The winter solstice came around again, as did the invitation from the royal Fae family.
Ah, I was not looking forward to that.
What was also coming up was the first day of school for Adri, Chord, and Hera. They started on the tenth on Janie, since it was the year they turned seven. There was testing beforehand on the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth to see which grade you went into. All of it was done by skill level, not age, but the seven year olds went into the estimated first grade, eight year olds into second grade, and so on. They all fell in line anyway.
I highly doubted, with how smart and advanced the three were, that they were just going into first grade like all the uneducated little guys. No, they probably could get into at least fifth or sixth grade. After having Thérèse for a tutor and Mother for a magic teacher, having learned only a bit from me in that department, they were set for life.
Ah, sorry Brownie and Blondie. You taught them the basics of the sword, but since they didn't like it they ran away from training. No one stopped them...although, they always came back eventually because I would nonchalantly mention how I, younger than them, would pursue to learn everything I could including the things I didn't like, before I was fifteen.
But before that, something else very important was coming up. Fifteenth of Zerlo, Creik-day. The thirty-first year of the war with Demons.
Except the Demons hadn't been active since August, a little less than half a year ago. The war was not over, but it was a big relief to a lot of people. So, instead of mourning all day, they did it for the morning and then partied hard at night.
This house was not an exception.
Magaris was still sad about her brother's MIA status, so we disappeared into the garden again for some time.
When we came back out, we were swarmed by partygoers who were kissing their sons and husbands and lovers, happy they were still alive.
Happy they were still here.
After that day passed, time flew by quickly.
Kitri was coming...
Eh, it was good for me that I got such a call right then before he could ask Tuila about that one thing...but then again, it was too soon. I didn't get to enjoy the pre-celebration!
My family was all around, the employees having gone home to celebrate in their villages. The whole of my family had been invited to Larjulias, and once again Kitri was coming to pick us up. It was the day before the winter solstice, an hour before noon. Since everyone that was going could use movement magic to some degree, Kitri didn't have to worry about anyone falling behind as they headed through the gate he came through at dawn of today. Since he was tired again, they let him sleep until it was time to go.
When he woke up and found me tiptoeing by, anyone could sense how he was not happy at all.
He'd been glaring at me and I'd been chewing on my lip and cowering behind Mother the whole time.
"How'd you do it?" He was grinding his teeth for some time now, staring at his blood red wings and seeing that the signs of us being bonded were still there. "More like, what did you do?" His wings were that red because he was absolutely livid, which made everyone tiptoe around him. I was no exception, no matter what. In fact, I was the one that should stay away.
"Oh, nothing."
"That's not nothing. You don't just dampen a bond so easily like that, and then it doesn't reinstate itself for such a long time. So what did you do?"
"I seriously don't know," I shook my head, voice light and airy as I tried to squeeze myself further behind Mother. She was trying to leave me, since she didn't like Kitri's ire either.
All I knew was that I told him to shut up all those months ago and then the Demon God spoke to me. Other than that, I didn't remember. It was too much of everything that even if I do look back at my memories, they are fuzzy as well.
"So you just shut me out and now you don't know how you did it?"
"Precisely," I gave a weak thumbs up.
"...you know, it may not look like it, but Tuila is quite knowledgable in these things."
"Please no," I hid behind the couch. "Can we just go?"
"Yes, yes we can!" Mother stood up with her small storage bag, Father and the four other children than me (yes, Anthem was there) coming along. Thérèse and Magaris had no family here, so they joined for the heck of it. "Fir, do it!"
"Let's! Seriously, go through now!"
I opened a portal that went into Basusda Forest, where the other portal leading into a forest near Larjulias capital was located. We took this exact same route last time, except we flew to Basusda instead of teleporting I think.
One by one they went through, until it was just me and Kitri left.
"Um, I'm sorry...? I don't really know what happened, and my memories of that time aren't too good either," I apologized with my head hanging down. Tch, this was why I liked being Knight. I looked down on people, people didn't look down on me. Agh, I could feel the eyes burning into the back of my skull.
I heard a tired sigh, and then next thing I knew I was scooped up in Kitri's arms.
"Just because I'm holding you doesn't mean I forgive you. That's a very bad insult to the Fae."
Even though his grip tightened around me when I went to push away. Hey, the wings are turning back to that clear silvery color again! Good, he's not that angry anymore.
I spoke too soon.
"Also, I'm not letting you off the hook when it comes to Tuila," his voice hardened. "With how much trouble you get into, you need to be able to talk to someone if it gets a little tight."
Hell no. If I'm Knight, I need no help. That's an insult to my pride.
Also a hell no. If I'm Firea, I won't contact anyone because any situation I'm in will be dangerous to anyone weaker than me, which just happens to be currently everyone who cares about me for the time being. Also, I don't want to get in trouble, like by being a bad child.
"I know what you're thinking, even with the bond damaged the way it is! Seriously," he shook his head, walking through the portal. "You need to get that bad 'independent' habit of yours fixed."
Ah, the next moment I can, I'm running away!
I could already feel the coldness of his anger again, since he was an ice mage...
Nothing compared to Arion, but still.
We appeared in Basusda with me shaking and wide eyed, Kitri seemingly happy as I tried to climb over to Father's arms.
"Oh no you don't," Kitri wrapped his wings around me as well, and from there I was truly stuck.
Seeing my melting expression, Kitri smiled again and the rest of my family looked at me pitifully. Most also had the looks of "your fault, you deal with it."
And then, the black hole leading to Larjulias appeared.
"Has this always happened?" Father asked, looking down at it with a bad feeling.
"Since time immemorial," my voice shook as I answered. "Hey Kitri, it's getting a little tight..."
"Exactly. Now, jump please. You'll all end up in the same place, so there's no need to hold on to anyone."
"Why...me?" I fainted.
-After I Fainted-
"Because someone needs to hold onto you, you little rascal," Kitri lightly knocked my head, jumping after everyone else was gone. "And how the hell did you get yourself turned into a Demon? Must you always make things difficult for me?"
He cast a spell that hid my scent and aura from others, even though I already hid it in my Status, which automatically blanked it out like it doesn't exist. There's no way he should know I became a Demon, so how did he...unless the bond is still connected, if only a bit dampened...
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I woke up as we were traversing through that forest of darkness again, since the fourteen hour time difference was in affect. I woke up again in Kitri's wings, disappointed that someone hadn't tried to take me away. Father, isn't this abuse?!
We walked through the trees, Mother happy to see it once again in her lifetime and the others mystified. Of course they were, with all the cool things happening in the silence. The lights flashing, beautiful plants, fairies that I couldn't see...
Thérèse was constantly on alert as well, that fact never changed.
We exited the forest, something on the tip of my tongue that I just couldn't remember...
Wait! I realized just as we reached the gate.
I remembered that last time we were here, Kitri said natives of Larjulias could see them! And that Mother could see them because she was born on Larjulias's side of the passage!
"Mother!" I snapped my head around to find her.
"Fir? You're awake?" She turned to me, stopping so she could walk next to me.
"Yes, but that's not important! You can see the fairies, right?"
"Yes...how'd you know that?"
"I just do. Also, I just wanted to confirm something," I shook my head as she looked at me quizzically. Then, I got an idea. "Hey, Mother...may I use your eyes for a moment?"
"Huh?"
"You have the skill [Fae Sight], which allows you to see the fairies. I was just thinking, if I looked through your eyes I might be able to see them or, oh, never mind..." I trailed off. That was selfish, and if the fairies were meant to be seen by non-natives, then I would be able to see them.
"They said they're fine with it," Mother shrugged, making me tense up.
"Really?" I sliced a disbelieving look over to her.
"Yes," she offered out her hand.
"Why?"
"...they won't say."
Whatever! I'll take this chance, because I won't decline such an opportunity like this!
"Thank you ahead of time!"
I closed my eyes and dipped my hand into her soul. She shivered, but I opened my eyes without much remorse and saw what I'd been waiting for for some time now.
They were exactly as Kitri had described them so many years ago.
They looked like children, all of them darling and glowing as they spun around, some of them sitting on heads or shoulders. They were playing with Chord's long hair, or messing with Adri's cheeks. They had no clue was going on and were swatting at the air, which made the fairies laugh.
Their wings were sharp like Kitri's, or like a butterflies like Paivla's. Not a single one of them was the same, not a single color or anything.
"Why am I blind to this world?" I asked, stupefied. My shoulders had fallen as I stared at them, noticing that one was dangling from the tips of my hair and another was kicking its feet, knocking them on my shoulder. There were none on Kitri since he'd likely shooed them all off stubbornly, but they had practically collected onto Mother like moths to a flame. "Mother, I can't see an inch of you."
"I know. This is why I don't use that skill so much," she nodded to me, not bothering to swat them off.
"It's because she has abnormally high mana for a human, even though she's half Dragon," Kitri shrugged. "She won't get rid of them because it's disrespectful to be that rude, even though I've offered to swat them away for her."
Some of the fairies turned around and stuck their tongues out at him, even though that was nothing like their age.
"Then why do you do it?"
"Because they are annoying."
Uh, okay. And since it seems like the fairies are letting the children off for swatting at them, I guess that's not counted as disrespect because they have no clue what's going on.
I hoped Mother didn't notice that there was a fairy kissing father on the cheek incessantly. Well, he was handsome, so I could understand...kind of. The fairy leaned into him with a face of fascination, curiosity, a happy little girl that seemed to have found the perfect man.
The fairy that came and dragged her away looked like a friend who was done cleaning up the messes that the other created. A comedy panel ensued.
"Hey, why doesn't Fir have them swarming her too? Doesn't she have more mana than me, and isn't she more human than me?" Mother spoke up.
"Ah..." I tensed up again, making the fairy on my shoulder slip off. Likely because, even though I've hidden it so well, they can probably tell I'm a Demon...wait, wouldn't the people of the city sense it immediately as well then?!
Wouldn't Kitri?!
We were walking down the street right now, heading to the palace. There were lots of people waving at us, calling out my name in greeting and running up to Mother and hugging her. "We haven't seen you in a while!" They called out to her.
I also greeted other people as they kept coming, but was sweating bullets in case they noticed what I was worried about. Since none of them seemed to shy away in particular, I waved at them and made promises to play with them later, the people of our group shocked to see how popular I was.
"I told them to stay away," Kitri substituted after we got to the castle gates, walking on through.
Let's go with that!
"Then why are those two there?"
"Because they are stubborn and refuse to leave," he said again. They probably didn't care I was a Demon or something.
That's not the case, a fairy spoke in my mind. It's just that you have Paivla's and Melody's marks, so most of them stay away since it would be disrespectful to sit on their champion.
Really? But you know I'm a Demon?
We don't care. To us, all races are equal.
How nice...if only everyone thought that way.
Then the gods wouldn't exist.
Is it because...oh, you're right. The gods represent different beliefs, so if you follow one, then automatically you hold a divergent set of values.
Smart, the fairy winked at me. For a human!
"Hey! That's rude! Get back here, you!" I called out as the fairy took off laughing, turning back and waving at me before heading somewhere else.
We were going down an open hallway now, heading to a parlor probably. We passed through plenty of party rooms, making the children want to go in when they saw all the cool things.
Father, Magaris, and Thérèse were simply wide eyed as we passed all the different races, some of the people coming up to us again and stopping our procession.
When moving on, we finally got to a quiet hallway.
"Fir, who are you talking to?" Magaris turned around with a concerned look on her face.
"A very rude fairy! He's gone now, but if I find him later I'll-"
"You'll what?" A familiar voice spoke out loud. I stopped speaking. "That's what I thought."
"He-Hey Melody!" I greeted the queen of fairies as she sat on my shoulder where the previous fairy had been, a forced smile appearing on my face. The fairy hanging from my hair bolted off and crashed into Mother's shoulder, shaking off more of its brethren. "Long time no see!"
"Melody?" Mother blinked. "It's Melody?"
"Melody? Why are you here?" Kitri looked down at the fairy.
"Oh, I just have some business with Firea. Firea," she turned to me. You're about to be called."
"What?! But it's the winter solstice!" I looked to her without hitting her off my shoulder with my chin.
"Tomorrow is the winter solstice, which means if you finish your job in time, you'll be able to enjoy it," she smiled sweetly. I had no clue if she was berating me or speaking honestly sometimes.
"Why wasn't I called earlier?" I sighed.
"Because it wasn't the time. Now is the time," Melody stood up and stretched her wings, floating in front of me.
"Now is the time for what, exactly?" Kitri asked with a flat, unamused tone. "Where might you be going?"
"Nowhere, actually," I glared at Melody. "Mother, I'm good now. Thank you for that."
I broke our connection and no longer could I see any of the fairies.
I turned away while folding my arms, closing my eyes and avoiding where I was sure Melody was.
Surely it could wait until after I greeted the people I knew? Just a few minutes!
We finally reached a room and I asked to be let down.
"Will you not run away?"
"Please, if I was going to I would've a long time ago. Do you really think you can stop me?" I turned around with a cocky smile and slanted eyes.
"Wow, what a way to make someone feel powerless," Thérèse commented.
"Harsh as ever," Magaris shook her head.
"Whatever, just open the door," Mother sighed and pushed on it. "The next few greetings need to be done as fast as possible."
"Now don't freak out, Mother, Thérèse," I held onto Mother's hand again as I was set on the floor by a reluctant spriggan. I could already tell that someone was waiting to ambush me and was warning the battle-ready ones. "But someone's about to jump out at me. Okay, now that I've warned you, open it please," I looked over to Father who had an odd, confused look on his face.
He shook his head like he'd given up, then opened the door.
He got out of the way just in time because of my warning, and I was barreled into by a princess.
"Fi-re-a!!!!" Lorice exclaimed, picking me up and twirling around. We'd rolled down the hallway and almost hit a wall, stopping just in time. "Welcome back~!"
"Ah, Lorice. As energetic as ever, I see," I tried to get set down. She wouldn't let me go as she went all the way back to the door, hugging me tightly under one arm as she greeted my family. "And so much like your brother," I choked out.
My family was pushed inside by Mother, since she indeed wanted to get this over with.
The reason being: her family was here.
AKA the Fangs. Also, Lucia, since she kept her maiden name of Ardvark.
She came into the room and was tackled by her own mother, shocking the daylights out of Father when he suddenly saw his wife had a twin.
The room was pretty large, which was probably because it held Mother's family and all of the Fae royalty. That's a lot of people, in case anyone was wondering.
Plus our group made it seem really tight, even though there was lots of space.
I was assaulted by a number of princesses that came to greet me, the sheer number of bright orange curls shoved in my face innumerable and how many breasts my face was shoved in too many to count.
When I was finally done greeting people, I was standing off to the side with a bloody nose.
It's Margaret's memory, I tell you. Margaret.
No, Hera, this isn't weird. It's just a little hot in here.
Mother also got assaulted by the princesses, who were so happy to see her after eleven years. Father got sucked into it as well while Lucia, Lorice, Flo, and a lot of the other Fae princesses tried to evaluate him.
Hera, Chord, and Adri were fawned over. Lucia finally got to greet her other grandchildren, even though they weren't related by blood.
And finally, what we've all been waiting for.
Mother and Fang.
Ah, that greeting...it didn't really involve any happiness.
"Hello, Father," Mother held out her hand and was as stiff as she was formal. I'd never seen her this way.
Tear Fang stared at his daughter as she fearlessly looked him in the eyes, then raised his own hand and shook hers. Apparently Mother had gone to visit them last year, they hadn't been able to see each other. Mother hadn't stopped in Larjulias and this was her first time being here after a while as well. Looking at this, maybe it was a good thing they missed each other.
"Greetings, Daughter."
They turned away from each other, and then that was it.
Father was spared an introduction to Tear Fang who said, "I know who you are, boy. There's no need to introduce yourself to me."
Father froze at being called a boy, then got dragged away by Mother.
"He always does this," she sighed.
Uh, if I remember correctly, you overshadowed your own husband when I was first born and practically eliminated his presence in his own manor. Basically, you are no different from Tear Fang.
Like father, like daughter.
Ah, I think I see Father's ghost coming out of his mouth...
"Sissy?" Hera spoke to me.
I turned to her. "Yeah, Hera?"
"Why are your cheeks glowing?"
Glowing?
I slid my eyes downward and indeed saw that both my right and left were glowing. One was green, because of Melody, and the other...golden. Paivla.
"Ah, shit."