Chapter 433: Chapter 433 - When Stars Gather, They Sometimes Make You Ignore The Void Around Them
The Goltbred estate’s dining hall smelled of food and drink while looking like the sort of battlefield meeting one would expect to find happening just before a major push in the Descent. Because thanks to *somebody*, the smaller celebration feast had grown well beyond its original scope. Yatrel had planned a ’modest’ family gathering for Qatrand’s recognition, with a limited guest list...
’This is now a small summit of unexpected and unwelcome guests.’
Old heroes, old family elder, young disciples, and a young Yecine she was not as sure about as her daughter-in-law was. Navuill seemed every bit of ’stick in the mud’ waiting to get stuck in it permanently, to her. Which is something she would definitely oblige if she learned the cousin was here to make trouble.
A spattering of added tables had hastily been added, expanding to accommodate everyone without isolating them in a corner of the room or wedging people too close together. Ondua moved between the kitchen staff and dining area to help check on everything. He had learned years ago not to panic when his wife’s careful plans doubled in necessary size overnight.
Because if he did - and he usually did - she would as well.
Only... the woman was very good at holding it in and then letting it all out once everyone left. Having your neck wrung while the other person cried and complained about the social stress was not something he *actively* hoped for. Though it was not the physical violence of her ’release valve’ that moved him so much, at this point in their marriage.
’I still hate to see her cry because of me...’
Platters of fresh roasted and stewed meats were left as entrees and had been hunted recently as game animals stopped finding places to hide from Voidlings. Wild vegetables sat out in baskets or chopped and stirred in dishes. The preserved ones from last year’s harvest, before the Descent began, were not on anyone’s mind.
Servants weaved between conversations while carrying pitchers of wine and bread baked that day rather than ’a week or so ago’. The continent as a whole did a good job keeping rations ready and everyone safe, but the nature of it all meant ’delicate’ foods that needed to be consumed that day were mostly left alone since they could contribute to waste.
"Pohtohs!"
Onya’s *amazed* declaration from her elevated chair, when her nursemaid sat down the warmed potato puree, drew chuckles from those nearby. The toddler had been made this same dish plenty, even while staying at the fortress... as the plants were not so hard to grow even in those conditions. But favorites were favorites, even if it made you look silly to be shocked at their presence each time.
Having commandeered a prime position between Qatrand and where her father would sit, the reddish-blonde child could survey the entire gathering if she chose. But for the most part, she did not! After all, how interesting could ’heroes’ doing nothing but eating, sitting, and talking be when she’d seen scale figure battles between powerhouse cultivator illusions?
"She has excellent priorities."
Nohre observed as the one-and-a-half year old was fed with a small wood spoon in a calloused hand. The dark haired girl herself busily cut a piece of meat up into quick bites for Fusand, as her fiance was engaged in animated discussion with one of the visiting heroes about his Projection techniques.
She was afraid to look over when he mentioned the term ’pincer’. Because as long as she didn’t *see* the crab representation crawling animatedly on the table, she could remain... unembarrassed. Though it was possible she would complain coyly when they were alone anyway, softly beating her fisted hands on his chest to help get her displeasure across.
’Master once said that if it ever came down to it, I should hit him with a ’Crabs, Or Me?’ tactic... but sometimes I fear he’ll pick the stupid creatures...’
The blonde swordswoman smiled continuously as she helped her wife’s sister eat. She had picked at some of the food herself... but the family warmth, the casual conversations among such disparate people, and even the Dame Goltbred’s barely concealed stress over hosting so many important guests - it all felt much more filling.
It was what she needed after months of war and ceremony.
"Tat, wur E-wa?"
After the bowl was finished, the question came with blinking brown eyes. Asked in the sort of direct innocence of a small child that could tear right through any mental defenses you possessed for using against less innocent adults. Pigeon blues met the toddler’s curious gaze as several nearby conversations quieted slightly.
To the mint eyed mother nearby holding her cheek and sighing... it wasn’t the first time the little ’river bend’ had asked - and probably wouldn’t be the last, she hoped. For she had heard a story once, from someone that had a child before the Descent. When they came back from the war, the kid simply didn’t recognize them due to the length of time that passed.
’Memory can be fragile at that age... oh, Elua. Don’t be upset if she hides shyly or cries and doesn’t want to see you...’
"She’s still working on something, little otter. But she’ll be back soon."
"Soo...? Otay. Sabh foo."
The acceptance while pointing towards what was on the table and asking to ’save food’ made the former Yecine laugh despite the pang in her chest. Smart little thing was already learning to hoard and share with temporal distances involved.
"Even if we eat it all today, I’ll cook more for her later. I promise."
From across the table, Navuill caught her eye as he saw her interacting so naturally with the child even after how they were raised. He’d been quiet throughout the meal, though whether more from the overall company or his own thoughts was hard to say. Lirades beside him, meanwhile, seemed perfectly at ease.
She’d even started in immediately with regaling the Talcres couple with stories of a century past, when she’d had the pleasure of meeting Meyran’s mother. And of course, she even dabbled in talking about essence cultivation techniques with Zyris... easily ingratiating herself with both of them.
"Did you read the latest reconnaissance report?"
Corde nodded at the other hero trying to engage her, though her attention seemed partially elsewhere. She’d been polite throughout the evening - even managing civil conversation with Yatrel - but there was an underlying tension in her posture that spoke to old habits dying hard.
"Yes. I always do."
And being uncomfortable around ’noble’ like social situations, no matter the tinge of family center it had, was something that she had never grown out of even after leaving the continent. She had learned to play the social dance only minimally, knew what could offend and what would not, but she didn’t like the ’weight of the pen vs the sword’, as it were.
"The bad actors of the Saltfire were scattered again in a raid. Doesn’t mean eliminated."
"And desperate people with access to dangerous artifacts tend to make poor long-term decisions thanks to abundant short-term power."
"Kwared was right, we should really focus on this in the next weeks or else it will hang over the heads of those trying to return to normal."
The comments from the chattering heroes drew a few thoughtful nods from everyone present. Even at a celebration, the reality of ongoing threats never fully disappeared from their considerations. And people out there that had committed crimes amid the Descent and had not been caught yet were a stain on everyone’s achievements.
Though one person could have done without a lot of recognition for hers. Dima had been placed in a very visible spot next to the Talcres thanks to her help in clearing the Goltbred name. As the former liaison tried to remain *conscious*, because the presence of so many powerful people made her feel a little small and insignificant... there was one person there that would never think that.
Klaytei carried fresh platters from the kitchen and then sat back down beside the cultivator. The dynamic between them had become more obvious to those with their eyes on them both over the evening. Small touches from the servant that lingered. Shared glances and quiet talk that showed the branch manager trusted her ’housemate’.
If anyone else had noticed to the level of surety that Nohre held, they were polite enough not to comment. Though a couple of the currently bachelor heroes who had hoped to let off some steam by locating interested parties were a little disappointed to see the mortal so ’taken’ with the Coiled Serpent member.
One of them, because the woman was clearly intentionally placing herself to block the view of Dima from him. He realized he may have made it too obvious he found her attractive if even someone without enhanced physical abilities could catch his glances. The other... because he found the attentiveness of the servant quite attractive - and sighed that he never married the girl she reminded him of, so many decades ago.
"Mama, suhweeb..."
The sudden grumbled announcement from the toddler came after a yawn that she tried to hide behind her small, chubby hands. The noise, so many new faces, and the rich food had taken its toll on the little girl’s stamina. And while she wasn’t above planting her face in her chair’s tray table... she was growing enough to realize that made her wake up uncomfortable!
"Someone needs her beauty nap. I’ll take you, sweetheart."
Before allowing herself to be scooped up by her mother, the girl reached out and squeezed tight onto the calloused hand petting her hair before she left. She missed the interaction time with her sister, but she’d also missed that scratchy little care against her hair from her ’brother’. But she let go as her sleepiness sagged, being brought over her mother’s shoulder.
"Be right back. Don’t serve dessert while I’m gone, dear. You remember what happened last time, correct?"
Ondua did, in fact, not remember... so much that it concerned him. Had he blocked it out or had she punched it out?! His mind raced and searched for the connection.
’Or was there ever a time like that in the first place... why would I have done that?’
Only Lirades was in a position to catch the vindictive smirk of the duelist, who had thrown a feint that had made her ’opponent’ dodge back and trip over *themself* to get away. As she made her way to the nursery with her servant in tow, the first stars outside were becoming visible in the tall hallway windows.
Points of brightness that did little to hide and even less to reveal the shadows that were darting around the estate perimeter.