Moonlight Demon

Kaori

Upon hearing what Vyl said, Kaori felt like she'd come across a great treasure. Truthfully, this drink she'd been given was working better than she'd expected but was already starting to fade, its effects brief. 

Vyl was stirring a pot to the left and Satsuhiro cleared his throat. 

"Anything we could do to help while we're here?" He asked. 

"Hm. Not particularly," Vyl replied. "If a portal appears outside the city, that might change. I'm afraid my workload might be seeing a considerable increase in the near future. Rather, I should ask, is there anything you want? A few potions shouldn't take me too long to make for you." 

"Uhm, what can you make?" Kaori asked, somewhat nervously.

"Well, with the ingredients that I have at this moment," Vyl went to check a nearby counter, "I could make a couple of healing potions. Maybe a Strength potion or two. Anything else, such as a Dexterity potion or a Haste potion, I'd need to take a moment to gather the necessary ingredients. I could send it to you after a day or two though." 

"I think I can tell what those first two are, but what's a Haste potion?" 

"It speeds up your body, slowing your perception of the world around you. Essentially, to you, it would look like everyone slowed down, to everyone else, you would seem faster." 

"On you," Satsuhiro said to Keiko, "that sounds like it could be useful." 

"Agreed," Keiko nodded. 

"Very well. I'll gather the ingredients for a Haste potion and after I make one, I'll send it to you. What else?" 

Kaori felt like her opportunity might have been slipping away, so she tried to muster up a bit of courage. 

"Do you have anything else that helps with... calming down?" 

"Hm?" Vyl raised a brow. "I suppose. It would take me only a night or two to gather the ingredients necessary. Sure." 

"Thank you," Kaori bowed her head. 

Vyl looked out a window, crossing her arms and sighing. 

"It's getting rather late. You might want to get going." 

"Noted," Satsuhiro said, standing up. "Again, sorry to drop in like this." 

"Again, it's no problem. Just take good care of yourself. Let me know if you want any other potions and I'll send them to you." 

Kaori noticed that a few questions were on Ash's mind, as she was hunched over, looking like she was holding back something she wanted to say, but the words never left her lips. Instead, Vyl handed each of them a couple of potions, most of them healing but she gave Ash one Strength potion and the group stood up, one by one, and left the hut as the twin moons rose above them. 

With these substances in their hands, they walked back to Onyx where they'd rest for the remainder of the night. 

---

Ash

They arrived at the inn Metsumi had chosen for them. Keiko stopped, gazing at the bright, flashy sign outside. 

"Wait, I've been here before," Keiko muttered and Ash raised a brow. 

"When you came for that whole castle thing?" 

"Yes." Keiko tilted her head. "Has Metsumi been here before?" 

"Not that I know of," Satsuhiro replied. "Why?" 

"It's... A little intense... Never mind." Keiko shook her head. "It just surprised me, is all." 

"Seriously?" Ash asked, placing a hand on the front door's knob. "It's just an inn, what could..." 

As she opened the door though, her jaw hit the stone ground of the sidewalk. 

Inside, it was a party the likes of which Ash had only known of from hearing the sounds of festivities raging indoors while she tried to find sleep on the streets of Jade. There was loud music being played at the back, next to an unmarked door. On the tables were several drunks laughing out loud, and at a few of them, naked men and women, who she guessed were workers based on their uniforms, were giving a few of the visitors some lap dances as they drank and threw crowns around them. At another table, one such worker was making out with a lady that she then pulled into that unmarked room. 

What the fuck am I looking at?  Ash asked herself when one of the workers, one who had been performing pretty eagerly, looked over at them and grinned, her eyes shocked to see someone. 

"Keiko!" She yelled, getting off of the patron she'd been dancing on and running up to the door. She nearly pushed Ash aside so she could give Keiko a hug. "Wow, it's been like a month, how have you been?" She then looked at each of the members of the group. She was startled a little when she saw the horns on Ash's head. 

"Um, I've been alright," Keiko said, smiling nervously. 

"Come in, come in, the night's just getting started." 

She gestured for each of them to follow her inside, her eyes lingering on Ash for a few seconds. 

"So, who are your friends?" 

"Oh, uh, Caroline, this is Kaori, Ash, and Satsuhiro." 

"I'm going to guess Metsumi already found a room. Were a couple of them rented out already by a muscular, orange-haired woman earlier?" Satsuhiro asked. 

"Wait, Metsumi..." Caroline muttered. "Oh! Big, dark-skinned buff chick, right?" Caroline asked and Satsuhiro nodded. "Yeah, she already got you all a couple of rooms. The first and second rooms on the left, just up the steps here. Here's your key for the second," she said, handing it over to Ash. "Your wife's already in the first one, you can just knock on it." 

"Alright, I'm done for the day," Satsuhiro, very quickly, stated and walked away, towards the nearby set of stairs. 

"Uh, yeah," Keiko continued, "anyway, this is Caroline. She co-owns this place, right?" 

"Mhm," Caroline said, smiling brightly, "so, what'll it be? Are you here to join the fun or what?" 

"Nah," Ash quickly stepped in. "I'm good. I'm just gonna lie down for a bit. Long day." 

"Same, actually," Kaori added. Keiko was about to echo that sentiment when Caroline wrapped an arm around her. 

"How about we catch up?" Caroline asked. 

"I'm not looking to, um..." She glanced at the drunks in the building and Caroline laughed. 

"No, no, not like that. Just sit back, have a couple of drinks. Yo, help me out here," Caroline whispered loudly to Kaori and Ash. The half-demon snorted and waved a tired hand.

"See you later," she told Keiko as she turned around and walked away. 

"B-But..." Ash was already gone though. 

She walked up the steps and heard Satsuhiro's voice coming from the first room to the left. She took the key she'd been given and opened up the second room, walking in. There was one, solitary, large bed at the center, with a wooden drawer to the right and a single candle providing a dim light to the room. Ash sat down on the bed as Kaori walked into the room behind her. 

Ash kicked her boots off and sighed, putting her bag down beside the bed and placing her hands on its edge. Kaori sat down next to her, doing the same with her own bag. 

Then, Kaori placed her head on Ash's right shoulder. 

"Lots happened today, huh?" Kaori said and Ash could feel some exhaustion in her voice. 

"Mostly just walking around though." 

"Feels like it'll be even more than that soon. Those portals..." Kaori sounded a little nervous. "Eventually, they'll come here. Could be pretty soon too." 

Ash looked over and saw Kaori looking up at her. She took a deep breath and hugged Kaori closely. It was slowly becoming a familiar feeling. She liked that, scary as it was.

"Yeah. We'll deal with it when it comes." 

"I guess," Kaori mumbled. "Um, actually, could... Could we talk for a bit?" 

"Sure. What's up?" Ash asked and Kaori looked away. 

"I've um... Well, lately..." She took a deep breath. Then, Kaori shook her head. "Actually, never mind, could we talk tomorrow?" 

"Why?" 

"I... I kind of just want to enjoy this right now." She smiled. "If we're going to be working hard soon, it might be better to relax a little." 

As Kaori leaned in and placed a kiss on Ash's chin, the half-demon responded:

"Okay. So what do you have in mind?" 

Then, Kaori gently pushed her down. 

"I can think of a few things..." Kaori said with a smile. 

---

Vyl

Seeing Satsuhiro again had been a pleasant surprise. Now that he was gone though, she had to get back to work. It was just another night for the alchemist, working from sunrise till sundown, focusing on the different tasks she had to perform. A few health potions for Onyx, a few more for Amber and Jade, all of which would be sent by the end of the week and then she'd repeat that process. 

Some would call it dull, but for her, as she felt the cold air of the night hit the scars on her back, she thought it was preferable to what she'd lived through before. 

However, this night would not be so boring. 

As she worked, a faint scent began to flow in from outside. One that made her hands freeze over the pot she'd been using. 

Her eyes narrowed. Vyl let go of her tools and walked over to the window. As the scent became stronger, she felt her heartbeat quicken. 

It was the same scent that the half-demon had carried.  Did she and Satsuhiro come back?  She wondered though another thought crept into her mind. 

Then, she saw it. In the distance, behind a few bamboo trees, a tall woman was approaching her hut. At first, she was sure it was the half-demon again, but then, more of her features began to show. Black wings, a grin on her face, violet skin, and monstrous legs and hands. 

The last thing Vyl saw before she understood what was going on was a barbed whip dragging against the dirt. 

Vyl turned, her eyes darting from one drawer to another. 

Where are they? Where are they?... Right! 

Vyl ran towards one, opened it, and pulled out two small vials. One with clear blue liquid inside, and another with a violet, dark liquid. She drank them entirely and then placed the vials back in the drawer. 

She felt her own eyes burn, which meant the violet liquid was working.

Her body became transparent, which meant the blue liquid worked, and Vyl crouched next to the mat she called her bed. She huddled her knees close to her chest and put a hand over her mouth, trying to steady her breathing. 

That was when the door slowly opened. One step, two steps, the Lust Demon's light feet almost hovered over the floor she walked on. Vyl saw her and her heart sank as the violet liquid she'd drank allowed her to see the demon's level.

Level 80

MP: 1000/1000

What is this?  Vyl asked herself, trying her hardest not to tremble. 

The demon nonchalantly, with a grin plastered onto her face, scanned the room. Its eyes were covered by a black cloth, and yet it turned its head from one place to another, searching. 

Vyl continued taking steady, slow, quiet breaths. She waited, seeing that the demon was beginning to turn and walk out of the hut. 

Then, a bubble from the pot she'd been working on popped. In an instant, the Lust Demon turned, cracked her barbed whip at it and the pot exploded. A shard of clay stabbed into the wall, right next to Vyl's head. She saw all of this, frozen in fear. 

The Lust Demon chuckled. Then, with swaying hips and those threatening light footsteps, it walked away. 

Vyl's eyes, shocked and wide, looked down. 

What...?  She couldn't comprehend what had just happened. 

All she knew was that the Saviors in the nearby city needed to be told about this.