The Second Archon War: Carmen Dei 24 (Patreon)

Carmen Dei 24: In the Presence of Mine Enemies 

Beta’d and Edited by October Daye, The Grand Cogitator, Dr_Feelgood, and Philosophysics. 

There had been many terrifying moments in Naomi’s life in the past few years. Coming face to face with an Angel of the Lord for the first time. Facing down literal Nazis in an all out battle for survival. Then battling against an Endbringer, and thinking she was definitely going to diedefinitely going to die. 

Frankly, none of them had even come close to what she had to do now. She glanced at Capri and squeezed her wife’s hand, hard. 

“I can knock if you want me to,” Capri said quietly. 

“No,” Naomi said firmly, raising her hand. “I’ll do it.” She rapped hard, three times. And braced herself. 

A minute or so later, the door swung open and a sense of relief flooded through Naomi as a smile bloomed on her face. “Hello, Papa. How are you?” 

Moshe Cohen blinked owlishly in the sunlight for a moment, his eyes large behind his oversized spectacles. He’d aged greatly in the years since Naomi had last seen him, and it broke her heart she hadn’t been there to see it. He was balder now, with thin wisps of hair poking out from a liver-spotted scalp. And he looked… withered. Tired. As if age had finally caught up with him. He was in his late 50s, but the last few years hadn’t been kind to him. 

For a horrible, heart wrenching moment, Naomi saw only confusion in her father’s eyes. Would he not recognize her? Or worse, if he did, would he reject her? She hadn’t called ahead, hadn’t even known her parent’s number, or their address. But Venti had. He’d told her where to go, and when, and she’d gone. Now, if only he’d told her want to say. 

Then a smile bloomed on her father’s face, and Moshe tottered forward to wrap Naomi in a warm embrace. “Naomi! My prodigal daughter returns!” He beamed up at her, which was new. Age had shrunken him, and he had a stoop that hadn’t been there before, making him shorter than she was. He kissed her on both cheeks though, and she blushed and smiled. 

“I… I don’t know if you got the wedding announcement, but-”

“I’m Capri. Her wife.” Capri pushed herself forward and did her best to smile. “You remember? You, uh, caught us in bed together that one time…”

“Ah, yes.” Moshe looked Capri up and down, and Naomi felt like she was going to be sick again. Then her father leaned forward and asked, “Did you kill as many of those paskudnik Nazis as I heard?”

Taken slightly aback, Capri grinned sheepishly and shrugged. “Well, I mean, you sort of lose count after your first dozen or so, but really it’s probably not as many as they say.”

Moshe beamed and clapped Capri on the shoulders before hugging her as well. “I always dreamed my daughter would marry a big strong one who could chop up Nazis! I always dreamed about it as a boy. Come inside, come inside, please!” 

Her father hurried ahead of them, and Naomi took a deep breath, then stepped across the threshold, Capri right behind her. 

It was a luxurious penthouse condo in downtown Tel Aviv, one of the wealthiest spots in the city. The decor screamed her mother, but not in the way Naomi would have expected. Instead of fashionable postmodernist art on the walls, there were more traditional wall hangings and landscape pictures, and unless Naomi’s art education failed her entirely, they were very expensive pieces. The brutalist furniture that Naomi had grown up with had been replaced with old hardwoods, and the fixtures were made of silver and bronze. 

Still extremely expensive, but embracing the past instead of the future. Odd, but not entirely unexpected. Her mother had always been a bit of a chameleon in her tastes, and apparently this was the fashionable way in Tel Aviv to show off that one was a woman of wealth and taste. The one thing that hadn’t changed was the wine selection: the very best French and Italian vintages, stored on a wooden rack in the kitchen. 

On the one hand, Naomi was glad Venti wasn’t here to plunder it. On the other, she rather relished the thought of her personal angel drinking his way through the most expensive bottles her mother could find the same as he would box wine from Germany.

Her father bustled about a bit  fixing a meal and chattering away about nothing as was his habit. Naomi only half heard him as she nervously looked around for her mother, but she was nowhere to be seen. It still felt like someone was staring at the back of Naomi’s head and sent shivers down her spine, but she smiled and nodded and responded as her father inquired about her “career”, mostly letting Capri do the talking. 

“I mean, basically we just road trip around Europe and play at dive bars in between taking out the occasional fascist asshole,” Capri said with a shrug as her father came back with a plate of expensive cheeses, dates, and some crackers. 

“I read about what you did in Hungary. Was the Prime Minister really sleeping with his aide?” Moshe asked, taking a seat at the table. 

Naomi nodded and grimaced. “Yes, he was quite the hypocrite. All that homophobic rhetoric, and the man had half a dozen male lovers.”

“You can find pics online, or you could. Venti said something about them not being appropriate for Buer, whatever that means,” Capri said, taking a handful of dates and popping them in her mouth. 

Her father chuckled and nodded, then turned serious. He took off his glasses, wiping them on his sleeve, a gesture he always made when he had something important to say and wanted to stall for time. Still holding his glasses in his left hand, he squinted at Naomi and said, “I wanted you to know… your mother and I still love you. And… and I give my blessing on your marriage.”

Tears filled Naomi’s eyes, and she felt like her heart would burst as she took her father’s right hand and squeezed it. “Thank you. Does… does mother…?”

Her father cleared his throat and put his glasses back on. “She is… well. You know. She does love you, but, well… she is stubborn.”

Dabbing at her eyes, Naomi had to laugh, because the other option was to break down in sobs. “And she still expects grandchildren, and for me to graduate from school, and become a well respected singer or actress that headlines at all the big theaters.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, she’s decided you are a well respected musician now. She was very proud when you won Eurovision last year. She had a party for the event, and told everyone you were her daughter,” her father said, giving her a lopsided grin. 

“And that wasn’t even our best performance,” Capri said with a grin, reaching for more food. Naomi’s father glanced at her curiously, and she clarified, “We didn’t even save any cities with that performance. Munich is a hell of a concert to top.”

“Ah, true,” Moshe agreed. He peered at Naomi and Capri, then frowned. “Have you been eating enough? You both look so thin…”

“She doesn’t eat enough, but check out these guns!” Capri quipped, flexing her arm and showing off her biceps. Naomi did have a healthy appreciation for her wife’s muscles, but her doing that in front of Moshe was still embarrassing. 

Moshe, being an academic who Naomi was fairly certain had never worked out a day in his life, made appreciative noises and commented on how they should be eating more. That was usually a role reserved for the matriarch, but he’d been the one to cook for as long as Naomi could remember. Her mother’s idea of cooking was to order takeout. Which was one reason Naomi prided herself on her culinary ability, meager though it was. 

Just then, Naomi sensed a shift in the wind, and turned towards the door. She’d learned to recognize when Venti was coming by how his very presence affected the Anemo energy in the area, and she opened her mouth to warn her father that they were about to be visited by a messenger from the Lord. If a somewhat rumpled and irreverent one. 

Then the door opened and Naomi froze as her mother stepped inside, accompanied by a chattering Venti, who for once was dressed respectably in a nice suit and tie, even if they were green. 

Her eyes, however, locked on her mother. If her father had aged badly, her mother had, of course, aged like a fine wine. She looked like a woman a decade younger than she was, which meant that she probably could have been mistaken for Naomi’s sister instead of her mother. Her auburn hair was longer than Naomi remembered it, and done up in a rather conservative headscarf. In fact, everything about her mother screamed “conservative”, from her ankle length skirt to her choice of fabrics; clearly a single type instead of a mixture of fibers that most modern clothing used. 

She was still done up in exquisite makeup and dressed in clothes and jewelry that cost more than Naomi made in a year (not counting bar tabs), so it was definitely her mother. 

“Moshe!? Moshe, you’ll never believe who-” her mother called, hurrying into the kitchen. Then her eyes fell on Naomi, and Leah Cohen pulled up short, her lips forming into a wide “O.” 

Venti quietly took off his hat and hung it on the hat rack, then grinned at Naomi and slouched against the doorframe, hands in his suit pockets. 

Slowly, Naomi stood up, then tugged Capri up behind her. She thought she’d be trembling at this moment, but instead, her hands were firm, and her voice steady. “Mother. It’s been a while.”

“It has,” Leah managed, her normally melodious voice hoarse and raspy, to the point where she had to cough. 

“This is my wife, Capri Cohen,” Naomi said firmly, pulling Capri forward slightly. 

“Uh, hi, Mrs. Cohen,” Capri managed, looking awkward again as she rubbed unconsciously at the Vision on her hip. 

“I see you’ve met my angel, Venti, also known as Lord Barbatos,” Naomi continued. “We were in the area, and I wanted to-”

“Isn’t it Barbados?” her mother corrected. “Yes, I think it’s Barbados. That’s what’s on the news.” 

Naomi very nearly screamed. It was always like this. Nothing she ever did was good enough. Her mother always had to correct her.

“No, it’s Barbatos,” Naomi said firmly. “That’s a common misconception. Barbados is a country. Barbatos was mentioned in the Ars Goetia, though it got a few details wrong, such as him being a servant of the Lord instead of a demon.”

“Well, I’ve always heard Barbados,” Leah sniffed. 

Closing her eyes, Naomi took a deep breath. “And I’m not here to argue. I wanted to give you a chance to meet your daughter-in-law while we were in Tel Aviv. And to tell you and Papa that I love you both. But now we’ve got work to do. If you’ll excuse us.”

Then Naomi walked stiffly towards the door. Back straight, arms relaxed, feet perfectly placed as she walked with all the grace her training as a dancer and the wind lent her. 

“And just where do you think you’re going?” Leah demanded, trying to block Naomi’s way. It was very, very tempting to just slap her. Naomi had dreamed about that before she’d gained a Vision. Now it felt like bullying a child. A petulant child who’d needed correction long ago. 

But she didn’t. 

“To Baghdad. There’s a little girl who needs our help, and we have a world to save. I’m afraid we have to leave,” Naomi said, feeling as though she were in the audience watching this same tired drama play out the same way it had a hundred times before. 

“So you just leave?!” Leah demanded, trying to seize Naomi’s arm. She moved at the same pace she always had, and Naomi was so much faster now, especially with the winds whispering to her of every subtle motion around her. 

“Leah! She is-”

“She is not leaving!” Leah snapped as Naomi headed towards the door. Then her mother’s voice broke. “Not until… not until she gives her mother a hug.”

Something cracked inside of Naomi. The clay jar she had kept all of her very complicated emotions regarding her mother bundled up in, so that she could keep on living. She slowly turned, already misty eyed, to find her mother shaking, her own eyes wet. 

“My baby girl,” her mother whispered. “I haven’t seen you… in so long… please. Just… just stay a moment longer?” Then, Leah spread her arms wide. 

And sobbing, Naomi stepped into them as more than twenty years of pent up emotions burst forth for both women. 

After that, there was nothing to do but to stay for supper. Her father and Capri left for the groceries to pick up some lamb, while Venti mentioned something about needing some fresh air. Not before he took a bottle of wine as a gift from Leah, which Naomi was certain would vanish in short order. 

That left her alone with her mother. It was just as painful as she’d feared. But somehow, she’d needed it. 

“So. You married a woman,” her mother said as soon as they were alone.

“Yes,” Naomi said, and left it at that.

Her mother’s mouth thinned, but then she glanced at the door. She was quiet for a moment, then asked in a small voice, “Is he really an angel of the Lord?”

Naomi digested that for a moment. Then she said, “Do you know how in the Torah, whenever an angel appears, they always tell those to whom they appear not to be afraid?”

“Yes, of course. But Venti didn’t seem all that frightening to me,” Leah sniffed. 

“That’s because you met Venti. Not Barbatos,” Naomi said, recalling their first meeting, and unable to suppress a shudder. “When he unveiled himself before us… I suddenly understood why everyone threw themselves to the ground in fear and awe. Mother, he was terrifying. And it was all because…” Naomi had to swallow and take a deep breath. “I showed him a book on the Holocaust. When you read about the Anger of the Lord, and when you see it… I think he was ready to tear apart every Nazi in Europe with his bare hands. And he could have done it, too.”

“Hmm. Well, he did destroy the Gesselschaft, and slay Khonsu,” her mother said slowly. “He just… he seems so ordinary.” 

“Yes, and it’s why I love him,” Naomi admitted. 

Her mother instantly brightened, and Naomi sighed heavily. “Not like that, mother. I married Capri, not Venti. But he is my angel, and I serve Hashem through him. Though he rather doesn’t like it when I say that.”

“Well, since he’s supposedly an angel, perhaps you could ask him about grandchildren,” Leah sniffed. 

There was frosty silence for several minutes, until Leah finally caved. That was interesting, in the past, it had always been Naomi who couldn’t stand her mother’s wintery silences. 

“Well, I must say, I saw you in Eurovision, and you were lovely! I had all my friends over for the party. Even the Prime Minister called me to congratulate me on your victory! It was in all the papers for weeks!” Leah burbled, finally able to talk about something she loved: Herself.

“I heard you were still headlining at the Habima. Is father still managing the back?”

“Oh, yes, well, I’m currently in the role of Tanya in Mama Mia, but that’s not what we’re talking about,” Leah said dismissively, surprising Naomi. Her mother always did love to talk about her roles, or better yet, how much better she was than her co-stars. 

“Oh? What were we talking about?” Naomi asked, confused. 

“Your career! Why, Naomi, your songs are the most popular in all the shows, and on the radio! Though I have to say, you really should insist you sing more. Capri’s voice isn’t bad, and well, Venti’s is simply divine, but you’ve got a wonderful voice! I want to hear you sing when I listen to one of the Tone Deaf Bard’s songs! And really, you need to do more live shows. And talk to your producer. You can’t honestly tell me you sold all the rights to your songs for a single case of beer.”

Naomi flushed at that. “Ah, it was slightly more than that…” It had been ‘as much beer as you could carry’ which had amounted to about an entire pallet's worth. 

“Well good, I wouldn’t want my daughter to be a pauper,” her mother said with one of her patented sniffs. “You’ll need something once you settle down.”

“I’m already married, mother. And I do not think grandchildren likely,” Naomi said, suppressing a sigh. 

“Well, perhaps you can adopt,” her mother said after a pregnant pause. 

Naomi considered that. That wasn’t the life she had chosen, but, well, it was progress as far as her mother went. “Maybe. When the world is at peace.”

“Mmm. Though I am glad Venti is finally taking his place in Israel. That girl in Baghdad has me worried. They say that they’ve gotten rid of that horrible dictator Saddam, but Farasha is still there, and that girl is a monster,” Leah said with a shudder.

Naomi opened her mouth to argue by reflex, then slowly closed it and nodded. Farasha was a monster, and no mistake. But Venti didn’t seem to think they were going to Iraq to depose a tyrant. Instead, he acted as though he were going to visit an old friend. 

“I’m not sure why we’re going to Iraq, mother. But Buer-”

“Who?” Leah asked, frowning. 

“Nahida,” Naomi clarified. Venti did insist on calling her Buer, which was again a name found in Ars Goetia. When pressed, he simply said it was Nahida’s version of Barbatos, and that she was the heir of Samiel, which didn’t explain much of anything. “Anyway, she’s the Dendro Archon. And she saved a city from the Simurgh.”

“An Arab city,” her mother said, making a face. 

“A city full of people, mother,” Naomi insisted. “Munich was full of Germans. Was I wrong to help save it? Even Sodom and Gomorrah were spared while one righteous man remained.”

“Hmph,” her mother said. “Well, when you’re done with that, perhaps you can move back to Israel.”

Naomi considered telling her mother that Venti had made it fairly clear he wasn’t the Archon of Israel, but of Central Europe, and while he would never prevent Naomi and Capri from leaving his side… she couldn’t imagine ever doing so willingly. Nor settling in a land not overseen by the Angel of Freedom. Maybe one day there would be an Archon for Israel, but that didn’t seem right. 

“I’ll ask Nahida about it,” she promised. 

Her mother seemed incredulous at that, but thankfully that was about the time the door opened. 

“-no yowling, and the furniture is intact! Thanks be to Hashem, He who created heaven and the earth, my wife and daughter got along!” her father said.

Capri hurried in with a large sack of groceries, her eyes meeting Naomi’s and giving her a quick “are you alright” look. 

Naomi just smiled and nodded, and went to help with the cooking. Her mother sat at the table and popped open a bottle of wine, which seemed to be the magic way to summon Venti, because he returned just in time for dinner, without the bottle he’d been given. 

“Just had a lovely conversation with a few boys and girls in black suits and sunglasses. They were a bit surprised to see me, but I assured them I was just passing through. I am, after all, but a humble bard!” Venti laughed. “Mmm, this is delicious, my compliments to the chef!” 

“We’re humbled that you would grace our table,” Leah said, looking quite excited. Naomi was certain she would be telling anyone who would listen that she’d dined with the Angel of Munich. Though to be fair, that was how a lot of people reacted. 

“And grateful you’ve looked after our daughters,” Moshe added, squeezing Naomi and Capri’s hands. 

“Daughters?” Leah asked, looking perplexed for a moment. There was a soft thump, and her face reddened, and Naomi’s jaw dropped. Had her father just kicked her mother under the table?

“Oh, yes, daughters. Well, as long as you make sure Naomi gets a chance to be the lead singer for a few shows. You and Capri are quite talented, but Naomi is classically trained, you know,” Leah blathered. 

It was, all in all, far from the worst family dinner Naomi had attended. 

“Are you sure you won’t spend the night? You could have the guest bedroom, and Master Venti our bedroom,” Moshe offered once dinner was cleaned up.

“We’ve far to go ere the day dawns,” Venti said with a smile and a wink. “I got the lads in sunglasses to loan me a car, and a full tank of gas! It’ll be interesting crossing the Jordanian border, but it took us a whole day to get here as it is!” 

Naomi gave her father one last hug, and gingerly embraced her mother. To her surprise, Leah squeezed her tightly, and hugged Capri as well. “Be safe. And come back to us. We never did get to share the stage together properly.”

“I will,” Naomi promised. Though not the sharing the stage part. That sounded like a nightmare. 

It was evening, and to Naomi’s surprise, Venti did indeed have a battered old Nissa Versa waiting outside for them. 

“Where did you find this hunk of junk?” Capri asked, lifting the hood and peering inside. She fiddled a bit, then shrugged and slammed it down. “Well, it looks like it works, but I’ll have to start it up. We got a spare?” 

“In the trunk,” Venti assured her. “Don’t worry about it! It’s only 12 hours to Baghdad.”

“Yeah, if no one gets screwy along the way. Jordan isn’t too bad, but what the hell do you think the Iraqis will think of a gypsy, a jew, and an Archon rolling up on the border?” Capri demanded, taking the keys from Venti.

“Relax! And take us to a hotel first, I’m much too tired for a road trip tonight,” Venti yawned. 

Capri chuckled and did as she was told, even as Naomi gave Venti a heartfelt, “Thank you.”

“Thank me? I’m not the one paying for our hotel!” Venti laughed, and Naomi groaned. 

“Eh, we’ll just call Cookie. She can put it on our tab. She owes us something for that stupid card game making money hand over fist,” Capri commented and drove off to the nearest run-down motel. 

The road trip across Israel, Jordan, and most of Iraq hadn’t taken 12 hours, but rather closer to a week, and had involved a lot more side trips and sightseeing than Naomi had expected. Venti had played the gleeful tourist for a whole day and a half in Jerusalem before heading to Jordan, where they performed at several small venues in disguise before making their way into Iraq. There, Venti spent a lot of time stopping in small villages and simply walking around and trying new foods between jam sessions with local musicians. 

It was, in fact, a completely ordinary week for the Tone Deaf Bards, but Naomi was a bit baffled by the complete lack of urgency. Capri was irritated at first, then mildly bemused and finally fatalistic. 

“Well, whatever. It’s not like we have an appointment,” she sighed. “The real joke is there’s hardly any booze, and Venti hasn’t gone into withdrawals.”

It was rather uncomfortable whenever someone realized Naomi was Jewish, but thankfully nothing aside from a few sour looks happened. Old animosities died hard, and Naomi wasn’t exactly a big fan of Arabs. She tried not to give in to the old hatreds, but it was hard. These were the same people who had persecuted her people until there was no choice but to flee to Israel. It was a thorny web to untangle, but Naomi had hope. If this Nahida was anything like Venti, and based on what had been happening in Baghdad over the last few days it seemed she was, Nahida had hope there might be peace after all. 

And so, it wasn’t until November 3rd that they finally arrived in Baghdad, but even then, they didn’t go straight to the palace. Instead, they dressed in ordinary clothes and explored the city. Not the nice parts either, but the slums and run down sections where the poor and rejected lived. 

“You know, it’s greener than I thought it would be,” Capri remarked as they strolled about the city. They all had on head coverings, even Venti, along with sunglasses and bulky clothes to obscure their figures. 

Looking around, Naomi couldn’t help but agree. She’d quickly realized her conceptions of the Middle East as nothing but a dusty desert were wrong after their trip across Israel and Jordan, having seen plenty of not just cultivated land, but greenery and even forests. This, however, was different. It looked and felt entirely natural, but at the same time, it was too lush, too vibrant, and flowers, grass, and crawling vines were growing out of every crack in the pavement or patch of dirt, and trees were full of fruit and leafy branches. 

“Is it because of Nahida?” Naomi asked Venti curiously. “Sort of like how windy and temperate its become in Europe over the past few years because of you?”

Venti coughed, and looked embarrassed. “Well, I may have had something slight to do with that, but even I can’t completely dictate the weather. It was still cold last winter if you ask me!” 

“It was a mild winter, and you know it. Just like it was a mild summer. They’re already saying we’ll have a bumper crop, especially in the vineyards,” Capri said with a roll of her eyes. She gestured to the blooming flowers around them. “I ain’t an expert, but it’s fall, and those are out of season unless I’m really wrong. So what’s up?”

“Hmm.” Venti walked over to the flowers, then knelt down and said, “Hello, we’re here to see Sarva nara. My friends would like to get a look at you. Do you mind terribly? This is Naomi Nara, and Capri Nara; both Vasara Nara.”

Naomi watched as Venti talked to the plant, then politely seemed to listen for a moment. He nodded and said, “They do have bright dreams, especially for Nara. Me? Oh, just call me Pavana Nara. I’d just like them to be able to see you, even if it’s just for a moment.”

“We can see the flowers just fine, Venti,” Capri said, squatting down beside him. She sniffed at the flower and smiled. “They are pretty sweet though. Should we pick some?”

“Only if you ask permission first,” Venti said seriously, nodding to the flowers.

Naomi glanced around, uncertain. There were several buildings nearby, but this looked like an empty patch by the side of the road, and it was impossible to tell at a glance who would own the flowers. “Who do we ask?”

“Naomi Nara may pick some flowers, as she is friend of Pavana Nara.”

Slowly, Naomi and Capri both turned to look at the flowers, where two little…gnomes? were hovering. One was thin and tall, with an orangey flesh, a red mushroom like cap that hid its face, and a bright purple flower that matched those growing coming out of the top of its head. The other was short and squat, with light green flesh and a head that seemed to be made of the same long green leaves that a nearby palm tree had, with back beady eyes and a mouth that looked painted on. 

“These are Arashakun and Arapratap, two of the Aranara,” Venti explained. “They’ve agreed to show themselves to you. Normally, only those with a strong connection to Dendro or those whose dreams have not yet faded, usually children.”

“Uh, hi,” Capri said, blinking slowly. “Was there something funny in that falafel we ate for lunch?”

“Venti, are these…faeries?” Naomi asked, her mind trying to fully process what was happening. 

“That’s a good word for them! You haven’t really seen any of the seelie or beastkin in my domain yet, but I too attract beings of elemental energy,” Venti explained. “I’ve not been exercising my powers as broadly as Beezelbul or Buer have been, but they’re there regardless. Probably because I sort of fixed the winds in place, but, well, an Archon does have to care for their children.”

“Faeries can be…tricky. Do we need to be careful what we say?” Naomi said, her mind racing through all the faery stories she’d heard, and mostly sticking on the rather less than pleasant ones. 

Venti chuckled and shook his head. “Unless you plan on hurting any children or plotting against Buer, or perhaps littering, I wouldn’t worry about it.” 

“No littering!” Arashakun trilled, and raised a little stick. “Nara must be more careful with their leavings!” 

Capri flushed and glanced hastily to the side, where the wrappers from their lunch were in a nearby gutter. “I, uh, I’ll make sure to find a trash can next time…”

“So, have you been greening up the city?” Naomi asked the fae curiously. 

The aranara nodded, making a little tinkling sound like bells as they did so. “Yes! Sarva Nara is awake and happy again! The dreams of the Nara are glowing brightly! We must guide the Vana, and heal the land to push back the Valuka!” 

“Huh. So she’s not just bringing back the dinosaurs,” Capri mused. She glanced at Venti. “We are going to go see the dinosaurs, right? Because I have seriously wanted one since I was a little kid.”

“You can ask Buer about that!” Venti chuckled, standing. He bowed to the Aranara. “May your roots grow deep, and your branches reach high.”

“May you always find water and shade, Pavana Nara,” the aranara said, returning the bow. 

“Let Nahida know we’re coming, will you? We’ve got a party to crash tonight!” Then Venti looked up at the sky and smiled. “Better get out the umbrellas. It looks like rain.”

Naomi peered up at the sky, but it was nothing but blue and a few wisps of cloud. Still, she and Capri hastened back to the car, barely making it before clouds sprang out of nowhere and a downpour began. 

“I do have to wonder how Beezie managed it,” Venti mused as they watched the storm. “It’s not Hydro, but it is a form of Authority.”

“Can you talk proper German like a normal person? These riddles give me a headache,” Capri complained. 

“Ehe! Where’s the fun in that? Anyway, the rain will let up soon, and then, the palace! We have a party to get to!” Venti said cheerily. 

True to his word, the clouds broke a few minutes later, and they headed through the city towards the great palace by the river. 

“Do we have an invitation?” Naomi asked Venti as they rolled up to the checkpoint. 

“Please. We’re bards! We always have the invitations we need in the joy we bring, and our passports are the song we sing,” Venti said with a wink. Then hopped out of the car. There were angry voices at first, there usually were, but within five minutes, Venti was best friends with the two capes and six soldiers guarding the way, and they were waved through. 

“Never ceases to amaze me when he pulls that off,” Capri commented as they watched Venti schmooze. 

Naomi nodded, but smiled. “Yes. But it’s always so wonderful when he does. Ready to meet another Archon?”

“Well, hopefully it’s not as exciting as last time. Took a whole day for the Shogun to chill,” Capri grumbled, turning the car back on as Venti slid back into the rear seat and the smiling guards opened the gate. 

When they arrived at the palace, a little girl with pointed ears and silver hair was waiting for them, the most terrifying woman in the middle east to her right, and what was for all appearances, a plant monster on her left. 

“Welcome to Baghdad, Lord Barbatos,” Nahida said to them, bowing slightly as Venti hopped out of the car. “I hope your journey here was pleasant.”

“Buer!” Venti said with a grin, and then swept an ever lower bow, doffing his cap. When had he changed into lederhosen? “Apologies for the lack of notice, but I simply had to come as quickly as I could!” He stood up, and beamed at Nahida. “And may I be the first to welcome you to Earth Bet! I hope the journey here wasn’t too arduous from Sumeru City.” 

“It was a novel experience,” Nahida said with an amused giggle. She looked up at Naomi and Capri then, and smiled with all the sweet innocence of a child. “Hello! I’m Nahida! You must be Capri and Naomi Cohen. I love your music! My favorite is the Ode to Joy Remix.”

“Uh, thank you, Lord Buer,” Naomi said, bowing deeply. “We’re honored to be welcomed into your home.”

“Are you sure we want to welcome her? She’s a Jew,” Farasha said in perfect German, and Naomi froze, a smile plastered on her face. For her part, Skyward Pride fell into Capri’s hands as she growled and her Vision crackled. 

“Be polite, mother. I’m facilitating translation at the moment. She can understand you quite well,” Nahida said, grinning impudently up at Farasha. 

Farasha blushed at that, but said, “You’re having a hard enough time with the hardliner Imams. You welcome her here, and there’s going to be trouble.”

“Then it will be a good way to root out those who hatred yet blinds them to the truth. Besides, you always enjoy ruffling their feathers. Consider this an opportunity to not only examine your own prejudices, but also to irritate Imam Abdel Rahman and his fellow conservatives,” Nahida said. 

“Uh, hey, I’m Tessa, huge fan,” the plant woman said, stepping down and shaking Naomi and Capri’s hand. “Sorry about all that, Farasha’s just a bit prickly. We’ll put her through workplace sensitivity training later.”

“You’re Flower Dragon right? That was pretty funny when you goosed everyone and took down the internet,” Capri laughed, putting her sword on her back, but not banishing it. “I just hope we can all get along and I don’t need to teach certain loudmouthed bitches any lessons.”

“Language,” Farasha growled. “Not in front of my daughter.” 

“Now, now, you two, no fighting,” Venti said, ruffling Capri’s hair and making her yelp and drop her sword, which vanished into mist. “I promise, Capri’s fully house trained.”

“Why I outta-” Capri glared at Venti, who just grinned at her guilelessly. 

“I’ll keep an eye on Farasha, Nahida, don’t worry,” Tessa said. “And if anyone’s racist, I'll put soap in their mouth.”

“A most effective treatment,” Nahida agreed solemnly. She turned back to Venti. “I propose we have a private conference later, and for now, enjoy the party. Later, I wish to speak with you and the Hydro Dragon. There is much you should know, and much I yet do not understand.”

“Looking forward to it! But for now, let’s get to know one another and have a good time!” Venti said cheerily.

“Kinda hard when a certain somebody banned all the booze,” Farasha grumbled. 

Nahida looked exasperated, but Venti beamed and slid an arm around Farasha’s shoulders, much to her discomfort. “Ah! A woman after my own heart! But come, surely there’s more fun to be had! Listen, why don’t you teach me a few songs in arabic, and I’ll teach you some swear words in German!” 

“...but you’re speaking Arabic right now,” Farasha said, sounding uncomfortable as Venti led her away. 

“Actually, I’m speaking a language you’ve never even heard of! Neat trick, that! But anyway, about that booze…”

“Come on, I want you to meet my friends!” 

Naomi looked down to find Nahida had taken her and Capri’s hands. “They’ll be so excited to meet you! We all love your music! Maybe you can play for us later!” 

“I’d be happy to,” Naomi agreed, and then found herself dragged up the stairs, and into the house of those who had once been her enemy. It wasn’t the first time, but it was rather different from breaking down a Nazi’s door. 

Author's Note:

Happy Mother's Day. Hopefully, you have a better talk with your mom than Naomi did.