A couple of days pass by peacefully as we draw ever nearer to Father Winter. His cold, calloused hands drawing ever closer with the promise of snow, ice, and long cold nights. I wish to slap him across his ugly wrinkled face… But alas, powerful though I may be, I cannot change the seasons. Maybe in a couple hundred years…
Outside, snow continues to occasionally fall, caring little for the fact that we are still supposed to technically be in fall right now, but clearly the weather doesn’t give a single damn about how us mere mortals feel. At least I can take comfort in the warmth of my family as we all hangout in one of the common areas that I have access to. They have pool tables here, so Anna, Sky, Dad, and I are all playing a couple rounds, while mom watches and talks with us from the sideline. Anna and dad are on one team, while Sky and I are on the other. Sky was pretty quick in picking up the rules and is having fun.
“Yes Anna, I promise you that as soon as I can, I will let you meet the Gremlins I made… Right now, they are still learning how to talk and think right. They have whole, brand-new parts of their brains that they have zero experience with using. They might as well still be kids at this point despite having full grown bodies. Until they learn how to person better, they have to stay in the lower levels and be cared for around the clock.” I say as I line up a shot and send the cue ball into striking fourteen. It sadly doesn’t end up in the hole that I was aiming for, but it got close. I can see Sky eyeing it already, so I know that she will probably be gunning for it when it’s her turn.
Anna just frowns as dad takes his turn, sinking the nine ball into a hole and then immediately getting the three right after. He thankfully doesn’t get the next one, or else he might have cleared the board on his own. Again…
“Mmm, I understand… But couldn’t I come to visit them sooner? Like, if I were to come with you? I could help with some of their lessons…” She tries.
Sky sinks the fourteen ball and gives a little cheer before trying for another shot. I just look at Anna, feeling the need to protect my little creations from my sister. “You just want to go see them because you want to pet them…”
Anna takes her shot at a ball and completely misses, my words striking her with the truth. “Ehh! Yes! But can you blame me!? From how you described them, they sound so cute. Small and furry, with big fluffy ears!”
“And the toe beans…” I say casually. I take my shot and manage to put the ten ball in a hole, so I line up for another shot.
“And the toe beans!” She cries. “Please Lain. I just want to see them. Please?”
“No.” I say, taking my next shot but failing to get this one. I just warily watch dad as he preps his cue stick and lines up his shot.
“Why not?” She tries one last time.
I just watch dad clear the board one ball at a time until he finally sinks the eight ball and wins. Again…
Hahh… This is why I never play pool with dad. He never holds back…
“Because, Anna, my dear older sister. I would prefer that they not be raised thinking that it is normal to have people petting them. People aren’t just supposed to walk up and pet people at random. It would be like hugging people on the street!”
She inflates her cheek defensive, “I pet you and Sky all the time, and you are people…”
Still find it hard to believe that Anna finally got Sky to drop her guard and let her pet her…
“We’re family. It’s entirely acceptable for you to pet us! Haaaa… You know what? Fine… After they get to the point that they can think for themselves a little better and talk some, then I will bring you to see them. Then you can ask them for permission to pet. But not before then! Right now, they are very impressionable. Already have some of the girls trying to play with my hair because they saw Sky doing it. Ended up spending the rest of the day trying to teach them how to make braids…”
She gives a happy jump. “Yay, I can’t wait to meet them! How long do you think it will be?”
I shrug, “I don’t know. Week or two? They’re learning fast. Adam only took a couple of days to learn some very simple English, and he is helping the others to learn too.”
Anna just vibrates happily. “So exciting!”
Disregarding my overly cheerful sister, I look over to Sky and watch as she resets the board. She always enjoys spending time with my family, so I am glad that she is having a good time. Even if dad is kicking our asses at this game.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
As I am watching Sky, she suddenly freezes up, stopping mid motion as she reaches for another ball. For a short while she doesn’t move, so I quickly move over to her and rest my hand on her shoulder. “Sky, are you all right? You ok?”
She blinks and moves her eyes to look to me, her body shaking a little, but it quickly passes. Shaking her head a bit to clear her mind, she tells me. “They’re here. My people, they're here…”
It only takes me a moment to think before I am moving. I grab her hand and lead her out of the building. Calling back to my family, I tell them, “Something came up! We have to head to an important meeting. Just hang out here and if we aren’t back later, we will see you next time!”
We are out of the building before they can give a proper response back. Heading outside, I ask Sky, “Which direction? Can you tell where they are coming from?”
She closes her eyes and focuses, scrunching up her face in a way that would usually make me want to laugh and kiss her, but right now I keep myself focused. She eventually points to a direction, so I look up to the sun and quickly find north. “Ok, there coming from the east. How far away are they? Are they near the gates?”
She shakes her head, “I don’t know… I just know that they are close.”
“Ok… We need to go and talk with the General. I’ve been putting off this meeting for long enough…”
“Lain, you don’t have to! We can find – “
But I interrupt her and give her a hug. “It’s ok, Sky. You don’t need to worry. If the General wants me to make Demons for him, so we can get permission to let your people in, then that is what I will do. You don’t need to worry about a thing. Let’s just help your people before it is too late.”
She holds me tight for a while before finally parting a little. She looks me in the eyes and tells me, “I don’t want you to do something that will make you suffer. I see how you are around your warrior and the little ones. I can feel your stress, I don’t want you to push yourself just for me.”
I place my hand on her cheek and look her deep in the eyes. “Sky, I made a promise to you. I promised that I would help you in any way that I could when you told me that you are the Kobold’s new Empress. I meant every word. Just like how you are always helping me, let me help you. This is something that I can do. You need only request it, and I would build you an Empire. If you have an enemy, I would kill them for you in a heartbeat. If your people need saving, then I will do it even if I must shed my own blood. If you told me you wanted the world, I would get it for you at any cost. I will do anything for you. You have but to ask.”
A tear forms in her eye and wets her cheek. She moves into my embrace, our horns knocking against each other as she hugs me. She whispers into my ear, “All I want is you.”
“And you shall have me.”
Parting from our hug, I take a step back and with a spin and a Devil’s smile, I lower myself into a bow. An arm held to my black heart and the other held behind me, I address her as one would royalty. “My lady, Empress She Who Dances with the Sky. My love, my heavens, the star of my eye. I ask of you, please bestow upon me your orders. Nay! Your wish! And I shall see it fulfilled.”
I lower myself to one knee, hand held outstretched to her, waiting for her to place her hand upon my own.
With a beautiful blush adorning her cheeks and tears in her eyes, she takes a step forward and places her hand on mine. “Lain… Please, save my people.” She says with a shaking voice.
I bring her hand to my lips and give it a gentle loving kiss, as if it was a most precious treasure of silver and jewels. “Your wish is my command, my Empress.”
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Sky
Ah, I can’t stop my heart from beating out of my chest. For a moment there… I thought that she was going to propose to me! That she was going to ask me to marry her!!!
Calm Sky, calm… Oh, I’m certain that everyone can hear the pounding of my heart… That was simply too much for me to handle!
Wait… Couldn’t I have just asked her to marry me there? She said that she would do anything… No, no, no! Wait, Sky! That would have ruined the moment if I did that! Oh, and what a moment it was. Like a knight and her princess. Or more like a Devil and her Empress!
Although… She might have said yes…
Awk! Sky, no, bad! You now that you have to wait for her to propose first. Marriage is a human custom; you know that this is important to Lain. Even if we are already mates, it’s important that we do this right!
Although, it is all a bit silly. After all, we are already mates. Still, something about the idea of doing things by human customs is just so exciting! I know that mom is already having a lot of fun planning out the wedding. Hmhmhm, I can’t wait!
Ahh, but I must focus! My people need me! I can think about marriage later. We are heading to an important meeting. I need to focus!
Oh, I wish that I could have headed home to put on some proper clothes first… We’re going to be having an important meeting with the human’s leader. But after Lain did that… I couldn’t possibly ask that we head home first. Not when she is walking forward with so much resolve. So much determination! The way that she is looking forward as she pulls me forward, hand in hand…
…
Haaaaaa!!! When we get home later. I swear to the First Empress that I am going to love her all night long!
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Lain
Holy shit I actually did that!!! It was almost like I was about to propose to her! Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, that was embarrassing! Just keep looking forward Lain! Just keep looking forward!
After doing that, the General better be available to meet us, or I am kicking down his door! There is no way that I could back down now. Not after doing that!
Ahhhhhhh! Just keep moving forward!
[Authors note: A total of 24 people saw Lain’s little performance. In less than a day, word was spread that Lain had proposed to Sky. The both of them were simply too absorbed in the moment to realize that they were in public…]