CHAPTER 2: YUKI THE PACIFIST

“Stay hidden. I’m going to get you out of here. Oh, and by the way, your hero’s name is Yuki. That’s Yu-ki.”

“Yu-ki. We can’t leave yet. My sister has been captured and my mom is at the slave auction,” I say, tugging at his shirt from inside the basket.

“I just want to get you two to safety. After that, I’m going to free all the slaves,” he said, heroism outlining his gentle voice.

I grab my chest.

He’s incredible.

“Luna is right down this street. You’re going to need help if you want to rescue her,” I said, and was given an affirmative “Uhn” by Tumble.

“Fine but if things get crazy, then you leave me behind.”

“You’re not the boss of me. I bet I’m older than you. I’m sixteen.”

“Seventeen,” said Yuki.

“Wow, you’re practically a man.” I took in his scent. It was so youthful and strong. Made my head a bit dizzy.

“I think I found the cart. There are seven bandits guarding it. I’m going to set the basket down. Stay inside. I can handle them.”

I pop out and leap off his shoulders. “Hey you boys like angels?” I ask, doing a cute pose Mommy taught me where I stick out my butt and put my fingers to my lips.

The human bandits approached and drew their weapons, long metal spears with a hooked tip.

“Wait!” Yuki picked up a barrel and set it down in front of them. He then climbed atop it. “These are little girls. By taking them, you’re stealing them from their family. Take a moment to think of it from their perspective. I’m assuming some of you have families, maybe a daughter or a sister. What would you do if someone took them away?”

While he distracted them with a speech, Tumble snuck around to the cart and searched for Luna.

“If my daughter sold for as much as she’s worth, then I’d sell her myself,” said one particularly muscular bandit, stepping out from the crowd.

“Then perhaps we can make a trade. What do you want for the girl in that cart?” Yuki took out his satchel.

“Thanks. Saved me the trouble of searching your corpse!” The lead bandit pierced the bag with his spear.

Yuki pulled up his shirt as the sleeping gas burst from the satchel. He took me into his arms as my legs went numb.

He had such pretty brown eyes.

Tumble signaled us by hopping up and down.

She found Luna.

Yuki danced with one of the limp bandits all the way to the carriage. “See, isn’t life more fun when you give instead of take?”

“I will track you down and slice off all your fingers before making you choke on them!” yelled the bandit leader before being dropped.

I hoisted Luna up and had her lean against me.

“Annie?” she asked in a daze.

“Yep. We’re going to get you out of here just as soon as we save Mommy!”

“Who’s he?” Luna rubbed her eyes.

I jumped up into his arms. “He’s my boyfriend.”

“Actually, I’m just a hero,” he said, scratching his head with blush.

Mmmm. Those flushed cheeks are so tasty looking.

“Awww. He’s shy. Yu-ki, admit you’re my boyfriend or else I may have to prove it,” I said, nuzzling against his chest.

“Annie, focus. The slave auction is being held at the center of the city,” said Luna.

“Then why were those bandits taking you out of the city?” asked Yuki.

“It doesn’t matter. I know where the auction is. You mother, she rescued me from this place. And now she’s in danger. Works out fine for me. I get to clear my karma,” said Luna, biting into her arm to wake herself up. “Annie, you and Tumble should get in the basket.”

“Shouldn’t you get a disguise too?” asked Yuki.

Luna tore off the cloak of one of the bandits. Her shadow then ripped the bottom part off. She draped it over herself. “I’ll hide in plain sight.”

I plopped Tumble in the basket before going inside myself.

“Hey, Yu-ki. You better treat my little sister right. If you break her heart, I’ll find you and tear out your heart. Got it?”

“You are just adorable. Sorry but threats don’t work on me. I’m ready to die anytime anywhere! It’s not living life to the fullest that frightens me!”

“Then I’ll make you afraid to wake up every morning to a life of constant torture.”

“Hey, I’m a nice guy. I mean her no harm.”

“Yeah. A bit too nice. Why put yourself at risk to help some strangers? Do you have sisters back home or do you expect some lewd reward? If you want one, then I’ll take care of it. Leave the other two out of it.”

“Hey, calm down. I’m a loner. And no, I don’t have any sisters. I’m an only child. I ran away from home before I was taken to this place. This magical wonderland is where I truly belong,” he said, waving to the PorcuPigeons.

“Stop right there,” said a voice from in front of us.

I peeked out from beneath the basket and saw a soldier with cat ears.

“You’re a hero, aren’t you? What are you doing here?” he asks, ready to unsheathe his sword.

“Kitty!” Yuki hugs the cat boy soldier.

“I’m not a kitty! I’m a CatKin! Let go of me!”

Yuki released him. “Sorry, you just remind me of a cute wittle kitty I met on the street back home.”

“Just go on. I’ve got an important job to do,” said the cat boy soldier.

“Stay adorable,” said Yuki with a salute before heading off.

Luna turned to my hero. “You do realize how dangerous those guys are, right?”

Yuki’s face darkened and his voice along with it. “Yep. I’m honestly terrified of cats because of them. They wiped out my whole team.” He slapped himself and gave a big smile. “Ever since then, I’ve been a lone wolf. I know how much cats don’t like being touched so I thought flustering him would work and, well, it did.” Yuki opens his palm.

“You stole from a soldier? That’s a lot of Cat Coin.”

“You shoulda seen what the bandit general was stashing.”

“I’m not sure I approve of such a bad boy dating my little sister,” said Luna, rubbing his crotch.

“I approve!” I shouted from the basket.

Yuki politely moved Luna’s hand off him. “Hey, I’m not a thief. I only use money to save lives. I take it from those who would use it for violence and use it to create peace. Oh, looks like we’re here.”

I stuck my tail out from the basket and looked out with my fourth eye.

Wow. There are so many races gathered. Almost all of them bipedal. Are they all here for the auction?

Yuki navigated through the crowd. “Excuse me. Do you happen to know if the mermaid was already sold?”

The hooded man glared at my boyfriend. His entire body was cloaked except his eyes so it was hard to tell what he was. “You know what the real meal is here. The rest of these are just snacks. She’ll be up right after this one, but don’t expect me to lose to you, little boy.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“I’m seventeen! I’m practically a man.”

“You’re a boy, young enough for the brothel in town.”

“Do you think I’m cute enough?” asks Yuki, batting his eyelashes.

The hooded man turned away with a bewildered look.

The speakers blared and my tail eye turned its attention to the podium. The host of the auction was a MounTroll that had priceless minerals in his body instead of regular rocks. “Well, everyone. It looks like we have a tie this round. You know what that means.”

“Deal or death!” cheered the crowd.

“That’s right. The second highest bidder can use their own bid against the highest bidder. The highest bidder must either fold or accept the challenge.”

“Are they going to kill each other?” asked Yuki.

The hooded man looked at him, smiling through his mask. “Yeah. It’s the entertainment part of the show. If you got the Cat Coin, you can fight me next round. I tend to forget people easily, but I’m sure if I kill ya, I’ll remember you just fine.”

“I’m flattered. Maybe even a bit excited,” said Yuki, running his hand up the man’s back.

The man took a step back. “If we do fight. Don’t do that. Makes me think of my wife. And I come to places like these to forget about her. Oh, the battles about to begin.”

“Today we have two legendary bandits pining after the same little Gobli. Who will take home this cute little morsel?” asks the announcer,

“Oh my god, I want to take her home!” squealed Yuki.

“Then you better go on up there! I’ll watch your cargo,” said the hooded man.

“Thankies!” cheered Yuki. He put his hand over his face. When he removed it he was harboring an intense glare.

“Excuse me Sir, but you haven’t put up a bid yet,” said the host.

“That’s fine.” Yuki sliced off the hosts’ hand with a super sharp dagger. He then kicked the severed hand into the bidding box. “Consider that my payment.”

The host was about to shoot Yuki, but the crowd cheered.

“You know, I bet your boss would be mighty impressed if things were a bit more interesting this time,” said Yuki, shoving a Cat Coin in the host’s sever.

“Ladies and gentlemen. It’s a two-on-one! Two legendary bandits against this…uh, what are you?”

Yuki lifts up his shirt, showing off his sexy thin body. “I’m the Pacifister Yuki! Not the best name, but I can’t argue with my wanted poster when I look this damn good!” He pulls out a poster from his pants. It’s him with his hands posed like a cat and making a silly looking cat face.

“A bounty and a Gobli all in one. My blades sing for your blood,” said the crouching two-sworded bandit.

The other bandit simply pointed a single needle at Yuki and hissed.

“Luna. What are we going to do? He’s going to die,” I said, poking her with my tail.

“We wait for the next round and then we get her. Doesn’t matter what happens here,” said Luna.

Yuki spun behind the thin needle wielding bandit and grabbed his arm. He jerked the arm around to deflect the dual sword attack, while backing away. He leaned back to speak to the Gobli in the cage. The Gobli was a little taller than me but I was still way cuter! Her skin was like chocolate and she had long ears that were drooping. The poor girl was draped in rags and bound in chains. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you home.” He said, making her eyes shimmer.

“Looks like he found a new girlfriend,” said Luna, sitting on my basket.

“No fair. I saw him first,” I said, crossing my arms.

The needle wielding bandit tripped Yuki with his foot and flung him over his shoulder.

My hero landed flat on his back and pulled out a big sack when the two bandits approached. “You know what’s the best thing about Cat Coin?” asked Yuki, tossing one up and down with his thumb.

“It can get you anything?” asks the dual-sword bandit.

“No matter the value, it’s all the same size. So, unless you get a really good look, you don’t know if three hundred coins are worth three Mews or thirty-thousand!” He swung the sack into the swordsman’s weapon and the money tumbled out of it to the ground.

The two bandits dropped their weapons and immediately started shoving as much money into their clothes as possible.

Yuki stepped atop them. “Well, looks like I won.” He tossed a handful of coins into the host’s face and then sliced open the Gobli’s cage.

Her eyes lit up with hope once more when he sliced her chains and lifted her onto his shoulders.

“See, isn’t this little gift far more precious when she’s happy? Look at those sparkling eyes!” Yuki leapt back when a dagger was tossed at him from the crowd. “Holy shit! That almost hit me!” he yelled before running off stage with the Gobli.

Luna was giggling. “Wow, you sure found a special hero.”

“Yep. I’m gonna make tons of wittle sisters with him!” I exclaimed.

“Annie, you’d be making daughters, not sisters.”

“Oh, not sure if I’m ready to be a mommy yet,” I said thoughtfully.

The host reattached his hand. “Don’t worry everyone. The thief who stole our product will pay with his blood. Anyone who catches him will get his bounty, along with a free annual subscription to our local brother Melting Pot. Now, without further ado, let us bring out the final item on our list!”

Four elves with chained colars brought out a glass encasing. Inside of it was Mommy.

“Luna. What’s the plan?”

“The plan was for you to stay home so I could rescue her, but now we simply wait.”

“Huh? We can’t wait.”

“Think Annie. Why storm the auction? We’d only get killed. We just have to follow whoever gets her and kill them. Easy squeezy,” said Luna, squeezing my tail.

Is it really that simple? We’re going to be a family again super soon!

“You may recognize this fiend from earlier this year. She stormed our auction and stole a ShadowPup from this very stage. This product is a genuine NymphBeast. That’s extremely rare! But a full-grown adult like this is an anomoly! The powers of these divine creatures cannot be understated, which is why we have sedated it in a power sealing Goopy. Now, shall we begin the bidding?”

It suddenly started raining, but the rain wasn’t coming from above. Instead, water droplets circled around the area.

“We’re experiencing some odd weather; let’s hurry up with the bidding so we can call it a day,” said the host.

The water suddenly expanded, creating puddles across the ground.

“Luna, what’s going on?” I asked, poking her leg with my tail.

“I’m not sure,” she said.

The hooded man next to us started cackling. “Oh, this is going to be interesting.”

Mommy sank inside her tank, seemingly vanishing.

“No magic allowed. If you’re caught trying to steal her, you’ll not only be killed but you’ll be removed from the bandit records!” yelled the host.

Someone screamed in the back, then another. The crowd broke out into a panic.

Are we in danger?

I hugged Tumble close to me inside the basket.

“Your mom sure is amazing,” said Luna with a smile.

My tail eye caught sight of her. Mommy would leap out from a pool of water, shoot a concentrated water beam, then ride it and slice through the crowd with her bladed fingers before vanishing into another puddle. She’d pop out, bite into the leg of a bandit and pull him into the puddle as he screamed. Body parts would then appear all around the portals.

Mommy looked so scary.

I covered Tumble’s eyes while I gazed at the gruesomely majestic spectacle.

“Your mom’s father wasn’t a hero, Annie. He was an assassin,” said Luna.

“Now what would an assassin be doing with a mermaid?” asked the hooded man.

Mommy popped out of a puddle. Her fangs were gone and she smiled at Luna. “You three didn’t have to come all this way. I was captured so I felt I might as well clean out some of the trash before coming home. I’m sorry for worrying you.” Her webbed fingers tossed little droplets that loving padded Luna’s cheeks.

“Annie and I aren’t weak. You have to trust us. We can help too. I want to liberate our people just like,” said Luna.

Blades suddenly burst out from Mommy. Her blood sprayed over Luna and the basket.

Mommy. What’s going on?

The cloaked man had long tentacles coming out from him, each one with their own weapon.

“Your mission has gotten in the way of progress,” said the man.

Mommy turned around and slashed his head with her bladed fingers.

A black vortex was swirling where a face was supposed to be.

“Mommy will be with you all in just a moment,” she said before sinking into the puddle.

“Luna! We have to help Mommy!” I yelled.

Luna picked up the basket. “If we want to help, then we’ll leave before he decides to take us hostage so he can kill her. Sorry Annie, but that thing is beyond our abilities.”

The sound of steam being release suddenly blanketed the area.

“Now what’s going on?” I asked.

“No way,” said Luna.

I could taste her fear. It made my body feel shaky.

A lance swooped by and sliced open the basket. Tumble and I fell out.

“Target sighted,” said a weird creature made entirely from metal. It had an iron helmet and was clad in thick armor plates. An exhaust port came out from its back and released steam.

“What are Anima Collectors doing here?” asked Luna, biting her lip.

“Maybe they’re here to help Mommy?” I asked, clinging onto Luna.

“Free merchandise!” yelled some bandits, rushing toward me and my sisters.

“I don’t think so!” Luna’s shadow picked up some fallen weapons and attacked the bandits.

The hooded man sent his blades at mother, but they missed and went into a puddle.

Mother popped out and shot him with a jet stream before pulling in the blood from the bandits’ bodies. Her eyes went red and her whole body sharpened. Bone-like pipes came out from her sides and fired water bullets at the hooded man’s tendrils. She then took the blade from a severed tendril and swung it around with her water whip, slicing a bunch of bandits.

Wow! My family is so cool!

“Let them fight. Collect the little ones,” said another metal man.

Yuki dropped from I don’t know where when the metal man approached. His super-heated blade slid down the metal man’s swords before chopping off his hand. “Totally robotic which means you don’t have a soul. Which also means, I don’t have to hold back!” Yuki tossed a pouch on the ground that ignited the oil and caused a big boom.

My hero was sent flying back.

I leaped in the way and hit the ground with him. “What’s with all those kissie marks on your face?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? Gobli’s like to mark their mates. She took a real liking to me. Didn’t want to say farewell so she marked me for later.”

“You’re mine,” I said, kissing his face repeatedly.

“I’m honestly not sure what’s scarier. The horde of heartless machines, the veteran assassin over there, the deadly water goddess, who I’m assuming is your mom, or your persistency,” he tapped my nose.

“Can you save Mommy?” I ask.

Yuki hopped to his feet and tossed a smoke bomb at the incoming machine men.

“Smoke has no effect on higher beings,” said the machine man.

“It’s actually a special spice. Smells nice, doesn’t it?” asked Yuki, sniffing the air.

“I…can’t smell.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re too superior for that. Good for you to since you won’t smell that terrible rust.”

The machine man’s body was rapidly aging and becoming brittle.

“Heathen!” yelled another machine man using his jets to fly toward my hero.

Yuki grabbed the rusting machine and used him to shield the blow. He kicked him and then jumped to the ground with me.

“Why are we ducking?” I asked.

“Oh yeah. I forgot.” Yuki tossed another satchel that ignited the fire, blowing the two machine men to bits.

“You’re amazing!” I leaped into a kiss with Yuki. I plunged my tongue deep in his mouth, wiggled it around every corner and even extended it a bit to go down his throat.

A special kiss for my special someone. So happy Mommy taught me how to kiss so good.

Yuki’s eyes went really wide.

I pulled away and giggled.

“That was…something,” he said, blinking repeatedly.

He suddenly dropped me.

That’s odd. His arms are still holding me but he’s up there.

Blood spurted out from Yuki.

A blade zoomed by and went through his legs.

“Shit. I messed up,” said Yuki, before his torso fell on top of me.

My world went dark. Luna was fighting bandits and Mommy was going up against the man who just killed my hero. I was helpless but to watch.