Divine Agreements, page 2
Glorina stared at him for a second, then shook her head. “It’d make it harder for us to help you, too.”
Sean considered that for a moment. “True, but I’m nearly indestructible now. I can survive for you all to help me, because I know everyone at home would help.”
“We would. I’ll leave you to your work, Sean.”
“If anyone asks, I’m down here.”
“Yes, sir,” Glorina said, going to get some potatoes for breakfast.
Chapter Two
Ida and Ryann came down just as he finished forming the room. “I thought you were going to let us help you, Sean,” Ryann said.
“You can. There’s a lot to do.”
“We were surprised you wanted an underground workroom,” Ida said, brushing some of her black hair back behind her ear. “None of us thinks you’ll make a mistake bad enough to warrant it, though we love that you’re being cautious.”
“Better safe than sorry,” Sean smiled. “If we have time before breakfast, you can help me. I need new armor.” He pulled ingots of mithril and adamantine from his bag. “If you can get it mostly done, I’ll do the fine fitting and turn it into jewelry.”
“Gladly.”
“I’m tempted to add some gold trim,” Ryann said with a smirk, her light blue eyes glinting in amusement.
“Damned brats, the lot of you,” Sean snorted. “Please don’t?”
“Since you said ‘please,’ I won’t.”
“But you don’t mind us bratting; you even enjoy it. Myna’s giddy that we’re all picking on you a little. It makes her proud that her version of love is accepted by all of us,” Ida said.
“Damned brat cat,” Sean chuckled. “While you two work on the armor, I’ll be trying to figure out the things I need to have done before I work on portals.”
“What’s that, exactly?” Ryann asked, making a quick braid of her blonde hair.
“Something to negate electricity, and another to either increase my weight or control gravity where I’m standing. I got tossed when fighting Truestrike, because even though I’m strong, I still only weigh so much. Enough mass or force can still move me, and I want to stop that.”
“In case Thor finds you when you go to Earth?”
“Yes. I’m in agreement with Helga on that. He’s got an axe to grind with me, so I need to be proactive in making sure my defenses are the best I can make them. This way, if he does show up, it’s him with a broken chest this time.” Sean’s face clouded. “He has blood to pay for.”
“Chas and Lilly…” Ida nodded, her slate-gray eyes sad with memories. “After the armor, we’ll see if we can come up with ideas for the things you want done, too.”
Pulling back from the dark thoughts he’d had briefly, he gave her a soft smile. “Thank you, Ida. You, too, Ry. I’ll always be happy if you want to join me in making things. Any of you could join me, but I know you two love crafting more than the others… maybe Fiona loves it as much, too. She used to be a crafter.”
“She does, but she’s happiest helping make sure the family is doing well.”
“We’ve talked with her about it,” Ryann said, already working on a breastplate. The metal flowed like liquid, becoming a composite of the two metals before forming into the shape she wanted. “She makes small things here and there because she likes to. It’s mostly items for the clan, who adore her work on things for their size. Other than that, she does all she can for all of us.”
“Her crafted items are highly sought after,” Ven said from above. Sean had made cubbies in the stone walls near the ceiling for the Fairies to have a spot to rest since there weren’t rafters in the room. “Everyone in the clan works extra hard to be given one. Onim makes sure they’re handed off to the ones who’ve done the most for the family. They spread them around the clan that way, so no one gets a stockpile over the others. Well, besides the first four of us, who had everything made for us by her originally.”
“Rank does have its privileges, as does seniority,” Sean chuckled. “I’m sure you don’t lord it over the others.”
“No, we don’t, but it’s known. They all know that, without us having come first, the clan wouldn’t even exist, so no one begrudges us that, either.”
“Glad to know the clan isn’t having problems. Did you get the plaques made for the two who died in Cimmacrinth’s breath?”
“We did. We’ll be adding them to the wall later today. Thank you for asking, Sean. We know you have a lot to worry about right now.”
“I do, but family’s important. We can set them after breakfast, as a family.”
“Word will be sent so the clan, the staff, and your wives know.”
“Good. Okay, focus for now; what does nullifying electricity mean for me…?”
~*~*~
Fiona came down to get them for breakfast an hour later. She looked over the room, which was quickly becoming a replica of what Sean had in Hearthglen. Ida and Ryann were putting in shelves and stacking various things he might need on them while Sean sat at a desk, drawing a diagram. “My loves, it’s time for breakfast.”
Sean sighed when he set down his charcoal pencil. “I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.”
“It took you how long for the showers?” Ryann asked, hand in hand with Ida.
“Too long,” Sean grumbled. “I wouldn’t even mind if I didn’t have a firm deadline.”
Fiona closed her heterochromatic eyes for a moment. That deadline was the Queens returning, something she feared a great deal— Winter would be incensed that her Shame was gone. Opening them again, she found Sean directly in front of her, staring into her green and blue eyes with concern. He gently stroked a loose strand of red hair behind her slightly-pointed ear. The kiss he gave her expressed everything he needed to say. She clutched him, calming down with her husband there to hold her.
“Sorry…” Fiona whispered when the kiss ended. “I know we’ll be fine as a family. I get spikes of fear, though, thinking of how angry Winter will be when she sees me.”
“She’ll be angry with me, dearest,” Sean murmured. “I won’t let her hurt you. You’re free of the Shame, minus the bones, which you wanted to keep. If she’s angry, she’ll crash against me, but I won’t be moved. Not when my wife needs me.”
“Which puts you in more danger, and causes more worry… It’ll be okay… I have faith in my husband.” She stepped back, wiping away the tears that’d escaped. “Here I am, holding us up from breakfast.”
“We understand,” Ida said from where she and Ryann waited a few feet away. “We’ll take our hugs from you, and then we can go up.”
Fiona laughed, opening her arms to hug the shorter and stockier woman first. “Thank you, Ida.” She moved to the former bandit next. “You, as well, Ry.”
“You’re welcome, Fiona,” Ryann murmured. “Just as you’re here for us, we’re here for you, too. Don’t make me sic Fel on you. You know you’d lose hours.”
“Very pleasant hours,” Ida giggled.
Fiona laughed. “She is who she is, and we love her for it.” She turned to find Sean in the hallway. “We’re ready, Sean.”
He held out a hand. “Then come on.”
As they walked down the hall, Sean asked, “Ven, will you ask Saret to come over after breakfast? I have questions I could use her knowledge on.”
“Message sent, Sean.”
“I know what you’re working on, but you do have another pressing issue to deal with,” Fiona reminded him. “Cimmacrinth.”
“Right… He’s not a small problem.”
“You told us that you asked him to tell the butcher to keep feeding him, but umm… Sean… did you forget that you’re the only one who could speak to him?”
Sean covered his face with his free hand. “Maybe?”
“He might be able to face the Queens, but still falls flat on his face sometimes,” Ryann snickered.
“He did ask us to make sure he stays humble. We don’t ever have to do that when he makes mistakes like this, though,” Ida joined Ryann in snickering.
“I did, and I meant it,” Sean sighed. “Yeah, okay. I’ll make that my priority tomorrow. I need to go out there and see the staff, anyway. Between the manor and Cimmacrinth’s lair property, I’ll be gone for a full day.”
“I made sure cattle were to be delivered to the manor,” Fiona said. “They should be there tomorrow.”
“At least I’ll have food for him, then… Saret and enchantments today, Cimmacrinth tomorrow. Things are getting busy again.”
“Speaking of,” Fiona smirked, “how did you get out of bed and not wake any of us this morning?”
“Normally. No one stirred when I moved limbs, then crawled out. Did Aria and Myna pout?”
“No, but Hallie laughed at them for doubting you.”
Sean laughed as he started up the stairs to the kitchen. His family was large, but it was full of love. He couldn’t even begin to think of how bad it could be if his wives didn’t get along the way they did.
“We’ll be bringing the carts behind you shortly, sir,” Glorina said.
Sean inhaled deeply, smelling the bacon, eggs, and cheese that’d been used. “Smells delicious, and I know it’ll taste even better.”
“We’re glad you enjoy the meals, sir,” Lona grinned. “I made a pastry to go with it this morning.”
“And some fresh bread,” Mona added.
Sean gave the sisters a grin. Both of the Rabbit Moonbound were proud of their similarities and differences, especially in the kitchen. “I’ll be making sure to have a little of everything.” He looked back at Glorina the chef; while she was also a Rabbit Moonbound, she was not related to the sisters. “See you there. It wouldn’t be a good meal without the Cook and Bakers,” Sean said, touching on the titles he’d tagged them with as part of his pantheon.
All three inhaled slowly as energy coursed through them, then smiled broadly at their names. Ryann and Ida gave the cooks winks as they went by. They knew how they felt, having been on the outside and wanting into the marriage, as well.
“You teased them,” Fiona giggled. “Well done, Sean. Maybe Myna’s rubbing off on you.”
“As often as she can,” Ryann coughed.
“That was terrible, Ry,” Ida laughed. “Maybe Fel’s rubbing off on you more than I knew.”
Sean laughed as he escorted his wives to breakfast. Things were going to get tough soon, but at this moment, he knew happiness and peace.
Chapter Three
Breakfast was over— the main topic of discussion had been Darragh finding Home after Trisha arrived there. That brought up yet another topic for Sean to address with Saret when she came over; the main things he wanted to ask about were Luka’s soul and entropy, but also planes-walking. His wives were supportive of his plans going forward. To keep the clinic running smoothly, the teams would consist of Aria, one of the staff, and one of his other wives. The wife and staff would rotate every day, so the clinic was always ready to assist as needed.
Everyone, including the massive Fairy clan, gathered in the front room where Ven placed the two plaques for the fallen. When Ven finished, Sean cleared his throat. “We’ve gathered to honor our fallen brethren. Lint and Quiz died during my fight with Truestrike. Unfortunately, their deaths were from dragon’s breath, so we have no ashes to place with their images. Brave clan members, we will mourn your passing. Our solace is that they now reside at Home with the others who have gone before. Does anyone else wish to offer a few words?”
“I will.” A Messenger Fairy Sean wasn’t sure if he’d met before floated down to hover in front of one of the plaques. “Lint was my pair. I mourn the fact we never had a child before they passed, but that is life. Lint and I might never have met if not for the clan. We lived on opposite sides of Hearthglen, and rarely did either of us leave the area we grew up in. When we joined the clan, we met. To meet your pair is a blessing, and nothing will take that love from my heart. Now, I will wait until I join them again.” Head held high as tears fell, they floated back up to the rafters to be hugged by their friends.
Another two Fairies floated down, but one of them was a child. “Our child, Zen, and I want to just thank Quiz for their love. We’d just welcomed Zen into the world before the duel. I know that they were happy to know they had a child. With the help of the clan, I will guide Zen to honor their parent who passed doing their duty. Zen?”
“I’ll miss you…” Zen whispered, wiping at their face. “You’re always part of me, as every parent is for their child. Your name will live with me, and my children one day will hear about you.” Pulling their child to them, the two cried as the older Fairy floated them back to the rafters.
All around the room, people wiped their eyes. Those who carried children squeezed each other’s hands. They didn’t know the pain, but they could imagine it all too well.
When no one else came down, Sean said, “It’ll always hurt when family passes before us, but we’ll remember them, celebrate them, and raise a song in their memory.” Clearing his throat, he took a deep breath and then began to sing.
His wives knew the song, having sung it with him before. The staff knew it from Rosa’s memorial, so they also joined in, if hesitantly at spots. The oldest Fairies sang with tears in their eyes, having attended every memorial. The clan picked up the tune; a few tried to match the words, mostly just humming the tune while learning the song.
When the song ended, Sean bowed his head for a moment in respect. Raising his head once more, he looked up at the full rafters, then down the walls where the small nooks were also filled with Fairies.
“Our fighting is hopefully done— the only troubles still before us are the Queens. I hope to avoid a physical confrontation with them… if the worst comes to pass and we do end up at war with them, know that I’ll do my best to shelter you. You are clan, you are family, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure we all come out on the far side of any conflict.”
“Back to our posts,” Ven said after a moment of silence.
The clan dispersed at speed, the room briefly lighting up with all the flashing silver streaks. Sean just stared in shock, having been watching them go. It was like a firefly garden in summer with all the zipping lights, beautiful to behold.
“Quinna, Andie, you two are with Aria today,” Fiona said to remind them. “Sean, are you going back down to your workshop until Saret arrives?”
“I don’t think so… she should be here soon. I’m going to walk our wives and Quinna to the gate. I might not be going with them, but I can see them off, at least.”
A smile touched Fiona’s lips. “Very well.”
“We’ll get back to work on the armor,” Ida said, her hand in Ryann’s. The pair headed down the hall as the staff dispersed to their duties.
~*~*~
“Thanks for coming over, Saret,” Sean said, meeting her at the front door.
“I’m always glad to assist you, Sean,” Saret smiled. “Where are we going? The parlor, the library, the bedroom?” She asked it all with a straight face, her eyes intent on his face. When he looked panicked at the last option, she laughed. “You will never not be amusing, Sean. I’ll stop teasing.”
“Bratting isn’t just a cat trait… good to know,” Sean grumbled. “The parlor will be fine. I just had some questions.”
“Being a brat is far from just a cat’s trait,” Saret laughed as she followed him. “Succubi knew it long before the felines, but we were glad to teach it to them.”
“I’d actually accept that as canon.”
The pair took their seats just before Tiska brought a tea cart into the room. “We have a lovely orange tea and some orange scones from Lona,” she said as she started preparing cups for them. “Would you like a scone, Saret?”
“I would. Thank you, dear. No additives in my cup. A good cup of tea shouldn’t need sugar or cream.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Tiska smiled, setting out the cups and plates of snacks. “I’ll leave you to your talk. Sir, I will be ready to refresh as needed.”
“Thank you, Tiska,” Sean said.
When she left the room, Saret smiled broadly. “She’s so very eager, but I’m sure all the staff are. The level of love and lust in this home, Sean, would keep any of my kin sated for… well, forever. Now, what can I answer for you?”
“Let’s start with the newest question I have: Trisha dying and showing up at Home was followed by Darragh finding my plane last night. Do you think he arrived because she did?”
“Hmm… It likely had a strong pull for him if he loved her. He didn’t worship you or anyone, from what I know of him. Because of that, he would have walked the woods for a long time before he found your plane. I would say that her soul fully residing there became a lodestone for him.”
