Chapter 8: Eight

They were in the town's training grounds, a small fenced field with some old, dismemberer hay dummies and a few collapsed targets. Pendi was aiming at the only one still standing. There were three arrows on the ground between her and the target.

She was yet to hit it at least once.

"You got it, Pendi!" Exclaimed Maesron. The foxgirl trembled once again as she drew her bow, sending an arrow in a completely random direction. "Next one for sure!"

Janilari rolled her eyes. If they wanted to make any progress, she might have to gag Maesron to get him to finally shut up. "Even if this is so much fun to watch, I think my point is proven." Said the demon, showing a saccharine smile when Pendi glared at her. "Do I even have to say it? Your tiny arms can't even draw that bow."

"Is she allowed to say that?" Asked Huddinli, leaning over to Rida.

"Wait for your turn, bag-boy." The demoness interrupted.

"Your idea of helping is just insulting us, then?" Grunted Brunai, crossing her arms.

"No, no, this is just the first step." Smiled the demon. "Before you start improving, you need to recognize and acknowledge the issue. The issue being, you are all useless at your job."

"You said that three times already!"

Janilari sighed. "But it doesn't seem to stick in your heads."

"Maybe we would be more open to criticism if it didn't come from a demon." Replied Huddinli, again looking at Rida. The mage was ignoring him, sipping at a water bag and seemingly lost in her own thoughts, looking at the target Pendi couldn't hit.

Since Janilari had learned exactly how much water humans needed to survive, she had relentlessly tried to get Rida to drink more. She was proud of her success, but she had kept the origin of the water bag a secret. She hadn't stolen it though, just merely borrowed it.

"You know what? Sure!" Agreed Janilari, her hands on her hip. "Don't accept my criticism. Instead, use your own two eyes." She gestured at the target, at the arrows, and at Pendi, who was panting with the strain of drawing her weapon four times in a row.

"Fuck off." Breathed the foxgirl, her tone shameful.

"Yeah, yeah." The demoness rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to nurse your feelings or do you want me to make you an actual adventuring company? Because you cannot be called that right now."

"Of course we want to improve!" Replied Maesron. "But... There's no need for so much negativity, is there?"

Janilari glared at Maesron. She felt her patience was being tested. "What negativity? It's just the truth." She said, very slowly, making the knight take a step back.

"Can you move on, Janilari?" Said Rida, her hand on her face. The demoness clapped.

"Of course! Since we established Pendi's problem (that she is pathetically weak, that is)." The foxgirl cursed under her breath. "Let's move on to the next one! Who wants to go?"

Nobody truly did.

*

With a single swing, the hay dummy exploded into severed bits. The wood stick keeping it on the ground cracked and broke and the upper part flew in an arc, falling one step near the demoness, who looked at it with an unimpressed glance.

"What's that for useless!?" Boasted Brunai, brandishing her heavy battle axe. Maesron cheered and clapped for her, with a suddenly euphoric Pendi shouting insults at the demon. "Can you criticize that?" Added the warrior, addressing the demoness while pointing her weapon at her.

Janilari leaned over and took a significant look at the destroyed dummy. "Good one. We are so lucky it wasn't alive." She stared at the tall warrior, who grimaced. "Now hit the next one following your... 'company policies'."

The cheers died down immediately. Brunai hesitated, looking at the next dummy, at her battle axe, and the dummy again.

*

Maesron, again with his helmet, was standing in a fighting stance right in the middle of the field. The sight of the knight reading for a fight without any weapon whatsoever was quite amusing.

The first log hit him in the center of the chest, bouncing off his chest plate and knocking him back a few steps. The next logs reached him in a barrage of impacts that quickly put him on the ground, where he continued to be attacked by the magically propelled wood pieces.

"Is that really necessary?" Asked Rida. The demoness shrugged.

"Not really, but it's fun." At the look the mage threw her way, she sighed. "Fine, fine."

The attacks finally stopped, and Maesron slowly stood up, raising his hand in victory.

"Not a scratch, friends!"

"Good job, Maesron." Muttered Brunai. Janilari looked at her.

"He didn't do anything." The warrior averted her gaze.

"That was actually fun!" Added the knight, unable to hear them at that distance.

*

"Show me."

"No."

"Show me."

"No!"

"SHOW ME!"

"I SAID NO!"

Janilari tried to lunge for the bag, but Huddinli kept it close to him, and a look at Rida confirmed she couldn't use violence to solve this particular issue. The demoness groaned in frustration.

"Fine! Then tell me what you have in there!"

"... Books."

"Books!?"

"Yes, books."

"Why do you need books!?"

"... To read?"

Janilari was about to yell at him (justifiably so!) but instead she exhaled slowly and talked in the sweetest tone she could muster. "Tell me, then..." She started. The human eyes widened, not relaxed at all at her change of tone. "... Tell me how you are, at all, useful to this company."

Maesron took a step ahead. "Please, Janilari!" He said, saying her name for the first time since he learned she was a demon. "Huddinli is a key part of our team!"

"... How?"

Both Huddinli and the demon looked at the knight, who seemed about to say something, but then hesitated. Huddinli's face dropped when Maesron seemed to have nothing to say.

"... He's a close friend of all of us!" The knight replied. From her spot leaning over the fence, Rida facepalmed.

*

The four adventurers were in a line, Janilari pacing in front of them, while Rida was still on the fence, looking at the scene with a detached look.

"Alright, so..." The demoness started. "So." She repeated to herself. What could she even say?

"'We are useless'?" Supplied Maesron, in a sheepish tone.

"Yes! Thank you!" Clapped the demon. "Good job, Maesron!" The knight beamed.

"But we knew that already." Muttered Pendi in a bitter tone.

"Yesterday was the first quest we even finished." Added Brunai, with a sigh.

"Isn't that why Rida summoned you?" Asked Huddinli.

Janilari put her hands on her hip. "Well yes, but she didn't summon me to magically finish all your fights, and let you celebrate victories you didn't earn." She replied, and the adventurers guiltily looked at each other. "That's now how I help! I'll help you by teaching you how to fly on your own! Like little birds! Oh, I haven't seen a bird in so long! Rida, where are-?

"How are you planning to do that?" Interrupted Huddinli. "All you have done so far is publicly point down our flaws."

"As I said, that was step one." The demoness harrumphed. "To know how to improve, we need to know what needs to change. For example, Pendi..."

"Yes, I'm weak! I know!" Snapped the foxgirl. Janilari rolled her eyes.

"You are!" She said in a cheery tone, taking a step towards Pendi. "But that's not what needs to change!" She gestured at her bow. "You need to get rid of that thing."

"... What?"

"That bow is not for you. Look at it, it's made for someone with a larger frame, isn't it? It's obvious why you struggle with it!"

"... I-I can't use another bow."

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"You don't even have to use a bow!" Replied the demoness. "But anyways, Brunai!"

The tall warrior stood straighter as Janilari approached her. "Yeah?"

"You have the exact opposite problem. With that thing, you have to focus more on not hurting anything, rather than the actual fight. You'd be great at killing things, but you are awful at... Not killing!"

"... Thanks?"

"And Maesron!" She looked at the knight. "... You are completely harmless."

"I know!" He grinned.

"You are basically like that dummy over there, but with armor on."

"... Oh."

"And, well..." She looked over at Huddinli. "Is there a chance you all ditch this guy?"

The suggestion wasn't welcomed, and Janilari rolled her eyes at the tidal wave of complaints and protests thrown her way.

"Alright, fine! But he needs to find something to do!"

"Uh... Janilari?" Asked Maesron, cautious. "I understand the purpose of recognizing what's wrong here..." He said. "... but what would be the harm of acknowledging the positive things, too?"

The demoness blinked, then laughed at the suggestion. "The positive things? Can you tell me where those are?"

"I can, in fact!" Claimed Maesron, proudly. Janilari tilted her head. "Pendi, over here..." He announced, gesturing at the foxgirl. "... Is an expert scout! Her senses are capable of finding the trail of anything, alive or otherwise!"

"Uh... Maesron..." Pendi hesitated.

"And she was raised by an ancient elven clan, so she was trained by the best marksmen in the entire world! Her bow is carved from the roots of a giant, magic tree!"

"... Maesron, shut up." The foxgirl mumbled, her face bright red.

"And Brunai!" Continued the knight, absolutely thrilled. "She inherited her strength from her father, the strongest man in history. Her axe is her family heirloom, centuries-old and blessed by dozens of different gods!"

At his words, the warrior gripped her axe strongly, looking at the horizon with a proud look.

"Huddinli here is a genius inventor!" Maesron gestured at the adventurer. "His creations blur the line between engineering masterworks and magical innovations! That bag you see there? It can hold twenty times its size, and never weighs more than what Huddinli himself can carry!"

The apparently genius inventor sighed, but didn't argue against the recognition.

"And, while I'm not one to sing my own praise, I must talk about my armor!" He gestured at his suit. "It was forged by a full colony of dwarves, from the heart of a rock fallen from the skies. Nothing has ever even put a dent in it!"

Janilari looked at the metal. It didn't look very impressive, but it was true that with a closer inspection, didn't look exactly like steel.

"So, while you may see in us a failed company, what I see is a group full of potential!" Claimed the knight. "That's why I have high hopes for the future! I believe in all of us!"

His little speech seemed to raise the hopes of everyone around him, all looking at him with pride and admiration.

But Janilari sighed instead. "Knowing all that, this is even sadder." And with that, everyone was back to looking discouraged.

The demoness had to remind herself about Rida's list. The four adventures in front of her were a high priority, so by helping them she helped Rida.

But still, she couldn't deny the fact that it might all be better for the mage if these four just... Disappeared.

"Uhh... Guys." Said Rida in a cautious tone. They all followed her gaze, and their demeanor changed again.

Approaching the field, there was Ardiane and his own adventuring group, followed by a now smaller crowd of admirers.

"We should probably leave." Quickly said Brunai, and they all agreed immediately.

"Why?" Asked the demoness, crossing her arms. "We were here first!"

"Come on, let's just..."

But they had less time than they thought, because soon the other adventures saw them, and Ardiane hurried his horse to greet them.

"Ah, long time no see!" Said the warrior in the dragon armor. He slowly circled the field with his horse, flanked by his six followers. A few steps behind the mage, he stared at Rida. "A full year, I believe?"

"Prince." Greeted Rida with a grunt, not even looking at him.

"Huh... Ardiane!" Exclaimed Maesron in a clearly nervous tone. The other knight turned to him, his face hidden by his helmet. "Y-yeah! I believe it's been a year! I didn't know you were in town! How have the wildlands treated you?"

"You mean how we treated the wildlands." Ardiane chuckled. "From here to the Far North, no goblin, orc or troll stands alive."

Brunai muttered something, but Ardiane didn't seem to notice.

"But that's no news, is it?" Continued the dragon knight. "What's news is what you did yesterday. I already heard all about it. Your first successful mission, right?"

"... Yes."

"Against goblins, isn't that right? A suitable start. Is a shame you didn't finish the job." He gestured at one of his mages, who gave him a leather bag. "But worry not, last night I crossed paths with one of the farmers you rescued. He implored me to finish things for you."

He threw the bag into the field, which opened and revealed a pile of bones inside. Looking closely, they seemed to be all lower jaws, too small to have belonged to a human. Maesron grimaced at the sight, Brunai looked pointedly at the ground, and Pendi merely turned around.

"I believe it's fair you get the spoils. I think that in the town hall, they'll give you three coins for every of those. You could use that, right?" Ardiane laughed. "It's funny, this country doesn't have enough gold to give me three coppers for every goblin I slayed, but what can I say? I don't do this for riches."

"They why do you?" Asked Rida, still not turning around. Ardiane looked at her while the rest of the adventurers tensed.

"For the good of the kingdom, of course." He replied. "Ending the problems that can only be solved by steel. With what you did yesterday, I'm sure you can see my point of view, right Maesron?"

Maesron seemed almost startled, but responded in an even tone. "I'm afraid I can't, Ardiane. Yesterday, it was not our intention to hurt the goblins."

"Oh, it was not?" Responded Ardiane in a monotone. "My mistake, then. But since it's done, it would be a shame to let those go to waste." He nodded at the sprawled bag of jaws. "Maybe you can buy another-" The knight suddenly stopped, as he glanced casually at Janilari, and then kept staring at her. "You are here."

The demoness, who until that point was happy witnessing the strange interaction between the two adventuring groups, just smiled and waved her hand. "Hi!"

"This is your... 'small and pathetic' company then?" Chuckled Ardiane. The demoness shrugged. "That makes a lot of sense."

"You called us small and pathetic?" Asked Maesron, staring at Janilari with a crestfallen expression.

The demoness scoffed. "Of course I did."

"You can't fault the honesty of an innocent girl, Maesron." Ardiane continued. "But I have to admit your choice of new members keeps surprising me."

"Why?" The demoness looked around. For some reason, everyone tensed again when she talked. "Oh, come on! What's happening in here?"

"Yes, I'm sure she is pleasant company." Ardiane rudely ignored her. The warrior looked at the demoness. "Perhaps you might need to teach her manners, though. A girl like her, talking like that? That's just asking for a problem."

Well, Janilari was now almost completely sure she was being insulted. But before she could say anything, Maesron stepped ahead.

"Thank you, Ardiane, for your advice." He said hurriedly. He exchanged a significant glance with Rida. "I'd wish we had time to catch up, but we must go soon!"

"I'm sure you do."

"... We do! We have another mission!" Maesron announced, moving to the fence. The rest followed him quickly. "Maybe we can meet another time!"

"We will, Maesron." Said Ardiane with an almost threatening tone. "Maesron?"

The knight stopped as he was about to jump the fence. "Yes?"

"Take that with you." Ardiane pointed at the jaw bag. Now his tone was serious, as he said it almost as an order.

Maesron hesitated, then walked over to the bag. He grabbed it, but froze up when a few of the jaw bones dropped into the ground. Throwing a hesitant glance at the rest of his team, he rapidly picked up the fallen bones and put them back into the bag.

Janilari looked at him and then at Ardiane. The dragon knight looked at the scene, immobile, from his tall horse. Even though his expression was hidden, his interest was clear.

Then Ardiane looked over to her, and they stared at each other for a few moments.

The demon was again about to say something before being interrupted, this time by Rida grabbing her by the head and starting pushing her off the field.

"We are leaving." Grunted the mage, only them to hear. She didn't even need to say anything of course, because Janilari could only think of the sorcerer's grip on her head.

She could feel Ardiane following her with his eyes. But soon Maesron jumped the fence with them, and wordlessly they left the training field, the group hurrying away from the dragon knight and his party. 

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