The Scarlet Paladin

Claire felt the rumbling coming from above. She felt the entire structure shake under her boots as the warriors above clashed. Claire raced forward, ignoring the drop in her stomach. If Ursa is fighting, then that means that Jasmine failed.

She needed to get to her.

She sprinted up the staircase, each step creaking underfoot. The wooden supports were buckling. Claire could feel the bones of the fortress straining. But she kept going.

She tore through each room, looking for her party members or some sort of sign. She was relieved to see the two in the second-to-last room. Jasmine was in rough shape, but Ursa knelt beside her. She was clumsily wrapping gauze around Jasmine's injured shoulder.

Claire grimaced upon seeing the sword sticking from Jasmine's shoulder. Crimson light surrounded the two as Claire approached, her aura kicking in.

Ursa's shoulders relaxed upon seeing Claire. "Thank Rava… I was not meant for this…"

Claire took in the scene, her messy hands and bandages. A weak laugh slipped from her. She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of everything finally come off her shoulders. She reached out her hand and petted Ursa. "Good girl."

Ursa's pupils dilated and her expression went blank. Claire was too tired to react to that phrase at the moment. She turned to Jasmine and began rewrapping the wound properly, her hands still trembling from adrenaline. Fatigue bit at her shoulders, but she pushed through.

"Thank the Goddess." She whispered to Jasmine. She was so worried that Jasmine had been gravely injured, or worse. She was overjoyed that she wasn't.

Jasmine chuckled weakly. "Yeah… Reyna was something else. She sensed me… so I panicked. If I fell, then she'd join the battlefield…"

Claire shot her a glare.

"Okay, okay…" She grimaced. "So I… released that snake… woman. She… broke her spell and fled… I don't know where. I just hope she's safe."

"Mmm, I didn't see her when I entered," Claire said as she finished securing the blade in Jasmine's shoulder. "Ursa? Did you sense anything?"

Ursa shook her head, snapping out of her daze. "No… had I sensed a monster, I would have headed straight for it."

"Interesting." Claire mumbled to herself. "Maybe she, or it, isn't a normal monster then…"

"That would… explain her relationship with the villagers." Jasmine said through labored breathing.

"True… we'll have to ask them when we get back," Claire whispered. Then she leaned forward and kissed Jasmine's forehead. "Never make me worry like that again, please."

Jasmine chuckled and then winced. But she nodded. "Okay… I'll try."

Claire let out another sigh. "Watch over her until Ana gets here. I'm going to find those kids."

Ursa nodded, her eyes were still dilated.

With that, Claire left the room. Her limbs felt heavy, and a fog clouded her mind. She could barely keep her eyes open, but she kept pushing. She hobbled up to the third floor, hoping there wasn't a single bandit left.

There wasn't, thankfully.

Just a bunch of scared kids. Claire's knees nearly buckled after sighing again. Her body wanted to give out, but she held off.

"Thank the Goddess." She whispered. "Kids… listen up. Your parents are heading back to your village. I need you to follow me."

No one moved. They looked at her with scared eyes.

She stepped forward and they backed away.

Claire was a bit taken aback, but she just smiled, warm and tired. "I'm not going to hurt you. We took care of those bandits."

She knelt down to get onto their level, ignoring the burning in her thighs. "Come on. Your parents are worried sick."

Still, none of them moved. Claire shakily got to her feet, her fatigue nearly taking her. She looked around the room, mentally counting them. There were fifteen kids, so all were accounted for.

One of the older girls stepped forward, her dark eyes sharp with determination. "Where's Samira?"

Claire tilted her head. "Is she one of your parents?"

The black-haired girl shook her head. "Um, she's-"

She was quickly hushed by a redheaded girl beside her. Claire caught the silent scolding and the tension in the air. Then it clicked.

"The snake woman?" She asked. Their wide eyes answered for her. She shook her head. "No idea. My… party member set her free and it seems she fled."

A collective sigh of relief rang out. Claire smiled warmly. "Seems she was very well loved…

Claire took a step back towards the door. "Please, come with me."

Then she heard the door creak open behind her. She told her party members to stay below. She turned, and her hand flew to her sword. She did her best to ignore her trembling grip as she braced herself.

The door opened, revealing not a bandit, but a woman. Well, half of a woman. Smooth, shifting scales trailing from her waist downwards. Her red hair had streaks of black in it, and her eyes seemed… animalistic. The woman braced upon seeing Claire, her eyes glowing a deep purple.

Claire untensed. "You must be Samira?"

The woman blinked, then nodded. A sly smile grew on her face, "Are you that shadow's party member?"

"Jasmine," Claire confirmed. "Yes, we're party members."

"Seems like more than that," Samira smirked. She approached Claire slowly and whispered so only she could hear. "Your body heat lit up when I mentioned her."

Claire chuckled. "Yeah. That's right."

Samira gave a quiet nod before turning to the kids. She opened her arms and they swarmed her. Tears began to flow from her as she quickly turned into a sobbing mess, losing all composure.

"I'm so sorry." She cried out, her voice cracking. "That woman bound

me and I-I… I couldn't control myself."

The response was immediate, total forgiveness. All fifteen children embraced her, burying their faces in her torso and wrapping their arms around her as her long tail curled protectively around the group.

"I-I'll never let that happen ever again," Samira said, wiping her tears. She sniffled and continued. "The Gods only know what I would have done had I lost any of you…"

Claire took a moment to observe the heart-warming scene before leaving the room. She felt better knowing the kids were with someone they trusted. As she walked out, her vision blurred and she nearly collapsed. Her knees buckled and she leaned against the wall.

"Fuck me." She mumbled to herself. She slunk next to the door and let her body rest finally. She silently listened in on the kids' sobs.

"But Jasmine… you were right." She whispered. "She's quite beautiful."

Claire took a moment to let her mind wander to the possibilities. What it would be like to be wrapped in that tail, or how she sounded when she moaned. Claire laughed under her breath, shaking her head.

"Gods," she muttered, "I hope she didn't notice the heat from my crotch. That'd be… a lot to explain."

Claire took a moment to breathe. A warm smile was plastered on her face.

"But she was a lamia, right?" Claire pondered out loud. "But she didn't look like the ones in the bestiaries… Those are full-scaled and live in the deserts. So what the hell is she doing up here?"

As if in response, Claire felt what she could only describe as a nudge. A subtle feeling, but one that felt like her Goddess. A little warmth of divine curiosity.

"Whatever… I'll ask about it later…" Claire said, fighting her eyes from closing. She shook her head and got up shakily.

Enough time had passed, and they needed to leave before nightfall. She gently knocked on the door, signalling for them to wrap everything up. Claire was happy the battle and the day were almost over.