He did not know what the discussion was about or what was being said, but Melmarc read the decision in his father’s eyes. It was the most subtle of things. It carried with it a weight of finality, a decision to be made. It had some level of satisfaction in a task about to be done.
“Okay,” his father said, his deep baritone carrying with it a decision made.
Melmarc leapt to his feet before his father could rise from the ground. His father’s eyes moved from Pain to him, darted back, then did it again. There was hesitation.
“No,” Melmarc said. “We do not do that.”
Pain looked from him to their father, then to Ark. There were questions in his eyes. “We do not do what?” he asked.
Ark shrugged. “I think your presence is not very appreciated.”
“He spoke to his wife,” Pain said after a moment, realization dawning on him. “Didn’t he?”
Ark nodded, smiling. “And she doesn’t like you.” He paused. “Any of you, really.”
“So, I wasn’t imagining it.” Pain sighed, rubbing a hand along his face. “You all know about us.”
Ark shrugged. “Not personally and not enough. But yes.”
“What has she told you?”
Ark cocked his head to the side dramatically while Melmarc remained standing in front of their father. Something told him that if he moved, so would their father.
“Who is she?” Ark asked, a touch of command in his voice.
Pain gave him a curious look. “Madness’ wife.”
“Wrong answer.” Ark replied. “Try again.”
Pain paused, confused. “War?”
Ark sat back with a smile. “There it is. Now was that so hard?”
“You do know that she’s not the Oath of War anymore, right?” he asked, tone careful, eyes on madness. “I hope that’s not what she’s telling you.”
Veebee’s expression frowned a little. <> he asked Melmarc. <>
“Don’t know,” Melmarc said, then carefully squatted in front of his father. “Can I talk to her?”
Their father looked at him then at the phone. After a moment, he held it out to Melmarc.
Melmarc took the phone. “Falling stones,” he said in gratitude, then paused. Shaking his head, he placed the phone to his ear. “War?”
“I see,” their mother answered calmly. “He doesn’t know we’re your parents, does he?”
“Not to the best of my knowledge. Madness can’t do what you want him to do.”
“I don’t want him to do it,” their mother corrected. “I am allowing him to do it.”
“He shouldn’t,” he insisted. “That’s not how we operate.”
His mother made a thoughtful sound. “Then how do we operate?”
“With less violence.”
“And in this case?”
“He already knows, I don’t see why we have to—”
“Mel love,” she said very carefully, “the Oaths are not the friends that you think they are.”
“They can’t all be evil.”
“I didn’t say that they were evil, my baby. I said that they are not your friends. The world and their safety are far more important to them than you.”
That made perfect sense to Melmarc. “The world is supposed to be more important to them than me.”
His mother sighed. “That level of importance will lead them to making mistakes, Mel. Mistakes that will cost you for some reason.”
“But what if they are not so bad?” Melmarc asked. “What if—”
“Oh, they are definitely so bad.”
Melmarc turned at the sound of Uncle Dorthna’s voice. Ark waved at their uncle as if this was the first time he was entering the room.
“Oaths,” he repeated, “are definitely so bad.”
Pain turned his eyes on him and Melmarc felt something he had felt earlier. It was the same feeling he had felt the first time Uncle Dorthna had entered the room. It was fear. It didn’t make much in the way of sense to Melmarc. Pain did not look at Uncle Dorthna like he knew him, he just looked at him as if he was scared of him.
He isn’t scared of dad, but he’s scared of Uncle Dorthna.
Melmarc knew it for a fact. It went far beyond a feeling. He knew it. It was the aspect of fear in him.
“However,” Uncle Dorthna continued, “it is no excuse to exclude them. So,” he clapped his hands, “how about we fix this problem with something more interesting.”
Their father’s attention moved to their uncle.
“Violence?” Ark asked. “Please say there will be violence.”
Uncle Dorthna smiled at him. “There will be violence.”
“Madness is not looking for violence,” Melmarc said very carefully.
“Madness?” Uncle Dorthna cocked a brow at that. “That’s the one we’re going with? You know you can just say it the way it is. It’s not like he’ll remember once he’s out of the house.”
“Uncle Dorthna,” Ninra’s voice came from the phone.
“Yes, dear.”
“Are you trying to get our… nope, I can’t do it.” She sighed. “It just feels kind of bad doing it knowing that he won’t remember. Anyway, are you trying to get someone killed?”
Uncle Dorthna raised his hands in surrender, as if Ninra was physically present. “Oh, no.” His eyes moved over to Veebee. “The renegade void-beast knows what I’m talking about.”
Veebee hovered over to Melmarc even as all eyes settled on him. <> he pointed at Uncle Dorthna with his arm, <>
Melmarc shrugged. “An important friend.”
<> he pointed out. <>
It was good to know that Veebee could tell how powerful Uncle Dorthna was. It reduced the chances of Veebee causing any trouble.
“What’s he talking about?” Melmarc asked, returning the conversation to what it was supposed to be.
<> Veebee said simply. <>
“Is Mel a strong [August Intruder]?” Ark asked.
Pain looked at Melmarc, suddenly assessing him. “If the things I’ve seen him do is anything to go by,” he said carefully, “then I would say yes.”
<> Veebee said in a sly tone. <<[August Intruder] has been bringing Oaths under command slowly.>>
Pain looked at Veebee. He pointed at it. “No one’s still told me what that thing is.”
Veebee looked at Melmarc. <> he begged.
“No,” Melmarc shook his head. “You can’t eat him.”
Veebee pouted. <>
Uncle Dorthna tilted his head in curiosity. “Are you always this hungry?”
Veebee nodded, then paused. <> Veebee paused, frowned, looked at Melmarc. <>
“Because you’re meant to answer,” Uncle Dorthna said dismissively. “Anyway, Veebee, tell your [August Intruder] how his Oaths can solve their problems and let’s get on with this.”
Veebee looked at him with a little worry in its eyes. Melmarc found it intriguing. With who Uncle Dorthna had been proving himself to be, he had no doubt that their uncle had powers that could compel a creature like Veebee to do whatever he wanted him to do. After all, Pain was scared of him in ways that seemed primal.
Still, he moved his attention to Veebee and asked, “How can we sort this whole thing out without anyone dying?”
<> Veebee said matter-of-factly. <>
“And what do we need to make that happen?” he asked.
<>
Uncle Dorthna thumbed behind him, a cup that had not been there before suddenly in his hand. “We’ve got a very large space out back.”
Ark perked up. “The training ground?”
“It’s large enough,” Uncle Dorthna agreed.
Pain looked at Madness. “You’ve been training them here?”
It was as if he had already forgotten that Madness wanted his life. Or maybe the Oaths were simply like that, accustomed to Madness wanting someone’s life.
“War,” Melmarc said into the phone.
“Yes, Mel,” she answered.
“We’re taking da—Madness—and Pain to the training room for an Oath duel.”
“That sounds a little too safe.”
“Well, we’re not trying to kill Pain. I know you don’t like them, but Uncle Dorthna says I’ll need most of them if the world is going to survive. I want the world to survive.”
“Also,” Uncle Dorthna called out. “At some point he’s going to have to learn how to interact with them on his own without you holding his hands. What you’re doing isn’t good for his growth.”
“There are different directions he can grow in,” their mother opposed, “my way leads him in one way. Let’s not behave as if there is only one right way for him to grow.”
Even though the phone was not on speaker, and she was only in his ear, Melmarc was certain that Uncle Dorthna could hear her.
“He’s an [August Intruder], War,” Uncle Dorthna said. “There are a very limited number of ways for him to actually grow. Yours is not one of them. Do not allow your instinct to blind you.” He returned his attention to everyone else in the room. “So, what do you say? Shall we retire to the garden?”
Ark was already on his feet. “Oh, yes please.” In the blink of an eye, he was standing next to their uncle. He paused when their uncle turned around. “Hey, do you think I can take an Oath?”
Uncle Dorthna sized him up with his eyes. “Not without Spitfire you can’t. If you get Spitfire back, then we can ttalk. I’m sure there’s probably one or two Oatths you’re ready to test yourself against.”
With that, he turned and left.
Melmarc ushered his father forward. With displeasure written all over his face in a blank expression—Melmarc was understanding his father’s lack of expression more these days—he walked towards the kitchen, Veebee hovering behind him curiously.
Only when he had disappeared into the kitchen did Pain get up from the chair. He walked over to Melmarc.
“Are you really alright with the way you are being… guided?” he asked.
Melmarc suspected the Oath had been going for a word very different from the one he had used. He had probably intended on using the word ‘controlled.’ So why had he changed it? Was he being polite or was he being careful?
Regardless of which one he was being, Melmarc shrugged. “I’m alright with it.”
With that, he walked to the kitchen. Pain followed behind him.
It wasn’t long before everyone was standing in front of the garden. Pain looked at the entire place with a very curious expression.
“I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve been here before,” he muttered almost to himself. “It’s like I’ve seen this garden somewhere.”
“Maybe you gardened as a child,” Ark suggested nonchalantly.
Pain shook his head. “Not possible. I never gardened.”
“Then maybe you have been here before and you just forgot,” Uncle Dorthna offered. “I heard things like that can happen. Isn’t that right, Veebee?”
“No.” Pain shook his head once more. “Oaths never forget.”
Their uncle snorted. “Please. You guys forget every day. It’s almost amazing how you guys get anything done.”
Melmarc looked up at Veebee and noticed that he wasn’t paying attention to them. He had a hand on its jaw as it stared off into the distance. He leaned a little closer to it.
“You good?” he asked.
Veebee looked at him slowly. <>
Pain stiffened to attention. “You will not be opening any portal.”
Veebee’s response was very… wrong. It levitated over to him, arms folded over his chest. There was something carefully ominous about it, as if it was proving a point. His expression remained blank, empty. Uncle Dorthna watched with a smile and took a sip from his cup of probably hot water. Gently, Veebee came to a stop, hovering above Pain.
<> he asked, tone calm yet heavy. <> He lowered himself until he was eye level with Pain. <>
Melmarc almost laughed when he saw Pain swallow visibly. Uncle Dorthna had no such control. He burst into laughter and staggered forward, cup still safely in his hand.
“Oh, that was classic,” he said as he walked over to a specific spot in the garden. “The God you do not know is standing above you.” He laughed some more. “I’ve got to use that on somebody at some point.”
<< You,>> Veebee continued, <>
Pain looked at Melmarc, and Melmarc took pity on him.
“Veebee,” he called, “isn’t that enough?”
Veebee’s ominous nature disappeared. He suddenly looked like a happy child. Without any hesitation it hovered over to Melmarc very quickly. <>
Melmarc couldn’t help the smile that touched his lips. “Yes,” he answered. “Veebee was very cool.”
Veebee puffed its chest out in pride. <>
“Uhuh,” Melmarc chuckled as the garden slowly grew brighter. “Veebee cooler than [Nenit].”
Ark looked at them. “What’s a [Nenit]?”
<> Veebee explained carefully, <>
Voidbeasts must really hate [Nenit]s, Melmarc thought.
“Now,” Uncle Dorthna continued. “Veebee, take it from here.”
Uncle Dorthna gave Veebee a slightly irritated look. “Why are you talking like that?”
Veebee paused and actually looked chastised. <>
So, he shrugged to Uncle Dorthna’s unasked question. “I don’t really mind it.”
Uncle Dorthna sighed. “I guess I’m okay with it if you are. You may continue, voidbeast.”
“What’s the difference?” Melmarc asked.
“All Oaths are not the same rank?” Melmarc asked.
“Did you know that?” Ark asked Pain.
Pain watched Uncle Dorthna through narrowed lids. “You know Life?”
“I know all of you,” he answered simply. “Veebee, you can take it from here.”
Uncle Dorthna gave him a side glance. “You really can’t be that hungry.”
<<[August Intruder] not feed Veebee since Veebee arrive.>>
Melmarc’s jaw dropped. Is he reporting me?
“Veebee doesn’t need food,” Uncle Dorthna replied. “Now do your job.”
“No,” Pain shook his head. “What happens if Pain lose… sorry, loses?”
Veebee looked at him like he was stupid. <>
“How exactly?” Pain said. “If you don’t mind my asking.”
“I don’t get how that will kill Grace,” Melmarc said.
“Still don’t get it,” Ark said.
Uncle Dorthna looked at Pain then at Veebee.
Uncle Dorthna rolled his eyes at the grammatically poor sentence but said nothing.
Pain nodded. “I’m fine with those rules.”
“You kids may want to step aside,” Uncle Dorthna offered.