On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

“I presume you have heard the saying, the enemy of my enemy…” Darkflame began, and I nodded.

“My enemy’s enemy is not necessarily my friend. They may indeed just be yet another enemy.” The High Kobold’s words were languid, not conveying any urgency, and beside me, Shiro frowned at his arrogance. “But when two enemies clash, who is the victor? Not them, but those who despite them both.”

“Are you saying you wanted the Wild Hunt to clash with the Seelie Court?” I asked, and Darkflame shook his head.

“Not I. I have no such intentions. But… there are many that hate the Seelie. And why would they not? See what they have done with my pitiful, twisted kin, the clans that joined them for succour and protection? And while many argue the Court was a victim too… even so, it is hard to forgive. Your pretty Fae, so bright… like gold… fool’s gold, all sparkles and no substance, ultimately worthless. The Kobolds, the Goblins, Trolls, ratkin and many others… all treated as trash, humiliated, abused and enslaved by the Lords and Ladies who could not even halt their own decline.”

“But… it wasn’t the Fae that twisted them, was it?” Shiro pointed out. “I get why you are angry with them, but isn’t it humans… oh…”

“Yes. I do not care for your kind.” Darkflame agreed. “Even before the separation, the limiting Boundary springing into being, you were aggressive, troubling. Though many still traded the fruits of our Mines with those we had some measure of trust with. Though they soon regretted it. Compared to the strife between the Courts and the Wild Hunt, the clashes between branches of Fae… the blood on the hands of you humans is a deep crimson that no ocean will wash away.”

“The Church, right? They surely saw those who trafficked with you as heretics.” Shiro suggested, and Darkflame nodded, lantern bobbing.

“You are a shrewd one. Or did the being within you tell you that?” Darkflame had watched us free Aine, so he knew some of our secrets, which was potentially a problem. “Yes, the old ways declined, were stamped out with violence. We were betrayed several times, our clans caught up in purges, led by those who we had trusted, seeking to survive or even gain power under their new masters. Dark, dark times. Yet in our Mines, under the ground, in the tides of the spiritual realms, we were safe. Though such tides were becalmed, and our protection and strengths dwindled. Hence many sought the safety of new allies… yet such allies became only masters.”

“I get that.” I sympathised. Shaeula’s initial disdain for the Kobolds was plain to see. “But if the Court collapses, won’t the Kobolds within die or be enslaved by worse beings? I’ve fought the Wild Hunt, they didn’t seem likely to spare anyone, especially those weaker than them.”

“Many would consider death a better fate than living in such deformed disgrace…” Darkflame began, but I narrowed my eyes dangerously, and he took a step back, feeling my fury.

“Many would be fucking stupid then…” I cursed. “Death’s not the answer to anything. Haven’t the Kobolds in my Territory found a good life? They mine, craft, can live free from discrimination, build better lives for themselves… whereas death is the end.”

“Perhaps, but… how long has this been possible? A handful of moons?” Darkflame countered. “Besides, their deaths, while I would see it as regrettable, for I still grieve for the poor clans that made a foolish choice, would perhaps lift a great burden from us.”

“Explain!” I ordered, and the High Kobold smirked, and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to anger me on purpose. Shiro laid a hand on my arm, and I took a deep breath, nodding to her that I was all right. “Fine. We can sit and talk. Like adults. But don’t bullshit me. I’m not in the mood for it. I’ve worked rather hard today…” Fortunately, right now in the Material, Shaeula and I were enjoying ourselves in an arcade. Shaeula was winning prizes in a crane game and had just given a large doll to a passing young girl who had been staring at it. That’s the benefit of being in multiple places at once, and also… never being alone in my thoughts. Eri and Rose’s conversation was also helping keep me calm. Well, not calm, but calmer…

A nearby maid fetched us some drinks, and as the High Kobold leisurely inspected the craftsmanship of the glass, nodding to himself, I got to the point. “What do you mean, lift the burden?”

“Do you not wonder… why not all have changed? The Dwarves, Elves, they have remained proud, and they too are those that joined the Court from foreign lands, like those clans of ours. The weapons of our enemy are insidious and subtle, yet… can be countered by the same. After all, only metal can break metal.”

“We say fight fire with fire…” Shiro countered. “Elves, huh? I can make a guess even without Tan’s help. You get it too, don’t you Aki?”

I nodded, taking a sip of rich Fae wine to keep calm. “Yeah. Elves… they have a strong presence in other mythologies. The same with Dwarves. Bjarki is a Dvergr, which would be World Tree Pantheon, I suppose… if I had to guess, the adherence weaponised wasn’t strong enough. Besides, the human perception of Elves has always been largely positive, even before the classic tropes of Tolkien. Whereas Goblins went from wise, cheeky mystical tricksters to hideous monsters, and that perception hasn’t really changed since…”

“Exactly. So if I had to guess, the Seelie Court is like a mini-Pantheon. All Territories are in a way, just vastly smaller in scale. So the Kobolds sought protection, to shelter under their collective strengths, yet… not only did it not work, but then the Kobolds were mistreated, abused and enslaved. Shit, I get why you’re angry, I’d be too. But… a revenge that kills those who failed is too cold, even for me.”

Using my ever-growing knowledge of adherence, I tried to work out how that would help. “If it’s the Goblins, I understand. They all seem to be bonded via the blood of their First Goblin, so the adherence that affects one affects all… but you Kobolds aren’t linked like that, oh…”

“You see it?” Darkflame waved his lantern, patterns shimmering in the air, ribbons of violet light and flame making an almost visible picture for us. “Those few clans which remained hidden, deep within our Mines, out of sight, out of mind… were we to venture forth, we become vulnerable. Yet were the Kobolds, the poor, twisted unfortunates, to perish, some of us believe that the curse of belief that changed them and plagues us would die off too, nothing to cling to remaining.”

“And do you think that?” I asked, and Darkflame merely smiled in that smug, sneering manner which made him appear condescending, his frail, slender appearance accentuating his insolence.

“It hardly matters what I did think. I heard rumours through the Stone. Of a place where the Kobolds could be free of oppression, where all the humble and the failed could gather. I hardly believed it. Though… we have had troubles of our own. More of your kind. Claiming the areas where we have our Mines. There was bloodshed. Our numbers dwindled. As did theirs.” His lantern gave off a burst of light, and I imagined that an unprepared Chosen could quite easily be killed by such spatial weapons.

“Few of us had the leisure to investigate. But I… I was curious. So I ventured out and … to gain entry here, it was not truly difficult. Our twisted kin are used to sneaking, for to stay hidden and humble is to survive. And bypassing your barriers is far easier than the Seelie Court, for one. Though… you are setting up Warding Stones, yes?”

“That’s the plan, though we’ll likely wait until Rank Four to finalise it, otherwise we’ll just have to move them again.” Though when I get the Barrier Anchor Spire and can modify the position of the barrier, we should be able to set up internal arrays. Coupled with Warding Stones and Warning Bells, key infrastructure like Asha’s Tree and the soon to be constructed Ring Gate central hub can be made secure against these types of issues…

“They will still not halt a… determined… trespasser. The Wild Hunt are masters of such. And with their Red Caps… I am glad the little Goblin is absent. To hear her Kin have become so vicious and violent… the Red Caps are masters of their craft still, though they have lost some… nuance. Like us, Goblins were creatures quick with their hands and minds. They took to the Lanterns speedily and are yet another tool to allow the Wild Hunt to roam as they please.”

“The Will-o’-the-wisps inside… that’s rather dreadful. Do you do that?” I asked pointedly, and Darkflame shook his head.

“No, we use a… different… source of power. But Goblins are indeed ingenious, even now. And I suspect they are also collaborating with… other… troubling individuals. It would be a great joy to us all if both sides suffered, yet… it seems I shall have to bring different tidings back to my clan. They will listen. The few other remaining clans… perhaps not. Much has been invested in schemes and plots, and once a shaft is dug, it is wasteful not to search for ore.”

“So, we know you can get in by being invited by someone inside who is allowed to be there, so long as you have the intent to do no harm.” Shiro pointed out. “And it seems that spatial element can bypass a Territory barrier, if strong enough…”

“Or subtle enough.” The High Kobold disagreed. “To clash with the barrier surrounding the Seelie Court, mere strength is useless. Better to be… deft. A mighty boulder is not split easily by might alone, yet a well-placed chisel can allow even a child to crack it with a mere tapping of a mallet. And we Kobolds are nothing if not… subtle.” He finished his drink, seemingly satisfied. “Now, to my point. I expected little but was surprised. More surprised to find them here. Pitiful Goblins. I see why they suffered less than my kin, though even they lost their horns and their strengths, becoming little more than weak children. The Blood of the First yet remained. So pitiful, so fragile. And the Woe…” He paused, and I caught a flash of guilt in his eyes.

“Out with it. What do you know about that? It’s not like the adherence that warped them. It’s something else.”

He shook his head. “Ask your… maid… about it. She knows. I could see it in her eyes. It makes me wonder. Her words…”

“All right. When Hyacinth wants to talk about it, she will.” I cut off that line of inquiry. “She’s slowly opening up, I don’t want to pressure her. But that’s an answer in itself. The Unseelie, yeah?”

“You are perceptive.” he retorted, and Shiro laughed heartily.

“Yeah, Aki is, so long as it’s not about his or a woman’s feelings, but shit, there’s no way it could be anything else with that hint. Praising us won’t get you anywhere. So, are you Kobolds so afflicted? If so… are you trying to pay the Woe with your kin’s blood?” She narrowed her onyx eyes menacingly. “If so, you’re not even as noble as the Goblins. They suffered it to protect that child all these centuries.”

“I will not deny that is a consideration. Woe must be paid in pain and suffering. And were it to remain unpaid, and the Kobolds so twisted and corrupted dwindle… many clans fear it will spread to us, despite our separation. However… I did not expect your actions. So reckless, so… final. Wanderer… when he collapsed, it seemed as if his very nature was fighting against the belief that was oppressing him. And the Woe tangled with it… gone, and… yet here you all stand, mostly unharmed. By the blue metal, fascinating.”

“When it comes to dealing with that sort of sadness, it’s Aki you want in your corner. But… that won’t be enough. Not… alone.” Shiro mused. “However…” Suddenly her hair burst into flame and Tan resurfaced. She shot me a quick glance before looking away, perhaps still embarrassed.

“You must make your position plain, lest I insist you do not leave here. Your tricks, dangerous alliances, no matter how distant, and your knowledge of our affairs prove a troubling combination. Speak…” She unleashed as much League as Shiro could bear, and the High Kobold’s smile slid off his face.

“Plain, you say? I expected little, either a lie, a scheme, or forlorn, bitter hope.” Lantern swaying in his hand as if to punctuate his words, his false mask slipped. “Yet you have taken a great step to free the last few pitiful Goblins from their own distortions. There are Trolls here too, Giants, many other spiritual beings who are at the mercy of your kind’s insidious poison. And indeed, though some mortal ways here are strange to me, I listened and learned, as did Wanderer. The Kobolds here are satisfied. Though… their lives are short, their spirits twisted. They do not know better, know their true selves. Yet they still work the Mines, find the blue gems we crave. It… both perplexes and angers me. We are not one to trust. We never did. And we were proved right. Humans can never be equals with us.”

“That’s where you are wrong.” I shook my head in denial. “But for it to happen will require both sides to trust and gjve ground. As for a great step… the next step happens soon. Aine will be free, her people also. After all, they are my Adherents now.” At that Tan nodded, and a trace of jealousy smouldered in her crimson eyes, as bright and as fierce as the fires in her hair.

“And I take my responsibilities seriously. And more to the point…” I chuckled, feeling a little guilty. “…I told her I’d be a big brother to her. I have a Yōkai sister, and now a Fae one too, it seems.”

“If you are truly to rule for all, such is a powerful beacon and will attract those who otherwise fear you.” Tan agreed. “Though from what I have seen, your true blood sister shall be most envious. Though if you truly cannot manage her, the princess and I shall placate her…”

“Nah. Aiko is many things, but unkind isn’t one. She’ll feel sorry for Aine and treat her like a little sister. Better that than another daughter…” I glanced over at the sleeping Tsurugi, who was tossing and turning restlessly, eyelids fluttering, perhaps nearly ready to wake up. “…I’m already struggling with the prospect of being a father. I don’t feel ready, you know? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted, and also ecstatic for Asha, but… I’m still immature, and the world’s a chaotic place right now.”

“No kidding you’re immature…” Shiro spoke up, one eye darkening. “…but that’s part of your charm. And when it counts, like now, you’re always ready to stand tall.”

Tan agreed. “It is… reassuring. Your strength is… below my standards still, yet… you now stand at the point you can see me upon the mountain, yes? I can see you peering downwards, for you have crested the endless clouds and set foot upon the base of the summit…”

“Ignoring me?” Darkflame asked, and Tan glared at him.

“Silence. I am speaking honestly. As you should.” She then paused, silently communicating with Shiro, I surmised, and then Tan’s expression was one I had not seen on her before, and it was devilishly cute, a mixture of shyness and anticipation. “Tonight… I have spoken with Shaeula, and she is indeed gracious. Give… give me your Eye, so that if we encounter a similar situation with those irritating Norns again, I shall not lose out, and…” She couldn’t finish, so Shiro took over.

“Shaeula’s got some weird kinks. She enjoys it when you score another great woman. Me… I just enjoy the superiority of knowing I’m with the best guy. We’re not quite the same. But… I do want you and Tan to be as one. After all, right now, Tan and I, we’re two halves of a whole. Even… even when we part, that’ll still be true. Our spirits entangled, and… probably more than that by now. So…”

“I can do it. The adherence we got from winning the Trial of Three was thick and dense. I’m no longer in a rush to transplant the Favours, it should buy me a week or two. So… Taṇhā…” I used her full name for once.

“Yes, Akio?” She responded in kind.

“I’m not going to insult you by saying something like ‘if it’s just because you lost a wager…’”

“Good. I am Tanha, the Thirst, eldest, and sadly only wise, daughter of Māra. A man who cannot learn is not a man worthy of me, of claiming what the Buddha spurned. If I wished not for this, you could not compel me. But… I have seen a great deal, in a short, short time, and it has fascinated me. And feeling what the princess does moves me also. I thirst for what I have never tasted, and… I can wait no longer. I shall wait no longer.” League still radiating, she turned her attention back to Darkflame. “…now, we have much to do. So be brief. What do you want, and what can you offer?”

“Can you return the Kobolds to their true selves, restore the fallen clans?” he asked bluntly. “It will be a harder task than you have performed for the Goblins, for the change is rooted deeper, part of their very beings now.”

“I would try anyway.” I retorted. “At least for the ones under my protection. As to how… I think we can. Not easily, perhaps not soon, but… Woe we can drain, and adherence… it’s fighting fire with fire…”

“And…” Tan licked her cracked lips, and I then paused. Wait… it looks like she’s wearing lipstick? Her lips are purple. Huh… “When it comes to flames, we both… have a preference. And that annoying, supercilious Verðandi did suggest I drink of your flames. I would not… wound you, but…” Shiro’s face flushed deep crimson, and I knew it was Tan’s shame and embarrassment. “…perhaps there is a way…”

I nodded. “All right then. We should go into the mansion. I want privacy for the Chirurgery.” I guess it won’t just be Shaeula I’m spending the night with on the Material then. I turned to Darkflame then. “Don’t go anywhere. I’m busy right now, but… it might do you good to give you time to think about your request, and how we’ll all benefit.”

As I led Shiro away, she used Divine Possession again, and Taṇhā emerged once more. She glared at Darkflame, whose smile was now rather brittle, and as we left him behind, lantern waving idly, to contemplate his decision, the waiting servants opened the doors before us, several more carefully picking up the sleeping Tsurugi and gently carrying her to the room beside us . All right then. This… is the test. Though…

Of course. I am always watching. Though I shall spare your blushes and… not watch everything. Rose’s voice was clearly amused. I am a maiden, I have my dignity. I wish to come to the bridal bed suitably innocent. But this… this I wouldn’t miss, even if bold Sigrún herself commanded it. It’s not every day I see a mortal work Chirurgery upon a Goddess!

***

Adelheid Richter, The Pilgrimage, Tokyo

Adelheid frowned down at the device tied around her wrist, which took the shape of a silver bracelet, with an oversized, gaudy green jewel set in it, which was actually a mass of ether, not an actual emerald or peridot. The strange ratman Ixitt (though in the ordinary world he was an eccentric-looking white-haired man who dressed like an old-fashioned inventor) had pressed it upon her, speaking in basic but passable German. He had asked her to channel aether into it, so she did, and suddenly she was able to understand him easily enough.

“It must be rather… unpleasant… not being able to converse with those around you. And rather lonely, with Akio not here to translate for you. We Fae seldom had such problems, we find it trivial to understand the thoughts and wishes of our kind, but here in the Mortal world it is far more difficult, and they have so many languages… it is most inefficient…”

He certainly did like to talk around the hot porridge. I thought he was never going to get to the point!

 “…but communication is the heart of all knowledge. Fortunately, I had a few spare moments, so I created this prototype. It is not dissimilar to the ether suppression devices, though it serves a different function. My bond as an Enthroned Chosen Hero grants me knowledge of all the languages Akio speaks, so… this device pares off a shard of that connection and strengthens it. It has… a few flaws… but…” He had alternated between speaking English and Japanese, which she recognised, as she had been using the language learning apps on her new, expensive smartphone Akio had treated her to during her downtime, while she was drinking.

That was an irritating memory. I am no child, I am quite capable of enjoying alcohol, even if these Japanese brews are clearly inferior to proud German beer! Though I do suppose as their age of adulthood here is twenty, I can’t get too upset. No, I clearly can, by the Furies, it’s frustrating! Since coming to Japan, she had been terribly busy, but had time to refresh her wardrobe. No longer wearing little summer dresses and more childish clothes, as she no longer had to pretend to be weak and innocent, she dressed like a professional, mature woman. Currently she was wearing a smart red jumper and well-tailored white jeans, in deference to the pilgrimage. She was most certainly not going to wear the shrine maiden attire the other girls with her were, or else she would be mistaken for a little kid again, which was frustrating.

“…it should ease your worries. Oh, and do deliver me feedback. Though… I already know about the… mental strain.”

He should leave the damn church in the village! Mental strain was an understatement. Using it gave Adelheid a nagging headache, but he was right. It was rather stressful, being in a foreign land, where almost nobody spoke any German. Hence why she was trying to learn the local tongues, as well as universal English, as swiftly as she could. Fortunately, her now excellent memory helped.

“What do you think, Aine? Not frightening at all, is it?” Frau Christina was saying to the green-skinned little creature she was holding by the hand, who was small, petite and to Adelheid’s chagrin looked similar in age to her. No, no… I am clearly more mature.

The Goblin was quite cute, she had to admit, and the way she was bundled up against the winter chill… it’s the first day of winter today. How time does march on relentlessly… in a fluffy duffel coat and gloves did make Adelheid smile a little. Of course, she was rather aggrieved at how Frau Christina had swept her up into this little gathering, perhaps more familiar with her from their trip abroad together.

I shouldn’t search for the hair in the soup, I suppose, but… The others in the group were Marika, a truly young girl who looked her age, but was oddly polite and mature, Keomi, a girl who most certainly didn’t act her age, and the quiet Hotene, a small, dark-skinned girl who had a sombre, reflective air to her. She seems like a girl who knows suffering. Perhaps we are kindred spirits… that aside… judging by the selection, I am frustrated to think Frau Christina has dragged me along simply due to how I look!

“So… so many.” Aine, the Goblin, shuddered, clutching tight to Frau Christina’s waist, a sight that both amused and puzzled Adelheid. Judging by the fear and wariness displayed by the American siblings who had returned to Japan with them, and the casual disgust most of the people here treated her with, she was not well loved, yet Aine seemed to have formed a bond with her.

“People, everywhere… I’m… it’s still scary. What… what if they hurt me? I can smell iron everywhere too…”

“Actually, this is rather quiet…” Frau Christina chuckled, looking around the shrine they were visiting. Several hundred people were crowded around the shrine, some praying, others lining up to enter the makeshift tents and visit the Boundary. “…our route has been cleared and ordinary visitors have been kept out. Why… I’m told one of the major attractions in Tokyo is the Shibuya scramble crossing, where several thousand people cross at once, and over two million in a single day. Shibuya has… other… delights as well. Oh well, it is not my place to interfere today, let Shaeula have her fun.”

“So many?” Aine’s emerald eyes were wide in disbelief. “That’s… like an entire village all at once. And what is a million?”

“A thousand, a thousand times.” Frau Christina explained patiently. “the human population has exploded with the advent of scientific knowledge. It didn’t change much for a thousand years, since the times the Fae roamed the world…” Her expression shifted to one of great amusement, a contrast to her unhealthy pallor. “…I never thought I’d be speaking such unscientific words, but it’s clearly true. I have it corroborated by multiple credible sources. Anyway…” As they looked around the richly appointed shrine, her tired blue eyes were smiling. “…it was only when the industrial revolution took over that population growth started accelerating. Nowadays, those who thought we were reaching the peak are quite mistaken. Aether-based technology will surely bring the new revolution. Though… war is inevitable, it seems.”

Adelheid shuddered at that, and she wasn’t the only one. Keomi tilted her head, trying to understand. “War? With who? I know China attacked us, and… there was that trouble with the terrorists, but… it won’t lead to war, will it?”

“Perhaps. But even if not…” Frau Christina explained patiently, and Adelheid thought uncharitably it was like she was babysitting a gaggle of kids. Wait, that would make me one too!

“…I didn’t get to see the Valkyries. That disappoints me, I’m so jealous. Admittedly, I was rather… indisposed… at the time. Dealing with the Woe was rough…”

“I’m sorry. For me, you had to…” Aine began, but Frau Christina patted her head gently.

“…It’s fine. I… well, it’s rather illogical to say I deserve it. My pain doesn’t help alleviate the pain I’ve caused. If it was just punishment, that’s a sop to a sense of justice and moral outrage. I’m not… the best at understanding such concepts, though I am certainly trying!” She stretched, her ample chest, straining against her red and white outfit, making Adelheid feel rather jealous. Though if I was that large, with my frame… No, I mustn’t lose the thread here. That’s a stupid thought. Besides, that girl, what was her name… Mizuki, she was complaining about backache and being ogled by perverts. I can sympathise.

“But there’s a difference between suffering just for moral superiority and actually helping someone.” Frau Christina finished explaining patiently. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than prepared to be tortured if it helps people accept me. I’m… not afraid.” Her faint tremors showed different, Adelheid noticed, her shrewd blue eyes not missing the nuance.

“But… I’d much rather be useful. After all, I do have a high pride in my abilities. And helping you was my pleasure. I’m not one for guilt…” she told Aine. “…though I do feel a twinge unhappy when I look at you, as if I had done something bad before. You’d have been a precious specimen, one I’d have investigated every inch of… fortunately, we in America weren’t on the right track, so I never got to commit such…” She sighed, struggling to find the words. “This introspection isn’t like me. But… I think of it constantly.”

“You’re not bad. You helped me.” Aine insisted, squeezing her hand, and Frau Christina chuckled bitterly.

“You’re a sweet child. I always wondered why my parents gave birth to me. We’re not close. They express pride in my genius, but… don’t take much interest in my life. All I could come up with was they felt they had superior genes, so it would be a waste to not pass them on to the future. Maybe I was wrong… I never thought of children, they’d just be a distraction, get in the way of more important things, but… you’re cute, little Aine. Maybe one day…”

“I do not know enough to pass moral judgements, nor would it be appropriate…” Marika spoke with elegant, quiet diction, which was evident to Adelheid even through her translation device. Though now my head begins to ache. It truly does have flaws…

“…but I know this.” Marika insisted. Despite her tender age, in fact being the youngest of all of the trainees, with only Mizuki’s shy little sister, and the fiery noble girl Arisa coming close, she was shockingly mature, and rather clever in dealing with other people. “So long as you live, it is never too long to repent. And if repentance is matched by actions… I do not believe the Kami will look down on your efforts. And while taking a life is a… grave sin… one we all share…” Even this little girl had taken part in battles in the Boundary, though under careful supervision and only against rampaging sea creatures. “…saving a life, helping someone… no matter the weight of your guilt, a good deed should be celebrated.”

Aine nodded. “I’m… lonely. It’s scary. I don’t understand anything, but… I remember, my family, they… they told me I was the youngest, and the least affected. And… that one day I’d wake up, and… the world would be better. But… without them… with so few of us left…”

The young, dark-skinned Hotene spoke up, a rarity. “I understand.” Her brown eyes were distant, but her words, while softly spoken, were searingly powerful, and Adelheid felt a twinge of sympathy for her, and a sense of comradeship.

It’s not just me who had had a hard life. Now… I understand the value of all this. I can’t say I was happy to be tracked down, I wanted to live in quiet obscurity… but trouble always found me, every time I shed my horns. Far better to stand out in the company of others who burn brighter. I don’t mind standing in the shade. And honestly, life is pretty good here, so long as the danger can be discounted…

“My cousin… my sister, really, we were as close as any sisters, raised together as shrine maidens…” Hotene continued slowly. “…I saw her killed right in front of me. No, not saw, my eyes had been ruined by then…”

Aine shuddered, perhaps imagining that, while Frau Christina’s face twisted into one of what seemed almost like understanding. Keomi, the bright, bubbly airheaded girl, also fell silent, her eyes a little haunted.

“…I… miss her every day. So…” She turned to Aine, and gingerly, hesitantly, reached out and took her free hand. “…I don’t understand… what it’s like to be adrift, so far from your own time, but… I know what it’s like to lose family in horrible ways.” She took a deep breath. “I’m lucky. I still have mother and father, uncle and auntie too… but you…”

“You’ve got me too, Hotene-chan!” Keomi shook off her own memories and grasped her hand. “I’m lucky… Kana-chan wasn’t stupid enough to be led astray. Too busy crushing on Akio-kun back then to listen to other people.” She giggled. “I’m so happy for her! But…” She then addressed Aine. “…I never lost any family, but… new friends died. It wasn’t… wasn’t…” She took a deep breath, trying to grasp thoughts she tried to avoid. “… wasn’t nice.” She managed, sticking out her tongue and knocking her head with her free fist, in a manner Japanese girls seemed to think was cute, but Adelheid didn’t really understand.

“But… I’m close to Hotene-chan, and while I can’t ever replace her cousin, no more than anyone could replace Kana-chan if she was gone… I’ll always be her friend! And… uh… hey, Marika-chan, I’m not good with complicated ideas, can you explain for me? You’re smart and like a mini adult!”

Marika, despite being so much younger, only nodded. “I believe you wanted to say that the reason we are doing all this… is to prevent further tragedies like that. It is… impossible, I am afraid. Just as the terrorist attacks showed, but… if we strive to support each other, grow stronger, then we can reduce the sadness. Even in the attack on Hanafubuki Private Academy, the casualties were a mere shadow of what happened in Kyoto.”

“Yes, exactly!” Keomi enthused. “I was going to say something like… friends protect each other, but that’s just dumb!”

“It is far from foolish.” Frau Christina disagreed. “In fact, it’s the heart of things.” With her free hand, she tapped below her eye. “I see clearly now. It’s wonderful. I’d still dearly love to see the world the way Akio can, but… that’s a luxury not for me, I’m afraid. Little Miss Christina here can’t compete with a Goddess. But I’m a genius, Aine, girls.” She couldn’t hide her pride. “Though as you Japanese say… God does not give two gifts… a curious saying, but… I understand it. I am most certainly one of the most intelligent people alive, but… in exchange, I was missing something that fundamentally makes up a human. No, not just a human…” She squeezed Aine’s hand reassuringly. “…Fae, Yōkai too. Goddesses and Kami. Likely every sapient species. Emotions.”

Adelheid listened, her headache growing. It would soon be their turn to offer prayers and gifts to the shrine, increasing the mysterious Kami-Blessed Class. Adelheid didn’t exactly understand, but she was sensitive enough to feel her strength growing, little by little.

“Don’t get me wrong. Curiosity, joy, annoyance… I felt those. I wasn’t a machine. Though oftentimes I felt I would be more efficient if I was, that such emotions and feelings only held me back, made me imperfect. But I was very wrong. Do you know what changes the world, girls?” Frau Christina asked, and Adelheid spoke up, surprising herself.

“Of course, it is emotion. Love and hate are the two most powerful forces. And without curiosity, desire… the search for comfort and ease…  there would be no need to grow. Yet desires, both good and evil, can set Heaven and Hell in motion.”

Frau Christina nodded. “Exactly. I was a fool. Hmm, that device works well, though… your native idioms sound rather strange in Japanese. But yes… no matter how logical, how perfect I thought myself, I was always on the wrong path. I’m most certainly grateful for a second chance… and I intend to learn from my mistakes. And what does that have to do with this? Simple, little Aine. Feel your sorrows, grieve… but your family went to great lengths to protect you until this moment. Akio, Hyacinth, Haru, and yes, me, with my small efforts… we did the same. So, all you have to do for us in return is allow yourself to feel happiness again. I’m not telling you to do it fast, I don’t have the right, nor the experience, but… one day, it’ll suddenly click, that you’re finally where you were meant to be.”

“Whoa, that’s unexpected! Everyone says you’re crazy and mean!” Keomi blurted out, with her usual lack of tact, and Frau Christina chuckled.

“Crazy, yes. Mean… that wounds me. I honestly prefer evil… because there was no meanness nor malice in my actions, only ice-cold logic and the wicked calculus of progress. I still believe in that calculus, though now… I’m weighing different things on those scales. And Aine… you’re the first genuinely good thing I’ve done. Yes, my motives aren’t entirely pure…”

“No kidding.” Keomi giggled. “Everyone knows. Kana-chan moans about it to me sometimes…”

“Despite that… it does feel rather… unexpectedly wonderful, doing good deeds. Of course, it helps you are so very cute, little Aine.” Frau Christina ignored Keomi’s words.

“Cute? Everyone always said… I was pretty…” Aine managed quietly, and Keomi and Marika hastened to reassure her she was, while Hotene squeezed her hand.

“Back to my previous point, not to spoil the mood, but… I do hate leaving things unfinished…” Frau Christina interjected. “Yes, there’ll be war. I didn’t get to see the Valkyries, but… vastly superior civilisations are out there. Japan’s history, America’s history… it wouldn’t surprise me if even the Fae’s history… all shows what happens when imbalanced civilisations clash. But… that’s nothing for us to worry about yet. Let Akio and the others plan for it. We just… do our thing.”

“But… is there a place for us… for me?” Aine asked. “I’ve never been to the mortal world, it was too horrible. Fire, iron, salt, ash… many died…”

“That was then. This… this is now.” Frau Christina shrugged. “A hundred years ago… perhaps even fifty… you’d be feared, reviled, and yes, likely there would be war between us, humanity unable to reconcile with another competitive, intelligent civilisation. But now… he’s quite the genius really. What amuses me is, half of it is unintentional, and the other half is the careful planning of others to shackle him, yet he makes the chains his own, instead binding them.”

I see what she means. All this… the young, the propaganda broadcasts. The celebrity of it all…

Aine was clearly confused, so Frau Christina patiently explained once more. “Our world is different now, little Aine. You’ll see. This is only a little jaunt to acclimatise you, and also… you’ll appear before the world. The entire world. We can do that now. Humanity is sprawling, but… also connected. And… the young have changed. Sending young girls like you to fight, young men too, I dare say… yes, it seems… reckless, and some might even say abhorrent. Not me, I’m not shameless enough to complain. But… the youth have been trained to accept Aine and those like her. Games, stories, the internet, all of it normalises these fantasy elements. And… the young are flexible. And our future. He’s building a new world order, where those like Shaeula, Hyacinth and Aine can live freely.”

“Kana-chan’s said something like that before.” Keomi’s eyes brightened as she remembered. “The reason that the nobility keep pushing Hinata-chan and the others onto Akio is because… uh, what did she say again… oh, yeah… I remember! All of the older girls are already engaged or even married, so that only leaves those at Hanafubuki, unless… oh, some divorced women or unmarried older troublemakers twice Akio-kun’s age would do…”

“I daresay Akio-sama would do his duty.” Marika insisted, defending him. “And I do not believe he would see a past divorce as a great issue. He is very kind. But… he deserves better. Besides, he deeply loves his fiancées, and they him.”

“Leaping to his defence? How gallant.” Frau Christina chuckled. “I don’t disagree though. He’s weak to romantic pressure, though somehow he always resists mine. And your Japanese sayings are wrong. God does give two gifts. After all, I’m a beautiful genius!”

“Not right now. You look a fright, Christina-chan!” Keomi replied innocently, and she laughed a touch bitterly in response.

“Before, that wouldn’t have bothered me. I often went several days without sleep to see experiments done, relying on caffeine and other medications to keep functioning, only snatching sleep when my performance began to drop. I didn’t wear makeup or pay much attention to my appearance. Now… well, emotions are messy, little Aine. But… we want to be our best selves. You… you can be yours too. Anyway… while the reasons you have are doubtless true. Keomi, it’s also a matter of face. The rich and the powerful care about their reputations and never want to be disadvantaged. In America, tech billionaires threatened the status quo, but they were brought into the fold, chained down by obligation and precedent. Here… they try through marriage. And it works, yet… instead, Akio took their daughters, who are now loyal to him. Instead, they’re chained. Sending him the women they deem as unworthy or tainted… it would sour their whole relationship. It had to be those they treasured, their young, unmarried, precious daughters. Lucky.” She let out a sigh. “But all this doesn’t matter to you, little Aine…”

“I like to listen.” Aine answered. “And… it sounds less scary.”

“There will be no… iron, or fire.” Adelheid spoke up. “I am bored about talking of Akio and his infidelities. But she is right.” She nodded at Frau Christina. “The young are the key. And… those that cannot adapt will be forced to or be crushed.”

“Exactly.” she agreed. “Little Aine, you’re confused and lost, but… you’re not alone. Akio sees you as a little sister to be protected, and there’s nothing safer. Besides, the world now is a fascinating place. Back then… our ancestors were superstitious, idiotic zealots, who let their fears rule them. I’ll not claim we are perfect, but… we know enough not to repeat those mistakes. And if we’re wrong… well, again, as Daiyu says, big fists are the last word, and our fists are big indeed, and getting bigger. Valkyries…” Frau Christina chuckled again, which quickly became loud laughter, her chest heaving, until she stopped thirty seconds later, gasping for breath, tears in her eyes behind her fashionable glasses.

It seems I missed out on a lot. I’m… not sorry. By the Furies, the world is complicated now. But… some things never change. The weak suffer, and the strong can do as they please. Fortunately, it seems Aine has been picked up by the benevolent strong, as have I…

“I…” Aine took a deep breath. With her pale green skin, delicate frame and long cloak of silver hair, to say nothing of the almost cute little horns that jutted from her forehead, she was ephemeral, fragile. “Thank you. All of you. I… don’t understand anything. I… I can’t be First Goblin. I’m young and frightened… but… there is nobody else but me… yet…”

“Wrong. Can’t you feel our hands?” Frau Christina asked, and Hotene agreed.

“I felt alone… but Keomi-san, the others… Suzuki-san who helped me feel… alive again… they kept me from going crazy, from going to where my cousin is… I’ll be your friend, Aine-san. Keomi-san too.”

“Yeah, totally! I’ll be your big sister!” Keomi cheered. “First idea, let’s go get some cake! Everything feels better when you have cake!”

“Big sister?” Adelheid snorted, the dull ache behind her eyes building up. “Firstly, she is a Fae, yes? Faerie? So is likely older than you, just as Shaeula is, at least in absolute terms. Secondly, if your solution to all problems is something sweet, you are a child still. Thirdly…” Adelheid grinned. “We all know beer is called for at a time like this!”

“I may be stupid, but I know better than you, Adelheid-chan!” Keomi giggled, her expression knowing, which pissed Adelheid off a little. But then, she means no harm. She is simply still innocent, despite what she has been through. I suppose that is praiseworthy.

“You can’t drink beer until you are twenty! Everyone knows that!”

“In Germany it is sixteen.” Adelheid insisted. “Even you can drink, though considering how annoying you are sober, perhaps you should refrain. Besides…” She retrieved a document from the pocket of her jeans, a small booklet bound in leather and set with a tracery of unearthly metals in the cover, which would produce a holographic pattern of light when injected with aether, to show it was genuine, preventing forgeries. “…with this, I am exempt from a number of local laws, as a… naturalised foreign Chosen. I show it, and I can drink to my heart’s content!” Feeling the weight in her other pocket, of a stuffed wallet, heavy with yen bills, Adelheid felt content. I’m sitting in the made nest now. Yes, there’ll certainly be troubles ahead, and it’s bad for my nerves but… I sympathise with Aine. It is… hard to be alone…

“I do enjoy an occasional drink now.” Frau Christina agreed. “But it’s no fun if I’m not drinking with Akio, or at least my rivals! How about a compromise? Once we’ve done here, it’s not far to a nearby shrine, but after that…” She checked her watch. “We’d be transported by bus to Hikawa-Kawagoe for the final destination of the day. If we could cheat that and get a special kind of lift, we’d have an hour or so to kill…”

“I do not approve of putting further pressure on Arisugawa-sama…” Marika spoke up, but on seeing the curiosity on Aine’s face, she relented. “But I do believe that Akio-sama would approve of relieving Aine-sama’s cares… and…” For a moment Marika looked her age, as a childish smile which was slightly cheeky crossed her features. “…I have heard him complain he owes Arisugawa-sama many favours, one more will not make much of a difference. Aine-sama, it would be my honour to show you around and though my strengths are meagre, with Adelheid-sama here, no harm shall come to you. You may not be Japanese, but you are surely the equal of many Kami.”

As Aine seemed surprised by the warm support she was receiving frum humans, Adelheid snorted. “Putting it all on me, are you? It’s certainly true that anyone who bothers me will find themselves nicely sitting in ink…” As Frau Christina laughed at her idiom, Keomi too, Adelheid shook her head, frustrated. “I am using this troubling bracelet to understand. Mocking me is rather unfair.” That’s right… “Hold on a moment, how does Aine understand Japanese outside of the Boundary?”

Aine tilted her head, unsure of what she meant, and Frau Christina offered a suggestion. “Perhaps it’s due to the Path? She was guided onto it by the Valkyries, so I’m told. It might be similar to some existing connections. Interesting…” As Aine blinked, confused, Frau Christina patted her head. “Don’t worry about it. What matters is having fun. Besides, I need a break before tonight. I’m not… feeling my best. And there’s quite the queue for fresh eyes. Want a pair?” she asked teasingly, and everyone declined, Hotene looking particularly troubled, which made Frau Christina’s face fall.

“Oh, that was inconsiderate of me, considering your story earlier. My apologies.”

“That you realise that is surely great progress.” Adelheid sighed. “Enough.” She clapped her hands together. “If we are to listen to your whims and help Aine acclimatise, settle her down before your schemes, then we shall do it right. Be that with cake, or with beer. Or with just seeing the world. I am not familiar with Tokyo, but…” She pulled out her phone. “Around the next shrine, surely there is something fun to do, in a place without too many people…”

Yes. It is hard to be lonely. The world, it is cruel, yet… one thing I know like my vest pocket is that there are good people in this world. There are many bad ones too, I know that all too well, but even in Luisenstadt, I eventually found a place to belong. I’m also glad… I can give something back. With the promise of a factory being set up there in future, bringing wealth and jobs back to the slums, Adelheid felt she had repaid her debt, even if Akio was paying it for her. Of course he would. After all, I’m a great asset, and you can put poison on that fact!