Finding Rshkiel

Panic shot through her and she found herself sitting in a bed. Her mind was clearer than it had been for days and she looked around. Before the hearth, sleeping, were Yawni and a tiger.
"How convenient," she murmured.
She looked at her hand, carefully bandaged. She unwrapped it; it didn't look that good but it still seemed better than last she had looked at it. She tried to move her fingers; the pain was still here but it was more bearable.
"I'm sorry, my lady, I am no healer, but still I think I managed to get you rid of your blood poisoning."
The newcomer was looking at her from the threshold. He crossed the room and redid the bandage around her hand.
"Thank you," said Delilah, surprised by his care.
He saw the surprise in her eyes and sighed.
"By the way, young lady, my name is not Tyrael, but Josh and this," he indicated the tiger, "is Gamaliel."
"I am Delilah and he's Yawni. I think I remember you telling me that Cin - Cinnabar - is in your stable."
"So, Delilah, would you care for some food?"
To her surprise, she discovered she was famished. Yet, she slowly said:
"Where I come from there's a saying: do not sleep where you ate, do not eat where you slept."
Josh laughed.
"I'm afraid you've already slept and eaten here! You have nothing to fear from me or Gam."
Despite herself, she smiled and he left to fetch some food. She looked around again and her smile faded as she saw her demon knight medallion on the bedside. She looked down at herself and saw that she was in tunic and leggings. He knew part of who she was. Everybody knew the symbol on her medallion and what it meant. Hastily she slipped the medallion around her neck and began to dress quickly. She couldn't put on her second boot because of the bandage around her ankle, so she kept it in her hand.
Gamaliel, the tiger, had opened his green eyes and was looking at her with interest. She came close, to wake up Yawni.
"Delilah, if you want to take a bath, I can..."
Josh's last words died on his lips.
"Goodness, child, where do you think you're going in that state?"
"I... I've abused too long already of your hospitality," she stammered. "I... for you..."
His eyes went to the purse left on the table to her hand clutching nervously at her medallion.
"Child," he sighed, "I'm not going to hurt you. So you're a demon knight and then what? With troubled times like these, this is a good thing to know you're on the roads."
She relaxed slightly.
"Child, don't you think that if I had meant you harm, I would have done so before you awoke?" he said a trifle irritated.
She knew he was right and yet she growled:
"Nobody likes a demon knight!"
"Quite true, but some know better. Now, may I put this tray on the table without you running away? And we can discuss this while you're eating."
Delilah told herself that he sounded sensible and that she on the contrary was probably acting like a fool. She relaxed and put back her boot on the ground, while her other hand let go of her medallion.
"That's better," approved Josh. "Now sit down, young lady. I don't bite."
She smiled and sat.
"I don't fear the bites."
"Obviously not if I'm to judge by the state of your left arm."
Delilah started and looked like she was going to run away.
"Remain seated, young lady. I know what those scars mean: you're a Guardian and, now that I know your name, I guess you're the one they call Delilah Demon's child."
Unconsciously, Delilah's hand went on the handle of her sword while her other hand slid to her boot where was the demon blade.
"Who are you?" she asked warily.
"My name is Josh, as I already told you, and I am an old man who lost his son Mirkhal not that long ago."
"Mirkhal? I knew a Mirkhal..."
"He was a Guardian like you and he was killed."
"Mirkhal, the Guardian of Joren? He was your son?"
As Josh nodded, she put her hands back on the table.
"I'm sorry. Mirkhal was a good Guardian."
"Well, at least, you don't pretend you two were good friends."
"He didn't like me."
"I know."
He sat in front of her.
"Delilah, what's happening? Gam told me the Demons are restless but he doesn't tell me more."
"The Demons are always restless," replied Delilah, looking in the green eyes of the tiger, who blinked sleepily.
She had the impression he wasn't sleepy at all but that, on the contrary, he was listening very attentively to what they were saying.
"But there is no trace of angelic activity," persisted Josh.
Delilah sighed and took some bread and meat.
"Obviously Mirkhal told you more than he should have. There is no angelic activity because I am in charge of stopping the Demons. And please don't ask me how I got involved in that, it's a long story."
"You? But... but you're still a child!"
"I'm a Guardian for ten years and a demon knight," she said severely.
"If I hadn't found you in time, you'd have lost your hand!"
"And so what? Was the Guardian of Joren of the opinion that a warrior with only one hand is no warrior? I'm the only Guardian left and I have no chance to come out of this alive. What do I care if I'm crippled or not?"
"Do you need help?" offered Josh brutally.
"Are you 'he who seeks freedom'? If yes, I accept your help."
Gamaliel growled behind her and Yawni yelped in protest.
"I'm not," Josh acknowledged sadly. "Gam is."
"I beg your pardon?" said Delilah bewildered.
"Didn't you hear him? He just said he was the one you are looking for."
"A tiger!"
Delilah looked at the big cat still lying lazily in front of the fire and smiled unexpectedly.
"I like that," she said. "I've always gone along better with animals than humans anyway."
Gamaliel growled again.
"He said he likes the arrangement also," said Josh. "He asked your... dog about you and... Yawni said you were nice. Stubborn and weird as your choice of companions, but nice."
Delilah looked at Yawni with surprise and laughed.
"I guess I am! And Yawni is not a dog, he's a rovelsh."
If Josh was surprised, he didn't show it and motioned her to eat more, which she did, in silence. Once she was done, she came near Gamaliel.
"So, I can't understand you like Josh does, but I can hope we can be friends."
The tiger's chops revealed huge fangs and Delilah continued:
"Well, I would consider this as a no, but you don't seem aggressive and well, maybe it's the way you smile and maybe it means yes."
She held out her hand toward Gamaliel and put it on his head. He half-closed his eyes and began to purr as she scratched his ears. She smiled and leaned on her elbow. Playfully Gamaliel put his huge paw on her ribs and drew her to him. She laughed and didn't fight back, to Yawni's indignation. When Josh came back in the main room, Delilah was asleep between Gamaliel's paws and Yawni was looked utterly vexed and bewildered.

She resumed her travel the following morning and Josh packed things for her as if she was his own daughter. He insisted on adding another cloak to her packs, pretending hers was too thin. Delilah finally stopped arguing. Cinnabar looked quite wary of their new travelling companion but didn't protest half as much as Yawni. Josh squatted by Gamaliel.
"So that's the end, old friend," he said, looking deep in the tiger's green eyes. "I hope we'll see each other again. I'll miss you."
He looked up a Delilah.
"Is there a chance for him to come back alive from all this?"
She shifted uneasily on her saddle.
"I don't know. I'll do my best, but I can't promise you anything."
Josh nodded painfully and then added quickly:
"Try to come back alive also, if you can. I'd be glad to see you again."
He saw her surprised look.
"It's easy to grow fond of you, young lady, and you remind me of my son."
Delilah had a ghostly smile and slightly nodded.
"We're both stubborn," she said.
Josh smiled also and looked at her leaving with a great sigh before closing the door behind him and contemplating his empty house.
Delilah knew she had taken everything from him: Rashiel had stolen his son but she had taken him his only companion. She looked down and met green eyes. She smiled wryly and headed toward east, ready to cross the Plains of Moen.

The Plains of Moen were her favourite plains - reason why she was living in them, though the main part of them was on the east side of the Mounts of Moen. The Plains of Moen were quite frequented - mostly north to south or vice-versa, from going to Sisanfri to Volnaria, a southern town - and there were no jonguers in them - and that was something she appreciated.
The few people they met looked at them with surprise and fear. People in the Plains of Moen knew to recognise a rovelsh and seeing someone accompanied by both a rovelsh and a tiger was quite worrying. Delilah simply nodded to them and continued her way, Yawni on her left and Gamaliel on her right. No trail was crossing the Plains of Moen west to east. If people needed to go to Rishaki, they usually followed the Southern Trail until the crossing with the Secondary Southern Trail, also called the Volnar Trail - the inhabitants of Rishaki had a bad opinion of those of Volnaria and mainly said they were sufficient - which they would follow to the north.
The only problem with the Plains of Moen was that they were boring - at least, for Delilah's taste. There were no weird and wild creatures like the jonguers in them, no possible spot for an ambush: one could see everything, including the highest towers of both Sisanfri and Volnaria. As for this, the Plains of Moen were quite comparable to the Red Plains. Delilah was aiming for the west end of the Plains of Moen, where were the Stony Woods, so, as usual, she let Cinnabar run all he wanted.
When she finally reached the Stony Woods, the sun was setting on the horizon and she sighed, knowing it would be useless to venture in the woods without sunlight. She set up a little camp for the night, while Yawni and Gamaliel checked that the surroundings were safe. She was going to sit down when a tall man appeared suddenly in front of her. Instantly her hand was on her sword and the blade was half-unsheathed.
"Peace, my lady," said the stranger with a low, husky voice. "I thought you might be interested in knowing that a band of brigands intends to attack you shortly."
Delilah frowned and concentrated, but she couldn't feel anything. If the stranger was right, the brigands were not Demons at least - nor Angels. When she turned back the head to look at him, he was gone. She didn't get the time to wonder about the fact, for five men pounced on her from the shadows. Simultaneously, Yawni and Gamaliel appeared by her side. She took one step back and drew calmly her sword.
"Well, Yawni, if I had had to count on you, I would have been taken by surprise," she said casually to the rovelsh.
Yawni only replied by baring his teeth to the nearest opponent. Cinnabar neighed shrilly and came to fight also.
Delilah quickly noticed that their style was different from the usual brigands' and, anyway, there were no mere bandits in the Plains of Moen. The only case one could be attacked was because someone else had something to complain about one's existence, so Delilah was sure her opponents perfectly knew whom they were fighting against. Just to try her theory, she said calmly:
"Oh, dear, I thought Reager's authority was a bit more respected than that!"
True, Reager's realm was Ennian but the Court of Miracles extended far beyond Ennian. Delilah saw one man flinch but the others remained unperturbed. This was becoming more and more interesting. It seemed to her that their technique was somehow quite familiar to her. She tried to remember where she could have encountered it before, tried a few thrusts and felt no surprise when they were blocked. She noticed also that they were quite taken off by Gamaliel's presence, but not by Yawni and Cinnabar's.
While thinking, she - with her animals' help - had gotten rid of all her adversaries, except one. She put the point of her sword on his throat.
"Who hired you, assassin?" she asked coldly.
He didn't answer and merely spat at her feet.
"A good mercenary ready to die for his employer," she said appreciatively. "I thought they were all dead... I'll give you a last chance: who hired you?"
Silence.
"I mean, I could understand that dying for Varaxador is a way to reach glory quickly, but dying for the Demons won't bring you anything but spite and painful afterlife."
He started and hissed:
"You are the Demon and should have died tonight!"
"Ah, good, you know how to talk! I was beginning to be afraid you might be dumb. Naturally, the fact that I'm still alive is one more proof that I'm a Demon, I guess."
He didn't reply but he didn't need to: his expression was speaking loud enough for him. Delilah sighed.
"Alright, I guess I'm a Demon then but he who hired you is more a Demon than I am, for he made you believe you would fight for a good cause. Which is hardly the case. Go away!" she added with a dismissive move of the hand.
"You are letting me go?" he asked, incredulous.
"Naturally. Tell your employer that he's a coward. If he wants me dead, he should fight me himself: after all, he's supposed to have the skill to do so. Give me your name, I like to keep a record of good mercenaries."
"Zaniel," replied the man, puzzled. "But..."
"Go away, Zaniel. Don't waste the chance I'm giving you."
Realising the accuracy of her words, he fled without waiting anymore and Delilah could see in Gamaliel's eyes that he disapproved what she had just done. She caressed his head.
"You see, Gam, maybe he will lead me to the traitor and then there won't be any traitor anymore."
Gamaliel growled his approbation and Delilah had a sad smile. With Gamaliel and Yawni's help, she moved the bodies a bit further in the forest so she could sleep on a reasonably clean ground.
Once back near her fire, she moved her ankle with caution and was glad that it wasn't hurting anymore. Her hand, though allowing her to fight, was in a stationary state, neither improving nor getting worse. She motioned Gamaliel and Yawni to watch the camp and its surrounding and began to gather the ingredients for a spell.
When she was ready, she looked at Cinnabar, who understood perfectly the message, and cast a protection spell around her so that nobody would detect what she was doing. Then only could she really begin to word on the spell she intended to cast, a spell involving her demon blade. It required singing and powders and potions but, fortunately for Delilah, no ingredient of the type 'to be picked in the Devil's garden by midnight on a red moon night'. No matter how loud she had to sing, no word ever passed the shimmering energy bubble surrounding her. Her blade glowed successively red and gold under the spell before returning to its usual dull dark aspect. It seemed to look like exactly like before but if one looked closer, there was a new edge to the dark gleam. The bubble disappeared with a plop and Delilah collapsed on the ground, no strength left.

She awoke feeling strangely warm. She knew even before opening her eyes that Yawni was curled against her stomach but the warmth in her back was unusual. She turned the head and gazed deep in green eyes.
"I knew it was convenient to have a tiger as a pet," she murmured.
She slowly stood up. She still felt weak but knew she had to go on now. With a sigh, she saddled Cinnabar and mounted on his back for entering the Stony Woods, somehow regretting to leave the safety of the Plains of Moen for spending the nights.
The legend concerning the Woods said that before, there was no forest but a great city. Because of the immoderate pride of the inhabitants, the gods grew angry and cursed the city, which fell into ruins. To cement the ruin, the gods made trees grow on the emplacement of the city and everybody forgot it had ever existed. Whenever it was true or not didn't change the fact that the Woods hid hundreds of ruins in their green depths. One of them, with a grim gargoyle crouching on top of the pillar, was her favourite place ever - hers and Rshkiel's.
The place was buried deep in the Stony Woods and Delilah knew she would have to spend another night in the Woods. She wondered if Zaniel would have the time to bring her message to his employer - which would mean he was closer than she had thought. But certainly, by now, Zaniel thought that attacking her by night was doomed to failure. If she was right then, he would lead another attack on the morrow, probably by midday.
The day was quiet and she could almost have thought that the world was perfectly right if she hadn't had this nagging feeling in the back of her head reminding her that she wasn't on a leisure trip. She sighed wistfully: it was a long time since her last leisure trip! Even so, she knew how to enjoy the travels she had to make and it was better for her, because she spent most of her time on the roads.
As the night was falling, she sent Gamaliel to hunt for his dinner and busied herself cooking some tasteless porridge - cooking not being one of her strong points. Still tired from the previous evening's spell, she curled up on the ground, wrapped in the heavy cloak Josh had given her, and fell asleep right away, fully knowing Yawni would come by her side later. Cinnabar nuzzled lovingly her hair as to wish her goodnight and kept a watchful eye on her.
She woke up with the sun and stretched lazily with a sigh at the idea of the upcoming fight.
"Well, staying here won't help things, will it?" she said aloud.
Gamaliel's tail twitched and Yawni yawned. Delilah sighed again and resumed her path. She knew she would be attacked and thus carefully avoided the place where, she had no doubt about it, Rshkiel was waiting for her. Nobody could have known she was going to the Stony Woods so her invisible enemy had a way to find her and she trusted him enough to know he would find her again in the Woods.
What she had planned happened exactly the way she was expecting it, until the sudden appearance of the same man who had already warned her and, again, Gamaliel and Yawni were patrolling around.
"They're going to attack, I know," she said before he could pronounce a word.
He smiled and she noticed he had stunning green eyes that made her yearn for freedom just by looking into them.
"The man you let go is with them," he said then.
"I hope so. I would have been fairly disappointed had he not been there."
He smiled again, a bright smile showing perfectly white teeth.
"Are you going to fight by my side?" she asked with mild curiosity.
"You don't need me to defeat them."
"I don't need anybody to defeat them," she reminded him, "but I thought it was common courtesy to help a woman when she's in difficulty."
"You're not a mere woman; you're a Guardian. You help those who need, but never ask for help for yourself."
"Wow, a new definition again? I don't think I like those I'm getting lately."
"You don't need to like them. You just need to know they're true."
He bowed a bit awkwardly and disappeared. Delilah sighed.
"And that was the philosophical minute of the day. Let's hope there's only one per day."
Yawni and Gamaliel came back at that instant and she thoughtfully looked at them.
"You know, it would be useful is you were here when this man shows up. Anyway, ready for the fight? And please leave Zaniel alive, Gam."
The tiger looked hurt but she didn't care: ten men were standing in front of her. She had a twisted smile: they didn't underestimate her! They weren't even hiding, one more proof of their esteem for her so that they would bypass the childish behaviours. Zaniel was among them though not being the leader and he was looking at her with a strange face, almost as if he was wondering why she hadn't tried to hide from them.
She drew her sword, leaving her demon blade in her boot though some of the men had two weapons. She raised it in the salute of the war knights and wasn't surprised when some, Zaniel among them, answered the same way. Now that they had done the polite formalities, the fight could begin and everybody forgot about courtesy and politeness.
Almost immediately, Gamaliel jumped on Zaniel, making him fall backward. Somehow, the mercenary wasn't lucky - or maybe, on the contrary, he was - for he hit his head so hard that he lost consciousness. Gamaliel looked very satisfied, glanced toward Delilah to check if he met her approval and moved on to the next enemy.
Though they were twice more, they weren't as well trained as the first group and Delilah was more used to their style common to the bandits. It was a lot easier to get rid of them and while Yawni and Gamaliel dragged the bodies elsewhere like they had already done the previous time, Delilah squatted by Zaniel's side, waiting for him to awake.
He growled immediately when he saw her.
"Don't repress your joy at seeing me again," she advised him casually.
He growled again and sat.
"Are you going to let me live again?"
"Afraid so," she opined.
"How many times will you do that?"
"As many times I need for your employer to understand that he should better face me himself and maybe by then, you'll have realised whose side is really evil."
"You stain my honour each time," Zaniel pointed.
"I'm sure you will regain it soon enough, do not worry. Did you tell your employer he is a coward?"
"Yes. He didn't like it at all."
"Good. This time, tell him I despise Demons' pawns and that he soils Varaxador's reputation by acting the way he does."
"Do you mean Varaxador approves what you do?"
"Of course he does! At least, I hope he does. After all, I'm only trying to save the world and I even refused his priests and warriors as companions in arms so that they would be safe. Hard to believe, huh? Naturally. And as I'm a Demons' pawn myself, you won't believe me at all. Then tell me, Zaniel, if your employer is really fighting against the Demons, why does he hire bandits to kill a mere girl? I mean, giving them the training of Varaxador's warriors doesn't make them Varaxador's warriors. They still are bandits and Reager would be very angry indeed if he knew some of his men revolted against his authority. I'm sure he'll be mad with me for having punished them in his place. Oh well, that's life, huh? Anyway, Zaniel, think of it and give me the answer when we next met. Goodbye, fellow."
He looked at her as if he couldn't believe it and she snapped:
"Think about it!"
She mounted and left. Gamaliel lingered back, as if he was pondering if he ought to let Zaniel live or not, but Delilah called him and the impatience in her voice was showing enough that she wouldn't admit any delay. Zaniel swallowed hard and, not for the first time in the last two days, he wondered why she was giving him his life.

Delilah didn't bother to hide anymore. She cut straight to the Gargoyle's Lost Place, as Rshkiel and she were calling it. As she suspected, he was already here, sitting on the wall, his head leaning against the gargoyle's flank. Delilah had a fond smile when looking at him. They wordlessly climbed down his wall and her horse, looking at each other, and then Delilah took a step forward. Rshkiel closed his arms and wings on her, enfolding her in his embrace, not even caring for the sharp pain shooting through him because of the belt of pentacles.
"I didn't think that day would ever happen again to me, the day I would see you again," he whispered after a long moment.
She didn't answer, she merely stood still in his arms, her head against his heart, but then she knew she couldn't just pretend that time was unimportant and she gently disentangled herself from his embrace.
"I have to find a safe shelter for you," she said.
"I know," he replied.
He took a good look at her, said nothing about her worn looks, but frowned when noticing her hurt hand.
"Heaven, Dee, what on earth was on your mind to let it like this? You're lucky you didn't lose it!"
"I almost did," she murmured.
He concentrated to heal it and she had a light smile, glad to have friends who liked her so dearly that they would put themselves in danger for her: first Raphael, then Rshkiel; they both had practically dived for her hand as soon as they had seen it.
She frowned slightly, wondering why it seemed so hard to Rshkiel to heal her hand. It shouldn't have taken so much time. Of course, Rshkiel was now a fallen Angel and his powers weren't as great as they had been before, but his healing capacities should be intact. Things began to make more sense to her and she had the impression to hear faints clicks as several pieces got together with others to make a whole. She tried to snatch her hand from his but he refused to let go and he was too deep in his concentration for her to merely break it.
She could feel another magic than Rshkiel's as slowly, very slowly, her hand was being healed. She almost wanted to howl in anguish, knowing fully what would happen in so short a time! Her demon blood began to protest against the angelic healing but, for once, she didn't care a bit for the torture it caused her. She snarled internally to it and as if tamed by her resolution, the pain toned it down slightly.
"Stop, Rshkiel, please stop..." she begged, hoping against all hopes that he would hear the worry in her voice and stop everything.
But Rshkiel didn't hear anything. It seemed that this healing was now like a challenge to him, as if he wouldn't believe that it would defy his powers. He wanted to prove himself that he could still do good though he was now fallen and so it seemed like an eternity to her before he broke his concentration and looked at her with concern.
"What did you do to your hand?" he asked, puzzled, almost accusing her of making him lose his self-confidence.
She wondered a brief moment if it hadn't been the point of the whole thing but she knew better.
"It was a trap," she blurted, "a trap for Angels... I understood too late, I didn't realise... Raphael also wanted to heal it though he would have been in danger had I let him do so... It was as if he couldn't fight the impulse of healing it."
"Delilah, please, no riddles?"
"It was a means for Him to know where I am and now that it's not there anymore, He'll understand I found you..."
"A tracking spell, you mean?" frowned Rshkiel.
"Don't you understand? Go away, Rshkiel, His armies will be here in a minute and I will have led them to you when I wanted only to protect you..."
"Can you feel them now?" he asked sharply, trying to get her out of her distress.
"I... I don't know..."
"Concentrate!"
"No, they're not there. How do you know I can feel Demons?" she asked, her concern melted with suspicion.
Rshkiel sighed.
"Not only Demons... Angels also. Any unearthly creature. Your grandmother, your father's mother, was a spiritualist. She could feel any spirit around and her power had a wide range. She could talk with them too, even ghosts she had managed to summon from their tombs. She passed her faculty to her son, who passed it to you."
"You knew my father... Did you kill him because he could feel when you were around?"
Her tone was angry and accusing; her whole body was tense, as usually when she was speaking of her father.
"Who told you I killed him?" said Rshkiel sharply.
"Rashiel. I asked him to find the name of the Demon who had caused my father's demise."
"Rashiel never understood any of my motives... No, Dee, I didn't kill your father. I freed him. He was a very good demon knight and no Demon could have taken him down, not even Him, I think. Your father could have sent me to oblivion in just one word but he asked me to free him from his endless torture. He knew my story, you see, so he was fully aware I was the Angel of Guardians before my fall. I told him he was going to be a father and that he couldn't abandon his child. He said.... he said..."
"That he couldn't face the accusation in his child's eyes once she would know she had demon blood in her veins," completed Delilah bitterly. "That he didn't know what to answer when she would ask him why he had doomed her before her birth."
"Something like this, yes," agreed Rshkiel. "I told him a bit of an answer, but I'm afraid he didn't take it in account."
"What did you say?"
"That he couldn't let pass a great love like the one he shared with your mother. True, it brought him torture when he was with her but it also brought him the only sweet moments of his life because Lilith really didn't care if he was a demon knight or not. He sacrificed so much of his life already because of his demon blood, was he to let pass this unique chance of love because he refused to doom someone else like all his ancestors did?"
Delilah bit her lower lip and turned the head away.
"He asked me to keep an eye on you..."
"So you decided to become my blood brother, how thoughtful of you..."
Rshkiel didn't comment on the spite of her last remark.
"He asked me also to tell you that he was sorry to have placed you in such a mess but also that he was very proud to be the father of the prophecy child, your father. He had an undying faith in you and his last words were 'I know she'll send back Baal right into His Hell'."
Curiously, nothing happened at the demon prince's name. The nature seemed to be hanging at the two huge tears invading Delilah's eyes.
"He loved me then..." she whispered. "And I don't even know his name..."
"Oh yes, he loved you though he had never seen you. You're not a Demon's child, you're Tubal and Lilith's beloved daughter."
"Tubal... So many wasted years... Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Because you surrounded yourself with your hate and it would have been useless. I preferred to tell you when it would make you stronger."
She smiled through the tears she was proudly holding back.
"You chose well your moment."
It was the greatest reward she could give Rshkiel.