Enna is a Land God: Book 3

Lunch with Monsters

"Er, what is he anyway?" Asked Reinga as she watched the cat disappear out the door.

"A left over of Aeros is what I was told. He was causing a bunch of problems- killing kobolds and the like- and Lady Enna turned him into a cat as punishment." An even wider smile spread across Ozzie's face. "She also renamed him Mittens. He is pretty upset about the whole thing, but most of us think he got off rather light. I mean, he gets to spend all day with Lady Enna, eats where and when he wants, and isn't dead or in a dungeon."

"That does seem rather lenient of Lady Enna." Said Reinga.

Ozzie shrugged. "Apparently he doesn't think so. I guess it is pretty hard to go from almost being a god, to being an enslaved house pet. The way he makes it sound, he would rather have died."

Braid wasn't sure what to make of that, other than the fact that, apparently, that cat was far more dangerous of a creature than it appeared.

"Don't worry." Stated Ozzie. "Lady Enna holds his life in her hands, and she would never allow him to hurt anyone. All he can do now is be lippy."

"Is Lady Enna always here?" Asked Sora. She clearly wanted to know weather or not she was only around now because they were here. After all, what god lived with the people?

"Yup. She likes living with us. I was the one who found her, you know?" he said, sounding pretty proud of himself.

"Found-"

"That's enough of that." Said yet another voice. What was with these monsters and sneaking up on them. How sneaky were they? But a quick look up told Braid that this wasn't a monster at all. It was the strange elvish woman that had been in the meeting. "You should know better than to mouth off about what ever pleases you, Ozzie."

The young fox snapped his jaws shut and looked mollified. The elf woman sighed and sat next to him.

"I was curious about you so I thought I would come and chat. Besides, you all huddled up here is making some of the others antsy."

"I guess human/ monster relations still have a ways to go." Braid said on the tail end of a sigh.

The elf laughed. "No doubt. But, our Enna is nothing if not idealistic. Any man woman or child in this forest would kill to keep her happy." The sheer ice in the woman's voice had them all on edge, the threat very apparent.

"Rei... Enna will get mad at you." Sighed the fox.

"No she won't. And who told you, you could call me Rei?" She snapped.

The fox rolled his eyes. "You did, over a week ago. Something about getting tired of people pronouncing your name wrong."

"Hmmm." Said the elf, scratching her caramel colored chin. "I guess that does sound like something I would say."

"Exactly. And Lady Enna would not want you threatening the humans and demi-humans."

"Threatening? I was not! I was warning them. You want someone to threaten someone, then you should get the oaf."

"You shouldn't call Lagdon that either."

"Why? It is just a nickname." She said, brushing off Ozzie's concern. "Anyway, you all should relax a little. No one here is going to eat you. In fact, for a group of rowdy monsters, they are all almost sickeningly polite."

"That's not nice." Huffed the young fox monster. "Maybe we all just wanted to make you feal welcome, as you are new."

"Pfft! I am many times your grandfather's age, boy, I need no coddling. Save it for Enna."

Ozzie laughed, eyes bright and full of merriment. "If poor Enna was coddled anymore she might run away."

Braid watched this exchange and wondered what kind or turn his life had taken now. He was seated, surrounded by monsters, watching one conversing with and elven woman. If he had been told that was what he would have been doing today he would have laughed.

"You all seem to love Lady Enna quite a bit." Observed Porsha, a soft smile on her face. The fox boys attempt at relaxing the party seemed to be working on their little healer at least.

"She has done... well, everything, for my people." Said Ozzie, honestly. "Before Lady Enna, we were all on the verge of starving, nearly at war with one another. Don't you all like your land god too?"

Braid saw the other exchange looks. "Most gods are not involved as Lady Enna, it seems." Stated Sora, while Reinga nodded. "And any land gods in and around Pern keep rather silent. Though there are some who worship other gods. Each person is different, I suppose."

Rei- or what ever the elf's name was- laughed. "Don't let Enna hear you speaking about worshiping things. The poor girl is already uncomfortable with the over protectiveness of you all, much less being worshiped."

Ozzie squinted a the elf. "Did you not swear yourself to her too though?"

"My fealty has nothing to do with worship, and everything to do with gratitude and respect." Huffed the elf. "Speaking of respect, are you not supposed to be training with that crotchety old hobgoblin right about now?"

Ozzie hopped to his feet. "Shoot! I nearly forgot. I just wanted to check on these guys first." He turned to Braid and the others. "Sorry, I have to run. If Nord catches me showing up late again he will have my pelt."

With a cheery wave, the fox boy took off.

"That boy is in for a tanning." Sighed Rei, shaking her head.

"Sorry," Said Sora, eyeing the older elf curiously. "But what was your name again?"

Rei glared at the younger elf, but answered all the same. "Reihekiu Fein'Tria."

"Fein'Tria?" Braid asked. He had spent enough time with Sora to know that an elf's last name was actually the name of where they came from. But Braid had never heard of Fein'Tria before.

"It means Forest of Monsters. Tria is short for forest, and Fein is the elvish word for monster." Explained Sora. So, apparently this elf came from here? "But you would be the first to hold that name, I think."

"Indeed. Though, if our little goddess has her way, I will not be the last." Stated Reihekiu.

"I do know of a half elf by the name or Reihekiu, however." Sora went on, earning a narrow eyed glare from the other elf. "Quite a famous one."

"tch, you need not worry about that." Huffed the elf as she got to her feet. "You all just rest up, and be good kids and take Enna's message back to your king and the like. I am sure that a worthwhile alliance could be in the works if everyone just keeps an open mind." With that statement, she spun on her heel and walked out of the hall, not even looking back once.

"What was that about?" Braid asked the elf.

"There is a smith who made many of the most famous weapons of the last age. She was half elf and half dwarf, known as Reihekiu. Even among elves, it is a strange name. I can't imagen another elf sharing it... I would not have thought her still alive. One day she just vanished."

"If that is indeed the very same elf, then this Enna is drawing powerful people to her side." Said Reinga, giving in and stuffing a chunk of meat into her mouth. "I think the elf spoke wisely, and we should take the land gods message back to the king."

That went without saying. Still, Braid was not fully convinced that there could be a truly symbiotic relationship between humanity and monsters. Heck, there were countries out there that still would not accept Demi-humans, much less monsters. Still, looking at what the monsters here had accomplished, Braid could not deny that they were more than just mindless murderers. It would take some solid self evaluation of his own biases, at this point. And he was sure he would not be the only one who needed time to process all this...