Alus gathered his feet under him and went to Errshek, reaching a hand in front of Errshek’s line of sight.“How do you feel, Glowworm?”
Even though he sneered, Errshek took Alus’s offered hand and stood.Half the arm of his shirt had burnt off.“Sober.”
“Are you hurt?”Kalia asked.
“I...no.”Errshek’s response sounded perplexed, then amazed.“Hells.No!”The demon touched his chest and stomach, then lifted his gaze to the eldest amongst them.“You weren’t kidding.”
Smirking, Saer gave a single, lazy nod.“Jests are our brothers’ specialty.Though”—Pride glanced at Arek—“I’ve been told my technique is improving.”
Arek didn’t even glance at Saer when he replied with trademark dryness, “You have a long way to go.”
44
TheeveningendedwiththeDaemoenicaarranging their camp beds around the fire pit—piled insurmountably high with lumber—then passing out next to it.Arek shared his cot with his twin while Errshek gave his sleeping space to Kalia.
Runeak didn’t require rest, though she bared her teeth when it was suggested she give up her bed.Throughout the evening, she placed more and more metal figurines on its surface, one at a time.
Past sunrise and through the second half of the day, Errshek added logs on the fire until, one by one, they all stirred—except Sloth.
They left Kalia to slumber on while the rest of the encampment set to rinsing themselves and their clothes of the prior evening’s activities.Gluttony took to the task of cooking them a fulfilling meal with a glorious will.
While pressing salt and herbs into a sizable roast, Alus made his usual small talk with his victim of choice, Runeak, as Saer sat alongside on a stump.Arek worked behind him, peeling root vegetables.“I’m impressed with the dedication to your project, Madame Fury.”The twin nodded towards her collection of figurines.“Mission accomplished, hobby achieved?”
Runeak frowned but answered with hushed concentration as she worked on another piece.“It is not done, yet.”
Gluttony paused in his meal preparation, taking the time to examine the scene she molded with more scrutiny.“Humans on and off horses, some kneeling, some lying down.Is…?”Trailing off, Alus’s next word stuck before he pressed on with more assuredness.“Are they holding weapons?”Abrupt laughter came from his chest, suddenly making sense of the chaos strewn across her sleeping space.“Are you recreating a battlefield?”
Runeak’s brow lowered as her fingers worked.The figurine she molded appeared larger than the rest, but she spared no expense of time or expertise on details.When she didn’t answer, Alus shook his head and went back to seasoning the meat, muttering, “Can take the lady out of the war, but not the war out of the lady.It’s a good start, anyway.”
Alus cut small slices into the protein, shoving one garlic clove at a time into the roast.“You’re awfully quiet over there, big guy.”
Jolted from his daze, Saer took in a sudden, deep breath.“When will the food be ready?”
“Why, you got somewhere you need to be?”
The words were lighthearted, but Saer grimaced and turned his attention back to the fire.
“Hey.Boss.”Alus tried again, and Saer glanced at the twin’s genial face.“Whatever it is, we’ll work it out.”
Saer shook his head.“One way or another, that’ll have to be true.”
The modest table protested under the weight of the feast Alus prepared for his kin.Fruit salad, root vegetable hash, steamed peas, and three fire-roasted game steaks of substantial heft left little room for plates.Once Gluttony set the final dish in place, they roused Kalia.
TheDaemoenicatook the meal with idle small talk, though Saer couldn’t focus on any of it.Staring at his half-full plate, unable to stomach any more of the flavorful food, he blinked out of his preoccupation when Arek snapped his fingers in front of his face.“Hey.If Alus asks one more time whether you’re going to finish your lunch, I’ll throw it at him.”
“Messy, but manageable,” quipped Alus from his side.
Saer cleared his throat and pushed his food away, sitting straighter.
“Right.”Arek took the leftovers and handed them to his twin, then tapped the table in front of Saer, exactly where he stared.“We’re all basically done.Do you want to fill us in?”
For the first time since lunch landed, Saer lifted his gaze and observed his family cramped around the worktable, using two cots as benches on each long edge.He shared a side with Runeak and Errshek between them while the Twins sat across with Kalia.Alus posted himself in the center so he could have ample access to the entire table, an unspoken rule.
True to Greed’s words, the only food left was what remained on his plate—which Alus cleaned in short order.The rest of the serving platters and trays had been removed, and he hadn’t even noticed.
Saer cleared his throat again and Arek, sitting across from him, extended a hand and touched the back of his.He waited until Pride met his lavender eyes before coaxing, “Eldest.You wanted us here.Against all odds, we made it.Please do us the service of telling us why.”
He was right, of course.Saer knew he stalled.
