A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

A little while later, Erik was happily enjoying Elora's expression of shock after he'd told her everything he learned during his conversation with Ymir.

He was leaning back on a couch, slowly sipping one of the first Runebound-proof alcoholic beverages that Emma had created since getting the recipe from Katya.

'This is pretty good,' he thought to himself, a satisfied smile on his lips. He knew his current situation was far from perfect, as Edda had escaped and he needed to be saved by Ymir, but if you can't enjoy the little things anymore, what was the point of any of it?

Besides, he'd saved the Enkarians, started his empire, and discovered a whole lot more about the shit he'd gotten involved in. All in all, it's still not a bad day's work.

Finally, Elora seemed to be gathering her wits again. She sat on the couch in front of him in her human form, and they were alone together. Both Emily and Astrid had opted to get some rest instead. They'd hear the cliff notes of the conversation later. Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire

"You're suggesting… that the fairy's fracturing was related to what happened here on Earth?" the fairy asked, a single eyebrow raised, her tone sceptical. It seemed she'd chosen this as the most surprising

"I really don't know," Erik sighed and shrugged. "The timeline fits, and I have no doubt it was a significant event, so… maybe? Of course, this is all assuming we even trust what Ymir told me."

"Right…. Okay…" Elora nodded, agreeing with him. "But, since we have no conflicting information just yet, we should assume it's true, while not taking his word as gospel."

She looked up at Erik, her eyes twinkling a little now. "That would mean Nyxandra is actually involved in all this! Do you think I'll get to tell her about Elorium in the future?!"

"Is that really important right now…?" Erik smirked at her, despite the joy he felt at seeing Elora's enthusiasm.

Pouting, Elora's expression fell, and she shook her head. "No, I guess not…" Her face lit up a little again. "But it's exciting, you know?"

"Heh," Erik smirked with amusement. "Well, maybe you'll get the chance. Assuming we manage to survive that long…"

"Right…" Elora sighed, turning her eyes up helplessly at the ceiling. "Did Ymir say anything more about this Imogene fairy we're up again? Was she aligned to Nyxandra or Astraea?"

Erik shook his head as he sipped his drink. "No idea. I don't think Ymir even knew there were different factions before I informed him. Her actions sure seem a lot darker than you might expect from the 'good' fairies, though."

"Hmpf," Elora snorted, waving her hand dismissively. "Based on this story, I'm started to suspect all those rumours about Astraea and the Radiant Glade's hypocrisy were true. The Obsidian Enclave is at least upfront about our evil, but even we have rules against some of the shit this Imogene is doing."

Erik threw up his hands as a sign that he had no opinion on this matter. Elora had grown up with a lot of anti-Glade propaganda, and her opinion on them reflected that. Meanwhile, Erik had none.

"Fine, fine," Elora sighed, recognizing Erik's position. "Let's table this one for now. We'll have to be careful about these portals Imogene can create, but their usage is limited."

Shifting her body a little, she continued her explanation. "Ymir was right to say she needs line of sight to create a portal, and that sigil carved into the gate of Enkare Nkai will ensure she can't get any spies into the city that she can possess."

Narrowing his eyes, Erik cocked his head. "Sigil above the gate? Remind me?"

"It was back when you were wounded, and Naeku led us to Enkare Nkai," she reminded him helpfully. "I had to protect you and Mother-in-law from being targetted by it because it looks for abnormalities in the soul."

Erik's eyes flashed as he remembered them talking about it, and he nodded. "Right… That should keep our capital safe, at least."

Naeku nodded before continuing. "I'll also create some sigil stones to protect us all from portals appearing in our direct vicinity, like she did with Emily."

"That's a relief," Erik sighed. He'd already been getting nervous at the idea that these portals might appear behind them at any point, if they just met the wrong person outside Enkare Nkai. "What about armies? And can you copy the sigil above Enkare Nkai's gate?"

"I doubt she could create a portal big enough for an army to pass through, at least not here on Earth, not now," Elora answered calmly. "And I can create that sigil, but… there's only be a point if the city only had a small number of access points, so we'll need to see how viable we can make those."

"Alright, we'll talk about that later with Ankhur," Erik agreed. "So, as you said, let's tablet the issue of Imogene for now. Instead," he raised a curious eyebrow. "what do you know about the split between fairies? Was there any history on that?"

A wry, surprisingly shameful expression appeared on Elora's face as she shook her head. "No, nothing… To my knowledge, it's simply always been the Radiant Glade and the Obsidian Enclave. I'm ashamed to say I never really questioned it…. Although to be fair, thinking back, I get the idea questions about that topic were largely discouraged."

"Do you think your mother knows the truth…?" Erik wondered curiously.

Frowning thoughtfully, Elorar shook her head. "I… doubt it? It's possible she knows a little more, but she definitely doesn't know everything. Otherwise, she probably would have recognized what you are."

"Fair," Erik agreed, yawning as he shifted to lie down instead. His willingness to discuss their discoveries with Elora before taking a rest did not mean he wasn't a tired wreck from everything he'd experienced today: his fight with Edda, nearly dying, conversing with Ymir, and finally, making an impression on his subjects.

He'd been busy.

In response to his change in position, Elora flew up, shrunk her body, and landed on top of his chest.

"I know you're tired, my love, but this is important," she urged him softly. "We need to extract all the details we can while they're fresh in your memory. With my piece of your soul occupied, I can't reliably read your memories anymore."

"I know, I know," Erik muttered in a tired voice. "Let's continue."