18: Rising Tension
“Ethereal spirits born from the elemental planes,” said Wotan, before Phantasia could explain, “They’re self-assigned ‘guardians of the planet’. Usually either extremely xenophobic, or entirely too naïve,” he looked at Phantasia, “I believe your friend falls into the latter category,”
Katrina followed his gaze, looked Phantasia up and down, and shook her head, as if trying to discard an unwanted memory. “I… I had this weird dream that Phantasia was a faerie… Was it really a dream?”
“A suppressed memory,” said Wotan, “Now you’ve begun to remember it, your full memory ought to return soon. Most humans will never remember unless something triggers the latent memory, or if they have strong spiritual power to override the magic naturally,”
Phantasia crossed her arms, a theory about Wotan beginning to form in her head. “You know a lot for someone opposed to these things,” she said.
“You’d be surprised at the alliances someone in my position can acquire,” he replied casually, “Apeliotes; you can come out now,”
A short figure walked through the wall behind the throne, eliciting a surprised yelp from Katrina. Beneath the hood, Phantasia could make out curly turquoise hair and bright eyes: signs of a faerie of storms and sky, a faerie born of both Water and Wind.
“Apeliotes Sigillum here was responsible for that marvellous circle you were trapped in.” explained Wotan.
Phantasia couldn’t believe another faerie was here. He was only second-instar, the equivalent of a ten-year-old human, and his aura lacked even the slightest hint of darkness she assumed would be rampant in any of her kind wanting to side with Godhand.
“Why? What are you doing helping these people?!” she asked.
“Why are you trying to help the people you do?” replied the faerie boy.
“But this man is evil!” said Phantasia, wanting desperately to understand Apeliotes’s motives, “He’s manipulating everything for his own selfish goals!”
“And what are these selfish goals of mine?” asked Wotan, his voice crashing into the conversation with authority.
“You…” Phantasia paused and tried to reconcile the all the conflicted thoughts and theories about Wotan that were spinning around her head like a maelstrom, “It doesn’t matter! You’re using people!”
“You can tell she’s a Seelie from Thetis’s court,” said Apeliotes, “The other Queens are nowhere near as simpering,”
Wotan chuckled. “Apeliotes, if we could ignore the politics of your people for the time being, I have a message I’d like to send Yokai. Please tell her that the Patriarch will be arriving shortly, and she can now take matters into her own hands now,”
“She’ll enjoy that,” replied Apeliotes.
Wotan smiled. “I know. I expect fireworks,”
~ Just what is really going on in the bowels of Godhand’s manor? ~
~ Next: Wotan’s true intentions revealed?! ~
