Paths of the Chosen

Aidan, Eve, and their parents spent a few more minutes reassuring each other, but before long, the Divinity interrupted. "It is difficult for me/us to maintain thy appearance here for longer, Caitlin, Seamus. Pray, give thy children thy fare-thee-wells."

Brighid watched, fascinated, as Caitlin turned a glare on the Goddess, her face flushing red as she prepared to launch into an attack—verbal or otherwise, she wasn't quite sure. Seamus interceded, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. She looked up at him, and the pair seemed to hold an entire conversation without speaking. After a few seconds, Caitlin turned away from the Brighaid, hugged Aidan and Eve, and gave them each a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you both so much. I'm proud of everything you've accomplished. If..." Caitlin took a shuddering breath, then continued, "If I never see you again, remember to look out for each other, just like you always have."

Then it was Seamus's turn. He held both his children against his barrel chest and rumbled, "Remember what strength is." Aidan and Eve both nodded as if he said something profound. Seamus released them, then focused his attention on Brighid, Sunnild, and Ailis. Brighid shifted, taking a half-step back in an instinctive reaction to the intensity of the quiet man's gaze. Then his eyes softened, and he nodded once, sharply. He didn't say anything, but Brighid could feel his approval. "Live well," he told them all.

So saying, he wrapped an arm around Caitlin's shoulder and turned the pair of them to the door they entered from. It opened, and they stepped through, then they and the door vanished.

"Um," Sunnild asked, "what did he mean? Remember what strength is?"

"It's something our dad taught us when we were babies," Eve replied, trembling against her older brother.

"It's a little difficult to put into words," Aidan continued the thought, "since Dad's lessons are usually examples, not parables. As soon as we were old enough not to try to eat the plants, he had us help him in his garden."

"Daddy's garden is amazing," Eve cut in, "he's got all kinds of flowers, herbs, vegetables, trees, everything. And he showed us that each of them is strong and useful in their own way."

"He showed us how hard it is to uproot a plant with your bare hands, even though a flower's roots are tiny, thin threads."

"He showed us how trees that don't bend with the wind will break in a storm."

"How having flowers among the vegetables encouraged more bees to come and pollinate the entire garden."

"And how a tree can regrow from a tiny cutting," Eve finished. "Strength isn't just standing up to bullies, and it isn't being hard or tough."

"Strength," Aidan concluded, "is being flexible, adaptable, open-minded, and working together with others. If you don't bend, you'll break. If you don't work together, you'll be left behind."

"He is a wise man, then," Ailis murmured. "Wiser than me. I mean no offense, but that is not the lesson I expected such a man to give about strength."

Eve grinned. "Oh, no, he spends as much time exercising as he does gardening. He could probably lift you up and haul you across his shoulders." Brighid blinked at that. Her mother wasn't nearly as big or heavy as she was, but Ailis had to weigh at least 800 pounds. "There's a difference between physical and metaphorical strength; he taught us that, too. When we were really little—I was, what, five? Six?" Eve looked at Aidan.

He nodded. "Five, I think. I was seven at the time. The two of us combined might have weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet and been able to lift half that off the ground for a second. Dad weighs at least three times that and, well, it wouldn't surprise me if he could carry you around, Ailis. Anyway, he brought us out to the back yard and handed us one end of a fifty-foot-long rope. He marked a line in the middle, then took up the other end. The goal was to drag the other party across the centerline."

Brighid frowned. "But how could you possibly beat him?"

"We didn't, not at first," Eve said. "We couldn't budge him, and he hauled us in effortlessly."

"Then," Aidan explained, "he showed us the magic of thinking outside the box. Dad helped us rig up a system of pulleys anchored into the ground—"

"And by 'helped us,' Daniel means he told us what to do and had us do all the actual work," Eve complained.

"—and then once we had the pulleys all set up, we did the tug-of-war again," Aidan talked on as if his sister hadn't interrupted. "This time, even though he changed the rules so that we'd lose if we got to the first pulley, the outcome was completely different."

Eve nodded. "And Daddy didn't go easy on us, either. He gave it everything he had. There was a twenty-five-foot long trench in the back yard when we were done. And that wasn't all, either. He reset everything and had us both try it against him one-on-one. We lost those almost as badly as the first time without mechanical assistance."

"That's how all of Dad's lessons went. He might have said five words to us that whole afternoon, but neither of us has ever forgotten it," Aidan said, and Eve nodded again in confirmation.

"Forgive my/our intrusion, but many questions yet await answers," the Brighaid interjected, startling Brighid. She'd somehow forgotten about the Goddess. "If I/we may, the next question is for thee, Eve; they wish to know whether thee would assemble a harem for thyself if thee could."

"Jokes about my brother aside, are we talking about a harem as in a bunch of people existing only to serve my sexual pleasure-slash-reproductive needs or a polyamorous relationship? Because there's not much point in me having an actual historical harem—even if I wanted kids, I could only be pregnant once at any given time. As for polyamory... it's a nice idea, but at this point, I'd be ecstatic to find a single person who loves me as much as Brighid and Daniel love each other."

"You will," Aidan promised her.

"We'll see," Eve responded, face downcast. Aidan wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a hug.

"Perhaps as a follow-up to that question, and addressed to all of ye, are there any races ye would never consider for a sexual or romantic relationship?"

"I'd have trouble with someone who was completely non-humanoid," Aidan admitted. "I can intellectually accept that someone might fall in love with a sapient, intelligent, talking plant, for example, but I don't think I'd be comfortable with it myself. Then again, I never thought centaurs were particularly sexy before I got sent here, so who knows? Physically, I don't think I could have sex with a gargoyle, even if they had the appropriate equipment. I shook Sarpedon's hand, and there's no give to his... does he even have skin? He feels exactly like he looks: a statue. Hard, unyielding, and cold."

"Speaking of cold," Eve added, "undead are right out. That's way, way too creepy for me, even if it's Casper the Friendly Ghost. And vampires can fuck right off; I don't want anyone messing with my mind. Mind control is an anti-fetish, thanks."

"I never even thought about someone from another race until I met Aidan," Brighid said. "You opened my eyes, love." Her mother nodded along.

"It's a bit different for us," Sunnild said, "since there aren't any male harpies. We're really not very picky given we hafta sleep with other races and hafta take what we can get."

"Next, we have quite a few questions for Riama." The cat in question raised her head from where she'd been snoozing since the very beginning. Trust a cat to nap even in a dream, Brighid thought with an inward giggle. "What is thy view on dogs?"

Riama gave an expressive snort. "She says they're useful minions, but nothing more," Aidan translated their mental communication. "She's pretty disdainful about them in general, although she's got some respect for wolves."

"Are there any secret conversations thou wouldst have with Brighid if thee could?"

"No, I didn't ask that one," Aidan rolled his eyes at his familiar. "I don't even know how to submit questions to this. She says that if she could, she wouldn't tell anyone because then they wouldn't be secret."

"What is the most annoying thing thee hast felt from thy mental connection to Aidan?"

Aidan blushed. "Really? Uh, oops? Apparently, I need to learn to block my emotions from her when I'm, ah, with Brighid and Sunnild. That's why she runs out the door as soon as we start getting frisky; distance helps." He scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Sorry. You need to tell me that when we wake up because I don't realize it's happening, and I won't remember this. Yes, I know that you won't remember this either. Next question, please?"

The Goddess smirked but complied. "What do thee like best and least?"

Aidan arched an eyebrow. "I would say that's sweet, but... Yes, yes, okay, I'll say it exactly. She says, 'My favorite thing is you—' meaning me '—despite your unfortunate lack of fur.' And she says she dislikes people who refuse to pay her proper tribute. In other words, food and/or head scratches. It seems Cai is on her naughty list."

The Brighaid raised Their eyebrows as they read the next question. She looked at Eve and said, "Thou may wish to cover thy ears again, for the next question, despite being addressed to Riama, involves his romantic life." Eve blushed and plugged her ears again, after which They continued, "What are thy thoughts on these, and I/we quote, 'partly-bald, upright, pseudo-felines' that you are around right now, and would thee approve of your human adding one of them to his mating circle?"

"She says I already have, although I contest that claim. Yes, I know I challenged your assertion that Ailis had feelings for me too. Yes, I know you were right about that. Yes, I know I promised to bring Aoife with us if we could." Brighid couldn't hold in the giggles as Aidan weathered a barrage of superiority from his familiar. "Answer the questions, please, would you?"

Aidan rolled his eyes at the response he got. "Why couldn't I have gotten a familiar that's easy to deal with, like a dragon or something? Anyway, she says that the Mist Stalkers would make poor minions because they're too independent-minded. She does approve of how stealthy they are. Also, she's reserving judgment on Aoife right now since we just met, and it remains to be seen whether we can trust her."

A smile tugged at the corners of the Goddess's lips, but she only indicated to Eve that she could uncover her ears, then continued with another question. "I believe this is the last one for thee, Riama. I will quote it as it was written. 'Greetings, O powerful and soon to be almighty floof. Who amongst your many minions gives the best scritches or treats? And who is in general a failure of a sapient being by giving mediocre scritches or treats?'"

"Oh, Lord, please don't feed her ego. Soon she won't be able to fit through the door. Yes, yes, I'll give them your answer. She says, firstly, that she always has more room for minions with the proper attitude. I give the best head scratches—it helps that I can feel what she likes best—and Brighid gives the best treats. Treats, in this case, being whole fish or eighteen-ounce cuts of steak." Aidan gave Brighid a mock-glare, but she grinned and stuck her tongue out at him in response. He was just jealous that he didn't rate as the best in both categories. "Cai is the absolute worst since she refuses to be bullied—my words—into petting or feeding her when she's on duty. She says that she's still working on training you, Ailis, but that you're making acceptable progress."

"One day, I will invent an anti-cat ward to keep her from sitting on my books when I am trying to read," Ailis said, voice dry.

"That was, indeed, the last question for thee, Riama. If thou likest, I can send thee from this dream now." The astral jaguar nodded to the Goddess, then vanished. "Now then, next we have a question for a new individual. One moment while I fetch her, please."

A second later, a harpy with a honey-blonde crest and golden-brown wingfeathers appeared before them. Flight Major Cynehild blinked, then looked around. Before she could say anything, the Brighaid spoke, saying, "Greeting, Major Cynehild. I/we am/are the Brighaid, and I/we brought thee here to my/our realm to answer questions. Rest assured, no harm will come to thee or thine as a result, and only I and those who watch from beyond will remember this event at all."

"Very well," Cynehild allowed, but her posture remained tense.

"There are but two questions for thee, and then I/we will return thee to thy dreams. First, did thee choose to take command of the embassy at Ceallach Macht, or were thee 'volunteered' by someone higher in command?"

"I am a soldier, and I go where I am ordered," came her crisp reply. "That being said, I did request the assignment. My position in the Ayrie makes me more suited to the task than some of the other candidates, and I recognize the value in what Lord Aidan is offering to us." She inclined her head towards Aidan, and he nodded back to her.

"The second question is a query on how long it took thee to reach thy current rank."

"I am thirty-two years old and have been performing missions for the Ayrie since the day I turned sixteen. I expect that, if my current assignment goes well, I will be promoted again in a year or two."

The Brighaid nodded. "Those were the only questions addressed specifically to thee, Flight Major. If thou wishest, I can return thee to thy own dream now, or thou canst stay and listen to the remaining questions for the others."

"You said I will not remember what happened here?"

"That is correct."

"Then there is no point in me staying."

"Very well," the Goddess said, and Cynehild faded from view. "The next question is back to thee, Aidan. Now that thou knowest the true nature of this world, what race and Skills dost thou wishest thee chose at the start?"

"Ugh, not Sex, that's for sure," Aidan grimaced.

"Wait, you chose Sex as one of your five starting Skills?" Eve laughed. "Holy shit, bro, I know it's been a long time between girlfriends for you, but were you really that hard up?" Then she snickered. "Hard. Hehe."

Aidan rolled his eyes. "What happened to not wanting to know the details of my sex life, Eve?"

"You know better than to apply logic to me, Danny-boy. Answer up!"

"Yes, I chose Sex, Fire Magic, Vivimancy, Persuasion, and Evasion. I was going for a talky versatile mage build, and I couldn't decide on a fifth Skill. It had been a while for me if you have to know, and since the option was there, I went for it. In retrospect, a terrible idea. Knowing what I know now, I'd still have taken Fire Magic and Vivimancy, and probably Persuasion, but not Evasion or Sex. Brighid and Fionn worked me into shape as far as my physical combat Skills went, and I had plenty of opportunities to raise Sex.

"If I had a chance to do it over again, there are four Skills I'd consider. On the one hand, Golem Control and Golem Crafting need to be paired to be useful but would have let me have self-propelled, semi-disposable guardians. On the other, Cogitomancy would hopefully make me more persuasive and let me heal Traumas, and Beast Magic has applications that I didn't consider at the start. I just thought of it as shapeshifting for combat purposes, not really realizing that it could be used to heal or modify senses."

Ailis nodded and confirmed, "Many fall into that trap."

"Next, we have a question for Sunnild. If thou couldst change one aspect of thy self to its opposite, what would it be?"

"Um," the grey-feathered harpy hesitated. "Nothing? Is that an acceptable answer?"

"It is, but dost thou mind saying why?"

"Sure, I guess. There are some things about myself that maybe I'd change, but nothing as drastic as going completely opposite. Also, some things just don't have opposites, ya know? Like, what's the opposite of my boobs? I wouldn't mind havin' a bigger chest, but I don't wanna end up with breasts the size and shape of watermelons, ya know?"

"You are perfect just like you are," Aidan told Sunnild, beating Brighid to it by a half-second.

"Ya say that, but yer restin' yer head on Brighid's boobs, not mine," Sunnild pouted.

"Let me tell you," Eve countered, "big boobs aren't all they're made out to be. We're about the same size like this, but I really bumped up the breast size slider when I made my character. It's gotten me all the wrong kinds of attention, not to mention a sore back."

"I do not have any trouble with my back," Brighid said with a smirk. "My Traits are a mixed bag, but they do have some nice benefits."

"And while I freely admit that Brighid makes an excellent pillow, have you considered that you are, by far, the best hugger I've ever met, little dove?" Aidan smiled at Sunnild, who blushed bright red. "Besides, sometimes I want to rest my head in a lap and, well, Brighid's just not built for that."

"And what of me?" Ailis interjected. "I have neither my daughter's blessed assets nor Sunnild's lap and huggability. How shall I compete?"

"You," Aidan declared, shaking a finger at Brighid's mother, "are fishing for compliments. We already discussed your comparative anatomy, and I refuse to get drawn further into this minefield."

Ailis's smirk told Brighid that her love was accurate in his assessment—assuming a minefield was something dangerous. "I am just keeping you on your toes. You are fortunate that Brighid and Sunnild are in love themselves and that I have no urge to compete with my daughter. If you add any more to your little love pile, you will need to prepare yourself for conflict within the group. That might reveal itself with your partners fighting among themselves, or it may come to them vying for your favor."

Aidan grimaced. "I'm fine with what I already have, but I think someone," he glanced at his Patron, "has other plans. I have a Quest at the moment that wants me to have four women in love with me, and my Patron Shop is offering me a set of seven rings—presumably one for me and one each for six partners. Don't think I didn't see you slip that in there."

The Brighaid gave Their Champion an enigmatic smile but did not otherwise respond to his accusation. Instead, They said, "Another question for Aidan: What aspect of games dost thou enjoy the most?"

"That's a good question, actually. Hmm. I think the thing that my favorite games all share and that attracts me most is building up my character/civilization/team/whatever to be a synergistic whole that is more than the sum of its parts. It's easy for games to mess that up, but the ones that get it right are practically timeless for me. Both in the sense that I can come back and enjoy them year after year, and in that I lose track of time while playing them."

"Explains why you never got into chess or first-person shooters," Eve opined.

"Yeah. I acknowledge that chess is a remarkably deep game, but there's nothing to assemble or leverage, not really. It's all about recognizing the effects of your opponent's moves and positioning yourself appropriately. And FPSs are fun in short doses when I need to let off steam, but I never found one that held me long-term."

Brighid listened, eager for any insight into her love's inner workings. Unfortunately, she didn't have any context for what Aidan and his sister were discussing. Still, she did recognize something from what they said. "That sounds like a reflection of what your father taught you. You said he showed you that strength is all about working together and being flexible and adaptable, right?"

Aidan sat up, half-turning to face her, and Eve blinked in surprise. "Wow, bro," she said, "not only is she blazing hot for someone who's got three-quarters of a horse for a body, but she's also smart. I'm impressed."

"I never thought about it that way, but you're right, love," Aidan agreed. "That's exactly the kind of thing Dad taught us." Brighid blushed at their praise, then drew Aidan back down against her chest. Although she scolded herself for it, she enjoyed the fact that Aidan preferred using her body as his pillow. She loved Sunnild and did not begrudge her any of Aidan's attention, but there was still a part of her that wanted to be first among equals.

"Ailis, a question for thee," the Brighaid's voice brought Brighid's attention back to the present. "Why didst thou name thy daughter after me/us?"

Ailis snorted. "You were not very subtle about it. I can sense when people are touched by the divine, and both of Brighid's personal Traits are firmly in Your portfolio. While I could not be certain that it was Your hand that lay upon her, there were few other possibilities."

Again, the Divinity only smiled in answer. "Aidan," They said, "the next is directed at thee. What is thy plan regarding the Sisterhood's men? Thou seemest to have doubts regarding their claim of consent."

"I do," he said. "Oh, not on a systematic level," he assured Sunnild when she shot him a hurt look. "I'm sure that most of the men at the Ayrie are happy enough with their lives—I have yet to see an ugly harpy, and it's the sort of life that many men dream of. But how many are we talking about across the entire history of your people? Do you really think that none of them were ever kidnapped, coerced, or taken against their will?"

Sunnild's crest feathers flattened against her scalp. "They wouldn't do that!" she insisted in a soft voice. "Men are too precious to be abused like that!"

"I'm sorry, love," he told her. "Maybe my experiences in my own world are tainting my viewpoint here. I hope that's true, actually. Either way, the question remains to be answered. My intention is to provide a means for the Sisterhood to recruit openly while also ensuring that the men are, in fact, consenting. Everybody wins like that.

"I'll have to work out the details with Cynehild and her bosses, of course, but my idea is to provide somewhere that Sisterhood harpies and men of other races can meet and mingle under supervision. If a pair hit it off, they notify their respective leaders—we'll help facilitate that—and move in with the Sisterhood."

"Sort of a like a reverse brothel?" Eve asked.

"I was thinking more like a club where you check in when you enter and leave. If they want to fuck there, then sure, I guess, but I'd prefer if most of the space was dedicated to socialization rather than seduction."

Sunnild nodded. "That'd work, I think. It's not what any of the sisters're used to, but I bet it'll catch on quick. Giving them actual choices and makin' things easier will definitely make ya popular, Aidan. Might wanna have some guards present just in case sisters get ta fightin' over the available men, though."

Eve giggled. "Yeah, that sounds like a club, alright. It worked on Earth, no reason it won't work here."

"Our next query is to all of ye but Eve: How many children do ye desire, and how do ye plan to raise them?"

"I think I was asked about this last time," Ailis said. "I am content with the child I have."

"So you are saying," Brighid teased, "that you never thought of Lord Aidan the Phoenix King using that centaur transformation spell with you? What better display of power would there be than having his Chancellor bear his child?"

"La la la, not listening, don't wanna know, la la la," Eve sang.

Her mother blushed bright red. "The thought ... may have crossed my mind. But truly, I did not make a good mother. I don't want to put another child through what you suffered, little spark."

"You wouldn't," Aidan assured her, "but don't let Brighid pressure you into it. I will not feel any less for you if you drink a cup of maiden's tea every morning. As for me, I never really put much thought into how many children I wanted. Until arriving here, I'd never been in a secure enough relationship."

"One or two would be enough for me," Sunnild said. "I wouldn't mind more, necessarily, but if ya do end up with six women, Aidan, one or two each is still a really big family."

"I, meanwhile, will bear as many as my Lord sires upon me," Brighid said. "Whether it is due to my Traits or just some quirk of personality, I have always wanted a large family. And," she added, trailing a hand down Aidan's chest, "since there can be no accidental pregnancy between us, I know that every time you get me with child, it is because you wanted it to happen. That is..." she shivered, an ember of lust stirring to life within her belly, "very attractive to me."

Aidan caught her hand before it reached his groin and raised it to his lips. "I'll keep that in mind, love. Well, not really because I won't remember anything that happened here, but still."

"As fer raisin' the kids," Sunnild said, "we talked about that a bit earlier, right? I'm okay with them bein' everyone's kids. I mean, it's gonna be obvious who the birth mother is with both of us, but we'll raise em together, yeah?"

Brighid nodded. Despite the flame of lust that kindled inside her at her previous thoughts, she still didn't expect Aidan or her mother to solve the cross-fertility problem soon. "I would love that," she confirmed, "and I will love them just as if they were my own."

"Because they will be!" Sunnild added, nuzzling her way into her embrace.

"Eve," the Brighaid asked, gesturing for her to uncover her ears, "how dost thou feel about becoming an aunt?"

"Weeeeeird," she dragged out the word. "I mean, to start with, technically I wouldn't be since Aidan and <static> aren't related in the Realms. Leaving that technicality aside, I never really considered the possibility before now. I don't know that I want any kids myself, but having metaphysically-related children I can spoil rotten and then hand off to their actual parent to change their diapers has its appeal, though!"

"I/we am/are sure that the viewers will read much more into that than thee intended," the Brighaid smiled at Eve. "Nevertheless, the questions continue. Aidan, why hast thou not tried to reach thy sister through thy Oneiromancy?"

"Because it wouldn't work?" Aidan half-asked, half-answered. "Dream Infiltration specifically only works with people I've met, and while Shared Dream doesn't say, I don't get the sense that I could just dial up any random person I don't even know with it. Besides, as Eve noted, we aren't the same people in the Realms. Realms-Eve isn't Earth-Eve, so I have no idea how to find her, physically or in her dreams. I'm not going to let that stop me, though, sis."

"I know," Eve responded with a tenuous smile. "Just... hurry, please."

"The next query is directed at Aidan's lovers, but I see no reason that thee could not answer as well if thou so desirest, Eve. Aidan has earned the title of Phoenix King; while he did not pick it, if ye could do so for yourself, what title would ye take?"

"I am fine with what I have," Brighid replied. "I do not need anything grandiose." Ailis nodded her agreement.

 

"I don't have any titles yet, but, um, I really like singing for you, Aidan. I wouldn't mind bein' known as the Songbird." Sunnild blushed at her admission, then made a happy sound as Aidan pulled her into his lap again.

"Eh," Eve said, "titles are a bit chuunibiyou for me." Brighid cocked her head, not recognizing the word. "I don't wear the titles I've gotten, and unless I get one that's just too good to ignore, I don't plan to change that."

"Too chuuni for you?" Aidan laughed. "Miss 'All shall love me and despair'?"

"Shush!" Eve stuck her tongue out at her brother.

"Oh, the next two questions are for another pair of new faces," the Brighaid smiled. "Let me/us see..."

A few seconds later, Sarpedon and Lail appeared in the room and were informed of the circumstances.

"Sarpedon, a watcher wants to know what gargoyles do for entertainment. With thy indefinite lifespan, how do ye find pleasure in thy daily lives?"

The gargoyle nodded, expression stoic. "Indeed, that is a question that plagues our race. One of the reasons we spend so much time in torpor is to stave off boredom. It is also part of why our race is so deeply divided; it is difficult for people who measure their expected number of years in millennia to maintain friendships when they do not appreciate the same activities. Those of us in the Sapphire Sky have a scholarly bent. We enjoy debate, research, and measured experimentation. Others of my race seek thrill in battle, throwing themselves against enemies that no others can fight, trying to straddle the line between existence and annihilation. Not for me, that."

The Goddess nodded, then turned to the other new guest. "Lail, how do thee find the courage to deal with the terrifying experiences thou hast endured recently? What have thee done to try and cope?"

Lail trembled in the presence of the Divinity. "I," she started, then swallowed and said again, "I think of what Lord Aidan has gone through. Begging your pardon, Lady Brighid, but I have known him the longest. I saw him hold his head high when the Council debated his death while he was covered in mud and filth. I witnessed the result of his sacrifice in Ceallach Macht, and I watched him defy a dragon for us. I... I am sure that he was afraid then, but he still did what he had to do. How can I do any less?"

"Indeed," the Divinity replied with a gentle smile. "We are near to the end now. Sunnild, I have several here for thee. First, defines violence for thee? Some would consider harsh words violence, but others would limit it to physical actions. What are thy thoughts on the matter?"

"Mm," Sunnild hummed. "Violence is about intent. There are all sorts of things that qualify; physical, mental, emotional, sexual. But they're all about forcing someone else to obey you or agree with you or submit to you. Any time someone says no and you do it anyway, that's violence. Not all violence can be avoided—criminals aren't gonna just bow their heads and go along with you because you catch 'em, and there's evil out there that won't respond to anything else. I know that and accept it. But day to day, person to person, trying to make them agree with you only breeds resentment and reprisal."

Aidan smiled at Sunnild. "I hope we get to talk about religions from my world someday, love. I think there's one that would suit you perfectly. 'One who, while seeking happiness, oppresses with violence other living beings who also desire happiness, will not find it hereafter,'" he quoted.

The gray-feathered harpy beamed back at him. "I'd like that," she said, nuzzling against his shoulder.

"Thou managed to answer the second question in the first," stated the Brighaid with a smile, "and so we proceed to the final set. Aidan, for all thy lack of practical experience with romantic relationships—"

"Hey! I object to that!" Aidan interrupted. "I've been in several relationships; they just never worked out in the end."

"Of course, Champion. Remember, 'tis not I/we who pose these questions. Continuing... they note that thou possessest a high level of respect for thy partners and mature aspirations towards the nature of thy relationships. They ask what to influences thee attribute thy outlook on such things?"

"My parents," Aidan said without hesitation. "I know a lot of people complain about the Birds and the Bees Talk from their parents, but ours were great. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's embarrassing to be a teenager and have your mom sit you down and tell you about girls and boys—"

"And girls and girls, and boys and boys, and boys and girls and girls, et cetera," Eve chimed in. "Mother can be very thorough when she puts her mind to it."

"Yeah," Aidan laughed. "You got all that too?"

"Oh, did she go over it all with you? I figured she just knew I was bi and covered all the bases."

"I wouldn't put it past her to tell it all to me to set me up for accepting you," Aidan said, "not that I would ever reject you for liking women too. What kind of hypocrite would that make me?"

Eve laughed loudly and extended a fist to Aidan, who balled his hand up and tapped it against hers. "Anyway," he continued afterward, "Mom made sure to explain what makes a relationship work and what will cause one to go straight to Hell. She couldn't give me all the info, of course, because every pairing is unique, but between her lecture, watching her and Dad together, and my own repeated failures, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted and needed to do."

"There is a follow-up question to that: How have thee discovered thy outlook changing to accommodate thy ongoing relationships and the feedback thou receivest from thy partners?"

"Well, for starters, I never looked for a polyamorous relationship, but I'm starting to believe it just might work now. A certain pair have been very, very persuasive, and I don't just mean in bed. I wouldn't be nearly as comfortable about the way things are going if you two weren't so clearly in love with each other as you are with me," Aidan told Brighid and Sunnild. They smiled at each other, and Brighid leaned over Aidan's shoulder to kiss both her lovers.

"As for responding to feedback, well," he glanced at Eve and mimed covering his ears, then waited until she complied, "to be honest, I'm a lot less dominant than Brighid is submissive. I get the feeling that you wouldn't mind if I had you following my orders all day long, even in your professional life. I know you're willing to stand up to me regarding safety matters, but if I told you that you were never allowed to wear anything but the minimum protective clothing in your forge, you'd do it."

"Mm-hmm," Brighid agreed with a purr, feeling the flames within her starting to spread. "And if I could find a way to make myself immune to mundane sparks and flames, I would do it naked if you wanted."

"See, that's too much for me. I hope this doesn't hurt you to hear, flame of my heart, but I am not comfortable having that level of control over anyone. I don't have the self-confidence for it. I'll tease you with talking about it, but I don't think I'll ever be able to control you that much."

Brighid shook her head and kissed Aidan's hair. "It is alright, love. I would enjoy it, but I do not need it. You already give me everything that I need, and almost everything that I want. I would feel unreasonably greedy asking more of you than you are comfortable giving."

"There is but one question remaining, and it is addressed to all who will answer: What is best in life?"

"To crush your enemies, drive them before you, and hear the lamentations of their women!" responded Eve immediately. Brighid blinked at her, not expecting such a bloodthirsty response, but Aidan snorted.

"And you complain about me sticking to old stuff, sis? When was Conan released again? 1982?"

"Yeah, yeah, shush, you."

"Um," Sunnild said, "I've never been happier than when I'm with you two. Not even when we're, you know. Just hugging you makes my heart soar."

"Best. Hugger," Aidan repeated with a chuckle, squeezing Sunnild in his arms and drawing a giggle from her. "I have to agree. If it wouldn't be shirking all the responsibilities ever, I'd elope with the two of you and just settle down in a cabin in the middle of nowhere."

"I will buck the trend, then," Ailis said with an amused tone. "Do not get me wrong, pleasant company is high on the list, but best in life? A glass of fine wine, a perfectly-prepared steak, and a good, hard ride by a well-hung stallion."

"Mother!" Brighid gasped, blushing.

"Oh, do not even try to deny it, little spark. Everyone who lives in Caer Macht can hear how much you enjoy your rides." Brighid felt her skin burning with embarrassment and arousal as the flames within her flared to an inferno.

"And thy answer, Brighid?" prompted the deity.

"Well..." she hesitated, then raised her hand to her neck, touching the plain charm hanging from her choker. "Like mother, like daughter, I guess," she admitted, drawing a giggle from Sunnild and a laugh from Aidan.

"Thank thee all for attending and for thy forthright responses," the Brighaid said with a smile. "Know that I love thee all. Pray, now, return to thy dreams."