3-6 Willful


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin was conflicted about the depth of their rtionship but one thing was clear to her, Siv was a friend and more. That night she spent with Siv along with Lyra, she understood how much the Wolf-kin was suffering. Knowing that she was in a dark ce, Erin could not just look the other way and left her all alone. With her mind made up, Erin quickly left the field to search for Siv. But of course, it was not before she told everything to Lyra in brief. To her surprise, Iris volunteered to take her ce in ying with the children. The children were quick to be enamoured by Iris due to her near-unparalleled beauty and her race as an Umbrun. It was the first time any of the children had met an Umbrun, so it was only natural they were curious of Iris.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin donned her cloak and cast Twilight Veil on herself to avoid being recognized. Now that she was a well-known individual throughout the town, it was no longer a simple task just to get from one block to the next without being recognized. Even if they didn’t know her, her tails were enough to garner a variety of curious nces and attention. There were even cases where she was stopped by people. It was either the person who wished to express their gratitude or an invitation to a challenge. As a matter of fact, she had received four challenges. She surprised herself that she did not feel any urge to ept the challenges. Instead, she would rather spend her time in peace. It shook her a little but she calmed herself with the fact that a person could change but a bit more unsettling was that she was getting older.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Banishing those reminiscences away, Erin retrained her focus back to searching for Siv. Now that her level was higher, Spirit Magic was even more of a breeze to use. Though she felt less focus was needed in casting a spell but in truth, it just meant that she was bing more adept. As usual, Erin made her way through the town by traversing through the rooftops where she had no need to worry about street congestion.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Unlike Green Scar, Quinteburgh was vast. She had arrived at her destination in less than half an hour but the smithy street was huge. The scent of metal and mes shrouded was too domineering to distinguish the other scents in the air properly even with her heightened sense of smell. It was the peak of the day, the rush hour for the cksmiths. The noises were polluted by the sounds of haggling and metal hammering. The only way Erin could find Siv was through her sight and intuition.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Hmm?” Erin murmured as a very distinctive series of noises entered her hearing. It was the sound of a heated argument. It caught her attention as she recognized the voices. Or at least she recognized one of the voices but the other voice was only vaguely familiar.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin followed the noise, leaping from rooftops to rooftops, scaling building walls that were in her way. In no time at all, she arrived at the scene. Thankfully, the argument was happening in some cksmith stall but out on the street. Erin immediately recognized the other voice as Crom, the son of Hegan. She undid her spell in hopes of getting the two’s attention.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Please, Siv. I beg of you to reconsider,” Crom pleaded, his hands wrapped around Siv’s.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Unhand me, Crom. I am not your personal guard anymore!” Siv shouted back.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Please reconsider, Siv. I swear I can make you happy this time!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin recoiled back. She felt she had heard something scandalous. With every step she took towards the two, she was treading deeper into a marsh of drama. If it wasn’t for Siv, she would have taken her leave right here and then. A crowd would have gathered around them if this was just another quarrel but since everyone recognized Crom to some degree due to his body figure and his expensive attire, themoners knew better than to stick their nose into this matter. Still, they couldn’t help but sneak nces at them.


    <span style="font-weight:400">On a closer notice, Erin discovered three capable fighters lying in wait a few dozen feet away from Crom. No doubt they were Crom’s bodyguards as Erin recognized one of them.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The two had yet to notice Erin’s presence. Siv would have noticed but she was still too green to split her focus and attention. She was also troubled with her recently departed brother. These were the reasons for her oversight of Erin’s approach. As for Crom, Erin wagered he just wasn’t too bright or sharp considering she was approaching them from his front and he somehow failed to put her presence in his eyes.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Siv, if there’s anything that you are not happy about, just let me know. I can change them.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin felt her stomach coiled.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I followed your father because I longed to see the world and your father was a great and trustworthy person but now, I no longer aim to see the world.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Then what is your aim? Please tell me, I-I can make it happen. I promise!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin held back the bile surfacing from her belly.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Vengeance,” Siv said, pulling her hands away from Crom. “Can you give me that?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“V-vengeance? What do you mean? The horde is dead. How are you going to seek your vengeance?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Siv looked away. “You wouldn’t understand.” Her eyes fell on Erin and they widened.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Then please exin to me. I’m sure I can— L-Lady Erin!” Only now did Crom notice Erin in his sight.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Good afternoon, Siv, Lord Crom.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It’s Mister Crom…” He cast his gaze down. “My father is the one with titles. Lovely afternoon to you too, Lady Erin.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Erin...” Siv looked surprised at Erin’s presence. “Y-you’re here...”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, I’m here. I came as soon as I got wind of your… demission.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Lady Erin, please convince Siv here to return to me— I-I mean us— I-I mean my father and I.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin nodded at Crom before turning to Siv. “Before I do any convincing, I would like to know about this vengeance you speak of, Siv.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Siv kept silent and her eyes refused to meet Erin’s.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Siv, I can’t bear seeing you suffer. I promise it will be much better if you just talk to someone. Let me help.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Siv raised her gaze but only slightly. She sneaked furtive nces at Erin and Crom before turning her back to them. “C-can we speak alone, Erin…?” she asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“E-eh? Siv, w-what about me? I can h-help too...”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You’re not a fighter, Crom. You can’t possibly understand.” Just as she looked as if she was done with her words, there was a glint of realization in her eyes. “And I dislike misunderstandings, so I’ll put this straight. I can never see you as a potential mate, Crom.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin felt the brunt of Siv’s words even though she wasn’t the intended recipient. The hearing walls also let out their silent condolences.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Shocked with her words, Crom stood frozen on the spot with his mouth gaping and only stuttering sounds escaped his lips.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Before Erin could apologize for Siv’s words, her wrist was grabbed and she was pulled along. Erin could easily break herself free but she allowed herself to be dragged away. The two did not exchange any words as they moved through the busy streets. Siv purposely chose a route without any eyes. She still had the least amount of senses to be considerate of her surroundings. Eventually, they arrived at a small nest of trees, behind a derelict-looking chapel.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin realized the chapel was the one with the insignia of a serpent-dragon chasing its own tail. “Why here?” she asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Quiet. Absent of prying ears and eyes,” Siv answered. “No onees to this ce for some reason. Everyone seems to know this ce but no one everes here.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin took in the scent of this ce. It was as Siv said, no one had been here for a long time. There was barely any other scent other than the florals and the small animals. She surveyed the area with Spirit Sight but found no traces of miasma. There was also no hint of any spells being cast.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Apparently the locals avoided this ce due to some superstition.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What superstition?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...This chapel was here long before Quinteburgh was built. The whole town was built around it. This chapel belongs to some ancient religious order.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Does this story have anything to do with your demission decision?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Siv finally let go of Erin’s wrist. “It doesn’t,” she said, softly.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Oh,” Erin muttered. She didn’t take Siv as someone who was sentimental over history.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I just want to… talk with you. To share with you what I have heard, or do you find it cumbersome?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I will always wee you, Siv, even if you''re just looking for someone to have some idle exchange of words. So… what is this ancient religious order?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">A faint smile adorned Siv’s face as she shook her shoulders. “No one remembers the name. They only talked about how cursed and wretched this ground is. They avoid this ce due to that belief.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Are we even supposed to be here?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know...” Siv said and took a seat on a stump. “I don’t know where else to go...”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What’s wrong, Siv?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...Do you ever get angry but you don’t know how to make it stop?” Siv said after a brief silence.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin considered the question before answering. “Wrath is an old friend but not without reason. What’s been bothering you?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I know the one responsible for Wrev’s death is dead but… I didn’t do anything. I wanted to do something. I-I want vengeance but… I know I can’t get it now… and it just doesn’t feel right. My brother’s dead but I can’t even be the one who gave him peace of mind.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sorry, Siv...”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You’re mistaken, Erin. I’m notying the me on you. I hate myself for being… weak.” Per her words, Siv’s smile also turned frail. “Even if the opportunity of revenge did present itself to me, I doubt I could live through that ordeal or see it to the end. My brother will be mad if I join him so prematurely…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Siv...”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I thought our deaths would be… grand or at least, far into the future...”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Your brother died saving this town. That’s a great honour.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Siv shook her head. “My tribe begged to differ. This is our pilgrimage but he died before he even discovered anything of worth. To reim that honour, I have to present the head of the one responsible for his death.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“The vengeance you spoke of… is to reim your brother’s honour?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It’s ghastly, I know. It is ill-advised to practice some of our more… extreme customs outside of ournds as most humans have their eyes only to a narrow valley. I believe my brother and I have been fortunate for the majority of times, to be able to meet humans who don’t find our kind repulsive.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“There is no shame in embracing your roots. I have been told repeatedly that my actions are ill-suited to my status as a Fae. And if it’s vengeance you seek, I think that ship has yet to sail.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Siv stared. “You mean… the Necromancer’s not dead?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I mean the Necromancer isn’t the only involved party in the attack.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Siv continued to stare, her shoulders trembled and tears began to overflow her eyes. She fell to her knees. “Tell me… who are they…?” she asked, her gaze boring into the ground.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I don''t know who they are but I know they wille for me.” Erin helped Siv to her feet. She also patted her of the dirt and leaves as she continued her exnation. “Building such a horde isn’t easy and I foiled their efforts. They will retaliate. They wille for my head.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Is this an invitation?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It is.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Siv chuckled softly.. “Strange... ” she said. “I thought you would tell me something like “vengeance is a means to an end” or something of that manner. Didn’t think you would encourage it.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Because if something happens to Lyra, no simple words would cate me either. Vengeance won’t bring anyone back but I bet it will feel good when one exacts it.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I might ruin myself along the path of vengeance. I know many people have.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“And I will make sure you don’t.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Then would you allow me to be by your side when they do?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I will, Siv.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">There was no warning. There was no indication whatsoever. Siv just plunged herself into Erin, smacking her lips on Erin’s, her tongue trying to gain entrance into the Fox-kin’s mouth.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin was barely able to see hering. She could have stepped aside but she didn’t. She was the holder of Lust Deviant and with every day that passed, she was proving to Nyx she was truly deserving of that skill. She could not win against her lust and Siv was a goddess with her tongue. There was no way Erin could resist indulging in her lust and Siv’s.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Can we do it right here?” Siv asked, her flushed face was already begging for more.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You only need to ask,” Erin answered and began to undo the sps of her that held her robe together.