Vim coughed again, drawing my eyes to his table.

“Is he sick?” Fly asked.

“Vim doesn’t get sick. He probably just ate something that bit back,” Merit said as she messed with the food in her bowl. Her small spoon, the same size as the one that Fly was using, clanked as she did so.

“What’d he eat…?” Fly asked quietly.

Smiling at her tone, which told me exactly what she thought he had eaten, I wondered how long it’d take before Fly truly grew accustomed to us. Or at least, to Vim.

“Who knows?” Merit sighed, and then reached across the table as to grab the small bottle of spices. Maybe she hadn’t been playing with her food, but simply didn’t like it much. This was the third time she’s poured more of that strange herb into the bowl.

Still…

Glancing at the table Vim sat at, two away from ours, I wondered how long he’d cough for. It’s been nearly a whole day since he had gone down into that weird hole… and although he wasn’t coughing anywhere near as often, or as harshly, every so often he still did so.

“He’s fine Renn,” Merit said as she stopped adding more spices to her bowl, and went to taking another bite.

I nodded, though wasn’t sure if I agreed with her just yet.

After all… there was obviously a reason he was, and had been, coughing. What had been down there? Why had it affected him so harshly? He had said it would have hurt me too, which was why I had not gone with him.

Why was something so dangerous right below us?

And even more importantly…

For it to have bothered him to that big of a degree, I could only imagine what it would do to others…

Why didn’t he fix it? Surely it was something he could eliminate if he wanted to? Wasn't such a thing a threat? To our members? To humans too? Anyone?

Why did Vim eliminate dangerous threats so swiftly, yet on other occasions seemingly let them be without a worry?

“It is kind of nasty,” Vim said to Tosh, who laughed and went on to describe some kind of animal meat from the south that the stuff we were eating reminded him of.

Looking down at my own bowl, and its nearly empty condition… I wondered why they all seemed to not care much for it.

It had tasted fine to me. Maybe not as tasty as most of the stuff we usually ate here, but it wasn’t horrible by any means.

Did the fact that I didn’t mind it, but everyone else did mean something? Maybe I was still not accustomed to eating good food. Or maybe it was something simpler. Or…

“Can I go see my room now?” Fly asked as she dropped her spoon into her now empty bowl. Like me she didn’t seem to notice if it tasted bad, or if she did she simply didn’t care.

“I’ll take ya!” Brandy startled the young bird, her loud voice making her jump as she turned to look at her.

Brandy giggled away, standing from the table that Vim sat at. She left her bowl and cup, and Fly quickly got up to join her.

“Renn?” Fly glanced my way as she did so, and I realized she expected me to come with her.

“I’ll join you after I’m done,” I said with a gesture to the little left in my bowl.

She nodded and smiled, seemingly understanding.

“Bye Merit!” Fly hurried to leave with Brandy. As she did, I notice she gave the table Vim and Tosh sat at a large birth.

Watching her and Brandy leave, I wondered why Brandy had volunteered. Brandy, like everyone else here, seemed more than happy to have Fly join us… but this was the first time she had offered to accompany Fly alone. Usually she only showed up when I and others were with her.

“Brandy’s going to try her own method,” Merit said softly.

“Her own method?” I asked.

Merit nodded as she sighed and dropped her spoon onto the table. She just gave up trying to eat anymore. “To get Fly to verbally agree to join,” she said.

“I see…” I nodded. That made sense.

Tosh and Vim returned to their conversation, talking about some town the two of them had spent time in years ago. I glared a little at Tosh as he began to talk about some kind of dancing woman, one that Vim for some reason remembered rather quickly and distinctively.

“Careful Renn. He’s lived a long time; surely you know what that means?” Merit teased me, noticing the obvious.

“I know,” I said. It wasn’t that big a deal, really…

“Yet you’re still annoyed,” Merit smirked at me as she pushed her bowl away, as if the stuff stunk to her.

“Well… Honestly what annoys me the most is hearing you all talk about old memories with him. You’ve all known him for hundreds of years,” I said honestly.

Merit’s smirk softened a little, and I realized I had said something a probably a little too serious for the gentle moment.

“Quite a statement… but one that tells me that you treasure moments. That’s a good thing. A lot of us don’t, you know?” Merit said.

“We don’t?” I asked. Whom did she mean?

She nodded and crossed her arms before her on the table. Her young appearance made the action look a little… out of place. “A lot of us grow foggy in the head as we age. And then there are a lot of us who don’t really appreciate much, either. If you ask some of our older members, they’ll tell you it’s because nothing really matters,” Merit said.

I nodded. I’ve actually noticed that already, and especially so had experienced it with my own family members. My mother never even noticed the passing of days.

In fact she had barely been able to recognize the passage of time.

“Still… I’m glad that Vim’s actions hadn’t caused Fly any duress,” Merit said.

Ah. “Yes. Seems she doesn’t even know about the man he killed, or if she does she simply doesn’t care,” I said. Merit and I had in a roundabout way tried to ask about it, and Fly didn’t seem to have any knowledge of the man Vim encountered.

“It’s only been two days, Renn. As mentioned earlier, our kind doesn’t usually notice things too quickly. It could be weeks or months before that man’s presence… or lack of one, is noticed.”

Could it? I feel like I’d notice if any of us were to just… disappear.

“You might notice Renn, as would I, but there are several who wouldn’t. For reference, Sofia barely notices it when Vim comes and goes,” Merit read my thoughts on my face again.

“Really?” I asked. Vim could go years between visits.

She nodded. “Really. She’s not the only one either.”

Hm…

Vim coughed again, very lightly. So lightly Tosh who was still talking didn’t even seem to notice, or if he had he simply ignored it.

Glancing at Vim as he took a drink, I tried to envision him being hurt.

After all, that was basically what that cough was… wasn’t it? It wasn’t visible, but he had gotten hurt, in some fashion.

Somehow I hadn’t thought it possible.

“Merit… Can I ask something serious?” I leaned forward, and made sure to not let my ever growing hair get into my bowl or cup.

“Hm?” she nodded as she leaned forward too, although she wasn’t able to do so too much thanks to her height.

“How strong is Vim? Actually?” I asked her.

She frowned for a moment, and the look on her face told me she really didn’t seem to understand why I was asking such a question… but before she could answer, Tosh raised his voice.

“You spar with him yet don’t know?” Tosh asked.

“If I was good enough to tell just by our spars, I’d probably not need to be taught as I am,” I said honestly.

Merit giggled. “Right!”

Tosh smirked at me, and I noticed the way he leaned forward towards Vim. “You’ve got an odd wife, Vim,” Tosh said.

Merit’s giggling came to an abrupt stop, and I felt my ears and tail become stiff as I noticed her expression out of the corner of my eye.

Uh oh. Was this the first time Merit had heard Tosh mistake me for his wife? Surely not…

“She only asked such a thing because she’s trying to understand why I’m coughing so much,” Vim said smoothly, as if Tosh had never said anything strange and Merit hadn’t nearly gone into shock.

I had to look away, since Merit’s eyes had gone wide and tiny…

Would she say something? If she does, will it harm Tosh? Vim figured it would, which was why he hadn’t corrected him yet… but…

“Well, she’ll learn! Nothing time can’t handle after all!” Tosh nodded to himself, pleased.

Slowly looking back at Merit, I held her gaze. It had softened, and she now looked… well…

In pain.

She looked as if she had just heard something heartbreaking.

Vim coughed as Tosh took a drink, and I fidgeted in front of Merit. What did I say?

What could I say?

She was wise enough to understand what was happening, and why it was happening... so maybe nothing needed to be said.

Yet why did she look so hurt?

“Fly didn’t bring anyone with her this time,” I said, changing the topic a little.

Tosh glanced my way, but I ignored him as Merit gave me a gentle… and thankful smile. “She didn’t. I was going to ask why not, you said she was going to invite someone didn’t you Vim?” Merit asked.

He nodded. “She had said she was going to try, yes.”

Yet she hadn’t brought anyone… in fact she hadn’t even mentioned it either.

Merit sighed. “Hopefully she’ll not let them drag her down with them,” she said.

I was about to say something, but realized she was probably speaking from experience. Just like Vim did.

A scary thought.

I tried not to imagine how Fly trying to get others to join the Society might simply get her killed. Especially since I could imagine quite a few scenarios, rather easily.

I couldn’t blame Fly for trying… nor did I think Merit or anyone else did either… but…

Well…

“Where you from Renn? Since we’re on such a topic anyway?” Tosh asked.

“Hm? The north. A large forest past the northern mountains,” I said.

Merit’s fingers began to drum the table as Tosh nodded. “Makes sense. I’m from the east, myself. From a land that no longer exists! Or at least… I don’t think it does. Is it gone still, Vim?” Tosh asked.

“There’re a few civilizations there now, but they’re not the same nor to the same level… so in a sense, no it doesn’t exist anymore,” Vim said.

Tosh smirked and chuckled, as if it was funny somehow.

“I bet your forests were lovely, Renn,” Merit said, and did so gently… was she worried I’d take offense to Tosh’s abrasiveness?

Honestly I didn’t mind it at all. In fact I was just glad he seemed to treat me so warmly. Though that was likely thanks to his misunderstanding.

“It wasn’t anything fancy. It got cold often too,” I said.

Merit smiled and nodded. “I grew up in a small pond. One I thought was an ocean yet was but a puddle,” she said.

“Well, duh. You’re so small!” Tosh teased Merit.

Merit’s eyebrows twitched, but her smile didn’t falter. If anything it grew stronger, as if in defiance. “Vim helped me poison those ponds,” she said.

“Oh?” I grew more interested, but Tosh didn’t seem to care for my wants. He laughed and tapped the table, as if to get everyone’s attention.

Although he was being loud, Tosh didn’t say anything. Instead he just laughed aloud, as if something had tickled him somehow.

An odd man. Made stranger by his condition.

Yet…

Glancing at Vim, who was softly smiling… and then at Merit, who was now relaxed and also smiling, I realized the two were just happy to hear and see their friend so active.

He could be rude and strange beyond reason and right now no one would care, it seemed.

How nice.

“Ah… you might go check on Fly, Renn. Brandy has some stuff to do today, so she likely can’t watch her all night,” Merit suddenly remembered.

“Oh. Right.” I nodded as I stood from my seat and went to gathering my bowl and cup as to clean up.

“I’ll get it all. Just go,” Merit waved me away.

“You sure?” I asked. It’d not take me long to clean it. Both my bowl and cup were empty, unlike hers.

“Let’s go,” Vim’s voice drew my attention away from Merit’s light waving at me, and I found he was already heading out of the room.

“You okay with handling his too? He didn’t even ask if you would,” I said with a sigh.

“Tosh can handle his,” Merit said simply.

“Ah! I can!” Tosh nodded and raised his cup, agreeing to take the burden.

“Thanks,” I said to the both of them, and then hurried to follow after Vim.

Following the sound of a cough I had to pick up the pace to catch up to Vim. He was already near the stairwell. How did he move so fast sometimes, when he didn’t look as if he was? He would have needed to run to have gotten there, in such a short time… yet surely he hadn’t?

Vim coughed again as I stepped up behind him and we both went to climbing the stairs.

“Want me to get something for you to drink? Something with honey?” I asked him.

“I’m fine.”

Hm… That would have been a good excuse for me to get a glass of the stuff too.

Maybe Fly would want some. I’d get him some too… he’d not be able to turn it down if Fly wanted to try it too.

Reaching Fly’s room, I wasn’t too surprised to find the door open. She was sitting on the bed, and Brandy was sitting on a chair next to the bed.

The two were talking lightly, and their conversation sounded… well…

Vim and I didn’t enter the room, but instead stared into the room quietly as the two finished talking. Brandy was telling Fly about some kind of fish she had caught a few months ago, down south.

“Oh! Renn!” Fly happily perked up at the sight of me, as Brandy finished her tale.

Stepping into the room, I rounded Vim since he had remained still.

Entering the room, I smiled warmly at Fly as she hopped off the bed as to run up to me. She reached out her hands, and I happily took them as she greeted me.

Holding her hands with my own, I felt a little silly as the young girl and I smiled at each other. The action was basically like a hug, or greeting… even though we had been together only a little while ago.

“Well, I’ll get back to work. You think about what I said, Fly,” Brandy said as she stood from her chair.

Fly’s feathers puffed up as she nodded quickly at Brandy. “I will! Promise!” she said.

“Good girl,” Brandy smiled at her, and even patted her on the head as she passed us and headed out of the room.

As she left I noticed Vim step away with her. The two headed down the hall together, and I wondered if I was being left alone with her.

“I’m going to leave now, Renn. If that’s okay,” Fly then said.

“Huh?” I blinked at the young girl and then looked up to the roof.

Yes. It was still dark. And not just because it was raining still. Sunrise was still an hour or so away.

“I know… Sorry,” Fly said gently, and I realized she genuinely sounded hurt. As if ashamed.

Brandy and Vim were talking down the hall. I did my best to ignore their voices, since I couldn’t really hear them anyway. They were whispering… or at least, trying to.

“Leaving a little early today, Fly,” I said to her.

She nodded. “I know. But I have to do something during sunrise, and I don’t want to forget and get in trouble again,” she said.

Right. Getting in trouble for her meant getting beaten.

I gulped as I gestured her towards the bedroom door, to let her leave. I wanted to say something, but knew I couldn’t.

Stepping out into the hallway, Fly and I turned to head towards the nearest stairwell. The same one we’ve been using when she leaves and arrives.

Brandy and Vim were behind us, and were still talking to one another. I ignored them, but Fly glanced back at them as we headed for the stairwell.

“Brandy’s nice,” Fly told me.

“She is, isn’t she?” I agreed.

Fly nodded. “I… don’t usually hear such laughter. It’s nice,” she said.

I blinked to keep the tears at bay, and nodded down to the young girl. “I like her joyful personality too,” I told her honestly.

“What does she do here?” Fly asked.

“Honestly I’m not entirely sure. She does a lot though. She runs a lot of stuff,” I said.

“Is it hard? What you guys do?” she asked.

Oh? I wonder if Fly and Brandy had talked about our jobs and tasks… maybe she was just trying to figure out what she’d be doing, once she joined.

“Not really. Most of our jobs are easy. Simple stuff. They’re fun though, since we get to spend time with one another while working,” I said.

As I spoke, I tried to imagine what she’d be able to do. She was too… inhuman… for this place.

Vim and the others had mentioned she’d not be able to stay here. At least, not for long.

How did I say such a thing to her though? She was struggling so hard to even trust us enough to join, what would it be like if I suddenly told her she’d not be able to stay here?

She might simply run away. Never to trust us again.

The thought hurt… so I did my best to push it aside.

Reaching the stairwell, we were about to round the corner and head up it… but I and Fly came to a stop upon seeing Vim.

He was standing in the stairwell, leaning against the wall. “Leaving already?” he asked.

“How the heck…” I mumbled, and both Fly and I stepped back as to peer down the hallway. To where he had just been, with Brandy.

Brandy was no longer down the hallway.

“How’d you get here so fast?” Fly asked for me.

“You two were the ones taking your time,” Vim said with a shrug, and he stepped up the stairwell… heading to the roof.

I grumbled as I watched him walk up the stairs, ignoring not just my own concern but Fly’s.

Really. How had he done it? He was sometimes very sneaky, but that had been something else entirely. He had just been down the hallway, the opposite way, talking with Brandy. I had just heard his voice and hers as they talked and…

Sighing, I nodded to Fly as we went to follow him up the stairs.

“Is he a ghost?” Fly whispered her question.

I smiled down at the serious bird, whom actually might be on to something… “No. I don’t think so.”

“How’d he do that?” she asked.

“He’s sneaky sometimes,” I agreed.

“That was more than sneaky…” she mumbled as we reached the door. Or well, reached the door and Vim who was opening it.

As he opened the door the sound of heavy rain filled the world… and I was able to take a deep breath of wet air in.

Fly shivered as we stared out at the heavy rain.

“Still storming…” Fly complained.

“Hopefully it ends soon…” I said. Honestly I was tired of having to check on the garden. Merit and I had to replace some tarps every few days, to make sure the wind didn’t damage the plants.

“It won’t. Goodbye Renn!” Fly’s hand separated from my own as she stepped out into the rain.

Waving goodbye to Fly, I waited apprehensively for Vim to once again chase after her. Yet even after Fly leapt off the roof, Vim remained still.

“She’s grown more relaxed,” Vim said.

I nodded. “Isn’t that good? I really wish she’d just decide to stay here, though,” I said.

“Brandy mentioned there’s a girl she’s trying to get to come too. A few younger children, like her, are who she’s planning on bringing with her,” Vim said.

Oh? “How are there so many of them, Vim? We’re so scattered and few…” I asked.

“Happenstance… but honestly it’s probably something you might not want to hear,” he said with a sigh as he reached out to grab the door, as to close it.

“There’s a lot of things I don’t like hearing, but I still have to,” I said.

He nodded as he latched the door firmly closed, locking it.

“Most of them are likely descendants of those who have lived there or served their master for years. They likely give birth as much as they can, as to ensure the master is fed,” he said lightly.

My jaw clenched, and my ears ruffled as I glared at the man who had said such a thing without any emotion.

“I really hope you’re wrong,” I said coldly.

Vim sighed as he nodded and turned to head down the stairs. “As do I. But history has told me I’m likely not,” he said.

“Fly thinks her family came here on a ship,” I said.

“She probably did. But at someone’s behest, surely. How would they have known? What are the odds they come on a ship here, and run into them but not us? They came on a ship here with a destination in mind. It’d be too dangerous otherwise. Likely one of their members found them, or was related to them, and conned them into coming here. Though we might not ever know the real story,” Vim said as we headed downstairs.

I grumbled as I followed him only a few steps behind. “Sometimes I hate this world,” I said.

Vim chuckled, and then paused for a moment as we stepped out into a hallway on the second floor. I remained on the stairwell, since he was somewhat in the way.

“I’ll be leaving shortly, to the port,” Vim said as he turned to look at me.

Oh. Right. Brandy’s request.

“Surprised it’s taken this long. Didn’t Brandy think it was going to arrive days ago?” I asked.

He nodded. “Likely the storm, Renn. It’s a calm one here on land, but out there on the sea it’s likely rough.”

Oh. Right.

“Can I come?” I asked.

Vim studied me for a moment, and I quickly remembered Brandy’s comment when she had brought it up last time.

She hadn’t wanted me to know about it.

Before Vim could open his mouth to say anything, I smiled up at him and nodded. “Actually I probably should get some sleep. I am a little tired,” I said quickly.

It wasn’t a complete lie. I haven’t really been sleeping long, since Fly’s been coming to visit during the night… and I still had stuff to do during the day. And yesterday I hadn’t slept at all, since I had waited for Vim to return.

Vim’s eyes narrowed a little, and I felt a little silly. He obviously knew I had just given him an easy out… But at the same time…

“I’ll not be long, Renn. Plus to be honest I’ll feel a little better with you here while I’m gone,” he said.

“Oh?” I felt my ears perk up a little too quickly at his words as he nodded.

“Between you, Merit, the siblings and Brandy you should be able to keep everyone safe until I get back. Strength in numbers, and all that,” he said.

I nodded. “I’ll not sleep until you get back then,” I said firmly.

Vim frowned at me. “I didn’t mean it like that Renn… go sleep.”

“I know you didn’t,” I said.

“Teasing me?” he asked.

“Only a little,” I said. Actually, I had been a little serious.

If Vim was worried enough about leaving for even just a short time, to the point that he’d genuinely mention such a thing… then it was probably a legitimate worry.

Vim coughed into a balled fist, and I was glad to hear that it was now just a light one and benign. Odds are by the time I saw him again, later this evening after my nap, he’d no longer be coughing.

“How long do you think this will take Vim?” I asked him as he sighed at himself. He seemed to be ready for his coughing fits to be over and done with.

“Hopefully not much longer. But it will likely end quicker than we think. Either by Fly’s hands, or her master’s. Hopefully when it happens, I’m there to protect her,” he said.

“What if there’s a lot of them?” I asked.

“Then we handle it? Even if there’s dozen who try to join, it won’t hurt our resources here Renn… we’re wealthy beyond measure,” he said.

“I meant if you had to fight them,” I said, correcting his thought process.

Vim blinked at me. “Oh. Well… honestly that’d be easier,” he said.

“Really?” I asked.

He shrugged and looked down the hall. A quick glance showed someone walking across the hallway, down near where the hallway turned left. It looked like Wynn.

Vim didn’t let his eyes linger down the hall very long, but before his eyes returned to me… I realized he really didn’t care about it.

Vim honestly didn’t worry about how many he might have to face.

Staring at our protector, I tried to imagine how such confidence came into existence.

Surely experience. Yet… how much? How many years? How many battles? How many has he killed over his long years?

How long would it take for me to have the same steadfast heart?

“I worry,” I told him honestly.

Vim frowned, but didn’t seem to question why. “Would you get upset with me if I told you not to?” he asked.

“A little,” I said.

He nodded and smiled at me; as if glad I’d say such a thing so seriously.

Shifting, I glanced down at our feet. I was on the second step up from the floor, yet was still only just nearly eye level with him.

It was odd… I never really felt much shorter than him, but it seemed I was. Maybe my ears had something to do with it.

“I’ve finished it, by the way,” I whispered.

“Hm?”

“Their painting,” I said gently.

Vim blinked, and I wondered if maybe he had forgotten. But no… he smiled gently at me and nodded. “I’ll come see it tonight then.”

Smiling back at him, I nodded.

Just what I wanted to hear.