A baby. Such a lovely form.
Not. How do you handle being in essentially no control of your body yet having thoughts as complex as mine. My parents are Jacob and Lilith. No, unfortunately it's just common here for demons to be named after my old life's video game characters. Jacob, dad, is a poor farmer who fell in love with my mom, Lilith.
The tale there from what it sounds like is your basic tragic romance and now I have to sit here in her arms until I can control myself. Only bright side is being a devil queen it should only take... 8 months... to be able to walk. For those curious I am not that different from a normal human. I have a tail and when I reach adulthood I'll sprout wings. Horns are nonexistent, but my lineage must not have presented yet.
To explain devil queens are a rare birth for demidemons and even pureblood demons. Depending on the demon we take after we become extremely strong. However each demon possible gives us the ability to sustain ourselves without food, water, air or sleep. Unfortunately I know which I am. I am a queen of lust. Like Victoria I can sustain myself just on emotions. There's other ways as well, but they are horrible.
Regardless it is time to work hard and avoid it being found out. If I can manage that I can escape before I mature into my power. I should focus on growing strong without using my power.
The days would move on like that. Days turned to months, months turned to years. I can't really make learning how to walk all that interesting. However when I finally could walk the work began.
Walking was like a breath of fresh air. My hair wasn't cut due to a tradition for demidemons to let it grow until I came of age. Still exploring was fun.
So to give you all an update I am now 4 years old. I don't really have any friends due to my heritage, but I can manage to travel around this small nameless village. Most people just avoid me, but I don't mind. It's nice being left alone.
The baker in town is a sweet old woman named Wilma and she likes to give me a bit of bread as she watches me wander just to make sure I'm eating. She truly is a wonderful woman. I will have to make sure to pay her back later.
Wilma isn't the only nice person in town. The tailor Mr. Sharangovic will make sure if he sees my clothes in disrepair to give them a quick patch. I always like when he does because he tells lovely stories of his time as an adventurer. He was a minstrel that could handle a blade extremely well.
I love hearing about his time traveling. So many beautiful vistas I want to see one day and he also told me if I study hard he would recommend me to the college he went to. I didn't expect there to be colleges in this world. The only ones I can think of would be the bardic colleges, but they are all very secretive in their admission and you have to already be good at storytelling or music or poetry or some form of art. If I could go to one of them I would be so happy. It would make it easier to leave the torment Victoria warned me of if I got into one.
Still here I sit listening to another story. Like a child with their grandparent as he speaks.
"Across the great lake abyss in the mountains infested with dragons you will find a little tavern. It is a magical place. Somehow this lone path you will find is perfectly safe. You can see all the beauty of the lands offerings from the overlooks where the water seems to mirror back at you to the mountain peaks covered in snow. Regardless of it all you will get to witness it without fear. Dragons cannot attack you upon it and no monster dares to do anything besides pass through in fear of something. However in this tavern you'll find the kindest woman running it. She'll take in anyone that needs a safe place to rest."
Mr. Sharangovic smiled as he pat my little head. Happy to see someone so enthralled by his every word as he checked over my clothes and ignored everyone staring at him being so kind to a devil. He continued to speak of this place and I knew the lore.
The continent was made massive however during a war ages before there was a battle between one of the great devils and a god of justice. Their power equal turned into a stalemate. The lakes formed from the clashing of the divine hammer clanging against a demonic sword. The mountains made of the rubble. The area is extremely dangerous except for that path. A path of magic woven by the goddess of mercy and the progenitor devil queen of lust. They wanted such a place to be seen, but no blood spilled.
In their mercy came this path. Protected by their desire to share with the world why gods and devils shouldn't fight a path that ends at a tavern. A place of peace. You cannot fight there even if you desire to. It is ran by a lovely elf. She wasn't the first nor will she be the last. Once her time comes the tavern will pick its new owner.
Why did I forget about that place? It would be the best place to hide once my powers become known. I could make it there with ease if I put in a little effort.
"It's a shame that the Garish have put a military blockade at the entrance to the path. The last great heroes sure did leave a mess behind them." Mr. Sharangovic said as he dashed my escape. The one place Victoria couldn't hurt me at.
"Is there a way around them? They sound like bad guys.." I asked sheepishly looking up at the middle aged man with ears pointed though his eyes were brown revealing his mixed blood.
The man a mix of a human and an elf shook his head. "I would love to say there's a way through, but the Garish appeared after the heroes vanished. They are strong with some of the strongest warriors and knowledgeable casters anyone has seen since the heroes party and they're an army." He looked towards the mountains and seemed upset. "I wish they weren't there. It would be so nice to let my most devoted fan see such a beautiful sight."
I got up and smiled as my little hands clenched into fists as I turned back to my favorite storyteller. "Then I'll grow up big and strong and go there!" I may be a little girl now, but I will do this. Even as I watched Mr. Sharangovic laugh it off as if it was nothing. Just the ramblings of a child wanting to impress her favorite minstrel.
The work was back on. I took off from the story and rushed to return to studying. Growing stronger and making sure I don't have to live the torment Victoria went through. She wasn't lying when she told me that she left the tools to learn in the forest. I went to where she said she had left supplies and found a textbook about how to use magic, how to harness the power inside me and how to properly use a sword.
I lift my hands and focus. The nearby stream the only thing that can be heard in this small forest close to the place I call home. I feel it. Magic. It's like my blood begins to flow of my will and rushes from the tips of my toes to my fingertips in an instant.
A ball of fire begins to grow. Starting as nothing more than a spark, a flicker, a tiny orb. Before I release it I focus wanting to control its shape. Yet nothing happens as I try. I should be able to, but no it doesn't happen. What am I doing wrong?
I launch the ball into the stream and return to the book. Fortunately I can cast though I try my hardest to get a grip on these basics. Shape is something that comes with time and practice from what Victoria explained though she said it came easier when she focused on shaping after things she cared about.
So I decided to try again. Mr. Sharangovic in my mind as I focused and let the form begin as a spark again. Slowly the ball changed its appearance becoming that of the smiling face of that half elf man. It wasn't perfect, like a 4 year old drawing of him.
"Well I guess we can't all be perfect right from the start. Fair enough Victoria, but we are going to have to talk about how we go and handle being upset with people."
Of course I was talking to myself and if I said that in public someone would probably get me in trouble for that. She was a very... I wouldn't say evil. She was righting a wrong that had left her a broken woman. However she took to violence to right that wrong.
Still it's time I focus and continue to practice so I can avoid that fate. I can only stay here until I'm 10 so I need to be as strong as possible. I don't doubt Victoria will have me have her same reveal of being a devil queen. Which means I either escape that night or they find the way to restrain the power to work me like a dog.
Crack.
A crack, a branch snapping? I'm the only one that should be out here though. Turning to the sound it is nothing more than a wolf pup. Lost from its pack it clearly had been attack. Looking at it I can't help, but smile as I see my childhood dog in its gaze.
Kneeling in front of it I offer out my hand showing a light of healing magic. It doesn't hesitate as it comes forward accepting the light healing and a scratch. I already know I can't bring him home, but I keep scratching his head as I look around.
"Lets make you a place to rest here. That way you can be safe and my parents won't do anything to you."
Like that me and my new friend began to find bits and pieces to make a small dog house. I catch a few fish and cure them with fire magic as I thank myself for making cooking magic the basic tiers primary use. Happy with myself and my new friend it draws to the time that I have to head home.
"You're going to stay here. I will always come back, but my family cannot see you or know about what goes on here." I smile as the wolf nods in agreement as if it fully understood what I said. I put my magical textbook in the doghouse and give one more headpat before saying "protect that and make sure to stay safe."
I wouldn't see it, but that cast a powerful barrier spell preventing travel through that forest for years. The protection of a being that could rival a god in power to ensure this pup wouldn't be lost. dangerous animals were forced from their homes or killed, bandits were eradicated as they lied in wait, merchants found the path took ages longer to travel just to protect this wolf.