Part 1.
It was midday, and in the castle garden the children were playing under the canopy of the large cherry blossom tree, or what would have been the canopy in a few weeks. It had been a mild five months of winter, and everyone was expecting a beautiful bloom this year. The contrast of the soft pink with the pristine white castle as a backdrop always made for a beautiful spectacle.
Around this time the kids, wound up with excess energy from spending the majority of the last five months inside, were racing through the garden playing games with nothing more than sticks and their imagination. The favorite game for kids within the kingdom was, Hero and Miko, the tale of the first Hero and his lover, the legendary princess, Yayoi. The games that were played often had happier endings than what happened in history.
Currently, there were three children in the garden, the two playing the role of the Hero and Princess were Inari and Yōko, respectively. Yōko was Inari’s little sister and the second princess. When she was born it had been an exceptionally hot day and at the moment of her breach, there was a bright flash in the sky from the direction of the sun. It had been ordained a sign and she was given the name Yōko, meaning sun child, a name she had lived up to with her boundless energy and bright and cheerful personality.
With the two sisters playing the roles of the protagonists, there was a need for an evil villain. This role was filled by none other than Ōkami Shinji, the youngest son of the Wolf clan. He had been friends with the young girls since he could remember, mostly due to their parent’s close relationship. The Wolf clan were the most loyal supporters of the royal family, and as such, their children often played together when their parents were deliberating.
“Nee-san! Shinji isn’t playing fair!”
“What? I am the bad guy, there is no fair!”
“Shinji-kun, don’t be mean. Yōko-chan, if we win every time, it isn’t fair to Shinji-kun.”
Most games between the three often devolved into this kind of play. Even though Shinji was a year older than Inari, he often found enjoyment in the suffering of the younger Yōko, who proved an easy target. This left Inari with no choice other than to turn into a mediator between the three, flexing her maturity.
“Nee-san, why do you always play the Hero?”
“Because you aren’t old enough yet to play the Hero?” Shinji answered quickly.
“Why don’t you play Yayoi and Shinji play the Hero?”
Both Shinji and Inari blushed. It wasn’t that changing the roles hadn’t crossed their minds, but the thought that they would be playing lovers was too much for their young hearts to handle. The idea of her and Shinji being together was a guilty pleasure, in other words, for her at least, it felt too natural. She was under the belief that he, probably, felt the same way. It was obviously forbidden for the two of them, as Inari was already betrothed to Shishi Rio, son of the Lion clan, and was two years younger than Inari.
This had been nothing more than a political move to cement the Lion clan’s loyalty to the imperial family. The only problem was the views of the independent families. In the imperial line, the wives always had the final say on imperial matters, even if the decrees came down from the emperor. However, in the case of the Shishi clan, who had served as the military household for the past ten generations, the male made all the decisions. It was one of the main reasons that the two houses had never joined in the past, at least when it concerned the successorship of the empire.
To make matters worse, while it had been agreed on among the males of the household, Inari’s mother, the current Empress, Fujiwara-no-Suiko had yet to finalize the betrothal. It was out of character for her to be indecisive, making her lack of action a source of worry for the imperial government officials, especially the chief minister Ōkami Hidehira. For the past year, he had been holding off the head of the Lion clan, Shogun Shishi Aeso, the head of the Imperial Military. The nobility was currently in a three-way split with the Shogun’s portion equal to the combined forces of the Ōkami and Fujiwara clans.
It was that power gap that seemed to be the source of Lady Suiko’s delay in deciding, giving the Shishi clan legitimacy for the throne would only result in their increased power. Moreso, if the child between them came out with the features of a lion, it would end the more than two thousand-year reign of the Fujiwara clan, and lastly, what did her daughter think? She remembered back to when she was a little girl and the threat of a political marriage looming over her. In her case, she had been lucky and was married to one of the few fox clans, and had even known the boy, Kitayama Kitsu, well and enjoyed his company fondly. Overall, she had been happy with the choice and even more so with married life.
For her daughter though, it was a different story, there were no fox clans with available sons, and even cousins were out of the question. When talk of her marriage had been brought up at court, Aeso had roared that his son would be a perfect match for her. This was met with thunderous applause and it didn’t take long for word to spread that it was a fact. That was a year ago, and now Suiko, watching from the third floor, down at the garden seeing the children play, had concluded that her daughter’s happiness was too important to let her be a political tool. She was playing a dangerous gamble, but the hope was there that they could ward off the storm that would threaten them with a combined effort.
“Aeso won’t continue to stay silent! A decision, preferably an agreeable one, must be made. I understand as parents, our children’s happiness is important, but they are nobles, they understand their roles.”
The voice of Hidehira echoed through the chamber, a private chamber that only the closest people to the imperial family were allowed. Given his status as the best friend of the emperor, highest minister, and staunch ally to the imperial family, it was obvious why he was permitted to enjoy the luxury of the private chambers. While normally it was just the two of them, today, Murakami, the second son of the Ōkami clan had joined them. He was slated to take command of the clan after his father, as the oldest son had chosen to take the position of an honor guard and guardian to the oldest princess.
“I have given him every excuse I could give him, but I worry that his annoyance could swell, and we could see him move toward military actions. He has never been the most stable kind of man; it was poor luck on our part that he was handed the title of Shogun over his older brother.”
“That is a nice way of spinning what you really mean. It is just us, fratricide is fratricide, he killed his older brother, waiting till he had fully transformed before landing the finishing blow. He is a barbarian that was born into a noble house.” Added the emperor.
“To make matters worse, all of the Tiger and Leopard clans have sworn allegiance to him. If he attempts to raise an army, all of the strongest fighters will join his cause.”
“Hmm…”
“Suiko, love, what are you waiting for?”
As if answering his plea, the sliding door behind him opened. Standing in the way was the disheveled figure of his wife, her normal ornamentals and makeup were absent, revealing her secretive beauty that was only ever seen by her family members, however, upon coming to her decision, she decided that it was more important to act rather than to stand on ceremony. Even so, her appearance would be considered a treasure of the kingdom.
“I have made my decision husband!” she said, forcefully.
“I see! That is good news! Then-“
“Hidehira, she will marry Shinji!” she spoke, cutting off her husband’s words.
All three of the men’s eyes grew wide. This had been the exact opposite of what they had wanted to hear. While Hidehira did think that Shinji and Inari were a good match and was grateful for the consideration, both to her son and to the joining of the families. More importantly, this was spitting in the face of the single most powerful individual in the kingdom. If they couldn’t come up with a good reason, they would undoubtedly have a rebellion on their hands, one that could very well topple the dynasty.
“My lady! Nmm… Suiko! I am grateful for this, but I can not accept such a dangerous proposal. Aeso will come down on us for this. He is a man who possesses little patience, and a very large army.”
“Yes, wife. Please reconsider this. Even with our forces combined, there is no guarantee of winning against him.”
“When did you become such a coward? What happened to the fox that defeated the snake in the mountains?”
“Being an emperor… protecting my people.” He responded in a very rare, annoyed tone.
“…By sacrificing your daughter.” She responded sharply.
“She is a noble – a princess – she understands that there are times when we must sacrifice for the kingdom, for the good of the people! When did you forget this?”
“It isn’t as though I have come without a plan! There is this…” she said, revealing a very old-looking scroll from within her garments.
“What is that?” asked Murakami, his curiosity overtaking him, and being met with a harsh look from his father.
“A secret of the Fujiwara household. A blood pact with the nation in the Sandsea. When the two brothers who founded the Caliphate, a millennia ago, began a civil war our nation answered the request of the younger brother, ending the war. In response the younger brother offered up this treaty, stating that if dire, their nation would respond in kind.”
“You would use an outside nation to solve internal matters?” asked the wolf clan leader.
“It would be no different than what they did. All that they would need to do is attack North Fort and split up their forces. Then we could easily deal a blow to their capital Emedira.”
“How do you know that they would agree to help?”
“It is a blood pact. If they reject, the first-born son, the prince, will lose his life.”
“Blood magic!” All three men yelled in unison.
“Yes. In modern times blood magic is outlawed, but back a millennia or more ago, it was common practice for pacts to be sealed with blood magic.”
“Do you realize what the other nations would say if we used that!?”
“We must do something regarding Aeso’s power. He should have been dealt with years ago. Simply because you felt grateful to his father, you left him alone. Now, here I am offering you a way to deal with his growing power, as well as ensuring the happiness of your family and close friend. Do not hesitate to act this time!”
Both the emperor and the minister were stunned by the empress’s plan. She would incite a civil war by stepping on Aeso’s pride and use a foreign nation to harass his rear while assaulting his capital, all to destroy the threat that the man posed. The lengths that a mother would go to protect her children were truly terrifying.
After a short silence, a time of contemplation, Hidehira finally spoke.
“We should handle this quickly and carefully.”
“Agreed.” Added Emperor Kitus.
“Yeah!” chimed in a gleeful Murakami.
“Then, this is how we should go about our plan,” Suiko said, taking her place amongst the men.
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Part 2.
That day a missive was sent north into the Sandsea, it would take nearly two weeks to get there by mount, given that the rider did not run into any difficulties navigating the desert on his way to Makshebaha, the Caliphate’s capital which rested next to the Great Oasis.
There was a string of oases throughout the desert and a road, equipped with comfortable lodgings had been created for travelers brave enough to traverse the sands. In all honesty, it was nothing too terrifying, not anymore. Around five hundred years ago, there had been an infestation of skurpus, the cause had been adventurers stumbling upon a skurpus hive and inciting the wrath of the queen. In response, the Caliphate, the dynasty, and the Adventurer’s Guild all joined together in a unified force and eradicated the hive. The price was eight thousand dead, fourteen thousand injured, and a fortune in expenses, thousands of platinum bars worth, which was all taken care of by the Caliphate. Once their trade had returned, they had been able to pay that back in five years.
Their wealth came from a special spice that could only be cultivated in the extreme dryness of the desert and had medicinal properties that rivaled the potions that were made by the dwarves, while also managing to taste extremely good when cooked right. Their long-standing monopoly of the herb, which was used in cuisine all around the world, had made them the second richest nation on the planet, only behind the city-state of Methloda.
Regardless, where there is trade, there are often those that wish to rob it. So, while the path through the desert was well-managed and made as accommodating as possible, it was still long and winding and full of possibilities.
With the missive sent to their allies, the next step was to let Aeso know about the decision. That message would take about a week to go from Kyogo to Emedira. The messenger would need to go through the Tormugund Mountain Pass and the Ongyoku Jungle on the other side until they reached Emedira on the western coast. Emedira was a fortress city set up to counter the Empire’s Brunisium which was set up on Andorius’ eastern coast, back when thoughts of worldwide expansion had filled the heads of previous emperors. While that itself had never taken place, the distrust had never vanished, and since then, every shogun had made their home within Emedira, just in case the humans made a move.
The idea was to wait a week, then send out the order to Aeso to have him come to the capital, with news of the betrothal of his son to the princess. When he did arrive, he would be told of the decision, along with an order of demilitarization. His son would then be betrothed to Yōko and kept in the capital for proper training, essentially a political hostage. This would allow for time for the Caliphate to move its troops as needed, they would be given North Fort as part of the deal, opening up Aeso’s northern flank to attack regardless of how he took the news.
“Everything was supposed to take place within three weeks…” Murakami said in a solemn voice. “But that wasn’t the case. My father and I were resting at our lodging outside of the palace when the fires erupted. It had been only six days since the decision had been made, yet the capital was already surrounded by the Shishi army. We made a break for the wall to determine just how bad the situation was and that is the last thing I remember since fighting you.”
“So, you lost track when you came to the wall. Something there caused you to lose yourself. Hmm...” Alex said, rubbing where his beard should have been. “Think back, hard, try to remember anything specific about what you saw in those last moments.”
Murakami closed his eyes. On his face was an unpleasant forced look like he was struggling in a mental tug-of-war match. This carried on for a short while before the wolf continued his story.
“Looking over the wall we could see the city on fire, but there were no banners no soldiers that belong to the Shishi clan or its allies. The townspeople and the guards… They were the ones fighting. They were killing each other. They were the ones starting the fires! After that…father opened the gates…then he attacked me…”
When Murakami finished the last bit of his memory, tears filled his eyes. He couldn’t make sense of what he had been witness to. He looked to Alex for an answer, only to be met with a look that said, “It’s so obvious, figure it out.” Yet the look relented, probably out of pity for the pathetic creature.
“It was mind control. No army had traversed the jungle or crossed over the mountains. It was an inside job. Whoever it was, controlled the people and soldiers in the capital to kill each other, and then to try and kill the imperial family. The question is who… not enough information from your memory to get a solid answer.”
“But who would do such a thing? To kill your own kind?”
“I just told you elf… not enough information.”
For the first time, Lili was seeing Alex genuinely concerned and at a loss for what to do. He was scratching his chin, his tick he did when thinking, along with giving the ground beneath their feet an extremely hostile stare. She wanted to place a hand on him and relax him, but she felt that all that would do would distract and prolong his worries, it was best he tries to solve this mystery now.
“Okay, so story time hasn’t been pointless. We learned a few important things. One, there is or was, at least, someone within the beast continent that could control the minds of an entire city of thousands of people. This is probably the most terrifying thing I have heard since coming here, but at least we know about it. We also know that he can’t do it from this far away. Otherwise, we would all be under his control right now. Third, Lili has the entire Caliphate’s army at her disposal, which is useful.”
“What do you mean!?”
“Well… as long as the writ with the blood pact on it wasn’t destroyed, she is of royal blood. Even if she doesn’t have a nation, she can still use the writ to call forth that pact to, possibly, retake the nation back. The question is, where would that have disappeared to? This rebellion happened five years ago, which is a long time for the occupiers to look for a sheet of paper. Worse case, it burned up in the fire.”
“If I had to gauge the power she has at her disposal, you are far more frighting than an army.” Added Murakami. Alex simply shot him a look that may have only increased the troop count Murakami was comparing him to.
“Also, to add to the whereabouts of the writ, and the identity of the evil charmer, we also have no clue as to the status of, your father, your little brother, and Lili’s little sister. Nor do we know if Aeso is truly the bad guy in all of this, he could very well have already been a puppet of the real mastermind. For that matter, we don’t truly know if your mother is actually gone too. You only remember leaving her the ceremony, right?”
As hard to imagine as it was, Lili’s pale face went even whiter. Her face was that of horror. Just thinking that her mother was still alive and imprisoned by the enemy terrified her.
“Please, don’t get my hopes up.” She said lifelessly.
Alex understood quite well what she meant. Even if her words said one thing, her body language was screaming of the insurmountable guilt she would be feeling having left her mother, the center of the conspiracy, to suffer at the hands of the people who would destroy an entire city so easily.
“Sorry little-, sorry Lili. I am just trying to list out everything we know and everything we know we don’t, not much can be done about the rest. If she is alive, I will find her, your sister too.”
Chances are, her sister was fine, maybe not enjoying life, but she was officially betrothed to the Lion clan cub, and as far as they were concerned, was the last living member of the imperial family. This made her too valuable to simply be tossed away.
Then there were the remnants of the Wolf clan. Was Hidehira still alive, if he was, they would need to find him too, his skills would be invaluable for rebuilding the old country? Then of the least importance to Alex was Shinji, he realistically… served absolutely no value to him.
“Am I being jealous of Lili’s old flame? Am I being that petty? No, realistically what kind of value does he truly bring to the table? Would it even be good that he is alive? His being dead would be the most beneficial… I’m a monster.”
“Alex, are you okay?” Lili’s voice brought Alex back into the real world.
“Uh- yeah… yeah. I am good. Was just thinking… trying to connect the dots. J-Just… still nothing. Still not enough information.” He said, trying to regain his composure.
“So, what would be the plan then?” asked Odwun gently, afraid of another tongue-lashing from Alex.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
“They haven’t changed.” Was the response, much to everyone’s surprise.
“But with what we just heard; shouldn’t we go west? Princess, I know you have no love for me, but for your people, you have to return home now?” Murakami had dropped his large wolf form into a kowtow position with his hindquarters high up in the air.
Lili didn’t have time to respond before a blast of energy came roaring around them. The source was none other than Alex.
“Are you sure you still aren’t being controlled?” he asked.
Lili hadn’t considered the possibility when she was about to answer his question. If Murakami was still under whoever’s control, they would be walking right into a trap if they went now. Alex was being cautious about that possibility by deciding to continue as planned.
“I am sorry, Murakami. I will continue to trust Alex’s judgment. We will continue our journey.”
“But what about…”
“If you are worried about them, you could always go back and do your best,” Alex said. “Or, that would be the case if we didn’t have another glaring problem for us.”
“What is that?” asked Odwun.
“We took a quest to hunt a giant wolf… normally you would have to come back with some kind of trophy to show that you defeated the creature. I highly doubt that they would just accept us saying that we talked to the creature and made peace.”
Confusion set in on the wolf, he didn’t quite understand why, but he was absolutely terrified of the face that Alex was making as the man walked up to him.
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Part 3.
“One giant wolf head, for ten silver bars. Good doing business with you.” Alex said as the currency clinked in his hand. They had returned in record time, and with a giant wolf head in tow no less. The completion of the quest by a Quartz Square, which had caused so many higher-ranked adventurers to shy away, had become the talk of the town. Finally, the people were able to head out and collect the necessary lumber for the coming cold months. For his bravery and skill in overcoming such a creature, Alex was also promoted by two ranks and was now a Turquoise Trilliant.
“At least it looks nicer than the block of topaz I had before. Did they misspell my name on this? Ales Satu? Should I have them adjust it? Will it cause me trouble? Ugh…whatever…”
With guild business done, and after rejecting a few requests to join current parties, Alex walked out of the guild building.
“Let’s go back to Inn.” He said to the two waiting at the door.
“Is that why you wanted to come back so quickly? You wanted some time with your mistress?”
“Elf, understand that your value as a person is non-existent, and your value to me as a ticket into your kingdom is diminishing every time you open your mouth.”
“Princess is that the truth!? You are this man’s mistress? Not his first wife but only a mistress?” The new burly voice that had joined in was none other than Murakami, much to Alex’s annoyance. The wolf-turned-man had long dishelved hair that was the same color as the fur on his coat in his transformed state. He was wearing loose clothing that looked as if they had been spare rags, and against everyone's suggestions, he had rejected the use of boots. "I prefer to feel the ground beneath my feet," was his excuse. Overall, he looked the part, a random homeless bum they had just happened to pick up.
When Alex had stepped forward, the honest truth was that the thought of taking off the wolf’s head and being done with it had crossed his mind, but murder without benefit was nothing but barbarism. The man had done nothing wrong of his own accord and was staunchly loyal to Lili. Even the threat of betrayal by him wasn’t a real concern. The only one among the group that he could beat was the Elf, and the thought of never having to hear that voice again brought a smile to Alex’s lips.
Instead, what Alex had done was to take a perfect measurement of his head, scars, scratches, defects, and all. He wanted to avoid there being any kind of doubt in the validity of his taking down the giant wolf, the replica head he was going to make had to be exact. He even went so far as to create an artificial crystal and infuse it with mana that was similar to that of Murakami.
With that in hand, they returned triumphantly to East Brein, where they were met by the simpleton of a guardsman who spent all of thirty seconds questioning the existence of the new party member who suddenly appeared after a trip into the forest. “I’m a survivor of one of the groups that went into the forest.” Was more than enough for the guard to wave him on by.
“This is supposed to be a military bastion? Hordin what the hell is going on up here?”
In response to Murakami’s question, Alex gave an exhausted look and thought for a minute. Then with a rather wicked smile, he responded, “She is more like a fiancé. We haven’t decided on a date yet. But we are madly in love with each other.”
He was laughing to himself, but when he side-glanced at Lili he could see the pale white skin on her face was quickly turning a strawberry color, which made the situation even more enjoyable for him. As for Lili, who had now become the topic of discussion scurried away from the group in the direction of the inn; with Murakami quickly following her.
“Was it wise to poke at her like that? It seemed like you were making light of her affections.”
“That is rather perceptive, coming from you. You missed the mark though. I wasn’t making light of her feelings; I was confirming them. She pissed me off earlier, but that doesn’t mean I love her any less. It was a cue to her that there are things we… Things that I am ready to talk to her about tonight.”
“I had no idea-”
“Of course not. You come from a civilization that has no interest in relationships. While a few mingle among their own sex, the two sexes never intermingle. There are a lot of things that can be learned from the opposite sex, that goes both ways. We are entirely different animals.”
“Well I’ll admit our customs are somewhat odd when compare-“
“I’m not shaming you. I am just telling you, there are experiences that you will never experience like that. If you take anything from this adventure outside of your lands, take it as a chance to learn and experience the world.”
“So, you say. I take it that is what you are doing?”
Alex nodded. “Un, I come from a different world, I’m a stranger. These are all new experiences to me, even the things that seem normal to you.”
After the rare moment of humility from the monster he had come to know as Alex, Odwun pondered the man’s advice. It was unheard of for an elf to willingly travel the world. Most of their information came from merchants that made trips to Dwaldwell’s Gate City, the furthest that non-dwarves were allowed to go in the Dwarven kingdom. Many different races had their own merchants go there because it was the only place in the world where one could acquire dwarven goods, thus becoming a great place to talk gossip and pick up news from other continents. This information, picked up by the deft ears of the elves, was then transmitted back home, where the fact was disseminated from fiction and then a value on its effect on elven culture was determined. If things felt like they were too serious, trade with the outside world would be discontinued for a time, entirely. What were twenty to thirty years to an elf after all?
Yet here was a human, a human that was married, kind of, to an elf. Not just any elf either, arguably the most famous and most magically gifted of all elves, the one who had walked on every continent in the world. That human was now telling him, for his own good, he should disinherit all the teachings that his master had given him and that he should do the same. It was a terrifying concept for him, all he had wanted to do since leaving the Golden Gates at the entrance to his homeland, was to turn around and go back in. Instead, he had pressed on and continued his mission, only to be met with the misfortune of running into that same human, who ruthlessly killed his companions and taken him, hostage. “The man is insane. Why would I do anything he suggests? How does he even know what is best for me? He is just some foreigner who knows nothing about our cultures.”
When he came back to reality, he looked around to see he was alone, and accompanying that realization came a gentle pain in his chest.
Alex had already returned to the establishment known simply as “Inn”. It wasn’t dark out yet, but the light was starting to fade from the sky. With a simple wave to the man running the business, he pushed onward into the back where he found Murakami kneeling at the door to his room, wearing a pouting face.
“No…no…we are so doing something about this Mut. He is not coming with us.”
“Murakami, move, you’re in my way.” He said coldly.
“This is my lady’s room; how dare you try to enter it!” He responded, shooting up and trying to be intimidating. That lasted only a second before he remembered whom he was trying to go against and he then switched to a more docile posture but still attempted to come off as determined to stop him.
“Let me correct you, this is our room. Mine and Lili’s.” Alex replied confidently.
“Why do you call her by a name that isn’t hers?”
“It was the name I gave her when she didn’t want to use her own.”
“Why-“
“Look…The last time you saw her was years ago. You don’t even have a modicum… sorry, that word may be too advanced for you, an idea of what she went through in those years. If you want the details, ask her to tell you her story, but not right now; I wish to have some private time with her.”
Without waiting for a response, he entered the room and closed the door. While the door itself was rather flimsy, and the only thing that had honestly kept the wolf outside beforehand had been his respect for his lady. Alex’s barrier that he put up behind him would guarantee their privacy against any possible slips in self-control.
“Oh… we never got Murakami a room. Oh… well, not my problem really. Am I acting this way because I am trying to assert my dominance? I feel like I am being more of an ass than usual. Not now, I need to focus on the person in front of me.”
There sitting on her bed, facing the wall and doing her best to not look at him, was his most precious person. Her face was definitely still red, and that brought a smile to his face and a chuckle threatened to escape from his lips. Holding it back, he moved slowly, taking up a spot behind her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders, then pressing his lips to her cheek.
This only exacerbated her condition, her eyes grew big, and her face grew even warmer. Her emotions were so out of control a tail even magically appeared out of nowhere. Causing Alex’s previously held laughter to come forth.
“Why are you making fun of me!?” She said, quickly turning and launching an assault of tinny hammer fists against his chest. He let her attack cause him to fall back onto his bed on the opposite side of the small room, laughing as he fell on his back with his arms wrapped around her body.
“Because it is fun!”
“For you!”
“Yes, for me!” He laughed in agreement.
“But not for me!” she shot back.
“Don’t you know what boys do to the girls that they like?” he said with a smile after finishing his bout of laughter.
“What?”
“We make fun of them. Doesn’t matter how old we get.”
The answer seemed to befuddle her as she looked to be working out in her head what that meant. To speed up that process, he gently squeezed her and planted his lips against hers. It was another surprise for her, this seemed to be really out of character for the otherwise cool-headed man she had come to know.
“This is nice.” She thought as she came back up for air.
“What has gotten into you?” she asked him.
He stopped and stared away for a second. There was a fear within her that maybe she had said something she shouldn’t have, and all the excitement would vanish. Surprise hit her again when he turned his head back around and, in his eyes, she could see waterdrops building, but not so much that they threatened to spew forth.
“You scared me so much earlier. If I had listened to your request, you would be dead right now and I don’t know what I would have done.”
“I…” She wasn’t sure what to say exactly.
“I need you, more than you understand, apparently.”
“Well… I mean, you still have Evona, and even the girls in Faustus like-”
“They don’t compare to you.” He said, cutting her off.
She wouldn’t deny that it felt nice to be cared for so much, but just how much? There was an itch she had to scratch, and her curiosity got the better of her.
“So, you love me the most then?” she asked with a devious smile.
“More than anyone else in this world.”
“By how much?”
“Ah, we are at this stage, are we?”
“What stage?”
“The stage where you must know exactly where you stand in my heart. Fine, I play along.”
“I don’t know-“
“I’ll think I’ll use this as a perspective.” He said while gently rolling Lili off him and sitting up on the bed, before continuing. “You know about what happened to Evona, right?”
“Un”
“If she asked me to, I would obliterate the entire elf race off the face of the Earth in retribution. That isn’t what she wants though. As for you… I am terrified of what I would do if I lost you. If I weighed your life against the world, you would come on top every time. And I am sorry for that.”
“Wh…wha…what do you mean your sorry. Of course, I am happy to hear I mean so much to you. But why does the world mean so little to you?”
“I did something very unfair to you when we first met Lili. I put the weight of the entire world on your small shoulders because I found it impossible for me to carry.”
“WHAT!? What does that mean?”
“When I first got here, I was enraged at what happened to me. Yet, I did my best to keep my cool and keep myself as together as possible. When I first landed here, from the Vathsvala’s realm, I saw all the people in this world as nothing more than side characters. Their thoughts, actions, emotions, dreams, nothing, none of it mattered to me. I had one goal, find, and defeat this demon lord that they were talking about, and find a way home.
“The first person I really got to know was-“
“Royden, right!” she said, with a gentle wag of her tail.
“Right. Roy. It wasn’t incredibly long that we were together, a few days, but we got to know one another, through both conversation and battle. Even the name of the girl he fancied in town, the baker’s daughter Ana. He said that he couldn’t decide if the bread from there was always so good because of the baker’s skill or because Ana was there.” He paused for a moment as he caught himself.
“In the end, we came against an opponent we had no business facing. In the act of ensuring our victory, he was killed. I came here thinking that I was going to steam… that I was going to be all-powerful and be able to do whatever I wanted. I was cocky, and someone died. While death wasn’t a new thing to me, the idea of someone dying because of me hits me hard. And I was left feeling incredibly sorry for myself. That was when Hordin had me come with him to the harem, thinking that was what I needed to cheer me up.”
The mention of the harem caused her tail to stop swaying. There was a whole list of emotions that place brought forth, most were terrible. “Still, there was at least one good thing that came out of it.”
Choosing to not address the worries that were plastered on her face he continued with his story.
“It just so happens, that is where a met a tiny naked girl trapped inside of a cage.”
With the memory of her condition at their first meeting, a new round of blushing came about. Even though she had been in her smaller form, no bigger than a six or seven-year-old child, it was still embarrassing for her to have been seen in such a state.
“It’s okay, I wasn’t looking that hard.” He said with a laugh. “Something told me I had to save you, that you were going to be important to me. At that same time, I made the decision that I would save you and through you, the world. This is your world, not mine. I can never love it the same way, I can never fully forgive it for taking me away from those I love. Instead, I would love you, and if you wanted me to save this world, I would do so. Since then, I have come to a decision. I want you to become the hero who saves the world. I can’t, it isn’t who I am, and my hands are far too stained to be a hero. Hell… I compared love to mass murder after all. I am too broken to become a hero. Sorry to put that all on you.
“On this subject, I will also explain why I couldn’t simply accept your affection the same way I did for Evona.” He stopped for a second, taking his time to look into her snow-colored eyes and brush his hand along her cheek. “It wasn’t the reason that… well not entirely the reason that you and Evona thought it was. Again, it was simple fear. What if I messed up and our relationship soured? If you left me, if you hated me, I was so afraid of that. At first, I figured that maybe if I got with Evona, maybe you would back off. Turns out that was stupid and, frankly, just mean to you. But without you… I would have failed everything. I would have failed you, Evona, myself… hell, the whole world. You are my greatest strength and my greatest weakness all at the same time. I can do anything in the world if it is for you, and with you being the focal point it also gives me the freedom to do what needs to be done, even if I have to become a demon to do it.
“So, understand when I say, I love you, in my own ridiculous way. That means it is my turn to ask you, knowing all of this now, do you still feel the same way about me as you had before?”
She pondered the question for some time while resting at Alex’s side.
“It doesn’t really change the way that I feel about you. While it is nice to hear your reasoning for why you weren’t as accepting of me as you were her, it is also kind of startling. I feel closer and annoyed all at the same time. How am I supposed to be the hero if you can’t? Does Evona already know all this?” She asked while shooting up from her spot.
“No, I haven’t told her why yet. I figured it would be best that you heard it first.” She couldn’t help but smile when she heard that she was the first to know. “Because your hands are still clean. Think about it, you were the one that defeated the monster in Dortmin, not me. I was the one that walked in and massacred their soldiers. I killed hundreds of men, simply doing their jobs, simply following orders… And I did so callously. I didn’t care whom I had to hurt, or whom I had to kill, as long as I got what I came for. That isn’t heroic, that is the sign of a villain. Plus, you couldn’t write a better story than the descendent of the First Hero’s lover, the long-lost dynastic princess, coming back and saving the world. You will be the thing that shields the world from me, my hands can be stained and yours can stay pure.”
He finished and fell back onto the bed staring up at the ceiling. How many people in his life had he let in and told what he was really thinking, what he was honestly feeling? That number had to be less than five. Would having a harem mean he had to open up to each and every woman that entered it? The thought was exhausting.
His musings were interrupted by Lili resting her head on top of his chest.
“I understand what you are saying. I can’t say I honestly like it though. Also, don’t do anything too hard by yourself, we are a team. Haaa… being a hero is exhausting.”
That last line caused both of them to crack up and laugh.
“Oh… I got one more question. Between me and your old wife, whom do you love more?”
She may have meant to ask it innocently, but the air around Alex changed quite dramatically when she finished her question.
“It is better you never ask that question again. I love you, Lili, more than anyone else in this world, but Sumire will always be with me. I can’t say that if I got the chance to go back to her, I wouldn’t simply take it then and there. It is a choice that I don’t want to have to make, not now, not that I am going to be a father.” There was a moment of somber silence then Alex spoke again. “The voice I heard, the one to rescue you from the cage, was her voice. I heard it again when I was on the mountain when I was trying to come to terms with your feelings for me. Even here, in some distant world, who knows how many billions of light years away, she is still with me, still helping me move forward. That goes beyond just love.”
When he finished, he was wearing a big smile on his face, but Lili could tell by looking into his eyes, he was feeling only sadness. While his body was there, his mind and his heart were back home in Japan with the family he had left behind. To love someone so much but to never be able to see them again, she couldn’t fully comprehend how he must be feeling, and she was ashamed of the jealousy she was currently feeling for Sumire.
“I am right here, in front of you. Look at me instead. I want to help you too.”
She understood, she could never replace what he had lost. All that she could do was to be there for him and hopefully ease his burden. She placed a hand on his and rested her head against her chest. It was her way of saying “come back to me”. Choosing to accept her plea, they laid back in bed and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
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Part 4.
The following morning was the day that they decided to set out and continue their journey. There was only one problem, as far as Alex was concerned. They currently had an uninvited stray in their group, and before venturing forth, Alex had every intention to correct it.
“No more pets, I was done with pets years ago. I am not about to take in another stray now! It is not that I don’t like pets or animals, I simply just don’t want to be left taking care of it. Bathing it, feeding it, cleaning after it, no… not again.”
“Are you okay, sir?” asked Murakami.
His face was close enough that Alex could smell his canine breath. He seemed to still have some of his more primal instincts as he was taking whiffs at Alex, looking for any evidence of foul play from the previous night.
“I’m fine. I am trying to think of the best thing to do with you.” Alex said, trying his best to not cover his face.
“Can’t you smell your breath? This world needs mints! I should create some, that would be a smart idea!” He thought with a straight face, hiding his displeasure.
“What to do with me? I am coming with you. I can’t be separated from the princess now that we have just reunited!” He spoke as if his words were a matter of fact.
“Denied.” The reply was instant.
“Wah!?”
“We can’t guarantee that you are clear of any form of mind control. On top of that, she is a big girl and doesn’t need you hounding her anymore. If she needs help for some reason, she has me and that is more than enough.”
It looked as if he wanted to refute it somehow but, in the end, came to the conclusion that the list of things that Alex could provide far outweighed what he could. He simply lowered his head in defeat and sat on the ground with his back to the exterior wall of the building known as Inn. Again, maybe it was because he had been in such a wild state for so long, that when he sat down, he lifted his knees up with his feet planted on the ground. It looked terribly uncomfortable from a human perspective, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“Buh-“
“Murakami, listen to Alex” Lili interrupted him.
“Lady Inari! It is never bad to have extra protection!”
“It is Lili now, and as he said, can you protect me from yourself?” She was harsh with her words; however, she was trying to make a point. None of them knew the extent of the control he was under, and if he had been under that control this entire time, who is to say that he was cured so easily? The best thing for everyone was that they separate for now. If after some undetermined yet sufficient amount of time, they came back together and he was still himself, then they could entertain the idea of them working together as a group. For now, though Alex was unconvinced.
“I have an idea for you. If you really want to help Lili. Head back across the sea to your old home. Gather intelligence, people, supplies, and whatever else you can think of that will help her move forward. She will need it all eventually.”
Everyone looked at Alex with surprise. It was almost sounding like he was making plans to restore the old hegemony.
“Alex, what are you...?”
“It is your birthplace, and you are the rightful ruler of it. It only makes sense that we should make plans to restore it. You can decide what you want to do with it after that.” With that he walked away from the group, giving a nonchalant wave in the direction of Murakami.
“Is he really planning to rebuild your old kingdom?” asked Odwun.
“It seems so. That means there will probably be a showdown with the Shishi clan.” Murakami added.
Lili looked at the back of Alex as he walked away.
“Again, he is making plans and thinking things without saying anything. How much of this do you have figured out?”
Again, there was a forlorn pain in her chest. It felt like no matter how close she got to him, there was always going to be a distance there between them. She wondered about Sumire and how close the two of them had gotten. Did she always know what he was thinking? Or did he also keep her in the dark about everything?
“I thank you Murakami for your loyalty, but we must be heading out. If you really want to help, please follow the advice that he gave you. Oh, and here!” She placed a pouch in his hand, there was a soft clinking sound that came from inside it. “This is the reward that we got from um… defeating you. Please use it as needed.” With that, she turned and walked away, leaving both the wolf and the elf standing there watching them.
“You have it rough.”
“Yeah…” sighed Odwun. “Luckily it is only until we get to my home, then we will go our separate ways. I just need to survive until then.” Odwun finished with a nervous chuckle.
“Then it sounds like I have the easier task. Hahaha!” He laughed loudly as he walked away leaving the elf standing alone.
“Ugh… you have no idea. I feel as if the moment I say the wrong thing I may just lose my head.” After his comment, which he said low enough to ensure that no one else could hear it, even at this distance he was not confident that what he said wouldn’t be heard by either Alex or Lili, he walked on after the other two.
After walking for a short while further into town, with a coin purse clinking at his side. Murakami stepped into a side alley shaking his head, before covering his eyes with his hands.
“Ugh… my head hurts. I need to go back… Hmm… No, I don’t want to do that… Don’t fight me… I can’t… She is alive… He is too dangerous… Do what they said…“