By the time Katsurou, Hanabi, and Karina could find a way to sneak out of the Akuma compound, it was already two days to the festival.

Granted, the festival wasn’t the most important part of this trip, but both he and Hanabi desperately wanted to see it.

Unfortunately, Katsurou was the only one with a pair of wings, a gift from his Tengu mother. So the trio made their way to Hestia on horseback.

As the hours passed, Katsurou silently despaired at the realization that they were going to miss the festival.

“I don’t think we’re going to make it,” he told Hanabi quietly. She slumped a little bit, but nodded.

It was past moon-high by the time they arrived in Hestia, the red moon casting odd shadows everywhere.

Petals and bits of streamers laid scattered on the ground as they trotted to the Singing Bird.

At the counter, Iskra lay, slumped over, cheeks flushed from what smelled like over indulging in mead.

Karina raised her eyebrows. “Quite the town,” she drawled.

“Shut up, like you’re any better on your and father’s anniversary.” He snapped.

Hanabi winced. Low blow, she signed. Katsurou sighed.

“Sorry.”

“Forgiven. For now.”

He was going to get poisoned later wasn’t he?

He tapped Iskra’s shoulder. When all he got in response was a soft huff, he shook her a bit harder.

A low growl resonated in the room, and all three of them turned to see Iskra’s pet Wolf-Beast with its paws on the counter. It bared its teeth at them, fearsome despite the garland of flowers around its neck.

Slowly, Katsurou backed up from Iskra, who let out a soft snore.

The Beast chuffed and leaped over the counter.

No one moved for a good few seconds.

Then the Beast tilted its head, as if to ask a question.

“Um,” Katsurou gulped, “we were supposed to come to the Festival but we were late and now we’re here and uh, do you by chance have a spare room for me and my family?”

The Beast turned and padded to one of the doorways. It turned back and barked.

We’re supposed to follow it, I think, Hanabi signed.

“No way,” Karina started to say, but Hanabi was already following it. “Hanabi!” She snapped. She turned to Katsurou as if to ask for support, but Katsurou just shrugged and followed after the Beast and Hanabi.

Katsurou heard the woman sigh, then follow after the rest of them.

The Beast led them up the stairs and past a hallway with doors, stopping in front of one of them before turning to them and huffing.

Thank you, Hanabi signed. It tilted its head at her.

“She says thank you,” Karina drawled.

It bumped it’s nose against Hanabi’s leg, and, as if having restrained herself the entire time, Hanabi fell to her knees and immediately started to pet the huge beast. Karina let out a large sigh.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“You have no sense of self-preservation.”

Katsurou opened the door to reveal a room with two beds. “Two of us are going to have to share.”

Hanabi shrugged and pointed to her mother. Karina nodded. “That’s fine.”

“Uh, sir Wolf, would you happen to know where Lady Xenia is? Aside from the festival, we came to ask her for something.”

Katsurou could’ve sworn that the Beast squinted at him in suspicion before huffing again and padding towards the window at the end of the hallway, to Hanabi’s pouting face.

Katsurou followed the Beast and looked out the window.

He was met with a wall of tall trees. He gulped.

“She’s at home?” He wouldn’t be able to follow her in there. He had no intention of going in that Mother-damned Forest again.

The Beast growled. Katsurou had no idea what that meant.

Suddenly, a gleam of silver caught his eye. He zeroed in on it to see a figure decorated in something shiny striding towards the Forest.

Xenia. It had to be, what with all the jewelry she wore.

“I’ll be back,” he called to the girls before dashing down the hallway. He had to get to her before she got to the Forest.

Jumping down the stairs and out the door, as soon as he was outside he released his wings and arrowed straight towards the woman.

“Xenia!” He called, “Lady Xenia!”

Slowly, as if drunk, Xenia turned towards him. He almost face planted into the hill he was flying up to reach her at the sight of her eyes, glowing red.

Like his.

No. They were even brighter. Like his mother’s should have been, if the legends were to be believed.

But between one blink and the next, the bright red was gone, replaced with her normal silver, if tinged a bit red from the moon’s glow.

A dreamy smile appeared on her face.

“Katsurou,” she said, “you made it.”

His breath felt short, his head a bit light. “I did,” he breathed, settling on the ground and folding back his wings. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Hm.” Xenia gazed up at the moon.

Katsurou blinked, really getting a good look at her. Her eyes were dilated, her cheeks flushed, her breathing uneven.

“Xenia? Are you alright?”

“Hm?” She blinked slowly at him. “Oh, yes, quite alright. Just a bit drunk.” She laughed softly, the sound tinkling. “A bit moon drunk.”

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. When she opened them again, her eyes were clear once more. She gave him a rather sharp smile.

“Rather bold of you to come so close to the Forest. Perhaps I’ve corrupted you?”

He laughed, relieved that she seemed to be back to her normal self. “No, just desperate.”

“Oh?” Her voice seemed to get a bit lower. “Desperate? For what, exactly?”

She was suddenly very, very close to him. Heat blossomed in his chest and stomach, making him flush.

The words for you were at the tip of his tongue, fighting to get out.

“For treatment,” the words came from behind Katsurou.

Xenia backed away from him almost instantly and a sudden chill filled his body.

Karina stood behind him when he turned. One eyebrow was cocked at him, and he was flushing in embarrassment now.

“Treatment,” he echoed. “My younger sister. She’s…”

“She’s mute.” Karina finished for him, all business and no nonsense.

“Ah,” Xenia seemed to also be clear-headed, making Katsurou feel like maybe he had hallucinated the past few minutes. “That tends to be a problem for mind-healers.” She shrugged, “I would not be against being her mind-healer, but it is not my area of expertise.”

“I’m grateful for that, Xenia-sensei, however I believe that this is a physical issue.” Karina curtsied to Xenia. “My Bloodline is not Akuma-sama’s, but the Bloodline Arachne. Our Bloodline’s Magic works best when paired with Diagnostic Physical Magic. I have reason to believe that there is something wrong with my daughter’s vocal chords, preventing her from speaking.”

Xenia’s eyes sharpened. “Does she have problems breathing?”

“No, my Lady. She’s in perfectly good health other than the fact she cannot speak.”

“Interesting…” she glanced between Katsurou and Karina. “What would be your name?”

“Karina, Akuma Karina. Nee Karina Arachne.”

“So you married into Katsurou’s family.”

“…It’s more polite to call him Akuma-sama or Lord Akuma—“

“I gave her permission to use my name, Karina.” He winced. “It would be better to not alert the people here to my family name.”

“Why,” she asked sharply, “what Bloodline are the people of Hestia?”

“Hestia has no designated Bloodline,” Xenia interrupted, “not all of us are Blood, even. We are simply Hestia. I’ll need to know the relationships of your family to accurately diagnose your daughter.”

She pressed a hand to her heart, her breathing having become a little ragged as the minutes passed. “But not tonight. I’m afraid I’m not fully lucid tonight. I’ll be back soon, no more than three days—“

“Three days?! We can’t wait three days—“

“I’ll return back to the compound,” Katsurou interrupted, “I’ll say that you took Hanabi to meet your relatives.”

Karina glared at him. “I have no relatives.”

“Nobody knows that.” His people refused to get to know their matriarch despite her status. “Besides, Hanabi’s eight birthday has passed, and it’s your lucky number. You can say it’s a rite of passage.”

Karina opened her mouth.

“They won’t fight me, Karina. They can’t.”

“Be careful, Halfling,” Xenia murmured, “you rely heavily on your lineage.”

“There is a reason I am called the Warlord, my lady.” He frowned at her. “And do not call me Halfling. I am the Tengu.”

Xenia shook her head. “Your mother was. You simply wear her title.”

And with that, she disappeared into the Forest.