After they were sure that Pietro was dead and his ghouls vanquished, they concentrated on treating their wounded and… mourning the dead. War always brought death with it. Even short wars.

To make sure the fallen goblins would not rise at night, they burned the bodies while the skin-changers ate their perished brethren. Master Bee led the prayer for the dead to see their souls off to the Green Lands while smoke and ash rose to the sky like a bird taking flight.

Thank you, Cassio thought: I will never forget what you did for me… and sacrificed for me.

It was a sobering thought. People had died because of his choices… people who had willingly put their lives in his hands because they had trusted him. The title of a lord had never felt heavier. He wondered if his uncle had ever felt like this during the Twelve-Year-War… or his ancestor King Eld when he had led the rebellion against the Screaming Dragon Girusai.

Once the dead had been attended to, Cassio made sure to meet everyone who had been injured while fighting for him.

He shook hands with goblins who had been hurt fighting for him and patted the heads of skin-changer bears who just the other night would have killed him. His duel with the bear prince could have taken place a thousand years ago. While walking through the camp they had built in the shadow of the tower, he passed by master Bee and the sloth bear. None of them said anything. They didn’t need to, and they just nodded to each other respectfully.

While making his rounds in the camp, Cassio tried to imagine his uncle visiting the wounded and talking to his men after a battle. Had the same thoughts gone through his uncle’s head?

He doubted it.

If they had, uncle would not have been so eager to go to war with Osetaria again. The goblins who had been happy to march with him looked… haunted by the battle. There was little glory in war… except for the dead. The living had to clean the battlefield after the fighting.

Despite the number of injured, Bee was adamant that they would return to their tribe after only one day and night of rest. There were no complaints among the goblins. Pietro’s tower made everyone uneasy and when Cassio looked at it, he couldn’t help but think of a vampire’s talon sticking out of the ground.

But there was one more wounded who stayed hidden until the sun had set.

When night fell, Elysa dug her way out of the ground.

Her father had prepared a coffin for himself in the tower, but Elysa had taken one look at it before declaring that she would sleep outside. Under the earth. Cassio couldn’t help but shiver when he saw the way Elysa rose from the ground. With Little Ant standing next to him, he tried to stay stoic.

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They had been lucky to get away with a few minor injuries and the one hurt the worst was Elysa from being singed by the sun. Sleeping in Wyrding soil had helped her and the burn marks were already fading and the burned off hair was growing back. After sleeping all day, she looked hungry. Cassio rolled up his sleeve and offered her his wrist.

“Drink.” Cassio said.

“You can have mine too.” Little Ant said and put out her hand: “We can’t be weakened by too much blood loss.”

Elysa smiled and Cassio wondered if she had ever smiled like that as a human. She looked so… free. For the first time he realized that he could have loved her… but he could not have made her happy. Birds belonged to the sky. Not in cages. Even if the cage was made of gold.

“Thank you. Both of you.” Elysa said.

Cassio had been prepared to feel… violated like when Pietro had drunk his blood, but Elysa’s fangs slipped through his skin so seamlessly that he barely noticed. She drank his blood without pain and when she moved on to Little Ant, Cassio studied his wrist. The small wound had already begun to close and heal. By tomorrow it could have been an old cut that had scarred over years ago.

“We will return to the Hillside Tribe tomorrow. You can fly ahead of us or take one more day to rest.” Cassio said.

Elysa wiped her mouth and then bit her lip.

“I am not coming back with you.” Elysa said.

Cassio looked at her shocked but Little Ant didn’t seem surprised.

“What?”

Elysa looked at her talons and smiled.

“Cassio… I get it. I understand why you are always running off into The Wyrding. I mean… when adventure calls, how can you not answer?” Elysa said and looked at them: “I would like to have one now. My own adventure.”

Cassio crossed his arms uneasily when he thought how he would explain this to Nuncio.

“What about your family?” Cassio said.

“I have already said my goodbyes and it’s not like it will goodbye forever. But The Wyrding is out there, and I want to see it. Mom… will understand. Nuncio will too. In time.”

Sadness… melancholy… yearning… excitement… wonder… He could see all that on Elysa’s face. Becoming a vampire made you faster and stronger than any mortal. Cassio wondered if vampires could also feel more intensely.

Then… there was a spark of anger.

“I kept you safe from my father. The best I could. And not just you. Francesca and Emilia and the rest of your household.” Elysa said.

“Yes.” Cassio said and steeled himself for what he knew was coming.

“And when you came back to your senses… you would have hurt me.” Elysa said.

Little Ant shivered at the memory and Cassio could not bear look at either of them.

“Yes…” He admitted.

“You have wronged me.” Elysa said.

“… yes…”

“I demand compensation.” Elysa said and stared at him so intensely that Cassio couldn’t help but meet her red gaze: “Look after my family.”

Cassio nodded.

“I will.”

“Swear it.” Elysa said.

Cassio put his hand on his chest.

“I swear by…”

By what? His honor? It seemed vulgar to talk about honor in front of a woman he had almost raised his hand against. What honor did he have to swear by? Not his own that much was certain.

“I swear by Sal’s honor. I will look after your family.” Cassio said.

Elysa seemed pleased by his vow.

“Nuncio is brave but… he’s not used to being alone.” Elysa said and bit her lip: “He’ll need friends when I’m not there and mom…”

“I will look after them.” Cassio said.

“Nuncio and your mother also have me and the rest of my tribe.” Little Ant said.

Elysa grinned.

“I know.”

The two women shook hands and then embraced like old friends.

“Blessing of the Quiet upon your journey, Elysa Capello.” Little Ant said.

Elysa gave her a sisterly smile.

“And blessing of the Dark upon yours, Little Ant.”

Cassio scratched the back of his hair awkwardly feeling like he was intruding.

“I don’t follow a Path, but I know what Sal would say. Blessing of the Wild upon your journey, lady Capello.” Cassio said on his friend’s behalf.

“Tell him that he has my blessing.” Elysa said and then looked at the moon and stars: “I think I need to go. I want to fly.”

“Then fly.” Little Ant said.

Elysa smiled and then… in an explosion of feathers turned into an owl even taller than Cassio. There was a gush of wind when she flapped her mighty wings and Elysa took flight. The few goblins and skin-changers who were awake looked at the soaring vampire with fear… but also awe and respect.

A feeling Cassio shared.

It was a humbling thing. Seeing the birth of a night god. A true hero of the Dark. He hoped Pietro could see it from whatever hell he was burning in. That he had never broken his children.