There were only so many things to be interested in before the waiting became… boring. Elania sighed as she leaned her face against her hand and stared at nothing in particular. It wouldn’t be a good idea to pull out a knife and start practicing [Battle Concentration] like she had while guarding the monks. Heck, it hadn’t been a good idea even then.

No social media to check, no videos to browse, not even a blog to read. She should have been used to it, and for the most part, she had adapted, but these times when she had nothing to do but sit and wait brought her previous addiction to modern-day internet activity to the forefront. The boredom wasn’t going to kill her, but losing track of her surroundings in a strange and unknown place just might. It was easier said than done, though.

The idea to move on and take a walk while looking for a new place to wait started to appeal to her. She should have planned on doing that in the first place, considering the ‘Bouncer’ had been giving her the evil eye for… Elania glanced at her new clock and smiled. For an hour and forty-five minutes or so. 

She wanted to find Henri and give him a little hug for that bit of help; there was no way to describe how helpful being able to tell time again was. She’d almost made it two hours. Just seven or eight more to go until things started to open again. She groaned and planted her forehead on her forearm on the table. This was terrible.

Elania closed her eyes and just listened to the low drone of the tavern patrons, no conversation in particular catching her attention. She realized she was weary. Not physically, she didn’t need to sleep, but mentally exhausted. From everything. She needed a safe place to just rest in, and while that was her current aim by waiting, the process had turned into something that was much longer and drawn out than she had expected. Her former companions either hadn’t realized what kind of troubles she’d have, or hadn’t cared, or... had they set her up for failure, knowing she’d not be a problem for them anymore?

Elania frowned. Why was she even thinking about them? It was evident that she couldn’t rely on anyone else for survival now. Maybe she kept coming back to them in her mind because they were the only people she had interacted with more than in passing. Everyone in her old life had been suddenly cut off; hell, she hadn’t even thought of her parents since... some time before the Mushroohums?

The feeling of being cut off and without any support hurt. If she had a therapist, she was sure they’d explain everything to her, and how it was all normal. She doubted they’d have much advice on how actually to survive descending into a crazy new world, but at least she could be enslaved, die, or worse while being normal. If she had a therapist. God, she really was going crazy, thinking about an imaginary therapist in her head telling her it was alright.

“No sleeping here, demon.”

Elania’s head snapped up immediately, eyeing the sudden speaker. It was the Bouncer, and her eyes were drawn immediately to the heavy looking cudgel in his hand.

“Your kind isn’t welcome here, get lost.”

Something about the man, maybe his size and weapon, reminded her of Saren, and suddenly the dead innkeeper’s face was imposed on the Bouncer. Elania felt a wave of tremors wash over her. She wanted to protest that she hadn’t been sleeping, and fight the unfairness, but a saner voice in her head had her start to stand up. She could find another place to wait.

“I’ll g---”

“There you are!”

Both Elania and the Bouncer looked in surprise at the newcomer. She was wearing a black and white maid’s outfit, complete with the little frills and knee-length stalkings. The woman looked young, with a heart-shaped face and short yellow hair that ended in slightly darker tips. It was the eyes though, that captured Elania’s attention even before she brought up [Identify] in a hurry. They were a deep glowing sapphire blue.

[Knight – Lesser Demon – Lvl 589]

She looked right at Elania and gave an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. I hope you didn’t get too bored.”

Then she turned to the shocked Bouncer, who was only starting to recover. “Why don’t you be a dear and go get us something to drink? A warm cider, maybe.” 

She started to turn, dismissing the man who was easily a head taller and twice her size. The realization of that brought a furious scowl on his face. A flashback brought Elania right back to the scene of Saren reaching toward her.

And it did happen, the man reaching out in just the same manner, just with not the result Elania had expected.

The Demoness Knight turned at the last second, her hand snapping up in an instant to snatch the Bouncer’s wrist, and using his own momentum, tossed him toward the ground. She didn’t release his arm, though, keeping hold of it and bending it backward, forcing him to comply with her direction or have his shoulder dislocate.

As he landed on the stone with a thump, the Demoness followed, planting a knee in his back. Elania could see him attempt to lever himself back up with his other arm, but the pressure on the captured arm intensified until the man was bellowing in pain.

“What is with you Neftites that you think with your hands first? Don’t you know it is rude to put your hands on people, especially a lady?”

The only reply was a pained yell from the Bouncer.

Elania had been so focused on the scene that she didn’t notice the group coming out of the tavern until the one in front yelled.

“Oi! Let him go.”

They didn’t look like bouncers, the leader had a sword drawn and was coated in metal-studded leather armor, and the two beside him were equipped much the same. It was the fourth who stood a bit back that looked completely different, with a robe and a staff tipped with some type of crystal that Elania instantly translated into ‘Wizard’ in her head. She wasn’t too far off.

[Fighter – Human – Lvl 356]

[Figher – Human – Lvl 312]

[Warrior – Human – Lvl 309]

[Mage – Human – Lvl 340]

Elania caught a murmur from one of them. “Demons.”

Oh. They were looking at *her*, too. Elania immediately stood up and started to back away, not wanting a part in the conflict, but she didn’t make it far.

The Demoness Knight stood up immediately, and as the Bouncer started to get back up, she placed a kick in his side that sent him rolling through the air to land at the new group's feet.

“My master has given me strict orders on who I can, and can’t kill, little humans. It includes those who try and touch me without permission, or threaten me.” She said it with a vicious smile, and Elania realized that her teeth were wrong. Or at least not human, they were narrower, with sharp points, and completely hidden until she was grinning ear to ear.

That seemed to set off the mage, who immediately started chanting something, but a single interrupting syllable escaped the Demoness in a rush.

“Zael.”

The glowing crystals all around visibly dimmed, and for a half-second, the only light was supplied from the massive crystals high overhead. Elania saw the swirling energy the mage had started to summon completely dissipate into the air. The man’s shocked expression was copied on the other’s faces as well.

“Relain’s Hound.” One of them whispered, and they suddenly looked petrified.

The light show hadn’t gone unnoticed either, and the conflict was suddenly gaining a lot more attention, especially from inside the tavern, with a dozen heads staring out the window while others moved to get further away. Elania took another step, wanting to disappear, but the other Demoness noticed and slipped an arm around her back.

“Surely you boys don’t think you can pick a fight with two of us, do you? Especially since she doesn’t have to worry about some silly master’s worry about collateral damage?”

It only took Elania a second to understand what the other Demoness was implying, looking at her in horror. Surely she didn’t expect Elania to do more damage to... things? That prospect combined with the Demoness Knight’s sickly sweet smile seemed to be the final straw that broke the mercenaries.

The leader gestured to the beaten Bouncer and barked an order to pick him up, and the group slowly backed away then retreated inside. It seemed the prospect of an all-out melee had disappeared, and Elania realized that all the patrons outside the tavern and from several of the nearby places had much better luck at disappearing than she did. 

Without an audience, Elania found herself released from the hug.

“Hello, I’m Tessa. What’s your name?”

“Umm.”

“Umm? Are you sure that is your name?"

“I’m Elania.”

The smile didn’t disappear, but the teeth did. Elania was sure the woman knew exactly how uncomfortable the sight of those made people feel.

“So, Umm-Elania, let's chat over a drink.” The woman gestured to the table Elania had just been sitting at. Elania felt sitting down and ‘chatting’ like the fight earlier hadn’t ever happened was ridiculous. Luckily the suggestion had an easy out.

“I don’t have any money for a drink.”

“Is that so, well then, I’ll pay for the both of us, if the tavern-keeper doesn't come out and offer to give them to us for free.”

‘Oh no.’