There were benefits to sleeping while intoxicated. Aiyūl learned this long ago. Whether this worked for others, she didn't care. She couldn't be more thankful that it worked for her.
In the swirling darkness and mismatched colors behind her eyelids, there was nothing. Not an echo of a voice from memory nor a wayward image of one. This comforted her. It made the desire to sleep stronger, deepening her slumber.
Distantly, she sensed presences entering her space. They were small, young, and familiar, enough so that they brought a small smile to her face.
Voices. Patting. Slight shaking; someone trying to wake her up. She softly groaned as her consciousness returned to the waking world.
"...a! Mamaaaaa!"
"C'mon, Mama, wake up!"
She muttered in response to the two voices, shifting on the bed. "Mn...what..?"
"Wake up, wake up! Go get our Biakoi[1]!"
"Yeah, you said you were gonna get them, right?"
More muttering. She turned her head away from her children's direction, nestling deeper into the pillow. "Go'way..."
Silence.
"No!"
She smiled despite herself, turning back to open an eye and look at her youngest children. They were excited, all smiles and bouncy feet, green and hazel-green eyes shining with youth and innocence.
Her smile widened, but twinges of sadness blemished it. Her youngest child, Kaiar, immediately noticed.
"Are you okay?" he asked, smile waning.
"Yeah...I'm fine," she said, moving to sit upright. Tousling her hair, she watched with one eye as her children jumped onto the bed to crawl over her and sit on her right side.
"So?" asked Bei-Yan, her youngest daughter. She took some strands of Aiyūl's long hair by habit. "When are you going to go?"
Too lazy to hold back a yawn, she drawled, "What, you want me gone that badly?"
Both children's expressions turned into pouting frowns. "No, of course not!" said Kaiar, shaking her arm.
"Hm." She leaned to plant kisses on their foreheads. "I'm awake. I have to talk to you and your siblings, so get."
"Okay!"
Back to his beaming expression and sparkling hazel eyes, Kaiar pulled his older sister with him as he slipped off the right side of the bed. They held hands as they raced to the far side of the room.
As the door opened, she yawned again. "Don't run," she called.
Soft giggling. "Okaaaay!" Bei-Yan called back.
The door shut.
With another groan, Aiyūl fell back in the bed, a hand over her forehead and eyes slowly closing. She desired to continue sleeping, linger in the darkness and pleasant remnant intoxicating nothingness from her binging nights before.
She exhaled, watching stray grey strands of hair flutter over her face. Grunting, she moved upright and stood off the bed. Facing the window, she spotted Bei-Yan, Kaiar, and several of their nieces and nephews playing outside. She watched for a moment, then eyed the visible horizon while reaching out with her senses.
All seemed safe, so she turned and walked to the bathroom across from her bed, running a hand over her neck with a soft exhale.
I'm gettin' old...
She yawned again, flicking the switch on the inside bathroom wall beside the doorway. It sparked a flame along the walls to her left and far inner right side. She cracked her neck, nearing the tub.
After a relaxing bath, she exited in a change of clothes consisting of baggy black pants that rested on her hips and a sleeveless black shirt that folded across her chest. Walking with her eyes closed, she let her senses lead her to the door at the far end of the room and opened it.
The sound of activity in the house and the smells of food pleasantly tickled her senses, making her lips spread into a small smile. Jogging down the stairs, she glanced over the halls where she heard some children laughing and talking. Turning, she continued down the second staircase.
When she hit the ground floor, she looked across from her into the gardens within the center of her home. There, she spotted an older woman sitting on a bench inside.
The sight of her made Aiyūl smile, but before she could even contemplate entering the garden, the pitter-patter of small footsteps approaching met her ears before something collided with her legs. "Nobā[1]!"
She didn't bother looking down, reaching to bring the small body into her arms and kiss the boy's head of blond hair. "Laith," she greeted.
Large and shining violet eyes looked into hers. "Nobā, I want snackies now."
"Why...?" She blinked long and hard, yellow eyes narrowing in confusion. "It's time for breakfast."
His little face scrunched up in a way that made her chuckle at his expense. "Why?" he whined, hitting her chest.
"Because...it's time to eat food," she said with a sigh, walking down the hall.
"Snackies are food!"
"Yes, but no," she scoffed.
"Nobāāāāā!"
Upon seeing one of her older children, she handed the child to him. "Take your nephew."
The blond-haired man raised a brow, eyes warily eyeing the boy. "Uh."
"Take him."
He huffed with a roll of his eyes. "You're probably confusing him anyway."
She knocked her son upside his head, making him chuckle, and huffed while turning to the right. At the end of this hall, she spotted the door where several of her family members were exiting and entering simultaneously.
"Oi," she called, causing one of her grandchildren to stop and focus on her. "What's for breakfast?"
"Kiki and Amé are makin' okonomiyaki!" the girl said with a smile, her violet eyes flashing.
"Alright. Get your Nobā."
"Okay!"
As the girl skipped away, Aiyūl entered the dining room. The smells of food bombarded her senses, pulling the corner of her lips upward. The sight of her family, or most of them, in the spacious room never ceased to brighten her mood, yet the lingering tingling in the back of her mind kept her expression even.
Low tables filled the room where some of her family were sitting or standing near. She spotted Rashar, her first youngest son, sitting beside his soulmate and sister, Herare. They sat together at a table and spoke softly amongst each other. Their mannerisms were subdued, and they had been for the past two days.
The reminder they lost their third soulmate brought the slightest of creases between Aiyūl's brows. She then stifled a yawn and approached her usual lone table at the far back of the room in the left corner. Leaning against the wall, she let her long legs stretch out and watched the room as more people came and went.
She kept her eyes closed, relaxing in her corner, until the smell of food became stronger. Only once the youngest children made sounds of excitement did she open her eyes to see her second youngest son and daughter, Améd and Kokiyo, entering with several large platters of food balanced on their arms. Rashar stood to help take one of the platters and placed it at the children's table. They almost immediately jumped onto it, but he gently scolded them and told them to wait.
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Not a moment later, the older woman from the gardens stepped foot into the room with a gaggle of younger children. Aiyūl settled further against the wall with a hidden smirk when she saw them.
"...snacks some other time," the woman said as she entered, her eyes focused on them.
"Aw, okaaay," Laith pouted, holding her left hand.
The children began to chatter among themselves, allowing the woman to look up and meet Aiyūl's eyes. Only then did Aiyūl break into a large grin. "Ahiru," she purred, and her expression grew larger when the woman slightly flushed.
Moving from the children, who went to sit at their tables, Ahiru lowered to sit somewhat beside, somewhat atop her. Snuggling against her, her hand rested on Aiyūl's chest. "I missed you."
"Mmn, I was right upstairs." Kissing into her hair, Aiyūl let her eyes close while inhaling her wife's natural scent and placed a hand over her swollen belly. "You were the one who left me."
Softly chuckling, Ahiru let it go. She smiled up and thanked Kokiyo as their daughter placed a large plate atop their table.
Only when everyone sat at their tables did Aiyūl sit upright, letting Ahiru go so they could place their palms together in front of them.
"Duyen," they whispered softly.
Several murmurs of the prayer drifted to Aiyūl's ears before the first bites of food were taken. Once everyone had started eating, she lifted her khopti and cut into her pancake.
A few minutes in, Ahiru asked, "When will you get the boys, then?"
Closing her eyes, Aiyūl grunted noncommittally around the food in her mouth. "It probably won't be happening." She cracked an eye open to look around the room. A few eyes had focused on her, attentive.
"Aw, why not?" Bei-Yan asked, lowering her khopti.
"Because two of them are..." She rocked her jaw. "Relatively safe, and the other is missing."
"Missing?" Kokiyo asked, narrowing her eyes. "I thought Lanad was dead?"
Looking at her younger daughter rather critically, Aiyūl scoffed, "You don't really think that, do you?"
Lips pursing, Kokiyo glanced away with evident shame.
Frowning, Aiyūl's eyes panned around the room. By the expressions on many of the adults' faces, several of them thought the same. She rolled her eyes, lowering her utensil. "For fu—"
"Aiyū," Ahiru sighed, placing a hand on her thigh.
Huffing, Aiyūl rubbed her forehead. "Lanad is not dead."
"But he was seen," said her second eldest son, his brow raised with suspicion. His shark teeth became visible as he vehemently began, "Literally, his head wen—"
Ahiru's head snapped his way. "Farian."
His teeth clacked together when he quickly shut his mouth.
"It wasn't him. Sure, it felt like him, but there was a discrepancy in his kēpu[2]. It was slight, and I doubt anyone paid attention, obviously," Aiyūl nearly snarled, thinking of her sister, "but it existed. That wasn't him." With that, she shut her eyes and continued eating.
She could sense hesitance and doubt pass through the room after she spoke. It did nothing more than annoy her, but she kept the irritation to herself. Regardless, she felt her wife's hand gently pat her thigh sympathetically.
She just grunted.
She tried very hard not to crack a frown when Ahiru softly tittered at her expense.
"That's good, then."
She didn't reply when her eldest child entered the room. Savendao brought in an aura of authority with him, one that clashed with her own, and it made her eyes open to look at him. He met her gaze, and they held for a mere second before each broke away.
"That means we still have a living cousin out there," he continued, his footsteps softly thumping into the room.
Aiyūl kept a pointed ear on his steps until they settled at his usual table across from her.
Fuck me, she sighed to herself, focusing back on her food. Even after all this time...
"So, what're we going to do now?"
"Since Vadeen and Abramu are...safe," she gritted out, "I'd say we should look for Lanad. I would, but whoever set up his death is likely taking care of him. I don't see why they would go through all the trouble to do what they did otherwise..."
"Hold on." Farian held a hand up. "You mean to say, someone made an illusion of Lanad's death? Like that?"
She nodded.
"Who...?"
"I don't know. I'll find out."
Both Bei-Yan and Kaiar's expressions dropped. "You're leaving again?" Kaiar asked with a deep frown.
Meeting her youngest children's gazes, she said, "I need to take care of this. It's the same with Rhasti." She briefly glanced at Herare and Rashar. When they didn't respond, she continued, "I'll be going to Ciceol."
"When?" Bei-Yan asked.
Aiyūl glanced at the floor, then took Ahiru's hand. "Today."
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After breakfast, Aiyūl brought Ahiru with her into the court. Walking hand-in-hand, they approached a low bench within the garden and sat upon it. The day was pleasant, dim light coming from the watery sky, and a spring breeze fluttering through their loose locks.
Lowering to rest her head against Ahiru's, she sighed. "You know what I might have to do after this, right?"
A soft hand cupped her cheek. "Mm-hm. And I'm coming with you."
She moved away, frowning. "Ahiru—"
A finger went to her lips. Teal eyes looked into hers. "Nothing you say will convince me otherwise." A greying brow raised. "And I doubt you want to resort to violence."
Jaw clenching, her eyes flashed a dangerous glow. "Ahiru...I'm not taking you to that fucking place."
"Who said you'd take me? I'll come after you," came the cheeky reply.
Gritting her teeth, she lowered her wife's hand and stood with a heated exhale. After a moment of stalking back and forth, she turned to face the amused expression. "I'll fucking chain you to a stone sooner than let you do that," she growled. "And don't think I won't do it."
With a patient sigh, the older woman remained undaunted. "And I would sooner fight you than not have me present with you." She smiled sweetly. "And don't think I won't do it."
"I'd fucking fight you, woman."
"You'll go easy on me."
"Will not."
"Aiyū—"
"Ahirume."
"You're being petulant."
"I'm always petulant."
"Like a child."
"Woman." Aiyūl slowly approached, pointing at her. "I will fucking knock you out."
"I don't think so. The children would never forgive you." She gently ran a hand over her stomach.
Growling loudly, Aiyūl spun around and left the garden. Her forōs sweltered around her body, bringing eyes to her and clearing paths for her to return to her room on the third floor.
Slamming the heavy door behind her, her body shook with rage. "Fucking cunt bitch," she spat while nearing her coat at the far end of the room.
She slowed, taking her words into consideration. They sounded right up until she said them.
With a sigh, she ran her hand through her hair. "She's not a cunt," she muttered. "But she is a bitch." A slow smile spread on her face.
A delectable bitch...
Groaning, her eyes rolled around. "Fine. Fine!" She slammed her hands atop the dresser, glaring out at the forest she could see outside to her right. The wood groaned beneath her weight, prompting her to ease off.
She finally exhaled and approached her bed. Flopping on it face-down, she continued muttering to herself. If Ahiru came with her to the Wasihl Palace, she would have to put limits in place on both sides. It didn't help that her family there had no idea had even married.
Again...
Quickly, she threw the thought out of her mind. She raised her head and looked to her left. A distance from the bed, in one of the room's corners, was her spot. No one else sat there, not even Ahiru unless she was already there. It didn't look like much and had nothing fancy, existing as a nook full of pillows large and small where she could seethe and ruminate.
And drink.
Her eyes darted away from it. She needed to be at least partially sober for what was coming. Sighing, she lowered her head back into the pillows and closed her eyes.
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Ciceol. While there lacked an official term for it, it stood as the name for the faifethi underworld. Ciceol didn't exist as a single location; several entrances to seedy underworld sites were in plenty of Sahīleth, most notably in large cities such as Jabyuji, Makïna, and Logüi. As her home typically stayed located between Jabyuji and Lakarra, Aiyūl chose to pay a visit to the entrance located in the latter city.
She observed the entrance to a tavern, crouched on the branch of a tree. No one guarded the entrance, and they wouldn't, as to anyone else, it existed as a legitimate, honest establishment.
Those who knew...knew otherwise.
Ciceol, she huffed to herself. Gods, I fuckin' hate this place. Been some fifty years and it doesn't look any different. So far...
Soundlessly, she jumped from the tree and landed ungracefully at the entrance, horrifically startling someone exiting the building; they fell back onto the ground with a yelp. She didn't bother passing them so much as a glance, ducking under the doorframe to enter.
All eyes locked on her the moment she stepped foot inside. The faces of several patrons paled, others immediately stood and steadily, as inconspicuously as possible, walked towards not her but the exit.
She paid them no mind, her glowing yellow eyes panning around the large space from underneath a hood. Upon spotting the front counter, she slowly approached it. The man behind it visibly swallowed and a steady if not terrified smile formed on his face.
"How may I help you?" he squeaked.
She stood in front of him, staring directly into his eyes. "The Bear. Where is he?"
He slowly shook his head. "Wh-which one?"
"Kabuyun."
Another bobbing of the throat. "N-no idea. He's been here before, maybe a day ago."
Good.
Eyes narrowing deeply, she glanced around.
Not good. What is that bastard child doing if he's alive?
She turned from the counter, eyeing the patrons one by one. Some wore hoods, keeping to their own business. Others fidgeted. Her eyes lingered on those who did not.
Someone glanced at her from under a hood. They sat toward the back of the space, and the moment she saw him, she knew who he was.
"Roach," she growled, turning to him. "When was the last time I saw your stinking ass?"
"Nice to see you, too, 'Crow," he chuckled, leaning back on his bench.
She stood in front of him in seconds, and she grabbed his shirt to lift him off the seat not a moment later. "What do you know, air-rat?"
His eyes, an uncanny pure lime, did not flinch. "A lot. I can tell you, but..." He shrugged nonchalantly.
"But you like having your arm broken? Your eyes gouged out? Tell me, boy." She cracked a sadistic grin. "You don't want to know what I can do with that thing between your legs."
His own smile faltered. "Fine. He's in Garwados."
Narrowing her eyes, she let him go. He landed on the bench but fell back, pulling his hood down by a bit. "Garwados. That fucker Rhasti is alive, isn't he."
Huffing, the younger man nodded. "Sucks how you figure that stuff out so fast."
She scoffed. "Rhasti's too canny to be killed by a mere indraht. And you're too smart for your own good. You knew I'd come."
"He knew you'd come. I'd watch your back, Crow." He smirked, moving to cross his legs. "Just because you know everything doesn't mean you can see what comes next."
"Try me." She stepped past him. "If Rhasti wants me dead, he knows to bring an army."
Nearing the counter, she internally smiled when the barman gently thumped a large black jug onto the wooden surface. Popping the cork open with ease, she ran her tongue over the jug's mouth before taking several long gulps of the alcohol. The sweetness and cool burn in her throat nearly made her moan.
Damn, that's some good bidhka...
One could hear a pin drop from the extended silence that ensued as she downed the jug in a few swallows. Once done, she lowered it and exhaled with a smile.
"Nice," she said to the barman, nodding with appreciation. She paused, considering something. Her smile widened. "Got any more of this?"
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[1] Cousins.
[2] Grandmother.
[3] A faifethi's spirit energy that is an indicator of their health.