Chapter 8

“I already sent Tulla over earlier with all the rest of the packages,” Cassie explained, bobbing in and out of the river with a deep, contented expression. “I suspect we're in for something quite exciting by the way she wouldn't stop giggling when she came back… wouldn't offer any details either, but said we might want to use what was in that bottle…”

Dianna frowned, staring at the now somewhat familiar container, unwilling to admit that she thoroughly enjoyed a proper shampooing when the opportunity arose, which, had become something of a slight familiarity to her as of late. Given it had only recently been reintroduced to her life, it still felt slightly strange to have it again. After what could possibly have been mere years since the campaigns started… luxury supplies from Cornin had all but dried up far quicker than everyone had hoped… Though, as Tavir had stated, it wasn't a bathhouse, at least having sanitation products again offered a close enough illusion to the real thing. Herbs and plants never quite scratched the self-pampering itch, as it were… From the corner of her eye, she could see her sister regarding her carefully. Not speaking what was on her mind, though she didn't need to either. The unspoken reality was that it had been—difficult to hide the fact this wasn't the first time the other woman had smelled such a thing on her, and, truth be told, had even been working up the courage to ask Arthur for some to—share with her sibling, even though she hadn't exactly asked for her own shampoo in the first place. No, that had come from Tulla.

Instead of speaking her mind, she grunted, falling back onto flippancy and snarls. “She’s spending a lot of time at that man's home…”

Her sister merely scoffed, clearly seeing right through her but playing along all the same to allow her little sister her pride. For whatever it was worth… “Oh, let her have fun!” She instead sighed, jostling her with an elbow to the side. Do you remember what it was like to grow up in real society? All the other children and games and plays! The food vendors in markets, fireworks and festivals? I realize it's hard to admit it; however, hunting bunnies and rats in the field doesn't exactly equate to the fun we had as kids. Besides, how I understand it is that Arthur is a perfectly respectable gentleman… P-perhaps a touch strange…” She admitted, allowing her voice to trail for a time before picking back up. “B-but, I stand by the fact that he’d be one of the most eligible bachelors within any city he chose to settle. He’s clean, articulate, intelligent, amazing with children and, supposedly, can even cook! If that weren't enough to entice more than a few ladies, then the notion that he’s also something of a genius would…”

“Why is the human all we seem to talk about lately?” Dianna moaned, sighing as she dunked her head in the river before coming back up and noting Cassandra’s look.

The other woman regarded Dianna coolly, watching her as she busied herself, scrubbing at her silvery hair, trying to gauge her sister's thoughts. After a moment, she simply shrugged, beginning to rinse and allowing a gentle sigh.

“Would you rather talk of the Tricen then?”

“You've found a lead?” Dianna asked, perking up a fraction.

“Yes, I tasked Jerimiah with picking up following the trail to retrace the miserable creature's steps to see if he could find anything after we all gave up… good waste of effort for all that was… But, interestingly enough, a few of the lads returning home from the expedition spotted something rather—unfortunate.”

“I don't like the look on your face…”

“No, I suspect you wouldn't… the news isn't good regardless… Cave network. That's what they think it was. Said the air itself coming from within reeked of the bastards… Tavir’s already sent a dispatch to Praetor Octavia, as well as our daughter… more so she remains aware of what's going on than anything else… Jade and Kilk have the run of it at the moment, taking care of posting watch rotations amongst those willing to volunteer. I doubt we’ll be caught off guard if any more choose to wander about, but…”

“Best to let the real soldiers handle it?” Dianna mused, her tone laced with a cynical tune.”

“Don't be like that, Dia; we both know our people, decimated as they are, could smash their way through anything they put their mind to it, above ground… Subterrania, however, is a different story… Utter bloodbaths, even for fully supplied and kitted veterans.”

“So whose coming then? Bianca?”

“Probably,” Cassandra admitted, though she didn't sound confident. “It would make sense for it to be her, all things considered, not because I’d put it passed command to miss the opportunity for what it was, but because she will like as not advocate for herself.”

Dianna considered that for a time, floating in the river as she was. There was no question that the higher-ups were performing at a duplicitous efficiency as of late. However, she shook her head at the thought rather than delve into that particular warren again… Instead, she bumped her sister with her tail and tried to steer away from darker thoughts. “You miss her?” she asked, glancing over to Cassandra, who nodded immediately.

“I do… every day of my life… Hmph… the girl seems intent on putting both her parent's careers to shame… hardly into her twenty-eighth year and already a centurion…”

“She takes after her father quite well, no?”

“Takes after her aunt more like it…” Cassie murmured, letting out a small and sarcastic chuckle as she did so, grinning at her sister meaningfully. “The girls got a talent for violence that I hear is rather familiar and well documented to be in the family, if you follow… Tavir was always better and commanding than he was fighting, and its no surprise that I ended up where I did, considering I was always more fond of magic than arrows and blades…”

“I remember she was a lot like Tulla when she was younger… Untamable, restless, bigger than others at her age.”

“She was… I hear that she’ll be getting some time for leave soon and wants to come to inspect where her parents have decided to hang their helmets, as it were… I don't doubt that she will fully intend to pull along her forces during their recovery period to embark on a little spelunking adventure. Mark my words here and now. It's absolutely how I’d spin it were I her, and she’s at least as smart as I am.”

“Young and yet thirsty for battle?”

“More like itching at the prospect of obtaining more cards… As I understand it, she hasn't been deployed to any meaningful fighting since her commission. Though, it worries me…”

“I agree, we're not exactly built for confined spaces… Give me an open sky any day of the year… the only reason the Tricen are even still breathing are their blasted tunnels…”

The sisters exited the river a time later, returning to their home and meeting up with an equally scrubbed Tavir. The old centurion was wearing his officer's regalia, and the grin on his face proved enough that he was utterly enthralled by the mystery and premise of it all…

“Dear, I haven't seen you this excited about something since Bianca got her promotion and we attended the ceremony…”

Tavir just laughed, his voice loud and boisterous as he puffed his chest. “Y-yes, well, it's not every day we get an opportunity to break out the formals!” Grinning, he reached up and tapped one of the adornments on his breast—the gleaming medals, each polished with meticulous care, shining even in the evening light.

Dianna looked down at herself as well, her outfit not quite as flashy as her brothers, but, nevertheless clean and laundered, the white and gray-trimmed ensemble the standard ceremonial garb presented to very—specific special-auxiliary legionnaires. Her cap, as did Tavir’s and Cassie’s, rested smartly on her head, tilted slightly off-kilter as was per design. Her own medals glinting in the soon-to-be evening light, nearly as many as Tavir’s own, putting her sister's rather unadorned breast to shame by comparison alone… The tiny trinkets felt foolish to be wearing now… once, they’d brought naught but pride and honour when flaunting them about, but, at this point, as they stood, in the middle of nowhere, they all sort of seemed almost… gaudy…

Tavir’s own outfit was predominantly black, her sisters blue, each representing a different branch of their people's armed forces. It made for quite the spectacle… no few villagers calling out to them with whistling cheers. Not much ever happened in the small village since they’d arrived, and though they were all still busy clearing out the mess, planning, organizing and stockpiling, it was no secret that, for many, retirement was considered boring. The advent of a strange foreigner in their midst had certainly riled up the settlement, but under Tavir’s strict orders, the majority of those curious had to bide their time. Tavir had not wanted any—miscommunications to lead to an untimely death… stating on more than one occasion that the strange individual known as Arthur was to be considered off-limits in an attempt not to spook him and drive him away. Naturally, neither Dianna nor her Daughter had necessarily followed that decree, but then again, She’d never really been under Tavirs direct command in the later stages of the campaign… Her willingness to follow his lead stemmed much more from a place of respect as her technical superior in both rank and age. Not that she wanted the command to begin with, considering her—views on politics as of late, but those were thoughts for another time.

The flight itself between their home and Arthur’s… RV, as he referred to it, was, at most, negligible. At full speed, Dianna could have gotten there in moments; however, as there was no immediate hurry, they all lazily flew the short distance together. There was an odd movement above, a strange flash of light, far further up than Dianna was expecting to see something, but she passed it off as a high-flying bird… A heartbeat later she noticed her daughter standing upon the now familiar white roof, waving her hands like a loon and directing them down to a new… structure below. She began wildly pointing at the tarped—construct, which Dianna identified as a sort of gazebo, only, somehow looking to be semi-permanent, like a tent designed to be open on all sides. Within was a rather large table, looking to be made out of an oddly perfect white material… Around it, chairs were arrayed, each designed in the imperial fashion, meant to seat bal while accommodating their tails and wings, the chairback slotted and with a curving spine to provide both comfortable support when seated as well as ample room for one's rear appendage.

The entire affair was raised upon a sort of dais, a secondary nearby platform with nothing on it but a red circle attached to the first whilst a set of stairs could be found nearby, all made of the same strange tile as the table… Dianna felt her ears twitch as they picked up upon a soft melody, some sort of stringed instrument and, possibly reed as well, offering cheerful ambiance to the sparkling array of crystal finery and polished silverware that rested in wait. There was a scent on the air that immediately made the demon's stomach growl with interest, saliva filling her mouth. What might very well have been the most tantalizing aroma she’d ever had the pleasure to experience wafting from below.

“Do you smell that, dear!” Tavir laughed, hooves clacking against the white tile as he landed, his nostrils flaring as he took a deep and luxurious breath.

“Tomatoes and fresh bread, garlic, and… other spices of a sort to be sure, but… I can't really put a name to any of them…”

“You've all got perfect timing!” Arthur called out, emerging from the outline of a strange outdoor oven not far away, grinning from ear to ear whilst wearing a curious black outfit.

It wasn't that far removed from a traditional suit that an aristocrat might wear in the capitol, Dianna mused. The design was not quite what she knew to be fashionably preferred, but the human certainly cut a dashing figure, clean-shaven and confidant. His jacket casually parted to reveal a rich dark blue shirt beneath. His dazzling smile gleamed as he practically exuded the perfect example of a young socialite.

“And here I was thinking I cleaned up well, my boy!” Tavir loudly proclaimed, reaching out to clasp the human's arm. Arthur, seemingly without the slightest hint of previous uncertainty around them, clapped the centurion on the shoulder in turn, leading him towards the table with a practiced ease.

“Do you have champagne here?” He asked, laughing, blue eyes gleaming as Tavir’s own shot wide.

“We do, but it is a rare and difficult to procure commodity, even in a city, an imported delicacy if you will. It’s only manufactured by a select few masters of their craft, and they're entirely secretive of its creation. Why do you ask?”

Arthur didn't bother offering a reply, moving over to a series of oddly squat bottles that were resting in buckets filled with ice. Even before he reached for one, popping the cork which exploded into the sky, Dianna knew what the man intended. Watching as a fountain of fizz erupted from the bottle's neck before the human poured the contents into an elegantly slim glass. Tavir took it with suspicion clear on his face, sipping at the fizzing substance within before barking a vibrant laugh.

“Ah! By the imperium! He’s managed to do the impossible!” Tavir downed the remainder, placing the delicate crystal on the table before helping himself to one of the chilling bottles. “Don't mind me lad, but tiny glassware isn't really my thing!”

“There's more than what's on the table, Tavir. Truth be told, I'm afraid that dinner is actually something my people eat entirely with their hands. Though it can be dined on with a knife and fork, that's all to say that decorum needn’t to be followed.”

Tavir simply nodded, grinning in agreement as he turned to face his wife. “Cassie! Come over here, he's got bubbly!”

Dianna watched as her sister accepted a crystal glass from their host, beaming at the young man as she delighted in the drink. The demoness herself simply following in her brother’s wake, taking a chilly bottle for herself and popping the cork, receiving a knowing wink from the human as he took a glass for himself.

“Tulla, would you like a drink? I, of course, do have a non-alcoholic version for her… it's more or less just carbonated juice but…”

“Ohh, let her at least try the champagne, Dianna! How rare is it that a child out in the country gets to indulge in such finery?”

“A single glass.” Dianna agreed, glancing at her daughter, who stared at her with wide doe-like eyes. “Then, she can have the juice, as Arthur suggested.”

Dianna caught the raised brow from her sister, meeting the older woman's eye, who, in turn, grinned playfully at her. She tried to play her decision off as a whim, but the truth of the matter was that she was feeling rather spirited… Be it the music or the drink, the cheery atmosphere or exposure to this little slice of civilization that had been absent from her life for so long, Dianna was discovering her mood to be rather improved from its usual dour state…

“What is this music, Arthur? It's wonderful but utterly unfamiliar.” Her sister asked, ears twitching to the rhythm of the song.

“We call it an orchestra, a collection of musicians all playing a grand multitude of instruments, many the same as those around them. There can be as few as a dozen or as many as hundreds, all performing in harmony with each other.”

“Yes, we as well have such things, but I’ll admit, I never thought it possible to hear such a thing so—perfectly as to make me believe I were seated in the stands themselves, not halfway to nowhere as we are at least!”

“Speakers, their sort of like little boxes that play music, but they really only extend the sound, hard to describe it without the proper frame of reference, but the song itself is only a recording.”

“A perfect recording,” Cassie stated, lids shut as she gently weaved to the sound. “It really is like being there in person…” She mused, clearly imagining the lights and stage and drama of it all. “I suppose this means you're making progress on replicating your people's technology then?”

“I am!” Arthur replied happily. “Tulla, would you like to show your aunt and uncle the new toy I’ve given you?”

Tulla beamed at being included with the adults, face all smiles and excitement as she leapt towards the roof of the RV, only to return a moment later carrying a small lensed device in both hands. Unlike the last supposed toy the man had given her, the strange colour cube that Dianna had seen her child stressing over for days on end, this one was a little different and yet unknown to her. Like the conductor in the song, she directed her family with a seemingly experienced eye, ordering the duo about as she had them strike a loving pose before the distant grasslands. There was a click, and, just like that, Tulla was cackling madly as she tipped and tapped with her hooves, hardly able to contain her excitement as the picture slowly printed itself within the camera. She pulled it out a moment later, waving it around as though it were her nation's flag, handing it to the bewildered couple who stared at the thing with open surprise.

“A tiny portrait!” Cassie exclaimed, quite pleased with what she saw. “Tulla, quick, before your uncle gets away from me, take some more!”

The tiny girl happily obliged, standing like a professional photographer as she offered suggestions and notes on how best to pose the pair. When it was all done, Cassie had a near dozen of the little photos in her hands, marvelling at them while her husband peered over from the side.

“Tavir, I want you to send some of these to Bianca when we get back; she’s going to be utterly delighted to see them!”

“Can they get larger?” The centurion asked, scratching at his chin with a thoughtful expression.

“Large as you want in theory,” Arthur nodded while biting his lip. “but I do have my limitations at the moment; chief among them is that I'm only having success creating small things right now… I need more souls, I think… but I’m still in the process of learning, so it's not exactly a priority for me.”

“Hmmm… you will come to me when you decide it's time to acquire more cards, yes? I shudder to think of the tragedy it would be if you weren't properly protected.”

There was a moment, small as it was, when Dianna caught the slight twitch in the human’s expression as he blatantly lied. Dianna did not call the man out on it, but she’d been wise to his not-so-helpless state for some time now… “I will, Tavir,” he stated with a smile. I’ve no interest in dying, of that you can be certain.”

Silently slipping away, Tulla made her way back towards her mother, standing before the demoness with a determined expression, chin firm and raised as she met her mother's eye. “Your turn mom, I want pictures of you too.”

For a moment, Dianna was planning to decline, but something in her chest seemed to quiver as she saw her little girl's desperation. Normally, life and its unapologetic brutality caused her to lean towards the stern end of things with the girl. Not from any place of dislike mind you, but, of love. She knew what it took to survive and had always ensured that her daughter would be prepared as she had never been by her own parents. Yet, on occasion, she understood that there could be room for a softer touch. Instead of a frown, only a wide smile found its way to her lips, her arms reaching down as she gathered her girl up and kissed her on the cheeks. “Where do you want me to stand?”

“Over there!” Tulla immediately replied, arm outstretched to where her aunt and uncle were still marvelling at their pictures. “It's the perfect spot! Auntie, Uncle, come stand over here!”

Everyone did as the little tyrant with a camera bade, Dianna releasing her girl as she walked over to the proposed spot, standing stock-still for whatever was to come as though she were on parade.

“You have to relax Mom, and Arthur; go over there too!”

“Me?” The human replied, beating Dianna to the punch as, simultaneously, both parties met each other's eyes.

“Go! It's no big deal! I just want a picture of you and my mom.”

Tulla’s tone had a certain finality to it that brokered no argument, Dianna opening her mouth to protest before closing it again as her daughter stared at her with desperate longing. Her jaw promptly closed, working for a time, eyes flickering to watch as the human approached, moving to stand next to her at a respectable distance.

“No, no, no, no, weren't you guys watching! You have to get closer! Like aunt Cassie and uncle Tavir!”

“Tulla…” Dianna began, trying to find words that would help portray the—issue. Flirting had been all well and fun, something to help pass the time with. And though Arthur wasn't her idea of ideal physical attraction, he was handsome enough in his own right, not to mention bright enough to verbally joust a little with her from time to time. It was the most she’d gotten in that regard from anyone for quite some time. The reality that she was quite intimidating not at all lost on her. Which, had made Arthur that much more intriguing, as unlike most who thought they knew better than to bother, he was more akin to a wolverine. Too brave for his own good.

Yet, the girl was defiant to the end, unwavering in her determination to see her desires met. She heard a small breath beside her before, to her utter shock, she felt a body press in close to her own, an arm wrapping itself around her waist as her entire person twitched with surprise. Then, against what felt to be her own mind, her wing draped itself over the man beside her, tail brushing against his back as her own arm moved to tighten their hold. She felt an equally surprised twitch from her partner, thanking the skies above that she wasn't alone in this feeling of—awkward proximity.

Tulla laughed as she took several pictures in rapid succession, not bothering to wait for the exposure period before demanding they hold still whilst running over to her aunt. There was a brief but quick explanation of how the device worked before Tulla was sprinting back towards them, colliding with their legs as she pressed herself into the middle of their pose. She might have been seeing things, but Dianna might have sworn she saw a small glimmer of water in her sister's eye as the woman followed Tulla’s directions and took the picture, then another once Arthur had reached down to scoop up her daughter, the girl squealing with delight as she pressed into them both. Dianna was on the verge of frowning, not because she wasn't enjoying her daughter's delight, but from the odd emotions that were running through her heart… However, she was saved from having to confront them as a sudden alarm resounded, bringing Arthur to immediate action as he disengaged, placing the little Tulla on the ground.

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“And that's dinner, everyone! Come on, find a seat; I’ll pull it from the oven!”

Dianna was dragged away by her daughter and led to the pristine table, wherein Cassie handed her a picture. She stared at the thing for several moments, marvelling at how lifelike the image was, then finding her thoughts slipping to the manner in which the human arm was around her waist, how happy her daughter looked in his arms, and also the rather uncommon face she herself was making. That was what happiness looked like, didn't it? How long had it been since Dianna was last aware she could look like this? When Tulla was born? Was that really how long it had been?

The hypnotizing scent that had been filling the air only redoubled its brutal effects on her stomach, the smell all-consuming as Arthur sauntered over, hands covered by strange padded mitts. He placed the large tray on the table, revealing the mysterious dish they’d all been looking forward to. Dianna wasn't sure what she’d been expecting, but this certainly hadn't been it… The thing was ridiculously round and oddly flat, a circle of freshly baked bread ringing a gooey mess of cheese, meats and vegetables that, in her mind, didn't sound that appetizing but, when presented in person, made her want nothing more than to take a bite.

“And what do your people call this meal?” Tavir asked, all but drooling, but, managing to keep his calm whilst doing unspeakable damage to the contents of his bottle.

“Pizza,” Arthur replied, raising a circular blade riveted to a handle as he began slicing the dish into triangles with swift and practiced movements. “there’s many variations on it and even more arguments as to which interpretation is best. But, the truth is, it's one of those meals that you can almost put anything into, so long as you chop it up and it goes well with bread, cheese and tomatoes. This one is more of a traditional example, salted sausage, peppers, onions… no olives, at Tulla’s request, but that's alright… We take bread dough and flatten it, rolling it out before pasting marinara sauce on it; add cheese, toppings and spice, and this is what you get. The trick is how you cook it more than anything else as there's a fine line between the crispy exterior and ruining the entire thing by burning it…”

Arthur began serving everyone around him, taking their plates and using an equally odd pie-shaped shovel to scoop the scalding delicacy piece by piece, the triangular slices nearly as large as the already large plates.

“Now, fair warning, it is rather hot when first out of the oven… I put out forks and knives because we're doing things a little formally here, but feel free to just pick it up from the end if you feel confident. It's how we all eat it anyway.”

Dianna met Arthur's eye as she accepted her plate, placing it before her while watching her daughter waste little time digging in. She quickly plastered her dusky cheeks with sauce but moaned with utter delight with the first bite.

“Also, don't worry about the mess; it's a messy dish. I suspect we might all have a little bit of what's going on with Tulla sooner or later…”

Cassie was second to try the meal, not attempting to pick it up as her niece had done, but, using her fork and knife with a civilized grace, slicing off the end and putting it in her mouth. Dianna watched as her sister's expression popped, an utterly dumbfounded expression plain to see for all before her while she chewed.

“That good? Her husband asked, fork and knife at the ready, but, as mystified by his wife's reaction as he was excited to eat.

Yet, all Cassie did was simply bob her head, no longer interested in talking, as she began determinedly cutting off another slice, as though trying to determine how its flavour was even possible.

“I’ll admit, I may have used Tulla as my taste-tester when it came to trying to figure out what best to make. Bit of a mad scramble to get done once you're peoples—caravan got back, but they did a smash-up job of it, and this is the result.”

“Hamburgers and gyro were close seconds!” Tulla offered, mouth stuffed with pizza to the point she could hardly be heard.

“As were the fried crisps and fish… She was also quite fond of several other dishes she’d seen in her shows. I expect the moment I manage the hang of real noodles, she’ll be all over anything with those… actually, anything with tomatoes is, honestly, what I’ve learned she likes.”

“A more than competent chef!” Tavir laughed, leaning back in his chair with a pleased look. “It's been a long time since I’ve been treated to such luxury, Arthur; I daresay I’d consider marrying you, even if you are a man!”

“Never was very good at cooking…” Cassie admitted, sipping from her glass and, as her husband was, enjoying the atmosphere.

“Neither was I, my love! Neither was I! But, I earnestly can't remember a time when I might have had something better… Tell me! How to fare you with a good steak?”

“I’ll have to show you,” Arthur replied, chucking as he did so. “It's rather nice to have company while eating again… I’ve always been something of a food critic, and I found the only real way to appease that part of me was to just make it myself.”

“It's delicious…” Dianna offered her slice already all but gone.

“Well, don't be shy; there’s more than enough for everyone to have seconds. One is good for me; I’ve been eating for what feels like a day with Tulla trying to figure out what to serve, but there is a desert portion of the meal.”

“You really didn't have to go this far out of your way…”

“Nonsense, Cassie, I enjoy it; there’s no better praise for a cook than watching those he served devour everything in sight. We can even make this all a regular event, sans the formal wear of course, sit down and enjoy a proper meal a few times a week…”

“I have to admit, Arthur, I certainly wasn't expecting this sort of thing from you when we first met… but, the more I see, the more I like… Tell me, what are your long-term plans? Will you settle down? Find a wife?”

“Tavir!” Cassie admonished, slapping him on the shoulder.

“What? He's a young, spry and talented lad! Why, I already have half a mind to send word to Bianca that I’ve found her a suitable match! Species be damned.”

The champagne was clearly reaching the old demon, his cheeks full of cheer and his head swimming with the music. However, from the corner of her eye, Dianna noted how Tulla stiffened with her uncle's words, growing intensely still as her sister shot her a sharp look.

“Well?” Cassie asked, turning to the young man across from her with a raised eyebrow. Honestly, it's not the worst idea my husband has ever had… Would you be interested?”

Dianna saw Arthur consider the question thoughtfully, clearly uncertain as all eyes fell upon him… yet, it was hers that his own briefly connected with, and a sensation of pride and, dare she say, even triumph filled her stomach as he did so. And in such a manner that she moved entirely on instinct. It wasn't obvious, not notable in any manner, except, of course, the briefest of shifts in the human’s expression. Though, like a phantom, the change in his demeanour switched back from surprise so quickly that even she wouldn't have been certain it had been there… But, it had been there, Dianna was certain of it, not only because she’d been watching him more intently than the others but because her tail was about the business of stroking his lap, winding itself around his chair, invisible to all save herself who was nearest, silently shifting around him. Arthur quickly put on a brilliant smile, running a hand through his shock of golden hair before he laughed with a good-natured chuckle.

“Heh, I ummm, I'm not sure, to be honest; I’m sort of enjoying what I have already… Truly, I’m sure she’d find me boring; nevertheless, I am quite different after all.”

“True, but young love can conquer all, as they say! Why, I remember a time when I was but a boy and had the pleasure of encountering one of the fey… Brings it all into perspective, I suppose, that aside from a few odds and ends, were all not that different to begin with… At least, that's how Little Tavir felt about seeing the woman walk through our streets wearing what was essentially a thin sheet.”

“Dear…”

“Yes, yes, I know, perhaps it isn't a good dining topic!”

“I rather suspect she had an—alternate meaning behind that one, Tavir…” Dianna smiled, first softly when she met her sister's gaze, then a little more ferociously while meeting Arthurs, something… animalistic and primal bleeding through her emotions.

“Tell her she’s beautiful, Tavir!” The human urged, not at all having missed the issue at hand himself…”

“Ah, yes, of course, my love! You don't need me to say it! After all, there’s no other woman I’d ever choose to be with but you! A perfect match we are! Even if neither of us can cook.”

Dinner ended with the total annihilation of the evening's main course, the pizza having been as much as a smash hit as Tulla had implied it would… not even so much as a single errant topping left to remain… He took the platter away, pleased everyone had enjoyed themselves, but, was unsure if they were quite filled to bursting. The bal could certainly pack it away like nobody's business, and that included the wine. It made Arthur feel like next time, and, as it happened, he found he did want there to be a next time, he would have to consider doubling the portions… As it was, the desert he’d pulled from his RV’s oven earlier in the day made its way out to four sets of fixated eyes…

“Black Forrest, my personal favourite… Bit of a pain in the ass to make given what goes into it, but Tulla and I figured it out.”

“I was there to help Arthur pick the best chocolate icing!” Tulla proclaimed proudly, lifting her chin as she did so.”

“She’s leaving out the bloody week I spent pulling my hair out, forgetting Coacoa needed to be fermented…” He added, not needing to act as exasperated as he clearly felt.

“When was the last time we saw a cake?” Cassie asked, the effects of champagne getting to her head as well. “Ten, fifteen?”

“Years?” Tavir mused, stroking his chin in wistful thought. “Yes, something like that… but, even then, this seems to make all the memories look a little—provincial…”

“Hmhmhm, humans love our food; if we’d be known for anything, I’d be that, I'm sure, or the booze…” Arthur laughed, placing the delicate-looking tower of sweetness on the table, pulling out a new knife to begin serving.”

“Where in the imperium’s name did you get so much chocolate anyway?” Cassie asked, accepting a plate from Arthur but yet refusing to actually take a bite… “Looks like artwork…”

“Tulla! Tulla, my dear! Come, where's your little device? We should have taken a picture of one of the strange pies as well, but we should at least get one of the cake! Two or three, actually! Biannca won't even know what's going on out here when I send her this!”

Arthur couldn't help but laugh with their joy, finding an odd elation in seeing everyone around him so happy… It was the best he’d felt for a long time… Was this what his mother felt when she was cooking Christmas dinner with her extended family all around her? Everyone laughing and making merry? The jokes, the teasing and the stupor of cheer? He’d never understood it then… taken it for granted, being somewhere a little over Tulla’s age himself the last time his entire family got together… Idly, he wondered how his siblings and parents were doing… Surely they hadn't been on the best of terms with him when he left the university, but did they miss him? Did they wonder what happened when he suddenly—left? Would any of them, himself included, ever—get the closure they probably all longed for? His thoughts were derailed when a tiny bump at his shin brought him back to the world; Arthur looking around as though trying to figure out what was going wrong, only to see everyone staring at him with… was that concern? He blinked, finding hot tears running down his cheeks, offering a stark surprise for the young man who, until that point, had been so full of revelry, just as everyone else. He quickly wiped them away on his sleeve, mask returning as he grinned widely.

“It's nothing; just some thoughts of home are all. Getting together like this reminded me of some nicer memories I had of my parents at the holidays…”

“Nothing to be embarrassed about!” Cassie quickly said, smiling as she placed her fork down. “Were they nice? Your family?”

“Terrible!” Arthur chuckled, spearing his cake with a lonely smirk. “Each and every one of them utterly insufferable and impossible to get along with… didn't mean I didn't love them though… The only time we ever saw each other after I moved for school were the major celebrations, and even then, I started attending them less and less as the years went on... Too much drama, politics and fighting…”

“It happens,” Tavir nodded gravely, playing with his open bottle while staring at his plate. I don't speak with my brothers either… politics as you said, is the—best way to describe the reason… But, I was once told that family is who you choose to spend your time with as much as it is those you're born to! And, I think I speak for everyone here that you will always be welcome in our home, Arthur… just remember to bring the Wine!” Tavir shouted, raising his bottle with a grin, immediately returning the cheery mood about the table…

The next morning, Arthur was wide awake and already scrambling eggs. There were seven of the things left over in his fridge from his chickens, and he knew they had to be made before going bad. He used the remains of the onions and peppers from the pizza, added cheese from the wheel he’d purchased with the help of the village, and fried potatoes with what bacon still remained in the freezer. A—treat he’d been holding onto for some time that felt as though he could, for some reason, finally let it go.

He was aiming for a well and true farmer's breakfast, which was already forming up to be quite the heaping of food. He cooked outside, a beer in hand, preparing a small feast in his large skillet, intuition telling him he might have guests. Sure enough, his spybot alerted him to two approaching figures from the air, Arthur grinning to himself with a knowing smile as he heard hooves touch down nearby after a short span of stirring the meal.

“Good morning!” He drawled, waving with his beer-filled hand, not bothering to look their way.

“Morning Arthur! Oh! Good! You're making breakfast! I told Mom that you would be, but I still had to drag her away from the—porridge…” Tulla’s face scrunched at the thought of whatever was so terrible as to cause her actual emotional distress… Merrily pushing into his side for a hug without the slightest hint of shame.

“Good—morning Arthur…” Dianna added a few moments later, meeting his eye with her bright purple crosses as she too, approached. “We won't be intruding, will we?”

“I made more expecting company.” He winked, gesturing towards some plates on the nearby countertop with his chin. “You want to eat around the fire or, at the table?”

“Table!” Tulla immediately called out, racing towards the white tile and leaping up without much difficulty.

“Dianna, can you bring this over? I'm going to grab some ketchup.”

“What’s ketchup?” The tall demon asked, tilting her head as she reached down, picking up the cast-iron pan without gloves and looking entirely unconcerned by the heat.

Arthur found himself staring at the sight for several seconds before shrugging, standing from his chair and offering his answer. “More tomatoes, really, only with sugar.”

Unsurprisingly, Tulla found herself to be entirely devoted to the idea of putting ketchup on food, the girl eating as much of it as the breakfast itself with every bite…

“It's really good… Can you cook everything and make it tasty?” Dianna asked, having also tried the ketchup but to a much more muted degree…

“Not exactly. The flavour comes from experience; not everything just tastes good when you slop it together; it's all sort of like chemistry, or, alchemy, I suppose… trial and error with what you don't know and tweaking with what you do. Comes down to practice, really.”

Arthur had noticed that Dianna’s tail had returned to his side, again, seeming to wrap itself around him, though, unlike the first time they’d met, it was with a decidedly more covetous context than deadly… It made him feel as though she were letting him know her intentions, even if they hadn't been spoken aloud, if anything, making it easier to read her thoughts as the woman had thus far traditionally made a habit of either sneering or frowning… He found himself rather enchanted by the change… her face was almost otherworldly in its exotic beauty… which, he supposed, was actually something of the truth…

“Tavir tells me that you intend to try and procure better cards through the labyrinth at some point… is that true? I know you two were discussing things off on you're own last night but…”

“It is, still, I don't think I'm going to venture down there quite yet… I hear it's dangerous… and I’d be a fool going into something like that without certain… preparations…”

“That's good to hear… I’ve gone more than a few times myself… The first floor is nothing if you can survive in the wild out here without anything that can't be taken with you on your back… or money. And of course, discounting outlaws, but every floor lower than that gets markedly harder to deal with…”

“How many levels are there?”

“Nobody knows. But, I made it alone to the fifth level when I was younger and stupid, it was a lot of blind luck, really, but it's typical for most to people to only manage the second, sometimes the third if their properly trained and outfitted… the leap in danger starts to get exponentially worse after that…”

“Do people… team up to make it easier?”

“They do, but it's not what one might call a—solution, not a perfect one. The more people you bring, the more you have to share what you find, and, eventually, there is a breaking point between the value you achieve on your own and that which you find with others… Either way, I don't think I’d like to let you down there without seeing what you can really do first.”

“Let me?” Arthur asked, an eyebrow raised at the implication.

Dianna merely leaned forwards in her chair, elbows pressing against the table as she stared at him with a quiet intensity, tail wrapping around him even tighter like a constricting snake. Problematically, the way she was—pressing herself against the table made her rather prodigious chest all but bloom with an expanding swell that was hard to ignore… Given her tunic had what the cultured of society named a boob-window… the poor threads fighting a desperate and losing battle to keep the garment tight and snug. As it happened, the smirk on the demon's face, when Arthur found himself stupified by the hypnotic motion at her chest, was all he needed to know it had been intentional.

“Captured am I?” He grinned, having seen this sort of coming throughout the nights following their evenings by the fire and, admittedly, having played along well enough. “We're going to need a bigger place than my RV.” He grinned, a hand reaching down to stroke at the constricting appendage's smooth, somewhat silicon exterior. It might be a little fast, it was true, but it wasn't like Arthur hadn't had his one-night stands or been labelled as a new boyfriend after one or two dates. And, at this point, it wasn't like they hadn't been sharing each other's company on a near-nightly basis for at least some time each day. Oddly, given their rough start, he liked Dianna; she could be gruff, rough around the edges of her personality, but also—caring, while having a tendency to be refreshingly blunt.

“What are you two talking about?” Tulla demanded, eyes narrowing on the pair and sensing something to be off.”

“I plan on claiming Arthur as your father dear.”

Claimed was exactly how Arthur felt this whole thing was going down… yet, for all the connotations of being—expropriated by someone else, it still warmed his heart to see how bright the little demon's face became at the news. He liked Tulla as well, even if it was with an entirely different set of emotions.

“Arthur’s going to be my dad?”

“He is.” Dianna stated, her tail tightening a fraction further, tip sliding carefully across his back, a sensual promise as much as a warning not to refute her claims.

“No complaints here…” Arthur smiled, sensing he might be achieving something that was on every nerd's bucket list in the near future…

Later when the—squealing had subsided, as well as the hugs and kisses and promises that she’d be the perfect daughter, Arthur suggested she retire to watch some cartoons in the RV. Handing the young demon a special card that he’d been planning to give her anyway, but, that seemed so much more than it really was following the previous announcement. The demons had been right… It had taken an ocean of weak souls to bring the single card up in ranks so that he was confident Tulla would understand the shows as much as he understood the demons…

“Where did you get another translation card?” Dianna asked while the pair still sat at the table, finishing what was left of breakfast; Dianna eating enough for three.

“Who’s to say I didn't give her mine?”

Arthur was given a frankly flat and unimpressed look, one which he knew betrayed exactly how the beautiful woman felt about that answer…

“Well, I’ve been claimed by a breathtaking titanic demon goddess; I suppose secrets aren't exactly something that will be easy to keep…”

That earned Arthur a slight blush from the woman across from him, chin tilting a fraction downwards in a manner that was entirely too coy to resist staring at, especially coming from an eight-foot murder machine with—arms the size of his thighs... Dianna’s tail pressing into him as if in admonishment and threatening to knock him off the chair. He knew everyone liked compliments, hell, he liked compliments, but something about the way she was reacting just—did things for him that were kind of hard to ignore…

“Heh, flirting aside, I’ve come to expect what I can do isn’t exactly… normal even for—what seems like you're fundamentally different—realm… ugh… Lacunae… It's quite honestly probably something that I’d be killed over, and there's even a little footnote about my soul being obliterated the moment I die…”

“That's not something to joke about, Arthur.” The demoness deadpanned, her prior playful attitude somewhat fading in moments.

“Call it a defence mechanism…” Arthur laughed, though it was a dark thing at best. It took him a moment, but he made a decision he’d been mulling over for some time as he stared into the alien woman’s strange eyes, reading genuine worry, confusion, anger, yes, as was somewhat normal for her but also affection. She did care after him on—some level, though whether the feeling had begun as a desire to find a father for her daughter, her own interest or, even his evident wealth, it didn't really matter now… They’d agreed to take their budding feelings to the next stage, and, as he knew, relationships not built upon honesty were rarely long for the world… It wasn't like he wasn't getting anything out of the deal, either. As, so far as he could tell, Dianna was the biggest thing in the skies, and to have that apex predator watching over him, taking him under her wing of authority and protection, was—likely as good as he could hope for.

He liked Tavir, he really did, but there was a distinct difference in their relationship. A, shall he say, working friendship that was more built on mutual greed than much of anything else, as it currently stood. With Dianna, however, he would be family. Not just in title whilst spoken through a drunken haze but true family. And that was worth more than any assurances that the larger demon man could give him. So, the decision made, Arthur held his now fiance’s gaze and dropped the largest secret he still had on her like an anvil falling from the sky.

“Honestly, it does keep me up at night more than… well, needless to say, it does worry me… But, It also comes with—certain benefits…” He stated, watching the demoness closely as she patiently waited for an explanation, Arthur smiling with a ruefull expression as he continued. “What If I told you that I can—change soul-cards?”