Slaves of the Night

Chapter 25

Kaisa

Rax's mother is the nicest, most normal, welcoming person I've met in Lintukoto. And that's a very low bar, but she still exceeds it beautifully. One simple spell later and she and several faeries appear with coats and boots and snowshoes for all of us. Then they escort us out to their village. Looks like we're staying the night.

The faerie village is a grouping of huts just beyond the forest, in a surprisingly walkable distance, obscured by spells of course.

Rax's mother is the leader apparently. She's a tall woman, very pretty with long flowing hair tied into several braids. She's the same as the memory he gave me, except even more glowing in person with a soft smile and welcoming gaze. Rax hits us all before we introduce ourselves including Eero who should have known better. The other faeries look a bit displeased to have us, but she is not. She guides us to her large and surprisingly warm hut, where she offers us soup. I realize I haven't eaten all night, and after Rax nods that it's safe we accept.

"I'm so proud of my baby boy for making friends!" she pinches his cheek for the eightieth time tonight.

"Nice to meet you again," Essie says, nicely.

"Yes, I'm so glad you're getting along with my son, sweetheart. He did so well against those kraken didn't you?" she pets Rax's hair fondly. He moves away a little, cheeks flushing. Eero fights back a smile.

"I'm sure he did, we've had quite an evening tonight as well, I'm sure he doesn't need more monsters," I say, amused. It's common for faerie/fae deities---which she most certainly is—to have children with mortals and then in turn train said children to become deities themselves by having them complete a series of quests and trials. Fae deities are rarer these days after the war, but I assume she's been around for quite some time.

Other children of hers come in and out, mostly full faerie though some look more grounded and human like Rax. I suspect by their actions he's something of the baby of the family.

"You have friends? This is unprecedented bro," at least three men have tackled a moaning Rax in a hug.

"Unfortunately, we're not entirely here on a social visit," Eero says, looking like he's thinking about helping Rax but the soup is good and eh his brother is worse than these brothers.

"I didn't think you were outside in a snow bank for entertainment," Rax's mother says, amused.

"Did you know Maku was still alive?" Rax asks her, finally freeing himself from the hug as his brothers go to their rooms, but not before mauling his hair and sticking snow down his shirt.

"If he was, he never set foot outside the castle, you know I can't see you in there," his mother says, frowning, "He was your friend? Who you said died?"

"Yes, except he didn't apparently he healed himself or did some illusion," Rax says.

"He's claiming he's my brother, and he's haunting the castle in revenge for Maija's death, because apparently he loved her," Eero says.

"And what does that all that have to do with these two girls?" she asks.

"Nothing," I say, shrugging.

"They got caught in the cross fire so to speak, and locked out with us," Rax says.

"This is my fiancé, and her handmaid," Eero explains since we really didn't explain that, Rax just called me a princess.

"I see. Well you can stay here until you can get back into your castle, obviously," she says, "Beyond that, I'm sure Rax can handle it."

"No, Rax can't. He's older than I am and more experienced, and I don't know what I'm handling," Rax sighs.