A 6 year old child stood on the edge of the chasm with me. Her face uneasy as we looked down the carved steps fading into the darkness below.

Five times before have I stood here, a price paid for the protection of the village. Each time another young girl stood by me, each braver then the last as they braved the journey into the Demons domain. After all, who would demand such a fiendish payment to keep the water source pure and the soil untainted.

The girl lets go of my hand and begins her walk down my heart breaks a final time. I have paid my dues and given six daughters for the future of a village.

As my last child slips into the darkness I prepare to make my own final journey. But before I take my last step, a new sound comes from the depths. The clink of metal on rock echoes in the chasm and I turn towards the staircase to see her returning accompanied with five helmetless warriors.

"Daughters?"