“And I’ll come right back here, to you!” Reia shouted. “You said you wanted to start our own family, but I can’t and will not do that when there are thousands of Demons out there threatening us and our children. I’m tired of waiting now, Orpheus. I’m ready to take that step with you, but I never will if he is out there, taunting us.”
For a woman who, seconds ago, had appeared fierce, she suddenly looked pale and afraid. Ingram’s orbs reddened with hunger, but he quickly covered his nose holes and turned his beak away from her.
Orpheus curled his arms around her and gently pulled her against his chest. His red orbs turned blue, but darker and deeper than normal.
“I know, Reia. I want this too, but the thought of you coming to harm again fills me with agony. I would rather have my skull crushed than know you are there, alone and unprotected.”
Emerie realised what she and Ingram were asking was... too much. Even if they hadn’t said it, each woman in this room had fear in their eyes.
“They wouldn’t be alone,” Mayumi pushed, her eyes bowing into a glare that held no animosity for anyone here. “If we wait until I give birth, which is only in a few weeks, I can go with them.” She held her hand up before anyone could speak over the top of her. “That gives me more time to train everyone. I may be small, but I was one of the best Demonslayers in my sector.” Then she gestured her hand towards Emerie and Ingram. “We would also have them. They both seem to have a death wish, so if we have at least one Duskwalker on our side who can take on Jabez, everyone else just needs to keep a horde of Demons from him.”
“We will go with you,” Faunus declared, finally sitting up. It seemed he could no longer lazily lie about while his woman was considering going on such a dangerous mission. “If you think we wouldn’t follow our brides into a battle, then you are sorely mistaken, Mayumi.”
“And what about them, Faunus?” She picked up the child, who was actively moving between them, and shoved them in his bony face. “One of us would have to stay behind regardless. And I’ll be damned if you go and get yourself fucking killed, take me with you to the grave, and leave them to fend in this world by themselves. You wanted children so much, then you must bear the weight of having them, even if that means you let me go to fight a battle that involves all of us – without you.”
The growl that rumbled from Faunus was as terrifying as thunder – loud, and a hellish warning of the brewing chaos. Mayumi raised a brow and shoved their child in his face again, their little limbs flapping about but seemingly unbothered.
He huffed, pushed her away from him, and sat up properly to place both feet on the ground. He shoved his skull into his hands with his claws digging into the back of it.
“You know I’m ri–”
He cut Mayumi off by roaring, yet his orbs were white and the big guy was... trembling? Mayumi, taken aback, flinched and smoothed her features.
Emerie bit at her bottom lip in distress.
This was... unbearable to watch.
All of them arguing between each other, and revealing just how deeply they cared for their partners, was harrowing. Emerie was getting a vivid peek into their hearts and bonds, and she felt terrible that she and Ingram were the cause of their current grief.
“Yes, you’re right. I get it,” he eventually muttered, before placing his skull back in his hands. “But just the idea of you coming to harm, like Orpheus said, fills me with agony. We are meant to protect you, not the other way around.”
“This is your way of protecting us,” Delora softly said. “Sometimes we have to make painful sacrifices for the ones we love. Sometimes we have to give someone else something precious while we take on the fight and burden.” She leaned into Magnar’s side as she brought his arm around her herself. She turned her head up to his fox skull. “I’ve already done it once, for Fyodor. I want to do it for all of us, but as well as for them again because I’ve been terrified of Fyodor being out there in the world by themself.”
“Fyodor?” Emerie asked.
Delora turned a pained smile to her. “Magnar and I have our own child, but they’re fully grown and didn’t want to stay with us.”
Emerie’s gaze flittered to the painting next to the door, and she realised it was a family portrait of all of them from when it was little and bearing a small skull. She couldn’t make out what kind.
“Little raven,” Magnar groaned, turning her so he could cup her cheeks with both hands. “You are too sweet. The other brides, they are strong and fierce. You are not.”
“You’re right, I’m not very strong, or even fast, but I can be brave when I really need to be.” Delora let out a laugh. “Mayumi said I’m a natural with a bow, and I can take down Demons from a vantage point if I can get to one. I don’t need to survive, but just buy everyone time like I did for you when protecting Fyodor. I’ll probably be the first one back here, I know that, but if I can help at all, I want to.” Then she reached up with a gentle touch to make Magnar dip his snout so she could nuzzle it. “But you will have to stay here, Magnar, or accept that you coming along could mean that I don’t get to come back because you’ll be gone as well. Plus... I really want to show that asshole that I can look at him without trembling in fear, like he promised me.”
Magnar pulled her off her feet as a whine escaped his chest. “I don’t know how to convince you otherwise.”
He held Delora like she was the most precious and delicate thing in the world, and she embraced him as though he wasn’t a terrifying monster.
“So, is it settled?” Reia asked.
“No. I will not allow it,” Orpheus growled. “I have spent all my life waiting for you. I told myself when I finally found my bride, I would not let her come to harm, and yet I have already had you die and wither into ash in my arms.”
“I will go without you, Orpheus. You can either give me your blessing, or I’ll borrow some of Mayumi’s enchanted rope and tie you to the bed and leave.”
“You forget.” He pointed a claw at her face threateningly, but it felt empty of actual potential for harm. His tone was dark and menacing as he said, “It’s a four-day walk just to his castle for a Mavka. You will return to me by the end of the first day, my little doe.”
Reia shrugged her right shoulder. “I’m sure we can figure something out. I will go, Orpheus, without you. Accept it.”
With a ferocious snarl and his orbs flaring red again, Orpheus turned and stormed away to leave. Emerie didn’t know if anyone else noticed it, but just as he was shoving himself through the threshold, his orbs morphed to a stark white before he slammed the door behind him.
Reia’s lips were tight, and now that he was gone, tears filled her eyes. She looked extremely hurt, and perhaps even a little betrayed by his leaving. She took a single step forward to chase after him, only to stop and clench her hands into fists at her sides.