Chapter 93 - The Inn Devil (1/2)
Alexis and Luke headed towards the black beam that the pendant showed in the sky, which took a few hours. The place was far away from Vasconcelos, specifically on the road between Vasconcelos and Sheltered Halvøy.
Above an inn, the beam rose even above the clouds when looked at through the red stone. The inn did not appear to be very large, nor did it appear open. There was an open-door carriage in the front, which stood next to a sign that spelt out the establishment's name: 'Inn of the Crusade.
”First of all, you have to know the name of this demon. He may be called Berith or Beherit. There is confusion in the translation because the book describing him must be old.”
”So, what do I do with the name?” Luke inquired because he did not know what killed the first demon in detail.
Knowing that using a magic circle would be impossible to kill an unsealed demon, Alexis explained: ”The chance is pretty high that he possessed someone out of desperation, so you have to kill the receptacle and before the demon has a chance to escape, you must call him by name.”
”Me? But what about you?” Luke inquired, confused.
”I will be covering the exits. The inn doesn't look big, but it's in a region with a lot of relief, as you can see. So, if he manages to get away from us, he could end up hiding easily.”
”I see, so you want to stay out here.”
The half-dragon just nodded. Luke, at the time, knew that it wasn't just for that reason that she didn't want to go. He knew that if Alexis found the demon that killed more than a dozen in the castle, she wouldn't hold back, and they wouldn't get any answers.
”Why didn't your emissary friend stay to help us with the second demon as well?” The half-wolf inquired because he didn't seem to have been very helpful on the first demon.
”Emissaries are particularly quick to run and hide, yet they are not strong or resilient at all. The Tenth is no exception, so his mission is only one of collection and delivery. In case the first elimination didn't work out, I would have to seal the demon again and send it to the Cardinal Church through Tenth.”
”That's why he seemed so nervous...”
So, Luke headed toward the entrance of the inn. There weren't many trees around, and what little vegetation there was low, except that the uneven terrain was a serious problem should the fight run to the outside of the inn.
Nheeec! The door of the establishment creaked as it was opened. The wooden windows were closed, and the entire premises were dark so that only the strong light of the mid-afternoon sun illuminated the place.
As soon as he entered, Luke saw the floor covered in dark, dried blood, indicating that it had been some time since it had been fresh. There was also a rotten smell stinking up the place. This was the same smell that Luke had the opportunity to smell in the morgue.
With one hand protecting his nostrils and the other ready to defend himself from any attack, the half-wolf began to walk around the place. His footsteps creaked on the old wood floor, and these creaks echoed throughout the room.
Slowly, Luke's vision began to get used to the darkness, and he could begin to better take in what he was seeing. The atmosphere was typical of an inn. To the right of the entrance, there were a few tables and a small bar with shelves full of glass jugs. There was a corridor so dark that the half-wolf could not see anything to the left.
When the rotten smell intensified, Luke knew he had found something. Beside his feet and near the bar, he found a headless human body. It was impossible to tell how old the man was, but based on the pudgy body and the wrinkles on his hand, Luke judged that he must be over forty and that he was probably the innkeeper.
While analyzing the man's body, Luke was surprised by a voice. ”How did you find me?” The voice seemed to come from all directions at once.
The half-wolf slowly stood up and replied: ”That doesn't matter. Reveal yourself, or are you afraid?” Tactically, he tried to tease the demon.