Reborn From the Cosmos

Arc 8-76



The Authority.

I've got a lot of questions regarding the treasure of the hunters. Obviously, the most pressing thing is what exactly is inside it. We can make a pretty good guess but there's no telling as to its contents or size. Then there's the question of how it came to be. If there are more artifacts like the dagger used by the hunter that tried to assassinate my wife, were they created by the kingdom's founders? If so, why has enchanting only recently made a resurgence? What happened to the masters who created those weapons?

They could be heirlooms from the old human kingdoms. But if they are, why did the founders flee their homes? Draconids are powerful, yes, but they're not invincible. The First Saint was a descendant of the founders, a man so powerful, he inspired an entire religion. The knights of the north fight titans every winter. Humanity has the potential to grow strong and can work together to bring down tough opponents. With the aid of powerful artifacts, they could have stood their ground. I might have thought the weapons were withheld from them, like perhaps they were the commoners of their kingdom, but that doesn't line up. How could they have the resources to relocate thousands of people and build a kingdom from scratch, but not enough to afford weapons in a war?

Then there are the more recent questions regarding the treasure. How come the crown hasn't confiscated it? Saints, how did the hunters get their hands on it in the first place? Most mysterious of all, why aren't the hunters using the weapons they may or may not have now, when they are on the verge of extinction? If there was ever a need, it's now.

There are so many questions surrounding the Authority. And as I get closer to inevitably getting my hands on it, I wonder how important it is to get answers. If I should bother learning them. I might not get the chance if the rebels root out the Trads; from what I hear of Sin, he doesn't sound like the type to be merciful to those he considers enemies.

It's an important part of Harvest's history. Question is, do I care about the history of the kingdom? Of the supposed last of humanity? Because that's a lie. If Morgene can be trusted, we aren't the last of anything. The old kingdoms survived the aftermath of the Great War. My mother-in-law is many things, but she's not a liar. I believe her but I don't dwell on the revelation. I'm not ready to face that everything my people have built is based off an enormous lie. I'm not sure if it's something I want to know any more about.

Yet, if these past two years have taught me anything, it's that there's no running from the world. Kierra's right. The powerful have a burden to bear, whether they want it or not. I've actively tried to dodge responsibility and the machinations of the powerful. That ended up with me being promoted to a high noble and being gifted a small territory.

Nope, no running from it. Once I've secured the Authority, I'm going to have to sit down with all these troublemakers, listen to their stories, and end it, once and for all. I have to, not because the crown shucked the city onto me, but because I'm the only one involved who can. I'm tied to this and if I don't want it to rear its head in unexpected ways, I have to put it to rest.

But that'll wait for another day.

Today, there's another mystery I haven't looked too hard at. I don't know if it's secretly because I was scared to see something ugly or if I hoped the problem would resolve itself. Neither's an option anymore.

My nose and my ears lead me to the tearoom, a place guests would be seated while waiting for an audience with the lord. Kierra and Morgene are seated together on a short couch, a tray of cooling tea between them. I approach with purpose, but I pause in the doorway, taken aback.

Are they…is my wife crying? Oh saints. My stern intentions take an immediate backseat, my heart split between comforting her and shredding whatever's made her upset. I don't even care if that thing is Morgene. Saints as my witness I have tried to understand their weirdly aggressive love but, dammit, I've got to draw the line!

Of course they notice my entrance. I'm sure they noticed before I was close. Kierra gently wipes her eyes as her mother stands.

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"We should continue this later," Morgene says, her smile strained. I don't have a chance to respond before her eyes flash and she disappears.

I can hear where she appears, deeper in the estate. I could catch her—

"Lou."

In an instant, I'm across the room, sitting across from her and holding one of her hands in both of my own. She smiles, but the expression lacks her usual ferocity. Her eyes, more gold than green in the bright light, are still wet from tears that haven't fallen.

"What happened? What did she do to you?"

She shakes her head. "Please, calm down. My mother did nothing wrong." She blinks and twin tears run down her cheeks. The sight squeezes my heart. "She…we talked. About our blood."

The exact thing I came to talk to her about.

"Is it…bad?"

She grimaces. "I thought I knew what it meant to be Atainna." Her voice is soft and wistful. "I thought we were not so different from others."

"Really?"

She chuckles, though it's weak and fades too quickly. "With a few quirks, but what family does not have a strange tradition or three?"

"You have a point there."

She tugs me closer and I don't hesitate to wrap my arms around her. Saints, I don't want to upset her but if it's enough to cause this kind of reaction, I have to know.

"Kii—"

"I know," she whispers into my hair, relaxing against me. "It seems that everything I was taught applies to adolescent matriarchs of the Atainna blood."

"Adolescent? You're over eighty!"

"In a lifetime that would last centuries without my magic. To my people, I am no older than you, my love."

Wow. That's hard to fathom. "So…you're not an adolescent anymore?"

She stiffens. I softly stroke her back, willing her to relax. She doesn't. "I will not be, soon. It seems that matriarchs do not fully mature until their first child. The pregnancy…changes us."

"When you mean change…"

"In the most extreme sense. Physically. Mentally. I…I might be able to stop it, with my magic, but Mother has warned against it. She does not know if I can do so safely. I've never permanently altered myself, not in such a fundamental way."

"Then don't!"

She whimpers. "You do not understand. The things that can happen—"

Anger and concern flare in my chest, taking control of my hand. It covers her mouth as I raise my head, glaring at her with grit teeth. "You're right. I have no idea what is in store. But you're going to tell me and I'm going to listen because there is only one thing that I can't accept and that's you getting hurt. Okay? You can't do that. I won't let you."

Don't make me tie you up. Not that it'd stop her magic. And she'd probably enjoy it. Saints, I have no idea how I'd stop her if she's determined to hurt herself, but I'd find a way.

"I will not," Kierra mutters. "If not for myself, then for our daughter."

"…we're having a girl?"

Some life returns to her eyes. "All the strongest Atainna are."

"Huh. Cool."

"Yes, I am sure it will be an adventure. My mother, she questioned me about…our time." She told her about all that? No, no. Not the time to get embarrassed. "I have to apologize to you Lou. I was not in control of myself. I did not think I needed to be."

Oh, ignorance has never sounded so beautiful. "Your father told me. Apparently, you're a drug."

She frowns. "Yes. An uncomfortable revelation."

"Why didn't your mother tell you?"

Her frown morphs into a scowl. "Because she did not want me to shy away from intimacy. She knows I would be reluctant to be with anyone if I knew I could be suborning their will. The changes occur when a matriarch intends to breed but it is rarely a conscious choice the first time. Our situation is quite rare."

Much more likely a young matriarch would just jump on the first slab of meat that catches her attention, huh? "We can solve this."

"Of course. I will take a sample of my saliva and create a substance to counteract it."

"Am I going to need to take this stuff every time I kiss you?"

She lets out an amused snort. "No. It is produced when my body reaches a certain temperature. The preventative will only be necessary when I am in the breeding frenzy."

"Or on extremely hot days."

She flicks me, smiling softly. What's a little pain if she isn't crying anymore?

Still, whatever's in her saliva must be incredibly potent if it's enough to overcome my body. I down the worst of Howie's shroom juice without flinching. Goes to show how serious this is. "That's one problem down. Come on. Hit me with the next."

"…if you do not mind, I would ask that we wait. I did not allow Mother to finish her explanation. I was…upset."

"About what?"

"She implied…there is a chance I could become a danger."

"I can take you."

"To our child."

Oh.

Her arms tighten around me, some of her usual ferocity returning. "I will not let that happen. My blood is not who I am. I learned to control my adolescent instincts. I will control any new ones too."

"Damn right you will! And I'll do anything I can to help."

"I know."

I close my eyes and let her squeeze me against her chest, like a little girl seeking comfort from a doll.


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