"Is this normal behavior for demons...?" Edric spoke up, after a good ten minutes watching Pride and I divvy up and then consume the killer bunny. He had been growing steadily greener as he watched, which was understandable, though I wasn't sure why he didn't just look away.

  "Demons can not obtain levels as you humans do." Explained Pride after swallowing a red hunk of meat whole. "We employ various methods to obtain skills and the like from other beings, mainly monsters. Lady Nyx and I, both grow via the consumption of raw materials. Cooked will not do."

  "Sorry to hear that..." He eyed the dog like demon a moment longer before asking: "Anything?"

  Pride shook his head. "No. But I am not surprised. It is rare that my stats and skills are improved any longer. It would take many kills or something really powerful to do it."

  "Like a dragon?" I laughed, eyeing my own hunk of meat distastefully.

  "a what?" Both men asked at once. It would have been comical had I not had a nose full of iron as I tried to work up the stomach for my newest meal.

  Distracted from the red meat for a moment, I looked at the pair like they had horns. "A dragon. A huge scaly lizard with wings like mine? They breath fire..."

  "Your world had such creatures?" Asked Pride, looking surprised. "I would have thought my previous master would have mentioned that. From what he told me, the creatures of your world are quite tame compared to the ones here."

  "No, it's not-" I sighed. "Never mind. Its an imaginary creature. I guess I just assumed there would be dragons in this world."

  "I can not deny that the human's of your world have large imaginations." Mused Pride. "Tristain was always inventing strange things. And, had he not been imaginative, our entire demon race would not exist."

  "I can't deny that, but it's not like he invented 'Demons' in general, you know? They have been part of human mythology in my world for millennia. Though, maybe not exactly as they are in this world."

  "Tristain did mention that they were seen as evil beings. Perhaps poor naming choice on his part..." Agreed pride around another blood mouthful of rabbit meat. I guess he was going to eat it anyways.

  I felt, then, that I may have found it interesting to have met Tristain. It would have cleared up a lot of things for me, at any rate. Then again, I wasn't sure I could look a man in the eye after eating his leg leather.

  A slight shiver racked my body at the thought, causing Edric to look at me strangely. I just shook my head. No way did I want to go into detail about how I became the demon queen. Not that I was making for a very impressive one at the moment.

  Instead, I decided to change the topic. "I really wish we could have made it back to town in time." I sighed, gazing through the trees in the direction I was pretty sure the town was in. I was never 'directionally gifted', and could rarely find my way out of a paper bag unless I spent enough time in it to remember the land marks. "But there is no way to make it back now. I think that crotchety landlady really will give away our room, too."

  Pride snorted. "If you truly wish to return, then it is no issue."

  "How do you figure?" I asked, still eyeing my hunk of meat like it was actively insulting me. I would not be able to avoid eating it forever.

  "I must only increase my size enough to carry you both on my back. I am no beast of burden, but I too, would rather the warmth of the inn over the forest. No doubt we will be spending plenty enough time camping very soon."

  I almost giggled, imagining Edric and I seated on a rottweiler the size of a horse, galloping though the trees. "Wouldn't we fall off if you are running?"

  "Not if you are smart." Huffed the dog like demon, glaring at my meat. "Eat it. I grantee that the flavor will not improve once it starts rotting."

  Another shiver passed over me, and Edric made a disgusted face.

  "Yeah, yeah, I get it already..."

  Reluctantly, I decided to just get it over with, and shoved the entire glob into my mouth. I must have teeth like razors and a jaw like a steel trap now, as I am pretty sure that munching on raw meat when I was human would not have been as easy as it was now. Trying not to focus too much on flavor, besides the fact that it was better than bugs, I chewed and swallowed, whipping the somewhat congealed- blugh- blood off my chin with the back of my hand. The texture was surprisingly worse than bugs.

  I avoided looking at Edric due to the fact that I was fairly sure that the prince was dry heaving. If I saw him puke, I was sure to do so as well.

  [Mana Points increased by 50

  Speed Increased by 2

  Strength increased by 2

  Agility increased by 2]

  The stats sounded off in my head, actually surprising me. I had expect the rabbit to have no effect, as it had with Pride. I guess it just went to show how far I and my rottie-like partner were. Mind you, I was pretty sure he had a few centuries head start, so I wasn't overly concerned about it.

  I waited, but I did not gain any nifty new skills from my most recent feast.

  "Well?" Pride asked.

  I nodded. "A couple minor stat increases. Quite a hefty boost to my mana, actually."

  "Probably due to the the monster being corrupted." Edric observed. His curiosity seemed to have whipped away a little of his revulsion. I was starting to notice that my slave had a rather keen mind and a thirst for knowledge that his previous masters had not been fully able to beat out of him. It was a trait I hoped to encourage. God knows I was practical-minded and sarcastic enough for the three of us. Maybe I could leave the hard thinking parts to him?

  I was not ignoring my obligations. It was called 'delegation'. I was being a good leader... Really.

  "Yes, that is the most likely cause." Pride agreed before getting to his feet and giving himself a little shake.

  I watch, awed as I always was, as he began to expand, rapidly, in size. It seemed to cause neither discomfort not trouble to accomplish it either. It did cause Edric to have to scramble out of the way, nearly tripping over what was left of the rabbit corpse.

  "How do you do that...?" Mumbled the price. Though I was sure it was a rhetorical question given the answer would either be 'A skill' or just plainly, 'Magic'. Either way, Pride did not bother answering.

  "Alright, get on." He said, bending his knees so that Edric and I would have an easier time getting up onto his back.

  I wasted no time climbing up onto Pride's shoulder, trying to get comfortable on his boney back. Pride wasn't, exactly, chubby, after all. He was now nearly two tons of pure demon muscle. I knew that I would not want to be on his bad side, that was for sure.

  Edric was a little less eager. He eyed the massive demon with trepidation, and more than a little skepticism. Though, he didn't look afraid, so maybe we were growing on him a little! I can be a 'silver linings' girl sometimes too.

  "You can't climb with your eyes, boy." Growled Pride. His aggravation did not surprise me. I mean, his name was pride for god's sake. I am sure having people ride him like horse had to feal a little degrading for him. I was willing to bet, if I had not complained, Pride would not have even offered.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Edric sighed, a touch of irritation flashing on his own face before it set back to his blank stare that I was starting to associate with the prince. No doubt it was a habit born of need, where a simple look might get you beaten. I may not have ever been a slave, but I was, as good as, at parts of my life, I knew the need for self preservation. unfortunately, I did not have the prince's higher brain functions and a mouth that wouldn't listen to the little brains I did have. I just took the beating, or I beat a few people back.

  But, unhappy or not, he got on the demon. Well, he got on with a tug from me anyway. But then there was a bit of awkwardness where we had to get down again. Maybe out of habit, Edric had clambered up behind me, but we found out pretty fast that my wings made that position rather uncomfortable for the both of us.

  A few moments later I was seated behind Edric, my wings no longer hampering us, and my arms around his waist. I tried not to notice how painfully thin he truly was. We needed to feed this boy up, for sure. I'd even deal with Cranky Landlady for a little longer if it meant getting him healthy again. I couldn't save every slave, but I could at least help this one.

  As it turned out, Pride could run really fast. I thought it was great! the air rushing past, dodging trees a break neck speeds, and jumping any boulders and logs. Every time we landed from a jump I heard Edric groan in displeasure. I felt bad for him, but I was having a blast.

  We made sure to get off Pride's back well before coming into view of the town. The last thing i needed was to have the guards out, thinking they were under attack or something. So we made it back to the inn on foot.

  Our oh-so-sweet landlady glared at me from across the dining room when we entered, looking disappointed. Clearly she had hoped we would not return. Lucky for her, once we sold what needed selling tomorrow and got the map I wanted, then we would be off and she could have her shitty room back.

  I made sure Edric ate plenty that night, even if he did complain under his breath that he hadn't the stomach for it. I mean, you see a girl eat a bunny raw, one time... One time! And you get all queasy about it? The prince needed to put on his big boy britches. Heck, I was the one who had to eat it, not him.

  I definitely ate our dear hostess's slop. Anything to get the coppery taste of raw monster parts off my tongue.

  We left bright and early the next morning. I didn't really have much in the way of belongings- Pride and Edric, even less- but I made sure we had everything all the same. I was holding out hope that we would find that map today, and then never return here again. I wasn't about to tell the landlady that, however, just incase we were unsuccessful. If I told her, she would sell our room out from under us in an instant.

  Our haul of crystals got us quite a bit of money this time around, so we should not have to worry about food and lodging on our journey for a while. Well, so long as the map wasn't too expensive. Though, from what Pride and Edric say, it was going to be pretty exorbitant.

  Edric did not know where the shop was that we could find the maps. According to him, he himself had only just been brought here by the trader. But he could read the signs, and that was exactly why I bought him. Well, that and I was hoping to get a sweet reward from his big shot royal daddy. But I wasn't counting on that, it would just be a bonus if it did happen once I got the errant prince back where he belonged.

  Given that none of us really knew where we were going, Edric and I just followed Pride through the winding, rather disorganized, streets. Edric was reading each shop sign, meanwhile, I was watching him. He still had not shared anything about himself nor his circumstance, and I still wasn't going to pressure him, but I was horribly curious.

  How could a prince find himself as a cheep slave at a slave market in another country? It was clear when I bought him that the trader had no clue that he could read and write, much less that he was of royal birth. So that meant that the prince had been trying very hard to appear to be an illiterate orphan or some such. But, had he shown that he could read and write- even if he did not mention his lineage, for obvious reasons- than he may very well have found himself in better condition than the ones I had found him in.

  It was a puzzle that I was itching to solve. But it was not a necessary one, so it could wait.

  "Here." Edric said, stopping in the street, his hand pointing to a rather well appointed store front, the sign hanging above the door still illegible to me, but clearly carved at a higher quality than most the others I had seen so far.

  "This a map store?" I asked as Pride and I stood either side of the prince, the crowd parting around us, all of them looking either offended or terrified to see two demons walking around freely.

  Edric turned sardonic eyes my way and said in a flat voice that made me smile. "No... It is a book store. How could a man make a living selling only maps that most people would not bother to purchase?"

  I chuckled. I suppose maps were considered a luxury item by the average citizen. I was sure that most of the people who live in this town never left, and if they did it was only to go to the next town over, following a well worn road to get there. Not many people would be looking to travel to the middle of a completely different nation.

  "It is probably best if Pride stays out front." Edric stated, eyeing the large rottweiler. "Unless he wishes to shrink himself to the size of a puppy?"

  "I most assuredly will not be doing that." Harumphed the hellhound with a growl for good measure, causing a pair of ladies to scurry to the other side of the road.

  I laughed. "Best wait by the door then. Heck, maybe the shop owner will give us a discount just to take you away! I bet having a hellhound outside your front door can't be good for business."

  The interior of the shop was bigger than I would have thought and decorated with a great deal of wood paneling. It was also filled with the expected book shelves. But it was not the shelves that took up most of the room.

  As Edric and I made our way past the shelves I saw that most of the space inside was taken up by display cases. In each case (a glass dome on top of a wooded pedestal) were either books or other strange artifacts. I gazed at each as we passed.

  "Appraisal" I whispered, as we made our way around an object that looked remarkably like a wand straight out of a Harry Potter novel.

  [Unsuccessful] Was all I got in return.

  Hmmm. I looked closer at the dome and realized that they must have been spelled. After all, this world did have magic, so why not use it to protect ones valuables? And it wasn't like my appraisal skill was the most reliable of things, even if it was steadily improving.

  "Good morning!" A voice boomed, making me jump a little. "How can I hel-"

  I saw that a portly man was making his way between the stands from a back room. He was dressed in fine cloths, his head bald and a greasy mustache curled from his upper lip. But when he saw me his cheerful, greedy, business face fell, eyes turning cold.

  "Hello." He said, in a much less excited manner, taking in my cheep- if not down right strange- cloths, and Edric's collar. "Did you need something?" Though, what I heard was 'you are clearly too poor to shop here.'

  "We are looking for a map." I said. I may not like his judgmental eyes, but he was a business man, and he probably didn't want to deal with people he thought would be a waste of time. It wasn't the best of business practices, but I could at least understand his irritation.

  He sighed. "We have several, of course. However, none of them are cheap..."

  "That's fine." I said with my best, kill them with kindness, smile.

  The man eyed me suspiciously. I said it was my best, not that it was good.

  "Well," He said after a second. "What kind of map were you looking for? One of the waring states? A world map? A magical map?"

  The last question sounded sarcastic, but it perked my interest. "You have magical maps?" I asked.

  "Of course I do not." He said, like I was dumb. That was pretty uncalled for! He had been the one to mention it in the first place.

  "A magical map would be a rare and valuable item, Mistress." Stated Edric. I had asked him to call me Nyx, but given the current situation, it may be best to just play the role of slave properly for now. "The effects of the magic may vary, but all enchanted maps are beyond valuable, and likely out of our budget."

  "You may as well ask for a living map..." Huffed the shop owner, plodding his way to a counter. He began fiddling with rolled up parchment that sat on shelves behind it.

  A questioning glance from me had Edric sighing. "A living map is a map that contains a spirit within it, usually a wind one. It is powerfully enchanted to prevent the spirit from escaping. To craft one requires a master enchanter as well as a strong spirit. And it would also be considered a national treasure. Its price would be immeasurable and the chances of finding such an item anywhere but a kingdoms treasure room, unlikely."

  "Indeed." Huffed the merchant, still looking through what I assumed were his maps.

  "Ah, well..." I said. "I was just looking for the run of the mill, world map. It doesn't need to be greatly detailed, though I would prefer if it were at least from this century." Pride's mind might be able to act as a type of map, but it was centuries out of date to say the least.

  The mess of haggling that followed was enough to make my head spin, and in the end, Edric had to step in. Even the shop owner was surprised at the prince's negotiation skills. He wasn't a prince for nothing, I supposed. I was about to knock the damn merchant out and just take the map he was offering if Edric hadn't stepped in.

  Assault and robbery were not among the ten evil things I had never done. Though, the leg leather may have put that number down to nine now.

  In the end, the shop keeper was glad to see us go, even if he was several gold pieces richer for his effort. I breathed in the nasty city air as we left, glad to be rid of the man.

  "Stupid Baldy." I huffed as Edric and I joined Pride.

  "That took a while." Said the dog. "I was about to come find you."

  "Tch, it may have shaved a few silver off the price if you had." I pouted, looking down at the rolled up map in my hands.

  According to Edric It was a fairly good one. The Prince seemed satisfied with the price we paid for it, but he was a prince. I felt that that skewed his perception of money values. All I knew was that we just spent more than half the travel money we had on the map. But, it was something we needed, so I couldn't complain too much.

  "Can we please just get out of this place already?" I was so done with this town.