Well. That was something.
Enid grasped her counterpart's hand like an anchor, still trying to assimilate the bombshell she had just heard. Eneit did not pull away, letting the younger lycanthrope cling to her to suppress the anxiety that threatened to consume her.
"Breathe, my child," a voice said softly beside Enid. It took a few seconds for the young she-wolf to realize that it was Morticia... no, Queen Morsician who had spoken. Enid looked up and saw how all the Adamo were looking at her, watching her with varying degrees of sympathy and concern.
Ah, I think I just had a little panic attack, she thought.
"I'm... I'm sorry," she mumbled, "It's just... hearing all that all at once has been..."
"There's nothing for you to apologize for, wolf," Grandmama replied gently, "I'm aware of the burden I just revealed to you."
Enid patted Eneit's hand still on her shoulder, indicating to her counterpart that she was better now and could remove it. The young lycanthrope swallowed saliva, trying to soothe a throat that had gone dry. She couldn't help but frown. She didn't know exactly what she was feeling at the moment. Whether fear, or anticipation, or nerves.
And it was frustrating her.
"I've never considered myself... special," she said, even knowing that if she were present there Wednesday would clamor otherwise, "I spent many years being just Enid, the disappointment of the family, the runt of the litter... And then I came to Nevermore, and everything changed, I met Wednesday, I transformed for the first time, and it turns out that my transformation was something rare and unique and cool... but I never considered myself special. Out of the norm, certainly, but never special. I was just Enid."
The she-wolf let out a growl, "And now... now I get this story that I'm some kind of... multiversal warrior who reincarnates, like a cheap copy of Avatar: The Last Airbender!?"
"I have absolutely no idea what that is," Grandmama said.
"And suddenly not only do I have to worry about being stranded in another dimension, my possibly captive girlfriend or the uncertain fate of our friends but to top it all off now I seem to have an extra responsibility and... and... and... Aaagh!"
The tension suddenly left her body and Enid dropped back into her chair.
"I'm not... I'm not a heroine," she said, "That's more Weds' thing as much as she likes to complain about it. I'm... I'm just Enid."
"Exactly," said a voice. It was Wodnesdæg.
"What?" asked the lycanthrope.
"You said it yourself. You're just Enid. That should be more than enough, shouldn't it?" the young lord said. His gaze was fixed upon her with an intensity that she found familiar, "Answer me this, my lady, what has changed in you, really?" he asked.
"Well... I...," the she-wolf tried to answer.
"Absolutely nothing," Wodnesdæg interrupted, "Absolutely nothing has changed. You have only received a label for what you have always been. Nothing about you has changed now from who you were a few minutes ago."
"My perspective on things has changed a little bit, I'd say!" protested Enid.
"Perhaps... So what?" said Wodnesdæg, "How does that alter your innermost self? How does that change your goals? Your morals? Volvaugr or not, you have not ceased to be Enid, my lady, and I'd say that's bloody important."
It was true wasn't it? Enid turned the whole thing over in her mind. Something huge had just fallen on her, but at the end of the day she was still herself. Her decisions were still hers. Who she believed, who she loved… just hers. Her gaze rested on her open hands, where the colorful claws had been displayed for several minutes now from all the storm of recent emotions.
"The what and the who," she mused.
"My lady?" asked Pugslæg, hesitatingly.
"The what I am and who I am are different things," Enid said. Her claws retracted and she clenched her fists, "I am that Volva-whatever. But I'm still Enid, and that's the important part. Thank you Wodnesdæg."
The Adamo heir merely nodded, a half-smirk of satisfaction on his face, "It seems she's had her thoughts lightened somewhat, don't you think so, mi loba?" he asked, turning to Eneit.
The barbarian warrior nodded, smiling and folding her arms with an air of satisfaction and pride as she looked at her younger counterpart, "Yes, lover, she seems to have cleared up some ideas in there."
"What are you going to do now, wolf?" asked Grandmama.
"Now?" asked Enid, "Now we're going to celebrate a wedding. And if a Shadow Hyde shows up we'll deal with it. And after that, we need to talk. You and me, Grandmama."
"Ah, someone has a plan," smiled the old woman, mischievously.
"No. Wednesday's the one with the plans, the plots and the conspiracies," replied Enid, with a wolfish grin, "Mine's more of a scheme."
§§§
Wodnesdæg had not exaggerated. The ceremony itself had not been much more than a mere formality lasting only a few minutes.
There were no great speeches and no elaborate vows were pronounced. For there was not even a proper priest. Gomesco himself officiated the marriage of his son and heir to the werewolf princess, grinning from ear to ear and barely holding back tears of emotional pride, much to Wodnesdæg's mortification.
The crown prince of Adamo was still clad in his black armor and Eneit still in her fur clothing. The only extra adornment on her was a colorful cloak perched on her shoulders.
If the ceremony had been brief and simple, the celebration afterwards was quite the opposite.
The main court room of the castle had been converted into a huge hall with large tables for the most distinguished guests. There seemed to be no specific order or organized hierarchy, although the foreign dignitaries were easily distinguishable from the local nobility, who were more prone to informalities.
The courtyard of the castle had become a party field. More tables for guests of all sorts, with minor nobility and castle workers intermingled with those visitors from the city invited to freely enter and take part in the celebrations. The party was spreading beyond the walls of the fortress, reaching every corner of the town.
Enid found herself with the privilege of being seated at the same table as the newlyweds and the royal family, attracting the curious glances of many of those present. When she asked what she should say if anyone questioned her or if she should use some kind of cover story (like saying she was a distant cousin of Eneit, for example), Wodnesdæg said it was best if she was honest and told the truth.
"Some will believe you, for the strange and unusual are typical of our family and kingdom. Others will think you mad or a jokester and their opinions should not matter to you," the prince had said. Enid chose to follow his advice, though for the moment no other guest had approached her.
She was seated next to Pugslæg and Tiberius, and between the two of them they had filled her in on who was who. The gossip in her, a part of herself that would never quite disappear (and what Wednesday liked to call an intelligence gatherer), was delighted. That the food was great also helped. She was also comforted to find some familiar faces in the crowd.
One of the first faces she recognized was among the members of the guard. A tall, imposing woman with short blonde hair, sheathed in heavy steel armor. She was obviously a counterpart of Larissa Weems. Even her name was the same, with no phonetic variations or changes in any syllables.
"That's Captain Weems," Pugslæg explained, "Despite her title her position is closer to that of a general. She not only takes charge of administering the guard corps in the castle and city but also oversees the troops of the kingdom."
As the evening and the celebration progressed and guests began to leave their seats to approach and interact more animatedly with each other, Enid recognized more and more people.
At one point Eneit was effusively embracing another pale-skinned, long dark-haired woman dressed in a red and black outfit more akin to Gomesco's military uniform rather than the other dresses of the ladies present, including the very one Enid was wearing.
"That is Lady Yoko, the daughter of the leaders of the Tanaka Clan," Tiberius explained, "They are one of the oldest vampire clans in the world. They came to these shores from distant lands beyond the sea a couple of centuries ago. Lady Yoko is the first member of the clan to be born on this continent and the youngest of her family, at only one hundred and eighteen years old."
"She and Eneit have been thick as thieves since they met, practically like sisters," added Pugslæg.
Enid smiled somewhat wistfully, observing the scene, "I get the idea."
Another young woman had approached the barbarian werewolf princess and the vampire, exchanging conversation and laughter with both of them. Enid recognized her face instantly as well.
"Oh, I'm sure that one's name is Divina, am I wrong?"
"Ah, another variant you recognize?" asked Tiberius, "Almost, almost... It's Lady Davina of Sparksea, one of the mermaid colonies on the south coast. Lady Yoko and she sure have been inseparable, if you know what I mean..."
Meanwhile, Wodnesdæg seemed to be dealing with his own conversation along with two other interlocutors. His face went from interested to politely jaded depending on who was speaking.
"The shorter man dressed in black and gold robes is Eugenios Oetinger," Pugslӕg recounted, "He's one of the few real friends Wod has had outside the family in all these years. If it were up to Wod, we would have adopted him if it weren't for the fact that he and his two mothers are a perfectly happy family."
"I've always said we could adopt the Oetinger ladies, it wouldn't be the first time the Adamo's got a cadet branch that way," said Tiberius.
"He's like the Eugene of my universe," said Enid, "Does he also have mind control over the bees?"
The two men looked at her in surprise, before Pugslæg replied, "No, my lady. As far as we know Lord Eugenios has no special abilities beyond his remarkable intellect. He is a normie."
Enid couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. Surprises and more surprises, it would never cease to amaze her how some things stayed the same and others changed drastically depending on each universe.
"Though I should note that he takes up beekeeping in his spare time," Tiberius added.
Okay, maybe not so drastically.
"The other gentleman of greater height next to them is Saverio Thorp. His relationship with Wod is cordial if somewhat complicated. I'm actually surprised he came to the wedding," Pugslæg observed.
"Oooh? Tell, tell," Enid said, interested. She could almost smell the drama.
"There's not much to tell. We've known Sav since we were kids. And from day one he's been infatuated with Wod. He's never stopped being infatuated. Unfortunately for him Wod has never seen him beyond being tolerable friendly company on an occasional basis. Zero romantic interest," Pugslæg explained, "That never stopped Sav: gifts, sonnets, paintings... he has always showered my brother with presents and attention."
"And no matter how many times Lord Wodnesdæg said no, Saverio always came back for more emotional punishment. We came to admire his masochism, certainly," Tiberius added.
"It was only later that we discovered that while he was still in love with my brother, Saverio would have stopped his advances long ago if it weren't for his father forcing him to insist. Old Vincenzo Thorp was obsessed with tying his family to ours," Pugslӕg said, with a slight frown on his brow, "Mother settled the whole matter. We have no idea what words she exchanged with Lord Vincenzo, but they left him terrified, he relinquished his title by ceding it to Saverio and took off for the eastern lands beyond Jeriko."
"Rumor has it that he makes a poor living doing magic tricks at nightly shows," laughed Tiberius.
"And has Saverio since ceased trying to woo Wodnesdæg?" asked Enid, engrossed in the story.
"Ha! Heavens, no. He only became somewhat more discreet and tolerable,” said Pugslӕg, “No, he didn't really stop until Wod and Eneit officially announced their relationship. He didn't take it well at the time."
"What are you three gossiping about?" said a voice breaking in. It was Eneit.
"Just these two gentlemen catching me up on who's who in the kingdom," replied Enid, smiling.
"I can imagine," laughed the barbarian princess, "Come little sister, let me introduce you to some of my friends before the party descends into dancing madness."
The rest of the celebration passed quickly. Enid met Lady Yoko and Davina in person among many others. When she told her story (summarized, obviously) the vampire accepted it readily, arguing that such madness was something so elaborate that it could only be true. The dance began, being opened by the couple of Wodnesdæg and Eneit. Enid found herself being asked to dance first by Yoko and Davina, had a dance with Pugslӕg and then another with Wod and Eneit, as well as awkwardly participating in an impromptu group dance when multiple members of the Adamo extended family jumped into the center of the room.
The worries and fears of the past few hours, all the anguish caused by the Volvaugr's revelation, seemed to be minimized during those minutes. For a while Enid could afford the luxury of enjoying a party with people she cherished.
And then the screaming started.
Enid and Eneit were the first to hear it, being the only lycanthropes present in the place with the senses for it. The two exchanged a glance and a nod before warning the others. Enid knew instinctively that her predictions were coming true. The next time she saw Needler she wouldn't know whether to hug her or strangle her for being so spot on in determining the dramatic preferences of the multiverse.
The music outside had given way to shouting and sword rattling. All the guests in the great hall interrupted the festivities, realizing that danger was approaching. It took less time than expected when the great doors burst open, with a handful of soldiers flying through the air pushed by the massive creature that had just charged them.
The Shadow Hyde roared in defiance, and without another word ran straight for Wodnesdæg.
The creature encountered no obstacles. Gomesco had shouted orders to the guard to shield and escort out of the hall the guests, many of whom, supernatural creatures that they were, seemed more willing to join the fray than to leave the place. But the royal family could not afford the risk of more wounded than there undoubtedly already were.
No, the only obstacle that stood before the shadow creature was Eneit Synklar.
The barbarian princess leapt in front of Wodnesdæg, and lunged at the creature making a tackle that knocked the Shadow Hyde back several feet. Being a variant of Enid, the princess had no problem digging her claws into the being's side, causing a roar of pain and surprise. The creature tried to respond with claws, but Eneit responded by pulling back with enviable reflexes and grabbing the being's limbs, holding it by its wrists.
Despite her strength, Eneit was still in human form and it was obvious from the extreme tension in the musculature of her arms that the Shadow Hyde would soon break free by overcoming her might. But an instant was all the werewolf needed.
Wodnesdæg slid out from behind her, passing underneath her between her spread legs and rising like a spring to the Hyde's feet, taking the creature by surprise with an attack that the latter did not see coming. With his sword the prince slashed the being's torso, spilling a considerable amount of grayish ectoplasm.
"Tremble vile creature!" exclaimed Wodnesdæg, "My sword can cut through the night itself!"
No sooner had those words been uttered than the Shadow Hyde twisted upon itself throwing Eneit off balance and hurling the princess against Wod. The two newlyweds clashed against each other, falling to the ground. Pugslӕg, Gomesco and Captain Weems were already rushing to their aid from the flanks. They would have arrived in time, no doubt, more than enough to distract the creature and cause some damage if they managed to coordinate their attacks well.
But it was not necessary.
For at greater speed than they could run, a mass of golden fur wrapped in the remnants of a tattered red dress impacted against the Shadow Hyde, sinking great claws into the being's torso and neck.
"That dress was damn pretty," growled the fully transformed Enid, "And you're a fucking nuisance."
Rising from the ground a few feet away, Wodnesdæg and Eneit looked at the lycanthrope before exchanging a glance between them and turning their attention back to the fray.
"She's magnificent," Eneit mused, "Oh, I wish it was a full moon, Wod. I'd love to run with her across the hills."
Enid for her part was annihilating the Shadow Hyde. A methodical, almost trance-like coolness had taken hold of her. No games, no uncontrolled anger, no posturing. This was one of the things that served the one responsible for all that was going on and Enid had had enough. She blocked and dodged every attack from the Shadow Hyde with almost insulting ease. At one point she grabbed one of the creature's arms when it tried to strike her, but instead of holding it still, Enid pulled with all her might, ripping the limb off.
Finish it, she thought, Finish it quickly, don't give it a chance.
Enid knew it was the sensible thing to do. A part of her almost wanted to let the monster live. Let it run mutilated to its master. That it was a message: "I'm still here. I'm coming for you." But as satisfying as that might sound, Enid retained enough sense and pragmatism to know that it was a bad idea, that it would simply put The Bright One on alert and that wasn't good.
No, the best thing was to end this Shadow Hyde as soon as possible and promptly jump to the first step of the idea that had been maturing in her mind.
But it was not she who struck the killing blow.
From high above, from the wooden beams and supports and the shadows of the arches that made up the ceiling of the great hall, a beam of concentrated lightning fell like a divine punishment, striking full on the head of the Shadow Hyde. Unable to avoid an attack that occurred in the blink of an eye, the creature's head exploded like a rotten fruit, leaving Enid smeared with foul-smelling traces of gray goo.
Eeeewwwww!
The lycanthrope rubbed her face and muzzle in an attempt to remove the disgusting traces of ectoplasm from her fur, irritated but impressed nonetheless.
Enid looked up and could see a human figure high up in the rafters, emerging from the shadows. The newcomer dropped down despite the great height, touching the ground smoothly as if he had simply descended from a step. He wore a black cloaked robe similar to Tiberius', with a wide-set hood concealing his face.
"Mmm, and here I was hoping to make a dramatic entrance," the newcomer said in an amused tone as he lightly kicked the dissolving remains of the Shadow Hyde. Enid recognized the voice, even though in her universe she had only had a couple of one-off encounters with the counterpart of the individual before her.
Another sound flooded the air at that moment. A clear, ringing laugh.
Wodnesdæg was laughing. And Enid could see from Eneit's expression that this was something as unusual and precious as it was for her to hear her Wednesday's laughter.
"You have come!" exclaimed the prince, approaching them with a manic elation reminiscent of his father's, "You have actually come!"
The newcomer responded with a quiet laugh, pulling off his hood and revealing a bald head with a round, pale, haggard face. There were some differences in the general features, but Enid would have recognized that man without a problem in any universe.
"Well, I couldn't miss the wedding of my pigtailed protégé, could I?" said Festrir Adamo, brother of the king.
NOTES
Damn, writing action scenes, no matter how brief, will never stop being complicated.
Also, we have Fester! Well, a Fester 😅
Once again, apologies for the delay. This should have been posted yesterday after a last quick revision to the translation (I usually write the fics in my native Spanish and then translate to English) but I had to deal with some last minute work/study stuff that consumed all my time. At least as far as real life interference with writing a fic in AO3 is concerned this is not one of the worst ones.
No comments:
Post a Comment