Novels2Search

Chapter 38

Whatever was resting against the back of his head didn't seem to be sharp, though it was dense. Instead of answering the rather accusing question he went to lift his chest from the ground with both arms bent at his sides. However, for the sake of the back of his head, doing so was a bad idea. Why may one ask? Well because as soon as he attempted to lift himself from the floor, and perhaps because he didn't answer, that dense object retreated a bit before bonking him just hard enough that he wasn't seeing stars, though their flickering goodness was right on the edges of his vision.

"Ouch!"

Letting his chest drop back to the floor with a grunt he grabbed the back of his head with both hands and began to rub the throbbing area with his fingers and palms. He didn't have time to add to his agitation before the voice returned.

"That's what you get for not answering my question shorty! Now what busi........ HNG!"

"HNG?" Ethan, bewildered, thought to himself while at the same time registering that the weight on his back was gone. As he turned over he heard another voice, and this one he recognized.

"Just what do you think you are doing?"

Resting his weight back onto his hands Ethan looked up at Mr. Bimsley holding a.... something, by the back of its shirt, like a female feline scruffing a naughty kitten. Despite the position the... thing found itself in, they quickly responded while pointing at the boy.

"This suspicious person came in all suspicious like, and was suspiciously looking around, before he called out your name all sus..... normally."

Despite the rather accusatory and exaggerated explanation Bimsley listened silently, that is up until the last part when her story kind of fell apart, or at least a missing link in her chain appeared. Ethan was about to protest but Bimsley lifted a thick hand before he could get a word out.

"Perhaps he was just being polite? Not everyone flies around all loud and like a tornado ya know."

While Ethan, who admittedly was a bit perturbed about being silenced when he was, after all, the victim, watched the two talk about him he realized the thing being held up was a girl, a Puledas girl, though she seemed to wearing heavy metal gauntlets and some sort of half face looking helmet.

"But... but he looks suspicious!"

"Hey!"

Bimsley chuckled and placed the girl down before crossing his arms against his chest.

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"Is that so? What about him is suspicious?"

"Well look at him! He is so short, and young, of course he couldn't be a customer!"

Bimsley listened and began to take on an expression that suggested he could possibly see where she was coming from. However, as soon as he caught the look Ethan was leveling at him he quickly cleared his throat and looked away. It seemed no one was going to point out that the young Puledas was shorter than Ethan by a head!

Finally Bimsley got his facial expressions under control and took a step toward the girl. Placing his hands on both her shoulders he turned to the girl to face Ethan before speaking.

"First, introductions are in order. Ethan, this is my daughter, Lilianna, or Lilly for short. Lily, this customer is Mr. Ethan Kipley."

Ethan looked at the two with a blank expression before remembering his manners. Dipping his head he offered a polite greeting in return.

"Hello Lilianna, it's nice to meet you..." He reached up and rubbed the back of his head and frowned, "sort of."

Despite the two olive branches being extended to her Lilianna was visibly having a difficult time in accepting them. Several seconds of twisting lips and a red face she finally sighed and offered a nod in return.

"I'm sorry for attacking you Mr. Kipley, my name is Lilanna and I hope you can forgive me."

Ethan nodded with a smile before looking between the two.

"So you say she is your daughter?" He was naive and did just learn about Pul'kin the day before, but even he could tell that the situation was a bit... off. Bimsley thought about it for a second before laughing a bit. Reaching down to palm her helmet he pushed it forward to cover her eyes and part of her mouth.

"Hey!"

"She is my adoptive daughter, though after all this time to think of her as anything other than my daughter would be impossible."

Ethan watched as Bimsley looked down while speaking which caused the little Puledas to blush with a smile after she returned her helmet to the proper position. She then reached out and hugged Bimsley around the waist, or at least as much of his waist as her short little arms could reach.

"Yep, and dad is dad!"

Ethan was pretty sure he saw Lily send a quick glare his way before burying her face in her father's hip but perhaps he was still smarting from the earlier attack. Even if he was incorrect he still reached up and rubbed the back of his head once again, though he wasn't sure why as it no longer hurt.

Bimsley, who seemed a little embarrassed at the girl's show of affection, finally cleared his throat and turned to look at Ethan.

"So what brings you back today? It seems you survived Cecelia well enough."

Oh, poor choice of words Bimsley, poor choice of words. Upon hearing the statement Ethan popped and explained to Bimsley, using some colorful language, well colorful for Ethan, in explaining just what happened with that she-beast. His rather aggressive retelling caught Bimsley off guard but after he finally managed to organize everything... Well to say he laughed hard the day before at Ethan's story would be a massive understatement after hearing the uproarious laughter that filled the inside of the forge. Before everything was said and done Bimsley was on the floor holding his sides, his daughter was looking at him with a concerned look, well concerned between the glares he was sending Ethan's way, and Ethan was standing there glaring at Bimsley and ignoring Lily. It took almost 15 minutes before Bimsley could bring himself under control, by which time Ethan looked like he was about to pop all over again.