Chapter 40: Isle of The Skye Pt. 4

Shen Yi and Hunter tensed up, expecting Scathach to attack them immediately. Their wounds were still fresh from her sister, who she looked exactly identical to except her hair color.

"So, what's the plan?" Shen Yi asked aloud to Hunter and Theriault, who was still suspended against the wall.

"We were sent by your daughter, Uathach-" Hunter began, much to Theriault's displeasure. In what world did you tell someone that you were sent by the very one who tried to take your life?

Hunter seemed to realise this and stopped talking, but it was too late to take back what he had said.

"Uathach?" Scathach said, her eyebrow raising slightly as she looked past Hunter, then at Theriault. "Quite peculiar you two keep such presences with you," She said, causing Hunter to look at the small Pheonix that flew behind him.

"Wait can you... See him?" He asked, shocked as Shen Yi looked as well, seeing the golden orange mix of feathers and fire hovering behind Hunter.

She looked back at Theriault, instantly regretting it as a 7-foot skeleton looked back, an eery presence filling her very soul.

"What is that!?" She yelled, causing Hunter to look as well, a fearful expression showing on his face.

The skeleton laughed his coarse laugh, the little slivers of blue skin shining in the purple light. "I see, so we are in the ether realm? Yes, that makes sense as to why their eyes are so open..." The skeleton said as Theriault gritted his teeth.

"Yes, we were sent here by your daughter and her husband, but why don't we just have a nice civilized conversation over some tea... I'd rather not have to force you to listen to us..." He said, knowing a warrior such as Scathach would always have a fight before any type of talking was done.

Scathach stood for a moment, probably considering how best to dispatch them.

To Theriault's complete surprise however, she released her hold on him, allowing him to drop to the ground as she waved her hand, the throne room turning into a large dining room with a long table filled to the very edges with warm food and drinks, including tea.

"Yes, we can do that," Scathach said, standing behind the chair at the very end of the table, looking at her visitors with her blank expression, clearly waiting for them to sit down before she did.

'That actually worked?' Theriault thought. 'Maybe she's more reasonable than I gave her credit for.' His mind raced through all of the possibilities, but eventually, he decided this wasn't a trick.

Getting up and dusting himself off he walked to the table, finally sitting himself beside Shen Yi across from Hunter who was already seated. As they took their places, Scathach pulled out a large knife and placed it on the table along with her own cup of tea which sat right in front of her.

Scathach then sat down, looking at each visitor, as well as the ones behind them. "It has been quite long since Keymasters have been to the true Dun Scaith... I am under the impression that in the physical realm, it is in ruins?"

The three didn't answer for a second, still trying to understand this surreal and unexpected situation. "Uh, yes it is just ruins left," Theriault said after a bit, looking at the food in front of him as all three of their stomachs growled all at once.

It wasn't like they had eaten a lot at the cafe, and leaving immediately after waking up certainly hadn't helped ease Theriault's hunger. Even the few voles and rabbits they'd caught weren't nearly enough to keep them satisfied.

The skeleton grinned to himself as he stood behind Theriault, looking in the corner of a room to see a woman watching them, she wasn't exactly hidden, but he was sure no one else noticed her. She was fuzzy, as if she wasn't quite solid.

He traced her line of sight all the way until he was looking at Shen Yi, who, despite her upbringing of always having manners, and praying to the gods and thanking them for food, reached at plates and began devouring food in a very unladylike manner.

"You've grown." The skeleton smiled to himself as Theriault looked up at him in confusion.

"Shut the hell up," The boy said, but this time the skeleton couldn't feel any emotion, or perhaps it was simply that there was no fear, anger, or sadness to be felt. It was as if he was dead inside now.

"Wasn't even talking to you," The Skeleton replied, glancing once more at the translucent woman hiding in the corner of the room.

Theriault ignored the skeleton and grabbed some food as well, soon followed by Hunter as the trio scarfed down tons of food in minutes, finishing nearly all that was set out by the time Scathach had finished her tea.

"Well then... What does my offspring need now?" Scathach asked, seeing the three were full and satisfied with their meals, relaxing back in their chairs with their hands on their stomachs.

"Well... I don't even know where to start," Theriault said, thinking for a second before looking at the woman. "I assume you must have been around when the white mansion first appeared?" He asked.

"Is that what this is about? The entrance to hell?" Scathach asked, causing Theriault to widen his eyes.

"Entrance... To hell?" It all made sense to him now. No wonder there'd been an unlimited amount of Leviathans to fight, no wonder he had felt immediately drained, as if his power was cut in half the second he stepped foot in the house. He'd been in enemy territory...

"Haha, It's about time you found out, and here I thought my host was a genius," The Skeleton said, noticing Shen Yi's uncomfortable posture and leaning in real close.

"He's such a dumbass when simple problems appear haha," The Skeleton said, causing Shen Yi to wrinkle her nose as the smell of dead bodies filled her nostrils.

"If you really want to talk shit, go ahead..." Theriault murmured, looking back at Scathach. "But yes, the mansion, you've known about it for all these centuries?" He asked.

Scathach nodded, sipping a new cup of tea that she'd made appear. "Well, of course, I showed it to Setanta after all... Then a month later he got back with my daughter and they tried to end my life... All over some silly jewels, the greediness of man is their true downfall..."

There was a pause in the conversation as both Theriault and Hunter stared wide-eyed at Scathach. "So you knew this whole time? And just let it be?" Theriault asked, a sinking feeling in his chest. It certainly didn't seem like it was going to be easy to ask her to come take care of the mansion.

"Oh yes, Lucifer's affairs with the grand city of Dublin have nothing to do with me, he's in a tiny portion of the town signing their souls away, I am no longer Ireland's warrior, so it is of no concern to me..."

As Theriault listened to Scathach speak, his heart sank even lower. The reward for doing this looking farther and farther away.

"Then what will happen to the block if Cu Chulainn and your daughter leave, who is there to defend them?" Hunter asked, looking at Scathach as the phoenix behind him burned brighter, a sign of Hunter's rising anger.

"I suppose eventually, their souls would all be the property of Lucifer, and then he'd move to a new part, perhaps Central..."

Hunter jumped up, rushing the woman as the Pheonix screeched, flames flowing all around Hunter's arms as he kicked the tea right out of Scathach's hand. "You're supposed to be a legendary hero! How could you be so nonchalant about people being sacrificed to the devil!" Hunter yelled angrily as Scathach looked up at him, unfazed.

"Why should I worry about others when I have my own things to do now? Now get down from my table before I throw you off," She told Hunter, her tone mellow, but now showing slight emotion.

It was hard to pick up, but as someone who'd spent years learning to read people, he could tell she had been fazed by his words.

"Fine! If you won't help then so be it... We don't need you, Theriault can handle him alone! We only came because we wanted payment, since we're fucking broke!" Hunter yelled, jumping off from the table as Scathach looked at him with a strange expression.

"Your anger, is it worth it?" She asked, her tone strange as Hunter looked back.

"What?" He asked, a confused expression on his face as she looked at him very seriously, as if he was in a job interview.

"Your anger, is it worth it to express your angry emotions, does it help you at all?" She asked, seeing Hunter had calmed down considerably.

"Well... It helps a little to get it all off my chest sure... I didn't mean to yell... Sometimes it's best to let it all out," Hunter replied, turning away as he looked at Theriault.

"I know she's basically our source of income, but I'm fine being poor for a bit, we should go help that city before the devil can spread anymore, if he ever reaches the inner city of Dublin it could have dire consequences on Ireland as a country..." Hunter said as Scathach got up, covering the distance between her and Hunter in half a second and kicking him to the ground, an angry expression on her face.

"Like this? Is this how I get the anger out?" She asked, looking at the other two with fire in her eyes as Hunter groaned.

"Yeah... Something like that," He said, wincing as she nodded, looking down at her hands as her expression turned back to normal.

"If you have come here to ask me to help the city of Dublin with their problem of Lucifer, I am afraid the answer is no..." Scathach said as Theriault lowered his head slightly.

He made a mental note to teach Hunter that life isn't a movie, you couldn't just get angry or give motivational speeches and expect to convince someone to do what you need.

"However... I will go to address my daughter and her Husband, as well as take my anger out on the one they call... The Devil." She finished, her blank expression seeming to be full of emotion in Theriault's eyes.

'I guess... That works,' Theriault thought as Hunter groaned louder. That kick had not been light...