Your appetite was as fire.

Like a great fire, consuming all.

Your hunger was indiscriminate,

Everything before you was devoured.

-Anonymous

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Olivai pulled the door open with a sigh, looking out at Avynne. The Madarai was intensely watching Daveen’s motionless body, her normally uneasy expression screwed into determination.

Miro rolled out behind Olivai, burbling loudly, and Avynne glanced up. “Did…” She stiffly stood up, brushing her feathers off and hooking her talons on each other. “Did your talk go well?”

Olivai seemed surprised. “I’d thought you would be listening, but in a manner of speaking, yes. I possibly shouldn’t have asked you to leave, but I wanted to have some privacy. Would you mind explaining what happened in some more detail? Miro can’t exactly… communicate very well. No offense intended.” She ended the sentence with a note of apology. Miro didn’t mind too much. It couldn’t even talk - if anything, it was an understatement.

Avynne happily obliged, describing the events as they’d happened as accurately as possible. When she came to the part where Daveen was messing with Olivai’s clothes, Miro released an angry burble, but quickly fell silent when Miro’s attack came in.

Once she finished telling what had happened, they all turned to look at the unconscious Daveen. Olivai looked disgusted. “Miro… I don’t know how to phrase this, but this is absolutely a good reason to attack someone. Especially if they attack you first.”

A massive weight came off of Miro’s gel, and tension it hadn’t been aware existed left its body. It’d been worried about what might happen, but if it was alright to pick Daveen up and spin him really fast - under these circumstances, of course - then perhaps everything would turn out alright.

Crouching next to Daveen, Olivai gave him a none-too-gentle slap on the side of the face. “Wake up.”

His eyes slowly creaked open, and he stared groggily at Olivai. His face split in a slow smile, and he puckered his lips, leaning upward.

Olivai jumped back, startled. “Daveen! What are you doing!?”

Daveen shot to his feet, very suddenly awake. “Priestess! I - what?” He looked at Avynne, and then at Miro, and paled. “I can explain!”

“What were you doing with my clothes?” She demanded, and Daveen took a step backward.

He almost fell down the flight of stairs, teetering briefly, but managed to regain balance at the last moment. “I promise, priestess, I can explain all of this! The Madarai and the slime burst in while I was…” He faltered for a moment, then picked back up with confidence in his voice. “While I was inspecting your clothing for impurities!”

Olivai raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “What?”

Daveen nodded, gaining traction. “Impurities! There is a very good chance that the slime has been leaving impurities on your clothes while you travel with it, and I wanted to ensure that your clothes were completely clean. Unfortunately, the Madarai and the slime startled me at the worst possible timing, hence the misunderstanding.”

The area in front of Olivai’s room was quiet for a long moment as everyone present stared at Daveen. Finally, Olivai asked, “You are, of course, talking about Miro, correct?”

Daveen nodded, and Olivai continued, “The slime who I made a point of stating is immune to purification?”

Daveen almost nodded again, then froze. “Wait, I-”

Olivai forged ahead. “Which would mean that it wouldn’t have any of those impurities?”

Pausing with his mouth open, Daveen stood stock-still, and then feebly finished, “I… may have forgotten about that.”

Olivai leaned her head back, eyes closed. “Didoa, forgive me,” she muttered.

Daveen looked a bit worried. “I’m sorry, what did you-”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Grabbing Daveen’s shirt, Olivai solidly punched him in the face. There was a loud crunch of fist meeting nose, and he yelped in shock. Avynne let out an excited chirp of glee, a sound which Miro wholeheartedly agreed with.

Daveen stumbled back, then felt his nose. Staring at the blood leaking from it, he raised his vision to Olivai. “You punched me!?” He shouted.

Avynne was practically dancing in place, feathers fluffed out. “Punch him again!” She screeched excitedly, and Miro glanced up at her. She looked delighted to see Daveen get hit.

Wiping his nose, Daveen demanded, “Why did you do that!?"

Avynne swung to Olivai, eyes sparkling. “Can I hit him now?”

Olivai shook her head, and Daveen asked again, “What was that for? You’re supposed to be a priestess of kindness! Kindness! What was kind about that!?”

Raising a finger, Olivai clarified, “I asked Didoa for forgiveness. She wouldn’t approve, but from what Avynne tells me, you deserved it.”

Daveen’s eyes narrowed. “You believe her over me!? I’m a servant to the church!” He pointed a shaking finger at Avynne, unaware of the blood dribbling out of his nose. “She’s a Madarai! The Bishops’ dictate - and the Testament’s decree - states that only those in the image of Didoa may serve beneath her!”

“Then what were you doing to my clothes?” Olivai challenged, and Daveen froze. “I don’t care if you’re human! Do you think Didoa wants us to only be kind to those that look like us!?”

“Yes!” Daveen barked. “There is far more strength to be had in unity! We have no claws or feathers or natural weapons. We have to stick together!” He appealed, and Olivai’s face screwed up in disgust.

“Why did you even join the church?” She asked. She sounded genuinely confused, and Miro couldn’t blame her. Olivai and Daveen were about as different as they could be.

Daveen paused. “Well, I-” He stuttered to a stop. “I…” The anger drained out of his face, to be replaced by uncertainty. “I don’t remember.”

Olivai sighed. “Daveen… I’ll ask one more time, and I’ll get Otto if I think you’re lying. What were you doing with my clothes?”

Daveen’s mouth opened wide, and then closed. He seemed to consider his words for a moment, and then finally admitted, “I thought they would smell nice.”

Miro experienced a curious sensation of both fury and confusion. On one hand, Daveen had caused this much trouble over something as trivial as scent. On the other, were humans incapable of smelling things like Miro? The slime could taste the scents of everyone on the staircase perfectly well, and even into Olivai’s room. If smell was all Daveen had been after, he could have just taken a good sniff.

Avynne and Olivai looked more disgusted than ever. “Smell them?” Olivai asked, mild horror in her voice.

Daveen rapidly tried to backtrack, raising his hands and taking a step back. “Wait! You don’t understand, I only meant that I-”

Still walking backward, he failed to notice the edge of the staircase coming up behind him. The back of his foot slid off the top step, and he seemed to almost float for a moment, mouth shaped in an O and his eyes wide.

Then the effect ended, and Daveen crashed down the stairs. He tumbled down the first few, but bounced off the wall and went straight down the center. Miro didn’t see him land, but everyone heard the crunch as he hit the bottom.

They all peered over the side to see him lying akimbo at the base of the staircase. Olivai hurried down the stairs, golden light splaying from her hands and enveloping Daveen’s motionless body. She shook her head after a few moments. “He’s fine, somehow. But I still don’t know what to do with him.”

Miro burbled quietly. It still didn’t like Daveen at all, so seeing him fall down the stairs had been quite a bit less distressing than it might have been under other circumstances.

Avynne frowned. “There is a jail in Caro Lias, priestess. Donnel is the one who uses it the most, but it is not his.”

Olivai nodded. “I know about it, but I’m not sure if I can really arrest Daveen. Much as I’d like to, I don’t have that power. I think Otto does, though.”

Miro bobbed in agreement; it hadn’t heard much about the jail, but it was sure it was a place Daveen deserved to be in. What exactly had to happen for him to get thrown in there was a bit of a moot point.

Leaning down, Olivai picked him up and hung him on her shoulders, grunting under his weight. Miro hastily lent its help, reducing his weight to almost nothing as it lifted him with its unusual ability. Olivai looked startled before realizing what was going on, giving Miro an uneasy smile. “Thank you for the assistance, but you might want to keep the use of that ability to a minimum. I’d rather not raise any suspicion.”

Somewhat disappointed, Miro stopped helping, and Olivai sagged. “Avynne, would you mind assisting me with him?”

Avynne looked disgusted at the thought of even touching Daveen, but did as Olivai asked, tottering briefly. “Are we going to the paladin’s house?”

Olivai nodded. “We certainly are. I have a few more questions for Daveen, and Otto should be able to help with that.”

They began walking towards the church exit, unaware of Miro’s disappointment hanging like a cloud over it. Olivai was being helpful. Avynne was being helpful. Otto was going to be helpful.

Out of everyone, Miro was useless.

Regardless, it rolled after them, not wanting to be left behind. Some small part of it was worried they would forget it if they went too far.

To be unhelpful was one thing.

To be forgotten was a nightmare.