the forge and hid in the ceiling equipping the armor she had finished, she was still missing the gauntlets but what she already had would have to do for now. Smith was dragged in by some tall-looking demon. The horrid thing had eyes covering its head so Luna had to stay out of sight, jagged spikes bent out of its back in every which direction, and it had a large mouth with rotting teeth on its chest. It threw Smith against the forge and the mouth on its chest opened to speak.

"You know as well as any what happens when you fail us, Smith." It had a gravelly voice as if its vocal cords were shredded into little threats.

"Forgive me, I know I failed, but please, let me make it up to you," Smith begged.

"You've had one too many failures Smith. This is the end of the line." The demon grabbed Smith by the throat and lifted him into the air.

Luna didn't trust or like Smith very much after he had hit her upside the head with a hammer, but she hated demons more than she disliked him, so she grabbed an iron ingot and tossed it at the demon, who caught the iron brick and looked up to the rafters.

"Seems we have a visitor." The demon threw Smith aside, he hit his head on a support beam and was out cold.

The demon hurled the iron ingot into the ceiling, he missed Luna but if he had thrown it a little further to the left, Luna would have been missing a head.

"Come out... little rat." The demon used its many eyes to search the forge, how was she supposed to fight this thing?

Luna decided to try and throw it off by picking up a rock and tossing it across the forge, the demon took notice of the noise and walked over to the spot where the rock had landed. Her first priority was getting the unconscious Smith somewhere safe, then she would deal with the demon.

"Ah, a trick. What a cowardly little rat." The demon was taunting her, it was much more intelligent than the scout, and likely much more dangerous.

She barely survived her fight with the scout, how the hell was she going to kill this thing? She could feel its power seething off of every pore on its body, this was going to be more than just difficult.

"We've been looking for you little rat. Our Lord has taken a keen interest in you. If you come out I won't hurt you... too much." The demon let out a low cackle, it was spine-chilling.

Luna was able to reach Smith's body and began carrying him to the door, which was as expected, incredibly difficult. She couldn't make a run for it because the demon would catch her then both of them would be dead. But sneaking around was difficult because of Smith's size, she was making good progress when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Not so fast, little rat."