Stricken and Franks were standing before a throne made of flowering vines. Upon that throne sat what had to be the singlemost beautiful woman I had ever seen. I couldn’t even begin to describe her features because there weren’t human equivalents. She was absolute perfection. A goddess of sunshine, fertility, and rainbows, so I knew right away it was a bullshit illusion to trick us. Fey royalty looked like whatever they wanted to look like for their audience. From what I’d read about various queens, her real form could be a cockroach and she’d still come across as angelic if that behooved her at the time.
Stricken was talking. We’d caught him mid presentation, giving the massaged version of Franks’ resume. “After defeating the hosts of hell, who brazenly tricked me into giving them Earthly bodies, Franks has since continued to serve as a Chosen of the God of Light, as a champion of righteousness and dispenser of indiscriminate justice.”
Well, that was certainly one way to put it. Stricken was stalling because it had to be hard for him to give Franks such a fluffy introduction. Meanwhile, Franks didn’t look too good. He’d TQed his arm, packed a bunch of bandages into the gaping hole in his chest, and since he was still standing, had probably taken some of his Elixir of Life. Despite that, the assembled Fey still seemed nervous or impressed, because Franks’ reputation preceded him. Human, demon, Fey, or other, nobody wanted to mess with Franks.
The queen spoke. “It appears the rest of the supplicants have arrived.”
As expected, her voice was melody incarnate. She made Sonya’s angelic singing sound like a toilet flushing. Her powers of seduction made Lana’s look like a five-dollar crack whore in comparison. It was no wonder the ancients had worshipped these things across the globe. I forced myself to focus on the task at hand. I wasn’t going to let some Fey get into my head.
Stricken turned, saw that we were both alive, and then immediately went on with his pitch. I bet he had different intros prepared if I, Sonya, both, or neither had died. “To further demonstrate the seriousness of our endeavor, I bring before you a weapon of unmatchable power, placed inside the body of a royal of the Yokai Realm for safekeeping.”
I looked at Sonya. Royal?
“And a second Chosen capable of using such a device, the breaker of time, the god slayer, Owen Zastava Pitt.”
There were actually gasps and murmuring from the audience. Apparently, Franks wasn’t the only one around here with a rep.
“Hey,” I waved at the crowd.
Sonya and I took our place next to Stricken and Franks.
The queen looked over our motley bunch, judging. Either she was speaking English for our benefit, or her words were being magically translated for our ears. “It’s unfortunate that these two insulted me by missing the ritual of the sainted sun.”
“Sorry,” I said. “It was a terrible commute.”
The queen raised one magnificent eyebrow, and I shut up before she ordered me smitten. Smote? Whatever. It’s hard to be tactful when you’ve had a week like I had.
“You are from Monster Hunter International, yes?”
Apparently, she had heard of us. Hopefully it wasn’t because we’d blown a bunch of her subjects on some case I didn’t know about. “I am.”
“Do you know the Hunter called Chloe Mendoza?”
I think I’d seen that name on some really old PUFF paperwork from our California team, but that had been long before my time. “It sounds familiar, but no.”
The queen nodded but remained inscrutable.
“Forgive them, your majesty. The forces of the Old Ones and Asag conspired to stop us. The evil factions do not wish an interruption to their war which is currently being waged across your lands. We do, in order to ensure the safety of your kingdom, and ours.”
“As I was warned is your way, Stricken, you speak only part of the truth. I have been watching. You were also delayed because one of the creatures you tried to bend to your will had a mind of his own. You were not able to control that one.”
“Silas Carver was an obstinate sort. I’m afraid that arrangement didn’t work out as I hoped.”
“I shall forgive the late arrival of the Hunter and the yokai. He showed courage and she demonstrated loyalty. While the fallen, who doubtlessly would have preferred to battle, stood in their place out of a sense of duty. Courage, loyalty, and duty are traits appreciated in my court. Thus I forgive this slight.” The queen waved one had dismissively. “However, as for Silas Carver, he is not here.”
That was because I’d stomped a kukri through his face, but I refrained from saying that out loud.
The queen seemed disappointed. “Alas, you knew what I required.”
“Indeed, your majesty. When I approached your sister about arranging this meeting, she told me that you would require a special gift for your collection.”
Collection? I had no idea what this particular Fey queen collected. Apparently, neither did Franks because he got an even grimmer than usual look on his face. I was really hoping she was into Beanie Babies or Furbies or something other than Chosen.
“I prefer to think of it as my menagerie, though you humans would call it a zoo. I have accumulated the finest selection of terrible beasts from a multitude of realms. One of the thirteen Drekavacs would have been a splendid addition. Delivering such a creature into my hands would’ve demonstrated your conviction and worthiness to move freely through my realm.”
Stricken was even more malicious
