The Mother of Monsters

The balcony that overlooked the city was a quiet place where Teyva could find a little privacy. A reserved silence, personal, reflective. She ran her small human fingers along the railing and looked down on the world beneath her with human eyes. It was strange, her eyes looked different on the outside but they worked more or less the same. She rubbed her thumb against the tip of her finger, but these aren’t sharp any more. Peculiar. She thought quietly as the wind picked up at the high altitude. She felt a presence move behind her and turned her head, looking over her shoulder at the woman who approached her.

“How is she?” Teyva asked.

“Sad, but understanding,” Yaga said with a quiet murmur, walking up behind Teyva and wrapping her arms around Teyva’s shoulders. Teyva hadn’t been held by Yaga like this before, their height difference really wouldn’t have allowed it. Now, though, she could experience it. “Your human form is cute,” She added.

Teyva snorted, “The others aren’t very keen on it.”

Yaga’s arms tightened a little and she rest her head next to Teyva’s, “They just see a disguise,” Yaga said quietly, “I see a part of you, even if it’s very small now. You will always have a bit of it in you.”

Teyva smiled and leaned into the embrace, looking down at the city, “You know, back on Earth, humans had such a noble view of themselves in a lot of ways. There was this thing called the indomitable human spirit,” Teyva said quietly, reaching up to run her fingers along the surface of Yaga’s off-gray skin. Her gaze lingered on some of the children playing in the streets and she smiled, “A sense that a truly proud human was someone who stood up against the endless cruelties of a pitiless universe. That humans could be enduring, resolute,” She trailed off, “Good at heart.”

Yaga chuckled, “I don’t begrudge you your origins, darling,” She murmured, “And I understand why you’re really doing this. Why you hopped on the idea as soon as it was suggested to you. Your mind may work differently from others, but I’ve come to understand it and those little mortal thoughts you have,” She teased.

“I’m no god,” Teyva said testily, pouting a little in her grip. She leaned in closer and lowered her chin anyway, “They’re still from my homeland, even if most of the people I remember from home are pretty terrible,” She sighed, “I can’t just ignore the chance to save a few of them from what’s coming?”

“And what is coming?” Yaga asked.

Teyva frowned, her eyes flashing a little as her hand reached out to the rail, “War. I promised vengeance and I will not break that promise. They may think I am hiding in a shell here, that I am just like those who came before me,” She dug her fingernails into the rail and even in her small human form, her strength remained. She scratched the surface as she showed her teeth, “I can’t be my father. I will burn Katal to the ground, piteously, I see no other way at this point.”

“No Azar King has ever marched East with the intent of conquest,” Yaga said, “Only to repel at best, we have never crossed the center of the green sea with an army.”

“That tradition ended when father sued for peace and was rejected,” Teyva said and tilted her head up, she met her lover’s eyes, “They brought this on themselves.”

Yaga nodded solemnly, “I know,” She squeezed Teyva again, “I’m sorry it has to be you.”

Teyva looked out over her home and set her jaw, “I’m not.”

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The off-green tunic was much nicer than the cheap one she’d kept in her inventory from way back, clean and suited for travel. It wasn’t a noble tunic but that was kind of the point. It looked like loot at best and something an arriving hero would wake up wearing at worst. She wore a belt around her waist with a few pouches, some simple brown slacks that slipped into knee-high boots. She tapped her foot against the ground and grumbled a bit, she’d gotten used to not wearing shoes. Still, it was way more comfortable than it could be. 

She glanced up at Elat who gave her a big grin. “You’re so damn short,” He chuckled as he rubbed his chin, “Fits good though, I’m pleased,” He said before glancing to the woman next to her, “Fits you even better.”

Azrael crossed her arms in the dark tunic she was wearing, a leather plate slung over her shoulder strapped with a thick belt across her chest. A pair of knives slipped into it and a long one strapped across her lower back along another belt. Her pants were dark as well, tucked into black boots. She had a scarf around her neck that could be pulled up as a hood. What was most striking though was the lack of gray or color to her skin. She was pale as a sheet, almost as pale as Teyva was in her true form. Her eyes were a ruby red that glimmered a bit when she raised an eyebrow at her husband, “I’m not wearing this to bed, Elat.”

He snorted and blinked a few times, “Whah? That-” He cleared his throat, “I would never think-” He babbled and coughed into his fist, “Myranda looks interesting too!” He chortled, trying desperately to change the subject as his wife glared daggers at the side of his head.

Myranda was in a simple off-tan gown cinched with a belt, her jet black straight hair had been replaced with blonde curls that seemed to bother the woman greatly. She tossed them back over her shoulder with a huff, revealing a pair of human ears beneath. She crossed her arms under her chest and tilted her head at Elat, giving him an impetuous scowl, “Laugh it up,” She said haughtily and looked away, “I am enduring this indignance for her majesty and my goddess, nothing more, so do not patronize me.”

Teyva shrugged, “Hey, at least Paraklytus got the magic tools to work.”

“He certainly did a good job picking looks that contrasted with our true appearances,” Azrael admitted, “Too good a job,” She added before turning on her heel and shouting up at the tower. They were standing on the main path leading in and out of the tower, “Hey, bone head! You’ve been thinking about this haven’t you?” She barked, shaking her fist at the tower.

Teyva raised an eyebrow, “You could just use the party chat-”

Azrael crossed her arms and clicked her tongue, “I don’t want to talk to him.”

Teyva snickered as a pair of wings fluttered and landed at her ankle. She looked down to see Nephral weaving between her legs. “There you are! Done saying your goodbyes to your many lovers, little king?” She teased, picking him up. 

“I am not some insatiable beast,” Nephral protested with narrowed eyes before hopping from her grip and landing on her shoulder, “And I find great offense in this ‘option’ presented to me to join you. Can I not simply remain out of sight?”

“With wings?” Teyva countered, “You know most cats don’t have wings, right?”

“I am not a cat,” Nephral pointed out.

“Nephral…” She grumbled at him and gave him a firm look. He stared back for several seconds before finally sighing and sitting down on her shoulder, extending his neck out for her. She smiled and scratched his chin, “Thank you,” She said playfully and gently wrapped the enchanted collar around his neck. In an instant he began to shrink a little in size down to that of a normal male cat. His wings vanished, and all that was left was a rather petulant looking black cat staring at her impatiently.

“Well?” He asked, “How bad is it?”

“It worked well,” Teyva said with a shaky smile. The collar did make it feel a little silly.

“I look like an idiot, I see,” Nephral pouted before sighing and resting on her shoulder, “I suppose we all make sacrifices, do we not, Priestess?” He asked.

Myranda narrowed her eyes, “What’s that supposed to mean you sassy little-”

“Your majesty!” A voice called out, blessedly cutting into the incoming bickering. Teyva turned and saw Mack and Delilah hustling over in their direction. Mack was waving at her while Delilah walked demurely behind her. Teyva put her hands on her hips and smiled at him, waving back. “We’re here! Sorry for the wait!” He continued, sliding to a stop and panting, “Osan is so big!”

Teyva grinned, “The gangs all here,” She said brightly before nodding to Delilah, “Rest well?”

“We are in better form than we’ve been in a long time, thanks to your hospitality,” Delilah said with a polite bow.

Teyva smiled, “In that case,” She pulled up her menu and with a few gestures made it to the party screen. She sent two invites out and immediately got acceptances from both Mack and Deliliah, “And now…” She flipped over to her journal and pulled up the quest, checking it over one more time before sharing it.

She flicked it over to all four of them. Azrael and Myranda accepted it offhandedly while Delilah and Mack stared at it in confusion for a moment before accepting it as well. They looked at Teyva for a moment. 

“Um… but that’s not-” Mack started.

Teyva held her finger up to her lips and winked, “I have my ways,” She said before turning to the path leading out of the city. “Alright team, it’s time to go be heroes!”