23 A Spirit at Peace (2/2)
Li grabbed one edge of the table and applied some pressure. The table creaked as it splintered, and when he withdrew his hand, he had broken off a chunk of the sturdy wood with pure strength. He shook his head and dropped the table shard, letting it clatter on the floor.
”I advise you to be honest. You're a good father, and I can respect you for that, so don't tarnish that respect with lies.”
Charles stared at the chunk of wood and his breathing quickened. Strength that could snap hardwood like that could easily shatter skulls. A sweat formed on his forehead and he ran his tawny head across, but by the time it withdrew, another sheen of sweat had formed again.
”Twas' the lord's hound, sir,” said Charles. ”Lord Lys lets his hounds roam free, and one of them took a liking to my children. It came here every single day for two years, and my children loved it dearly. They loved animals, and I cannot blame them. Other children reject them, and so they I understand why they would find comfort in a beast that cares not that they be slow or mute.
But last week, I found the hound behind the house. It had been gutted by some massive creature. A bear, I daresay, and no doubt it died defending this house, but I could not afford it any honors. I tossed its corpse in the woods where none would find it.
Gods, I know it was wrong and my children still wonder why their dear Rollo hasn't come, but what can I do? The lord would have me jailed for having one of his precious hounds perish.”
It all made sense now. Charles had been secretive about this whole matter because his freedom was at risk. He hadn't gotten to the temples because they would have reported him to Lys, so he reached out to Triple Threat, probably knowing that Jeanne's good heart would never allow her to turn her back on a single father raising two children on his own. But when Triple Threat couldn't deal with it, he had become desperate.
”Here's what's going to happen,” said Li. ”You're going to wake the children and bring them out. Rollo will want to see them. Afterwards, you're going to go out into the forest and give the corpse a burial if it's still there. If not, make a shrine for him, anything to salvage some of the respect you owe him.”
”My children!?” Charles stood up in protest but immediately slinked back into his seat when he felt Li's presence become more aggressive. ”Sir, the wraith is but a monster. It knows no reason. It will tear them apart. And all this for just a dog?”
”Just a dog?” Li put his hands on the table and leaned forwards, staring at Charles with a hard-lipped frown. As Li drew closer, Charles shrunk even further back into his seat. ”Tell me, Charles, really enlighten me, why are you any better than a dog?”
”Sir?” said Charles, an expression of equal parts terror and confusion wrought upon his face.
”Is it how long you live? Your, what, seventy or so odd years to the dog's fifteen? No. Both are so insignificantly tiny figures to me that they might as well be the same.”
Li could see himself reflected in Charles's eyes. He was human, but something more. He loomed large and taller than ever, a mandola of mirage-like darkness expanding from the outlines of his body.
Li paid no mind and continued, ”Is it because you consider yourself human? That you can think and love and fear where a dog cannot? No. That dog loved your children dearly and feared for his life as he fought to the death for them. His feelings have transcended even life, shining brightly through undeath.
Do you think your spirit has even a single iota of that strength?
No, Charles, because unlike that dog, you are a coward. And because you are human, you could lie to me and try to mislead me.”
Charles had become pale as snow at this point, his mouth gaped open like a fish, overwhelmed and unable to speak in Li's presence. Even his shivers ceased as his body prepared for death.
Li shook his head and sighed. ”Relax, Charles. I can understand you as well. You didn't want to let yourself go to jail and have your children starve. I am not one to tear families apart. I will not report you. I will not harm you. Take this as a warning and just know that I've increased my price: you're going to be building everything I need free of charge from now on. Consider that the price of lying.”
Li turned towards the door. ”We're done here. Bring your children out and be ready to work for me at first light tomorrow.”
________
Li and Zagan stood outside the front door. Charles, still a little shell-shocked from what had happened, stood beside them. Li had brought him out because he wanted the man to watch.
Remy and Rosa were at the main road, just a ways in front of the house, almost right in front of Rollo the houndwraith. They stared at Rollo with disbelieving eyes, their little eyes and mouths wide open.
Rollo towered over the children, each of his paws capable of crushing them underfoot, but he instead shrunk back, almost as if scared of them, his skeletal head turned away.
”He feels shame and fear that he must present himself to the children in his current state,” said Zagan. ”He fears he may scare them or worse, that they may be horrified by him.”
Remy, holding his twin sister's hand, reached forwards tentatively and put a tiny hand on Rollo's bony paw. A look realization came upon him. ”Rollo?” he said, a smile beginning to beam upon his lips. ”Big dog now!”
Rollo, knowing now that his masters still saw and loved him the same, whimpered as he gently lay on his side, exposing his misty belly. Remy and Rosa ran forwards and hugged the great wraithhound's chest, their cheeks squishing as they pressed them to the wraithhound's belly.
Rollo whimpered and nuzzled its skeletal head on theirs, gently blowing air to tousle their hair as it no longer had a tongue to lick them with.
”We miss you, miss you much” cried Remy as he hugged Rollo tighter, his sister also sobbing into the wraithhound's ethereal fur.
They lay like that until they could no more. Rollo's form grew increasingly more transparent, increasingly less physical, his soul finding peace. When the wraithhound's form dissipated fully, the last curls of misty matter taking with the wind and floating heavenwards, the children ran back, tears welled up in their eyes.
They knew what had happened. Rollo could not talk physically, but his spirit had told them all they needed to know. They sought comfort in the familiar and they crashed straight into Zagan, sobbing into his black fur.
Li opened his mouth to tell them to stop, but Zagan shook his head. He sat there staring stoically ahead, the childrens' little bodies shaking up and down as they buried into the demon's sides and cried their emotions out.
'I do not mind,' said Zagan telepathically. 'Children are pure. These ones in particular are untainted by the chaos of man's nature. Good and evil do not fight within them, making them ugly. They are innocence, and innocence is a precious beauty. It is what drove the houndwraith to protect them so fiercely. At least in memory of such splendid loyalty, I shall let them seek comfort with me.'
Li nodded and then looked at Charles. The man had hung his head in shame. His children knew he had betrayed them, and now they turned to Zagan for comfort instead of their own father.
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”Tomorrow at first day, come to the farm and start your work. Bring your crew. Cancel any contracts you have. And I hope you've learned something today.”
Charles sighed as he saw his crying children.
”Yes sir.”