Page 4 of The Demon God's Desire

But I don’t feel anything towards him. I know that he’s one of my good friends and on paper we ought to work but I just can’t bring myself to hurt him with feelings that aren’t there. It would be much easier if I did. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about hurting him or ruining our friendship.

But I can’t lie to him. Or myself.

“Did you find the plants you were looking for earlier?” he asks, moving to grab a rag and start cleaning the cistern himself for me.

“Oh, yes, I did.” I grin. “I found at least a dozen out near the north edge of camp. Maybe more, but I want to wait until it’s a little cooler before I venture too much further out.”

“Don’t want to get caught up in that heat,” Allan agrees. He wipes down the cistern and then gets out some cleaning powder and begins to rub it over the barrel to disinfect it.

“Certainly not,” I agree. The weather has been nigh unbearable lately. It’s as if the gods themselves are punishing us for being a human colony not under the thumb of the elves.

We’re free out here and we plan to stay that way. That’s what my parents fought for. That’s what they both died for—to protect me and give me the freedom that they never had.

Some of us here escaped the mines, some escaped the death camps. But all of us escaped something. We banded together, vowing to protect each other from the elf threat.

Then we found this place out here, hidden away in between the buttes. We’re shielded from the death camps on one side and the city of Jurtil on the other. Yes, there is always a danger that the orcs or the dark elves could find us but we’ve remained relatively hidden for the last fifteen years so we’ve stopped worrying as much.

It’s still never a good idea to wander the unforgiving desert though. That’s why it was so scary when Ash took off and no one could find him. Any number of beasts could have gotten to him. He could have succumbed to the elements. He could have suffered unbearably painful burns or died of frostbite in the cold evenings.

Thankfully he was found and brought immediately back to camp where I could stitch him back up.

“So I was wondering if you’d like to come back to my house for the evening,” Allan says. I realize he must have been asking me a question but I was distracted from putting my zabilla plants away.

“What?”

“I said, I was wondering if you would like to...”

“Oh, I’m so sorry I lost track of the time,” I say, watching as Allan pours the water into the cistern. “I am absolutely exhausted. I’m heading home. When you finish up, can you lock up for me?”

Before Allan can say a word, I slip out the door and into the cool evening air. I really am tired but I also know that I don’t want to disappoint Allan by turning him down. I cherish our friendship and I just want to keep it the same.

I just wish Allan would get the hint. Heading back to my cob house, I glance over to see him standing at the front door of the healing hut, looking around wildly.

The sturdy clay and straw house stands waiting for me when I return. I check on my outside plants quickly, making sure that none of them have been knocked over by a wild animal during the day and then head inside where it’s nice and cool.

Sitting down on my hide chair, I stretch out my feet and sigh. What a day. I spent all morning looking for more fylvek sprouts for my stores. They’re rare and hard to find in this area and quite valuable as medicine. I found some finally but I think I’ll have to venture further from camp to find more.

Then there was the whole ruckus with Ash and trying to locate him. And when he was brought back, I was in charge of making sure he was patched up. A busy day indeed.

I know Allan likes me and I wish I could like him back, but I just don’t feel anything towards him. If anything I feel more affection akin to a brother. That isn’t what he wants to hear though. He wants me to be as madly in love with him as he feels towards me, to get married and have babies together and stay in his home and raise them in this camp.

If only I could find someone. I get up and make myself a quick and simple dinner before tidying up and crawling into bed. If I could find someone else, then I could let Allan down gently. Then I wouldn’t be so alone anymore.

But that’s just wishful thinking.

3

GUILRI

The ship rocks gently in the current, bobbing on the water. We’re docked in the northernmost bay in Tlouz, closest body of water to the city of Jurtil.

Our messenger told us that the Kings have all come together and chosen me, as the most decorated general of my generation, to rally my men and overtake Tlouz once again, decimating the orcs that have set up a stronghold.

And my men were eager to accept the mission. We’re itching for a real fight against the orc scum that have overtaken the continent.

Tlouz is one of the most dangerous and under-inhabited places in all of Protheka. The orclands are in the west, along with the human death camps. Eastern Tlouz has been secured by the dark elves, though there are some “untamed” humans to the southeast.

Unfortunately, Jurtil is the only elven stronghold on the western side of the mountains. That means Jurtil is our destination and we have to march through many miles of hot, scorching desert to get there.