Chapter 137 – The Dancer and The Demigod

Deirdee

Now

She dreamed of being on the top of Y-Ram again. Zvirvil was chasing after Lilyth.

Knowing what was about to happen, Deirdee wanted to scream but her mouth wouldn't move.

No! No!

Then it happened. The wind started gathering around Lilyth’s fist, and with a snap of broken ribs, her brother was flying backwards and into the Abyss. But in her dream, he was looking directly into Deirdee’s eyes the entire time. And he spoke:

‘You could have stopped this. You could have saved me. You could have avenged me. Instead… you let my killer live. You helped her. Why, Deirdee? Why!’

Like so many times before, she woke up with a scream. It took her a moment to register that she was back in her room in the “Trader’s Delight” inn in Tyr-Mel. It was fairly lavish with a soft bed, a wall painting, a wooden wardrobe and green-painted walls as Taros didn’t skimp on luxuries

Oh, Zvirvil.

Deirdee knowing that he was alive in this world didn't help. Her Zvirvil was still dead, and this one was now traumatised by his Deirdee disappearing.

Godsdammit, Lilyth…

Deirdee dragged herself off the bed, walked over to the window and opened the drapes. Judging by the sun's position, it was early afternoon, which was a fairly early time for her to wake up by the standards of her new career. When she was a Serrated Blade she was an early riser. Now since she would often be dancing until two or three in the morning and not fall asleep until four or five, getting up before sixteen was rare. Deirdee shook her head, opened the window and let the warm breeze wash over her body. It was one of the small comforts she learned to enjoy since starting her new life.

Her feelings towards Lilyth were a mess. Deirdee would either be dead or still a slave to the Blood if it wasn't for her. Zvirvil’s death was also caused by Lilyth just defending herself. So why… Why did Deirdee hate her so much?

This wasn’t the first time she went down that line of thought. R’as-T’uar actually once responded to her. Deirdee still remembered the words and repeated them to herself every time she went down that negativity spiral.

‘There is nothing wrong with blaming people for wrongs they did to you even if they also did you some kindness, my child. Neither of these things should erase the other, so don’t force yourself to adopt some attitude because of either.’

Like the breeze, this time it failed to bring her peace. The suggestion from Irmen to rejoin Lilyth and her group shook her too much. She wanted to. She did. But…

Her thoughts were interrupted by knocking at the door. By now, Deirdee could easily recognise the pattern. It was Taros.

‘Come on in, Tee,’ she said with a raised voice and her partner didn't need to be told twice.

The door swung open and a lithe girlish figure dressed in black pants and a green linen shirt entered. Vae was maybe metre-fifty with yellowish skin and slightly thick brown hair tied into a ponytail. Despite having orange scales on her sideburns and wrist, frilly ears and blue eyes Taros looked mostly human. Well… other than the nine “puffy” tails made of water vae sported. This was not the form Tee used when the two of them met.

Four days after escaping the Tower of Trials

Deirdee needed a proper bath. It’d been a few days since she had one, and Jirrin’s inn was insufficient for her needs. So she set off towards the river, making sure to get as far from Dan-Hem as sanguinely possible. The last thing she needed was some bumpkin from there seeing her naked and getting ideas.

So she ended up walking maybe five kilometres away from the village before finding a decent spot to wash herself. The place was nice enough that after she was done she ended up taking a nap there,

She was woken up by the sound of someone’s singing mixed with the music from a lyre. The singer was really close so Deirdee immediately scrambled for cover.

Comes the last day, comes the hour,

Deep below the darkest mountain,

Comes the downfall of the power.

Said the king to his mourning queen,

“The Daughters return near the Tower”,

Yet the struggling mortals may win.

Comes the last day, comes the hour,

Deep below the darkest mountain,

Comes the downfall of the power.

Stor…

The music suddenly ended and she heard the musician mutter:

‘No… that one won’t work.’

The voice seemed friendly enough, but the accent felt really foreign to her.

Deirdee grabbed one of her throwing knives and peeked out.

The figure playing on the lyre was maybe a metre-twenty tall and quite stocky. Its skin was light yellow, with bands of orange scales on its wrists, and small patches of them in the place where most humanoids would have sideburns. Their ears had a red frill instead of a helix and Deirdee had trouble figuring out whether what was on the top of their head was really thick hair or just brown spines. For the most part, the creature’s face mostly resembled a short-snouted lizard than a human, with blue eyes and a wide, friendly-looking smile. The figure also had a short tail with a red frill, and there were webs between its fingers, which didn’t seem to hamper its ability to play on the lyre one bit. And neither did the thick, dark, claw-like nails. If Deirdee had to guess, the figure's feet were also webbed, but it was impossible to tell through the black leather shoes it wore. The lizard thing was dressed in black pants and a white linen shirt. They had a bright blue frock slung on their shoulders and a tricorn hat attached via string to it and hanging off the creature's back. Deirdee noticed the figure had a sheathed small cutlass on its hip.

They didn't seem to be threatening so Deirdee came out of hiding and waved with her right hand while hiding the dagger behind her back with her left hand.

‘Hi,’ she said.

‘Oh, hello there,’ the lizard-thing replied with a toothy smile. ‘You must be the pale harridan I heard people at Dan-Hem talk about. You certainly don’t look like one to me.’

‘I don’t look like what?

‘A harridan. What did you do to get such a moniker?’

‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ Deirdee said. ‘Let’s just say I just taught people there not to fuck with me. Who are you?’

‘Pardon my manners, lassie. I’m Taros.’

The creature bowed.

‘Deirdee,’ she replied and extended her hand.

Taros shook it.

‘Nice to meet you Deirdee.’

‘Likewise. What brings you out here?’

‘Oh… just travelling. Looking for places to see, people to meet and women to bed.’

‘How’s that last one going for you, if I may ask? I can’t imagine a lot of people here would be interested. They seem… prejudiced.’

‘That they are. Still, I’m one of the fae, so that makes some women interested.’

‘You’re a fae?’ Deirdee raised her eyebrow.

‘Aye, lassie,’ Taros confirmed. ‘I’m a Klabter, a water fae from the realm of Lady Irmen.’

A water spirit. Interesting.

‘And where are you headed, Deirdee?’

‘Just travelling and looking for work. I was told I could find it in Tyr-Mel.’

‘I’m also headed there as well. If you are okay with it, we can go there together.

Some company would be nice. Even if it is a horny fae musician.

Now

Taros approached her and lay vaer hand on Deirdee’s shoulder.

‘Bad dreams again, Dee?’ vae asked.

She nodded, took a deep breath in and said:

‘The message from your mom… it… it… made me dream of Zvirvil again.

Taros sighed.

‘Yeah… I cannot imagine how the perspective of meeting his killer must have felt.’

‘It’s complicated,’ she sighed again and continued. ‘ Mostly… it’s just that I am afraid, you know. Afraid… that if I meet the girls again… my freedom to be myself will end. For the first time in my life I have found something that I enjoy doing.

‘So you are clutching to it so as not to lose it?’ Taros suggested.

‘Yes. Here… I am Deirdee the dancer. Once I link up with them I will be Deirdee the Serrated Blade again.

‘No. Nothing and nobody will force you to go back to your past. If you want to lay down your blades and just… be happy then just do it.’

‘But why does it feel I am abandoning the first people in life that had actually shown me kindness? They accepted me despite me trying to murder them. Freed me. Saved my life. And yet… the idea of going back to them…’

‘It doesn't feel right,’ Tee finished for her. ‘I don’t envy you this choice.’

‘I made it yesterday,' she said quietly.

Taros cocked vaer head.

‘Did you now, Dee? It doesn't seem like it. Or at least the choice isn't one you are happy with. Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation.’

Deirdee laughed mirthlessly.

‘And what about you Taros? Would you really be content with settling down with my old friends for gods know how long?’

The demigod smiled.

‘I doubt it will be that long, but I have been on the road for over two years now and could use a break. And a home to come back to. I thought we were talking about you, Dee.’

One word in Taros’s answer piqued her interest.

‘What do you mean by home?’

‘A place I can go to rest and spend my earnings that isn't my mom’s realm. You could use one too, I think. I mean… at one point, we could have a falling out, or you’ll get tired of dancing. Where will you go then? Even not counting that… it may be Summer now but Winter is coming sooner or later. Thanks to my heritage I am not terribly bothered by the cold. You my dear…’

I haven't thought about that.

The weather in the Badlands was pretty stable, other than the occasional crimson rains, so seasons were not something you had to worry about.

‘Yeah… you raise a very good point,’ she conceded.

‘We don't have to live in Mer-Cas long term, but we have maybe three months to find different winter lodgings if we choose not to go. That may prove difficult.’

‘Are you pressuring me to go?’ she asked with narrowed eyes.

‘Yes and no,’ Tee sighed and looked down in shame. ‘It is true, I really want to meet your friends, but I will respect your decision no matter what.’

Deirdee nodded and mulled what Taros said in silence.

‘Life on the road has its downsides?’ she asked.

‘Everything has them,’ the demigod confirmed. ‘My… our lifestyle has a certain glamour to it, but it is not an easy existence. A lot is dependent on luck. Here in Ror-Bhyk, there aren’t many travelling bards so we don’t have much competition, down south we may end up in a situation where we won’t be able to find jobs for weeks on end. The richer places have their own musicians and there is a lot of competition for the others.’

‘I am limiting you, aren’t I?’ she asked. ‘You didn't have to worry about this stuff before I came along.’

Taros shook vaer head and in a soft voice said:

‘You aren't, Dee. Never think that. I like working with you and I consider you a friend and friends take care of each other’s needs.’

Or point out that some needs may soon exist.

‘But… what… what… if it doesn't work?’ she made a last ditch attempt of denying what she really wanted.

‘Then we leave,’ Taros shrugged. ‘We’ll manage. I only ask that you do the same for me in return.

‘What do you mean?’ Deirdee was confused.

Taros laughed.

‘You assume I will end up liking them. Which tells me you like them, but there is no guarantee I actually will.’

Oh.

She nodded.

‘Where you go, I go.’

Taros beamed at her.

‘Happy to hear that. Tell you what, Dee. If you decide we go to your friends we can leave you an out - we don't have to tell them we are coming. That way we can bypass Dan-Hem if they will still be there and head on to Ror-Bhyk. Should be some work there for us.’

They have been talking about leaving Tyr-Mel for a while now. The original idea was to head towards Fal-Mel next, but that could wait. They could take a barge from the capital to the port town.

‘That sounds good,’ she smiled. ‘One last show tonight and we go?’

‘Works for me, partner'