A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

"You found her?!" Erik exclaimed, his voice cracking with urgency. His voice was just a little too loud for their supposedly covert situation. Meanwhile, he barely resisted the impulse to grab Naeku and shake the answers of our her, his fingers twitching with barely contained energy.

Yet, in all his internal turmoil, the fact that he had never told Naeku his mother's name, or described her appearance, completely escaped him.

Fortunately, he had Elora to pick up this kind of slack. She instantly appeared on his shoulder and frowned at Naeku, who was currently looking at Erik with shock, recognition, and realization.

"How do you know Runa?" Elora asked Naeku, her voice cool and steady, despite the intensity of the moment, her tiny brows furrowed in suspicion.

"I—" the werepanther stammered, still grappling with her own shock, but Erik didn't let her finish. "Who cares?! Where is she?! Is she alright?!" he cried out worriedly, once again a little too loudly.

"Erik! Not so—!" the fairy began to urge through their bond, but her words were cut off as her omnisense flared, warning her of approaching danger. "Dammit!" she hissed, sensing some Arcanists were closing in on them, likely coming to check out the noise.

"Erik! Dimension, now!" she exclaimed urgently.

But Erik didn't register her words. He was entirely focused on Naeku, who was still dealing with her own shock. Since her answer didn't come immediately, Erik immediately believed she was being far too slow.

He stepped forward and grabbed the werepanther's shoulders with wild eyes. "Naeku! Answe—"

"ERIK!" Elora's mental shout crashed into his mind, a surge of sheer force that halted his thoughts like a slammed door. "DIMENSION!" Her words echoed in his skull, a freight train of urgency.
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For a heartbeat, Erik froze, his eyes locked with Naeku's. Then, clarity pierced through his hazy mind. He blinked, and in the breath of that blink, they were gone.

* * *

With a snap, the three of them appeared back in his dimension. Here, they were surrounded by the rest of his family and allies, who had naturally been watching this entire time.

On the walls, which were currently showing the outside world, two robed Arcanists walked into the abandoned building they'd previously been taking shelter in. Their brows were furrowed, and they looked around.

"Are you sure you heard something? This place seems empty," one mentioned, as their gazes passed straight through the invisible dimensional portal. Fortunately, they'd need omnisense to pick this up.

"I thought so, but… you're right," the other muttered with some confusion.

The first one took another look around, and then shrugged, "Well, whatever then. This building was abandoned for a reason, perhaps some rubble just came down. Come on, we're supposed to be getting ready to march. Those savages need to be taught a lesson."

The second guard also panned his gaze across the room they were in 0ne last time, but then nodded, "You're right, let's go."

With that, the people in Erik's dimension, who'd been watching with bated beath, breathed sights of relief. Only Naeku watched them go with anxious eyes, worried about their last words.

Afterwards, Erik looked at Elora with an apologetic gaze, "Elora, I—"

But before he could continue, Elora jumped of his shoulder, her lushes, crimson hair fluttering, then enlarged herself, and stood in front of him with a concerned gaze.

"It's alright, my love," she whispered, while pressing her hand on his chest comfortingly. "I understand your feelings. We can all sense them…" she continued while indicating towards the rest of their family, who all looked at him with concerned gazes. "But you need to remember to stay calm. No matter what. We can't save your mother, or keep our family alive, if you lose your nerve."

The enlarged fairy's emerald eyes looked at her husband with concern and love, while Erik looked back at her with clear frustration and guilt, only increased by the similar gazes he was receiving from Emma, Emily, Astrid, and Alice.

Nora and Anne, too, were looking at him in much the same way. Anne was still discovering her own feelings, but Nora had long since realized her deep, unwavering affection for Erik, even if she knew he'd never look at her the same way. As for Seraphina, she looked uncomfortable, as if unsure how to feel.

Yet even though Erik knew they just wanted to offer their support, he just felt frustrated over it. He still didn't know what Naeku had seen, and all he could think about was what his mother might have suffered while he enjoyed himself with his wives.

He didn't want their emotional support. He barely thought he deserved it. No, what he wanted was to destroy and kill until he got his mother back.

Or so he thought.

"Girls, I—" he began softly, yet with determination, as he wanted to assure them he was fine. Yet, he was quickly interrupted by Emma.

His cute, white-haired maid-wife, crashed into his body, wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight, her face buried into his right side. She didn't say a word, but comfort, love, and concern for his life, flowed through both their bond, and her physical touch.

At the same time, a frustrated Astrid was anxiously glaring at him. Yet, he felt almost the same things from her as he did Emma. Her emotions were simply also mixed with helplessness. Just like Erik, she preferred punching her problems, but she had no one to punch now. In fact, it was a wonder she hadn't punched Erik yet.

As for Emily, she hugged him from behind. Yet, unlike her younger sister's pure comfort, she offered him a sensual rubbing of her breasts against his back, while she purred in his ear, "You can always take our emotions out on me, Daddy…"

Clearly, neither Astrid nor Emily was particularly good at emotional comfort. Yet, it was the thought that counted, because their pure emotions were still being funnelled through their bonds. Erik actually felt his emotional walls crumbling by their onslaught of support.

Erik stood still during all this. With his eyes closed and his body trembling slightly, he felt Elora's hand resting on his chest, Emma clinging to his side, Emily pressing against his back, and Astrid's anxious gaze fixed on him from the left.

Slowly, the emotional support his four wives were giving him was suppressing his anxious and impatient fury. Then, the final drop came when Alice joined them as well.

The young wereverine stood next to Elora and put her small hand next to hers.

Then, she looked at Erik, clearly uncomfortable, yet determined. "Father, I— I've never met any of my grandmothers. I'd like your mother to be my first, but… but my father believed that a warrior has patience in his heart and should stay calm under all circumstances. Because as long as you stay calm, there's always a way forward."

Silence fell. One second passed. Two.

Then, Erik sighed, and tension left his body. He opened his eyes and smiled at his wives. "Thank you, my loves…"

The fury, anxiety, and impatience were all still there, but with their support, he was keeping it contained, allowing him to stay calm.

But they didn't move yet, while Erik turned his eyes towards Naeku, who was staring at them, but clearly sunk deep into her own thoughts.

"Naeku…" he urged softly. "What did you see?"

The werepanther blinked as she was pulled out of her thoughts. "She— She was there," she nodded absentmindedly. "And I think… I think so was that other woman you asked Aaron about…"

Instantly, Erik's fury spiked, and a furious light flashed through his eyes.

"Edda…" he muttered with bone chilling anger.