Chương 4: Chapter Four

"This is it?" Neera asked as we came to my lean-to. She's one of the two hunters that had accompanied the caravan and had volunteered to come with me to collect my things while Evan and the Mayor continued their discussion. Which was mostly the Mayor yelling. Now, as she looked at my home with a look I found unfathomable, I started questioning letting her come. But Mandy had recommended it. Just in case, she said. Though I couldn't imagine what that might be.

Ginger's face flitted through my thoughts, and I instinctively brought my satchel to my chest. Or perhaps I could. I huffed.

"It kept me alive." I justified my homes existence. A smile cracked her stiff expression, but it didn't touch her eyes.

"Of course it did. You're stronger than you look child." I cross my arms, still feeling defensive.

"I'm an adult." I thought it would be a simple thing to get across. I had my Becoming. I'm an adult. But humor lit Neera's eyes at my declaration, and her smile softened.

"Of course you are." She paused a moment looking at my house.

"Let's collect your things. I'm pretty sure Evan can do better for you." She made another comment under her breath, but I missed it as I ducked inside. Neera had to kneel, I had to duck a bit before I evolved myself, but now I could stand without issue.

"It won't take long." I comment as I tossed my only other set of clothing onto my bed, which was made from a collection of sticks with a pelt on top it and a threadbare blanket. I would like to add more to that list, but other than a small collection of pampaw fruit I didn't have anything else to add to the pile. Evan told me not to bring the fruit, that they wouldn't help anymore now that I had Become. But that was never why I ate them, and I paused for a moment before deciding to trust Evan and leave them behind.

Mostly. I picked up one. I rolled the fur up, and with it my possessions. Neera reached over and picked it up easily, not that I couldn't have. But my size would have made it awkward. I wonder if I'm going to grow.

"Let's get back. I don't think Evan's going to want to stick around after the packing's done." She said leaving and stretching as she came to her full height. I took my position beside her and started back. My home is outside of the village, and it would take a half hour to get back to the town square. On the way here, we mostly walked in silence. But I didn't want silence anymore.

"Why is everyone so willing to leave?" I finally asked the question that had been bugging me since I saw the Toordor jump to start packing as soon as Evan said they would.

"Hmm?" She questioned looking down at me.

"For one, it's true what he said. Coming here was barely profitable, and we did it primarily to balance the Scales." She chuckled at my confusion.

"The world is made up of many things. Good, evil, strong, weak, mediocre. We, the Toordor clan, believe that true peace can only be achieved when there is balance. But, we also acknowledge that peace itself is a weight on the Scales. That's why when we look around and see weakness, we strive for strength. When we make good money traveling to a well off town, we travel to a struggling one. Balance." I thought about this as we walked.

"But if you always try to find balance, doesn't that mean you can't have any strong opinions about anything?" She broke out into laughter, and a couple of people who had been loitering at the edge of town ran off.

"You're right. And that's why it's impossible for a single person to balance the Scales. But a clan? For every hunter, there is a scholar. For every merchant, there is a bureaucrat. Different, almost polar opposites, but necessary. Different strengths. And so we find Balance. As a clan."

"With everyone playing their part on the… Scales?" I venture.

"That's right child." She reaches over and tosses my hair causing me to frown and hurriedly try to fix it.

"I'm not a child." I fire back irritable. This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Neera laughs again.

"Demons live for at least a thousand years. Other races might mark adulthood by their Becoming, but to us it just means that you're ready to start looking for the path you'll take through life. Adulthood comes later. When that path can support you and yours." She smiles mischievously.

"Wait. So I'm still a kid?!"

"Yes you are! Enjoy it!" Laughter sprinkles her words as we near the city square where the Mayor was still yelling, and the Toordor were still packing. As we approached Bren, the Mayors second son, and a few of his friends stood out to stop us. Neera scowled at them, her empty hand drifting to the hilt of the long sword she kept at her belt. They didn't seem to notice.

"You're staying here." He declared threateningly. But, I had been dealing with his belligerence for years and it didn't effect me any more. Yes. Definitely didn't effect me anymore. Yes. I looked at Neera and reminded myself that I wasn't alone.

"Why?" I asked, finally. He blinked stupidly at my question as Neera's stance shifted subtly and she… stood out. Became clearer? I can't explain it but she suddenly seemed more.

"You're an elf, so you're powerful. You'll be able to defend the town when the beasts migrate. Less people will die, like pa said." I blinked.

"I'm powerful." I stated feeling the words out as I spoke them.

"So much so, that you're going to throw me at the beast-tide so you don't have to fight." He nodded dumbly.

"And you think you're strong enough to stop me now?" I asked following his logic to its flawed conclusion. I'm not powerful. I might have potential. I definitely have potential. But that doesn't mean I'm powerful now. But he's already thinking that I can throw fireballs by how he's talking. His three friends blinks stupidly at me, before looking at Neera and stepping back. Bren, in his confidence didn't.

"I'm not ten anymore Bren." I said, stopping whatever idiocy he was going to spout next.

"I'm not going to let you chase me out of my parents house again." Conversations had stopped in the square, even the Mayor who had been yelling had quieted. I didn't realize that my own voice had risen, but I wasn't going to stop now.

"So tell me. How exactly are you going to stop me?!" Neera wasn't Evan. She didn't put her hand on my shoulder. She just just smiled as the air around me shimmered and my anger was felt. Bren fell to his knees, his face going pale as the loose dust and dirt around him was pulled towards me. A growling from a nearby animal startled me, until I notice the sound is coming from Neera as she glared at Bren her fingers almost shaking as she gripped the hilt of her sword.

The sight startled me out of whatever allowed me to do… that as Evan rushed over. Bren, now on his knees was eye level to me.

"Lyra! Lyra! Calm down. You're going to hurt someone on accident!" Evan was shouting as he ran. Neera looked over and chuckled, her entire demeanor changing.

"I don't know how 'on accident' it would have been Eevy. Looks like she's getting justice against the person who stole her home after her parents died."

"Hush you." Evan said dismissively as he got on his knees in front of me.

"Don't hush me. I'm so telling mom. My niece has a justice streak. I'm proud." Niece? Mom? Wait… Aunt Neera?! I swayed but Evan caught me.

"Lyra, you're fine. We're almost packed and we're leaving. If he stole your parents house we'll report it to the Crown Guard, and they'll come collect payment one way or the other. But, hurting them gives them power to keep you here." The words sunk in prompting me to respond.

"No. I'm leaving."

"Yes, you're leaving. With us." He patted my shoulders again standing up.

"I can't believe you didn't stop her." He glared at Neera.

"Why would I? She needed to stretch her muscles. Might as well be against the idiot that stole her home." Neera glanced at Bren who's jaw had unhinged and was looking rather green and ran a finger down the length of her swords hilt. I couldn't see the look on her face, but Bren was throwing up in the street moments later. Evan sighed dramatically.

"Neera."

"What?" She shot back, her voice taking on a petulant tone. Evan only shook his head as he guided me back to his wagon where several people I didn't know were busy loading it. Mandy was standing by.

"Is everyone here family?" I asked only for Neera to chuckle.

"No."

"Kinda." Evan and Neera's voices overlapped causing Neera to smirk and Evan to sigh.

"We're all probably distantly related. Same with you and the rest of this town." Evan explained.

"So far back, it's not worth mentioning." Neera expanded.

"Evan's my brother. And I believe these two are Mandy's cousins, yes?" She asked as we came up to Mandy at their wagon.

"Guilty." A man said stepping out of the wagon.

"Hi cousin, I'm Ardam. She's my little sister, Diana."

"Hey." A woman said popping out of the wagon, her tail swishing happily.

"We'll get you packed in a jiffy and get you into free air. Forget these beggars. They couldn't tell a diamond if you shoved it up their…"

"Diana!" Mandy exclaimed.

"What? She's an adult." He tone went teasing.

"Not according to our customs. So hold your tongue." I giggled as she stuck her tongue out and pinched it, before clamping a hand over my mouth. Diana winked at me before getting back to work with Mandy's exasperated grumblings following her. Two others where busy hooking horses up to the wagon. The Mayor was yelling again, but the only people paying attention were the townsfolk.