Harlan wondered, when had he gotten so weak?
Was his lack of pain truly such a boon that it turned him to a force of nature?
Would he really crumble into a beast that simply lashed out the moment he felt like that pain again?
Unfortunately, this was not the time to doubt, but to do.
Ox removed her faceplate and vomited blood as she tried to push her organs back into her body, Falcon was unconscious, Lion was paralyzed from the waist down at least, Fox was little better, and Elk’s face had been smashed in.
As was standard healer’s training, always heal the other healers first, since even if they were worn out by being healed, healing was always more intensive on the patient than the provider.
Elk was groggy, disoriented, her first action was to go for the dagger on her belt.
Yet it wasn’t the same as her spear, and no mundane blade could pierce his skin.
“Ox is hurt really bad, I need your help.”
“Why… why help?”
“Why am I helping you? Because I said I didn’t want to kill anyone today, and I think you are ignorant, not evil. Why should you help me? Because your friend, ally, whatever she is, will die if you don’t.”
Harlan offered a hand to her, and she began to grasp the seriousness of his worry.
She rushed towards Lion, but Harlan grabbed her shoulder.
“She had a broken spine, but is stable for now, Ox is going to bleed out.”
Elk fixed her eyes on her ally.
Harlan’s fist had bent the metal of her armor inward, preventing the flesh from closing even slightly, as she struggled to live, Ox only cut herself more in a shocked panic.
Harlan held her still with telekinesis, the fear that she exuded was palpable.
“I will hold her still, bend back her armor, and put her organs back in place, just try to stop her from losing more blood.”
“You stop her from bleeding out, I will handle the rest.”
“Do not argue with me.”
He disliked having to use this power, but when every second counted, second guesses were unacceptable.
It took little time, Harlan simply needed another set of hands, quite literally.
The spells which he could use to stabilize her by creating false veins that would let blood continue to flow through the body as if it wasn’t damage required too much focus for him to use while also maintaining his telekinesis and the spells to heal her.
Had he not lost so much blood, perhaps he could, but perhaps was an evil word that made one doubt what had been for what could’ve been.
With Ox no longer in danger, and finally slumbering in a magically induced coma, Harlan then moved on to the others.
He and Elk worked together to move everyone into recovery positions and then assess which needed healing the most.
Falcon was unharmed physically, but Harlan had little idea of what the side effects of his mental attack would be once he woke up outside of a splitting headache.
He wished there was a better way, but she was fast, the time he would’ve wasted trying to subdue her could’ve proved fatal.
Lion’s would take some time to heal due to the delicate nature of the spine and her not being treated immediately.
Fox was hurt nearly as much as Ox had been, the kinetic force of his blast had harmed her spleen and liver along with causing serious damage to her kidneys and bursting her appendix.
Harlan didn’t like it, but all of them would need to stay for a few days.
Even Elk, though she was up as if she was alright, had suffered a very serious concussion judging by the occasional zoning out and slurred words.
Harlan put them all to sleep and brought them back to the city.
Nothing more could be done.
Harlan opened his gate after divining their location and was back with his family.
“You’ve missed just about everything.”
“I’ll apologize to the council of races later.”
Dawn gave him a look, both of them knew what it meant.
She was searching for pain on his face, not physical, emotional.
By chance, they eventually met up with Carmilla..
“Oh, a family date, how wonderful. And you are?”
Viviane hesitated under the gaze of a predator, then Harlan stepped forward with a harsh look on his face.
“Do not use your powers against my citizens, ever.”
“My, how very serious sounding you are. I simply wanted to get a read on her, you are too trusting.”
“Quite, as it seems.”
“Don’t be sour over Tatton, it is hard for an old dog to learn new tricks, and I’ve known him since he was a pup.”
“Yet you chose not to warn me about the likelihood of him doing what he did.”
Darrath clung to Dawn’s legs.
“You are scaring the boy, we should have this chat another day.”
“Are you angry with The Red Lady? Is this an adult talk?”
“No, I’m not angry with her, I’m angry at myself for not seeing the truth of someone else's character.”
“Oh, isn’t being angry at yourself stupid? Just forgive yourself.”
Harlan wryly chuckled.
“Why don’t we keep moving, now that everything else is done, we can spend the rest of the day doing whatever you want.”
“Really?”
From behind a sickly sweet scent approached, its large clawed hands reached for Darrath.
“Little Pixie, how are you?”
“Oh, Miss Copperhead. Are you having fun here?”
“Very much so, you’ve so many different candies and sweets I know nothing of.”
“Papa made them up.”
“No, I brought recipes from my home to here. I’ve never been one for sweets, but I know people who do, and I’ve skimmed recipe books.”
“This here? It is cold cream?”
“Ice cream. Funny enough, that isn’t even from this world.”
“Fascinating. What does that mean?”
“I probably shouldn’t explain honestly, some people tend to hear something like this and it throws a wrench into their mind.”
“What’s a wrench?”
“It is a tool. The idiom is regarding how they are very solidly built tools, little more than fashioned pieces of solid metal, and if one were to be thrown into the gears of a machine, they would be damaged or entirely stopped.”
“Oh, there are many interesting things to learn.”
Harlan just looked at Carmilla with a puzzled expression, uncertain of what should be said, but certain that he wasn’t interested in explaining everything to her like a child.
Harlan changed the topic away from the unknown items of his mind, and to something more mundane.
“Where is Camila?”
“She’s out and about, learning lessons, I hope. I heard you got into a fight? You reek of blood.”
“Papa, did you murder them?”
“No, they are all just fine, but I had to let them sleep since they were really tired after we fought.”
Now it was Carmilla’s turn to raise an eyebrow, he did not sound like he was lying, but the idea of letting people who attacked him live seemed too far-fetched for her idea of him.
“Oh, then why are you here?”
“Papa doesn’t get tired so easily.”
“Is it because they were weak?”
“They were strong, but soft.”
“Is papa hard?”
“Papa is hard to hurt.”
“So they didn’t hurt you?”
“I think that is enough questions.”
“Can I ask one more?”
“You just did.”
Darrath seemed confused, taking longer than Harlan had expected to understand his words.
“Can Copperhead come with us?”
“If she chooses to do so, I won’t have any problems with that.”
“I would be delighted.”
Fangre kept rubbing hands against Harlan, making him step to the other side of Viviane.
When Fangre then moved along with him, he stopped and put up a veil.
“Why do you keep touching me?”
“I simply wish to know who Harlan is. My mind flutters when I touch you.”
“Do not touch me without my permission again.”
“May I hold your hand, just for a moment, please?”
He knew that he shouldn’t, but he did it anyway, thinking that he could just block her out from any deeper thoughts and that his surface thoughts would hold little value, but it would get her to stop bothering him.
When Fangre pulled her hand back, clearly she saw something in his mind that she hadn’t expected.
“I’m very sorry that I asked.”
The rest of their evening was peaceful, Fangre’s seemed almost as childish as Darrath, darting from vendor to vendor getting food or trinkets.
Harlan would rather she remain like that, whatever she saw when she made contact with him made her distance herself from him and avoid the contact that she had so desired before.
At least from what he could tell, she was being respectful, and it wasn’t fear that made her avoid him.
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Unity Day had been a roaring success so far as Harlan could tell, and now he would need to close the day with a speech.
Every fiber of his being told him that it was wrong, that something bad needed to happen, because that was what he was, he brought misfortune to others through his actions, active or passive.
What had happened between him and those women was not near enough to sate his fear of any good day, the belief that all happiness he felt was fleeting, that anything he made would crumble because he simply couldn’t stop it.
Yet tonight there would be no downfall, plans by forces beyond him had ensured such a thing.
Plans needed to remain at a quickened pace.
Harlan stood upon the stage, prepared to give only a short speech.
“Thank you to my citizens, for without you, this day could not happen.
I hope that each and every one of you has gained some inkling of understanding and connection with your neighbors, your work friends, and with this city as a whole.
Today helps me to feel that a rather simple goal of mine, but one whose simplicity denies what must go into such an endeavor. I am a man of death, I kill, the things I make kill, yet I will not die, I will remain ageless. When I first heard of my being like this, I felt worry and grief knowing that I would see everyone I’ve ever known turn to dust while I remain. But those were the fears of a child, one who did not understand the gift I had been given. With my life that does not end, I vow to give every drop of blood within me, every ounce of my strength, to ensure that some day, in 10 years, a 100 years, or a 1,000 years, people can live together like this here, free from the oppression of the Cast, that every one of you can know that tomorrow will be better, no matter how dark today seems.
I am quite poor at maintaining a light tone as it seems.”
The crowd laughed, thinking their king had perhaps had too much to drink during the festival.
“But really, I give my heartfelt thanks to you all, because my childish dream of making a better world feels a little closer when I see you all work side by side.”
Harlan bowed towards them, not too deeply, he still had to maintain a kingly aura, but enough that they could feel the depth of his care.
Though he could feel derision from some of the crowd, many more of them felt a great deal of respect and love towards their king.
Harlan unwinded when he got home with a nice bath, joined by everyone.
“It was a beautiful speech, it is for those words that I live and would die for you.”
“Thank you, Joan.”
“It was overly saccharine, I rather prefer your dark tone and threats. A king should be above his subjects to the point he feels more than human, you consistently dash those hopes…
Yet there is also a saying ‘a hero will not claim their title, it must be given.’
Have you been trying for such a thing? A call against zeal that would make the people elevate you higher as a humble man?”
“Mercedes, I think you’ve had more than enough wine.”
“I’d sleep with you, you know? I don’t even care about the girl, have-”
“Mercedes, please, don’t continue those thoughts. I simply cannot trust you enough for a relationship like that.”
“Whatever…”
Her eyes would fluctuate between open and half closed, forcing Harlan to give her the ultimatum of either leaving, or having him cast a spell to remove the alcohol from her.
Not wanting to lose her drunkenness after all the stress of the month, she walked out of the bath that was more of a heated pool and winked at Harlan as she did.
There was a time when seeing her naked body would’ve reddened his face and made him turn his eyes away under these circumstances.
Yet now he was just somewhat annoyed.
He didn’t like seeing his people drunk, Harlan’s sense of duty was what had prevented him drinking.
That and he feared his own lack of control would turn him to seeking refuge from the world in it.
Darrath stared at Harlan.
“Why does she want to sleep with you? Does Miss Mercedes have nightmares? Should I sleep with-”
“I will explain when you get older.”
“Oh, alright.”
Darrath had complete trust in Harlan and took him at his word.
If he said it would be explained, then it would be, even if his sense of time was warped and what older meant to him and Harlan were two different things.
“Dawn… Mom, thank you for helping me. I’m going to tell you something later, and you’ll hate me for it, so I’m asking now, try to understand.”
“That is appropriately vague and ominous for you. I’m sure whatever it is will be something you are making a bigger deal out of than it really is.”
She was the only person there who chose to bathe in a towel, treating it as a spa and not really a bath. Harlan could change his mind far more easily, but she had years of memories of sexual encounters and to her a naked body was simply too much linked to those for her to be comfortable around her son who was now a grown man.
Eventually, everyone was gone other than Harlan and Viviane.
“Do you mind if I call you Vivi?”
“Not at all.”
She snuggled closer to him.
“Alright then. Vivi, I know the taste of human flesh, my hands know the exact force needed to sever the spine of a Cast with a single strike, I’m still madly in love with the first woman I’ve ever loved, and now a copy of me that split off because of Fae magic is married to and expecting a child with her.”
“Alright, none of that bothers me too much, that woman isn’t here, so I won’t lose to her.”
“I’m looking for excuses as to why I shouldn’t be with you, because ultimately I’m deeply fearful of what I bring to others.”
“What do you bring?”
“Death. I have killed nearly a hundred thousand people. Half of those are from a city, more an entire region that I killed. And everyone around me is in constant danger.”
“Everyone knows about that, you’ve repeated it enough while trying to make others understand you that only an outsider wouldn’t know.”
“When I was younger, I faked a man’s suicide for threatening my sister.
The first man I ever killed was a werewolf.
I find Mercedes more attractive than you, and I met an agent of my god today who was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. If she asked, I’d get together with her without hesitating as I have with you.”
“Are you seeing if I’m jealous?”
“I am giving myself reasons that I don’t deserve to be with anyone after what I've done.”
“Pointless, since there is nothing that you could do which would give me pause.”
Viviane reached her hand lower, but Harlan stopped her.
“I don’t want to sleep with you, or anyone else. Some things have happened that I can’t get over, not yet.”
“That is fine I suppose, I can wait for you.”
“Now, I’m going to ask you to share with me, honestly. I have issues with trust, and I cannot be with someone who I cannot trust.
Your father. When you brought him up earlier, you were clearly uncomfortable and rushing to avoid talking about the subject by blurting out the blunt answer.”
She took a deep breath, readying herself to say what she would.
“But that isn’t what really bothers you, is it? I thought for some time about what you would hide.
Then I realized it. How was your relationship with your mother?”
“I refuse to talk about her.”
“Honesty, that is the price of being together with me.”
Fury was clear in her eyes, but it was not just directed at him.
“For all of your nice talk about women and treating all people equally and with kindness you now intend to manipulate me into telling you my secrets by first telling yours?”
She got up, but Harlan grabbed her arm and she swung at him.
“What I said before, if you were being yourself, or if you were molding yourself into what you think I want, that is part of this. Boundaries like this are important, I don’t want to trample over everything that you are just because you let me, and I don’t want you to turn into something you aren’t just because of a misplaced sense of love for me.”
“Misplaced in what way? You’ve saved me, my entire race, from being a broken group like the Plest or Faun.”
“Because your feelings for me aren’t love, they are gratitude. I encountered this once before.”
“And what happened then?”
“That isn’t the point.”
“She’s the woman you love, isn’t it? You are trying to lecture me when you’ve already caved to it once, you know that those feelings can develop into something real, don’t you?”
“I think that is enough for tonight. Get some sleep, because you are still going to train so I can be slightly less eaten by paranoia about you being caught up in my life.”
Harlan paced in front of Dawn’s room for over half an hour before she opened her door and dragged him inside.
“Alright, get it over with.”
“I asked you some time ago to find a reason for the people to have a celebration, did I not?”
“You did.”
“Redmond is dead, that was why I wanted someone to celebrate, for him.”
“Then that unmarked grave that suddenly appeared one night in the backyard, that is his?”
“I couldn’t bring myself to put his name on it, it felt too permanent.”
“I don’t hate you for doing that. I’m just worried for you right now, because I know that you aren’t well.”
“You should hate me for it. I should’ve come to you for support, and instead I completely ignored you, and I’ve continued to ignore you, because you are my link back to Ragne, to the family that I won’t ever get again. I… I think I resent you for being that, even though it isn’t your fault.”
“I’m not going to tell you how to feel, so don’t put that shit on me. I’m sure I do remind you of home, and you’ve been forcing yourself to call me mom, every time you say it, you hesitate.
If we weren’t linked, I might not notice it at all. And honestly, though I would be crushed if your parents or your sisters died, I hardly knew Redmond. When you had the most interaction with him during your childhood I was still fighting my split mind and my memories of back then are fuzzy. I’m sorry that he is gone, because I know he was a good man, but that is what he was to me, a good man.”
She stepped closer to him, looking deep in his eyes, causing him to flinch.
“You just want me to punish you, don’t you?”
“I did something terrible by keeping that news from you. I don’t want you to just forgive me.”
“Why did you keep it from me?”
“Because it was easier that way. I didn’t want to burden you with this on top of everything. I know that your mind isn’t always as strong as mine, so-”
Dawn walked back to her bed, snuffed out the candle, and waved for him to leave.
“Just do something.”
“I need to train Viviane more in the morning, so leave me to my sleep.”
Harlan’s own mind was too consumed by his guilt that he failed to notice her pain.
Redmond wasn’t nobody to her, even if he wasn’t really a somebody.
It hurt, but her words from before were true, she didn’t really know him well.
But what really hurt was Harlan’s words, that she was weak of mind.
----------------------------------------
Sholl and his forces arrived to face the beasts that stood over the ruins of what was once a city.
He kneeled and put his hands together for a prayer.
They did not strike when this vulnerability was clear, instead they just wandered around, covered in blood from the slaughter.
They stood 10 feet tall, the body was that of a lion, the wings of a bat, the tail of a scorpion, and the face of a beastly man.
They laughed and cried without sense, they spoke words in voices that were not their own and strung them together into nonsense.
“Help, hair, air, rare, fair, flare.”
The expressions seemed to mean nothing, the tone of one that looked furious spoke gently, while another that cried spoke with anger.
“By the emperor… what manner of monsters are these.”
“Cast? Blast? Rest?”
Sholl raised his hand and a radiant beam cut, but did not kill one of the beasts.
It roared out and suddenly the entire pride began to charge into the troops.
Sholl rushed to create the weapon sigil, the creatures were far faster than they appeared, going from lazing around to full speed in an instant.
His white hot blade cut through the monster’s flesh, but barely got through the bones.
He was baffled to see the blades of his men that were coated in his magic seemed to fair just as well as him despite being only false mythril blades and Iron Cast, it was like the beasts could only take a certain level of damage from any one attack.
The fangs of the creature could not pierce his skin, and when one tried to eat his hand he filled it with air, bursting it like a bloody balloon, yet also taking care to ensure not a drop got on him.
It was too easy, Sholl didn’t like it, he didn’t trust it, and he didn’t believe it.
Of the thousand men under his command, he lost barely three dozen to the 50 monsters of unknown origin and type.
Once he was done laying the dead to rest, he moved to the city to check for survivors.
His divination quickly found a few people who hadn’t been killed, namely the mayor, who had hidden inside of the city vault along with a handful of citizens.
“What happened here?”
“It was terrible, monsters, terrible winged lions, they came from the sky and just started attacking.
I’m shocked we even got a message out at all.”
“Perhaps the birds were too small, and they preferred to attack people.”
“No, it was the strangest thing, they killed all of the messenger birds but one, it was like they only wanted the message to reach your city.”
“You are certain?”
“I watched them tear apart the others and ignore the one, like they ignored us.”
“Explain.”
“I came face to face with them several times, I saw how fast they were, there is no way that I lived by my own skill.”
The other survivors shared similar stories, it was like the monsters had intentionally spared them and drove them into the vault for their own safety.
Sholl checked all of the people, trying to find any reason that they were left alone while the entire rest of the city had been massacred.
He muttered to himself in the mayor’s office as he looked at what he could gather from his initial investigation and he compared it to the rather limited information he had about King Fomoria.
“It doesn’t make sense, could it…?”
“Finger?”
“Huh? Oh, yes, I’ve just been thinking.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, have you come to a conclusion?”
“It’s only been a few hours, and I intend to keep going to find more, but I don’t think this isn’t related to the reason I’ve come to this stripe, the man I thought might be here.”
“You’ve come to find a man here? I find it hard to believe anyone would survive the attack outside of the vault.”
“No, I came thinking he was behind the attack. But it doesn’t fit what I know of him, he avoids attacking citizens, but this was nothing but a slaughter. He fights as a giant monster, he wouldn’t unleash half a hundred monster. And he has gate, are you certain that you saw them flying from the sky down?”
“We spotted them across the sea, they destroyed the boats that were coming and going from the port, as well as the ones that were docked.”
“They didn’t want anyone fleeing, they wanted to bring me here, I believe that is the most likely answer to the strange happenings here. Is there anything else that you can remember? Even something that seems unrelated might be a valuable clue.”
The man was deep in thought, and only after almost an hour of recollection that seemed physically painful for him did he finally speak again.
“There was one that was unlike the others, she… she was larger… stone… stone claws… humming…”
“Stop, you’ve said enough.”
He could see the man’s muscles writhe.
“Riddles… she spoke in riddles…”
The mayor blacked out.