Realm of Monsters-Chapter 711: Forgotten, But Never Lost Part 2
Chapter 711: Forgotten, But Never Lost Part 2
“Are you implying something?” Lunae replied in a calm voice, though the way her eyes glanced at Stryg betrayed her worry.
Caligo caught the quick look in the boy’s direction like a shark smelling blood. “Implying? No. Nothing of the sort. Rather, I have a question that I hoped a fellow titan and old friend like you could answer for me. What. Is. That?” Caligo pointed at Stryg.
“A child,” Lunae said curtly, her hands twitching ever so slightly.
“A child, hm? No, that thing is an abomination,” Caligo said.
Stryg took a step back and looked at Lunae, his body trembling.
Lunae’s nostrils flared for a moment before she took a deep, long breath and calmed herself. “Yes, he is a titan hybrid, like you, what of it?”
Caligo leaped to her feet and snarled. “What did you just say?”
“Oh, please. I may not know what else is mixed in that black blood of yours, but it is not only the blood of the vaesir.”
“I am more of a titan than any of you ever were,” Caligo growled.
“Doubtful. You were not born in our village and no one from the village knew who you were. You came from nowhere.”
The fire in Caligo’s eyes dimmed. She sat down with a long sigh. “The village is gone. The last of the titans are dwindling. Aleirune is dying. You are right, I come from nowhere, for my home no longer exists.” She glanced at Stryg, “You and I are not so different, little abomination.”
Stryg swallowed and stuck his chin out. “I’m not an abomination.”
Caligo cracked a half-smile. “Is he yours, Lunae?”
She frowned. “Of course not. You know I cannot have children.”
Stryg did a double-take and looked at her as if she had just stabbed him in the chest. Lunae didn’t even bother glancing at him.
“True. Still, you could have fooled me, with the way you seem so protective of the boy,” Caligo noted.
“He is Death’s. It’s only reasonable that I give a friend’s child a modicum of oversight while he resides in my forest,” Lunae said.
“How righteous of you to care for your husband’s child by another woman.”
Lunae stiffened at her words.
The young woman smirked, “Did you think I did not know of your relationship with the greatest of the Calamaties? I am the god of secrets, not of fools.”
Lunae shook off her surprise and glared at him. “My relationship with Death is none of your concern. ”
“Apologies. I meant no disrespect, but I am curious about that one,” Caligo pointed her finger at Stryg. “I can hardly sense a sliver of chaos within his veins. The boy is mortal and clearly another failure of Death’s. Abandoned, no doubt. What use does the boy have now? I mean, why not simply leave him out for the wolves?”
Lunae said nothing, but Caligo caught something in her eyes nonetheless. The latter smiled, “Oh, so you did try to eat him, didn’t you? Now, that’s the jealousy I could expect from a goddess wife.”
“Enough, you would do well to not meddle in the affairs of others,” Lunae growled. “The boy is Death’s. Stay away from him, end of story.”
“You’re right. There are few in this world who would dare anger a Calamity.” Caligo slapped her hands on her thighs and shook her head with a smile. “You know, I would love to do nothing more than to focus on my own affairs and leave the world to its own devices. I was doing just that, leaving others be. Until certain other individuals decided to meddle in my affairs.”
“I do not care, Caligo. You have overstayed your welcome. Leave.”
She placed a hand on her chest and batted her eyes, “I have only just got here. How could I have overstayed?”
“You murdered Syleth.”
“The dragon?” Caligo asked incredulously.
“That dragon was in exile from his own brood for going against them. He sided with our village in the olden days and protected a couple of titan children. And for that, his dragonlord exiled him. I gave Syleth sanctuary in exchange for his services. He was one of the few dragons who cared for our people, and you, you murdered him like an animal.”
Caligo hopped off the dragon corpse and placed her hand on its side. “...I did not know. I would have made his death painless.”
“Such amazing kindness from the god who murdered him. You must think yourself a saint.”
“Contrary to what you think of me, I do not despise all dragons,” Caligo whispered. “There was one who was pure of heart. He was the best of them— of all of us. If he had lived, we would have been able to prevent the Sundering of this world.”
“You speak as if you were there,” Lunae stared at him oddly.
“I suppose I do.”
“But that would make you—”
“The eldest living titan by far, yes.”
Lunae frowned. “You’re lying. You were born not even a thousand years ago.”
“I first emerged in these lands 800-some odd years ago. That is not the same thing.”
“...Say I believe you. Why keep such a secret to yourself?”
“I am the god of secrets, am I not?” Caligo tried to smile with bravado but sighed and looked away. “The dragon I spoke of, he could have stopped all of this, but he was betrayed. Murdered. Solis tried to follow in his footsteps. He tried to help me save the World Soul, Aleirune. He was also betrayed… yet he did not die.”
Lunae feigned surprise, “What are you talking about? My brother is dead. I felt my Sigte bond fail.”
“Oh,” Caligo smirked and waggled her finger. “That is where I fell for it. I saw your broken bond and I believed Solis was dead. I was wrong. Your bond may be broken, but Solis lives. He was sealed away.”
“Sealed? Where? Tell me. If he really lives, I must save him,” Lunae pressed.
“Must you now? You know, there are few beings in this world powerful enough to seal away the god of the sun. And if Solis was such a problem to begin with for them, why not simply kill him?”
“I do not know,” Lunae admitted, bitterness dripping from her voice. “I will find whoever did this and have them release my brother.”
Caligo laughed. “You are good, Lunae. Very good.”
“If you’re implying I had something to do with this, then you’re mad. Solis was not only my brother. He was my other half. Without him, I’ve been lost.”
“I know. That is why I never suspected you. After all, how could you, Lunae, of all people, hurt Solis?” She shook her head, “As I said, you are very good.”
“Caligo. I had nothing to do with this.”
The two gods stared at each other for a long, tense moment. Finally, Caligo broke her gaze and shrugged, “Well, whoever attacked Solis will pay the price.”
“I’m sure they will.”
“Solis may have been your twin, but he was very dear to Lin-Lu and me, as well. So just as what was precious to us was taken, so will we exact what is precious from the ones responsible. It matters not who they are, they will pay.” Caligo glanced at the scared, silent Stryg, standing at the edge of the clearing, “Oh, I’m sorry. Did that sound like a threat? I did not mean to scare you, little abomination.”
“It’s time for you to leave,” Lunae growled.
“Yes, of course,” Caligo gave a flourishing bow to Lunae, then winked at Stryg, “I’ll be seeing you around.” A pair of leathery wings of thin grey membranes sprouted from the young woman’s back and she took off into the sky with a single powerful wingbeat.
Lunae stared at the sky until Caligo disappeared on the horizon before sighing in relief and running to Stryg. She swooped him in her arms and held him tightly. “Are you okay? Tell me you’re okay.”
“Did you mean it?” Stryg mumbled.
“What?”
“That I’m not yours?”
Lunae looked him in the eyes and kissed his forehead. “Of course not, you silly boy. You are my son. I only said those things so that he might leave you alone.”
“Did you really try to eat me?”
“You were just a baby and you seemed very tasty at the time.” Lunae grinned and pretended to take bites from his cheek. She made chewing noises and swallowed, “Mm, delicious.”
Stryg couldn’t help but laugh. “Stop, I’m not a kid.”
“How can that be? You’re so tiny.” She danced past the clearing, making sure to keep Stryg’s eyes away from Syleth’s body, while holding him like a baby, cradled in her arms.
“I’m not a kid anymore.” Stryg tried to wiggle out of her arms to no avail.
“Precisely what a child would say.”
“Mom. Who or what is Death?”
Lunae stopped dancing.
“Is he my father?” Stryg whispered.
She sighed and put him down. “...Yes. Do not ask me any more about him. In time, I will tell you.”
“Then who was that girl? And why did she— Why did she kill Syleth?”
Lunae was aware Stryg did not handle the death of others like a normal child would, yet the dragon’s passing bothered Stryg more than she realized. “...She is a god, like me, but in many ways nothing like me.”
“Are we in danger?” Stryg asked.
“Certainly not,” Lunae gave him the biggest smile she could. “For now, why don’t you go play with Blueberry? His pack isn’t too far from here.”
“Okay,” Stryg wiped the tears in the corners of his eyes and walked away. He looked back at Lunae, who smiled reassuringly.
After he left, Lunae’s smile fell and she ran a trembling hand through her snow-white hair.
The older Stryg watched the scene unfold and frowned. “Why are we still here? My younger self already left. Archive?”
The magical construct of light hummed. “This is odd. My archives of this memory ends at this point.”
“So why are we still here?”
“Some part of Lunae’s memory has bled into your mind.”
“Lunae’s? How is that possible?”
“Your Sigte bond shares more than power.”
“Okay, then why only this memory and not others?”
“I do not know, only that this memory is very painful to her and you both.”
“How can you tell?”
“Because I am not the one showing you this memory. You are,” said Archive.
Stryg furrowed his brow. “I don’t understand.”
“Some part of your mind is reaching out. I do not know why.”
Stryg looked at Lunae, who was sitting on the grass, staring at her scarred palm. “What happened to us?” he murmured.
