Joan crossed her legs and kept her head down, trying to make herself seem as small as possible. As much as she hated to admit it, she actually was both afraid and scared.

Dixon paced back and forth in the tent in front of her, a look of annoyance on his face. He wasn’t wearing his armor now, instead just wearing a robe made of some kind of leathery fabric she couldn’t identify. Oddly, being out of his armor made him seem more intimidating.

Joan had expected to be thrown back into the cage, maybe yelled at a bit. Probably beaten. This was somehow worse. She felt almost like a bratty child who had disappointed her parents and was now awaiting punishment.

Except her ‘parents’ in this case were demons who intended to have her tributed and her ‘bratty behavior’ was trying to escape and maiming one of them. The last she had seen of Viglan was him clutching his bloody face and disappearing into a tent while Andreas dragged her to the tent Dixon had been sleeping in.

She glanced over to the corner of the tent, where his armor and weapon were resting on a display. He hadn’t even touched them, though he had likely been awake ever since the escape attempt had started.

How long was he going to pace? She squirmed nervously in the chair before glancing back at Andreas. He looked tired, his arms crossed but not touching her.

Joan didn’t have any more ropes or shadowbinds on her, she could get up. She could run. She could even fight if she wanted. Yet every instinct she had told her that would be a bad idea, if not suicide. Instead she just kept her eyes down and waited for whatever storm was building to break.

Finally, Dixon stopped and gave an exasperated sigh. “You’re a smart kid,” he said in a soft, soothing tone.

“Thank you, sir,” Joan said despite herself, her cheeks burning red at how quickly she said it.

“Running like that, though. It wasn’t very smart at all. Bad enough you ran, but to make such a mess of it,” Dixon said, shaking his head as if he was disappointed in her.

“I didn’t make the noise, that was Gerard,” Joan said instinctively.

“Oh, of course,” Dixon said. “It wasn’t you, now was it kid?” The demon then walked to her and knelt down, smiling up at her. “You would have been quiet about it, wouldn’t you?”

Joan couldn’t help but shudder at that smile. It reminded her of the Demon Lord’s. Gentle, mischievous, almost friendly. But hiding an overpowering wave of cruelty. “No. I mean, yes, I would have.”

“But you were the one who got them out, weren’t you?” Dixon asked.

“Yes, sir,” Joan said gently, her voice very low and wilting under his gaze.

“You’re going to try again if another opportunity comes up, aren’t you?” Dixon asked.

Joan didn’t answer, merely lowering her eyes to her knees and keeping her mouth shut. She wanted to say no, but lying to him just felt like a bad idea.

“I asked you a question. If you make me repeat myself, I’m going to pluck out one of those pretty little eyes of yours, Joan,” Dixon said in a soft, soothing tone that didn’t match the viciousness of the comment at all.

“Yes,” Joan said softly. There was no doubt in her mind that he would do it if she pushed him. She’d certainly seen demons do worse.

“See, was that so hard? I ask a question, you answer.” His hand reached up and she gave a little whimper, but all he did was ruffle her hair. “I’m not even mad, you know.”

“You’re not?” Joan asked.

“Oh, of course not. It cost Viglan an eye, but what he learned from this is very, very important,” Dixon said, his hand still ruffling her hair. “Don’t underestimate prisoners. Certainly keep a better eye on your weapons. But, most importantly of all? Do you know what he learned?”

“No,” Joan said, so soft even she could barely hear it.

“If someone says it’s their sword, believe them,” Dixon said before pulling his hand back. “So then. I think we’ve been asking the wrong questions, kid. Wondering who else was out here, who did that fancy sword really belong to. Andreas?”

“Sir?” Andreas asked.

Dixon motioned to her. “Go on, give her back her sword. It is yours, isn’t it Joan?”

Joan jumped a little when her sword was placed on her lap, sheathed once more. She stared down at it for a moment and felt some of her confidence returning.

“The question we should have been asking is what did a kid like you do to earn a fancy sword like this?” Dixon asked. “Why is it that a kid like you knows how to deal with a rampager?” He leaned in very close, his eyes staring into hers. “Why is it that your face looks so bruised and broken that I’m amazed you can even see me, yet you’re not even whimpering when I pat your head? No, you’re not just a little kid, are you?”

Joan gulped and shook her head. “Not really, sir. It doesn’t really hurt, though.” Her face couldn’t look that bad, could it?

Dixon cocked an eye before reaching up and pinching her cheek. “Huh. I’ll be damned. No, you’re just full of mysteries, aren’t you? I wonder, if I plucked your eye out, would you feel that?”

Joan gave a soft whimper and shrunk down in the chair even more. “I don’t know.”

“I see. What I think, more than anything, is that you’re going to be very useful. I think my brother is going to be very interested in finding out exactly who you are.”

“Brother?” Joan asked.

“Oh? You don’t know? I’m surprised you haven’t picked up on that. Smart kid like you probably listens to everything her captors say,” Dixon said with an amused grin. “Maybe my men are better at holding their tongues than I thought. He has many names and titles now, but the only one you might know is the Demon Lord.”

“The Demon Lord doesn’t have a brother,” Joan said before she could help herself, cringing a moment later and cursing herself for saying something like that.

Dixon, however, just looked amused. “Now that, little Joan, is quite the interesting response.”

Joan gulped and tried to lean back further, but the chair didn’t allow it. “It is?”

“Oh, yes. You see, I get a lot of reactions from that. Most humans don’t know who or what the Demon Lord is. Or they’re scared, it is quite the impressive title. A few are horrified because they know exactly who he is. But you? You were confused. You weren’t at all confused about who he is, but were confused that he had a brother. Now, Joan, do you know why that would be?”

Joan gulped nervously and gave a soft little whimper, scrunching up into the chair. Even with the sword in her lap, within easy reach, she couldn’t have felt more vulnerable if she tried. “Because I know about the Demon Lord.”

“Because you know about the Demon Lord,” Dixon said in a soothing tone. “But not just what the Demon Lord is. But who he is, don’t you?”

“Yes sir,” Joan said, unable to keep her voice steady anymore.

“Now, why would a human know the Demon Lord personally? Have you seen him before?” Dixon asked.

“Yes,” Joan said again, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it might explode in her chest.

“Are you a demon?” Dixon asked.

That made her go still and raise her gaze to look at him in bewilderment. “I’m sorry?”

“Are you a demon?” Dixon asked.

“No? I’m human,” Joan said.

“Are you sure?” Dixon asked.

“I don’t have horns or anything, of course I’m human,” Joan said.

“Not all demons have horns,” Dixon said. “Some of us just have the eyes, some have horns. Claws. Wings. Talons. Fangs. But some don’t have anything at all. Some just have special little quirks. Are special. Talented. Tell me, Joan. Are you special?”

Joan gave a soft little whimper. “Yes, I’m talented. But I’m not a demon.”

“Perhaps not,” Dixon said. “But the future is unknown. You’re quite the interesting child and I think my brother is going to want to have a very long, long talk with you.”

Joan gave a soft whimper and received another pat on the head.

Dixon reached down and grabbed the sword, lifting it out of her lap. “Don’t you want your sword back? Go on, take it. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Joan shook her head.

“See? The kid can learn, can’t she?” Dixon asked. “Congratulations, kid. You won’t be being tributed. You’ll likely wish you had been, though. Still, we can’t have you running away again.” He then got to his feet and looked down at her. “Andreas?”

“Yes, sir?” Andreas asked.

“Break her legs,” Dixon said.

“What?” Andreas asked, a confused look on his face.

“Break her legs,” Dixon said again. “A nice, clean, simple break. Just so she can’t run away again. They may want to put her to use later and we don’t want to damage my brother’s new gift too much, do we?”

Joan looked between the two of them, her eyes wide with alarm. Andreas wouldn’t actually do it, would he?

“You want me to break her legs? But she’s just a--”

“A child?” Dixon asked. “Who has already broken out once, maimed one of my men and calmed down a rampager all by herself. She’s hardly ‘just’ a child. But fine, if you won’t, I will.” The demon knelt down once more and his hand reached out towards her leg.

Joan shrieked and jumped out of the seat, trying to get away. To her surprise, he didn’t grab her. She made it to the back of the tent and then paused. There really wasn’t anywhere for her to go. She couldn’t really cut through the fabric of the tent with her bare fingers and if she tried to crawl under it she doubted she’d make it more than halfway through.

“See?” Dixon said with a light laugh. “Already she’s scrambling away. Such a fast little thing. Like a little snake. Now now, Joan. Just be a good little girl or this will hurt a lot more.”

Joan turned back around and looked up at the two. Mercifully, Andreas looked incredibly uncomfortable about all of this. Dixon, unfortunately, looked amused. As if this was all just a little game to him.

No, to him it likely was a game. Joan pushed back against the edge of the tent when he advanced, looking around for some way to escape. But even though he wasn’t really that large, when he advanced on her it seemed impossible to jump past him. She pushed back against the tent, hugging her knees to her chest and staring up into those cruel, golden eyes of his.

“Please,” Joan begged, unable to stop the tears from starting to fall when he reached out to her.

“Shhhh, it’ll only hurt for a few days. You’re special, aren’t you?” Dixon asked in a mocking tone. He grabbed her right leg and she tried to pull away, gripping his wrist and trying to yank his hand off her.

“No no no no no no!” Joan yelled, unable to keep the panic and fear out of her voice.

“Boss,” Andreas said.

Dixon paused and glanced back at him. “Yes?”

“Don’t. I’ll make sure she doesn’t run off again,” Andreas said.

That made the demon give a light little laugh. “Really? You want to take responsibility over her? A little broken leg isn’t that bad. Isn’t that right, Joan?” Dixon asked before reaching out and lightly tapping her cheek.

Joan just gave a whimper and looked up at Andreas, pleading with him to save her. To not let this happen.

“I’ll take responsibility,” Andreas said.

Dixon gave another laugh before standing back up and tossing the sword to Andreas. “Good then. She’s your problem. If she runs off, it’s your hide on the line. And don’t let Viglan near her, I expect he wants bit of payback for what happened. I trust there won’t be any more trouble from her tonight?”

“There won’t be,” Andreas said before walking to her, grabbing her shoulder, hefting her up to her feet and then all but dragging her out of the tent and into the cool night air.

“You saved me,” Joan said softly.

“Don’t overthink it,” Andreas said. “I shouldn’t have.”

“But you did,” Joan said, looking up at him.

“I just didn’t want to watch some kid get their legs broken.”

“You didn’t betray me this time,” Joan said.

Andreas rolled his eyes and started dragging her back towards the cage. “Kid, I never betrayed you. Despite your stories, I don’t know you. There’s no ‘hero’ or any of that other nonsense to betray. You’re still as in as much danger as you ever were.”

“But—”

“But nothing,” Andreas said before glaring down at her. “You’ve done a lot of damage, kid. If you’re smart, you’ll stay in the cage and not cause any more trouble. I saved your legs this time, but if you try and get out again you’ll be lucky to just have broken legs. I’ll be lucky if you’re the only one who gets something broken.”

Joan sighed and shook her head. “You’re not one of them, Andreas. You’re not a demon. You’re a hero, one of the chosen.”

“I’m really not,” Andreas said.

“You really are,” Joan said.

The pair stopped outside the cage. She saw the other two were still in there, but Gerard was nowhere in sight. Perhaps he’d managed to get away at least. Though she still wanted to punch him for what he’d done. “Do you still think I’ll save you from all this?” Andreas asked.

Joan stared at the bars and thought back to the feeling of his shadowbinds grabbing and halting her. Finally she shook her head. “No, not like this.”

“Good,” Andreas said before pulling out a key and opening the cage door. He lifted her up into the air and then tossed her into the cage, the wagon jumping a bit when she landed, causing her to stumble forward before falling on her knees.

Joan turned and scrambled back towards the door, but he closed it before she could get close. She stared out of it at him for a few moments before speaking up. “I don’t think you’ll save me from this. But I know you will help save the world.”

Andreas paused and looked up at her. “Why?”

“Because I know you,” Joan said softly before leaning her head against the bars. “You never betrayed me. When everyone else fell for the Demon Lord’s tricks, you stayed by my side. You fought until your very death. You didn’t want to be the Chosen of the Spear, but you did it anyway. You didn’t want parades or wealth or celebrations. You just wanted everything to be over and done with so you could leave it all. You wanted to mourn what was lost, but you didn’t want there to be any more suffering.”

Andreas shook his head. “You really put too much faith in me.”

“Not putting enough faith in the chosen was one of my greatest faults,” Joan said. “I’m really trying to work through it.”

Andreas gave a light laugh. “Oh? So going from not believing in them to believing in them regardless of what they do?”

Joan nodded. “If I can’t trust you seven, who can I trust?”

“Maybe find another hero, kid,” Andreas said before turning to walk away.

Joan watched him for a moment before sighing and closing her eyes, resting her head against the bars of the cage.

He’d saved her from having her legs broken. He wasn’t entirely gone. She just had to show him, bit by bit.

That and wait for the next opportunity to escape. She couldn’t believe he was going to just leave her in the cage, though. She’d already gotten out once, wasn’t he worried she’d do it again?

Those thoughts left her when she saw Andreas walking back towards the cage again, a long length of rope wrapped up and resting over his shoulder. “Oh,” Joan said softly.

Still, she’d figure something out eventually. She always did.

MelodyAvant

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