"Not there!" Leaf shouted at me.

"What…? Not there? You sure?" I asked as I moved the board a little.

"That's the window!" she complained, her little wings flapping in annoyance.

"Who needs windows?" I said with a sigh.

"I do!" she slapped the top of my head, rather hard too.

She didn't just inherit her mother's wings; she had also inherited her strength.

I was actually glad for it. It would help keep her safe. Especially since she seemed to have inherited her temperament too, and not her father's.

"Fine… fine… so how about here?" I asked as I stepped to the side and put the board where it belonged.

"Yeah!" she happily permitted me to nail the board in its proper spot.

As I hammered it into place, I felt Leaf shift on top of me. She was sitting on my shoulders; much like her mother used to, and was stretching as to grab another plank for me.

She clung to my head, rather my hair, as she groaned and grabbed one of the boards on the platform next to us. The heavy plank was easily picked up by the small girl's tiny fingers.

Strong indeed.

I accepted the board and debated teasing her again. I didn't though, and decided to tease her later by pretending to make the roof really low. The kind of low that even she'd be unable to stand up properly.

This was going to be her new room. A whole floor to herself, almost. One that overlooked the tree and the meadow. It would be a very warm and happy home. I looked forward to seeing it complete… and full.

Lilly was pregnant again. Already. A second child so soon after Leaf. It was a little startling, to be honest. Usually our kind, especially those like Lilly who were so pure-blooded, found it difficult to conceive.

Maybe Lilly's hot temperament helped in more ways than one.

"Hey Vim."

"Hm?" I tilted my head as I hammered the next board into place.

"What's a Yangli?" she asked.

She had said his name in a way that told me she had only heard the word once. She had barely said it right.

"A person. Or well… technically, two people. It's the name of a father and a son," I said.

"Did they hurt mommy?" she asked.

I nodded. "One of them did. The son."

"Oh. And you're going to kill him?" she asked.

"Once I find him, yes," I told her.

"Hm…" Leaf grabbed onto my hair again, but not as to reach over and grab another board.

"I'm the protector, Leaf. It's my job to eliminate threats and dangers," I said as I stepped over to grab another board.

"Mommy's a warrior too, right?" Leaf asked.

As I positioned the board, I frowned. "She is. I suppose. But she's now a mother, so she can't do that anymore," I said. Even if she still kept trying to get involved.

"Why does becoming a mom stop you from being a warrior?" Leaf asked with all her innocence.

"Your duties change. Responsibilities. You don't want to lose your mommy do you?" I asked.

I felt her quickly shake her head as he wings fluttered.

"That's why. She doesn't want to lose you either. And being a warrior is dangerous. Plus it keeps you away from home for a long time. Can't be missing your molting, now can she?" I said.

"I haven't molted yet!" Leaf said loudly, as if embarrassed.

"No wonder you're so small!" I said loudly back.

"Gah!" she shook my head, and I couldn't help but grin.

She really did remind me of Lilly in her youth.

It was too bad I only got to visit every so often, and when I did it was because there was a need to. There weren't many people in the Society I genuinely felt comfortable with, and Lilly and her family were definitely one of them.

As I grabbed another board and continued to help build the new house, I wondered how much longer I should linger here.

I'd been here for about a week now. And so far I'd not heard, seen, or smelled scale or hide of Yangli.

I didn't want to risk leaving too early… but I also knew I couldn't stay here forever. Even if I kind of wanted to.

Lilly though was healed now. What few wounds she had from her scuffle with Yangli were already healed… and she was now on guard. I knew even if Yangli showed up here after I left, it would not go the way it had before.

Yangli screwed up. He had blown his one and only chance. Lilly was now not only on guard… she was back with her family. This was her nest.

I don't think a lizard comprehended how ferocious an owl could become when catching one in its nest.

"Vim, vim!" Leaf got my attention as I finished hammering in another board.

"Hm?"

"How long until I can fly?" she asked.

"I don't know. When I first met your mother she hadn't been able to fly either," I said.

Actually she had been able to float a bit. For some reason Leaf still wasn't even able to get off the ground.

Her wings did seem a tad bit smaller than Lilly's had been… but it was hard to tell as to the why. It could just be that Leaf was still too young, or maybe it took her first molting before her wings could truly bear her whole weight.

Or… it might simply be the fact that Leaf would never be able to take flight.

It wasn't uncommon at all for children to be... less non-human than their parents, after all.

"Can you fly?" she asked.

"Do I have wings?" I asked back.

"Hm… no."

I chuckled at her. She had answered very seriously, as if this was the first time she'd ever noticed that I didn't have wings either.

"Huh… what are you Vim?" Leaf then asked, obviously realizing she had no idea now that she thought about it.

"I'm Vim, did you bump your head and forget all about me?" I asked.

"What! No!" she laughed at me as her little wings fluttered.

Smiling at her… I noticed Lilly and Windle beneath us. They had entered the new building, carrying supplies and tools.

Leaf and I were on the third floor, and although there were a few spots that still had no floor, or spaces open to the subfloors, most of the framework was finished. My goal originally before leaving was to simply finish the main support columns and framework, but we'd surprisingly handled that rather quickly. Now my plan was to finish the top floor and roof before leaving. The owl family could finish it from there.

Windle and Lilly began to make noise beneath us. Talking about which wall they were going to work on next. Leaf noticed her parent's voices and patted my head. "Vim, Vim!" she said quickly.

"Hm?" I tilted my head at her, which made her cling to me as if she was about to fall off.

"Let's go downstairs!" she said.

"But look, someone needs to finish filling in this hole or who knows what will happen," I said with a gesture to the window. Or at least, the spot where the window would be.

"Geh! That's a window! I told you that already!"

"I think you're crazy," I said as I stepped away and headed for the stairs.

"You think I'm crazy?" she asked worriedly.

"Has your head ever hurt?" I asked.

"Huh…! Yes! Is that a sign of craziness?" she asked with a slight panic.

"I'm not sure, it might be."

Leaf groaned worriedly as I descended the half-finished stairs to the second floor. This area was a larger space, that not only had many rooms… or would have many rooms… but also led to other stairwells. Their plan was to have large rooms in circular forms all around a larger circle.

Basically Lilly planned to have as many children as possible. She was already building under the assumption she'd have at least half a dozen, by the looks of it.

"My head does sometimes hurt when I talk to you…" Leaf mumbled as I headed for the main stairwell. This one was practically finished, except it didn't have the handrails that they'd eventually add to it.

"Are you terrorizing my daughter Vim?" Lilly asked as we descended to the first floor.

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"She's easier to tease than you had been," I said.

Windle chuckled as Leaf flapped her wings excitedly. "Mom!" she acted as if she'd not seen her in a long time as she quickly clambered off my shoulders.

I didn't need to help her down. Lilly stepped over and happily took her daughter from me. The young girl wrapper her mother in a hug, her little wings flapping happily. Lilly, likewise, showed off a wonderful smile as she embraced her daughter.

Although I'd seen such affection between the two often enough, it still made me pause for a moment as to enjoy it.

Lilly had always seemed like a rough girl to me. Not so much without love or emotion… but just simply not the type to be so blatantly affectionate. So to see her act so motherly was… well…

"Be jealous," Lilly teased me, likely noticing my smile.

"I kind of am," I admitted.

"Hold on. About what?" Windle turned, sounding worried.

Lilly chuckled as she stepped away, ignoring her now fretting husband.

Windle glanced at her, then to me, and I shook my head at him. Really, what'd he think was going on?

Something told me Lilly had teased him somehow. Ever since we had returned, I carrying Lilly, he had been a little on edge. I'd blame his worry over Yangli showing up, but it was very clear it wasn't anything physical he was worried about.

Lilly hummed as she headed to the other side of the room, where there was a table. On the table wasn't just tools and supplies, but also a woven basket. Likely one full of food, based off the smell.

"Lunch," Windle informed me of what I already knew.

I nodded as I glanced at the wall he and his wife were focused on. It was one of the middle walls, which would make the hallway that led to the stairwell.

"It's going well. I bet this will be finished before she gives birth," I said.

Windle then spun around, dropping his hammer.

Lilly stopped too, and turned around as her wings folded up tightly.

Uh oh.

"Vim ruined it!" Leaf shouted happily, laughing at me.

Taking a deep breath, I sighed as Windle hurried over to his wife and daughter. He wrapped the two in a hug and immediately went to spinning them around, laughing happily.

Although glad Windle was the type to take it so well, I still felt horrible as I watched the three enjoy the moment. Lilly kept telling Windle to calm down, Windle crying in pure bliss, and Leaf laughing at her idiot parents.

Really. Why and how did Yangli think he could, or should, interfere with such a happy family?

Especially since it wasn't like Yangli wanted to marry Lilly and be her husband. He simply desired her. Her body. He wanted her to bear his children, nothing more. As far as I was aware he hadn't ever even really tried to woe her or seduce her. He simply just… wanted her.

It made no sense to me. The thing that made someone attractive was their personalities. Their attitudes. Sure some could be attractive in looks, but that alone wasn't enough… was it?

Maybe I just didn't feel lust strongly enough, or something. I'd never understood how a man could get so hot-headed in such a way.

I could kill someone out of pure rage, sure, but pushing a woman down over lust…?

Took the fun out of it, you'd think.

"I can't believe you kept it from me," Windle complained as he went to studying his wife's belly.

It barely showed any sign, even with the tight dress she wore.

"You're the idiot who doesn't notice certain things," Lilly said with a sigh.

"Idiot!" Leaf happily repeated her mother, not even comprehending what she was saying.

Smiling at them, I barely noticed the movement just beyond them.

Past them. Through the half-open door… off in the distance…

Past the giant tree. Beyond meadow. Shadows were moving amongst the wall of darkness just beyond the entrance to the forest.

I blinked as I realized I hadn't mistaken it. I saw more movement.

Animals did sometimes make it here, through the dark forest and past the dark bear. But…

Instinctively, I just knew.

Stepping forward, I glanced at Lilly. The happy woman, who was still being fussed over by her tall and lanky husband, noticed my look. Her eyes steeled themselves as she turned to look out the door.

"Stay here," I said simply.

"Huh?" Windle realized something was wrong as I left the house.

Leaving the happy family behind I walked out of the house, beyond the initial garden of flowers… and headed for the section of shadows I had noticed moving.

I didn't hurry forward. Even if Yangli had turn and ran at the sight of me… it didn't matter. I could catch him. Now that he was nearby, and I had his general location, he'd not be able to escape me.

Nothing could.

And even though a fool… Yangli knew it too. For he stepped out of the darkness right as I passed the large tree.

He strode forward towards me, walking a little faster than I walked towards him. It didn't take too long until we met each other in the middle of the large meadow, beneath the giant tree.

Yangli looked as I'd remembered him. His arms and legs looked fine… his body unchanged... but he now had a blotchy scar and wound upon his face. Covering most of his left eye socket, and running into his hair.

Lilly hadn't just removed his eye; she had torn off half his face it seemed. The pale skin growing back looked several shades lighter than the rest.

"Vim…" Yangli came to a stop as he said my name.

I didn't stop though as I continued walking towards him.

He stood up straighter as I continued to approach. His face shifted and contorted. He went from shock, to pain, to worry… and then he finally stepped back a step as I drew even closer.

"Wait… Vim!" he shouted, as I then stepped right up next to him.

Yangli held his breath as he stared wide-eyed at me. His empty socket looked rather healthy. I saw no puss or infection… which was too bad.

"Vim, I—" he started to give me an apology, but his words got caught off as I shot my hand out and grabbed him by the throat.

Yangli immediately tried to free himself. He tried to jump backward, all the while pushing off on my wrist and arm. His whole body shook violently from the motion, yet I didn't let go.

He let out a squeak of a cry, unable to get any more air through his throat than that. I squeezed a little tighter, to make sure not even that much air could escape or enter next time.

"Did you think I'd forgive you? That I'd even entertain it?" I asked the boy as he began kicking and punching. He kicked at my body, all the while clawing and hitting my arm.

I ignored it all as I squeezed some more.

I had killed his father by breaking his neck in such a way. I'll do the same to him.

"I am sorry, Yangli," I said as I stared into his single eye. It was bulging, and now bloodshot. I wasn't just keeping him from breathing, I was genuinely crushing him.

He didn't even seem to be looking at me, or anything in particular. Even as he struggled. Odds were he couldn't even see anything.

"This is my fault. I should have laid down the law. Before you made such a stupid mistake. So… You can blame me. And hate me. I know I do," I said.

"Vim!"

A shout from behind made my eyes twitch, but I didn't turn. I didn't stop.

I could hear Lilly. Her wings as they flapped harshly. She was hurrying to me.

Would she try to stop me? I doubted it. If anything she'd just want me to do so just so she could do the deed herself.

But I wouldn't allow that.

Not only was this my responsibility… since I had promised his father…

Leaf did not need to see her mother kill someone out of pure spite. Not yet anyway. She was still too young.

Yangli's fighting began to soften. His kicks which had ripped clothes and sounded loud and heavy became soft and few. His punches had turned into him just grabbing at my forearm… clawing at it with his nails. They had gone from cutting and digging into me to not even breaking skin.

A slosh of saliva and gunk was rolling down his face and throat, onto my hand… but I didn't care. I continued to squeeze.

I felt pipes tear. Muscles rip. Bones break and shift. I felt blood vessels pop, and the familiar feeling of internal bleeding near my thumb. The larger artery had just ruptured inside. It'd not be long until it started to spew from his orifices.

Then he went limp.

His hands slipped away from my arm. Dangling to his sides.

His legs too dangled, in an odd sprawl inward. Odds are he had dislocated his hips in his attacks. He had been kicking me that hard.

I could smell the piss, though couldn't see it yet. His clothes were thick leather.

"Vim…! Wait…!" Lilly shouted at me. She wasn't far now. Likely would be here in mere moments.

For a tiny moment I hesitated. I considered letting her have the final blow. He was already dead, in a sense. I had broken his neck. Crushed his windpipe. Ruptured major blood vessels, and who knows what to his nerves…

Sorry Lilly.

Squeezing with more strength, Yangli's single leftover eye popped out of his skull. His jaw cracked open, his tongue forced out. His whole body jolted one last time… and blood began to leak from his visible orifices.

"Goodbye Yangli."

I dropped his body right as Lilly landed next to me.

He crumpled. Landing in a strange pile upon himself. Slouched over, with his head dangling backwards thanks to his now comically small looking neck. I had squeezed it so hard it now looked squished, like a fruit did. Like how an apple would look if I crushed it.

"Vim… geez…" Lilly groaned as she looked down at him.

"Sorry," I apologized.

"No… It is fine… did he… did he say anything?" she asked as she glanced at me.

"He tried to."

Lilly sighed as her wings folded up behind her. "You killed him before he even got to say anything?" she asked.

"You think I should have spared him?" I asked her, a little surprised.

"What? No. Not at all. I was hoping you'd let me do it myself," she said.

Figured.

I turned to glance behind us. Off in the distance I saw Windle. He had his daughter in his arms, and her wings were wide and open… flapping lightly. As if she was trying to take flight as to come over to us.

"Sorry it was in front of your daughter," I apologized.

"Huh…? Should apologize about Windle more than anything. Not only is he weird about this stuff, you told him I was pregnant before I was ready," she said with a huff at me.

"Yeah… my bad…" I apologized, feeling bad about that.

"Hmph…" she nodded, accepting my apology.

"Still… it's always like this with you. Always leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Lilly complained.

"About what…?" I asked.

"How quickly you end it. I didn't even get to hear him scream or anything," she complained further.

Shaking my head at her, I gestured for her to go home. "Mind getting me a shovel? I'll go bury him in the woods."

"Why? The bear will eat him if we just dump him far enough away."

"It'll probably dig him up anyway, yes. But I'd rather bury him first all the same. That way your husband and daughter don't get sick somehow. Insects and animals might mess with his corpse until the bear gets it," I said.

"Oh. Right…" Lilly nodded as she spread her wings and took flight.

The gusts from her going aloft forced Yangli's body over. It slumped to the side, falling to the ground.

Sighing at him, myself, and the world… I decided to be a little more firm from now on.

Not too harsh, of course… but… well…

I didn't want this happening again.

I had no way to know why Yangli had just walked out to me. Had he simply given up? Had he hoped to beg for my forgiveness? Did he think I was gentle enough to overlook what he'd done?

Maybe he hadn't even realized he had killed his father. He had supposedly ran off in the middle of the fight, after all.

Even Lilly was surprised I hadn't given him a chance to speak.

When I'm too soft, it caused issues.

Too brutal, it made more.

Just where was the middle ground…? And how did one find it?

"Doesn't matter…" I mumbled as I glanced at my hand. The one I had killed him with.

Clenching my fist, I sighed.

Another mistake.

How many more would I make? How many could I endure?

And when would I figure out how to rectify them without the use of violence?

It was all I knew anymore. All I had known.

Celine would have demanded a different result. Lilly had not liked how it had gone either.

Prasta and her family may have not found my method pleasant either.

So…

Who was happy with this result?

Anyone?

Was I…?

"Stupid boy," I said to the dead boy… and myself.

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