Vol II, Ch 57 – The truth is finally admitted! No, not me. Don’t be ridiculous; I’m always perfectly honest with myself!

“You slept all day,” Nhlia commented as I entered the room.

She was coiled up, her legs now fully replaced with a long and thick snake-like tail. How she was able to gain so much body mass in the short span of a few days continued to baffle me even now. And I’d seen the process numerous times by this point. Currently, her skin and scales were dark red, with black and white diamonds patterned along her back. Her torso was leaning across her upper coil, face buried in a book.

“Our kind are traditionally nocturnal, you know,” I grumbled, antennae twitching.

Though we both knew the real reason I’d slept for so long. For the last three days I’d scoured the nearby forest, searching for Ruby day and night. Yet the vyxa was nowhere to be found. The temple had given up on the second day, and Nhlia was only so useful when she was in the middle of such a big shift—needing extra food and sleep. Not to mention how difficult it was for her to get around while her tail was still forming.

I wasn’t sure if my certainty that Ruby was alive out there somewhere came from some still lingering trace of our connection or if I simply didn’t want to accept the alternative. I just knew I didn’t want to believe that she was dead.

I turned to the large mirror that Nhlia had brought in. She often found it helpful for her more significant changes. The tall woman in the mirror looked more haggard than I had in perhaps ever. My four eyes were half closed and two black antennae bent and droopy, enough so that even non-Kh’aithri could probably tell how tired I was. Normally-snow-white skin was stained with splotches of green, brown, and black that I’d yet to scrub out. My thin, hair-like feathers were clumped in many areas, particularly the longer ones atop my head which made up my “hair” and those around my neck. And my wings… I didn’t want to look at my wings. They were supposed to be snowy white, with black spots, but even after the short bath I’d had last night, they were still a disaster. The four wings had been thoroughly stained with blood and other things over the course of several days.

None of that was the reason for the big scowl on my lips, however.

“Stop looking so glum,” Nhlia said as she turned a page. “She’s resourceful for a vyxa. Chances are, she’s found her way into the city somehow. If we don’t find her, the Sanctum eventually will.”

Assuming some other demon hadn’t already grabbed her off the street to claim her as their own.

The snaky Htolian was fully convinced she still lived. It helped to give me hope. Once I found that frustrating little vyxa, I was tempted to never let her go. It was like all she knew how to do was cause trouble.

“Right. I plan to start searching the city today.” I stared back into the mirror. “After a thorough bath.”

Nhlia finally looked up from her book. “Are you sure?” Her voice held a hint of worry.

I knew it wasn’t over the bath. My appearance was quite distinctive, and there were few Kh’aithri in Asphodel that had my snowy looks outside of my family. In fact, there were probably few in the entire Havkh Kingdom, given the tropical climate that made up much of the kingdom.

I’d be using illusions, as I had been since returning to the capital. They were a specialty of our kind, something that came quite naturally to us. Though also a specialty were the spells to spot and see through those very same illusions. It was a contest of wills, one I couldn’t be certain that I’d always win.

Now that my family had been formally contacted by the temple, hiding became much more of a struggle. Already the streets were filled with more guards than ever before, coming from various different clans. Tensions were likely growing high. Even sneaking back into the city the previous day had been a major challenge. I expected there was now a bounty on my discovery. The time before my family finally located me was limited.

“I will have to be careful,” I hedged. “It won’t be easy.”

“I’m just surprised you’re willing to go this far,” she continued, an annoyingly knowing look on her face. “Was the goal not to simply break your bond?”

“There is and was no bond,” I insisted. “Our previous mental link was formed by pure accident, as you well know, and there was nothing else between us. Also, just because that link was broken doesn’t mean I’m willing to abandon her to—”

Nhlia’s lips curved into a smirk, several sharp teeth showing through.

“Not that sort of abandon. Don’t give me that look! You know exactly what I mean,” I hissed.

One of my primary eyes twitched as her tail snaked along the floor and curled up around my leg in an effort to tease me.

“I’m simply pointing out that you’re going to a lot of effort for a vyxa that you’ve claimed to not even like. It’s not something you would normally do for just anyone.”

“Don’t be silly, I am not that callous. But more than that, it’s my fault that she’s in this predicament.”

“You mean the portal failing?” Nhlia tilted her head.

“Partially. But even beyond that, our mental connection to each other was my fault to begin with. My interference may have even played a role in her transformation. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I doubt that the humans have advanced their knowledge of such magics enough to pull off a transformation like that at all intentionally. And while we had no true bond,” she said, giving Nhlia a light glare, “our connection was similar enough to one that a vyxa might form naturally that I can’t discount it may have played a part.”

All I’d wanted to do was connect to the mind of a summoner and speak to them. The space between the realms was ever fading, and few in their realm had any interest in doing anything about it, despite the dire consequences. Fate had other plans. Though after having to deal with that human-turned-vyxa for so many days, I doubted any human summoner that I’d have spoken to would have been willing to see reason. Humans were simply too distrustful toward those of our realm.

I continued, “But yes, also the portal. Something went wrong, and it was my fault for delaying it. She should be with the Sanctum, sorting out how to become human again, and it is my fault that she is not. A result of my cowardice.”

Nhlia slithered up to her. “You are not a coward, Flauri.”

But she was wrong; I was a coward. When I could not even stand up for myself enough to face my family, how could I not be?

The htolian’s hand patted against one of my wings. “From everything you’ve said, I expect she would not have gone through under normal circumstances. It was likely the threat of the ogre or their summoner that made her desperate enough to make the leap. Delaying does not make you a coward.” When it was obvious that I was still entirely unconvinced, she continued, “Not to mention, we both know that you’re braver than me when it comes to fighting. Creatures that most would run and cower from, you would bravely face head on.”

“That is not the sort of bravery that I mean.”

She sighed, finally picking up on exactly what I was thinking about. “You are hesitant, perhaps, but I wouldn’t say cowardly. The circumstances with the portal were unfortunate, but not something you could have predicted. And your family is at fault for your need to run away, not you. Plus, even though you’re still wanting time away from them, you’re still willing to face them when it comes to doing something that matters to you. That is bravery, Flauri’el.”

I really couldn’t argue with her. Or perhaps I simply didn’t want to. Instead, I leaned over and gave Nhlia a hug.

“Thank you, my sweet lizard. Where would I be without you?”

I could hear the smug grin in her voice. “Probably with some fancy family tutor being criticized for not being enough of an “elegant and proper kh’aithri.”

My four eyes rolled as I pulled away from her. Then, as I opened my mouth to reply, I caught a glimpse of the book she had. “Wait, what is this?”

It was in my hands before she could think to even blink. I strode to the other side of the room, flicking through several pages.

Nhlia fell over trying to snatch it back from me. “Fuck. Wait, it’s, errr, not really what you’re thinking.”

Slithering quickly over to me, I kept it from her by switching the book between hands.

“Really, Nhlia? A vyxa owner’s book?”

She flinched from my four-eyed glare, tongue darting out nervously.

“Even if we might both disagree with much of the philosophy within it, I thought it might be good to gain a better idea of how to, err, manage and understand them.”

I knew just as well as she did that I’d always been one to disagree with the concept of vyxa inferiority much more than her. Though she’d mostly come around to changing her perspective. Vyxa did not need to be owned. They might not be well suited to handle many of the dangers in the world—particularly beyond the city walls—and they might rely on the blood of others to survive, but that did not mean they didn’t deserve autonomy. Why couldn’t the bonds they formed with others be one of equals?

Nhlia continued, “Fluffbug, we both know that you won’t want to actually give her up. As much as you claim otherwise, I know there’s more than guilt motivating you to find her.”

Eyes narrowed, I stepped toward her.

“Wait, wait, wait! I’m not done!” she pleaded as her thick tail began to curl up around me in an attempt to stop me. “She will need somewhere to go, once we find her. Why should that not be with us rather than the temple? Are you really going to claim that you don’t care at all for her? I may be a reptile, but I’m not blind, Flauri.”

My lips parted to claim otherwise, only for me to pause. Was I really going to continue this lie?

“Fine, yes. I’ll admit that she’s grown on me. A little.”

The conniving snake grinned. “Finally willing to fully admit to it?”

“Go ahead. Get it all out of your system.”

She hummed. “Should I go shopping for a few necessities while you’re out finding her? Vyxa are rather small, but I’m not sure all three of us will fit in that one little bed. I suppose I could maybe squeeze her in at night.” Her large tail constricted tighter around my legs and lower torso.

She made several more joking comments of a similar nature before I finally interrupted.

“It is not just my or your opinion that matters, Nhlia. Why would she wish to stay with me, given how little she trusts me and the fact that I’m likely the reason she’s in this whole situation in the first place?”

“And the Sanctum, a place filled with other demons she knows even less, will seem more trustworthy to her?”

“They have the resources to discover a way to change her back. More than I do, or will once my family pulls me back in. I expect my time will become a lot more restricted soon. Not to mention, they’ll make every effort to turn her into exactly the sort of vyxa this ridiculous book would claim her to be.” I shook the offending object for emphasis. “Really, that still doesn’t fully explain why you have this thing. I should rip it to shreds.”

“Wait, no! It’s from the library! If you destroy it, they’ll just charge us to replace the thing. And I really only grabbed it because there was little else there to find out information about their species.”

“You’re ridiculous. Vyxa aren’t that different from any other demon, really.”

She rolled her eyes, mumbling something under her breath before saying, “Fine, fine. I’ll concede your point. I still disagree about what to do with Ruby, however. Think about it for a moment. Do you really believe that the Sanctum will go through the effort to find a way to change her back into a human and send her back to her realm?”

My scowl continued. “With the appropriate amount of pressure, yes.”

“Truthfully, I’m not sure even your family has that sort of influence over them. Bringing a vyxa back to our realm is one thing. Turning her into a human and then sending her back on top of that, though? And you know as well as I what they do there. At best, they’ll twiddle their thumbs until someone snatches her up.”

Two of my arms crossed, the other two still tightly clutching Nhlia’s questionable reading material.

“From everything I’ve heard, they by no means force vyxa to bond with others there, or anything else of the sort. They’re a sanctuary above all. She should be perfectly safe, and if they do nothing to help, then maybe we’ll see about taking her back in and try to discover a solution ourselves.”

“I’m a bit less convinced on the inherent benevolence of everyone there, even if they are a temple and sanctuary dedicated to the spirits. But I suppose we can at least see what your favorite little vyxa thinks,” she teased.

“You’re an insufferable, conniving little snake,” I accused in jest. “I’m going to clean myself up. Try to behave yourself in the next hour or so, would you?”

Nhlia mock pouted, her tail finally releasing me. “Hey! I’m not ‘little’ at all! I’m actually quite massive and majestic right now, thank you!”