One year after having stabbed his father, Tsugi has returned to the orphanage after his mission with Lugo.

"Welcome back darlin." Jenene placed her elbows on the counter and leaned over the counter. Her chained earring clipped at the tip of her ear, dangling down like a loose strand of hair. "And who might this be?"

"Jenene, this is Lugo." Tsugi gestured to Lugo who walked over to the counter and bowed politely.

"Nice to meet you, My Lady."

"Awe, such a polite young lad." Jenene smirked at Tsugi. "Your first big mission and you've already made a friend."

"He's not a friend. He's an acquaintance. We just worked the job together. Lugo escorted me back." He rummaged through his cloak pockets.

"Ah…I see." She smiled wryly and rested her chin in the palm of her hand.

"He is also an orphan and doesn't have a place to go. Is it alright if he stays?"

"Of course he can stay. As for rooms, I don't know if we have any open here. Would you be up for taking him in with you?"

Tsugi narrowed his eyes, and let out a low grumble. Unsure of how he felt living with Lugo who is always on his case.

"It's okay." Lugo waved his hands in the air. "The streets are more than comfortable. I can always stay under a bridge when it rains." His sarcasm drove a dagger right into Tsugi’s heart.

Guilt won Tsugi over and he caved. "Ugh…fine. He can stay with me." Tsugi pulled out a pouch of coins from his cloak and placed it on the counter. "These were the leftovers. I'm guessing Lord Peylo will send the rest later."

"I will talk to him, thank you darlin."

Tsugi walked back out of the orphanage. "Come on." Ruzo trotted after him and Lugo glanced back and forth between him and Jenene. Confused, he turned on his heels and followed Tsugi.

"Where are we going? Aren't we staying here?" Lugo pointed back to the building with his thumb.

"No, I don't live here. I have my own house."

"You have your own house?!" Lugo's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "I thought you were an orphan?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm homeless. The house was left to me by my father." Tsugi's heart grew heavy at the thought.

"He must've really loved you to leave the house to you."

Tsugi swallows hard and stiffens, unsure how to respond to being loved. "He taught me a lot, including my uncle and Fay. All three of them were instructors at the orphanage."

"What happened to them?"

"They were murdered." Tsugi fought back his tears that welled up in his eyes. The memories of their death flashed before him, which flared up the deep hidden sadness along with a bit of anger. He had been able to suppress it pretty well, but Lugo seemed to have cracked the wall that Tsugi had been building up for so long.

They strolled down the dark quiet streets until they came upon the house. "Welcome home." Tsugi repeated the same words Fay had said when he entered through those doors for the first time. "Living quarters are here, kitchen over there…” Tsugi says as he points to various areas of the home. “Follow me." Heading up the stairs, he shows Lugo the bath as they pass by and opens the door to his old room for Lugo. "You can stay here." Lugo entered and gazed around the room just as Tsugi did when he first saw it. "It's yours, so feel free to decorate it however you like. I'll go make dinner, when you are ready, come down and eat."

Tsugi had moved into Yamo's room. Everything brought memories of sadness and joy, but it also comforted him, for Yamo was the only person he considered a real father figure.

Tsugi stepped into the shower and scrubbed all the sweat and blood off, being extra careful with the wound on his arm and leg. He clenched his teeth and took in a few quick breaths before squeezing at the wounds to push out the clots and dirt from each wound, grunting loudly and trying to steady himself on the wall as he began to feel a little dizzy from the tension. Finally when everything was clean, he dressed and went to cook.

“How’d it go?” Valerie came up the stairs from the cellar, wiping her bloody hands with a rag. She had short brown hair that was tied up into a bun, she was a young woman who was tall and beautiful with big breasts and huge round glasses on her face that kept sliding off her nose. She looked as innocent as they come, but she isn’t as innocent as she looked, in fact she was quite the opposite.

When Tsugi came back, she was squatting in the house. Tsugi was about to attack her, but stopped when he noticed she had a child with her, a little younger than Tsugi. Val had agreed to work for Tsugi, even insisting that she can kill people for him if he so wishes, as if she knew him. After glancing at the frightened child cowering behind Val, Tsugi relented and left the dirty to Val, for he didn’t know if he could ever go back into the cellar, to stare at that table that haunted him for what felt like years.

“Good.” Tsugi glanced at her bloody hands. “I’m guessing everything is good on your end too.”

“Always.” She grinned menacingly as if she’s had a few screws put in the wrong place in her head.

When Tsugi had taught her how to do the work, he hadn’t realized how good she was at it already. A part of him wondered if she had murdered people before and was actually an escaped convict, but in a way, he never really cared to ask. “Go wash up for dinner.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“You always act like you’re the oldest around here.” She rolled her eyes in annoyance as she glanced down at Tsugi, who is at least half her age and looks like a malnourished, stunted child.

“Where’s Bel?” Tsugi placed the food onto plates and set them on the table.

“In her room crying like always.” She walked away and turned her head back, “I’ll get her.” She sighed and continued down the hall.

Lugo walked into the kitchen and brushed his wet hair with the towel, sending water droplets flying through the air.

“Dry your hair in your room,” Tsugi hissed, glaring at him from the table, “not in the kitchen where your nasty hair will contaminate the food.” He turned each plate, wiping around the edges five times, then adjusted each plate five times, before leaving them alone.

“What? I showered, it’s not like it’s sweat.” He paused and looked at Tsugi, who just continued to glare at him. “Ugh…fine.” He turned around and went back to his room.

Lugo returned and walked over to sit in the empty seat next to Tsugi.

“Hi, I’m Valeri.” She smiled innocently and tilted her head slightly.

“Uh…” Lugo’s eyes glanced back and forth, furrowing his brows in confusion. “...okay. Hi, I’m Lugo. I’m Tsugi’s friend.”

Tsugi swallowed a gulp of water and wiped his mouth. “Acquaintance.” He corrected sharply.

“It’s very nice to meet you Lugo.” Val gestured a hand to a little eight year old girl who kept her head down, sobbing and flinching at everything. “This is Bel.” She said softly. “Say hi Bel. It’s okay.”

Her body shook frighteningly, “h-hi.” She squeaked, and placed a morsel of food into her mouth. She hunched over and her deep blue hair draped over her face. Val and Bel weren’t related, but Valerie has been taking care of her like a big sister, who was caring yet could be fairly rude at times.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Lugo smiled awkwardly and returned to eat his food. “Is there anyone else?” He looked up at Tsugi from his plate.

“Aeris is the maid, but you probably won't see her very often. She’s very particular about certain things so don’t move things around that are not in your room.” Tsugi stood up and walked over to clean the dishes. “Other than her, it’s just us.” The girls also got up and cleaned their dishes before returning to their room. “Val can be a little psychotic but she’s alright. Bel is very shy and keeps to herself a lot. Be careful of Val, she has temperament issues and Bel is very emotional, so watch what you say to her.”

“Oh okay. Good to know.” He nodded to himself and helped clear the table. “Is this where you grew up?”

“No. This was my adoptive fathers house.”

“So where were you before then?”

“Nowhere important.” Tsugi didn’t want to bring up his horrible past and forced it aside. “If you want to go to the orphanage to train tomorrow, you should go to bed.” Tsugi dried his hands and grabbed his cloak off the rack, picking up a satchel by the door.

“Where are you going?” Lugo followed behind him to the living area.

“I’ve got somewhere to be.” Tsugi donned his cloak and walked out the door.

***

Ten months prior

Tsugi and Ruzo wandered aimlessly through the desert. Tsugi had gotten lost and forgotten which way he was supposed to take to get to the elven territory. Out of food and water, and with no luck finding any amorusk, Tsugi and Ruzo were exhausted in the hot sun. His lips were dry and cracked, bleeding every time Tsugi parted his lips to try and wet them with his dry tongue. Even as Ruzo panted, he barely had any saliva to drip down his tongue or to wet his dry cracked nose that burned under the heat of the rays. During the day it was so hot, they could fry an egg on the dirt, and at night it was so cold, one could freeze to death.

The constant change in temperature caused Tsugi to break into a fever and on the verge of death, but he pushed on, determined to get back home to Yamo. Loud flapping wings from above him, threw dirt into his face and stung his sun-burnt skin with the slightest touch. The creature landed and pranced over to Tsugi, but he just couldn’t quite see it. His vision was blurred, turning yellow with every passing second. Ruzo bared his teeth and stood between them, threatening the creature as it approached.

“It’s alright bud.” Tsugi wheezed, and grimaced a smile when he felt blood drip down his chin from his cracked lip. Licking the blood as if it was his salvation, he listened as the happy chirping coos came closer, but Tsugi smelled her before he saw her. Deacon approached hopping excitedly, shaking the ground thunderously as she screeched in a high pitch.

Upon his signal, Deacon laid on her side next to him, allowing him to grab onto Deacon’s wings and pull himself onto her back. “Ruzo, climb.” Tsugi felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him as his voice was barely a whisper. His fever spiked and he was burning up, so dehydrated that he can’t even manage a drop of sweat. His stomach cramped horribly, as he could do nothing but clutch onto it, wishing the pressure would make the pain go away as nausea continuously took over. Ruzo laid next to him on Deacon’s wide back. Her furry skin stretched like pseudopods, firmly wrapping around them, securing them onto her back before she pushed off the desert floor and took to the skies.

For days, Jenene nursed Tsugi back to health. When Tsugi finally awoke, he was in the medical ward in the orphanage.

“Well, hello darlin.” Jenene came over and handed him a goblet of water. “Feeling better?”

“Yes, thank you.” Tsugi sat up in bed. “What happened?” Tsugi’s eyes widened and he panicked looking around frantically. “Where’s Ruzo?!”

“So that’s his name.” She smiled and placed the goblet back down. “He’s fine. He just went out to do his business.” She sat on the bed next to him. “As for what happened. Yamo gave very clear instructions to free the creatures. Deacon refused to go and stayed with us. She’s been good, until recently, she started getting all frantic and wild. As soon as we let her go, she took off into the air, and returned a few days later with you and Ruzo on her back.

“What do you mean Yamo gave you instructions? You mean he knew that was going to happen?” Tsugi’s brows pushed together and his forehead wrinkled.

Jenene reached into the drawer on the nightstand and gave him a letter addressed to him from Yamo.

Tsugi’s eyes welled up with tears and Jenene just quietly walked out the door without a single word, shutting the door closed behind her. Tsugi’s hands shook and a rock lodged into his throat as he peered down the letter, staring at the beautifully written letters that printed his name upon the top of it. Slipping a finger under the seal, he broke it and unfolded the parchment.

[Enron,

If you are reading this, then it means I am with my wife and daughter. Please don’t be sad and enjoy life to the fullest. No matter what happened, you are not at fault. I’ve known everything from the beginning. I knew that taking you with me would’ve meant death for me, but I do not regret it one bit. If I had to do it over, I would’ve made the same choice.

I want you to know that, you are like my child, and I loved you dearly like a father should. I am sorry that I couldn’t be there to see you grow and teach you into adulthood. I am sorry that I couldn’t watch you laugh and smile and start a family of your own.

The way I’ve seen how you are, I already know you will find the strength to face your father one day. I know you may want to keep the name I gave you, but the name Tsugi was given to you by your mother.

I did not know her personally, but your father was once my mentor. He has always kept to himself, but one day he got really drunk and told me about her. The way he talked about her, turned him into a completely different person. I believe she was the better side of him. She sounded like a lovely person. As for how he became this person he is, I’m sorry I cannot say for I do not know. All he said was that she was killed, and upon mentioning that was when I saw the anger in his eyes. I know it’s not an excuse, nor would it ever be okay to do what he has done, I just wanted to say that losing a loved one can change a person.

For you, I leave my house and everything of mine. Don’t follow in my footsteps and make your own, I know you will grow to be a wonderful person one day. Though it may not be real to you, you will always be my child and I am very proud of you.

I know you may not be able to hide who you are much longer, but be wary about who you reveal yourself to. The world isn’t a very kind place.

The password is Namiru.

Take care of yourself Tsugi. I wish you nothing but happiness.

- Yamo]