"I'm really disappointed with you, Elfriede." I sunk deeper into the comfortable couch, as deep as my tail allowed me to.
The problem with that one had always been its delicacy. While I could retract my wings at will and even manipulate the size and length of my horns to some extent, my tail was off-limits.
That was where we Eternals stored our deep mana reserves and most of the other power we come to possess with time.
Despite it looking mighty, it was the main weak point we had to protect at all costs. But coming back to the comfortable couch with no hole, obviously, the problem irked me to some extent.
It also tainted my voice darker and angrier than I'd have liked to sound. "I won't make any excuses," she answered, "but don't you think you were a bit too... heavy-handed?"
I knew she was referring to the massacre. But the sole thought didn't kindle regret or at least sympathy within me. Only another layer of fury.
I decided it was best to come clean. This was so because high elves, more exaggeratedly than common elves, had the annoying tendency to discuss matters for *centuries*.
I didn't want that! "Heavy-handed?" Without waiting for her answer, I grabbed the hyperactive youth not at all content with only crawling on the couch and all over me.
As she lost contact with solid ground, her protesting squeals turned even more grievous. But the moment her gaze fell onto Elfriede's questioning eyes, she didn't stop hissing.
If she could, I was sure the youth would crawl all the way over there, scratching her until she depleted her energy reserves. Which would probably take a few days...
"The first batch got merely poisoned. Paralysing poison to you high elves at that, extracted from Buckthorn Poisondick. Nothing exotic, you see."
What this had to do with the outcome was something Elfriede had yet to piece together. So she listened while sipping on her cup of herbal tea.
"Sent one back to call you. And the answer? A squad of cutthroats. Targeting whom?" My tail quivered in anger at the mere memory.
Only when rubbing the youth between her furry ears with it and feeling the warmth of life did I calm down and so did she.
"No wonder...," Elfriede didn't look good at all. Even the cup was sprinkling its contents all over her blouse due to her shaking.
I only felt she deserved it. If she was suffering from only a fraction of the emotional rollercoaster that had been plaguing me yesterday, anything less than this wouldn't be possible.
In the meantime, the youth scratched me repeatedly, hoping to be let down and free to do her dirty business.
Like crawling all over the extensive saloon, exploring the dirtiest corners there were. Like licking at strange stains and the like that may or may not be found here due to her unbridled curiosity.
I no longer caught a glimpse of her state of being through the contract alone. For some reason, I'd grown proficient in reading her emotions, desires and hopes as well.
Yet I struggled still. What if she got sick...? "...Eldacar did not only fail to analyse the situation, but he also acted on impulse without care.
I'm sorry he laid hands upon your precious family." Family? I was left somewhat stumped. Was the youth family? From an annoying contractor evolving all the way towards family?
I was surprised I didn't struggle as much with the idea as I should have. Elfriede found that strange too. And scary, for some reason.
"She is obviously not happy being confined to your lap, Thoth. Leave her with a servant and let us be concerned about our matters."
While seeing the truth in her words, I struggled mightily with letting the youth go. Out of my grasp equalled out of my range of protection equalled heading into danger equalled...
"I swear upon my name. Nothing will happen to your precious family." She even bowed her head, showing sincerity.
But I understood why she did that. If approved, this meant I still had some appreciation for high elves and trusted her, specifically. This would decrease the difficulty of the upcoming negotiations.
"Fine." I yielded after a final glance at the sad youth. "But I want to see the bastard that gets to take care of her." "Naturally," Elfriede relaxed thanks to my positive answer.
Some odd moments later, a confused servant came into the saloon, listening to Elfriede's commands with widening eyes.
When she was just about to grab the youth, I stopped her with my tail. Staring deeply into those golden eyes, I mustered enough mana to mount the pressure on her mind.
Then, I opened my mouth and... talked about the dos and don'ts for the next hour straight. The more words gushed forth, the less I thought the elf would do an acceptable job.
I was just about to rescind my decision when Elfriede interrupted and the elf literally scampered away, clothes drenched in sweat.
I clicked my tongue. "How annoying." Elfriede swallowed hard, the words threatening to roll off her tongue never voiced out.
All of a sudden, her powers flooded the saloon, effectively cutting it off from the outside world. I squinted my eyes.
"Are you really Thoth?" She asked impassively. "First Spice, now you too." And that includes the Central Nodes, I added silently in my mind.
"Why are you so surprised to see me? The circumstances back then sure looked ugly, but I'm an Eternal! I do not die easily. BY asking, do you wish to curse me to death?!"
She didn't buy it. "Prove that you are Thoth." I immediately knew what she meant but couldn't live up to her demands.
While my recuperation was on the right track, certain abilities were still beyond me. In other words, the small tricks I never put into my eyes were out of my reach for now.
It mightily grated on my self-esteem, but I couldn't do a thing against that. "The reason I haven't burned your lot to cinders despite you deserve it is because I changed.
You know as well as I do that back then, this wouldn't have ever happened." I couldn't tell her that the power required to do this stupid lot of councilmen in would strain me unreasonably?
Not to forget that once I'd set foot onto royal capital grounds, each treehouse had at least one high elf staring at me with unkind eyes and there was Elfriede too!
We didn't part on the best terms back in those days... Despite my anger and the youth's demands, I couldn't live up at all! Which hopefully didn't disappoint her too much...
"Fine. I shall let you know. Deplorably so, your left breast is smaller than your right one. I hope you finally accepted yourself though. With this much time gone by."
She didn't react. When I was about to repeat these words, she finally snapped out of it, turning beet red up to the hair.
Then she shrieked, leaving me floored once more. "I... I haven't done anything wrong, have I?" The question was bound to remain unanswered.