Devoid of shape or substance, he floated aimlessly amidst the vast emptiness of nothingness. Yet, an inherent understanding of the paradoxical essence of his being dawned upon him. Unwaveringly, he recognized that once more, he had entered the realm of dreams.

The realm of dreams is a boundless expanse where the mind roams freely, untethered from the constraints of reality. Within this ethereal domain, he found himself in a place that served as a poignant reminder of a time when he was informed of his sole purpose: to remind those who dared to tread upon its domain that Ainerax was to be set free.

There were no sights to behold, no sounds to hear, no textures to touch. It was a vacuum of sensations, an absence of all perceivable stimuli. And yet, in this void, his consciousness persisted, unyielding to the absence of stimuli. He existed as pure thought, an observer of his own dreaming state.

Though devoid of physical fatigue, he recognized the value of rejuvenation in his own unique way. In this dream state, where the boundaries of time and space blur, he embraced this tranquility he’d grown particularly familiar with these past few years, using it as a form of replenishment and resting place for himself.

Knowing that he just immersed himself into the dreaming and that there would still be some time before what usually wakes him up would wake him up, he surrendered himself to this soothing stillness, releasing himself temporally from any of worldly concerns.

In the midst of his actions, a sensation overcame him, akin to being abruptly submerged in water. The tranquil stillness swiftly gave way to the clamor of rushing, bubbling currents. Though bewildering and abrupt, he recognized the unmistakable sign—a stirring from slumber, wrenching him out of the dream.

While it started out dark, the initial darkness, devoid of any light, soon gave way to a symphony of sounds—a gentle rustling of leaves and the delicate crackling reminiscent of an eggshell. Gradually, the darkness receded, unveiling a soft glow that grew into a radiant light.

As the Rustler opened his eyes to the world, he found himself welcomed not by the expected solitude but by the presence of several people within the confines of what should have been his sanctuary, his private room.

Blinking away the remnants of his dreaming state, he surveyed the scene before him, a rightfully called frustration rising in him.

"What do you think you are doing?" he lashed out at the girl closest to him. Men'ma, a Dae Odoe girl, stood just a couple of meters away from the Rustler, her golden staff in hand, which she had evidently used to wake him up.

"I was trying to wake you up," she stated remorselessly, attempting to justify her actions.

The Rustler's glare shifted to another girl among the visitors, Rae, who promptly scattered away after he lashed out with his first words. Rae, sensing his anger, quickly explained, "I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen..." She trailed off, averting her gaze, as the Rustler stood up and moved to retrieve his clothes in a corner of the room.

“The girl doesn’t have anything to blame herself for, if there is someone that has some it would be you. Just what kind of being seals himself off and sleeps for five days straight?”

“So she thought that that would give her the right to simply wake you up?” A familiar voice voiced by a familiar silhouette finally intervened, “Personally, I wouldn’t tolerate that level of transgression of my personal space. So what are you going to do?”

Although initially calmed by her warm and familiar voice, her words swiftly succeeded in escalating the Rustler's frustration to its utmost threshold. This limit was shattered by Men'ma as she approached him, extending her grasp toward his left arm.

"I had been informed that you would react very badly to being forcefully awakened from your cocoon-like sanctuary. However, I had an urgent matter to confirm, and you remained unresponsive. Don’t hold me accountable for my actions, you left with no alternative."

With scant regard or consideration for him, she firmly seized his chin, her intent being to scrutinize what he bore as a seemingly natural extension of his forehead: a pair of golden ethereal antlers.

With a powerful swing of his left arm, his odo-limb colliding forcefully with her staff, the Rustler managed to break free from her grip. His anger surged, reaching a boiling point like never before.

"What in the world do you think you're doing?" He lashed out once again, his frustration evident in his tone.

"That crown... you shouldn't have it," she muttered, her words carrying the weight of witnessing an embodiment of absolute blasphemy. "This isn't normal… this goes against the natural order of things."

“Woah, that’s all this poor girl has been saying from the moment she met you, really.”

I guess that’s pretty much normal given how much of a mess I know, but still this is no reason.

"I understand that you have reason to believe that you should or can, but mark my words," the Rustler warned, lightning dancing around him, "the next time you try to touch or get too close to me, expect me to act as inconsiderate as you are."

Suddenly, a voice cut through the tension. It was Rae, whose ragged breath indicated her rush to the scene. In her hand, she held the little girl Lae'lah.

Rae, noticing the Rustler, directed a furious accusatory gaze his way, conveying more than words ever could. She immediately retorted, "I warned her not to bother you, and yes, I tried to throw her out, but she refused. Besides, she has no other place to stay. I couldn't just kick her out of the Den. None of us can. The only one with that authority is you, and no, I'm not asking you to do it." Her gaze then shifted to Men'ma, adopting a scolding tone. "Didn't I tell you not to bother?"

"I did, but I had something to confirm," Men'ma retorted, standing her ground and refusing to back down.

Rae let out a sigh of exasperation. "You two," she muttered, "for now, could you just put your weapons aside? We have children around."

On edge but not devoid of reason, the Rustler complied, gradually easing the crackling energy around him and bringing the lightning under control. The room, previously tense and filled with hostility, now exuded an atmosphere of temporary ceasefire.

Understanding that keeping the antlers would only invite trouble, the Rustler reached for his head and gently touched his antler. With a soft touch, the antlers began to melt, emitting a melodic sound akin to rustling leaves, seamlessly integrating themselves into his arm.

"How?" Men'ma mumbled as she took a step closer to the Rustler. However, as she took the second step, the Rustler's earlier warning resounded in her mind, prompting her to come to a sudden halt.

"Now, Men'ma, could you please leave this room?" Kae requested.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Although her demeanor and every aspect of her suggested resistance, the Dae Odoe girl reluctantly complied, muttering under her breath as she exited the room. "Don't think this is the end. You will answer my questions, sooner or later."

The Rustler watched as Men'ma left, his gaze lingering on her retreating figure. As she disappeared from view, Kae spoke up. "And you, I think it's about time you put on some clothes."

***

Under usual circumstances, the Rustler was not one to reveal his face to the inhabitants of the Den. For the past three years, while residing under the same roof, only a select few of the Den's denizens had caught a glimpse of the Rustler's appearance. Most of the time, he would swiftly depart the den for errands as soon as he awoke. However, with the arrival of the girl, all of that changed. He was dragged into the light. Now, the existence of the Rustler became widely known among the children of the Den. Yet, it was the girl's presence that captivated their attention, overshadowing the Rustler's presence entirely. Her arrival sparked a newfound interest among the children, diverting their focus away from the enigmatic figure who had resided among them for so long.

While she was not the first Dae Odoe he’d ever met, in fact she was the third, the girl turned out to be one the most annoying person he's ever had to deal with.

From the periphery, the Rustler observed Men'ma as she effortlessly integrated herself into the world of the children. Her presence seemed to breathe life into their games and laughter, filling the room with a sense of joy and wonder that had been absent for far too long. The children gathered around her, their eyes wide with anticipation, eager to engage in the imaginative play that Men'ma effortlessly conjured. They seemed particularly fond of how unhinged she was while using her Odo in front of so many people. With her large salamander-like Odo tail, she effortlessly lifted dozens of children who clung to it all at once.

"You can say all you want about her, but at least she's good at entertaining children," a voice praised as its owner approached the Rustler.

The praise was met with a grunt and a discontented expression.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have said that," Kae voiced as she leaned against a corner near him.

"Hmph."

"Just so you know, I really tried everything to convince her to leave you alone, but she wouldn't listen. She said she would only leave when you answer all her questions. But that isn't happening anytime soon, is it?"

"No, it isn't."

"I thought so. You know, despite not interacting with you much, I've learned to understand how stubborn you can be. I remember the first time you sealed yourself in that room. We thought you were dead when you didn't come out for weeks. Rae and I decided to break into the room, only to have you lash out at us like no one ever did before."

"I... I don't remember that."

"I guess you didn't, but we do. That's why, as much as we could, we avoided bothering you in your room, even if you locked yourself in without food or giving a single sign of being alive for weeks or even months. There was always that fear in us that you would die without any of us noticing, but with time we stopped thinking so, I guess we got used to it."

The Rustler made no further comment on Kae’s comment, instead he remained silent, his gaze fixed on Men'ma and the children.

“It should be about time, we decide what we do about her, shouldn’t we?”

Yes. He thought but as he did, words Kae’s mumbling interrupted him.

“Ale…” The Rustler heard him distinctively calling before shifting to, “Rustler, how about you head back to the shopkeeper's place?”

"Hm?" the Rustler responded, surprised by the sudden suggestion.

"You wanted to go there the other night, but with everything that happened, you weren't able to."

Indeed, on the night of the Dae Odoe girl's arrival, the Rustler had planned to return to the shopkeeper's place to return his tool. However, with the girl pestering him, he chose not to go.

"Now seems like the perfect opportunity for you to get some fresh air. That is of course, if you still want to go there, go!" With a subtle nod in the girl's direction, she added, "Don't worry, I'll keep Men'ma here for you. Just come back okay? I wouldn’t want to deal with her thinking that I helped you run away from her, even though that’s what I’m actually doing."

The Rustler pondered the offer, his gaze shifting between the girl immersed in play with the children and the beckoning exit. As moments passed, a certain realization began to dawn on him, cascading through his mind like snow through an avalanche. With a silent nod, he acknowledged her assistance before rushing over to the Shopkeeper’s place.

***

The shop’s bell ringing, the Rustler made his way across the room to the counter behind which stood the shopkeeper. "You knew."

The shopkeeper's expression shifted from surprise to composed readiness as he quickly gathered himself. "Good morning. It's rare to see you so early in my shop. What brings you here this time?" he asked, maintaining his calm demeanor.

"You knew about this girl, Men'ma," the Rustler pressed, his frustration evident.

At the mention of Men'ma and the shopkeeper in the same breath, a certain fact resurfaced in the Rustler's mind. He remembered that there was no one in town better informed than the shopkeeper.

"Men'ma, so that's what her name was," the shopkeeper mumbled, his gaze momentarily distant.

"If you knew about her, why didn't you tell me?" the Rustler reproached, a hint of betrayal coloring his words.

The shopkeeper met his gaze with an unfazed expression. "Simply put, dear, I had no reason to. It was never my responsibility to inform you that you had somehow offended a powerful entity within the Odoe race, to the extent that they would send one of their valkyries after you."

Though the Rustler didn't like the shopkeeper's response, he couldn't refute it. Their relationship had never been one of freely shared information or favors. Each had their own boundaries and expectations of one another and indeed nothing binded the shopkeeper to tell him about the girl.

Silence lingered in the air, pregnant with tension, before the Rustler broke it by tossing the borrowed hammer, the coat, and the gloves from the Shopkeeper onto the counter. He then retreated to his usual seat, gesturing for the shopkeeper to join him by pulling out a chair.

"I suppose you're right," the Rustler conceded, his voice tinged with frustration. "But still, you could have told me. It's been two years since she’s been hounding me across the continent all without my knowledge."

"And it has been two years since we became aware of that endeavor of hers," the shopkeeper replied calmly. "We were hoping, or rather, I was hoping, that she would never actually find you. I kept silent with the assumption that she would remain unsuccessful. But evidently, that wasn't the case. How did it go?"

"Why do you even care?" the Rustler retorted, his voice laced with suspicion.

"I'm merely curious about the encounter. Is that not allowed?" the shopkeeper replied, his tone nonchalant.

"She attacked us," the Rustler stated bluntly, his frustration palpable.

"Ah, she did? Well, I was informed that she possessed quite the personality," the shopkeeper remarked, his expression showing mild amusement.

“What do you know about her?”

"Not much actually," the shopkeeper admitted, with a shrug.

The Rustler frowned, skepticism evident in his expression as he continued to scrutinize the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper maintained his composure, meeting the Rustler's gaze steadily. "—but I do know that when confronted by the authorities, she introduced herself as the 'envoy of the Odo Matriarch and the Odo Tree, a valkyrie.' Well, I say that, but for the most part, I would consider her to be one of your kind."

"What do you mean by that?"

The shopkeeper leaned in, his voice lowered, "She has shown little regard for any form of authority, at least those of this continent. She has never hesitated to employ force or cunning tactics to defy and undermine them.”

“Is he praising her?”

I think he is.

“I cannot say for certain when she infiltrated the city, but it wouldn't surprise me if the local Devi were involved in her arrival."

“Although so far no one died by her hands yet, I could argue that you two have a lot in common. So really, we were positively hoping you two would never meet, but destiny has chosen otherwise. In fact I would even add that I never even considered this outcome: the two of you sharing the same place peacefully somehow.”

“It is not peaceful,” the Rustler rectified, a strong emphasis on each word.

“It is? Then what are you going to do about her? Will her name Men’ma was it? Will it be added to the only name on that formerly long list?”