7 in 3

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Scarlet

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Father pulls a bottle of something out from under his sofa. With a pop he pushes the cork off. He grabs some of the ornate cups on the table and pours himself a glass of the strong-smelling liquid. He looks at Sea and Emerald before talking.

“You people drink? I can give you plenty!” Father gives a diplomatic smile to the two Unraks. Emerald doesn’t make a sound, instead wrapping her tentacle around one of the Count’s glasses. She holds it up in front of Father. 

After Father has poured himself and the two visitors a drink he turns to me again. “After the crash I woke up a mile away. You and Zenith were nowhere to be found, so I left. I planned on getting back to Wornsbirth and bringing a squad of knights to look for you both.” The middle aged man’s face darkens. “That is, until I actually got back.” He takes a swig of his drink. 

“The amount of monster attacks on the road has increased tenfold in the last two months. It started just after we left for the capital, and we weren’t warned because every messenger returned horrifically wounded or dead.” His scowl deepens as he tells the story. “I couldn’t spare the knights to look for you, and I couldn’t even go after you myself.” His fist slams the table, making the cups shake. 

“There were constant emergencies, besides the monster attacks. People have been disappearing from the farmlands around the city. We lost long range communications with other cities, too. It’s been such a mess. I’m sorry I couldn’t look for you sooner.” Father pinches the bridge of his nose. “When a knight came here saying they found Iota, I left immediately. By the time I got there, everything had already been razed.” His defeated voice makes my heart shake. 

“Father, even if you had looked, you’d never have found us.” He looks at me, about to argue, but I cut him off. “The Unrak village is deep underground and the cave entrance is very small. There is no chance you’d have found them, or us.” I give Father a sad smile. “Even if you could have found us sooner, I understand why you didn’t look. You have a whole city to take care of, and your kids all have full blessings. The city was probably in more danger than we were.” I fib to him a little, just to try and soothe his guilt. “I also know what happened after the carriage was destroyed.” 

Father’s eyes light up. “You know where Zenith is?” 

I sadly shake my head. “No, because they were taken by a group of people. They took you and the monster who attacked us, too.” 

Father raises one eyebrow, skeptical. “How did they miss you then, Scarlet?” He rubs his chin slowly.

“I, uh…” I suddenly feel embarrassed. “The wood from the carriage I landed on grew into a tree around me, so the group didn’t see me.” 

The Count stares at me, dumbfounded, before laughing. “I’m not even surprised, girl. You kids are all crazy!” He rubs his head, a smile warming his face. I’m glad that he’s okay. “They must’ve dropped me in the woods when they realized they had kidnapped a Count. Or maybe I wasn’t useful to them.” He nods to himself, and then gestures towards the slightly swaying couple beside me. “So how did these folks find you?” 

“Well, they were following the monster to make sure it left their territory. They saw the carriage get attacked, but before they could come help, that group appeared.” I look over at the two of them and smile when I see Sea totally withdrawn and asleep. “I think they were worried they may be attacked, their race had been assaulted by humans in the past.” I give Emerald a pat. “They came out and dragged me into a cave once the shady people left. They even set my broken leg. After a while they brought me to their town, and I’ve been there helping out since.” 

Father strokes his chin some more, deep in thought. Eventually he asks,“Scarlet, why didn’t you come back earlier?” His face has a hint of anger, his smile nowhere to be seen.

“Well, we thought that you had been taken, so we didn’t really have a reason to come here urgently…” I feel my ears turn red as I speak. “And Wight may have had a temper tantrum that destroyed a huge swath of their village.” Looking anywhere but at Father, I hear him groan. 

“So I need to compensate them?” He pinches the bridge of his nose. Next to me Emerald does an overly exaggerated shake of her shell. Eventually she tips into me, most likely drunk. 

“No, we fixed everything and even helped them out with other things.” A proud smile overtakes my face. “I even cleaned their water supply and made their light source much healthier.” 

Father ignores my boasting and looks at the two next to me. “Thank you for taking care of my kids.” He shifts his focus to me. “Scarlet, take them to a guest room and inform the staff that they’re diplomats. Then come straight back here.” Father’s stern voice erases any thoughts of wandering along the way I may have had. 

I hop up, pick up the heavy ‘diplomats’, and start to lug them to the nearest guest room. 

 

【〓〓〓〓】

 

After doing as instructed, I return to Father’s study. 

Father is still on the couch, his cup fuller than when I left. I plop down on the opposite couch and wait for him to speak. He puts down his drink and begins.

“Scarlet, I need to know everything about these people. They live inside the county so I’m partially responsible for their safety.” His face gives away his stress. “This could be very troublesome.” I resist laughing, thinking about the Unraks’ disposition. 

“They’re called the Unrak, they speak in clicks and flashes of light.” Father’s eyes widen somewhat in surprise. “Their shells do the flashing. As far as I can tell, they have a limb for each of the holes on them.” I think for a bit about their personalities. “They are skittish but friendly, decent at fighting, and have many odd materials.” The wood made of mushroom stalks comes to mind. “They also have a gel they produce that can be used as a gauze or cast. It just comes out of their legs and they can apply it to the wound. I think it hardens on contact with air, so we may be able to get them to bottle it.” When I finally stop talking, I look back up at Father. 

His face is stretched into a huge grin. “You were looking for things that they could trade when you were there?” He leans back into the sofa. “You really have a knack for this, I’m glad I made you my heir.” He chuckles suddenly. “I bet if I had Coil answer the same thing I asked you, he’d list off all their military weaknesses and strengths.” His smile shifts to a gentle, content one. “The two of you will do great.” 

I feel my cheeks burning at Father’s words. “I just thought they would be good allies to have.” My embarrassment shows further as my ears blush. 

Father sits forward again, looking at me.“So, what are the names of your valiant rescuers?” 

“Well, the blue one is named Sea. The green one’s name is Emerald, and she's a girl.” 

Father gives me a nod before speaking again. “What’s the blue one’s gender?” His curiosity sparkles in his eyes. 

I force down a giggle. “Their gender is called zet, it's a third that their race has.” Father grins delightedly at my answer. 

“How interesting, they’re very unique creatures. I’ve never even read of anything like them.” He gives me a sneaky grin. “How ‘bout we ask them to have Emerald and Sea be their ambassadors here in Wornsbirth?” I smile back, actually quite happy at the idea that I could see them easily. 

Father suddenly stands, swaying slightly. “Girl, you only slept for an hour or two. Get back to bed and rest.” His voice is laden with his rare fatherly tone. I give him a grin and a nod. Opening the door, I turn back to look at him. 

“Goodnight, Dad.”

 

】〓〓〓〓【

Coil

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The moment I wake up, I start searching for Father. I wander the large but familiar house, giving the odd knight or maid a nod in passing. Eventually I find myself near the training floor and hear some clashes from inside. Odd, knights use the outdoor training grounds… I sneak into the large area, looking for the source of the sound. 

Standing in the middle of the floor is Father and a man I don’t recognize. I walk up to them nonchalantly, watching their movements closely. The duo seem to be sparring, striking one another with wooden training swords. Father seems to be struggling while the mystery man isn’t even trying. His relaxed face eventually finds me. 

He smiles, blinding me and probably burning the wood floor. What the hell is with this man’s looks? The muscular guy looks as if a sculpture came to life and started pummeling my father. I give a weak wave at the living biology sketch, and continue walking up to Father. 

Just as I reach the two of them, the Adonis puts a bit more pressure into his swings, causing Father to buckle under the force. Instinctually I flick my wrist, causing a pillar of darkness to erupt out of Father’s shadow and catch him. Somehow the meathead’s smile gets even wider. 

Once Father is back on his feet, he gives me a death glare. “Coil Holdings, you’re lucky I’m sparring with him and not some random knight! I told you to not use your abilities unless it's an emergency.” Father puts his hand on his forehead. “I would’ve survived falling on my ass, it wouldn’t be the first time.” He faces his sparring partner. 

“I won’t say a word to anyone, Count.” The large man kneels before Father. So he is one of our knights. Father nods before turning to me.

“Coil, this is Captain Jet, he’s in charge of the security within Wornsbirth.” Father gestures at the massive human. Jet makes eye contact, still kneeling. 

“Greetings, Lord Coil. I’ve wanted to meet you since the Count brought you here, but I’ve been busy with public disturbances lately.” The man’s voice sounds like tumbling gravel, not matching his looks at all. I give him a friendly nod and he stands in response. 

“Nice to meet you Captain.” I tilt my head at him. “So since you know about my ability, can I give you a hand?” My smile borders on malicious as I look at the Captain. Jet’s smile falters for a moment before he nods at me. 

I put my hand out flat, focusing slightly. My shadow spreads out on the floor in front of me, no longer in the shape of my body. A large chunk rips off of the rest, and then quickly makes for the Captain’s shadow. Captain Jet’s reflexes get him out of the way, but his shadow doesn’t move far. The serpentine shade disappears into the darkness at the Captain's feet. The large man looks up at me, despair in his eyes.

The look gives me a good chuckle, but I take pity on him. “Don’t worry, it’s just an emergency safety net.” I give him a friendly smile. “If it thinks you’re about to die, it’ll do its best to protect you, but it can’t take much damage.” 

The Captain slowly nods at me. “Th-thanks, Lord Coil.” His voice sounding like vibrating stone, he bows before quickly leaving the huge room. 

I look over at my frowning Father.“What? Now he’s sure to not tell anybody, he’ll be worried my little guy will get him if he does.” I feel my grin turn mischievous. “Although I only told the thing to protect him.” 

I hear Father sigh behind me before feeling a slap on the back. “Fine, lad, let's go to my study. We need to talk about Wight.”

 

【〓〓〓〓】

“So, how are we going to deal with this, Coil?” Father’s face is tense, lacking his standard smile. His stare makes my palms sweat and I flounder for an answer. 

“A cover-up? There weren’t any survivors or witnesses and we have the ‘culprit’ in custody.” I rub my mouth while thinking. 

Father sighs at my answer. “Coil, that much is obvious, but what about people who could connect the dots?” 

Connect the dots? “How would anyone be able to?”

Father pinches the bridge of his nose. “Well, sixteen highly skilled knights died. The location of their death will get out eventually, someone will leak that much.” He pauses for a moment and frowns. “There’s no way to cover up several acres of the deathglades being annihilated in a perfect circle. On top of all that, Count Holdings’ missing children are miraculously found around the same time. It wouldn’t take a genius to be suspicious of that.” 

I nod slowly, taking in his explanation. “But would anyone really think that your children could do such a thing?” 

Father grunts before answering. “Not many will, but the ones we don’t want to, will.” 

“Only the king knows about our blessings, though, so no one should even consider it.” 

Father nods at my words. “That would be true, if there wasn’t another person who knows.” 

“What? Did you tell someone else?” My confusion shows on my face. 

“No, but who checked your statuses?” The answer slowly dawns on me. “The bishop of Wornsbirth knows the details of your blessings. If he knows, then the pope of the Church of the Eight has been informed too. We might be able to get the king on our side here, but the pope is a whole other matter.” Father groans loudly, his face twisted by annoyance. “The old miser is the only person more annoying than His Highness. Let’s hope the gem-hoarding loudmouth won’t ask for anything too outrageous.” 

“So he will work with us?” My curiosity eats at me, what kind of person is this pope? 

Father nods at me. “Probably, but he’ll try and get as much as he can out of it.” 

“Should a pope really be that greedy?” My voice comes out a shade more annoyed than intended. 

Father gives me an odd, confused look before replying,“Why would a pope not be greedy? Sometimes you and Scarlet say such strange things.” He gives his head a shake before looking at the short table between us. After sitting in tense silence for far too long, he gets back on topic. “There is a good chance the church will ask for Wight to be soul shackled.” Father’s gaze has a dark edge to it. 

“What… does that entail?” I don’t know if I want an answer. 

“A soul shackle is a device that the church has had for as long as anyone can remember. I’m not sure if they make them, or if they just have them from some long forgotten time, but they’re a safety device.” His voice is heavy with the weight of everything he’s gone through recently. “They cut off a person’s connection to their status, effectively removing their skills and abilities. They also can’t interact with magic, the collar seals it. The real problem is, the only way to take one off is by getting the person who put it there to remove it.” 

My stomach drops. “What… if he switches? He’s much smaller than anyone else.” A slight tremor gives away the anxiety welling up inside me. 

Father just gives me a deadpan stare before looking at the floor and croaking out his reply. “I have no idea.”

 

【〓〓〓〓】

 

For the first time in months, I lay on my back, counting the ornate swirls on the ceiling above my bed. After getting into the triple digits I give up, too restless to continue. Rolling over in my soft sheets, I face the door to my room. My shadow is cast onto the floor near the bed, stretching up the dark wood door. Unlike most nights my shadow is clearly defined, backlit by the full moon. 

Staring at the door, my mind begins to wander. Memories that aren’t mine surface, seen through the eyes of my siblings. The images flashing through my head are rough, the edges fractured like broken glass. I see a scene of a dark city, lit by glowing flora. That has to be the Unrak village. Suddenly black ropes shoot past my face, several covering most of my vision. I feel anxiety that is not mine suddenly drop into my stomach. The thick ropes have wrapped around my neck, tightening by the second. Air not reaching my lungs, I gasp futily. The edges of my vision start to dim. Soon I can’t see much of anything anymore. 

Just as suddenly as it started, the invasive memory is gone. I sit up in my bed, gasping and coughing. Reaching for my neck, I feel that there’s nothing there. No ropes, no crushing pressure, not even a bruise. My breathing slowly stabilizes and I plop back into the bed, looking at the ceiling again. 

That was Wight’s memory of when he smashed the town up. That means that those dark ropes that crushed my airway were… me. That was my blessing knocking the kid out. 

… Is that how he felt? Did I really make a kid feel that kind of fear? It feels like a bucket of ice has been dumped into the bed with me. Guilt gnaws at my heart. I have to make it up to him somehow. He’s just a -- 

My thoughts are cut short when I feel the house shudder around me. Leaping out of bed, I make my way to the door. Hardly making it three steps, I feel a sudden pain in my head, as if someone was drilling into it with a dowel. Unlike the typical headaches that come when I wake up, this one has a horrific screeching sound attached. 

The sound slowly reverberates in my mind, getting louder and louder, until I fall to the ground unconscious.