July 2023 ver.

Devin didn’t sleep. She drifted down the stairs like a ghost into the sitting area they had taken to using as their base of operations. Avery, Eryth, and Kyne were already inside. The brawler wasn’t sure how long she had been watching nothing in her borrowed room, but apparently it had been long enough.

Kyne and Eryth were unprecedentedly close until the boy across from them exclaimed, “Done!”

The male twin smiled, “We can look?”

“Finally?” The female garnished the question.

They eagerly rushed Avery to peer at the his journal.

“That’s pretty good!”

“Where’d you learn to draw like that?”

He fiddled with his ear as he answered, “I’ve been practicing almost daily, mostly with plants, but also I was trying really hard. It’s why it took me forever and I didn’t let you peek. I started over… a couple times.”

Their cheer eventually found her, Eryth remarking, “Devin! You’re up so early! Come look at what your brother drew.” But the energy didn’t last. The brawler quickly drained the room with her mere visage. “Is something wrong? Are you sick?”

She examined the floor, “No.” How was she supposed to tell them this? Especially when the pain in her chest was telling her they already knew. “I just didn’t sleep very well because…” Devin forced herself through with exhaustion weaved in, “Our cousin managed to get a word with me last night. He told me that the ceremony that you’re involved in isn’t normal.”

“Devin…” Kyne was softly shaking his head, “Don’t-.”

“Right this way, Madam!” Their heads lifted at the sound of a door and a guard. Devin shifted off to a side before anyone noted the dread drifting between her and the twins. The guard approached them with another figure following. “Sacred Vessels, Honored Guests, another has seen fit to bless us with their presence for the ceremony.” She’d have to continue this conversation when they were alone again. Whenever that was going to be with company. The sentry finally slid aside to let the new face through, “Please, do make yourself at home.” Although, that face was hidden beyond a folding fan.

An emeran woman with brown hair beyond her shoulders strolled past her escort. A bright red kimono with pale flower patterns and black accents with matching obi graced her figure. It covered her upper body thoroughly, but her lower was another story with how short it was.

She was too tall to be full-blooded and had the legs to go with, but this wasn’t actually the detail that drew Devin’s eye. Her boots. They were sturdy and worn dark leather, completely different from the rest of her garb. Although, fashionably speaking, it kind of worked. The brawler tipped her head. But why did they seem familiar?

The guard left them. Then that slightly off-color, red folding fan fluttered and snapped closed to unveil what lie beyond. The new tail in the room flicked to and fro. Those eyes. Devin gaped. ‘He didn’t…’

The ‘woman’ curtsied deeply to the Honored Guests and Sacred Vessels as an introduction was given in a posh, feminine manner, “Rowena Sharp, traveling fortune teller. Fabulous to meet me, isn’t it, darlings?” A sly smile was flashed to Devin and Avery. One that made Devin shut her mouth, but it turned into a squiggle fighting against all the mounting emotions on the matter. “And if any of you beg to differ, well,” a huff and a flick of the wrist saw the fan reopened, “I promise you, I’m a real up-and-comer you’d best watch out for.”

Kyne cleared his throat, “Uh, hi!” He wiped his hand on his tunic before offering it to her, “Kyne Lanter, and it is nice to meet you.” The recipient didn’t shake as the average person would. ‘Rowena’ instead settled fingers on the side of his hand. A proper ‘lady-like’ greeting. Kyne didn’t really know how to reciprocate so he just blushed and diverted to introducing his sister.

Devin was too busy staring at the apparent bust on the fortune-teller, because what the hell was he using for that? What were the ears and tail he was sporting?

“Delighted to make your acquaintance, Ms. Lanter.” The brawler was paying attention now as this certain someone moved awfully close to Eryth. Even going so far as to sit on the arm of the sofa next to the woman.

Eryth smiled, “It’s nice to meet you too, but no need to be so formal.”

“More than happy to get a little personal, Eryth.” It was all practically said with a giggle. “You feel free to call me, Rowena, darling. I can’t wait to get to know you better. I haven’t many gal pals, it’s a shame.” Eryth’s space was further encroached upon, but she didn’t mind. Devin, however, did. “Perhaps we could get some one-on-one girl time before the ceremony?”

She stood abruptly.

“Hm? And who might you be, cutie?” the question was linked to the blinking of oh-so-innocent blue eyes as she now loomed over to glare the fires of judgment.

“Eek!” Devin ripped the top of the kimono open and chaos ensued. Kyne covered his eyes, Avery yelped her name, and Rowan was thrown into a game of hot potato with what was apparently fruit stuffed under there. It unbalanced him enough that his illusion dropped. The brawler was stunned when only his emeran features disappeared.

Their cousin regained enough control to cradle the food items while also holding the kimono closed. He practically growled, overriding the effeminate tone he'd been flaunting, “Are you trying to blow my cover!?” She yanked at what had to be a wig, eliciting more high-pitched cries from him, “Ah! Aaaah! That’s clipped to my actual hair!”

She snorted her rebuke once he was fully at her mercy, “If you're going to be so blatantly disgusting about it, I’d rather get you thrown out!” The girl squinted, “And are… are you wearing makeup?”

The mage was ready to fight, then switched to a sigh, “Fair.” Devin let him go. He shrugged, “And, of course, darling.” He set about reforming his false bust.

Kyne had slowly come to peek through his fingers, “Wait, you're…? N-nevermind.” He lowered his digits and looked to the far wall.

Devin was still reeling, unable to believe how far he’d gone, “Why?” Even his legs were shaved! “How did you even do all of this?”

“Oh sweet child, I’ve told you I’m simply not that good at illusion magic. So I worked a few other kinds of magic. I’ve watched Pheebs a few times, but also those dancing girls from before were quite helpful once I asked them to make me a woman. The less I have to change the better, that way,” he rolled a wrist, like he was literally trying to dig something up out of the air until his mirage solidified again, “these are all the more life-like.” Rowan was also fashioning another conceited grin. His faux tail curled too, matching his mood.

The actual emeran female put fingertips to her temples, “I meant why all of it!”

“There seems to be no barrier for entry if you’re emeran.”

“Then all you needed were the ears and tail!”

He’d hooked an arm on the couch by this point to lounge, idly fanning himself, “Darling, the guards might not know me, but they’ve seen me a dozen times by this point. If I’d thought of it first, sure I could have done the bare minimum,” the accessory snapped closed and he tapped the end of it on her nose much to her displeasure, “but I didn’t think of that at the time, now did I?”

She heaved an exhale of defeat, “Okay…” The young lady finally found a seat, asking as she dropped, “Could you at least stop talking like that? It doesn’t feel right to mock Phoebe.”

Rowan gasped, eyes going wide above the red hiding the lower half of his face, “I’d never! I’m imitating, not mocking! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!”

“Please?” Her eyes begged it of him, “Rowena? It doesn’t feel that way.”

“Fiiiiine.” He slumped into the furniture further, “If it bothers you that much I’ll talk a little more normal.” There was still an effort to sound more femme fatale. “Any other complaints?”

The twins shook their heads and Avery offered, “I think you make for a very pretty woman, Rowan.”

“Why thank you, Avery! But that’s ‘Rowena’ until we’re out of here.” He was all puffed up, fluttering his fan some more with another cheeky expression.

Avery snickered, “You know ‘Rowan’ is unisex so it’s also a woman’s name, right?"

“I-it is not…” his confidence dried.

Everyone else weighed in at the same time, “It definitely is.”

Devin scoffed at her cousin, “You don’t see Avery and I complaining, do you?"

His mitts were soon aloft, “You practically assault anyone who calls you Dra-!”

“Don't you dare say it.” Her eyes narrowed, “You know that's not what I meant and you know that's a damn man's name.”

“Hmph. Whatever… I didn't sneak in here to fist fight over names.” He’d lose anyway. An ankle was brought to a knee.

Devin immediately lifted a hand and redirected to the nearest spot away from him, “Could you not? I can see your underwear.”

He slid the leg further to be knee on knee, rolling his head, “‘Don’t act lady-like! Do act lady-like!’ Pick a side already. You’re giving me whiplash.”

Devin snapped at him again while Kyne asked, “Are they always like this?”

“Not always, but,” Avery leaned into a hand, “Row-, uh, -ena is more of an older sibling to us than a cousin. As our grandfather would say, ‘it’s not a genuine family moment until they’ve squabbled…’”

“Moving on!” Rowena declared it loudly to override anything more from the one throwing metaphorical wrenches at him. He winked, dipping into the center space of the group, “It's time to unveil my ultra heroic rescue plan.”

Eryth parroted with an edge, “Rescue plan?”

Devin was the only one who was able to follow. “Rowan,” her fingers found the bottom of her dress, “you didn’t give me enough time. We haven’t talked about what you told me.”

“Admittedly, I wasn’t expecting this plan to flesh out and work so well so quickly.”

“Could one of you maybe clue in the rest of us?” Avery was growing frustrated with being out of the loop, “What’s going on?”

They went quiet. Devin lifted her gaze to Kyne. She really didn’t like the somber expression she found. His mannerisms begged her to not continue.

But the brawler inhaled deeply, “Avery… Eryth, Kyne, at the end of the ceremony, the townsfolk they’re… going to kill you. The ceremony is a ritual sacrifice.”

It wasn’t much of a surprise that the immediate response was silence.

“That’s ridiculous!” Her brother reflexively filled the emptiness with denial when it seemed no one else would, “A ritual sacrifice? Nobody does those anymore. They’re barbaric!” He glared at Rowena, “You have to be wrong. There’s no way! Right?” The question was given to the twins. He was sure they would have evidence to the contrary ready. Then neither would look his way. The boy flinched, “N-no. You-.” He cycled through all the syllables he could. Until there were no new ones to stammer.

Devin gave the next coherent dialogue, “You’ve known all along, haven’t you? You’ve been acting like everything is fine and letting us believe that this is a happy situation. Why? Why didn’t you tell us?”

Rowena frowned as well, “If that’s true, then I don’t understand. Maybe I’m the odd one, but I’d be acting a little differently if I knew I’d be dead soon.”

“That’s not what’s going to happen!” Her vehemence cut the room. Eryth’s jaw clenched briefly. Her knuckles went white from her grip on her seat as determination steeled her posture, “We are not going to die!”

“Eryth…” Kyne leaned forward, one palm slid up the opposite arm, “Just saying it like that doesn’t make it true. What we’re doing is dangerous and it’s going to be hard. There’s… a lot that could go wrong.”

“Our entire lives have been hard and this is just more of the same.” She stared at him with a tight little frown. “I need you to believe we’ll make it through, because that’s how we’re going to survive. The same way we’ve survived everything else, by putting our minds to it.”

Avery lifted a hand to draw their focus, “What is the ritual exactly then?”

Kyne delivered it straight, “The ritual is a means of turning humans into gryphons.”

Devin didn’t know how to respond to that, her brother did it for her with excess shrill, “What!?” The mere idea was insanity. It may have clarified how all of this culminated into a tribute to their guardian figure, but it raised a slew of subsequent questions. How was it even possible? Her digits edged dangerously close to ripping the fabric knotted between them. The stone in her stomach grew heavier as the answer settled into her mind of its own accord. There was only one thing that could do that.

The brawler picked at the problem with Eryth’s methods, “Not to be rude, but neither of you are in the best physical health,” she kept replaying the sight of Otto wailing on the wagon floor in her mind, “you’re talking about something that’s going to break your bodies apart to piece together into a foreign shape when I’ve seen twigs thicker than you. A mindset isn’t going to cut it.”

Rowena made his own additions, “You don’t have to put your lives on the line just because some old tradition says someone has to. There’s a reason things like this fell out of favor. They don’t accomplish anything! People stopped doing them and the world didn’t end, the rain still came, the sun still rose, and the crops were much happier with proper soil management than some poor dead girl! All they are is a waste of life. A waste of your lives.”

“What lives!?” Eryth had no problem meeting the mage head on from right where she sat at his side, “The three of you, especially you, still barely know anything about us. No one is forcing us to do this.”

Kyne was soon tracing fingers over his own marred flesh, “We drew a poor lot in life. We’ve noticed you looking at our scars when you think we won’t notice.”

Stolen novel; please report.

The half-emerans squirmed in the shame of being caught.

The woman took over again from there, “We don’t know how the fire started. With the drought, it could have been anything. Our father carried us out, pressed to either side of him. That’s why our burns are like this. He went to find our mom and then,” she raised her hands just so she could drop them, “the house collapsed. That was it. We were orphans and no one wanted more mouths to feed. We had to figure out how to scrape by.”

Kyne wrung his scarred hand even more, “Even if it meant lying or cheating or stealing.”

Her volume halved in its dejection, “We were too young when it happened. We have no skills, no education, no prospects. It’ll be more of the same if we don’t do this. We’ll go further until one day we’re the kind of people we hate. How long until living like that is what gets us killed?”

Their cousin wasn’t having it, he had to stand to declare down at them, “There’s still other ways. Other paths you can choose!” And the twins weren’t too keen on being spoken down to by a stranger.

Eryth firmly declined, “It’s not just that. We’ve hurt people. We’ve hurt our neighbors, the people who were mean to us, and the people who were kind. We took from them when they didn’t have anything to give.”

Kyne gave her hesitant support, “…this is how we repay them.”

The brawler pressed one more depressed line of questions, “But were you even going to tell us? We’re your friends now, right? Don’t we have a right to some warning? To have the chance to change your minds?”

“What were we supposed to say?” Kyne turned the questions back at her.

His sister expanded on how daunting a feat it actually was, “‘Hi, nice to meet you! By the way, we might be dead in a few weeks!’” Devin’s chin tipped toward the floor. She couldn’t argue that.

“Even if you don’t die,” Avery still had to push, “you won’t be human anymore. Gryphons aren’t a species capable of complex thought. Your minds will literally be less. You’ll lose pieces of yourselves.”

“I know that should bother us, but it doesn’t.”

Eryth went further, “It’ll be worth it.” Her attention drifted to the window, “We’re going to know how it feels to fly. And we’ll still have each other. That’s enough for us.” She held a smile when her focus returned to them. “We know what we’re doing. This is what we want. Even if you don’t like it, I’m asking you to respect it.”

Their cousin’s figure tensed where he was still choosing to stand, “I get it, I do, but doing this to pay back the town? That’s not even close to equal.”

Devin couldn’t take anymore. This wasn’t a rash decision on their part. The young woman hauled herself out of her seat. They didn’t need saving. They didn’t want to be saved. She’d rather go pretend to drown herself in the bath.

x x x

She ruffled her hair through the towel as she entered her guest room.

“You certainly got out of there fast.” Devin nearly jumped out of her skin. ‘Rowena’ rolled onto a side from where he was laying on her bed. He propped himself up as he usually did, minus hiking a knee. “Can’t say I blame you.” He was still fiddling with his fan, needing something to do with his hands.

The brawler sighed, “Nice of you to let yourself in… again.” It didn’t actually bother her this time. She dropped herself in front of the vanity to pick up a comb, venturing, “…did it do any good?”

Her cousin was quiet, hiding behind his accessory. Then it closed, “No.” He twirled the object on a finger, “They’re,” a scoff, “I guess you could say dead set, on it.” Rowena sighed, “Before you ask, no I’m not proud of that one.” The man proceeded to sit up. “It’s not our business. It’s not my business. But I… I still can’t-.” His head hung.

“Rowan…?” Her face scrunched at him, “You can’t what?”

The distress in his expression took her by surprise, “Devin, I need you to tell me that it’s okay to do nothing.”

x x x

The twins kept on like nothing was different, laughing and smiling.

Kyne sat proudly, head held high, “So I shoved the entire cake in my mouth.”

“He really did! It was impressive.”

Their dinner stories had grown even more peculiar since confessing to their less than reputable actions.

x x x

Devin went on the hunt for Rowan’s room with a plate. They’d noticed he had been looking increasingly tired, but missing one meal then out sleeping her through a second was highly abnormal. He hadn’t slept that much since his ‘light petrification incident’.

The brawler knocked and waited. Again. Then again with more fervor. Okay. Now she was really worried. Devin double checked the hall before entering.

“Rowan?”

A lump marked his location. The man was on his side, but still managing to sprawl out his limbs enough to take up far more space than necessary. He’d wiped off most of his makeup. His wig was draped carefully on the vanity. It’d been such an event to get in, wasn’t he the least bit concerned about getting caught anymore?

She received a groggy grumble, “Mom… I hate fish too. I don’t care if Uncle Ram caught it.” Devin glanced to the plate in her mitt. Oops?

The plate was slid off onto the nearest stable furniture then she climbed in on her knees. She lightly shook his shoulder. Nothing. Her ears could easily pick up the sound of his breathing. Devin placed the back of her hand to his forehead. He didn’t sound raspy nor did he seem hot.

Avery popped into the room, also worried, “Is he okay?”

“He seems fine; he just won’t wake up!” The girl settled in to shake the absolute hell out of him, “Rowan! Get up!”

This time his eyelids barely lifted, “Wha…?”

She pinched his cheek.

“Ow, ow, ow… why?”

“Are you dying or something?”

He took almost a full minute to blink at her, “Devin?”

“That would be my name.” She hopped off, “You’ve slept through two meals. Did you poison yourself with all that makeup? Some of that stuff is toxic, you know.”

The mage rubbed over his face, “Huh? No, just, very tired.” He sat up. “So I used a spell. You said two meals?” He glimpsed the food waiting for him through his fingers, “…I hate fish.”

Her tail twitched, “So we’ve heard.”

“Thanks though.” The young man took a bite anyway. Then he transferred himself from the bed to in front of the mirror to commence with tidying his disguise. Except he messed up almost immediately and sighed, “Sorry, guys. This is going to be a while, but I promise I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

But neither of them moved. Devin pointedly commented, “Maybe you shouldn’t be using sleeping spells like that.”

“It’s fine Dev’.”

Avery frowned, “Are you sure about that?”

She threw in more as well, “You certainly don’t seem ‘fine’.” She was twitching again, “Oh for-.” The brawler usurped half his makeup, “Let me do the hard parts at least.” Not that she was great at it, but he was gonna poke out his damn eye at this rate. While he made noises of protest, he didn’t actively try to stop her either.

“Hey, Rowan?”

“Hm?”

Avery drifted closer. “I know you’re only half awake, but while we’re alone, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.” He continued as quietly as possible, “The ritual. Isn’t the only thing that can do what they’re saying chimera blood? And the only way to have that is…?” There was no nice way to put it, so he didn’t.

Devin stilled her work on Rowan’s face, “I’ve been wondering that too.”

The mage was already tossing his head side to side, “I haven’t caught a whiff of them having a live chimera. And I’ve been sniffing around pretty thoroughly.”

x x x

‘Clan’ Chanoix waited in the foyer. Rowena rolled his neck. Then more playing with his fan. Avery seemed unusually concerned with his nails, picking them even cleaner. It was the big day and they were doing their best to tidy up more than usual. Although, evidently, not as much as the staff had in store for Eryth and Kyne.

A figure appeared at the top of the stairs. Kyne glided along with one hand on the railing until he reached the last step. He displayed himself, “How do I look?” That crooked tooth of his was showing. The young lady immediately went rosy.

They had clipped his hair down next to nothing yesterday. Although a feather was tucked behind one of his ears. He was still wearing that off-white tunic, but a sleeveless doublet had been added. One of a dark chocolate color. The silver buttons to hold it closed didn’t start until the waist, giving it a deeper v-shape than standard that was bordered by thick lapels. The man was also in much nicer pants of a slightly different shade that had matching buttons at the ankles.

Devin managed a single stunned, “Good.”

“Handsome even!” Her cousin weighed in. He also bumped her to tease in a whisper, “Careful, you’ll start drooling.” She couldn’t even defend herself.

Kyne had trouble taking the compliment from him, “Uh, th-thanks. Still waiting on Eryth?”

“I’m here!” Another glance to the staircase. Rowena about dropped his fan. The woman nervously picked at whatever exposed skin she could find, “Why is everyone staring?”

At the end of the day, it was just a sundress. A mocha colored one with thin straps to hold it up that transitioned seamlessly into the pointed neckline. It was tight to her chest, but the waist was high and the material was left to drape of its own accord from there. It went to under the knee. Her hair was free, for once, holding the slightest hint of a wave, and adorn with dozens of slightly uplifted feathers. Everything together made her something to behold.

Rowena broke the spell on them all soon after, answering, “You’re just… that gorgeous.”

She hid behind her arms whilst joining them on the first floor, “Don’t tease me.”

“W-We’re not!” Avery wasn’t going to let her doubt it for even a second.

“I’m really that pretty?”

Rowena not-so-subtly slipped in next to her, although his lechery was mostly hidden by accessory again, “I know I certainly wish we’d gotten that one-on-one time.” The twin went full shy tomato at his bluntness.

Devin shoved his shoulder, “Don’t embarrass her on their big day.” He merely clicked his tongue.

“Th-thank you.” It was barely a murmur and she avoided eye contact with him.

One of their guards cleared his throat, “Sacred Vessels, Honored Guests, if you’re ready, everyone is waiting for you.” The twins took to the front.

Doors opened and boisterous cheering roared. Beyond the gate was a sea of people. Several shouted, waved, and stretched to see them. The guard pair flanked their progression toward the crowd. A second set worked the gates then also joined to bring up the rear. Two in front and two behind to keep anyone who got overexcited from doing something stupid as they walked the predetermined path encircling the parade grounds.

Little shreds of colorful paper sprinkled the air as they went. Several individuals offered hands out to them, eager to firmly shake with the now well-respected Sacred Vessels. Their procession ended at a long, thin table once they’d made a complete loop through the swath of people. A show had been prepared to reenact the town history while the Sacred Vessels partook of one final feast.

It wasn’t long until her cousin was informing her on one side, “I’m going to sneak off to change while everyone is distracted.” He gave a little three-fingered wave of farewell and a, “Be right back.” Devin nodded her appreciation. He was actually keeping the promise he’d made to her in Lexington.

As the play finished with the raising of Arechus’ gryphon banner, an orchestra of instruments arose. The townsfolk then invaded the space to dance along with the actors, waving their banner with pride.

“May I have this dance?” Devin found her brother’s seat vacant at her right. He was giving an uncharacteristically cocky grin with hand held out to Eryth.

“I don’t know anything about dancing…”

He cheerfully encouraged her to accept, “Just let me lead you and it’ll be fine. Unless you don’t want to, I-I am kind of assuming you wanted to…” Her body language had done all the indicating of wanting to jump in.

She smiled, “I do. And since ya seem so sure of yourself.” He swept her along into the pre-ceremony festivities.

The brawler heard one last thing from the scholar, “But I do only know a little. So th-this still might not go well, but it’ll be fun!” Devin spent a few minutes watching them stumble their way through. Then she was hooked by an arm that forced her to bend awkwardly. The bad part about Rowan changing was his inability to reclaim his own seat at their table.

He advised her, “You should ask Kyne.” The subject of discussion was sitting at the other end of the table so it was unlikely he’d overhear.

“What?” She was still discombobulated, “I-I don’t want to dance.”

“Yeah, sure you don’t.” Rowan chuckled. “It must be some other little girl I remember loving to dance with her dad.” The teen groaned as she was cornered. This was the problem with one’s traveling companions being family. They knew too much. Not to mention, that was forever ago.

She sought another escape, “Rowan, dancing for me isn’t fun like that anymore.” The girl didn’t even realize her ears sagged. “It’s for… combat application.”

Rowan sighed her frustrations back at her, “Aren’t you sick of that being the only kind you do anymore?” The brawler dragged fingers on her cheek. He wasn’t wrong.

She flatly denied again, “I don’t think he’s interested in me.”

“And you think Avery and Eryth are interested in each other? Look at ‘em out there.” He hooked a thumb at them as they messed up particularly bad and laughed at themselves. “They’re so platonic I’m rethinking life choices.” The mage rubbed at his neck, “I mean, not really, but still.” Then that hand was waving around sporadically, “Anywho, it’s not about any of that.”

He nudged her, “He’s being subtle, but he’s still tapping one of his fingers. He probably can’t dance any better than Eryth. There’s also all this male pressure of it being equated to some kind of move too. I’m positive he feels like he can’t ask anyone, even you. Do him a favor.” His arm finally left her shoulder. He stood pressuring her with that stupid smirk on his face instead.

A tentative peek went Kyne’s general direction. The girl took a deep breath, then stood with a squeal of the chair behind her.

“Kyne?”

“Y-yes?” He was blinking surprise. “Something wrong?”

“Would-.” Her fingers tangled around each other, nearly wrenching themselves out of socket. “Would you dance with me?”

“Uh,” he sat back in his seat and blushed, “I’m… not any better than Eryth.”

She couldn’t look at him. This was too embarrassing. “I can show you. It’s been a while, but I know the basics.” Devin’s ears lifted at the sound of him getting up. It finally gave her the courage to look at him too. He offered a hand with that crooked smile of his.

The other couples made space for them near the heart of everything. Kyne was soon glancing at them all nervously when it seemed they should join in.

Devin came to direct, “Normally men are supposed to lead, but why don’t I do that for us?” He nodded eagerly. She shifted her hand in his. His other was placed on her shoulder and hers at his waist. They slid into rhythm quite easily. Although, it was making her heart heavier. It was nice and she was glad she could do this for him, but he was only awkwardly able to follow her steps. It made her miss her dad more than ever. He’d always do some big flourishing move that usually involved scooping her up.

“Ah! Sorry!” Kyne stopped to apologize, “Did I get your toes?”

“Heh.” Her expression was soft, “My boots are thick. It’s fine.”

He was still anxious with what looked like regret written all over his face, “But…”

Devin guided them into a slow turn, “If you’d told us there would be dancing, we could have spent a little time working on it beforehand, ya know.”

“I didn’t even think about it.” A sheepish expression befell his face. “I’ve kind of been avoiding thinking about today.”

She tipped her head, “Really? I would have thought it’d be front and center.”

“It tries to be, but I didn’t want to think about today.” The young man was lowering his gaze to their feet again and Devin sternly corrected. When he met her eye this time, the emotion she found in it stumbled her out of sync. “Eryth is sure, but I’m… not. And I-. I don’t want to die.”

“Then back out! Don’t do it!” The words sprung off before she could think better than to interject herself into their lives again.

Kyne solemnly lowered his head again, “I can’t. Eryth is doing this with or without me. Everything has always been harder on her. Men still get some kind of respect even if they’re the town thief, but women… This ritual, it’s like it was made for her to escape all of it. To finally feel free of the fear of settling for a life she doesn’t want.” He squeezed Devin a little more tightly, “I’m not gonna let her face anything alone either. I don’t want our last minute together to be me breaking her heart.” He was staring into her so intently now, “You get what I mean?”

“Yeah. I do.” They let their attention wander to their siblings being goofballs not far away. They were just spinning in a circle to see how long they could go. When she sought out Rowan next, his spot was empty. Devin searched the crowd in vain. He was just gone again without warning, already breaking his promises again.

“I’d like to try leading, if you don’t mind.” It wasn’t very smooth as he kept hesitating, but she spurred him onward.

He managed to spin her without losing footing. Or her. He pressed her close again and his face lit up, “I think I’m actually getting the hang of this!” She flushed again. Enough that he noticed and blushed as well.

His mouth quirked in a show of apology, “If only you were older.”

“Eh?”

The music faded and he shifted from her, “Not to mention, I’d want a kiss to be the most memorable part of the day… and… it’s just not going to be…”

“O-oh. I… understand.” Well, there were worse ways to get your heart crushed, right?

An old voice rang out as no more songs came to replace the last, “If the Sacred Vessels could join me on the platform of Altheseus.” It was time. The people stilled with a select few parting to clear a path for the Sacred Vessels.

Another quick flash of teeth, “Wish us luck up there.”

The brawler murmured as he joined Eryth at the stairs, “Good luck…”

The twins stepped from their shoes. Kyne removed his vest as well. They approached a pedestal that had been added with an old box precisely centered on it. The crowd ushered her and Avery closer, though they knew better than to touch the platform.

The torches on the corners suddenly burst into silver flames as the elder declared, “Ignite!” His hands lowered, “We, the people of Arechus, are blessed this day. We are quite fortunate to have not only one vessel to volunteer, but two. Eryth Lanter. Kyne Lanter. Please, accept the deepest and sincerest gratitude of your neighbors. And may you both be reborn into glory.”

“We are also quite fortunate to have the gods themselves smile upon us as evidenced by our emeran visitors.” That ancient set of digits swayed her and Avery’s direction. She nearly tripped on nothing and she felt Avery tense next to her. Is that what they saw them as? A sign of approval from their gods?

The elder went on with something about their guardian, but she didn’t care to listen. They shouldn’t have agreed to this. A bottle was removed from the creaking crate. They should have tried to stop them no matter what they had said! It was filled with a dark red viscous substance. This was insane! The overseer held it for Kyne to drink.

Devin rushed the stairs, “Kyne, don’t-!”

Her foot caught the last step and she fell to her knees as Kyne did. Her ears twisted as she heard his nails drag against stone. The sound grew sharper as they darkened and curled, eventually leaving grooves in their wake. The young man winced. She flinched as she watched him slam his head to the cobbling beneath him. He clutched at himself, ripping at his own back so viciously red soaked through the fabric and spattered the ground. Kyne kept writhing in that kneeled position until…

Enormous silver feathers consumed her vision. The blood smudging them only served to make their beauty stand out in contrast.

Then her brother wailed, “Eryth!”

A turn of her head and then Devin clasped hands to her mouth. The familiar sting of tears followed at the sight of the twisted figure of unrecognizable origin crumpling to the ground.

They hadn’t even considered the possibility that one could live… and the other could die. But what turned her stomach was the cheers of hundreds at the ‘success’ of their ritual. Why had they just gone along with this?

And where the fuck was Rowan?