Chapter 100 HUMAN MERIT
GALLAHAN’S POV
I didn’t mean to be so cutting with my words.
But regardless of intention, I still did anyway.
Fortunately for me, the two balls of sweetness and energy were enough as a buffer between Willa and I, saving us from being trapped in suffocating air the following day.
Gradually, though, the frigidity between us wore off, and by late afternoon, we found ourselves out in the back garden, having a picnic with the twins. A large red picnic blanket was laid out, and a few charcuterie boards of finger food sat in the middle.
It was a good day. Crisp and cold breeze blowing by, ruffling leaves and making them rustle quite audibly. It made a relaxing background noise. Meanwhile, puffy clouds littered the sky, shielding us from the sun that was bound to dip beyond the horizon in less than an hour.
If we were in Moonshire, we would’ve been locked indoors as harsh frost took a claim of the territory. Unless, the twins would appreciate a snowball fight while wrapped in multiple layers of clothing.
But then again… I doubted they would be up to it, considering they were used to winter-less Wolverham. It really was just sun, green moorland and fresh and often strong breeze around this house.
“Daddy, I have a question,” Calisto suddenly said, picking up a long fry that had gone limp from the grease.
“Ask away,” I prompted, daring to lay my head on Willa’s lap, but not before catching Calisto exchanging a meaningful look with Gillian.
“Do you think there are any good points about humans, Daddy?”
The soft and, quite frankly, uncharacteristically meek way Calisto threw the question had me softening up, rather than getting all defensive on instinct.
Subtlety was obviously not my kids’ forte, because anyone could tell from a mile away that they were trying their hand in endearing the humans to me.
An impossible feat, but I wasn’t going to heartlessly shoot down their efforts in an instant.
So I decided to humor them as Willa feigned her continued interest over the murder mystery book I had chosen for her to read.
“I could think of one,” I admitted candidly.
As if my answer was a fresh bait, Calisto and Gillian greedily latched onto it, hoping it would be the loose string that could unravel my years of loathing and deep-seated pain.
“Really?” Gillian chirped just as Calisto eagerly asked, “What is it, Daddy?”
“Their inventions,” I said simply.
Biased, angry and hateful as I was towards humans, I could still acknowledge the fact that they had gone leaps and bounds in their technology, as if trying to make up for their lack of magic and special abilities that us, gifted creatures, had.
They even made things that were fascinating. They had also mastered the elements of water, air and solar light to power their inventions.
Ingenious, really.
And yet, they were never content. Despite their own abilities to tinker and create something of their own—some better than what magical creatures had—they continued to hunt us down, using our own parts and artefacts for their own experiments and gains.
I had seen enough elf heads and wolf heads preserved and hung on walls in a number of human houses like some sort of sick trophies.
So if I was barbaric for my crusade against them, I was simply paying them back in equal amounts.
“So,” Gillian said slowly, but her voice still rang with poorly veiled excitement. “Inventions… Like… Like our fridge in the kitchen? You like them?”
I hummed in agreement, even though the way the conversation was going was making me seem like an ignorant simpleton. “I have a few homes across the Continent. Two or three of them are very much like human homes filled with these inventions.”
“Wait, really? Do you have a radio then?” Calisto wondered over a mouthful of fries.
But I was caught up by Willa’s soft voice as she murmured, “Banfair.”
“Yes,” I said a little too breathlessly.
And while it was true that I did have a radio somewhere in one of the human houses that I claimed and occupied for myself—stole if I was going to be crudely honest about it—the answer was more for Willa.
Because, indeed… The cabin in Banfair, the one I brought her to on the night we met, was one that held a few human inventions.
Fridge. Lamps. Toasters. Stove. Ceiling fan.
And that place? That home? It was a nightmare as much as it was a refuge, holding the bittersweet memories—the only ones I had for six years—of Willa and I.
“Radios are great. But the light bulbs are better!” Gillian gushed. “Humans are truly smart, aren’t they, Daddy?”
My wistful thoughts were dispelled, and I nearly snorted over the naively simplistic remark. “I suppose.”
But even with the effort to humor Gillian and Calisto, I couldn’t bring myself to actually sound half as enthusiastic as them. I couldn’t even feign sincerity in my acquiescent response.
The twins were anything but stubborn, though. So they ploughed on.
“See? They aren’t so bad. Imagine if there were no humans, and we wouldn't have fridges and radios.”
I hummed, short and low. Not because I was agreeing with their line of thoughts, but simply because I didn’t want to break it to them that the world would still go on turning without human inventions. For one, radios were not a need. And two, magic could easily preserve or keep our food cold with certain magical items.
But as guilt began to twist in my gut for giving my twins lackluster responses, I said, almost begrudgingly, “Humans are indeed innovative. I shall give them credit for that.”
I was then rewarded with Calisto diving face first on my stomach and Gillian leaning in to give me a peck on my cheek.
“Baby steps, Daddy,” she said proudly.
An ugly snort erupted from me. It was as if they were parenting me to be a loving man.
Unfortunately for them, humans would never be a recipient of my affections. Not even if they managed to get me to meet the moon goddess herself.
I would sooner gouge my eyes out and cut my tongue than care for a human. Much less love one.
Thankfully, that was the end of the topic, and Calisto brought up another one for us to discuss.
“Daddy, it’s the full moon tonight! It means we’re going on a run again, right? Right?”