03 Atavism of the Ifrit Read online

  Crait got a fistful of Ethan’s jacket, already his boots were taken, and said “My title means nothing without my mate beside me. You get her back and I’ll resign honorably.”

  “You have my word.” Came the promise everyone knew Ethan would fulfill.

  “Sorry old friend, but you need to be taken into the dungeons.” Odin laid a firm hand on Crait’s shoulder. Theft was a serious crime in the First House since nearly everything was free, if one worked for it. Stealing from the Head was bad enough, but to kill without honor was unthinkable and punishable by death. Only circumstances and Ethan’s kindness took that option off the table.

  “I understand.” Crait began removing all his weapons which Collu took.

  “I’ll take him to medical for x-rays and then to the dungeons, Lord Odin.” Blake offered.

  The All Father knew the reasons why. Mainly that it was also Blake’s mother that was stolen away. Blake wouldn’t be easily bested since father and son were evenly matched and was calm enough to take on the responsibility. Nevertheless he said “Take Reevy as well. I want Crait jailed by sundown.” Between then and now Odin had just allowed them time to talk since much of the day remained.

  The three Nagai walked past where Floa’s portal to Blue Angel Isle collapsed and headed to the elevators to go to the second floor’s medical wing.

  “Little bastard crossed a line this time.” Odin spat without spittle. “Taking one of our own.”

  “I’ll make sure he doesn’t do it again.” Promised the Ifrit.

  “That I have no doubt, Lad. No doubt whatsoever. I take it the rest of you know who was telling the truth now.” He lone eyed the other leaders who were skeptical on where loyalties lay last night. That show solidified a point.

  “He hasn’t changed a bit.” Gra crossed her arms beneath impressively bountiful watermelons.

  “Thanks, Your Highness.” Ethan smirked.

  “LOOK! HE’S GOT HORNS!” Shouted Merlin who seemed to have just realized what they were.

  “I’d think my hooves would get your attention first.” He lifted one and wiggled the two part cloven hoof like toes.

  “I’ve got to have them too!” Both tips of the High Wizard’s index fingers made multiple motions and everyone watched his human legs disappear and reform in the same shape as Ethan’s, but with brown hair and gray hooves. He sprung and landed on Collu’s surprised back. “Baaah! Baaah!” he bleated like a goat. Then he jumped on Pegasus and did it again.

  Morgane demurely made a motion and her husband slipped right before he jumped again and fell ass first onto the granite floor. He bleated again, but as soon as her finger turned an ominous yellow he went quiet and sill. Sadly this was normal behavior… and he still wore shorts which was a miracle.

  No streaking this time at least.

  “I was planning to say welcome, but it got botched.” Odin admitted as he passed his spear to the left hand again. A sign that the threat was over.

  “It involves Ethan.” Tattoo sighed dramatically. “Nothing ever goes according to plan with him in the mix.”

  “That’s why he’s so respected. Must be Chaos’ influence.” General Kiroq grunted in the guttural language of the Gargoyles.

  “Lad, it’s a bit late, but welcome home.” Odin announced and the hall erupted in cheer. Weapons raised before disappearing back in their place.

  He backed away from the suddenness and stopped as Kanade took his arm for support. “Wha… wha…” he couldn’t articulate properly.

  Princess Chille beat her butterfly wings to get closer and say “What did you expect? To get treated like an outcast? Pluh-ease. Despite how daunting you look, you’re still a great hero and we all know it. You keep saving our hide over and over again and never ask anything in return. You even saved our entire galaxy and thousands of my people already with this!” She flicked the dangling metal charm disc on her wrist. “I slapped a bug’s wing two weeks ago and it still didn’t know I was there. My people, especially my queen mother, owe you everything just to live without the fear of getting stung.”

  “Greetings Kyoko-hime.” Edda the Nymph leader said in Japanese and both she and her Ogre husband made a polite bow before her. “Enjoy the First House’s hospitality.”

  “I will, but I’ll not leave my master or mistress at all today.”

  “Let us know if you require anything.” Morom said and she inclined her head.

  “Better fix that.” Grumbled Ethan as he noticed Odin had moved to the wall and ran his hand across the deep fissures and picked up softball size shards. Kanade kissed his cheek as she knelt down and sat with her legs angled sideways as friends came up. Sitting, she was still taller than near everyone. “Want me to seal it back up again?”

  Odin continued looking at the chunk of stone in his large hand. “Aye, Lad. It needs to be done before the cracks keep reaching. This House was here before me and never has it cracked till you came. Last time you were getting your rocks off… I guess that hasn’t changed, but what was that you called Fate?”

  “His true name is Ramaziel, not Fate. Like Armid is the Spirit King.”

  “Ra-maze-eel eh?” Odin rolled the name on his tongue in Norse and found where the stone fitted and shoved it back in the crack. “How did you discover it?”

  “Asked the Fire King the night before you came to the Island.”

  “Oh?” it was clear he wanted more details of that particular encounter.

  A stream of silver snaked its way from the tip of a spade-tipped tail as it came around to begin melting the piece of stone Odin put back in place. The All Father lifted another, found where it belonged and started putting the wall puzzle back together. Those he could reach that is. Especially since Fate was thrown into the wall two stories up by a pissed giant. It meant the bulk was left to Ethan to replace.

  “Yeah. Kanade and I were a bit overwhelmed with the abrupt changes after the Enforcer attack and he suddenly stopped by within our minds to tell me what I needed to know. I’m not facing a cakewalk in Demon World even though he suddenly named me his heir. I won’t go into details, but I need to prove myself through grueling tests. He also told me I’m a human eater and what it means to be Ifrit.” Odin didn’t react to the human eater bit, probably due to Dress’ permission to reveal it all to the leaders. Apparently he didn’t have a problem with Ethan substituting Cultivated Humans for real ones. “The Fire King also told me about names and the true meaning of Will. Speaking the true name of anyone who transcends mortal limitations invokes our awareness so that we can be drawn to listen and answer if we so choose… and everyone who said Ethan also gained mine. So yeah, I eavesdropped in on the council you’ve had daily concerning me and I’m not surprised. Since it was too common I willed my mind to react to Volorum, not Ethan. It helped more than I dreamed. Only one other person alive has it. My brother Billy, but he’ll not live forever. About forty more years from when I checked in on him and Jenny. Apparently Fate made it so he can’t have kids, but he isn’t taking chances although Armid put the last scraps of the Fire King’s blood into me as a baby. My little brother has been sterilized just incase.” He lifted several pieces magically and fit them in place. Only he wasn’t alone as Kira, Morgane and several other Casters levitated the bigger pieces into place for him to weld back. “Billy wouldn’t be a good father anyway, but I digress… Before the Fire King left I asked him the true names and I know every name of each in Order’s Transcendent ranks. The only one no one knows is if Time has a true name. She is mysterious and End rarely speaks to anyone but her. The Fire King and I haven’t spoken since that night. Panther has been my tutor though.”

  “So what is the Fire King like? I never got to meet him in battle.”

  Ethan almost snorted while rolling his eyes. “The man is a sexist asshole.” Those listening in were surprised, especially as Panther just shrugged when turned to. Truth was the truth. “He definitely was baiting me and I’ll not repeat what he called Kanade, but even she told him to go fuck hims
elf on a cactus.” Heads turned to the enchanting woman speaking with Mia the Centaur mare leader with a gentle expression while tickling Blossom’s ribs. Few knew she could get so angry when she was a natural nurturer. “He’d just laugh and say ‘You’ll do, Woman. You’ll do.’ Foulest jokes I ever heard. Makes your three eldest sons look like saints.” Odin raised his left eyebrow, the one over the silvery scar patch eye socket. “He wouldn’t tell us, but he clearly has plans for her and I don’t like not knowing what’s in store.”

  “How strong is he?” Morgane managed to ask.

  “No clue, but I got the feeling he’s no pushover. A demon older than the Earth would have to be. I’m stronger than all Order can throw at me, except from Time. She didn’t seem to have any power I could discover or else she disguises it entirely. But since Demon World is Chaos incarnate and is older than Order and Spirit World, there are millions more Transcendent demons than I currently know. Panther, compare the sides for me.”

  “I can only estimate, Master.”

  “Alright.” He allowed and finished one of the deeper and longer fissures. A finger smoothed the molten rock, but felt like warm mud to him.

  “A rough ratio would pit twenty million demon of equal strength to one Order Transcendent.”

  “Bloody Hell!” Morgane gasped and touched her breast. “How have you not won?”

  Panther didn’t answer till Ethan gave him a penetrating look. “Chaos isn’t out to win like those you follow. Many simply have other goals as in gaining more power, more land, more mistresses, more influence. We are easily distracted. Most of my master’s caste aren’t bothered by Order’s petty demands and structure. We are primal. Dominating. We take what we want. It isn’t a competition. It’s survival. If it were a competition, as you said, you would have lost. The only thing Order has that is the offset to our numbers and might is magic. Your kind breeds Casters. Ours does not. We either have it or not. Mostly not.”

  “What stops you from wanting to win if it was a whim?” The High Witch asked.

  Panther merely pointed to his master as if it made all the sense in the world.

  Morgane didn’t push it.

  All the tiny chips and dust was used to patch the spaces till Ethan could melt granite back to its nearly original place. The wall would never look the same again, but it was a testament that would last practically forever. The lines were more like battle scars, a badge left behind by Ethan’s own hand. It took a half hour, but was at last reasonably patched back together.

  Space was granted to Ethan, much to his gratitude. But as he was walking back to his women sitting and standing with friends his heightened hearing picked up two Amazons off to the side at a table drinking. The excessively muscular women in chainmail tops and leather pants were watching him cross the hall, not realizing he listened in and not stare back.

  One said with a cold beer in her hand “Don’t know if I’d have the size of balls those four have. Especially the icy princess. No Demon Lord has stepped foot in our hall before. It ain’t natural. I’d be pissing myself with fear of attack yet she is all dressed up and completely at ease.”

  The second one harrumphed while fingering the pommel of a broadsword between her legs that was over six feet long. “She knows our hands are tied. Nothing more. Even if we did separate her head from her shoulders, her minions will rain down upon us relentlessly. I heard her kid is nearly as strong as she is… and is waiting for us to screw up… I must admit though… for a demon, she’s hot.”

  “Cold you mean. But I see what you mean. She’s pretty fair. No wonder Kanade’s gone to the Dark Side. Bah! What am I saying. I like dick, not puss.”

  “Me too, but Yuki-onna are like Succubae… only more subtle and can’t enthrall the senses. If I’m not mistaken they are cousin species. They still drip lust for both sexes though. I hear their men are even more promiscuous. One look in their eye and even straight men may question which team to play on.”

  The other laughed and they clanked their beer glasses.

  A rumbling chuckle was barely held off when Kanade rolled her eyes while always in his thoughts. She heard it all through him, especially how those Amazons thought she had gone lesbian rather than bisexual. Kyoko also suppressed a smile as her mind was now in constant contact with Kanade’s so both could get used to the feel of one another so it didn’t feel so wrong all the time. It was by no means as comfortable as what she and Ethan shared, but it was much better than weeks ago when first doing it. Like oil and water, but the two of them could mentally communicate more casually now.

  Ethan smiled down at the women and knelt beside the standing Kyoko and Dallare with Kanade beside them with many friendly faces gathered around.

  “Uncle Ethan, may I touch your horns?” Blossom said as she fluttered in front of his face on delicate butterfly wings.

  “Have at it.” The young Pixie beamed and flew straight for the ivory. Through the reflection of Kyoko’s clear eyes he watched Blossom chase the silver dancing sparks as if it were a game. He was glad he had such profound eyesight to see a reflection on another’s eyeball and hear the tinkling laugh of a spirited child.

  Over a ways he watched Kira crawl into Baldr’s khaki lap as they sat with her family along with Magnus, Nell, her sister and Vina. Nell bounced her baby and cooed lovingly. But Ethan knew his friend enough to see a deep sadness in those muddy brown pools. Vina enjoyed the attention and pulled her mother’s evergreen locks with tiny baby hands.

  This prompted Ethan to continue talking to friends and acquaintances while looking more closely at his friends. Something was up with his teammates. More than their usual secretive reservations. It wasn’t just in Nell’s eyes. Magnus’s usual prideful and loving gaze on his daughter was also haunted. Nell’s sister was also more clingy than usual. Though Ethan couldn’t see Kira and Baldr’s eyes, the same look was etched in her parents’ expression. Both Penbrooks sadly smiled as Baldr told another joke.

  “Kyoko, has Dallare’s hearing discovered anything. I’m concerned even more.”

  Linked to Kanade as she was, Kyoko heard it and shook her head. “I’m afraid not. I too am suspicious. I have also yet to see Vitalli-kun and Ellen-chan.”

  Kanade was busy letting Edda feel her wings and talking while entering the private conversation “Let ‘em be. Ya’ll hear? They’ll tell us when they are good ‘n ready. I think they are sad because they’re loosin’ their best friends in a few days. None of ‘em have our brainpower to process multiple emotions. I’d be a wreck if I were in their place. A few days is hard to say goodbye. I know it would be for me.”

  “We are not dying.” Thought Kyoko. “There should be no sadness, My Love.”

  “To them we are.”

  “Do you know something you’d like to share with the rest of the class?”

  Gold turned on red and softened with innocence. “Other than a woman’s intuition? No. Not really.”

  The topic dropped as a young Gargoyle cub came between the giants on all fours and grunted “I just learned your kind in school yesterday. Is it true you can make anything out of ice?”

  Kyoko elegantly lowered herself to her knees as conversations dwindled to keep a close eye, especially from the mother Gargoyle. She didn’t bother reacting and lifted a hand up and willed her demonic powers forth to bend nature to her whim. Like diamond mist, the air temperature dipped as moisture crystallized and was brought together and shaped into a beautiful and realistic rose at its pinnacle of blossoming. “For you, Young Pup.”

  Claws very carefully took the sculpture and pink eyes watched in awe as light played off its surface in a way no glass ever could. The female child said “So pretty. May I have it?”

  The princess incline her head.

  “Here! I made this for you.” The pup carefully held the rose in one clawed hand and brought out a brown ball that smelled of earth. Kyoko handled the ball and took closer inspection as she said. “Mother taught me how to polish sand with my hands. I spent all week
rubbing it so it can shine. You can have it.”

  “Very kind of you. It is well made. You do your ancestors proud learning this tradition.” Kyoko smiled and handed it over for Dallare who pocketed it. The pup grinned and scurried back to her mother to show off the ice rose.

  Secretly Morgane made a few finger motions to preserve the rose for years to come. The child would greatly treasure it. Morgane then got a grateful wink from Kanade and Ethan both.

  Hours seemed to pass like minutes inside the hall of the First House. Quite a few came up to Ethan and Kanade for goodbyes, well wishes and good lucks. Panther, Dallare and Kyoko stayed close by at all times. Cook, the lively green Will-o-wisp, whipped up a hearty lunch for everyone and claimed more time than most, especially since she allowed Kanade to access her mind to learn all her recipes and tricks which makes Cook the best chef in existence.

  A line had formed so those with things to say could and a time limit of two minutes was allowed. Most though said how grateful they were he saved the entire Milky Way. Some had even come from other Houses to pay respect. Even the half human-Naga Thor turned up and matched Ethan’s size for brotherly hug and a chuckle about having Mjolnir thrown back in their last encounter at his father’s wedding. Being reminded of it falsely made Ethan’s shoulder’s hurt since doing so had dislocated them.

  Many names that came up they didn’t have time to know, but overall the farewell to the two most thought of couple in the House was positive.

  Most steered clear of Panther, mostly because he was too tall, too still and too lethal. Stabbing Fate and making him scream had proved a point. He never spoke to anyone or acknowledged them unless they got too close. A flick of the tail was warning enough he was to be left alone while on duty.

  Kyoko and Dallare had fewer conversations since most generally held some form of grudge against her as a former Demon Lord.