Midday was currently in full swing. The rays of the afternoon sun beamed upon the land, what few clouds there were in the sky occasionally swarming in front of it and providing precious minutes of relief from its bright heat. The bustle of activity from the village filled the air, sounds that carried out across the sea to whatever lands lie beyond.
Titania, on her lonesome, was staring out over the water from the cliffside, carrying an air of worry about her as she watched the distant tides. Oberon was curled around her neck like the trim of a fur coat, choosing to take yet another opportunity to rest rather than actively join his master in her ocean vigil.
The demon was vaguely aware of someone approaching to her right; she knew who they were by the sound and cadence of their footsteps, familiar as ever. She turned her head to greet them, smiling at who’d decided to join her today.
“Hello, Soren.”
“Hey mom,” he offered back, returning the expression wholeheartedly. “Still waiting out here?”
“Yes,” she answered, “I must confess I worry.”
“I’m sure he’ll still show up, and he’ll be fine. Everything will be fine. There’s far less to worry about now that, ah…” he hesitated for a moment, thinking, before finishing, “...Now that Belos is dead.”
“Mhm,” replied Titania. “That is one thing I’m worried about, but it’s not the only one. I’m worried about you, too.”
“Oh,” he returned, a little surprised, though he supposed he shouldn't be; it made sense. Even all these years later he could still feel the vague prick of tears behind his eyes at the sentiment. “I’ll be fine,” he continued, though he frowned when he saw the concern that still shimmered in her eyes. “I promise. Listen, you know he’s bringing concealment stones. I won’t be undisguised, and I won’t be alone.”
“Well, I’d sure hope so; if he left you alone on the Isles of all places I’d have to kill him,” she replied. “Or give him a stern talking to, whichever one works best.”
Soren rolled his eyes with another grin. “Good thing you’ll be doing neither, then. I’d hate to see the day you actually do either of those things.” He laughed. “I’m a grown man, ma. You don’t have to worry so much.”
Titania huffed a quick laugh, before turning her attention back towards the horizon.
“You should think about coming with next time.” Soren offered.
In response the demon scoffed, but her face softened just a tad. “What would I have to gain by returning there? There’s nothing left for me there.”
“You know you want to, for one.”
“Not enough to go back.”
“Sure, but I also think you know you need to go back.”
“Pah,” she spat.
“You know I’m right, ma.”
Titania sighed. Yes, he was right. He was a smart man, she'd raised a smart kid; there were still things she’d left behind there, business left unfinished. After this long she wasn’t quite sure how much remained, if any, but even the temptation of seeing her former home again, maybe if she could just get a little bit in order, find or fix something...
“...I’ll think about it.” she concluded.
“That’s as good as a yes in my book.”
“Is it, now?”
“It is, yeah,” he laughed. “I’d hope after fifty something years I’d be able to pick up on this kind of thing; otherwise, what kinda son would I be, huh?”
“Hmm,” she replied, thoughtfully, though obviously joking as she tapped her chin in her mock-meditation. “Maybe not mine?”
In response he gave her a light punch on the arm, though much of that built-up strength from years of handling hordes of semi-tame animals meant he was a lot tougher than he used to be and certainly tougher than he looked. Alright, she thought. Yeah, I’m sure he’ll be fine.
The sound of fabric billowing in the breeze off towards the horizon told her all her waiting was not in vain, and she squinted to focus on the figure out there coasting the corner of the rock spire though she already knew who it was. Of course it was Puck, his cape whiffling in the wind he was creating as he flew in on his staff, itself glowing a warm pumpkin orange from its three little wooden rodent-eyes; a little later than she expected, and than she would have necessarily liked, but here in one piece nonetheless. She gathered her breath, catching his eye.
“You weren’t followed, were you?” she half-yelled; it wasn’t exactly a bellow or anything, but it wasn’t exactly QUIET, either, and his proximity to her meant it made the other demon grimace a bit. Soren, meanwhile, used to this one of his mother’s little idiosyncrasies, merely smiled at his response. In relation to her question, however, Puck shook his head as he approached, though he didn’t answer until he actually had both feet on the ground.
“No, no one followed me. I, uhh, I don’t think anyone particularly cares if I run off, to be honest.”
“...Do you not have any friends?” Titania prompted, with a suspicious raise of her eyebrow; Puck laughed nervously, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Well, I did,” he admitted, a consolatory tone inching into his voice, “But I, well, I just haven’t talked to them since we were in the coven together. Besides, I’m fine being left alone, I guess. It’s not really a big deal.”
“I feel like maybe you should,” Soren offered, sympathetically. “Talk to them, at least. I mean, and this is only my personal opinion here, it’s… not really all that fun to be alone all the time, you know? Trust me.”
“Err… maybe I could do that,” he responded apologetically, “I’ll give it a try.”
“That’s something, at least.” Titania grumbled, half under her breath, though she didn’t seem all too genuine in her annoyance. Puck assumed it was a remnant of the leftover dislike for the mention of the coven itself, and not the people in it. Of that he was… pretty sure. “Anyway,” she continued, “Have you come prepared?”
“Yeah,” he said, moving to adjust his cloak and subsequently pulling off the pack he had slung over his shoulders underneath it. He opened it gingerly, and from it procured a pair of concealment stones, one of which he handed to Soren who quickly accepted it and the other of which he held out flat-palmed in Titania’s direction, who regarded it with an almost-suspicion.
“And what am I going to do with one of these?”
“I, well–, I, uh,” he stammered, as if he hadn’t expected to be challenged on this front, “I brought it just in case–”
“He’s brought it just in case you ever wanted to use it,” the grimwalker spoke for him, looking towards Titania with a smile as he turned over his own smooth pink stone in his palm. Puck shot him a look of gratitude that he wasn’t sure he could see, but he supposed it was the thought that counted.
“Yeah. Haha. That.” Puck blinked.
“Mhmm.” Titania hummed, before delicately extracting it from her great-grandson’s palm with her own rough digits and giving it a good once-over. It was a shimmering combination of gold and leaf-green in colour, and almost glittered in the sunlight, with horizontal bands of off-white running through it, occasionally broken up by singular, smaller spots. She smiled without thinking, before slipping it carefully into one of her pockets. “Alright,” she surmised, “I suppose that makes sense.” A pause, before concluding, “ …Thank you.”
"...Anytime." Puck half-smiled.