Chapter 26
New Pharia
Brir
Light had just crossed the horizon when Elex finally said I could go. My full tail was hidden down the leg of my pants. I shuffled towards the entrance, the coarse fabric rubbing against the freshly formed skin. Each step tingled with a strange new sensation.
As I stepped outside, the chill of the early dawn bit my skin, a reminder of my fresh transformation. I wagged my new appendage, which was trapped in the fabric. The coarse material of the pants Peter gave me scraped against its scales.
I left the medical office to find Arya sitting in a chair reading a book, waiting for me to be done.
Her eyes, deep wells of violet, flicked up from the pages at the sound of my approach. Her lips broke into a knowing smile, the faintly luminescent markings on her horn glinting in the dim morning light.
I stopped in my tracks to glare at her before I pushed open the doors that led to the street.
Arya got up, snapping her book closed and tucking it under her arm. She jogged for a moment to catch up. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my new pants, walking a little faster down the street.
“You all better?” she asked, looking me over.
"Better is a relative term," I replied, still husky. Elex’s species had abilities like many others from our world. He could heal with his energy, but the body wasn’t meant to heal that quickly. It left me stiff. My muscles begged me for rest as they shook under my skin.
The cool air was a balm to my healed skin. "Let's not talk about it," I murmured, eyes focused on the cobblestone path ahead, each step a contentious negotiation between my body and my will.
Arya nodded, understanding my reluctance. “Well, Merrick and Soren are at the cafe waiting for you,” she informed me. I turned down the next street that would take me to where Merrick was probably making sure Soren ate something.
The narrow street we traversed was eerily quiet, the faint glow of dawn casting long, foreboding shadows from the tall buildings on either side. New Pharia was just waking up, the air heavy with the rich aroma of fresh-baked bread and the robust scent of coffee, which the humans loved. Meta had learned how to grow it.
Arya followed me down the street, not leaving my side. I rolled my eyes.
“I’m not in the mood, Arya,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin after being stuck in the clinic for so long.
She was unflustered, her eyes revealing just a twinge of concern. “I know,” was all she said, but her pace didn’t slow, nor did she leave me to meet with Merrick alone.
Walking past a cafe window, I saw Merrick and Soren sitting at a table. I opened the door and held it for Arya to step through first.
As soon as she walked in, a barrage of people surrounded her, asking questions. They caressed her skin, offering their thoughts and thanks, trying to shower her with attention.
It was a little worse than normal, but Arya always plastered a smile on her face and answered their questions with grace and patience I didn't have. I moved over to the shorter line to get food.
Several of the dishes I recognized were from our world. The others, I presumed, were from this world and were more for the humans who lived in New Pharia.
I watched as many ran their wrists down Arya's body. The Chihito would die for these people. She almost had a few times.
Ignoring the dishes that looked alien, I filled my plate with familiar food.
I took a deep breath, inhaling the tantalizing smells of wholesome foods from our world. There was a comforting dish of roast haunch and root vegetables and another of fragrant forest herbs tossed with wild grains. The scent helped ease the tension in my body as I remembered home.
My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, all focusing on one thing—Artemis. I picked my way through the crowd, delicately balancing my plate in one hand. The air was thick with the smell of various spices and the sounds of laughter and chatter. The diverse crowd of beings from all different worlds meshed into a beautiful cacophony. I glanced around for Arya, finally spotting her on the far side of the hall.
I moved towards Merrick and Soren, setting my tray in front of an empty chair at their table. Both of them looked up at me as I sat down.
Both looked up at me in surprise, their conversation falling silent instantly.
"Morning," Soren greeted as I sat down opposite them. "I see you’re all better?" Merrick asked, his eyes sweeping over me in concern as he took in my healed skin and the bandages still wrapped around certain areas of my body.
"I'm all healed," I reassured him, holding up my arms to show him the unmarred skin. "And starving."
“Healing will do that to you,” Soren said before taking his food.
As if on cue, my stomach growled loudly. The three of us burst into laughter. The tension accumulated from hours earlier seeped away slowly as we began to eat and chat about minor things—avoiding any heavy topics for now.
Arya sat down with her plate and joined us in conversation while we ate. I listened to the banter at the table but didn't join in, my mind fully focused on Artemis. I needed him back with me.
The food tasted like ash in my mouth as I shoveled into it. I needed the calories.
“Brir.” Arya's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. She placed a hand on my shoulder. “Everyone’s ready. You guys just need to grab your gear. I have the Lepots saddled and ready by the armory.”
“You're watching Emily, for sure?” Soren asked, looking up at her.
“Yep, she's going to meet us at the Lepot pen,” Arya told everyone at the table. I hadn’t seen Merrick's adopted daughter yet, but Arya had told me about the numbers on the back of her neck. The military had held her captive, and she had escaped. She was a smart kid.
Merrick and Soren stood up first, picking up their plates. I followed behind the two. Meta stood next to the food line and raised his hand for the plates. He took them with a smile and a nod of his head. We left quickly.
Arya pulled the door open and stepped through with me. Merrick and Soren were close behind.
“Okay, Brir, strip out of those clothes. I want you to wear the ethereal gear,” she told me as she moved to the back of the building.
I pulled my borrowed human shirt over my head and folded it up.
As soon as I let my pants drop, I heard a gasp behind me. My shoulders stiffened. My jaw was tight as I kicked the pants away, but I turned around to look at Merrick—a steel look on my face.
“Leave it alone, Merrick,” I said through my teeth. My arms crossed as I glared at him.
“You let Elex heal it,” Merrick said as his eyes tracked the swing of my tail like he was following the pendulum of a clock.
"Yeah," I said curtly, biting back the urge to snap at him. My tail twitched involuntarily, giving away my discomfort. “Elex wouldn't let me not grow it back. Even threatened that he would take it as a personal insult if I docked it again.'' My long blue tail curled around my leg as I tried not to fidget under Merrick's gaze.
“I would as well,” Arya said, coming back over. “It's time you stop living in those barbaric times.” She handed me a pair of custom-made pants for people like us.
“It is part of…” I started to defend my culture like I had with Artemis but stopped as I pulled the pants on, reaching behind me to fasten them up and around my tail. No matter what I thought about the appendage, it was stupidly uncomfortable stuffed down my pant leg, so I was thankful for the pants.
“I don't give a fuck,” she said, handing me a shirt as Merrick grabbed his kitous and the sling that kept it attached to his body. I chose not to argue with her and got dressed.
“You should have grown it back years ago, my friend,” Merrick said, coming over and placing a hand on my shoulder. I wasn't used to him being this open. It made me want to curl in on myself. “What was done to you should never have happened. It is a well-known tale I hate that you lived through.”
I looked at him with confusion. My tail was missing because I had been banished, but no one should know why. My village had kept very quiet about it. “How did you know that?”
“Everyone knows about it.” Merrick shrugged. “We all just left it alone. We all saw how uncomfortable you became when we brought up your village. I disagree with what happened.”
My eyes hardened as I grappled with the unexpected revelation. The silence of my past had been broken, and rumors had found their way into the uncertain wind. "I see," I said simply, a cacophony of emotions tearing through my insides, causing my tail to twitch beneath the custom clothing.
“Please do not remove it,” Merrick said. All his focus was on me. “I know what your tail means for you in your culture. You deserve so much more than they let you have.”
“I had to. Or Calea would have been punished,” I told him quietly.
His eyebrows rose, a clear sign of surprise. "Calea... she's your sister?" he asked. His tone was gentle now.
I nodded, my eyes avoiding his gaze. "Yes," I admitted.
"Then it's a greater injustice than I had thought," he uttered, his tone filled with disgust. "Using family against one another is beyond reprehensible."
I stiffened at the words. It hadn't been easy.
“And, your sacrifice was noble.” Merrick sighed, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. It was an alien comfort, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn’t somewhat welcome. “But your sister isn’t here anymore, Brir. Take it for someone who held onto the dead too long. Don't forget to live. Your love for your sister made you sacrifice something vital to your identity."
His words had pierced my stubborn armor. My anger was a familiar shield against the feelings I'd been avoiding for years. I didn’t know how to answer, so I turned away.
Arya stood there holding onto the Ethereal gear. Another pair of pants lay on top, with a zipper for my tail.
“You don’t have other pants?” I asked, not reaching for them.
“There is no reason for you to hide, brother,” she said, walking around me. “It's time for you to be proud of who you are. I couldn’t care less whether you wanted a male or female partner. Honestly, it's no one's business but your own. Fate has given you the mate you always should have been waiting for. Now it's time for you to go get him.”
My tail twitched again, betraying my uncertainty. There was an acute awareness of her gaze upon me; I could nearly feel the intensity of her stare boring into my back. But her words had no malice, only genuine concern, and a surprising acceptance.
I sighed and grabbed the pants from her hands. Looking into Arya’s eyes, I saw the unwavering support in them.
“Here, take this.” She held the sword to me. “The metal is infused with my blood. I'm calling them vampire blades. They will drink the blood of whoever they cut.” I grimaced. Holding on to something that could remove the blood from my body made my stomach roll.
“You know I’m pretty good with a sword,” I told her. “Not so good with magical weapons.”
“I know,” she said with a smile. “That's why I’m giving it to you. You need it. Learn to use it. You didn’t need it before. You need it now. We don’t know how many soldiers are going to be there. You need something that could save your ass. This will do that.”
I took the sword contemplatively, weighing it in my hands. It felt familiar and alien, its handle cool against my palm. I almost felt the power humming beneath its surface like a living being frozen in the blade.
“No user manual?” I joked as I connected the belts of the straps to my back.
“You’ll figure it out,” Arya said with a cocky half-smile. Her arms crossed.
"Thank you, Arya," I murmured, facing my sister. Her eyes were soft with understanding and concern.
"Now, go get him back because I'm excited to meet the man who makes my oldest friend so happy," she said, grabbing my face, pulling my head close, and leaning her forehead against mine. Her voice broke through the mist of my thoughts. I nodded to her as she dragged me into a hug. “When you return, we will discuss what you will do for me in New Pharia.”
“You want us to stay here?” I asked, shocked she wanted me here. Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Stay in New Pharia? How could she even suggest such a thing? Everyone here knew I had been banished.
"Yes," Arya replied, pulling back to look me in the eyes. Her gaze was serious, even a little solemn. “Don’t be a fucking idiot.” Soren and Merrick chuckled behind us. “Of course, we want you here. You've been hiding too long, running from who you are. But New Pharia... it needs you. We need you."
Breaking away from her, I turned towards the exit, my new weapon strapped onto my back.
I felt the weight of her words, the truth pressing my shoulders. With a deep breath to steady myself, I nodded again at Arya before heading towards the exit.
Merrick was fussing with Soren's new gear as I left the armory. Soren was rolling his eyes, and he tightened the bow on his back. Merrick was very protective of his human, and after experiencing having someone you cared about this much, I understood why. I understood why he was so broken when he had lost Lirien. I now knew how broken he was if this was a fraction of what it felt like. The person who held my heart was still alive. For ten years, I hadn’t understood why Merrick couldn't just pick up his head and move forward. This pain made me feel like I was drowning.
I swallowed hard. The fear of what condition we would find Artemis in made my stomach sink. I truly believed he was still alive. They had gone to great lengths to keep him alive before. I didn’t think they would kill him now after all they had done to get him back.
Merrick was a lucky bastard, even getting a second chance to imprint on someone. The likelihood that that would happen was extremely rare. We didn't know a lot about how the imprinting worked, but Elex told me that it was something in our biology that recognized the correct partner for each of us. He explained his feelings for Peter when they first met and how he fought against them, terrified he would hurt the human.
Though others thought it was old magic from time long passed. Something that was blessed upon us by a no-longer-existent race.
I didn't care how it had happened as long as I never lost Artemis again. I was going to get him back. They were going to fucking burn for touching what was mine.