Odd Family Reunion (complete)

    When I was young, family was everything. I was the eldest son, and I felt it was my responsibility to look after everyone. None of us knew who our father was, or more likely fathers. My mother was a temple priestess and consorted with dark deities in order to give predictions and wisdom. From these sessions she gave birth to me, my brothers Odd and Emil, and our baby sister Ainsel. 

It never occurred to me what a strange lot we were until my sister was born. My mother decided to quit being a priestess, and we left the temple in the middle of the night. I was ten, and mom was heavily pregnant. She didn’t want to give birth to another baby in the temple, and she didn’t want us growing up there to the whims of the priests.

We ran first to the temple of oracles high in the Dormant Mountains where Mother had grown up. We were accepted in, and it is there that Ainsel is born. I remember being around the oracles and how they doted on my brothers and me. Emil was always shy and wanting to hide, Odd loved it and welcomed the attention. It was different than the temple, and I could understand why Mother wanted us to run. Here, they felt more like family, back at the temple it felt like we were merely tools or props and not real people.

“Tieflings have a hard time out there,” one of the oracles told my brothers and I. “It is best you all grow thick skins now.”

“How thick does a skin need to be?” Odd asked with wide eyes.

“Skin thickness varies all over the body,” Emil perked up at the chance to show off his strange knowledge.

The Oracle smiled and tucked us in. “You’re fortunate boys to have such a brave mother,” she says. “You all will face hardships in the future, but you will always have one another.”

“Is that something you see?” I asked.

The oracle was strangely quiet, and she snuffed out the lamp. As we lay in darkness, I could hear Emil sniffling.

“Aemilius,” I whisper. “Are you crying?”

“Why are Tieflings considered bad?” Emil whimpers. “Why will people not like us?”

Odd scoffs. “Our dad is evil.”

“What?” Emil whimpers.

“Odd, shut up,” I snap at him.

Odd mocks me under his breath. “Make me, Blink!”

“Are we evil?” Emil asked.

I sigh and hit Odd with a pillow. “No. You’re not evil Emil.”

“I am for sure evil,” Odd laughed. “I’m gonna be so evil when I grow up. Just you watch. I’m gonna do things.”

“Name one evil thing you could possibly do,” I growled at him.

“I dunno,” Odd grunted. “Eat cats?”

“Ew,” Emil groaned

“We need to go to bed. Stop being stupid and just go to sleep,” I grunted, and I laid down. “We don’t need anyone else. We got Mom and Ainsel.”

“Oh!” Odd gasped. “I could eat Ainsel, that would be evil.”

“Don’t-” Emil whined.

We stayed at the temple of oracles for a year. While there, we got the start of a decent education. The sisters taught us to read and other basic skills we would need in the world. Once we left the Dormant Mountains, we traveled down into a northern village on the outskirts of the kingdom of Veleryn. 

The village was made up of outcasts and rejects, people who weren’t welcomed in the kingdom. Every day when the gates open, the women of the village would go into Veleryn to sell their wares or find work. Mother would go in and tell fortunes, eventually earning the trust of wealthy nobles. It was there she was paid top dollar to use her talents for the rich. It made her enough money to raise for unruly children in a comfortable home.

I usually was left to care for everybody. Mother made her friends in the village, but people still seemed nervous around us Tiefling children. So we kept to ourselves, which was fine. We were all we needed.

When I was old enough, I decided to start looking for work. It was hard, no one wanted to hire a Tiefling to do anything for them, and if they did, they didn’t want to pay you what the work was worth. I started to take odd jobs which led me to take mercenary work. I started traveling and was away from home for long stretches of time. Every time I came home I was amazed at how much everyone had grown.

Soon, Odd joined me on my work. It was nice having him along, but I hated taking him away from home. I knew how it felt to away for so long and away from the people you loved. One night I caught Odd counting his money and separating it into piles.

“What are you doing?” I scoffed.

“Making sure I have enough,” he said.

I furrow my brow. “You’re going to have to explain.”

Odd pointed to each stack. “This is for me. This is for Mom, then this is for Emil,” he told me. 

“Emil? What for?” I asked.

“So he can study with doctors,” Odd told me.

I shook my head. “Study with doctors?”

“Yeah, he wants to become a doctor,” Odd continued. “I’m setting back enough money so he can do that.”

“When did Emil decide to become a doctor?” I asked. 

“Oh,” Odd perked up and looked back up at me. “You’ve been gone. He decided a while back. He’s been going into town and working with the apothecary.”

“Why did no one tell me?” I sat down and folded my hands together.

Odd was quiet as he put the money away. “We didn’t want you to worry,” he said and gave me an anxious smile. “One less thing, you know?”

We eventually saved up enough for Emil to start his training. We had to take him south, close to the ocean, in order to attend. Odd wanted to stay close to the south and continue working there, I wanted to stay closer north so we would be close to mother. It became apparent that we needed to work separately. So for a few years, we rarely saw one another.

 A few years down the road I received a job I couldn’t do by myself, so I decided to go and fetch Odd. By this time, Emil had finished his training and was looking for work, so when I reached out to Odd Emil asked to join us. I wish I had told him no all those years ago. It still haunts me to this day. Odd was severely hurt, and Emil lost his horn. Things were said, and we all went our separate ways.

I blame myself and no one else.

“Ulysses?” Penelope shakes me.

I wake up with a groan and sit up in bed. “What’s wrong?” I turn at look at her.

“You were talking in your sleep again,” Penelope replies. “Is something wrong?” She comes up to me, nuzzling her soft cheek against mine. She starts to purr, and it soothes me.

“Just dreaming,” I sigh and kiss her.

“About?” She sits back and places her hands on her swollen belly.

I smile, enjoying the sight of seeing her so round in pregnancy. I reach out, rubbing her belly and feeling the dull thud of our kitten inside her. 

“Family,” I reply.

Penelope holds my hand over her belly. “You should look for them,” she tells me. “I’m sure they all miss you too.”

I huff. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” I groan and push my hair out of my face. “I don’t even know if Mother is still alive.”

“Why don’t you ask Queen Mythri for help?” Penelope asks. “I’m sure she would be more than willing to offer her services.”

I’m silent for a long while, and Penelope gets into my face, pressing her cold nose against my cheek. I chuckle and shake my head.

“I’m scared, ok?” I look at her. “The way we left things-” I stop and cast my eyes down.

“I want our kitten to know their family,” Penelope urges. “Won’t you at least try for them?” She says as her eyes start to get big.

I chuckle. “Turn off those eyes.” I rub her cheeks, and she starts to purr again, her eyes squinting shut as she does. “I will see what can be done and if they even care to see me again.” I lay back down in bed and Penelope curls up beside me.

I go to Mythri the following day while she’s having lunch with Amit and the children. I express to her my desires to find my family, specifically my mother.

“Why don’t you see if Chiyo will take you?” Mythri replies eagerly. “You could fly on Addor back to your village.” Mythri is just as pregnant as Penelope, so the two have been bonding over it. Since this is Penelope’s first she has sought Mythri’s council on many an issue.

I grimace nervously. “That’s the thing,” I reply. “The village was near Veleryn, I’m not sure it would even still be there.”

“Oh,” Mythri gasps.

“That’s near Demir’s capital,” Amut replies. “And if your mother is a fortune teller she could be under the employ of Dali. I would contact her first.” He stands up. “I was getting ready to send my reports to Demir. Write up a quick letter and address it to Dali. She’s much better about replying that her husband as well, you’ll hear from her soon.”

“Thank you,” I’m stunned. I’ve never heard Amit say more than five words at a time. “I greatly appreciate your help.”

I write the letter to Dali and give it to Amit to send with his royal reports to Demir. Several weeks later, Mythri calls for me. A ship is coming in with supplies sent from Demir, and she wants me to help guard the cargo.

As I’m waiting on the dock, watching the cargo get unloaded, I hear an argument from above.

“I know what I’m doing! Do I look senile to you? Do you know how bad an onyx ring in the eye hurts young man? Fuck off!” I look up, seeing a woman wearing too much jewelry for her own good come walking down to the dock.

“Mom!” I gasp in awe.

She grins brightly, opening her arms as I race into them. I pick her up from the ground as I hug her. She still smells the same after all these years. It’s a scent of comfort and nostalgia I have been missing all these years.

“My baby,” she clasps her hands around my face. “Oh my Ulysses!” She marvels at me. Her bright brown eyes are gazing over me. She looks the same, but there are lines and creases in her face now that weren’t there before.

“Hi mom,” is all I can think to say as I look at her.

“When Dali showed me your letter I couldn’t believe it,” she whispers. “Do you see these grays in my hair?” She asks.

“Yes, Mom,” I say and then she slaps me.

“They are there because of how much you made me worry!” She barks at me. “You and your brothers!”

I rub my cheek. “I understand.”

She huffs, her arms and body clunking and rattling from all her bracelets and jewelry. “I have so missed you.” She takes my arm as she walks. “But tell me, why now out of the blue?”

We walk to the carriage as it’s being loaded. “Well,” I chuckle nervously. “Mom,” I smile at her as I help her into her seat. “You’re going to have a grandchild.”

Mom holds her hands over her face. “Oh!” She gasps. “I have so waited for this!” She gently dabs at her eyes. “Your sister was never going to have any. I thought for sure Odd would have some by accident,” she laughs. “Oh! But I am so happy!”

I join her on the seat. “Penelope, my wife, she wanted the baby to know their family. I was hoping you had some idea where the others are.”

“I sent word to Ainsel,” she said. “She told me she’s been in contact with Emil and they’ll come as soon as they can,” she sighs. “But Oddelthius is-”

For a moment my heart sinks, and I fear the worse. Odd and I left things so badly I didn’t want that to be how it ended entirely.

“I’m not sure where he is,” she sighs then lays her hand over her chest. “But I can feel him. He’s still out there somewhere.”

I sigh with relief. “Don’t scare me like that.”

Mom smirks at me and pats my thigh. “Now tell me,” she says, “how did you wind up employed by the Rakshasa Royal family?”

“Not until you tell me how you wound up working for the rulers of the entire empire?” I laugh.

“Oh, I’ve been with Dali since she was a teenager,” Mom laughs. “For a while, I was cast out by that horrid Reginald,” she grimaces. “But when Demir came back, Dali took back in all the old staff that had been with her family. Since then, Demir has sought out my ‘wise counsel’.” She snorts. “Oh lord, if he only knew.”

“Does he?” I ask cautiously. “I mean, does he know about us?”

“Dali knows,” she replies. “Oh Dali knows all the sordid details about my time as a priestess,” she laughs. “So they know my children are horrible little Tieflings.” She grins up at me. “Even now, you’re still worried.”

Penelope is eagerly waiting on us as we return. She cries as she hugs my mother, a bit too hard but the pregnancy has been whipping her emotions into a frenzy as of late. 

A few weeks later, Mother receives word from Ainsel and Emil. “They’re coming in from Obresh,” she tells me.

I furrow my brow. “Why there? I thought you had said they were closer to the southern tail of the Cobra Strait.”

“Your sister is weird,” Mother shrugs. “I honestly don’t know. They’ll have company too,” she adds on. “Wives I assume.”

Penelope blinks a few times. “Emil has two?”

Mother grins and chuckles. “Ainsel has always preferred lakes to mountains if you catch my drift, sweetling.” She pats Penelope’s paw.

Penelope’s expression is a journey from confusion, to realization, to disgust, then to awe.

“Did you get it?” Mother chuckles.

Penelope sighs in embarrassment. “I’m going to blame the pregnancy on making me dumb.”

“I always did,” Mother grins.

A week later Mother and I are waiting on the dock as Emil and Ainsel’s ship ports. I’m terrified and anxious, and I’m sweating through my clothes. The last time I had seen Emil I had called him a coward and a child. I had said horrible things to him in the heat of a moment. And well, Ainsel was hard to read. She was always a stoned faced and sarcastic kid.

As people start disembarking from the boat, Mother rushes forward and finds Emil straight away. She holds him tight, and I’m shocked to see how tall he is. Compared to Odd and me, Emil had always been shorter and huskier. But now, he was tall and thin like a willow tree.

I approached with caution, watching Emil’s smile fade slightly as I come towards him. His mouth screws up into a tight line as we stand before one another.

“Ulysses,” he says.

“Aemilius,” I say with a short nod.

“You look old,” Emil retorts and arches his brow.

I grin, and Emil starts laughing. We both open our arms to each other and hold tight. We pull back, and Emil punches my shoulder. 

“It’s been too long,” Emil sighs.

“I just can’t believe how tall you are!” I reach up to ruffle his curls. “I thought for sure you had stopped growing.”

“Still had a few inches in me,” he laughs. “Had to make up for this.” He points to his stump.

I shrink, and Emil shakes his head. “No, no, you don’t get to blame yourself for it, Blink. Not after all these years.” He grips my shoulder. “That’s why I’m here now.”

We then hear Mother scream, and I look up, seeing her wrapping her arms around the one person I never expected to see again.

“Odd’s here?” I whisper in awe.

“Ainsel forced us to go through Obresh, and we found him,” Emil says.

I notice Odd’s tail is missing and my gut sinks.

“You’re not going to say hello to me?”

I jump out of my skin and turn, seeing Ainsel glaring up at me from behind. “How the fuck did you do that?” I snap at her.

Ainsel smirks. “I’m the evil one, remember?”

I sigh and turn, taking her into my arms. “I’m so glad to see you.”

Ainsel pops my cheek. “It took you too long. Did you not see the gray in Mom’s hair?” She huffs at me.

I rub my cheek, and Emil just grins at me.

Someone then yanks my tail hard, and I turn around, meeting Odd eye to eye.

“Odd-” I start and he steps forward.

“Save it,” Odd let’s go of my tail. “I know what you’re going to say, that you’re disappointed in me.”

“Odd no!” I gasp. “Listen I-”

“I knew I said I’d become evil, well, obviously I didn’t,” he huffs. 

I scoff and slap my hand to my face. “Can you just shut up for once in your fucking life?” I growl at him.

Odd grins. “I haven’t heard that from you in far too long.” He steps forward and embraces me, locking my arms to my sides and picking me up from the ground to shake me.

“Let go!” I grunt, trying to wriggle free.

He drops me and Ainsel helps keep me from falling. Mom then walks up, three women with her and Mom is holding a little girl in her arms.

“Who had a kid?” I ask.

“I did,” Ainsel raises her hand.

“Stop trying to say you knocked up my wife,” Odd scoffs at her. He races over and takes the little girl into his arms.

“I have more male virility than all three of you will ever have,” Ainsel scoffs.

All of us journey back to the Rakshasa Court where Penelope and Mythri have set up a dinner for everyone. There’s Emil’s partner Leyla, Ainsel’s girlfriend Cora, and Odd’s wife and daughter, Allie and Rori.

As the evening wears on, they leave us so us siblings can catch up with one another in peace. As the room clears, the four of us sit there, sort of staring back and forth at one another not knowing what to say. The room is quiet, and things feel a bit uneasy.

“So,” Odd murmur, rapping his fingers on the table. “Like old time.”

“Hardly,” Ainsel scoffs. “I’ve spent the last few years trying to find all your assholes. I haven’t seen any of you since I was a baby.”

“Wait, no you weren’t,” Emil scoffs.

“Does it matter?” Ainsel then scoffs. “The fact is that we’ve been apart for way too long and because what? You three were morons who all got hurt?”

“There’s more to it than that,” I interject.

“I wouldn’t know!” Ainsel snaps. “All of a sudden I had no brothers. I didn’t know what happened. Mom didn’t have any clue as to what happened. Emil just shows up without a horn and says Odd got an Orc ax to the chest! We didn’t even know Odd was alive until months later.”

“I had been unconscious for most of that time!” Odd barks at her.

“Emil wouldn’t even talk about Blink,” she turns and looks at me. “Of course he snapped. We were all expecting him to go off the deep end at one point.”

“Excuse me?” I huff at her.

Odd sips his drink. “You were wound tighter than piano wire,” he grumbles. “Ever since we left the temple you had always been on your guard.”

“I had to be, to protect all of you!” I look across all three faces. “I did everything I could for all of you because family was the most important thing. All our childhoods all we had was each other.”

The room grows quiet again, and Ainsel rolls her eyes. “Ok then,” she snaps. “What happened that day? What happened on that job?” She looks at Emil and Odd. “Emil, us a unicorn and Odd, took an ax to the chest. What about you?”

I grimace and lower my head. 

“He snapped is what happened,” Emil speaks up. His voice is quiet and cracks. “We were going through a gorge to get to this crumbling old castle. Supposedly the old king there was dying and his magic fading, so we only had a short time to get in and get some supposed treasure. Only thing was that we weren’t the only ones out for it.”

“Some Orc raiders had made their way too,” Odd huffed. “And well, they weren’t friendly.” He rubbed his palm down his chest where the ax had struck him. “I watched from the ground, but I saw this darkness come out of him.”

Ainsel glanced over at me. “What kind of darkness?”

Emil frowns. “It reminded me of the way Mom would talk about the things she used to commune with,” he whispers. “The part of them that make up us came out of Blink.”

“And what happened?” Ainsel shakes her head. “What did Blink do?”

“I killed them all,” my voice wavers. “I saw Odd fall, and I hear Emil cry. It came from me,” I whisper intensely. “All this hatred and anger just poured out, and I couldn’t stop it. I can remember flashes and faces,” I close my eyes. “I can remember my own voice.”

“It was a slaughter,” Emil said. “I begged him to stop and-”

“And I turned on you,” I shake my head. “I said all these nasty horrible things to you. Things that I once thought but knew were wrong and I just-”

Odd whistles. “Glad I was unconscious. But Emil gave me the rundown after he sewed me up.” He looks me dead in the eye. “You ran away.”

“Because I was afraid,” I snap.

“I knew what you were saying wasn’t true,” Emil speaks up. “I knew whatever was happening to you made you say them. Yeah, in the moment it hurt, but I knew it wasn’t my brother talking to me. It was whatever creature fucked our mother. You weren’t there. There was nothing for you to be ashamed about, Blink.”

I scoff and hang my head. “You were the smartest, sweetest kid alive,” I said. “And all I could think was of that first night in the temple of oracles after Ainsel was born.” I look up at each of them. 

“The Oracle taking care of us told us most people feared Tieflings and then…” I laugh softly as my throat chokes up. “Then little Emil starts crying because he was worried we were evil.”

Emil’s brow knitted together. “Did you run...because of that?”

“I remember that,” Odd then murmurs. “That’s when I promised I would become evil.” He leans forward. “Did you honestly think that you were somehow evil, Blink?” He then lays his hand on his chest. “Were you worried I’d be jealous.”

“Shut up, odd,” Ainsel and I say in unison.

Emil chuckles. “I asked that question when I was a kid. I knew none of us were evil, especially not you,” he grins. “You were my hero.”

I blink a few times as hot tears come rushing to my eyes.

“Oh my god, this is so cute!” Odd claps his hands. “You made our big brother cry.”

I chuckle and look up at Emil. “Was I really your hero?”

“Still are,” Emil grins.

“Oh my god, you have to hug,” Odd squeals.

I glare towards Odd, but Emil has already stood up. We hug then Odd comes over and throws himself into my lap, hugging my neck.

There’s a knock on the door and Allie steps in holding Rori. “Blink, I was told to come fetch you. Or uhm...Odd,” she scowls.

Odd jumps up. “Is everything alright?” He asks.

“Penelope is having contractions,” Allie says, offering Rori over to Odd.

I jump up from my seat. “She’s having the baby?”

“Where is she?” Emil comes up behind me. 

I show Emil and the rest down to the quarters Penelope, and I share. Inside Penelope is pacing the room while my mother holds her hand.

“How often are they happening,” Emil asks before I can even get a word out.

“Not far,” Mother shakes her head.

“I hate this!” Penelope whines.

I reach for you, rubbing her cheeks. “It’ll be ok, only for a moment.”

Penelope glares up at me. “Then you have this kid!” She then yowls in pain, and Emil rushes to her side. 

“Get her to the bed,” he turns to Allie and Mom, giving them orders. He returns to Penelope’s side and moves away her skirts as he kneels down before her.

“What’re you doing?” I ask.

“I’m a doctor, remember?” Emil huffs. “I’ve helped birth many babies. Helping my niece or nephew into the world will be an honor for me.”

Penelope squeezes my hand, and I almost scream in pain.

“Why does it have to hurt so bad!” Penelope cries.

I sit down beside her, letting her rest her head in my lap. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper to her. “It’ll be ok. The baby is just excited.”

Penelope whimpers. “I’m so scared.”

“What do you have to be scared of?” I chuckle. “The baby?”

Penelope closes her eyes tight then cries out again.

“You may want to start pushing,” Emil says urgently.

Allie and Mom come back into the room, both looking a little shocked. “No need to panic or anything but the queen is also in labor at this exact moment,” Allie says.

“What?” Penelope blurts.

“Calm down, calm down, she’s done this,” I urge Penelope to try and stay calm.

“I brought the clothes and water,” Mom says sitting down beside Emil. “Oh wow, this reminds of me when Ainsel was born. So much screaming.”

Penelope grunts and snarls, squeezing down hard on my hand.

“That’s it, Penelope,” Emil coaxes. “You’re doing great.”

For hours Emil has Penelope push and breathe, push and breathe. It’s arduous and painful, and all I want is for Penelope to be ok.

“My god look at the side of that head!” Mom marvels.

“One more big push! Come on!” Emil urges.

Penelope’s face scrunches up real tight.

“I love you,” I whisper to her.

She strains and relaxes, and the baby starts to wail. “Is that?” Penelope grins in exhaustion. “Blink, is that?” She giggles.

I look down as Emil holds the baby in his arms. The little thing is all pink and screaming their head off.

“Now that’s a boy!” My mom grins as she takes the baby so Emil can cut the cord. She then washes my son gently. I then take him into my arms. He has ears like his mother, a tail and legs like mine, signs of soft fur on his arms and legs.

“Oh wow,” I whisper as I stare at him.

Mom and Emil are helping Penelope get comfortable on the bed while cleaning up what they can. I sit down, seeing the wonder on her face as I hand her the baby.

“A boy,” she grins. “He’s so tiny.”

He whimpers and mewls, snuggling already to his mother.

Emil sighs and chuckles. “You got a name yet?” He asks.

Penelope grins up at him. “I say, we name him Emory,” she says as the baby coos. “A little after his uncle.”

“Oh wow,” Emil rubs his eyes.

After a while, Penelope falls asleep, and I take Emory. He sleeps in my arms as Odd and Ainsel coo over him. Rori is all wide-eyed and awed by her little cousin.

“I am for sure going to have another one,” Odd says as he takes Emory and I hold Rori. “I love em when they’re all little and gummy like this.”

Ainsel huffs. “I’ll play aunt but in no way am I ever gonna be called Mom.”

“I wonder how Mythri did,” Mom says as she takes Emory from Odd.

“She’s a pro at it by now. I bet the new princess is already snuggled in all her refinery and wealth,” Odd chuckles.

“It’s amazing they both came tonight,” Ainsel marvels.

“It’s all fate,” Mom grins. “Pretty sure Emory was just waiting on his family. It’s always nice to come into a world where you’re surrounded by loved ones. That’s why I left the temple when I did. It was the place for us.”

I take Emory back as his eyes open. They’re the same brilliant sapphire as his mother. His little pink nose twitches, and he looks dreamy and awed for a moment.

“I get it,” I whisper.

“Oh, you smell that?” Odd lifts Rori and smells her butt then looks at me. “That’s yours, Blink.”

 I chuckle and smile a him. “Wanna show me the ropes?”

“You got it,” Odd smiles.