Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Chapter 84

Dulce glanced at Kath’tan who had taken a window seat, his distant gaze seeing nothing of the people passing by on the street. He pushed down his concern, knowing that the Demon wouldn’t appreciate it.

A knock on the inn room came then, the Vampire rising to attend to the guest at the door. It was one of the attendants of the inn, bringing two large trays of food that he had ordered at the tavern.

"I’ll go make the arrangements while you all eat." He said from the doorway, ducking out before any Demon could react.

The servant at the doorway held the tray of food in mild confusion, waiting for directions.

Asael was the first out of his seat, glancing into the hallway to find it empty, the Vampire long gone. "Place that on the table," He directed, stepping out of the inn room as the servant walked in, vanishing into black dust as soon as he stepped into the hallway.

The trays laden with meat dishes had been Dulce’s promise to Caedos, ordering more to include everyone else.

Kath’tan didn’t move from the window, his back to his room, deep in the mire of his own thoughts.

Caedos was accustomed to the Shadow Demons’ abilities, trusting that his savior wouldn’t be put in danger under his watch. He went right to the table that held the food, he still needed to build his strength.

Ruoxi had little interest in the meat dishes but served a plate for himself regardless, Dulce had been the one to arrange the meal, and ’hunger’ was gently knocking.

He glanced over at the Fiend keeping to himself in a corner of the room, ignoring him to focus on his meal. Even he had his own limits.

-+-

Dulce moved quickly and with purpose, easily tracking down a reputable station. Next, he carefully picked out a carriage after explaining his wants, studying the interior closely to make sure it wouldn’t be an uncomfortable fit for his summoned Demons.

The station master had been pleased to hear his request, such a lengthy journey brought in more profits but they were rare as most who could afford to travel so lavishly already made provision for their own carriages.

"With this carriage, you’ll be at your destination in a week. The coachmen are well acquainted with the best routes to take you to Rahana Desert in the shortest time possible.

Before, the speed of travel wouldn’t have been a main point for Dulce but the thought of giving Kath’tan the chance to see his mother quicker made it one.

The station master patiently let him look at carriage after carriage, satisfied that his customer was only looking at his line of large carriages.

Dulce eventually settled on the biggest he could find, it was on par with the carriage they had ridden out of Marlen, the capital of Alderth. The carriages of the east looked to be made of a lighter wood, their designs more elegant and streamlined than the extravagant designs preferred in the west.

The station master beamed at him, showing a straight line of white teeth on his handsome, brown-skinned face. "Excellent choice, Mr. Monteserrat." He said approvingly, "I will arrange the best horses we have, riding horses which can go for days before needing rest."

"Does this shorten the journey even further?" He asked curiously, watching as the station master sent orders around for the carriage to be prepared.

"Indeed. I understand your journey takes you deep into the desert, you will have to hire camels at the city on the edge of the desert, Aysel, the gem of the east." The station master was generous with information, his pockets weighing heavier.

Dulce listened intently, carefully filing away all the information he learned. He couldn’t remember ever riding camels into the desert before, and it was understandable. If he had been alone, the journey to his desert palace would have taken a handful of hours. And if he had chosen to go on foot from Aysel, it would only take minutes.

"Could you have the carriage brought to the inn in an hour?" He asked politely, thinking that he had left the Demons all by themselves for far too long.

It had already been half an hour, coming down to the station had taken only a few minutes with his Vampiric speed. Returning would also only be in a matter of minutes.

"Certainly." The station master agreed easily, shaking hands vigorously to seal the deal.

Dulce turned away and left the station, unaware that he had been trailed the entire time. He didn’t look back even once as he hurried out, easily staying out of sight as he ran back to the inn.

Asael had materialized behind the Vampire as he scurried off, standing in between two tall buildings as he watched Dulce dart out of sight like a cloud of fog, there one moment and gone the next.

He warped directly to the inn room, knowing that the Vampire was so focused on returning here that danger couldn’t touch him. The trays of food had been cleared out and the Fiend was still sitting by the window when he returned, not much had changed.

Dulce returned a short while after he sat down, brimming with words. "I found a decent carriage to take us," He plunged right into explaining, eager to share the good news. "The length of our travels to the city at the edge of the desert is a week but the station master reassured me we can get there in an even shorter time."

Their luggage was unpacked, stacked up in a corner of the inn room, brought up by the coachmen who had driven them from the harbor to the inn.

"They will be here in an hour," Dulce went on, taking a seat. He was a Vampire but lengthy travels made even him weary, he had been on the road for several weeks now. Perhaps if his desert palace was hospitable enough, they could stay there for a short while before he went looking for ways to undo Kath’tan’s summons.