Arc 2 Chapter 40 : The Fallout

Hey guys, a new chapter? What? No. Really? Why?

As I mentioned on discord and Royal road, things have finally slowed down for me. I have my helicopter license, I've taken my tests to get more qualifications, and now I just fly to finish my training. No fire season this year, everythings finally mellowed out and FINALLY, I'm able to go through and edit things, though I'm only up to chapter 20.

BUT, THIS CHAPTERRRR's existence(And one I'll release later this week, I know I finished two what?) is completely dependent upon some changes I plan to make to the originals. 

1. Petrina doesn't kill Damien. The fact that he never struggled, no other instructors stopped her, she overlooked the possibility of a death pact... among other things made it just too implausible. I plan to scale that back and... well, Belinda is going to put the bitch into the ground.

2. I'm altering a few of the interactions and facts we've learned about the gods. I'm trying not to change any of the books core foundations and ultimately, relationships, personalities, goals, and the base layout of the book has NOT changed, but certain nuances have as I've gone through.

I'm not sure why but this read through, maybe because I haven't been pressed for time, maybe because I had to completely re-read it, but this read through has made it very clear where some things needed to be better fleshed out. I've probably already added a few chapters worth of content to what I've edited already... It's pretty fun, if not a little stressful. I didn't change enough to make it a different book, only what I felt needed to be done to make it less... web novely and more of an actual book, if that makes sense.

ANYWAY. After these 2 new shiny chapters, I'll be editing and releasing... not exactly on a schedule, but more often. I hope to get to the end of this arc before the end of august, but we'll see. At least you guys will get closure soon. 

I won't be releasing any of these chapters to Royal Road at least until the edit is completely finished. I don't need hella questions about why there are so many discrepencies... bla bla blaa.... Yeah. So, this is more of a trial run for the later chapters while I'm finishing up an edit. 

Sorry it's taken so long, but life man. I figure you'll all be glad to see the update has a WHOLE CHAPTER ATTACHED as well, rather than just more of the same. 

Anyway, without further ado... Enjoy~

Jk

PS: Until I finish my edits and begin releasing this stuff on Royal Road, I'm putting these next two chapters up for free on Patreon. Consider it my apology for taking so long to sort things out on my end for everyone that has stopped funding or is still. Once edits catch up on RR, or maybe sooner, I'll make everything Patron only, so if someone new comes before the edits lucky them, but if someone is still followed and isn't supporting, they can read the chapter that should have come out at the beginning of the end of fire season.  As for any chapters after the first two, they will be put at the correct level for the guys that have been waiting all these months.

Also, TLDR for the book up to this point, They were at a dance, Petrina saw the mark of the pact, nearly killed Damien, they collected their pets. Oryen is Alexa's dad, Emily and Garrett are damien's parents, Alexa is Damien and Kastra's Waifu, Vanessa is everyones favorite ice queen celestial, Kastra is Alexa and Damien's Fae Waifu, Petrina is a cunt, Emra is the Sylphen, Piper is the Pippen, Belinda is the Beast Handling instructor... etc.

Oh and Damien is the MC.  

The door to their home opened and Damien made his way inside, neck still sore from earlier as Garrett and Emily tried to help him remove his coat. They'd been nearby the whole walk back, seemingly content to let Emra assist him in walking, but the moment they'd gotten to the gate of their house the parenting kicked in. It was a little much, but if it would help them calm down, letting them dote on him, so be it.

His thoughts were a jumbled mix between whether Petrina was worth the trouble, why Dewitt hadn't interjected sooner, what he was training for if people could suppress his magic so easily, and why Oryen was following him around as opposed to keeping his wife company at the infirmary. No matter the answer, it wouldn't help him get rid of the phantom pain healing couldn't fix or frightful realization he'd come to.

Namely, if Dewitt hadn't been there or Kastra hadn't been so convincing with her quick thinking, he could have died and Kastra would have followed him to the grave.

Dewitt hadn't held back on her magic when she'd blown the Celestial out of the sky, Damien had heard the woman's wings crumple beneath the impact. He didn't understand exactly what she had done, either. The woman claimed to specialize in Illusion and body magic, but it had almost looked like brute force was how she'd grounded the Celestial.

No matter the circumstance, there was no doubt she could have wholly overpowered the Celestial at any time, so why wait so long before interfering?

"Looks like she's already healed up," Oryen mentioned from the front entrance of the house, interrupting his thoughts.

When Damien turned around to observe him, the man was moving a hand in front of his eyes to break up a message as he hung up his coat by the front door.

"Well maybe you should go pick her up and leave," Alexa scathingly replied, helping Garrett put his and Damien's jackets on the rack.

He felt Kastra's head nod back and forth as she rested on Damien's shoulder, cheek and body pressed up against his neck.

"Sweety," Emily started from beside Damien, causing him to give his mom a meaningful look.

This wasn't their family matter to get involved with.

"Now that she has calmed and sobered somewhat, perhaps-"

"There is no way in hell you're about to suggest what I think you are," Alexa interrupted, glaring daggers at Oryen.

"I just-"

"You saw what she did!" Alexa yelled, interjecting again. "If she isn't prostrating herself with an apology to Damien the next time I see her, I never want to see her again!"

"Sweetheart," Oryen started, smiling lightly with a calming expression, "that might be a little-"

"No, dad. I am damn serious. I don't want her near us," she demanded.

The man's smile faltered as he looked elsewhere, stepping further in the house to let Vanessa inside.

Damien felt bad for him. He was coming to really like Oryen, but he couldn't bring himself to defend him on this point. It wasn't that Damien wanted an apology of any kind, he couldn't have cared less about that, it was that he wasn't willing to defend Petrina in any way. If it had been Oryen who'd attacked him, maybe right here Damien would speak up in his defense, citing reasons of love and blind rage. But he had no desire to defend a woman who loved her last name more than her daughter.

Damien watched Oryen's face light up orange as another message flashed before his eyes, the older man's face visibly aging as he read the short message.

"Well... good luck with that then," Oryen said with a sigh as he looked up at his daughter. "Because she is on her way."

"If she thinks she is stepping one foot inside I-"

"We should speak with her in the lounge," Vanessa said, surprising Damien and stopping Alexa mid-sentence.

Based on her attitude toward her sister the entire time they had been here, he hadn't expected the younger of the two to be the one agreeing to meet her. Since they had arrived, Damien hadn't seen them both in the same room together once.

"But I-"

"I think it's a good idea, sweety," Emily stated, backing up Vanessa and further surprising Damien.

When he looked over at her again, she was ignoring his gaze of non-interference as she continued speaking.

"I... I'm not exactly the biggest fan of the woman myself, Lexi, but I... I just think it would be nice if she could try to atone?" Emily finished, voice rising at the end.

"It'll be easier to deal with her with all of us together," Vanessa said, getting rid of the hopeful vibe Emily tried to imbue in the situation. "She would try to oppress you in a conversation just between the two of you and you'd get emotional, most likely not defending your stance very well. But with the four of us, we can at least find out if she's willing to try to make amends. If not... well, maybe that would make things easier, wouldn't it?" Vanessa finished, a sad smile adorning her face.

Damien watched as Alexa's expression went from mad to surprised, embarrassed, curious, thoughtful, mad again, and then ending on hurt. He felt as the pact corroborated every single jump her mind went through and felt bad there wasn't more he could do for her at this moment.

'Maybe when the witch gets here I can at least be there for-'

"The four of you?" Damien asked, remembering her earlier words.

"Yes, the four of us," Vanessa stated with finality. "You three," she said, motioning with her hand at his dad and Oryen as Kastra flit from his shoulder to Alexa's, "can go to the library or somewhere else. Go out back. We will talk with Petrina. We don't need any of you there."

"I have quite a few things I'd like to speak with that woman about," Garrett said, stepping forward with a peeved look.

"Your and Damien's presences would just piss her off more and that idiot has already admitted he can't help with her more than he has," she responded, motioning to Oryen. "If you think you have anything you'd like to say that none of us already want to, though, you're being a fool."

Garrett glared at Vanessa for a few seconds before glancing over to Emily, who gave him no support. She seemed to agree with Vanessa's statement, causing him to sigh and back down.

"Well, would you like to lead the way?" he eventually said, looking at Damien.

Damien gave a noncommittal shrug as Emily and Vanessa were talking and Oryen was observing everyone. He made his way toward the front door to Alexa, taking his coat from her angry, clenched hands and hanging it up for her. When he turned to her, she gave him an odd look. He brought her into his arms with some strength, surprising her and Kastra who shook lightly on the girl's shoulder.

'If Vanessa thinks it can be salvaged...'

"At least try if they're willing to," he whispered to her, pulling their bodies apart slightly so he could look in her eyes. "I trust you in whatever you decide. One huge mistake isn't enough to make me despise her beyond reparations, though I hope you won't get mad at me when I don't invite her over for dinner often," he finished with a slight grin.

She stared up at him and seemed a bit angry, but said nothing. When she tried to glance away, he pulled her eyes back to his with his hands and continued speaking.

"None of this was your fault, so stop feeling guilty and angry for me. Do whatever you want to do here. I don't want you having any regrets later. I will always love you, no matter what happens."

With that, he gave her a light peck as her angry facade dropped, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as they squinted with her cheeks raising. He looked away from her to try not to make the situation worse, eyes falling on Kastra as Alexa rested her head onto his shoulder.

"Make sure no one kills anyone, please. We still have to come back here next year," he said, chuckling lightly.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure it goes well," another voice called out from behind them all, startling Damien as he looked up and over Kastra's head, seeing his Beast Handling instructor standing at the doorway without her trademark goggles.

"I was here to see what you wanted to do. Usually, in this situation, I'd have already escorted her off the premises of the country, but since miss N'moran there is Diamond and this was an internal dispute, there are different protocols to follow. Now seeing you're all so resolved... I suppose I can stay for the hour to see if she gets excommunicated permanently or not," Ms. Dewitt stated, voice more stern than usual as she looked into their home from the doorway.

"I was afraid that might be the case," Oryen said.

"The five of us," Kastra asserted, causing Damien to smile lightly.

After a pause in conversation where everyone stared at one another, waiting for someone to talk, Oryen clapped his hands and spoke again.

"Well, I can hear her almost here. Damien, Garrett, I suppose it's best we-"

"Yeah, fine," Damien interrupted, giving Alexa one last kiss on the forehead before turning away and walking toward his dad, gently pushing on his back to get him moving toward the back yard.

Emra walked nearby him again, following them out but no longer keeping so close that Damien had to lean on her to walk. She seemed to understand he was steady enough on his own and merely kept a close presence, Piper resting atop her head.

He sent as much trust and love as he could through the bond as they all moved out of the room.

~~~~~

Petrina stared across the room at her daughter, her younger sister, the leech's mother, the Fae, and the woman who had put her into the ground earlier. Sitting just shy of two hundred years of age and talented, rare did she come across those that so vastly outstripped her fighting capabilities, yet here she sat, maintaining appearances in front of the smaller Human.

Glancing back to her younger sister, Petrina sighed. The sound caused Vanessa to glare at her even more than she already was, but Petrina was beyond a point of caring about the girl's attitude. She'd never been able to understand why Vanessa had attached herself to that specific female Human or how she associated with them after what happened to their family, but she didn't want to anymore.

She just wanted her daughter back.

Unfortunately, her daughter was already gone.

"Well?" Alexa asked her again, irritation, pride, and exasperation all present in the girl's tone.

Her daughter never spoke to her like this, never acted like this. She was respectful, dignified... She didn't cry in front of people so openly. She was the perfect little woman in public and private.

Petrina glared back.

"I am your mother and you will not speak to-"

"Are you sure about that? Because the way you struck me earlier makes me wonder," Alexa asked, interrupting her with plenty of anger unhidden in her words.

"You stabbed-"

"You were hurting him without even giving him the SLIGHTEST opportunity to defend himself from your accusations," her daughter said, interrupting again.

Petrina rolled her eyes and glared at her younger sister. Allowing Alexa to be cared for by her was a mistake. She was the direct cause of this.

"Answer me," Alexa demanded again. "Do you?"

'Do I care about her. I suppose I should have expected her to throw a tantrum,' Petrina thought.

"I would like to speak with you alone," she stated, not giving into the girl's ridiculous yelling.

Alexa glared at her for another few moments before turning away, no longer speaking.

"That isn't going to be happening," the instructor stated.

"You will stay out of our matters," Petrina snapped, clenching her right fist to try and calm down.

"Either I stay here as a moderator to bear witness to the conclusion of this conversation, or I remove you from the country by force here and now," Belinda stated, no room for negotiation present in her eyes.

Petrina continued glaring at the instructor for another few seconds before turning to look at the boy's mother, Emily if she recalled. Her and the Fae being the only two not to have spoken of yet. Perhaps if she had some tact, Petrina could convince her to leave, but she wouldn't hold her breath on it.

"Will you not leave the room so I can have a moment with my family?" she asked.

"She-" Alexa started turning back with more anger visible before the woman put a hand on her leg, quieting her.

"My family has asked that I be here," Emily responded.

"No one here is a part of your family," Petrina replied with venom, meeting the woman's eyes.

"In your opinion, maybe, but the way I see it, I'm the only woman present here qualified to be called her mother."

Silence ruled the room for a minute after that. Petrina wanted to argue but suppressed the words coming up. There was no point in trying to mince words after the last couple of idiotic statements.

"None of us will be leaving. If you have anything more to demand of her, you will say it in front of us," Vanessa eventually clarified.

Petrina looked around the room and eventually, her eyes landed back on her daughter. She sat between the other two with the Fae on her shoulder, meeting Petrina's gaze.

They had made her stronger, at least. Whereas before she was proud, now she had confidence and skill to back that up. At least it wasn't a total waste of time and development.

'Just imagine where she'd be if I could have kept her on schedule with her training,' Petrina thought.

Petrina knew where the room stood at the moment. She understood that everyone here cared for the boy in one way or another, and she had crossed a line she should never have. If she hadn't been forced to be around that fool all the time, if she had been told they were staying together months prior, if she hadn't seen they'd made a pact, imbibed so much alcohol... Plenty of things led to her lashing out, and if she could, she'd go back in time and stop herself.

Obviously, attacking him was a dangerous option. If the pact is one of death like the Fae had claimed, just by slamming him into the building she'd risked her daughter's life. But this world wasn't one where actions could be removed from the past once committed.

Whereas before she may have had some opportunity to get Alexa back under her roof to get her away from the boy, now it would be difficult.

"Of course I care about you, Alexenna," Petrina finally stated.

"Then why?" her daughter shot back immediately. "If you even cared about me the slightest amount, why would you do that?"

"He is an urchin who is using you-"

"You don't know anything about him!" Alexa yelled, interrupting her.

"I know Humans! It is what they do," Petrina replied, lowering her voice and trying not to let her anger take over.

"You hate them because your parents were killed years before I was born! He has never done anything like that. You have no idea who he is and you never could because the second you got here you only looked at him as a problem! What if you had killed him on accident? You know how young our bodies are! Would that make you feel justified because he was a Human?! Would you be ok with taking away their son because some unrelated people took your family?!"

Her daughter's tirade finally came to a close and Petrina glared back at her, fists and teeth clenched. Alexa was infatuated with the leech. No matter what happened from here on, nothing she said would convince her he was anything less than a victim.

'Easy my love, don't shout at her now. Do not lose her here. You'll never have the opportunity to win her back to the family if she forsakes it. I believe you may need to apologize.'

Her husband's voice floated into her ear, giving Petrina no doubt he was listening in on the conversation now. Hearing it had soothed her, but his suggestion caused more anger to well up within her.

'Apologize for this of all things. For attacking that stupid, irritating, foolish Human...'

"I only intended to scare the boy," Petrina said, realizing she hadn't responded in almost a minute.

It was always so much easier to keep in her emotions and anger when family was not involved. Alexa, Vanessa, Oryen, her late parents... all of it tried her patience and willingness to appear civil. But if she let loose here, Alexa might disinherit the family as Vanessa did. She would never get the chance to fix what Vanessa had broke. And if she pushed her too far...

She didn't want to lose her only daughter completely.

"You should have never laid your hands on him," Alexa shot back.

'Dear, apologi-' Oryen's voice started before being cut off, fading out as if struggling to get through something.

Petrina's eyebrows knit together as the motionless little Fae on her daughter's shoulder mouthed something to her. She didn't know what she had said, but perhaps the creature was the reason he had been cut off.

Either way, it was apparent what she needed to do here. He was right, as always. She may have been the voice for the family, but Oryen always knew what to say and do to get what they needed. A master strategist on the field, and at home.

"Yes, well, I did. That is done. He is alive, and we are here. I... apologize for hurting you and your little... fling," Petrina said, looking off to the right and spitting the last word out. "I shouldn't have struck you like that, no matter how escalated the situation was."

To her surprise, Alexa actually looked shocked for a moment. Vanessa lifted her eyebrows as well.

"I think that's the first time I've ever heard you apologize," Vanessa stated.

Petrina rolled her eyes.

"Yes, well even I can see I may have overstepped my bounds in this little event," she said. "Especially being on the grounds of my alma mater," she continued, nodding towards Belinda Dewitt.

The woman had been her own teacher at one point. Respecting one's elders was important.

That further confused the two women before her. It seemed neither expected her to give at all in this conversation, let alone admit wrong.

"That... I... I don-"

Petrina noticed something that she hadn't seen the girl do once since she'd arrived. An old habit.

"Speak clearly with purpose," Petrina demanded, interrupting Alexa's stuttering.

It always used to irk her when the girl did that when she was younger, but right now, it had become a boon. She had finally done something Petrina knew how to deal with.

"Yes," Alexa replied, seeming confused as she lowered her gaze for the first time.

"Now then. If all of that was quite enough, I imagine it's time we pack your things," Petrina demanded.

Alexa looked up confused, meeting her eyes, then looked back down and away again. That was what Petrina had been looking for. The girl was finally acting how she knew her to. Showing deference and not trying to run the conversation, as a good daughter should.

"I-"

"You may have been having a nice time on vacation and fling or not, you'll be returning home with us. You won't be expected to go through our cultural requirements any longer, but you are still our daughter. We have been apart too long."

As she spoke, Alexa continued looking down or off to the side. It seemed her bravado had worn off once most of her anger had been abated with a simple apology. Oryen would be happy to hear his daughter would be returning.

Perhaps Vanessa wasn't interrupting because she understood it was not her place finally.

"We will leave sharp tomorrow mor-"

"No, it is not enough."

Petrina stopped her planning and glared up at the small thing that had interrupted her, voice much louder and equalized than should be produced by something so little.

Alexa lifted her head and looked at the small Fae herself, eyes seeming hopeful for something.

"Excuse me?" she asked in a stern voice, causing Alexa to look back down quickly. "Your opinion in the matter-"

"You asked if it was quite enough. It wasn't," the Fae stated without emotion. "I thought I'd wait to answer as long as you did with our earlier question."

Petrina felt her temple throbbing once again. When she was prepared to speak, the Fae continued.

"You apologized to Alexa for hurting her, as you should. You apologized to her for hurting our love, as you should."

"And that is eno-"

"You haven't apologized to him yet," the Fae stated, coldly staring back at Petrina.

The woman glared daggers at the tiny bug that dared even suggest such an action.

'Apologize to the Human!?'

The thought was laughable.

"You have no place here to demand I do that," Petrina growled out.

"And even if you do, Lexi won't be leaving with you," the Fae said, ignoring her. "She is not yours. She is mine. She is whom I have contracted with, and you will not be taking her from me or our family to corrupt and manipulate."

"I do NOT-"

"Look at her," the Fae continued, waving at Alexa as her voice once again triumphed over Petrina's own. "All the anger, passion, voice, love, happiness, everything that made her who she was a moment ago, gone. Replaced by this quiet, submissive thing all because you know how to manipulate her into being subservient to your wishes."

"I'm not-"

"I would never entrust her to someone like you, let alone anywhere near that Island. She is not your possession," the Fae finished, immediately interrupting Alexa's meek protest.

Petrina stood up abruptly, causing Vanessa, Emily, and the Instructor to all stand at the same time with apprehension on their faces.

"To even suggest I offer that insect an apology for what he has caused in my family is insulting, let alone think you, a weak bug of a race, can decide the inner workings of MY family," she said, hate laced throughout her words.

"Petrina, sit-"

"I don't want to hear it from you!" Petrina screamed, interrupting her sister. "She will be coming home with us and if any of you are lucky, we may even allow you to visit! She is MY daughter, not that idiotic trollop of a woman's or ANY OF-"

"Stop."

"-YOURS FOR THAT MATTER AND IF YOU THINK FOR ONE GODS DAMMED MOMENT-"

"STOP!" Alexa screamed, halting Petrina's words as she glared down at her daughter.

The little girl had pulled her legs up to her chest and was hugging them, shaking with her forehead resting on her knees.

"Just get out," she begged into her own lap.

"I will not-"

"GET. OUT!!" Alexa shouted, meeting Petrina's eyes again.

Petrina felt her heart stop as her stomach twisted and she took a half step backward. The girl's expression was wracked with an intense grief she'd never known her daughter could express. Tears fell continuously as she cried and the Fae was already full size, holding her.

After what felt like an hour but was no doubt seconds, the girl dropped her face back down onto her knees and continued sobbing. Petrina took a step forward, realizing too late that she'd pushed much too hard while reaching forward slightly.

"It's time you left now," Emily said coldly, stopping her in her tracks.

"I agree," Vanessa added in an even stricter tone.

The female instructor made her way around the table, demanding with kindness in her eyes that Petrina moved for the door leading back to the entryway, once again showing no room for negotiation.

Petrina nodded after a few seconds and put her hand down, moving for the exit in a fog. A minute later, she was outside.

"Your things will be sent tomorrow. You will be taking the teleporter back to Hylyu tonight."

"Thank you Belinda," Petrina responded, mind calming down after stepping into the outside air.

"Will you be needing an escort there?" the Human asked respectfully.

"No, thank you," Petrina responded, just as Vanessa exited the house.

"A moment please," her sister asked, getting a nod from both their former instructor as the woman disappeared from existence with a pop.

"Here to gloat?" Petrina asked, turning an irritated expression to her younger sister after a few moments had gone by in the still night.

"You disappoint me," Vanessa said.

"I disappoint you?" Petrina asked incredulously, glaring at her sister. "You have changed, not me. You had no right to change my daughter along with you."

"I have changed. For the better, since I abandoned the family. Frankly, I'm surprised she didn't cut ties with you right then and there-"

"If you so much as suggest to her that she leaves-"

"You'll what?" Vanessa asked, interrupting her with an irritated look as her wings lifted slightly and she took a step forward. "You'll hurt me? Hit me? Beat me up like you used to? What will you do? Hunt me down?"

When she paused, Petrina said nothing, only continuing to glare.

"You won't have to worry about that though, because I don't try to alter people the same way you do. She is her own person and she'll decide what to do with her life alone, ultimately. Whether that's to leave you behind or give you another chance is not for me to influence," Vanessa stated.

"She is too young to-"

"You don't know what she is because you never visited!" her sister yelled. "And I'm glad you didn't. You sent her to me with the intentions of saving her from physical harm, and if it weren't for Damien, maybe she'd have gone back the same. But he managed to actually save her. To give her a real life and home. And if you think for a second I was going to let you keep bending her to your will like you tried to do back there," Vanessa shouted, pointing back towards the house angrily, "to turn her back into a meek little existence that listens to you like you're her God, you're on Ralium."

Petrina stood still, staring angrily into Vanessa's eyes while she glared back for over a minute. Finally, Petrina decided she had had enough, turning around and beginning the trek towards the city, where the portal was located.

"Do you even see her as a daughter or just a tool to be used?" Vanessa asked from behind as Petrina opened her wings and took off into the sky.

~~~~~

Oryen, Garrett, and Damien all stepped out back, following Damien as he walked towards a firepit. It was to the right of the backdoor, near the grill and jacuzzi, and sported six lounge-style chairs all seated around it.

It looked like it was already filled up with wood.

"Would you like some beer?" a voice asked, startling Oryen a little.

He hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings, he rarely did as that was typically someone else's job who was better at it when he was commanding, and the girl had just appeared out of thin air.

"No thank you, Adrenna. I was wondering where you had gone. I'm glad to see you made it back fine. Thank you for filling the fire pit," the boy replied.

"Of course," she said, disappearing again as Oryen followed her movements back to the house.

Oryen waited until she was inside and began speaking.

"You are quite respectful to your slave. It's commendable," he said.

Damien glanced at him and rolled his eyes, sending a flame to the pit and starting the logs.

"Being kind to another person shouldn't be commendable; it should be expected."

'Not in the mood for talk, ok,' Oryen noted to himself.

He heard the sound of a beard brushing against a shirt intermittently, indicating the boy's father was probably nodding.

"Raised well apparently," Oryen said with a chuckle.

"He's always been like this. Emily and I just refined it," Garrett responded to the praise.

"Well, it's nice to see anyway in a person who has become such a large part of my daughter's life," Oryen replied. "Cigar?"

Damien looked up thoughtfully for a moment before shaking his head.

"I'll have my own."

Oryen sighed. He was skeptical, and rightly so.

"Then I'd like to trouble you for one of those, if I may?" he asked, receiving a nod in turn.

A minute later, the Brinter slave had come back with a box in hand, carrying cigars. Most likely produced by Eleram, when Oryen visually inspected and smelt them he could tell the quality was mostly toward the upper-middle. It would taste alright, but it seemed they might have been improperly stored based on the lack of oil on the surface. Perhaps it would be a hot burn.

It was better than nothing, though.

After another minute or so, he finally heard Petrina coming in to land at the front.

No one spoke of the three men.

"You know, Petrina had a plan for Alexa," Oryen started. "From the time she was born until she hit the age of thirty, she had a plan. You and your beautiful family here was never a part of it," he chuckled out.

"Till she was thirty?" Garrett asked, laughing a little. "That's more than half my life."

Oryen was thankful the man was on board with lightening the situation after everything that had happened. Truly, a good Human who was able to judge others objectively.

"Yes, well, she always loved to be in control of things. From our home's layout, outfits, the food we served at parties... she has an image in her head for all her plans. I think the biggest one was always the plan she had for Alexa."

"It's too bad we ruined it," Damien scoffed out, getting comfortable in his chair while staring at the fire in front of them with his cigar hanging from his right hand.

"I suppose it is and it isn't," Oryen said, not letting it stop him. "She never cared to be the warm mother that would be our girl's best friend. She had a schedule Alexa needed to keep to. Petrina wanted her to be an astounding mage, powerful enough to stand on her own and defend herself from anyone she might be paired with in the future. The rare moments she praised Alexa were always the times I saw my daughter smile the brightest, even more than when I would break her out for the day and be the fun parent. Alexa might have loved me more, but I know she respected my wife's words much more than my own. Whether you had come along or not, my little girl would have been in charge of her own destiny and strong in her own right. She has her mother in her."

"Well, then it's truly too bad we stepped in," Damien responded again, still looking into the pit.

"I don't think so," Oryen replied, causing Damien to look over for a moment before turning back. "She may have been great, but to get there... would have, and already had, required more than a few sacrifices. She had no friends, was terrible in social situations, was stubborn, angry often... I'd never admit this to my wife, but when she mentioned Alexa would be going to stay with Vanessa, I was hoping she'd instill a little rebellious spirit into the girl. Help her change, if even a bit."

He paused and puffed from his cigar.

'Not hot yet, I like it.'

"So when I read that letter about her and you, I was surprised. It had seemed like nothing was changing based on all the previous messages from her, so I had worried she was making no friends from school, making no changes. Staying in a clique, no doubt at the top, and going through school as her mother had. Looking back, that's probably why Petrina let her continue to stay out here, whether Alexa realized it or not."

"But that letter... you should have seen my wife's face. Man was she pissed," he chuckled out, getting a laugh out of Garrett as well. "I thought she was going to hurt me. My poor books... she tears the edges when she's nervous and mad, she must have maimed at least ten that day. Here I'm wondering now, what will my daughter look like when I come to see her finally, with this boy that has put her so off Petrina's plan... Surely it can't be that bad, she's Diamond already and attributes her success to you. I thought my first feeling when I saw her would be pride, respect, love... But, we get here, and I think my first feeling upon seeing her was one of regret and sadness," he said, pausing while listening in as Belinda finally went out to invite Petrina inside.

"I was sad because for the first time since she'd been born, I'd seen her smile at other people like she so very rarely smiled at us, but she was smiling so openly and often."

Damien looked over at him, obviously holding back another biting remark.

"I think I was most hurt though, by the fact that if I hadn't gone along with my wife's selfish plan and allowed her to be a little more of a child, perhaps we would have been able to see that smile more often. So, I'm thankful for the change you put her through," he said, Damien looking up at him with a complicated expression, "and whether or not you do choose to stay together in the future, I believe she will live a much better life for it. Your family did a great job with my daughter where I couldn't."

For a minute or so, the only sound in the area was from the crackling of the fire and the sounds of crickets as the night deepened. The three sat quietly, smoking together while staring at the flame, and Oryen watched as maybe just a little tension seemed to leave the boy's body.

"If only your wife less batshit crazy and more like you," Garrett said bluntly, causing Oryen to laugh as Damien's eyes widened.

"I've often wished that same thing," he said back, still chuckling. "But she's mine, and I love her. Believe it or not, she used to be worse. Sometimes I still can't believe I chose her all those years ag-"

"You picked her?" Damien asked, looking like he'd nearly choked as he sat up.

Oryen nodded with a big smile.

"Yep. I'd do it again, too. Even took her name. My family never cared for me much; third son with no real talent in magic. But she loved my voice, and I was the only one who could break through her walls. Somedays I regret it as I'm sure everyone does, but those are far and few in between, getting fewer by the year. She's, unfortunately, the woman who matches me perfectly."

Garrett laughed and nodded along as the outside air continued to get refreshed by a light breeze. He even saw Damien smile just a little bit as he reminisced.

"Well, speaking of my magical talent, how about that show you had prepared?" Oryen asked, causing Damien to look up.

"I'm not sure if now is the best of times," Damien responded.

"What better time than now when we have a few minutes to kill?" Oryen asked. "Your father is even here. Now's the best time you could choose."

He watched Damien glance over to his father who was looking back with interest. After a brief moment, he sat up a little straighter and nodded.

Oryen smiled back, happy to get him to a place better than he had been. He might have embellished a few things, but ultimately, he hadn't lied to them.

"I'm not sure if you'll like it. It took quite some time to get it down to two spells, working with more than that kept making them fall apart before I could activate them..." Damien muttered, setting his cigar on the chair's arm while he leaned forward and crafted an intricate spell between his legs.

Oryen watched the spell come into being with his expectations raised, only to realize it was as simple a sound spell as you could get, albeit a little complicated. It would output a noise or string of noises at a certain volume for a specified amount of time until the spell had run its duration. It was handy for replaying a memory of sound, whether it be music, a speech, a previous conversation... Oryen had used it for all.

He didn't know what Damien was preparing, he couldn't hear what sounds were being placed into it, but his expectations had dimmed slightly. He'd hoped Damien had made something brand new from all the stories he'd heard about him, but that was apparently not what he would be treated to. From what he could tell by the mana fluctuations, it was something the boy had heard, though played a little louder and in parts, rather than an entirely new sound he'd made through trial and error.

"Alright, one of these is for the string instruments, one for the percussion and... well, any other sound I thought needed to be added in. I'm not sure... what all wind instruments were used, to be honest," he said, holding up two spells in front of them. "It runs about a minute and a half... I may have taken some creative liberties here and there. I think you'll both like it."

'So it is a song... Well, perhaps it will be new,' Oryen thought, hoping while nodding to Damien with a smile. 'Strings though... sounds like a bard inspired this?'

He resolved to pretend to like it no matter what it was. Maybe he wouldn't have to act, based on the word he'd used from his own language.

They watched the spell float slowly upward and eventually stop in front of the three of them, hovering above the fire pit.

"Violins" Damien muttered, activating the first spell.

Instantly, Oryen was seized by a feeling of unease as a low, upbeat chorus of an instrument he'd never heard before began quietly, rapidly increasing in volume from all directions around him. This is not what he'd expected when he'd heard it was a song. It was as if there were twenty people all playing the same chords loudly as they could to overwhelm him with the mere cacophony they created together. The pace was rapid, and his heart was already moving to match it as nervous energy surged through his body with each loud note.

A deeper bellow joined in moments later, raising in pitch as if building for something to come. Oryen thought he'd seen Damien mutter something else under his breath, but was already too overwhelmed by the intro to focus on anything else.

Oryen grinned wildly as the Violins he'd been listening to were seemingly joined by even more, increasing in volume instantly. A half second later, his smile changed to surprise as his shoulders and upper-body jumped up, a sound as if hundreds of people had all slammed sheets of metal together all around him in perfect harmony.

Barely into the intro of the song, his mind still struggled to keep up as the pace of the song increased and he found his head darting from one side of the backyard to the next, chasing the different sounds as they danced around him. Everything rose in tone once again as the clashing sounds hit more often, the string instruments seemingly inviting them in with each rise and fall in their own pitch.

The moment he finally found himself understanding the timing for the call of the percussion, the entirety of the spell changed in pace once again. Two loud impacts of the string and percussion instruments came together. Suddenly, everything got darker for a split second as the string instruments delved into a booming, foreboding sound as Oryen fought the sensation of his body telling him to hide from what was coming.

The energetic, upbeat, exciting song came crashing down all around him as Oryen gripped his chair tight, breaking the wood they were crafted from. A booming sound thundered out all around him as the story changed, raw power rippling over his body as felt sweat bead down his face and goosebumps rise across his being all at the same time.

If it weren't for the pain in his hands at the shards of wood embedded in his skin, Oryen was sure he would have long ago passed out. The song continued to tell the story of an epic battle and accomplishments of another, rising and falling in pair. Finally, after what felt like an eternity and seconds all in one, the masterpiece came to a close with the thundering rollout of all the deeper instruments. Oryen neither said anything or moved for minutes after it finished, even when the boy asked if he'd liked it.

He tried to process everything he'd just listened to, all he'd seen. His mind was a mess, and his skin was still riddled with goosebumps, the feeling of recently dried tears still present on his cheeks.

Finally, salvation came in the form of something he was quite used to dealing with: His wife. He heard her begin to yell and heard Alexa begin to shout as well. Focusing on that, he pulled himself away from his overwhelming thoughts and sent his wife advice, asking her to apologize. It was a hard thing for her to do, sure, but hopefully, she'd listen.

Gods knew how bad Oryen needed to preserve this relationship. Whether Alexa stayed with Damien or not, Oryen would never stop speaking with this child until the day one of them died.

He tried to send another message, only to find his voice blocked. Confused, he tried again, then listened in to what was happening, only to hear five words come back from the Fae and nothing else ever again from the room.

"She speaks her own words."

Oryen sighed, the regular sound of it finally breaking him out of his introspection. Looking left, Damien was gone. When he looked to his right, he was there, trying to get his father back into his chair.

Oryen coughed lightly to get his attention.

"Oh, you're back. I thought I'd broken you too," Damien said, startled. "Sorry if that was a surprise."

"No! No," Oryen corrected, using a lower volume for his second word. "It was... it was superb. I was just trying to help my wife through a minefield she'd created for herself. The song... it left me speechless," he finished with a compliment.

"Oh, you were listening to them?" Damien asked, a little annoyance presence in his voice. "What advice did you give?"

"No! No my boy not during the music I swear to the God of Truth I was focused. I told her to apologize and perhaps she would get the opportunity to get her daughter back on plan when she came home. Not that I'd ever hope for that," he said, hands up as Damien glared, "only that perhaps that would give us all enough leeway for my wife to see things in a different light. Let the next one hundred years change her perspective on your relationship," Oryen said, admitting everything. "I'd want no one else as my son-in-law, I can swear that to the God of Truth myself now as well."

Damien's eyebrows lifted as his eyes opened wide, jaw dropping slightly. Oryen was surprised he'd said that himself but it was entirely accurate. This was no longer even about his daughter's happiness. He'd never experienced something so genuinely awe-inspiring before in his hundreds of years pursuing this magic and would do whatever he could to convince Alexa to stay with this child.

His wife would come around, or he'd visit them alone if he had to.

Damien nodded after a few moments and smiled.

"I'm... sure it was the song, but I'm glad you can say that honestly, at least. Here's to changing your wife's opinion over the years," Damien said, holding up a cigar.

"Yes. I would be lying if I said it wasn't true, but even before the song, I held fewer objections to your family than positive impressions. However, that music. I... you must teach me how to make it. If you could play it again in fact-"

Oryen's words caught in his mouth as Damien's expression turned cold and detached in an instant. He watched the man before him turn and head for the backdoor immediately after, dropping the cigar and passing by without making eye contact after looking away the first time. It was like a different person had suddenly become the younger man who was enjoying the praise.

"I'm sorry, Alexa needs me," he mentioned as he strode away, disappearing into the house.

Oryen watched as he left then shook his head, understanding that no doubt his wife had done something horrendous. Talks had not ended amicably.

Looking around after a few seconds, he picked up and pitched the three cigars laying on the floor around each other into the fire pit and sent his own flame in after them, burning the wood and cigars to a crisp. Once it died down to a red glow with nothing left to burn, he turned to the right and looked at the still-passed-out man before him.

"I understand completely," he mumbled, bending down to pick the gentleman up and carry him on his shoulders inside the house, ignoring the unpleasant feeling of the first Human he'd ever allowed to touch his wings.

~~~~~

Damien made his way inside as the feeling in his chest threatened to continue to get worse, making a straight line for Alexa. When he opened the door for the lounge, Vanessa was just walking out with a stern look on her face.

Studying to the couch, Alexa was huddled in a ball and shaking wildly as Emily and Kastra did their best to comfort her. He moved toward the couch and got behind the trio before gently inserting his arms in between Alexa and the other two. When they let go, he carefully lifted his girl up in a princess carry before he got her to his chest, then lifted her top end a little higher as he propped her on himself and placed her arms around his neck.

"I'm here, you're fine, I love you, my dear, let it out," he whispered into her ear as she settled into place.

Like many times before when he'd carried her to bed or helped her in situations similar when they were younger, the girl wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him and soaked his collar with her tears. He slowly scratched at her wings and whispered what he could while smiling down at Emily who had also been crying with the girl. After bending down to kiss his mom on her head, he reached over and grabbed Kastra's hand while heading for the door that would lead to the front room.

Before walking out, he turned around and looked at Emily again.

"Dad is passed-out out back. I... I showed him my music, and I think it was a bit much for him. Oryen is out there with him, but I'm not sure if he'll help him inside-"

"My ears are burning," Oryen said, entering the room with a smile and his father as the man once again surprised Damien. "I'll let you handle that while... Emily dear, would you mind showing me where to deposit this gentleman?"

His mom seemed flabbergasted at the old, handsome Celestial carrying her husband who was drooling on the man's wings while she struggled to hide her tears. Garrett seemed to be enjoying every second of being carried around by Oryen and Damien wasn't sure if he'd admit it if he woke up right now, or if he was already awake.

With a shake of his head, Damien and Kastra moved out the door and up the stairs to their room, ready for some much-needed sleep.