Path of The Dragon Mage (Nomad) 76. Water Horse (Patreon)

Perry led Gwen and Corvus down to the sublevels of the tower, just above the level to the dungeon. Unlike the dungeon entrance, this was well traveled and guarded by standing soldiers.

A thought occurred to Corvus. He looked at Gwen. "Is Roan still intent on signing with the guard?"

"Nah." Her smile was of a sibling who'd had the pleasure of saying 'I told you so' to her brother. "Everything was in such a mess after the ratkin, he never took the oath. So he told them thanks but no thanks." She looked at Corvus expectantly. "He's waiting for after the hatching to feed CloudStrike the essences."

"Why--Oh." Corvus nodded once. Likely, Roan wanted a healer on hand.

... Strange. He hadn't thought of himself as the clan healer for some time. He'd barely processed the Witch Professor subclass before he'd been offered Draconic Diplomat.

Did either of those subclasses offer him a place in the clan?

More importantly, did he have a place in the clan any longer?

Corvus wasn't sure. He felt a tiny catch of grief at the thought of leaving the Horse Folk... but it wasn't as strong as he would have expected.

His life -- his Path -- was taking him other places.

Corvus shook his head. Time to think about that later. He looked to Perry. "What's the fastest you've heard of someone switching subclasses?"

"Almost immediately," Perry answered. "According to Larissa. She had one subclass during a very eventful brawl in that city and came out the end with another."

"Oh," Corvus said, slightly deflated.

Gwen was happy to pounce. "Guess you're not that special." She sweetened her teasing with a kiss on his cheek.

"I take it you've accessed a new subclass?" Perry asked, amused.

"Draconic Diplomat," Corvus confirmed. "Though... truth to tell, I would have liked to stay a Witch Professor longer. There's so many things I wanted to learn..."

"Why can't you?" Gwen asked. "You still got all them books, don't you?"

"But not the time," he grumbled.

She gave him a stern look, all teasing gone. "Corvus, I've known you for years. You've always made time for reading."

He wanted to argue the point, but... as he just said, they didn't have time. From the narrowing of the hallways around him, he suspected they were close to the holding cells.

"What else can you tell me about the demon? You said it had a host?"

Perry nodded and his expression went grim. "As I said, it's not uncommon to find them lost at sea. The ones who lived were brought in for public execution, per the governor's orders."

What was unsaid was that now those orders would fall to Corvus.

He felt vaguely nauseated at the thought of ordering a death. But it was a demon. The enemy of the kingdom.

He mollified his conscience with the promise that any execution would be as swift as possible. No need to make it a public spectacle either.

Gwen looked mildly troubled but didn't argue.

"Have the demons displayed any powers?" Corvus asked. From his studies in the palace, he knew they came in a verity of abilities. Though he was assured that none could stand up against the kingdom.

"None that we've seen," Perry said. "The pair was quite weak from being in the sea. Although," he glanced at Gwen, "The demon itself takes the shape of a horse."

She drew in a sharp breath and increased her pace, clearly eager to see.

The prison itself was guarded by two additional soldiers who stood before a thick iron door.

At a word from Perry and a solute to Corvus they stepped aside.

The holding cell was not what Corvus expected. For one thing it wasn't a cell at all but a deep pit twenty feet down. A rusty hand cranked crane made of chains sat perched above, no doubt how any prisoners were lowered or raised up.

There was no edge or railing to the lip of the pit. Just a sheer drop off.

Corvus edged forward and looked down.

The first thing he saw was the demon itself.

As Perry said, it was horse-shaped. As large as a stallion -- though not as big as the Mountain Heavy breeds -- it was colored a dark seal gray. The demon was a parody of a horse -- so thin it was almost skeletal. The head was skull-like with not a hint of bodyfat or visible ears.

For one moment, Corvus thought that its legs were broken... but no, its hooves were turned backwards relative to a normal horse. It had been in the sea so long seaweed grew out from its thin mane.

It looked up at Corvus with brilliant emerald green eyes, not with the weary gaze of a prey animal but the look of a predator cat.

Gwen gasped. "That's not a horse..." And she took a horrified step back.

Corvus stayed, though he tore his eyes from the demon to the girl standing next to it. The host.

She was his age, or perhaps a year older with shockingly red hair. Although she and the demon had long since dried from their time in the sea, the hair had a wet, oily quality that made it shine like blood.

Her eyes were the same shade of unearthly green as the demon.

The host cocked her head and stood from where she'd been sitting next to the demon. There was a stiff, regal air about her. A sense of self-possession that Corvus recognized in Starella.

She spoke. The language was a mix of guttural, harsh sounds that was on the verge of making sense... but he couldn't quite place it.

Before he had been exiled, Corvus had studied the demon's language. In times of peace the King had treated with envoys from the kingdom and was expected to have a basic understanding.

That had been more than two years ago, and he'd had most skills reset from the Paths since then.

Corvus glanced to Perry. "Can you speak demon tongue?"

He shook his head. "The governor had a translator, but he was among those swept off the roof. From what I understand, the demons never had valuable intelligence to share. It was mostly curses."

"It's a water horse." Gwen spat on the ground.

"What?" Corvus asked.

She actually shuddered. "You never heard of 'em? No, of course you haven't. It's a story mothers tell children to keep them behaving. Water Horses charm little's into riding -- only instead of a run, they drag them into the water and eat them alive."

Charm did say the demons eat children...

"Is that true?" Corvus asked. "Or is it just a story?"

Gwen's eyes flashed with anger. She started to speak but was interrupted as the demon's host spoke again. This time her words were more urgent, and Corvus thought he could almost understand, but...

Ding!

You have learned the new skill: Foreign Languages.

Foreign Language

Beginner - 1

This skill contains major overlap with existing skill. Would you like to merge this as a subskill of Diplomacy?

Corvus immediately selected yes.

There wasn't an immediate understanding. His skill was still at beginner - 1.

But he understood that she wasn't begging for her life. She was... demanding to speak? That couldn't be right.

Stepping back to the lip of the pit, he tried some communication of his own.

"Who... your name?" he asked, awkwardly.

The demon tossed its head like a horse and Corvus got the distinct impression it was laughing at his accent.

"Hattie." The host touched her chest and then the Water Horse. "Lucien."

She enunciated slowly as if speaking to a child. I come... need help."

"Help?" he repeated blankly.

To his shock a message popped in front of his eyes.

Hatrice "Hatty" Pattinson would like to add you to her party.

Note: Quick heads up that this is the last "chapter" of this book/arc except for the upcoming epilogue. Buuuuut it doesn't matter to you guys as there won't be a break before we launch into the next book. The title is a surprise. :)