The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 261 - Wings, Minds, Patience... All Were Given No Option But To Break

Chapter 261: Chapter 261 - Wings, Minds, Patience... All Were Given No Option But To Break

Two teens crested the next ridge to find another collection of bodies sprawled across the ground. Unlike the previous group of four they watched her dismantle, these cultivators all looked like they’d been thrown together into an undignified heap. Several still groaned from their physical pains and none seemed especially eager to rise.

A single figure that was not their master remained standing. The group leader’s hands were raised at her in what might have been surrender... if only the look on his face could keep from holding more ’calculation’ than ’fear’. Turning failure into opportunity was always a tried and true method of successful capitalists.

The four Whispering Skydancers sat nearby. Their legs had been secured and wings bound in a way that, seeing in person, made Elua’s eyes emit nothing but cold threat. The short sword she picked up before had been used for nothing but a few parries and a pommel strike or three. Now it was tossed to land point-first in the ground between them.

’Part of me hopes he is more stupid than he looks and lunges for it.’

"It seems you’re more reasonable than your underlings?"

The man’s spirit rippled with wariness.

"Don’t need to see the wall to get that the writing is on it."

He’d heard stories about the ’Medical Fairy’ as they staked the place out. They’d been asked not to let her get involved in it, but not told the reason. Of course, that hadn’t stopped him from poking to find it. The connection between his employer and her.

Still, listening to rumors hadn’t led him to expect *this* level of capability. Even if her parents were Yatrel & Ondua er Goltbred... who would think that an overly devoted duelist and an overly friendly hero would birth a monster? The heap of his subordinates shifted slightly as someone regained consciousness, drawing a whimper from someone else at the bottom of the pile.

"Those methods of restraint suggest experience. The kind with rare avians meant to be used for very certain purposes. I bet the Wing & Talon Enclave would be interested in knowing who among them provided you with such specific knowledge."

His eyes darted between her and the birds. Weighing his options gave him little in the way of good choices. The ones who hired him probably wouldn’t be very happy if he said anything, but they were not here right now.

"Unless you’d prefer to discuss why you thought maiming creatures to make them compliant is good practice? I can easily think of some similar methods to demonstrate and have you try and experience, if you’d like."

The small cultivator capable of killing him - and seemingly only hadn’t because of his useful information... well, she *was* there unlike the one he signed the contract with. Two disciples listened to their master’s casual intimidation and though the feeling was complex, it was best described as ’impressed’.

The earlier display of combat had been inspiring but... Fusand clenched his fists at this layer of the girl’s talents.

’The way she dismantles someone’s position with words and presence is amazing. I thought so when she bantered with the Frozen Duskblade at that dinner. No fear, all confidence.’

While the sandy haired boy compared himself, the thief leader let his gaze shifted across the small brunette once more. Her wording made him suspect she knew far more than she was letting on. It made him reassess the reason that she was meant to be kept out of this job.

’Their enemy? Their ally? Something in between?’

"I guess you already know."

"Oh? What is it I know?"

The first long single syllable conveyed volumes of ’apathy’ that struck down on the area. As it was, Elua was only killing just a little time for everything to come together. Plans with moving parts, especially ones started on a whim, meant that you were limited by the slowest moving component.

’They’ll be here eventually~ then I can finish up and head to Qat.’

Behind her, Nohre noticed how still the pile of bodies had become - as if they sensed the danger coming in their leader’s words. Snitching on their contractors was a known way of *disappearing* from their line of work.

"Their specific... qualities were of interest to certain parties."

In that regard, she did know about what ’quality’ he spoke of. When it came to rare creatures, almost all of them were particularly divergent from more common wildlife. They had abilities or adaptations that made them closer to the cultivation world than the mortal one.

"I see. And these ’parties’ gave you very particular instructions about handling them until they retrieved them."

While the larger animal spirit and intelligence was the primary value of them, that wasn’t a reason to steal and do to them what had been done. Her mint eyes drifted to the nearest cage where one of the birds lay as though defeated.

Its wings were bound overly tight with silk in a way that seemed unnecessarily cruel. It had already snapped tiny bones trying to desperately flex them. All of them were in pain and some level of shock.

Certainly unlike the temporary binding methods of the tribal society from her past, when older untrained birds needed transport.

’And these will stay on until that heals, making it so that nothing grows back *right*. Making them permanently flightless... should they survive.’

"In the meantime they will be trained for exploring certain environments. To sing and warn of hazards. And as they are hardier to one particular sort of danger than most..."

Of course she had studied her newest companion in as much detail as possible. Which is why she knew everything about the species that was printed in their region, that was known to the exiled elder, and that she could tell from her spiritual search.

Its constitution that may as well be a cultivator’s Anti-Acid Physique would make it a great alarm system in a *certain* territory. Of a certain Guild.

"The Goltbred heiress is quite... perceptive."

The man still wasn’t sure if she was in on it all or working against their employer.

"And she thinks you’re stalling. Trying to live long enough to find a way out of this. I commend it... just as much as I don’t advise you to continue."

The temperature he felt around him seemed to drop as her monotone grew deafening.

"Let’s be clearer - you have exactly one chance to tell me who hired you before I decide that extracting the information my way would be more satisfying than letting you volunteer it."

His gaze flickered briefly to the two other young cultivators before his surroundings twisted and morphed to black. Other than a few distant pinpoints of ’light’, all that remained was himself and the uncaged monster. The leader’s expression shifted as he processed the implication of whatever was happening.

He’d seen a lot of things in his life, but this was the most out of his depth he’d ever felt. His sly look gave way to something closer to ’massive unease’.

"Sure, I suppose having witnesses would encourage me toward... patience. But you’d be mistaken if you think that line of mine is one I have no way to move around. Of course, then I’d have to remove you entirely so there would be less evidence."

Even if the rest of his particular group knew nothing, the information he had was not her only thread to chase - she’d already revealed that by ’knowing’ there were other conspirators. There were no silver linings or careful retreats waiting for him. His spirit told her that he understood that too.

"The Saltfire Storm Alliance. They provided the instructions and promised protection after the Descent."

She took a step forward and he instinctively tried to move back. Only to fail to move an inch.

"Interesting. You seem to think it is true, at least. That they would hold their promise."

It wasn’t a question... even though it sounded almost conversational. Judging it that way somehow made it more unsettling. In the blackness, being unable to move, the thief leader had not believed such a detail would get to him - but it did.

"Tell me. Did you simply accept their contract without asking too many questions? Or do you know anything else useful?"

"The payment was sufficient to discourage curiosity."

The lie she could feel in the corners of his spirit was small - enough to probably be something silly.

’Like a valuable family recipe or the location of his hidden worldly treasures. Something that he decided wouldn’t satisfy me.’

"A large deposit was it? Well, I suppose that all saves me the trouble. Instead of mucking around in your spirit any longer, I can just gouge out what I feel the need to. Thank you for your cooperation."

Outside of the illusory connection with his mind, she turned toward the cages. The heiress seemingly dismissed the man she was facing as he crumpled to the ground in the daylight reality. Her Whispering Skydancer descended from above and landed on the ground near its captive kin.

A series of soft trills and warbles filled the air as it communicated something to them. The bound birds’ lifted their heads, kicked their feet, or wobbled on the ground while responding to whatever message her companion conveyed to them. Her hand waved the two teens to come closer with her.

"The Yecine forces will be here shortly to collect them. I trust you’ll maintain silence if ever asked what happened today. No one has to know you were here with me."

Her mint eyes gained a distant look for a moment as the large group moved through the plains in their direction.

"Mm... I’m sure they’re rather displeased about having to leave the fortress defense demonstrations early. How unfortunate for *them*, huh?"

’Ah, I’ll really have to get my head in the right way for their complaints. I might overreact and make things hard for her.’

The time spent on this whole matter, while remaining facadeless, was one of the longest in that state of this life. At least without the presence of Qatrand. Letting herself remain even *this* ’loose’ risked making her usual ’politeness’ towards her husband-wife’s family fall into the gutter.

"Is that why your bird is here? But wait... when did you write them a message? Was it the one you sent your mother?"

"Yes. Earlier. No."

Even through his questions whose answers spawned more questions, Fusand couldn’t help but notice how their master had arranged everything. He wondered just how many other situations she managed this way.

"You aren’t taking credit for this, are you?"

"That was certainly my intent. Or lack thereof."

The brunette pointed to the set of cages and the pole threaded between them.

"Now, hurry up and grab an end. Each of you. We have a long march back to my private camp... and we can’t cut through the temporary city there."

Elua’s brow twitched after speaking. Technically, she *could* walk right through it with them if she was willing to tell them the secret of her Astralism. But if she was willing to do that, why would she have gone through all the trouble of only letting the pair see the parts she wanted them to?