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Chapter Two Hundred and Eighty Eight – Vim – Sillti’s Smile

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“Our vote,” Ash said as she held out the thick ledger for me to take.

I hesitated a small moment, and felt strangely unnerved. I almost didn’t want to grab it.

“Already…?” I asked as I reached out and took it. It was oddly light for how thick it was.

Ash nodded. “I… We care not their reasons, or their true plans. We have no intention of releasing you from your debt,” she said, speaking simply as if about the weather.

I sighed as I nodded and shifted the leather pouch, to make sure it was sealed shut. “You hadn’t needed to tell me, you know,” I said.

“Why not…? We already told your wife. Or does she keep secrets from you…?” Ash asked with a smile.

“She has a few,” I said as I did my best to not think of her face. Last night I had seen some mighty fine blushes and smiles, and they still dominated my thoughts.

Ash sighed. “She’s not bad, by the way. You chose a good woman,” Ash said.

Oh…? I smiled a little. “Thanks.”

She nodded and glanced around. “Will you leave soon then?” she asked.

“Tomorrow morning. I believe they’re saying goodbye to everyone,” I said. I was alone in the house. Or well, Ash was here too I guess… but she was standing at the doorway. As if she didn’t want to come in by herself.

“Hmph. May as well. Hopefully I’ll not need to see you again for many years,” Ash said as she nodded and turned away.

“Goodbye Ash,” I bade her farewell as she left.

Closing the door, I sighed as I stepped down the hallway to our room. I made sure to store the leather ledger away securely, as to not forget or lose it. It was very important, after all.

To be honest I had thought they would have given it to Oplar if they had prepared it already at all. As far as I was aware the Crypt had given Renn theirs when we left. She hadn’t told me about it yet, though, which made me wonder if it was a bad one.

She hadn’t wept much as we left, nor had she grown irate, but… she hadn’t seemed very happy either. So it made sense.

But it was fine. Everyone had their right to decide their own lives.

Though…

I hesitated a moment as I thought of my parent’s tombstone and the one Renn had made for her loved ones. If I got banished from the Crypt… getting them would be a pain. Renn could, or should, be able to go there even if I did get banished… but…

She’d not be able to lift that stone.

Technically that grave site was far enough away from the Crypt that I could sneak in there and out without being noticed… but… well…

I personally saw it as part of the Crypt’s area. Its influence. So…

“Worry about more important things, Vim,” I mumbled as left the room.

A part of me wanted to lie down, but the damned room and bed stunk. Not the stink it had originally but instead a new one. One that I actually didn’t mind at all.

The bed and room smelled of Renn. A little too strongly. It was unnerving.

I’d really like it if her scent would disappear already, if it was going to. Otherwise…

Entering the kitchen, I went to finish cleaning up the mess from Renn’s and Oplar’s breakfast. Renn could eat and drink a lot herself, so she usually always had a few plates and cups to clean… but Oplar was another mess entirely. She not only left behind plates, but used several cups when able to. Plus she left a lot of crumbs, somehow.

It wasn’t like she was necessarily a messy eater… she was just always laughing and boisterous, so things just got messy.

Usually the two cleaned up after themselves, but I had ushered them out to say their goodbyes to the village. They had began to talk about topics that I had not wanted to be a part of, so I was glad for once I didn’t need to worry about saying goodbyes myself and having to join them. It was a good excuse.

Oplar really was a pain. The closer she and Renn became, the more she teased the two of us. It felt lately as if Oplar was trying to see how far she could take it, before I put my foot down.

“But really. To ask why she never heard the bed creak at night… What a thing to ask,” I mumbled as I picked up one of the buckets and went to draw water as to clean the kitchenware.

Renn had of course found the question hilarious, but I hadn’t. Didn’t. Because it made me feel bad. I couldn’t laugh it off like Renn could. Renn herself was likely not long from being genuinely concerned as to why I wasn’t being a little more… proactive in our relationship. She’d already voiced her concerns several times, not too long ago she had even done it in a way that had shocked me. In that port town… she had asked me if she was ugly. All because I hadn’t even tried anything.

Talk about making me feel like an utter failure as a man. To make my partner feel so self-deprecating as to allow her to wonder if she was unattractive… My father would have beaten me. Then, after healing my wounds from that beating, my mother would have finished the job.

Though I of course haven’t really done anything to rectify that terrible misunderstanding… She hadn’t voiced the same concerns in some time. Our recent drama and busyness helped distract her, but…

Eventually no amount of chaos in the world would be enough. Eventually Renn will put me on the spot, and I’ll have to make a decision whether I wanted to or not.

Last night had been a dangerous moment for me. She really was adorable. Especially since she wasn’t even trying to be.

Stepping up to the well, I went to drawing it. My mind wandered, thinking of all the ways she had laughed and blushed last night. The bucket clanked against the wooden lid of the well as I stopped spinning the lever. It hung there on the rope, the water it had collected splashing inside it.

Staring at the small bucket, I tried to remember something I didn’t want to.

When had I last done anything? Who had it been that I had done it with?

I couldn’t remember her. But it had to have been years ago, at least. But who had it been…? A human, likely. I normally never allowed myself to get involved with non-humans, especially so those in the Society. It went against my rules, several of them in fact. The very few who had slipped past those defensive rules had done so by making it very clear that they expected nothing else afterward. They knew they’d never get my heart or a child from me.

It was why Celine had been so damned problematic. She had been fully willing to give me her body, but the price to have it had been far too steep. I hadn’t been willing to pay that price.

It had cost Celine her life… and her daughter.

Grabbing the bucket, I poured its contents into the larger one I had carried out here. Once emptied, I released it back into the well and unhooked the little locking mechanism that held the circular lever that operated the bucket’s rope in place. The mechanism slowly unwound, lowering the bucket deeper into the well.

I listened to the mechanisms parts squeak and clank, telling me it was getting a little rusty. Not a surprise since it was likely not used as often as it should be. Although they kept this house clean and stocked, it was likely no one really ever lived here or spent much time here at all.

The bucket hit the water and I waited a bit before messing with the rope. Like most well designs in this era, the bucket was heavily weighted on one side of the lip. It would allow the bucket to easily sink and fill as to be brought up… but it sometimes took a moment for it to do so.

“Vim?” I heard my name being called from inside the house as I began cranking the bucket’s lever again.

“Outside,” I said a little loudly, so Thrain could hear me.

I got the bucket out of the well by the time Thrain joined me in the backyard. He stepped out of the house and onto the brick patio to watch me fill the rest of the larger bucket with water.

“Taking a bath?” he asked, amused.

Frowning, I paused mid dump of the bucket.

Me? Taking a bath…?

Turning around, I smiled at him. “What kind of weird thing has she said now?” I asked him.

Thrain smiled at me with a huge grin and chuckled. “Oh, Oplar just mentioned something about you complaining about Renn’s stink upon you. Which is quite funny, since she doesn’t smell at all,” he said.

Of course she had.

I finished with the buckets and well, but didn’t pick the bucket up. Instead I leaned against the well a little, as if about to sit on it. The dishes could wait a few minutes more.

“You know, I do believe I’ve never seen you take a bath?” Thrain pointed out as he pondered it a moment.

“Why would you ever see me doing such a thing anyway, pray tell?” I asked him. Really, why did people become so weird around Renn? It was as if the whole world had gone mad the moment she stepped into it.

Thrain chuckled. “Quite so! But… hm… that is interesting indeed. You of course do bathe. You eat. You sleep. Yet for some strange reason I had not ever considered it or thought it possible. Maybe, against my own beliefs, I still deep down consider you a god?” he asked himself.

“Did you really come here to get all philosophical on me?” I asked him. Really?

He startled, his large body jolting as he realized he was indeed about to think deeply on something that might have changed his perspective. Any other man his size that had jumped like so would have jiggled. He hadn’t at all. “Quite so indeed! I’ll save those thoughts for later. Ash would enjoy them over dinner, I think,” he said.

Yes please. Share them with her, not me.

“I hear you’re leaving tomorrow,” Thrain then said.

“Yes. Unless you have another task for me,” I said.

He shook his head a little somberly. “No… You’ve done well enough, Vim.”

Hmph.

I crossed my arms and waited to hear why he’d come, then. His wife had just left, so it was likely they had passed one another. It didn’t make much sense for him to come just to say goodbye. Thrain was a good man, in his own way, but we’d never really been friends. Not the type where he’d go out of his way just to joke and bid farewell like this, at least.

Thrain mimicked me and crossed his arms as well. His thick sleeves made no protest as he did so, even though they became stretched. “I’m sure Ash told you of our vote,” he said.

I nodded.

“It was about three to one, in your favor,” he said.

I frowned. “As I told your wife, you really don’t need to tell me such details. In fact I’d prefer if you didn’t. And please don’t tell me who voted what, if possible. I’m supposed to be indifferent, so I’m not supposed to know such information,” I said.

His brow furrowed. “I see. That is definitely a way to look at it, I suppose…” He went quiet a moment, and then scratched his chin. “You know… I don’t think you and I have ever actually talked about this stuff. Rules. Laws. What to do and what not to. Why is that?” he asked.

“Has there ever been a need to?” I asked.

Thrain nodded as he smiled. “True. There hasn’t been, I suppose…” he said.

The fact that I was likely going to be having very similar conversations like this soon, with likely everyone I deal with for the next couple of years was a little daunting.

But it was a simple fact of life. I’ll need to deal with it… if I can, at least.

“So… well… Vim,” Thrain got my attention, with a little hesitation. He suddenly looked worried.

“Hm…?” What was wrong now?

Thrain sighed as he stepped forward, stepping off the bricks and onto the small patch of dirt and grass. I studied the way the large man approached, and wondered what was wrong now.

“My nephew’s wife. Sillti…” he said.

Hm…?

Thrain rubbed his head and flinched, as if he had a severe headache. “She’s decided to leave. The village,” he said.

Oh…? “Where does she plan to go?” I asked. There weren’t many locations nearby. Most were small families… too small and close knit to accept her, at least not permanently, so…

Thrain shook his head. “She’s not going elsewhere, Vim… she means to leave for good. Not just us, but the Society. As a whole,” he said.

Oh.

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“That would be unwise. I understand she must be under quite a bit of stress, but…” I spoke carefully, as to not take too hard a stance on the matter.

“No. It wouldn’t be. But she’s is adamant. In fact… she plans to leave tonight. I was… well…” Thrain took a deep breath and shook his head again. “Would you speak with her?” he asked me.

I nodded slowly. “I would.”

He sighed and nodded. “Thank you. She’s with Ollie and your wife. I uh… I’ll go get them. Okay?” he said as he turned to go.

“I’ll be here,” I said simply.

Thrain gave me a weary smile and nodded as he headed back into the house. He picked up the pace as he hurried to leave, heading through the house to do so.

Sighing, I picked up the bucket I had recently filled and went to take it into the kitchen. I’d not go to cleaning things just yet, but I would make a batch of tea. In my experience a good cup of warm tea was useful for moments like this.

Still…

Renn and Ollie. Likely trying to convince her against leaving the Society.

Great. So I was going to have to be the bad guy.

The front door made noise and opened just as the tea finished.

I took the kettle off the fire, but didn’t go to pouring it just yet. I put it aside as I listened to several pairs of feet enter the house… relatively quietly.

Renn’s footsteps were obvious. She was the first to enter. The person behind her had small, light, steps. The third was likely Ollie. Her steps sounded unsure of herself, as if afraid to follow the ones ahead of her. They weren't Oplar's steps. Hers were heavier than that, even when she was worried and being careful.

Without a word Renn found me in the kitchen. She stepped into the room and up to me with a sad frown.

“Vim… Um…” she hesitated a moment, and then nodded as she turned to point behind her. The ones who had followed her into the house had not joined her into the kitchen, but were instead standing in the nearby room. The one with the large table.

Ollie was there… as was a frail looking woman. One who was staring at me with a worried look.

“Hm…” I smiled gently at the three of them, and turned to prepare some cups for the two of us.

“Vim…?” Renn asked what I was doing as I grabbed the two cups and the teapot. I gave Renn a gentle smile and nod as I stepped around her and headed for the table.

“I hope you like winter teas, Sillti. I personally don’t care for them, but moments like this can do with a little bitterness,” I said as I placed the cups down and went to filling them.

“Really Vim…?” Ollie grumbled at me, but I ignored her.

Renn also stepped into the room behind me, but thankfully didn’t say anything. There was a heavy silence as I filled the cups… but it didn’t last the whole time. Right as I finished filling her cup, Sillti stepped forward and around the table… as to sit across from me.

“I don’t like them either… but you’re right. It may fit the moment,” Sillti said softly as she grabbed the headrest of the chair in front of her. She didn’t pull it back yet, but instead stared at me.

“Renn, Ollie, would you mind giving us a moment?” I asked gently while staring at the woman full of determination.

She had spoken softly, and looked frail… but her eyes told me all I needed to know.

This woman had made her choice already. And nothing anyone said would change it.

“But…!” Ollie protested first, but I heard Renn’s tail bump into the wall. Something she never did accidentally.

Turning to look at Renn, I smiled at my companion. “Just for a moment,” I asked again.

Renn’s face contorted into worry and hurt, but only for a few seconds. She calmed down and nodded, and then stepped away to head for the hallway. She didn’t reach it though, since Ollie still remained in the doorway.

“Renn…!” Ollie continued to protest, but Renn gently grabbed her by the arm. Ollie gave me a rather deadly glare, likely the worst I’d ever gotten from her, but she allowed Renn to take her away.

The two walked down the hallway, and luckily didn’t just go to another room. They actually left the house, closing the front door behind them.

Once they were gone I pulled my own chair back and went to sitting in it.

As I sat back slowly, as to not accidentally break the chair, Sillti took a seat as well. She oddly sat rather close to the table, either because she had accidentally not pulled her chair out back far enough… or because of habit. As if she was a child, afraid to make a mess or spill food.

“I’ve enjoyed talking with your wife, Vim. I… honestly always thought you some kind of god. But after talking to her, I feel like you’re more like us than not,” Sillti said quietly.

I wanted to frown at how lowly she was speaking. As if she didn’t want to be heard by anyone… but I knew that wasn’t the case. She was just… a demure person, maybe. Quiet. Reserved. Modest.

A far cry from the supposed rambunctious young man I had just executed. They couldn’t have been more alike had they tried.

“I’m happy to hear that… even if that means I’m seen as a more modest being thanks to the fact I’m married to a woman full of flaws,” I said.

Sillti startled and quickly shook her hand at me. “N-no! I didn’t mean that…!” she quickly spoke, as if to apologize for insulting Renn. Funnily enough she still spoke a little quietly. Her supposed shout had been about the typical volume and loudness as Renn’s typical inside voice. Which was honestly not that loud either.

I smiled at the worried woman. “I know. Just let me make fun of Renn when I can, would you?” I asked.

Stillti hesitated… and then smiled at me. “Oh… Yes. Oplar did mention you like to tease her,” she said.

“She gets this adorable blush when I do. But don’t let that fool you, she can be quite strong when on the attack herself,” I said as I reached over for my cup.

I wasn’t thirsty. Like always I rarely was. But I wanted to give her the illusion I was.

Taking a small drink, I pretended not to notice her relax a little. Her stiff shoulders lowered, and her whole body shrunk a bit as she slouched. “I’m sure. She… can be rather blunt. I recently experienced it myself,” she said.

“About what you’re about to do…? Please don’t be upset with her. She has a huge heart, and likely feels terribly protective of you… thanks to all that’s happened. She simply doesn’t wish you to be anything but happy, is all,” I said.

Sillti softly smiled. “I thought so. So her worry for me is because you killed my husband. She feels indirectly responsible for the insult, does she?” she asked herself as much as she did me.

I nodded. “She’s like that. Weird huh?”

“I find that to be lovely. Most of my own family are blaming me for what happened. As if I had been the reason Rollo had been violent. Renn’s the only woman so far to actually say otherwise to me,” Sillti said.

Oh…? “People blame you?” I asked. That was news to me. Ash’s report, and the other witness testimonies written in it, had said otherwise. They had all known of Rollo’s violent tendencies, even since his youth.

She nodded. “Not… directly. But they make comments. I was the wife. The woman in the household. It’s my duty to control the house, and I couldn’t do it,” she said, telling me what they meant.

“Hm. Hollow words said by those who can’t even imagine such strife. Pay them no heed,” I said.

Sillti sat up a little straighter, her eyes widening a little. “Your wife said the same thing,” she whispered.

Had she…? I gestured lightly, but only to hide the smile I wanted to allow on my face.

“So… you agree with her then…?” Sillti then asked as she reached out and grabbed her cup. She didn’t take a drink though, and instead simply held it. Maybe either for its warmth or just to have something to fidget with.

“Renn’s opinion…? Of that man’s actions not being your fault, or your decision to leave the Society?” I asked her to specify.

Sillti fidgeted a moment… and then coughed. “Well… my leaving,” she said.

“Does Renn think you shouldn’t…?” I asked. She had implied it, but I should verify it just in case.

She frowned a little oddly, and I noticed she had a strange way of smiling. Her lips curled a little oddly when she frowned or smiled, though likely not because of a deformity of any kind. It was just a unique trait. It was likely something a man would find cute, thanks to it being something only she had. As she pondered for a moment, her lips quivering as she searched her mind, it became all the more apparent it was mostly on her left cheek. Her left upper lip had a slightly off curl. As if she was sneering, even though she wasn’t.

“She… thinks I should leave here. But not the Society itself,” she finally said.

“Her perspective has a lot of justification behind it,” I pointed out.

She nodded. “Yet… won’t the issues just continue elsewhere?” she asked.

“What issues?”

“The drama. The snide words. The pain in my heart. The lack of sleep,” Sillti listed.

I smiled softly at the poor girl, and hoped Renn didn’t fall too hard for her. I was glad I had asked them to give us some privacy now.

“I’ll admit you may encounter some of those, yes. But in certain ways you’ll find them elsewhere too, even outside the Society…” I hesitated a moment as I studied the woman, and wondered why I couldn’t remember her age. “How old are you, Sillti?” I asked.

“Oh…? Oh. Thirty two.”

So young. “Have you ever ventured out before?” I asked.

“Only three times. I’ve gone with my aunt, Ash, and others to the nearby human settlement. To trade and experience it,” she said.

I wanted to sigh, but kept it inside. Three times. It was nothing.

Sure, this village had a proper educational system. It was rather close in rules and laws of human societies, and even culturally it was similar. They wed. They had faith and religion. They had rulers and jobs…

But…

“Not enough… is it…?” Sillti then asked softly.

“No. But… that does not mean you’re not capable of going. You know of my story. My god, my faith, is that of free will. I’d not stop you even from choosing death. So long as you truly wished it. I’ll support you in any choice you make,” I told her.

She slowly nodded. “It’s why you killed Vita,” she said.

I nodded back. “So yes, Sillti. I support your decision. If you wish to leave the Society… feel free. I’ll never stop anyone from doing so. But, if you’ll hear it… I would offer a little warning and advice,” I offered.

Sillti gulped and slowly nodded, accepting it.

“You can blend in with humans. You, like the rest here, are basically human in appearance. Your temperaments, your faith, your mindset… it would not take long for you to adapt out there at all,” I told her.

She blinked.

“And yes, it will free you from the heartache. All the new sights, the new experiences… and the rush of danger and excitement will be a great distraction. But, and take this from not just a man who has experienced it himself but also someone who has seen it many thousands of times… it won’t go away. No matter how far you run, no matter where you go or who you become… The pain you feel now will always exist. In one form or another,” I said.

“Then what’s the point…?” Sillti whispered as she squeezed the cup.

I raised a hand. “I’m not saying it isn’t effective, though. I’m just warning you to not expect true freedom from it. You’ll still feel that same ache you feel now out there. Even years later. And even if that ache did go away, somehow, you’ll find it just replaced by another form. Typically loneliness,” I said.

Sillti nodded understandingly, likely already having thought of such things.

“But that’s not what I’m warning of. Your struggles of the heart are your own. I can’t understand them. No one can. Everyone deals with grief differently…” I leaned forward, to rest my arms on the table. “Just know that most who venture into the human lands end up dying within the first year. It’s that dangerous for our kind out there. Even those able to blend in,” I told her the real warning.

“I’d rather risk death than live hundreds of years here,” she said, without a moment of hesitation.

I smiled at her. “I believe you. I truly do,” I said.

Sillti startled, and shifted as she looked down, to her hands. To the cup. I noted a tiny blush on her face as she went to take a drink, likely to hide that very blush.

Studying the blush on her face… and how quickly she got it under control, I couldn’t help but think of Renn’s face instead.

Now that was a blush.

“They don’t want me to leave,” she said after lowering her cup.

“They can’t force you to do anything,” I said.

“I’m not strong enough to defy them. I’m just one woman. A small one, at that,” she said.

I smirked at her. “I think I’ve proven rather unequivocally no number of your kind could change anything if I got involved,” I said gently.

Sillti startled again, her thin shoulders jumping up… and then she laughed. “That’s so very true…!”

I nodded, glad she understood. “If you truly want my opinion… I agree with my wife. Leave this place, if you wish, but don’t abandon the Society so quickly. There are perks to it, you know? You’ve lived your whole life here in this valley. To you this place is the Society, so you see it that way, but the reality is far different. Throughout the Society are mighty differences. Different people. Different cultures, faiths, and beliefs. You’ll find people so different from you, you’d never believe it. There are even many places that not only won’t judge you for your ex-husband’s foolishness, there are plenty like Renn who will happily sit with you all night while drinking and badmouthing him for you,” I said.

She grinned at me. “I’ve never drank alcohol before.”

“See…? That alone would be enough reason for me to leave this place. I completely forgot this place didn’t have liquor,” I said.

“You like to drink, Vim…?” she asked.

“No. But I don’t like the idea of banning things,” I said.

Sillti’s mouth opened a tad, but she said nothing. It was clear she completely understood my meaning right away.

“Then… where should I go…? I don’t even know where another village is, Vim,” she said as she tapped her cup.

“Depends on what you want. Do you just want to go somewhere and relax? Do you want to find another husband? Find a new faith? Do you want to go somewhere with humans or without? How do you feel about monarchs? Are you okay with the severe cold or extreme heat?” I rambled off several of the different questions one normally was asked during moments such as these.

Sillti hesitated, soaking up my questions… and she slowly smiled. “I’m half tempted to say I want to experience all of that,” she said.

Ah, a traveler. Fascinating. “Then I suggest going to either Lumen or Telmik. From either of those locations you can then go elsewhere, once you truly find what you’re searching for. Plus both of them will let you adapt and learn how to truly survive amongst humans. To blend in, and learn how to hide your traits,” I said.

“Traits…? We don’t have any, anymore, Vim. You killed those who had, all our ancestors like that are gone now,” she said with a frown.

“I meant more figuratively. For instance your lifespan. You said early thirties? Yet you look like a young woman. And you will look like this for decades more. Humans will notice that. So you need to know how to properly keep people from noticing, and knowing how to see the signs to keep yourself safe for when it happens,” I said.

Sillt nodded, her frown deepening in thought. That little groove of her lip became even deeper, forming a small indent near her cheekbone… a little similar to dimples, but more pronounced and not in the right spot. “Right… I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Most don’t. Not until it’s too late. My suggestion is simple. We’re to head to Telmik. Me, Oplar and Renn. I say you join us. If you’d like to, of course. Along the way you can learn from Renn and Oplar, and if at any point you encounter a location or village… Society owned or not, that you find yourself enjoying then…” I shrugged, not wanting to finish the sentence.

“And if Ash and the rest don’t allow it?” she asked me.

“And how would they do that, exactly?” I asked her.

Sillti shifted, and opened her mouth to speak… but once again said nothing.

Studying her… I wondered if maybe Ash’s report had not been as… accurate as it should have been. It had mentioned, as had Renn, that she had been abused by Rollo. But maybe it was worse than they had suggested.

She seemed slow to speak her mind. And not because she didn’t want to. It was as if she thought not just twice, but thrice, before speaking. I had originally blamed her hesitation and quietness on well… me. I was Vim. And in this village that was a problem. But it seemed she didn’t mind it that deeply, likely thanks to Renn. So…

“My point was I’d not allow them to stop you, Sillti. If you truly wish to leave, I’ll ensure you can do so,” I said, to make sure she hadn’t misunderstood me.

Sillti’s eyes focused a little, and then she nodded. “Okay.”

Okay…?

“Made your decision that quickly?” I asked.

She nodded again. “Yes. I’ll come with you.”

Good. Renn won’t be upset, then.

Which at this point was more important than this woman’s happiness… or her life even. At least to me.

Though I’d never say that to anyone. Not even Renn.

“Before I let Renn and Ollie back in… anything you want to ask, or say?” I asked her.

Sillti perked up… pondered a moment… and then smiled. “Is it really true you killed Vita?” she asked.

I nodded. “I did.”

“Was she actually a god?” she asked.

“She created you and your people. You would not be here now otherwise,” I said.

Sillti hesitated, and paused. She stared at me with a look of utter awe, and then slowly lowered her head… as if to bow. “Then… thank you, Vim. For saving us from her cruelty,” she whispered.

“Mhm… I suppose this is where I should apologize, isn’t it?” I said softly.

She looked up at me. “For…?”

“Killing your husband. I’ll not tell you I regret doing it… because it’d be a lie. I don’t tolerate murderers within our society. But… all the same… I am sorry for ending your husband’s life,” I said gently.

The demure woman stared at me for a long while… and then slowly smiled. She gave me the largest smile she’d shown me yet. Dimples and all.

“Don’t be.”