"Maybe Manti will be able to figure out what is going on; she knows a lot about...stuff..." Vix trailed off as she could not think of a way to explain Manti's involvement without revealing the truth about the Demon King. Tensa caught the worry in Vix's voice as she stared into the fire. Tensa's eyes unfocused, then she sighed.
"Something must have happened to me during that final battle with the Demon King," Tensa smiled wanly, not looking up. Vix, on the other hand, couldn't help but raise her frightened eyes to look at Tensa, the fur on her tail involuntarily standing on end. "I think maybe the Demon King infected me with demonic energy with his final attack. I'm not sure why he would bother doing that instead of killing me, perhaps it was his final revenge, but it doesn't really matter," Tensa closed her eyes, and her smile turned into one of resignation. "I didn't think I would survive that fight anyway."
Vix's roiling emotions could be seen on her face, but Tensa never looked up. Would it be better to let Tensa know the true source of the demonic energy, and what her companions had done to her left arm? Would Tensa despise her for it? Would Manti tell Tensa? But Manti was the best chance of finding a way to stop the demonic energy. As Tensa did not know the true reason for Vix's turmoil, she assumed her friend was simply worried for her, so decided to comfort her a bit.
"I'm not sure if Manti can help, but your idea isn't a bad one. But I can't stay in the Vaunt Empire. I'll send Manti a message when we get near a town and ask her to come to the border. If we head elsewhere, we can leave a message for her there," Tensa said consolingly, but still avoiding looking at Vix. "I think I'll take a little stroll before bed."
Vix gazed brokenheartedly as Tensa turned and walked towards the river. It was obvious Tensa was taking a walk because she wished to be alone. Vix wanted to stand by her friend's side, but she was all too aware of her own betrayal.
Tensa slowly walked along the riverbank, her eyes focused on nothing in particular. Being infected with demonic energy and becoming a demon was not a death sentence, but in terms of interaction with anyone she had known all her life, it would be. Ironically, the only place she might be safe if she became a demon would be the demon lands, but there she would still be the heroine who slew the Demon King, a person hated by all demons. What would survival mean like that anyway?
Lost in her thoughts, Tensa was not aware of her surroundings. She plodded along, unaware of how far she had come, until she felt a sudden sharp pain in her left arm, a more intense version of the pain she had been waking to each night. She clutched at her arm and leaned against a nearby boulder.
"Dammit," Tensa cursed to herself, her eyes brimming with tears. The heroine who had not once cried during the entirety of the fight against the Demon King, no matter how injured, now wept. Tensa could not even decide what she was crying for. Was it fear of becoming a demon, or worse, disappointment at having survived? As she stood under the stars, Tensa never realized that the eyes which dripped with tears at that moment had pupils which had turned into slits.
Exhausted from her emotional outburst, Tensa tidied herself up, quickly splashing some water on her red eyes to hide the fact that she had been crying. When she was convinced the heat had cooled, Tensa turned to head back to camp...