Chapter 187 – Harpies’ Clanhold

Aki

‘I never thought I would be so happy to see sunlight,’ Caei moaned as the seven of us, except for Phosi, who chose to go for a swim instead, lay on the grass on a hill near Dan-Hem.

We couldn't stay there for long as it was too cold, but for the moment, it was worth it.

There is also the matter of Persephone.

She was an okay companion. Not “one of us”, not just yet, but I couldn't find much to complain about either. She mostly kept to herself, I imagine due to our… less than great first meeting, but otherwise was helpful, gave us advice when needed, and so I had no reason to turn her away.

But how to bring it up?

I didn't want to ruin the moment, but it had to be solved.

‘One thing is bothering me, ‘Phone,’ Deirdee suddenly said, likely having the same thoughts. ‘Why kill Kirsee? The soldiers seem not to be connected in any way to your… family.’

‘Oh… that,’ the sorceress responded, pain clear in her voice. ‘I have no idea who those losers are.’

‘Then why?’

‘Like I said. To slow you down. You guys solving that problem too quickly would give you more time to focus on, well… my family. And it would give me a chance to convert you. As it stands, I have murdered that woman for nothing.’

At least she admits it. That’s the first step.

‘I have no idea why you guys tolerate me.’

‘Because out of the eight of us, I think only Lilyth and Aki aren’t murderers,’ Caei said.

‘Remember, I executed that guy we caught when we first met the Red Masks,’ Lilyth reminded us. ‘That’s a war crime where I am from. So it is just Aki.’

‘Oh, right,’ Caei sighed. ‘I wouldn’t count that one, but I get what you mean.’

‘We are a band of strays, lost souls and murderers,’ Ren said warmly. ‘So you’ll fit right in.’

‘Anyone against giving ‘Phone a second chance?’ I asked.

No one raised their voice.

I knew I should also double-check with Phosi, but I doubted her mind had changed on this.

‘Thank you,’ the sorceress nodded. ‘I have one issue, though. If I join up with you, I will have to go against my family. My mother. And… I am not sure I can do this. Kill them. And… if faced with the choice… I am not sure what I’d pick.’’

That's a big issue.

‘I am not sure they will view it this way,’ Savri said. ‘You have already joined up with people explicitly opposed to them. I mean… I assume you just associating yourself with me will not be an easy pill to swallow for your mother, given whose daughter I am AND that I am dating a goddess.’

Persephone raised her head and looked at Sav.

‘You are fucking what?’

‘Not fucking what. Fucking who. And that would be Nyx. Though you may know her as Ter’ius.’

‘Ohh… fuck,’ Persephone’s face bleached of all colour. ‘Okay… so Lilyth sold her soul to Ereshkigal, and you are fucking a goddess. That's… umm… fuuuck.’

‘What can I say…’ Lilyth said, wryly. ‘The deal you were trying to make me take was really a non-starter.’

‘Meaning it really was all for nothing, wasn't it?’ Persephone began to weep. ‘I murdered that woman, nearly got myself killed, got captured by those… men… all for nothing.’

‘Yes,’ I said flatly. ‘But that doesn't mean you can't make the most of it. We all did.’

‘Yes,’ Lilyth said. ‘And as someone prone to making cataclysmic fuck-ups… You are not alone. The point is to learn from them.’

‘If you survive,’ Sav sighed.

‘Still here, pink-hair.’

‘Despite your best efforts, furball.’

‘Bite me ‘

‘Just fuck already!’ Deirdee shouted in exasperation.

Lilyth and Sav looked at each other, shrugged and flipped Deirdee off.

Lilyth

‘Catch!’ I heard Aki shout seconds before a snowball hit the back of my head, making my fur all wet.

Could I have dodged that? Yes. Why would I, though? I wouldn't have a reason then to roll to the ground, make a snowball of my own and return fire.

It was the morning after we returned from Altal-Gyl, as the Clanhold of the Bloody Perch Clan was called. Despite our worries, made even worse by Phosi deciding to sit it out, the trip was uneventful. The Sconryoll took us as far as she could by boat before retreating, as she ultimately was an aquatic creature, and a long land trip would be too much for her to handle so short after a week underground.

It was a shame, as the settlement was absolutely stunning, looking as if it were from a story book, or, perhaps, Estonia. The houses were mostly wooden, stone and brick cottages.

Altal-Gyl started as a wooden keep built on a lakeside inside a scenic mountain-hid valley. As the population of the settlement grew, houses began to be built around the palisade and, eventually, a sturdier stone wall was built to defend them. The wooden keep and walls, having been burned down a couple of times over centuries, were also eventually rebuilt out of stone, though some of the older-style clan buildings have been rebuilt, with old paintings used as a reference. One of those had been the grand meadhall where we were welcomed in the clanhold to a great fanfare as, apparently, we were considered celebrities due to our series of mildly survivable blunders, and our luck actually kept as Ren’s secret didn't come out. The problem was that they had, somehow, heard about the events on Varlia. Having my suspicions as to the culprit, I have added strangling Yachiro to my to-do list. Given how the locals started calling me “the Chainbreaker”, it was on the top of it too. I was also partly to blame, as my explanations that Phosi was the one who did most of the work, and I only killed like twenty-five people, didn't help. As such, once I was finished digging myself into a very deep hole, I had received several challenges to duels and two marriage proposals.

Apparently, it would have been in very bad taste for me to refuse those challenges, so by the time I was finished wiping the floor with all of the challengers, a pretty entertaining two hours, the number of marriage proposals grew to fifteen, some of them from people I had just sent to the hospital.

‘Kill me…’ I muttered to my wives after the last suitor had finally fucked off.

‘C’mon, honey,’ Aki, having, like the rest of my group, received her own fair share of attention, laughed. ‘Some of those guys were pretty cute.’

‘Yeah,’ Caei joined, looking dreamily at one of the more muscular harpies. ‘Just saying that if you want to spend a night or two outside our room, we will understand. It’s not like I am not tempted.’

‘I am surprised about your… open-mindedness,’ I grumbled. ‘Like, I am still amazed you forgave me, Dainyir, so easily.’

‘We gave you a “stranded on an island for gods-only-know-how-long” pass,’ Rennie whispered. ‘Kinda like you and Aki gave one to Caei and me after we first met.’

‘Still not proud of it,’ I muttered. ‘Or how easily I… gave in…’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ Aki comforted me. ‘Though I think it will be best if we stop teasing you about those guys. Though if you change your mind…’

She gave me an impish wink, which caused me to just shake my head in disbelief, but then…’

‘I mean, the bearded guy with red eyes and white hair is pretty handsome…’ I admitted. ‘Gave a good fight too. Seeing those muscles of his up close…’

Judging by the utterly mortified expression on Aki’s face, I have achieved the intended result.

‘Gotcha,’ I said with an innocent smile and took her hands into mine.

‘Aki von Caiver. You are one of the three shining beacons that guide my life. I would never dare to look at someone else that way. Not again. The fact I did it even once is the greatest shame of my life.’

We kissed, and my suitors were all forgotten.

Still, hiring the guards was a formality thanks to our popularity, and they would be ready to start their duties come spring. They wouldn't be coming alone either. Builders, craftsmen, lumberjacks, doctors… all were needed.

In two or three years, Mer-Cas will be a small town. I just hope the new harpy population won’t cause tensions.

One interesting addition to our village would be Tzarihya, a dance tutor. She would be joining us at Deirdee's request. Basically, after all the brave men were sent home, or at least to their seats, with broken bones and blue balls, we were treated to a show by a local troupe of belly dancers. Deirdee immediately fell in love with the concept and, with puppy eyes, asked Ren whether she could introduce her to them. Dee spent the rest of our visit training with them and performed with them during the good-bye feast. If you ask me, she was the best of them, but I could be biased.

Alas, our stay in Altal-Gyl proved to be all too short, and after a few days we had to leave. We were tempted to teleport back home, but you never knew who was watching us; we had a lot of enemies after all, and teleportation was one capability we didn't want to show around too much.

It began to snow shortly before we got to Lin-Vyme, and with no way to contact Phosi and teleportation ceasing to be an option due to us leaving actual tracks, we had to make the last stretch in less-than-pleasant conditions. Luckily, Sav and Deirdee were there to help us survive the whole mess. Needless to say, we were very happy to finally kick back in front of a fireplace, warm drinks in hand.

It was finally time for us to rest.

‘You know,’ I sighed while the four of us huddled together on the couch, ‘It is hard to believe I have been here for four months now.’

And what four months it had been.

Of course, our return wouldn't have been complete without complications. There was a package with a letter bundled together with it waiting for me. The latter was from Yachiro, the former, though… It was from Dainyir.

I never expected to hear from him again. In fact, I did imply to my “husband” that our marriage was annulled the moment we left Varlia.

‘You don’t have to open them,’ Caeileera cautioned me as she saw my hands beginning to tremble.

‘I have to,’ I disagreed. ‘Not knowing what was inside would torment me.’

I started with the letter.

Miss Lilyth,

I hope this letter finds you well, and your trip to Altal-Gyl has been a pleasant one.

I have been asked by young Dainyir to send this package to you. I have advised him against this course of action, but the boy had insisted, and you haven't explicitly informed me to prevent your “husband” from contacting you, so what could I have done?

I apologise if this delivery causes, or has already caused, you any distress. Should you wish me to have a talk with Dainyir, do let me know, and I will set him straight.

Regards,

Yachiro Yamaoka

P.S. Please give my regards to Rennie and Ireela.

‘Oh dear…’ I muttered, took a deep breath and unwrapped the package.

It was a book - an adventure novel I’ve seen Dainyir read and actually wanted to check out.

‘The Graveyard of Gods,’ Aki read the title out loud.

There was a note attached to it.

Dear Lilyth,

I realise the circumstances of our meeting have been less than ideal, and I cannot apologise enough for how my family has treated you and Miss Persephone. I hope you will forgive me one day.

Lord Yamaoka has told me in no uncertain terms that you may not wish to speak with me again, and I do not expect any response to this letter. However, when I was out running errands for him, I found a copy of “The Graveyards of Gods” and realised that I had never given you any wedding gift, which is a violation of a Varlian tradition.

I hope this book brings you the same joy as it did to me.

Dainyir

There were no requests for a meeting. I almost wished there were. That would have made it easier to ignore. As it stood…

How can a motherfucker be so thoughtless?

Another thought struck me then. Was it just casual cruelty on his part?

Be strong.

I crumpled the letter into a ball and chucked it into the fireplace. After a moment's consideration, the book followed.

I’ll get my own copy, thank you very much motherfucker.

The others in the room didn't ask what it was about, and I was actually thankful to them for that.

The next morning, the four of us decided to go on a walk by the lake, but after Aki threw that snowball, it was on. Initially, it was a normal fight, but then well… let’s just say that when one of the combatants can fly, another walk on vertical surfaces, and the two others have crazy movement Abilities… It was probably the most epic snowball fight in history.

It ended with us rolling around together in the snow, laughing like madwomen.

After we returned home, looking like snowwomen, we spent the next few hours warming by the fire, drinking cocoa, and just enjoying each other’s company.

That night, as I lay in bed surrounded by the three women I loved, I couldn't have considered that day as anything else but perfect.

There is no better quest reward.