The way Karen spoke made me realize a bit of what she'd experience, perhaps growing up. The strong always liked division. Even in the same race, the Lycan-kind's abusive nature is prevalent.
Is Shilaine the name of her daughter? I find myself belatedly wondering.
Gaining a child, Karen looks fiercer and more desperate than in my memories. She's the type of mother that won't hesitate to die in place of her child. The same kind of woman as Mother.
"If you really care for that child, you shouldn't throw away your life. Do you think she'd be thankful to have you die for her? Aren't you just taking the easy way out while painting yourself a martyr? She'd just grow crooked without a mother." I start to walk out of the kitchen area. "Prepare food for five people's journey to Faerie valley in three days. Letitia's orders."
Heading out the kitchen, I take a breath in the middle path between tents.
"Oh?"
My gaze falls unto the person walking nearer. Letitia, with a few fellow Lycan-kinds carrying fermentation pots and other kinds of pottery, make their way carefully to the kitchen area of the camp.
"Videre, where are you going?" Letitia asks when I try to turn away.
With a silent stare, Letitia gestures for the others to head first to the kitchen. Someone takes the clay pot from her hands and soon, we're alone.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"What do you mean?" Letitia asks.
Remaining silent, I stare at her.
Letitia sighs, "I did."
"Why?" Why do you want me to meet Karen? What did you want to do by letting me know about Mitchell's death? What good is knowing?
"Nothing, really. I just thought that Tukare and Laris already played the role of overprotective people quite perfectly. Their IQs drop whenever you're involved, but then again, it's obviously a common trait in our family tree. If I ended up overprotective like those two, it'd be unfavorable for your growth. You don't like to be coddled either, do you?"
"No", I whisper.
"So to balance things, I might as well go against the flow. Your relationship and other decisions, I'll support you even when those two won't. But if those two unanimously agree to something, you can expect me to contradict. Be prepared ah!" She laughs before softly and sincerely saying, "It's the least I could do for you saving me. Plus, you're my little brother!" Letitia raises a hand to ruffle my hair.
I automatically grab her wrist without looking.
"Oh, come on! I still don't get the privilege of doing this?" She whines.
The corner of my lips smile a bit at that.
"No, you don't." Especially when your mental age is younger than mine most times.
While Letitia is stunned, I release her hand and walk to our shared tent. Nobody is around. Maybe they're all busy with preparations. Not only are our group going to Faerie Valley, but Girtro, Theo, Virgil, Vera, Krael and three of Serena's subordinates would be heading back to Lumea as soon as possible.
Lady Amani had taken Aovialutre's blue teardrop necklace this morning. He said he'd finish preparing it within these three days.
Amani had long been preparing a blood amulet that would substitute for Aovialutre's soul in supporting Inferis. Although it won't be as powerful, it's still sculpted from her previous body's flesh and can at least protect Lumea. I remember Girtro telling me about how the Lady had sucked the life energy in the entirety of Barred Forest just to make one prophecy. It wasn't just a prophecy she made apparently; she also made the amulet out of her blood and body.
But the amulet was stagnant. It was only until Amani had reincarnated a century later, and had went back to Barred Forest did she continue preparing the amulet for years then on, letting it accumulate enough power slowly. This may well be the reason why Barred Forest is dangerous for the sorcerer-kind. All types of energy and magicules in the forest, save for the protective encirclement of the Lady, have been sucked dry by the amulet. It only stopped feeding off recently. All that's left is imbue a bit of Aovialutre's essence and memory.
By giving it a strand of memory, Lady Amani is more or less programming it the same way God had programmed the Encantado-kind's body to convert energy, but much simpler: I am born to convert energy.
I think, I may never really understand the Encantado-kind. Weren't they afraid that other greedy human-kind would use their powers? Isn't that why they reincarnate with intact memories? If they make such an amulet, wouldn't it realize their fears? Also, if a child is not born between two of their kind, wouldn't that mean that their reincarnation is also postponed? If they keep reincarnating, wouldn't that also mean that there's really no new child? Or does a new Encantado being, and not a reincarnate, get born every several millennia?
My head is filled with a lot of thought until I enter tent and lie down on the clean bed that was lent to me.
There are so many things I never thought I'd start thinking about. Sometimes, I miss Girtro's nosiness and cheerfulness. If he's here, I don't need to overthink.
Slowly, I close my eyes. Unfortunately, I open it again very soon and stare in front of me with a wooden expression.
"Can you not silently sneak in?" I say.
"Oh. I'll make noise next time", Obrecht reassures me.
"..." That's not the reassurance I need.
Obrecht walks over and frowns at the bed. I know what he's thinking so I frankly say in a warning voice, "This cot is tiny."
He twists his head to the right and spots the next cot. He grabs mine as he walks over, the things supported by the cot, and those on the way got dragged along and scattered. Yet, he doesn't stop until the two cots are side by side.
"..."
I internally pinch my nose bridge. It's one thing not to do housework. But to cause more housework... I give him a hard stare.
"..."
"What?" He innocently asks, laying down on his side to watch me.
"...Nothing." I inhale deeply, taking back my sight and trying to attract the sleepiness I lost.
"Hm", Obrecht hums. "Have you met the other people living in this camp?"
"...No", I softly answer. Even if I wanted to, it just seems impossible to stay mad or forever ignore Obrecht. On the contrary, it's more of an effort to do so.
"Oh, you know, I met the guys that were doing scouting work the other day. I even met them again this morning. Did you know that not all of them are Lycan-kind?"
"Hmm." I give him a noncommittal hum, feeling lullabied by his voice.
Obrecht's not discouraged at all as he softly but excitedly retells, "I know, right? I didn't expect that either. I thought it's best to have the Lycan-kind scout because they can talk to each other by mind-link. Surprisingly, they sometimes go by pair too."
"...Mm."
My eyelids fall as sleep pulls me in. The range of emotions I've used ever since coming here, to last night, up to until this morning has me fatigued. I've never needed to use so many emotions when I was lurking in the forests alone.
"The guy I met this morning was a Lycan. His partner's a Korrigan that used to be a slave. Say, do you know why they even need slaves?"
"..."
"Me too. You can just do it for yourself. The Lycan-kind's pureblooded nobles must be very lazy if they have lots of slaves. Ah! That Lycan guy this morning gave me a book. I almost forgot! I ran into him and asked the way to your tent. He asked about you too."
"..."
"You don't need to worry~ I told him you were my lover. He won't get any other ideas. But he did give me a book because of it. I wanted to show it to you, though I think he didn't want me to show it to anyone, especially my lover. What do you think Videre? Do you want to see it?"
"..."
Obrecht softens his voice until he stops talking altogether. He leans down to kiss my cheek, and then traces my face with his eyes. I'm no longer awake at this point. So when he takes out hand-made soft book, I'm unaware. Obrecht seriously studies each page with rapt attention even though I am beside him.
If I was awake at this time, I might have caught a glimpse of many yellow scenes when he turned a page.