Tetora’s wakeful state, while appreciated, did not immediately progress to one where he was fully ambulatory.

“Meat!” he whined incessantly the next afternoon. "I would heal quicker if I had meat!”

“The more you yowl, the less I believe you are actually suffering,” Aleph exhaled.

“This is a forest! I am sure there are tasty animals somewhere nearby! Bring me some. Otherwise… I might faint again.” He was on his back and still covered in sweat. However, his tail twitched playfully in the dry leaves. Hopefully, his overacting wouldn’t exhaust him more.

Aleph rolled his eyes while turning to me. “Let’s go see if we can set a few traps. At least it will give our ears a rest.”

Nora, who had been squeamish about talking with Tetora, looked at me with haunted eyes. I betrayed her silent request to switch by giving her a covert but enthusiastic thumbs-up.

I started following Aleph deeper into the woods. “You’ll have to show me how to set one.”

“It isn’t hard,” Aleph replied, though he made no move to do so.

I waited until we were out of earshot. “Did you two come up with this, also?”

“What do you mean?”

“You said before that no animals would be around because of the demons,” I reminded him.

“You are far too generous to Tetora. He does want us to find meat.”

“So you’re saying it was just you, then?”

“They need to talk alone. I am just taking advantage of Tetora’s ridiculous request.”

We walked silently while looking for trail markings, but not bothering with any traps. As we progressed, the woods thickened around us, but at least the sunny sky was still visible through cracks in the canopy.

Now was a good time. “Aleph…” I took a big breath. “There’s something I’ve wanted to ask for a while, but… you might not want to answer.” Could I have been any more vague?

“You won’t know for sure until you try.”

“What… What was he like?”

He’s not like how I had imagined him, right? What I had dreamt couldn’t actually be…

Aleph stopped walking and turned, blocking my view of his face. “I do not know to whom you refer.”

“I don’t know if I am allowed to say his other name. You know, the one he used when pretending to be a dark mage.”

“It is not his true name. It has no power.”

I hesitated. “What was Oliver like?”

“It does not matter what he was like. Oliver did not exist.”

“But he was–”

“Whatever I thought Oliver was is not the truth.” His tone was harsh, I could tell he didn’t want to talk about him, but I couldn’t help myself. I had to know.

“The story made him seem intelligent, even witty. Is that how he seemed to you, too?” He's not some mindless, mustache-twirling villain, right?

“Oliver was a persona adopted by a powerful demon lord. He was not real.”

“Well, his persona then. What was it like?” Crafting a persona requires intelligence and wisdom, right? Wouldn’t that mean… he could be reasoned with?

“It doesn’t matter what it was like! He never existed! To spend even one moment considering his past influence only adds to his demonic power!” Aleph slammed his war hammer into a nearby tree, splitting the trunk with a resounding crack.

I swallowed hard, frightened by his uncharacteristic rage. “I…” I took a few steps back, and Aleph’s eyes widened in sudden remorse.

“Little one, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“No, no, I was just startled, that’s all. I’m sorry.” I scratched my right wrist absently at first. Once I realized I was doing it, I tried to stop but had little luck. “I shouldn’t have–”

“I am the one who wronged you. Do not apologize to me.”

A soggy voice called from the treetop, “You should apologize to me!”

I tensed, regretting not grabbing my bo staff. Were the demons back?

“Knock softer next time!” the voice yelled again.

My tension dissipated at Aleph's incredulous chuckle. “Vernie? Is that you?”

“Pretending to know me won’t work! Full price is off the table at this point.”

“Please, just come down here so we can talk!”

A weighted rope dropped from the tree’s canopy, and a middle-aged woman slid in fits and starts before plunging the last several feet to the ground noisily. Her dark leather outfit was skin-tight, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. She swept her wild red mane out of her face and stood up with a cat-like stretch, followed by a fluid motion to regain her balance after a near stumble.

“Ho…? Not what I was expecting at all…” She looked me up and down with bleary, chartreuse eyes. “But looks can be deceiving.” She then turned to Aleph, staggering slightly and counting off wavy fingers as she spoke. “The standard slaver bounty, minus a three-day late fee for making me wait, comes to–”

“Slaver… bounty?” I looked between the two of them.

“Did you think you’d make some money off the suffering of others, kid?” She pointed dramatically at me, wobbly knife in hand. “Not that I blame you for wanting to get rich, but you chose the wrong side. Let’s see how you like wearing a collar!”

“Laverna!” Aleph’s voice thundered. “Sober up and try again!”

“Eh?… Aleph?” she blinked several times before grinning widely. “So, you’ve finally woken up! It’s about damn time, you pathetic pacifist!” She punched him in the shoulder roughly with her free hand.

Aleph tried again. “Laverna, we really–”

“Wait, where’s the furball?” She started looking around wildly, jumping here and there in a comedic fashion. “You wouldn’t have left him behind! What happened?”

Aleph groaned. “Just how much have you had to drink today?”

“Today? Ah, I don’t know. Business has been good, so..” she shrugged, her black leather halter top bouncing along with her shoulders. “Probably more than enough. Why, you want some?”

“No. Just…” Aleph rubbed his temples. “She’s not a slaver.”

“Issat so?” She turned to me again, then frowned, drawing in her plump, overly red lower lip. “Wait. Take off your mask.”

I glanced at Aleph dubiously for a moment before answering. “Put the knife away first.”

“What knife?” she asked in confusion.

“The one in your hand!”

“Oh! No, I wasn’t going to...” She tucked it into a sheath on her hip. “See?” She held up her hands, twirling her fingers. “All good now.”

I pulled off my mask and tensely waited for her reaction.

“Never mind.” She turned away abruptly and said, “Put it back on. I’m mistaken.”

“Uh, sure.” I pulled it back up, thoroughly confused. Were Aleph and Tetora… only seeing what they wanted to see in me? I should have felt relief, but… all I felt was awkwardness.

“Where’s Tetora?” she demanded again of Aleph.

“Not far. We encountered demons yesterday, and he took a hit of poison.”

“Demons? In my forest?!” She straightened considerably. “And they managed to hit him?!”

“Army recruiters,” Aleph confirmed. “We banished both. One was a sergeant.”

“F***!” she swore loudly as she pulled out a whistle. Three long, loud tweets later, we heard frantic movement around us. Humans and hybrids, mostly dressed in brown and black leather, started popping out from denser areas of foliage, only to run deeper into the heart of the woods.

One young man ran up to her and saluted sharply. “Orders, boss?”

“Full evac! Red mountain. Vulture’s in charge. You have five days to move the entire operation, tops.” She looked at Aleph. “Supplies for how many?”

Aleph made a strange gesture before answering. “If you’re joining us, we’ll be five.”

Laverna also gestured back, even as she agreed. “You heard him!”

“Do you have any curcumin?” Aleph asked the henchman. “I’d like to incorporate it into Tetora’s treatment.”

I thought that was just a spice?

“Yarrow would also be helpful.”

“Anything else?” Laverna asked. Somehow, she exuded a sense of authority even though she could not stand straight without waving about.

“Any priests in your employ?” Aleph inquired.

Laverna snorted. “As if!”

“Yes… I understand,” Aleph replied somberly.

“Um… Tetora wants some meat, too, if possible,” I added.

“Yeah, of course,” she answered, though she refused to look at me. Did I offend her? I’m the one who should be mad—being mistaken for a slaver!

The young man saluted again. “On my way, boss! I’ll be back soon!”

We all watched him run off and quickly disappear behind a large bush.

“You’re not going to ask her name?” Aleph asked.

“I’d just forget it,” Laverna slurred.

“She looks like someone you know, doesn’t she?”

“No! I don’t hallucinate anymore!” Laverna declared.

“That is very good to hear, but she certainly looks like Raelynn to me.”

At that, Laverna turned to look at me, tears shining in her eyes. “Rae-Rae?”

“Um…” I didn’t want to mess with her, but I was beginning to question everything. “Maybe?”