“Sarah? Sarah!”

 

Sarah felt her eyes pry apart as someone shook her shoulder. Looking up, Sarah looked upon the face she'd cared for since its birth.

 

“Hmm? Ah, Lady Elex–”

 

Elexis pressed down against Sarah's shoulder, keeping her in place. 

 

“For Solah's sake, woman, stay. He's still sleeping.”

 

Elexis motioned to Sarah's arm, something weighted shifting within her embrace. Looking down, Sarah's shirt was still splayed open, and her breasts were exposed to the air. Curled against her chest was her nephew, her niece's younger brother. Lady Elexis, Kiyomi’s mother, had sired two children since the war began. Ever the figure of inhuman durability, at least as far as a human could be compared to a demon, Elexis required Sarah’s aid as a wet nurse for the first time in a decade.

 

“Apologies, m'lady.”

 

Sarah smirked, remembering exactly where she'd drifted off to sleep. Craig, Elexis’s fourth living child and her only current son, had kept Sarah awake for some time. Looking around, their midnight roams through the keep's halls had brought her here, in the study used by Elexis and her advisors during meetings regarding regional edicts. 

 

“It seems in my stupor, little Lord Craig and I managed to wander farther from the hearth than anticipated.”

 

Sarah looked down at Craig. The child was chimeric, with small, mahogany-colored cat ears flicking to either side of small nubs for horns. It was the result of any mixed sub-race child, a single generational mix of features. 

 

Had I my other arm, I'd rub those tiny ears. So cute.

 

Brand and Elexis’s first son seemed to take to Sarah more than they’d anticipated, resulting in her attachment to him. Sarah looked out the window, her eyes adjusting to the light. Looking back to Elexis, she got the first glimpse she’d managed in daylight hours in weeks. The youth of her son was not reflected so easily. Elexis’s usual pale complexion was nearing her husband's in darkness, years of active warfare taking its toll, whilst fresh healing scars that Sarah could not even recall from a week ago now littered the oni’s ears, neck, cheeks, and horns.

 

Never in my lifetime did I think–

 

“Elexis–”

 

The oni looked up at the wall in awe as she was walking around the room.

 

“Auntie?…”

 

Elexis's expression shifted into one of worry. 

 

“Sarah? What’s the bother?”

 

Sarah simply stared at Elexis for some time before shaking her head. 

 

“You looked like your mother for a moment.”

 

The two stared for a moment, either or surprised by what came to pass. Sarah nearly moved to say something before being cut off by an exasperated sigh. 

“The war has stretched nearly as long as mothers did, hasn't it?” 

 

The two sat there, silent, contemplating memories of years past. Elexis had yet to be born; however, not a day would go by that Sarah’s stories weren't heard through the halls of “Ihle the wyrm.” Sarah nodded to Elexis’s question. 

 

“Some six years now.”

 

Sarah slowly began moving her arm, the slight nudging motion waking Craig. Sarah stared at the child, thinking of the one she’d still missed for some time now, knowing full well she was still alive. 

 

“Not a setting sun goes by that I don’t miss her just as much as ever. I wonder sometimes if Kiyomi thinks of us just as much.”

Sarah said, looking at Craig and then at Elexis. The mother seemed to look at Sarah with sympathetic eyes. Elexis held her arms outward, slowly shifting the baby into her own arms to free Sarah of the burden. Craig was silent, his fill of milk and waking hours driving him to sleep through the conversation the other two held. Buttoning her shirt with her one hand, Sarah was silent as a ghoul, wordless as she awaited her next order.

 

“The draw of being her attendee must haunt your dreams. To be so far for so long, the bond was never meant to be strained to such a degree.”

 

Elexis said sympathetically.

 

“I miss her too, auntie. The war pulls at our attention at all hours, however. Were I able to take flight to Damus without the Kultas sweeping down the coast, I would in an instant.”

 

She seemed tired, the mention of her lost daughter's name eliciting a violent expression. 

 

“I cannot simply leave the war to my constituents, not with the loss that's occurred so far. Brand has been on the hunt for turncoats ever since this last winter because of such.”

 

Elexis spoke, yet Sarah, the usually attentive retainer, was staring out the window. She seemed idle of mind since Kiyomi's ascension. She clearly had and was living well; the occasional alert of age or level increase distracting Sarah. Three attendants, with a strength inherited from the goddess to pale Elexis and Danae both. In the end, however, even the assurance the few system notifications brought failed to bring the lot of them peace of mind truly. Elexis looked to the war table, a series of wooden models and tiny banners marking the territories held at this juncture of the war. She seemed to take a long moment, little Craig even managing to stir within her arms. 

 

“Aunt–”

 

Elexis held her tongue, the thought crossing her mind weighing on her as if to deny it would disappoint even herself.

 

“Sarah, do you feel of heart to lead another expedition?”

 

Elexis asked, her tone affirmative and demanding. Responding in the same prompt manner she always granted the family she attended, Sarah kneeled, looking down on reflex.

 

“Should I be of value, I am your axe to fall, Lady Elexis.”

 

The act seemed endearing, as usual. Sarah had been the only retainer for just shy of one hundred years to address the family in such a way. 

 

“I did not inquire if you would throw your life away, old goat.”

 

Sarah’s goat-like ears fluttered at the playful insult, having taken to it as the endearing appreciation of those she guided. Elexis spoke in a familiar tone, though she still clearly lacked confidence in the words she was currently holding. Rocking little Craig in her arms, Elexis mouthed the words to her son before actually uttering them. 

 

“I feel I can finally entrust this to you.”

 

Elexis was slow in her words spoken to Sarah, the imp staring back with a sudden expression of shock and excitement rolled into one. 

 

“It could take you years to circumvent Morus, yet, I know you can do so.”

 

Elexis smiled softly. 

 

“Can you retrieve my lost daughter? Bring her back to us?”

 

Sarah nodded absent-mindedly, almost in shock that the order had finally been spoken. It was not a light consideration, as sending Sarah meant losing the woman's fifty-warrior company. After all, could one expect a one-armed mage to traverse the frontier by herself? That was Elexis’s final consideration, and she had debated it for some time already.

 

“And what of Lord Craig?”

 

Sarah asked, the boys stirring, drawing her eyes to him, a sense of duty still anchoring her from pursuing her search.

 

“He will be fine; I will manage to find another wet nurse. However, I can not simply replace your mistress, can I?”

 

Elexis smiled warmly, motioning with a wave of a hand from underneath Craig. 

 

“I expect to be notified when you depart, Sarah. Do at least share a drink with me before then, aye?”

 

Sarah nodded slowly, rising back to her feet and nearly staggering. It seemed that although stout, the realization that she was now free to join her niece was bending her perception some.

 

“I– I will inform my troops. We will need to be thorough if we are to cross imperial territory once more. I–”

 

Sarah paused, looking at her only hand.

 

“On my soul, I shall bring her back.”

---

“Lady Vakara–”

 

The voice of a boy, still in his teens, was cut off.

 

“For the last time, Emeryk, stop referring to me in the honorific.”

 

Sarah chastised, examining the horse she'd been given.

 

“We must make this manner of speech habit, you're to talk with me the familiarity of a  mercenary at the loosest.”

 

Sarah's words were strict, but held a hint of spirit she'd not shown for some time. Looking at Emeryk, she almost thought it laughable that this boy looked at her the same way she looked at Elexis.

 

“Boy, you yourself are a noble. You're my squire, that you may be, but you're of no common blood.”

 

Sarah looked at the boy, his still adolescent frame hidden under layers of cloth, fur, and chainmail. He was a higher demon as well, one of Kiyomi’s playmates, and was also being trained for an advisory position. Emeryk squinted at Sarah, a sense of confusion ever digging at him through her words. True, Sarah was odd in her familiarity, but only by modern Va-ranian standards. She is the eldest higher demon to anyone's knowledge left in the country, and with that she is a mirror of old Va-ranian principle. Survival. 

 

“Will we really be forced into such a protracted search?”

 

He asked, following Sarah to the horse's rear.

 

“Aaah, a stallion, good, good.”

 

Sarah smiled, approaching the horse's hindquarters to look closer. Emeryk watched with continued confusion until he was forced to cringe awkwardly at Sarah’s prodding. She had placed her bare hand where the horse's testicles should have been, a loose growth of skin. She felt, then squinted.

 

“No, that's not it.”

 

She pressed her hand flush against the horse, feeling for something. It came to the point that the horse seemed uncomfortable for a time before she withdrew.

 

“That's good, he's a rig, so it seems we have another means of income for the journey.”

 

Emeryk was forced to shake his head and clear his mind for a moment; the sight of a noble lady assessing the breeding capability of a horse shocked him. 

 

“We well and truly are meant to travel like this, by the Gods.”

 

Sarah chuckled, inspecting her saddle and equipment stowed along the animal's side. 

 

“Save our weapons and armor, we are alone once we depart from the border back into imperial territory. We'll be forced to play the part of adventurers randomly throughout the cities en route. We'll never show ourselves all at once, only as small groups. Our only gathering points can be when camping between cities, and some may be forced to move ahead to the next.”

 

Sarah held her focus staff in hand, the silver and gold inlaid ram skull glistening in the light whilst small colorful feathers fluttered against the breeze. Elexis took to providing whatever enchanted or rare materials she could spare to enhance the weapon, all in the hope of hastening her daughter's return. Placing the weapon into a loop of leather on the saddle, Sarah looked to Emeryk as if expecting his next question.

 

“You were going to ask how long it will take?”

 

Sarah asked, hosting herself onto the saddle, Prompting a nod from her squire.

 

“Two years.”

 

The boy’s face seemed to go blank, his expression deadpan. 

 

“Two years until we've returned?”

 

He asked, a quivering smile taking form. Sarah shook her head, raising her chin as if she was nonetheless excited. 

 

“Mn-mm, two years until arrival. Two years back.”

 

Emeryk slumped his shoulders.

 

“So that was what the feast was about, the open armory.”

 

Sarah nodded to a mare tied to a post some ten feet away. 

 

“Don’t forget your mare.”

 

Sarah's voice took a sing-song tone.

 

“Holy shit.”

 

Emeryk muttered, approaching the other horse.