The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 89 - Always A Little Fighting In A Backwater Wedding Waltz

Chapter 89: Chapter 89 - Always A Little Fighting In A Backwater Wedding Waltz

In the bustling market square in the town not far from the wedding venue, a distinctive figure moved through the crowd. An exiled foreign noble, with his eccentric attire and intense gaze, stood out plenty among the locals. If only for the fact that he seemed to refuse to wear any silver at all.

He approached a merchant’s stall at a high pace, his deep voice carrying obvious impatience.

"I’m looking for information on some rather unique sigil work. Small scale, intricate. Have you heard of anything like that in this region?"

The merchant shook his head. As they were about to reply, a sudden pulse of energy rippled through the air from the mountains. Everyone in the square - in the entire town - paused while looking towards the direction of the plateau. The foreign man’s eyes narrowed at the invasive feeling.

"What was that? Some kind of ritual?"

An old woman nearby chuckles at what she overheard him ask so *ignorantly*. Ignoring that she didn’t know much better herself, there was one obvious guess that any resident could make!

"Oh, that’ll be the Goltbred-Yecine wedding up on the plateau today. Quite the event, I hear. Lots of cultivators. The whole town’s been buzzing about it for weeks."

"A wedding? How quaint. But surely that level of energy..."

His disdain was cut off by another pulse - much stronger this time - that was accompanied by a shimmer of silver in the air above the entire range of mountains. Several market goers gasped and the merchant that had been questioned grinned. Even though he’d never seen anything like this, he’d heard rumors!

"Must be the reception starting now. You know, they say the bride is quite the sigil prodigy. And the groom’s from that martial family, the Yecines."

For a short moment, something like interest crossed the exiled noble’s eyes. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, departing with a dismissive wave of his hand and an accompanying scoff.

"A local prodigy? Please. I’ve seen true genius, and it’s not found engaging in backwater ceremonies - no matter how impressive the additional effects they bought and paid for. Now, those sigils I was questioning you about..."

The man continued his interrogation, unaware that he had just dismissed the abilities of the very person he was seeking hints of - or the ’effects’ of a good natured Divinity.

---

The glittering metal-adorned plateau rumbled with celebration. Laughter and joyful music drifted on the sea breeze as their guests mingled. Most took a turn congratulating the newlyweds. Elua, radiant in her silver dress, stood with her arm locked around Qatrand’s as they greeted well-wishers.

One obvious *lack* of that kind of decorum was a certain father, who the illusionist decided must have eaten a lemon. He stayed with the Yecine entourage with a stiff and tight look on his face. She was really hoping that he might try and do something, so that she had a fair excuse to ’act without thinking’!

’No such luck...’

Eventually, a hush fell over the crowd as the officiant announced the traditional Challenge. Attendees had the opportunity to dance with the bride or have a simple duel with the groom - though the former was not a hard rule and could easily be a duel among cultivators.

The heiress stepped forward first as called for. Her dress glittered like moonlight on water as her mint eyes lazily scanned the crowd. Based on the movements and emotions, she had already identified who it would be - but she waited for the Argent Braid man to make his announcement.

"Who will dance with our sparkling bride?"

A lithe figure in a form-fitting black dress emerged from the crowd. Sevra’s usual dusty cloak was nowhere to be seen, replaced by the elegant gown that seemed to be representative of svelte shadows. Her dark eyes met Elua’s before her voice carried across the guests.

"If the bride will have me - the Shadow Whisker Sorority would be honored to offer this first dance."

The new bride ’smiled’ back at her. Ever since she delivered Qat’s gift, bringing her name to mind didn’t take nearly as much effort!

"The honor is mine, Sevra. Shall we?"

As the musicians began a slow melody, the two women began to circle each other. The woman’s steps were precise as if each movement was carefully calculated and well practiced. The girl matched her with ease, the skirt of her silver dress swirling around the black form like mist.

The tempo increased over time. Sevra’s dancing became both looser and sharper. A flexible elongated twist here, a sudden leaping step there - movements that still might simply seem like complex dance steps. The Goltbred heiress saw the truth. Each move was a test.

A probe seeking her weakness. Looking for an eventual inability... or to confirm her skill.

’How interesting.’

The brunette’s ’smile’ never wavered as she flowed like water around Sevra’s increasingly aggressive steps. Where the woman lunged, the girl twirled away as if expecting it. When the scout’s hand sliced through the air in an arc - a move that already could easily have been a part of combat - Elua bent backwards. The motion was so smooth it almost appeared choreographed.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. They were beginning to realize this was no ordinary dance. Though the terms had not been set or the grievance made known, it had morphed into a duel.

Dark eyes narrowed along with her frustration bleeding into her movements. Her next spinning turn became a sweeping lariat, making her entire arm a claw seeking purchase on the little prey. She threw away any pretense of dance - it was now combat, pure and simple.

Yet the heiress continued to smile and continued to dance. She moved like fog, drifting aside on each of Sevra’s attacks that met nothing but air. Despite the level of exertion, she voiced a light ’tease’ toward the woman playing some game at her wedding.

"My, what an... interpretation of a dance, Sevra. The Shadow Whiskers must have fascinating celebrations. Perhaps I should have taken your Guild’s interest more seriously?"

The woman didn’t respond to the provocation... her focus had become absolute as she pressed her assault. The fact that she couldn’t land a single hit was terrifying her. She needed it to be true that this reincarnator could be *taken* in the worst case! With each failed strike and each dodged blow, her movements grew more desperately reckless.

Finally, mint eyes seemed to tire of their game of cat and fairy. As Sevra launched into a vicious spinning kick that the onlookers felt could easily kill an opponent if it struck right, the young girl... extended one delicate hand in a gentle push. Sevra found herself slamming down, as if the very Air had conspired against her.

The essence was riled in the atmosphere around her and she couldn’t fight it off with her Element. She landed hard on her back as the impact drove the breath from her lungs. When she opened her eyes, the ’young girl’ stood over her.

The bride’s smile was ’gentle’, but her eyes... in those mint depths, Sevra again saw something ancient - something that sent a shiver down her spine. The hand that extended out felt not like an offer of assistance but an assurance of destruction!

"That was exhilarating. I don’t think I’ve ever had such an... energetic dance partner. The Shadow Whiskers are full of surprises."

After a moment’s hesitation, the woman took the offered hand... allowing her greatest fear to back up and help pull her to her feet. The grip on her hand made her suspect that the small form could have lifted her even without assistance. Again, she felt the Air lock around her and the uncertain applause from the surroundings cut away to nothing.

"Though whatever your reason for that display, you should know... my parents might want a word with you after this. If I hadn’t warned them away as you got more aggressive, you would have been dealing with Ondua and Yatrel er Goltbred and not their little daughter."

The realization that she had gotten so lost that the participants nearby skipped her thoughts paled the scout further. Her continued reactions to things like this and the ’fear’ moving her were what kept Elua from being harsher than she had been. It also made it easy to decide that threats must be *very* motivating to this person!

"Do you know I *despise* cats, Sevra? They turn on you when you least expect it. Because they see everything as prey and predator if the conditions are right. So..."

A honeyed ’laugh’ sent a shiver through the woman... whose dark eyes stared at the ground between them.

"Well, I don’t really care why you did it. It was my choice to play along. Consider it a repayment of the debt of gratitude I’d felt for you. We’ll start from zero once again. But if you ever try to harm my Qat... or my family... you understand, right? What it means for me to see you negatively... *Little* Shadow."

Applause erupted suddenly as the essence in the Air could be manipulated once more - but it drowned out into a ringing in the ’older’ cultivator’s ears. After her hand was released, the two bowed to each other. Even as Sevra forced a smile and played her part her mind raced.

She had come to seek a firmer confirmation of her suspicion. She left with more fear for the smiling bride in silver. But there was something more, as well. A newfound respect of sorts... for the villain that respected debts and could commit ’evil’ to protect others.