"This story is very sad," Kigen remarked, as a silence fell over the crowd. Both serpents and fairies were still absorbing the details. Kigen brought them back.
For many, this was their first time hearing this tale, even among the serpents. Contrary to expectations, not many serpents knew this part of their history. The elder did not like parading his shame before his juniors.
"It is indeed," Erebus muttered.
"However, you still disclosed the existence and location of my family to such a terrifying foe. What were your intentions?" Kigen pressed. While he was sorry for the serpent's sad plight, it did not excuse its actions.
Erebus turned around. He had hoped to have evaded this line of questioning, but the fairy was not as gullible. He wondered what to say.
Misery demanded company, perhaps he wanted others to be in the same boat as he was. Or maybe he just felt jealous of the fairies, and their harmonious home. Alas, none of these could be said out loud.
"On this, I admit I am in the wrong," Erebus said, his head low. "I make no excuses, just apologies."
"How do you intend to settle this account?" Kigen asked. He hadn't expected the serpent to capitulate so easily. The fairies were watching closely, taking in Kigen's demeanor, and how he dealt with others.
They felt immense pride that one of their own was such a bully, towering over the elder serpent with such a rich history.
"We do not have much in the way of riches," Erebus mourned, "We can only offer up a few valuables, nothing more." As he spoke, he motioned to one of the serpents beside him, who dove down into the basin, presumably to gather said riches.
"There is something to consider," he said, changing the subject. "The Lord of the Golem will soon discover that his puppet is missing, and he will come looking."
The moment he said this, the various serpents and fairies present took in a deep breath, considering the weight of these words. The lord had managed to tear down a powerful kingdom with such sturdy foundations so easily. What would happen if such a figure turned his attention to them?
Even Kigen seemed disturbed by this. He had not thought that far yet. The serpent's words could not be ignored either. It was indeed true that such a looming threat superseded their grievances.
Just as everyone was thinking on this, the serpent that had been sent arrived, carrying a small pouch. In it, there were several kinds of jewels tucked in. Erebus handed this small treasure over to the fairies.
Kigen was not exactly sure how valuable all this was. After interacting with the serpent for a while, he had come to understand that it was quite conniving, so he wouldn't be shocked if all this was fake.
"Alright, how do you need the other matter to be handled?" Kigen replied, after receiving his payment. He did not make a fuss, acting as though the matter had been laid to rest.
"I propose a partnership. If that foul lord and his cronies show up, we will immediately notify the other," Erebus said, sounding quite magnanimous.
"And?" Kigen pushed further. Erebus did not seem to want to give more ground. He had a goodish relationship with that villain, and he knew the fairies would not go down easy. The cowardly side of him was showing its face.
Seeing the reluctance in the serpent's eyes, Kigen did not continue to push further. Nothing more would come of it. He then collected his fairies, and together with the loot, they all flew back to the mother tree. They did not forget to collect their captive, Manati.
Watching the fairies fly away, Erebus was left with a deep set feeling of sorrow. He was reminded of how he had been once. Proud, overflowing with honor. Now his life was pretty much empty, governed by one thing only, survival.
All this time, since his fall from grace, he had been telling himself that all was not lost. As long as he drew breath, he could recover all that he'd lost. However, how long was he going to keep telling himself that story? Wasn't it time to finally accept his position? Hadn't he already done it several times.
As he thought of every single one of his kin that had been torn up, or simply traded, so that he could continue his wretched existence, he had a thought that usually tormented him. Was it all worth it?
If it was, then he needed to seize the opportunity. So many had died for him, yet here he was, a captive, no thought of escape. He simply existed, doing what he was told. Even now, he couldn't explain why he had mentioned the fairies to the human.
The fairies may have considered him too far gone, but because of their arrival, they had managed to rekindle a fire that had not been lit for a long time. The question remained: What was he to do?
Meanwhile, the fairies arrived home with manic excitement. Mistress Kering did not struggle to get the full story from the fairies, as they were so excited with each retelling. The serpent's tale was so enthralling but also pitiful.
This day had turned out to be quite eventful. Finally, everyone managed to calm themselves down and promptly found their place in the mother tree, rolling up to form little fiddleheads all over the huge tree. It was quite a sight to behold.
Beneath the tree, Mistress Kering watched all this with a look of excitement. Back then, when she was a girl, it was a privilege among her people to serve these fairies. Only the highest of them could even witness such a sight.
"There's much to talk," Kigen spoke nearby, pulling her from her musings. He had purposefully stayed back to have a chat with the woman.
One thing that vexed him was that he was lacking information. He had no idea what a golem really was. For all intents and purposes, the human he'd fought looked every inch like a man. Perhaps a rather powerful looking man, but a man, nonetheless.
The serpent said he was a golem and then went ahead and gave this sad story. While Kigen did not doubt much of the story, he knew it had to be taken with a pinch of salt. The serpent had proven it could do anything to survive.
A serious side of the woman appeared after Kigen said those words. Yes, even she thought they needed to sit down too.
"What did the serpent give us?" Kigen asked. This was among the things that had been burning in his head, and he had not gotten a chance to ask. Mistress Kering had seen all these treasures, since the fairies had been showing off to her, but she had not made many comments, just marveling at their appearance.
"These are mana stones, not too rare, but also not that valuable. They assist magic users in growing their power. They are a consumable item and will dissolve once all the mana inside them is used up," Mistress Kering pointed out a few gems.
"This pearl is a treasure for cultivation. When used, it can create a conducive environment for training," she said, then frowned. "If fed to the fairies, it can improve the growth of the entire clan. The serpent must have known these things would interest you. Therefore, it must have had some interaction with fairies beforehand."
Kigen had guessed it, the story of Erebus was quite good, but the serpent must have changed a few things maybe, or omitted others, to make itself out to be the victim. Kigen wondered what the real story was.
Not that it mattered, except there was a very real threat. If that golem was sent by someone, and not acting by itself, then whoever sent it would be coming for a visit soon, which meant that more trouble was on the horizon.
For this, they needed preparation, and information. For instance, it would be nice if they could confirm whether there was any Kingdom that had been brought down with a serpent as a symbol, and how it fell. You know, get someone else's perspective.
Unfortunately, Mistress Kering was not from around these parts. She came from a faraway place, and settled in a remote village, far removed from other human settlements. As such, she was quite lacking in information.
"No matter," Kigen lamented, before flying over to some corner and pulling out a ring. He presented it to Mistress Kering and asked, "What can you tell me about this?"