With nothing to do for the next few hours, Delziel went to the practice yard. Selecting one of the training swords, he carefully went through the attack and block forms. Peachy lay on the ground a short distance away, facing him, chin resting in his hands.

While Delziel didn't like the audience, he wasn't going to admit it and tell Peachy to leave. Instead, he focused on making each movement perfect. Twist of his wrist to block, turn his hips to strike, lift his arms and block...

The physical activity was expending some of his spare energy, but the rote moves left his mind free to wander.

Thinking was the last thing he'd wanted to do, but he didn't have much of an alternative at the moment. There were no reports to distract him, no inspections, paperwork, or other Knight of Emelet duties... and as it stood... he was pretty sure Eloi, Cammie, and Marcia were working to sideline him back in the capital. So, unless he got himself together on this mission, he was looking at having a lot more time to think his unpleasant thoughts.

Celestia was dead. He'd gotten there in time to see her die, but not save her.

Unless... she'd been so disappointed by his accusations that she'd faked her death over the last year?

No. That wasn't like her at all. She'd been his support for the last fifteen years. She had unconditionally believed in him. She'd been his motivation to improve himself and his control over his demonic powers. Over the last year, his control had slipped significantly.

To be honest... he didn't know who he was without her.

He'd never thought himself worthy of her. He may have been a prince, but his throne had been relinquished to the democracy. Without that, he only held a position of authority with the independent military group she'd founded because she had put him in charge of it. Without that, he would just be a directionless half-demon.

Maybe I should quit the Knights. Just prowl Mt. Pallin killing demons whenever I find them until something kills me? I'm not being very useful for the Knights the way I am.

Cammie and Marcie kept trying to invite him over. He knew it was because they cared about him. He cared about them too, but he didn't want to expose their children to his uncontrolled moods. He'd lost control three times over the last year. He didn't want the children to see his true form.

"You're thinking about it too hard oso," Peachy said.

Startled from his thoughts, Delziel lowered the dull blade and looked at the berrykin.

"We'll find the woman oso. We'll find out what that demon is doing and how it's managing to evade the Blessing oso." Peachy sat up, dusting his front as he lifted off the ground with a buzz of his wings.

Delziel looked away, not wanting to admit that the woman had been very far from his mind. Instead, he wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve.

"General!" someone called.

Turning, he found one of the National Guard jogging into the practice yard, hand raised in salute.

"Captain requests your assistance. A village to the north is under attack."

"How far away?"

"Just thirty minutes by gant," the soldier said, panting.

And still an hour more for the dergenflurgen to return. Delziel nodded. "I'll assist." He put the sword away, then headed to the stables where four gants were being saddled.

Peachy buzzed over to one and gave it a good scratch behind its long, floppy ears. The beast loo'd in pleasure, leaning into the berrykin's claws. Once it was saddled, Delziel took the reins and mounted. The other three National Guardsmen were ready to go and took the lead.

"Thank you for coming with us, sir. We're sure to win with you on our side," one of the young men said. He looked seventeen at the oldest.

Older than when I was forced to fight by my mother. Delziel nodded to the young man. "Do we have any intel on the situation?"

"Harpies dropped bychershins on the town, then a sasquteel barreled into the market square," the young man reported.

"The harpies didn't join the fight oso?" Peachy asked, clinging to the back of Delziel's gant.

"No. They flew off. The townsfolk could handle the bychershins, but the sasquteel is beyond their capabilities."

Delziel could only lift his brows slightly at that. Bychershins were tenacious. Despite moving low to the ground, they were fast, their teeth could tear through leather armor, and carried multiple infections. A Green Mage would be required to Heal the wounded and more than one person was bound to be permanently disabled from this... That the townspeople could "handle" the bychershins spoke well of them. However, if he had to rank the threats, the sasquteel was still more dangerous. Bysherchins at least couldn't climb easily. Stairs were an issue, but ladders were impossible for them.

He glanced over the three National Guardsmen riding with him. "You three focus on the civilians and bychershins. I'll handle the sasquteel."

"Yes, sir," the young man said. The other two looked relieved. They may have been capable enough to be stationed out here, but sasquteel were no joke, and only insane people enjoyed fighting them.

Delziel hadn't thought about it before, but Celestia had an irrational hate for sasquateel. She used to go out of her way to kill any she laid eyes on, whether it was in her path or not.

"Go that way oso!" Peachy said, pointing at a gap in the trees.

Without questioning, Delziel changed course and took the trail. The other three fell in behind.

"Straight until you get to that big rock, then go around to the right oso," Peachy directed.

"Inchenta," one of the Guardsmen said from behind. A golden aura whispered around Delziel's mount. Moving lighter on its paws, the gant dashed around the rock and bounded over a fallen tree.

The forest passed in a blur, taking them further from the road. Peachy redirected their course over a creek, then arrowed straight northeast, their mounts pounding through underbrush as if it were paper.

Abruptly, they broke from the oppressive forest into the clearing surrounding the stone walls of the village.

They had to circle to the south to find the gate, but upon entering, Delziel found the situation to be as described.

Immediately, the three Guardsmen broke off to deal with the bychershins swarming around the base of the water tower. Delziel charged toward the center of town.

"Emelets Bless oso!" Peachy lost his hold on the gant and fell off, catching himself midair and buzzing to catch up.

Delziel had to agree.

Tatters of sasquteel flesh hung draped over a body that it was not made to cover. Insect legs sprouted out through the back of the hairy teal coat. Thick legs supported the creature's weight where it stood amid shattered carts and smashed produce. It wore the sasquteel skin like one-piece pajamas, arms and legs through the sleeves and legs, the paws still attached and flopping.

Turning its head, the demon revealed its monkey-like face, the sasquteel's flesh draped like a hat across its forehead.

"Well-well-well! If it isn't our little brother," the demon said, grinning with large, sharp teeth.