I was the smell that woke me up the next morning. And I mean it woke me up from a dead sleep. I may have even risen from the bed like a damn possessed thing from the Exorcist. It wasn''t a bad smell. Actually, it was an amazing one, and I found myself following it like a zombie.


    Somewhere behind me there was a cranky squawk followed by a thump and a scuttling. I was still half asleep as I opened the strange door and entered a hallway that was unfamiliar, stumbling after the smell. Somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered that I was at the base of the royal squad known as the Red Ravens, but for now the smell held all my conscious thoughts.


    I took a right turn with the scuttling following at my heels. Bare heels as it turned out, given I left my boots on the floor of the room. I stumbled out into a wide room, took a left, and saw that the smell was coming from the bar. With a groan, I stumbled that way and sniffed. I knew that smell. I needed it.


    "Er, ''ello?" Said a confused voice that I ignored.


    "Oh, good morning, Sin." Chirped another. "No worries, Dural, this is Sin. The stray demon I told you Zach brought home."


    "Coffee." I grumped, hunting for that delicious brew that I could smell. When was the last time I had coffee?


    "What?" laughed the strange man. Now that the beverage I could smell was being denied me, my brain decided that he was worth inspecting. I was too not awake to realise that I was seeing a dwarf for the first time.


    Dural was around four and a half feet tall with thick brown hair and a long-braided beard draped over a cotton shirt and hang past his knees. His eyes were aggravatingly bright and awake, a deep green color that popped next to his rosy cheeks.


    "Coffee," I repeated. "Now, please." I added because I was half asleep and the smell was torture.


    "Sorry Luv, but I haven''t the foggiest what it is you are saying Lass." He turned to look at someone behind me.


    "Good morning, everyone!" groaned a loud voice I realized was Zach''s, but I was still focused on locating the liquid gold. "Good morning, Sin." He hopped onto the stool nest to where I was standing. A little growl of irritation and Drogin appeared next to me where he promptly took his place on my shoulders. "He didn''t look very happy on the floor. What''s going on?"


    "Seems ur'' demon lady is look''n fer something."


    "For what?"


    "Coffee." Said Sandra.


    "And what is coffee?"


    "Haven''t a clue?" She said with a sigh.


    "The smell." I huffed, my head hitting the bar. I so was not good with sudden wakefulness.


    "Yeh mean the Fiervir?" Asked the dwarf, showing me his metal mug which did indeed seem to have the lovely black fluid in it.


    "Coffee." I stated.


    "Sorry Luv, but this be Fiervir. Made from dried then roasted Fiervir root, then steeped in hot water."


    "Maybe demons call it coffee?" Zach asked the room.


    "Either way, yer more than welcome to it." Laughed Dural the dwarf. He placed the cup he held on to the bar in front of me. "You take this one. I haven''t touched it yet." And with that he went a little farther down the bar and began pour himself another mug full, from a pot he had set on a bar rag. "Never met none but the dwarves who like Fiervir." He chuckled.


    I took a sip of the strong brew and sighed happily. I wasn''t a fan of black coffee but damn, any coffee was good right now.


    "How can you drink that?" asked Sandra, sitting on the stool on my other side. "It is bitter and vile." She was dressed in another lavender dress this morning, this one had gold filigree though and the cleavage wasn''t quite as dangerous.


    "Agreed." Said Zach.


    "Perks you up though." Laughed another new voice. Beginning to be caffeinated now I decided that I could look and see who it was.


    I blinked in surprise because for a split second I thought the seven plus, foot tall man I saw sitting there was Rice. Then I realised that this man was probably closer to seven foot even, with black hair and much wider in the shoulders than Rice. I blinked a couple times then returned to my coffee without comment. Coffee before confusion. My motto for the day.


    "Is there any sugar and milk here?" I asked the room at large.


    "Eye." Said a confused Dural. He bent behind the bar and opened a box there. White smoke wafted out and I knew that it was an ice chest. Sally had a larger one in the kitchens at the in. It was essentially a fridge in a box. It was kept cool when an enchanter infused it with ice magic. The dwarf pulled a white, glass bottle, out and laid it on the bar next to my mug. Reaching a little farther away, he lifted a round clay dish and laid that next to it as well.


    I opened the lid of the dish and found unrefined, brownish yellow, sugar as well as a tiny spoon. I scooped up two spoonful''s and put them into my mug as the others watch, then I poured in a little milk, giving it a stir. Sighing happily, I set to drinking my coffee. Fiervir. Whatever.


    "Is that better?" Asked, Zach, fascinated.


    "Much better." I spoke. I reluctantly handed him the mug. "Try."


    He didn''t even hesitate, despite claiming he hated the stuff mere seconds ago. Clearly nothing would get in the way of learning something new. He took a sip and wrinkled his nose. He handed it back to me.


    "Still not for me. But it is better. Not nearly as strong and with a sweetness to off set the bitterness."


    "I want to try." Whined Sandra.


    I sighed and pushed the mug her way. "Just so you know, demons don''t like sharing." I literally had no clue if that was true. But I didn''t like sharing and I was a demon... so it wasn''t a total lie right?


    "Then doubly thank you!" She said and took a sip. Her eyes widened. "Its good!" She exclaimed.


    "Really?" Asked Dural, fuzzy eyebrows raised.


    "Dwarves never tried adding sugar and milk to - fiervir? - Before?" I asked as Sandra set my cup back in front of me and hurried behind the counter to make one of her own.


    "Sugar is expensive in our mountain cities." Explained Dural. "And the own''ly milk we have ready access to is from the Kavda goats. It makes a good cheese... But not too pleasant to drink."


    "Well, I like mine this way."


    "So, demons like fiervir?" Asked Zach.


    I rolled my eyes. "I like it. Can''t speak for an entire race, however." The life giving caffeine making its way into my system began waking me up nicely. I turned to the other man in the room. "I don''t suppose you are related to Commander Rice, are you?" I asked him.


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    The man sitting at one of the round tables laughed. It was a deep and hearty laugh of someone who did it often. He was dressed in a heavy canvas like pair of pants, a thick leather belt and the first tank top I had seen in this world. His exposed arms had a great many scars on massive muscles. Leaning against the table was a massive sword in a red leather sheath with huge leather straps I assumed were used to keep it fastened to the mans back. The damn thing had to weigh at least as much as me.


    "Right you are. Steven is my younger brother!" Said the man. "I am Captain Rift Rice of the Red Ravens. Now who, may I ask, are you?" He still had the smile when he asked but I could hear the clear threat in his voice. If I said anything that he didn''t like I may not be finishing my coffee.


    "My name is Sin. I''m an adventurer from Bellana. Lovely to meet you." I swear I did not try to say that last sentence with sarcasm. I really, really, did not.


    "And you are a tamer?"


    "Yes. I see I was right in assuming Zach is completely incapable off keeping anything to himself."


    Rift roared with laughter again. "You have him pegged right."


    "Hey, I can so keep a secret." Whined Zack, looking a little hurt. The room at large snorted with a dismissive laugh.


    "Well, Sin the demon who is a tamer, from Bellana, you may be happy to know that I was sure to send word to the adventurers guild that some of my men took out some bandits along the old South Road late last night."


    "I am, yes." I spoke. "Thank you."


    "Thank you for looking out for our Zach. He is a damn liability in a fight, despite his willingness to try and help, but his brain is a gift."


    Zach grumbled next to me, and I smiled. He was week but he had not hesitated to try and lend me aid when I stepped in to get him away from the bandits with that ''force'' spell of his. He was absentminded and distractable, but I could tell he was brave and kind as well. Probably a much better person than myself.


    "You should probably put a bell on him. Then you will know when he gets out." I said, drinking more of my life sustaining beverage.


    "I may just do that." Gawffed Rift. "The world is getting a little too dangerous for someone who has a nose in a book while he walks to be out and about without back up."


    "Speaking of which," said Sandra holding her own cup of Fiervir like it was birthday cake. "Spill. I tried to get the details from Vale, but he brushed me off to go to the training room. Honey and Leon went straight to bed. I must know what the heroes were like!"


    Zach and I perked up as well. I was very curious about the other people from my world. I still mostly felt bad for them, especially the kid I saw get scooped up, but I couldn''t deny I was wondering if they were settling in the same as I was.


    "There isn''t much to tell really." Said Rift unhelpfully. "Its not like we had a chance to speak with them. They stood there as the Queen and the head priest introduced them and then it went straight to talks about how we were going to handle the Demon King situation." At this he turned to me. "I don''t suppose you have any insight into that do you?"


    "Why?" I asked, stomach sinking. I had no knowledge about my own race, much less about one specific dude. Even if he was a famous one. "Because all demons must know one another. There are a lot of us you know?" I had no way of knowing that for sure, but it seemed a safe guess to me.


    Rift narrowed his eyes on me suspiciously. I glared back. "Look." I said, irritated. "I admit I don''t have much, but what I do have and care about, is all part of this world. If I had some wisdom that would help me protect that and I thought you could help, then I would tell you." I nearly said ''Scouts honor'' but clamped my mouth shut before it could leak out. Damn it was hard watching everything I was going to say. If I kept being a chatter box like this, it wasn''t just going to be my demon-ness that was going to be exposed.


    After another second, he sighed and scratched his nose. "Fine. Keep your secrets. For now."


    I continued to glare daggers at the man. "I think I like your brother better."


    Rift looked genuinely shocked. "That stick in the mud. Tch!"


    I snorted and returned to my quickly cooling coffee- I mean Fiervir... damn it.


    "Well, you can tell us what the heroes looked like can''t you." Sulked Zach, completely ignoring the tension between me and his boss.


    "Oooh yes!" Purred Sandra. "What do they look like. Any handsome other worlders for me to ogle amongst them?"


    "You would ask tha''." Mumbled the dwarf with an amused smile.


    "Well, one of them is barely into his man hood." Huffed the captain. "Had a hard look in his eyes though. I know they have been here for a few weeks. No doubt they have been training and such. He was tall for his age I suppose a little gangly, with blonde hair..."


    "Must be hard for the kid, com''n ere'' with out a say in it..." Sighed Dural.


    "Well, you guys'' kid napped him. Can''t imagine it was very fun for him." I snipped with out thinking. The group looked at me surprised so I decided to just roll with it and get it off my chest. "What? You didn''t think the people brought here had lives? The kid probably has parents you know. Siblings? Hopes and dreams for the future. All that snatched away because a world he didn''t even know existed needed him to fight in a war for them. Pretty shitty deal if you ask me."


    Rift eyed me like I was a bug he found interesting but wasn''t quite sure if he wanted to keep me in a jar or just squish me. I didn''t know what it was but there was a look in his eyes, one that I had seen in his brothers too, one that made me uncomfortable. Like they could see things about me I rather they didn''t.


    "We, really don''t have much of a choice Sin." Said Sandra sadly. "Without the insane powers of the heroes there is no way our people could defeat the Demon King. Even if all the armies of Larasta, from all nine kingdoms, joined their forces in one great assault, we still would not be enough..."


    I knew that. Or at least I assumed it. The people here did not seem lazy, or overly eager to shirk their duty and pass it off onto strangers after all. "I am not saying that that isn''t the case. All I am trying to say is that you can''t exactly expect an eagerness out of them. You said it''s only been a couple weeks after all. No doubt these heroes are still mourning all they had stolen from them."


    "Well, what about you?" Asked the narrow eyed, far too perceptive, Rift. "You are not from this world. Yet you are fighting off ten bandits all to save a man you didn''t even know the name of."


    "I wasn''t taken without my consent though now, was I?" I snapped. It was true. I wasn''t kidnapped. I was killed, though, but I was over that now. Honestly, the life I was making for myself here was far more fulfilling than the one I had taken from me on earth. "I don''t have anyone waiting for me to come home back where I am from."


    "What''s the demon world like?" Chirped Zach, his whole bearing perking up as his insatiable desire for new information reared it head.


    I turned my stoney eyes on the man child "Who knows." I said quite truthfully. Zach slumped sadly.


    "I feel for them Sin," said Sandra, shaking her head at Zach. "I really do. It can''t be easy on them. But our kingdom is full of people who would die without the summoning. We do what we can for those brought here against their will, you know? In fact, they are not made to fight at all. They have the choice. The last heroes are proof of that. Only three of them were any help and one actively worked against the others! History tells us that the last coming of the Demon King was nearly the end of us all."


    I sighed, "Yes, I understand."


    Rift sighed, clearly deciding to drop it, and went back to describing the heroes to Sandra. "The other four were adults at least. All are men except one... I can''t remember their names or anything. It was a very brief introduction. I do know that the Queen is going to be sending them out soon."


    "Out?" I asked.


    "Yes. Essentially, the queen is sending the heroes out to introduce themselves to the kingdom. They will likely go out in two separate groups, guided by some of the knights. It''ll be a mission to get the heroes acquainted with the kingdom as well as get them experience fighting the monsters and minions of the Demon King. It will be a long campaign and the queen will want the people behind the heroes. I''m sure no one wants what happened in the last age to happen again this time."


    "So, when are these heroes supposed to show up here?" I asked.


    "Well. Bellana is the second largest city in the kingdom of Larasta, so I would imagine that they will be sent here first. My guess will be in about a week, maybe a week and a half. The capital has access to a large teleportation stone that lets them send people to the main cities across the nine kingdoms. It''s a one-way transport but it is useful when in a rush."


    "Even if it means knocking out three strong magicians to do it." Added Zach, off handily. "Poor construction in my opinion."


    "And you could do better?" laughed Sandra with glittering eyes.


    Zach, sniffed in disdain. "I wouldn''t know now, would I? They won''t let me look at the thing."


    The others laughed and I smiled. I may not have known him longer than a minute, but I could still imagine him trying to sneak into wherever this stone was and try and tinker with it to make it work better.


    I sighed and got to my feet. It was time to get out of here. I did not want to be interrogated farther. Besides, I had to go pay Sally more copper or she may well rent out my room to some one else when I don''t show up.


    "I''m getting my boots and then Getting out of here." I said, walking past Zach and making my way back toward the hall. "Thanks for the coffee, but I need to get back to Bellana."


    "You are leaving already?" He asked. "You haven''t met everyone yet though."


    I laughed. "Why would I need to meet everyone?"


    I hurried back to the room, pulled my boots on and got back to the common room just as fast. Some how this felt awkward now and I just wanted to be gone. I waved at the four Red Ravens and beat a hasty retreat to the door.


    "See you around Sin." Said Rift, behind me. I didn''t look back, just tossed a wave over my shoulder and left the building.