At least the rest of the world was normal.

Beneath me was a small, if noisy, crowd. Humans and non-humans alike were gathered, though the humans outnumbered the unnatural ten to one. They were all dressed nicely, and lively, as they mingled together. There was light music, food aplenty, and everyone had a glass of dark liquor in their hands.

Merit had wasted no time in showing off her new treasure. Though she had wisely hidden the pitcher itself, and had simply filled up several barrels worth before serving the party with them. She was tiny but wise.

Which was more than I could say for the saint I was watching.

The young saint was dressed in a rather modest dress, but it was some kind of plant based thing. It clung to her body in a way that made it sexy, almost too sexy even though the only skin she revealed was from the middle of her neck up.

Her eyes weren't glowing, and I felt no hum of energy from her, but that was because she was keeping it sealed. The only way a saint could hide the glow in their eyes was to detach themselves from their conduit. It was the same as holding ones breath, for a saint. It kept her abilities at bay, but it wasn't a comfortable experience. It was in all honesty a painful task. I was surprised someone so young was able to endure it.

She was tall for her age though. And had a very, almost unnoticeable, limp. Odds are she had suffered a terrible injury in her youth. But I had no time to pity the girl as I watched her slowly sneak her way through the crowd, heading for Merit who was talking to a group of people in the north side of the room.

The saint wasn't moving too quickly, nor did she seem to really be trying to sneak around. I just felt like she was, because I hated her. She was a saint, so I wanted to be angry with her.

I just had a god act human. Last thing I needed was for a saint to try and pull those same heartstrings. I'd not allow it.

The moment she tried to make me pity her, or something like it, I'd crush her skull. Remorse or no.

A tiny groan drew my attention away from the crowd beneath me, and I smiled as I watched a pair of hairy hands grab at the banister I was sitting up. The small mouse, barely any bigger than Merit, grunted as he got himself up and over the banister's edge and then he crawled towards me.

"Why Vim! What a lovely little spot! Though I fear difficult to reach, not one to come to with a full belly I fear!" the mouse said happily, his whiskers fluttering as he came over to sit next to me.

"Hello Klaus," I greeted the man as he huffed and sat down to my right. He bumped into me as he did, since there wasn't much room between the rafters here, but it felt just like a tiny kid so I wasn't bothered.

His floppy ears fluttered as he looked around and down at the party goers beneath us. "Why, oh my! Look at them all!" Klaus said excitedly, as if he hadn't ever realized just how many people got together in such a room for such parties.

I glanced him up and down as he examined the people beneath us, and was glad to see that he had no more missing parts. Over the years he's slowly lost pieces of himself, though has never been willing to tell me how or why. A part of his left ear was half gone. A tiny piece of his nose was missing. A few fingers, and I knew a few toes though I couldn't see them from the way he was sitting. He was sitting on his knees. And worst of all, from a few visits ago, he had lost a part of his tail. The large rodent tail sat behind him on the banister, and was no longer long enough to slide over the other edge even though it was only a few feet away.

"Who are we watching Vim?" Klaus asked seriously as his dark eyes scanned the crowd.

"That woman in the plant dress. The one with black hair, walking past Hafni," I said with a point at her.

"Ah! The one they say might be a saint," Klaus said knowingly as he nodded.

"She is one," I said.

"Oh my…! Yet still lives? You must have plans nefarious!" Klaus said with a tiny laugh.

"Well, Merit does," I admitted.

Klaus nodded knowingly as we watched the saint pause to talk to a pair of men. I didn't recognize them, but their attire told me they were from here. Maybe some kind of politicians or something. I knew I could inquire about them to Klaus and he'd know, but I didn't care to.

"I must say, there are far more of us than I thought! Why, are there forty-three of us? Not including those not here?" Klaus asked, and I smiled at the feel of his whiskers on my arm. They were twitching fiercely as he counted our members in the crowd.

"I believe there are sixty-eight of you here, currently," I said.

"Oh…? No, no! Sixty-nine, Vim! Sixty-nine!" Klaus then said loudly at me.

"Hm…?" I frowned at him, and noted the smirk hidden on his rodent-face.

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"A son! I've had a son, Vim! A real one!" he said happily, informing me of the news.

"Oh…! Congratulations Klaus! What do you mean by real…?" I asked carefully. Klaus was odd, being so non-human, but he wasn't that weird was he?

"A flesh and blood son! With a human body! Not even a snout or a tail! I've named him Pierre!" Klaus said excitedly.

Oh…!

Reaching over, I patted the tiny mouse on the back, gently. "Very well done. May I meet him?" I asked. If he had been born fully human, that meant he may pass quickly like one. So I should make sure to meet him at least once before he does.

"No! Not yet. Can't until the eyes are adjusted! Must stay in the dark, and not imprint!" Klaus said hurriedly, as if scared all of a sudden.

I see.

Although human in shape, there was a chance the boy still had a few features of his parents. Though… imprint…? Really? Did a mouse imprint?

Before I could allow any of my confusion or questions to take shape, Klaus then sighed and shook his head, as if in defeat. "Though… maybe not. I fear I may have underestimated him a little," Klaus said.

"How so?" I asked worriedly.

"The lad has no fur! Or claws or tail! In fact he looks so human, and acts it; I'd not believe he popped out of dear Clarini if I hadn't caught him myself!" Klause said.

I smirked at him. Funny.

"It happens, Klaus. A weird defect of our making. But even without tail and whiskers, he's still your son right?" I said gently, hoping to suggest a tiny imprint of my own.

"Rightly so! I shall make him a great hoarder! Like his father and fathers before him!" Klaus said proudly.

I nodded, glad to hear it.

Klaus crossed his arms, his claws scratching at his elbows a little noisily as he huffed. "I always worry the poor boy is freezing to death, what with no fur. I'm glad we live where it's warm now, not that nasty cold business up north," he said.

Right. He and his wife had came down from the inland seas. Hadn't there been others they came with…? Other rodents…? A sibling, maybe. Or another child. Couldn't remember.

"How old is the boy?" I asked as I looked back down and found the saint. She was now closer to Merit, and waving goodbye another young woman. She had just finished another conversation.

She really was heading for Merit. It set me on edge, but I knew it was likely just politics. She was supposed to be some kind of ambassador from that southern nation. Even if she was hiding her saintly self, she still had a job to do I assumed. Odds are she just wanted to talk to Merit about business. Maybe even about the new liquor flowing in everyone's cups.

"He's a few years old now. Still so tiny though, which worries me. Not even walking yet!" Klaus said.

Hm…? A few years old?

I frowned and nodded. That meant he, although human in appearance, was thick of blood.

Good. I was glad to hear it. Better to have his bloodlines strength and abilities than just to look like them.

If anything it would be better for him to be human, at least outwardly, nowadays. There weren't many places like this left anymore, where non-humans could live so freely without worry. Up north entire locations that had once been like this, living amongst the humans, were now in hiding.

"Well once he's ready let me meet the young rodent. I'll give him his first coin or something," I said.

Klaus laughed. "You would, wouldn't you! So kind of you!"

I was kind, sometimes.

The saint shifted, and I frowned as I watched her pick up another cup from a passing server. She now held two, one in each hand.

I'd assume she planned to hand it to Merit, as a conversation starter, but Merit had a large goblet in her hand already. One made of solid gold and littered with jewels. She had no need for another cup.

Maybe Merit wasn't her goal then…?

Then the saint's form shifted.

She paused, her back turned to the crowd, and from up here I noticed the way she had her head hung low. I couldn't see her face, or eyes, from here… but I knew they were likely firmly shut tight. She was using a power. I could see it in the air around her. It wasn't as obvious as Carson's interference, but it was as clear as day all the same to me.

And in her hands, I saw the liquids within the cups shimmer and glow.

"I got to go, Klaus. That saint is going to try and kill Merit," I said as I slid forward.

"Oh no!" Klaus clambered away as I slipped over the edge and fell to the ground.

It only took half a moment to land, and I did so haphazardly. The stone ground of the large room cracked and broke under my impact, and people screamed and shouted in a panic as they darted away. A few of the closest people to where I had landed even fell over, likely from the shock and the ground moving from under their feet.

I paid none of them any mind, and ran forward amidst the confusion. I darted pass humans and non-humans alike, a few who even shouted out my name as I passed them.

Drinks fell and clattered. Plates and platters joined them. A woman fell over, her high-heels snapping in the process. She was barely caught by the man next to her, and another fell into a table. The mess it made as it fell distracted the others as I reached the saint. She had spun towards me, her glowing eyes going wide and white as I came to a stop right in front of her.

The modestly dressed saint looked even younger upon seeing me. Her face went almost as pale as her eyes were as I reached out and grabbed the cups in her hands.

Sure enough the liquor inside both of the cups was swirling and bubbling. As if boiling.

She had infused her divinity into the liquor. Merit would of course not have drank from them, what with the alcohol basically boiling and frothing, but that had obviously not been the intention. I knew what such liquid did when splashed onto skin. It would have melted Merit to the bone.

"Greetings, Miss Saint. My name is Vim," I introduced myself as I quickly chugged down the contents of one of the cups… and then quickly swallowed the rest of the other.

Taking a small breath as I felt the burning sensation of literal acid roll down my throat and into my stomach, I cracked my neck and tossed the cups away… and then grabbed the woman by the neck.

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