In the Infernal Legion's earthly lair, the scout Imago knelt before Captain Mirage.

"While I'm more than aware that you're a hopeless idiot, I didn't think you'd be so stupid as to engage Sir Zenith when my specific orders were to only spy on him," the captain said, silky with displeasure. Though his voice was quiet, it drifted through the darkened room like mist, insinuating itself into even the tiniest crevice. "Care to explain your thinking, or lack thereof?"

"I thought I could do it, sir, 'cause he was all alone," Imago whined, shivering. The Legion healers might've fixed up the wound, but his head still stung something fierce. "First time I caught him outside the house. He just had some random ugly kid with him. I thought it'd be easy."

"But it wasn't." Captain Mirage drew out the last word into a hiss. "That's why your job isn't to think. It's to spy."

"Yes, Captain, I understand now, oh wise and powerful Captain!" Imago cried, ducking into a series of ever lower and grander bows.

At least until the captain's annoyed voice cut him off. "Enough of that. Now, if you're all done – "

"Wait, wait! Not quite!" Imago jumped back to his knees, grinning now. "You wanna know why he was so strong?"

"Simple, because you're weak."

The captain's insults didn't hurt – much. Working for him required one to grow a thick skin. "Maybe so, sir, but he also had help. And by help I mean a wizard!"

"A wizard?" The captain didn't react visibly, but Imago felt smugly certain he wasn't imagining the edge in his voice. "So the homunculus knight has finally formed a contract?"

"You got it, boss! And it was with that ugly kid. Here, here...." Rummaging in his uniform pockets, Imago produced a small mirror with a flourish. "Got him on record."

He held out the mirror and it projected an image onto the wall. A knight aglow with dawn light. A boy standing behind him, a diagram shining beneath his feet. From this angle his messy pink hair covered his face, but the determined set of his mouth was clear to see.

The image flickered and faded, and Imago bowed low.

After a long silence, Captain Mirage spoke. "Well done, I must say. It seems you somehow managed to accomplish your mission after all."

Delighted, Imago flung himself flat to the carpet. "Oh, Captain, I thank your eternal graciousness!"

"Yes, yes, now out of my sight." The captain gave a dismissive wave of his hand, and Imago wasted no time scurrying out of the room, feeling quite pleased with himself. Now even that blasted wound didn't seem to hurt too bad.

For a while, Captain Mirage remained seated, tapping his fingernails together as if deep in thought. Then he turned toward the man standing behind his chair, clad in a suit of night-black armor.

"You seem interested in this young wizard," he commented.

"Maybe," the armored man said. A pause, then, "If I may investigate him...."

"Why, certainly. Do as you please."

The man nodded. With a faint creak of armor, he slipped back into the shadows.

A smile twitched up the captain's lips. "Well, well, Prince Darian. It seems our game has begun for real."

~*~

"So that's what happened," Darian said, her face hard as stone.

"Yes, my liege. I regret I was not able to dispose of the demon before he fled." Zenith bowed his head contritely.

"That doesn't matter. I'm glad that neither of you were hurt, and now we know for certain that the Infernal Legion has followed us to Earth."

Evening had fallen and they were back in Meg's house, gathered around the parlor table. Beneath the cozy glow of the chandelier and with his stomach full of Lodo's Brazilian fish stew, Theo couldn’t feel further away from the icy dark arena where Imago had attacked him.

Meg and Darian had returned from the auction, apparently having been outbid at the last moment, but they'd had no time to complain about it before Theo and Zenith had filled them in with what had happened. Now Darian sat at the head of the table with her hands clasped so tightly her knuckles had turned white, looking older and graver than Theo had ever seen her.

Theo wouldn't lie and say he wasn't intimidated, but he knew Darian wasn't upset with him and he badly wanted answers himself. So he addressed her, asking, "So, um, this Infernal Legion was after you on Tielos?"

Darian nodded. "Since I started my mission, they've been the greatest obstacle in my way.”

"Uh...why?" Theo tried to remember what Darian had told him about her mission. "What does it matter to them if you, um, become the ruler of the Fortress or whatever?"

"The Infernal Legion's goal is to conquer Tielos," Darian said. "The Fortresses wouldn't bother stopping them – they don't care what happens on the wasteland." A palpable bitter edge slid into her voice. "But I'm different. I won't let them terrorize innocent people, and when I claim my throne I'll throw all the power Miria Fortress has to bear against them."

Her eyes sparkled, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky. It unnerved Theo a little. Zenith's resolve might be inhuman, but Darian’s seemed practically supernatural. She spoke of taking her throne as if it had already been long decided.

"We knew it would only be a matter of time before they followed us to Earth," Darian continued. "But I didn't think it'd be so soon. Forgive me, Theo. I should have warned you of them earlier."

"Uh, no, it's okay," Theo said quickly, waving his hands.

"I didn't mean to drag you into this fight so soon. Now that you're Sir Zenith's wizard, you have no choice but to join it."

So would there be more battles like that in the future? If he thought too hard, Theo could still feel the piercing chill of the arena, hear Zenith's armor crunch beneath Imago's fangs. It took all his effort not to shudder.

With a thud, Zenith stood up. "It will be fine," he declared. "I will ensure no harm comes to either Theo or you, my liege. I swear upon my honor as a knight of Miria."

He lowered into a bow from the waist, even sweeping out a hand as if flicking a cape that wasn't there. Dramatic as always – yet Theo found it reassuring, too.

Darian seemed to feel the same. For the first time tonight, her expression softened. "I have no doubt of it, Sir Zenith."

"Believe me, none of us will take this sitting down." Meg leaned back, folding her arms. "Lodo and I will do whatever we can as well."

"I appreciate it," Darian said. "You've been nothing but a help to us, Meg. Even though this battle has nothing to do with you, either."

"Perhaps not," Meg said, tossing her hair, "but a wizard's goal is to fight powerful opponents. So if any of these Legion types can give me a decent challenge, it'll be more than worth it."

Darian nodded crisply. "For now, our focus should be on gathering information. We know the Infernal Legion has a presence on Earth, but not its size or strength or how long they've been here. We should lay low for the time being to avoid further ambushes."

"Sounds wise," Meg said. "It's safe to assume they've got at least some wizards helping them as well."

"Huh? Why?" Theo turned toward her.

"The demon you fought ambushed you with an arena, yes? That's wizardry. Tielans can't perform it, ergo they must have human help."

"I didn't see any wizard, though," Theo said.

"The wizard could have been hiding their presence, or acting from a distance. Anything's possible." Meg shrugged. "Indeed, these Legion people wouldn't be able to get much done on Earth if they couldn't form contracts."

"Is that possible? Wizards can make contracts with demons?"

"It's possible to make contracts with any Tielan," Meg said. "Plenty of wizards prefer demons for their ferocity."

Zenith scoffed and folded his arms. "Such wizards have no honor."

"I won't deny it, but I'd hardly call us wizards an honorable bunch as a general rule," Meg said, winking. Zenith sighed.

"So even demons can, uh, maximize their Levia and join Fortresses?" Theo struggled to put together all the pieces of the picture. "Even though they were the ones who destroyed Tielos in the first place?"

"No, that option's not available to them," Darian said. "That's why the Infernal Legion wants to conquer Tielos. To finish what the Demon Prince started."

A demon army that wanted to conquer the world. It seemed even more fantastical than the whole deal with wizards and familiars battling to join Fortresses.

Maybe I shouldn't have gotten involved...but it was too late for that. And he knew for certain he couldn't turn his back on Zenith. That was one thing he could cling to, a single manageable piece of this gigantic puzzle.

Cu-ckoo, cu-ckoo. The cheerful song of the parlor's cuckoo clock made Theo start. Glancing above the flapping bird, he saw the hour hand had reached eight.

"Oh, uh, sorry, but it's kinda late," he said, rising from his chair. "I have to get going...."

"Of course," Darian said. "Sir Zenith, will you escort Theo home?"

"By your will, my liege." Zenith bowed, then turned toward Theo. "Shall we?”

"Uh." Heat crept into Theo's cheeks. "It's okay, I’m good."

"It's better to stay safe," Darian cut in, her firm voice inviting no argument.

Just a week ago, Theo couldn’t have ever imagined needing an escort home to protect him from danger. Not for the first time did he wonder just what the hell he'd plunged into.

But he remembered how suddenly the black diagram had swallowed him up, giving him no time to react. Yeah, if that happened again, he'd definitely appreciate having Zenith around.

It was strange how calm that thought made him. I have Zenith. Maybe this was what it meant to trust someone with your life.

"Theo?" Zenith had already made it halfway to the parlor door. Embarrassed, Theo got up and bid the others a quick goodbye before hurrying after Zenith.

Well, it wasn’t like he’d object to walking home together.