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Loose Threads
Seventeen
“Where are we?” Lucifer kept a firm grip on Iain’s hand as she looked around. They stood on the rock surrounded by the sea of lava that extended to the horizon.
“I honestly have no idea. I found this place as part of a random walk with my Dragonesses when they were taking me to their Slayer’s place. Which universe this is, if this is the only piece of rock on this planet or if this planet is even an Earth are all things that I can’t even begin to answer.”
Lucifer realized he was looking around with regular sweeps of his head. “What is it?”
“My first time here I could swear something big was moving out in the lava and coming this way. I don’t want either one of us to meet whatever it might be.”
Lucifer looked out at the sea of lava. “I don’t want to be here anymore. Take me somewhere else, Iain.” He nodded and she felt the prickling sensation of his power surrounding her. Their first attempt to travel together had left her disorientated and nauseous after they’d arrived but some quick tests proved that if he surrounded her with his power she didn’t feel more than a little dizzy when they exited.
Iain looked at her and smiled. “Just step with me. And, now.”
She stepped unison with him. Existence rotated around them and they stood on the side of a mountain. The sky was a bright purple hue and the sun was small and almost completely white. What looked like brightly colored feather dusters surrounded them with their ends driven into the ground and as they quivered in the light breeze she realized they were probably plants of some kind. The air was dry and it sucked at the moisture in her eyes and nose.
Iain’s hand tightened on hers. “And, step.” She stepped with him.
Again the universe rotated around them. It was dark, but the sky overhead was full of stars she thought she could recognize. Her twee showed her constellations and advised her of where they were. “Africa?”
“Indeed.” Iain looked around. “This is one of the camps we stayed at on Four, the world that we came to One from.” In the distance lightning danced across clouds but it was too far away for there to be thunder.
“What was the purple sky place?”
“I don’t know. We random walked to here and passed through that place on the way. I think I’ll use an atmospheric analyzer there before I try to stay any length of time. What is all right if you just keep walking might prove detrimental if you tried to breathe it for a long period of time.”
“Will we go back through it on the return to our home?”
Iain shrugged. “It’s unlikely. The walk always chooses the best path but because the universes and dimensions move in relation to each other what happens to be the best path changes from instant to instant. Now that I’ve been there I can go there deliberately.”
“So you can go to any place that you’ve been, but the route you take is essentially random.”
“By Jove, I think she’s got it.”
Lucifer smiled. “I would rather be associated with Minerva. Jove was rather too much of a hothead for my tastes.” She looked around. “There’s something out there, Iain. Take us home.”
“And, step.”
The darkness was all consuming and the air was still and wet. Lucifer’s senses strained to find something and when a drop of water hit some other water, the splash echoed around them in such a way as to suggest they were in a large enclosed chamber or cavern of some kind. The air was filled with the warm scent of some kind of animal, but what she wasn’t certain.
I don’t think speaking out loud here is wise. And, step.
An ornate overstuffed couch stood just centimeters in front of Lucifer’s feet and she recognized it as the one in his quarters on the Theodora. She sank onto it gratefully, pulling him down with her. She curled up against him. “That was very impressive.”
He chuckled. “I’ll bet you say that to all of the guys who can walk between universes.”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” she said primly, “at least to all of the men I who know can do it.”
“So what questions do you have about it?”
“Your explanation was very detailed and the commentary you provided during your demonstration answered any questions I can think of right now. It is rather sobering, though. You have found a way to go places where we cannot go with you unless you take us.” She looked up at him. “Some will worry that it is the first step to what Sofia has expressed concern about, that being that someday you will not need us. Because of that worry they will be very much against you doing anything like this. You should expect very vocal resistance from many of them.”
“What about you?”
Lucifer rested her head against his. “Iain, I have discussed the situation with many others and some of us have come to the conclusion that the ones who worry so much are insecure about nothing. What they don’t understand is that you have never needed us. Indeed, we are the ones who need you. You want us, and in the wanting somehow you make us more whole than we have ever been before. Unfortunately for you, that wholeness on the part of some of them has allowed them the luxury of worrying about your safety during our adventures. I understand that you could stop them at any time, but you do not because you understand the depth of the feelings behind those protests.”
“I don’t need you?”
She turned against him until she was facing him. “The answer to that question is, as it often is when involving you, complicated. You do not need pokegirls. We may make things much easier for you, Iain, but when a pokegirl refuses you, you still find a way to accomplish your goal, albeit sometimes in a rather unique fashion. According to those who have known you the longest, that has always been the case. And to be honest, I would rather you want us than need us.” He frowned and she kissed him gently. “You often resent needing someone. You will never resent wanting us and that want, as you have seen, has sometimes grown into love, where you will never want to truly hurt us and you will never want to leave us unless you feel it is the only way to keep us safe.” She poked him gently with an iron hard finger. “Do not ever forget that decision is not yours alone to make. We keep each other safe and protect each other during unsafe times. Only we together can decide if you leaving will keep us truly safer.”
“You’ll never decide that.”
“That is true, but you cannot take that decision away from us and still say you love us. Making that decision without us comes entirely out of selfishness, not love.” He eyed her curiously and she nodded. “Yes, it also means that when members of your family try to do it to you, it is also selfish. We are not perfect. We will never be perfect, Iain.”
“Well, I don’t demand from others what I don’t have, so your imperfections are perfectly fine with me.”
She laughed and kissed him gently before getting up. “We have to return.”
“This isn’t still part of that denying me sex so I have more time to spend with Kasumi thing, is it?”
Lucifer grinned and pulled him to his feet without any apparent effort. “No, this is because the girls are looking for us and,” she winked, “because it’s my time with you tonight and I don’t want anyone to have a reason to try and take it from me.” She rested a hand on his chest. “There is something about listening to your heartbeat as I fall asleep that seems to make everything right with the world in the days that follow.”
“Ah. Well, I can’t have Lucifer finding that things are wrong in the world.” He tucked her arm in his with a wink. “After all, she might want me to fix them. So, we teleport to the door, step through to Earth and again through the door to the ranch before we teleport to the girls. I guess I’m all right with letting you drive this time.”
She laughed and they vanished.
***
The weights clinked as Iain lowered them back into their holder before letting his arms drop as he sucked air into his lungs. Kerrik made a notation on a clipboard. “Not bad,” he said, his ears rotating to sample the area around him. “You’ve actually exceeded the limits of the modifications I did to myself so long ago by a good four percent.”
Iain didn’t move other than to shift his eyes to look at his teacher. “Does that mean you’re taking tissue samples to see what I did differently?”
Kerrik smiled. “If you’re offering, sure, but I thought I’d just use a modern medical scanner instead.”
“Never mind,” Iain said tiredly. He slowly sat up, wincing once as he closed his eyes and scrunched up his face as pain shot through his skull. “Fuck that hurts.”
Kerrik’s ears canted slightly. “Why do you do that?”
Iain glanced up at him. “What?”
“I understand using your power to refresh your muscles and energy, but why keep it locked so tightly most of the time?”
“Could it be that I don’t want to accidentally kill someone?”
“That’s not the best way to do that, Iain.” Kerrik sat down on the leg press. “Unlocking your magic every time you use it doesn’t teach you control. It doesn’t teach you anything and, in fact, it says you’re afraid of your power. You should be constantly feeding energy to your body when you’re exercising hard so you don’t fail in the middle of an action. On top of that, locking and unlocking your power takes valuable time that you may not have in an emergency.”
“So how do I keep from accidentally killing someone with my magic if I don’t lock it?”
“That’s how you learn control, Iain.” Kerrik nodded when Iain gave him a disgusted look. “Yes, you’ll have accidents, but those accidents are not likely to kill unless you lose complete control of your temper. When you feel the magic surge dangerously, channel it into something useful. You have to ride the wave or it’ll suck you under and that’s when people you care about get hurt.”
“Lovely.”
“Iain, the problem for you is that among all of the other ways you are unusual, even unique, is that you have a family while you’re studying and you’re worried about them. Most of us didn’t have families during our training. My first wife had just had our marriage dissolved when I discovered who I was.” He blinked and his ears went completely neutral for a heartbeat. “I don’t mean to impose but I’m going to anyways since I don’t know the answer to this question but you might. What happened to my daughter?”
Iain looked over at him. “After the dissolution she missed you like any daughter would miss a loving father. She never believed your former wife’s lies about you. Eventually she grew up, married and had a relatively normal life as a minor noble. Then she died.”
Kerrik’s face was unreadable. “Do I have descendants from her?”
“She had children but she wasn’t yours by blood, Kerrik, as you suspected. Your line at your former home is just your aunt, your mother and your half-sister.” He started to say something and stopped.
Kerrik’s eyebrows rose. “What were you going to say?”
“You didn’t ask my advice so I’m not going to offer it.”
Kerrik eyed him for a moment. “Tell me.”
“You really should meet your sister.”
“I have met her.”
“No, you went to her castle disguised as a generic merchant. She did not meet you. You really need to meet your sister, and probably some time ago in her timeline when she was a lot younger. She needs your help.”
Kerrik folded his arms. “Why should I care about her?”
Iain rubbed his eyes. “How old is she?”
Kerrik frowned. “Why she’s,” he broke off and his frown deepened. “That can’t be right.”
“Why wouldn’t it be right? It’s happened to her mother and half-brother.”
His ears went flat. “You’re trying to say that she’s also,” he broke off and shook his head disbelievingly. “That’s completely impossible. The odds of that happening three times in two generations are,” he frowned.
“It’s absolutely possible is what it is,” Iain said firmly. “The odds are one in one because what you say is impossible is already fact. And right now the only guidance she has is your mother’s. Is that the person you’d have wanted teaching you?”
“Fuck.” Kerrik was silent for several seconds before he smirked. “If I catch her early enough in her life then I could introduce her to you?”
Iain laughed. “Kerrik you can’t even see my dance card for all of the ink, but if you want to introduce us I’ll be polite and honest to her.”
“I can’t ask for anything more than that no matter who I introduce you to.”
Iain pushed to his feet. “So what’s next?”
“You get some training in martial arts from me and then Whisper gets to try to catch you.” His ears flicked. “But first sit back down. We need to have a talk.”
Iain eyed him warily and sat back down on the weight bench. “I’m sitting.”
“Do you remember the conversation about my gloating?”
“I do.”
“I want to take the next step in helping you and saving me.”
Iain looked at him blankly. “Sorry, no clue.”
Kerrik laughed. “I am offering to make you kami or Sidhe.”
Iain flashed a grin. “Why not offer me the whole package?”
Kerrik cocked his head. “What package?”
“I become kami and then after I face my spirit creature I become a hybrid.”
Kerrik’s ears went flat for a heartbeat. “I keep forgetting what you know.” He smiled pleasantly. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to abandon some of your brains on the battlefield for me?”
“I need every neuron I have,” Iain said. “And you are not that cute.”
Kerrik shrugged. “Yeah, I get that sometimes. Is Magdalene that cute?”
Iain’s eyes flashed angrily but before he could open his mouth a voice spoke from his left. “I think it would be best if I pretended that you didn’t just say that.” They both turned to see Magdalene watching Kerrik. She glanced at Iain. “Good morning, Iain.” Her gaze went back to Kerrik. “Kerrik.”
“I wasn’t suggesting anything,” Kerrik said. “He has knowledge we don’t and I was evaluating what his price might be.”
Magdalene summoned a stool and sat down, smoothing out her skirts as she did. “I find your statement interesting in light of your jealousy in regards to Iain and me, especially considering how many women you have married since marrying me without so much as consulting with me beforehand.”
“Should I leave?”
Kerrik nodded. “That might be best.”
“No.” Magdalene’s tone brooked no dissent.
Iain looked from Magdalene to Kerrik. “Look, I am definitely the squishy person in this conversation and you two disagreeing over my presence puts me squarely in someone’s crosshairs.”
Kerrik glanced at him. “Stay.”
Iain looked at Magdalene for a long moment and her ears flicked. “What is it?”
“You two seem to be in a particular mood and I wanted to make sure you weren’t going to tell me to go because he just said for me to stay.”
Magdalene smiled warmly at him. “Iain, you are very brave and very amusing and I must admit that for an instant I did consider doing just that. However I usually strive not to be that whimsical.”
“Cool.” Iain looked at Kerrik. “Do you want to ask her why she’s here or would you like your Jedi apprentice to do it?”
“I think I’d rather be a Sith Lord, except for the fact that they all die,” Kerrik said. “So, my dear, to what do we owe the honor of your visit?”
“Aren’t you already a Sith Lord,” Iain asked before Magdalene could speak.
Kerrik frowned. “What? I’ve never been to the Star Wars universe.”
“No, but Spielberg stole Sith from the Scottish word for Sidhe, even if it’s still supposed to be pronounced the same as Sidhe. And since you’re Sidhe and a Sidhe lord in at least one court, you’re a Sith Lord.”
Magdalene started laughing. “I have never thought I would see the day where I would meet someone who knows more useless trivia than Kerrik does.”
Iain gave her a hurt look. “I wouldn’t say it’s useless if it gets pretty women to laugh.”
Magdalene gave him an amused smile before turning to Kerrik. “The reason I’m here is because Shikarou summoned me about sitting as a judge for some redress meeting between him and Ygerna. I wanted Iain to stay because he knows Ygerna better than we do.”
“Did Shikarou mention a specific date,” Iain asked curiously. “I’m asking because we haven’t contacted him to set up one yet.”
The Kirin kami turned her attention on him. “No date was mentioned. You are involved in this?”
“Yes, at Ygerna’s request. I’m the one who had Kasumi tell Shikarou our plans so he could decide to invite you to do this. I didn’t want to cash in my favor for something so trivial.”
“Why would he ask me,” she asked curiously.
“He thinks you’ll favor him in any rulings you make. He’s still thinking like a Nipponese kami.”
She nodded. “And you?”
“All I want is a fair decision and you will give us that. I was going to insist on a judge because he is never going to agree to anything reasonable. All he wants is for us to forget what he did and nothing else is going to satisfy his pride. I’m also hoping that you can keep him from hating us when this is all over.” He grimaced. “I’d like to explain exactly what’s going on, but it wouldn’t be fair to present our side without him having the chance to do so at the same meeting.”
“Shikarou has already told me what is going on,” Magdalene said quietly.
“Sadly, I’m not surprised,” Iain admitted. “That is how he thinks, but he’s an outlander and we cut them slack we wouldn’t give to clan.”
Magdalene looked surprised. “You really do believe you are clan.”
“That is how the first clans started,” Iain pointed out. “Someone stood up and said, ‘I am the leader of a clan’ and other people started joining her and agreed. I just also happen to understand clan law better than they did at the time and when I’m wrong I have an advisor who was born clan and who is not shy about pointing out that I’m screwing something up.”
Magdalene frowned. “Who is that?”
“Theodora. She is my advisor in all things clan. She’s how come Kerrik wasn’t able to eat my liver.”
“But she is not how you knew who my sire was and how to find him, is she?”
“Nope. That one is all my writing notes and me.”
“Do these notes exist somewhere?”
“They did, but I have no idea what might have happened to them after I was kidnapped. My family might have them or they might have been tossed in the trash. Otherwise they only exist in my head.”
“So the only place we can be assured they exist is in your mind, which no one can read.” Magdalene tilted her head and regarded Iain as her ears canted curiously. “Am I cute enough to worm those notes from you?”
Iain shot Kerrik a worried look before going back to Magdalene. “Isn’t this where you joined this discussion?”
She smiled at him. “Kerrik does not have the right to ask that question, considering his past.” Her smile vanished. “I do.”
His eyes flicked back to Kerrik for an instant and he licked suddenly dry lips. “I suppose it is possible that during negotiation between you and me that we might be able to determine there is some price that I am willing to ask that you are willing to pay for access to my notes on predetermined subjects.”
Magdalene smiled slowly and looked at Kerrik. “I believe Iain is scared of you.”
“I’m glad he’s still scared of something,” Kerrik grunted with a smile of his own. “But I think that if he were really scared he’d just say no to your question out of fear of what I might do.”
“He may be concerned I would hear his lie in that case and take offense. His control is impressive. I do not smell any fear from him and his heartbeat is unchanged.”
Iain glanced from one to the other. “I think that Kerrik’s wife is flirting with Iain in front of Kerrik and Iain has many reasons to be worried in that situation.”
Kerrik exchanged a look with his wife and chuckled. “That would be true enough if I and my wife hadn’t had some long talks since I last played Chase Iain with an Axe during which we worked through some of my inconsistencies involving my relationship with her as opposed to her relationship with me.” His ears flicked. “My wives are as free as I am to take lovers and have children with them if they desire. Not that I am saying that Magdalene is considering that with you. The problem I had with her and that concept was that she has never done so since we married. And then suddenly you seemed to be on her radar, which had never happened before.” He shrugged. “And the problem wasn’t with her, it was with my preconception of her which, as is true with any preconception, was wrong. I had forgotten that she was quite promiscuous before we married.”
Iain nodded slowly. “Having never been there you could have had no contact with the cultural mores of Xanadu. While she didn’t grow up on that world, her father’s household is filled with almost nothing but people from Xanadu in it, so that’s what she was inculcated with.”
“But you know about these cultural mores,” Kerrik asked.
“I do but only in a broad sense as I never wrote stories about Xanadu. Since it was an important place to Magdalene’s father I made a bunch of notes, which is how I knew about her sire.”
Magdalene nodded. “Now that you are aware Shikarou has told me about this redress meeting, are you prepared to present your side of this disagreement?”
“I must correct a misconception on your part,” Iain replied, carefully not letting any sign of his relief at the change of subject to show. “I am not one of the parties in this disagreement. Ygerna is and it is her choice to present her claim or her right to ask me to present it for her, which she has not yet done. I do know that she intends to seek an appointment with Shikarou to present her case for redress and that is when she would want you to be present to give judgment if required.”
“So you do seek to enter this as a clan disagreement? Shikarou did not present his side as such.”
“Magdalene, kami and Sidhe do not want redress. They want vengeance and I still hope that someday my family and Shikarou’s can be friends. Vengeance would almost certainly destroy any chance of that ever happening, as Shikarou has almost as long a memory as I do. Clan law is the only possible way of trying to keep that from happening and Ygerna has fortunately agreed to listen to my council in that regard.”
She nodded. “As Shikarou has asked that I preside and you have said that Ygerna also desires that I preside, I accept. Since Shikarou has initiated this request, the onus will fall upon him for my payment. You may consider the matter no longer in yours or Ygerna’s hands. I will speak with Shikarou and before the next two tendays have passed I will give Ygerna three acceptable dates for this meeting. See that she understands what committing to one of them means and does not miss her appointment.”
“I will.”
Magdalene rose, her stool vanishing behind her. “Then my business here is concluded. It was just fortunate that Iain was here too.” She nodded to each of them in turn. “Good day, gentlemen.” Then she was gone.
“I don’t pretend to know her mind,” Kerrik said thoughtfully. “So I have no idea if she is really interested in you or not. I do know she is a terrible tease sometimes and she seems to be that way with you. But if she is interested, don’t hurt her or I will hurt you.”
“Even if she is,” Iain said, “I’m not into casual relationships and I have a lot of women I am involved with and I am not going to neglect them for someone else. That is one of the biggest reasons Ygerna and I aren’t lovers yet, because that concept was very foreign to her and she had to learn it before our relationship could proceed.”
“Good.” Kerrik rose. “If you want to become a hybrid, I will make it happen. Also remember that magic does what it wills and you are not of the Wolf line. I am not sure what you would end up looking like.”
Iain stood to join him. “You’re right, magic does what it will, unless a truewizard is directing it to what he wants it to do. I think that can even be said of the wild magic of the Sidhe and kami. But even if I agree to this, it won’t be soon. I still haven’t gotten completely used to the changes I’ve already made and that’s going to take some time.”
“That is wise,” Kerrik admitted. “Don’t let me or anyone else push you into something.”
“Even if letting you have your way helps make me the more viable target?”
Kerrik chuckled. “At that point, of course you should bow to the wisdom of your elder.”
“Sure. Now I believe it is time to dance with Whisper.”
***
Iain slowly moved through the darkness, his eyes sweeping around him as he kept to the darkest shadows his enhanced vision showed in the simulated starlight. He was trying to stay hidden as the clock ran down, but he wasn’t surprised when Whisper appeared in front of him and grabbed him by the shirt. She opened her mouth and hissed at him. I have you.
He reacted instantly, jamming his forearm into her open mouth and shoving hard with his entire body, rocking her off balance. She bit down automatically, driving her fangs deep as he drove his other fist into her throat. “You’re dead,” he whispered.
Whisper is dead, his twee sent Kerrik’s announcement to him. Misery, you’re up.
Whisper glared over his arm. How? He raised the fist he’d shoved in her throat and a tiny silver thread of light appeared for an instant. Her eyes went wide. Energy blade?
Don’t tell, he sent through his twee. Maybe I can surprise Misery too.
She opened her mouth and pulled away from his arm, her fangs still pulling at the meat despite her delicacy. I won’t. Get her.
He paused to wipe the blood from his arm on her mouth and she grinned as she licked her lips clean as he disappeared into the darkness again.
***
Kerrik eyed Iain for a moment, but he was still coughing bloody chunks into a towel that Morwen had given him, so the kami turned back to his women. “So Iain killed two of the best killers on the planet? Misery, how did he surprise you after he took down Whisper?”
The Mini-top scowled. “He did it because I didn’t know he could make energy blades and you forbade ranged attacks during the exercise.” She glanced at Iain and Kerrik was amused at the humor in her eyes. “That’s a crafty one. He’s going to make whichever daughter I give him very happy.”
He will like my daughter better, Whisper said.
Morwen shook her head. “They’re already giving him their kids and arguing over which he’ll like best? What do you three not compete over?”
“We never bet you’ll beat us,” Raven said. Morwen clenched her fists and the Archmage smiled nastily. “Found a shallow nerve, I see.” She looked back at Kerrik as the Vampire growled loudly. “To be honest, I got lucky with him. I tried to knock him out with my staff and he pulled his out too. He hits harder than I expected and has some two handed technique I’ve never seen before. I did drive the point into his chest, but it took a lot longer than I want to admit.”
Iain looked up from his towel. “Ask Kerrik to teach you the quarterstaff,” he wheezed. “I’m sure he can teach you more than Pandora taught me.”
“You don’t know the quarterstaff,” Kerrik asked
“I don’t know any formal fighting styles,” Raven muttered.
“Well then, when I teach Iain my school’s quarterstaff katas, you’ll be there with him. You can partner during sparring.”
Raven looked at Iain and back at Kerrik. “I’m not sure which us is going to be less enthusiastic about that.” She smiled as Iain laughed and promptly went back to jagged coughing. “If he coughs up a rib do I get a prize?”
Kerrik chuckled. “Only if it’s a whole rib.”
Iain looked up from his bloody towel even as he kept coughing. I don’t think she left me any whole ones, he said with his twee.
“Then no prize.”
“Fuck,” Raven grumbled cheerfully. “Better luck next time.”
There will not be a next time for you, Whisper said. He will not surprise me again.
“Me either,” Misery snarled.
“He wouldn’t have surprised me at all,” Morwen stated.
Autumn just laughed. “Fools.”
Great, Iain said to Kerrik. He wasn’t coughing any more but obviously didn’t trust trying to talk again. Now taking me down just became their latest contest.
You had to prove a worthy opponent, Kerrik replied. That was well done, by the way.
Iain smiled slightly. If I do crappy, they win and I get hurt. If I do better, they win and I get hurt, but I get to piss them off first. I’ll always take the second one, thank you very much.
Kerrik chuckled. “As soon as you’re able, Iain, you can go home for today.”
***
Ygerna looked him up and down as he joined her on the landing. “You look very nice, Iain.” She was wearing a formal Sidhe gown that Theodora had manufactured for her in a dark green and red, her court colors.
“I can't hold a candle to you, but the man is supposed to never look better than the woman he's with.” He gestured at himself. “The problem for me is I don't have a zillion year old history like you do to determine what I'm supposed to wear and I have no idea what the well-dressed Haven noble wears for formal occasions. So I decided to dress for the judge.” He was wearing a formal Victorian man's suit in a chocolate brown and requisite matching top hat and boots. The expensive fibers of the suit and hat sparkled in the morning sunlight. “It's actually quite comfortable, which also helped.”
She nodded. “As I said, you look very nice.” She eyed his face for a second and smiled at his curious gaze. “I must admit I do like you better without the beard.”
He chuckled. “Siobhan has recently made her feelings about my beard plain by using it as a device to jerk me around with. I decided to remove her advantage and shave it off today. And April was about ready to do cartwheels of joy about getting to shave it off of me, especially after I changed the skin color to make my face as tan as the rest of me.” He touched his chin. “I'll get used to not having it eventually.”
Ygerna looked past him. “I must admit I'm a little surprised to see Vanessa as your guard today.”
Vanessa was wearing Tirsuli unpowered body armor in black and gold without the helmet. She carried no firearms, but a heavy sword in the same colors as her armor hung from her belt. Her hair was back in her usual ponytail but she didn't have the glasses she normally did as part of her regular outfit, instead this time wearing goggles that would protect against sudden bright lights or lasers. They also provided a very detailed HUD that she was learning to use. “If anything happens I am the firebreak that will delay attackers while the rest of the clan arrives,” she said quietly.
Iain glanced back at Vanessa and his eyes were amused. “I'm only supposed to bring one guard and nobody thinks G-Poindexters are really all that dangerous. Still, sometimes surprises happen.”
“They seem to happen rather often around you,” Ygerna murmured. “Tara, as you can see, is my guard today.”
“I do, but I also know she prefers it if I don't acknowledge her existence while she's on duty, especially during formal events.” The Dragoness gave him the slightest of nods, approval glinting for an instant in her eyes. “So, I believe it's time and our transport has not yet arrived.”
Almost as if waiting for his words, Elizabeth appeared. The Vampire smiled at them both. “Good morning.” Her eyes widened slightly. “You both look very nice.”
“Thank you,” Ygerna said. “I understand that transport will be one at a time. You will take me first. Tara will follow.”
Elizabeth offered her arm. “Then may we go?” Ygerna took it and they vanished.
“Thank you, sir,” Tara said before she vanished. Iain knew she was thanking him for his offer to have Dominique use the delta bond mimicking spell to tether the Dragoness to her mistress. They'd spent the last week putting both of them through training to get the most out of it and Iain knew that Ygerna was negotiating with Dominique to actually learn the spell from her.
Elizabeth appeared, a slight frown on her face that vanished when she saw him. “You do look very dapper, Iain.”
“Dapper, huh? Should I take your word choice to mean that you recognize the period?”
“I do. I've always liked Victorian England and you wear it well.” She slipped her arm through and glanced at Vanessa. “I was asked to tell you that Kasumi wanted to be here today but she was ordered to stay away.”
Iain kept his face neutral. “I didn't expect her there and her presence would have been nice, but in the end that's not my decision to make. I'm just going at Ygerna's request.”
Elizabeth glanced into his eyes and he was amused to see she wasn't trying to hide her intelligence as she often did. “If we'd requested you before she did, would you have come and helped us instead?”
“It was because my friend asked for me to help that I am doing this,” he replied quietly. “If a friend from your family had asked, I'd have tried to help them too.”
Her eyes searched his. “Do you have a friend anywhere in my family, Iain?”
“Yes, I do.”
She was still peering into his eyes. “Is there anyone other than Kasumi?”
“I like Jamie and I'd probably try to help him if he had a problem, but the truth is that I'm not really worth being friends with, am I? Jamie just doesn't care about politics and we're both soldiers in the great war with Indigo, so we have that in common. Shikarou isn't all that fond of me, so none of the rest of you will dare his wrath and reciprocate the attempts we made when we first met.”
“I'm sorry about that,” Elizabeth said slowly. “And you're right. You tried a lot in the beginning and we kind of blew it off.”
“I'm not upset, Elizabeth. We tried and it didn't work. Life goes on until that sudden stop at the end and I'm not going to lose sleep over things I can't control.”
“Are you going to try again after this?”
“Elizabeth, I think it's your turn to try.”
She smiled. “So can I come and visit?”
“Yes, you can, but I'm pretty busy so please call ahead so I can try to make time for you or propose an alternate time when I'll be available, ok?” He smiled. “That is unless you're coming to see someone else, of course.”
“I think I'll start with you,” she said. “But now I have to get you to the meeting.” The scene around them changed.
Magdalene's influence was immediately obvious. The meeting was taking place in a glade of trees that Iain recognized as the place he'd met with Ygerna when she'd released Dominique from the Order of Pendragon.
There was a long low table with Magdalene seated at the end. On one side sat Shikarou and Faelan with Branwyn and Svetlana. Behind them stood Derdekea and Dorothea. On the other side of the table Ygerna waited with Tara.
Elizabeth released him and vanished as Magdalene nodded to him. “Clan Leader Iain Grey, please take your seat with Queen Ygerna of the Sidhe.”
He nodded back and took his place with Ygerna as Vanessa moved behind him to join Tara.
Magdalene looked at each person sitting at the table in turn. “Today I sit judgment over a conflict between King Shikarou and Prince Faelan of Haven against Queen Ygerna of the Sidhe and Clan Leader Iain of the Grey Clan.”
“Correction,” Ygerna said. She'd spent the last few weeks being coached by Iain and Theodora. “Clan Leader Iain of the Grey Clan is not a party to this conflict. He is here at my request as my advisor and when he speaks, he speaks for me. I accept all consequences of his inclusion.”
Magdalene looked at Iain. “Is this correct?”
“It is.”
She nodded. “Very well. From here on I shall dispense with rank as this is not a conflict of clan against clan. It is my understanding that the conflict is one of theft. With that in mind,” she broke off when Ygerna raised a hand. Her eyes flicked to Iain for a second before turning back to Ygerna. “You have a question?”
“I have a correction. My complaint is of unrecoverable theft, not theft.”
“You have your books,” Shikarou snapped.
Magdalene glanced at him. “Explain, Ygerna.”
Ygerna looked at Iain. “I yield the explanation to Iain.”
Iain waited until Magdalene had focused her attention on him. “There is no crime to prove, Judge Magdalene,” he began, “as Shikarou has admitted guilt and assumed it for all others involved on his side.”
She blinked and looked at Shikarou. “Is this true?”
“She has her things,” Shikarou said. “And it was just a misunderstanding.”
“Did you admit guilt?”
“I'm the king. I said it was my responsibility.”
Iain raised a hand and Magdalene looked at him. “What is it, Iain?”
“I have the memories of the incident I will provide if you require so as to provide the facts involved, but I would like to still explain why this should be judged as an unrecoverable theft.”
“I will want those memories and explanation.”
He took a deep breath. “The facts are as follows: Ygerna wished to have children by Faelan and put up as an offer the collected works that she owned at the time to become part of her new family when she joined it. That did not happen, but Faelan’s family held possession of the books as a good faith attempt on Ygerna’s part during the time she lived with them. When she returned to get her property, it was discovered that the books had been given into the care of Clan Leader Caspa of Moonblood Clan. It was believed by Shikarou, Faelan and Ygerna that once given into Caspa's care, they were in Caspa's care forever. The fact that I, an outsider in the dispute, knew of a way to convince Caspa to release the books is immaterial to the fact that Shikarou and Faelan thought the books would be theirs forever, as did Ygerna. Without my presence, the books would still be in the Moonblood Library.”
Magdalene eyed him thoughtfully. “Give me the memories, Iain.”
He pulled a memory globe from his head and offered it to her. She took it and pressed it into her forehead. Her eyes closed for a moment before she turned to Shikarou. “You did admit responsibility and this is essentially an unrecoverable theft.”
Shikarou's ears went flat and he snarled at Iain. “I have memories of the incident too!”
Magdalene nodded. “Give them to me.” She frowned. “I forgot you can't. Please lean towards me and focus on that memory.” Shikarou did. She pulled a golden globe from his head and pressed into hers. She blinked, her ears flicking. “I have the facts. This is an unrecoverable theft.” She turned to Ygerna. “What do you wish as redress?”
“First and foremost, I desire the return of the Grimoire of Danu that I wrote. While not initially a part of this theft, I desire it so that I may once and forever be free of the influence of the Kingdom of Haven. As long as they possess it they hold part of my heart in bondage. I will bargain fairly if they desire access to it, but it should be mine. Second, I request a copy of every single book or partial book in the possession of the Kingdom of Haven, provided that it can be copied, in the format in which it currently is, be that paper, papyrus, stone, wood, metal, electronic or any other form. These copies are to be provided at the expense of the Kingdom of Haven and properly packed for transport at the expense of the Kingdom of Haven. I will require permission to enter the lands of the Kingdom of Haven to retrieve them and I will bear all of the costs of their transportation once they are collected and ready for transport. I feel that these will compensate me for the loss in the theft, the price I had to pay to enlist Iain to recover all thirty two thousand six hundred and forty five of my books for me and yet not beggar the Kingdom of Haven nor deprive it of any critical resources at this time.” She took a deep breath. “If, for some reason, the Kingdom of Haven can prove to the judge's satisfaction that a few of these books are militarily significant and should not be released, with the exception of the Grimoire of Danu, I will accept the judge's ruling in all cases of that sort.”
Magdalene looked at Ygerna for several seconds before turning to Iain. “I am going to break protocol.” Surprise flickered in Iain's eyes before he nodded. She looked at Shikarou and got up. “Come with me.”
Why did she tell you that, Ygerna asked him through her twee.
I think it's because she knows I know how this should proceed and didn't want me to protest. What is she doing? I'm not completely sure.
Magdalene led Shikarou away from the clearing and out of earshot before turning to look at him. “Do what she wants without protest.”
He shook his head. “The Grimoire is mine.”
“No longer, Shikarou. I am going to rule in her favor if you do not give her what she wants, but I am giving you the opportunity to avoid having that ruling sitting over your head. If you'd managed to get this tried under the laws of the kami or the Sidhe, your survivors would still have that book, but you'd be dead and it might be my job to carry out that sentence.” She met his gaze. “You stole a priceless treasure from her and deliberately put it in the one place you knew she could never get it back no matter what she did to you. In clan language you stole her future to add to yours and then you admitted to the theft. The payment she is asking for is a pittance compared to what she could and should demand instead especially since you took personal responsibility for what happened. It might be different if you'd said the Kingdom had taken responsibility, but you didn't. And Iain knows exactly what he's doing and he coached Ygerna well. She could have asked for half of everything that you own, Shikarou.” Her ears went flat when he didn't respond. “Shikarou, as king you own the entire island, the seas around it and everything that's not specifically deeded to someone else.”
He blinked. “That's crazy.”
“That's how you set it up, my son. Just be glad that whether or not pokegirls are property is vague in your law or she could get half of your harem too. Anything listed as being property of the king could be interpreted as being your property.”
Shikarou's ears canted. “What's the difference between my volunteering to make this right as she wants and you passing judgment on me?”
“If I pass judgment on you, I'll have to appoint someone to make sure that you comply with the order in a timely fashion. That usually involves a clan or powerful being who is neutral in the conflict. My only real choice here would be your father and you do not want him getting officially involved in what you did.”
Shikarou's ears went flat and he gritted his teeth. “No, I don't.” He shook his head. “Half of everything, huh? Why didn't he ask for it? I'm sure that Ygerna would have been pleased to demand that.”
“This is a clan proceeding, Shikarou. It's not about revenge. It's about hurting you enough that you just don't do it again and you know what she's asking for won't really take that long with the spells you know. Master Caspa knows them too and he can do most of the work. Whether you believe it or not, Iain is trying to treat you with respect.”
Shikarou snorted. “And what would disrespect look like?”
“I don't know and I hope we never find out. He's got a lot of potential, Shikarou, and he's smart.”
“It sounds like you think I should introduce him or his kids to some of mine.”
Magdalene smiled. “It doesn't matter whether you do or not. I'm going to, but you can if you want.”
“You're serious.”
“I am. He almost met one of my sisters, but she found someone else before I could get home to her. And if I don't do something like that, Tanika has already said she will.” Magdalene put her hand on his shoulder. “I know that this isn't pleasant for you, but understand that Iain and his family as well as Ygerna are immortal just like we are. You have two choices with immortals living as close to you as they do, you can either destroy them or you can befriend them. Considering your father's interest in them you are probably not going to be allowed to destroy them and until today you couldn't befriend them because of what had already happened between you and Ygerna. This will remove that impediment and will satisfy Ygerna enough that she will not poison Iain against you. Now you will have to decide what you are going to do.”
“I'm still pissed about losing the Grimoire.”
Magdalene gave him an exasperated look. “Why? What real use has it been to you? You use your magic to make your people kami. Have you used that book since you destroyed Eoghan?”
Shikarou grunted. “I'm just tired of Iain kicking my ass every time we disagree about something.”
“Then try agreeing with him for a while, especially when he's right.” She squeezed his shoulder again. “My son, I love you, but you have always had a problem with losing and accepting loss.”
Shikarou rolled his eyes. “And you are just as bad as I am about it.”
She smiled. “I am, but I am older and wiser and I make sure I don't lose very often. Until you learn to do that, you have to learn to be better at accepting that nobody wins all of the time.”
“When does Iain lose?”
“That is a childish question, Shikarou, and you know it. As for the answer, ask him about his Kebi, whose name is Scheherazade and whose death is still a bleeding wound in his heart. They were delta bonded and he believes he failed her and still has not forgiven himself for that lapse.”
Shikarou eyed her suspiciously. “How is it that you know this?”
“I am his friend, Shikarou, and I have spent some odd bits of time with him and his family. They are friendly if you are friendly and they have few secrets. I think that Iain and you could be friends if you would just take the time to meet him as a man and not as a king.” She smiled. “I am well aware of your prejudice against humans. It does not bother me. We all have things we do not like for reasons that seem without question to us and are not to those around us. If it makes you feel better, Iain is a truewizard and every day he becomes less and less human as he masters his power.”
“How powerful is he, mother?”
“I honestly do not know, Shikarou. Unlike almost any other fledgling I have interacted with, he keeps his true power hidden where others flaunt it like a peacock. Your father may know but the question is will he share that knowledge with us. He has told me a few disquieting things about his student, however, that suggest Iain has great potential.” She smiled slightly. “Ygerna is not yet aware of this, but your father has offered to make Iain a hybrid.”
Shikarou's ears froze. “I see. When is the ceremony to take place?”
“I said he has offered. Iain's response was that he'd like to take time to consider if this was the best path for him.”
“He wants to think about it?” Shikarou sounded surprised. “Any human should jump at the chance to become like us.”
“And that's what I meant, Shikarou. Iain does not think like a human and his mind is closed to us. As a truewizard there are other types of supernatural creature that he could turn himself into or seek out and have transform him. Some of them are quite powerful. Treating him as if he is mortal and as if he is human is a mistake.”
“Is that why Ygerna is interested in him?”
“Shikarou, Iain is the first person to treat her as a person, be friendly and fair to her in a very long time. I am almost certain she did not move to Texas to become his lover or his wife and yet unless something changes drastically she will do both. He was nice to her at a time when nobody else, including you, was.” She gave him a warm smile. “And no, you don't get the lecture on what strength her blood would have brought to the family because her blood isn't lost. Her children will want strong mates and eventually one of your children will be that mate to one of hers.” Her ears canted. “Or are you upset that it isn't your seed that will quicken her eggs? More importantly, are you upset that it isn't your cock that will deliver that seed?” Shikarou just grunted sourly, making Magdalene grin for an instant. “You are your father's son. It is possible that you could take the place of your future child and marry one of Ygerna's daughters.”
Shikarou sighed. “Not if I don't let this pass, right?”
“There is nothing to pass, my son. You made a mistake and, fortunately for you, Iain was able to correct that mistake without costing you anything more than some paper and ink.” Her eyes met his. “And you know that, accidental or not, this was a mistake on your part.”
“I'd really like to blame Faelan for this.”
“As I said, you do not like to accept loss, but what good will blame do except possibly estrange your brother and anger Tanika? Remember that it has not been that long since she carried him under her heart. Granted you are older than he is, and kami you may still strive to be, but to me you are still my child, scared and unhappy when your father first brought you to me and your brother is the same way to her.”
He held up his hands. “Fine. I'll accept this with as much good grace as I can. Just stop with the reminiscing.”
“Good. Now let us return and hope that Iain isn't offended that I broke protocol to speak with you this way. Some clans are very touchy about protocol and I am not sure how Iain feels about it.”
“I need to learn more about how Tirsuli judges work in case he pulls this again,” Shikarou muttered as they walked back.
“Yes, you do.” She waited until Shikarou was seated before resuming her chair. She looked around the table. “I am ready to pronounce judgment, unless anyone has more to offer.”
“I do,” Shikarou said. “Your services, while appreciated, are not required this day. I have decided to fully accept Ygerna's requests, with the stipulation on the military and classified information that she is allowing. The copies will be made as expeditiously as possible and as enough of them become ready for transport, I will contact Ygerna so she can come get them. As for the Grimoire of Danu, I will give it to her before she leaves the kingdom today.” He ignored the fact that Faelan, Branwyn and Svetlana were staring at him in shock as he looked at Ygerna, who was sitting expressionlessly. “Will this satisfy your need for redress?”
Ygerna nodded once. “It will.”
Shikarou looked at Magdalene, who waited several seconds before raising an eyebrow. “Does this decision satisfy you, Shikarou?”
He blinked. “It does.”
“Then other than witnessing the return of the Grimoire of Danu, my business here is done,” Magdalene said, “until such a time that you contact me to review your choice of books that you wish to exclude for military reasons.” She looked up and down the table again. “Is there anything else?” When nobody spoke, she rose. “Then I declare this meeting over.” She smiled. “And I'll be in touch.” Then she was gone.
Svetlana looked at Shikarou, her face clouded with anger. “You're giving her everything she wants?”
“Ygerna was right,” Shikarou said. “And while you are family and I care for you, the fact that you hate Ygerna does not mean that I have to as well.” He turned to Ygerna as Svetlana purpled. “Can we put this behind us now?”
“It will take some time, but yes I can.”
“Good. I'm sorry this had to unfold the way that it did.”
She nodded. “I am too, but it is done and I have made my decisions.”
“I respect that.” He turned to Iain. “Well done, if I may say so.”
Iain shook his head. “This was never about me. As her friend, I'd have advised Ygerna just the same as I already have no matter whether we had a personal relationship or not.”
“That's a rare type of friend,” Branwyn said as she joined the conversation.
“I am, hopefully, unique, making me the rarest kind of friend there is,” Iain said with a smile.
“I hope you're right,” Ygerna said. “I'm not sure the universe could handle two of you.”
“Let's not find out,” Iain replied. “I have enough trouble.” He glanced past Shikarou and Branwyn. Svetlana had drawn Faelan away from the table and the two were arguing quietly. “Svetlana does not look very Celestial right now.”
“She hates Ygerna,” Branwyn said.
“Why?” Iain genuinely sounded puzzled. “She got everything she wanted and this doesn't cost her shit.”
Shikarou smiled. “What, you don't know?”
Iain grimaced. “I know what I don't like about her, which is that she feels that the ends justify the means, but since she's a Celestial she's supposed to convince others to get their hands dirty while hers stay pristine.”
“And Ygerna is completely immune to her convincing,” Branwyn said quietly. “Svetlana couldn't stand having someone who could completely ignore her that close to her husband.”
“I am so glad I live far away,” Iain muttered as Svetlana and Faelan vanished. His voice returned to normal. “Look, I know you blame me for what has happened and,” he broke off when Shikarou raised a hand to stop him.
“I don't blame you and we're good,” Shikarou said. “Just try not to make a regular habit of this, please?”
“I was just helping out a friend.”
Shikarou nodded. “And if I'd been any kind of friend to her this would never have happened. So, do you think we can be friends?”
“I'd like that but there are a lot of bruised egos on both sides,” Iain replied. “And it's probably only going to get worse before it gets better.”
Branwyn frowned. “And why is that?”
“My kids are much better than yours and I'm not shy about saying it.”
Branwyn blinked. “Of all of the things I thought you'd respond with, that was not on the list.”
“Well, if I'm predictable, where's the fun in that,” Iain said teasingly. “The important thing,” he continued as Branwyn choked off a laugh, “is that while there are bruised egos, that's all they are and bruises heal. It just may take a little time.” He glanced at the sky. “And speaking of time, my family is aware that this meeting is over and I am being informed that I will not be missing the morning training session.” He smiled thinly. “I think April has something special planned. She mentioned something about her cards and me getting to fight a real dragon.”
“That doesn't sound like fun,” Shikarou said dryly.
“I'm sure it'll be fun for somebody,” Iain replied, “but it does mean that I have to take my leave of you.”
“I'm coming too,” Ygerna said.
“Don't you need to get the Grimoire,” Iain reminded her.
“I can get it for her now,” Shikarou said as he took Branwyn's hand. “It'll just take a minute.” They disappeared.
Iain glanced at her. “How long has it been since you've held your book?”
She gave an amused toss of her head. “It was before the founding of a city called Troy, young one.”
“Young one? Wow, to think that when you were born the best game you had was flip the rock and all you can think of to call me after all of those years of life is young one? That is so sad.”
“It wasn't flip the rock,” she retorted. “We'd figured out you could throw them and hit humans for fun. Would you like a demonstration?”
He sighed. “All of the pureblooded Sidhe in the world and I had to find a tomboy.”
She snorted quietly. “All of the human truewizards in the world and I had to find the one who thinks waiting before sex is wise.”
“It's a good thing I like this suit.”
She glanced at him. “Why?”
“Otherwise we'd probably be on the ground at this point, wrestling.”
She smirked. “Isn't that what you call foreplay?”
He sniffed. “You may never know.”
“The way things are progressing,” she snapped back at him, “you'll be dead before I might.”
“They're coming back,” he muttered and she straightened. He glanced at her knowing one of her biggest weaknesses and decided to indulge himself this one time. “But yeah, you'd probably strangle me out of frustration.” She shot him a look of pure venom which vanished as Shikarou appeared with Branwyn. Inside he was laughing. For once, I got to have the last word.
His twee apparently didn't agree with him. She's going to get you for that.
Yeah.
I wonder if you'd be so sanguine about it if I were the one in control and you lived or died depending on my actions.
When you put it that way, probably not.
I didn't think so.
Shikarou had a huge tome in his arms. He looked at it for a long moment before offering it to Ygerna. “After thousands of years and millions of kilometers, this is now yours.”
She took gently took it in both hands and cradled it against her body. “Finally,” she breathed. “Thank you Shikarou.”
“You're welcome. I'll get started on the rest of the books.”
Ygerna nodded without looking up from the Grimoire. “Tara, take me back to my house. Iain, I need a word with you.”
“Right behind you,” he said as Tara touched her back and they were gone. “Shikarou, Branwyn, I bid you both a good day, along with Faelan and Svetlana.”
“One day soon,” Shikarou said, “I'd like a tour of your ranch.”
Iain had been reaching for Vanessa's hand and stopped in surprise. He glanced at her before nodding at Shikarou. “If you can give me three days warning, I'll be available.”
“Thanks.”
“Just you, mind. Poppet tries that and I'll have to check my schedule as I would normally do.”
“Wow, I get special treatment,” Shikarou chuckled. “I certainly won't tell Poppet I get something better than she does.”
Iain shook his head. “Goodbye.” The scene jumped and he was standing just outside the house he'd built Ygerna when she moved next door to him. He let Vanessa go. “Hello?”
Ygerna came out of her door and threw herself into his arms, kissing him fiercely. Iain wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back until she broke the kiss and looked intently into his eyes. “I know who I should really thank for the return of the Grimoire, Iain,” she whispered, her lips against his. “I had given up hope of having it again and then you came along and now it is mine once more and I know exactly who is responsible.” She paused, her golden eyes moving as they searched his. “No smart assed comment?”
“I'm not that dumb,” Iain said.
“Good.” She kissed him again. “I know you have training, but I want you to know just how grateful I am.”
He smiled. “After a couple more hours of this I believe I might begin to understand.”
Her eyes twinkled as she ground her groin against his erection. “I have not had a man in my life for many years before I came to this world, Iain. Before those hours had passed we would be naked and you would be inside me.”
“You make it sound like that's bad.”
“I will endeavor to make sure that it is anything but bad, Iain, but when that happens I will not brook being disturbed for some time.” She glanced past him. “By anyone.” One last kiss and she stepped back, Iain letting his arms fall away as she did. “Which is why that will happen during my first two weeks with you.” She looked into his eyes again. “But I do not want to wait much longer.”
“I'm done running, Ygerna. Whenever you're ready.”
“Soon, then.” She looked past him again. “He is yours, Vanessa. Perhaps you can dampen his fire before his training session.”
Vanessa twined her fingers in Iain's. “I'm like you, Ygerna. I like to take my time. As for his fire, I'm pretty sure April's training will put it completely out for a while.” She glanced at Iain and smirked. “We can hope for at least a few minutes.”
“One or two, mayhap,” Ygerna agreed. “I will put my Grimoire in the library in a few days, Iain.”
“Hey, it's yours.” He winked. “Just don't lose it again for a while.”
She laughed as he and Vanessa teleported away.
Iain Grey
Inner Harem
Ninhursag Grey - Elfqueen & maharani
Eve Grey - Megami Sama
April Grey - Duelist & beta
Dominique Grey - Blessed Archmage
Pandora - Fiendish Archangel
Canaan - G Splice (Hunter Amachamp & Alaka-Wham)
Zareen - Nightmare
Raquel - Fiendish Rapitaur
Sofia - Ria
Vanessa – Evangelion
Lucifer – Megami Sama
Outer Harem
Allison – Umbrea (Outer Harem Alpha)
Daphne - Whorizard
Lynn - Growlie
Chuck – Doggirl
Ryan – Unicorn
Winifred - Rack (German)
Rosemary - Mistoffeles (Uruguayan)
Silver - Pegaslut
Joyce – Milktit
Outer Clan
Melanie – Iron Chef
Siobhan - Nurse Joy (Glasgow)
Queendom / Outer Harem
12 Elves
Heather - Elf
Dionne - Elfqueen
Adrianna - Elfqueen
Dianthus Barbatus - Elfqueen
Heltu - Wet Queen
6 Wet Elves
Dead Harem
Eirian - Silver Dragoness
Aurum - Gold Dragoness
Skye - Blue Dragoness
Emerald - Green Dragoness
Beryl - Red Dragoness
Julia - human
Ling - Cheetit
Matilda - White Tigress
Liadan - Twau
Sorrel - Armsmistress
Natalie - Blazicunt
Maria – Slutton
Rhea Silvia - Chimera
Mother s & Children
Vanessa
Myrna
Saoirse
April
Dorothy: Duelist
Meara: Duelist
Regan: Duelist
Canaan
Hannah: Huntress
Rebecca: Huntress
Joyce
Lisa: Milktit
Sherrie: Milktit
Harriet: Milktit
Lucifer
Olivia: Megami-sama
Seraphina: Megami-sama
Zareen
Caltha: Nightmare
Kim: Nightmare
Xanthe: Nightmare
Epona: Nightmare
Philippa: Nightmare
Nott: Nightmare
Nyx: Nightmare