“Tea?”
She asked, poking her head around the corner and looking at the guy who, despite
looking like he was in his twenties was probably about three to four hundred
years old. When Sam nodded she went back to making a pot. “I know I can Sam,
but it’s getting ridiculous. I thought a Haven was supposed to be neutral
ground. Safe, for the inhabitants and for the immortal who visit? Faebeasts are
not safe.”
“I’ll
have a word with Si Ren.” Sam promised, “But her and her Fae don’t hold
themselves beholden to the same rules as the rest of us, they never have.”
“Different
Compass.” Twilight frowned slightly. The Crystal Compass, the organisation of
Immortals that Sam and Jack belonged to was the purview of the nature spirits
and those Immortals whose powers related to the way the world worked. Each
direction belonged to a Season. The north belonged to Winter, the east to
Spring, south to Summer and West to Sam’s Autumn. Each direction had two
leaders. The Kings or Queens who kept the seasons running smoothly and the
Protectors, who were supposed to be the ones keeping the peace. They were the
ones who were supposed to organise the Monster Hunters and keep a watchful eye
on the elemental Immortals who refused a place in the compass and went out of their
way to cause harm to the mortals that shared their world.
Si
Ren and her following belonged to the other Compass, the Dark Compass. The one
that was full of Immortals who were born of myths and tales. Some of whom even
had been around as a species in the days when mankind had still been evolving
as a race. They had Kings and Queens too, those who best exemplified the seven
sins ruled the Dark Compass and were supposed to keep their people from going
too far off of the rails.
Si
Ren was the Queen of Lust. She was also the one who had invaded the home of the
Fae King, who had refused to follow any Compass’s rules and hated mortals and
immortals alike and forced him to bow to her. Twilight was mostly convinced
that the Fae King was causing deliberately sending his beasts into a Haven’s
territory purely because he knew it would get her into trouble and he would not
be blamed for the actions of ‘mindless beasts.’ It seemed like something he
would do.
That
did not mean that she had to like it. She was willing to fight to protect her
home and the people in it, but she was, as Sam had reminded her, mortal. The
crossbow he had given her helped, but to the faebeast the only reason the bolts
would have been gnat bites if they had not been cold iron and laced with salt. She
and the entire village could have been in real trouble if it had not been for
Elena, the Spring Protector.
That
was one of the many dangers of having one foot in the human world and one in
the realm of the immortals. Getting caught up in the politics was never fun.
She normally tried to let it pass her by. It was certainly easier to ignore the
politics than it was the monsters that came through town.
Not
that faebeasts were her only concern. They were not the only creatures who
liked to go bump in the night. It had been a shock to her system to realise
that all the tales her grandmother had told her were true and the monsters
under the bed were quite real. Still, none of that related to the fact that
there had been a faebeast roaming her village.
“I’m
fine anyway.” She reassured Sam as she picked up the tray, upon which were two
mugs and a teapot, “And hey, it’ll be Ukko and Fawkes’s issue soon. Maybe you
should have words with them so they know to keep an eye out...” She let out a
huff when she realised Sam had already left without saying a word. “A goodbye
would be nice.” She scolded, though she knew the Autumn King could not hear
her.
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