Renn's shoulders were drooped low as she smiled down at the tiny baby in her arms. She was sitting in a chair, one of the few that weren't rocking chairs, and looked as if she was about to dedicate her whole life to the baby in her arms. Although such a thing was typical for Renn… this ti it looked a bit more serious, or maybe instead for a different reason. That reason was the sa as why I could tell that she was doing all she could to be gentle, and justifiably so.
The small child in her arms was not normal. Or well, not normal in the way she knew them.
"Try so, Vim!" the shorter, or rather smaller in general, man said as he held out a plate of small bread items.
I graciously took one, and nodded as I ate it. "Thanks," I said to a mber of the smallest cats in the world.
As I ate what I assud was a small muffin, I noted it tasted a little… off. "Klaaw is experinting. She's excited to give her all the new tastes she's going to experience!" Maine said.
Great, I was being used as a test subject again. "How long does it normally take? Before she can start eating real food?" Renn asked before I could say anything.
"Years! Many years. She's already three, it'll be another decade or so before she's ready!" Maine said as he hurried over and offered Renn a piece of the bread-stuff too.
She at first looked like she wanted to decline, since her entire focus was on the tiny baby in her arms, but she couldn't do so without being rude. Maine was a little… incessant. He and his kind always have been.
For such tiny people they were very pushy. "Well?" Maine asked as Renn carefully took a piece of bread and ate it, and then returned her hand to supporting the small baby bundled in soft cloth.
"It's… different, but it's not too bad. I kind of like it," Renn said honestly.
"Ah! I'll go let Klaaw know!" Maine then turned and hurried out of the room, heading out into the hallway as to go to the kitchens a few doors down from us where his wife was. She'd only been here for a short ti to introduce herself, et Renn, and then had left as to focus on her cooking. It seed she had been rather upset the trip here, the boat-ride and the wagon had taken nearly a year, and as such had a long list of potential recipes she wanted to try.
"They're… a little…" Renn whispered as she stared at the door, her ears fluttering as she likely listened to make sure no one was just beyond it as to hear her speak. There wasn't.
"Yes, they are little," I said simply, smirking at her as I did.
Renn gave a look, the one that told she didn't care much for my little joke. "Why's she… so small for so long, Vim?" Renn asked, choosing to switch topics as she looked down at the tiny baby in her arms.
And tiny it was. The young spotted cat was small enough to fit in my open hand, though I'd never dare risk carrying her in such a way. She was fragile at her age and size, and I was… well… .
"It's just how they are. What's weird is not how small they are, or how small they are when born, but instead how fast they grow once they reach a certain age. Once she reaches what they call maturity she'll grow rapidly to their size, in the span of a few years at most. Sotis in less than one," I said. Back when there had been a whole community of them it had been shocking to hold a baby and return on my next trip to find them all adults.
"Why don't they have… ears and stuff? Like I do? If their non-human blood is so thick, I an? If it can make them this small and affect their growth in such a way, why not in other ways too?" Renn asked as she studied the tiny baby sleeping in her arms.
"So of them are born with patches of fur and stuff… not sure if I rember any being born with ears or a tail, though," I said as I picked at my teeth with my tongue. I could feel a piece of the bread-stuff still lingering between teeth.
"You didn't answer the question, Vim," Renn said gently.
Ah. Right. I nodded as I stopped ssing with my teeth. "Non-human traits show themselves in their own ways, Renn. You see it as if it's odd they have nothing, but in truth it's the opposite. Their size and growth rate are in fact those very traits showing themselves. The best explanation I can give you Renn is they were either made that way, or they ended up more human than not from the start. From the monarch which they sprouted from, I an," I said.
Renn's ears fluttered as studied the little baby who didn't have a na yet. "I'm… still not sure I understand how that happens," she said.
"They snap their fingers, and boom. We exist," I said simply as I glanced at the table near . It was… small. It stood about half the height of a normal table, as did most the furniture in this room. All of it was made for them in mind, the tiny cats who all were similar in sized to those like rit or Sharp. Maine had left the platter of bread-stuffs on it, and for so reason I felt like grabbing one but did I want to actually put in the effort to do so? I was comfortable in this seat, and was also comfortable enjoying watching Renn hold the baby.
She always looked good when holding children. Though… sotis she also looked sad or angry even when she had to give them up.
"I ant the monarchs, Vim," Renn then said.
Ah. Right… "Well… that's a point of contention," I admitted.
"Content?"
"Argunt. To be honest not even the gods…" I went quiet as I heard footsteps. Renn's ears shifted as she too noticed them, and then a couple minutes later Maine returned. This ti with a large loaf of bread.
"This ti it's made with bananas!" he declared as he headed for the table. He put the platter, with the loaf of bread on it, down and went to cutting it into slices.
"I'll take a slice to go, Maine. I regretfully have an appointnt to go get a headache," I said as I stood.
Renn gave a look, one that turned into a small glare, as I stepped over to the table and waited for Maine to offer a slice. He chuckled at as he kept on cutting the bread instead of just handing one right away. "Wonder who it's with…? One of the birds maybe?" he said cheerfully.
Did he think our bird mbers were annoying? "The clock-maker variety," I said.
Maine slowed in his cutting and frowned up at . "Clocks…? Ah, Eyes' son, right? I've yet to et him, but if he's anything like his father I'm sure he doesn't deserve your ill speak, Vim!" Maine said, chastising as he pointed the small knife he was using up at .
"Yeah!" Renn agreed.
I huffed at them. "Raccoons aren't cats you know? They're more like bears, or dogs… you don't need to defend him as if he were," I said.
Renn's ears noisily fluttered. "He's a dog?" she whispered in shock as Maine sighed at and handed a couple slices of the banana bread, wrapped in a cloth.
"For the clock-maker," he said as I took them.
Great. "I'm sure he'll be delighted…" I said.
Maine happily smiled and nodded, as if there was no way Hands would ever not be.
"Let Klaaw know I enjoyed them," I said as I glanced at Renn. She gave a happy, content, smile that told she had absolutely no plans on leaving with . I had figured, but I had wanted to check to make sure.
She locked children. Babies, especially. But… sotis Renn did seem to intentionally keep herself distant with those we encountered. As if she was afraid to get too attached or sothing. It didn't seem to be like this ti was one of those monts, however.
"Here, here! I myself love the banana ones!" Maine didn't even seem to register my existence anymore as he took so of the fresh slices of bread over to Renn.
Stepping out of the room, I sighed softly as I listened to Renn eat and tell Maine how tasty the bread was as I walked down the hallway.
Glancing down at the bundle of bread in my hand, I decided it was a good thing that Maine was the way he were. I had only asked for more out of courtesy… and he had likely known it, if even only instinctively. Now I could just give the bread to Hands. Or, if he didn't want them, anyone who I passed by after offering them to him.
Rounding a corner, I slowed a little as I entered an active hallway. The hallway itself was empty, but it was not devoid of life. I could hear people, talking or just doing whatever they were doing in the rooms I passed as I walked down the hall. So voices I distantly recognized, while most of the rest I had no na or face to put them to.
A few of the doors I walked past were open, or slightly ajar… but I didn't peer in out of respect, and also as to avoid getting noticed. I'd been getting a lot of requests lately, since there were so many new mbers here, and honestly I was doing my best to not add to that already long list.
It was rude of … but I had more important things to do than handle silly little grievances. Such as earlier, Harly had wanted to help her check to make sure the family and friends that had remained here had actually perished or were lost to us. She hadn't believed the Chronicler's report, the one she had given her upon her asking.
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There was nothing wrong with such requests… and I had not hesitated to help her verify the information, but those little tasks added up when I got enough of them. I had been hoping to leave Telmik by now, and at the rate my jobs were adding up we'd be stuck here for another week already.
But maybe it was for the best… I believed Renka was already back from whatever she had left for, and thus her warning to stay here until we returned was now no longer worth heeding… but what if I was wrong? What if Renn and Renka hadn't been eting and talking in secret, and I was just making baseless assumptions…?
"But then what about the tea…?" I whispered as I entered a stairwell.
Maybe I had just imagined it…? I an… it was possible. I'd been oddly reminiscent lately. And out of sorts, ntally, at least. Not too long ago I had sat and stared at my mother's bell for… longer than I wanted to admit. Maybe Renka's return, her giving that bell, and all the recent chaos and drama had just… mistake a flavor for sothing that didn't exist?
Renn did taste good, when I got the chance to actually kiss her. Maybe sohow I had just… linked her taste with the tea my mother used to make…? Have I not heard over the years from countless people that love made such things happen? That by being near soone you genuinely trusted and cherished, you sotis slled sothing familiar? Or tasted sothing on the tip of the tongue that wasn't there…?
No matter…
Opening the door that led to the Cathedral main floor, I closed it behind and glanced around. The hallway was slightly dark, and quiet. It was later in the night, but not so late that it should be this empty…
Nor was the weather bad. In fact it'd been sowhat warm these last few days, so…
Focusing on the air near … and the way the dust seed to just hang in place, I felt my eye twitch as I realized what had happened.
I had walked right into it. Without even realizing it.
"Listening to my whispers, are you?" I asked the still air.
A small chuckle, one that made the back of my neck tickle made want to snarl as I turned around and watched Renka erge from… wherever she ca from that didn't actually exist.
"Do you take her to see such adorable children on purpose? As a hint or sothing?" Renka asked with a grin.
I nearly threw the bread at her, but kept my cool. "I don't rember you being this obnoxious," I said. Hadn't she used to be… cute? ek? Back then? I didn't have too many mories of her, but the few I did have were of mother and father doting on her.
Her grin softened a little as she tilted her head at . "I don't rember how I used to be, Vim. I'm not like you… or Renn for that matter. Most of those years are a blur for ," she said.
Oh…? "If you're going insane like Stance, feel free to let know if you wish for a cure," I said, and even I wanted to flinch at how happy I sounded as I did so.
"Please. My mind is not failing , Vim… I had been a child. Like you. Too young to really understand what was going on," she said… and then gestured to her right. I didn't follow her gesture, even as the light of mana illuminate the hallway and I heard things… change.
"Shall we?" she asked once her little spell ended.
Slowly looking away from her… I found a new hallway. One that was in front of , of us, where once had been a solid brick wall. It at first looked just like all the other hallways here in the Cathedral… but a few dozen paces into it I could see the shift. Black stone turned into red. Windows appeared, and sunlight was peering into them in a way that even if the sun had been out wouldn't have seed natural.
"How about we just get to the killing each other part instead?" I suggested as I looked away from the illusionary hallway.
"Please. Renn wouldn't like that," Renka said simply as she turned and headed into the hallway she had just made.
Grinding my teeth… I wondered if I should just do it. She was only a few dozen feet from . Even if the body in front of wasn't real, one made of illusions, I could still hurt her. Just by dispersing the illusion I could cause her pain… and maybe if I did, I'd be able to then track down her real body and…
"Co on, or I'll summon Renn too and we can have the conversation with her here," Renka then said to .
My eye twitched so hard I felt a blood vessel pop, though not in the eye. "The fact I actually take that as a threat is concerning," I said as I stepped forward.
"Of course you do. Why wouldn't you? Can't be having her learn too much, too fast, else she might break up with you," Renka said.
"That's… not why I keep secrets from her," I said, defensively, as I stepped into the illusionary hallway behind her. I had to keep myself from stepping forward too quickly. Although Renka had entered the hallway with a dozen or so paces head start, she was shorter and her strides smaller. I'd catch up quickly if I wasn't careful… and I didn't want to do that. Not just as to avoid her from running away, and thus resulting in getting no answers, but also to keep my own self in check as we talked.
If we got too close to one another I would attack, and thus likely endanger if not destroy this whole area… killing who knows how many in the process.
"For the record, Vim… I'm rather proud of you. Holding back, I an," Renka then said.
I distracted myself with the windows we started walking past, and the varied worlds that laid beyond them instead of looking at her. "I'm proud of myself too," I said.
Why did they always make the world so fanciful? That last window had dragons flying around in the distant sky. Wasn't the real world neat enough? Was it so boring to them they had to add such ridiculous things to a basic scenery that they only saw for a few monts at a ti?
"How'd you noticed I had returned already?" she then asked.
I didn't want to tell her, in case I needed to use the thod again at another ti. "Does it matter?"
"Honestly, it does. I've kept myself hidden from you for all this ti and… suddenly you start to notice ? It's concerning."
I scoffed at that. "Don't lie," I said. If she actually believed that she wouldn't be doing this here and now… she'd be too scared to.
She chuckled at . "I'm serious, you know? I can't wrap my head around how you noticed… unless of course Renn told you, but I don't think she did," she said.
"The fact you think my wife and companion wouldn't reveal such a serious detail is very insulting," I argued.
Renka shook her head at , and a she did I noted the way her hair didn't… flow the way it should have in the air as she did.
So I was right. She was an illusion too.
So weird… I genuinely didn't sense them.
Not her. Not the fake hallway I was walking through… not even the magical worlds beyond the windows we passed. I sensed none of it. As if it was all real, instead of a simple creation.
Just how had she accomplished it…? Not even mother had been able to do this…
Had… had she done this before, then…? Was it possible? Could, in the past, she had used such illusions against before…?
Maybe that was why so gods who I had thought dead, by my hand of all things, were still alive… or had been. Maybe she had used such illusions on in the heat of battle and made mistake sothing as serious as killing one of them…
We reached the end of the hallway and ca to an open courtyard. It mimicked so of the similar greenery areas in the Cathedral, but was far more magical in appearance than not. The hallway opened up into a circular area, one with a huge grassy area, and high above was a pretty blue sky with fluffy white clouds. The kind that looked… fake, in the wrong way.
"All this for a few words?" I asked, disgusted by it all as she gestured at the center of the grassy area. A small shimr of light ca, and with a puff of mana a table and so chairs appeared.
"Important words, yes," Renka said.
Hmph.
I followed Renka out onto the grass… and then up to the table and chairs. There were more seats than needed, so a part of expected soone else to show up… but no one did. Renka took a seat, and as she did she gestured with a hand in front of her as she summoned a tea set.
They clanked onto the table, a white table that sounded as if it was made of glass or porcelain, and she went to reaching for one of the cups.
"No matter what is said… no matter what happens… this only ends one way, Renka," I said simply as I watched her pretend to fill up one of the cups with the contents of teapot.
"Yes. I know," Renka said simply, undisturbed.
I glared at the freckled monster for a mont… and decided to just let it be. I placed the bundle of bread down onto the table and then took a seat across from her.
"Tea, Vim?" Renka asked.
"You're pushing your luck," I threatened. Last thing I needed was for her to try and feed my mother's tea, and for to not be able to show genuine shock over having tasted it. Then she'd realize how I had figured it out earlier that she had spoken to Renn…
"You sure…? You'll like it," Renka said.
"What do you want, Renka?" I asked, and didn't need to fake the exasperation in my voice as I did.
She frowned at … and then took a drink from her cup. Once done, she sighed and nodded. "I want your help," she said simply.
"In my experience, and I have a lot of it in this departnt… threatening people to do sothing you want pretty much never goes the way you think it will," I warned.
"I've no doubt… which is why I'm not threatening you, Vim… I'm instead going to threaten them," she said.
Them…? "I'll panic with their deaths, Renka… and will weep like you won't believe after it's all said and done, but that won't change a thing," I warned again. Did she really think threatening the Society, Renn included, was enough? I wanted it to be, but the truth was it wouldn't be. I was barely containing myself as it is… the mont she actually hard any of them it was ga over, basically.
Renka then frowned at … in a way that made uneasy… and not because of the aning behind it.
Was… was that real…?
I focused on her, and with every passing mont… I found myself again and again coming to the sa conclusion.
The Renka in front of was no illusion.
She was real.
It was ever so faint… but I could indeed feel divinity from her. Mana. Pure mana. Sothing that not even the purest hearts could mimic.
When had the real one appeared…? When we were in the hallway, it had been an illusion I had been walking behind… so… when we left it? When we sat down? When she picked up the cup, maybe?
"I'm not threatening Renn, Vim. Or your little Society, either… instead… I'm going to threaten everyone else," Renka then said.
"Everyone… else…?" I leaned back in the chair I sat in… and did so in a way that if it had been any other chair in the world, it would have broken. And likely anything else around too, such as the table.
I held my breath as I realized what she ant… and the implications behind it, and as I did I was glad I was no longer in the Cathedral. No longer where the world was normal, for once.
Nothing else was nearby anymore. The hallways had disappeared. Renka and I now sat in an endless field of green grass, under an equally endless blue sky… as she took one more sip of her tea and nodded.
"We're going to threaten them together, Vim. You and I… and Renn, too, in her own way. All of us together… are going to do what should have been done all those years ago," she said.
"You're betraying them…" I whispered as I understood what was happening.
Renka's eyes swirled with power as they began to glow as she looked in the eyes and nodded. "Yes, Vim. I am."
Finally.
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