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Emma
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“Emma?” Lady Scarlet’s bleary eyes wander to where I’m sitting on the floor. Her gaze is still somewhat glazed over, so she must still not be completely awake. I focus on looking at her above the neckline and not… anywhere else. I feel my cheeks heat up as I study her face. She gives me a dopey smile before looking at the others in the room.
She passes over Sir Porter and Lady Zenith without pausing before locking onto the Unrak couple. Her face lights up as her eyes clear.
“Emerald! Sea! It feels like forever!” Her eyes twinkle in excitement. The two shelled people flash a deep red at her. They continue to click and flash after that, like the Lady will understand. Somehow she does, because her eyes go wide at what they said and she looks down at her nude form.
Lady Scarlet quickly turns the color of her name from head to… Above the neck, above the neck Emma! She pushes herself backwards into the somewhat small for her armchair. I stop myself from smiling at the large woman trying to hide. The fabric on the chair makes horrible tearing sounds as branches punch through. The branches grow in front of Lady Scarlet before sprouting massive flat leaves. Once the leaves stop growing they settle in place to completely block off the Lady’s body.
The lady sighs in relief as the leaves slowly press against her and create a tight green dress. It keeps the shiny texture of the leaves and the deep green color. The process is very interesting, I should keep looking to learn more.
She giggles before talking. “Thank god that this chair wasn’t metal, otherwise those branches would’ve grown from the floorboard.” She gently pets the out of place branches sticking out of the seat. She gives them a gentle smile that causes a jolt in my stomach.
Something in my mind clicks into place finally. Lord Coil just turned into Lady Scarlet. I feel my stomach drop like lead. Does that mean they’re the same person? I frown as the implication runs rampant through my mind. Lady Scarlet startles me out of my runaway imagination.
“You okay Emma?” She has a worried look on her face. For me? “You look upset.” Her tone is certainly concerned. There’s no way that she’s the same person as that man who just spent an hour tormenting me. No way. I refuse to believe it.
I give the Lady a weak smile. “Yes, of course, my Lady.” I hear my own voice waver as my nerves get the better of me. I sound like a frightened kitten! I fume at my own inability to control myself until Lady Scarlet responds.
“Uh. Is it because I was naked? Hmm no, you’ve seen that already. Oh!” She slaps her forehead. “It’s because Coil disappeared!” I give her a small nod. “I guess I have to tell you since you saw.”
She picks at the edge of one of the leaves making up her dress nervously. Her gaze drifts away from me as she speaks. “So, me and my siblings share a body. Zenith is the exception.” She motions towards Lady Zenith. “The rest of us take turns being ‘around’.” She shakes her head sadly. “Sorry if it scared you.”
My mouth opens and closes like a dying fish. She said sorry? But I’m the one who saw something private. Coil did say they weren’t raised nobles, or raised at all for that matter. I clear my throat softly.
“It’s okay Lady Scarlet, I was just momentarily confused.” I give her a genuine smile this time, which brightens her gloomy expression significantly. That's better! She starts to say something but is caught off by a strange rumbling sound.
The sound is coming from outside the room’s window. All of us in the room look towards the now shaking window. Afternoon light is shining in through the glass panes. Just as randomly as the sound started, it stops. And then the wall next to the window explodes.
A huge mass of roots, wood, and leaves barrels through the stone wall, sending debris all over the room. Roots shoot out of the floor in front of me and smack all the stones headed towards me away. The others all use their own abilities to keep themselves safe, with the two Unraks simply withdrawing into their shells. Eventually the dust settles, exposing the intruder.
The thing is a writhing mass of wood and vines. They twist and squirm over each other like a ball of worms. Leaves sprout randomly just to get shorn off by a root scraping past. And then I realize that the mound is slowly becoming more defined. Over time legs appear at the base as a section lifts up into a vague head. A long wicker tail swings out as everything gains more definition. The head finishes, opening a large maw full of thorns with a pair of blood red apples for eyes above. The creature stands up on its new limbs, easily standing a head taller than any of us.
The carriage sized creature slowly looks between each of us. It pauses as two huge buds grow on its shoulders. The buds bloom into massive wings made of petals. It… it’s a dragon! Fear fills me as the creature’s powerful aura squeezes the air from my chest.
“Oh come on!” Captain Jet’s voice cuts the tension. “Are we in some shitty novel? How many people are going to keep bursting in here!? We’ve been talking less than two hours!” The captain’s bellows are furious, but he’s strangely still smiling. Is… is he okay?
“Hack!” Lady Scarlet stretches out the word, as if scolding a child. “You can’t just destroy buildings like that! You know better!” Is she talking to the dragon?
I look between the two, and sure enough the dragon lowers its head in shame. Just like a scolded child.
“How’d you even get that big without me anyways?” Her tone loses its motherly energy, which is good for my heart. The dragon lays down, putting its head on the ground. Its wings droop sadly.
The creature opens its jaw. “Sorry Mommy.” I stare at the thing. And then at Lady Scarlet. Her expression is similar to how I feel, total shock. She opens her mouth without saying anything before closing it again. “I came back from the forest and smelled that you were back and got so excited. I’m sorry.” The ferocious looking dragon’s voice sounds like a young boy, not even into his teens.
Lady Scarlet makes a creaking noise with her throat before finally speaking. “Oh.”
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Scarlet
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Hack can talk. The lizard I made, on accident, can talk. He didn’t just talk, he spoke in complete sentences. Whole ideas even! How long has he been able to do that? The whole time? Oh god I hope not, that would be embarrassing.
He called me Mommy. He sees me as his parent, as his mother. Oh god I’m only… how old am I? Twenty five? Whatever! Too young to have a kid yet. Well maybe it isn’t that young. Okay I’m not ready to have a kid then! And why Mommy? In front of everyone. Oh god that was so embarrassing.
I pull my hands down from my face. I’ve somehow ended up inside my own room and am sitting in a spare armchair, one without branches. Emma is also here, nervously tidying up already clean things. My bed makes a labored groan. A large brown and green creature is curled up on it next to me. The dragon can barely keep all its limbs from falling off the tortured mattress. He kind of looks like a cat in a box too small for it.
His head is low, his wings drooping. He looks like someone scolded him. Oh, yeah, someone did. Me, I did that. My groan makes both the redheaded girl and the fibrous dragon jump in surprise. Emma sees that I’m looking at her and rushes over, her red hair shimmering under the lights.
“My Lady! Are you okay?” Her face is wracked by nerves. “You weren’t responding so I brought you back here. And then the d- the dragon followed.” Her voice goes very quiet as she glances over at Hack. The young creature is watching us with sad eyes.
“I’m okay Emma. Thank you for looking out for me.” She’s so short, I could just… My hand freezes midair as I stop myself from patting her fluffy head.
She looks up at me quizzically. “It’s nothing, My Lady, just doing my job.” I don’t think her job really includes staying in a room with a dragon while your employer has a panic attack, but whatever floats her boat. “What is that, My Lady?” She points over at my currently dying bed.
Hack’s large head lifts up off of the bed, which squeaks in partial relief, and looks at Emma. “I’m Hack! I’m Mommy’s son!” The dragon then stares at me happily, his large tail thumping against the wall. I feel a headache growing behind my eyes.
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“Yes, he’s Hack, and I suppose he would be my s— my son.” I can barely get the words out. I woke up a mother. Emma’s eyes widen and shoot between the large dragon and myself.
After a long moment of silence Emma asks a horrible question. “Then… who’s the father?” My already struggling mental facilities screech to a halt at that. Hack just tilts his head at her words, clearly not knowing what she means. Emma sees my reaction and goes into a panic. “O-oh, I’m s-sorry my Lady! I shouldn’t ask such personal questions!” Oh no, she completely misunderstood my silence. I have to clarify that there’s no father.
“His father is a monster plant.” I say, totally monotone. Why, why can’t I say what I mean! Emma’s face flushes fiercely as she covers her mouth in shock. I screw my eyes shut and try to focus. “I mean that there’s no dad! He came from a seed! Nothing gross, I swear!.” I peek an eye open to see that Emma seems relieved.
“O-oh… okay. Why is he your son then? And why can he speak?” She asks. She’s clearly still flustered, but has calmed down somewhat. I ruffle my hand through my hair, thinking.
“I’m not sure. I used my abilities and blessing on a monster seed to try and grow a new plant, and ended up with Hack.” The dragon’s tail wags again at me saying his name. “Although, he was much smaller, and not a dragon. He was a dragon when I filled him with blessing energy at the dungeon, but I didn’t think it’d be permanent.” I swear he shrank after the dungeon, how’d he get big again?
Emma’s hair rises, making it look like a scared hedgehog. “Wait! Where did you make him?” She looks at me, excitement in her eyes.
I motion vaguely at the window. “Out in the greenhouse, why?”
Her hair… rustles? In excitement. “You know how we have bullgrubs? And striding spiders?” I nod, yeah I’ve seen the main forms of transportation before, what’s her point? She quickly answers that question. “Where did they come from?” She looks at me with a smirk.
“They came from the woods, or plains, or wherever they’re native to, right?” Where else would they come from? The maid shakes her head excitedly, her hair making shuffling sounds.
“Nope!” She points a finger at my face. “Wrong, miss amnesiac!” I hold back a laugh at her manic energy. “There’s only monsters outside the barrier!” Wait, only? That can’t be right.
“What about birds, and cats?” She shakes her head at my question again.
“Animals are only born when you hatch a monster egg inside the barrier! All animals are descendants of converted monsters!” She folds her arms in front of her triumphantly. Her enthusiasm is infectious.
“Cats come from eggs?” I smile at that idea, wait that isn’t how it happens right?
She looks at me with pride. “Animals that don’t come from eggs are special! They came from the bonded monster of a tamer! Dogs came from the only monster of the first ever tamer!” I tilt my head.
“What happens if a dog gives birth outside the barrier?” I ask.
“You get a puppy! It’s a one way trip from monster to animal!” She points at Hack. “Maybe it was similar for the dragon too!” She looks at the creature her finger is aimed at, and all of her energy quickly drains from her frame. Her hair goes flat, looking much smaller now. I see something fall from it.
I reach down and pick up the small object. It’s a bright red feather. “A feather?” I look at Emma, who looks horrified for some reason.
“I’m sorry my Lady!” She screeches. What? Why’s she sorry? She snatches the feather from my hand. “I’ll make sure I don’t drop anymore in front of you.” Her shoulders are turned inward, and her tone isn’t apologetic. She’s shaking!
“Emma!” My voice makes her flinch. I lower the volume of my voice before continuing. “Emma, what’s wrong?” She looks up at me, almost in tears. Oh god what did I do?
“I- I’m sorry!” She draws out her words, almost sobbing them out. “I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again, please don’t fire me!” I look at Hack for support, but the dragon looks just as confused as me. I slowly get out of my chair and sit on the floor, so that my eyes are level with the trembling girl’s.
“Emma, could you tell me what you won’t do again?” She finally looks up at me for a second, but quickly looks back to the floor.
She sniffs once before answering. “I won’t let my feathers fall out in front of you again.”
“Feathers?” I’m lost, does she mean the one I found? What does that have to do with her? Is it hers? She flinches again. “The red one?” She nods slowly. I wait a moment to make sure she’s a bit more calm. “Is it yours?”
My question makes her shoulders tense up again. “Yes!” She’s almost shouting suddenly. “It’s my feather, okay?” She makes eye contact with me now. Her eyes are boiling with rage and fear. “Just fire me and get it over with!” She stands straight up, her demeanor totally changing. Her anxiety is gone, replaced by a strange rage.
I just stare. What? I’m missing context, clearly. “Why? Why would I fire you for having feathers?” Her hair puffs up like a balloon at my question. She looks at me with fire in her eyes.
“Stop playing with me! It’s not the feather, it’s because I’m non-human!” She reaches behind her head and pulls something out of her hair, another bright red… feather. Oh god I’m dense. I cover my face with a hand, making a loud slapping sound in the process.
“I uh… I’m not firing you.” I say quietly. I pull my hand down and look at her. “I’m not going to fire you for something like that, Emma.” Her face loses the fierce fire and gains confusion. “If I did that I’d be pretty hypocritical, right?” She doesn’t seem to make the connection, so I continue. “I mean, my little brother Wight is half-dragon, my new kid is an apparent dragon, and I’m not even totally human.”
Her face quickly moves between expressions as I speak. Flitting between confusion, shock, and understanding. “What do you mean? You’re not human?” I just shrug.
“My race came up as human and dryad.” I smile at her gently. “Even if I was, I wouldn’t fire you over something like that.”
Her hair deflates and her eyes drop to the floor. “I… I’m sorry my Lady.” She fiddles with the feather in her hand. “I just. I thought it was happening again.” I grimace at her words. She looks up at me. “What’s a dryad?”
I laugh. “Hell if I know! Most of us have weird, unheard of races.” I motion for her to sit in the chair next to me. She hesitates, but eventually does. I look up at her, as her eyes are a bit above mine now. Her expression is mostly calm, but she’s thinking about something furiously.
“Uh, you don’t have to answer this, but why’s your hair made of feathers?” She looks at me with a withering glare before quickly relaxing.
“My grandma was an Ave, on my mom’s side.” I nod, having no idea what an Ave is. I’ll ask Father or the captain later. She glances up at me with a smirk. “You don’t know what that is, do you?” I smile sheepishly and shake my head.
“Aves are basically bird people, travelers who live in big groups. My grandfather fell for one, but then she moved with her group, and he didn’t.” She shrugs. I try to keep a neutral expression. She’s telling me way more than I expected. “Mom eventually got tired of moving and settled down in a human town, and I ended up working for nobles because of my pretty hair.” She makes a rueful smile. “At least until they learned it wasn’t hair.”
“Not that I mind, but why are you telling me the personal stuff?” She looks at me sadly.
“I don’t know. I guess I’ve never told anyone since I moved out and since you already knew.” She trails off at the end of her sentence.
“What about the other maids?” She shakes her head. “How’d you get jobs without them knowing about your hair?”
She spins the feather between her fingers again. “Luck? When I was younger my hair was more… hairy. I turned into feathers more and more as I got older.” She sighs. “I got thrown out usually because someone ratted on me or a feather fell out in front of a noble.”
“Uh, how long have you worked here?” I tilt my head, there’s no way she’d be able to work anywhere long before one of those things happened.
“Five years.” What? She looks up at me with a smile. “It’s the longest I’ve gone without getting caught. I was really worried too because my hair was almost totally feathers when I started working here.” Oh…
“Hmm… Emma?” She looks me in the eyes. “Is it possible you were caught, it’s just no one cared here? At least no one who could fire you?”
Her eyes spread a bit as understanding spreads over her face. “You mean. The Count knew? This whole time?”
I just shrug. “Maybe not the whole time, but if someone ratted you out or he saw your hair later, he might’ve just not cared.” She holds her head in her hands.
“If that’s true… I’ve been so worried, all this time, for nothing?” Her eyes are filled with sadness. I reach out to pat her hair, but pull back my hand again. Why do I keep trying to touch her! She notices what I was doing this time and smirks.
“Do you want to touch my hair?” Her expression is suddenly full of confidence. “It’s fine if you do.” She smiles at me.
I slowly reach out a third time, before pausing my hand just above her head. I can’t just touch someone who works for me like this. But she’s upset and I want to make her feel okay.
While I debate in my head, Emma gets tired of my indecision. She pushes her head forward so that her feathers land under my outstretched palm. Oh my god they're so soft! I rustle them a little before pulling my hand back.
I look at Emma, feeling a bit dazed. She’s still smiling at me, but it’s got a weird energy to it now. I stumble to come up with something to say.
“Uh… I. You uh, could make great pillows with that.” I point at her head while I struggle. Her face goes blank as she stares at me for a few seconds. The silence pushes down on me.
Then she laughs. Loudly. She cackles almost. Her boisterous laughing is infectious and I slowly find myself smiling. Then laughing. We laugh for some unknowable length of time before calming.
As I watch her settle herself a question pops into my mind. “Emma, how’d you end up with the Unraks and Zenith in that room?”
She looks up at the ceiling, flustered. “I um, I fell through the door.” I feel my eyes go wide.
“You were eavesdropping!” I almost start laughing again.
“No! Well, yes. I guess.” She keeps avoiding eye contact with me. “I was only trying to hear who was in there, at first.”
“Why?”
Her face becomes flushed. “I… I was looking to see if you were there!”
I almost choke on my own spit.