The last thing Naya wanted to do was attend a meeting at the Adventurer's Hall about the Witch. But she did tell Sal she would go back. So, she settled on a compromise. She told Sal she would attend a meeting with the Hall and City Lord early morning the next day.

Sal was reluctant, but she likely knew better than to try and argue with Naya. 

After that short conversation was concluded, Naya led Rula back to their inn, where the rotund man still sat at a front desk.

"Welcome back, Miss Naya!" 

Naya nodded and made her way up the stairs without any ceremony. She remembered to watch the man for any signs of hatred for Rula, but he either had none or was good at hiding it. 

Rula was tiredly following Naya hand in hand, with her droopy eyelids indicating how tired she was. She hadn't said a word on the trip back, even at the Hall when Naya spoke with Sal.

Once they got to their room, Rula immediately released Naya's hand and ran to the left side of the bed, "Goodnight!" She pulled up the blankets, moved around a little, then closed her eyes. 

She doesn't even know what happened tonight.

I don't think she pays attention to most conversations like that. 

Perhaps.

Naya followed along, pulling up the blanket on the right side of the bed and sliding beneath it.

Once again, she found herself pleased with the human's bedmaking. It was very comfortable.

But still, she wasn't able to fall asleep. Maybe it was because it was the first time in a while she slept on a bed. Her mind was racing, and many thoughts entered and exited in sequence.

The events in the last few weeks hadn't given her much free time; she had moved from one thing to the next quickly, with no break in between. From entering the village at Rella into the Silent Forest to teleporting to a different land and joining an Adventurer's Guild. It had all occurred in a week.

She accomplished things of more significance in the last week than in her 18 years at Aleria.

Yet still, she missed her home dearly. 

Naya missed waking up to her mother's hastily prepared but good breakfast. She missed spending the day with her few friends. But most of all, she missed being in the company of her people. 

She hadn't considered how lonely it would be with no other Elves around her. Nobody could understand how she felt. 

And that thought led her to a cruel one.

Rula and Sophia. One a human, the other a halfling. She liked Rula a lot; she was like a curious child. She behaved almost exactly as Naya did as a kid when she'd get in trouble for her various shenanigans. As for Sophia, Naya had to admit there was some appreciation. The human was unique, but Naya wasn't sure how to classify her relationship. 

But no matter; they were both mortals. 

After that thought entered her mind, she felt a deep, profound sadness. It was worse than her longing for home. It felt like someone dug a hole through her chest.

She turned and looked at Rula's peaceful sleeping face. Naya didn't think her attachment to Rula was healthy at all, but she didn't care. Yet now, she realized that she would watch Rula age and die while she continued to live on.

Naya... you... It seemed like Lia wanted to say something but stopped herself from doing it. The hesitancy was obvious in her tone.

Is there a problem? Verala said curiously. She couldn't access Naya's thoughts or memories. Unless signs were clear from the outside, she wouldn't know what was plaguing Naya.

Shut up. 

Naya turned to her side and shut her eyes. She hated it when her mind drifted, which usually happened during lulls. 

An hour quickly passed, and Naya had yet to feel herself coming close to slumber. At that rate, she wasn't likely to get any sleep. 

The last thought about her immortality haunted her, and it was a thought that stuck around.

It made her start to regret even becoming close to a mortal.

Nayalisia, Elves aren't- Lia abruptly stopped, then clicked her tongue a moment later. At least made the sound of it.

After a few moments, Verala spoke. Is something the matter?

Naya turned in the bed again, her back facing Rula. No.

After a few seconds, Verala continued. I may have been your enemy, but I will likely spend the last of my days within your mind. If you can see any use for me, even a small matter, please allow me the pleasure of offering it. 

Naya paused.

It was a tone Naya hadn't heard from the Witch before. Usually, she sounded aloof, as if everything she said was none of her concern. Yet now, she seemed melancholic and dejected. It was as if she had given up and accepted her ultimate fate.

However, it was too soon.

It couldn't have been more than 6 hours since the fight. It shouldn't have been enough time for Verala to accept death. 

What are you playing at, Witch?

I don't want to die. Verala's answer, spoken in the same depressing tone, was instant. It was also an admission that it was only to gain a chance to stay.

Naya heard that before. Yet now, in her already sour mood, it only annoyed her further. 

You ripped your way into my mind, yet you have the audacity to ask me to let you stay?

When she actually said it, it only made her angrier. How could someone who forced the situation on her behave as if they were the victim? It was incomprehensible. 

But what was worse was that, as much as she tried to reject it, Naya did feel sympathy deep in her heart. 

But not enough to allow the transgression to pass.

You can be angry about my method of survival, but I did nothing wrong. What sins had I committed that warranted you coming for my life? 

That caught Naya off guard, and her eyes widened slightly. Verala hadn't argued before when Naya lashed out at her, so it stunned her for a moment. But still, she silently scoffed. A stupid question. You looted bodies from their graves, stole souls from their gods, and tried to raise an army of undead. Tell me: what would you have done if left to your own devices? 

Ignorant. You, born into more power than most can dream of having, have the gall to lecture me about what I did for strength?

That wasn't something Naya could take lying down. I worked for every bit of power I have!  

Her life may have been an easy one, where all she had to do was train without hardship, but she put in more effort than any of her peers. 

And yet, you don't even come close to understanding the agony of being born without a glimmer of hope to live in a violent world. If I didn't do what I did, do you know where I would be right now?

I don't-

I would have been made into a toy for the noble houses. Verala interrupted, the rage seeping through her voice. An anger Naya hadn't heard before.

That, again, silenced Naya for a moment. Lia had informed her of it before, that most Witches were made from circumstance. Deep down, she did feel bad. However, she also couldn't understand the decision to work with a Devil. Those creatures were detestable, violating everything Aleria and herself held dear.

So you decided to work for the beings that only have the desire to ruin your world?

Verala's turn to scoff. Over becoming a slave to a bunch of disgusting old men? Yes, and I would make the same decision again... Tell me, how would life be as an Elf if you were born in a similar state to a Witch? It's not that different out here.

Naya wasn't sure how to respond to that. She bit back a venomous retort. Anything she could say would feel petty, and Verala had a point. 

Verala may not know about Naya's origin, but it didn't matter. If Naya hadn't gotten her power, she would have been the lowest Elf in existence. Even for the little time before she got her power it felt like her world crumbled down. Like she disappointed her mother's station. It was impossible to determine how her life would have played out other than that it would have been a miserable one.

How long would it have taken for her to contract with a Devil? Would she do it? Such questions weren't capable of being answered. Naya wanted to say she wouldn't because doing so would be a sin. But she was too self-aware to not realize how powerful the temptation would be. 

Okay, that's enough. After some time, with Naya stuck in her own thoughts, Lia finally spoke up.

I do not appreciate being deemed a villain for the things I did to survive. Verala spoke softly, the rage from earlier all but gone. Her gentle and aloof bell-like voice returned.

Leave it at that.

Naya didn't fully believe it. If it was to survive, did she really need a dragon skeleton and an Elven corpse? But she understood the nature of Devil contracts. That's how they were so predatory. The Witches would all succumb to the Devil's desires, and eventually, their desires became the Witch's.

As long as you can understand that I resisted the Devil's pleas to cause chaos and destruction. It was not easy... But most importantly, I did not kill anyone. Nor would I for as long as I could. 

It was still hard for Naya to accept. She would have surely killed thousands eventually, especially if that Dragon Corpse had matured. 

The difficult part was figuring out where the Devil's influence began. But even then, it was not a shield to absolve them of sin.

Rather than engage in an anger-driven quarrel, Naya thought of a few questions. At least the discussion broke her from her depressed thoughts.  

How did you discover the Devil contract?

That question came quickly because Naya didn't even know much about them until recently. How are people able to find them?

At the depths of my despair, mere days before I was to be sold off, its whispers entered my mind and promised power. Was I suspicious? Of course. But anything was better than the fate that awaited me.

You... didn't know it was a Devil?

Of course not. I didn't even know what Devil's were until later. But I would have accepted regardless. 

Naya thought of the feeling she had when she saw the corpses in Verala's mansion. Perhaps it wasn't as vile to people without a connection to their gods. But to Naya, those alone made Verala deserve death. 

How much does the Devil influence you?

The thoughts had calmed her down, and she wasn't as angry anymore. If she approached it more diplomatically, perhaps she could learn something.

Almost everything a Witch does is because the Devil told them to. That, or go insane trying to resist. Did I want an army of undead? Yes. I wanted to keep myself safe from my inevitable pursuers. But did I want to use them to attack the world? No... but words cannot describe the difficulty of resisting the influence telling me to just say, "Go."

In other words, those undead were created willingly. Are you unaware of the gravity of necromancy?

It's not like I chose which Devil I contracted with. You can't tell me not to use the only power I had. Plus, when I died, their souls would be released with no memory of their time spent as undead. I don't see a problem.

Anything more would be a difference of opinions based on religious beliefs, so Naya kept her response to herself. That wasn't an argument she wanted to have in her mind.

But Naya didn't like that discussion. It was as if Verala was trying to get her to feel sympathy for witches so she wouldn't kill them. The worst part was that she did feel it. If Verala was speaking the truth, Naya could relate to the circumstances that led the Witches down their paths.

But that only led to her feeling guilty for her path. When she set out, it may have been a purely personal desire to kill the Witches, but after hearing and seeing what they could do, she fully believed they had to die. 

I will still kill the witches.

Yet not, unlike any time she said it before, it felt more solemn. 

And you would be correct to do so. They may not know what they're getting into, but they - we, will all give in eventually. Just understand, what you're doing is more akin to offering mercy to a dying man than it is hunting evil. 

Witches like you are exceptionally rare; most are evil and willingly follow their Devils. Lia finally spoke again.

Evil driven by circumstance. You'll find that every Witch was born into a situation where power was vital. Not having it meant... despair, to say the least.

Yet, it doesn't absolve them of their sins. 

All I ask is that you understand.

Which Naya and I both do.

It was odd seeing Lia argue for her since Lia herself had gotten on Naya about her generalizing all Witches. But she was right; Naya was understanding. But the only thing that came of it was making her feel guilty about killing them.

Then again, if it was as Lia said, there would likely hardly be a time when the guilt would manifest. Most were evil and willingly did deplorable things. 

Naya turned back toward Rula. 

Her depression about mortality was all but gone, though still a dark seed in the back of her mind. 

Maybe she could use magic to make Rula immortal? Sophia too, maybe.