Chapter 31: Terror

Vynn kicked the door to Qoithe’s office in with wild fury, causing its hinges to splinter.

“QOITHE!” she roared as she charged in. “I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”

A frightened-looking man, who was not Qoithe, sat behind a small metal desk. The sealed boxes scattered around indicated he had just moved in.

“You’re not-” Vynn began sheepishly.

“N-No,” the man replied, shrinking back.

“Where…”

“T-Two floors up. He j-just moved to a larger office, so I g-g-got this one. Please don’t kill me.”

“Oh,” Vynn said, her face flushing. “Sorry. I have no quarrel with you. I’ll go now.” She retreated backwards out of the room, leaving the trembling man to his own devices.

******

Vynn kicked the door to Qoithe’s actual office in with wild fury, causing its hinges to splinter.

A startled Qoithe looked up from his large wooden desk. Vynn visually confirmed it was him, then took a deep breath.

“QOITHE!” she roared. “I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”

“N-Now Vynn…” Qoithe began in a barely audible voice. “I know how this looks…”

Vynn stalked forwards and drove her fists into Qoithe’s fancy desk, causing the whole thing to shudder ostentatiously. “Like you stole my work and claimed credit?”

“…yes…” Qoithe admitted. “…but…”

“But nothing, Qoithe. I reverse-engineered that thinking machine. I wrote that bluewrit. If anyone is credited, it should be me!”

“You know the other Breeders would never allow that…” Qoithe peeped meekly.

“That doesn’t mean you get to claim authorship!” Vynn spat. “It was supposed to be published anonymously, like all my work! We had an agreement! And you reneged on it for what… a nicer office?”

Qoithe sighed and rose to his feet. “It’s not just the office, Vynn. There will be awards, new grants… this is a massive breakthrough, and the whole Maroon Tower stands to benefit.”

“Benefit, huh? I’ll bet. You got a nice salary increase out of the deal, I’m guessing,” Vynn groused.

Qoithe looked stricken. “I… I was hoping to share that with you and Bob.”

“Oh, don’t start,” Vynn growled. “You saw an opportunity and took it. You let mercenary greed control your actions, and now you’re trying to offer me hush money.”

“That’s not…” Qoithe protested.

“Then what is it, Qoithe?”

“I…” the Breeder, sweating despite the lack of heat, wiped his forehead. “I still need your help.”

Vynn’s eyes widened. “My help?” she asked incredulously. “With WHAT?!”

A shuddering Qoithe continued, each word seeming to pain him. “I… don’t understand your work very well, Vynn, nor do the Mechanics. It’s too advanced. The others keep asking me questions I can’t answer, about practical applications, theory, cryptography…”

“Questions I can answer for you,” Vynn said slowly, her jaw set.

Qoithe nodded. “If you work with me, we can both profit…”

“No,” Vynn replied. “Your own lies got you into this mess, so you can find your own way out. I’m sure the High Breeder will be VERY displeased once he learns you were faking authorship the whole time.”

“B-But…” Qoithe protested. “You have to. For the good of the Tower…”

“You really think after this I’m going to have any loyalty to the Tower?” Vynn interrupted, huffing. “I’m done. I quit.”

Qoithe’s hands began shaking as he felt a rising panic seize his nervous system. “Wait! You can’t…”

“Fuck you,” Vynn replied curtly, and began to leave.

“VYNN!” Qoithe shouted, causing her to freeze. “Think about what you’re doing here. You love working for us. You love tinkering, you love plundering Arkaelian artifacts… you love MACHINES! If you quit, you’ll never have a chance to work on any of those things again!”

There was a minute’s silence, during which Qoithe desperately prayed to Vexide that Vynn would see reason. Alas, divine providence was not smiling on him this day.

“I’ll find somewhere else,” Vynn said tartly. “Somewhere that gives me the respect you never did. Good-bye, Qoithe. The next time I see you, I’m breaking your nose. Don’t let that happen.”

With those bitter words expulsed, Vynn stormed off. The forlorn Qoithe, only now realizing the magnitude of his mistake, sank to the floor.

******

Two hours later, a sobbing Vynn stumbled in the front door of her home. Var, alarmed, was beside her in an instant and gently guided her to the nearest chair. He said nothing, asked nothing… merely provided Vynn with a glass of water, a wet towel and silent reassurance.

After a time Vynn’s sobs faded, and she wiped encrusted tear-detritus from her reddened eyes.

“Today didn’t go well?” Var asked gently.

“Qoithe stole my work,” Vynn responded. “I quit the Tower.”

Suddenly overwhelmed, Var sought out a chair next to Vynn’s. After sitting and rubbing his pounding temples, brain afire with a thousand unspoken questions, he leaned forwards and met Vynn’s gaze. “He… you… what?”

Vynn’s lingering sorrow gave way to rising anger. “Instead of publishing my bluewrit anonymously, Qoithe claimed it was his own work.” She retrieved a copy of the printed bluewrit from hammerspace and handed it to Var, whose eyes narrowed as he saw the byline.

“Why, that little shit,” Var growled.

“That’s what I said!” Vynn muttered. “More or less. Gods, I was so excited when this whole project started, and now… and now it’s ruined my life. Urgh.” Her eyes began to well up again, and Var had no clue how to comfort her further. He’d never seen his mother this distraught.

I wish Dad was here, he thought to himself. He’d know what to do.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

******

“M-Maybe they’re not home,” Valex said nervously, shifting her weight from one leg to the other.

“It’s been literally ten seconds since you knocked, Valex,” Rixu replied sarcastically. “Give it some t-“

Accentuating his point with alacrity, the door opened to reveal an older teenage boy with olive skin, blonde hair and blue eyes… the spitting image of a far younger, pre-transition Valex. “Hello?” he said, before catching a glint in Valex’s eye. “Oh, Dad! You’re back! Just in time! Why are you still glamoured up?”

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“Wow,” Nyze muttered. “He recognized you quickly.”

“Family,” Valex replied, before turning to the boy. “Hello Var. It’s a long story. What do you mean by ‘just in time?’”

“Mom’s doing bad,” Var replied, and stepped aside. A concerned Valex rushed inside, finding a quietly sobbing Nelvynn seated in the living room.

“VYNN!” Valex called out in concern. Vynn, recognizing the voice despite the unfamiliar tone, turned. “Bob?!”

Faster than a blink, the two embraced. Vynn sank her face into Valex’s shoulder, sobbing, and the disguised foxgirl stroked her wife’s hair in response. “C’mon dear,” she said softly, guiding Vynn to the sofa. “I’m here. I got you.”

The crying continued for some time. Meanwhile, Nyze and Rixu looked on awkwardly, casting a sidelong glance over to Var.

“Should we go?” Nyze mouthed, feeling intensely awkward.

Var angled his chin, indicating they follow him into the kitchen. “Sorry for the unusual reception,” he said once they were clear. “Let’s give them a bit of alone time. My name is Var, by the way. I’m Bob’s son.”

“Rixu,” said Rixu, his self-introduction characteristically brief. “I worked with your father on his last mission.”

“Thank you for bringing him home safely,” Var said with a slight bow, before eagerly turning to Nyze. “You’re from the Hero’s party, right? Nyze the Flameblade?”

“Uh… yeah.” Nyze fingered her brown hair for a moment, then dispelled part of her glamour to allow it to regain its naturally fire-red shade. “I haven’t used that moniker in a while though. You’re pretty good at seeing through glamours, huh?”

“I’ve had lots of practice with Dad,” Var replied genially. “This might seem like a silly question, but… c-can I have your autograph?”

Nyze found herself taken aback by the request. “You want my autograph? I’ve seen the wanted posters. They’re calling me ‘Nyze the Traitor’ these days.”

“I don’t believe that for a second!” Var said, stepping forwards. “I’ve been following your exploits since you partied with the Hero! There’s no way you would ever turn evil and join the demons!”

“Uh…”

Rixu, despite himself, grinned. “Looks like you have a fanboy, Nyze.”

“Oh no…” Nyze muttered, wondering just how long Valex and Vynn were going to be.

******

“I knew that Qoithe was a piece of crap!” Valex growled, her fists balled. “I’ve said it from the start! Why, I oughta kill him right now!”

Vynn chuckled through bleary eyes. “I thought the same thing. Ultimately, I determined the purgatory he created for himself was worse than any physical pain I could have visited upon him in the moment.”

“Fair,” Valex replied. “I’m so sorry, dear. To see your life’s work snatched from you like that… it must be infuriating. And to walk away from your job too…”

“Yeah…” Vynn replied, her mind clearing. “It’s hard, but I… I just… couldn’t stay there anymore. You understand, right?”

“Of course I do,” Valex replied. “I’ve always said your career choices are yours to make alone. Even so, losing access to the Maroon Tower’s resources must be eating you alive. You loved that place.”

As the weight of her decision smashed into her for the umpteenth time, Vynn’s face fell in concert with her gut. “I know. It’s not all bad, though! I smuggled all my research materials and tools, along with Clarize, into hammerspace before I left. I can set up shop somewhere else… just without any of the resources, funds or access working for the government provides.”

An idea crossed Valex’s mind, but she thought it was best saved for later. Instead, she simply said, “I’ll do anything I can to help, I promise.”

“I know.” Vynn embraced Valex, allowing herself to bask in her warmth. “Say,” she mumbled after a while, “didn’t you arrive with two other people?”

“Nyze and Rixu, yeah,” Valex responded cheerily. “They’re co-workers. I hope you don’t mind.”

Vynn untangled herself from the hug and shook her head. “I don’t, but… isn’t Nyze that disgraced member of the Hero’s party? The one on all the wanted posters?”

“It’s… a long story. I have a lot to talk with you about,” Valex said carefully. “I want to be sure you’re in a good state of mind first, though. There’s no need to rush. You’ve had a hard day.”

Vynn sighed. “True, but I think taking my mind off of it will help. Besides, I’m curious what someone like her might think of my whole situation. Maybe she’ll have some new insight that didn’t occur to you or I.”

“True,” Valex said. “She just might. I can attest that she’s very insightful.”

******

“This Qoithe fellow sounds like a real piece of shit,” Nyze said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Would you like me to kill him?”

That remark earned a synchronized chortle from Valex and Vynn.

“Bob already offered,” the latter said jovially. “It would cause more trouble than it’s worth. Still, it’s nice to know you sympathize. I thought you would, as a fellow working woman.”

“More than you can ever know,” Nyze said, a bit wistfully. “On our last mission together, the Hero said some pretty damn misogynistic things to me. After that, I couldn’t really party with them anymore either.”

Barring recent developments, Rixu thought to himself, but thought better of saying anything.

Vynn tilted her head. “Is that why you’re on those wanted posters?”

“Er, one of the reasons,” Nyze responded, casting a questioning glance towards Valex. “Sounds like you might have one of your own soon too, Vynn. I can’t imagine kicking down the door to a Breeder’s office will go over too well with the Church.”

“Bah,” Vynn waved her hand dismissively. “He’s too much of a spineless coward to report me.”

“Well, regardless, I’m proud of you for standing up for yourself,” Nyze continued with a smile. “You’re a champion to oppressed Saimonican women everywhere, even if they don’t know your name.”

“I concur,” Rixu added, sounding a tinge bitter. “Every kick in the teeth you dish out to this rotten society is well-deserved.”

“Hear hear!” Var added enthusiastically.

“I like your co-workers, if only because I’m in a sacrilegious mood today,” Vynn said with a giggle. “Well, won’t you all join us for dinner? Provided Var wouldn’t mind rustling something up.”

Nyze and Rixu responded in the affirmative. As the group prepared to stand, however, a shadow crossed Vynn’s face and she cast a sidelong glance at her ‘husband.’

“Say, Bob, I’ve been meaning to ask. Is there a reason you haven’t dispelled your glamour yet? You’re still in lady form. Not that I mind, but…”

“Oh, right, well…” Valex suddenly froze and began flop-sweating. “I’d wanted to tell you about this earlier, but I wasn’t sure if it was a good time to…”

Vynn’s eyes narrowed. “Spit it out.”

“R-Right. So… the Demon Lord accidentally turned me into a girl.”

There was a long silence, broken only by the sound of Rixu’s palm impacting his face. Vynn looked at her wife in disbelief.

“What?”