Day 170 / 'Annika'
The midday sun streamed down onto 'Annika', creeping under the shade that had been erected over her wagon. When the light reached her face, she stirred, groaning, and rolled over on the straw mattress she'd been set upon, trying to avoid it. A bump on the road disturbed her again with a jostle, and after the second interruption, she finally gave up on her nap. Sitting upright, swaying with the motion of her vehicle, 'Annika' rubbed her yellow eyes with the back of her clawed hands and yawned.
Wait.
Claws.
Blinking rapidly, 'Annika' looked down at her hands and feet, twisting and turning them as she examined her new scales. For a moment, she recoiled in terror at the horror of being trapped in a monstrous body that was not her own, but a split second later, the fear left without a trace. Had she'd just imagined that? Or was her sleepiness messing with her emotions? … Well whatever it was, it didn't come back, so 'Annika' stretched one last time, pulled on her clothes, then hopped out the back of the wagon.
She stumbled a little as she landed, unused to the weight of her new wings and tail, but when she regained her balance and looked around, she found herself in the middle of a grand caravan. Quickly stepping to the side to avoid blocking oncoming traffic, she took in the sights. For miles ahead and behind her, the wagon-train stretched out as thousands of mamono and incubi fled their now captured city.
Surprisingly, despite the loss of their home, the mood was upbeat. Children ran amongst the wagons, giggling and laughing as they played, and different parts of the line spontaneously burst into marching or folk songs. Occasionally, a harpy would fly overhead, singing her own pretty little tunes, and inspiring those under her to join the chorus.
In contrast to the cheerful attitude of everyone around her, though, 'Annika' just felt lost. She'd been turned into some kind of dragon,… but now what? She could probably run away if she really wanted, but her best bet was to stay with the people of this town, if only from a pure survival standpoint. … But if she was staying with them, what could she do? Where did she belong? Thinking this over, 'Annika's' thoughts drifted back to the lilim who had changed her. Eri would know, she just had to find her.
"Hey, it's Annika! What are the chances?"
Hearing someone call her name, she looked up at the passing wagons and spotted Don and Kyou waving to her. Quickening her pace, 'Annika' hustled to catch up. While Don took the reins of the mule pulling their cart, Kyou leaned over the side to speak with her.
"Good morning, my dear! So nice to see you again!"
Smiling up at the pair who'd showed her kindness, 'Annika' nodded.
"Yeah, it's nice to see you too. How'd the packin' go?"
"It went well. We had to leave our furniture behind, but short of an oven, we have everything we need to start over. And what of you? What does a Wyvern plan to do now that they're part of our community?"
A wyvern, eh? 'Annika' glanced at a claw again, then shrugged. Hell if she knew…
"… Honestly, I'm not sure."
Kyou smiled broadly and offered some words of encouragement.
"Ah, well you have plenty of time to figure that out. Whatever you choose, know that you'll always be welcome here. Feel free to join us at mealtime if you're so inclined."
Another show of generosity to a murderer who didn't deserve it. 'Annika' almost teared up a little at the couple's kindness, but held it in and nodded.
"Thanks, Kyou. Do ya know where Eri is?"
"She's leading the column. It's quite far ahead, but flight should take you there rather quickly."
Flight… right, she had wings now.
"I think I'll just walk. Thanks for the help, I'll see y'all later."
She wasn't about to risk flying when she didn't how to use her wings.
As she made her way down the road, 'Annika' sensed something was off. Her body felt… weird. She stamped her foot experimentally, and reached up to rub her head. Yes, claws and horns, she knew she had those, but that wasn't the change she was looking for.
It took an embarrassingly long time for her to realize that it wasn't something being wrong, but nothing being wrong that felt odd. There was no occasional throbbing in her head from the remnants of her concussions, no random pains from half-healed wounds that magic couldn't quite fix, and no aches from her exertions when marching across half the country with a loaded pack. It was like she'd been handed a brand-new body. Rolling her shoulder and flexing her arm, 'Annika' mused "I wonder how far I can push it…", then took off running.
Her endurance was another thing that surprised her. Though she sprinted over hills and dodged through crowds at a breakneck pace, her strength never deserted her. In fact, two miles down the road, when she slowed back to her walking pace, 'Annika' was barely winded. It felt like she hadn't exerted herself at all. … Could she go faster? Quite literally kicking up a cloud of dust, 'Annika' pushed herself even harder as she quickened her pace.
Another few miles down the road, 'Annika' found herself finally catching glimpses of the column's head, but stopped short to catch her breath. Moving faster than any athlete in The Order, she'd crossed the three-mile mark in record time, and felt reasonably confident in her ability to challenge a mounted cavalier to a race – a challenge she stood a good chance of winning. Was this the true power of a mamono's body? It felt wonderful! Why had she ever wanted to fight this?
"Oh hi, Annika! What's the hurry?"
Another acquaintance called out to her, and this time, it turned out to be Lila. The woman was sitting in the lap of her new husband as the pair rode on the back of a wagon. Seeing one ex-member of The Order there, 'Annika' glanced around, and spotted another half-dozen former soldiers walking or riding nearby. Their clothes, marked with the traditional insignias of Nothreach or Naton, betrayed their origins, and all of them were paired with curvy succubi. Many of them showed no shame in publicly displaying their affection with kisses, hugs or held hands, and a joyous air seemed to emanate from them. They all looked so happy.
"I'm tryin'a find Eri. She's at the front, right?"
Lila smiled cheerfully and nodded.
"Mhmm! Why, what's up?"
"I'm just… trying to figure out my place here."
The levitating lead wagons were a definite sign that Eri was around. As 'Annika' approached the head of the column, she spotted several carts loaded down with weird machines, too heavy to be pulled by horses. These floated a few feet above the ground, lifted by spell, along with the wagons of a handful of other lucky refugees. It seemed she'd had magic to spare and decided to share her power.
"Annika!"
As she passed through the caravan's airborne portion, 'Annika' found she was spotted by Eri first, who ran to her.
"How are you feeling, my daughter? Did you sleep well?"
Despite her slighter stature, Eri's attitude took on a motherly air as she hugged 'Annika', brushing fingers through her hair.
"Yeah, I slept fine."
"And your body? There's no problems? Everything feels ok?"
"Nah, no problems. I feel great, mo- Eri."
The lilim beamed at this, clearly happy that everything had worked out.
"Wonderful. I was worried, you know. I wanted to turn you into a dragon proper, but your body seemed to have other ideas. Oh well, a wyvern is almost as strong and twice as fast. Have you had a chance to try it out yet?"
'Annika' blushed.
"I didn't mean like that, Annika, I meant your wings and claws!"
Ah, that made a bit more sense… but 'Annika' shook her head.
"I ran here pretty quickly, but aside from that, no… Got no idea how to fly."
"Oh?"
Eri brought a hand to her chin again as she mulled the situation over.
"Usually that's instinctual… Hmm… Oh!"
She snapped her fingers as she came to an epiphany, then went back to her musings.
"Your method of transformation! That must be it, you did get changed in a pretty non-standard way. … Might need a kick to dig up those latent memories… hmm… Sabrina, please catch her if she falls."
She tossed a comment over her shoulder to one of the succubi, and a second later, 'Annika' found herself thrown several hundred feet in the air by one of Eri's telekinetic spells.
"Shit!"
Suddenly falling, 'Annika' flailed about in a panic. The wind caught one of her arm's wings, threatening to roll her over, but with a manuever she didn't know she knew, 'Annika' used her other to stabilize herself. A few terrifying seconds later, she found herself leveling off and calmly gliding on the breeze.
"Quite the view, isn't it?"
As she soared, Sabrina flew up to meet 'Annika', gliding beside her. Looking to the horizon, 'Annika' was inclined to agree. Endless forests stretched out before her, with distant mountains cresting the horizon. Below her, the Caravan stretched out for miles as it snaked away from their now Order occupied city.
"Yeah… yeah it is."
"You're lucky. Only a handful of mamono or humans will ever have this viewpoint… Why don't we see what you can do while you're up here?"
Over the next hour, Sabrina and 'Annika' soared through the sky as the former instructed the latter on the basics of flying. What few lessons there was, though, didn't take long. Eri was right – the more 'Annika' practiced, the more she 'remembered', even without instruction, and soon she found herself coursing through the skies with ease.
"Seems like you two were having fun up there."
When they finally landed, Eri commented on their flight practice.
"Yes, it was wonderful!"
'Annika' could scarcely contain her joy. The feeling of speed, the wind on her wings, and the complete freedom of being able to soar anywhere she wanted was unlike anything she'd experienced as a human. She couldn't wait to get back up there.
"I'm glad you're enjoying it… But don't push yourself too hard, my daughter, you're still recovering."
Still recovering? 'Annika' looked down at her wings and claws again. She wasn't at full strength yet? But was still able to sprint as she had, or fly like she did? The thought of what her body would be capable of one day, given its current abilities, excited her. She had to do more! Having completely forgotten about her initial confusion, 'Annika' thanked Eri and Sabrina for their help, before launching herself into the air again and grinning madly as she blasted through the air.
How could she ever have wanted to resist something like this?
With nowhere else to go, that evening, 'Annika' glided over the caravan as she sought out Don and Kyuo's wagon. When she spotted the telltale… tails of the inari, she dove down and, nearly skidding on her face, made a very rough landing. Too much speed. She made a mental note of that as she regained her balance, vowing to watch out for that next time.
"Ah, there you are. We were wondering if you'd show up."
Greeting her from a seat beside the cooking fire, Kyou gave a friendly wave.
"Good evenin', Annika. Want to eat with us?"
Don likewise greeted her, though he was kept busy stirring... whatever was boiling in the pot.
"If ya don't mind."
"Not at all, my dear. Please, have a seat."
The pair hadn't brought any furniture with them, but there was no shortage of crates laying around, waiting to be used. Pulling one closer to her friends, 'Annika' made herself comfortable.
"We saw your flight practice today. It seemed like you and Sabrina were having a grand old time."
'Annika' responded to Don's remark with an enthusiastic nod.
"Oh, it was amazing! I never knew flying could be this fun! … Still need a lot'a practice, though. My landings aren't great..."
"Your skills will come with time. I, myself, took nearly a year to master Inari magic."
Kyou's encouragement was nice to hear, but of little comfort to someone so excited about the future.
"I see… well I can't wait."
While Don finished his cooking, 'Annika' and Kyou chatted about her experiences in the air and the sights she saw. When the meal was ready, though, their conversation was interrupted by the incubus handing each of them a bowl of hearty soup.
"So Annika, what're you gonna do now that you're with our people?"
Right, that was the question she still needed to find the answer to… and flying had distracted her so much she'd completely forgotten to ask.
"… I really don't know. I still need to talk to Eri about that…"
"Ah, well I doubt she's going to assign you something. This ain't The Order, after all."
Don smiled and winked.
"… But I'm sure there's plenty of people who could use a wyvern's help. I've heard your kind are renown for their power and speed, so… maybe you could be a messenger or a guard? If bread strikes your fancy, you're more than welcome to stay with us. The bakery can always use another set of hands."
"Really? You're OK with that?"
"Of course!"
Bread, huh? 'Annika' gave a slight smile as she pictured herself in a baker's apron.
"Thank you… I'm not sure about bakin', but I can give it a try."
That reminded 'Annika', though… she'd woken up on a strange cart without anything but the clothes on her back. She didn't have anywhere to stay right now.
"Actually, I've gotta ask you two a huge favour… Do you have a spare bedroll or something I can use for the night? I've got nothing."
"We don't, but we'll ask around after dinner. Someone surely has something."
Once they'd finished eating, Kyou cleaned their bowls with a spell, and Don packed everything away, insisting that 'Annika' just sit and relax when she offered to help. After that, though, they walked with 'Annika' along the caravan, stopping at each wagon to introduce her and ask for spare bedding.
While 'Annika' felt slightly ashamed to be reduced to begging, everyone they came across seemed more than happy to help. Most didn't have what they needed, but after a short chat, and showing her to their wide-eyed children (evidently many had never seen a wyvern before), 'Annika' found herself showered with small gifts. A spare bar of soap here, a towel there, extra clothes and a pair of messenger bags to carry it all… by the time the trio tracked down someone who had brought a spare tent and bedroll, 'Annika' found herself fully equipped with travel essentials, courtesy of the mamono's generosity. Then it was time to return to the wagon and begin setting up.
"Good thing they gave ya a tent, too. You could have joined us in ours, but at night it tends to get… loud."
"… Ah… Well thanks for the help."
"Not a problem."
When Don finished hammering the last of the tent-spikes into the ground, Kyou sidled up and wrapped her arms and tails around him. Then she leaned in for a kiss and, when the two broke apart, began to tug him towards their own tent. With other thoughts now occupying his mind, Don bid 'Annika' farewell.
"Have a good night, Annika. See you in the mornin'."
'Annika' could only chuckle as she watched him get dragged into their tent, and a moment later, an orb of silence appeared, blocking the sounds within. Well this was the mamono world, after all, she should have expected that behavior. She wasn't feeling super tired yet, though, so she decided to go for a quick flight.
As she glided over the caravan, 'Annika' noticed hundreds of other bubbles popping up wherever a couple that could use magic had made camp. The muffled cries of non-magical couples sounded from the other tents, though it did seem like most were trying to keep quiet… to limited success. The further she went, the more 'Annika' heard, and it seemed like every couple in the caravan had a very active bedroom. Not the single mamono, though, and not her… Taking a few powerful flaps of her wings, 'Annika' flew higher into the moonlight and cast a glance towards Siegfried's Landing.
Garret…
Day 171
After breakfast with her new friends, 'Annika' resumed her flying drills, practicing rolls, loops, and other maneuvers as she got used to her wings. Eri and Kyou were right. Today she felt even faster than before, and as she became more accustomed to her new body, she found herself able to fly with ever greater speed and agility. At one point, she challenged a passing harpy to a race, which brought her immense satisfaction when she handily won. She didn't know what she'd been missing back when she was still human. Soaring through the sky beat walking any day!
After lunch, 'Annika' allowed herself a break, and used the time to chat with the people in the other wagons. Like before, everyone was friendly and welcoming to her, asking questions about her past, or how she liked her new life (the later of which, she always answered positively). Occasionally, one of the children belonging to a flightless species would beg for her to take them flying, but 'Annika' sadly turned them down. She wasn't comfortable enough to guarantee she wouldn't crash or drop them yet, and felt she still needed more practice.
Day 172
On the third day, 'Annika' got to repay the kindness of one of her acquaintances. During her daily flight practice, 'Annika' watched as a wagon's wheel broke and the carriage came skidding to a stop. Wanting to help, she dove down and assisted the mamono with recovering the boxes that had fallen from the back.
Fortunately, a nearby traveler had a spare wheel, which was graciously leant to the cause, but the problem of fitting it turned out to be more stubborn. Even with a small crowd of mamono present, they didn't have the strength to tilt the burgeoning wagon, so the owner began to organize it's unloading. As he spoke, though, 'Annika' decided to try her own hand at it, and crept up to the wagon, grabbing one of the chassis beams and lifting. To her shock, she managed it with one hand. So this was the strength of a dragon…
With her help, the wheel was quickly replaced, and the crowd cheered. Grateful for her assistance, the owner offered to let her join them for dinner later, which 'Annika' was more than happy to accept. Though it turned out to only be comprised of simple foods that were easy to prepare while travelling, the meal was still delicious.
Throughout that night, 'Annika' and her hosts took turns regaling each other with tales of their homelands. As a sign of courtesy from each other, no one mentioned events that involved slaying mamono or corrupting humans. Despite this, though 'Annika' smiled and laughed along, a twinge of sadness pulled at her mood. Eating with this family, and her times with Don and Kyou… The friendship and sense of community she felt reminded her of her nights with Eric and Aisha. … Except here, there was no Garret. He was alone, a hundred miles east, still fighting his war…
Was this really what he was trying to avoid? Were these people really who he thought deserved death? No, that wasn't it… If he just let go of his hate for five minutes, he'd see they weren't so different from humans. … This was all The Order's fault… They preached so much hate and anger that they'd blinded him to the truth. She prayed that one day, he'd finally see. If he didn't… then he'd really become a monster…
Day 173
After another long day of flight practice (though the process was so thrilling, hours passed in the blink of an eye), 'Annika' returned to Kyou and Don for dinner. It was while they were eating there that an unexpected visitor made her appearance.
"Evenin', everyone. I hope you're all doing well?"
Walking out from between a pair of wagons, Eri greeted them. Surprisingly, she wasn't wearing her work attire this time, and was dressed in simple, traveler's clothes.
"Hey Eri! Want to eat with us? We're just getting started."
The lilim smiled but declined.
"Thank you, but I've already eaten and can't stay long, anyways. I'm here to check on Annika."
"Me?"
Eri nodded at 'Annika's' question.
"Yes, you. Everything's alright? You're doing ok?"
"Yeah, my body's fine."
Eri smiled, then amended her query.
"I meant besides that… How are you liking life here? Are you fitting in?"
'Annika' nodded and recounted the warm welcomes and help she'd both received and given.
"Good… I'm so happy to hear that."
Eri took a seat on one of the supply boxes scattered about, and the brief pause gave 'Annika' enough time to address one of the concerns that had been periodically haunting her.
"I do have a question, though… what do you want me to do here? As a person in your city?"
Eri shrugged.
"Whatever it is you desire. By might and by magic, we shall never want for food, drink or cloth, so you're free to do as you wish."
That was a significant departure from what she'd been told back in the cathedral…
"I thought you had specific plans for me?"
"Well, I do hope you'll come to love your neighbours and will defend them when The Order tries to kill them."
Eri frowned and glanced back in the direction of their abandoned city.
"And make no mistake, they will try to kill them… Their crusades never stop."
Then she returned to looking at the group and half-smiled.
"I won't force you, though. I would like your help when that happens, but if you're finished with war, I understand. You can even fly somewhere else if you want, I won't demand that you stay with us."
A distant memory reminded 'Annika' that she'd heard a promise like this before. She was about to frown when Don joined the conversation.
"Whatever you do, I'm glad you chose to join us. It's always nice to see a new face, especially one fr-"
Eri cut him off, surprising the man.
"She didn't choose."
"She didn't? Then you…?"
"Yes."
Eri nodded, a somber expression on her face, before turning back to 'Annika'.
"That's the other reason I wished to speak with you, Annika. I lied to you and I forced myself on you... I hope you can bring yourself to forgive me."
Forgive her? 'Annika' found herself at a loss for words as she heard the unexpected apology. Why should Eri be asking for forgiveness? For the lie, maybe, but she'd only tried to resist her transformation because she was stupid and stubborn. She didn't know what she'd been missing. Compared to what she'd been given, being forced a little seemed inconsequential. Standing up, 'Annika' walked over, then wrapped her arms around Eri for a tight hug.
"Of course, I forgive you, Eri… How could I not? I'm meeting so many wonderful people now, and this new body is amazing. If anything, I should be thanking you. You've changed my life so much for the better."
Eri half-smiled, a twinge of sadness still visible, then gently returned the hug.
"Thank you, Annika, but out of respect for your old self, I'll apologize all the same. You and I both know that you wouldn't have said that a few days ago."
"Well, I know better now… I'm no longer the murderer I once was."
When the moment had passed, Eri pushed a little, and after holding on a second longer, 'Annika' released her. The lilim stood up, dusted herself off, then began to walk towards the wagons. Just before she rounded the corner, though, Eri looked back at the group.
"One day, The Order will be no-more, humans won't be forced to hate monsters, and we'll never have to do what we did again. Until then, the least I can do is make sure everyone enjoys their new lives. Have a good evening, Annika. You too, Kyou. Don. For now, I'm needed elsewhere."
With that, Eri left the trio alone. Though they chatted about inconsequential things for the remainder of their mealtime, 'Annika's' thoughts kept drifting back to her partner. The ever-widening hole in her heart aside, he was trapped in the same situation she'd been… He didn't know how nice life could be in the demon realm, how friendly the people were, or how strong their new bodies would feel… Hell, he couldn't even eat the delicious fruits hanging from the trees out of fear of transformation. Just thinking about that saddened her. Garret… would you be willing to join me in this life?
Day 174
The wind howled in her ears as 'Annika' pushed herself harder than ever before, darting through the air at a terrifying speed. It wasn't enough! She could still go faster! Even as the trees below her merged into a blur of green, 'Annika' flapped her wings and forced more energy into the intuitive magical propulsion that dragons used to fly at speed. The faster she went, though, the more the air pushed back at her, and the harder it was to keep accelerating. Despite the mounting pressure, she kept fighting and pushed harder and harder until…
*BOOM!*
A deafening explosion emanated from high above the caravan as 'Annika' reached supersonic speeds. Now racing ahead of sound itself, 'Annika' barely noticed the change, but when she landed nearly an hour later, Don and Kyou were quick to comment on it. From then on, out of courtesy to the people below her, 'Annika' only practiced her speed trials far above and away from the caravan.
Over the span of a day, she accelerated and decelerated, shortening the time it took for her to break the sound barrier, until she got good enough to reach it in the blink of an eye. Powered by explosions of magical energy, she found herself able to jump to full speed almost without delay. Once she'd mastered that, she practiced high-speed maneuvers, grinning as she felt the forces stress her wings during tight turns and dives. Finally, as the day was coming to a close, she silently glided high above the forests.
Watching the setting sun's brilliant colours from up here was truly a sight to behold… The city they'd fled had long-since disappeared out of view, but the plume of smoke rising from the burning ruins of Hafe was still visible from here. If she followed that, she could probably find her way back…
'Annika' sighed as she felt a tug at her heart once more. Garret would have loved to see this… the views they found when hiking were treasured memories for both of them, and this just distilled that into its purest essence. Garret… A tear welled up in her eye as she grappled with the thought of never seeing him again. She was a wyvern now, and he was an Order soldier. With things as they were, they could never be together…
… But what if he wanted to join her? Even if he didn't, a voice in the back of her mind spoke of the intimate charm a monster had. She could make him hers, if she really wanted to. They'd already been together before, it wouldn't even be that much of a change… it would be just like what happened with Eri… something to break through his stubbornness and show him the beauty of a future he never knew.
… But then she'd have to force herself on him… Was she really considering this? Dissatisfied with her options, 'Annika' frowned. If he wouldn't join her willingly, she'd have to change him. If she didn't, he'd just end up killing more people like Don and Kyou, which was an outcome she couldn't tolerate – not when she knew the truth that had been shrouded by The Order's lies. … Still, though, she found the idea of hurting him, even temporarily, nauseating.
In an attempt to reassure herself, she borrowed the philosophy of an argument she'd heard long ago. It'd be for the greater good. If he joined her, everyone Garret would have killed were lives she'd have saved. And he'd be just like her. Afterwards, he'd love her for what she did for him, there was no way he wouldn't be happy with their new life. Yes, she knew what she had to do. Nodding as she came to that conclusion, 'Annika' dove down to land near Don and Kyou's wagon. Tomorrow. Tomorrow she'd go to him and they'd be reunited – forever.
Day 175
"I think we'd have gotten a stronger reaction if we used reagent One-One-Three-Four."
As 'Annika' approached the head of the caravan, she began to overhear a spirited conversation between Eri and several other monsters.
"Doubt it… One-One-Three-Four doesn't mix well with wrymwood extract. Maybe a blend of One-Two-Seven-Five, through One-Two-Eight-Six?"
Eri laughed at that suggestion.
"Yeah, maybe if you wanted to put her into a coma. One-Two-Seven-Nine causes catatonia when mixed with One-Two-Eight-Six. Doubly so when One-Two-Eight-Five's catalyzing effects are considered…"
The succubus looked disappointed, but Eri placed a hand under her chin as she mulled it over.
"… You know… this mix idea might have some merit, though. What if we dropped One-Two-Seven-Nine and replaced it with Two-Eight-One-Four? Imja? What do you think?"
The gremlin rapped her knuckles on the strange mechanical device strapped to her back.
"You're thinking of Two-Eight-Four-One. Two-Eight-One-Four is what I used to lubricate my gadgets."
"Ah, right… hmm… Two-Eight-Four-One stabilizes mental states, and shouldn't interfere with the strengthening effects of the others… Sabrina, could you start to map out the properties of that mixture? I want to know if anything conflicts before we think about testing it."
"Sure, no problem."
With a short incantation, several books were teleported to the succubus, opening themselves and hovering in the air. A magical pen materialized and began writing on its own as 'Annika's' acquaintance got to work, reading as she walked.
"Whatchy'all talkin' about?"
Hearing 'Annika's' question, Eri spun around, her eyes gleaming.
"Grand alchemical experiments! Specifically, your experiment. Involving you."
"Me?"
The lilim nodded enthusiastically, the joy her work brought her, plainly visible.
"Yes. Your transformation gave us an abundance of new data. Now we're trying to figure out how to improve upon it!"
"… So I was an unwilling test subject."
"Yes… yes you were. If I have to turn a person, if I have to… I make sure we learn something from it. Maximum benefit from it then, right? They get a new body, we get another ally, and I get to push some field of science forward. Everybody's a winner. … But you didn't come to talk about alchemy, did you? What's on your mind, my daughter?"
'Annika' sighed, then looked over her shoulder, back the way they'd came.
"… I want to bring Garret with us."
"Garret? Your partner?"
"Yes."
"… I see…"
Eri looked worried as she paused to think about it.
"I meant what I said when I apologized, Annika, and I won't force anything on you again,… but are you sure this is wise? You'll be going right into the midst of The Order's army, and he's still a soldier. He might try to kill you."
"I know that, but… I love him. And Garret loves me. I don't think he wants to kill me."
"It's not about what he wants. A soldier's duty or just peer pressure might drive him to attack you anyways… we've certainly seen that happen before."
'Annika' sighed. That was definitely a possibility.
"… I have to try. Garret's been fighting for so long, and he's hurting inside, I can feel it. He's been forced to do terrible things because he still believes the lie that monsters are all evil."
Steeling herself, she looked on with a much more confident expression.
"I need to show him the truth. I have to get him out of there. I love him so much, I just can't stand the thought of him trapped there any longer."
Hearing the determination in 'Annika's' voice, Eri solemnly nodded.
"I understand. When will you be leaving?"
"Tonight. It'll be easier to sneak by the guards in the darkness."
Eri still didn't look happy at this, but she nodded and went along with it all the same.
"Well, I won't say I like your plan, but before you go, come see me. I've got a spell that'll help you out."
"Of course. Thanks, Eri."
True to her word, when the caravan stopped for the night and 'Annika' made her way to its head, Eri waiting for her.
"You're ready to go, then?"
'Annika' nodded. She'd dressed herself in her familiar, white gambeson and leggings (modified to make room for her wings and claws). It was a garment Garret would recognize, but aside from wearing that, there wasn't much she could do to prepare.
"Then I wish you the best of luck, my daughter. Go now, with my blessing."
As she spoke, Eri signed a spell into existence, then placed her hand on 'Annika's' shoulder to let the illusion take effect. Looking down, 'Annika' found herself staring at her previous, human form, with no claws or wings to be found. Indeed, though she knew her claws were still present, when she touched one of her hands, the shrouded scales felt just like skin. Her wing-membranes were similarly hidden. Though there was an odd resistance when she reached for where they should have been, everything she felt told her that her hand was brushing empty air. In the back of her mind, she felt a swirl of magic, but when she reached for it, she felt like she could snuff it out with a thought.
"How did you…?"
Eri just smiled.
"I told you. I've gotten really good at my illusions. You'll be able to dismiss my spell whenever you want, and it'll shield you from prying eyes. I doubt anyone short of that damn Valkyrie can see through it."
Grateful for the gift, 'Annika' threw her arms around Eri.
"Thank you so much, Eri. This'll help a lot."
"I hope it does. Now go and be safe, my daughter. Your partner awaits."
'Annika' nodded, took one last look around, then threw herself into the air with a blast of magic. Racing the setting sun, she climbed high into the sky and made a beeline for the city that held her lover.
Author's Notes: Thanks for all the reviews from last chapter, especially the criticisms. If I did everything right, this story would have been a waste of time. Part of the reason I'm writing this is to get better at storycraft/writing, so I'm really happy to see what I can improve. I'll keep all feedback in mind for future projects.
Alright, same drill as before. I actually already have the 'next' chapter written, I just didn't have the time to edit 25 pages in one sitting. Once more, I broke my super-chapter in half and decided to do it piecemeal. 'Reunion' should be out sometime next week, provided I find more time to edit it.
With that out of the way, lets get into the notes. The reviews gave me a good starting point, so lets discuss my characterization of this particular monster sub-faction.
Eri was given an unbelievable amount of shit for what she did, but despite the anger it generated, I had to do it. Consider this current chapter, which (if I recall correctly...) depicts a monster society that is more inline with the MGE's canon (everyone being friendly, helpful, community minded, etc.). If I didn't have Eri's lie happen, I'd have created a one dimensional Mary Sue faction. Everyone is happy and friendly, and you get a devoted wife/husband, AND superpowers from joining? Unless I add that little caveat of 'but you don't get a choice in the matter.', there's no downside to them. If I had Annika choose to join of her own will, and put nothing in there to show that side of things, I think the depth of the faction would have suffered for it.
Really, that's the main dilemma of the setting in general. As written (provided the demon lord figures out the birthing problem), your life is greatly improved by joining the monsters. Literally everything is better there... but you might get raped into submission, or have to give up some free will. You get a more comfortable life, but you lose a major part of what some argue makes life worth living. I love that dynamic, especially because you can make a really strong case for/against it using modern philosophy (What's the value of entirely free will if keeping it makes people less happy? Is happiness the only thing that matters?).
The other thing I wanted to address is the idea of Eri not being aware of what she was doing. There were mentions of this in the previous chapter, but, well, yes she is, she just tries to justify it with her desperation and her view on the evils of The Order. In all likelihood, if not pushed, she'd have remained content to sit and manage her city, but when a crusade ordered to commit genocide by God comes banging on the door, you don't really have that option. Something tells me attempts at diplomacy would be hopelessly naive, since y'all saw what happened to the last lilim that tried to negotiate, back in Chapter 15.
So anyways, you've got Eri and her monsters who are lashing out and trying to defend themselves out of desperation from The Order's crusades, but The Order's crusades were driven both by their Goddess and a need to defend themselves from constant monster attacks, but the constant monster attacks were done mostly by a sub-faction of feral mamono, and mostly because they need men to reproduce, but The Order condemns any man that goes to them and will kill them all the same... Hmmm... It's a big ol' pile'o fuck, and both sides are claiming to be in the right. It's wonderful~
Alright, one final thing. I really, really don't want to get into a habit of singling out specific reviews and saying "you just don't get it", but... on the topic of 'not giving enough details of The Order's genocide', in this story alone, The Order has: Killed surrendering enemies (the slime queen), killed hundreds of peaceful farming families, killed children, killed entire towns indiscriminately, killed entire refugee columns fleeing the destruction of said towns, and killed any human siding with the monsters (even if they weren't yet incubi). Monsters have called them out on this. Annika has called them out on this. Eri has called them out on this. Even Garret has called them out on this. I think I'm good, in that regard. Of course they aren't just doing it out of pure fuckin' meanness, because cartoon-evil is boring, but ask The Hague what they think of 'just following orders' or 'we thought it was necessary'. I doubt you'll get a positive answer.
Ok. That's enough of that. Time for more writing/editing to hopefully get the final chapter of 'The Annika Trilogy (in four parts)' into releasable shape. Once again, thank you all for reading and...
Until next time, Sayonara!