Ghost and the Writer

Aftermath

August was looking at the paper slips Albus handed him. 'Oh, shit' was written on his face at seeing every single one of them.

Mandy was sitting next to him and reading them as well.

[I remembered there's a time extending barrier artifact in my nest. Will gladly exchange for a barrel of ambrosia you make next! - Bermont]

Next one was for Mandy -

[I'll be celebrating my sweet 500 on July 5th, would love to have the Party Animal there and keep talking about books! Also, for my gift - signed copies of all August's books! Btw. I have amusing ambrosia from Vindel; it's similar strength but very different from August's, might be an interesting reference! Will open a bottle if you drag him along! - Gertrude]

And so on and so forth. There were around fifty slips in total. In all of them - Mandy was 'Party Animal.' In all of them - it was clear that they knew perfectly well what August was.

The only note in a negative tone was one Purple had been asked to deliver this morning (or three days after the event) -

"Terreans would like to negotiate with you about lifting the curse on their person. Your curse seems to have extended all the way to Terrea; we did not notify them; they contacted us. I would thus like to negotiate about freeing my little sister. I deeply apologize again for the mess my oversight has caused; it's a huge blunder that a younger sister of mine allowed a Terrean to ascend on her. - Rebecca of Ursus Clan"

"Do you remember anything?" August asked Mandy with the eyes of a dead fish.

"The last thing I recall is you dropping me into booze," Mandy replied with the same look. Hah-- ha ha ha-- Why Party Animal???!!!???

In the moss, right by them, sat - Albus, Marcus, Purple (inside Timothy), Tiamat (Lily hugging her from behind), Leum, Veri, and also Neo and Mirose. They all helpfully recounted all the events that had transpired from different points of view.

August looked into space with a look of a terminal convict. 'I'm dead.'

Mandy looked down in despair. 'I can no longer get married.' Three attempts at making a harem in one night---

Tiamat beamed a smile at them. "Everyone had a lot of fun, and they like you two, so isn't it fine?"

"In two weeks, Mandy and I will be on that list in Witch's etiquette," August said, letting out a long sigh. "Leum destroyed a town, and it will be up that he's my familiar. I wonder what the church will do about it. Rather-- is my family even fine?"

Purple made a 'v' smile. Timothy's mouth had a shape that gave into that well. "They are! I gathered them all in the family house, and I have my clone watching them. I also attached a clone to your agent. Welcome!"

August showed surprise. "What did you tell them?" He asked, but there was relief in his expression.

"Nothing to your agent, obviously, for your family - they asked if you were okay as soon as I appeared, I said you were okay and that things would be okay, but that you would be worried if something happened to them and they cooperated."

Marcus spoke up. "This might seem unrelated at first, but - August, if you can make a dimension crossing curse, doesn't that mean you can also set up a permanent gate regardless of the isolation barrier?"

August thought about it. "Technically, I could, but that would take a hell load of aether." He said.

Marcus and Purple exchanged looks.

"We've been thinking about this while you slept," Marcus started. "About why Terreans and Soleans are so set on killing me despite them knowing they would get no Abyss cores and why would they want my brother to rule. Tiamat also talked to some friends in Ahea, and we found out that the problem with Terreans and Soleans becoming like this started with the isolation barrier in Urea."