“Going through so much at once was probably a bit excessive.” Nao stated shyly as she handed a clay bottle to Eve. “This should be more than enough to get you through several episodes if you don't throw the remainder to the floor again.”
“My bad, my bad.” Eve giggled nervously and rubbed the back of her head. “I didn't mean to waste so many, honest. I was just trying to be sure that I recovered soon enough to watch Luna fight. Even if she's starting to slip into her own style, it was soothing after all these years to see something similar to Cain's.”
“Well, I'm sure it was nostalgic.” Nao exclaimed and hovered at about eye level to Eve. She then blinked twice and scanned the village. “By the by, where did Luna go? Even if she reversed it, I would think she'd spend more time resting after going into mana fatigue.”
Eve placed a hand on her hip and shifted her weight onto one foot. “A common trait in the Wolf Guardians is not wanting to stay in one place for long periods at a time. She was, if nothing else, preparing to return to the human 'world' last I heard.”
“Is that so?” Nao asked, her tone dropping. She then looked away slightly and mumbled, “Idel's not going to like that.” She returned her attention to Eve with a cheerful grin and explained, “In any sense, I've got some work to finish up. It looks like you're about to have some of your own as well.” She then pointed over Eve's shoulder to the two approaching children, one with tufts of wool around her wrists and ankles, the other with curled horns extruding from above his ears. Nao gave a short wave and slowly flew up towards the floating university.
“Um...” The boy with horns, Meargánta, called out and slid to a stop, his eyes on the ground. The girl halted right beside him and they stuck their arms to their sides like they joined the army. With a bow, both yelled simultaneously, “Please teach us!”
Eve held her hands up in front of her with slightly red cheeks. “Oi, oi, the bowing really isn't necessary.”
Meargánta ignored her and continued without moving, “The Wolf said that you worked with her father for a time. I'd like to learn his style of swordsmanship so that I can fight on the front lines.”
“I have an affinity for light magic.” Tío chimed in. “Miss Luna stated that mister Cain taught you how to use yours.”
“Jeez, raise your heads already.” Eve snapped gently. The two children relaxed their posture and stared at her with puppy dog eyes. “You're a tad bit mistaken. I've only seen Cain's swordsmanship, never put it into practice. The best I can do is fencing and how to wield an English long-sword. As for light magic, my specialty still lies mostly in support. Up until I met Cain, I was positive light magic couldn't be used in a fight at all, so I can only use some entry-level combat class spells. I'd be happy to mentor both of you if you're fine with that much but that's the most I can do for you.”
Both of them smiled ear to ear and bowed again enthusiastically. “Please do!” They hollered and Eve took a step back, hands up once more.
Someone then grunted behind her and she turned around expressionlessly. Cladhaire watched her in silence for several seconds before closing his eyes and grumbling, “I would like for you to instruct me and my grandson about the fundamentals of strategy in war also.”
Eve smiled. “That was far more peaceful than I thought it was going to be. Very well,” She faced Meargánta and Tío, “We'll start with you two tomorrow morning.” She looked back at Cladhaire and exclaimed, “We'll have your first lesson tomorrow evening by the pond.”
He dipped his head slightly and muttered, “As you wish.”
Meanwhile, Nao landed on the university's balcony and casually made her way to the med lab. She stepped underneath a white scíth that was embedded into the wall. The section of crystal below it turned into the same colour and vanished, revealing a small room where Idel stood in between two beds, rubbing his temples. He whipped around as though expecting somebody but his shoulders dropped. “I take it you couldn't find her?”
The fairy shook her head. “Eve said that she had already begun her preparations to leave so it's possible she already has done.”
He resumed rubbing his temples and bickered, “Cain's stubbornness is the one thing I had hoped she wouldn't inherit from him. She could at least say her farewells to Stella and Aileen just in case.”
“Are they truly beyond saving?”
“I can't say for certain. Wounds caused by the Ríastrad are said to be almost irreversible and Styx infused his ice with shadows touched by undeath. As of now, Stella has a hole, burning with chaos, clear through her abdomen and Aileen's living cells are being rejected by the shadows. Healing either one is impossible if we can't treat the root causes. Styx or Shaffra might know of a way for Aileen, but...”
“They both consider Luna an enemy now.”
“Just so. If I could get a hold of some shards of that black metal Luna creates, I might be able to find a counter however neither her nor Cain would spare me a sample.” He then started furiously scratching at his scalp. “And now Eve's gone and spilled the beans on her Ecliptic magic! We're lucky everyone here was out of the sunlight when she activated it.”
Nao walked up beside Stella's bed and gently stroked her cheek. “How long do you think, before we have to pull the plug?”
Idel didn't answer. Instead, he stomped towards a completely full bookshelf and waved his staff, throwing all the books and documents to the floor. “What good is any of this if I can't save two lives?” He screamed. Nao waited in silence for Idel to tap the floor and everything that was thrown began reorganizing itself. Without facing her, he asked, “Can you start gathering all the documents we have about the Ríastrad and its origins?”
“I can. What are you going to do?”
Idel marched for the door and muttered, “I'm going to see if I can't make contact with the surviving vampire clan and work out a deal.”
* * *
“Is it true that all of this was caused by one teenager?” A police officer inquired as he sifted through charred debris.
“That's what the report left behind by the late chief said.” Another answered. “I guess the butcher here had personal ties with him and called his cell directly instead of phoning nine-one-one. They said one of their regulars, the same girl who had attacked her classmates after having been discovered as non-human, went into a rage. At the time he had called, it wasn't much more than verbal abuse but when the chief and his backup arrived, the owner and his non-human wife were beaten to death. It appears that after that, the girl killed the respondents as well and caused a gas explosion or something similar.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“That's a rather clean explanation for what happened here, but...” The first officer stepped outside and looked towards the city. “How did she go from blowing up a butcher's house to turning the entire uptown into a crater?”
“I can't even begin to guess. Maybe those animal-ear freaks are some kind of terrorist organization? Genetically enhanced perhaps? It's possible that the teenager who attacked this place got mad at the wife for abandoning the group to marry a normal guy then while she punished the deserter, the rest of their team filled the city with explosives?”
“How and where would they get this much firepower?”
“Have you got a better theory?”
“These pricks just say and believe whatever the hell they want too.” Ian grumbled from an alleyway across the street. Grian buried her face into his chest and held onto his shirt tightly, his arms circled around her. “Shouldn't they be suspicious about why a lowly butcher had a private phone number for someone he'd never met?”
“As far as they're concerned, what happened in his private life was his own. It'll be up to the detectives to consider questions like that.” A deep, confidant voice replied.
Ian turned his attention to him. “Sorry, what did you say your name was again?”
The man dressed in old fatigues with a buzz cut placed a hand on his chest and flashed a soothing grin. “Don't worry about apologizing, my name was probably the least of your concerns the other day. I'm Ray, just a homeless veteran who needed something to do and had a debt to repay.”
“A debt to who?”
“Our mutual wolf friend, Luna.”
“Oh? So what's your opinion on demi-humans?” Ian interrogated him, simultaneously rubbing Grian's back.
“I can't say I've met enough of them to notice a solid pattern, but if they're all like Luna then I think I'd prefer their company over other humans. That's twice in such a short period I've seen a bunch of dirty cops try and act out on their own. If they're willing to kill the people they're meant to protect just to pull the wool over someone's eyes, then I have no desire to hang out with 'em. From what I've seen of demi-humans, they're more protective and act selflessly even if it doesn't benefit them in any way.”
“Is that right?” Ian then continued watching the investigation from afar. “Before you sneaked us out of there, I overheard some of the comments they were making about my step-, no, our mother. About how she was a freak of nature and the like. They tested her, tortured her to see if she would react any differently than what they figured a human would do. It was like it was nothing more than a game to them.” Ian tightened his grip on his step-sister and whispered, “I once heard that Nazis used to throw Jewish babies into the air and catch them on their bayonets for sport. If humans are willing to do that to other humans, I don't want to imagine what they would do to a different species of the same skin.”
“So, what do you intend to do now?”
“Our mother used to speak of a safe haven for them, a forest called Síochain. It used to exist in the Atlantic ocean, west of Ireland. If possible, I'd like to find a way to help those stranded to return but until then, I'll settle with giving them a safe home here.”
“Given the current state of public relations, there's likely to be a lot of friction with law enforcement. You may find yourself on the business end of their barrels from time to time.”
“Then I'll put them on the business end of mine. I won't let them get their dirty hands on Grian, no matter what it takes.”
Ray smiled and puffed out his chest. “Well spoken. Would you like a hand getting started then?”
“A hand?”
“Of course. This is, after all, probably the fastest method of returning a little bit of life to Luna's eyes. I won't let her fire die.”
Ian stayed silent for a moment, then extended a hand out towards him. “It'll be a pleasure working with you.”
* * *
“This has turned into something rather extreme.” The detective, Morris, muttered under his breath as he left the station. “What kind of trouble did you get wrapped up in Kent? This is why I told you to take some more time off. Honestly, I need a drink after everything that's happened.”
“Stressful day in the office?” A woman asked him from behind.
“That doesn't begin to describe-” He started to answer but gasped as he turned around. In front of the station, below the halo of the street lamp, was a silver-haired girl dressed in all black, a sword strapped to her lower back. “Wolf ears and... a tail?” Morris murmured.
“I figured y'all would start getting used to it by now.” Luna sighed, canted her head, and put her good hand on her hip. “Are all humans this slow?”
“What are you doing here?”
“I just came to chat. You're the one that's calling all the shots now that what's-his-nuts is dead?”
“He was a dear friend, and he has a name.” He snarled after getting poised.
“And just a few days ago, this 'friend' beat two innocents to death with a baton.”
“We have eye-witness reports that claim you were the one to kill them and then attacked the officers who arrived on the scene.”
“And where are those witnesses?” When she didn't get a response, Luna turned on her heel and gave Morris a short wave. “You only get one warning. Stay the fuck out of my way and get control of these ass holes.”
“That was a disappointing display.” Fearg teased Luna with a disembodied voice.
“I'd prefer to avoid any further prompting of retaliation but I also want to make sure they're aware that I'm watching. Maybe the remaining demi-humans will be a little safer if the humans are too afraid to do anything to them.”
“Exterminating the lot of them would be the most surefire method of protecting your people, I would think.”
“Not while I don't know where my people are. If I wipe out everything at once, they could get caught in the fire and if I try to be precise, my people could be killed in between targets. I'll fulfill my end of the deal in due time so don't jump the gun like you did last time.”
“How boring.” Fearg sighed and within her own world, she crossed her arms. She then turned to face a pond, where a mass of chains clustered together below the water's surface. As she got closer to it, her hair turned red and grew longer while her irises changed from a purple-silver to emerald green. She leaned over top of the pond, staring down at the one visible, bloodshot amber eye within the chains. “Can't you talk some sense into her, Cain?” The imprisoned man ignored her and she pouted, “How cold. Well, whatever. She'll be just like you soon enough, a puppet of hatred.” Fearg then turned her back to the pond and skipped down the dirt path, her laugh echoing across the forest.
* * *
“I should have known I'd find you here.” Someone clapped Thomas's shoulder.
“It's rare to see you sober, Smith.” He replied as his well-dressed friend sat on the grass beside him.
“It is a special occasion after all.” He then reached out and stroked the cracked tombstone before them. “How many years has it been now?”
“Forty-six today.”
“Then that also means it's been forty-six years of people thinking we're crazy.”
“Very few sane people would believe that our parents were killed by demons way back when.”
“Ain't that the truth?” Smith rubbed his cheeks and his chin with his hand. “You hear about that officer who came to talk to you at the hospital?”
“You were so shitfaced, I'm shocked you remember him. Yeah, I heard. They say he was killed by that girl I wanted to exorcise.”
“You believe it?”
“That she dealt the final blow? Yes. That it was the unprovoked slaughter the media claims it was? Not in the slightest. That girl wasn't the type to create trouble for herself. Still, I wonder if all those people would still be alive today if I hadn't of spurred Kent on like that. I should have stopped him the moment I saw that crazed look in his eye. Even when he started talking about exacting his revenge, I should have put more effort into stopping him.”
Smith snorted, “Should, should, should, that's all you ever say. Their lives weren't your responsibilities.”
“But-”
“But nothing. Focus on what you can do, not what you couldn't. If you still believe that little girl to be possessed by a demon, then I'll do everything in my power to help you free her. If you believe what her guardian told you, and you instead want to help her save her people, then I'll assist you. Keep walking forward, y'old fart.”
Thomas held the leatherback journal in his hands, juggling it between them. He then placed it on the soil in front of the grave and stood up. “I'd like to get more information if I can before I decide. When I met with the girl, Stella I think her name was, we ended up going to a hut in the woods where some part-rabbits lived. For now, I'd like to return there and see what else I can learn about Luna.”
“Then let's get to her.” Smith jumped up and marched for the exit.
Thomas started to follow but stopped himself almost immediately. “Hang on. I shouldn't leave that journal here. It has some pretty harmful contents and- huh?”
“What's wrong?”
“I did leave it in front of the tombstone, did I not?”
“You most certainly did.”
“Did we kick it away by accident? It's not here anymore.”
Smith returned and crouched down where he was sitting before. Something glistened in the sunlight and he twirled it in between his fingers. “Where did this brass come from?”