The Paladin’s Errand

13

Imp ran through the listless streets and lanes of Conrede. Following the arrival of the paladins the activity of the citizens had a sharp decline. Though there were nothing but warm and inviting faces, Imp could feel it. They wanted to stretch their wings and claws too. He got lost and had to ask for directions once, only one elderly hollow was to be kind enough to help him. He arrived at the apothecary shortly after. 

Behind the worn counter was a tired but young looking woman. She was pallid and had two long pleats dividing the top and bottom half of her head, delicately rolled into rose buds stacked on top of eachother. They were pinned in place securely. Her slouched shoulders shifted too and fro as she shuffled from one drawer to the next. Grabbing herbs and putting together a concoction Imp had no idea what for. 

“Excuse me.” Imp greeted the woman, and rather than jump or be startled she turned to greet him with half lidded eyes and a sardonic smile. 

“Yes, a new customer, yes?” 

“Yes! I was asked to fulfill an order.” Imp quickly listed all of the paladin's requests. But the shop keep did not move to fulfill it. 

“You’re the boy with souls.” She said after pausing a moment to look at him with her sleepy eyes. Imp didn’t answer. 

“Where’s your bag boy?” 

“Why?” 

“How else are you going to pay?” 

“With money,” he suppressed the urge to growl at her when she laughed. A breathy chuff forced from her chest. 

“Leave.” 

“No. I’m running an errand for the paladins. I can’t just go back empty handed.” 

“Then come back with your bag, I’m hungry.” 

“The paladins have it. I can’t go back without-”

“Don’t lie to me boy.” Her face began to squirm, and vines began to sprout from her orifices. Jumping back, Imp hissed and dropped his disguise. 

“I’m not lying. Stop this and give me herbs!”

“Imputent child give me those souls!” The vines lashed out and more revealed themselves. 

Slipping into the shadows, of which there were plenty in the dreary shop. Imp watched as the woman became a body of writhing plant life. The vines spread throughout the shop and scoured every nook and cranny for Imp. 

“You little cretin,” a deep voice reverberated through the shop. “Show yourself!” 

Instead Imp slunk along the darkness. Using a trick he’d learned while playing with the pups, he gently laid loops of shadows around the vines. Avoiding detection as the demon got more violent the more time passed that it failed to find the Imp. Once his trap was laid, Imp came out of the shadows and got comfortable on one of the shops old wood beam rafters. 

“Yoohoo, looking for me?” Imp taunted, and was immediately rushed by a swarm of vines. Only for the demon to erupt in sudden pain. Imp's eyes crinkled in delight at the success of his machinations. 

Below was a scene of carnage as the newly pruned demon and its fresh stumps writhed in pain. Imp held a string of shadow that’d once pulled closed the loops of shadow he’d placed, severing the vine-like limbs quite easily. His shadows were only strong enough to trip the pups, but this demon was not so durable. 

Its painful wails were replaced with squeals of terror, as Imp summoned more shadows to hook the plant demon. Pulling another string of shadow the demon was forced from the young woman's body. Her form collapsed onto the floor with a thump. 

Turned into nothing but a ball of writhing stumps the demon made one last ditch effort to kill the Imp.  Launching itself toward the rafters, it revealed a sharp beak, and rows of serrated teeth in its gullet. 

Grinning from ear to ear, Imp threw a ball of shadows down the demon's throat, before jumping into the shadows again. Releasing a burst of magic, his ball of shadows exploded into spikes. The demonic plant parasite was rendered limp and lifeless. But to Imp’s surprise that wasn’t all. A soul revealed itself. 

He slipped out of the shadows, and approached the fallen creature slowly. Tiptoeing over the littered carnage from before. He sat on his haunches and looked at it. It looked like a soul, but he wasn’t drawn to it the same way he’d been with Tollin or Revira’s. Even Manuel’s soul had enrapt him a little bit. 

Cupping just as he would the other souls he’d been in contact with, he held it. It felt dank, and moldy. Grimacing, he furrowed his brow before letting it go. The sudden sound of movement drawing his attention. 

It was the human shopkeeper. Using his shadows and sucking in his wings, he put on his human disguise again.Venturing behind the counter Imp found the woman in a heap of muffled agony. The skin lifted and twisted out of place left her writhing with no outlet for her screams to escape from. Her limbs were in rough shape as well. Hoisting her up, Imp slipped into the shadows. 

He rushed her to an alley close to the inn before coming out of the shadows. He began to shout for help and Sir Rencaus was the first to find him. The paladin immediately cast healing words over the women. Imp had to use every ounce of his concentration to keep his disguise from falling. 

~~~

“How’s the boy?” Romeo asked Mattheus as he replaced the man’s empty cup.

“He was frantic, but he’ll survive. It's a miracle either of them survived the ordeal. Rencaus and Louis escorted her home, but found nothing amiss.” The older paladin nursed his fresh drink. 

“You’ve not heard of anything going amiss, have you barkeep?” Mattheus asked.

“I’m afraid not. Nothing out of the ordinary usually happens here. I’ll tell you what, this is shocking enough we can’t afford anything else happening!” Romeo shivered in a convincing manner of horror. 

“I’m sure this is truly a shocking day indeed. May I ask you something else?” Mattheus inquired, allowing the ruse. 

“Oh, but of course sir, I’m at your service.” 

“The boy,” Mattheus started and he could see Romeo stiffen. “What do you think of him? And be honest about it, his character.” 

“Ah,” Romeo blinked and clasped his hands together in contemplation. “The boy’s character?” After a serious moment of consideration the aging innkeeper gave Mattheus a relaxed smile. And with tempered gusto replied, “Well, if anything, one can’t say he doesn’t have a good heart.”