forum Opportunistic Omnivore: Scavenging the Remains of the Divine || OxO || Closed || 18+

Started March 15, 2023 by @ElderGod-kirky group

tune

Eurion did his best to prevent himself from frowning at the information that the two witches provided. It was hard to resist the urge to look at Sláine, or to wake up him and ask for his thoughts on the matter, especially when it came to sleeping with someone else. That part didn’t sit right with him. He knew it was because of who he was, the Fae and Witches functioned differently and that wasn’t anything knew to him, but it didn’t stop him from feeling uncomfortable with the idea that Sláine may want to sleep around with someone else on occasion.

If they stayed together, would the prince want to fuck different people after a period of time? The thought of someone else touching the prince had the assassin clenching his jaw, but that was the only indication that something may be wrong or would show how he was really feeling. Because if Sláine was his and he was Sláine’s there was no one else, there would never be anyone else, not for Eurion. If they were mates the thought of being with someone else, going out and finding someone just for sex was distressing.

“I guess it makes it easier for you all,” Eurion said, “You don’t have to worry about finding the person fate deemed right for you. Leaves room for more exploration.” Most Fae found their mates early into their adult lives. It made it easy when many didn’t venture outside of the Fae lands because it was safe there, perfect for them and so there was no need. Fae mated with Fae, too, made things better because you knew your person would be around.

Probably why Eurion had given up hope until Sláine, but there was the newfound fear that the prince wasn’t going to view their bond the same way, that he would want to look for someone else to keep things entertaining for him if they stayed together and the though made him sick.

Caoimhe suddenly got very interested in that subtle but telling reaction. It shouldn't have been a surprise that a Fae was disturbed by common Witch practices, in terms of monogamy, but the prince was willing to bet that the assassin had someone in mind and wasn't too thrilled by the idea. So that potentially narrowed it down to a Witch, if the reaction was involving the idea of sleeping with others.

To test out his theory, the prince lounged against the tree and made himself be casual, even if he was putting out feelers for the sake of his curiosity. "True. There's several instances where Witches have multiple partners. Finnigan has two husbands, though they are all together. My parents go out and have a random night where they sleep with random people." There were probably other instances, but he wasn't too interested in distressing the Fae even more.

"But," the prince added, "there's also several Witches that make lifetime bonds, or aren't interested in exploration while committed. I've known a lot of High Witches that are like that. Pretty sure Neziryth—that one Sláine mentioned being involved with an assassin?—only has their sights set on their partner." Caoimhe gestured to Aideen. "I have no plans on getting involved in one-night stands or the landmine that can be polyamory."

Then, to really get to his test, he pointedly nodded down to Sláine. The sleeping prince, who was peacefully unaware of the conversation but completely comfortable sharing Eurion's warmth. "Sláine would have flings and such, sometimes partners. Even when he had a feeling they wouldn't last long, he never sought out someone else until it was over. And recently, as much as I tease, he hasn't been really going out and looking for anyone to be with. Don't know what that's all about, but he's loyal to the bone either way. We don't condemn our parents for their arrangement, because it works for them, but we don't condone it either for ourselves. It's entirely personal preference, and the practice isn't our thing." He shrugged, and Aideen snuggled more into his side, as if solidifying her status as his in response to the topic. "Maybe the Fae are the ones that got it right."

As much as Caoimhe’s comments about his brother being loyal and not pursuing anyone while he was in a fling did lessen Eurion’s worries a little, it didn’t stop the fear from disappearing all together. Until he spoke to Sláine about the topic he was going to worry no matter what his older brother said. Sure, Caoimhe knew Sláine better than he did, but Eurion was sure there were aspects of his life that the twin didn’t know or understand, and if he wasn’t sure why Sláine hadn’t bothered to engage anyone recently, maybe this was one of those things.

To take the focus off how unbelievably fast his rate rate was, how he had started to massage the princes neck a little more if only to soothe himself, Eurion focused in on Caoimhe’s last comment.

“It’s hard to explain Fae mating bonds. In all honestly I don’t know much about them and how they work, but every Fae knows what it feels like regardless of whether or not they understand the workings of the thing.”

The yearning for another, the desire and burning that arose when you found that person. How things clicked and felt right even if you didn’t know the person. It was how he felt with Sláine, and was an indication of his thoughts regarding the Witch being his mate, “It’s why I can’t imagine being with more than one person, well, anyone else along with my mate if I ever find him. It’s like… finding that other half to your soul. I wouldn’t dream of being with someone else.”

Caoimhe thought about the Fae mating bond, giving it more attention now than he had before. He had known about it, of course, on a surface level. The Fae mated to one person, and stayed with them for the rest of their lives. Perfect matches. But Eurion was a Fae himself, and the conflicting practices involving intimacy and romance was making the prince think a little more about the other side of the coin.

"In all honesty, I can see preferring that over a game of chance," the prince admitted. "I probably would. Cycling through people trying to find the one that clicks the most can be time-consuming and feel not worth it, or leave you with experiences that you'd rather not come out with." If he had felt it that Aideen was the one for him—which he firmly believed, no matter how often they seemingly clashed—he would've put in more effort to care for her and pull her to his side. "And I don't know this for sure, but I imagine the bond is more intense than a typical attraction."

Aideen had some thoughts, though. "But, there's no autonomy," she pointed out. "You're essentially told who you're going to end up with. It might work out great, but it can't always be perfect. Nothing is, not even the laws of nature. Do the people that abuse their family get a mate? Do they hurt them too?" She tilted her head in contemplation. "Who's to say there's not another person out there that fits with you just as well as the one mate you found?"

Sighing, Caoimhe nudged her with an elbow. "Quit playing devil's advocate." Then he turned back to Eurion with a small smile, a tad sheepish. "I understand. Maybe you'll find your mate soon, and I hope he's exactly what you're looking for and need as your other half." He waved a hand absently. "We are going back to the Fae lands for the festival, afterall."

For once Eurion agreed with Aideen, and to bridge that gap between them just a little, a sort of truce from yesterdays fight, he said as such, “No, Aideen is right,” As much as it did pain him to admit it, “Some people don’t deserve a mate, and sometimes as much as someone can be deemed ‘perfect’ they might not be. It’s rare - very rare - but you can reject the bond, and some people do.”

Eurion hadn’t seen it in his life time, but he had heard the stories as a child, every child did. The Fae mating bond, as much as the connection was deemed to be the only thing that should matter, could be rejected. It barely ever happened because majority of the time thing worked out no matter the differences between the two people, but there were some that rejected it. It had to be a pretty fucking awful situation for it to happen, because the time and work and pain that came with the breaking of the bond was almost not worth it, it was why it was so rare, but not impossible.

He turned back to Caoimhe, “I appreciate the thought, but I spent my young adult life back in Dalthia and didn’t find him. Either they’re a Fae who no longer resides there, or they’re not Fae altogether. Not exactly the best situation when it comes to finding him.”

But little did the prince and his lover know that Eurion’s mate was curled up on his lap sleeping peacefully, and the assassin had been curled in Sláine’s arms only hours before they set out that morning. Until the festival, they wouldn’t say a word about it unless it was an accident, but right now? Nothing.

Aideen offered a lighthearted salute of camaraderie, pleasantly surprised by the support and the miniscule olive branch between them. The fight had quickly soured things between the two, but it was bound to happen. The two of them were far too similar, but polar opposites at the same time. Violent opposition was practically fated between them on a good day. But now that Eurion was backing up her point against Caoimhe, she took the chance to gloat by looking over at the prince with a face full of smug satisfaction. "See? I was right."

"You are a depressing pessimist," Caoimhe shot back, but he ruffled her hair affectionately and tugged her into his side, and a startled, unguarded laugh slipped from her. The prince grinned down at her, pleased with himself for getting that reaction out of her, before turning back to Eurion. "You never know. He might've been a wanderer, like you, and happened to come back to Dalthia when you were gone. It's not impossible that you just never crossed paths until now."

Caoimhe wanted to hold out the hope that Eurion had someone there for him. Whether that be a Witch who was unaware of the bond between them, or a Fae that the assassin had yet to meet, it didn't matter. So long as the man was good for him, good to him, and treated him right instead of shaming him for his job as an assassin, that's what mattered. His suspicions floated around the idea of Eurion fancying his brother, but they didn't go deeper than that. Nothing was confirmed, and Caoimhe couldn't keep digging.

But regardless of those thoughts floating around, he had no idea that Sláine felt the same. Just as intensely as Eurion, he felt the bond, even if he didn't fully recognize it. He knew something was there pulling him towards Eurion, smoothing out the process of knowing one another, and making his chest always feel so warm and light when near and looking at the assassin. Sláine was already giving himself fully to Eurion, and recognizing him as perfect for the prince, no matter his lack of being perfect. The bond was full and bright within Sláine despite not being Fae, and he didn't need to recognize it to know how he felt about the man he craved.

To avoid any suspicion that Caoimhe may have regarding Eurion and his little brother, he bummed softly in agreement as much as he was well aware he’d already met the man he was fated for and he was currently sleeping against him.

“Skyfall does bring about Fae from all over the country, so it is entirely possible,” He tried to keep his tone unassuming, made sure he wasn’t looking at Sláine when he spoke. It did pain him a little to think about finding someone at Skyfall as much as it was a lie, the comment felt like acid on his tongue, “And considering the eclipse is the same week and most likely the same day, it would be idiotic for any Fae to miss the event if they were in the area.”

Had Sláine not suggested the idea of going both for a cool down for all of them as well as a way to gain some information, Eurion himself wouldn’t have gone. It was too risky to go when the Gods were breathing down his neck, at least this way he could blame the visit as a way to gain information on marker stones and in turn have a little breathing from for the side mission.

At least now he had the opportunity to experience a part of his culture he had been wanting to experience for a long time. Whether it was fate or coincidence that allowed for Skyfall to occur this year, that he had met Sláine when he did, it was all interconnected in some way. But Eurion wasn’t exactly thinking too deeply into it right now, only because Sláine seemed okay where he was, conversation with Aideen and Caoimhe wasn’t taxing and was starting to become enjoyable, and that was better than pondering over what fate had in store for him.

Caoimhe grinned in triumph. "See? Have some faith. I'd hate for you to be stuck with us the entire time without someone else keeping you going." It was a small thing to be happy about, getting Eurion to agree with him and see the potential, but the assassin didn't budge much when it came to anything. Of course, it was entirely possible that the man was lying to him to appease the prince and get him to shut up about it, but he didn't care if it was. There was the illusion of triumph, and Caoimhe was going to take it.

A presence pressed into the back of his mind, intruding on his thoughts. 'Leave him alone.' Solise, Sláine's spirit guide. When he searched for the origin of her magic, he found that she was lounging up in the trees and watching from below. She kept hiding, so she was likely hiding from Eurion at Sláine's request.

The prince had only faltered some when confronted by the spirit, and only angled his head up a fraction, but it was a split second too long for him to be a normal lull in conversation. Aideen recovered for him, though it wasn't any better as she said quietly, "Sláine."

It was subtle, but the sleeping prince's face had scrunched seemingly in pain. His hand was outstretched like he was looking for something to hold onto with his fingers curling and uncurling. He was dreaming, and this time he couldn't escape it by dragging himself out of sleep because he needed it. But he would try, and as much as Aideen hated it, she got up to kneel by the assassin and prince. Her hands settled around Sláine's head, hovering just an inch away, and the Witch started to cast her magic on him. A formless teal glow grew within her palms, and a glowing pattern of blue feathers circled around her wrists as if on an invisible wind.

She hated doing this to him any time it happened, but it was for the best. He needed sleep, and he would deny himself it to avoid the dreams. So she cast her magic through his mind, a simple sleeping spell to drag him back down and cause a fog in his mind to make it just a little more pleasant, with the aftereffect of being groggy when he woke up. She explained as much to Eurion to avoid being yelled at. "He's going to wake up, and it's barely been an hour. I'm just making sure he stays asleep."

When Caoimhe stopped for a moment too long Eurion was once again reminded of that presence that seemed to be lurking in the shadows around them. Following them, clearly, because it was the same feeling as the one he had at the inn hours ago. But if the prince could sense it and wasn’t deeming it a threat then he would continue to leave whatever it was be for the time being. Maybe he’d ask Sláine about it when he woke up, or maybe just send his magic out to find it properly.

His attention, however, was quickly dragged to Sláine. Now that he was more aware of the bond between them it was easy to feel he was uncomfortable as well as seeing it. Then Aideen was moving and using her magic to nullify the prince and keep him dreaming. Eurion was tempted to tell her to fuck off, to pull Sláine against him to give him more comfort but he couldn’t without alerting even more suspicion to their complicated relationship.

The assassin’s hand remained massaging the prince’s neck. Tempting to run his fingers through his curls and play with his hair as he had been last night but yet again another thing he was unable to do in the presence of the first prince and his guard. The hiding was going to get on his nerves in the end, especially if Sláine crashing and having nightmares was a frequent occurrence, “He needs as much sleep as we can allow.”

It did pain him, but it was for the best and he just hoped that Sláine could sense his presence even in sleep and hope to be a comforting one.

The spell did put a damper on the dream, and Sláine did settle down for a minute from the mixture of the fog and the comfort of Eurion being there with his grounding touch. Aideen watched for a moment, and just like clockwork, the dream only got worse like usual. The prince's face pinched once more as he grunted, as if receiving a blow that never happened.

Aideen sighed in defeat and pulled at his hair until the tie came undone, letting his curls spill all over, then combed her fingers through the tangles to get the strands out of his eyes. "He needs the sleep, but we can't allow too much of a delay, or we risk setting our timeline back too far," she said, then lowered her voice to a tone only Eurion would hear, "I knew about the nightmares; he didn't want Caoimhe to know. I hate doing this to him."

The look she gave Eurion was stern and very clear: Take care of him. It didn't matter what their relationship was. She had a gut feeling that Sláine trusted the assassin enough to look to him for comfort, and they spent their nights together where the other two wouldn't be able to look after him. Eurion was a stranger, someone who didn't have a history with Sláine, so he had a better shot at prying answers out of the prince than Aideen or Caoimhe did—especially Caoimhe. Aideen was well aware of how little Sláine wanted to worry his twin, and thus how often he hid the things that would cause worry. Usually they weren't important, but this, she felt, was important enough that someone had to look over him.

And as if nothing happened, she switched back to the topic at hand so as to not alert Caoimhe of anything—sneaks being sneaks. "You're the expert on this. How long can we comfortably delay without rocking the boat too much?"

Eurion returned Aideen’s look with one of this own. One that conveyed he would do what he could to make sure Sláine was well taken care of and protected.

When those curls spilled out, when the prince grunted he couldn’t help himself from running his hands through Sláine’s hair properly. He let his fingers catch the casual knot, working them out in a way that was far too soft for someone of Eurion’s usual nature. The movements felt natural and there was no hesitancy in his hands as he worked and massaged and eventually began to create a loose braid with a couple of the strands that he could reach without moving the prince too much.

At least it was an excuse to finally keep his gaze on him. Eurion hadn’t been expected how difficult it would be but he guessed it was only made worse due to the fact that Sláine was in pain and they were touching, and he knew they shouldn’t be but they were. Either way, his gaze remained on him as he spoke, fingers expertly braiding as he did so.

“At least a couple hours. No more than three,” Eurion sucked in a breath, “We had an extra day under our belts from yesterday till the festival. I had been hoping to use it to search the libraries but we won’t have time before the festival now. It’ll have to be after.”

It wasn’t that big of an issue or did much to their timeline, but it was a little annoying that they would have to sour whatever fun they may have at Skyfall with the reminder of their task afterwards.

It was fitting that Eurion be the one to undo the knots in the prince's hair, as he had been the one to create them in the first place. But as he gave into the temptation to touch his mate, Sláine seemed to calm down. Still dreaming, still clearly uncomfortable being stuck in whatever plane of nightmares he was in, but calm. His expression smoothed out, and his breathing evened out from where it had started shortening. Sláine twitched here and there, that was unavoidable, but the assassin's gentle and soft touch was enough to keep the prince just a little steady and comforted.

Aideen watched, vigilant over her friend's well-being, and huffed a little in jealousy over the assassin of all people knowing how to effortlessly braid and she couldn't. "Then let's shoot for two—I'll lift the spell then, so we can get moving. He's going to be extra groggy when he wakes up, though, as a side effect. The fog doesn't immediately lift all the way." A little warning, given that meant Sláine was going to be a slight problem for them all when he woke up barely functioning, but they could still be on their way and just drag him along.

When she was sure that the prince was okay, and that Eurion had things under control, she stood up and went back over to Caoimhe. He noticed the intent in her expression and made a wider gap between his legs just as she turned and sat down between them to lean against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her waist and hooked his chin over her head, noticing fully just what Eurion was doing. "You can braid?" he asked, pleasantly surprised.

Aideen rolled her eyes and ignored him to address Eurion's concern. "Do you think we'll be able to make up the time with extra travel time? We might end up more tired, but if we try to pick up the pace we could aim for the library first, then festival."

Eurion addressed Aideen first, briefly glancing upwards to meet her gaze before returning it back to the sleeping prince and the braid he was working on, “Possibly, but it’ll all depend on how tired we all are,” and be we he meant Sláine.

If the fog didn’t lift wholly when the witch lifted her magic then it was going to be an issue trying to get Sláine to keep walking when he was tired and groggy. He’d slow them down regardless of how much they dragged him around and along so it wouldn’t be the best idea, “We’ll just have to visit the libraries afterwards. It’s not an issue, but will mean we may have to stay longer than originally thought.”

Because if the festival spanned multiple days and they wanted to stay for all of it then they were going to have extra time in Dalthia that Eurion wasn’t exactly happy with. Only because he wanted to avoid seeing people he knew at all costs which - with Skyfall would be somewhat easy with the masked dances - but the days after wouldn’t be so simple.

“And yes,” Eurion continued with another glance towards Caoimhe, “My mother taught me. It helped when both her and I had long hair when I was a child.” He’d cut it off when he started his training as a teenager to became a Fae guard and had left it short in his weird curly-mullet. Easier to maintain, and suited him better in his mind.

Somehow, Aideen doubted that the man who had avoided his homeland for so long was not seeing an issue with staying longer than planned. But she only gave him a look of disbelief, then a shrug, and let it go. "Alright." She wasn't about to argue with him about it, not when things were civil, and she didn't particularly care whether or not he approved of how long they were staying in the Fae lands.

Caoimhe, meanwhile, was excited to hear that Eurion could braid. "Really? I can't picture you with long hair." The prince understood the sentiment, though. A lot of the people in the palace and the city kept their hair long, no matter the gender. He didn't know where exactly the habit came about, but it wasn't enforced and no one with short hair stood out too much. He quite liked his hair longer.

But that brought him to his next point. He poked Aideen in the back of the head and said, "This one here doesn't know how to braid for the life of her." The guard swatted his hand away and turned around, reaching up as if she was going to go for the horns, but only met empty air. Caoimhe grinned at her and her attitude, and tugged her back against his chest. "I'm doomed to either do my own hair or have Sláine do it—he's pretty good at it."

"We're ignoring you," Aideen announced, huffing and making a point to face Eurion. "This conversation doesn't involve you. We have important things to discuss, and that is not one of them. Eurion," a thought occurred to her, and it wasn't entirely bullshit just to wipe the giant grin off the prince's face, "what exactly are we going to the library for?"

Eurion, despite his worry and general dislike for Aideen, let his frown flicker into the smallest, barely noticeable smile at the teasing between the two sitting across from him. As much as he hated to admit it but being around other people, being around them, wasn't as unpleasant as he had thought it to originally be. He and Aideen would no doubt butt heads again sooner rather than later but for the time being there was a mutual truce and it was good enough for him.

"It was a long time ago," Over a century since he had had his hair as long as the prince's, "And I wouldn't ever grow it out again but as a child, it was decent enough. My mother used to braid all the time so, I picked up the habit long before she taught me how to properly braid."

Because as a kid his plaits and braids had been messy and all over the place with no care as long as it was out of his face and not bothering him. Now Eurion almost prided himself on how well he was able to do so. He wasn't a professional by any means but he was good, as shown in the braid that he had created on Sláine - one that started just above his ear and followed the shape of his head. Loose enough for the prince to take it out with ease if he so wished but it would maintain its shape if he woke and wanted to keep it. Soothing for both of them.

Either way, his focus shifted to Aideen once more although when he spoke again he didn't look at her, "We need to find as much information on Markerstones as possible," Whatever was left of his smile had faded as he recalled his interaction with the Gods, the vision, "Specifically on whether or not they are able to be revived after being destroyed. If-" For the first time since meeting, he faltered with his words, trying to find the correct ones, "If they could be reconnected with the Old Gods."

When the assassin started liking them more, Caoimhe would find a way to wrangle him into being a stylist at least once. The braid being twisted into Sláine's hair was flawless already, even when just loose enough for easy removal. The eldest twin was just a little jealous that Eurion clearly liked Sláine better than him, but there were logical reasons for that—more time together, his twin was a lot better with being likable, and Aideen didn't help matters at all in the beginning. So, as much as he wanted to pout, he let it go and just made it his mission to get Eurion to like him too.

Aideen, on the other hand, wasn't too fond of the men bonding when she was playing upset with her lover. "I said we're ignoring him. Shush." She slapped a hand on Caoimhe's mouth, which only succeeded in making him bite playfully at her fingers and palm, but she expertly ignored it from experience. "Enlighten me: what are markerstones?"

Caoimhe licked her hand, which finally made her pull away from disgust, and explained. "I'm assuming the book he's been carrying around with him is my brother's, so he's already caught up to speed. Markerstones are basically ancient ass protective charms that depict and are said to be connected to the Old Gods, usually around sacred sites. That's where their name comes from—they mark the sites they protect."

"But being as old as they are," she mused, catching up to speed, "they're likely to be nothing but rubble, or at least broken in some way. And protection charms lose the magic they hold when they break." The prince nodded. "Okay. So, what? Are we going to try and override that and imbue them with magic again to get the Gods' attention? Or something else?"

"I don't know." The vagueness of the Old Gods had always got on his nerves, but now Eurion was in the predicament of actually having to explain to someone what their messages meant it made things all the worse, "When they came to me the other night I was just shown the markerstones, that's all. If I had any more information for you I'd say but I'm as lost as you both when it comes to what they want. It's why I figured the libraries might have some more information, maybe there's something there - history or legend or whatever the fuck - to get us on the right track."

Xuris, the one who made the most frequent appearances and the one who didn't have a fucking face, only ever communicated in images. Eurion had never heard them talk, whether that was because of the obvious reason or because they simply wanted to keep Eurion guessing, but they always started him on the right track, however confusing and terrifying they may be.

The assassin completed the braid that he was working on and began a second just above the first. That fear of them was creeping back to the forefront of his mind and the motion with his hands through the prince's hair was becoming more for him than it was for Sláine, however soothing it was for the prince.

Because Xuris was the one who had tortured him the most. Their presence had always been overwhelming even in the beginning when Eurion hadn't done anything to provoke or anger but it had only become worse as the years went by. Both emotional and physical. Xuris was most likely the most powerful out of all the surviving Old Gods. Probably why they didn't have a face because it wasn't needed when they were able to scare and torture without needing the added impact of a scowl. They were able to draw memories, create them, create scenarios designed for torture and Eurion had experienced it more times than he ever wanted and when it didn't help when they had the upper hand in whatever realm they resided in because the physical torture was just as bad. It was one of the reasons why he didn't ask questions unless necessary. Just in case he said the wrong thing and ended up back under Xuris' heavy palm.

Aideen hummed, thinking things over. It sounded like a complicated situation, and as the one who had been tasked with a vague mission, she couldn't begrudge Eurion for not having a sound answer. If her mother had been involved with the Old Gods somehow, in some way, then Aideen knew how little they were helpful by the cryptic messages and demands she had made to her daughter. Aideen knew next to nothing about them, just basic things that her mother had mumbled under her breath and the ever-present rule to find them. Find them to destroy them? Find them to scour through their skeletal bodies—at least, the ones that had died out—for some kind of magical relic? The shifter had no clue, so not knowing the details had been expected.

"Okay," she said with a single-shoulder shrug. "Then we start with the library and work from there."

Caoimhe idly ran his fingers up and down her neck, not quite a massage like Eurion had done for Sláine, but more a self-soothing process than intending to do much for her. It didn't sit right with him, now knowing that the Old Gods had supposedly died off when the Witches were created. He hadn't known the legends until the start of all this, not really caring about the legends, but Sláine and Aideen clearly did. The stories had to have come from some sort of historical basis. Did some die, and some remain? If so, then the remaining ones clearly had an issue with the Witches existing and being powerful enough to challenge their power.

If the twins were targets, did that mean they could challenge them? Was it a level playing field, or uneven? Who had the advantage? Was it power alone or the type of magic that made them threatening? Since his family was connected to the Middle, an entity all on its own separate from the Gods, were they a threat in that way? One foot in the Gods' domain, and one foot in the Middle's? He wanted answers to all these questions, but he knew that the older and more powerful one got, the less they were willing to give up answers. Even the High Witches that were basically as old as time but sociable enough to chat with the youngsters were cryptic and hoarders of knowledge.

Should they ask for some advice from the elder High Witches? "I think this is something delicate," Caoimhe said slowly, working through his racing thoughts, "and that we won't have all the answers at once. Rushing it might provide false leads and illusions to questions resolved."

Eurion hummed his agreement with the first prince, loosing a small breath through his nose as he continued to braid, letting muscle memory take over as he wove the hair in and out of the pattern and create the braid he was looking to finish, “As much as their messages are always-“ Disturbing? Tiring? Terrifying to the fucking bone? “Interesting, I hope they end up giving me something more soon, because all the cryptic shit is getting on my nerves.”

There was also the issue of tackling whether or not the Gods were aware that Eurion hadn’t actually killed the two princes. He knew that whenever they decided to make an appearance they would somewhere find out, there was no lying when it came to them because they would know someway or another. The thought of what was going to happen to him when they learnt he hadn’t gone through with it had him shifting uncomfortably.

Would they still expect him to kill them? Kill Sláind? There was no way in all the realms Eurion was going to kill him knowing they were probably mates. To think about losing him, even though they barely knew one another was devastating. If he had to suffer to keep Sláine safe, at this point he would do it a thousand times over. But then what would happen to them? To him? What would the Gods do? Pull him out of that realm and send him to another if they could? Kill him? It was a terrifying thought.

"From what I've learned," Caoimhe sighed, "anyone that reaches a certain point in life where they're considered ancient is bound by the rule to be a cryptic fuck. Even Witches do it, and it's fucking annoying when you want genuine mentoring. I asked for help, not a philosophical question."

Aideen patted him on the arm in mock sympathy. "You should've picked a different mentor, babe." The prince stuck his tongue out at her, unamused by her making fun of him, and the two devolved into minor bickering that switched into Caoimhe's native tongue. Eurion getting lost in his thoughts wasn't necessarily noticed by them, but it had an effect that had them giving him space and instead turning their energy towards each other. Namely, towards proving the other wrong.

In his dream state, Sláine called out softly to Eurion like he too was fearing the loss of the other. "Acushla," came the hushed whisper, too quiet for the others to hear. If he had been awake and privy to Eurion's thoughts, he would've fought against the idea of Eurion sacrificing himself. Dying wasn't on his bucket list, and he would've hated leaving Eurion behind without him when they both were so attached to one another, but the assassin didn't deserve to be punished over and over again for not fulfilling just one task. If it came down to Eurion getting hurt, or Sláine dying, his choice would be easy. But he also would know that Eurion wouldn't like that choice, just as he wouldn't like the assassin playing martyr.

The hushed name pulled Eurion out of his thoughts briefly. It was almost funny the the moment his thoughts had switched to the nervousness that was brought about whenever he thought out the Gods that Sláine decided was the time to sleep talk. At least the others hadn’t heard, it seemed, which was the good thing, because Eurion was sure the name that the prince used for him would invoke an onslaught of questions that he wasn’t ready to answer - or even had an answer for.

He did his best to steady his heart, those thoughts and returned to braiding as if nothing had happened, although his time he took longer, used his nails to massage a little more, if only to reassure Sláine that he was still there and he was okay. It was probably that bond that altered him, even in sleep, that Eurion was worrying. It wouldn’t surprise him, it was strong enough that he was sure it would alter the prince no matter what state he was in.

“The Gods have most likely always been cryptic long before I got involved with them,” He said eventually once he had gathered his thoughts, “It comes with the fact that they’re all powerful beings that created all of us, I suppose.” And it was entirely unfair that they would never give him a straight answer unless he had fucked up in some way or another.

Sláine settled with a soft sigh, seemingly happy with the reassurance, and didn't talk again. He wouldn't remember anything he's done while asleep. That was the good and bad thing about the fog Aideen puts over his mind to keep him asleep—it blocked him from retaining anything that happened between the time she cast it and when it was lifted. If Eurion asked him about it, he would have no clue, and likely be a little embarrassed that he called to the assassin in his sleep with the others around, no matter how quietly.

Caoimhe snorted. "Tell me about it. Have you heard of Hakmarrëse? One of the most powerful High Witches ever. Four arms, bleeds from her eyes and hands when she's casting magic, absolutely terrifying, whole nine yards." He waved all that away as if it wasn't relevant. "She's the mother of the vampires. Still calls them her babies even if the ones she created originally aren't around much anymore. But yeah, she's also cryptic as hell. Sláine and I ran into her a few times, and she spoke in riddles and incomplete sentences as if we'd understand her. I'm voting it's because she's old and batshit crazy."

Horrified, Aideen twisted and smacked him on the stomach this time. "You don't just say that." Every Witch that was taught the basic list of the "big shots" knew to never bad mouth them. "What if she knows you just called her crazy?"

"Then she'd pop on over here and agree with me." Caoimhe stuck his tongue out at Aideen, then pointedly ignored her sputtering to address Eurion even if he wasn't being looked at. "Cryptic is annoying, but I think between the four of us we can figure this all out one way or another."

Eurion lifted his gaze to the other prince as much as he wanted to keep his gaze on the one in his lap, "Four heads are better than one, although I'm not great at-" He gestured to the group vaguely, "Talking, so, I can't guarantee I'll be better at explaining what their messages are."

Because he'd never had to do that before. It had just been him up until this point and he had never had to think about talking through what the messages meant with anyone but his own brain. Even then he tended to never talk aloud it was better than nothing. All those years of solitude were going to be an issue. Maybe this was the time to change?

Eurion was quick to throw that thought away. They had a mission, a goal, and that was that. Whether or not they became friends along the way wasn't relevant. However the assassin changed over the course of their time together would come about in time, but for now, he didn't have to think about what it might entail- being stuck with three other people for an uncertain amount of time. Then there was him and Sláine's mating bond that neither of them were willing to admit out loud was, well, Eurion wasn't going to admit knowing for almost certain what it was, and that was another whole bridge he was going to have to cross.

As much as it was a relief to find Sláine, to finally have the other person he had been wishing to find for years in his arms, well, lap, what came with the knowledge was proving to be causing a lot more issues. Such as having a prince for a mate, the fact he was supposed to kill him and then all this bullshit with Aideen and the Old Gods. It was a lot for someone who had gone most of his life on his own.

"That's fine." Caoimhe leaned back against the tree and trapped Aideen against him with a full-body hug that acted more like a straight-jacket than a hug. She hissed at him, cursing him out for bringing down the wrath of such an elder, and he hugged her tighter to shush her while smiling softly at Eurion. "You've been all alone for how long now? We're not expecting you to be a communication master. If you do better talking to just one of us—like Sláine, for example—then that's fine, he can relay the information back to us. You have all this time to figure it out, it's no rush or a requirement to be fluent in the art of communication."

Aideen elbowed the prince once more, just to get her point across, and huffed. "Eighty-two years old, and he still has to have his brother talk for him when it requires finesse. Trust me, we won't be upset if you can't articulate things properly. Much." Caoimhe shot her a scalding look, and she smiled innocently. There might be times she'd want to pry the information out of him for whatever reason, if she was desperate. Sláine, on the other hand, she'd most definitely harass. He was used to it.

Caoimhe still wasn't letting up, so she swatted at his face and relented. "Fine. I'll just bug Sláine about anything he might know. Better?" The prince sighed and muttered a negative sentiment, but Aideen shook her head. "Princes. So prissy and pampered." She then pointed at Eurion. "Don't fall for a prince's wiles. They're so needy."

"Four years," the first prince stressed, "We have been princes for four years. That is nothing. We barely even qualify as royalty." Aideen mockingly mimed him.

“Four years is till four more than majority of the population. You’re more royal than any of us.” Considering the life of luxury the two were able to live in now they qualified far more than Eurion ever would, than most people ever would. Hell, everything from what they wore to how their weapons were made was more finely crafted than the best Eurion had. Caoimhe and Sláine may have only been princes for four years, but it was enough.

The assassin held back a sigh, finishing off his second braid. It was a reminder of how Eurion’s world was so different to their own. Four years was still a long time. A lot could happen in four years - kingdoms could fall, war and deception causing downfalls of kings believed to rule until old age. Even assassins changed in the course of four years.

“It doesn’t matter. Cryptic or not it’s going to be a fucking nightmare,” He mumbled before turning his attention to Aideen, his head tilting softly to one side as he asked, “Why do you want to find the Old Gods, anyway?” He asked.

Because all this bullshit was her idea. Eurion wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t been so interested in them, had somehow known who he worked for upon meeting with barely a conversation between them. He’d be dead otherwise, but that didn’t matter, since the guard was too intrigued with his overseers for some reason to keep him alive.

Given that, they probably shouldn't mention how Caoimhe had been put into consideration as the new king, then Sláine when the older brother made himself wildly unfit by his lack of knowledge on the history of their kingdom. The only reason they were made princes was because their parents had not wanted the title, citing themselves as too old to take up the roles, and their cousin had been made king for how easily manipulated he was initially. Now the nobles had a losing grasp on the ruling family, but they were trying to rip Azriel off the throne to put the twins back on entirely because of their deemed incompetence.

The twins weren't happy about their positions. It othered them from everyone, put them on a pedestal that they didn't feel they deserved, and every relationship they made had that underlying expectation that something will be expected from them, or that the other person would be too afraid to be themselves in front of someone with just a title.

Caoimhe went quiet, and Aideen picked up the conversation with Eurion's question. "My mother," she said simply, then elaborated. "I grew up with her sorta going insane on occasion, talking to herself with these cryptic mumblings I never understood. But two things she made very clear." She held up a finger, "Find the Phachao Keoa—the Old Gods," then held up a second one, "and that 'their messengers reek of bloody purity and flavorless spice.' I can't exactly tell you what that means, but it made sense when I met you. She drilled it into me while I was growing up, and up until she died."

“I don’t know whether I should be insulted or not at your mothers description of me, or that you found it to make sense.” Eurion let his fingers drag through Sláine’s curls, avoiding the braids above his ear but letting the red locks fall through his fingers and into his lap, “That’s a big ask of her, finding the Old Gods. Do you have any idea as to why?”

It would make things simpler if they be was aware of the reason they were supposed to be finding them. Simply randomly searching would be no good, and what would they do when they eventually did? Well, when Aideen eventually came face to face with them.

Coming face to face with the Gods in theory was easier than it was in practice. Eurion had learnt that the hard way. People always said that Gods were simply just beings with a power-complex, which not entirely false, but he’d met far too many people who thought they would have no issue talking or arguing with one of them simply because they didn’t care for the power they held. But when the time came it was widely different.

Power radiated from them, the Old Gods especially, making it difficult to stand up and say what you wanted when they were around in fear of fucking something up and ending on the wrong end of their hand. Eurion had been there too many times than he could count on both hands. If he was being honest with himself, he might have been a little worried for Aideen, for all of them, when it came to the end of the road.

Aideen shrugged, leaning back into Caoimhe's chest and forcefully folding his arms around her as she held his wrists. She acted nonchalant and talked about how she didn't care much for her dead family, having spent so much time outliving them, but there was still that part of her that missed them, and ached at the memory of them still alive.

"I don't know." She knew it wasn't the answer Eurion was looking for, but that was the real one. "All I know is remembering how she'd sometimes go insane, then back to normal, and making it a rule grilled into my head to find them. She never explained why." But there was speculation. Aideen knew how to take what little clues she had and try to piece things together. But this was a thousand piece puzzle with only three corners filled. She couldn't bullshit her way to a full picture.

But she could do her best. "I think she was scared of them," Aideen said, slowly articulating her thoughts. "I think she got involved with the Old Gods somehow, because she never talked about them outright more than the direct order to find them. If I asked questions, she skirted around the topic. Hell, she couldn't even answer me as to who they were. I didn't know the difference between some regular ass God and these old fuckers. I was a child. But she told stories that felt like fever dreams, and she was always so angry when I asked her for more detail."

Caoimhe hummed and said quietly, "Like she was afraid of you falling for them."

Eurion looked away, "They're not exactly beings people seek out, for good reason, too. Your mother must have had a damned good one if she wanted you to continue to find them." People didn't seek out the Old Gods. Hell, most thought they weren't even real, legends and tales that had been passed down over generations only to slowly be forgotten about by the vast majority.

He wouldn't have believed in them if they hadn't chosen him. If they hadn't arrived in his dreams and taken his mind to their realm and seen them with his own eyes. He'd learned some of the legends when he was a child but never fully understood or took any notice of what they truly meant, not until he had met them. Now he wished he still lived in that state of ignorant bliss. It would make his life all the easier if he had never become involved with them in the first place, never agreed to their terms and chosen to fight for them, kill for them.

"She should have been scared of them. Everyone should be scared of them." Beings that created the High Witches, Gods older than most of the world? Even just from the legends and stories it was obvious, they were beings not to be messed with. Not to provoke or anger or seek out in fear of what they may do. If you believed in them, in the stories, that was. Eurion had never been afraid of them until that first meeting, and it only became worse with time until he was terrified.

The thought of telling Aideen that she should give up and abandon her quest for the Old Gods crossed his mind. From what he had learned of her, however, Eurion thought better of it, knowing it wouldn't go down well. He was also wanting to avoid an argument and break that small olive branch he had given earlier.

Aideen waved her hands in frustration. "See, but that's the thing. She never looked for them. She kept telling me to, when I was just a child." Caoimhe shushed her, and she went back to holding his wrists. "The only reason we left our homeland was because the local Witches were being slaughtered, hung, and burned. We fled. She made no effort to find them, it was just trying to get to the safe haven away from humans."

It made no sense. Why was she so obsessed with the Old Gods, but actively avoiding them and pushing her obsession onto her kid? It felt important to Aideen, it had been one of the few rules she had growing up, so she refused to give up on it. But the why of the mission was a mystery.

"I know I dragged you into this," she said slowly, clearly hesitant and resistant to saying the words. But they had to be said, because things were civil at the moment and she had to half-ass some sort of apology for earlier. "It's not a jolly little trip for sightseeing, and you were just doing your job. It wasn't fair of me."

But if she hadn't, he wouldn't be tenderly petting Sláine's hair and comforting him while he slept. If she hadn't, Eurion would undoubtedly be dead, either by the hands of the Old Gods or a clean execution. She trusted her intuition over everything, and something told her that this, the four of them, were meant to be. Eurion was slowly fitting in with them, befriending the twins one step at a time, and rounding the trio out with another person from Aideen's underground world. She wouldn't apologize for that.