They travelled for a few hours on empty roads. Dust started to settle on the peaceful landscape. They were headed to a small town called Iliat, where they hoped to get rest in a tavern.
"So you are… The demoness of what?" Erwand asked as they sat on the carriage.
"Ven-ge-ance. And I'm not exactly that, as I am also Lilynn. The human" Lilynn answered.
"Well, those powers from earlier made you seem more of a demon than human."
Lilynn did not like that assumption, and seeing her frustration, Erwand continued.
"I mean… that is quite the title. It would have been a bit more effective if you said, I AM A BLOODTHIRSTY VICIOUS DEMONESS, now piss off, lunatic villagers."
That made her laugh. Erwand was right. With a body and powers like this, she was no longer just Lilynn, but a powerful, supernatural being. But processing that she no longer was the woman who thought she was for her entire life was difficult to think about. It also made her proud, somehow. She was not just a maid trying to survive on dry bread and a few silver coins a month anymore. She was the Demoness, who had to get her revenge.
But what will she do after that?
Become a traveller who haunts superstitious villagers with a strange alchemist? Not the future she imagined. Perhaps demons had their own way of life that was different. She just still had to figure out what it even was.
In the distance lights of houses illuminated in the sea of dark forests and fields. They reached Iliat.
It was already evening when they stopped the carriage at the edge of the town. The people who lived here seemed to have gotten used to the constant arrival of wanderers. They did not see anything suspicious about another cart stopping next to the road.
Lilynn just realized that she was still wearing her funeral dress. Luckily in the dark, with only a few torches lighting up the road, no one could see what the dress exactly looked like. Erwand got off the carriage and tied the horses to a signpost.
"I will ask the people if they know where the taverns are. I will be back soon", he said as he headed to the town centre. Lilynn decided that she would check out what the carriage itself was indeed carrying.
She opened the small back door (which no longer had a lock on it, as she broke it), and lit up a lantern. Inside, there were herbs hanging on the walls, with shelves full of bottles. They were potions of some kind. She also discovered little sacks of powdered crystals. These were probably the ones Erwand used for his little balls that could let out gases. She felt a bit ashamed not knowing anything about alchemy, the very thing that managed to get her killed.
Alchemy was the greatest science in the kingdom; perhaps even greater than any magic. While magic, the power to use the natural elements at will was a gift from the gods, alchemy was something that any human could replicate. Only a few special could get the gift of magic from the divine gods, who granted them only after great sacrifices. They did not want humans to possess their skills to shape the world as if they were some kind of mortal divinity.
Now demons, on the other hand… Lilynn could experience what their power is like, but only a fraction of it. Demons were more willing to gift humans their powers, probably to overthrow gods. The Demoness was also not afraid to lend her great power without any restrictions. Lilynn felt it too. The energy brewing inside her could be manifested with kingdom-shattering destruction.
Though she was not ready for that. She wanted to learn every bit of her power by the time they found Kasius and Lusius, who tormented her. Until then, she had to practice.
Erwand got back with an unsatisfied grimace on his face.
"There are no taverns with empty rooms," he told her.
"Then where are we going to rest?"
"Well… here."
He pointed at the carriage that Lilynn already opened.
"I can see that you are already getting yourself comfortable."
"I was just…"
Realization struck Lilynn. The carriage was way too small for two people to sleep inside. Getting close to each other was the only way they could fit in there. Very, very close.
"Erwand! You want me to sleep… WITH you?"
Erwand let out a laugh.
"No need to, demoness. I will sleep on the seats in the front if that is better."
The seats were nowhere near as wide as Erwand's tall body. There was no way he could fit there unless he wanted to sleep in a sitting position.
But he was the owner of this thing, and Lilynn owed him so much for getting her this far. She would hate herself for not letting him sleep in a decent position to get rest.
"You can come in," she told him.
"Are you sure?"
That smug smile appeared on his face again. Lilynn did not answer him. She let him get inside first. Erwand picked up a thick blanket and put it on the carriage's floor. Next, he pulled out a blanket from the shelves. Only one.
"What about my blanket?" Lilynn asked.
"I only have one. I travel alone, you know. I won't do anything stupid, I promise."
Lilynn hesitated. She is going to choke this man with her bare hands if he did anything remotely perverted.
"Get in. We need to rest," she said.
She climbed in and shut the little door. She could barely crawl forward with Erwand taking up most of the inner space. He already took down his leather armor, and lay in his shirt on. Lilynn tried to lie down without making any physical contact, but she failed. Her back fit tight to Erward's. His body was very warm, almost hot. Then he just covered both of them with the one blanket they had.
"Good night," he said.
Lilynn doubted she would be able to sleep even for a minute like this. Under the blanket, it was getting warmer and warmer. She also felt that Erwand started to sweat, making her back wet as well.
A few minutes later he was already sleeping. A long, tiring day with a demoness must have exhausted him. He suddenly turned to his other side. Now, his chest was touching Lilynn's back. She could feel the muscles fitting tight to her shoulders. She also felt his warm breath tickling her neck.
She was blushing. She did not even like Erwand, but this contact made her a bit…
In thought, she slapped herself on the face.
She had a mission. Can't waste time with this man.
Although he was very handsome and beautiful.
After some time she also managed to fall into her dreams.