It had been a few more months since we arrived. Our Magics had already reached unprecedented levels, my training in Dream-Based Magic had been elevated to the point where I could draw in the entire town into my Dream-Space. The Space-Manipulation I originally used to make the dormitories had been developed to the point that I only needed a frame to anchor the pocket dimensions to. The Dimensions themselves could be minimal the size of a broom closet but at maximum I hadn't yet reached the actual end of it even after traveling at high speeds for several days.
Meanwhile Ares had learned more and more difficult applications of Magic. If our estimation was right, we would be either equally or better at magic than the Titaness Hecate. However, up until now all our developed magics had been to help us in one way or another. I had overestimated the capacity of this world when we began exploring magic. Even as close as we were to beings made entirely out of magic we were still limited by the weight this worlds reality could carry. Maybe that would change as this reality grew but as of right now If Ares and I were to try and go all out with our different spells, it would become a localized unstable rip in reality. A problem that was hard to reverse even if both of us were to try and fix it. Impossible to do so for anyone else.
After having accidentally collapsed several Fake-Space bubbles, some of which seemed infinite in size and stability, just because we were trying out new spells, attacks and other conceptional things, we had decided to stick to the most basic applications of our magic. Such as Rituals, basic and medium elemental, minimal space and very few incantation based magics. Enchantments and Healing were not as dangerous but even there we had reached levels so far out of peoples reach that it was simply better to kept most of them to ourselves.
Regardless however, our days weren't just magic and more magic. We had lives to life, people we got to know and began to support and meet. Even the women in the dormitories were not forgotten. Most of them were still unresponsive, only showing movement when we attempted to wash them or at least help them wash themselves. After a while both Ares and I had had enough of the sad reality that they would always draw back into themselves once we tried to talk to them so we used our immeasurable magic to.....switch genders....
Yeah. It did sound stupid when I brought up the Idea, especially when I said it was best to "show of them goods" while being swapped. Turns out they were a lot more comfortable once they realized we weren't "men".....
I knew it was morally questionable and probably not the best way to gain their trust. But their health was more important to the two of us than their trust. Within a few weeks we had grown a lot more comfortable with our swapping. Sometimes doing so even just to relax more easily.
The biggest change was however when we coincidentally met Simian. Simian was an elderly man. One blinded by dragon fire. He was also a learned and experienced Battle Mage, even retired still able to contest with a strong demon. Exceptional sensing abilities were among his arsenal.
The day we met on the street he originally walked by us but just as we were watching him, he had turned around and spoken to us. He had asked us where we came from and since when we had been in Caer Dour. Ares had given him a small amused smile and answered him patiently. And while those two had spoken, my eyes had wandered and spotted a fragile young boy to Simians side. He was small for his age and the exhaustion was written in his face. I wasn't as surprised as Ares was when we were introduced. I had already met Falco during one of the times I had spoken with his father and watched as he worked.
There wasn't much we could actually do for the time remaining. The plot would only start in a few months and until then we had to lay low. At least a little bit. Though sometimes news would reach the town of bandit camps that had disappeared overnight with no trace of them left. The city guard sometimes reported seeing something moving high speeds and sneaking past them, but could never confirm since its shape and movement constantly shifted.
For a time the people believed a Demon had snuck into the city and was now watching and gathering Intel, which resulted in Simian being bothered by the local noble annoyances to investigate. But by that time Ares and I had already spoken a lot with him and he even seemed to see us more as his children which was good because his investigation led him straight to our doorstep. He had been confused why the traces led him there but once we invited him inside he began to understand. Especially after I showed him my "true" form, which was essentially the same as in the forest. He had been surprisingly calm for someone that had spent his entire life fighting and killing demons at the battlefield. Not that my reveal had ended nearly as peaceful as it seemed since his first reaction was to literally blast me across the room with telekinesis. Not very effective if the one being blasted is on the same level of a high ranked demon with a peculiar physic. What followed had been an interrogation about my intentions, ways and moral baseline. At one point he had brought up laying claim to a soul. Something I hadn't been aware of yet. He had asked me to not do so at any point in time, or to at least not go out of my way to do so. I countered with my intention to let societies scum be punished as they deserved and allow those that wanted me to claim theirs out of their own free will. At first he had objected as he did not want me to judge humans as if it were my right. I spoke of my capability to see the crimes and circumstances that led to them. If I was not supposed to weed out the wicked, then way did I have that ability? Once I had told him of it, Simian grew silent, contemplating. He then gave a small court nod and asked me to hold to my morality as it may be the only thing to differentiate me from the actual demons.
What did he say to the nobles once he decided the "Investigation" had concluded?
It had been just a group of mischievous children playing pranks on the guard.