Vieraslayer

Wight Mamba and I have a few ideas for future projects. He says his solo debut will be about a psychopathic Moogle named Foobar. In this chapter, Alvyne is working to ease the tension she caused last chapter, and little Sylva causes a stir herself.

Makings of a Viera Leader

Vaan had escaped in the middle of the turmoil. Alja had been right. It was NOT a good idea to go into the village and Penelo wasn't there anyhow. The Viera were all riled up and it would take a while before they calmed down.

Mjrn and Alja were outside of the village, and they approached Vaan. Alja had to tell him he'd be seeing a lot more of her soon. Mjrn was still very upset.

"Vaan, I need to speak to you." Alja said in practically a whisper.

"Hey Ali. Hello Mjrn. What are you two up to?" Vaan asked. Mjrn backed off a little.

"This is between the two of you. I was just supporting my friend. I'll go see if Janzyn made it back to Lena's place." Mjrn said.

"You can stay Mjrn. I don't mind." Alja told her friend.

"No. I really shouldn't. It isn't a good idea. I would just make things worse. This is between the two of you. I need to go find Janzyn. Lena usually makes lunch for us both if she knows Jan will be there, and the Wood has surely informed her or Chea by now. I need to eat soon."

"Mjrn? I accidentally told Vaan about your condition. I won't tell anybody else, okay? Don't hate me! I can keep a secret! It was just one of my mindless overheated remarks!"

"I think I'll have to watch who I tell things to in the fall from now on. Oh well, at least Jote and everybody else doesn't know. I don't want all the attention on me when my sister is so miserable and needs help."

"The Viera in Eruyt Village have bigger things to worry about right now Mjrn. We kind of… brought a Reena-Kaana in. Don't worry! Alvyne is harmless! Balthier told her to never harm another Viera, but… the Viera know now. I think they're gonna kill her." Vaan stated.

"A REENA-KAANA! They still exist? Mother Wood! Everyone always told me they were extinct! I kind of have wondered what they were like… but now… the Viera are definitely going to kill her! My sister will do it personally! Oh my gosh! I have to go home quickly! I want to see the Reena!"

"What ever happened to going to Lena's with Janzyn?"

"That can wait! I've never seen a Reena before! There probably aren't many left! Who knows if I'll ever have another chance to see one?"

Mjrn ran off full speed. Alja smiled.

"She's taking care of herself, don't worry. She knows what she's doing. Jote takes care of herself too; it's just that sometimes these things happen. Mjrn is very strong. In some ways, stronger than her sisters. Jote says that I am strong. I hope she is right." Alja said softly.

"What is it you want, Ali?" Vaan wondered.

"I'm coming with you and Penelo. I'm leaving the Wood. The Gift has been given, and there is a possibility of any child of mine inheriting Kira's defect. If that is the case, our child is going to need both parents. I don't want to marry you or anything, just live with you and Penelo. I don't know if I can be of any use, but I certainly hope so."

"Alja, I always tell Penelo that we need a Viera. And I can't abandon you like this."

"I knew it would be like that. You can't leave me since I'm going to have your child and everything… I don't know whether to be a happy bunny or all depressed."

Mjrn returned home to find Jote and one of the healers with a very hurt dog-looking thing that could only be the Reena-Kaana. Why hadn't Jote killed the Reena? Why was the healer actually helping it?

"Aunt Mjrn! Doggie!" Little Sylva said, pointing at Alvyne.

"Hi Vinka. Hey Hala? What is going on here?" Mjrn asked the lead salve-maker.

"The girl the Humes brought here is none other than a Reena-Kaana, but for some reason, Jote refuses to kill it. It's baffling, simply baffling! And furthermore, Jote says that if any of us hurt the beast in any way, we'll be in major trouble!" Hala explained.

"Doggie!" Sylva yelled happily.

"It's not exactly a doggie, dear. It's a Reena-Kaana. They like to eat Viera like us."

"No doggie?"

"Not exactly. Mjrn, can you take this little angel for me?"

"Sure. C'mere Vinka. We're going to get answers from your mommy, and then we're going to get dinner with Uncle Janzyn and Aunt Lena? How about that?" Mjrn said to the little Viera. She picked Sylva up and approached Jote. "What are you doing? That's a Reena, and you're HELPING him?"

"Alvyne a FEMALE!" Alvyne growled.

"Sorry. I've never seen a real Reena before. I can't tell males from females. You're young, that's all I can see. The question is, why is my sister helping you instead of brutally murdering you?"

"Myko-chan told her not to hurt another Viera, and Myko is part Hume. It's in the nature of the Reena to never disobey an order from a Hume. Man's best friend, you know." Jote replied.

"Mommy! Help doggie!" Sylva cried.

"She will Vink! Don't worry! Alvyne is my friend too! She promised to be my pet!" Myko exclaimed. The healer cast Curaga on Alvyne, and the Reena was back on her feet.

"So you're a Reena-Kaana! I've always wanted to see one, but I hoped there was at least a cage separating us!" Mjrn yelled.

"Alvyne very scared of small Viera lady. Please leave Alvyne!" The Reena yelped in fear.

"You're SCARED of me? Why? I'm not scary. You could kill me if you wanted to. I probably couldn't do much more besides claw you a little. I'm a young Viera and I'm not very strong, physically."

"Alvyne just puppy! Alvyne no able use bite. Small Viera lady kill Alvyne if fight."

"My name is Mjrn. I am not scary. I just never expected to see a real live Reena, and especially not here, in my own home village. What are you doing here?"

"Alvyne want live here, be friend to Myko, be Viera protector. Mjrn make Alvyne nervous still. Mjrn not child-Viera, nope-nope! Strong enough to kill Alvyne!"

Mjrn smiled. "At least somebody notices that I'm not a child anymore. I think I like you. I hope we can be friends."

"Mjrn, I've told you before. You are a freak. You like Reenas, so that's proof. C'mon Kjrs, we have plans. I'm at my limit. I've had all the Myko I can handle. Rush is going to be seeing more of me if that stupid dog moves in. I can barely deal with the little mutant that Fran cursed us with. Darn it, if Fran ever has another child, she's taking care of it. She had no business dumping her mistake on us!" Rael hissed. She and Kjrs left the village to find Rush.

Myko called after her. "Someday, you'll have to deal with my little sister too!"

"So Myko finally gets her dog?" Mjrn asked.

"Sure do! Now all I need is a little sister! Vinka gets a little sister, I want one too. I actually wouldn't care if I had a little brother either, but I really want a sister."

"Alvyne can be sister. Not real sister, but Alvyne can be good sister!" Alvyne told the little half-Viera.

"You will be a good big sister, but I want a little sister. I'll be a good big sister." Myko said. Jote heard that. Fran had said the same thing when she was younger.

"Hey Myko? Want to come along with me and Vinka? We're going to go have lunch with Lena and Janzyn. Janzyn should have the twins with him. I know Rush won't have time to watch his daughter for a while because of stupid Rael and Kjrs, so Janzyn will be watching Slya along with Janson." Mjrn explained. Alvyne turned back into a Viera. "I suppose Lena won't mind you coming too, Alvyne. Just pretend to be a Viera. I don't want there to be a scene. I'll tell Janzyn some other time, when he won't kill you immediately."

The small group of Viera went to Lena's home. Janzyn was already there with Mjrn's twins. He had already stopped Slya from trying to drink wine several times. Janson was his son, but Slya had been fathered by Rush. Rush was the only other male Mjrn had ever been with, and it was only because Janzyn was too tired to do much. He was only able to give Mjrn one round that day, and Mjrn sought out another male and found Rush.

"Mjrn, your girl is just like Mr. Rush. Darn it. Out of all the Viera males in the Wood, you had to find Rush!" Janzyn complained. Penelo had high-tailed it after Jan showed up. She was tired of Lena and Chea and wanted to go back to Vaan.

"Hi Mr. Janzyn! Hi Miss Lena! Hi Miss Chea! Hi Janson! Hi Slya!" Myko called out.

"Hey there Myko-chan! Haven't seen you for a while! Uncle Janzyn won't let me have the grape juice, and I want it soooo bad!" Slya exclaimed. She and her brother both were hyperactive and loud.

"Yeah! Dad and everyone else get to drink the grape juice, but we don't get any!" Janson added.

"I can't have any either, Janzyn. Sorry." Mjrn said.

"C'mon Mjrn! What's the matter? Are you pregnant or something?" Janzyn asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes. So no. I am not going to get drunk again. At least not for a year and a half. Try to tempt me and I'll claw your eyes out."

"Jeez. A few days and moody already. Sheesh." Janzyn noticed Alvyne. "You're kind of young to be drinking, aren't you? You're pretty. I'm sure when you're full-grown, you'll be quite the looker. I'm interested already, but you're too young for me."

"Jan, leave her the heck alone!" Mjrn yelled.

"Let's hope you aren't having more than one. Trust me, Miss Viera, when she was carrying those twins of her's, she was an absolute nightmare. She didn't know she was having twins, so when I asked her if she was sure she wasn't having more than one, she really got mad. I knew she was too big to only be having one baby. And she was miserable. She was sick all the time, and that made her even crankier."

"My name is Alvyne." Alvyne stated.

"Janzyn, do you have to tell her that? Those are the kinds of things you don't go telling everyone!"

"Mjrn, please calm down. You're pregnant. You can't have your blood pressure too high." Lena said calmly.

"You're right Lena. Janzyn, we'll talk about this later like civilized adults. SLYA! NO! You can't have that!"

"I want the grape juice!" Slya cried.

"It isn't grape juice, and it isn't for kids. I'm not even sure Alvyne should be drinking it."

"Hi there Vinka! Mjrn, why'd you bring the precious little heiress to Eruyt's leadership here? Is Jote okay? I don't mind Vinka being here, I just didn't expect you to bring her." Lena said.

"I'm just doing her mother a favour. Jote needs some time alone right now. She's not doing so well right now, and she needs to relax. She nearly died having Vinka, and I don't want to see my sister die. Jote and Fran pretty much raised me, and I care about them both so much. I worry about Fran so much, and I adore Jote. It's the least I can do, watching Myko and Vinka."

"Lena! Grape juice!" Vinka demanded.

"Didn't I just say it isn't grape juice and it isn't for kids? Especially not you, Vinka. You are too little for this! Your mother would never forgive me. The future leader of Eruyt Village is not drinking wine when she isn't even old enough to talk in complete sentences! And don't be mean to Miss Lena! She isn't going to give you wine just because you yell at her!"

"She's Jote's kid alright. She didn't ask for it, she demanded it. She's going to be a fine leader someday. Kara and Jote are just like that. They don't ask you to do something, they tell you. Kara has been like that since she was a baby. I remember when Kara was little. She would always demand everybody do everything she wanted." Lena said.

"And I remember when Kara was Mjrn's age. That crazy Viera was good in bed!" Janzyn added.

"Don't be proud Jnzn. Sleeping with Kara was the very reason you were kicked out of Tarva Village in the first place!"

"Fjna was very similar too. And Tyra was always a complete monster. We're happy that Fjna isn't so darn extreme. Tyra would get violently mad at you if you didn't follow her every word to the letter." Chea remarked.

"Yes Vinka. You have the makings of a fine leader in you. I wonder if Jote's next child will be so… spirited. Fran and Jote are very similar. Fran would've made a fine leader herself. Even you, Mjrn. You have potential."

"Well, I don't know Lena. Mjrn seems too passive."

"What do you mean?"

"You see, in animals alphas are born the way they are. We are like that too. Vinka is certainly proof of that. She's a born leader. You see, there are some Viera who fight the leader tooth and claw to get their way. And then there are passive types. Hey! Mjrn! Don't bite me! You're supposed to be passive!"

"Chea, it appears that in the Viera chain of command, even Mjrn outranks you. She put you in your place rather easily."