Today is a happy day. There haven’t been many because of various circumstances recently, but today is happy. Last night got a little out of hand, I admit, but it was totally worth it. We tried to take Master’s mind off things with a little distracting.I learned that Princess Chloe is prankster along with Louise, it must be a Fire Demon trait. It was evident when they pulled Master’s and Princess Ashley’s undergarments down. I saw it as well, the flesh between Master’s legs. It’s stuck in my head, and I wouldn’t mind seeing it again, or maybe…Anyway, after breakfast we told to hold hands and jump.

When we landed on the ground we were in the Noble District of Starwind City, the Astral Kingdoms capital. We then looked at map and split up into groups. Master really knows his way around the city, and he is also really popular as well, just by saying his name you get discounts.I was really curious, so much so, I had to ask him why. After a weird comment that he sometimes made from time to time, he told me an amazing story that took place just a few years ago that he started.

He then took me to shop for sweets. While we were there, some weird lady tackled him, I thought she was going to attack but they seemed to be old friends the more they talked.After Master said a few words to this Maddison lady, she dragged him into the kitchen. In the kitchen he started doing kinds of things over the stove that seemed very professional like. After a few minutes the very air was tasty, it almost divine. A few more minutes later and we sat at the table with his creation and we got to eat it.

The first bite, my mouth twitched, my tongue wiggled beyond my will and I swallowed it before I could taste it. I remember thinking that was weird, so I tried it again but this time I made sure to taste it before swallowing. Honestly speaking, this was absolute best thing I had ever eaten in my entire existence. It was like I found the very reason for my existence. I tried to savor every bite but I kept eating it faster and faster before it was all gone.

For a while I just stared at my plate, until I heard Master smile. Yes, I heard his smile. Every time Master smiles, his lips part just a little, and when they do, they make this very faint sound that no one else notices. It’s a very lovely sound to me.After the delicious meal, we went to a Tailor Shop, where I had my first “compromise.” I made a compromise with Master and ended up getting clothes just like his, which the next best thing to actually getting his clothes. Master then gave the tailor a lot of his feathers.

After a visit with the tailor, Master made his way toward the Merchants Guild, where we were to meet with the others. It was pretty funny that everyone decided to where the same thing as Master, but only I will get his clothes. We decided to hang around the steps of the Merchants Guild and chat around for a while.There were a few angry merchants that approached us and were about to yell at us, but stopped as soon as they saw Master’s face. I found it strange that this happened more than once, actually quite a few times, but each time they just turned away. Master wasn’t giving off any threatening aura, so why were they acting this way?

When dusk started creeping on us, Master decided to go back to the tailor, saying something about dinner. It was then that a date was mentioned that everyone got all giggly and nervous, I was shaking as well, I couldn’t wait, and didn’t dates involve food? My mouth was watering already.

When we arrived, the tailor was overjoyed to have completed his work; he was even moved to tears. He barely gave it to Master before he had to return to the back of the shop to resume weeping in joy. From that point Master presented the dress to me and told me to get changed, showing me to the dressing room. It might have been because of my bad experience at clothing shops, but I couldn’t bring myself to go in the room by myself. I would almost shut down just thinking about it.

“I want you with me. I’m scared. I don’t like tailor shops, so please…” This was all I could say, but I looked up at him to at least understand this much. After a few moments, Master gave me a curt nod and led the way to the small room.

Upon entering immediately, Master turned his back toward me and started getting undressed. Between me and Master was a wall, a wall of feathers separating him from me, with me being close to the exit. I could be taken away at any moment and no one would notice, no one would stop it. I would be alone, helpless. At that moment, Flonach’s and Zaebzhar’s faces popped into my head, I couldn’t take it anymore.My body ignored my will and I found myself hugging Master from the backside. Feeling his gentle warmth underneath the feathers, put my heart at ease, I never want to leave Master’s side. With a little shuffling I found myself in a warm embrace that reminded me of our first encounter. I was crying back then.

This was a tiny room that barely fit the two of us, I kind of liked this aspect of it. Since it was so tiny, Master was forced to undress me and slip me into the dress. The dress was absolutely beautiful, I can’t believe that I’m wearing it. Not only was it beautiful but it was also made from Master’s feathers. A piece of Master that I can keep close by me at all times, I couldn’t help but smile.

I noticed Master staring at me with a certain look in his eyes, knowing how he was feeling was raising my body temperature as I couldn’t help but move my body closer to his at an already close distance.I asked even though I vaguely knew the answer, “H-How do I look?”Without skipping a beat, my mouth was connected with Master’s, and it seemed as if Master wanted to take right there in that small room, it seemed as if I was the only thing he could see at that moment. I know he said something, but to be honest I was incoherent until I smelled that delicious spaghetti.

I didn’t realize we had already walked to Sister Appleroot’s Sweets, but they already holding a conversation with the shop owner. I then heard that this wasn’t the only shop that she owned but that they were all over the place, including the Demon Realm’s capital and all over the Imperial Domain. I didn’t really get it but she owned a lot of stores, meaning she was really famous. She then said something even more outstanding, that she actually inherited this massive company from Master. I knew he was amazing but I didn’t think he could run a business.

After many hours of laughing and eating delicious food, it was very late into the night and Master wanted to go into an inn. There was a mean elf that frightened me a lot but Master talked to a nice little elf and wound up in one room due to all of us wanting to be in the same room. Master just dove into the bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow, I immediately snuggled up against him, to hear his nice even breathing. This was the best part of sleeping with him was listening to his breathing it was like a lullaby.

A few hours passed, everyone had already taken their positions in bed and was fast asleep, it was at this time I heard the door open and I recognized the familiar stature of the shop owner of the food place walk in. I was about to ask why she was here but I didn’t to wake everyone else so I remained silent. She then crawled on top of Master’s back, but he didn’t stir, he never does. There was no movement on her behalf so I fell asleep assuming she did as well.

When we awoke, everyone made a fuss that big sister Maddie was tagging along, but it didn’t go much beyond that, since everyone knew that she probably had many connections that would bode not well for people that angered her. At least that’s what Louise told me. After a rather bland breakfast provided by the Inn, we set out for the City of Crossroads in the Dukedom of Caslor.

We walked all day, but not without boredom. Eventually we started coming up with games, most of them ending because of confusion of score or boredom, though Master came up with simple ones that were interesting. It was an all-day walk and eventually we walked across the borders of the Shienriech Dukedom of the Astral Kingdom and the Caslor Dukedom of the Demon Realm.

At that point we stopped and set up camp, for dusk was drawing close and we were all exhausted. Master told everyone as we were setting up camp, “We have official crossed the border into another country!”

Chloe got close to him and said, “Well, this border is a fresh one, so no one notices the crossing of lines yet. However, I have a feeling you will change that.” At that comment, Master smiled and Chloe then continues, “Perhaps we can erase these borders with time and children, being a prince and princess of different countries could-”

Master cut her off, “Oh, but you aren’t next in line for the throne are you, so our children, won’t be combing the countries, now will they?”

As he said that Chloe leaned really close, “Oh, so now you are agreeing with having children with me?”

Master got really flustered, after a few minutes everyone fighting over Master, he quickly escaped. It really made me sad because I was about to pounce on him before he could escape, so instead I decided to follow him. I noticed that he stopped behind the tent and closed his eyes and what I saw amazed me, his skin rippled with mana, changing some of his features.His horns grew a fork in them as if they wanted to be antlers, and his claws had mana congregate over them. His feathers developed purple tips on them, much like his uncle Ares, and his tail grew thin and elongated.

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Lastly his frame developed a hazy aura that made it hard to see him for a little while and his canines elongated. I watched his metamorphosis with interest. When he opened his eyes, he looked confused as if something that was meant to happen didn’t.

Master then shook off the confusion and started to take a few steps then began to fall, he had passed out and was sweating profusely. I rushed over as fast as I could go only to notice that he vanish mid fall.

Where did Master go? Is he pulling a prank on me? I waited a few moments before searching again. I don’t smell him, where is he? I don’t see him. Did he leave me? Am I abandoned? Where did he go? I don’t want to be abandoned, please don’t go! I don’t want you to leave me! I promise I will be a good girl, so please don’t leave!I searched the tents, I asked everyone else and we searched for hours well into the dark, I would have continued but they told me I would get lost and to stay in the campsite. I don’t know where Master is, I need to find him, but I can’t. I am so useless. That maybe the reason why he abandoned me, I am so useless.I am so sorry please come back, I will get better, so please… don’t go.

I don’t know when it happened but I fell asleep, and my face felt gross from the dried tears. So rubbing my face I took note my surroundings, it was morning and I was surrounded by both the princess and Louise. Big sister Maddie was across from me in the tent, “Relax. We know where the boss went.” She must had seen my face, “No, he didn’t abandon you, and no we can’t see him. It looks like someone dragged him to the Void. Much like what he did the Burnhearts.”

Now I was confused, “But who would do that?”Maddie looked at Louise, “Someone who is no friend of ours. He seems tough and it seems Alex will have a tough time against him. Truly this will make for a good book in his scriptures, I just don’t have the right to see it. Its shame Louise can’t see into the Void very well using her clairvoyance.”

“When did you-”

I was cut off by Ashley, “It was when you passed out from overexerting yourself, silly.”Louise spoke up, “Well I can’t see very well in the Void and it takes a lot of energy to look into Void but from what I can tell, he is climbing a mountain of some sort. I need to get some rest to regain some of that energy.”

Everyone else nodded and laid down to get some rest. But before they fell asleep, Princess Chloe looked into my eyes with an absolute calmness that was completely queen like, “You are not worthless, and I am sure that My Darling doesn’t think of you as such as well. So be at ease.”

She then rolled over and let out slow even breaths that usually accompany sleep. I was alone yet again. It took all that I had not to break down again. I slowed down my breaths and thought to myself over and over, ‘he does care, I am not useless, he loves me.’ After doing this banter for a while, I felt the tightness in my chest start easing up a little at a time.

I wasn’t completely relaxed but I was enough to move around now. Exiting the tent I look around and see that there was breakfast prepared already and that my portion was the only one left. I sat down cross-legged to dig in to the meal. It didn’t smell as good as Master made it was more delicious than a lot of things I have eaten in the past. I ate two-thirds of the plate before I felt tired of it. Remembering last nights’ scene in my head, I remembered further back to the dress that made me feel so beautiful and safe. Master offered to store but I wanted to keep it in my bag, for it was beautiful. Remembering the black feathered dress I walk over to my leather bag and pull out the soft silk and feathers.Looking at the dress, something changed. The feathers that were once solid black, now had purple tips. Just like last night when Master’s body went through some changes, his feathers changed as well. I decided to put on the dress.

Slipping all the feathers across my skin, I felt safe, secure, and warm. I smiled a bit as I held myself. I felt better as if Master was here with me. After a while I remembered where I was and so I started doing chores. I gathered the dishes into one pile and trash into another. The fire was now absent and been reduced to burning coals. So I decided that I will be useful for a change and fetch some firewood.

After a few hours of sweat, I gathered a small pile of firewood and built a nice fire. The others were still resting, I guess they didn’t get any sleep last night. I was already early evening but I let them sleep, I kept the dress on and not dared to take it off. “Ah, Master. Where are you?” I say to myself.

*SNAP*

A twig crunches to right of me, and a dark voice raised a question, “Then why don’t I show you where he is?” I couldn’t get so much of as a peep before I was grabbed and the scenery changed before my very eyes. The ground was pale yellow, the sky inky black with purple hazes in the distance. We were surrounded by ancient architecture and black fire everywhere. In front of me in this alien environment was altar with a pitch black lady that was bleeding gold and two lifeless purple corpses. Upon further inspection my blood ran cold as I easily recognized who they were. A kind mother and a serious father of Master, their bodies lay on top of each other.

No, no, no. Why are they here? A sharp blade pricked my neck as I looked at the scene laid out before me. I realized that I was captured a little too late, due to all the bizarre things I just seen. I tinkled a little, all the while I shook like a leaf and my nose began to run. I’m going to die.

Looking to beyond I saw Master. I felt a little relieved until I saw his face, the light had left his eyes, and his aura released a haziness that made it hard to focus but he emitted bloodlust that would only be satisfied with death. Was this Master? He was so terrifying that I don’t know if he will come back to his senses. Will his kindness that I have grown to love be back or will he remain the executioner forever?

The guy who had me at knife point yelled at Master, “So what will it be? The girl or you? We can continue this game if I kill this girl, I know there are more at your camp.”

Master’s body vanished suddenly and the man muttered, “So it’s going to be that way, well more fun for me.” He got ready to slice my neck but I was suddenly knocked to the side by something blunt. Looking backward from where I was, I saw nobody, not even the bad man.I heard clashing of metals all around the Arena. When the sparking stopped I saw them for split instances before the vanished. As I stood up, a clash of swords crashed beside me with Master the only one staying behind. He scanned the area briefly before the bad man appeared behind him throwing his arm into a stabbing motion aiming for Master’s back. Master was close enough so this allowed me to push him out of the way of the knife.

Unfortunately I was not as lucky as master and I received the knife right under my ribs.The knife didn’t penetrate the dress for some unknown reason. However the blunt force did make me drop to my knees as it had knocked the wind out of me. He meant to kill Master, I don’t know how- oh the purple tips of the feathers gave a faint glow, I guess it was the feathers that shielded me.“

ARIA, NOO!!! I will KILL YOU!” Master doesn’t know that I was only winded, but I couldn’t tell him that I’m alright because I couldn’t catch my breath. I could only Listen for a short while.“Huh, well, I guess time for a new toy. Be back in a moment, he stepped backwards and vanished into thin air but simultaneously Master rushed forward and grabbed unto him and pulled the bad guy out of the air.

“Not so fast you Slimeball. I’m going to make this hurt.” It appears that the bad man was paralyzed from being pulled back from where he was just at. Then the most gruesome scene I have set eyes upon started.

Master started at the hands and feet and flayed them, skinning and shaving off flesh, occasionally stabbing his sword in to the arm or leg. A few times he chopped off a finger, a toe or a whole hand. When the paralysis wore off screams echoed into the air as the bad man gained control over his own vocal chords. Master then started to repeated punch him in the face until none of his teeth remain and his consciousness had been obliterated.

The bad man was nothing but a pile of unrecognizable pulp, but he was still breathing even if it was rugged. Seeing as that the bad man had been subdued Master walk over to me and was found shocked when he learned that I had not perished, I can tell that he couldn’t express how happy he was to know that I wasn’t dead. He started crying from all the stress, sorrow, anger, and relief hitting him all at once. Sitting up I pulled him down to cry unto my shoulders and held as he mourned for his parents.

After the cries died down, we heard a gentle voice from the altar, “My child, come to me.” It was so soothing that the scene that was laid out had been shoved to back of our minds, and I could feel that he was calming down little by little as we approached the altar.