Chapter 5 : Return to Town
Elias had faced down corrupted beasts, ancient plagues, and a flesh-eating tree once mistaken for a sacred artifact.
None of that compared to walking through the front gates of Ashvale with a demon child holding his hand.
"Smile," he whispered through clenched teeth, forcing his face into something that might've been mistaken for friendly.
Rhea, wrapped in a brown cloak with her horns tucked beneath a scarf, grinned wide. Unfortunately, it was the kind of grin that made small animals run away.
"...Less teeth."
She tilted her head, lips still curled in that same toothy crescent. "But smiling means friendliness. I read it in your book."
"Yes, but yours says 'impending murder.' Dial it back."
She tried again. It looked more like someone holding in a burp.
"...Close enough," Elias muttered.
The guards let him through with a nod—he was still technically a Guild Healer, after all. But their eyes narrowed at the little cloaked figure beside him. No one said anything. Not yet.
But the whispering would start soon.