Strange Company - Chapter 6

Leonard slowly woke up next day, eyes still closed, surprisingly well rested. Apparently Ampersand could keep a word if he so pleased, much to Leonard's surprise. He then opened his eyes drowsily.

Ampersand: "Welcome back!"

Leonard: "Gyah!"

He recoiled in his bed, once again taking a few moments to realize what just happened. He then rubbed his face in a particularly irked manner.

Leonard: "Ugh, how I already long for the gong..."

Ampersand: "Well hey, at least I waited till you were actually awake. Kind of, anyways."

Leonard: "That much is appreciated, but I still don't like those jump scares."

Ampersand: "I know, they're just fun to watch. You of all people know what happens when I get too bored."

Leonard: "D'ach, don't remind me, you bloody asshole. I'm surprised I could sleep at all this night."

Ampersand: "Likewise. We'll just have to hope that doesn't repeat itself, won't we? In fact, the dark gods gave me a stern talking to, because violating a goodling is... Well, evil."

Leonard: "What, really?"

Ampersand: "Nope. They're dark gods, they don't care. Well, maybe a bit, but that was a pretty minor thing compared to what I did before."

Leonard: "Ugh. Well, I suppose I'm not getting any more sleep today."

Ampersand: "That depends on whether you're comfortable sleeping with me around or not."

Leonard: "I'm not. I'm not comfortable with you around at all, and I STILL wish you gone."

Ampersand: "That ain't happening just yet though."

Leonard: "I know, sadly."

Ampersand: "Great! I'll just be standing here, waiting for your next move. Awfully low ceiling you have, by the way. At least there's headroom in the lower plane."

Leonard: "Eh, it's enough for me."

He stood up, lazily. Upon reaching his full underwhelming height and having blinked a few times, he noticed that he was standing eye to eye with Ampersand.

Leonard: "Wait, weren't you taller yesterday?"

Ampersand: "I was."

Leonard: "Well, then why aren't you today?"

Ampersand: "Because of this awfully low ceiling of yours."

Leonard: "Y'know, most people would crouch instead of shrink."

Ampersand: "Oh."

Leonard: "How did you shrink?"

Ampersand: "How do you move your arms?"

Leonard: "What, so you're saying you can just shrink as a natural ability?"

Ampersand: "Shapeshifting, mortal. Any abyssal demon worth its salt can shapeshift. See, this isn't even my true form, but said form would break your mind, far more so than the mere visage of this forms eye. It's common practice to have a preferred form in which we represent ourselves to you mentally fragile mortals, because while it is hilarious to see you go mad, it also complicates the fine art of manipulation."

Leonard: "Shapeshifting? Gah, if you weren't such an evil asshole, I'd be jealous."

Ampersand: "And now you know exactly why some mortals are big enough imbeciles to try making deals with demons. Sure, you get power... For a while. Ultimately, you've thoroughly fucked yourself over, by means of exposing yourself to a level of evil entirely alien to the middle plane. Like me, for example. In all the time I've existed, I have yet to see any mortal with a similar mindset to myself. And that's pretty much peanuts compared to the abyssal overlords."

Leonard: "Hm, I'll be very sure to remember that. Wait, abyssal OVERLORDS? That sounds bad."

Ampersand: "Ohoho, if only you knew! See, among the various categorizations of us demons that I've seen from you mortals, abyssal overlords always rank at the very top, second only to the dark gods. They also like to boss every other abyssal around, so they don't partake as actively in your destruction as we do. Which is a very, VERY good thing, from a mortal standpoint. You can probably figure out what I think of it."

Leonard: "You think it sucks?"

Ampersand: "What? No, just means more mortals for me to plague. Not that you ever were in short supply."

Leonard: "Ugh, you still sicken me."

Ampersand: "And YOU sicken ME, so let's leave it at that."

Leonard: "But why do you keep hanging around me, then?"

Ampersand: "You're getting used to my presence."

Leonard: "I am NOT getting used to you!"

Ampersand: "Oh yes you are, don't be stupid. See, you have the nerve to be defiant now, you didn't have that before."

Leonard: "Well, maybe. It's more getting used to constant terror rather than being around you."

Ampersand: "Being around me IS constant terror. Hence, you're getting used to me, as much as you hate to admit it. Besides, you got used to that silly draconian, who could also kill you instantly if he so pleased. They're fun to annoy, but for a human... Well, I'm sure you've both seen and heard what kind of threat they pose."

Leonard: "All too much. I trust Drake though, he saved my life more than once."

Ampersand: "Didn't I as well?"

Leonard: "Once. But you're a demon, I would NEVER trust you fully."

Ampersand: "Heh, very wise. But here's a fun fact: If draconians weren't so bloody dumb, they'd be one of the most dangerous intelligent mortal species ever. I mean sure, there are those Desolate Gray monsters... You haven't heard of the Desolate Gray, have you?"

Leonard: "Good guess."

Ampersand: "UGH. Well, it's a type of area found not exclusively on this planet. Not a particularly dangerous environment in and of itself, but it houses the deadliest monsters in the entire middle plane. Far deadlier than draconians, but they don't house any semblance of intelligence. The only thing going through their huge heads is hostility towards foreign beings. Kind of beautiful in their simplicity, really. And dangerous, even to my kind."

Leonard: "What? You're saying that there's something native to this planet that's as dangerous as you are!?"

Ampersand: "Yes, mostly. Except that they don't leave their cozy little areas, so you sadly don't have any reason to worry about them. Should they ever go on a rampage... Well, I'll be watching it, that's for sure! You know they're trouble when they can tear apart demonic invasions."

Leonard: "Wait wait wait, WHAT?"

Ampersand: "You stuck in a groove or something? I could swear every other word coming out of your mouth is "what". Yes, demonic invasions happen. Sometimes they pick a really bad place to happen. The Desolate Gray areas are such places, and true to the hellions' reputation, they've been dumb enough to attempt it more than once."

Leonard: "Gah, my head's starting to hurt. How come you're so informative all of a sudden, anyways?"

Ampersand: "Have a guess."

Leonard: "Uhm... You tortured the bandits soul till it dissipated, so now you're all happy and talkative?"

Ampersand: "Pretty much. It's in your best interest that I remain like this."

Leonard: "Yes, it is. Even though I'd still much prefer you not being here at all."

Ampersand: "Pfft, what is it with you mortals and your incessant need to restate the obvious?"

Leonard: "It's because I really, REALLY want you gone. It's just too bad that it annoys you so badly.

Ampersand: "Yes, too bad for YOU. I'm not the one at risk here."

Leonard: "But you said you weren't allowed to kill me!"

Ampersand: "Correct, I'm not. But accidents happen, mortal."

Leonard got frightened when he heard that.

Leonard: "P-point taken."

Ampersand: "Good. Now weren't you supposed to be doing some things today?"

Leonard: "Well, I do have an appointment with that UTC doctor. Here's hoping he won't have to know of your presence."

Ampersand: "That all boils down to how well you can keep your face."

Leonard: "As long as you stay away, that shouldn't be a problem."

Ampersand: "You're saying that like I'm unable to give you a break. You slept tonight, didn't you?"

Leonard: "I guess I did, but only because you were busy being horrible elsewhere."

Ampersand: "Well, yes, but remember that my presence is only known to certain friends of yours, thanks in large part to humans bearing an irresistable desire to be heroic by attacking the big bad demon. All they think is "oh hey look, there's a demon, time to be a big fat hero!" and then subsequently get killed because they gravely underestimate said demon. Well, except the lesser hellions, but they're little dumbasses anyways. Even YOU could kill one in a straight fight, if I'm not entirely mistaken."

Leonard: "Flattering, but I'm hoping I won't ever have to find out. I'm also hoping we won't ever have to test your hero theory."

Ampersand: "Theory? You misunderstand me, mortal. I've tested it on countless worlds populated by humans, the vast majority of them either run or attack. You would've ran away if you could."

Leonard: "You don't know that!"

Ampersand: "Oh how blissfully unaware you are! Must be horrid to be constrained to those five senses of yours, because I can VERY CLEARLY sense any semblance of fear in anyone. Let's just say that I'm moderately amazed your pants remain dry."

Leonard: "You can sense fear? Can't that sense be overpowered, like our vision or hearing?"

Ampersand: "Clever thought, but no. Just like how you can't be overpowered by pleasure. Doing what I do would be impossible if fear could overpower me."

Leonard: "Hm, damn."

Ampersand: "What, looking for a way to get rid of me? You'd have to be insanely stupid to believe that I'd actually tell you anything of value in that regard. I'm not like those idiotic villains of your stories who inadvertently reveal a critical weakness about themselves to the crafty protagonists."

Leonard: "So you say. But anyways, I have an appointment to catch, IF YOU DON'T MIND."

He began getting ready while carrying on the conversation.

Ampersand: "All right, I guess I'm supposed to not be too much of a pestilence. Fun thing with those UTC chaps though, they're unusually advanced for humans. Must be their lack of magic doing that, even though you magically dense Steamers are still wading around in STEAM POWER."

Leonard: "Hey, steam power's good and flexible!"

Ampersand: "And that mindset is exactly why you haven't advanced any further than you have. Granted, you're holding up against the Magickers, but those UTC guys? They could easily destroy both of you. Take a lesson from them and don't sit around in contentment, because there's always room for improvement."

Leonard: "You mean there's other uses for steam?"

The demon smacked his clawed hand up against his own face, then peered over it with one eye before removing it in an exhasperated manner.

Ampersand: "Seriously, think outside the kettle for a second, will you? Not only are you actually lagging behind in what steam can do, your weapons are also hopelessly behind. So is your armor, your luxuries AND your general knowledge of how the world works."

Leonard: "And why exactly are you telling me this?"

Ampersand: "Well, partly because better weapons could have you killing each other more, along with better lives being shattered when a full-scale war erupts, and partly because I'm kind of trying to be helpful. Magic is nice, no doubts there..."

The demon produced a fireball in his hand, which he shortly after snuffed out again.

Ampersand: "... But you Steamers are some of the most magically dense people I've ever seen, and that's saying something. The UTC are just inert like most humans, but you guys are borderline anti-magical, except for a few mutants with actual magical abilities. I bet you this is the sole reason you haven't been fried by the Magickers yet, because they have some pretty powerful wizards at their disposal. In fact, allow me to demonstrate!"

He then produced a black cloud of smoke on the floor, which soon dissipated, revealing a very small demon that was hissing angrily, seemingly unable to move out of place.

Ampersand: "See, this is an imp. Not really comparable to a human, but they're always good to practice violence upon."

Leonard: "Say what?"

Ampersand: "Now, behold."

The demon pointed a finger at the imp, causing a purple and sparking beam to emanate from the finger. Upon impact, the imp convulsed violently while sparks of lightning shot out from it, then fell dead to the ground. Leonard looked horrified at the scene.

Ampersand: "That beam kills an imp stone dead. But when it hits YOU..."

Leonard: "WAIT-"

He was too late, because Ampersand had fired a similar beam at Leonards chest. He feared the worst, but when it hit, all he felt was a moderate jolt. He feverishly patted his chest, apparently being very surprised at not dying.

Ampersand: "Not much happens. That's kind of a problem when you're a wizard trying to kill a Steamer with magic."

Leonard was mentally shocked beyond speech.

Ampersand: "Oh get over it, I'm well aware of how much you can take. I'm not going to kill you unintentionally, you know."

Leonard: "I-I would much appreciate it if you told me before doing that!"

Ampersand: "Psh, not like you would've agreed to it anyways."

Leonard: "No, of course I wouldn't! I presume my reasoning is beyond your comprehension, or something."

Ampersand: "Not at all, but you make the funniest faces when you're shocked. You wouldn't be so shocked if you were ready for it, no?"

Leonard spat out several angry and frustrated sounds, none of them making any particular sense, after which he took a deep breath.

Leonard: "The whole point of being good is to avoid affecting others negatively, you know?"

Ampersand: "Good? Now don't be silly, I'm not exactly interested in being good, I just have to avoid being evil like I usually am. Might as well take a look at the other side of the coin while I'm at it."

Leonard: "I REALLY hope you get a taste for the side that involves not being an intolerable jerk."

Ampersand: "Don't count on it."

Leonard: "I won't. Still hoping though."

Ampersand: "Oh yes, please do! Always fun to crush hopes and dreams!"

Leonard let out an exhasperated sigh, and at the same time was just about ready to head on over to the hospital.

Leonard: "Ok, time to go now. If you'd be so kind as to get out of sight, it would be much appreciated."

Ampersand: "Ah bugger it, fine. But you and I both know it can't go on like this forever."

Leonard: "It doesn't have to, just until you leave me alone!"

Ampersand: "Ooh, snappy!"

And with that, the demon disappeared from sight. Leonard sighed, went outside, locked the door behind him, and headed for the hospital. Most people took no more notice of him than usual, though a few gave him that "why did you pull a draconian into town" look he had been on the receiving end of so often. As he strode along the streets, he couldn't help but wonder how this would all end up. For all he knew, Ampersand might be lying when he said he wouldn't kill him, yet Leonard was still very much alive, oddly enough in part due to the demon having saved him once. It might just be a ploy to lull him into a false sense of security, so the demon could strike when it would hurt the most. That whole "forced by the dark gods to not be evil" deal didn't really ring true in Leonards ears, but there was no way to know for sure. At least draconians are known to always speak the truth when they can, much unlike demons, especially when it comes to demons that openly introduce themselves as being unreliable and incomprehensibly evil.
Leonard arrived at the hospital. He went inside, and saw an unusual number of people awaiting reception, along with a lengthy line in front of the desk. Having no real choice in the matter, he went to the back of the line, somewhat patiently awaiting his turn while wondering where all the people came from. As he waited, a silent voice appeared in his head.

Ampersand: "Gee whiz, wonder what happened here? My bet's on bandits!"

Leonard tried his best to not visibly react to Ampersand talking to him, since that would most definitely mark him as being not quite right in the head. The line got shorter and shorter, and finally, Leonard was up next.

Clerk: "Hello sir, how may I help you?"

Leonard: "Leonard Corbinson here, I have an appointment with Dr. Zachariasson."

Clerk: "Ah yes, here you are. Go on in, the doctor's waiting."

Leonard: "Thanks. Say, any particular reason why you are so busy today?"

Clerk: "Another caravan got attacked by bandits. More civilians survived this time, but... The soldiers didn't make it."

Leonard: "Oh... Bless their souls, they did good."

Clerk: "Yes, they did."

Leonard went on to the doctors office, and knocked on the door:

Doctor: "Yes?"

Leonard: "Hello doctor, I'm here for my therapy. I hope it's not a bad time?"

Doctor: "Oh no, not at all! I don't get a lot of patients here. Come on in, we'll start immediately. Now, what was your name again?"

Leonard: "Leonard."

Doctor: "Ah yes, Leonard. Just start off where you left yesterday at your own pace."

Leonard: "All right. Well... I think I got to the part where I ran afoul of my superiors. We were just about to attack a Magicker village. It was just another mission, I thought. But..."

Doctor: "Yes?"

Leonard: "But there were no armed forced there! We were all inside the village before I noticed that, and... Our sergeant just ordered us to attack! Most of my "comrades" did so unquestioningly, but when I aimed my gun at an innocent man..."

He paused for a second.

Leonard: "The look in his eyes. I just couldn't bring myself to pulling the trigger. I went right back to our sergeant. "I can't kill innocent people," I said, "they haven't even done us anything!" But he was cold. "Soldier, you will follow orders and you will do it now!" he said, "there ain't room for emotions in a war!" And at the same moment, he spotted a boy running past..."

Leonard's eyes were watering up, while the doctor was scribbling down notes and nodding.

Leonard: "And he raised his pistol and... Oh god..."

He hid his face in his hands while sobbing silently.

Doctor: "Calm down, take it slowly. We have all the time in the world. Nobody's judging you in here."

Leonard: "Thanks, doctor. It's just... I remember it all so vividly!"

Doctor: "You've been badly traumatized, it's no wonder you can remember it like so. But remember, Leonard, I'm here to help. We're going to have you come to terms with it, yes?"

Leonard: "Y-yes, I think."

Doctor: "Good, that's the spirit! First things first though, you need to get it out of your system. Please, continue when ready. We can wait till tomorrow if you want."

Leonard: "No no, it's fine. Ok... So, he raised his gun and... And... HE SHOT THE BOY. THE ASSHOLE SHOT AN INNOCENT CHILD TO DEATH!"

Doctor: "Oh, my!"

Leonard: "I was utterly shocked. The boys face... I will never forget it. Never."

Doctor: "So you were shocked? That's good, shows you have a good conscience."

Leonard: "Shocked and outraged! How can a man kill innocent children like that!?"

Doctor: "I don't know. I know it's horrible, but what's important is that it isn't your fault."

Leonard: "I... I just don't believe that. If I hadn't confronted him..."

Doctor: "He would have done so anyways. You can't blame yourself for the actions of others."

Leonard: "How can you just say that? He murdered a child!"

Doctor: "Yes, HE murdered a child. You didn't. In fact, it's quite unusual for people to tell off their superiors like you did."

Leonard: "Tell off? I guess I did. But my first reaction was to tackle him and nearly choke him to death."

Doctor: "That's only natural. You felt he needed punishment for what he did."

Leonard: "I didn't stop voluntarily. My comrades pulled me off just before he blacked out, partly because killing a superior officer is an extremely serious crime. But you know what? I don't regret it. I would have choked the life out of him, and I would still do so today."

Doctor: "Now that's a bit over the top, don't you think?"

Leonard: "No! The man's a bloody monster! He'd have both you and me killed without blinking if need be."

Doctor: "Leonard, I think you just need to let him go. I'm not saying you should forgive him, because his actions are unforgivable, but all that hate you're feeling is eating you up from inside."

Leonard: "I... One day, perhaps, but not yet. He didn't even seem remotely repentant after I was pulled off. He rather seemed almost offended, yet so very malicious when he discharged me on the spot. With a right hook."

He subconsciously placed his hand where the sergeants fist had struck.

Leonard: "He almost seemed to enjoy it. Never in my whole life have I seen someone so malicious before, not even among bandits. I'm not exactly a saint myself-"

Doctor: "Quite the contrary, dear Leonard. You're an exceptionally kindhearted person, even if the kindness comes from a seething hatred of that wicked sergeant."

Leonard: "Thanks, but really, I've done too many things to consider myself a saint. But that man? He could pass for a demon in disguise. I only have two major regrets from the scene: That I couldn't save the child, and that I didn't get to kill the sergeant who shot the child. There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING he could ever do to redeem himself."

Doctor: "Are you really sure of that? Really sure?"

Leonard: "I... Don't know. Maybe if he against all odds decided to dedicate his life to helping people in need, then maybe... But I don't think that's going to happen. His eyes were still full of malice last time I saw him. The things I would do...!"

Doctor: "Now now, remember what I said. You need to let him go. He's a wretch, he's not worth your attention, and much less killing."

Leonard: "I know, but... I just feel like I can't be at peace until I do something horrible to him."

Doctor: "Repaying a death with death isn't the solution, Leonard. Have him tried and sentenced, surely the law says something against killing innocent people?"

Leonard: "Nobody would side with me. It's the word of a lousy soldier against that of a trusted sergeant."

Doctor: "If it's any comfort, I'd side with you. I'm sure more people would as well if they heard your story."

Leonard: "Thanks, doctor. It's... Just so painful to tell it."

Doctor: "I know. But it gets easier, doesn't it?"

Leonard: "A little, I guess."

Doctor: "That's good. You have a lot of bottled up emotions, you just need to get them out. You'll be feeling much better afterwards."

Leonard: "I hope you're right."

Doctor: "Oh don't worry, I'm a doctor, I know these things! Now, if you're up for it, tell me a bit more about this sergeant."

Leonard: "Spite and malice given human form. The only thing he had going for him was that he was a somewhat decent leader, but that all changed when... The event happened. At least in my eyes."

Doctor: "I see. Now, what do you feel when you think of his visage?"

Leonard: "Anger. Outrage. Intense aggression."

Doctor: "Hm, I guess that is to be expected. I would feel like that in your position as well. But, Leonard, we need to get some of that aggression out of you, so I'm going to try something new. Come along..."

The doctor showed him a punching bag stowed away in the corner.

Leonard: "What's this all about?"

Doctor: "Picture that sergeant in place of the punching bag. Hit it, every bit as hard as you would hit that sergeant."

Leonard: "What?"

Doctor: "Come on, it's not hard. But if you don't feel like it..."

Leonard: "All right then."

He did his best to visualize the sergeant standing where the punching bag was. Upon summoning sufficient anger from his memory, he let loose a fierce punch, which impacted with a satisfying "baf".

Doctor: "Good! Again!"

Leonard threw another fierce punch with his other hand.

Doctor: "Great! Don't stop now!"

Leonard continued hitting the punching bag, getting more and more engaged every time. The doctor didn't even have to encourage him, he really felt like he needed to throw those punches. After a final punch that felt like it was able to knock out a draconian, he got tired.

Doctor: "Ok, you're done now. How did that feel?"

Leonard: "It feels... Good. Like I should have thrown those punches ages ago, but hadn't done so."

Doctor: "Figured as much. Your despair will heal over time, especially with help from your friends. That anger of yours, however, needs an outlet, or it might come out at unfortunate times. A punching bag like that one is a good example, but anything that can help you vent is fair game. As long as it doesn't break the law, of course."

Leonard thought about it for a while. He didn't have a punching bag at home, and his job didn't really involve hitting anything. He wasn't keen on screaming his lungs out at some inanimate object, so he didn't really know how he was supposed to vent. Except...

Leonard: "Well, doctor, I don't have a punching bag at home, but do you think friendly brawls could help?"

Doctor: "Maybe, but I'd advise caution. Don't let your anger out on your friends, you might accidentally injure them."

Leonard: "Hm, I see what you're on to. Perhaps my friends can help me think of something."

Doctor: "Good idea, they know more about you than I do. So, are you ready to take on the day now?"

Leonard: "I am, thanks doctor. When's the next session?"

Doctor: "Shall we say tomorrow at the same time?"

Leonard: "Sure, sounds good."

Doctor: "All right, see you then. And please, just call me Zach."

Leonard: "Heh, ok. See you tomorrow, Zach."

He went back out of the hospital, thought a bit about where to go next, and then headed for Conrad's smithy. Conrad was usually up earlier than Leonard, so he was bound to be inside hammering up something. As he got to the smithy, he put his ear up against the door. Sure enough, both hammering and Conrad's motor mouth was heard inside, so Leonard went ahead and knocked.

Conrad: "Door's open, come in!"

Leonard: "Hey guys, how's it going?"

Drake: "Hi Leonard."

Conrad: "I could ask you the same question, you're the one being bothered by a demon. Nothing unusual going on here, when you discount the big scaly fellow."

Leonard: "Well, all things considered, I'm doing surprisingly well. Ampersand even let me get a proper nights sleep, though not without a startle to begin the day."

Conrad: "Huh, I'm surprised he left you alone at all. Seems like an awfully clingy type, that demon."

Leonard: "Yes, all too much. But anyways, these therapy sessions are great, if a bit hard. I mean, reliving that moment of my life..."

Conrad: "I feel you man, don't worry. If you need support or anything, I'm here."

Leonard: "Thanks. Well, there is one thing... The doctor said that I have to find a way to vent my anger. I don't want to risk brawling it out with you two, so I was wondering if you had any ideas?"

Conrad: "Well, I'm sure Drake wouldn't mind a friendly fight, but then again, he'd probably just beat you down in a few seconds."

Drake gave off a few neutral sounds, acknowledging what he just heard.

Leonard: "Exactly. I mean, he's the only one in town I'd be able to hit full force without any risk of injuring him, but he's also... Well, a draconian, and a friend. I wouldn't ask of him to just stand still and act like a punching bag, that's just asking too much."

Conrad: "A what now?"

Leonard: "Uhm, some kind of leathery bag the doctor had hanging in the corner. Pretty big, felt mostly like punching a guy in the chest."

Conrad: "Huh, fancy that. Kind of like our practice dummies, I suppose."

Leonard: "More or less, except only made for unarmed strikes. You might end up hurting yourself pretty badly if you biffed a practice dummy like that."

Conrad: "Well, what about the demon, then?"

Leonard: "Say what?"

Conrad: "You know, the shadowy asshole that's following you around. I'm sure you wouldn't mind punching him."

Leonard: "True, but do you really think that's a good idea? I mean, he's much more liable to just straight up kill me than Drake is."

At the same moment, said demon appeared in a black puff of smoke.

Ampersand: "Oh yes, that I am! Now what's this about using me as a punching bag?"

Leonard: "Uhm..."

Ampersand: "Well?"

Leonard: "I need something to strike at, to let out my anger. Conrad and Drake are out of the question, and I don't have a punching bag anywhere near. And... Well, you're the only one who can take it with no ill effect, other than Drake."

Ampersand: "Aww, would've been so funny to see you using that silly drack as a punching bag. Friendship at it's very highest, how heartwarming!"

The others glared in silence at the demon.

Ampersand: "I don't even have a heart that could be warmed. But anyways, yes, I could take your best shots. No, it's not a good idea."

Leonard: "But why?"

Ampersand: "Well, try punching me to find out."

Leonard: "Happily."

He then slugged Ampersand in what would be his stomach. The demon didn't react, and Leonard felt like he just punched a tree. He shook his hand vigorously in pain.

Leonard: "Ow, bugger it!"

Ampersand: "Pfft, you mean to tell me you can't even hit something without hurting yourself? The draconian didn't even blink."

Leonard: "No, of course not, he has probably punched a bear in the face. I'm a human, not a big lizard."

Ampersand: "I'm not blind, you know. It's just fun to compare you humans' shortcomings to species that are superior in that regard."

Leonard: "Hmng. You can't do anything about that hardness?"

Ampersand: "I could, but I won't."

Leonard: "So there's not any help to gather from you?"

Ampersand: "Well, there are plenty of imps in the lower plane if you feel like embracing your inner ape. They're not that hard to kill, have a look!"

Leonard: "Oh no, not this again!"

Ampersand had summoned an imp, and was holding it in one hand.

Ampersand: "What? I'm not going to zap anyone this time."

Having said that, he lobbed the imp right into Drakes face, where it briefly clinged. Drake responded by grabbing it with a crushing grip with both hands, and promptly tore it in half. The two halves disintegrated and vanished. Drake, however, was clearly angered by the move, and was stomping towards Ampersand in a rather menacing posture. The demon remained calm, however, and halted Drake's advance by prodding him in the chest with a finger.

Ampersand: "Remember what I said, draconian. I was NOT kidding."

Drake reluctantly backed off while growling.

Ampersand: "Good boy."

Conrad: "The hell was that all about?"

Ampersand: "Always fun to kill imps, ain't it?"

Conrad: "I mean WHY did you do that?"

Ampersand: "Well, partly because draconians are fun to piss off, and partly to show my point. Drake there can rip an imp in half with little to no difficulty, so it's safe to assume that a human like Leonard would get a bit of a workout killing an imp with his bare hands. I know this from experience too, a singular imp is of no real threat to an adult human, especially when said human is a trained soldier."

Leonard: "I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't like killing anything for fun."

Ampersand: "It's not like you're killing them at all, they'll just return to the lower plane. Besides, they only feel hatred for mortals, no need to feel any sympathy for them. I can bet you they'd happily kill you if they could, and if you would kill that sergeant of yours without blinking, then these little buggers should be treated the same, because they're every bit as monstrous in their intentions, if not more."

Leonard: "Well..."

Ampersand: "You know what they'd do if they ran across a helpless boy? They'd swarm him, kill him and EAT him."

Leonard: "But they're demons!"

Ampersand: "Exactly. You've seen the big lizard's opinion on demons, and quite frankly you'd do wisely to share it, because I'm probably the only demon who isn't going to savagely murder you at the moment, and even that's temporary. You know what astrals do? Astrals, as in disgusting beacons of goodness and purity? They kill demons. The fact that you're even considering not killing a demon when given the chance is surprising."

Leonard: "Sure I'd kill an invading demon, but you're just pulling them out of their lair or something."

Ampersand: "And?"

Leonard: "They're not doing it voluntarily."

Ampersand: "Yes they are, they're EAGER to have a shot at killing some stupid mortal."

Leonard: "I still don't want to kill things for my own amusement!"

Ampersand: "Amusement? That's just a bonus. You're fighting for your life, dear mortal. If you don't kill an imp, it'll keep chewing on you till you bleed out. Seriously though, try it out."

Leonard: "Oh hells no!"

Once again too late, Ampersand had summoned another imp, this time free from his grasp or magic. It hissed angrily, and quickly homed in on Leonard. The little demon barely reached Leonard's knee height, so it feverishly tried hitting his legs. It had little effect, however, since apparently imps were so weak that they couldn't even harm a grown man. Leonard grabbed it by the upper body and hoisted it up and away. It frantically clawed Leonard's arm to get away, but its claws were too tiny to penetrate his sleeve.
Leonard looked puzzled, despite the little demons best efforts.

Ampersand: "That's right, now kill it!"

Leonard: "How am I supposed to- OW, you bloody little...!"

The imp had bitten his hand, and had drawn a bit of blood. Leonard responded by grabbing its head with his other hand and twisting it, producing a nasty little crack that indicated a broken neck. The imp went limp, and soon after disintegrated. Leonard and Conrad were shocked, Drake managed to produce a tiny smirk, and Ampersand had the same unnerving grin as he always had.

Ampersand: "See? That ain't so hard."

Leonard: "What in the fuck is WRONG with you!?"

Ampersand: "Nothing at all, I'm just not a human. But hey, killing that imp felt right, didn't it?"

Leonard was silent for a moment, contemplating what he felt at the moment. He was a bit frightened to realize that Ampersand was right; killing the imp DID feel good.

Ampersand: "Right now you're probably wondering if that makes you a psychopathic killer. Well it doesn't, sadly. It just happens that when you come from above the lower plane, killing demons feels right. It's unfortunate for us, but at least it feels right for us to kill YOU, so it all comes full circle."

Leonard: "But WHY does it feel good? Killing shouldn't feel good!"

Ampersand: "That's just how reality works. Hell if I know the details, I'm just an abyssal demon doing what I'm supposed to. MAYBE the gods know, but I wouldn't expect an answer from them if I were you. Which I fortunately am not."

Leonard: "It's just... I'm worried I might get desensitized to violence."

Ampersand: "You aren't already? I could've sworn I've heard many death threats coming out of your mouth."

Leonard: "Well..."

Ampersand: "Oh can it already, you can sadly still be a nice guy even if you've killed hundreds of demons. Killing one of your own kind is supposedly different, but the imps don't even care, they're used to dying all the time. In fact, that little blighter you just killed? He's eager to have another shot at you."

Drake: "Leonard, I not happy to say, but demon speak truth. Killing demons not bad thing to do. Is great honour for vankij to kill big demon."

Leonard stood in silence for a bit. If Drake agreed that it's fine to kill demons, then it couldn't be that bad.

Leonard: "Well... At least let me get some gloves next time."

Ampersand: "Splendid! Anyone else want to have a go? I'm on an imp roll already."

Conrad: "What are you so excited about?"

Ampersand: "Killing makes me happy. Doesn't matter if it's imps or humans, it just does."

Conrad: "Well... I have to admit that I'm morbidly curious."

Ampersand: "Right then, here's another hissing little bugger."

The demon summoned another imp, which went straight for Conrad. He saw it coming though, so he intercepted it with the sole of his boot. He then picked up the angry imp with one hand pinning both its arms and studied it. He didn't seem particularly impressed, since the imp was completely unable to break out of his grasp despite its frantic struggling.

Conrad: "Are demons always this weak?"

Ampersand: "Hah, no. Imps are a special case, they're disproportionally weak for their size, so they're unbelievably feeble. Go just one step up the hierarchy, and the lesser demons are already stronger than they look."

Conrad: "Hm, damn."

He was about to snap the imps neck like Leonard did, when Ampersand interrupted.

Ampersand: "Oh come on, get creative! Snapping necks is only fun for so long."

Conrad grimaced at Ampersand, and proceeded to snap the imp's neck anyways.

Conrad: "Don't want my smithy all covered in imp blood."

Ampersand: "Hrm. I don't know if you noticed, but there are actually no stains left from when the scaled beefcake tore one in half."

Conrad: "Nonsense, I..."

He looked around, particularly intensely at the spot where Drake had killed the imp.

Conrad: "... Saw... It's gone?"

Ampersand: "Well duh, how do you think failed demonic invasions can remain hidden? Hellions only exist here temporarily, their forms held together by willpower. When they die... Well, they disappear. In the impossible event that I should die, I wouldn't leave much of a trace either."

Conrad: "Huh, fancy that."

He looked thoughtful.

Conrad: "Say, Leonard, I have a room in the back if you feel like you need a place to brawl imps. Hell, if I didn't know the consequences of revealing Ampersand to the public, I'd market it."

Now Leonard looked thoughtful.

Leonard: "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll take the offer. I'm actually accepting help from a DEMON."

Ampersand: "Think of it this way. I'm also amused by the sight of you humans killing imps, so you're doing yourself a favour as well. It means I'll have to amuse myself less at your cost."

Leonard: "That's... Actually kind of nice. You might finally be starting to understand the concept of not-evilness."

Ampersand: "I am? Crap. Oh well, as long as it's entertaining."

Drake grumbled something incomprehensible.

Drake: "Maybe I try kill bigger demon?"

Everyone was surprised to hear that. Nevertheless, Leonard was pretty sure he knew why Drake would ask that. Since he wasn't able to kill Ampersand himself, he might as well vent some excess anger on weaker demons, now that he had the chance.

Ampersand: "Ah, the draconian is getting in the spirit? How refreshing! Yes, you can have a lesser demon, but you humans probably ought to stand aside if you don't want to get caught in the crossfire."

He then pulled up a notably bigger demon, about as tall as Sarah, with a more elongated head than the imps, though still seemingly fragile of build. It screeched angrily, and ran straight at Drake with murder in its eyes. Drake, however, reacted before the lesser demon could reach him by means of gripping the demons head tightly. It hissed through its now forcibly shut mouth, trying to break out of Drake's grip, but to no avail. Drake then harshly slammed it to the ground and stomped viciously on its head, killing it with a sickening crunch.

Conrad: "Eugh. I do hope you weren't lying about demons not leaving stains."

Ampersand: "Maybe I were."

As he was grinning innocently (or as innocently as a genocidal demon possibly could), the dead demon began the process of disintegrating and disappearing, shortly followed by the bloody smear left behind.

Ampersand: "Ok, so I weren't. But lying all the time makes you predictable, you know."

Leonard: "There's just one big problem among all the ones present: How will we explain that NOISE?"

Conrad: "Well, I often make lots of weird noises in here when smithing. That demon screech did sound a bit like a blade against a grindstone, and so on."

Leonard: "That's... Oddly convenient. I just hope nobody will have to find out about this, my relationship with the public isn't as healthy as it could be."

Ampersand: "It's mostly a problem for them if they decide to attack me. It's been too long since I indulged in a good old mass murder."

Leonard: "... Let's just hope it never comes to that. This town has enough problems with bandits already, it doesn't need a mass murder courtesy of the biggest asshole on the planet."

Ampersand: "I do bad things when they're needed the least, not most. But sadly, that's also an evil thing to do."

Leonard: "How very sad."

Ampersand computed that for a bit.

Ampersand: "That has to be sarcasm, I can't imagine you'd ever find the absence of mass murder sad."

Leonard: "Correct. I'd have thought you were well enough versed in sarcasm to take the hint instantly."

Ampersand: "Well, hellions don't use it, I don't commune a lot with my fellow abyssals, and humans rarely get to retort sarcastically when they're wetting themselves in terror. So no, I'm not as versed in sarcasm as your feeble mortal mind would think. I don't consider that a liability though, it's already hard enough to tell whether I'm flat out lying to your faces or not."

Drake emitted a deep and dissatisfied rumbling when he heard the last part.

Ampersand: "That's the thing about draconians, they make the funniest sounds when they get angry! You humans might find it ominous, but I personally find it quite amusing."

Drake scowled angrily, but managed to avoid attacking, since he knew the consequences.

Ampersand: "Huh, he's learning, the little blighter! Oh well, power to him, since I've had my kicks for now."

Conrad: "If need be, I'd happily give you a proper kick."

Ampersand: "And by "proper" I assume you mean something related to you puny humans. Nevermind the fact that I could kick you in half if I so pleased. But, I shall give you some time to talk about me in my absence, since you're probably about to say that you have better things to do than to bicker with an ancient demon."

Leonard: "Yeah, pretty much."

As Leonard had said that, he had completely forgotten what they were supposed to be doing today. Conrad jumped in to save him from an awkward situation.

Conrad: "We have to check with Alice, for one. I think she has a cunning scheme to get that bandit guy we need to get."

Ampersand: "Ah, fair enough. Anything that involves brutalizing someone else is fine by me."

Conrad: "I bet it is, but us puny mortals don't actually like it that much."

Ampersand: "Seems to me like you enjoy a good fight."

Conrad: "Fighting and killing are separate things, you know."

Ampersand: "One leads to the other, the line is so damn blurred it might as well be absent. Besides, I said brutalizing, not killing. You're planning to get information out of him, yes?"

Leonard: "Oh, so you're not actually absent? That's not particularly comforting."

Ampersand: "Well, for the record, I did go to the abyssal plane with that bandit you were so desperate to relinquish from my grasp. Otherwise no, I guess you could say I'm good at staying hidden."

Conrad: "Way too damn good for comfort. But you never really cared about others' comfort, did you?"

Ampersand: "What, you don't think I care how others feel?"

Conrad: "Not really, no."

Ampersand: "Correct. Except that I will typically go for the option that causes the greatest misery."

Conrad: "I am not surprised by that. At all."

Ampersand: "Finally catching on, are we? But anyways, should the bandit remain uncooperative, I'd happily teach him what it means to run afoul of an abyssal demon."

Leonard: "We don't need him torn apart, we just need to know where Erstrom is!"

Ampersand: "Torn apart? How very mundane. But ok, fine, I'll try not to break his feeble mind too badly."

Conrad: "Speaking of Erstrom, couldn't you just like go kill him or something? That'd make our lives so much easier."

Ampersand: "I could, but where's the fun in that, mortal? For one, someone else would just step up immediately, however less competent that slob would be, and secondly, offing him would just confine me to watching your unbelievably boring lives some more. At least those bandit goons occasionally put your life on the line, as opposed to just hammering a piece of metal in front of a dim-witted lizardman and belching."

Conrad: "Oi, don't you dare dissing the belching!"

Leonard: "Well if it bores you, then why don't you just get the hell off our backs already!?"

Ampersand: "Now if only it was that simple! You see, I can't be bothered hooking up with another dumb mortal, because you're one out of a hundred who didn't actually attack me in a fit of raging idiocy, and I'm not one for repeating myself. One should think there's some inherent correlation between stupidity and goodness!"

Conrad: "And that comes from a demon who kills his own kind for shits and giggles? That's what we mortals call counter productive, self destructive and generally pretty stupid."

For the first time, Ampersand actually looked mildly offended, which was shown as his red irises briefly showing through the white circles.

Ampersand: "You watch your mouth, mortal, or I will burn it and most of your face so badly that your own children won't recognize you."

Conrad gaped silently in shock.

Conrad: "You dare bring my kids into this!"

Ampersand: "Then perhaps you should think twice before opening that hideously oversized gob of yours, because I won't be warning you next time!"

As the demon said that, his otherwise happy face had changed to a rather frightening scowl. He also produced a fireball in his left hand, which he subsequently clenched and thus extinguished. Conrad looked even more shocked, and was about to say something, but Ampersand interrupted.

Ampersand: "Do I really have to remind you of what you're dealing with here? I'm trying to avoid being evil here, but DO NOT test your luck. Now, I'm going to go vent on some hellions, at least they know their bloody place in this world."

The demon disappeared, as he had done many times. Conrad and Leonard both sighed in relief.

Leonard: "You see why I hate him, right?"

Conrad: "Damn right I do. Demon or not, if he so much as belittles my kids while I'm around..."

He made a twist-and-break motion with his hands.

Conrad: "I may not be able to beat him one on one, but I can and I WILL find a weakness to bore into. It may take days, months, YEARS, but so help me god, nothing will save you from the wrath of an angry father!"

Leonard: "Damn straight! But until that happens, I suggest that we proceed with caution. While he is unquestionably a dreadful personality, he's also extremely dangerous. I've seen what he can do to bandits in mere seconds; trust me, it's not pretty."

Conrad: "Yes, I agree. If I can avoid getting on a lifelong quest of vengeance by being a bit more wary with what I say, then it's by far the better option. Especially so if it also guarantees the safety of my kids, because I don't want them to deal with my mistakes."

Drake was looking a bit confused. Draconians don't reproduce among themselves, and how they actually come to be is one of the great mysteries of the world. Therefore, he didn't understand the concept of parentage.

Drake: "I not sure I understand. Why Conrad so protective of... Kids?"

Conrad: "Well, you're a drack, so I wouldn't expect you to understand. Kids, also known as children, are the result of humans... Mating. We take great care of our kids, so they can grow big and strong and survive in this world, after which they have their own kids. It's how we survive, you know. For the most part, ones kids are ones greatest treasures in this world, far greater than any gold or gems. What would you feel like if someone took or destroyed your treasures?"

Drake: "I tear meat off bones while they still living."

Conrad: "Exactly. I may not be as strong as you, but it's still well within my qualifications to make a horrible mess of anyone who hurts my little treasures."

Drake: "Hm, I see."

Conrad: "Great! So anyways, should we check up on Alice to see if she's not gambling with our lives again?"

Leonard: "Sounds like a plan, let's go."

They then went to the pub, where Leonard was pretty sure they'd find Alice. Turns out he was right, as when they got there, Alice was sitting at a table with Bart, looking at a spread out map with the black parchment on top. The three approached the table.

Conrad: "Mornin' Alice and Bart. Are you two planning our next deadly escapade?"

Alice: "Well, kind of. I have to plot down where this bandit hole we're seeking is, so we don't just wander around in the wilderness hoping for a stroke of luck."

Conrad: "Huh, good idea. How's that going, then?"

Alice: "Smoothly. Look..."

She pointed at a small circle on the map.

Alice: "There's our place. I don't want to know the details of HOW that crazed demon got the thoughts out of the guys head, but the directions are easy to follow."

Leonard: "Hm, well at least SOME use can be gotten out of him. But anyways, now that we know where to go, what do we do? I mean, Stilton can't honestly be expecting us to take on a whole camp of bandits by ourselves."

Alice: "Actually, he... Kind of does. I spoke to him about that exact thing, but he just says we have Drake and the demon on our side, so there shouldn't be any problems."

Leonard: "Gah, what happened to the brilliance in his head?! While I am inclined to believe that Drake could take out half the camp on his own, I don't want to rely on Ampersand for anything, and us humans are very likely to be killed by one stray bolt or bullet."

Alice: "I don't like it either, but Stilton seems confident in our abilities."

Conrad: "Maybe Sarah has something that could even out the odds?"

Curiously enough, the moment after he had mentioned Sarah, the dwarf slammed open the entrance door.

Conrad: "And speaking of which, there's our dwarf! How's it going?"

She didn't respond, or even react. She had a wild look in her face, yet seemed to be scanning the room for
something very specific while muttering something too low to hear.

Conrad: "Sarah?"

Still no response. However, her eyes suddenly fell on Drake, and much to everyones surprise, she bolted right over to him, grabbed his hand and tried pulling him towards the door with surprising force. Drake looked more confused than anyone, but remained stationary despite Sarah's best efforts.

Sarah: "Vision... Gauntlets... Draconian!"

Conrad: "Uh-oh, I think this is one of those weird dwarf things. We'd better follow her, I don't think she's going to let you go any time soon."

Drake: "Uhm... Ok, but I confused."

Conrad: "So am I, but also a bit curious. Let's see what she's up to. You coming, Leo?"

Leonard: "All right, I'm not that much into smithing, but something tells me this is pretty big. What about you, Alice?"

Alice: "Nah, I still have some things to plot down, but thanks for the offer."

Leonard: "Right then, see you later."

Drake got up and followed whatever direction he was hastily pulled in, while Leonard and Conrad were struggling to keep up. After a short while, they arrived at Sarah's smithy, the inside of which looked like it had been razed by a tornado. She quickly pulled Drake near the forge, and started feeling every inch of both his hands. She then grabbed her hammer and looked over the materials she had accumulated in a pile, and paused. A few seconds later, she dropped the hammer on the floor and began waving her arms wildly in the air.

Sarah: "Light! LIGHT! SHINING! MAGICAL!"

She looked around frantically, unable to see what she was looking for. Leonard wondered for a moment what exactly she meant, but then remembered that he still had that glowing stone in his pocket. He pulled it out.

Leonard: "Maybe th-"

Sarah spotted it, darted over to Leonard and snagged it out of his hand. She laughed triumphantly, and immediately went back to her forge and picked up a steel ingot, after which she took both items and chucked them into the smelter.

Leonard: "Well, I guess I won't be using that rock any more."

Conrad: "Apparently. I'm immensely curious though, what the hell has gotten into her?"

Leonard: "Your guess is as good as mine. I've studied draconians, not dwarfs."

Sarah was frantically pumping the bellows. Not long after, a sharp light came out of the smelter, possibly because the glowing rock was melting. The dwarf was giggling like a lunatic meanwhile. Half an hour later, Sarah had begun processing the newly created alloy, occasionally checking over her shoulder to make sure that Drake didn't go anywhere. She fashioned the metal into several decorated plates, cooled them down, went through every nook and cranny on the plates, and began working with an odd kind of leather that neither Leonard or Conrad had seen before.

Conrad: "Now, I'm no leatherworker, but that doesn't look like cow hide."

Leonard: "No, it doesn't. I don't think we're getting an answer out of her just yet though."

Conrad: "Probably not."

Sarah had soon after formed the leather into a pair of fingerless gauntlets. She quickly made a comparison between the gauntlets and Drakes hands by eye, and continued her working. The metal plates were very firmly fixed on to the leather. One behind the wrist, one on the back of the hand, and one over the knuckles and inner fingers. Everything seemed to fit together perfectly. Having done that with both gauntlets, she began etching various details into the leather and metal. She was surprisingly artistic with the etching, much unlike her usually very solid but plain crafting. After a while, she etched the final details in, and paused. She began panting slowly, and she lost her wild composure.

Sarah: "They... They're done."

She looked at them in her hands for a while, looking a bit like she had a hard time believing that she had crafted those gauntlets. She compared her own hands to them. Her hands were much too small. She looked over her shoulder at a still very confused Drake. She turned around and slowly walked towards him with the gauntlets.

Sarah: "Here. Try them on."

Drake: "Eh? What those things?"

Sarah: "Gauntlets. They go on your hands."

Drake: "But... Things on hands get between fist and foe."

Sarah: "Damn it, draconian! These gauntlets are the apex of my career as an armorsmith, and for some unexplainable reason, the vision told me to make them for you."

Conrad: "Say what now?"

Sarah: "Soon. Please, try them."

Drake: "Uhh... Ok."

He slipped the gauntlets over his hands, and they fit perfectly and comfortably. Drake could move his fingers as if nothing was on them. He clenched his hand, and noticed the metal plate covering the front of his fist. He knocked his fists together a couple of times, as if to test how it felt. No dents or scratches were produced, and Drake's face lit up a bit.

Drake: "They feel good. But why you give them to me?"

Sarah: "Well, it's a bit of a complicated story, but to make it short, any dwarf working with a craft might get a single vision in his or her life time. This vision tells of a great artifact that the dwarf can and should make, and I just had my vision right now. I... Made an artifact."

Conrad: "Ooh, a true dwarven artifact?"

Sarah: "Yes. Well, a pair of them. What's odd is that the vision very specifically included Drake, while most artificers make artifacts for dwarfs."

Conrad: "Huh, that IS pretty odd. Say, is there anything particularly special about those gauntlets? I mean, you snagged Leonard's glowing stone and smelted it."

Sarah looked thoughtful for a moment.

Sarah: "They destroy magic."

Conrad: "Magic?"

Sarah: "Yes. The glowing stone had strong anti-magical properties to it, which have been integrated in the steel. The gauntlets can defend against magical attacks, and destroy magical defenses and beings."

Conrad: "Interesting. Very interesting, actually. I don't think we're heading against Panmagia, but I have a feeling that they might get really useful."

Sarah: "I hope so. There is no greater dishonour to a dwarf than to have an artifact be lost and go unused. Drake doesn't need to worry about using them too much, they won't break."

Conrad: "But Sarah, aren't they your artifacts? As in, totally unique items in the history of the world?"

Sarah: "They are, but they're also made for Drake. So please, take them, with my blessing. I would not have gotten the vision if Drake wasn't around, and making an artifact is the greatest thing a dwarf can ever hope to achieve."

Drake then stepped forward, and performed what was probably a traditional non-violent gesture of appreciation among draconians; he pounded his fists together, placed his right hand on his chest and said something in his native language while giving a fairly deep nod. Sarah looked puzzled.

Drake: "May you live long and well."

Sarah: "Thank you. I hope this makes up for the times I've scorned you."

Drake: "Not worry, it only normal to be scared. I grateful for gift, and I protect you with life."

Sarah nodded and smiled.

Sarah: "You can go now if you want. Thank you for bearing with my temporary madness."

Conrad: "Madness? Not at all, I'm grateful you let us hang around to witness it! I will cherish the memory, because I don't think I'll ever see the creation of a dwarven artifact again."

Sarah: "Heh, I guess it is kind of a big thing, I just didn't expect humans to understand it."

Conrad: "Well, most people wouldn't, but I am a weaponsmith, you know. You don't pursue this line of work without hearing mentions of the legendary dwarven artifacts."

Sarah: "Huh, that's pretty nice."

Conrad: "Yup. But what are you going to do now?"

Sarah: "Continue my craft, of course. Those gauntlets may be the best things I'll ever make, but they ain't the last."

Conrad: "Hah, that's the spirit! But anyways, we were originally going to ask if you had something that could help us take on a bandit hole, but..."

Sarah: "What?"

Conrad: "Well, you just gave Drake the epitome of your crafting, and probably the best gauntlets in the whole damn world. Asking for more just wouldn't be fair."

Sarah: "Nonsense! But why, might I ask, are you jumping into another bandit lair?"

Conrad: "It all leads up to nabbing Erstrom, supposedly. We're going in for one of his personal goons so we can learn where the overbastard resides."

Sarah: "Erstrom!? By the gods of..."

She produced several incoherent but angry sounds, suggesting that she didn't really like Erstrom for his fine character.

Sarah: "If it helps you take down Erstrom, then use whatever you need! That man and his underlings are a plague to these lands, to hell with good business if we can rid the world of him!"

Conrad: "Oh, er, thanks, but-"

Sarah: "Don't excuse yourself, I insist. Besides, I didn't just give the gauntlets to Drake out of random kindness. Some artifacts are made for one specific person, and whether that person is a dwarf or a draconian doesn't matter much to me. Every artifact has, or at least should have a purpose, and if that purpose is to help Drake punch things harder, then so be it. In any case, I'd feel bad if you got a wound that could be stopped with proper armor."

Leonard: "Wow, Sarah, you're too kind, you know that?"

Sarah: "Naw, just helping my friends the only way I can. But anyways, before you leap into the lions mouth, take a stop by here, I'll see if i can't outfit you with what I have lying around."

Conrad: "That's mighty fine of you Sarah, we'll do our best to make sure your trust in us isn't misplaced."

Sarah: "That's what I was hoping, heh."

Conrad: "Oh you! But thanks, we'll stop by later."

Leonard: "For now, we should probably check up on Alice, again. See you later, and thanks!"

They left the building, with Sarah still smiling. Drake studied the gauntlets once again.

Drake: "They not feel odd like I expect. It like they part of hands, but with shiny metal on them."

Conrad: "I'm not really surprised, they're dwarven artifacts made specifically for you, apparently. And dwarven artifacts, my big scaled buddy, are some of the very best items in the world. And if I'm not entirely mistaken, they're basically unbreakable as well. I reckon you could punch rocks without as much as scratching them. I can't speak for your fists behind the gauntlets, but..."

Drake: "Why I punch rocks?"

Conrad: "I dunno, maybe it tickled your fancy or something. Point is, use them, but take care not to lose them. While I don't know anyone with hands as big as yours, I sure as hell don't want such a pair of things to end in the wrong hands. Or on, for that matter."

Drake pounded his fists together and nodded. The three continued to the pub. Inside, Alice was still sitting with the map, while Bart had gone back to his station behind the counter, possibly because some customers had already arrived.

Leonard: "Hey again. Those guys are pretty early, aren't they?"

Bart: "Well, it's afternoon, not too early for a drink. So, what happened with Sarah? She looked rather... I don't know, wild?"

Leonard: "That she did. I think Conrad is more qualified to explain it than me, though."

Conrad: "Don't know about that, but check out Drake's new gauntlets!"

Drake held them up, and Bart glanced over them.

Bart: "Huh, they look unusually nice."

Conrad: "They are, because get this: They're dwarven artifacts!"

Bart: "Say what now?"

Conrad: "I know, right? Sarah apparently went through that weird thing dwarfs go through when they make artifacts, and she happened to make those gauntlets specifically for Drake for reasons not fully understood."

Bart: "Well, I'll be damned! I've heard of dwarven artifacts all right, but I've never seen any before."

Alice had overheard the conversation, and popped up from behind.

Alice: "What's this about dwarven artifacts?"

Conrad: "They're right on Drake's hands."

Alice studied the gauntlets as closely as she dared, which was from a distance of approximately one meter.

Alice: "Wow, they definitely look the part! Don't they have some magical properties?"

Conrad: "Sarah said they can destroy magic, so... Well, they're anti-magic punching tools. I'm not quite sure if we'll ever face someone or someTHING that requires a disruptive punch in the face, but there is some higher motive to them, that much is certain."

Alice: "What about Ampersand?"

At that moment, Leonard's face turned to outright horror, and likewise did Conrad and Alice's as soon as they realized what she just said. Their worst fears were confirmed shortly after, as the demon suddenly appeared with his characteristic smile.

Ampersand: "What about him?"

Bart looked shocked, but not terrified. He apparently didn't know exactly what Ampersand was, yet took a surprisingly cool approach to his appearance.

Bart: "I'm going to assume that an explanation is about to come very soon, because I've known you guys for a while now. It isn't before now that I've seen mystical shadowy figures appearing near you like that."

Ampersand: "Oh! I forgot that he hadn't seen me yet, how silly of me. But, since Leonard is horrified beyond speech at the moment, allow me to introduce myself. I am Ampersand, and I'm a friend... For now."

Bart and every other onlooker calmed down a bit, but were still noticably tense.

Ampersand: "And before you start lambasting Leonard for bringing yet another dangerous being into your town, do note that he had and still has no choice in the matter. In fact, his constant pesterings for me to leave are quite annoying."

Bart: "But... What are you, and why would Leonard of all people pester you to leave?"

Ampersand: "Well, here comes the fun part. Firstly, I advice anyone feeling heroic today to close their ears. Secondly, I'm an abyssal demon."

Everyones eyes opened wide in horror, except Drake, who appeared as grumpy as he normally did when Ampersand was around.

Bart: "DEMON!?"

Ampersand: "Now now, hold your metaphorical horses. I've been banned from committing evil acts at the moment, so I might well get myself in big trouble if I were to kill the lot of you. Hence why you still live. In fact, while I'm trying to not be evil, I occasionally dabble in what might possibly be called good."

Leonard: "A-allow me to add, he's not particularly good at being good. Please, people, don't piss him off. I cannot stress enough that I'd love to see him gone, but I've seen what he can do to a man. I've FELT what he can do to a man, and trust me on this, it's not nice."

Ampersand: "Heh, I'm flattered now. A mortal warning the other mortals not to piss me off? New thing, yet very wise."

He wandered around in the room, with people being too suprised and/or scared to say anything. He occasionally looked closely at the nearest person, who would then look like he was about to have a heart attack.

Ampersand: "Funny things, these mortals. No other caste of beings fear quite as much for their lives. I mean sure, survival instincts all around, but the things you humans would do to save your own hide! You can stop being petrified for now though, I'm not going to kill you. If I were, you wouldn't even know I was here before you found yourself wearing a brand new colon neck tie."

People still stared silently in shock.

Ampersand: "As much as I enjoy your horrified looks, your beer is getting warm. You can look away now, wouldn't matter to me if I killed you from the front, back or sides anyways."

People slowly and carefully began checking if they actually could look away without dying. Ampersand didn't do anything while they did that, until they finally began taking careful sips of their drinks.