A Weapon’s Serenade

Serena had fallen asleep on the picnic blanket. Kuria had taken her and Isha to the top of the Acheron waterfall above Dis. Tiny was snuggled up to the sleeping human while the two young demons were chatting quietly.

“I was surprised to see you joining the tour through the city.”

“It was something to take Serena’s mind off troubles. It is not my place to tell, but she needed a distraction. Joining the other sirens for the tour and meeting with you for dinner served that purpose perfectly.”

“I see. I will ask her in the morning. What about you, how are you feeling?”

“I feel uncertain. There is much on my mind.”

“I am here if you want to talk about it.”

“It feels like I’m failing at what I’m supposed to do. Aren’t things like me supposed to make earth a better place? Aren’t we meant to improve things and not run away from them? All I have done is help people run away. Serena, Anne, you, everyone I try to help ends up here. A better place, yes, but wherever they all came from still sucks.”

“As far as I understand, ‘things’ like you were made to help humanity survive a war it wasn’t even meant to be part of. You did way more than that already. You are doing what you can do, you can help your friends. You can fix the world on your own. Change like the kind humanity needs can’t come from someone else, they need to realize it on their own. Sure, you could just conquer them, force them to behave but that won’t last. You did what you could to give them a chance to become better, now it’s up to them. Best we can do is stay out of the way.”

“That feels like giving up.”

Isha nodded. “It sure does. Sometimes, giving up is the only good option. What if we fought back? What if you tried to change humanity? Would that even have made a difference? What we all are doing now makes a difference. A small one, but it makes the future better.”

“I’m not sure small steps are enough though.”

“Kuria, we have eternity. I know you care about the humans and other mortal animals, but you cannot save everyone. I asked the orator why we didn’t fight the humans. That was a long time ago. She told me that the humans will change and we need to just make sure we and all we care about are safe. We cannot save everyone, but we can try to save those we love. If everyone just does that, if everyone takes the small steps, it will be enough in the end. Besides, we got eternity. Infinite time. No matter how small the step, we will achieve what we want eventually.”

“Small steps then. Well, today we made Serena a little happier and safer.”

“A good step. We should make take Serena to a bed. This is a wonderful place but I don’t know how safe it is for a human to sleep here.”

“You’re right. I don’t want her to wake up in her own bed though. There is a reason she fell asleep here and refused to go home.”

Isha nodded. “She can stay at my place. The bed is soft and warm, she liked it. I am still not used to sleeping in a bed but it is very comfortable.”

“Sounds good. Can you teleport us or should I?”

“I haven’t teleported much but I think I got it figured out. Let’s see…”

Just as Isha wanted, the two demons, Tiny and Serena found themselves in Isha’s new home. The former siren gently lifted the sleeping human off the ground to put her onto the large bed.

Meanwhile, Kuria took a look around the bedroom. “The rats on the nightstand, the mussel on the shelf… wonderful places you picked. But I can’t help but worry about the rest of the space being pretty empty.”

Isha pulled the blanket over Serena, who curled up a little. “I own only a few things, mostly tools I put on display in the living room. I have a trinket my mother carved for me that I don’t know if to put on a shelf here or in a more public area. I also want to fill the shelves in the living room with books I like and the shelves in here with the things I love. The things just for me that I collect over the next eternity.”

“Leaving a lot of free space makes sense then. About the trinket… is it something super personal or something you would proudly show others?”

“I don’t really know.”

“Then leave it in the living room, see if people comment on it. If you like people noticing it, then keep it there. If not, then move it in here.”

“Good idea. Speaking of the living room, we should go there to talk. Leave Serena to rest here.”

“Of course.”

Isha had served some of her favourite new thing: tea.

“It must sound so mundane to you, but I love drinking things. Especially interesting things beyond just the flavour. Hot, cold, thick, all the textures.”

Kuria smiled. “I knew what everything felt like before I got this body, but with Melody, I could always withdraw from physical sensation. It was the first time I shared a bed with Anne, she was curled up in my arms, that it really sunk in that I am forced to feel everything now. All the things I was too shy or too cowardly to allow myself to feel. Whenever Melody and Anne cuddled, I was there but prevented myself from feeling it. That night, I wanted to instinctively withdraw again but couldn’t. It was so good and I am glad I can’t flee anymore. So many things I never allowed myself to feel physically that I love now. I imagine all the new… well… dry sensations are similar for you.”

“I imagine so. It is amazing to experience all these new things and find new favourites but still remaining able to go back to everything I loved before. Even if we aren’t hunting anymore, we can still conjure the food we loved whenever we feel nostalgic.”

“I love that and I want you to share all those things with me. If you want, of course. I am really curious to try the things you ate before you were turned.”

“That might be a fun thing for when Anne and Melody are here too. Speaking of sharing our old worlds, I would love to see if I can disguise myself as a human and visit your current home.”

“I would love that and I am very sure Anne and Melody would too. So many places I want to show you.”

Isha grinned. “That will be a good time.”

Before Kuria could answer, Nemesis flickered into the room. “Oh, sorry, am I interrupting? Can you see me?”

Isha nodded. “We can, yes. You aren’t interrupting. What brings you here, I thought you were above the ocean.”

“Chariot me is still where you last saw me. I am just trying this projection stuff outside the chariot and across worlds. It is a bit… finicky but appears to work. I am actually here to invite you on a small excursion.”

“I thought chariot you isn’t supposed to leave until all the sirens have been resettled?”

“True, but I can project myself anywhere I want in any of the three worlds. While scouring the so-called internet, some form of human information delivery network, we found information about a venerated astronomical event. A solar eclipse.”

Kuria nearly bounced off the armchair in excitement. “Yes! Please! When?”

Isha looked mildly confused. “What even is a solar eclipse?”

Nemesis returned a smile. “It is an event during which the moon orbiting the planet earth in the border world passes in front of the sun during the day in such a manner as to fully cover it as viewed from certain positions on the planet. This eclipse will be visible from several uninhabited regions in the Sahara dessert in northern Africa. As such an event is impossible in Hell, but reoccurs regularly on earth from different perspectives, we are inviting all we believe might be interested in viewing this eclipse with us. The high inquisitor is diverting my sister ship to conceal our presence as many demons have already enthusiastically agreed to join us.”

“Isn’t a dessert a really dry place?”

“This one is, yes. We can control the local climate for a short period of time if the environment becomes a problem.”

“I would love to see a dessert! And this solar eclipse at the same time is just amazing. I’m in.”

“Me too! When is it?”

Nemesis’ eyes darted around for a few seconds. “In exactly five days, eighteen hours and fifty-two minutes by human time measurements.”

“I will tell Anne and Melody. I am absolutely certain they are up for this too. Who else is coming?”

“The list is too long to give you now, but it includes the entire library staff, the inquisitorium, most of the justicarium, several renowned members of the academic circle and others you are likely to know. My crew, including Baal, will also be present. I will manage chariot operations while viewing the eclipse simultaneously.”

“You weren’t kidding when you said you got many demons to come, wow.”

“Relative to the lifespan of many of Hell’s inhabitants, solar and lunar eclipses are a common occurrence, but many have not taken the time to view one or did not know about their existence. Isha, many of the former sirens have also agreed to join us.”

“I am very happy to hear that!”