Should she kill them?

The longer the two strange females lingered, the more uncomfortable Little Water became. If the encounter was to come to violence, initiative would be valuable. The problem was their confidence. It gave her pause as she knew it wasn’t false, not a hint of fear or anxiety on either of them. That meant they had something to be confident about, despite the situation. A lifetime in the brood meant she couldn’t bring herself to underestimate a strong female.

Was she letting old fears deprive her of an opportunity? Or were older instincts trying to save her life?

“Did your mother raise you with no reason?” Little Water hissed. “Unless you mean to make enemies of us, you will state your name and purpose.”

The pink-eyed one chuckled. “A trespasser is disparaging us for treating it with no regard. Funny. Lou will like that.”

“Should we make enemies of it?” the other asked, a long tongue licking its bottom lip.

“As much fun as that would be, our summoner has other designs.” The pink-eyed one bowed, the subservient gesture ruined by the deviant flicks of her tail. “I am Geneva, a humble servant.”

The second female copied the gesture. “Fen, a humbler servant.”

They raised their heads together. Little Water fought not to flinch as the danger in the air intensified. “As for why we’re here,” Geneva practically purred, an attractive sound to those who couldn’t recognize the threat of it. “That much should be obvious. Now, it is your turn. Who are you and what do you seek here?”

It had to be now. Little Water’s identity and purpose couldn’t be met by anything but violence. This was the last moment she would hold the advantage, if she had any advantage at all.

“I wouldn’t,” Geneva said lazily. “Attack us, that is. You, we will keep alive, but the ones behind you will die.”

“They would be proud to give their lives for the brood.” How did the pink-eyed one know her intentions? It wasn’t a large leap in logic given the situation, but the certainty and timing of the words seemed like more than mere observation.

“Yes, they would be. But will it be the brood they die for? No. It will be for nothing. You are…their leader. Their caretaker. Their…mother? But not quite. Interesting.”

Cold dread chilled the end of Little Water’s tail. She recognized the creature’s method of throwing probing words to dig deeper into another’s thoughts.

The pink-eyed one, no, Geneva, was a mental affinity user. From the details she’d uncovered and how quickly she uncovered them, a skilled one. Enough to rival one of her good sisters. Perhaps even her greater ones.

If so, they were horribly outclassed, no matter their numbers.

“It would be a cruel mother that sacrifices her children.”

Little Water glared at the females. Did the second one also have the mental affinity? And the same amount of training? Did it matter? Geneva was enough of a threat.

She could see no road to victory, running would cost her far too much if it were at all possible, and they had already admitted they didn’t want to kill her. If she were to be taken hostage, they would take her into the Teppin dwelling, where she sought to go anyway. Allowing herself to be detained by a superior enemy was dangerous but there was only one logical course of action.

Moving slowly so that her intentions weren’t misunderstood, Little Water removed her cloak, throwing it aside. Then she knelt, pressed her belly to the ground, and extended her tail straight out. There was no deeper submission and she had to swallow down the wave of embarrassed rage taking such a pose before another creature besides her mother invoked. “We surrender.”

“A sensible thing, at least,” Geneva said with a chuckle.

“One that hasn’t forgotten where it rightly belongs,” Fen added. Little Water’s jaw flexed as she resisted the urge to hiss.

“But it doesn’t have a good memory. It forgot to answer our questions. Stand up, stupid thing, and come along. You can speak on the way.”

Little Water rose to her feet. With motions of her tail, she signaled for the nameless to follow peacefully as the females waved for her to walk toward the dwelling, keeping pace on either side of her. “I am Little Water.”

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“A translation? She does not mean Little as the Common tongue means it.”

“You have spent too long dabbling in the mind of your pet, Fen. It is making you rusty.”

“Forgive my incompetence.”

Little Water noticed Geneva’s tail whipped at the speed of amusement. “It is indeed the closest translation of her own tongue to Common. A title, one tied to achievement and responsibility. As she is merely Little Water, we know what to think of our little trespasser, don’t we?”

“How?” From the moment she determined they wielded the mental affinity, Little Water had been working to control her thoughts, keeping the darkness of the warren’s tunnels at the forefront of her mind. The fact that the creature had read so much despite her efforts was monstrous and horrifying.

“Never mind that. You have another question to answer.”

“…if you are what I think you are, then you know already.”

“Answer the question, little brood mother.”

“I am here to retrieve my human, the one named Khan.”

“Oh? Not Lancecain as well?”

“The yellow-maned one is not one of mine.”

“He could have fooled us, working on your behalf as he is.”

“He works on his own behalf.” The source of his loyalty was self-preservation, not any admiration or empathy for the estrazi or their duty.

“I see. Then, should you retrieve Khan, will you leave peacefully?”

“You know the answer.”

“And should you not?”

“…you know the answer to that as well.”

Geneva chuckled. “Oh, Lou is going to adore you.”

“This…Lou. You have mentioned the name many times.”

“I have.”

Little Water was starting to think the red-eyed creature enjoyed playing games. “Will you tell me of them?”

“There’s no need. You will meet the individual soon enough.”

“Who is this being to you? Another of your kind?” One thing Little Water was sure of, this Lou being was their superior. They both spoke the name with subservience, if not admiration or reverence. That likely meant it was another female of great power and intellect.

Or this was another part in the pink-eyed one’s game.

“Not one of us,” Geneva answered. “And your thoughts are right, though the logic behind your assumptions so amusingly flawed. Lou is female and powerful. She’s responsible for all of this after all.”

Little Water followed the waving hand to the destruction surrounding the dwelling and dread enveloped more of her tail. “…alone?”

“Without sustaining a single injury.”

Another great magic user then. Or perhaps something more to command the two monsters escorting her.

“As for what she is to us…everything. And to you, she shall be the same.”

“I think—"

“After all, she controls the fate of the human you have risked so much to rescue.”

Little Water’s tail flicked in annoyance. She had surmised as much. Those with power made decisions. It made sense that the strongest should command the fates of all within her territory. “I care for Khan, but I am my mother’s daughter first, estrazi second, and only Little Water third. I will not be taken in by another so easily.”

“Easily? No. But taken, you will be. By love or fear, that is the only question. I suggest you prepare yourself.”

Little Water would have preferred to ask Geneva more questions, as nothing calmed her more than proper insight, but the creature ignored her, forcing her to use other means to compose herself. She preferred a long trek through the snow to calm her mind when restless, but that was impossible.

It forced her to settle for a spell, fire and air nameless working together to shroud her in frosty air. It was a poor substitute, but the chill helped to clear her mind. When they crossed the threshold of the dwelling, she was completely focused, ready to leap out of the way of danger or take advantage of the slightest opportunity.

Neither waited in the large welcoming room. There was a rather odd sight of a human male in a dress wiping the frame of a painting, clothing she’d thought meant to identify females. He froze when they entered, his mouth opening to ask a question or raise a protest, but he was stopped. He didn’t stop himself, something else was responsible. Little Water could tell from the way his throat flexed.

“Go and fetch the mistress of the house,” Geneva said, pink eyes glowing with mana for a moment.

The man released a strange sound as he was released from the effect of her magic and hurriedly walked off while rubbing his throat. He returned shortly after with two people in tow. The first she recognized as the yellow-maned human. Lancecain.

He seemed whole and healthy, his lack of escort suggesting he had found the healer he believed could cure his sight. It was a small relief. He had been helpful and it was the way of the estrazi to see good service rewarded. His features were scrunched with what Little Water had learned to recognize as confusion and he kept trying to meet her gaze. Unfortunately, it was entirely focused on the second person brought in by the strange man.

A human female with dark skin and dark hair, made brighter by streaks of violet. She was dressed in a simple shirt and pants that fit her frame well, a sign of money according to her human. Her well-defined arms and her easy smile as she stared down nearly two dozen strangers of unknown intentions spoke to her power, but that wasn’t what drew Little Water’s attention and refused to release it.

“Interesting,” Geneva said before chuckling darkly. Little Water hardly noticed, an old memory occupying most of her mind.

“A majesty draped in the colors of a roaring fire, with scarlet eyes that gleamed like rubies. Those beneath her wings mistook her glory for the setting sun, as she stole heat from the world with each beat of her wings. Those who followed her knew her as the inextinguishable blaze, the purest example of the majesties’ might that crushed those that sought to defy the natural order of the world. So striking was her appearance, it was known to all, her visage the guardian of holy places. So striking, that the sign of corruption was obvious to any that witnessed it. A violet gaze that disdained the world…”

A violent gaze that disdained the world, just like the one Little Water stared into now. It wasn’t enough on its own but combined with her father’s message that Khan would fall into the hands of a second calamity, she could only draw one conclusion.

“Maybe my luck is turning around,” the calamity said with no small amount of humor. “I was just going to find you, lizard. I have so many questions.”