Tanya explained our situation while I tried to decide if I liked her face under the layer of blood and filth. In short, we will escape from prison. She got caught sneaking around this place’s boss’s office on a job, so he put her in a big pit with other prisoners. After a few days, she had a chance, or as I would say, ‘took advantage of an advantageous opportunity’, while guard Katrina (that’s me now!) took her out and was venting on her and the other prisoner I ate from; Tanya managed to kill Katrina with a broken floor tile. Apparently Tanya hid her strength and everyone here thought she was just a thief. I praised her for her brilliance. I don’t really know what her reaction to that meant, but it wasn’t what I expected. ‘Is she shy?’ Also, I’m her first demon she summoned ever! That makes me feel a bit special, I think.

While she explained all that, I found out a few interesting things about this Katrina I am supposed to be now. There’s a helpful label on my chest! (I’m glad I learned how to read.) The label says “Fort Breslow - Military Police - Katrina.” Tanya explained that Fort Breslow is a place in Avalon, a part of Terra where we happen to be right now. And Military Police is Katrina’s clan. The man I spoke to earlier must have thought I was so stupid! I told him who I was even though it’s written on my chest. Tanya also has a label, but it’s on her upper arm. She called it a brand, and said the Military Police burned it on her when they caught her, so all the other humans could know she tried to steal.

“Tanya, does everyone in Terra have labels?” I asked her while wincing at the discolored skin. “Urgh, getting burned is the worst. At least it didn’t get all blistered and oozey.” I shivered despite the warmth in the air.

“Yea, I circulated mana to it when no one was watching. Actually though, often people don’t have labels. Just soldiers and criminals, mostly,” Tanya responded while picking up the sharp metal tools from the floor and stashing them in her rags somewhere. “And nobles too, I guess... We need to get moving before it looks like you’re taking too long in here.”

I didn’t know what soldiers meant, but didn’t bother asking either, just responding, “Oh that makes sense!” I was eager to go too, now that I thought about it. Talking to Tanya seemed okay, but I wanted to finish her contract so we could freely look around outside. ‘Terra! I’ve never been here but it’s so warm and that human man was so delicious!’ I looked forward to what else there is to do. ‘Uhhhh, and I should find somebody to see what is wrong with my meridians. They don’t hurt as bad but don’t exactly feel good either.’

Tanya said I should drop her off at her cell, then go to Katrina’s quarters (the guards all lived in a separate part of the prison, apparently) to change my bloody uniform and steal anything useful, before finding a way for Tanya to escape. At least she told me where to go! As for actually getting Tanya and me out of the prison, she wasn’t so good with ideas. ‘Worst comes to worst we can just fight the guards and run away,’ I thought hopefully.

We left that room, and I followed Tanya as she held her chains together behind her back, trying to hide that she broke them, probably. Apparently prisoners don’t usually follow guards because guards aren't supposed to turn their backs, but Katrina must have been bad at that or she would not have gotten her throat stabbed.

We had to go through a small gate with a guard.

“I’m taking her to her pit,” I told him, which was true. He just nodded and opened the gate for us without asking anything, a relief for sure.

When we arrived, I pushed Tanya down into the pit before she was ready, and I even spat on her so everyone would know we weren’t actually secretly working together. ‘Maybe I should have been an actor? I think I’m a natural.’ She yelled at me for that while I pulled the cage-cover back over the pit and locked it, but I was happy she made us sound more realistic.

I took a moment to try to remember where Katrina’s room was supposed to be, then headed toward that direction, probably. I went through another guarded gate to an area that didn’t have any prisoners, so I must be going the right way.

A smaller female guard waved at me and came over quickly, “Kat! Hi hi hi! I heard from William you really got into those prisoners today.” she put a hand on her face and sighed,  “Hahhh, I wish I could’ve been there too. Look how bloody you got yourself! Don’t forget about me next time, alright?” She then bared her teeth at me, so I showed her my fangs too. I wasn’t scared of her!

“Kat are you okay? You’re making a weird face.”

I stopped doing that, “Oh I’m totally normal and fine thanks. And uh, yes I will.” I wasn’t sure why she could show off her tiny human fangs but I couldn’t, but I would remember that for later, definitely. Maybe.

“Anyway bye. I am hurrying right now,” I said, trying to stop talking without something awful happening. “Aww, okay then see ya! Come find me when you’re free. Don’t forget you still owe me from last time!” I nodded at her reply and kept moving, realizing I hadn’t even read her label. ‘So foolish! What if I needed to know her name later and couldn’t see it?’

I needed to get back to Katrina’s room fast before I met too many people who kept saying things I didn’t know how to answer. How embarrassing! Fortunately, I managed to make it to the helpfully-labeled room without further problems.

I hurried in and closed the door behind me. “Urghhhhhhhhh,” I groaned, talking to people should not feel exhausting! ‘Maybe it’s because I didn’t know anything that they think I know, so I didn’t know what to say?’

Katrina had a dresser, a small desk with a drawer and chair, a bed, a locker, and a tiny window. I rummaged through the small room looking for a uniform and found one in the dresser. It was labeled just like the one I was wearing. I started to change into it quickly. ‘It’s not that I hate blood, but I don’t know about wearing it in my clothes you know?’ I stopped briefly to admire my cool new body. I was so fit and mature, and tall! Well, maybe not for an adult, but compared to before definitely! But I had things to do, so I snapped out of it and was going to finish changing when I thought about my old clothes. ‘Such a waste to just leave it like that…’ I scooped them up and tried to squeeze out the blood into my mouth. It was nothing like feeding on live prey, but still sweet and full of energy. I suddenly realized that I was Katrina now, and I was drinking Katrina’s blood, which gave me pause. ‘I wonder if there’s something perverted about this? Oh well, it already happened and I’m almost done anyway.’

I wiped myself down with the bed sheets and finished changing into the fresh uniform. It was an extremely simple separate top and bottom design with normal underclothes, so no problems with unfamiliar garments, at least. Wearing closed boots without gaps for my claws was strange, but then again so was not having claws anymore, so I decided to just go with it. I didn’t see a mirror to check my finished work, but how bad could possibly I mess this up? It seemed so simple. ‘Oh right, I’m supposed to look for useful stuff in here like keys,’ I remembered my original purpose and got moving.

My total haul after searching, including items already on myself, was: unidentified keys; a charcoal writing kit; a card with Katrina’s name and some other words on it; a hat that matched my uniform; a small book with handwritten content; various coins; concealer and eyeliner (I never used it before, but I know adults do, so I took it to fit in. Maybe Tanya could show me how later); and also the sharp tool I found in the inter-gate place or whatever Tanya called it. I left Katrina’s other clothes behind because I didn’t know how to carry them.

I was super frustrated because there was a really big locker I couldn’t open! The lock didn’t have any holes for the keys, and when I tried to force it open, I barely started concentrating my mana when I felt my meridians strain and I coughed blood again. And it was too strong to break with just my body! There were some numbers on the lock but I didn’t know what they did except spin around. I kicked the locker again because it made me mad. ‘All the best stuff is probably in there, maybe even a mirror or weapon,’ I figured, ‘it’s so vexing!’ I put everything that I found into my new pants, which had lots of pockets. Now, I just needed to figure out how to get my Tanya out of prison.

LilyVictoria

Next time, on Novice Demon’s Survival Strategy:
“AH, AFTER TEN THOUSANDS YEARS I’M FREE! IT’S TIME TO CONQUER EARTH!”
(I wish)