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Devil & Demon

Calista

Ridiculous! absolute nonsense! how could anyone accept this crap as reality?!

It was the middle of the night and I awoke to the sight of my girlfriend standing over me, blade in hand with a gaze like ice. Before I can react my arm is gone and she’s out the door taking my arm with her! It sounds like a joke! I looked down and only half an upper-arm was left! My brain caught up and pain and panic flooded over me. I tried to heal myself with magic but nothing happened, “Are you kidding me!?!?” I bandaged the wound with clothes off the floor and ran to the local healer.

Were I human, I would certainly have bled out but demons have a bit more vigour than that! So I did manage to get to the healer who closed the wound, Though I think I was passed out at that point.

Now dear reader, hopefully you’re thinking ‘wow that’s totally messed up, what a totally mean bad person’ but perhaps you’re thinking ‘oh she’s a demon? I bet she totally did something bad and deserved it’ this would be a very wrong and a very mean thought, I may be a demon however I am but a kind maiden; not any eviler than anyone else is.

With your perception of me repaired, let me tell you about the arm, because it isn’t just a regular old store-brand arm, it’s a magic arm; covered with demonic tattoos that grant the owner magic of great potency. As it happens each and every tattoo I had was on that arm, so now I am nothing! I was a feared and powerful mage! The elements were mine to control! with but a flick of the wrist I could level a mansion (not that I’d do that hehe). As such I need that arm back! It’d also be lovely If I could get some revenge on the woman who’d just become my ex-girlfriend.

For a about a week I laid alone in my blood-stained bed, plotting, scheming, sulking , trying to figure out how to get my arm back; as I am I’ll need help to achieve my revenge quest. I'll need to draw on every favour I'm owed, leverage every crumb of guilt, and use my feminine charms to gather allies for this grand revenge quest!

First on my list is Aikaterini (aka Rini) we’ve been close for years so she shouldn't be too hard to persuade, and she happens to be able wield powerful mind-control magic as well as decent healing magic, in theory I just have to recruit her and she can mind control as many allies as we need!

“Absolutely not! mind control magic is evil! It shouldn’t even exist! And don't talk about it so loudly.” Aikaterini folded her arms.

I’d met Aikaterini behind the Puldark council building—a building too bland to describe. Aikaterini had an appearance that stood out in pubs: she seemed awfully young. Blond hair settled just above her shoulders—part-braided on one side, with a green ribbon clipped into the other. Frills lined the end of her grey skirt and beige short-cloak. Quite fancy for dirty ol’ Puldark but surely nothing to the folks in The Capital.

“Cmon Rini～♡” I said. “It’s for a wonderful cause～♡”

She speared me with green eyes. “Two wrongs don't make a right Calista.”

My name is Calista by the way.

“Ok but what if our wrong is just a wee bit bad but her wrong is very deeply super evil.”

“Wee bit? Mind control is perhaps the worst possible violation of one's autonomy and selfhood, I cannot begin to conceive of a situation in which it’s usage would be permissible.”

“Yeah but hey, what if they agree to be mind-controlled? then it's fine right?”

Aikaterini hmpf-ed. “If they trust you that much then there's no need to mind control them.”

“Haha that is so true, you’re quite the thinker Rini.”

“~Sigh~...As your friend I obviously want to help, doubly since you lost your arm.”

Ah such a kind soul my dear Rini has, at this rate it will be less than an effort to recruit her to my revenge quest.

“I, I mean with one arm it’s probably hard to cook right? so maybe I could-” Aikaterini turned away blushing, “go to your place, and help, and stuff...”

I hugged her. “Aww Riniiiiiii～♡”

She let out a panicked sound.

“Hm? what’s up?”

She lept out of the hug “Nothing! all good!”

“...”

“So... mind control?”

“No.”

“...”

“Well uh, you’re pretty good with healing magic yeah? you could be the group’s nurse.” I said.

“Sure but,” Aikaterini twiddled her fringe. “I can’t just pack up and go like that, I’m a council member here—a community representative and all. And I know it’s expensive but wouldn’t it be easier to have a healer regrow your arm rather than going after the one you lost?”

“There’s no-one in Puldark with that level of magic. And as I am I wouldn’t be able to get the money. Besides, she intentionally took the arm with all the magic tattoos so she must have some stupid evil plan for it, or maybe she just wanted to disarm me heh.”

I swear, I’ll [REDACTED BY THE DECENCY BOARD] that woman.

“...I suppose her reason for taking it are concerning, but It’ll still be easier to find money for a healer...” Aikaterini said.

“Ughh I just want my arm ok! can’t a girl feel attached to her arm?! you only ever get two!” Well some demons have more, but whatever.

“Also! It’s not much of a story to just rock up and have my arm grown back! If I find Elaine and do revenge things to her that’s much more of a story! she’ll be all noooo I am totally facing the consequences of my actions right now and I totally completely regret making such an innocent maiden suffer and also ouch oof my face really hurts.”

I smiled towards the heavens.

Aikaterini sighed. “How bold I was to think I could steer you away from the bluntest approach.” She glanced to the horizon. “Besides, what use is revenge. Wouldn’t it be better if you just forgot about her?”

Psh, what rubbish. Like hell I could play saint with an arm thief.

I smiled. “No.”

“...”

“Well, um, what’s the plan for getting your arm back anyway?” Aikaterini said.

“If you’re asking does that mean my dear Rini will be accompanying me?”

Aikaterini blushed. “Eh?! nothing like that! I’m just curious about your plan...” Aikaterini played with her fingers.

“Indeed indeed, though I think I know what I’d have to do to motivate you.” I smiled.

Aikaterini grew redder. “I-I couldn’t possibly imagine what you mean by that! just tell me the plan...”

“Well uh... step one was to get you with your mind control onboard... but uh, generally the plan was to gather allies, pack supplies, and head to The Capital.”

“The Capital?? you know how far away that is right? It’ll take months to get there! besides how do you know she’ll be there.”

“Well before she was with me she lived in The Capital, probably in some dumb fancy house. And she wouldn’t have a reason to hang around Puldark, especially since I’m sure she knows she’s pissed me off, not that a demon with no magic would scare her.” I sighed. “Anyway, that’s where she’ll be.”

“I see.”

“...”

“So... Rini... how about it?” I made an extravagant gesture. “Become my partner in this revenge quest!”

Aikaterini folded her arms, blushing. “As if I’d accept so easily... but I suppose I’ll think about it...”

“Rini you’re the best!!! such a sweet girl!” I gave her a leaping hug, she stumbled and after recovering broke away.

“W-well I’m going back to work, bye.” Aikaterini turned to walk back to the council building.

“Oh, uh, I’ll come back when you finish work!”

Aikaterini

That woman I swear, I don’t know how to process her at all. Suddenly appearing in the middle of work hours with talk of a revenge quest. ~Sigh~ I guess I can’t be too hard on her though, after all her girlfriend did suddenly attack her like that; that’d be traumatising for anyone.

I feel a bit selfish saying this, but I can’t say I’m sad that those two aren’t together anymore, I never particularly trusted Elaine, n-not because I was jealous or anything I just had that sort of feeling. I mean a rich girl from The Capital suddenly showing up in a run-down town like Puldark! It’s unusual! It’s suspicious! Well, ‘A rich girl from The Capital’ could perhaps also describes me, but not I’m rich anymore...

I do wonder what Elaine plans on doing with the arm, it’s definitely concerning. Oh well, for now I’ve got to figure out how to deal with this revenge quest thing. Maybe I could join for a week or so, during which she can confide in me... Let her feelings out... And so on... Ahem, then we can go home, and work on finding money for a healer.

I snapped to attention; a member of the council had called my name. Oh no I’d spaced out, how embarrassinggg~

What a mess this all is...