Fell Champions

Otter got the whole gang together - herself, Sami, Juala, Kir, Vex, and Everett - and crammed all six of them into the Waverider. With Everett in the pilot’s seat, it was too cramped, but it was a near thing. Otter sat up front with Everett, while Juala and Kir seemed to find new and exciting things to bicker about constantly. Sami had volunteered to play referee, keeping that off Otter’s plate, for which she was extremely thankful for.

The entire ride, Everett seemed to retreat more and more into himself. At first, he’d been happy to show Otter the Waverider and how it operated, pointing at every glyph control and explaining what it did. He seemed to genuinely enjoy sailing. But the further out he got, the quieter he became, and his shoulders began to sink.

“What’s up, big guy?” Otter finally asked.

“It’s nothing,” he said, which in itself was a red flag. Everett was one of the more emotionally mature people Otter had ever met, and had never been one to try to deflect or hide his problems - few though they were - from his friends. 

“Is it Il-Su?”

“No. Well, yes. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Since when? You love to talk. It’s why we always got along so well.”

He gave her an annoyed look, and said, “And then you abandoned us.”

Otter flinched. She was used to some level of hostility from Sami, at least in the past, but not from Everett.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “That was… beneath me. Sami told me why you left. You’re an idiot, Mayumi. But you’re my idiot. I just… I don’t want to talk about it.”

“We’re probably heading to a major battle after this one stop. No better time to offload whatever’s bugging you. Or do you want me to get Sami up here so she can mother you in her very inept way?”

Everett shuddered. “Save me from autistic mommies. Fine. I… I don’t know if I can do this.”

“What? Talk? You’re doing it right now.”

“No, I mean fight. I don’t think I can kill people. Maybe in self-defense, but I can’t just… decide someone’s an enemy and go out and kill them. Against Nightmare, you made it look so easy. And I don’t think I can do that.”

Something twisted inside of Otter. “I have nightmares about him. Heh. Nightmares about Nightmare. It bothers me. It’s… not easy.”

“You still smile so much. Joke so much. You’re still so… you.”

It didn’t sound like an accusation, but it felt like one. 

“I have to, Ev. If I stop laughing at the world, I’ll notice how sad and scary it is. Remember that time we tried firewalking?” 

An old memory, one she hadn’t thought about in a while. The clan had been on vacation in Fiji. Both Everett and her had been drunk and a little high, and thought it’d be a great idea. Il-Su and Sami hadn’t wanted to try it, but with both Mayumi and Everett nagging them, had both agreed. 

That had been a good time. Sami was the only one who did the firewalk like you were supposed to. Il-Su had run across, screaming like a maniac, terrified of being burned. Mayumi and Everett took turns piggybacking each other across. She’d barely been able to support Everett’s weight, and had almost fallen facefirst into the hot ash and coals. They’d both thought it was hilarious. Sami hadn’t approved, even if she’d been smiling the entire time. Well, except the part where they’d nearly fallen. Then she’d been yelling a lot.

“You’re saying you need to keep moving, to keep from burning your feet.”

“Yeah. If I stop and think about it, I think that’s when it hurts. I need to keep distracting myself. But that’s always been me, hasn’t it? Why confront problems when you can get laid, or smoke a joint, or hyper-fixate on how to destroy an unbeatable dungeon without even entering it?”

“I think that’s the difference between us, Mayumi… Otter. You keep moving through the coals to keep from getting burned. But now that the danger’s real, I’m not sure I want to even try walking through it. I’m sorry. I didn’t think I’d be the coward in the group.”

“You’re not a coward, Ev. Cowards run. The only time I’ve ever seen you run is in the direction of danger. You just don’t like hurting people. If that makes you a coward, then the world needs more cowards.”

Everett grunted, but said nothing. A weird noise rumbled from his chest, and he adjusted in his seat, shifting his shirt, a panicked look on his face.

“You hungry or something?” Otter asked. “Dragon tummy making weird noises?”

“Just get me a banana or something.”

Otter poked him playfully, and then exited the piloting compartment and into the passenger section. And then blinked. Sami had Juala in a headlock, and was sitting on Kir. Vex was in the middle of a fit of giggles watching them.

“Did I miss something?”

“No, I have this well in hand,” Sami paused. “The girls wouldn’t stop arguing.”

“About what this time?”

“The fat-titted prude can’t accept an apology!” Juala said, struggling to get out of the hold.

From underneath Sami, Kir shrieked, “You apologized for not breeding me and keeping me under your roof where I couldn’t get into any trouble!”

“Only because you said you were sorry for not using me as huati bait since it was the only use I had!” 

“Family therapy,” Sami said. “I thought it’d be a good idea. These two are going to need a lot of work.”

“Let go of them. Both of them.” When Sami did, Otter rounded on them both. “Are you two going to be a problem? Because I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention, but we’re about to do something really dumb, and we need a united front. Juala, you promised to work for me if I taught you how to contract an Essence Spark. Well, here’s the price. You have to be nice. And you, Kir, well, I could just order you to do the same, but, gross. So, I’m asking you, please. Actually try to remember that most of the current problems we’re currently in is because the two of you couldn’t get along.”

“Because she couldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” Kir muttered.

Juala crossed her arms and looked away. “I only tried to kiss you the once! After that, I got the hint. I just wanted you to at least love me like a sister.”

“I don’t care!” Otter snapped. “I don’t care who started it, who couldn’t handle rejection, who got abused or who had a good reason. Your fighting has caused so much collateral damage. And you’re both smart enough to know that. So either figure your shit out, or I’m going to maroon you both on an island together while we make do without you.”

“But–”

Otter wasn’t even sure which of them said it, or if it was both who tried to protest. She pointed at Juala, “You’re stuck in the body of a woman who is dead because of you. Because you started a fight with the Mikovians, and Sureya took advantage of that to try to fan the flames into a war because she’s a xenophobic twit.”

Kir smirked. So, Otter rounded on her next, “And you, you claimed to love Rua. At least Juala knows she’s a complete cunt. You used a mind control ability on her.”

“I thought I was doing it for her own good,” Kir mumbled.

“Every time I hear the words ‘for their own good’, it is never for anyone’s good except the person pretending to be self-righteous. Congratulations. You failed spectacularly. You’re both fuck-ups. But guess what? So am I. So’s Sami. So’s… well, no, Vex is my perfect princess and has done no wrong.”

“Thanks, mom,” Vex said, preening. 

That hit Otter right in the heart. A lot of the anger in her deflated all at once, and she beamed at Vex. 

“Uh, no problem. Where was I?” Otter tried to resummon the anger, but just couldn’t find it. Vex had actually acknowledged her as a parent. It felt weird, but also right. “Just… the two of you, sit and behave, and try to learn from Sami. She wronged me, swore some Sua’noa crap to me, maybe the two of you should think about doing that for Rua once we rescue her.”

Juala snorted. “Right. As if we’re going to survive this.”

Otter glared at her.

“What? We’re definitely going to die. Do you know how badly we’re outnumbered? And Old Grey is a beast. Even with the Fleshcrafter, our whole group combined probably can’t take him. But I’m still here. I’ll still fight for Rua.”

“Well, that’s a start, I guess,” Otter muttered. She turned to Vex. “I need a banana. Or ten. You would not believe the weird sounds Everett’s stomach is making.”

“Here, mom. Or… dad? Which should I, uh, call you?” Vex asked, handing over a burlap bag filled with bananas. “Silayan custom says ‘dad’, since you’re a pelanoa, but, well, you’re from Earth.”

“She’s from Earth?” Juala asked, a confused note in her question.

“Long story,” Otter said. “Maybe I’ll explain it to you, if you can behave for fifteen minutes at a time. Uh… I guess either’s fine? Actually, just call me ‘dad,’ since you’re always calling Rua ‘mama.’”

“Someone’s gonna have to explain that one to me, too,” Juala muttered. 

“Maybe later.” 

When Juala looked like she was gonna ask again, Otter tossed a banana at her and went back to the cockpit. She opened the door, stepped in, and paused, her jaw slightly agape.

“I can explain,” Everett said quickly.

Standing on the dashboard of the craft was a tiny little wooden person. It was about the thickness of a twig, with three branch-like arms, and two legs. The way it stood reminded Otter a lot of…

“Why the fuck is Ashborne alive?”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!