The guard stationed in front of the hole in the ground saluted as I approached. 

“Oy, how goes it Hero's Brother?”

“As good as it usually goes. How goes poor Captain Thornell?”

“Your brother is down the stairs actually. He is currently talking- err, interrogating the demon, I mean.”

“Huh. Well, I guess I should go down there then.”

“That would be good. I’ll tell him you’re coming.”

The guard opened the cellar-like doors and walked down the steps disappearing into poorly lit murkiness. A few moments later they reopened, and he ushered me down them.

The dungeon was well kept, clean and well-lit once you got past the main entrance which actually was a cellar that had stopped being used when the Duchess's father installed a bigger and better one. It was insulting to call it a dungeon honestly. I had been in a real dungeon, and this was nowhere close.

“Oy, Earth, over here.” My eldest brother called to me from a cell that was a bit further down the hall from where I was.

Ulther Thornell stood about two inches above six feet, silky blonde hair and a muscular body covered by heavy leather armor. His deeply tanned skin was glistening with sweat. Two grey eyes looked at me with some nervous darting and his bearded face tried to hide a nervous smile. 

“Hey, Ulthie. Been a while.” I said approaching him.

“Yeah, sorry. Jyst can’t get home much right now. Training the chuckleheads around here is a full-time affair. How’s Callie and the kids been?” He asked, annoyingly tussling my hair as he did so.

“Fine as always. Emily won’t leave me alone and Ribbit is making me teach him to read since Vern won't.”

“Well, aren’t you the popular uncle.”

“Yeah, I guess." I frowned a bit. "Now what was I was called here for? Demon, right?”

Ulther straightened up and coughed, “Yes, um, well, right- okay, so ze claims to be a messenger that use to live near our old town an-"

“Ze? Oh! Pinja. It’s Pinja isn’t it?” I asked. 

“Yeah.” He sighed. Pinja was one of the demons our village trusted to an extreme before the “incident” and subsequent expansion forced us out. Ze was vital in allowing conversation and trade between us and the border demon towns. Plus, ze was generally, correctly seen as harmless since Pinja was a pacifist. Also, Pinja was the only demon I knew that used Ze or Xe- since among demons that pronoun set was seen as antiquated. It fit Pinja, however in my opinion. 

I walked over to the cell and looked at the familiar shape inside. Ze looked like a greyish blue blob with horse legs bent out from each side, and stocky arms on top of the head. Three green eyes in an upside-down triangle sat in the middles of Pinja’s head/body thing. I think behind them was a mouth or maybe under zer chin. I really had never managed to find out.

“Oh, the Dirt Thornell kid. Good. Look I was trying to find you to tell you some news as that is my job and I was caught.” Ze turned and made some movements with zer hands. “And someone wouldn’t let me go.”

Ulther sighed and shrugged, “Policy, Pinja. I and Earth know you’re harmless, but the rest…”

“Yeah, Pinja over half of them, my brother included, would probably wish to have you tortured and killed.”

“That’s cruel and usual. Also, something my people would likely do if the positions were switched so I guess I can’t complain.” Pinja replied.

“Moving on. Pinja, what did you want to tell Earth.” Asked Ulther.

Pinja turned as ze spoke, “I’ve heard rumors that some of the more radical and warlike demons are planning to attack the free town of Pealage. If my lines are good, that is where the family that helped you when you moved to the duchess's went to in their retirement, right?"

“Correct. Ulther I can tell the Duchess when I go to eat so you can leave and get a messenger to warn them.”

“Oy, thanks Earth.” Ulther smiled.

Pinja made some noise then opened zer mouth hole, “Oh yeah, that Olli demoness asked me to tell you that she-“

I kicked the blobby demon through the bars of the cell. “Stop trying to let her send me curses. I’m not getting paid for it, so I don’t care to help her anymore.”

“Well, this wouldn’t be a problem if you hadn’t raised Honi to her position so quickly.”

“Sordi fell on my sword after Vern tripped him.”

“They treat the holder of the blade as the slayer.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” I groaned. “I still cannot believe that I am more hated than the one destined to end demon kind's next grand leader. Ugh.”

"Anything else?"

"I have news on Q-" Pinja began before stopping as Ulther glared at zer and mouthed something while making a motion across his neck.

"News on who?" I ask as Ulther pulls on my arm.

"Nothing. Never mind that. Have a good day."

“Thanks, Pinja. Come on now, Earth. You can explore walk around the grounds. Not the woods though, I don't want to have to rescue you when you get lost, and I know you'll get off the walking trail if I tell you to walk that.” Ulther ushered me away from the cell and returned me to the outside world. I looked back at Pinja one last time and then began to walk back towards the mansion, whistling a tune a friend had once taught me.