“The goal is saving my siblings.  Because I’m arrogant to the core Livvy.”  Vassa laughed hollowly.  “They probably don’t need saving.  And maybe my clan is happy as they are.  I was happy too, you know.  But I make up problems with how things are and rush to fix them.  Slay a dragon, because I’m still angry about it and I think they all could do better, live better.”

“Barter with a god for souls that wouldn’t know the difference probably.  But they deserve better, and if I can’t barter with a god for a proper afterlife for my brothers and sisters, then I’m going to make one Livvy.” 

“But you didn’t really make up a problem? Your dragon is objectively doing a bad thing for the clan - does he actually even protect you?” Wasn’t that why kobolds had dragon masters? 

“I’m tho glad you athked, Madam!” Preston flashed a winning grin up at the pixie, the kind he’d often seen his papa give his mama when he was trying to get out of trouble. “Tell me a bit about yourthelf… what are the motht prevalent problemth in YOUR life?”

Potter nodded along behind his younger brother, holding a hand up to his ear and leaning in exaggeratedly to show that they were listening clearly!

She paused. “How...how old are you two?” Orland probably told her but gosh, he just had so many kids and ages were so hard to keep track of in creatures with lifespans so short. Not as bad as humans, though, poor things. 

“If I can, I plan to at least make sure the clan knows their options and see it through with them.  If not…”  Vassa shrugged.  “Not gonna die, I don’t think.  Not sure what the whole thing entails, but hey, gotta go where my hubris takes me, you know?”

Was that too vague?  Probably too vague.  Vassa clicked his claws together, looking at the fading shine of Orland’s paint.  It was getting scratched and chipped and washed away with time.  Maybe he could ask for a new coat?  “If I end up achieving my goals, I’m not sure a home is in the cards at all, actually.”

“But what IS this goal? Goals?” This was sounding super ominous now, Vassa. She could think of a few things worse than dying. “You’re just gonna wander forever?”

Two boys stood side by side, each an Orland in miniature, but in completely different ways.

The older one had the fair hair and lovely amber eyes of his father. An exact replica. His homemade poncho was pulled up over most of his face, but it did not take a great imagination to see a younger Orland hiding just underneath.

The younger was dainty and slight, with darker skin and a mass of wild dark curls that fell over his eyes, completely obscuring them. He posed proudly, however, giving the (correct) impression that he was about to launch into a ridiculous speech, demanding all the attention in the room. He gestured grandly at his silent brother and began his pitch.

“Come one! Come all! Thtand and thtare in awe at the wonderth and grand dethignth of the Predigiouth Potter Florian O’Dell and the Praitheworthy Prethton Bathil O’Dell!” The boy lisped his way through the introduction and bowed deeply, as his older brother dramatically ripped the sheet off the odd contraption he had been covering.

An odd homemade device made of all manner of gears and wires and metal bits was emitting curious puffs of smoke as it whistled and whirred.

Livvy was on her way to explore the entirety of the town - maybe there were public gardens she could study? And she really needed to find a bank...platinum wasn’t as practical as she thought. 

She heard the tiny commotion - Flax stuck his head out of her shirt. Oh, Orland’s kids, showing off...something.

Naut nodded. At least one of them was used to making these terrible deals; even if Livvy managed to mess something up, the contract negotiator of the two of them could set it right.

“Very well then. I will teach you all I know of Infernal, and you will teach me all you know of surface-Elven. Should it be impossible to do so, this contract will be considered null, and voided accordingly. This shall be done concurrently with our other tasks as members of the Windstorm’s Edge. Over time, not all at once. If you agree, and if all loose ends have been tied, we’ll seal the deal with a kiss.” He paused. “Unless that’s just a devil thing, in which case, we’ll seal it with a handshake.”

She still hesitated - Naut would never steer her wrong, right? She could...trust him...? “It depends on what you want to seal it with - a handshake is fine.” She offered her hand. “I accept.”

“She didn’t give him the chance,” Percy continued, gritting his teeth. “My mother was about to DIE. My sister. Me. Idiot agreed without a second thought. What would you have done?”

He rubbed at his arm again, determinedly trying not to wince. “She took advantage of his love. She was smart. She exploited a weakness.”

“...” What WOULD she have done? “Ended up in the same trap he did. But that’s what makes the Winter Queen such an awesome fae! Exploiting weaknesses is what...is what good fairies are supposed to DO, especially Unseelie.”

Vassa was quiet for a long moment, staring at Cornflower’s garden.  Hadn’t he said once, that it would be nice to have a little garden?  A little garden and a dog? 

“I’d make one somewhere.  Maybe.  There’s something I plan to do after the dragon though, depending on the whole situation if we survive the dragon.” 

Vassa sighed, reaching out to pat Livvy’s shoulder.  “I know I talked about talking to the chief.  But I don’t think winning the clan over was ever an option.  Especially after having been away so long.  They’d say I got confused out there.  Maybe I am confused.  But this is what’s best, I know it.  It’s better they make choices for themselves and for a dragon who’s been manipulating them.”

@livvycutebite

“Livvy, I want to apologize.  About last night.  I shouldn’t have snapped at you for not knowing anything about my clan.  I haven’t exactly explained a whole lot of anything about them.”  Vassa frowned, tail flicking.  “Culturally, or historically, I guess.” 

Percy winced, though whether it was in pain at the touch or at Livvy’s question, it was hard to tell. He considered answering… but instead decided to ignore it. For now.

“He wasn’t thinking. He never thinks. He never has plans. He just pretends he does. That’s how he lives his whole life. In illusions. Making you think he’s got some semblance of control. So when things turn out his way, he can pretend he planned it all along. And when they don’t, it’s fine! All part of something bigger. All an illusion to make himself seem smarter than he really is.”

“And so he got caught up in the rules because he was too impulsive. When he stepped out of line, she made him pay for it. She made him stab himself involuntarily if she didn’t like what he was doing or saying.”

He sighed heavily, reaching down to pluck a few blades of grass one by one and tossing them into the wind as he spoke.

“One boon gone to save his best friend. The price was a partnership. A second boon to save the lives of my mother and baby sister… The price was becoming her Winter Knight. Deeper servitude. Deeper restrictions. Changed magic. And then, finally…”

He let all the blades fall and he shrugged helplessly.

“The last boon was used up saving his son. The price: all his wonderful magic. Every last drop.”

“Every task coming with a price is...it doesn’t seem that cruel to me.” She admitted. “He agreed to the terms. That’s on him. It’s sad, but...that still seems like a pretty equal exchange to me?” Maybe not equal, but the fae was SUPPOSED to come out on top, or else they were bad fairies. 

Well enough to go back to being a huge asshole, he thought– didn’t need to say that. 

“Tell you what. Let’s make ourselves a deal.” Naut let a little smile quirk up… then let it disappear. “I’ll teach you everything I know of Infernal if you’ll teach me a language you know.”

A deal. She suddenly felt nauseous for some reason...and if it was dark enough for stars, it was dark enough for infrared to kick in, surely, which meant he’d probably be able to tell too. 

“A deal...with...with me...” What if she did it wrong? What if she got terms and conditions mixed up and both of them got hurt? Ah, this was so stressful!

Vyth nodded intently, his eyes locked on Livvy’s face. “I don’t really see that well at dusk, though. That’s when it just barely gets comfortable…” He motioned to his own chest. “I’m Ilythiir. We can track heat if it’s dark enough.”

“Oh, that’s actually kind of helpful. Uh, rabbits tend to burrow at night, though, so you might be stuck with only deer as an option? Birds roost but I still think birds are sometimes too much effort for how little meat they give.” She could fly but she wasn’t gonna go chase a bird if she missed.

Naut’s hands reached up to rest behind his head. Never, huh? Maybe he should have picked a less ironclad deal, to mimic the one in the story… but he made his point.

“Oh, you know. Slowly trying to thwart the sect of Lolth.” His shoulders raised in a half-shrug. “Devil deals were very necessary. I had a few priestesses killed that way, or a mind changed here and there. Became somewhat of a contract negotiator for a while.”

“So then...uh, before, when you were a lot sicker - how are you feeling, by the way, any better? But before, you, I think...you were babbling in some other language, was that...Infernal? So, you know Infernal? I’d...I kinda wanna learn...”

“Though I admit, I’d be able to find a loophole in that deal rather easily…” All the king had to do was adopt two sons he didn’t care about. They would be the pair’s sons by law, and that should have been enough to appease the bird making the deal.

“I also allied myself with devils for forty years or so. The average person tends not to learn that skill.” He hummed. “Imagine if all the other party members were sick with some deadly plague. Then another fairy came along, and told you they would cure everyone if only you gave up… hm, I suppose I’d be desirable as a servant. That’s the deal, then. You’d be asked to trade me for everyone’s health.”

“Never.” The reply was instant. “I’d find another way.” But...yeah, looking at it this way...