Dawn broke over demon territory with no sun—just a gradual lessening of absolute darkness to oppressive gray. Alice woke from fitful sleep, the wrongness of the environment having prevented true rest. Around her, the Iron Thorns were already moving with quiet efficiency, breaking camp and preparing for the day's operations.
Kael stood at the camp's center, reviewing maps with several of his warriors. He looked up as Alice and Mira approached.
"Sleep well?" he asked, though his expression suggested he knew the answer.
"As well as possible in hell," Mira replied bluntly.
Kael's slight smile acknowledged the honesty. "You'll adapt. Most people sleep better by night three once the initial shock wears off." He gestured them closer to the maps. "Today you participate in actual combat. Controlled encounters, supervised closely, but real demon kills. Questions?"
"Rules of engagement?" Alice asked, studying the route he'd marked.
"Standard demon protocol—eliminate on sight, no hesitation, exploit weaknesses we've taught you. After each kill, extract the rune immediately. Demon territory runes are higher quality than border encounters—don't waste them." Kael pointed to marked locations. "We've identified three probable encounter sites along today's route. Imp populations, maybe a few Demon Soldiers. Nothing you can't handle with proper support."
Adrian joined them, already armed and equipped. "Morning briefing?"
"Just finished. Today's the real test." Kael rolled up the maps. "You're on coaching duty. Keep them alive, keep them learning, and make sure they come back with confidence instead of trauma."
"Understood."
The expedition departed camp within the hour. They traveled for two hours through volcanic plains, skirting areas of unstable ground and toxic gas vents. The Iron Thorns maintained alert formation, weapons ready, the cleared corridor showing evidence of their previous work—demon corpses in various stages of decay, destroyed nests, eliminated threats.
"First encounter site ahead," one of the scouts reported. "Four Imps, feeding on something near that rock formation."
Kael signaled halt. "Princess Alice, you're up. Standard Imp engagement protocol. Adrian will coach, I'll supervise, Iron Thorns provide backup if needed. Garrick maintains overwatch. Clear?"
Alice felt her heart rate spike—not from fear exactly, but from the adrenaline rush of impending combat. This was different from the caravan attack. This was deliberate, controlled insertion into demon encounter.
"Clear," she confirmed, drawing her sword.
Adrian moved beside her, voice calm. "Four Imps. Remember their patterns—aggressive but predictable, vulnerable to proper spacing and timing. You've done this in training dozens of times. This is just real stakes. And don't forget rune extraction—you kill it, you claim the rune."
They approached the rock formation quietly. Alice spotted the Imps—twisted creatures feeding on what looked like a smaller demon, their grotesque forms even more disturbing in their natural environment.
She assessed tactically. Four targets. Spacing suggested they'd notice her approach at about twenty feet. Initial engagement would draw all four. Standard response pattern.
Alice breathed steadily, centering herself. Then she moved.
The Imps noticed her immediately, abandoning their meal to attack with characteristic aggression. Alice met the first one with practiced form—sidestep to avoid the claws, blade strike exploiting the gap in shoulder armor, follow-through that dropped it instantly.
The second Imp came from her left. Alice pivoted, deflected its attack and countered with precision strike to the vulnerable neck joint. It fell.
"Watch your right!" Adrian called.
Alice spun, catching movement in peripheral vision. The third Imp was trying to flank. She adjusted position, forcing it to attack from disadvantageous angle, then exploited the opening with ruthless efficiency.
The fourth Imp hesitated—unusual behavior suggesting more intelligence than typical. It circled, looking for opening, recognizing that direct assault had killed its companions.
"It's learning," Alice observed, breathing hard but controlled.
"Then teach it why that doesn't matter," Adrian replied.
Alice feinted left, drew the Imp's response, then struck from unexpected angle. The demon tried to adapt mid-attack but wasn't fast enough. Her blade found vital area, and it collapsed.
Four Imps. Four kills. Total engagement time: maybe thirty seconds.
"Excellent work," Kael called from his observation position. "Textbook Imp engagement. Now collect your runes. You earned them."
Adrian approached, demonstrating the extraction technique. "Rune forms near the chest cavity. Quick cut here, reach in, pull out. It'll feel warm—demon territory runes are more potent than border ones."
Alice knelt beside the first Imp corpse, making the incision Adrian indicated. Her fingers found the rune—a small crystal-like object pulsing with faint energy. It was indeed warm, almost hot to the touch. She extracted it, wiping the blood off to reveal a dull red glow.
"Imp rune," Adrian noted. "Low quality, but still valuable for everyday use. Power lamps, heating systems, basic civilian infrastructure. Four of these would keep a household running for a month."
Alice collected the remaining three runes, storing them in the pouches designed for that purpose. Four Imp runes. Resources worth claiming.
Garrick approached. "Well done, Your Highness. Your form was excellent, decision-making was sound, and you maintained tactical awareness throughout. I'm impressed."
Mira stepped forward, expression mixing pride and anticipation. "My turn?"
"Next encounter site," Kael confirmed. "Another hour's travel. Same protocol."
The expedition continued deeper into the cleared corridor. The second encounter site appeared after another hour—a small canyon where six Demon Soldiers were patrolling.
"Guardian Mira," Kael called. "Six Demon Soldiers. Higher threat level than Imps, but your training prepared you for this. Same support structure—Adrian coaches, we provide backup, Garrick maintains overwatch. Your approach?"
Mira studied the canyon, tactical mind working. "Terrain gives them advantage if I engage in the open. I use the canyon walls for cover, force them to come to me in limited numbers, eliminate them sequentially rather than facing all six simultaneously."
"Sound tactical assessment," Kael approved. "Execute when ready. And remember—Demon Soldier runes are higher quality than Imp runes. Worth the effort."
Mira drew her sword, feeling the familiar weight in her hand. Demon Soldiers were stronger than Imps—organized, disciplined, more dangerous. This required more than just blade skill.
She closed her eyes briefly, centering herself. Then she activated her Spirit Sword.
White light erupted along her blade—the base form, clean and pure. The Spirit Sword's energy enhanced her weapon, making it sharper, faster, more lethal. Not her true color yet—orange would come when facing truly dangerous opponents—but the white base form was more than enough for Demon Soldiers.
Several Iron Thorns nearby noticed, expressions showing approval. Proper Spirit Sword usage demonstrated skill and tactical judgment.
"Good call," Adrian said quietly. "Demon Soldiers warrant Spirit Sword activation. Smart decision."
Mira moved into position using the canyon walls for concealment, her white-glowing blade held ready. The Demon Soldiers noticed her approach—these were more alert than Imps, more disciplined—and began coordinating response.
She struck first, engaging the nearest Demon Soldier with aggressive technique enhanced by Spirit Sword energy. The demon tried to counter but Mira's guardian training combined with Spirit Sword power proved overwhelming—deflection, opening creation, decisive strikes that cut through demon armor like paper. The Demon Soldier fell.
The others rushed to support their fallen companion. Mira used the canyon terrain exactly as she'd planned, forcing them into narrow approach that prevented surrounding her. One-on-one encounters, then two-on-one, but never the full six simultaneously.
She moved with fluid grace, her white-glowing blade cutting through demons with devastating precision. Each opponent that engaged got expertly dismantled—her defensive training from guardian academy combining with Northwatch's demon-specific techniques and Spirit Sword enhancement to create deadly effectiveness.
The Spirit Sword made the difference. Where a regular blade might struggle against Demon Soldier armor, the white energy cut through defenses effortlessly. Where normal strikes required multiple hits, Spirit Sword-enhanced attacks finished opponents in single decisive blows.
Five minutes. Six Demon Soldiers eliminated. Mira stood among the corpses, breathing hard but controlled, her white Spirit Sword still glowing along her blade before she released the energy and let it fade.
"Outstanding," Kael called out. "Terrain exploitation, sequential engagement, and proper Spirit Sword activation for threat level. That's High Guardian-level performance. Now collect those runes—Demon Soldier quality is worth significantly more."
Adrian approached, pride evident in his expression. "Perfect Spirit Sword usage. You recognized that Demon Soldiers warranted base form activation without overdoing it by using your true color. That's tactical maturity."
"They were strong enough to require Spirit Sword but not strong enough for orange," Mira confirmed, dismissing the white glow from her blade. "White base form was appropriate for the threat level."
She began extracting runes. Unlike the dull red of Imp runes, the Demon Soldier runes glowed with brighter crimson energy. They were noticeably larger, warmer, pulsing with more power.
"This one rune could enhance a blade significantly," Adrian explained. "Or be sold for enough to support a family for months. Six of these? That's substantial resource acquisition."
Mira collected all six runes methodically, storing them carefully. Her expression showed satisfaction—not just from successful combat, but from claiming valuable resources through skill and effort.
The expedition made camp that evening in another defensible position. As the Iron Thorns established perimeter, Alice and Mira sat together processing the day's combat while organizing their collected runes.
"Ten demons between us," Mira said quietly, arranging her six Demon Soldier runes alongside Alice's four Imp runes. "Four Imps, six Demon Soldiers. All dead by our hands. Ten runes claimed."
"Does it bother you?" Alice asked. "The killing?"
"Not the way I expected. I thought I'd feel guilt or horror. Instead I just feel... accomplished? Like I proved something to myself." Mira held up one of the glowing runes. "And we contributed resources. These runes will power homes, enhance weapons, support the kingdom. There's purpose to it."
One of the Iron Thorns—Vera, the scarred veteran—approached with a collection pouch. "Your runes. I'll consolidate them with the expedition's total harvest. Iron Thorns split collection among participants—you'll get credit for your kills when we return to Northwatch."
Alice handed over her four Imp runes, watching Vera add them to a pouch that already contained dozens of runes from the day's other encounters.
"How many runes does a typical expedition collect?" Mira asked, handing over her six Demon Soldier runes.
"This five-month operation? We brought back over three thousand runes of various quality," Vera replied. "Everything from basic Imp runes to several high-quality General runes. That haul supports Northwatch for months and contributes significantly to the kingdom's resource pool."
Alice processed the scale. Three thousand runes. Three thousand demons killed. Resources flowing from demon territory back to human civilization, powering infrastructure, enhancing military capability.
The cycle continued. Demons killed humans to feed and grow stronger. Humans killed demons for runes to survive. Had been continuing for generations. Would continue for generations more.
Garrick settled near them. "First combat day reflections?"
"Processing," Alice admitted. "It went well—better than I anticipated. But it's not something to take lightly."
"It shouldn't be. Taking life, even demon life, should carry weight. The fact that you're reflecting on it rather than just celebrating shows good character." Garrick's expression was approving. "But you should also acknowledge your performance. Both of you executed with skill and discipline that many veterans would envy. You're proving yourselves as genuine warriors, not just students."
Kael joined the conversation, bringing evening rations. "Tomorrow we go deeper. More encounters, potentially more dangerous demons. You'll participate in larger engagements with Iron Thorns support. Think you're ready?"
"Yes," both women answered simultaneously.
"Good. Because the real education starts now. Today was confirmation that you can handle basic encounters. Tomorrow we see how you perform in complex combat scenarios." Kael smiled slightly. "And Guardian Mira—your Spirit Sword usage today was exemplary. Proper threat assessment, appropriate activation level, efficient execution. That's what I like to see."
Mira nodded appreciation for the recognition.
As night fell over demon territory, Alice reflected on the day's achievement. She'd come to Northwatch seeking real experience. Today had delivered that in full measure.
Ten demons dead. Four runes claimed by her hand. Resources acquired through combat skill in hostile territory.
And she'd performed flawlessly.
Tomorrow would bring harder tests. But tonight, she could acknowledge what she'd proven—that she was genuinely capable warrior, not just princess playing at combat training.
The wrongness of demon territory pressed down on everything. But Alice found herself more confident now than yesterday.
She belonged here. And tomorrow she'd prove it again.