As their feet crunched in the fallen leaves and the cold breeze brushed past their cheeks, the demon girls walked down the path. Eris, in her cloak, led the way while Jasmine followed beside her, observing her graceful steps.
As the golden leaves drifted lazily down around them, the smell of autumn hung in the air. It was a smell unique to this season, much fresher than that back on Earth. But maybe that was just the difference between a real life and a fantasy world. Or perhaps it was just the weather of Athainia, the land where they hid.
Jasmine's hand reached out and took hold of Eris's. She had a feeling that she didn't have a lot of companionship in these past hundred years, and Jasmine couldn't blame her. Being the last of a dying race couldn't be easy, especially when she had to wear a hood and hide her face in public.
"You can just call me Jasmine by the way. Drop the queen, thing. I'm not really a queen anymore," Jasmine said.
"Ah, okay," Eris responded, looking away.
Jasmine thought for a moment. "Must've been lonely, huh?" she asked.
"It's not so bad," Eris responded, refusing to look her way.
Jasmine knew she was just saying it to hide her feelings. She moved in a little closer, their hands still intertwined, and tried again.
"I didn't mean to offend you or anything. It's just... it must've been rough being alone all these years."
Eris's pace slowed, and Jasmine sensed something was up. Her hand gripped onto her a little harder. She didn't want to force the conversation. After a few moments of silence, however, Eris finally responded.
"Yeah," she said quietly. "It hasn't been easy."
"You don't have to talk about it," Jasmine said, suddenly afraid that she'd pry too deeply and cause pain.
"No," Eris said firmly, but the tears in her eyes betrayed her.
Jasmine took hold of her by the shoulders and spoke in a firm tone, yet still gentle enough to ease any fears.
"I'm here for you now, Eris."
Eris let out a deep sigh and looked up at her, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "It's not always easy being the last of a race that was hunted to near extinction. All I've known my entire life is isolation, fear, and hiding my identity in public."
"That must have been hard," Jasmine whispered. "I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been."
She wiped away the tears and gave Eris's hand another gentle squeeze.
"You won't have to hide anymore," she continued, determined. "Lets build a place where all the demons can be accepted. There will be no more discrimination. They will be happy."
"That's impossible," she said, shaking her head. She wiped off a stray tear that fell down her cheek with the back of her hand. "We are the outcasts. Humans will never accept our kind."
"We gotta do something that'll change their mind."
"Like what?"
"Uhh... I dunno to be honest. But we live for a while, right? I'm sure an opportunity will arise someday. Someday is better than never, you know?"
"I know I'm just a regular demon in no position to ask, but could we talk a lot more? I really want to talk to someone, anyone."
"Of course, Eris! As I said before, I'm not here to judge you or anything."
"T-thank you. Oh, sorry. I was the one supposed to tell you what had happened, but to be fair, not much. And if something did happen, I wouldn't know since I pretty much lived in isolation with you this whole time. I know the hero died of old age, so he won't go after us, but if we were to be discovered, surely other people would hunt us down."
"Well, at least that's nice," Jasmine replied. "But what now? Do we just wait? Maybe brainstorm? I'm not really sure how to leave an impact on the world that'd change the view on us demons."
"Me neither. I think we should train. Strength and intelligence is the only thing we have now to protect ourselves. We need strength to prove us selves."
"Well, do you have any idea on how? Although I've been asleep for a century, I'm still the demon queen, you know," she chuckled. It wasn't like she had any idea how to use her otherworldly powers, but she knew what she was capable of from the contents of the novel. "Maybe we can get some allies. Someone we can trust."
"I have no idea where the other demons escaped to," Eris said. "Sorry."
Jasmine shook her head. "No, it's fine. What about humans? Any allies or friends?"
Eris turned toward her, a small frown on her face. "That's going to be difficult."
"I see. Then I guess the only option is training."
The two walked in silence until the trees gradually thinned, and they found themselves on the edge of a lake. There were a few small rowboats docked by the shore, and Eris motioned for Jasmine to follow her. She climbed inside the boat and tied a rope around her waist, handing the other end to Jasmine.
"Care to go boating, Jasmine?"
She smiled. "Why not?"
They carefully stepped into the boat and untied from the dock, setting sail. The afternoon sun cast its orange rays over the tranquil water, causing it to sparkle. It was peaceful.
"I would often go fishing here when I was bored or lonely. It calmed my heart a little, just looking out on the horizon."
"It's so peaceful," Jasmine agreed.
As they sat, a strong wind pushed against them. It was a cold and fierce wind that chilled both of their bodies to the bone. They clung to each other for warmth, pressing their skin together for shared body heat. Jasmine took the chance to gently massage Eris's legs as she leaned into her embrace.
Eris nuzzled her face deeper into Jasmine's neck and spoke softly, almost in a whisper.
"It is peaceful here. It feels like everything is at peace."
"Yeah, it really does..."
They stayed like that for a few moments, soaking up the atmosphere and relishing each other's presence. It was nice, and Jasmine couldn't remember the last time she felt this way. Back on Earth, it wasn't like she didn't have friends. She was quite sociable, quite likable in general, but none of her friends was someone who could make her heart beat at a pace like this.
"Let's go back."