Chapter 147

147 New Family Member

Something ate most of the food on the banquet table. Leaving only a few vegetables and the plain fruit behind. Plates and servers were knocked about and broken. Glasses were tipped over and shattered. The tablecloth had been pulled on and ripped, being the most likely way it’d gotten onto the table.

“Looks like a pack of wolves got in and ate yer spread.. Or a wyvern,” Petrie commented as he stared at the claw marks in the tablecloth.

Right as Petrie took a step closer, something the size of a medium dog ran out from under the table. It’d been where the cloth had draped to the ground, and just a foot and a half from the Nomad. He yelped like a prepubescent, then jumped backwards; landing against Lucas. He gripped Petrie by the arms like he was steadying him, but was really holding him in place like a shield. The black streak ran straight towards the hallway where Ralph was waiting with his sword.

It tried to go past him, but Ralph’s Tank trait made him almost as fast as the creature. He struck it hard enough that it should’ve been cut in half, but his sword bounced off. The strike did cause it to roar at him, but it just kept going down the hallway; towards Skye’s quarters, then disappeared.

“Zazzy! I have to go get Zazzy! I need to feed her, and I don’t want that thing going after her!”

Skye went to walk off when Tidas grabbed her arm; “Wait, Skye! We don’t even know what the thing is yet; you can’t go off in the same direction as it! I know you’ve read enough books to know better.”

“I need to get Zazzy! I didn’t feed her last night or this morning. And I do Not want that Thing to get to her! She’s just an egg!”

Tidas released her arm as he spoke; “Aye, and her shell is harder than most steel. She’ll be fine, but you, Lidia, Peg, and Nicolas need to go to a safe room until we four deal with the thing.”

Skye glared at her husband; “And is it me lack of a penis that disqualifies me, or is there a specific reason I can’t go?”

.....

Tidas wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. He loved Skye for her strong will and free spirit, but now wasn’t the time for it. There was an unknown creature in the castle, and it was faster than Ralph, which meant it was going to be a pain in the ass to catch in the first place. Skye wasn’t a Tank mage, and Shasta had already proven that speed was a weakness for her. Tidas didn’t want to have two problems to deal with: the creature and his wife’s safety. So he thought carefully about how to word himself before he spoke.

“Right now, you are the only healer within miles of here. What if one of us is injured? Or it gets out and goes after the villagers? We’ll need your skills then, not now. And besides,” Tidas looked at the others; “Who’s going to protect them if it gets past us? Nicolas won’t have time to call for a companion capable of dealing with it. With your Earth trait, you should be able to trap it if it goes after anyone here. You’re far more valuable for your abilities to defend and heal than to fight right now, love.. Please listen; please? For me?”

Skye was in a tough situation. She knew Tidas was right, but she couldn’t stop thinking of Zazzy. Almost right after they’d left for the village, Skye had gotten a stinging feeling in her heart when she had remembered that she still needed to feed her. It wasn’t like Zazzy was starving or the like, it’d just been a strange feeling she couldn’t shake.

“There’s both a sword and a gun in me parlor. Go there, lock the doors, and don’t come out until one of us gives the all-clear,” Lucas instructed Skye and Lidia.

Skye kissed Tidas sweetly, then walked off with the others as she said; “Be careful, love. And don’t kill it if it’s not dangerous please! It’s probably just as scared and hungry as you all are!”

“No it’s not! It ate me bacon!” Lucas called after his daughter.

Once settled in her parent’s parlor, Skye sat as close to the door as she could without literally being against it. If anyone called for her, she could take off running. Peggy sat close to her while Nicolas and Lidia chatted about what the creature running amuck could be.

“It could be a Brownie playing tricks, or it could most likely to be a hobgoblin doing it,” Nicolas commented.

“Could it be a Trow? No, Skye hasn’t played the violin since she’s been home.. Oh! It could be a Kobold! Lucas always leaves a biscuit and a small glass of whiskey out on the mantle. He claims he’s done it since we moved in here as a family tradition,” Lidia smiled softly at the memory as she finished.

Nicolas twisted his beard around his finger as he spoke; “It had to be an animal of some kind. A Fae would’ve acknowledged my presence.. At least an intelligent one would’ve.”

While the two discussed possibilities, Peggy watched Skye stare at the door. She knew the look her bairn got when holding herself back, and recognized it now. She knew all Skye wanted was to run out to help either her husband, or that ridiculous egg. Not that she actually needed to worry about the darn thing.

It’d felt heavier lately due to the princess feeding it her magic so often. Peggy had left it on her bed, nestled in the pillows where she kept put it. She knew Skye would want to feed it once they returned. It was common for her to do it before they ate, in case the night ran late.

“Why are ye so close to the door?” Peggy asked irritably.

“Shhh! I want to be able to hear them if they call,” the princess snipped.

“Yer not serious about goin’ out there?! If they get hurt bad enough to need ye, yer most Definitely not going out there!”

Skye glared at her faithful servant with both irritation and exhaustion. She understood Peggy cared for her like a daughter, but she was also an adult now, an a powerful one. If her magic-less father could be out there, then she didn’t understand why she couldn’t. At least she could heal herself if injured; unlike everyone else.

“I may not be ready for the RMC Trials, or the Highland Raid, but I can damn well protect me self! I’ve already proved as much! Between the Nomads, the Cu Sith, that assassin, and Shasta; I think I can handle me self just fine! Or do ye think ye raised a fool?! If ye love me like I do you, then have a little faith in me!”

Peggy was taken aback by Skye’s harsh words. She felt a little awkward that she’d said such things in front of Lidia, but it touched her pride and heart that she’d openly acknowledged their bond. Lidia had the title of Skye’s mother, but Peggy had been the one who’d always fulfilled the role.

From colds, to issues with her hair, to the occasional fight she’d have with Tidas as children; Peggy was there for Skye. Lidia was more like a distant aunt to her, but she still respected and treated her as her title demanded. Skye simply never connected with her mother.

In truth; Lidia was jealous of the bond Peggy had with Skye, but knew she had no right to be. She’d purposely distanced herself to protect her, and due to her resemblance to Sorcha. Lidia now regretted the decision more than any other she’d ever made. Skye was like her mother in nearly every way, but with Lucas’ level of intelligence. She wished she could tell Skye of Sorcha and the whole thing, but it would put her life at risk. Even from those she considered family: like Magnus.

“I agree with Peggy; we shouldn’t do anything rash unless we hear-” Lidia was cut off by a loud bang, then a male voice screaming out.

Skye’s mind went blank as she jumped up, unlatched the door, and ran out of it. She knew it wasn’t Tidas’ voice, but it could’ve been any of the other three. The hallway they’d taken was clear, so she went in the other direction, towards her room. She was just rounding the corner when she saw the black streak head into her hallway.

Not caring that Tidas and the others were calling out to her to stay back; Skye ran down her hallway and into her room. The door was open, which the princess found strange because she always kept it closed. Her room looked the same as it always did except that the small perfume bottle on her vanity was knocked over.

When Skye checked her bed for Zazzy, for a moment; she thought her heart would break. Various sizes of shell fragments covered her pillows, making the princess think the worst for a moment.. Until she realized there was no blood or goop. Usually when an animal gets eaten, there’s evidence of the meal in the form of left over bits and blood.

Skye’s confusion nearly made her miss the sounds that were coming from under her bed. She took several cautious steps backwards as she readied her Earth magic to create a wall at a moment’s notice. The light was fading fast from the sky, but in now shined in at an advantageous angle for the princess. Grabbing the bed skirt, Skye lifted the cloth to see what creature was underneath....

At first, she couldn’t see anything until whatever it was moved. Skye could only see two crystal-blue eyes staring back at her. It was a little unnerving, but oddly enough she didn’t feel any hostility from it; just fear and loneliness. The creature was breathing hard from it’s efforts at evasion, but other than that it wasn’t moving.

An strange bubbly feeling began to fill Skye’s heart as a thought popped into her head. As her brain processed the four men came running into the room with weapons out and at the ready. Tidas didn’t even have time to speak as the events unfolded before his eyes.

Skye leaned in to practically put her head under her bed as she said; “Zazzy?! Is that you me wee lassie?”

A strange gargled cooing noise came from underneath before Skye was falling backwards with the creature. It was as big as a bull terrier dog as it attached itself to her upper body. Petrie and Lucas went to move, but Tidas held them back as Skye wrapped her arms around it with a squeak of happiness.

It’s scales were a black-blue color, and it’s wings fought to stay folded on it’s back as it’s own excitement exploded. It’s claws seemed to bow out and become rounded; taking away the possibly of it mauling the princess. It made a purring noise similar to a cat, but had little trills mixed in as well.

Skye stroked it’s head as she cooed to the baby dragon in her arms; “Zazzy! Oh it’s So nice to meet ye!”