Waking up in another's arms was not new, but it was when it was my head that was wrapped in them.

Shifting a little, I glanced and felt around without moving too much. I was on the bed still. It was intact. Renn was holding me. She was asleep. We were alone in the mansio still, and by the feel of the air it's been hours since the morning chill. The world outside was warm, but not very noisy. I heard no birds, or any wind. Off in the distance I could hear hymns, which told me it was midday.

I had slept the rest of the night, and the morning, away.

We should already be on the road right now. On the way to Lumen.

Instead I was in bed. Lying in her arms.

But somehow I wasn't too annoyed over it.

Renn's breathing was soft. She wasn't snoring, which worried me a little. She usually snored when really happy. Did that mean she wasn't happy? Even as she clung to me like this?

I took a small breath and slightly regretted it. I was facing her stomach, thanks to how she had coiled around me. It seemed since I had fallen asleep in her lap, she had laid down sideways at some point and wrapped herself around me. The way she was curled around me reminded me of her bloodline. She was sleeping around me as a cat would another of its kind, maybe around its kittens.

Her hair was everywhere, and why I had regretted breathing too strongly. I could feel more than a few strands in my mouth. She needed to cut her hair, it was getting unruly again. What was most telling, at how deep of a sleep she was in, was not just the fact she wasn't snoring but also the way her tail wasn't moving or thumping lightly. It was coiled around my waist, as still as her.

As if she, even in her sleep, was doing all she could to not wake me up.

I did usually wake up first, but usually not in such a precarious situation. Though she had been clinging to me rather desperately lately, this made me feel more like it was I who was clinging to her. Especially since my arms were still wrapped around her.

What was I doing…? Really.

For a long moment I just stayed still. Although I wanted to get up, because I felt like I had things to do, I also… didn't wish to.

She was warm. She smelled good. I liked the way she was holding me, and I her. The bed was soft, and big enough to not make this sleeping situation uncomfortable. I also liked the way she was not fully naked, it wasn't often we slept in bed lately and she wasn't so.

Renn likely wouldn't understand, but she not being fully naked was sometimes something more seductive.

A deep, low tone, bell rung. Half a moment later it rung again, a little louder this time. It was the afternoon chimes. And…

Her tail shifted first. Then she tightened her grip around my head for a small moment as she woke up, only for her to become a little stiff.

I smiled a little as I felt her shock. She had been about to yawn and wake up, and now had gone completely still. She just realized she had woken up in a rather odd position.

The sound of her ears against the bed's blanket filled the room as the afternoon bells stopped ringing. Their chimes echoed for a bit, and I decided to not torture her. Knowing Renn she'd stay here, lying completely still, since she would worry to wake me.

"Don't go falling back asleep now," I said. My voice sounded muffled as she startled. She grumbled a wordless complaint as she slowly released my head, freeing me and allowing me to sit up.

Pushing myself off the bed, I did so a little quickly. I put some distance between us, and did my best to not glance her way as I rolled to the edge of the bed.

"Sorry, Vim," Renn mumbled. She sounded fully awake, so her soft voice had not been sleep but rather actual shame.

"Please Renn. That's one thing you don't need to apologize for, of all things," I said as I stood and glanced to the mirror nearby. From the angle I was able to partly see her. She had sat up straight, and was staring straight at me. She looked good with the way her shirt was half slipped off her shoulder, and her unruly hair.

Yes. Let's not look at her for a moment…

Renn giggled as I stepped over to the balcony. I didn't plan to open the doors that led to it, but I did glance around at the world beyond the little house. It looked… normal, really. A little warmer and brighter than usual, but nothing too drastic. We had arrived here alongside a storm, it was gone now. Another indication that we should have left this morning, since it'd not be long until bad weather returned. It was that season, after all.

She slid off the bed; her bare feet landing on the wooden floorboards with the type of silence that made me notice it. I listened as she walked around the bed, heading for the door. When she opened it, and left, I dared a glance behind me… and found her smirking at me.

My eye twitched as she blushed and stepped away, heading down the hallway.

Sighing at her, and myself, I reached up to rub my face.

At least I didn't feel tired anymore.

Pausing a moment, I frowned as I realized I actually did feel rather good. The tugging exhaustion had been lessening lately, but now I wasn't sure if I even felt it anymore. If it was there, it was so minuscule it may as well not be.

When had I begun to get better, I wonder…?

Maybe it had just been a fluke. Maybe stress…? But stress doesn't bother me, like it does others… so…

"Vim…!"

I turned, frowned at Renn's call, and headed downstairs. I didn't rush, since her shout had not been frantic… and found her kneeling near the bathroom door.

"Renn?" I walked over to her, right as she shifted a little as to show me what was wrong.

The little monarch, the multi-tailed creature, was lying on the floor against the wall. And not because it was asleep.

My eyes narrowed as I got closer and knelt down. Renn got out of the way a little as I reached out and touched the thing's side… and sure enough verified the blood soaking its fur.

"It's hurt…!" Renn said worriedly.

It was.

Very carefully, I laid my hand on the thing. Across the thing's wound, as to feel it. Through the very thick fur I felt cold blood. Blood that was thick, too thick. And beneath that thick blood was a gash of some kind, one that…

Lifting the thing ever so gently, I noted the way the thing didn't even notice or shift a hair as I rolled it over… and verified it had a similar sized gash on the other side of it.

"Was it stabbed…?" Renn asked worriedly.

"Looks like it," I said. Stabbed right through its middle. With something too big to have been an arrow, or small knife.

Either a sword or a spear.

"Is it dead? Vim?" Renn grabbed my shoulder worriedly as I gathered the passed out creature in my hands.

"No. It's just passed out. It's a tiny, frail creature, but it's still a monarch, Renn. It won't die easily," I said. Its tiny heart was thumping solidly, in its right leg.

"Who? Why? What happened?" Renn rattled her questions as I glanced around, looking for where it had come from.

Its wound was bad enough it should have left a trail of blood… yet I saw none. Neither from the hallway, or the bathroom… I glanced up, checking the walls and ceiling, and found no marks or blood there either.

"Vim?" Renn grabbed my arm as I tried to make sense of what had happened.

"Is the spear still in our room, Renn?" I asked.

"Huh…? Yes. It's resting against the wall, Vim, want me to go check again?" she asked quickly.

No. Her quick answer and confidence in it tells me it was a verification from her recent memory. She had just seen it upon leaving the room a few moments ago.

"Do you smell anyone? See anyone?" I asked as I stepped into the bathroom, both to check for blood and check for intruders.

"No…? I faintly smell Angie and Fizz, but their scents are old," Renn said as I opened the back door of the bathroom, to step outside and glance around.

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I nodded as I verified no one was around the house, and that there was no sign of blood or what had happened. I went back into the house, and checked the front room and front door. Like before, I saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Vim…? The poor thing's hurt, we need to help it," Renn reminded me as I studied the distant gate to this courtyard. It was shut.

"It's a monarch Renn. It'll be fine," I said.

"So…? The poor thing's probably still in pain, Vim, it's not even awake that tells you how much it's hurting right now," Renn argued as she stepped closer, sadly frowning at the thing in my hands.

"Hm… Let's go to Hands. Go get our bags, and the spear, Renn. Don't leave anything special, just in case," I said.

Renn stood up straighter, frowned and nodded. She hurried off, and under her breath I heard her grumble. "I still need to go potty…" she whispered.

"Then go to the restroom!" I shouted at her.

"Don't listen to my private thoughts like that!" she shouted back as she went into the room upstairs.

I shook my head at her as I glanced down at the passed out monarch.

It really was hurt. I wasn't lying earlier, the thing was a monarch. It should, technically, be fine. Even with such a wound. But…

Renn was right too. The thing was out cold. It was breathing ever so gently, and I did hear the tiniest of wheezes as it did. Its wound was rather close to its lungs, odds are they had been damaged.

Could it die…?

Possibly.

I sighed. "Don't be cruel, Vim," I whispered.

"Yeah, don't!" Renn agreed as she hurried down the stairs.

"Your private mumblings are sacred but mine aren't?" I asked as she rolled a shoulder, shifting one of our bags as she did.

"Obviously…? Why Hands, Vim?" she asked as she bent down to put my shoes down before me.

Oh. Right.

I put them on, making sure not to bother the monarch much as I did so. "Hands is a surgeon. Plus he has stuff we can use to tend the thing, if it actually needs such help," I said.

"Then let's hurry already!" she said as she hurried out of the mansio.

"Don't you need to piss?" I asked as I went to follow her.

"I can't believe you're being so nonchalant about this, Vim! The poor thing is dying, come on!" she ignored my teasing as she hurried off towards the gate, as to open it for me.

I sighed as I closed the door behind me and hurried to follow her. She set our pace, making me nearly break out into a run as she did.

Thankfully we didn't encounter too many people, or even any members, as we made our way to Hands' office. Renn opened his door, without even knocking on it, as she ran into it. "Hands!" she shouted loudly. Likely as to be heard over the countless tick and tocks.

Entering after her, I shut the door behind me and locked it… right as I heard the clatter of a lot of things fall. Heavy things.

"Oh no…!" Hands' tiny shriek of worry came from the hallway that led deeper into his office, and shortly after he appeared as he hurried out.

"Help us Hands…!" Renn said loudly in greeting. His eyes went wide at her declaration, and I saw the raccoon begin to stress out… until he noticed me.

He visibly calmed down upon seeing me, but then panicked again upon seeing the tiny white creature in my hands. "Oh no!" he shouted again, this time with a tone of actual panic.

Stepping over to him, Hands hurried over and his hands fluttered mindlessly for a moment as he studied the creature. "Oh no! Stabbed! Right through!" he said quickly.

"So it seems. It's still alive, for now, I think its lungs might have been clipped. It's breathing with that familiar wheeze," I said.

"Hurry! Bedroom!" Hands wasted no time; he spun around and ran back down the hallway.

Renn hurried after him, and I followed her. It didn't take long for Hands to clear off a table, laying down a thick blanket upon it. I put the little monarch down upon it as he ran off, to gather up what he needed.

"I don't even know the little thing's name," Renn said softly as she reached out to pet the thing's head.

"It has no name, Renn. It's not like the ones you know, it can't talk or reason," I said.

"Everything can have a name, Vim," Renn whispered.

Nodding softly, I studied the way she stared worriedly at the thing. She looked protective of it. A little too protective. "I didn't mean it that way Renn. Just that it has no proper name that I know of at least."

"Vim! Vim! Water, please!" Hands returned, carrying both a box and a large sack. I nodded and stepped away, leaving the creature in not just his capable hands… but Renn's.

Like most locations for members, this was more than an office. He lived here. So it had been built with that in mind. There were plenty of rooms, access to upper and lower floors, and yes even multiple bathrooms and a kitchen. I gathered up two large bowls of water, and some more towels then returned to his bedroom. I found him with his face very close to the monarch, studying the wound carefully with a bright stone light.

Renn's ears fluttered as she glanced at me, her expression not making me feel good. She should be happy the thing's getting proper help, and maybe even confused or interested in the light source Hands was using… yet instead…

"Hands?" I asked as I brought the water.

He didn't answer, and then standing up a little straighter he went and stuck a finger into the thing's wound. Renn flinched as I watched Hands feel for something, and then upon finding what he sought… he turned to look at me and slowly shook his head.

Ah.

"I see," I said softly. So I had been wrong.

"See? See what? What's happening? What's wrong with it?" Renn asked, her voice cracking as it rose in volume. She had undoubtedly sensed and saw what Hands and I now knew.

Hands turned to look at Renn, and gently shook his head at her too. "I'm sorry, Rennalee… but the poor little thing's heart is missing."

"What…? It's missing its heart, Vim?" Renn looked at me, her eyebrows knotting in worry.

Oh. "Not it's monarch heart. Its actual heart," I said.

Hands nodded quickly. "Yes. The organ. The poor creature still has its lungs, but no heart. It's… an odd wound, Vim. As if it had been shot by something solid, not sharp," Hands said as he turned the creature over a little, as to get a better look at it.

Renn shifted and bit her lip at the sight of how Hands had moved it, and I made sure to keep an eye on her for a moment. That had been a flash of rage on her face just now.

She had felt he had not treated the little creature with respect, hadn't she? Or was she simply emotional at learning of its death?

"Yes. It's missing other things, and part of its spine. What's odd though is I don't see or feel any fragments of anything…" Hands said as he stuck a finger in again.

"Vim…!" Renn made a cry of a noise as she reached out and grabbed the blanket the little creature was lying upon.

"I'm sorry Renn. As I said… it's a feeble creature. It is, or was, stronger than any smaller animal like it, but it is still not a great and powerful monarch. I'm… shocked its dying, but also not, I suppose," I said, not really sure how else to say it.

"Can't you two do anything for it? At all? It's a monarch isn't it? Why can't it heal like you, Vim?" Renn asked.

Hands shifted and glanced at me, and I did my best to not notice his look. "Its heart is the size of a marble, Renn. Your thumb. It's not very powerful. It can heal, but if it's missing its actual heart… I doubt it will survive. It cannot re-grow parts, it used to have more tails. It's lost them over the years from injuries," I said.

Hands nodded. "Used to have eight."

Nine. But that was fine, it got the point across.

Renn began to breathe a little harshly, and started to cry. "Vim…!"

Reaching out, I went ahead and stuck a finger into the wound… to verify Hands's assessment. I didn't doubt the man, but how could I not at least make sure and try anyway when being looked at like I was right now?

"We can try, Vim… but…" Hands gestured gently at the thing, and I knew why he was not being his typical self. Usually by now he'd have simply put the thing out of its misery. Because he was like me. Too analytical and a realist. He was like his father.

Renn grabbed Hands' arm. I glanced at him, and was glad to see he didn't flinch from either pain or shock. "Is there nothing we can do? What about another heart? What if we put one inside of it?" she asked.

Hands finally startled, and quickly looked at me with wide eyes. "Vim!" he shouted worriedly.

"Calm down Renn. That won't work like that. Not for this one. It's too weak. It's…" I felt the coldness within it as I stopped searching for a heart. There was none inside of it anymore, and Hands was right, it was as if there never had been. "It's about to die in mere moments," I finished.

His initial assessment was rather accurately… actually… it wasn't like a stab from a sword or spear, but instead almost as if it had been shot by a giant nail or spike. That or a larger, high powered bullet, but that wasn't possible. Even if it had been shot outside of the Cathedral I would have woken up from the sound of such a weapon going off. The sound was too distinctive, too familiar.

"Vim…" Renn cried my name as I sighed and patted the small thing on the head.

"I'm sorry Renn. I really am…" Hands whispered.

Shaking my head at the thing, I gestured to the thing's leg. "Its heart is in its right leg. Would you please extract it for me, Hands? Once it passes?" I asked.

"Oh… um… yes, of course Vim…" Hands nodded quickly as Renn made a whiny noise as I debated cleaning my hands or not. They were stained with blood. Dark blood.

"Vim…!" Renn tried to get my attention, but I ignored her for a moment as I pondered the thing's death.

It was a monarch… so to be utterly honest I felt nothing for it. It was destined to die. If not like this, or from age, then from my own hands. But…

The thing had been harmless. It's been living here for hundreds of years. Been something of the local pet. People liked it. Cherished it. The church even saw it as a divine beast. A blessed animal, thanks to its longevity and extra tails.

People have tried to hunt it before. Many times. But it was still a monarch… which meant whoever had done this, whatever had done this, was someone not normal. Not a normal human, at least. Maybe even not a normal non-human.

Chaos never arrives alone, does it…?

"Come on Renn. Let us go find the one who killed it," I said as I turned.

Renn didn't hesitate as she hurried out of the room, before even I could.

"Vim…!" Hands got my attention as I heard Renn hurry out into the front office. I turned to him, and he gestured to the monarch. "The monarch. It made a nest. Near the archives below," he told me quickly.

I frowned at that and nodded. "Is it easily found?" I asked.

"No. It's hidden behind the tapestry, the one near the spiral stairwell. You'll have to break the wall apart to get to it, but I have no doubt it has hidden stuff there. It hoarded jewels and stuff," he said.

Right… "Okay. Thank you Hands. I'm sorry to bring death into your home, I had… not thought it was going to die, to be honest," I said.

"Vim! Hurry!" Renn shouted angrily at me as I heard the door open.

Hands smiled at me. "All is well, protector. I'll see to it, I suggest you go before your wife sinks her fangs into someone. Seems we both fell for ones with sharp teeth!" he said happily.

That we did…

Leaving his office, I followed Renn out into the Cathedral… a little unsure of who to confront first… but Renn decided for me.

"Chronicler!" she said, as if she already had proof.

"Let's go then," I said.

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