Starry Resonance Ch. 08

"Sounds like a good idea," Nelimir nodded.

Saya waved her goodbyes before putting back on her oni mask and disappearing in the crowd.

"What in the stars is your problem!?" Nelimir whispered harshly, trying not to make a scene so close to the pharmacy.

Yvain tried to piece together where his friend's sudden anger was coming from but could only draw a blank.

Nelimir seemed to have seen as much in his expression. His friend searched his eyes before giving out a disappointed sigh.

"It's fine to be a bit dense Yvain, but it's a problem when you risk our lives," he said. "What are we going to do if she finds out what Nora and Roesia really are?"

"How would that even happen?" Yvain said skeptically. "We already have disguises planned. And look around you." He swept his arms across the crowd, specifically those who were dressed up. "Everyone looks like a freak; their horns are the least conspicuous of the bunch."

"And Selt? How are we supposed to control him? He can let something slip at a moment's notice."

"Just give him some money and let him run lose," Yvain said as if the plan was obvious. "He'll eat if he's hungry and keep himself entertained."

Nelimir scoffed and shook his head, "It's all still unnecessary risk."

"As if we're averse to such a thing," Yvain said.

When Nelimir didn't seem convinced, he continued, "She's been my friend since I was a kid, Nelimir. My only friend until I met you and Roesia. I haven't seen her in two years, and I quite frankly believed that I never would, with us being banished and planning to leave Empryon. It's just lunch, after that we'll never see her again."

Yvain's chest tightened as he said the words. He always thought about it but saying it out loud made it feel somehow true. Saya was just a normal human in Empryon and a servant of Humanism. She was destined to form a family here, grow old alongside them, and die.

Paradoxically enough, he didn't think any less of her for it, as he did other humans. If Saya's circumstances were any different, if she was a different person, she could easily thrive regardless of her surroundings. But she wasn't, and that was okay.

By this point they had already entered the pharmacy with its choking heat and wooden smell. Everyone around them was sweating and looking irritable.

Nelimir stretched his head out to look past the line and at the front desk, then looked back at Yvain, "Just lunch, alright? The less contact we have the better."

"Just lunch," Yvain said, relieved. He would have gone regardless of what his friend decided. But he'd prefer not to create tension between them, especially over something so simple.

Once the duo bought the contact lenses they required, along with more bandages and general medicine, they went back to the carriage sitting outside of Triven.

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"I think it looks kind of cool," Roesia said as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Which part!? We look like a pair of stag beetles!" Nora said as she did the same.

Both women were inside the sorceress's bathroom. It contained the same soft blue light as the one in the bedroom, but unlike Yvain's bathroom, the shower was on a second floor connected by a spiral staircase.

In the sorceress own words, she enjoyed feeling like she was the last person in the world, whatever that meant.

Not having much to do other than wait for their 'contacts' to arrive, they were looking at themselves in the mirror. Roesia admiringly, Nora debating whether to give up on the whole thing and just stay in the carriage. It was only the thought of Yvain being happy at the fact that she would finally join them officially, and that of her daughter, that stopped her from doing so.

"I've actually turned myself into one in the past," Roesia said and waved her horns around as if attacking.

"Please do not do that," Nora said, covering her eyes with a hand and attempting to keep her mortification at bay. "One of the first lessons you need to learn about being a dragon is that your horns are sacred."

Roesia looked at her incredulously.

"What?" Nora asked.

The sorceress seemed like she wanted to say something but couldn't quite muster up the courage. She instead looked back to the mirror, "Nothing. Didn't you let me touch yours though?"

"That's different. You're a researcher, you can't help your curiosity," Nora said.

"This definition of sacred is very indistinct," Roesia said.

"You do have the disadvantage of being made into a dragon, usually these are things learned throughout childhood," Nora said. "For example, the slap you gave Yvain, something tells me that in the past you wouldn't have done something like that."

The sorceress quickly turned to her once more with wide eyes, "I didn't mean to! I didn't--"

Nora raised an appeasing hand, "I know. Do not worry, no one's feelings have been hurt. Except maybe your own, but you'll need to learn how to forgive yourself because your dragon side will move ahead regardless of your human one."

Nora couldn't think of any dragon that was as timid as Roesia. Every single one demonstrated characteristics of leaders. Even those that were content to follow.

"I guess I do need to be more conscious of what I am now," Roesia said. "Do you mind giving me a rundown of the basics later?"

"That was always the plan," Nora happily said.

The sorceress suddenly looked outside the bathroom's door, "They're back."

"Really?" Nora said and looked out the door, but no one was there except Roesia's bedroom.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"Didn't you hear the door?" the sorceress said, her eyes looking away.

"No, I don't think so," Nora said. She had good hearing so something like that wouldn't have been missed.

"Nora?" came Yvain's voice from outside. Her current thoughts immediately left her to be replaced with his sound.

Nora left the bathroom in a rush and found Yvain and Nelimir in the living room, a tiny bag set on the table, before jumping into her lover's arms. Or should she fully embrace the term boyfriend?

She relished the way he hugged her into his hard chest, almost as if trying to break her in half.

"We got you guys the contact lenses," he said. "Though you won't have to use them for now if you don't want to."

"I want to at least see them," she said. When Elly had mentioned them, she had been curious as to what human invention they would show her next. But there was no easy way to explain them it seemed. Roesia had called them frameless glasses, but Nora didn't know what glasses were either.

"What do you mean she doesn't have to use them?" Roesia asked as she closed the door to her bedroom.

"Day of Terrors" Nelimir said dully.

"Oh...," said Roesia. "Oh."

"Yeah," Nelimir said as he looked at Nora almost apologetically.

"Sounds like a dreadful thing," Nora said.

"That's one way to call it," Yvain said, his voice next to her ear sending delicious chills down her spine.

"Wasn't it supposed to take place next week?" Roesia asked as she walked up to the table and took out the contents of the bag. Two white cases in the shape of two circles connected by a small bridge along with two vials containing transparent liquid.

"That's what we're wondering too," Yvain said. "Maybe we can ask Saya later today at lunch. If anyone will know the reason, it's her."

"Saya? The Saya?" Roesia asked and looked to Nora.

"What do you mean the? Yes, my friend Saya," Yvain said with audible confusion.

"I guess Nora and I can just walk around the place while you guys finish that up," Roesia said. "We can find something to eat on our own. I'm planning to get her to try some other candies too."

That got Nora's attention, but Yvain wasn't done talking.

"I didn't mean just Nelimir and I, we're all going to have lunch with her. She asked about you and Elly," Yvain said.

The sorceress looked to Nelimir, but their leader just shook his head with visible worry.

"So, you're going to introduce your dragoness girlfriend to the zealot woman that has been practically obsessed with you all her life?" the sorceress said.

"Don't forget our newly dragon-turned member," added Nelimir.

"Oh dragoness, I like how that word sounds," Nora said, and she pulled herself out of Yvain's arms to look at him, "Who are we talking about?"

The panic in his eyes made it obvious that he misunderstood the intention of her question.

"She's just a friend," he said. "I mean... she used to have a crush on me."

"A massive crush," Roesia added, earning herself a glare from Yvain.

"But we talked it out and that was that," he said.

"I don't think that's how it works," Roesia said with a giggle.

"This is a horrible idea," Nelimir said.

"Look! She's my friend, alright!?" Yvain said. "She's also the kindest woman I have ever had the pleasure to meet, she's not just going to suddenly try to kill Nora or you." He pointed to Roesia.

"But she can let authorities know of them, and then where will that leave us?" Nelimir said.

Yvain was obviously distressed. Nora could see in his eyes that he logically understood everything being told to him. He probably thought the same thing. Yet one thing she learned in her observation of mortal emotions, is that sometimes logic didn't have a place where emotions ruled. She had experienced such a thing first-hand. The best way to handle such a situation was to gauge the pros and cons.

"I'm actually interested in meeting this woman," Nora said, which earned a surprised look from everyone, even Yvain.

"What? This is someone my boyfriend regards closely, why would I deny him a meeting with her because of different beliefs or her supposed feelings for him?" she said.

"It's not just beliefs though," Nelimir said. "This is only one stop toward finding your daughter, if she chooses to give us away that goal will become almost impossible."

"I appreciate your concern, Nelimir," Nora said honestly. "But you need to remember who and what I am. We're taking the roundabout approach to finding my daughter in part due to my own mistakes, and another because it's the best course of action. If I need to move all of my people to get her though..."

Nora considered her words next, as she didn't want to sound like she was threatening her friends and boyfriend, "It wouldn't even have to come to that. Empryon might be very well protected from the outside but your god regardless wouldn't risk the detriments of all-out war over one girl."

Saying such words reminded Nora of just what power she held. In the last few days she had been an emotional mess. The loss of her daughter and the close death at the hands of her ex-husband had left her in tatters. But she had options. If it came down to it, there was no need to hide.

"Our god?" Nelimir asked with a tilt of his head.

"Yes, regardless of his stance on those outside of the humans, he doesn't have the luxury to break the long-standing balance between him and other sovereign powers. An all-out attack from us would mean the very real possibility of invasion from another," she said.

"Slow down one second," Nelimir said, holding up a hand. "What god are you talking about? The god of Humanism?"

Nora looked at him in confusion, "Humanism? No, I mean the god of humans, Arthur Allsworth."

Both Yvain and Roesia looked as if they had seen a ghost. Nelimir himself went as white as a sheet of paper.

"What does he look like?" he asked.

Why did it matter? Nora asked herself. She looked to her boyfriend with confusion, but he just nodded his head, urging her to describe the man.

"The last time I saw him he had short-cropped wheat color hair and a full beard," Nora said doubtfully as she looked at Nelimir.

Not only did they, who were a part of Cosmos, not know of starlight, but they didn't know who their god was? What exactly was Arthur attempting to do here? Empryon was isolated and barred outsiders, but that wasn't much different from her own race or others. Yet, if Yvain and the rest were any indication, they were completely clueless. She couldn't imagine keeping her subjects blind to everything around them.

Yvain looked to their leader looking almost as white as the latter, "Holy stars, your dad's a god?"

"Excuse me?" Nora said.

"Nelimir Allsworth," Nelimir said shakily. "That's our surname, Allsworth. My dad is called Arthur, and your description is how he looked a long time ago."

"Oh," Nora said. Did she just drop a heavy topic on the whole group unintentionally? She thought the Allsworth city they were going to was just Arthur throwing his weight around. It seemed that she had been assuming too many things since she got here in regard to her newly found friends. But it wasn't weird for gods and goddesses to have children, though it was a surprise to meet one of them at Empryon's border; carrying such different ideals from their parent who happened to be Arthur.

"I think it's time we bothered you a bit for information on the outside of Empryon," Yvain said. "I had planned to ask sooner but there's been so much going on," he looked to his friend who was still reeling from the discovery, "better sooner than later I guess."

"You read my mind," Nora said, giving her boyfriend a smile.

"So does that make Nelimir a god?" Roesia asked with curiosity.

Nora shook her head, "I don't know where we come from, but I at least know that Starchildren can't be made through conventional means. He's human just like everyone here... barring you of course."

"Before training tonight we'll be having a meeting," Nelimir said suddenly to which everyone agreed.

"How are you feeling?" Yvain asked.

"I'm not really sure," Nelimir said. "There's no love lost between us but..."

He looked to everyone, "I'll be at my office. You guys go on ahead, I'll just make myself something to eat here." He walked to the door and grabbed the handle before stopping, "Let's meet at the Cosmos branch after you guys are done with lunch."

"You got it," Yvain said, and their leader disappeared behind the double door. His argument against meeting with Saya completely forgotten.

Nora had remained quiet. It wasn't her place to comfort him. Yvain and Roesia had known their leader for much longer and understood whatever weight he was currently carrying.

His friends didn't address the issue either though. Probably being unable to think of what to say to him.

"I wonder how many other people we've met who were a god or a goddess," Roesia said.

"It's usually not that difficult to find them," Nora said. "I don't know why they've been made to be such a secret in Empryon, when everywhere else they're common place. Some even advertising themselves for profit or such."

"What about the goddess of villages though? She acted freely," Yvain said.

"It's not the same," Nora said. "The residents of that village didn't truly think Lydia was any different from them. Though it is weird how they revered her while at the same time seeing her as kin."

The way those villagers had acted irked her. True, there were many zealots out there. She had her own even. But it was all based on reality. An overwhelming compulsion to follow their very real paragon.

Yet the humans she met seemed to be reverent toward an idea. It didn't need to follow rhyme or reason as long as it conformed to the image that was conjured up in their head.

"Sounds similar to the Day of Terrors," Yvain said with distaste.

"You still haven't told me what that's all about," Nora said, sticking herself closer to him.

"I think it'll be better if you see for yourself," Roesia said and grabbed the contact lenses before heading for the exit.

"Agreed," Yvain said, then looked to Nora with an imploring look, "I only ask that you keep an open mind."

"You're just making me more curious, Yvain," Nora said with a grin.

"Let's get going then," he said with a worried smile.

----------

Roesia and Nora did not wear their contact lenses in the end.

Each pair were of a dull brown color, something that would help them stand out as little as possible. Unfortunately, Roesia had problems putting them on; not surprising as it was something she wasn't used to. And while Nora could wear them easily and with curious enthusiasm, it might be even more suspicious to have two women wearing such similar 'costumes' while having one very contrasting feature. They all agreed to have the sorceress practice later.

Thankfully, like trees hiding inside a forest, people flocked to them either in excitement or awe at how realistic their 'get-up' looked. A curious thought, as they had the simplest look out of everyone there.

"Oh my stars, you both look amazing!" Saya said as she clapped in excitement.

Yvain agreed. Even their hairdos didn't stop him from appreciating their good looks, especially Roesia who he had yet to fuck.

And I never will, he thought, fighting the voice inside his head that was constantly edging him for her.

"I'm sure I don't need to introduce her," he said with a laugh as he motioned for Roesia and then at his girlfriend, "But this is Nora."

Roesia gave him a pointed look, probably because he made the very conscious choice of not introducing Nora as his girlfriend, but he ignored it.

"It's nice to meet you Saya," Nora amicably said, not seeming to mind the lack of a tag. Though there was a slight strain in her smile she had been carrying for a while due her hairdo. Not even the praise of others had helped with her distaste for it.

His girlfriend had not been bothered by what was going on around them, at least. What did catch her attention was how none of the costumes people were wearing looked like any being she had seen before. Which prompted the question of which beast races she had seen.

Cue Yvain's and Roesia's unwarranted shock at Nora's knowledge of the outside races--angels, demons, and vampires to name a few. Names they had never in their lives heard before, just like dragons. Somehow it had never occurred to them that this goddess, who was an empress, would have this type of information.

At the very least, Yvain always felt the outside wouldn't be much different from his everyday life, even when consciously knowing the odds of that were abysmal and having learned of dragons already.

On their way to meet Saya they had tried to ask her more, but the goddess made them wait for the meeting, both so that everyone would get the information at once and because it was too much to divulge while walking around.

Lydia wasn't kidding, Yvain thought. Their meeting tonight would be a fruitful one.

"You're actually taller than I thought," Saya said. "Besides Elly, not many reach, or even surpass, Yvain's height. Though your horns do make you seem as tall as her," she said with a carefree laugh.

"I'm actually quite tall compared to my..." Nora stopped herself for a second before finishing with, "family."

Roesia shook her head in exasperation, while the goddess herself gave an apologetic grin.

Yvain was half listening to the conversation as he found the large figure of Elly inside the crowd approaching them. He was about to call out to her, but the large woman gestured him to keep quiet.

"I imagine it wasn't easy growing up, Elly was already extremely tall when I met her, but she was always having problems fitting into places or finding clothing that would fit her, especially with how big her..." Saya looked to Yvain awkwardly before changing the subject, "well anyways, where is your family from?"

"Um..." Nora began, unsure of what to say.

"How about we first find a place to eat?" Yvain intervened quickly. "Do you have any recommendations?"

"I actually do," Saya said, suddenly smug. "I made reservations in fact, though I don't see Nelimir. And where's Elly?"