Realm of Monsters
Chapter 621: Celebration Part 1

Chapter 621: Celebration Part 1

  “Wait, please, stop. I don’t know how to dance!” Kegrog pleaded.

  “Come on, it’ll be fine, I’ll guide you.” Freya dragged his arm towards the ballroom.

  “Afraid to dance?” Stryg grinned at his friends.

  “Stryg!” Freya let Kegrog go and tackled Stryg in a hug, or at least tried to. He barely moved as her body collided into him. “Oof, you’re like a brick wall. What do you have under that silk shirt?” she poked him in the chest.

  Stryg lifted his shirt and showed his toned blue abdomen. “Nothing.”

  “Don’t do that!” Freya pulled his shirt down and looked around. “You’re a lord now, you can’t just strip in public.”

  “Nobles and their clothes.” Stryg shook his head. “Even the commoners at the taverns take off their shirts when they’re partying.”

  “That’s because they’re drunk. In events like these, people rarely drink enough to get drunk,” said Freya.

  “Are you two not going to drink?” asked Stryg.

  “Later. Right now, I’m going to teach this big guy how to dance.” Freya pointed her thumb at the giant orc.

  “Help me,” Kegrog mouthed silently to Stryg.

  “I’m glad you’re doing better. After the fall you took, I heard the healers weren’t sure you’d ever walk again,” said Stryg.

  “Neither did I,” Kegrog admitted. “I have Freya to thank. Turns out the Goldelms have enough money to hire all the best white mages in all the Ebon Realm.”

  “We do try.” Her jovial expression turned solemn. “I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for you, Stryg.” She bowed deeply. “Thank you.”

  “I’m just glad you’re safe. Both of you.”

  The sounds of instruments echoed in the ballroom.

  Freya straightened up. “The first dance is about to start, I’ll talk to you later? We have a lot to catch up on.”

  Stryg inclined his head. “I’d like that, Lady Goldelm.”

  She beamed. “Happy Birthday, Lord Veres.”

  “Wait, how about you two talk about all of that stuff now, while I go get something to eat— wait, stop dragging me!” Kegrog begged, but Freya still dragged him away.

  Stryg looked at them one last time before heading back to the adjacent room. The Grand Hall was still in full festivities, people eating at the long tables arrayed across the room. Many were standing, drinks in hand, while discussing with one another.

  As he meandered through the hall, he noticed a pair of Gale swordmasters following him from a respectable distance. Stryg doubted anyone would dare harm him in the safety of the Veres Manor, but it was good to have a show of force. That and they seemed to help keep guests from approaching. Stryg didn’t care much for talking with all the nobles eager to get to know him, but he knew some of it would be inevitable as the night went on.

  In the corner of the hall, next to a pillar, Stryg spotted something odd. It was Lunae, or rather a younger, smaller, less conspicuous version of the moon goddess. She still had the same white hair, but where it once glowed, now it seemed rather grey. Her deep silver skin had lost its warm sheen and was somewhat dull. Unlike her usual silver-white silk robes, she wore a backless white dress with a golden chain belt. Lunae was clearly trying to blend in, but why she hadn’t simply shapeshifted into someone else, like she had done when she took Plum’s appearance back in Evenfall, Stryg did not know. 

  But what was truly odd was that she was laughing with a young man who seemed about the same age. Stryg couldn’t recall ever seeing Lunae laugh. And now she was practically giggling with this stranger, huddled in the corner, as if sharing an inside joke.

  Curiosity won over, and Stryg made his way over to them. “Mother Moon?” he called out in a quiet, somewhat uncertain voice.

  Lunae perked up and turned. She beamed when her eyes met his. “Stryg, my baby, there you are!” Before he could react, she wrapped him in a hug and twirled him around as if he weighed nothing.

  “Lunae, stop, please,” he said, flustered.

  She put him down and held his face in her hands. “My son, I’m sorry I was late, I—” She hiccuped and laughed. “I was busy~”

  “Are—Are you drunk?” Stryg asked in disbelief.

  “Just a little bit.” She pinched her finger and thumb together as her body swayed from side to side.

  “I didn’t know you could get drunk.”

  “Usually, we can’t. But his wine is quite something,” she wrapped her arm around the shoulders of the young man next to her.

  “And you are?” Stryg asked.

  “Call me Mort.” He gave a charming smile. “Forgive us for being late, we drank a full case of bottles earlier.”

  “Are you two going to be okay?” Stryg asked, glancing between the two.

  “We’re fine,” Lunae waved his words away. “If I focus, I can force my body to process the toxins in a couple of seconds.”

  “Precisely,” Mort agreed.

  Stryg stared uncertainly at the pale young man. He leaned in close and whispered,  “Are you a—?” He let the question hang in the air.

  “A friend?” Mort finished.

  “A very close friend.” Lunae giggled and slid her hand around Mort’s waist, pulling him close. She nuzzled her nose into his neck. “I’ve missed your scent.”

  “Is that right?” Mort traced his fingers over the skin between her bareback.

  Stryg stared at their interaction for a brief moment, surprised. “Oookay, then. I’m gonna go. Yeah, I’m just gonna go that way.” 

  The duo didn’t even notice as Stryg walked away. He had never really thought of the goddess of the moon having any carnal interests, but he supposed it was only natural. His people were open about sexual interests and did not shy away from romantic interactions, but for some deep, inexplicable reason, he wanted to be anywhere but near the couple’s flirting.

  Stryg decided to head back to his table, but then he spotted Lord Krall and Lady Eveyln Katag speaking to Aurelia, who had the same strict First-Mother-expression she always wore back at the Blood Fang village. No doubt the topic at hand was Tauri and himself, a topic he was very eager not to get into with his mother and future in-laws. Turning a 180, Stryg headed back to the ballroom before his mother could catch sight of him.

  Maybe he could find Tauri and have a dance? Gale had warned him that if he stepped onto the ballroom dance floor, a dozen different women would swarm him in a matter of seconds. Stryg wasn’t sure about that. People usually didn’t approach him, though they often stared. Probably because he was an oddity, not many blue goblins were walking around.

  Surely, Gale was exaggerating. Or maybe all those women just wanted to speak with the head of House Veres for an alliance or some trade deal. Stryg didn’t know, but either way, he wasn’t about to stay in the Grand Hall.

  “Stryg?” a voice called out hesitantly.

  He knew that voice, but rare was the day it sounded so uncertain. Without hesitation, he turned and came face to face with Loh. Stryg couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his lips. “You made it. I wasn’t sure you would.”

  Loh held a small chest in her hands. She stared at the ground. “I didn’t know if you wanted me to. I, um, I brought you a gift. It’s a black and silver hair cuff, for when you tie your hair in a ponytail. I had a ruby engraved on it, so that it has both the black and red colors of your House. It’s not much, but I hope you like it.” She offered him the chest.

  He took it and bowed his head. “Thank you. I got you a gift too.”

  “Huh? For me,” She looked up.

  “Oh, agh,” he grimaced, “I left it in my room. Plum and I went shopping the other day, and I bought this bottle of wine I thought you might like and… I guess it doesn’t matter. Sorry.” 

  “No, it’s just— I didn’t know you and Plum were so close again. That’s nice.”

  “She forgave me, despite everything,” Stryg admitted. “Her mother’s death is still on my hands, but… I dunno, somehow she forgave me.”

  “Our hands. You may have given the sentence, but I’m the one who had it carried out. Byrel's death is on my hands, just as it is on yours, if not more.”

  “Not more, no.” Stryg opened the chest and admired the hair cuff for a moment before grabbing his hair and tying it in a ponytail. He slipped the hair cuff on and offered Loh his hand, “Would you like to dance?”

  Loh blinked and stared at his hand, then broke into a smile. “I’d like that.”

  Stryg led her onto the dance floor as the minstrels began to play the next song. Loh was taller than Stryg, even moreso in her heels, and the better dancer. She led him as they danced in silence for a few moments, looking anywhere but at each other, until Stryg accidentally stepped on Loh’s foot and almost caused them both to trip. Loh gracefully recovered and pulled him along, not missing a step.

  “Sorry, I’m still figuring this out,” Stryg muttered.

  “Nothing to apologize for.”

  “You never really did chastise me when I made mistakes.” It was different from every teacher he had ever had.

  “Well, my grandfather was never easy when it came to his lessons. You know that better than anyone. I didn’t want to be like him.”

  “For what it’s worth, I appreciate your teachings. If it wasn’t, I would never be the mage I am today.”

  Loh nodded stiffly and kept on with the dance. “I heard your mother woke up; that must be a relief.”

  “It is. I don’t know what changed, but she suddenly woke up. The white mages say she’ll be fine. Her body is healthy. She’s back to being the same First Mother I always knew.”

  “Wait, so she really is the First Mother of the Blood Fang? She was always there, right next to you. And you didn’t even know it?”

  “Yeah, I hated her for it when I found it. She had lied to me my entire life. Honestly, I was angry at her even until the day of the siege, but when she fell in battle protecting me, I… I realized I couldn’t imagine living in a world without my First Mother.”

  “Well, have you told her that?”

  “Not yet. I don’t know exactly how.”

  “Just tell her the truth. Sometimes it's the most important thing to say, even when it’s difficult.” Loh looked him in the eye and smiled bitterly. “I’m sorry, Stryg. For Widow’s Crag and everything that happened after. You deserve the truth and I kept it from you. I know you probably don’t want to hear a word I have to say. I know you’ll never forgive me, but I truly am sorry.”

  “You’re wrong, you know.”

  “Pardon?”

  Stryg took a deep breath. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about this, I’ve talked to Tauri about it a lot too, but most importantly, I’ve had some good counsel from those much older and wiser than me.”

  “Counsel about what exactly?” she whispered with uncertainty.

  “I know Elzri demanded you keep silent about the truth of Widow’s Crag. If you hadn’t, then war would have certainly broken out between the Veres and Noirs. It would have led to countless more deaths. Elzri knew that and he used your own guilt against you to keep you quiet and under his control.

  “I understand why you kept it a secret and why you pulled away from me. You felt guilty about what you had done and Elzri used the opportunity to take over my training. Elzri manipulated both of us. Whether it was for good reasons or not, it doesn’t matter anymore. At the end of the day, Marek was the one who killed Clypeus, not you.”

  Loh shook her head. “If I had gone to find you that night, then you and Clypeus would have never—”

  Stryg looked her in the eyes. “I know you didn’t mean to abandon us. You thought we were safe. I knew all of that, but it didn’t change how angry I was at you, until I realized that had things been different, I would have still lost someone I loved.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Recently, I came across a book of memories, my great-grandmother’s memories. I’ve witnessed firsthand how good intentions can fall apart into horrors. I know you went to avenge your brother that night. But had you come to find us, you would have faced off against Marek, Nokti, and the twin archmages. Do you think you, Tauri, and the others would have defeated them? You would have died, Loh.”

  “I’d rather have died. I should have died that night,” she whispered, tears in her eyes.

  Stryg wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. “I’m glad you’re alive, Loh. I am glad you’re here with me.”

  Her lips trembled and tears fell down her grey cheeks. “I’m not a good person, I don’t deserve your kindness.”

  “That’s too bad. I’m a selfish person. And I can’t imagine living in a world without my first friend.”

  Loh leaned down and cried on his shoulder. She trembled as she weeped quietly. The song ended and people stepped back as the minstrels prepared the next one. Tauri walked over and gently grabbed Loh’s forearm, “May I have this dance, Lady Noir?”

  Loh looked surprised, but she wiped her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. “If you’ll have me.”

  “Always,” said Tauri.

  Loh gave Stryg one last grateful look before Tauri pulled her away. Stryg felt a weight leave him as Loh walked off. He had been holding onto so much pain, anger, and guilt for so long and now it felt as if the chains had fallen off.

  A dainty finger tapped his shoulder. “May I have this dance, Lord Veres?”

  Stryg turned and found Elzri’s old secretary and Loh’s new confidante standing before him. “I’m not a great dancer, Lily.”

  Lily twisted her red lips into a smirk, but her scarlet eyes were full of fiery anger. “We’ll make do.”

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