A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

The moment he revealed his identity, Eira blinked and lowered her hammer with a dumbfounded expression. "You… You're actually here? Are you really him?"

Her surprise really started to confuse both Erik and Elora. They had assumed all of this was connected to both the dream and whoever pulled them back to Earth, but perhaps things were more complicated than that?

Erik shrugged, a little unsure how to act towards this girl who had supposedly been waiting for him for a very long time. Or at least, someone like him. "Yeah, I suppose I am. At least, according to this letter my mom left behind."

Suddenly, the armaments in Eira's hands disappeared and her armor was exchanged for a more casual outfit that still looked more martial than casual. It consisted of a metal bra that looked both protective and ornamental, leaving her toned stomach uncovered, before transitioning into what looked like brown leather pants.

The entire outfit looked quite sensual, particularly because of her sizable breasts. Erik found himself admiring the sight, as Eira was quite a beautiful girl as well. 'She looks sixteen, but she should be way older than that… plus she's not exactly a normal person, so… it's fine to admire the sights at least, right?' Erik chuckled inwardly.

Unfortunately, Eira herself quickly broke the image her cloths were trying to project when she smiled brightly and clapped her hands excitedly. "You're actually here! Mistress must have succeeded in… well, whatever she did! I never doubted her! Things will be alright now!"

She quickly flew closer to Erik and started flying around him, as if inspecting him closely, causing everyone in the room, aside from Erik, to tense up a little. Erik felt no danger harmful intentions from Eira, and Elora had informed him that power buildup in the walls had stopped, so he wasn't worried.

"So you're the one I've been waiting 8000 years for, huh?" she mumbled as she kept flying around and inspecting him.

She didn't seem to realize the shock that passed through Erik's companions when she mentioned how long she'd been waiting. Only Erik and Elora seemed less surprised, as they had already discussed how long ago aetherium was likely to have disappeared.

Elora mumbled in Erik's mind, "8000 years more or less fits with what we had in mind regarding the disappearance of magic on Earth. Her age only confirms that this mistress of her's has been planning all this for an equally long time."

Still, Erik felt the need to confirm as his eyes continued to follow the beautiful and voluptuous figure floating around him. "You're… 8000 years old?" Discover hidden tales at m vl-em-py-r

"Hmm? Oh!" she mumbled as she softly pressed against Erik's chest, surprising him with the fact that her slightly transparent form seemed to be solid.

"Well, I was created 8000 years ago," she explained with a cheery voice. "But I've been asleep, a loooooot of that time. I guess if we measure time in terms of waking hours I'm probably only a few hundred years old. I haven't kept count to be honest."

"'Only,' she says," Emily snorted and rolled her eyes.

"I hope I still look that good at her age," Astrid chuckled.

At the same time, Alice was still questioning what kind of freak show she had ended up with, Emma was pouting at the floating spirit taking up all of the space around Erik, and Elora was marveling at the fact that Eira was a solid form sigil construct.

"I guess she has a corporeal form after all…" Elora had to admit to Erik.

"So… is she a danger after all? Even without those possible sigils in the walls?" Erik asked cautiously, as Eira now swapped to poking an prodding both him and his armor curiously.

"Hard to say…" Elora mumbled. "To be honest, I can't remember the last time I even heard of a solid form sigil construct. Whoever created her is likely far more powerful than anyone either you or I have ever met. Perhaps only someone on the level of the Obsidian Enclave's elder matriarch could match Eira's mistress."

"So don't piss off the minotaur ghost, just to be on the safe side, got it…" Erik chuckled wryly to himself.

Finally, Eira's inspection seemed to come to an end as she ended up with narrowed eyes and her face right in front of his. "Hmmmmm," she seemed to think deeply, before finally nodding with a bright smile and extending two thumbs up. "I approve!"

Despite just promising to be careful with Eira, Erik couldn't stop a teasing grin from appearing on his face. "Oh? So what would have happened if you didn't approve? You'd have turned me away?"

Based on what he read in his mother's letter and this Eira's earlier words, he realized there was no way she would do that. In fact, she might not even let him leave if he wanted to. Not that that would have changed anything if he'd known before coming down here.

The fact was that he and Elora needed more information about what was going on here, and this Eira was a prime source of information.

Erik's questions seemed to startle Eira a little, causing her to retreat a few meters from him and show an aggrieved expression, before pouting and sadly poking her fingers together. "I— I mean… no? I just… you know, I mean… I waited so long for you, and…"

And that was all it took for Emma to fall in love with the floating minotaur.

"Masteeeeeer," she whined softly in Erik's head as her large, heterochromatic eyes were locked on Eira with pity and a desire to comfort.

Erik couldn't help but chuckle as Emma's plea and Eira's display cause his wariness towards the construct to plummet. He put on his most charming grin as he looked into Eira's brown eyes, "I was just kidding, Eira. Having the approval of a beautiful girl like you is more than I could ask for."

"R— Really?" Eira mumbled as she looked at Erik with uncertainty. But seeing the sincerity in his piercing amber eyes caused her to quickly find her confidence again. "I— I mean, of course it is!" she smiled brightly and pridefully. "You're not so bad, you know! Good looking, and strong! And you have multiple bloodlines!

Although I have no idea how you ended up with those, now that I think about it…"

"But never mind that!" she quickly continued enthusiastically before anyone could respond. "Come, come," she beckoned Erik as she flew closer to the wall she had come out of. "Put your hand on here! You know, it's not that I don't trust you, but the mistress has put rules in place, and I need to make sure you are the right person!"

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