#chronotrigger

Yemoja stood up and approached him. She accepted the bundle, perplexed at its size. Before she could ask Flea what happened, Flea told her how he overheard Koray and Nisha talking outside the door so he decided to take everything that could inform them of the eclipse as well as the bracelet.

"Thank you, Flea," Yemoja said with a smile. "Were you able to find out if Koray intends to find the keep?"

Flea replied, "Yeah, he won't be poking around. You and Ylenia are safe."

Yemoja regarded Flea's confidence silently and nodded. Changing the subject, she remarked that she and Ylenia had settled into one of the unused storerooms for the time being and Ylenia was currently resting from her ordeal.

"Speaking of Ylenia… I have to ask," Flea said. "Why did you do it? Why did you risk your life and leave everything behind for her?"

Yemoja smiled softly and answered, "For the same reason you ended up here… Love."

Flea said nothing. He had confided in Yemoja some time ago the truth regarding the events that lead to his unintended trip through time; how he had risked his life to save Glenn because he had feelings for him. Yemoja had been oddly supportive of his crush, but now that Yemoja had made the comparison between her situation and his, her support made sense.

"But what about the village?" Flea asked, breaking the silence. "Don't they need your spiritual guidance or whatever?"

Yemoja got a pensive look on her face and said, "They have Nisha and the other priestesses… But the truth is, the village's future needs more than spiritual guidance."

Flea raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Enharsha has been hidden for ages… We used to live beyond the cavern although we have no record of when we retreated to its safety," Yemoja explained. "Presumably the constant threat of humans and Daemon drove us to seek shelter and hide. However, within the cavern, our numbers have slowly dwindled over the generations."

She took a breath and continued, "The Great Fire seems to have seen to it that we do not grow beyond the cavern… but in doing so, we have become stagnant… Let me ask you this, how many births do you think I have blessed since we've met?"

"I dunno…. Lots?" Flea didn't want to guess a random number but he assumed every family would've been trying to have children as much as possible. That was certainly the expectation in his era.

"Try three," Yemoja answered. "And not for a lack of anyone trying… I tried to speak to both Ilkay and Koray about the matter, but they don't see it as a problem. Of course, they wouldn't since two of those births was Koray's daughter and recently a son… and the third was Nisha's daughter last year."

Yemoja sighed heavily. "Despite that, it feels like it takes young couples far too long to make their families… and some families' bloodlines have already intertwined in previous generations."

Seeing Flea's furrowed brow, Yemoja apologized and told Flea she was merely venting. She told him that she didn't expect him to do anything about it or provide any insight, although Flea could sense she wanted to ask him if he knew anything of her peoples' fate.

Flea did not know what fate awaited her village, only that he had never met a Therian before coming to this era. The Kotengu somehow survived to his era, so maybe there was hope that the Therian had simply avoided being recruited by Ozzie and were safe somewhere else.

The tense mood was interrupted by Yemoja letting out a soft sigh. She smiled softly and thanked Flea once more for helping her. After she declaring she was going to help Zarya in the kitchen, Yemoja departed.

Flea found himself lingering in the room. He looked around at the various charts and scrolls. It suddenly dawned on him that the eclipse would be during this year's solstice. Only two more months and he and Zarya would leave this era.

As Flea turned to leave, Ylenia entered the room. She was mid-sentence, clearly hoping to speak to Yemoja, when she stopped speaking and glared at Flea.

Flea saw the way Ylenia glowered at him and knew immediately that she held him with great animosity. He didn't have to ask Ylenia what her problem was, he knew that she blamed him and Zarya for Umbria's exile from the village. He should have said nothing or simply told Ylenia where Yemoja was. Instead, Flea spoke without thinking.

"Look, I won't ask you why you wanted stay in that place but seems like it kind of sucked," Flea remarked. "I mean, why did you want to stay in the same village as that psychotic bird that wanted you and your daughter dead?"

"Because until you showed up, everything was fine," Ylenia growled.

Flea glared at Ylenia. Feeling defensive, he snapped back, "Well, excuse me for falling on your damned doorstep! Do you think I wanted to get lost in this era?! Don't go blaming me for your kid getting herself exiled or Koray's despotic bullshit!"

Ylenia bared her fangs as she snarled, "We were happy-"

"Maybe you were, but Umbria hated it. She only put up with it for your sake," Flea interrupted. His voice rose in volume and pitch as he continued, practically ranting. "I can see why she hated it! Being constantly reminded how she's different from everyone else! Feeling like an outsider in her own home!! Told the outside world is too dangerous when that danger is going to find you anyways!!"

Ylenia got the sense that Flea was talking about himself more than Umbria the way he was getting worked up. She knew a little about him since Yemoja had told her that Flea was a troubled soul with a harsh past.

An awkward silence passed between the two before Flea huffed and said, "It's just- Why didn't you leave with her when it happened?"

"I was afraid," Ylenia replied. "The village was safe… Yemoja and I, we- I was torn between following Umbria and being there for Yemoja."

Flea sighed. With Yemoja's confession, he knew what Ylenia's excuse was. She and Yemoja had each other, no doubt brought together by their mutual losses, and Ylenia found herself afraid to lose that as much as she feared for Umbria. While he didn't really understand why she chose Yemoja over her own child, Flea understood why she was conflicted.

"You know… With Zarya's enchantment, you and Yemoja could go to the town where Umbria lives… or there’s wherever her father took the rest of your kind," Flea suddenly said, glancing over his shoulder. Seeing the surprised look in Ylenia's eyes, he told her Umbria had told him and Zarya everything when she was exiled. Turning back to face Ylenia, he asked her why she hadn't gone there herself or gone back to her village after her husband's death.

"My husband and I had already evacuated nearly everyone… He and I wanted to go," she answered in a low voice. "But I became so ill when I was pregnant with Umbria, the journey would have killed us both… Then Umbria was so frail when she was born. You cannot possibly understand what it was like to hold such a tiny life in your arms and wonder if she would see the next day. It was only when we were sure she was getting stronger did we promise ourselves we would travel one last time when the weather and currents permitted it."

"So why didn't you go to the archipelago after Umbria's father was killed?" Flea asked.

Ylenia looked down and sighed. "The humans located and burned down what was left of my village. I could not possibly trust anyone to take me and Umbria to the archipelago…. So I fled south into the forests until I met Yemoja."

Flea said nothing. He could understand her distrust of humans when they killed her husband and any of her kind they found. He again wondered why no Therian were in the Mystic army… and began to wonder if he had always been meant to get lost in this era, setting the scene for their departure from these lands.

"What about now? If you and Yemoja don't feel safe in this region even with disguises, there's always the archipelago," Flea suggested. Within the same breath, he silently wondered why he cared at all to suggest she seek safety. "You could be hidden from the world again."

"But what do I know?" He said, throwing up his hands defensively. "I'm just the asshole from the future…"

Ylenia said nothing in response, her brow was furrowed and she didn't look Flea in the eyes. Finally, she murmured, "I know that Yemoja will want to stay until the eclipse of this solstice so she can be assured that you and Zarya succeed or not in your quest…. but I will bring up what you said."

Flea nodded. He sighed and told Ylenia that Yemoja was in the kitchen with Zarya, adding that he was going to go rest if anyone asked where he went. With nothing more to say to Ylenia, Flea teleported to his room and flopped backwards onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling, his mind feeling foggy with exhaustion. Not only had he used a lot of magic in the last half-hour, he had dealt with the emotional drama of others and just wanted to be alone to recuperate.

When Zarya came to tell him that lunch was ready, she found Flea asleep, feet dangling off the bed. After moving him to a more comfortable position, Zarya smiled and left the sleeping Daemon to rest as long as he needed.

~o~

The next day at breakfast, Zarya cheerfully asked Ylenia about visiting Umbria. She pointed out that Yemoja could 'change her look' so she and Ylenia could go to town. Ylenia seemed taken back by the suggestion and questioned if Umbria would even want to see her after this long.

Flea looked up from his meal. He really didn't care what Ylenia wanted to do as long as she wasn't moping around or yelling at him. He sighed and said that Umbria had stuck to a story that she had merely been separated from Ylenia, always holding out hope that someday Ylenia would make the choice to come live in town with her.

"We couldn't possibly just show up," Ylenia said, still apprehensive. "What would I even say to Umbria?"

"All I need to do is go talk to Umbria and Roshan, say that Zarya and I encountered you two hiking through the forest from the east," Flea said. "You can tell them whatever you want about where you've been all this time."

Ylenia quietly considered Flea's words. As she tried to make a decision, Flea told her there was one more thing she should know.

"At my suggestion, Umbria told Roshan that you were a Daemon but that her father was a Therian," he said. "So far no one else in town knows this as Roshan has proven to be exceedingly trustworthy and vowed to Umbria to keep her secret."

Ylenia and Yemoja shared a surprised expression. Yemoja asked him why he had suggested such a risky thing to which Flea explained bluntly what he had told Umbria about his thoughts on the risks of her having a child given her mixed lineage and considering how she would explain a baby not looking Daemon. He added that Umbria and Roshan were lucky their kid looked normal.

"Can she come here?" Ylenia asked after a moment of silence, sounding apprehensive. "Could you use your sorcery to bring her to the keep?"

Flea replied, "No, because she's with child again and I'm not about to make a pregnant person walk all this way nor am I about to mess around teleporting someone in that state. Further more, her current kid is a handful and I don't need a toddler running amok around here."

Ylenia let out a breath. She looked to Yemoja and asked her if she was okay with going to Umbria. When Yemoja affirmed that she was, Ylenia looked to Flea and asked him to take her and Yemoja to see Umbria.

~O~

With Yemoja and Ylenia disguised and filled in on the lie that he and Umbria shared about being family, Flea and Zarya took her and Ylenia to the edge of the forest. Just beyond the meadow, Yemoja could see rows and rows of apple trees and beyond the orchard, Yemoja could see the roof of a building and more buildings in the distance. She had never seen the sky meet the land before, so accustomed to living in the forest that to see the horizon was almost overwhelming. Gripping Ylenia's hand, she let out a gasp and murmured a prayer to the Great Fire.

Flea immediately picked up on Yemoja's reaction and asked her if she was okay. Still holding Ylenia's hand, Yemoja reassured him and Ylenia that she would be fine.

"In all my years, I never dared to stray from the forest… I've never seen so much sky or open land before," she said, her voice tinted with awe.

Ylenia gently squeezed her hand and told her that this was nothing compared to the sea.

"Zarya and I will take you to Umbria when you're ready," Flea said.

After a moment or so of taking in the sight, Yemoja told Flea she was ready. He teleported them to the edge of the orchard and asked them to wait with Zarya while he went to fetch Umbria.

Teleporting to the house, Flea found Roshan and Umbria in the midst of their morning chores with their toddler attempting to climb up the ladder and Roshan preventing his son from escaping up into the loft. When Flea announced his arrival, Umbria and Roshan were quite surprised to see Flea at the doorway.

"Flynn! What brings you here?" Roshan asked as he carried his son away from the ladder.

"Your folks aren't around, are they?" Flea asked.

"Naw, Ma and Pa are at the market… Why?" Roshan asked.

Looking at Umbria, Flea said, "Your mother just showed up at the keep with a friend she met to the east. I brought them to the orchard and told them to wait while I got you."

Umbria looked to Roshan and asked him to keep on eye on their son for just a moment before she charged over to Flea and practically dragged him by his arm outside.

"You called me insane all those years ago for bringing Roshan to the keep but you brought Yemoja here?!" she hissed in a loud whisper.

"It's fine, Zarya made an enchantment for her. She looks like a Daemon right now," Flea quietly snapped back, more offended that Umbria had been rough with him than at her sharp words. "Trust me, but if you're that worried, come with me by yourself before you introduce Roshan and Kamir."

Umbria looked surprised at Flea's claim that Yemoja was disguised. She had known for years that Yemoja was unable to copy hers and her mother's magic. She wondered how Zarya had achieved the seemingly impossible, but decided she would ask later.

"I trust you," she said. "But maybe I should see them alone first so we can get our story straight."

~o~O~o~

Flea walked with Umbria through the orchard, giving her the story of what had happened in the village and why Yemoja and her mother no longer lived there. Umbria fumed at the knowledge that Koray hadn't been satisfied with her exile. She looked to Flea and asked him if he thought Koray had been responsible for his father's death.

"Oh, no doubt about it," Flea replied.

Then Umbria asked him why he hadn't told her about Yemoja being able to disguise herself like them. Flea shrugged and pointed out there never really was a need or chance to discuss it before, adding that it had only happened recently. Reaching the edge of the orchard, Flea spied Zarya flapping her hands and humming. He called out that it was just him and Umbria.

Umbria's eyes locked in on the Daemon woman standing by Zarya. Seeing the familiar periwinkle robes and the way the woman stood, Umbria realized that she was Yemoja in disguise. Getting a good look at her, Umbria realized that Yemoja's disguise reflected her true self in her eyes still being cyan-blue and in having dark skin with pale spots on her face and arms that mirrored where her spots were in her true form.

Seeing Umbria, Yemoja turned to speak to someone behind the tree and coax them out. Ylenia, disguised as a Daemon woman with tanned skin and black-and-silver hair, bearing the same amber and blue eyes as Umbria, cautiously emerged from behind the tree.

"Yemoja? Mother?" Umbria hurried past Flea as Yemoja and Ylenia approached.

Walking over to Zarya, Flea stood back and watched Ylenia and Umbria each cautiously approach each other before mother and daughter embraced each other tightly. Ylenia's words were muffled in her daughter's hair as she wept tears of joy and apologized for not following her.

He and Zarya silently watched as Umbria expressed astonishment over Yemoja's new look, hearing Yemoja's praise for Zarya's gift. They spoke of how to explain the situation to Roshan. Just as they seemed to be settled on a story, a small voice wailed from beyond the orchard.

"Maaamaaa! Mama! Mama!"

Roshan came up the path with a flailing toddler in his arms, shouting an apology over their son's cries for Umbria. Umbria asked Ylenia and Yemoja to wait a moment before hurrying to Roshan and taking their son into her arms.

Soothing and hushing her son, Umbria calmed the young toddler and brought him over to Ylenia. She beamed as she held him close and said to him, "Kamir, this is your grandmother. My mama."

Ylenia was speechless. She let out a small gasp of joy. Tears welling up in her eyes, she spoke barely above a whisper as she remarked that the child had been named after Umbria's father. Umbria nodded and smiled at her mother.

Roshan approached Flea, catching his breath after dealing with Kamir's tantrum. He smiled and invited them all to the house for a meal so they could rest and relax for a bit. When Flea pointedly asked what was to be done about his parents, Roshan assured Flea that he would side with Umbria and ensure his parents were good hosts.

"Since I've taken over most of the affairs of the brewery and Umbria and I 'provided' a son to the family line, Ma and Pa have been more respectful of my way of things," Roshan replied. "Don't worry about them."

~o~O~o~

True to Roshan's word, the moment his mother tried to voice displeasure at the sudden arrival of Flea, Zarya and more strangers, Roshan declared that he was not going to turn away his wife's friends and family. He asserted that he was going to be a good host and provide them with a meal and told his parents if they had a problem, they could go visit their friends in town and be out for the day.

To Flea's surprise, Roshan's parents stayed and were amiable towards Ylenia and Yemoja. They still eyed him and Zarya with a gaze that told Flea that they still harbored distrust towards them for being so different. As the visit went on, Flea found himself impressed by Yemoja's ability and willingness to lie about her origins.

In artfully crafted half-truths, Yemoja spoke of being from the 'far east' and that she had encountered Ylenia lost in the forest. They had lived in a quiet village beyond the mountains (as opposed to inside one right next-door) until a Kotengu clan drove them away. She readily described what a Kotengu was to Roshan and his parents, saying that up until recently, Kotengu and Daemon had lived in harmony in her lands.

By the end of the visit, Yemoja and Ylenia had a quiet and brief discussion outside the house. Yemoja still felt unsure of being around so many Daemon when she had no way of knowing how long the stones Zarya had enchanted would hold the spell. Ylenia, while reluctant to see Yemoja leave, accepted that Yemoja wanted to return to the keep with Flea and Zarya. She promised to come visit in the morning but she wanted to spend the night and get to know Umbria's new family and her grandson.

Koray looked to her and said, "Ylenia is guilty of poisoning my father."

"What proof do you have of such an outrageous claim?" demanded Yemoja.

Koray produced a small wooden box carved with symbols of the sea and stained blue, a belonging of Ylenia's, and opened it to reveal some vibrant red berries and dried bark. He declared that his sister confirmed the berries and bark belonged to the yew trees out in the forest. Turning to speak to the growing crowd, Koray declared that Ylenia must have resented his father's choice to exile her daughter and plotted to poison him slowly over the years so no one would suspect her.

"Except she took it too far this time," he said coldly. "My father has suddenly become deathly ill after the morning meal and Nisha is doing everything she can to heal him."

Yemoja looked at Ylenia, then to Koray. She did her best to stay calm. Nothing about this felt right. She knew Ylenia would never harm another soul, but the box Koray held in his hand did indeed belonged to Ylenia. It was one of the few possessions she had brought with her during her journey from the northeastern coast. The question of how Koray got a hold of the box lingered in Yemoja's mind.

"I know Ylenia, she would never harm your father," Yemoja argued. "There must be some other explanation."

"She has deceived you as she has done this whole village for years," Koray retorted. He proceeded to argue that Ylenia presumably had charm magic as well as her 'deceptive' shapeshifting sorcery. He asserted that she had deceived them all and he was no longer going to fall for her tricks. The crowd murmured, voicing that Koray had a point.

"Even if you are correct, you cannot just pass judgment without a trial," Yemoja argued.

"As acting Elder, I will do what I must for the safety of the community," Koray countered. "She will be detained until I determine a fitting punishment."

Yemoja exchanged a helpless look with Ylenia. She wanted to tell Koray to leave Ylenia alone, but she had a duty as the High Priestess to help maintain order within the village. She told herself she would find proof of Ylenia's innocence before Koray could pass judgment any further.

"Koray!"

Everyone looked to see Nisha, Koray's older sister, running to him with tears in her eyes. She was followed closely by their younger brother, Tuncay. Both looked devastated.

"Father is- He's-," Nisha's voice was choked up and shaking. "I-I did everything I could- I'm-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…." Koray stared at Nisha, seemingly shocked as she broke into sobs. Tuncay sadly confirmed that their father had died, softly saying he just stopped breathing and won't wake up. Koray embraced his siblings and promised them that he would take care of everything. After a brief embrace, Koray stepped away from Nisha and Tuncay.

Turning to the Kotengu who had Ylenia restrained, he coldly declared, "Take her to the cenote."

"Koray, you can't-" Yemoja protested. A few more Kotengu blocked her path. Koray didn't even bother to look back as he declared, "I will do what is necessary to keep this village safe. She's already claimed my father's life. I will now allow anyone else to endure such a loss."

As Yemoja was held back, Ylenia was dragged off to the back tunnels of the cavern that led to the deepest parts of the cave where a cenote was located. Cut off from the rest of the world, the place was regarded as the passage to the underworld where sinners would be sentenced to death by drowning, just like those who had turned their back on the Great Fire and caused the sky islands to fall.

Yemoja's heart raced. She couldn't lose another loved one. Not again. Letting out a roar, Yemoja summoned lightning to her fists, causing the two Kotengu holding her back to let go before she could shock them. She ran forward and grabbed Koray by the shoulder. She let just enough electricity surge forward to stun the young Kotengu but not seriously harm him.

As Koray collapsed to the ground, Yemoja hurried over to Ylenia and stunned the two Kotengu holding her. Dissipating the rest of the lightning, Yemoja grabbed Ylenia and pulled her along as they both ran towards the tunnel that led to the forest. Surprised at Yemoja's outburst and betrayal, no one dared make a move to stop her.

There was no time to hurry to either home to retrieve any belongings, the only option was to flee through the tunnel into the forest. They ran as fast as they could through the tunnel, illuminated by crystalline sconces.

Outside the protective shield of the village's cavern, Yemoja and Ylenia found themselves in the pouring rain. Despite the wind and rain, Yemoja kept a tight grip on Ylenia's hand and pulled her along as they ran into the storm.

When Yemoja was certain they were not being pursued, she came to a stop under a tree and turned to Ylenia. Ylenia looked absolutely shocked, her eyes wide with fear. Yemoja embraced her tightly, then held her face in her hands as she told Ylenia that everything would be okay.

Looking in the direction of the keep, Yemoja said, "We will be safe at the keep with Flea and Zarya. Let's hurry."

~o~O~o~

The sudden late spring squall left Flea and Zeal with not a lot to do besides studying and training. To their surprise, the kitchen door suddenly swung open and Flea and Zarya looked over to see Yemoja standing at the door, soaking wet. It took Flea a second to realize she wasn't alone. Standing beside Yemoja was Ylenia, who was just as drenched. Yemoja had an arm around her as she led them both into the room.

"I apologize for the intrusion," Yemoja breathed. "The village is no longer safe for us."

Zarya quickly teleported away and reappeared with a bundle of blankets in her arms. She offered them to Yemoja and Ylenia before hurrying over to the kettle over the hearth, declaring that they needed hot tea to warm up.

"What the hell happened?" asked Flea.

Yemoja guided Ylenia over to the hearth so they could sit down and warm up. She sighed and explained the situation; how Koray accused Ylenia of murdering his father by slowly poisoning him and how Koray was quick to attempt to execute her. Accepting the cup of tea from Zarya, Yemoja told Flea that she attacked Koray and rescued Ylenia before they fled to the keep.

Flea frowned and asked Yemoja if she thought Koray would come to the keep. Yemoja shook her head and expressed doubt simply because he would be busy trying to keep control over the village after her betrayal. Besides which, no one else knew exactly how to locate the keep quickly, the knowledge of its location not being worthy of noting for the majority of the village.

"While it is true I was upset with Ilkay's punishment of my daughter, I would never have done him any harm," Ylenia finally spoke. "Koray must have been poisoning his own father, but I cannot understand why he would do such a thing or why put the blame on me."

"Simple, he wanted to be in charge and you were an easy scapegoat," Flea stated flatly. "I knew of others just like him in my era. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I actually know a descendant or two personally. One Kotengu in particular is coming to mind, but that's irrelevant at the moment."

Flea reiterated that, for his own piece of mind, he needed to make sure that Koray wasn't going to send anyone to deal with them. He expected Yemoja to tell him to calm down but instead Yemoja asked him to retrieve some items from her room if he was going to go spy on the village.

"What could be so important I need to sneak into your room?" Flea asked.

"In my haste to save Ylenia, I forgot a wooden bracelet I had received from my husband when we were young and courting. I had inlaid the stones Zarya enchanted into it…. and if there was ever a time to need the stones, it would be now," Yemoja answered, removing her medallion and offering it to Flea. "Given the growing concerns I had regarding Koray, I have been warding my room against outsiders, so you will need my medallion to pass the warding spell. The bracelet will be in a small wooden box on the shelf by my personal altar."

Flea nodded. He accepted Yemoja's medallion and slipped it on. After Yemoja thanked him, Flea promised he would be quick before he teleported away.

~o~O~o~

Flea arrived at the cavern's entrance and teleported to the village temple, reappearing in Yemoja's room. He immediately spied the altar and the small statue of petrified wood, polished and carved to depict a symbol that greatly resembled the symbol on Zarya's silver charm surrounded by what was either fires or flowers, it was hard to say. There were shelves on either side of the altar which held many scrolls and a couple wooden boxes. As Flea approached the shelves, he heard voices on the other side of the door.

It sounded like Koray was telling someone to undo the ward. Another voice, meek and feminine, stammered that they would dispel the ward but it would take time. There was a pause, then Flea heard Koray sigh. Curious, Flea moved closer to the door.

"Just do what you can, dear sister," Koray said. "I fear that Yemoja was aiding Ylenia in hurting our father, given her eagerness to hurt me and run away with that murderer. Her actions alone are proof of it, but if there are any more answers to be found, I would appreciate them."

There was a pause before Koray apologized to his sister and added that he regretted not dealing with 'that soulless human and her deceitful Daemon' when he first met them. Maybe then, he said with false worry, Yemoja wouldn't have been corrupted. Wishing his sister luck, Koray said he would go address the village and ease their worries.

Looking around the room, Flea decided, in addition to finding Yemoja's bracelet, that he would take anything to do with the eclipse if there was any scrolls or other evidence. After all, they didn't need anyone poking around and sabotaging the ritual. Flea thought an apology to Yemoja and proceeded to quietly ransack her room.

He found, besides the bracelet he was sent to look for, what looked like a small knife or dagger in the same box, a few scrolls pertaining to the eclipse and stars, and the recipe for a few medicines like the salve Yemoja kept giving him. Spying Yemoja's cloak, he threw it onto the bed and put everything on it before tying the cloak up like a bundle.

The faint hum of magic still hung in the air, hinting to Flea that Koray's sister had yet to dispel the ward. He felt like he still had time to make sure Koray wasn't going to do anything to hurt Zarya or Yemoja. After teleporting to the bell tower, Flea hid the bundle and then shapeshifted into a bat before going over to the Elder's Hall.

From his vantage point, he could see the whole village, safely shielded from the rains outside. Nothing particularly noteworthy, but what caught his attention was the crowd gathering in the center of the village.

Still in bat form, Flea flew up and hid in the shadows of the awning of the roof to see what was going on. He spied Koray telling the crowd that their esteemed High Priestess had defied the laws of their people and consorted with Ciemra and a human. Flea had no idea what a “Ciemra” was but he was more than certain that Koray was talking about Ylenia and Zarya. He heard the crowd chatter loudly, expressing doubt even as some had witnessed Yemoja's actions.

Koray called out to the crowd, “Yemoja was deceived by the human girl, tricked into betraying us. We all know how the Emissaries were deceived by a demon disguised as one of their own. The girl was clearly a demon in disguise sent to corrupt our beloved High Priestess. How else could a seemingly harmless human child wield magic long since denied to her kind?"

The crowd quietly clamored and whispered among themselves. Flea couldn’t hear any words clearly, but it was obvious that Koray had made a compelling argument to the villagers. He silently scoffed at how gullible they were. Someone called out, asking Koray if the village was safe since Yemoja and Ylenia had fled to the outside. What if Ylenia led strangers to their village?

Koray held up his hands to signal the crowd to calm. Once the crowd was quiet, Koray declared that he and a handful of hunters would do whatever it took to locate the human's hideout and ensure the safety of the village, even if that meant sending Yemoja's soul to the Great Fire for judgment. He expressed sorrow that it had come to this outcome, but Flea knew by the way he spoke and acted, Koray was lying through his beak about his feelings on the matter.

Feeling a bit fed-up with Koray's whole deal, Flea decided in that moment, since Koray believed in demons, he would give him one. While still a bat, he flew up and found an atrium in the middle of the building. Flea got an idea in the heat of the moment. It was a terribly petty idea and Flea was feeling petty. As he landed, Flea shifted his form to that of Yemoja. He reasoned that she was already seen as the enemy so he Quietly, he peered inside the rooms that lined the atrium. One side seemed to be the storerooms and the kitchen, the other side appeared to be the bedrooms. Within the first room, Flea found a still form laying on the bed. Upon closer inspection, Flea saw that it was the body of who he assumed was Koray's father. A simply cloth covered the body and while Flea did not want to disrespect the dead, but he peered under the cloth to get a look at the father of the Kotengu who sought to hurt him.

After getting a good look at the body and covering Ilkay back up, Flea, all the while still in Yemoja's form, moved back to the atrium just as Koray entered from the main hall.

"Yemoja?! How did you get in here, you bitch?!" Koray shouted.

Flea grinned and shifted his form to Ilkay's as he spoke. Not knowing how Ilkay had sounded in life, Flea spoke in his own voice, "Is that any way to speak to your father?"

Koray's eyes went wide with horror and he shouted out, "How dare you take his form, you demon! The Great Fire will see you burn to ashes for this insult!"

Flea laughed and shifted his form once more. This time he took on the appearance of his Void Mage form, although he made a few embellishments to his outfit and look to make himself look a bit more scary with sharper fangs and pitch-black eyes with pupils of malevolent light. He even gave himself horns like Ozzie had done with his illusions.

"I can appear as anything or anyone I want," Flea declared proudly. He waved a hand and summoned his starry abyss illusion. He smirked when Koray jolted as if expecting to fall but found himself still on solid ground he couldn't see. "Maybe you should be more concerned with monsters who are real than some god you can’t see or hear."

Smiling wickedly, Flea said, "I heard every word of your plan, so let me be perfectly clear. Harm a single hair on either Yemoja or Zarya and your family and descendants will pay a thousandfold for your actions."

"You wouldn't-"

"Oh, but I can and would… I know that I have met your bloodline now that you've shown your true face," Flea interrupted. "As long as Zarya and I live in this era, I will make it my personal mission to ensure you never know peace. Any villager, any animal… It might be me checking up on you to make sure you are being a good little crow and staying away from my friends. Remember that."

And with that, Flea dropped the illusion and shifted into the form of a large raven and flew up and out of the atrium. Up in the air, Flea looked down to see three Kotengu hurry over to a still stunned Koray. A mother carrying a toddler followed by an older child… Flea half-wondered how the three were related to Koray but decided it didn't matter. He had made his point and planted the seeds of paranoia in Koray.

~o~O~o~

Umbria stayed behind to take care of the baby and there were many chores to take care of at the house. Meanwhile, Roshan and the leatherworker talked while Flea and Zarya waited by the wagon. Flea could see the leatherworker was not happy to see him or Zarya and was frustrated by Roshan's continued trust of them. Roshan and the leatherworker continued to debate back and forth about the matter and humoring Zarya's request. Eventually the discussion ended with Roshan bribing the leatherworker with a barrel of lambic if he'd give Zarya's request a chance.

After Roshan gestured for her to come over, Zarya thanked the leatherworker and showed her the bracer on her arm, explaining that it was her father's and she wanted a matching one if he could make one.

Seeing the blue gem on Zarya's bracer, the leatherworker looked at Roshan and said, "What exactly are you trying to get me involved in?"

"It's a shield," Zarya chimed in.

The leatherworker eyed Zarya suspiciously and said, "What about the other stone?"

Zarya bit her lip slightly, so subtle that only Flea seemed to notice her nervousness, and replied it was another shield. Despite Zarya's lie, the leatherworker threw up his hands and declared he wasn't going to help, no matter how much lambic was promised.

Roshan apologized and agreed. He looked at Flea and said, "You didn't mention the bracer was enchanted, Flynn… Only nobility are allowed to possess enchantments like that."

"Well, it was her father's bracer so maybe she's nobility," Flea countered. Privately, he wondered why Esen had never mentioned such a law to them when Zarya showed off the shield. Maybe Esen had presumed that Zarya was connected to some nobility or had forgotten to tell them the local laws.

"And if she was found wandering the cursed woods by you, then her and her family's clearly been deposed," the leatherworker replied. "I ain't getting involved in any illegal and or foreign affairs. Sorry but no. She can find some other fool to help her."

Roshan apologized to the leatherworker for wasting his time, promising him the barrel of lambic anyway for his troubles and asking him not to report Zarya to the barony. The leatherworker agreed to the bribe, saying he didn't want trouble from either the authorities or Zarya.

Roshan nodded and asked Zarya and Flea to come back to the wagon so they could go back to the brewery. On the way back, Roshan explained that the town was dealing with enough troubles ever since the runaway daughter of Baron Demir had humiliated her family with her stunt. Taxes had been raised and while no one was in any danger, there was a sense of keeping your head low and staying out of trouble as of late.

"I know you meant nothing by breaking the law, you didn't know," Roshan said. "I won't go reporting you but I'd advise you don't wave around that enchantment, especially around us. Umbria and I got our family to think about, you know? You're lucky I was able to bribe Drusus just now."

Flea took note of the leatherworker's name. He could see Zarya was pouting and being very unhappy about the situation. Voicing that he understood Roshan, Flea looked to Zarya and asked her if she understood. An awkward moment of silence passed before Zarya grumbled that she understood. After a brief hello and goodbye to Umbria, Zarya teleported away to the keep. Flea stuck around for a moment longer to reassure Roshan and Umbria that he'd make sure Zarya didn't cause any trouble before he also went back to the keep.

~o~O~o~

Back at the keep, Flea told Zarya that he'd go back and speak to Drusus again to talk some sense into him. He promised her that he wouldn't hurt or scare Drusus either, saying he could be very persuasive when he needed to be. Zarya looked thoughtfully at Flea. She really wanted this bracer made but it was clear that it was against the rules of the town so she wondered what Flea was going to do to change Drusus's mind.

Flea held out his hand and asked for the shield-bracer and her sword-stone so he could get Drusus to craft her the new bracer. Zarya, determined to get a new bracer, handed the stone and shield-bracer without further hesitation.

After getting the bracer and stone from Zarya, Flea teleported to his room first and looked at the two dresses Esen had gifted him. While he had kept dressing effeminately, he hadn't touched the dresses since Esen had left, feeling guilty for keeping them given the circumstances of Esen's departure.

If nobles were the only ones allowed to commission enchantments, then he'd look as noble as he could before using his magical talents to coerce Drusus to make a bracer for Zarya.

He shifted his appearance slightly to give himself a slightly more rosy hue to his skin and slightly more vibrant hair done up in a high braided ponytail before he changed his clothes and put on the other dress Esen had ever gifted him. Finally, Flea carefully applied the makeup as he looked in the handheld mirror, taking time to memorize his current appearance for future reference.

Adding the finishing touches to his eyeliner, Flea teleported to the forest's edge since he had to carry Zarya's belongings. From there, he teleported to the side of town where Drusus's shop was located. Flea was grateful the shop was on the edge of town and the road to the shop was empty so where would be no witnesses to his plan.

Using his magic to levitate so he would not drag his dress through the mud, Flea floated over to the shop and called out in a voice mimicking Esen's true voice, "Hello? Are you open?"

Drusus stepped out and eyed Flea suspiciously. Flea knew that the Daemon didn't recognize him, but obviously a strange woman appearing out of nowhere was something to be wary of. Flea smiled regardless of the Drusus's suspicion and floated over. This was an act that Flea had committed countless times before in the name of Ozzie's war efforts and in his own schemes to get what he wanted when simply lying wasn't enough.

Drawing upon his magic, Flea cast a charm spell as he gazed longingly into the Drusus's eyes. His voice had an ethereal quality to it as he spoke, asking the Daemon if he could help with a simple request. Showing Drusus Zarya's bracer, Flea smiled and asked if he was able to make an exact replica.

Enthralled by Flea's magic, Drusus nodded and told him that he could, except for the metal part. He assured the local smith could probably help with that task.

Flea smiled and said that it wouldn't be a problem. He continued to pour magic into the charm spell to sustain it as he asked once more for Drusus to make the bracer. Drusus nodded and promised he could get it done by late afternoon if he started right away. Flea beamed and thanked him, his voice lilting and praising.

Influenced by Flea's magic, Drusus set to work on the bracer. Under the thrall of the spell, Flea's request seemed harmless. After all, a lovely noble lady was asking for help, not the strange wild mage and her even stranger guardian from the forest.

Flea stood back and watched his work while continuing the charm spell. As he continued the spell, Flea felt a slight pang of guilt for manipulating Drusus. He knew what he was endangering Drusus by forcing him to make the bracer against his will, but Flea quickly argued to himself that he had to do whatever was necessary to help Zarya and make sure she wasn't the one that made a rash decision. She wasn't used to manipulating others, but Flea was an expert on the skill. Knowing this, Flea decided it was his job to play the criminal as he had once done ages ago and spare what innocence Zarya still possessed.

A few hours passed as Flea subtly manipulated the worker. The effort was draining on his magic and towards the end of the day, Flea worried he'd run out of magic and be left with an unfinished bracer and no way to properly escape. However, Drusus turned to him with a bracer nearly identical to the one Zarya said her father had crafted. The only part that was missing was the metal framework, but that would have to be another day.

Flea hid his exhaustion well as he thanked Drusus for his work before casting a sleep spell on the Daemon and teleporting away to the town's edge. From there, he slipped the two bracers on to carry them before he shifted to the form of a crow and flew back to the keep.

Arriving back at the keep, Flea felt beyond exhausted. He flew to his room where he managed to shift back to his preferred appearance with the bracers still on his forearms. Laying on the bed, Flea caught his breath. He didn't feel completely out of magic but he was exhausted. His body felt cold and heavy for several minutes before he found the energy to get up and remove the bracers. Deciding to hang onto the bracers until he could get the new one finished, Flea put them on the small table near his bed.

Then he went to seek Zarya so he could tell her it would be a day or so before the bracer was done, knowing it would take just as much magic and time to coerce the blacksmith the next day. Flea made his way to the kitchen and found Zarya preparing supper and singing to herself. He explained, omitting his methods, that the bracer would take a couple of days to make because he also needed to talk to the blacksmith but he promised he'd get the bracer made for her.

Zarya seemed satisfied with his story and thanked Flea for helping her.

The next day, early in the morning, Flea went to repeat the same song and dance with the blacksmith. When he arrived in his disguise, the blacksmith seemed apprehensive of him until Flea cast his charm spell. Flea showed the smith the original bracer and Zarya's enchanted stone, requesting that he create the metal fitting for the leather one he had Drusus craft. The blacksmith agreed, influenced by Flea's spell.

As the blackmith worked, it was clear he was a more gregarious individual than Drusus as he talked to Flea the whole time. He made mention that his apron and gloves had gone missing for a day or so before mysteriously reappearing in his locked shop the morning before. Flea knew full well the cause of the mystery but said nothing. As the blacksmith worked, Flea maintained his spell and kept an eye out for any possible witnesses. As it was with the leatherwork shop, the blacksmith's shop was on the far edge of town, presumably due to the danger of the forge so Flea had nothing to truly worry about.

Given the size of the fitting, it didn't take as long as Flea thought. It certainly helped that the blacksmith already had some iron ready for smithing. Even so, it took the entire day for Flea to get his request fulfilled.

Several hours later and nearly out of magic, Flea had a finished copy of Zarya's first bracer with the new stone fitted in its iron frame. As before, he thanked the blacksmith before casting a sleep spell on the Daemon so he could slip way unseen.

This time, traveling home took longer. Two days in a row of pushing his magic to its limits was taxing.

When Flea teleported to the forest's edge, he felt cold and there was a numbness to his fingertips. Carefully and slowly, Flea used just enough magic to shift out of his disguised appearance, but remained in his dress. Now the numbness was creeping up his arms and his legs felt weak. Knowing any further magic might make him powerless and unable to defend himself, Flea chose to slowly walk home the rest of the way so his magic could recover. It was practically nightfall by the time he reached the clearing and saw the keep beyond the trees. During this time, his magic had renewed but even then, Flea knew he wanted to take a break from sorcery for a day.

As he hoped he hadn't worried Zarya (and that she had kept out of trouble in his absence), Flea heard Yemoja call out to him. He looked to see her approach him from the edge of the clearing.

"Should I ask what you are doing out here?" Yemoja asked, sounding amused.

"Just getting some fresh air," Flea lied. Seeing Yemoja's silently judgemental expression, he sighed and said, "Zarya made a stone to summon her sword, but the locals wouldn't help make a bracer for her to carry it… I used sorcery to trick them into helping anyways."

"In what way?" Yemoja asked, approaching Flea and indicating he should follow her to the keep.

Flea hesitated answering. He felt both a bit ashamed that he had manipulated the two Daemon but also felt that it was their own fault for not just helping in the first place. Finally, he confessed that he knew a spell to charm people into doing what he wanted. He hadn't used it since being in the war, but he felt like he had no choice if Zarya was to get what she needed.

"I only told her that I could be very persuasive," Flea continued. "I'd rather she not know the truth. I don't want to teach her that kind of magic."

Yemoja nodded sagely. She agreed to keep Flea's secret, noting that she also wanted to preserve Zarya's innocence as much as she could. She remarked this was one of those rare occasions when a parent or guardian should shield the one they are guiding from a truth that will not help them.

Entering the keep, Flea slipped the bracers off his arms and called out to Zarya that he was back. Zarya emerged from the study. She immediately asked him why he was gone so long.

Flea sighed, tired from the day, and told her that the bracer had taken longer than expected. He apologized for taking so long as he offered her the bracers. Zarya accepted the bracers and smiled, thanking Flea for helping her. She then asked if he was hungry. Flea smiled weakly and nodded, realizing he hadn't eaten or drank anything all day.