-- Lilith POV, Travel to the monastery --

  The wagon ride was dark, boring, uneventful and most of all unpleasant. She could feel every bump in the road that the wagon's wheels rolled over and more than once the whole thing was shaking so badly that she expected the wagon to topple over the next moment. The priests that accompanied her stayed silent, and for once, she also did not feel inclined to speak.

  The monotonous clip-clop of horse shoes on paved road had long faded, when after seemingly endless hours of shaking wagon they finally came to a stop.

  Someone called from the front, "We are there". The that had kept her oblivious to where they were going was pulled down and she could see their surroundings.

  It was still day, probably early evening if she had to guess. The air out here was crisp and clear, much better than in the town prison. Her looks soon fell onto a spire, looming into the sky just a few dozen steps from the cart. Someone had hewn a flight of stairs into the bare rock, a winding and narrow path upwards. All on top, perched on the rock, a sort of building. Most likely the monastery.

  "Move, demon!"

  She struggled to get up with her bindings, "Some help, please?"

  With apparent annoyance to have to touch her, they helped her stand up and then down from the wagon. Once she was on the ground, the driver began to turn it around but didn't drive off yet. She just stood and waited. Usually people got very nervous if she moved without being ordered and this really didn't seem to be the right time to make people nervous.

  The leader of the group pointed to two of the priests, "You two, lead the way", then he gave her a stern look and she returned it likewise till he was about to scream.

  "Stop that!"

  "You started staring", she retorted.

  "Stop it anyways demon. You'll follow these two, closely and without any antics. The path is dangerous enough as it is."

  It certainly didn't look very safe to her, she had to give him that.

  "I can't keep balance on such narrow stairs if my hands are bound like this. I might fall off." She was almost curious what he'd respond to this.

  He didn't reply immediately but pointed at a third priest, "You will walk right behind her. Make sure she doesn't slip or try to jump. Keep a firm grip on her". "Yes, father", the one agreed.

  "Alright, let's go!"

  The two appointed to lead stepped forward. She felt pushed to follow them, a hand on her shoulder all the time as they climbed the steep and narrow stairs. Towering rock to her left, gaping nothing to her right, the stairs wound around the spire, up and up. She was actually grateful to feel the mans hand firmly on her shoulder, with nothing else to hold on.

  With each click of her hooves on stone she counted the stairs but at two hundred and some she got tired of it, and they were not even a quarter of the way up.

  "Stop, please", she tried.

  From behind came a voice, "What is it?"

  "I need a break. I've been sitting in prison cells for weeks. My legs are dying."

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "Stop!" came the call from behind. "Hold her. Short break. Don't try any tricks demon, there are two ahead and four behind you, and death is just one step sideways."

  "If you promise better straw heaps to sleep, I'll be good." Was it worth a try?

  A few minutes later came the inquiry, "Good to go again?"

  "I think I can", she admitted. "Alright, move!"

  Three more breaks and countless steps later they reached a small plateau that led to the gate of the building, where two monks were waiting already. For a moment she was distracted by the great sight from so high up, grassland with forest patches stretching below, the setting sun already casting a golden glow over the land. She couldn't make out a single settlement as far as she could see. This was really no mans land, it seemed.

  She was woken from her observations when the leader spoke up.

  "We leave her to your custody. The king demands she'll never return from this rock. It is on you how to you manage that, even you have to purge the stairs from the stone."

  They bowed lightly to him, "We have been informed. You can leave her with us."

  Then to her surprise, she was addressed almost friendly, "Welcome to Skyview Monastery. We offer sanctuary, even if you must agree to never leave this place anymore."

  "Uh, thank you?", she tried, then the one monk opened the gate and the other took her at the shoulder to maneuver her inside and past the gate, which fell heavily into locks behind them. The group of priests behind never moving till the gate was completely closed and hid them from her sight.

  Behind the gate was a small and fairly dark chamber, and another heavy gate in front of them which probably lead deeper into the monastery.

  "Stand still for a moment", the one monk requested, and she complied, "I'll stand". Probably better not anger these people if she was supposed to be here for a rather long time. She felt a hand on her shoulder again, and to her surprise the other monk bowed to undo the ties that had restrained her steps, and then also undid the ties on her wrists. "Why do you set me free?"

  "We don't. You'll stay here with us. We just think you already know that running away won't do you any good."

  "Yeah, don't really want to be hunted with pitchforks", she agreed. She paused, then looked at the both of them, "I think, I don't want to go back down to where these people are."

  "That's good. So, come with us. We have prepared a place for you to stay. Next morning you'll be brought to superior Martins to decide the actual terms of your stay. We are confident that they will be agreeable. The kings power ends at this gate."

  The other monk opened the inner gate and made a gesture to lead her to the corridor beyond. She stepped forward cautiously, "I must be the first demon to find sanctuary in a monastery."

  "Maybe, we wouldn't know", she was informed. "Superior Martins wants you to know though, that this place can be dangerous for you. Even if you shrugged off the holy water, you should be careful what you touch here or where you go. Some of the more holy places or items might actually burn you. So for the night, stay in the cell. Not only for us, but your own safety."

  "Oh", it was all she managed to say as they passed a long hallway with many doors. These guys here didn't seem to be corrupted at all.

  Eventually one of the doors was opened, and revealed a small room with bare stone walls and a small window in the wall opposed to the door. No glass in the frame, just a wooden shutter which was closed right now, maybe even locked to prevent escape. She couldn't tell. She actually didn't mind. She would not touch it.

  The room overall seemed clean and dry from what she could make out in the dim light of sole candle on a stand that lit the room. She could see a simple wooden stool and a table one side, where someone had placed a jug of water and a cup. And on the other side ... "A mattress!" she exclaimed, "and a cushion and a blanket." She was almost whispering now.

  She froze in her steps, "Hey! How did you know that I promised to be good if there is a better sleeping place offered?"

  The one monk chuckled, "We didn't. But it's good to know. Just for your information, the door will be kept locked until superior Martins will see you next morning. If there is something urgent, knock or shout. Someone will be nearby to respond."

  "I'll sleep on a mattress this night!", she still could barely believe.

  "You will. Have a pleasant night. At seven bells someone will come to bring you the evening meal. Then sleep and be ready to be woken next morning at five bells", she was informed and the door closed behind her. She barely noticed the sound of the lock.