Demoness 2 - Chapter 74 - Lulls and Beats (Patreon)

Elania turned from the doorway, her attention drawn by the sound of approaching footsteps. Magister Keswick strode into the workshop from another door.

The little bit of good mood she had regained evaporated immediately.

“Yolani,” Keswick said, her tone clipped. “Some members of the Syndicate have arrived. They wish to deliver some items and equipment.”

Elania blinked, her brow furrowing as she joined them. “How did they get across the city?”

Keswick’s lips pressed into a thin line. “There’s an ad hoc truce. Both sides are tending to the dead and wounded. Civilians are being allowed to move around, and the Syndicate secretly brought in supplies while covering it up by evacuating civilians from the Magistry District.”

A chill ran down Elania’s spine. She had slept for much longer than she thought.

Yolani leaned forward, her eyes bright with curiosity. “What did they bring?”

Elania folded her arms, her gaze fixed on Keswick. “Why are they helping at all?”

Keswick frowned. “It’s a complicated situation, Elania. The Lightbringers invading have messed up the Syndicate’s business, and they aren’t pleased. They have some protection because the Lightbringers don’t want to make them enemies, but the Syndicate doesn’t want to let this go off lightly.”

She turned to Yolani. “As for what they brought, there are mana shards, magical devices from the dungeon, and other goods I’m not sure about. But I’m certain a master artificer like you can find a use for them.”

Elania’s mind raced, trying to make sense of the new information. The Syndicate’s involvement added another layer of complexity to an already convoluted situation.

Yolani seemed energized by the prospect of new materials to work with. She stood, brushing off her hands. “I’ll take a look at what they’ve brought. Maybe there’s something we can use to bolster our defenses.”

Keswick nodded. “That would be appreciated. We need every advantage we can get, now.”

Elania’s hand on her arm tightened slightly.

Keswick turned toward Elania, her eyes flashing. “You need to recharge the Celestial Engine. It’s been too long, and we have no way of knowing when this truce will end. I imagine they’ll use the Chained One again.”

Elania’s stomach twisted, a wave of unease washing over her. “I didn’t fully recharge my mana shards and [Power] before coming back.”

Keswick waved a dismissive hand. “No matter. We have prisoners you can use.”

Elania bristled, her shoulders tensing. “I’m not going to do that to prisoners.”

Keswick’s face contorted with anger, her voice rising. “You will do as I say!”

A menacing presence emanated from Elania as she stood her ground. “I am not your slave or servant.”

Yolani stepped forward, her hands raised in a placating gesture. “Fighting doesn’t help! It only serves the enemy’s purposes. Perhaps Elania could fight more enemies instead? That way, the prisoners remain unharmed.”

Keswick seethed, unplacated. “Breaking the truce now would be disastrous. We’re already on the edge, and your ‘morals’ will be our downfall.”

Yolani’s brow furrowed in thought. “What about using some of the stored mana shards to recharge? We can refill them during the next battle.”

A tense silence stretched between them before Keswick gave a curt nod. “Fine. There doesn’t seem to be any other choice.”

Elania turned to Yolani, her eyes pleading. “Will you come with me to recharge the Engine?”

Keswick cut in, her tone sharp. “Yolani’s time is better spent being productive.”

Elania’s heart sank, a mix of anxiety and unhappiness settling in her chest. She glanced at Yolani, hoping for some sign of support, but found only a resigned expression and then a weak smile of support on her friend’s face.

With a heavy sigh, Elania turned towards the door. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Let me get you the mana shards,” Yolani said apologetically.

* * *

Elania strode into the workshop, her brow furrowed with unease.

The absence of Eziel or any message from him gnawed at her, a stark contrast to the vivid vision he had forced upon her during her last visit to the Celestial Engine.

The workshop buzzed with activity, artificers hunched over various projects, their hands deftly crafting pieces of metal and crystal into what she assumed was ammunition.

A familiar figure rolled out from beneath a hulking machine gun, her face smeared with oil and grime.

Despite her foul mood, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Yolani and her artifice-tinged mechanic outfit.

Elania quickly averted her gaze as her friend approached, wiping her hands on a rag. Seriously, what was wrong with her head? If there hadn’t been so many witnesses, she would have pounced.

“You won’t believe what we found in the Syndicate’s cache,” Yolani said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Tons of mana shards, enough to power our defenses for weeks. And that’s not all - there was a map showing the locations of more hidden caches.”

Elania nodded, trying to maintain her neutral expression. “That’s incredible. But how are we going to retrieve them?”

Yolani’s grin faltered, her expression turning sheepish. “Well, that’s the catch. They’re hidden in the sewers.”

A groan escaped Elania’s lips, the memories of the foul stench and absolute horrors she had encountered in the city’s underbelly flooding back to her. “Of course they are.”

“I know it’s not ideal,” Yolani said, placing a hand on Elania’s shoulder. “But we need those shards, and we can’t risk them falling into the wrong hands. We’ll have to be part of the retrieval team to ensure their safety.”

Elania sighed, the weight of responsibility settling on her shoulders. “You’re right. We need all the ammunition and weapons we can get.”

Yolani nodded, her expression turning serious. “I’ll send word for the guard to assemble a team. We’ll need people who can carry things.”

Elania’s brow furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line. “How sure are we on the validity of these caches? The Syndicate could be playing some type of other game.”

Yolani nodded, her expression thoughtful. “We can’t be sure until we check them out, but they brought the cache of things already, and that will help a ton… and need those shards, if they are out there.”

Elania sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I suppose you’re right. But I still don’t like it.”

“I know,” Yolani said, placing a comforting hand on Elania’s arm. “But we’ll be prepared. I’ll send a messenger to Keswick to let her know our plans.”

That didn’t help make her feel any better, either. Elania tried to not let it show, though.

Yolani turned and moved to find a waiting messenger to send. Elania’s gaze lingered on her retreating form, her eyes tracing the curves of Yolani’s body. While she was talking to the man and telling him what to do, the other girl wiped her face with a rag.

Elania took in every little detail.

Her heart raced as Yolani caught her staring, a little smile playing on her lips. Elania finally looked away, her cheeks heating.

After the messenger left, Yolani went to work preparing their gear. There was a lot of it.

Approval from Keswick for their mission came next, and Elania grunted in acceptance that they’d be going back into the blighted sewers.

She found a corner to sit in that was out of the way from all the working artificers and where none of them seemed to go. An overwhelming desire to transform into a darkwalker hit her, so she could curl up and block them all out and nap.

Elana resisted, barely. It would have probably caused a commotion and throw everyone off their work.

So she sulked on a chair instead, flipping it around and sitting on his backward, her eyes following along her favorite human’s path.

If Yolani felt the stare boring into her, she didn’t let it be noticed. That wasn’t to say the other girl wasn’t aware of her presence. Every little glance her way improved Elania’s mood just a little.

When Yolani turned and finally came over after something like an hour of work, her arms were full. The glint of excitement in her eyes was impossible to miss. “I have something for you. Maybe it will make you feel better?” Yolani’s lips turned up in a smile.

Elania grunted, wanting to tell her that her smile was all she needed, but the mix of leather and metal Yolani held up was very interesting.

It was a mix of soft and hard leather, with bronze colored metal scales embedded on its surface. They were interleaved to provide an overlapping cover.

“I customized it for you, to replace your damaged leathers,” Yolani said.

Elania reached out, her fingers tracing the intricate design. “It looks complicated. Are you sure it will fit?”

Yolani laughed, her voice melodic. “Of course it will. I’ve taken your measurements multiple times, and even personally confirmed their accuracy.”

Elania’s face flushed, her mind flooded with memories of Yolani’s hands roving—Abort.

Elania coughed into her hand. “I’ll believe in your skills.”

“You should still try it on,” Yolani urged. “I’m pretty good, but there might be some adjustments needed. Let’s go to our room?”

Elania nodded, her heart speeding up as Yolani’s fingers brushed hers as she handed her the armor.

The convenience of the adjoining room couldn’t be understated, and a few minutes later, Elania had the new armor over her head while Yolani worked on tightening the side straps.

Elania marveled at the way her new armor clung to her form, the scales shimmering in the light. Yolani’s fingers danced across the metal, tracing the intricate runes etched into each scale.

“Each scale has its own rune,” Yolani explained, her voice filled with pride. “They interlock with each other, creating a seamless barrier against magic and physical attacks. And if any scales are damaged or lost, the others will continue to function at a slightly reduced capacity.”

Elania’s eyes widened as Yolani placed a necklace around her neck, the mana shard nestled against her collarbone. “This necklace holds the mana shard that provides the [Power] needed to maintain the armor’s anti-magic properties.” A quick tuck put it under the armor.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Elania’s mouth. “It’s a good thing it works when damaged. All my clothes and armor tend to get demolished and torn in combat.”

Yolani leaned on Elania’s shoulders, staring at their reflection in the mirror with a frown. “You need to be careful, Elania. Even with [Regeneration], you’re not immortal.”

Elania turned, sliding her arms around Yolani’s waist and pulling her close. She pressed a gentle kiss to Yolani’s lips, savoring the warmth of her skin. “I’ll do my best.”

The two girls smiled at each other, their eyes locked in a moment of tender understanding. Yolani’s expression softened, her voice barely above a whisper. “I appreciate you, Elania.”

Heat crept up Elania’s neck, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson. She ducked her head, mumbling under her breath. “I appreciate you, too.”

Yolani’s laughter filled the room, the sound rich and warm. “Come on, we need to keep getting ready.”

Elania nodded, her heart still racing from Yolani’s words.

She turned back to the mirror, admiring the way the armor accentuated her body.

The hope that Yolani felt the same way about it filled her.

When her friend looked back over her shoulder and looked at her, it seemed like she did.