“Yes, I have come to discover that myself.”
That still doesn’t answer my question, though.
Did Duskwalkers procreate? Did they give birth to children? What if Reia was to have sex with him? Would they have a child?
No, she thought with certainty. I’m a human, he’s a Duskwalker. We can’t reproduce. It’s not possible.
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but a part of her was relieved by the thought.
The journey back had been similar to the one travelling to the Demon village. Little happened, much of it was boring, and there wasn’t anything exciting to look at.
They spoke about the tools they’d obtained for the Mavka, and he pulled each one from his back so Orpheus could explain their uses and what he would need to do with them.
She listened in, thinking about the events that had played out, how she’d discovered what the village was like, how the few Demons they’d interacted with were actually… nice?
Then there were the many questions she’d had answered, and the new ones that had taken their place. Like the Demon King and his castle and why the Witch Owl had gone out of her way to make sure Reia got her books. What did they signify? Why were they so important that she had to have them?
Being curled up in his side was easier since it was thinner than the width of his back, and she was able to straighten her legs freely. She was exhausted, though, from not sleeping in a proper bed. She couldn’t wait to get home, have a warm bath and look at everything Orpheus had gotten her.
He’d almost run out of crystals, but hadn’t minded. She knew how big the original one was before he smashed it, and both her and the Mavka were lucky to have his generosity.
The part that brought her the most humour was when he tried to get her to pick out jewellery, as if he knew most women liked them. Most weren’t particularly beautiful, but they each had pretty, uncut stones with metal twine holding them together.
There were, however, a few she thought might have been stolen from humans.
She didn’t want any of it. What was the point? They seemed like unnecessary things that would weigh her down. But with how much he was trying to convince her, she had a funny feeling the last human he took there had wanted much of it.
The amulet on her head was the most beautiful thing she could wear, and nothing could compare to it.
When they got closer to their home, she heard the familiar sounds of the more animalistic, bestial Demons – so different from those she’d just met. She would have told them to grow a brain, but she did truly wonder how many humans they would have needed to consume to start growing skin?
“Oh, go away,” she groaned when she saw one climbing over the roof of the house before it crawled down onto the porch, telling her all the protections were gone. “I just want to go inside in peace.”
“It’s been a few days,” Orpheus said as he placed her down so she could stand. She didn’t need to be under his cloak since she didn’t smell human, but he kept her with him anyway. “Cover your ears.”
She gave him a dull look.
“Go ahead, do the thing.”
She remembered from when she first arrived here. He looked at her like he was expecting her to change her mind, but she gestured for him to get it over with.
He walked up the stairs, opened the door that was already slightly ajar, and then roared furiously loud, making her eardrums throb with the booming depth of it. The two small Demons that had gotten inside scattered, hissing when they saw her, before shrinking away from Orpheus and the Mavka that was with them.
“I will help to carve the salt circle,” the Mavka said, placing his items down to lessen his load, then using his claws to dig into the ground.
“I’ll make the protection trinkets!” she offered, raising her hand and going inside, so happy and relieved she could use her damn legs again.
Orpheus removed the bulkier items, like the rolls of fabric, so he could fit through the doorway. Then he removed the rest inside. He placed them mostly in the kitchen area – up against the counter if it was large and on top if it was small.
He sniffed the air to triple check there were no Demons before letting out a snorting huff.
“Keep your sword on until all the protections are up.”
“It’ll be done in no time with all three of us,” she said, waving her hand up and down dismissively while he grabbed everything from the top cabinet she couldn’t reach.
Then he procured the dill from the garden, informing her it was still intact because they hadn’t been in a frenzy from her scent like before.