Whatever was going on, Faust thought it deserved quite the production. I got nervous flashbacks back to the days in town, filled with the likes of 'magi-mowing grass' and 'fire you light with your imagination'. Not because these things had gone wrong, rather the reverse. They'd gone horribly right.
It turns out magi-mowing grass is a huge allergen problem, with the tiny bits of plant matter constantly self-severing and floating into the air, and even more worryingly, that the people in town were very rarely not imagining fire, when taken as a whole population.
The combination of the two at the same time had been even more unfortunate.
It always seemed to be fire with this one.
We'd all piled into Faust's room, an uncomfortably cramped space with as many of us as there were getting to be. Faust, over by the wall, near a curtain hiding whatever 'gift' she'd be bestowing today, and Amy seated in a chair suspiciously well-sized to her. Given this was Sally's room, it was surprising to see furniture suited to anyone else making an appearance. The two had apparently gotten quite close without my notice.
Blackberry had, in a fit of honest genius and a complete misunderstanding of boundaries, just crawled right onto Sally's bed without a thought. She took up essentially no room as a result, but, well, maybe this was a Mamono thing, and I had leftover human hangups, but someone's bed seemed like the kind of place you always asked about inhabiting. Still, it worked well, and she likely had entirely different ideas about all that, given her room didn't even feature a bed, exactly.
Or maybe I was just grumpy two of my wives were using dead trees and cloth instead of something better.
Beeps was at my side, near the door. We knew from experience it was always best to have an escape route in these situations.
Charlotte, meanwhile, seemed to have taken her cue from Beeps, setting herself up on the opposite side of the door, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and with one knee lifted high, her foot resting against the wall. I couldn't deny it looked heroic and cool, but I didn't think she could really receive her gift from there, so I doubted Faust would be satisfied.
Samael was, of course, nearby Charlotte, but not so close she could reasonably complain, in their unending, unacknowledged, and unthawingly frosty game of "I'm not touching you!' 'She's touching me!' 'I'm not touching you~!".
Sometimes I wondered what the difference between adults and children was meant to be, exactly, and if anyone actually knew.
Perhaps most worryingly though, was Akubra.
She was front and center, by far the closest to Faust, although against the left wall, so as not to block our view. She was twirling something in her fingers, it looked like a inkpen, of all things. Whatever that was about, that she was here at all had my hackles up. I'd come to love and respect her, but she never seemed to be around when things were going smoothly.
"Okay," I said, with saintly patience, "We're all here, we're all ready, and we're all waiting, Sally."
She frowned at me. Cutely, it must be said.
"So impatient. Have you no sense of gravitas?" She floated in front of the curtain, gently bobbing up and down, her tail whipping back and forth excitedly. She had, at some point, gotten a new cloak, the material higher quality than I'd yet seen on anyone, the interior lined with uncountable feathers, and she was wrapped in bandages much like Charlotte's.
The way the feathers twitched and the bandages swayed, I wondered if they were somehow alive. She'd mentioned something about that. Had she had the time yet, or was it my imagination?
Whether or not they were moving, they were covering her more completely than her old cloak had done, even if the effect left little to the imagination. I thought Charlotte ought to appreciate that at the very least, she'd made a token attempt to clothe herself.
She cleared her throat.
"Charlotte," she began, "Do you recall, some days ago, when you fought the dread Dragon, Thagolynn? That battle which shook the hearts of many, myself included in their number?"
Charlotte nodded, warily. "I don't 'shake hearts', but I also don't fight Dragons often enough to just forget one."
Had it already been that long? Last night had been her third night with us, even if the first day hadn't really counted. I needed to pick up the pace if I wanted to convince her to stay.
"What you may not know," Faust said, clearly relishing the attention, "Is that she was unsatisfied with her loss that day."
Charlotte scoffed, and Faust grinned.
"My thoughts on the matter precisely." She wiggled her hips, lightly. "No one who saw that fight could have taken anything from it other than your utter domination of her on her own terms."
She paused.
"No one, it seems, except the woman herself. Since your bout, she has been stalking the streets, interrogating those who claimed to have seen you, trying to pinpoint your location. She has not been gentle, and many an innocent Incubus or Mamono has been harmed in her pursuits. Admittedly, none beyond repair, but…"
I spoke up. "What are we doing about that? We can't leave that be."
I had a sort of magical interest in protecting Charlotte from harm, but even more than that, it wasn't right running around beating on people, and I didn't want to live in a place that allowed that kind of thing.
She smiled at me, like the old times. Like whenever I'd gotten myself to a point she was trying to lead me to, but before she'd expected.
"Indeed. Queen Twinkle Star," I noticed Charlotte as she scowled, "was not impressed with this behavior, and in one of our weekly consultations of the Founders, she sought advice and solutions from us, her court."
"Her court? Your role as the… 'Human Founder'?" Charlotte asked.
Faust frowned. "I prefer to be referred to as Majestic Nemesis or Arch Heretic, actually."
Of course you do.
"In any case." She said, "The title is essentially just that. I could likely have a fancy dress prepared, but my own sense of style is nearly incompatible with such things." She means she's basically nude all the time. "Other than our door here at the center of town, and the Queen's own ear, being a Founder is merely a matter of broad respect."
"We got a discount too!" Blackberry said.
"Ah yes." Faust said, dubiously. "The so-called 'Founder's Right'. If I ever have need of the baubles those in the city produce and sell in their free time, I shall, I'm sure, be quite pleased to obviate the need to haggle."
"Free time?" Samael asked.
"Indeed." Faust said. "Or did you think there was truly sufficient demand for artisanal crafts within one city-state that so many businesses could be sustainably run when the only customers are artists themselves? Past a certain point you might as well try to sell your leg hair. We have far fewer needs, and more free time to achieve them. Indeed, with the proper tools properly placed, a husband and wife can sustain themselves on merely the byproducts of their time together. Sustainability is admittedly not the same as comfort or luxury, but it makes an excellent foundation."
"So all those people on the street are selling their art as, like, a hobby?" I asked.
Faust frowned at me.
"I have gathered you here to present a gift, not a lecture on economics," she said, "I suspect you are stalling, my love."
Ah. Guilty.
With my questions quelled by a feeling of sheepishness, Faust cleared her throat.
"As I was saying," she continued, "Queen Twinkle Star sought our advice. The nature of Mamono is one of, unfortunately, fundamental imbalance. While those on the street are largely able to handle problems themselves or with a favor from a friend or neighbor, there is not much any but the most powerful can do against a Dragon to curtail the sorts of behaviors she was indulging in. A humble Harpy can do little more than squawk indignantly if Thagolynn were to become physical, and she had been dominating the tournament scene for some time now. Even those more inclined to fight back had likely already been shown the futility of it."
She began to pace while floating, a sort of back and forth that looked even more dramatic as her cloak and bandages twirled at each sharp turn.
"She is no fool, and avoided those more capable of tangling with her, however…" She paused. "I and the other founders are precisely the sorts of individuals most able to handle her."
Charlotte scoffed.
Faust looked at her, eyebrow raised.
"You're powerful, but you can't expect me to believe you can best a Dragon. They're on another level."
Faust smiled thinly. "For you, perhaps. I can touch her, however, and I am already dead. There is nothing left on this planet I need to fear. Even a second death would be at most a temporary setback."
Don't say it.
She took in a breath.
Oh Lord, she's going to do it.
She opened her mouth. "Don't you see, foolish hero? I am-"
Uuuugggghhhh.
"-invincible!"
We all were quiet a moment as she basked in our stunned silence. Charlotte looked completely unimpressed, luckily. We need her to be less afraid, Faust, less!
The worst thing was it was it had just enough truth to it that I knew I'd lose the argument if I started it.
Blackberry started to clap and I realized right then that at some point I'd surrounded myself with enough women more on Faust's wavelength than mine that reigning her in was likely a lost cause for the rest of our lives. I had a type, and that type was…
Well, whatever this mess was.
I squelched the weirdly horny feelings that welled up when my wife defied a bona fide Hero right in front of me and pressed on, desperate to end this before I started monologuing too.
"So, you talked to Twinkle Star," I said. "How is this related to the gift?"
She narrowed her eyes at me, but was gracious enough not to continue to revel.
"Indeed I did. Many ideas were floated from those in our meetings, from the frightening to the absurd. An artisanal sadist, requesting a rare canvas; an accomplished sculptor, a statue frozen in time; a medical prodigy, a durable shame cone."
She smiled smugly.
"But none know Twinkle Star as do I. None see what I can see, her vision of Mamonodom. Too wrapped up in their own visions of artistry to perceive the tapestry of life the Queen herself weaves. She has no interest in accepting a loss. No interest in punishing the unruly. She prefers to find a place for them, happy and productive. It is her project, her grand design. Morningwood, her greatest creation, art as alive as her own self. What was needed was not a victory of domination, but of understanding."
What did that mean?
"Dragons are proud. They do not yield in life, excepting in the rarest of circumstances. I could not guarantee such an outcome. However… Life. Life is not my domain."
She ripped the curtain back, revealing…
She laid on a metallic slab, her skin pallid and cold, her eyes closed. Her wings were folded in a chaste manner across her body, hiding what was likely a nakedness she had worn proudly in life. Her hair was brushed, braided into a crown that circled her head, her four horns jutting forward aggressively, anyone she kissed would need to be certain to hold still, lest they cut themselves on the wicked sharpness, She was tall. Strong, well built. Even unmoving, she set me on edge. To be near her was to be threatened. Thagolynn looked pretty good, all in all.
For someone with a head severed at the neck.
I looked around the room. I wasn't sure how I felt, how to deal with what I felt. I did the only thing I could, and checked on the others. After Akubra, Amy was the least surprised. If anything, she looked grimly resolved, as though she'd expected what we'd been shown. Had she found out ahead of time, or had her sense of smell tipped her off? I couldn't say. She seemed almost angry, but at whom, I couldn't say. All that was clear was that this was complicated, as far as she was concerned.
Beeps was impassive as always, though I could hear her gears whirring internally. Even she was processing what she was seeing. How could she have even accomplished this? How could she have done this? I didn't know. Beeps didn't seem to either.
Charlotte and Samael both seemed disgusted, the two mirror each other's expressions in small ways as their shared history led them to the same reaction. I got the sense that perhaps Charlotte would like very much to return her 'gift'. Not that I could blame her. What had she been thinking?
Faust, for her part, was losing her grand stature as it dawned on her that perhaps the rest of us were not enthused to be presented with a decapitated corpse. There was a little bit of self-awareness left inside that empty head of hers, then. I knew I held her soul safely inside myself, or I might, in that moment, have questioned its existence. I felt the warmth, the excitement of it grow colder, more confused.
Good.
As for Blackberry, well…
"Is… is she dead, Sally?"
Was this the first body Blackberry had seen? Had she ever had reason to see the dead before? Certainly not on display like this, like a gaudy toy. It was crushing to see her small, confused posture, the largest of us shrunk in on herself, her light not able to shine brightly enough to illuminate a mood like the one brewing here and now.
"Technically yes." Faust said, starting uncertain, but regaining steam quickly, "However, as a necromancer, to powers such as mine, death is little more than dreamless sleep. Dragons awaken as undead having tasted the flesh of other monsters in the afterlife, they are evermore much more agreeable. I have taken steps to ensure the success of the process, however."
I scoffed, or meant to.
It came out more as a growl.
"I see," I said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "Well that makes it alright, then."
She turned to look at me.
"L-lyle?"
I was boiling.
"In fact," I said, "killing people and remaking them in your image seems like a pretty great solution to all sorts of problems, Sally. Charlotte's proving hard to convince that we're all ultimately harmless, why not flip to the other end of the spectrum and prove her point? Wouldn't she be happier as a Zombie?"
Her eyes widened. "I would never-"
"What would have happened to me, Faust?" I asked, furious, stepping forward. "If I'd trusted you with my body and soul? Would you have 'taken steps to ensure the success of the process'?"
"I-I wouldn't… she's not… you're… she's no one. I… I did this to protect us! You are more important than the universe, she is nothing but a threat to those I, those we, hold dear!"
Wow.
"She's a person, Sally. She has, had, hopes, dreams, and an entire life! People who loved her like we love each other! The world shouldn't be a place where people who love each other squash people who love other people! We're not special alone, we're special together! How could you do this to someone? She's just like us! If you'd known her like you know us, how could it have been different!? She was who she was whether you knew her or not, and so am I! So is everyone! What is wrong with you?"
"I… I…" she struggled for words, her soul roiling inside me. I could feel how upset she was, but I couldn't stop myself. I was so upset. My feelings mattered too. She'd breached a level of trust so fundamental I'd never realized I'd even extended it. On some level I knew my fury was counterproductive, but I just… I just couldn't feel any other way.
"And another thing-!"
A hand alighted on my shoulder, gently, but firmly. I whipped around, not even bothering to open a new set of eyes.
It was Beeps.
No one else it could have been, really.
"Enough."
I started, surprised. Out of anyone, out of everyone, Beeps should understand this best. "Beeps, she-"
"Lyle."
I took a deep breath, forced myself to stop.
"This wasn't right." I said, finally, my back still to Faust, to the room.
"I-I… perhaps… should I simply… should I leave her, Lyle?" Faust sounded lost. "I had not intended murder. She was but to sleep, to awaken to understanding of the very ideas you describe. I… do not know what to do? If I do not resurrect her, then… what have I done?"
Amy spoke, quietly, "Maybe you should have asked that question earlier, Faust. Back at the café?"
There was silence for a moment.
Charlotte spoke next. "Why did you think I would want this?"
Faust spoke again, her voice slightly unsteady. "I thought… I thought, to remove a threat, to provide you a loyal guard, one which would obey you absolutely. Give you power equal to nearly any monster at your fingertips, but without any corruption. I thought to level the playing field, to soothe discomfort. I have… I had… I prepared things such that she should be able to protect you, envelop you as a Will-o-the-Wisp does unto her lover, safe within a cage of bone and fire, to give unto you her head, brought to heel with the insignias of a Jiang Shi, placed upon her forehead. Absolute authority over a creature such as this, no one could make you any safer under your own power. I thought to provide Samael a sexual outlet, that you two could speak again without fear. I had thought to teach this creatu- this woman the same joys I have come to value, I thought she too, would be happier, as I am."
She paused.
"I thought you would be pleased?"
Dammit, Sally. Sometimes you think too much.
"I see." Charlotte said. She looked surprisingly more conflicted than I'd expected. "I… I understand why you did what you did, Sa- Faust."
She does?
"You do?" Faust asked.
Charlotte wore a solemn expression, Samael gazing at her from behind, forlornly. She looked like someone seeing a place where their home had once been, before a fire took it in the night. Unable to separate the lifetime of good memories from the moment of horror.
"Protecting the people that matter from harm." She said. "It's why I do what I do. I protect those who can't protect themselves from the things they couldn't prevent, even with their last breath. It's why I've slain so many. It's why I'll fight you all for my freedom in five days' time. It's not something, though…"
She looked directly at Faust with something closer to kinship than I'd yet seen.
"You have to understand; violence is not a gift. It's not something that can be a gift, Sally. The gift is a non-violent solution, they're so very few in our lives. Violence is our curse, Sally. The last thing we should ever do, when all else fails and other action would only irrevocably harm. It's too easy to become something irredeemably awful, even keeping to that ideal. Was this something you had to do? Was there really no other way? With all your power?"
Sally took in a breath, opened her mouth, but then looked away, breaking her gaze.
Charlotte, if anything, looked more sympathetic. I wasn't sure I understood what was going on between the two of them, but I thought this might be the first time Charlotte had taken the lead of any conversation with us, so I knew enough to stay quiet.
"Maybe it's true that you can bring her back. For a Mamono maybe that really isn't a big deal, I don't know, I don't want to. I do know, though, there's never any excuse that you can let yourself accept that allows you to do anything other than your absolute upmost to make sure that when you strike, it's necessary, and doesn't exceed that necessity. The girl I taught was bright enough to do better."
Amy spoke up, and I was sort of startled. I forgot the room for a moment, just listening to her speak. I guess this was the inspirational might of a Hero.
"She… Thagolynn, she did threaten the lives of innocents. She nearly crushed me to death, and maybe ten others. It was only with Faust's help she was stopped."
Charlotte went to speak, but she was cut off.
"No, that is true, fair Amy, but I planned that meeting with every intention to end her life, it was the plan from the start. It was only under that threat that she became so violent."
She looked at Charlotte.
"That is what you mean, isn't it? That escalation was caused by my own foolishness. If I had not grandstanded, if I had simply… simply set her to sleep in truth before she knew what was coming, those innocents could have been spared peril. By reveling in the violence, I put them at risk?"
"It's a start," Charlotte said, "But a plan should almost never start with 'kill someone', and your pitch to that thing in the castle did. Appeal to those she cares for, if you can't appeal to her. You had other options."
Faust nodded, and looked resolved. Maybe, just maybe, she'd be more responsible in the future? I knew that death… didn't mean the same thing to us anymore, it was impermanent, but… I think Charlotte had hit on the heart of it. There was still no excuse for the violence of it.
"We… we aren't gonna let her stay dead, though," Blackberry asked, "are we, Lyle?"
"No." I said, I heard the anger still tinging my voice, hard and terse. I wasn't sure how to process all of this yet, but it needed to be resolved before I could try, anyway. "What do we need to do to bring her back? What should we expect?"
"She… Dragon Zombies are sexuality incarnate in a way that even Succubi are not. Lascivious, instinctual, almost stupid. Their draconic greed and superiority oriented onto their instincts as a Mamono, they are unstoppable forces of destruction and undeath drawing a line towards the one they are destined for." She paused. "Unstoppable, that is, unless you are yourself even moreso. I am one such. This talisman," she raised her hand, holding an intricately inked piece of paper, "when placed onto her forehead by the one who shall take control, will instead raise her as a Dragon Jian Shi. A type of Zombie, but one for whom obedience is paramount. This should be all that is required, now that the talisman has been prepared.
"The other elements I have introduced into her body, essence of Will-o-the-Wisp, as I stated, should allow Charlotte to wear her body as a sort of draconic armor, like the heroes of old. I thought it apropos. With the head at her hip, and bound to her command, she should be safe from all harms, and Thagolynn herself will not be able to even attempt to disobey." She turned to look at Charlotte, "Her instincts as a Mamono will still need satisfying, however… Samael requires the same. You should be able to set one upon the other, two birds with one stone."
The plan had a certain elegance to it, I had to begrudgingly admit.
"Fine," Charlotte said, stepping forward, "It should be easier to get out of this place with something like that, at least."
Faust's eyes widened.
Mine did too, I hadn't even considered we'd have to fight this thing later.
"Perhaps… perhaps her body does not need nearly so many installed features after all," Sally said, but it appeared the time for discussion was long past.
Charlotte extended her for the talisman, and Sally gave it to her.
"Inscribe your name, and place it upon her brow."
"Do you have a pen?"
"Um." She looked around her room, it was a mess. "It may take me a few minutes to locate one, admittedly."
Seriously, Sally?
"Here's one," Akubra said.
Wait.
A chill ran down my spine. She'd been waiting there. She'd had that pen since the start.
"Hey guys, maybe we should wait a sec-"
Charlotte's fingers brushed Thagolynn's forehead, paper meeting flesh.
Light exploded, and shadows lit aflame.
And the body twitched.
More and more confirmation about Akubra's abilities though.
