The Fallen Vampire-Chapter 257 - Chapitre : Taira Travels Home

"You still haven't heard from him at all?"

"Are you kidding? He's my son-in-law, and I'm still not inclined to push my luck with him. My daughter won't even answer my scrolls!"

Aja leaned back in her throne and tapped her finger on its armrest.

"One might say that this was inherently inevitable. You all came into the home of a man whose people skills are already lacking and accused him of harboring a hidden agenda." She said coolly.

Two of the three floating faces hovering in front of her looked ashamed.

Kyoen, the acing heavenly demon, was the only one who seemed to be unaware of what was going on.

"Something occurred between the lot of you and the master?"

Aja really didn't know how she was supposed to get used to Kyoen's new demeanor as it pertained to Taira. She wasn't sure exactly what her best friend had done, but it seemed as though he had really done a number on the spider.

"Yeah, it turns out that the lad's a hair more sensitive than I realized." Ja'Zaki grumbled.

Aja's eyes narrowed by the faintest margin. "It's almost like he's an orphan with the social skills of a cup of ice cubes or something. Who would have guessed it?"

The trio of rulers continued to stare at the undead lich as she sipped from a glass of wine red enough to be mistaken for blood.

She looked up from her wine glass nd met their faces with an unfriendly look on her face.

"...What?" She asked unkindly.

"I believe that they want you to speak to the master on their behalf." Kyoen answered.

"Yes, I got that. Though I have no idea why..."

Ayame snorted. "Maybe because you are the only one here whom he doesn't currently despise?"

Aja remained unmoved, to say the very least.

Naturally, she wanted to see her only friend quite a bit.

Urgency of the situation aside, it had been quite a long time since she had gotten to see him, and her curiosity over his well-being had just about peaked.

The only reason why she didn't want to go was that she didn't want to just be seen as some sort of Taira whisperer.

However, the pleading looks of the other heads of the fallen were telling her she didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

*Ahem* Ayeme leisurely cleared her throat. "I will naturally take the time to escort you to-"

"No." Aja shook her head.

She looked off to the side at her attendant- a large zombie who was as large as a refrigerator. "Prepare the ship to set sail tonight."

"Yes, ma'am." He bowed.

As the hulking figure trudged off, Aja closed up the scrolls one by one while ignoring Ayame's cries for acknowledgement.

- Two Days Later...

After a rocky trip across the great ocean, Aja was remembering exactly why she didn't visit her only friend as much as she would've liked.

The man lived in the middle of god damned nowhere...

Aja was a woman who liked wearing skin-tight black leather and heels. These long hikes up the mountain were like murder for her.

So just this once, she had to make a small concession.

"Do you think that you could move a little bit faster?" Aja yelled against the wind.

The large black wolf underneath her released a low growl that seemed to urge her to be very careful with her words.

Ayame continued on a steady pace up the mountain while being wary not to fall into the dangerous array protecting this place.

Her paws beat against the snow-covered mountainscape, and without concern for hiding her presence.

"We'll reach them in about ten minutes, so stop you-"

"Wait." Aja urged.

Ayame begrudgingly came to a halt as requested.

Both women listened to the wind at Aja's behest, and it didn't take them long to find what they were looking for.

They deviated off course a bit and followed the sound of the voices to a new path..

The duo happened upon a large den.

Inside, the duo found a pack of direwolves who were only slightly smaller than Ayame.

Amongst the beasts, there were two Fallen who looked like they were feeding the creatures treats from a pair of woven baskets.

One of the fallen was an adult beastkin with nine black tails and wrapped in a teal kimono.

The smaller fallen had only one tail and a head full of vibrant orange-red hair.

"Mommy, it's all gone!" The child flipped over her basket to add proof to her claim.

"Fufufu, I see. Daddy should be back soon, so should we go home and wait for him?"

"Yeah! I'm gonna show him all the pictures I drawed while he was away!" The child beamed.

"That's my girl. I'm sure he'll be so proud that he could..." The wind blew the woman's hair, and with it carried a familiar scent.

The woman turned around, and Keran came face to face with her mother again after three long months.

When the child realized they were not alone, she dropped her basket in surprise and ran to hide behind her mother's leg.

Keran smiled softly as she reached behind her to pat the young girl on the head. "It's alright, Yuki. These aren't dangerous people."

"They not...?" Little Yukiko warily poked her head out from behind her mother's robe.

"You should remember them, dear. They came to the house once before you got your big girl body."

Aja moved forward robotically while Ayame seemed frozen in place.

Keran smiled at her and hugged her neck warmly. A sentiment that she immediately returned.

Even without her emotions, Aja's heart felt full.

After Keran released her, she knelt down in the snow so that she would be closer to eye level with the child, whom she didn't recognize.

"It's alright." Keran coaxed. "She just wants to say hello to you properly, sweetie. Will you tell your Godmother hello?"

Aja saw the child step out into full view and perform a polite little curtsy.

"H-Hello…"

Aja's gaze sifted between Keran and the little child standing in front of her.

Obviously, this was the little red panda she had met last time she was here. Only now it was… significantly more.

She turned her head up to Keran and asked the single burning question in her mind.

"God mother…?"

Keran smiled at her sweetly. "A tradition from Vermeil's old world. Taira wanted to tell you, but it seems I have beaten him to it."

"Daddy!!"

Yukiko suddenly pointed into the sky and hopped around giddily.

All three women followed her finger and smiled widely as a familiar figure fell towards the mountain…