《My Travels Through Another World: A Dragon's Tail》


 Prologue: Awakening a Giant Lizard

    Have you ever had one of those mornings where you wake up half asleep and you are not quite sure where or what you were doing? I hate to admit it but I¡¯ve had this happened a few too many times. Honestly I¡¯ve lost count long ago.


    My alarm would be screaming bloody murder. The sun seemingly aiming a beam a light directly into my face. I would then look around and slowly drag myself out of bed get dressed and drive to work.


    Today however things ended up quite different, my alarm was replaced with the sound of some birds. Yes, bloody birds are chirping into my room probably getting their kicks out of waking me up. Desperately trying to get that 5 more minutes I roll around but the damn birds won¡¯t shut up! What the hell is their problem, can¡¯t a guy sleep in peace on his day off.


    Sick and tired of their lack of consideration I try to get up to give them a piece of my mind. Hmm? Great¡­ my blanket is wrapped around me way too tightly. Was I dreaming of being a human burrito or something? At this point I¡¯m quite frustrated and begin trying to flail about, my arms and legs can¡¯t get free. I already hate today, I can¡¯t even get out of bed properly.


    Finally I break free from my restraints my subconscious had blessed my morning with. I just worm my way through the opening I made to find I wasn¡¯t in bed. On that matter¡­ I¡¯m not even in my room right now. I seem to be a cave of some sort¡­ pretty large and there¡¯s a small body of water nearby and it sounds like a waterfall nearby.


    Well then, I must be dreaming right now I¡¯m guessing.  Still, the stuff I dream about, I swear is so weird. Getting a better look around this cave, it''s pretty wide. Not too large though since light travels all the way here.


    Well since I¡¯m out of bed now I should probably make my bed, dream or not I should take care of this before I forget. I turn around and look to see an egg with something black and scaly coming out of it! Oh crap it¡¯s a snake! I try to barrel roll away and look back¡­ it¡¯s gone? I start to panic, it looked like a pretty big snake and why was there an egg¡­ where¡¯s my blanket?


    Just to be safe I¡¯m going to check if it¡¯s behind me and turn my head again¡­ and it¡¯s there¡­? What the heck? It looks it should be a pretty big snake, black scales with a nice blue hue to it; honestly I really like it¡¯s color. As my eyes follow it I eventually see what looks like claws? Wait a second¡­ no way¡­ I look at my hands which were replaced with a pair of black claws with four...fingers? Frantic now I look around and it hits me, I can see my reflection in water right?


    As quickly as I can I awkwardly crawl to the lake to get a look at my face. This feels strange having to use four legs to move around but I make it. Staring at my face... I look like a lizard, my eyes are blue and look almost cat like. I have 2 holes which I guess is where my nose is and my teeth look a bear trap.


    I then notice there are these bumps that go from the back of my neck to my tail. So I¡¯m a giant lizard¡­? I have no idea what species I am, nor have I ever seen a lizard that looks even remotely like this but I¡¯m definitely reptilian. Taking in a deep breath I have a realization, this is a dream! It¡¯s the only way this makes sense, who goes to bed and wakes up Lizardzilla?


    There¡¯s no way this is possible I eventually convince myself and take a drink of water to cool my head. !!! So crisp and clean, this is absolutely delicious! I¡¯m picky with my water and only drink filtered water or certain brands of bottled water. So yes, I am a little bit of a water snob. But this stuff is awesome; I wish I could just bottle this stuff up and sell it. While imagining all the money I could be making selling this water I start getting sleepy¡­ this was a fun dream I guess it¡¯s time to wake up from it now.


    As I wake up to the sound of water running, I wonder are those two awake already? I need to get up and make breakfast. I open my eyes and see rocks¡­ Wait I¡¯m still in the cave? This can¡¯t be right.. Ah yes I get it now.. I must be dreaming of dreaming!  Haha, this is one crazy dream! Since I¡¯ll forget it in the morning I might as well have some fun with it.


    I look outside and notice that it is night time now, well usually night time is more dangerous in video games so I should be careful. Good thing my forte is sneaking around unnoticed, and well there¡¯s a waterfall making plenty of noise. Which helps cancel out any noise I end up making while I get used to crawling about.


    Exiting my cave slowly and I¡¯m quite hungry right now, it would be nice to have a juicy 12 ounce rib eye right now. Well, since I¡¯m dreaming maybe I can make one appear in front of me! I close my eyes and imagine the image of a steak appearing in front of me¡­ And there¡¯s nothing in front of me. Why can¡¯t my dreams be more convenient? Well I guess at this point I need to FIND something to eat, can¡¯t something just jump into my mouth right now?


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    Skulking about I eventually stumble upon some sort of... critter? I say critter because it looks like a bunny but larger¡­ I¡¯d say about twice the size of a jack rabbit. Also bunnies are cute and fluffy, this thing doesn¡¯t look fluffy, in fact it''s fur looks as soft as a cactus and doesn¡¯t look cute at all. Another huge difference was the fact that  bunnies are vegetarian. This thing? It was eating another animal¡­ so a carnivore. Well the Killer Bunny of Doom was eating what looked like a ram and a deer had a child and it had both horns? Whatever they are, I¡¯m starving and there¡¯s meat in front of me so I won¡¯t say no and honestly my stomach is starting to scream at me to feed it.


    Slowly I creep up on the bunny like critter, since its busy eating it pays doesn¡¯t bother to look around and it hasn¡¯t heard me yet. Once I get close enough I take a bite out of its side and use one of my claws to force its face into the ground. It could be dangerous if this thing fights back, since moving around still feels awkward and start to eat it as it tries to squirm away. It soon stops fighting back and I continue eating it until I find what feels like a piece of hard candy?


    By the time I noticed it; I had already bitten down and started chewing it. It was slightly sweet and was a nice addition to my meal, kind of like an after dinner candy... wonder what it was doing in that things stomach. Well it¡¯s just a dream why worry about the details right! I still feel hungry after finishing the Killer Bunny of Doom, so I might as well eat the other critter. Waste not want not is one of my favorite sayings and honestly, that bunny wasn¡¯t very filling. After eating my fill I crawl back to my cave and drink some water before going to bed, yep this water would sell.


    The next morning I wake up and take a good look around.  Again I notice something is definitely wrong; I¡¯m still in the cave. At this point I start to panic, what the hell is going on... I wasn¡¯t dreaming? My thoughts are going a hundred miles an hour at this point and I remember something. Pain, if I pinch myself and it doesn¡¯t hurt then I must be having some kind of crazy dream.


    The problem at this point is, I don¡¯t have thumbs so I settle for scratching my face. Running my claws along my face it doesn¡¯t necessarily hurt, but I can feel the sensation on my face. No way¡­ but wait, it didn¡¯t hurt maybe I should try something else to verify! That¡¯s it right¡­ that has to be it,  I then decide to smash my head against it as hard as I could, that would definitely hurt. The rock shatters on impact with my skull and god damn that hurt!


    Writhing in pain I roll back and forth for a moment and the realization sinks in finally, I¡¯m not dreaming. Ok... ok I have to be missing something. It¡¯s impossible for someone to go to bed and wake up a giant lizard.


    The previous day before I came out of the egg I had woke up pretty sluggish, I think I had a fever but had to support my siblings. I was living with my brother and sister in an apartment in California and was taking care of them since I was the oldest. Our parents were no longer around and we 3 siblings decided to stay together in the states.


    My little brother and sister were 10 and 12 years younger than me and being working age I was supporting all three of us. I had dragged myself into work despite my sister telling me to stay home and went to work. Since there was nothing to do all I did was sit in the office until my shift was over and went home and ate dinner.


    Before bed I did some light manga reading and fell asleep while reading. Did I die that night¡­? I was feeling sick, but not that sick nothing makes sense right now. At least if I am really dead, my job had really good life insurance so my siblings would be fine even without me. So my current theory is that I¡¯ve died and reincarnated into a giant lizard? Maybe I¡¯m in a different world now, maybe a fantasy game like world.


    That would be awesome, since I do love my JRPG¡¯s and Anime. Oh maybe I¡¯ve reincarnated with super powers, maybe I have some kind of cheat skill that will let me learn other people''s abilities, or maybe I can evolve into something awesome and save the world! Unfortunately reality is cruel, if I had any special abilities I would have known by now. There hasn¡¯t been any system type voice in my head telling me what¡¯s going on, I don¡¯t seem to have any extraordinary abilities, and I definitely don¡¯t have any kind of cheat ability¡­ I know¡­ I¡¯ve tried. So I get reincarnated into another world as a giant lizard¡­ that¡¯s it, no special purpose or greater calling.


    This is definitely the worst day ever.

 Chapter 1: Wandering Lizard

    Days have passed and honestly I have no idea how long I¡¯ve been here, since I lack a calendar since I live in a CAVE! Though I¡¯m getting used to crawling around on the ground, I do however sorely miss my thumbs. You never know how useful they are until¡­well you don¡¯t have them anymore. It really sucks to not have thumbs anymore.


    First off I can¡¯t rig any traps to capture animals or potential predators since I can¡¯t get a good grip on anything. I can¡¯t pick only the edible berries since I don¡¯t have thumbs to pinch them and remove them. The taste of leaves and branches don¡¯t exactly go well with berries.


    Also this body is a pain to move around in, it¡¯s large and hard to make precise movements with since I¡¯m crawling about. I¡¯ve even tried climbing a tree to get a better vantage point¡­ I didn¡¯t know trees could bend that much.


    After all this time though I¡¯ve figured out the general area I live in right now, but unfortunately there isn¡¯t anything around, the bunny was a fluke it seems. I¡¯ve eaten nothing but berries and anything else that looks edible; I¡¯m seriously getting tired of this and would kill for some meat. Red meat would be a god send right now, I¡¯ll even settle for some fish.


    Speaking of fish¡­ I look over into the lake nearby, there has to be something swimming in there¡­ right? I look in again and stare at the water¡¯s surface blankly for a while¡­ nothing¡­ there¡¯s absolutely zero movement in the water here. What do I do now¡­ my hopes crushed I can¡¯t even get a decent meal out here! Completely dejected I let out a sigh, I¡¯m getting tired of all these berries and fruits!


    After weighing the pro¡¯s and con¡¯s, I wander farther away from my cave. The animals here might know I live here and are avoiding me, or something else that lives nearby. I seriously hope that they¡¯re avoiding me, just the thought of something bigger and carnivorous complicates things.


    I am getting used to the whole crawling on the ground thing but there¡¯s no way I can fight like I usually do. That and getting eaten isn¡¯t on my list of things I¡¯d like to happen. I travel through the sea of trees; I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good or bad thing but I¡¯ve found nothing so far.


    I¡¯ve traveled a decent way from my comfy cave while making sure to keep my bearings by not deviating from a straight line. Under normal circumstances I¡¯d like to mark these trees, but that would give away the fact that I live here. Of course there are two major problems with that.


    First would be the fact that other animals will see this and avoid the area. Second would be if there are Humans then being in here would mean they are hunting, leaving signs make it easier for them to find me. I would like to avoid being captured and put into a cage put on display at a Zoo. Just the thought sends a shudder down my spine, but then again I would be guaranteed food¡­ no being robbed of my freedom is a definite no! Then again that would be better than getting killed or having to kill a Human. I may no longer have the form of a Human but my soul is still!


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    While I was lost in thought a fog slowly descended¡­ great¡­ now my vision is going to be obstructed best hide to be safe. I glance around and see a large bush and rustle myself underneath it as I watch as the fog grows thicker.  This isn¡¯t good¡­ this fog is thicker than I thought, I can barely see the ground outside the bush right now. Concentrating I close my eyes, I can¡¯t rely on my vision right now so I¡¯ll have to use my ears. All I can do right now is wait this out.


    An eternity seemed to have passed with no sign of the fog thinning or sound of anything moving, then I heard an ear piercing roar. Oh god¡­ there IS something else here and it sounds huge! Suddenly a gust of wind blows the fog away and I can hear what sounds like wings flapping towards me. It must be a giant bird or something.


    Not good¡­ NOT GOOD! I silent my breathing and remain completely still, please keep going, whatever you are! My heart feels like it¡¯s about to burst through my ribcage.  My anxiety grows stronger as the sound gets closer and closer. Not until I hear the flapping move past me do I finally calm down. Too close for comfort! I¡¯m not sure how much bigger it was then me but I¡¯d rather not find out.


    After a bit of time has passed I figured that the danger had passed and let out a sigh of relief. But before it could leave my mouth I hear a loud crash and the sound of trees being destroyed. Out of the frying pan and into the damn fire! The sound is definitely far away from me but to cause a level of destruction that I can hear it this clearly is insane!


    I continue to wait until the sounds stop, then  I continue to wait around a bit longer. Nothing, not a sound, was that bird fighting something¡­ or someone? After letting some time pass I quickly run back to my cave and start scouting about. It doesn¡¯t look like that large creature was here.


    Taking a better look, the water level in the lake¡­ dropped¡­ crap it DID come here! I¡¯m going to have to leave this cave for now and find a new base of operations. Staying here would be suicidal since I know something bigger than me comes here!


    Leaving behind my home I begin to wander farther and farther away from my cave and the sounds of fighting earlier into a clearing and my nose starts itching¡­ What is that smell?!? I can¡¯t describe how terrible it smells right now it feels like¡­ it¡¯s like my nostrils are being violated right now. Then I have the sudden urge... to sneeze¡­ no no no NO! Attempting to stop my urge to sneeze I cover my nose with my claws and it subsides thankfully.


    ¡°HaaCHUUUUuuu!¡±


    Can¡¯t a Lizard catch a break!

 Chapter 2: Captured Lizard

    After releasing a loud sneeze I immediately run away. Making that much noise always brings unwanted attention, best not stick around to find out kind. Stomping down as I run towards the direction I came to make tracks as to misdirect anything that comes. After making the tracks I turn around and hide inside a nearby bush with dark colored leaves trying to conceal myself. The plan is to wait to see if; I attracted anything, and if I did to wait until it passes and either ambush or move away from it.


    Waiting around for a bit I notice what looks like two brown haired children looking around. Great, I¡¯ll probably be captured and put into a zoo for all to see, good thing this bush helps hide me. They also seem to be wearing what looks like hand sewn... tunics? I must be out in the boonies than for kids to not have proper clothing. One of children quickly stop and notice my tracks stopping the other for a moment.  Straining my ears I can hear them talking to each other.


    (Child A) ¡°Do you really think it was a Dragon?¡±


    (Child B) ¡°I think so¡­ we should be careful.¡±


    Huh? How did I understand them¡­? It doesn¡¯t sound like any language I¡¯ve heard before but for some reason I can understand them? And wait¡­ a Dragon? Am I in some kind of Fantasy Novel or something? No, that can¡¯t be right¡­ there¡¯s no such thing as Dragons¡­ I think.


    While I was thinking the children stare right at me, I¡¯m pretty far away so they shouldn¡¯t see me. Wait¡­ their ears are pointy? Are they ELVES?!? Wait... There must be some kind of misunderstanding¡­ pointy ears are just a mutation maybe it runs in their family? Hopefully they leave me alo¡­ crap. The two children are literally in my face now¡­ I may have been found.  I pull my head back to run away and they fall back in surprise. At that moment... everything went black.


    I woke up later on inside of a hut, they must have captured me? Well if they did the jokes on them. I¡¯m just an oversized lizard! Wait¡­ aren¡¯t dragons... just oversized lizards? Haha for a moment there I let my imagination get the better of me. I can then notice that the children are staring at me. I didn¡¯t get as good of a look before, one child was slightly taller than the other. Their eyes are green and their face¡­ doesn¡¯t have any signs of William¡¯s Syndrome¡­? In fact, they look like they¡¯re both really cute kids and both children look probably 8 or 9 years old right now?


    (Child A) ¡°Lena¡­ do you think... it¡¯ll attack us? The adults said that dragons destroy things out of boredom. Is it really ok to keep her?¡±


    (Lena) ¡°Of course it¡¯ll be fine Roy! Stop being such a cry baby. Just look at her, she¡¯s so cute~! Let¡¯s give her something to eat so we can be friends!¡±


    What the heck? Judging by the look of things I¡¯m being kept a pet? There¡¯s also the biggest problem with this situation¡­ why are there no adults here? Am I being kept as a secret pet!?! And they haven¡¯t figured out I¡¯m not a dragon nor am I female?


    (Lena) ¡°I¡¯m gonna call her Blackie! Come on Blackie here girl I have some berries for you.¡±


    Blackie... Really? Does this girl have no originality¡­? Just because I¡¯m black doesn¡¯t mean my name should be Blackie! And did you think it¡¯d be that easy to bribe me? *sound of stomach growling* Well it won¡¯t hurt to eat it right? I make sure to careful take the berries from the girl and eat them, pretty tasty I must admit.


    (Lena) ¡°See, she¡¯s friendly!¡±


    (Roy) ¡°What if she bites us on accident?¡±


    Finally the voice of reason, why would you want to keep a dragon as a pet anyways? If they had actually caught a dragon, imagine the problems they would be having right now. The girl Lena then reaches her hand out to pet me after offering me food.  I guess I shall allow her... since they seem like good kids, not because they feed me when I was hungry.


    (Lena) ¡°Such a good girl!¡±


    She then wraps her arms around my neck and gives me a big hug.


    (Lena) ¡°We¡¯ll be back tomorrow Blackie! I¡¯ll miss you!¡±


    That girl has way too much energy.


    (Roy) ¡°Please don¡¯t leave the hut and go outside. The grownups will find you because of the Dragonsthorn Incense.   I promise we¡¯ll bring you some food and some toys!¡±


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    Aaaand now as quickly as I was captured I¡¯m all alone¡­. Again. Well at least I get feed and don¡¯t have to hunt for berries anymore. I was getting tired of all the¡­ non berry additions to my meal. I wonder what Roy ment by Dragonsthron Incense¡­ was that why I sneezed earlier?


    After spending the rest of my day lazily I doze off and wake up to the girl Lena leaning against my stomach with a book in hand. While I was asleep apparently she had brought a few books with her and they were placed in a pile next to me. The boy Roy had brought a wooden sword and was swinging it around clumsily. After he got a few swings I can see Lena seem to decide on which book to read and stares at Roy for a moment pouting.


    (Lena) ¡°Roy! Stop playing with your stick and study with me!¡±


    I can see Lena patting the open area next to her while still pouting. Roy¡¯s face goes red when he sees her and meekly puts the sword down and sits down with her. I guess they aren¡¯t siblings¡­ well I hope they aren¡¯t at least. Once Roy sits down, Lena opens up the book she choose and it looks pretty simple. Is that the alphabet here? Never seen anything like it before, it kind of a mixture between Arabic and Korean I think¡­? I might as well learn it, who knows where or when it will help. Noticing that I¡¯m looking at the book also, Lena adjusts herself so that I can see it easier. She even reads things out loud for me. She¡¯s a sweet little girl, reminds me of my little sister a little, she was always more considerate of others then me.


    Each day they would come and visit me with some food and Lena would study and try to teach me what she was learning in school. Lena seemed like a smart girl, very studious unlike Roy who would always be swinging his wooden sword in the corner. After a while I can now read the Elven language and I think I can speak but since it seems I can¡¯t talk so I can¡¯t verify.


    The number of books slowly increases over time. I¡¯m pretty much surrounded by books and am Lena¡¯s personal cushion. As I was passing the time watching Roy practice.  I end up trying to help correct his stance when he¡¯s swinging. He¡¯s not distributing his weight properly and try to signal him with my tail.


    (Roy) ¡°What¡¯s wrong Blackie?¡±


    He looks over to me for a moment and I shake my head. He then notices that I was fixing his stance and welcomed it. He¡¯s constantly looking back at me for pointers now it¡¯s kind of cute, I remember when I was teaching my brother how to fight it was fun. Just¡­ I could talk then so I could give better advice. There¡¯s a lot more I¡¯d like to be able to tell him but the only sounds that come out of my mouth sound more like a roar then words.


    These two children are really cute; I really would like to see them grow up slowly. Also... I hope they are childhood friends, because I¡¯m sure they would make a cute couple. I would definitely be happy seeing their relations get better¡­ unless they are siblings. At that point Big Brother will not allow it! My little brother and sister never got along this well... I was always keeping them away from each other¡¯s throats. I hope those two are doing well and don¡¯t grieve too much for their useless brother... who died and became a Lizard.


    Today Lena is just leaning against my stomach as I lay down reading her books as usual. But for some reason today she starts to fall asleep. She slowly leans back, book still in hand then starts to fall over. I catch her with my tail and slowly lay her down still holding her book and curl my tail around her to keep her warm.


    While this was happening Roy was swing his sword like the sword fanatic he is. With how much this kid trains I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he grew up with muscles for brains. Roy finally notices that Lena fell asleep reading and stares at her for a moment. His face goes bright red as he stares... he¡¯s totally in love with her. The next thing he did surprised me though.


    Roy walked towards Lena and got close, he wouldn¡¯t do something to her in her sleep would he? He looks away for a moment and stares at her face¡­ then reaches for my head and pets me. Roy seems to be enjoying himself and gives me a hug before going back to train more. He seems to be having fun nonetheless training with his sword so I check on Lena who¡¯s still peacefully sleeping.


    Her face is so peaceful it has a calming effect and I end up getting sleepy myself so I put my head down and take a nap also. I even had a nice dream about my previous life, nothing special. Just me playing some video game while  my sister was sitting on my lap and my brother clinging onto my back. It¡¯s been awhile since I¡¯ve had a dream like this, I really do miss those two. My dream however was interrupted by a sudden crashing sound and I awake to Roy shielding Lena and they both had the look of fear¡­ Great... there¡¯s something behind me isn¡¯t there.

 Chapter 3: Waking up a… ?

    Something¡¯s behind me... I¡¯m not sure what it is, but it¡¯s making Lena and Roy scared. Can¡¯t I take a nap in peace? Roy is doing a good job standing in front of Lena putting her safety first, Atta boy. I quickly turn around to confront what is causing them to be so afraid. And I see... a wall? I tilt my head and examine the wall, but there¡¯s nothing there¡­not even a mouse or giant cockroach just... a wall.


    I check back on the kids and Roy has his sword up and they look at each other looking confused and scared at the same time. Maybe it¡¯s some kind of magical creature that I can¡¯t see normally¡­? Or it¡¯s camouflaged? I turn around again and check again¡­ still a wall¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­ what¡¯s making them scared¡­ ¡°


    I mutter under my breath as I scratch my chin.


    ¡°Can¡¯t keep them safe if I don¡¯t see it, or hell know what it is...¡±


    While I was thinking about the situation I hear Roy¡¯s voice.


    (Roy) ¡°Lena¡­ I think it¡¯s Blackie¡­¡±


    Well of course it¡¯s me, who else did you think it was? Santa Claus?


    (Lena) ¡°The hair is the same color and his eyes, they¡¯re the same color as Blackies¡­¡±


    Even you Lena? I thought you were the smart one, and what do you mean hair? Maybe she meant scales, that  silly girl. I then walk over to the wall and touch it just in case and it hits me¡­ I¡¯m upright right now¡­? I take a look at my claws and they were replaced with small human hands? What happened!?


    Panicking I touch my face and my head¡­ nose...mouth...ears¡­ hair? My skin felt smooth unlike the usual feel of my scales. Now that I think about it I¡¯m slightly above Roy¡¯s eye level now...  So for some reason, I¡¯m now a human again and probably around 10 years old now?


    ¡°What the heck is going on! Gah! They can¡¯t even hear me speak. How the hell am I going to get any answers!¡±


    I grab my head in frustration and Roy hands me his extra pair of clothes he uses to change into if he gets too sweaty.


    (Roy) ¡°We can hear you Blackie¡­¡±


    What? I can talk too!? Changing into Roy¡¯s spare clothing I start to think. Why did this happen and how come? Maybe this has something to do with me being here¡­? Maybe there¡¯s a reason for me to be here some kind of calling? Ha! Almost let my imagination get the best of me there.


    Apparently this isn¡¯t that uncommon of a thing, they said since I¡¯m apparently a Dragon. Being of the Dragon species it seems that I naturally have a lot of ¡°Magic¡± which would enable me to change. But then again since I¡¯m just a giant gecko... how does that work? The main issue they had was the fact that I didn¡¯t look like an Elf¡­ how I knew what human looked like.


    It took some convincing but I was able to make them think it was just a coincidence. It¡¯s actually nice to be able to talk with them now and it¡¯s a nice surprise that I can speak. Lena during our conversation was very excited about the fact that I could talk but Roy¡­ suddenly became indifferent? I thought he¡¯d be more excited since I could help him with his technique easier now.


    I also decided to give myself a name here since honestly, I¡¯m not too keen on the whole Blackie bit. After thinking for a bit I decide to go with the name Kurogane, it just seems to have a nice ring to it. Lena was very against it but Roy helped in convincing her to start calling me by my chosen name.


    (Roy) ¡°So Kurogane¡­ you¡¯re a boy?¡±


    Well I was naked when I turned into a human so I guess it was apparent, one less thing to explain. Wait¡­ he wouldn¡¯t¡­ I then see Roy pull his sword out and point it at me¡­ he would.


    (Roy) ¡°Fight me Kuro!¡±


    *sigh* He totally feels threatened now.


    ¡°Roy, first of all I don¡¯t have any weapons¡­ I use a two sword style and need a short and a long sword.¡±


    Hearing this Roy runs outside in a hurry. He didn¡¯t even give me a chance to explain.


    (Lena) ¡°Roy is such a boy, he must be so excited to have a sparring partner now.¡±


    I¡¯m really tempted to just yell out that he¡¯s just jealous and is in love with her but I refrain. That¡¯s something he himself has to say, and I should probably confirm something while I¡¯m at it.


    ¡°Lena¡­ you guys are childhood friends... right?¡±


    Lena looks at me blankly and tilts her head


    (Lena) ¡°Yes we are¡­ we grew up next door to each other, and have played together since we were babies.¡±


    Phew¡­ that¡¯s good I would have to step in if they were related by blood but this way I can cheer them on from this side. Roy eventually comes running inside the shed hugging 3 swords and a shield, two were longer and one was short. He really wants to have a fight doesn¡¯t he? My brother used to do that a lot when he was younger, never learned his lesson.


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    (Roy) ¡°Here you go Kuro, now we can have a duel!¡±


    Roy throws me a short and long wooden sword and I grab them. He probably wants to look cool in front of Lena too but I really can¡¯t let him win or he¡¯ll never grow. I hold the longer sword in my right hand and grasp the shorter in a reverse grip for defense and hold the reversed blade in front of me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t regret this Roy¡­ come at me when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Roy holds his shield in front of himself but it¡¯s too low to properly defend himself so I instinctively tell him to raise his shield. Shaken, he follows my directions and waits for me to nod in approval before he starts. He starts to run forward at me with his shield in front of himself. Once I was in range he moves his shield aside and stabs towards me with his sword, I in turn side step out of the way and move behind him.


    Odd I don¡¯t feel like my speed has changed from my previous life? I then try to give him a light tap on the back but end up having to lean in more. I misgauged the distance between us, my arms are shorter aren¡¯t they. Roy loses balance and trips forward but he quickly recovers and charges again with a upward vertical slash this time.


    I hold out my left sword and catch it with the blade and redirect the sword over my head and slide forward putting my foot behind his and give him a push making him fall on the ground. At this point I felt like I was picking on him but it is the duty of the older brother to put his brother in his place. Huh¡­? What¡¯s that sound¡­ I can hear what sounds like a muffled laugh and look to see Lena holding her mouth shut and her feet were flailing about.


    It looked adorable honestly, made me want to give her a big hug but Roy wasn¡¯t giving up yet. He stood up again and this time tried to bash his shield into me and I meet is shield with my right sword forcing him to stop mid attack and push him back again. Stubborn kid doesn¡¯t know when to give up¡­ but then again it¡¯s not a bad quality to have when learning.


    ¡°You know Roy, I can do this all day.¡±


    Hearing this Lena broke, she started bursting into laughter kicking her legs about making Roy¡¯s face go bright red. Taking this chance, I walk up to Roy and counsel him and whisper into his ear.


    ¡°I love you both like you were my little brother and sister. So don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯m not going to steal her away, and seriously tell her you love her already. It¡¯s painful to watch you sometimes.¡±


    I thought Roy couldn¡¯t get redder but oh man was I wrong¡­


    After our little fight the children left for home and I have some alone time finally. The first thing that came to mind is during the sparring match with Roy was I found out I¡¯m not longer fully used to moving around as a human anymore. That and the fact that¡­ I¡¯m much smaller than before¡­ going from the body of a 28-year-old adult to a giant lizard¡­ to what I feel like is an 10 year old''s body is rather troublesome.


    Just thinking about it makes me sigh, I had to dodge with a much larger amount of movement then required against Roy because of this. Since the kids are gone it gives me some time to practice and get back into the swing of things. This should be fun, especially since I feel like I¡¯m stronger than before, how far can I push this body?


    Sadly the hut is only so large restricting my training, and adjusting my reach is harder than I thought it¡¯d be. Good thing the kids aren¡¯t here, I¡¯ve already missed my target a couple times when trying to graze it, their image of me would crumble apart. After running around for a while I end up going to bed looking forward to when I see them next.


    The next time I see Lena and Roy they as usual came together and started talking to me more about their village. I¡¯ve heard little things here and there but they would only tell me little things before such as what they ate for breakfast, what they brought for me and about their parents not letting them do something.


    (Roy) ¡°Kurogane! Let¡¯s have a match!¡±


    Roy today wanted another bout of sparring but it seemed more like actual training so I obliged. After a while Lena called out for me.


    (Lena) ¡°Kuro~!¡±


    She looks at me as pats on the ground behind her. I change back into a lizard and lay behind her as she reads her school books. She seems to prefer me my lizard form as a back rest¡­ why is that? I can¡¯t see a lizard as being comfortable but I didn¡¯t bother asking.


    After the children left I continued my training for a while but I need a more open area to train. I¡¯ve slowly grown accustomed to my human body again when the children leave to go home and I¡¯m honestly amazed with how well I can move. But now I¡¯ve run into a problem, this hut is too small for me to experimenting with other techniques.


    Training outside would be ideal¡­ but I remember last time I tried to open the door that foul smell  snuck in as soon as the door cracked¡­ I¡¯d rather not have that happen again. But this time I¡¯m in the form of a human boy¡­ is it different? Curiosity overcomes me and I approach the door and take a deep breath and creak the door open.

 Chapter 4: A Lizard Leaves Home

    After creaking the door open, I take a small breath to test the air¡­ it smells like... the forest¡­ Thank God! I open the door and step outside for the first time in who knows how long and turn around to look at my hut. There¡¯s a sign above the door that reads ¡°Blackie¡± Gah, I knew it. I¡¯ve been living in a glorified dog house this entire time.


    Night had fallen and there¡¯s only moon light out but I can see pretty clearly even in my human form once my eyes had adjusted a little. Well first things first, I survey my surroundings, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s safe but you can never be too sure. There¡¯s also the fact that  I don¡¯t want to get lost again, I¡¯m really not sure how far I am from the cave¡­ actually how did that carry me so far in the first place?


    There are several trees and bushes nearby but I don¡¯t see much for animals¡­ I was half hoping to finally get to eat some meat. I love Lena and Roy and they definitely feed me but I really prefer to eat meat. Even in my previous life my family would always try to make me eat salads and fruits but I¡¯d rather have a nice steak or ribs. Thinking about it my mouth waters¡­ a little too much? I spit the excess fluid out and hear a splashing sound¡­? My craving for meat must be a lot worse than I thought ¡­ that was a ridiculous amount of saliva.


    I continue to wander and  see a good sized tree nearby and climb it with ease. My leg and arm strength definitely exceeds normal adult males right now. After surveying the area a bit I run back into the hut and close the door and take a nap. I decide to not let the children know I can leave yet and get a better feel for the area first.


    Lately Lena and Roy haven¡¯t been dropping by together, sometimes only Roy would come by and ask for a sparring match. Sometimes Lena would drop by herself and talk with me and read a book. There are even days when neither of them shows up and I just train and wander the area. I¡¯ve gotten decently far now so I know the immediate area rather well and have even found some animals to eat. And by animals, I mean regular bunnies.  When I find them I usually end up  eating it raw of course.


    If I could make a fire without the possibility of bringing attention to myself I would love to cook these critters. That and the fact that the only weapons I have are two wooden swords, nothing useful for skinning. Hell even killing them is a pain, I end up having to bludgeon them until they stop moving. I try to make it as painless as I can¡­ but I can only work with what I have.


    I¡¯ve also figured out which direction the Elves live, I can see what looks like torches off in the distance at night to the west. I¡¯ve grown pretty used to living here after all this time, to the point that I don¡¯t think I could completely abandon this life even given the option. Just thinking about not being able to see Lena and Roy ever again saddens me. As I think about this I fall asleep having a dream about my brother and sister. The next morning Lena came by herself with her usual big smile and she was holding a sack of books.


    (Lena) ¡°Kuro! I bought more books for us to read together!¡±


    I just stare at her blankly as she prances over and leans against me as usual. My sleeping area is pretty much 40% occupied by Lena¡¯s books now and she¡¯s keeps bringing more! Her books were originally just regular text books but those have been replaced with a mixture of novels and magic books. Novels were of course fairytales about princess being saved by princes, damsels in distress, and typical girl books for her age.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    When she sits down I notice something strange¡­ it feels like I¡¯ve gotten smaller? No¡­ that¡¯s not possible did she grow? I take a good look at Lena and her hair has grown to a little past her shoulders. How long have I been living here¡­? My thoughts get interrupted by Lena as she thrusts her book into my face.


    (Lena) ¡°Remember these Kuro?¡±


    Remember a bunch of white flowers¡­? Let¡¯s see¡­ they are called Somanilla flowers and their pollen causes animals and people to go instantly unconscious¡­? Hmm... what else, their leaves are distinct due to their dark color¡­ this sounds like¡­ no way. I feel like digging a hole and sticking my head into it now, this is embarrassing.


    (Lena) ¡°Me and Roy found you in a Somanilla bush! We were so surprised that a dragon would be silly enough to hide its face against white flowers, and Somanilla flowers at that!¡±


    Just kill me now¡­ I practically begged for them to capture me. I had thought I was being smart hiding in a dark colored bush but my face was against white flowers¡­ of course they would see me. But it¡¯s funny¡­ they still think I¡¯m a dragon silly girl.


    Roy runs into the hut shortly after and asks for another round, this boy is a glutton for punishment. Now that I¡¯ve grown used to my human body he doesn¡¯t stand a chance, I only use one sword and my other hand is behind my back the entire time. I usually end up accompanying him until he¡¯s had enough and he goes back to his regular training in his corner. This is why you guys are still childhood friends.


    Today however he keeps looking over at Lena while she¡¯s reading. It¡¯s painfully apparent but he just keeps training, something is wrong with this boy. For once, Lena wasn¡¯t even remotely interested in our match and was purely concentrated on her book? I wonder what she¡¯s reading she usually looks up and watches when we¡¯re sparring.


    (Lena) ¡°Kuro Kuro! The book says you won¡¯t learn to use your wings for a while. It has all kinds of things about dragons written in it!¡±


    Does she still think I¡¯m a dragon?


    ¡°Silly girl I¡¯m not a dragon, I don¡¯t even have wings! What are you going on about?¡±


    Roy stops swinging his sword and Lena drops her book. Why are you guys looking at me like that¡­? I¡¯m just an oversized garden lizard...right?


    (Roy) ¡°Kuro¡­ do you not know you¡¯re a dragon?¡±


    Well you¡¯d think I¡¯d know if I was a dragon don¡¯t you think? I mean seriously, I¡¯m just an oversized lizard right? Lena pulls out a hand mirror and tells me to turn into a ¡°dragon¡± so I humor them and look in the mirror. After taking a  good look at my face ... Yep, giant lizard. Lena slowly turns the mirror so I can see my back¡­ and I see two small wings on my ¡­ back¡­


    HOLY CRAP I¡¯M A DRAGON!


    Well then, I guess this is the start of my life as a ... House Dragon.

 Chapter 5: House Dragon

    Well then¡­ it¡¯s now an established fact that I am, in fact¡­ a dragon. Looking at things in retrospect I should have figured it out a while ago¡­ I feel really dumb right now. I had originally out ruled the fact due to the lack of dragons in the world I am from originally. Dragons were things of legends and lore but never actually around. Elves? There¡¯s the fact of Williams Syndrome, even though the only symptom I saw was the pointy ears¡­


    Judging by the situation I had assumed I was living in another world that wasn¡¯t as developed and there was the belief that magic was useable¡­ I mean, how does magic even work? Growing up surrounded by science and no such thing as magic existing outside of stories, it was unthinkable. But then again¡­ I could change myself back into a human¡­


    Thankfully, now I can actually directly communicate with Lena and Roy but I think I¡¯ll keep the fact that I have memories of another world a secret. I start spending more time reading then training lately, since Lena leaves her books everywhere. There are elementary magic spells here and I read them while they¡¯re away.


    The first book I end up with is one that teaches me to create water, the pure amount of useless crap in it is astounding. Instead of just teaching you how to use the spell and the concept it goes over the history of the spell, who came up with it and important sounding people who have used it. I don¡¯t care! Just teach me how to do this magic thing! While I was frustrated with the book Lena comes running in as usual with a smile on her face.


    (Lena) ¡°Kuro! Did you miss me!¡±


    She sees that I¡¯m in my human form and pouts¡­ she really prefers me as a dragon, this girl.


    ¡°Lena¡­ Can you cast magic?¡±


    I ignore her pouting due to my curiosity.


    (Lena) ¡°Of course I can!¡±


    She then puts her hand out and I can feel the wind in the room stir. Amazing¡­ there really is magic in this world! The things I can do with it¡­ so many things¡­ I can¡¯t help but get excited honestly. Lena then gives me a look with her big green eyes and points to the corner she always reads in. I revert to my dragon form and sit down as she sits down next to me and hugs me.


    (Lena) ¡°Hey Kuro¡­ I think I have a boy I like.¡±


    Oh no¡­ she¡¯s at that age now¡­


    (Lena) ¡°He goes to the same school as me, and he¡¯s super smart!¡±


    Poor Roy¡­ I was hoping she had fallen for him finally but his head is full of muscles and swords.


    (Lena) ¡°We¡¯ve been friends forever and grew up together, but keep this a secret!¡±


    I¡¯ll have to abide to her wishes but maybe she¡¯ll learn later that Roy is the best for her¡­ I change back for a moment to talk to her since I can¡¯t speak as a dragon for some reason.  I smile at Lena desperately trying to suppress my urge to kill whoever this kid is and talk to her.


    ¡°Lena¡­ I¡¯d like to meet this friend of yours.¡±


    If he doesn¡¯t treat Lena well, I¡¯ll have to hang him nude on a tree somewhere as a warning. Lena¡¯s face turns red and she holds her face, too cute this little girl.


    (Lena) ¡°One day Kuro when we start dating we¡¯ll meet you as a couple! Until then please be patient.¡±


    I guess I¡¯ll have to wait this kid better wash his neck if he isn¡¯t worthy of Lena!


    The rest of the day I didn¡¯t see Roy, who I found out is taking swordsmanship lessons after school lately. So the amount of time I get to see him has reduced, he still drops by for a sparring match here and there though. He¡¯s also slowly getting better lately. He actually learned to do a pretty nasty shield bash, but he still can¡¯t beat me. All the improvement lately is probably because of his teacher, which is good since our styles are different.


    Lately even Lena hasn¡¯t been coming by as much, she appears to be playing with her friends more often lately. It¡¯s good, kids should play with kids and honestly it gives me more time to figure out this magic stuff. After reading and experimentation I figure out how to make a small flame now. I can also cause the wind to stir slightly and create about a cup of water, at least I won¡¯t go thirsty now. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not fed it¡¯s just nice to be able to drink when I want a drink.


    Casting magic is vastly different than what I had believed. I had thought you¡¯d have to do this ridiculously long chant, have a wand, and yell out the name of the spell. It seems as long as you¡¯ve memorized the chant of the spell and have learned to manipulate magical energies you can cast a spell. Longer spells are usually chanted because there¡¯s a rhythm used to help recall the spell but as long as one can recall the entire chant purely from memory one can cast a spell.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    There¡¯s also a lot of stuff about using your own energy to manipulate natural magical energies but it¡¯s too complicated for me. Days pass by and honestly I would kill for a gaming system or something, I¡¯ve read all the books Lena left and haven¡¯t seen either of them for a while now. I¡¯ve started wandering about farther away from my hut lately and I¡¯ve found that the place I was captured wasn¡¯t that far away.


    I don¡¯t get too close because I remember them telling me there¡¯s a barrier to keep monsters out of the settlement. Hmm¡­ I wonder if it can sense if things go in and outside of the barrier¡­ no it can¡¯t be otherwise my presence here would be known. For now let¡¯s go get a better look at the Elf settlement next time.


    The next morning I wake up to the door opening and Lena running through the door with more books. This little girl is such the book worm and always reading magic books, she must be really good at it. Today though she seemed to be less interested in the books and just spending time with me since it¡¯s been so long. Shortly after Roy strolls in and as usual asks for his sparring match.


    Lena as usual quietly sits and watches us, let¡¯s see how much he¡¯s grown! I grab both my weapons and let him have the first move; Roy lunges at me and bashes his shield towards me. His shield bashes are really good now and it¡¯s best for me to just dodge it now, instead of trying to stop it.


    I step the side and he follows up with a sword thrust which I deflect with my left hand and spin around behind him placing my sword where his neck was. He knew what I was going to do and ducked below my sword and tries to swing at my feet. He¡¯s growing well lasting longer then before I think as I roll over his swing and sweep him with my feet tripping him.


    Lena actually starts clapping instead of laughing this time and Roy¡¯s face goes red¡­ this is painful especially since I know Lena likes another boy. I spend the rest of our time lazing about, I¡¯ve already started to consider these two my siblings. Once night falls Lena gives me a big hug and runs home, Roy on the other hand continued to train for a bit more.


    It¡¯s fun watching them grow slowly, every day¡­ I¡¯m glad I was captured honestly living by myself in a musty old cave was not fun. Maybe one day I¡¯ll move into the settlement with them once I grow a bit more. Thinking about it I smile and Roy looks at me confused,


    (Roy) ¡°Did I do something funny?¡±


    He looks concerned and comes over. He probably thinks his form was off while he was training. ¡°No Roy, I was just thinking maybe one day I could come live with you guys¡­ in the future it would be nice.¡± His face just brightens up.


    (Roy) ¡°That would be great! Maybe we can bring you in as a lost human boy, or better yet maybe you can practice changing your ears to look more Elf like.¡±


    Not bad ideas, I feel bad for thinking he was an idiot. We continue our conversation for a bit until he leaves for the day.


    (Roy) ¡°We¡¯ll be back in a couple days Kuro¡­ I¡¯ll try talking with Father about you coming to live with us.¡±


    That night I decided to get closer to the Elf settlement, it wasn¡¯t too far away but far enough that I couldn¡¯t see it easily. As expected of Elves, there was no huge clearing just a large stone wall with sparse trees outside. The image of a small village was replaced with a large City filled with trees and protected by high walls of stone and ivy. There were even guards in front of the large gate and patrols along the wall¡­ the kids have seemed to forget to tell me that it was a LARGE settlement.


    Thankfully they found me and not one of the adults¡­ who knows what would have happened if they had found me instead. As I stare off into the night I look up from the tree I¡¯m perched on¡­ the night sky is beautiful I think. You can¡¯t see the stars like this back home and I fall asleep in the tree staring at the sky. The next morning I hear the same birds from the day I was reborn and wake up.


    I stretch my limbs out and look around¡­ nobody found me good. Since Roy told me they won¡¯t be back for a couple days I figure it¡¯s a good time to try to wander outside the barrier and hopefully find some kind of animal to eat. I make sure to leave the area stealthy even though I am pretty far away, one can never be too safe. After running through the forest for a while I see the place Roy and Lena found me and pause for a moment to reminisce.


    (Voice) ¡°What are you doing out here boy?¡±


    Ah¡­ crap¡­ someone found me.

 Chapter 6: Dangerous Encounter

    I stand at the same place that Lena and Roy found me an open area where the path seems to abruptly end. Unable to believe what is going on I pause for a moment¡­ is there a giant sign that lights up saying ¡°Hey guys, he¡¯s here!¡± or something? What are the chances of being caught twice in the same exact spot¡­? While I was thinking I hear something hit the ground and look over.


    There¡¯s a man fully armored from head to toe giving off a dangerous vibe¡­ I might be in trouble. The man has what looks like a lance behind him and several swords attached to him, every fiber of my being is telling me this man can kill me if I screw this up.


    ¡°Ah, my apologies Sir. I had gotten lost and was taking the path through the forest as a shortcut.¡±


    I¡¯m going to have to tell him the least amount of information and build my story around his reactions¡­ I don¡¯t have enough information on what is going on outside the forest. That and I can¡¯t bring up Lena and Roy since it might endanger them. Why me...


    (Man) ¡°Boy, do you even know where you are¡­ no sane person would travel through this forest.¡±


    Well then¡­ this is marked as dangerous territory¡­ not a good start.


    ¡°Sir, I had fallen asleep behind a merchant¡¯s caravan and am trying to travel back home¡­ I am unaware of where I am. I only just know the direction I must travel to go home.¡±


    The man seems to think for a moment and raised his eyebrow in suspicion¡­ crap, where did I go wrong?


    (Man) ¡°Tell me the truth, there aren¡¯t any Human settlements for a week on horseback. And no merchant would let a boy like you run through here.¡±


    Well that was unexpected¡­ since there was the fear of Humans invading the Elf territory I had figured there was a settlement nearby¡­ What do I do now, he¡¯s getting more doubtful by the second.


    ¡°What about you Sir? If this place is as dangerous as you say, then why are you here? Also, where are my manners, I am called Kurogane.¡±


    The man folds his arms and processes the situation before telling me.


    (Man) ¡°My name is Harvey, I¡¯m an Adventurer sent by the Guild to check on local Dragon¡¯s Nest. Now answer my question Kurogane¡­ What is a small child doing in a location known to be a Dragon¡¯s Nest¡­¡±


    Ah crap¡­ he¡¯s looking for me, should I run? No, he¡¯ll catch me and I can¡¯t go back to get help from the Elves¡­ should I change my story or continue on¡­


    ¡°I am truly here just going back home Sir Harvey. My parents were killed nearby and I was left with nothing but the clothes on my back and these wooden swords. I have been living off the forest¡¯s outskirts for the last couple weeks and was unaware that this was a Dragon¡¯s Nest.¡±


    Thinking about it¡­ what kind of idiot would believe a story like that¡­ oh we have an idiot here aaand he¡¯s crying.


    (Harvey) ¡°Poor Kid, *sniff* Life just ain¡¯t fair sometimes.¡±


    While Harvey was sobbing I notice a Killer Bunny of Doom sneaking up on him and dash forward to attack it. Harvey steps back in surprise, he probably thinks I was going to attack him until I ran past him and knocked the monster into a tree with a kick. Just to be safe I strike it it¡¯s exposed stomach and head knocking it unconscious.


    (Harvey) ¡°Thanks for that kid, I can see how you made it so long. What about I escort you out after I check the nest?¡±


    I¡¯ll have to oblige him¡­ I don¡¯t want to raise suspicion. Before we depart though, Harvey looks over to me and grabs a short sword... And hands it to me?


    (Harvey) ¡°Here, take this. It was given to me by a Dwarven acquaintance of mine. Well made, but I think it¡¯s better suited for you.¡±


    I take the sword and unsheathe it and look at the blade, it¡¯s slightly curved and has a blue sheen to it. Taking a good look at the sword it reminds me more of a wakizashi then a short sword honestly which is perfect for me. The blade looks sharp and compared to my size right now it¡¯s actually longer than the wooden swords I have right now.


    ¡°Is it ok Harvey? This is definitely a good blade¡­¡±


    To give a strange child you met randomly a sword like this. To me is just unthinkable I have no idea what he¡¯s thinking. We¡¯ve known each other for what? A few minutes!? What if I tried to kill him with it!


    (Harvey) ¡°Ha! Of course it¡¯s ok Kurogane! You¡¯ll make better use of it then me, I just have that feeling.¡±


    Harvey just laughs and guides me straight to the waterfall I was born. So he did know where I was born¡­ Just imagining what could have happened if I wasn¡¯t found by Roy and Lena sends a shiver down my spine. Following Harvey¡¯s lead we enter the cave and see the Egg I was born from¡­ was it always that small? I mean I am probably the size of a 10 year old child now and it¡¯s about half my size?


    (Harvey) ¡°Looks like the dragon was born a while ago¡­ only one egg again this time. Doesn¡¯t seem like there has been any trouble reported in the area so maybe the child will be ok. There¡¯s also no sign of anything large enough to kill a dragon whelp.¡±


    Giving a stern nod Harvey leads me outside of the cave refilling his water canteen and begins to lead me outside. He was very chatty on the way and there was something interesting he brought up. Initially Harvey had suspected me of being a dragon whelp. But after he got a better look at me he dismissed the notion. I wonder why¡­ should I ask him? It would be useful to get some more information on Dragons since there were almost no books about them brought by Lena other than the occasional story book.


    ¡°Harvey, you said after you took a good look at me you ruled out me being a dragon. Why was that?¡±


    What do I have to lose, I can just pass my question off as a curious inquiry. Pausing for a moment Harvey turns around with a smile and tells me why.


    (Harvey) ¡°First off Kurogane, us Humans have 5 fingers and toes right?¡±


    I think to myself... Well yea, of course they do. I mean how many fingers would you¡­ Wait¡­ As a dragon I only have 4 ¡°fingers¡± having this revelation I turn to Harvey and ask him


    ¡°Yes¡­ Do the dragons think otherwise?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Harvey looks like he¡¯s enjoying himself and tells me.


    (Harvey) ¡°Correct! Dragon¡¯s only have 4 fingers and once they reach a certain age they can transform into other creatures. This includes Humans, but they only usually examine humans from a distance and don¡¯t notice the fact that we have one more finger. Not only this the eyes are key.¡±


    The¡­ eyes?


    (Harvey) ¡°Younger Dragons don¡¯t usually notice the fact that Human eyes and Dragon eyes are different.¡±


    That¡¯s right¡­ my eyes as a dragon I think looked more like a cat''s, probably why I can see well in the dark.


    ¡°Is there anything else Harvey that stands out?¡±


    We¡¯ve already gone quite a distance and I might as well get as much information as I can while I still can right? After I ask him Harvey pauses for a moment and thinks.


    (Harvey) ¡°Ah yes, there are cases of that too aren¡¯t there¡­¡±


    Hearing him say this it piques my interest.


    (Harvey) ¡°Depending on the type of dragon they have different colored scales; Flame Dragons are usually red or orange. What else¡­ the Azure Dragons are usually blue¡­ some Shadow Dragons are purple¡­¡±


    Why is he color coding dragons¡­?


    (Harvey) ¡°I¡¯ve heard of green colored dragons too¡­ I forget what kind they are. Anyways the color of the scales becomes their hair color, and several of those colors aren¡¯t natural human colors.¡±


    That makes sense¡­ wait there are no red heads? And my scales are black¡­ am I really a dragon? He didn¡¯t list the color black¡­


    ¡°Harvey, I have a question.¡±


    He just turns around and smiles at me.


    (Harvey) ¡°Quite the inquisitive youngster aren¡¯t you! Go on ask me anything I¡¯ll answer everything I can.¡±


    ¡°Are there dragons who have scales the same color as a human¡¯s hair?¡±


    Harvey just laughs and points at my head making me flinch for a moment. Oh great... did I step on a landmine without knowing it?!


    (Harvey) ¡°That¡¯s right kid! There are some with the same black color as yours. There are even some with the same as mine.¡±


    He then lifts up his helmet and his hair is red¡­ Wait didn¡¯t he say that it¡¯s not a natural color?!


    ¡°Uh¡­ wait... didn¡¯t you say red isn¡¯t a natural hair color¡­ wouldn¡¯t that make you a dragon!¡±


    I step back and try to look as shocked as possible. Harvey then thinks back for a moment and tells me


    (Harvey) ¡°Ah that¡¯s right I did list red didn¡¯t I! That was my fault Kurogane!¡±


    He just laughs it off. This guy might be a bit of an airhead, thankfully. Either that or I¡¯m a damn good actor¡­ I¡¯m willing to bet against the later.


    While Harvey and I were traveling we ran into a few doom bunnies and I was given a chance to try out the sword that was given to me. I have to admit the sharpness is amazing! It¡¯s like cutting through butter with a hot knife, and it¡¯s balanced well making it easy to swing.


    I could go on for days about how perfect I think it is and how if it was a woman, I¡¯d marry it but I shall refrain. The main points are the blade is curved which is what I¡¯m used to, best for slashing and it seems to be the perfect size.


    At least right now it¡¯s long enough for me to use as my attacking sword but in the future hopefully I can grow enough for it to be the right size for my defending hand¡­ I¡¯d hate for such a nice sword to go to waste. During the fights though, I¡¯ve confirmed¡­ I¡¯m MUCH stronger than I was before. Even though I¡¯ve been holding back to not bring Harvey¡¯s attention to me.


    (Harvey) ¡°Kurogane¡­ I need to talk to you about something before we part ways.¡±


    Huh? Part ways¡­? I look around and notice that there we have exited the forest. He doesn¡¯t want his sword back does he!? I step back and cover my new sword that I have strapped behind me with my hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving it back Harvey! It¡¯s mine now!¡±


    If he takes this back who knows if I¡¯ll ever find a sword this good! Harvey looks at my face and bursts out laughing.


    (Harvey) ¡°Hahaha, no Kurogane I don¡¯t want the sword back. Like I thought, it¡¯d be better in your hands than mine. Watching you today confirmed that. Now, what I wanted to talk about was traveling with me and joining the Guild. You¡¯ll definitely make a name for yourself when you grow up I can tell.¡±


    Thinking for a moment, all I can think about is Lena and Roy¡­ If I hadn¡¯t met them first then I would have jumped at the offer but now I just want to watch over those two.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Harvey, but I¡¯ll have to decline.¡±


    Maybe in the future but right now I feel like it¡¯d be better to be there for those two.


    (Harvey) ¡°I see¡­ If you change your mind find a branch of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Just tell them to send a letter to Harvey and I¡¯ll come looking for you. Oh, and this is for you. You won¡¯t get far without this if you want to get back into civilization.¡±


    Harvey reaches behind him and pulls out a small pouch and hands it to me. I open the bag and see coins of different kinds most look like they are made of copper a few silver and a gold coin. I thank Harvey and we part ways using hunting for dinner as an excuse.


    I made sure not to go too far into the forest until I couldn¡¯t see Harvey¡¯s silhouette, by then the sun looked like it was going to set in an hour or so? My internal clock was never very good. Either way I have a lot of ground to cover and start running into the forest taking as direct of a path as possible. That was until a blue object caught my eye and I stopped to take a look at it out of curiosity.

 Chapter 7: Blue Haired Girl

    I¡¯m not quite sure why I stopped but seeing a patch of blue in the sea of green and brown caught my eye. I was perched up on a tree at the time and once I took a good look I saw that it was a person. I  assume it¡¯s  a girl since her hair was to her back.


    Why is a girl wandering around in the forest at this time, she looks to be 16 maybe even 18 and she looks unarmed from a glance¡­? Well I think it¡¯s a girl at least she¡¯s wearing a tunic and pants so nothing remotely feminine. So maybe it¡¯s a girly guy? While I was lost in thought I was found and was could hear a girl¡¯s voice yell at me while waving her hands.


    (Blue Haired Girl) ¡°HHHHEEEEYYYYYY!!!¡±


    I then notice something peculiar¡­ it looks like she has four fingers¡­ no way!? I¡¯m left with little choice but to approach so I jump down from the tree I had climbed and walk towards the girl.


    (Girl) ¡°Hey! I didn¡¯t think I would run into a hum¡­person here. What are you doing here?¡±


    She was going to call me a human¡­ she would have been found out in a second if she was found by Harvey.


    ¡°I live in the forest miss¡­ I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t catch your name. My name is Kurogane and I live on the outskirts of this forest.¡±


    Getting a good look at her, she¡¯s beautiful. Her skin white with small hands and large cat¡­like¡­eyes¡­ This girl failed on every mark to hide the fact that she¡¯s not human.


    (Girl) ¡°Nice to meet you Kurogane, my name is Aoi. I¡¯m here looking for my younger sibling who was last seen in this forest.¡±


    While she was telling me this she bowed to me, which I instinctively followed. Looking for her sibling she says? I haven¡¯t seen any other dragons here other than me here maybe there¡¯s another nest here¡­ or maybe they just got separated in this forest? But then again¡­ is she really a dragon?


    ¡°Nice to meet you also Aoi, you said sibling¡­ is it a boy or a girl that you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    Might as well get details right, you never know.


    (Aoi) ¡°I apologize but I am not sure¡­¡±


    I watch Aoi as she pouts for a moment¡­ I should tell her shouldn¡¯t I, it¡¯s making me feel bad. Resolved to let her know I put my hand out and spread my fingers out.


    ¡°By the way¡­ Miss Aoi you know that humans have 5 fingers right¡­¡±


    By the look on her face she didn¡¯t... I then point to my eyes and inform her that her eyes don¡¯t look human either. Aoi¡¯s face becomes redder and redder as I tell her the flaws in her transformation and she tells me to wait for a moment as she runs into some nearby shrubbery. After a moment she comes back out with all 5 fingers but her eyes and hair color are still the same¡­ at least it¡¯ll be harder to notice now I think.


    (Aoi) ¡°That was so embarrassing; I thought I had done it correctly¡­ I¡¯m a big sister now so I have to be a good example!¡±


    She then puts her hands on her waist and puffs out her chest making a confident pose.


    ¡°Well your eyes are still wrong¡­ and I don¡¯t think blue is a normal human hair color.¡±


    Though the source of this information said red wasn¡¯t a normal hair color even though he was a redhead.


    ¡°Back to the main subject, Aoi how long have you been here looking for your sibling?¡±


    Aoi¡¯s face seemed to be lost in thought for a moment until she answered.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    (Aoi) ¡°Dunno! I¡¯ve been here for a while now looking around since this place is huge.¡±


    What''s with her does she really have no idea how long she''s been here? Well she is a dragon I think so she''ll be ok... right? There''s also that... I should probably tell her about Harvey and people coming here to search. She seems like a nice enough of a girl and I''d rather not have these two encounter each other. Just thinking about what would happen makes me shudder, especially given my circumstances being a dragon with the memories of being human.


    "So Aoi... there''s something I think you should know."


    She just looks at me with her blue eyes.


    (Aoi) "Yes?"


    I take a deep breath and slowly explain my meeting with Harvey of course leaving out the Elf City. I''m sure she wouldn''t do anything but there''s the fact that they actively try to keep dragons out. I could see her face get paler and paler as I told my story and she looked like she was going to cry.


    (Aoi) "Did he find a dragon! Please tell me he didn''t..."


    I continued to explain that we found nothing and I had just separated from him before we meet.


    (Aoi) "I understand, I''ll be careful and stay on the other side of the forest while continuing my search. If you see another dragon here let them know I''m here."


    And with that we went our separate ways, looking back though I should have realized sooner but I was too preoccupied with getting home.


    The sun set shortly after we had finished talking and though I can see exceptionally well in the dark after a while I grow tired. Hopefully the children won''t visit today since I don''t think I can make it back before exhaustion kicks in. After searching for some time I find a good place to sleep for the night, I quant little cave that doesn''t look used.


    Just to be safe I look around the general area and don''t see any form of tracks or signs of anything living here and mark one of the trees so I can remember the direction I came from. Carelessly making marks can lead to unwanted guests so I make sure to not direct it where I want to go. Once I finish my preparations I get ready to turn in for the night and finish my trip tomorrow.


    As I lay down the thought hits me... what if I missed something and this cave does have residents or if something else decides to make this it''s home. In that case if it saw a young boy inside it would probably attack me while I''m asleep, but if it was a dragon it would probably think twice!


    Now the only problem is my sword, usually when I transform back and forth my clothes disappear when I''m a dragon, and reappear when I change back the next time. Why this is I''m not sure, it''s convent so I''ll not question it. But what about something that I''m carrying? It''s not like I have something convent like some kind of magic spell that can store items or some kind of special storage ability.


    After consideration I decide that if the sword acts like my clothing then great, if it doesn''t and drops to the ground I''ll just sleep on it. And of course if it disappears and never comes back... I''ll cry myself to sleep. I take a deep breath and transform into my dragon form and look around... good it''s not on the ground unless it''s the worst case scenario. Please don''t be! I really liked that sword, otherwise I''ll have to hunt Harvey down and then hunt his friend down and ask for another.


    Bracing myself I change back as confirmation... thank god it''s still there. Well I''m not sure how it works but hey it''s useful I won''t question how and turn back and head to bed. I should be safe, nothing would disturb a sleeping dragon in the middle of a forest. Right...?

 Chapter 8: A Captured Dragon Once More

    So first off... This part is of course not the story, it''s just a side note... there was a special thing on my website stating if I got 10 followers I''d post a bonus chapter (already happened) and... if I hit 100... which just happened... SO TAKE THE CHAPTER YA THIEVES! (Seriously... thank you for the support... This was just a fun side project for myself... now I feel like I have so much more drive to write this for the people who enjoy it... Also... there''s 2 more markers I had on my site, 1k followers would sport a 2 chapter bonus... and if god forbid 10k... I would promise at least 2 chapters a week on my main site... which I don''t know is actually possible for me but I will try!)


    And here ends the ramblings of a Meandering Otaku...


    _____________________________________________________________________________________________________


    While I was asleep, I had a dream about the past. Once upon a time, I was married to this amazing woman. Maybe it was just my own interruption, but I thought she was the greatest wife any man could wish for. The time I dreamed about, was the time we had taken a road trip. We were young newlyweds and took a week off work to see sights along the coast.


    We didn''t have much for money at the time, since we married shortly after High School even then, we were happy. During the course of our trip I was mainly driving, until about  halfway through the trip. She wanted to take over and do the driving.


    I haven¡¯t been more afraid for my life before that, after that I never let her drive again... For obvious reasons. The walls on the freeway were so close I could touch them¡­ I could even see the whites of the other driver''s eyes. There''s still that vivid memory of her running over the divider and driving on it.


    That almost rhythmic shaking...? It almost feels¡­ Real?


    I slowly open my eyes and it feels like driving on a worn out road. After I sleepily open my eyes I can see bars in front of me... am I in prison or something? I had the weirdest dream... No, it wasn''t a dream.


    Before I could finish deluding myself that I being a dragon was a dream, I see a man with a sword attached to his belt and a kite shield next to him. He wasn''t heavily armored; most of it looked like some kind of animal hide with metal covering his chest and right shoulder. I finally grasp the situation I¡¯m in¡­


    I was captured¡­ In my sleep¡­ Again¡­ Can I just never go to sleep¡­ Ever?


    (Man A) "Hey! I think it woke up."


    I''m guessing he''s talking to someone else here... unless he''s crazy and is trying to talk to me.


    (Man B) "Just leave it, even if it tries to rampage that cage and shackles will hold. And if it does get out, we can take care of some whelp."


    Well he seems confident in this cage... Should I try it? I would like to get back before Roy and Lena find out I''m missing... But where am I? Better yet... How long have I been out for, and how do I get back?


    (Man A) "But... can we really beat it... It looks strong."


    The other man moves into my vision and hits the first man.


    (Man B) "Don''t let it think it can win and we''ll be fine! They can smell fear, so stop being such a wimp. It''ll probably go back to sleep soon enough like the last few days."


    The other man looked like he was in his 30''s and wore a full breast plate, not as impressive as Harvey but he looked well defended. What he just said really bugs me... I''ve been asleep for a few days? And I¡¯m pretty sure fear doesn¡¯t have a scent...


    (Wagon Driver) "Keep it quiet back there, if that thing breaks my wagon. You two are paying me for the repairs!"


    Great... I''m in a cage with 2 armed guards and I can''t see what the wagon driver looks like AND I''ve been out for a few days.  Gah! I have no idea how to get back. Hell, which direction is back anyways!? This is just wonderful¡­ Wonderful, what else can go wrong!


    Another week passes in the wagon and I¡¯m starting to think I should have just gone for it before! So what if I was a few days away? Now I¡¯m a week and a half away! At least they feed me some of the meat they have. Not a lot, but enough that I¡¯m not going hungry. Both men seem to be very careful when dealing with me, to the point they push my food into the cage with a stick!


    It¡¯s kind of funny watching a grown man squirm about trying to feed a caged dragon. These shackles that tie me down honestly don¡¯t feel too heavy and I can move around perfectly fine with them. At this point I really have no choice but to go along for the ride¡­ I would like to return to Lena and Roy but there¡¯s too many things that can go wrong right now.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I¡¯ve even considered changing to a human while they sleep and claiming that the dragon cast a spell on me. Unfortunately, I¡¯m not sure if such magic is possible for one, and the next issue is the fact that it¡¯s a known fact that Dragons can shapeshift into a  the form of a human¡­ I¡¯m rather sure it would cause more trouble for me if I fail, and honestly I¡¯m not sure how good my chances are.


    After a couple more days the wagon stops for a while and my cage is carried off into a large room full of variety of things. From what I could see there were large mirrors, some weapons, statues and other expensive looking objects on display. They wouldn''t... no they would... human''s greed knows no bounds.


    Once the men carried me farther in they put a sheet over my cage obscuring my view. From the looks of things, I''m going to be sold off... for what reason I have no idea. Why would you even want a live dragon for seriously? After a while I can feel my cage being lifted again and carried off. Eventually the swaying stopped and it felt like the cage was lowered.


    (Woman''s Voice) "And for our next item we have a Dragon''s Whelp! It''s still young and is extremely intelligent and would make an excellent companion or guard if trained! Let the bidding start at one hundred Cura!"


    Right after the announcement I see the cloth fly off my cage and see an auditorium of at least...three hundred people? Well¡­ at least that many. Every one of them looking like they belong in a Victorian movie set. The price for my purchase kept on rising to the point I wasn''t even sure how much I was bought for since I stopped listening after a while.


    What? It¡¯s boring listening to people yell numbers, I think I stopped listening at a thousand? The sad thing is I have no idea how the currency in this world works other than the fact that it''s called Cura, but it''s value is uncertain. I can only guess that I sold for a lot.


    (Auctioneer) "Sold to number 120! Please come down and settle the transaction!"


    Well, who ever purchased me I''m sorry but as soon as I can break free I''m getting back home... Once I figure where home is that is.


    (Lady) "Milady! Please stop what if it attacks!"


    Huh? I suddenly hear a crash and then some rattling noise in front of me. Looking up I can see a little girl I''d say 8 or 9 with long blond hair and a frilly pink dress hanging on my cage.


    (Little Girl) "You''re coming home with us! I promise I''ll take care of you and you''ll love it with us!"


    Does this girl have no sense of danger? She is almost immediately picked up and dragged away by what looks like a young maid? She honestly doesn¡¯t look that much older probably around 14 her brown hair was braided on both sides.


    (Little Girl) "My name¡¯s Lila! And your name will be.... I know! BLACKIE!"


    ... Really... Do children in this world have no creativity? Not once... but twice I''m named "Blackie" can''t they think of something better than basing my name off the color of my scales! After the little girl was pried from my cage, a cloth was once again placed over my cage and I was carried off. I can hear the auctioneer continue her work as I slowly am carried off to who knows where.


    I¡¯ve been in this cage for a few days now and they barely feed me, not even well at that! All I get is a small piece of meat and some water¡­ are they trying to starve me here! I say a few days but I¡¯m not quite sure since I can¡¯t see much with this cloth covering my cage. I¡¯m eventually moved again and placed in what I assume is a cart again and dragged off to I¡¯m guessing my new home.


    I wonder why they cover the cage¡­ Are they afraid I¡¯ll come back for them if I know where they¡¯re at? Maybe¡­ since it doesn¡¯t seem like dragons are underestimated here at all, yet somehow house pet material. After my almost nausea inducing ride I can feel that I¡¯m once again carried off and placed down.


    The next thing I see is a cloth suddenly being removed and I get a face full of some kind of powder. I then awaken in what looks like a large courtyard with shackles on my feet and neck and this uncomfortable feeling around my neck.

 Chapter 9: Lila and Her Pet Dragon

    After being brought home and tied down in the yard... in my sleep. I admit I was rather confused for a moment. I just stared at my surroundings for a while trying to take it all in, the yard I think is actually a courtyard?


    I figured the family that bought me was rich, but seriously¡­? There¡¯s an enormous pond with some trees surrounding it and a large tree with a table and seats underneath. Off in the distance there are walkways that seem to surround the area of what I¡¯m guessing is the main building.


    My eyes continue to follow the building until it abruptly stops and there is more yard and an outer fence? It seems pretty tall though I¡¯m pretty sure I can jump over it if I got a bit of a boast. The area I¡¯m in seems rather vast and well maintained so far until my vision is obscured by an¡­ Armored guard¡­?


    I quickly turn the other direction and see another guard¡­ Are they keeping watch on me? I mean, I AM a dragon and all¡­ And I guess they don¡¯t know how I will act, but seriously? They don¡¯t seem to be very aggressive¡­ I wonder¡­


    I slowly start creeping towards each of the guards without making a sound and notice¡­ I can¡¯t reach either of them. These guys are purposely staying out of my reach!


    They¡¯re probably more scared of me then they want to let on. After confirming distance I slowly creep back and lay down and take a nap. I¡¯ll do some exploring tonight and find out how to get home. But first¡­ Nap time¡­ It¡¯s not like anything else can go wrong.


    Waking up, I can see that  night has fallen and the moon¡­s? Wait¡­ Are there two moons? How have I NOT noticed that there are two moons?! I mean I did grow up in a forest and was too busy surviving to really do some night gazing but really something that huge?


    Ah forget about it I have bigger issues to worry about. First things first, I look at my constraints and remember where each of them are placed.


    There are shackles on all four of my legs with one chain attached to each and the collar around my neck has two separate chains. Alright, I should be able to recreate this later and change into my human form. This  will let me sneak out of here¡­ At least it should have.


    The shackles that bound me adjusted to my size and now I¡¯m currently tied up as a human¡­ figures it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. After transforming I was laying on my back and tried to lift my arms and legs but couldn¡¯t¡­ Did these get heavier?


    Summoning up all the strength I could muster got me nowhere¡­ I can¡¯t lift these as a human but I can walk around like normal as a dragon? I knew my strength was different but this is too much¡­ Isn¡¯t it? Giving up I revert back and go back to sleep, I¡¯m honestly exhausted from my previous effort.


    That night I was dreaming again of a time long ago. My siblings were still young and I was dating my future wife. We used to have Barbeques in the yard and invite the neighbors over and spend the day just hanging out having a beer; grilling up some steaks and burgers. By the end of the day my clothing would reek of smoke and meat,.I honestly quite liked the smell but my little sister hated it.


    She wouldn¡¯t let me hug her until I took a long shower and changed my clothing. After I had finished cooking a portion for everyone I get to grill my portion, I love my steaks rare ¡­ the aroma is to die for and I take a good whiff before eating. Ah it smells delicious and my stomach rumbles in response¡­?


    I¡¯m awakened by my stomach screaming bloody murder and look around in a daze. I¡¯m not still dreaming am I? I can still smell that steak¡­ like it was right next to me or something¡­ I look around and I see Lila hugging her knees with her chin resting on her knees and head slightly tilted. She had a bright smile on her face as she was staring at me when she noticed I woke up.


    (Lila) ¡°Melia! Look, look, Blackie¡¯s awake!¡±


    This little girl is too animated for this time of day, but nonetheless she¡¯s adorable.


    (Melia) ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s famished too please do be careful when feeding her. It¡¯s best to slowly gain an animal¡¯s trust by feeding it.¡±


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.Did she just treat me like a dumb animal? I mean yes, I¡¯m just your average giant house lizard. Not like I¡¯m a dragon or anything. Don¡¯t humans know that dragons can understand humans¡­?


    (Lila) ¡°K Melia!¡±


    I then see Lila run off and come back with a plate with what looks like a giant steak on it and places in front of me.


    (Lila) ¡°Here you go Blackie! Our Chef made it for you, everything he makes is nummy!¡±


    What the¡­ I must be dreaming there¡¯s no way that a steak that big and delicious looking could appear in front of me. I stare at the steak deep in thought but am rudely interrupted by the maid.


    (Melia) ¡°M¡¯lady, it seems this reptile is unable to comprehend what is going on.¡±


    This maid¡­ I REALLY dislike her, what¡¯s her problem anyways!


    (Lila) ¡°Mmm¡­ That¡¯s not nice Melia¡­ I¡¯m sure Blackie just isn¡¯t comfortable with us yet.¡±


    I watch as little Lila tilts her head showing a saddened expression on her face, she looks like she¡¯ll start crying at any moment. I quickly try to defuse the situation by taking a bite out of the steak and it just melts in my mouth! I slowly savor the flavor of the meat which reminds me of beef, with the right amount of salt and pepper to bring out the flavor of the meat.


    The amount of attention put into its preparation was apparent with how tender the meat was, I lost myself for a moment while eating. I¡¯ve had some great steak in my life¡­ Well, previous life. But none of them compare to this steak here, after all the berries and green foods from Lena and Roy this is a Godsend!


    Of course, those guys who captured me and the auction house gave me overcooked meat with no seasoning on it. Unfortunately, my moment of bliss was once again interrupted by a certain maid¡­


    (Melia) ¡°Such an uncouth face this dumb lizard is making, it must be wondering if it¡¯s allowed for such a meal to be wasted on one such as her.¡±


    I take back what I said earlier¡­ I DESPISE this maid! Once I¡¯m no longer restrained you better be prepared, I will troll you every chance I get!


    (Lila) ¡°Melia stop being so mean to Blackie¡­ Maybe she was thinking we were trying to poison her and was just careful. I mean we did take her from her home and chained her up. She has no reason to trust us.¡±


    This girl¡¯s an Angel, not only did she stand up for me but she tried to think in my shoes¡­ Wait, why does a girl so young know about something like poisoned food?


    No¡­way¡­ Could there be people out there who is trying to hurt a sweet little girl like Lila? I mean how else would she know that food can be poisoned¡­? Whoever the scumbag that would make such a young girl have to worry about her food being poisoned... If I find them I swear I¡¯ll bury them up to their necks and leave them to bask in the sun!


    I am then hit with a sudden realization. I had eaten the entire steak already¡­ My steak¡­ I then feel like something is wrapped around my neck and look over to see Lila hugging my neck.


    (Melia) ¡°M¡¯lady! Please step away from that beast! What if it were to attack you! Guards!¡±


    I hear the sound of metal clanking and two men extend their spears towards me. Do they seriously want to go this route? At that moment I could feel a weight being pushed down on my back?


    (Lila) ¡°It¡¯s ok! She¡¯s not a bad girl.¡±


    This little girl¡­ did she jump up on my back? The Guards seeing that I was not attacking lower their weapons and let out a sigh of relief, the maid however was still scowling at me. At least the feeling¡¯s mutual.

 Chapter 10: Spending time with a Pet Dragon

    In front of me a young girl wearing a hat runs through a sea of grass while she holds it down with one hand. Her black hair barely reaching her shoulders drifting along with the wind as she turns around looking at me grinning from cheek to cheek.


    ¡°Mai! Don¡¯t run too far from me. Understand?¡±


    My sister nods and holds her hand out for me to hold hands as we walk. The moment I reach my hands out, they look like claws. Pausing in disbelief for a moment, I look for my sister who has disappeared from my view. I shake awake and look around for a moment in a daze¡­ another dream.


    Once in awhile I dream of my siblings who I¡¯ve left behind and wonder how they¡¯re doing¡­ Mai¡¯s grown up now but she still forgets to eat breakfast and leaves home disheveled at times. I snicker remembering how she used to be so dependent on me when she was younger as I fold my arms and rest my head for a moment.


    It¡¯s been a while now since I¡¯ve lived here and they¡¯ve at least removed the chains from my body, though they left the annoying clamp around my neck  making it impossible to move around as a human. I open my eyes to a familiar sight. I see the figure of my sister when she was a child wearing her favorite straw hat wearing a green dress running towards me. Unable to believe my eyes I blink a few times and I grin for a moment.


    (Lila) ¡°Blackie let¡¯s play!¡±


    Of course Mai wouldn¡¯t be here, it¡¯s just Lila running from that Maid from hell again. Lately Lila comes here without her maid, which is fine for me we still don¡¯t get along one bit.


    (Lila) ¡°Did you miss me girl?¡±


    Lila asks as she¡¯s already hugging my head, she¡¯s grown even more attached lately and it¡¯s quite endearing. She eventually jumps on my back and yells.


    (Lila) ¡°Giddyup!¡±


    Well I do admit playing horsey when you actually walk on four legs is a lot easier. I make a few laps around the courtyard while Lila is giggling happily. Now that I think about it¡­ I¡¯m a dragon¡­right? I mean playing horsey with your pet dragon is kind of odd don¡¯t you think?


    Or is it just me thinking that dragons are you know disaster causing beasts of legends? And here I am a house pet¡­ again? Well as long as Lila¡¯s happy I guess it doesn¡¯t matter right? Me and my wife always did want a daughter as cute as Lila, it just became impossible for us and we never had children.


    (Lila) ¡°Blackie, Blackie! You¡¯ll always be with Lila right!¡±


    I want to tell her of course but I can¡¯t talk and I think it¡¯s best to keep the fact that I can change a secret for now so I simply nod as I continue my rounds.


    (Lila) ¡°Even though you probably don¡¯t understand me yet.¡±


    Lila just slouches and hugs my neck for a moment until that maid calls her back for dinner.


    Dinner time, probably the second best part of my day lately. Thankfully the chef has the misunderstanding that dragons are purely carnivorous and can only eat meat. He also has a plethora of recipes; I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve eaten the same dish prepared the same way my stay here so far.


    There¡¯s also the fact that I always get to eat to the point where I feel like laying down belly up and take a nap.  Today¡¯s dinner looked like some kind of bird, it was as big as a turkey but had a larger wingspan and wasn¡¯t as plump. The outside of the bird looked like it was coated in flour and deep fried with herbs, and was skillfully deboned.


    It was a gastronomic encounter as usual¡­ not sure if I can enjoy food elsewhere now being pampered to this point. I¡¯ve also noticed that¡­ The amount of food on my plate is growing and I never have any problems eating all of it. And the next fact is the matter, that I haven¡¯t been getting any fatter?


    Have I become one of those black hole for stomachs characters from Anime or something? I continue to ponder on this as I finish up my bird dish. All while ignoring the little girl who¡¯s climbing on my back as I¡¯m eating.


    (Melia) ¡°Lila! Don¡¯t climb up on her back while she¡¯s eating she might bite you!¡±


    Ah¡­ She¡¯s still here, that maid¡­ I¡¯ve been here for a while now and she still doesn¡¯t believe I won¡¯t hurt Lila. I can¡¯t help but stare at this stupid maid in awe, if I really wanted to I could have hurt everyone here a while ago you know?


    (Melia) ¡°W-w-w-hat¡­? I¡¯m not tasty you cold blooded beast!¡±


    Clearly shaken up the stupid maid starts to back step farther away from me. I then hear a heavy clunk sound startled I start looking around to see if someone came to hurt Lila and found nothing until I looked under me. My collar was on the ground?


    (Lila) ¡°There! A cute ribbon is much better than that ugly thing wrapped around Blackie''s neck!¡±


    I can feel her hug my neck softly as she falls asleep hugging me. This little girl does she have no sense of danger! That collar was something to restrain me not a fashion statement, something like this could be potentially dangerous!


    Lila woke up from her little nap I¡¯d say an hour or so later, no one dared to approach me to remove her once they saw that my collar was removed by our mischievous little miss. Especially her maid, she didn¡¯t run away per say... But is glaring daggers from the hallway while hiding the bottom half of her body. There was a bit of a fuss about what to do about my collar.


    They didn¡¯t try to put it back on¡­ Well that may or may not be attributed to the fact that I had my claws on it and would glare at anyone trying to take it away. I also make sure to take it with me and put it in a place where no one else can find it afterwards.


    Well that¡¯s one less thing to worry about now, I can freely change back and forth if I need to finally! Looking forward to the next day I spend the rest of the day playing with Lila until she gets ready for bed. Tonight the fun begins¡­ Just you wait you stupid maid¡­ You¡¯ll regret the day you decided to make an enemy of this lizard!


    Time passed, and  I usually  have to sleep outside in the courtyard in my own glorified watch dog house at night. Since the evil maid won¡¯t let me sleep in the house. She¡¯s been growing more and more paranoid lately, she has a feeling that I¡¯m the one that has been playing the pranks. But she can¡¯t make sense of it!


    Of course our little miss will sneak out at night sometimes to drag me back in and uses me as a pillow. It¡¯s still a mystery to me why people like to use me as a pillow, I mean I¡¯m an oversized scaled lizard¡­ Nothing about that sounds comfortable! Due to this I¡¯ll have to wait until I¡¯ve confirmed Lila¡¯s asleep before I can wander off just in case¡­ and there she is trying to crawl out her window again.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    I make my way over and once she sees me her eyes light up and I crawl through the window and lay down on the bed as she cuddles up on my stomach. I still don¡¯t understand¡­ maybe a giant lizard plushie or hug pillow would be popular in this world? Once Lila gets comfortable she turns over and faces me like she wants to say something but stops for a moment.


    (Lila) ¡°Blackie¡­ do you know what tomorrow is?¡±


    Hmm? Is something important about tomorrow?


    (Lila) ¡°It¡¯s Lila¡¯s birthday tomorrow! Mommy and Daddy said they were coming home to celebrate tomorrow as a family, isn¡¯t that great!¡±


    Seeing her smile like that all I can do is nod to her afterwards. Little Lila pauses for a moment and looks at me with a blank look on her face.


    (Lila) ¡°Blackie¡­ Can you understand me?¡±


    After I nod again her face breaks out into a smile as she hugs my head.


    (Lila) ¡°You¡¯re such a smart girl Blackie!¡±


    She continues to talk deep into the night until she finally falls asleep, and for some reason seeing her peaceful sleeping face I also become sleepy.


    The next day Lila wakes up excitedly and she and her maid are running around looking for what she should wear. While doing this of course the maid throws a few glares at me since she thinks I¡¯m sneaking in on my own. She eventually picks a green dress and white ribbons, she proceeds to get dressed and her hair combed then tied into a pair of twin tails.


    Lila quickly jumps off her chair and runs over to me pulling on my tail to get me to follow her to the dining table. She knows I hate it but she always has this devilishly cute smile when she does it so I end up forgiving her. Lila keeps running ahead of me and keeps trying to get me to move faster.


    (Lila) ¡°Come on! Hurry up Blackie!¡±


    This little one is just a ball of energy right now. After we get to the dining table she sits down and beckons me to lay at her feet as she happily hums. For some odd reason her maid seems to allow it today? After a while Lila looks rather restless, she''s impatiently kicking the table that I''m currently beside fork and knife in hand.


    "They said they would be here, where are they Melia! When are mommy and daddy coming home"


    As Lila whined her maid had a very solemn face on and told her


    (Melia) "My Lady, the Duke and Duchess are very busy people they may not be able to make it today, please be more understanding."


    She then throws a mini tantrum I had to nudge her to help calm her down.


    (Lila) "Thanks Blackie, I''m going to be a good girl and not cry so don''t you worry!"


    I could hear her holding back her tears, she was very disappointed that her parents could not make it, clich¨¦ I thought. Parents being too busy to spend time with their child to the point she gets a pet dragon! If it wasn''t me who knows what kind of trouble could have happened.


    Then I hear a loud crashing noise I stand up and growl at the door in reaction.  Heh, I think I got this Guard Dragon thing down now. After looking at the door I can see two individuals out of breath enter the door, dressed very formally but rather disheveled.


    (Lila) "Mommy! Daddy! You made it!"


    Ah those people are her parents so I lay back down. I''m pretty good at this guard drago-dog thing I think proudly to myself. Her parents apologize for being late as they run up and catch Lila who run to them and jumped into their arms, I could then hear her mother say.


    (Duchess) "Honey what was that sound earlier?"


    The Duke then avoided eye contact, great the dad knows but the mom doesn''t, typical doting father here.


    (Lila) "That was Blackie! She keeps me company and keeps me safe from bad monsters!"


    The Duchess then looks over at me, thankfully she seemed to be an accepting individual and didn''t make too big of a deal. But I did see her give the dreaded look at the Duke. He''s in for it now, every man who''s ever been in a long relationship knows of "The Look." It usually means you¡¯re in deep¡­ DEEP trouble and you will hear about it in private later. She then walked up to me and reluctantly pets me.


    (Duchess) "Thank you...Blackie? For keeping my Darling Lila safe in our absence"


    I look at her and give her a nod. Astonished she takes a step back


    (Duchess) "Can she understand us already? I''ve heard female dragons are very docile compared to the more violent males... But can only understand human language after several years..."


    She then glares daggers at her Husband.


    (Duke) "She''s only been here for 10 months! I swear my Love I wouldn''t lie about this."


    Lila then tugs on her mother¡¯s dress


    (Lila)  "Daddy''s not lying I''ve only had Blackie for 10 months I just found out she understands me too!"


    Well that solves one mystery for me, I''m assumed a female because I don''t attack people. I guess male dragons are a lot more aggressive usually. And I''m sure no one wants to do a sex check on a dragon, just imagine that being your job¡­ That would be horrible!


    We then had a very nice dinner and I was served a nice, large steak. But they didn''t give me any cake because they were afraid I couldn''t digest it. I tried using my "Puppy Eyes" while they were eating the cake but it wasn¡¯t working on them. Damn it, the cake looks like it tastes good judging by the look on their faces.


    Afterwards Lila dragged her parents out into the courtyard to play and I thought this is my chance! I quickly change to my human form and grab a piece of cake and take a bite, it was better than it looked. It was  a little too sweet but children usually like sweet food.


    It¡¯s been awhile since I¡¯ve had any sweets so I savor every bite until I turn around to grab some more food. At that moment our eyes met, and at that moment it felt like time had stopped. My heartbeat started to race as I watched her drop her tray filled with tea in slow motion¡­ Crap, of all people to see me... It had to be THAT Maid.

 Side Chapter: Recollections of a Maid Named Melia (Part 1)

    Day XX Month X


    My name is Melia, and I am currently writing a diary to record my life, in hopes I can look back one day on fond memories. I grew up in a rural village to the south, in a large family of 10. Being the oldest, I had to help with the household chores and taking care of my siblings.


    Day in and day out I helped around the house¡­ that was until my 12th birthday. My family could no longer support all of us and I was agreed to work as a live in maid. The days before my departure from the village of my birth was filled with horror stories.


    There were stories of how the Noble would starve their maids, punish them for no reason, even abandon them if they didn¡¯t work to their standards! Before I knew it, the day of my departure had come. A traveling merchant was going to let me ride in the back of the carriage to the city of Demarrer.


    My entire trip I was absolutely terrified¡­ I had no idea what kind of person the Duke La Riviere was¡­ what if he¡¯s worse than the stories? What if he feeds me to a dragon if I don¡¯t listen to him! Please! Anything but that!


    I-I-I can¡¯t stand reptiles¡­ they¡¯re so scaley and their eyes freak me out. And the way they waddle about when they crawl¡­ so disgusting! Just the thought is giving me goosebumps all over. Let¡¯s think about something else.


    Day X Month XX


    Today I finally reached Demarrer¡­ It¡¯s a lot bigger than I had thought it would be! It¡¯s walled and even has guards to keep the city safe from monsters and bandits! At least I won¡¯t have to worry about monsters attacking me anymore.


    Mr. Merchant kindly directs me to the Manor, and he was nice enough to try to ease my nervousness. He told me the Duke was a kind man, and greatly trusted by the King himself! Maybe he¡¯s not that bad of a man¡­ I hope.


    Once I reach the manor grasping my letter of employment I take my first step towards my new life. To see a young girl prancing about the yard. I wonder who that is, she¡¯s absolutely adorable. Her golden hair was tied up with a pair of ribbons on both sides of her head as she was giggling.


    We then make eye contact, and she runs behind a strange boy with black hair¡­ is he a kidnapper?


    Day X Month XXX


    I later found out the girl I met was named Lila, I was to be her personal maid and attend to her exclusively. M¡¯lady bright personality is almost infectious, my days here couldn¡¯t be happier. The Young Miss Lila right now is only 6 years old, it took some time for her to warm up to me though.


    Now, I feel like she¡¯s my own sister. She¡¯s very considerate and even actively makes sure to not get in the way of the Dukes work. Also she doesn¡¯t ask for outrageous things of the Duchess or me. Truly a little angel of a girl.


    They man I saw that day I found out was named Sebas, he¡¯s a few years older than me and has been with the family since birth as a servant. He¡¯s currently employed as the Head Butler at the age of 14. So¡­ he¡¯s my boss right now.


    Day XXX Month X


    The Duke came home today and wanted to attend an Auction a city over, it¡¯s an annual auction of various rare items. He wanted to bring Lila with him so she could grow used to large gatherings of nobles. I of course was not exempted of this and went along to take care of Miss Lila.


    As the auction went on, I lost count of the amount of items that went for a price that I could live the rest of my life comfortably with. How rich are these people? I just don¡¯t understand why they would want all those trinkets.


    Eventually they brought out¡­ that¡­ my worse nightmare. It was a dragon, it¡¯s scales were black and it¡¯s eyes looked bloodthirsty. I had heard stories about them¡­ it was a Shadow Dragon¡­ the stories tell of how especially vicious these dragons were. They would attack in the dead of night, destroying entire Villages.


    Thankfully, the Duke and Lila haven''t been interested in¡­ Miss¡­? I frantically tried to tell Miss Lila why it was a bad idea to purchase such a beast. But she for some reason seemed completely smitten with it! Did the beast charm her?


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.The Duke¡­ bought it¡­ he ¡­ really bought that beast! It¡¯ll bring misfortune upon our house I just know it! Before I could utter a single word of disapproval, the Young Miss gave me a heart attack. She RAN towards that beast and even jumped onto it¡¯s cage! She¡¯s too young to know the dangers of owning a creature like that!


    Day X Month XX


    Today, something terrible happened at the manor. Lila has grown extremely attached to that¡­ that lizard. She even rides on it¡¯s back around the manor! Fortunately it seems to be quite attached to her and still had the collar around it¡¯s neck that restricts its strength.


    But¡­ today¡­ Lila she removed that collar¡­ saying it was ugly and tied a ribbon around it! I was absolutely terrified at the moment and ran until I reached the entrance to the hallway. All I could do was stand and watch the Young Miss nap on it¡¯s back as it stared at me with hungry eyes. I couldn¡¯t sleep that night¡­ scared that it would come and devour me in my sleep.


    Day XX Month XX


    What will I do now!? Fei informed me that the collar has gone missing! That thing will now roam the grounds of the manor free! I¡¯m so nervous I¡¯m starting to misplace my duster and broom. I would put them down for a moment, and when I come back¡­ it would be gone?


    After I searched for a half hour¡­ it would reappear where I remembered leaving it¡­ Calm down me¡­ It hasn¡¯t attacked yet, so it probably won¡¯t attack now right?.


    Day X Month XXX


    The manor must be haunted¡­ several weeks after the collar incident things have been strange! I had thought that my broom disappearing was merely me being a nervous wreck. But it¡¯s still happening! Not only that, but numerous other things have been happening to me as of late.


    I would wake up some mornings and my headdress would be under my bed, or my uniform would be back in my drawer. Various items would be moved at night while I slept. The only reason I¡¯m sure of this is because I leave things in specific areas for the last few years!


    Then there¡¯s the case of my shoes¡­ sometimes when I go to put my shoes on¡­ they¡¯ll both be right shoes¡­ or both be left shoes! If that wasn¡¯t the case there would be this mysterious puddle of water next to it that would soak my socks! Further, there are also times when my shoes themselves were wet! I leave my shoes near my bed and there¡¯s nothing else in the room that¡¯s wet¡­


    What kind of demon would do such a thing? Even my socks aren¡¯t safe from this curse¡­ I havn¡¯t been able to wear a pair of matching socks since that day¡­ There is only 1 of every sock left in my drawers.


    There¡¯s also THOSE cases too! I would sweep the leaves outside of the manor and move to another room to clean¡­ When I come back the leaves are spread throughout the room. As if I didn¡¯t clean it the first time! Why is this happening to me? I¡¯ve asked the other maids¡­ and no one else has had this happened to them.


    Even my meals are subject to the spirits harassment! Sometimes when I try to add a little salt to my food¡­ I find it to be sugar. And there has been nothing but vegetables and fruits on my plate when I eat! The other maids are kind enough to share with me¡­ But no one knows why only my food has no meat on it. Even Sebas himself doesn¡¯t know!


    Did that reptile curse me? Or¡­ is IT doing this to me!? That¡¯s impossible, with a body like that how could it do such things without a trace?


    Day XX Month XXXX


    Today was the Miss Lila¡¯s birthday, the Duke has been busy working in the Capital lately and the Duchess is assisting him. However since today is such a joyous event, they promised the young miss they would visit.


    Lila was extremely energetic this morning and she rode her¡­ pet into the dining room where the entire family had a nice meal. I excused myself so I would also be able to eat, the family likes to eat with their servants, however we usually refrain.


    After my meal I bring tea with me to the dining room to see, a young boy eating some of Lila¡¯s cake. He must be an orphan child who snuck in here to eat¡­ No, he¡¯s armed!? He must be an Assassin sent to kill the Duke!

 Chapter 11: Dragon on the Run!

    All I can do at this point was just curse my own incompetence¡­ All I wanted was a slice of cake damn it! What do I do now, she already dropped the cups and is staring at me wordless right now¡­ How much did she see?


    Did she see me transform into my human form or did she just see a young boy start eating food off the table? Endless questions seem to fill my head in our moment of silence¡­ Wait, maybe I can talk to her and make her think I¡¯m harmless!


    (Melia) ¡°Kyaaaa!!! Guards! There¡¯s an armed intruder in the Estate!¡±


    Wait¡­ Armed? Oh¡­ CRAP!! I still have my sword hanging behind my belt! Quickly grabbing some more food first, I start running towards the nearest window. I have to get out of view so I can change back without them knowing!


    As I run across the room I can hear the rattling of armor getting closer, damn it these guys are fast! Right as I reach the window I throw the piece of meat I grabbed into my mouth and dive through the window. Quickly rolling forward for a moment I regain my balance to break into a dash.


    Once I kick off and start running to my dismay I see several guards already encroaching on my position. Unfortunately, I was already in range for a spear wielding guard and I see him swing his spear towards my feet, probably to stop me from running. I quickly reach for my sword and jump into the air swinging down on the spear to get some additional momentum. That way I can kick off his head and jump away from the group¡­


    Or so I had planned.


    My sword cut clean through the spear causing the guard to lose his balance. My foot then met his face, splendidly knock him unconscious with a roundhouse kick. This unexpected turn of events caused me to also lose my balance and I had to twist my body sharply to land properly causing this whole string of events to happen. Once I landed I turned around and run away again, isn¡¯t this a bit much for a slice of cake!


    (Guards) ¡°Halt! That blasted kid¡¯s fast. Surround him!¡±


    Who¡¯d wait for you guys to catch up! Especially after kicking your co-worker ya fool!


    While trying to avoid as much fighting as possible I end up going back towards the estate and tried to run around towards the courtyard. There are a few trees there that are higher than the walls so I should be able to make my escape that way. With 5 guards trailing behind me I turn around the corner of the building towards the Guest House to be greeted by two more guards.


    (Guards) ¡°He¡¯s here! We got him!¡±


    They both pull out their swords and come to attack me. Their teamwork isn¡¯t bad honestly, the first swung at me and the second swung after I blocked the first strike. Once again these guys are going for my feet so I jump over the second guard¡¯s sword and twist my body and kick the first guard in the abdomen as hard as I could. He ended up flying into the wall¡­


    Uh¡­ whoops¡­ I forgot I¡¯m much stronger than before.


    (Guard) ¡°You damned brat!¡±


    The remaining guard follows up his last attack with an upward slice forcing me to toss my sword into my left hand to block his attack, flinging me into the air. With a light thump I land on the terrace of the Guest House. So I just go with the flow and run inside.


    Good thing we aren¡¯t entertaining any guests today so I don¡¯t have to worry about running into anyone inside and run through until I reach another window and climb up onto the roof. The roof should be a good place to run away and change back since it should be high enough to be out of sight that is until my foot is grabbed and pulled down. I quickly try to grab a hold of roof but to no avail I end up on the ground from the second floor¡­


    ¡°That was dangerous ya bastard!¡±


    I yell into the window¡­ It was one of the butlers who looks like your typical Sebastian types...He slowly closes the window, paying me no heed. I¡¯ll get you back later! I swear... but for now¡­ RUN!


    (Guards) ¡°Did you guys hear that?!¡±


    I¡¯m so getting that butler back for this¡­


    I continue to try to make my way to the courtyard while trying to not let the guards catch up. After getting throw out the window of the Guest House I run towards the main house and head towards the servant¡¯s quarters but get intercepted AGAIN by another guard.


    Why didn¡¯t they ALL follow me in there and make my life easier¡­ Do you guys enjoy my suffering!?! Getting a better look at the guard¡­ he looks familiar? I¡¯m greeted with a swift stab aimed for my shoulder. I barely the attack by shifting my weight to my right.


    But before I could counter the guard¡¯s shield hits me directly in the face knocking me off my feet. Slightly disoriented I attempt to land on my feet but ended up on all fours¡­ This guy¡¯s one of the guards assigned to watch me before!


    (Guard) ¡°State your business boy, why did you infiltrate here and who sent you.¡±


    This guy isn¡¯t half bad honestly, my blood is boiling¡­ it¡¯s been awhile since I¡¯ve had a fun fight!


    ¡°Don¡¯t want to. Why don¡¯t you try and make me?¡±


    I place my hand on my sword and run towards the guard, I might not have all my gear but this will be a nice handicap for me.


    (Guard) ¡°If that¡¯s your answer then come!¡±


    I¡¯m already going, idiot¡­ The guard does the same thing as before¡­? He stabs at me with his sword again but this time I parry with my sword and kick his shield as he tries to bash it into me again. From the force of my kick he¡¯s pushed back a couple steps¡­ Still standing though.


    (Guard) ¡°I am called Fei Fen Gesicht, I would require you to state your name young man.¡±


    Gah, this guy is really annoying me do you really need to talk so much? I liked him better when he didn¡¯t talk!


    ¡±¡­ Can¡¯t you speak like a normal person?¡±


    It¡¯s seriously bugging me¡­ the way this guy talks.


    (Fen) ¡°I speak in the same manner as a common person.¡±


    I cut him off with a kick to the head knocking him out. Any more and I think I¡¯d have to stab him to death out of annoyance!


    (Guards) ¡°He got the Captain! Don¡¯t be afraid he¡¯s just one child!¡±


    ¡­ I let out a sign and turn around¡­ I¡¯m surrounded by another 6 guards¡­ I may have played with that annoying guard a bit too much.


    After knocking out all of the guards I finally make it to the Courtyard and head towards the tree¡­ To see the Duke, Duchess and Lila standing below it. I let out another sigh¡­ all I wanted was a slice of cake damn it! The Duke is standing in front of his family while the Duchess is crouched down behind holding Lila.


    (Duke) ¡°What is it that you wanted boy? If you are here for my life, take it but leave my wife and daughter. Otherwise if it is within my ability I will assist you, so please stop this attack on my estate!¡±


    Great! Now they think I¡¯m an Assassin!


    ¡°Sir, I have no intention of harming you, your family¡­ or anyone in this estate.¡±


    I look the Duke straight in the eyes as I speak and put my hands up.


    ¡°If the guards will stop trying capture me I¡¯ll leave quietly; this is just a large misunderstanding.¡±


    The Duke seems to be sizing me up right now and not too convinced when I hear Lila begin to cry.


    (Lila) ¡°You didn¡¯t hurt Blackie did you! She¡¯s still not here¡­ She would come running if something happened!¡±


    Hearing this the Duke places his hand on his sword and moves between us. First things first I have to calm down poor Lila.


    ¡°Lila, don¡¯t worry I didn¡¯t hurt...uhh... Blackie.¡±


    Ah¡­ crap¡­ I¡¯m not supposed to know Lila¡¯s name if I¡¯m not here for them.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    (Duchess) ¡°Darling¡­ Do you know this boy?¡±


    The Duchess asks Lila as she strokes her head.


    (Lila) ¡°No Mommy, I don¡¯t know who he is.¡±


    (Duke) ¡°I knew it! You¡¯re here to hurt my daughter!¡±


    The duke draws his sword and points it at me while I can hear Lila¡¯s cries get more distressed. Well then¡­ Game over.


    ¡°Now calm down for a moment, I would NEVER hurt Lila and she knows it!¡±


    I revert just my eyes and stare at Lila. She quickly breaks free from her mother¡¯s embrace and runs towards me, the Duke was still hesitant and was still guarded. Lila was able to run past her father before the Duchess could cry out, desperately trying to catch her daughter who was running towards a suspected assassin.


    (Lila) ¡°Blackie!¡±


    This little girl runs towards me and gives me a hug.


    ¡°This little girl, you¡¯re too trusting! Please hesitate a bit and be leveled headed like your father, it¡¯ll be easier on our hearts!¡±


    Now for the fun part¡­ explaining myself¡­


    Once everything calmed down for a bit I was asked to explain my situation, currently the Duke and Duchess are sitting across the table from me side by side, Lila is sitting next to me tugging on my shirt while the stupid maid and butler are standing behind the Duke and Duchess.


    The Butler definitely has that perfect butler aura about him he stands at a distance to be out of the Dukes sight yet within reach if he needs anything. He seems to be in his mid twenties? His hair black like mine, eyes seemingly full of experience.


    I had to start with the fact that I could understand everything going on from the start. The look on that stupid maid¡¯s face when she heard that was priceless! I didn¡¯t know her face could contort so much and couldn¡¯t help having an explosive laughing fit.


    (The Sebastian looking butler) ¡°I apologize for my previous disrespect Sir¡­ Blackie?¡±


    I cut in right after he calls me Blackie.


    ¡°Ah, about that¡­ I have an actual name. My name¡¯s Kurogane.¡±


    In front of me everyone seemed to nod in unison without any problems¡­ then I turn to see Lila pouting. Currently puffing up her face like a puffer fish, but much¡­ much cuter. She then points at my face.


    (Lila) ¡°Blackie!¡±


    I guess that was to be expected¡­ If your dog suddenly started talking and told you that it wants to be called something else¡­


    (Duchess) ¡°Lila dear, be a good girl¡­ he¡¯s called Kuwogahneigh¡±


    She seems to have difficulty saying my name but it is a foreign name for them, so it will take time. Little Lila continues to pout and I end up pulling on her cheeks.


    ¡°Little girl, I¡¯m fine with being called Blackie. However, my name is Kurogane and would be happy if you used that name instead.¡±


    Lila looks like she¡¯s processing what I said for a moment and nods energetically.


    (Duke) ¡°So Kurogane, I dislike prying into another¡¯s personal life, however as members of the same family I have several questions. You seemed very skilled while fighting our guards and proficient with a sword. Would you mind explaining?¡±


    The duke currently looks very serious and I guess I¡¯m going to have to make this up as I go. I explain that I have lived in the forest I was found in for a while and had learned the language from an abandoned carriage containing books. Later on I had learned how to transform into a human and learned to fight while I was hunting.


    The sword I felt I had no way to explain it other than by telling the truth, omitting any information about Roy and Lena. If the village is hidden, it¡¯s usually hidden for a reason and I¡¯d rather NOT be the reason that ended. While I was talking with the Duke, Lila seemed to become restless and start tugging on my shirt.


    She¡¯s just so damn cute! I end up patting her on the head as we talked and the Duke and Duchess seem to be satisfied with my explanation. Once everything was settled I requested to meet with the guards I had fought with and apologized for being so rough and then thanked them for making such efforts to keep my family safe.


    The guards were very understanding it seemed, though some of them wanted to have some more sparring rounds later on. The last person I talked to ended up being the captain from before whom I feel the worst about.


    (Fen) ¡°I hear you are called Kurogane. I would like to commend your skills with a blade and would request a bout at a later date.¡±


    Ah¡­ I forgot this guy has that annoying way of speaking, what does he think he¡¯s some sort of knight or something?


    (Fen) ¡°Your fighting style is very peculiar; I would like to inquire on whom is your master?¡±


    Holding in my rising annoyance I reply


    ¡°It¡¯s a self-taught style, honestly I can¡¯t even use a tenth of my techniques as I am right now. Nor do I see the need to at this moment¡­ As for the bout I would be fine with one anytime Lila¡¯s ok with me leaving her side.¡±


    Lila whom has been tagging along with me glares at Fen who takes a step back and smiles.


    (Fen) ¡°I shall keep that in mind.¡±


    Phew¡­ All this grief just for some cake¡­ speaking of cake¡­ I think it¡¯s lunch time~! As my mind is filled with food I with Lila following leave towards the courtyard but get stopped by the stupid maid and the Sebastian butler after we exit¡­What now?


    (Melia) ¡°Lila your parents wish to spend some more time with you please follow me.¡±


    She¡¯s avoiding eye contact with me right now¡­ it¡¯s slightly amusing honestly.


    (Sebastian?) ¡°Sir Kurogane, if I may have a moment to speak with you.¡±


    It seems like they want to separate us, which honestly isn¡¯t that bad of an idea. I mean it is Lila¡¯s birthday and everything, following me around would be a waste of a celebration.


    ¡°Go ahead Lila I¡¯ll head that direction after my chat.¡±


    Lila who was hesitant before agrees and follows the stupid maid away. The butler then looks me straight in the eyes and introduces himself.


    ¡°Forgive my impoliteness, I was unable to find a good time to introduce myself. I am the Head butler Sebas, who oversees the servants of this manor.¡±


    He¡¯s shortening his name I know it¡­ his name HAS to be Sebastian there¡¯s no way it isn¡¯t. I mean he¡¯s even the HEAD Butler, not a regular but the HEAD Butler.


    ¡°Pleasure¡¯s mine Sebastian.¡±


    (Sebas) ¡°Sebas is my name Sir Kurogane.¡±


    This guy! He¡¯s just a Sebastian and he dare try to hide it!  As I glare daggers at the Head Butler he coughs and continues.


    ¡°Sir Kurogane, the young miss is at the age where she will start her tutorage and I would like to humbly ask you to keep her safe. There is also the matter of the Guest House where I had pulled you from the roof¡­ you are hopefully unharmed?¡±


    Ah! I forgot this bastard made me fall from the roof!  Grrr¡­ he did mention that Lila is going to study though¡­ it probably won¡¯t hurt to learn some more about this world. I only really do understand it as the Elves see it¡­ and there¡¯s that fact that I¡¯m not familiar with¡­ Wait all I learned was the Elvish and Human languages and a little bit of magic¡­


    I STILL KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS PLACE!

 Chapter 12: Tutors and Dragons.

    After finally coming to the realization that I know next to nothing about the world I live in I¡¯m presented with the opportunity to learn. Apparently there¡¯s going to be several tutors throughout the week which are 8 days¡­ I had figured there would be 7 days a week since that¡¯s what I¡¯m used to but I seem to be quite wrong!


    There seemed to be several similarities between my original world and this one so I had assumed a lot of other things were the same. There also seems to be 24 hours in a day, but there is 100 minutes per hour and 100 seconds per minute making the days longer than back home.


    The next bit is that there are exactly 4 weeks per month and 12 months per year and there are 4 seasons though the region¡¯s weather doesn¡¯t change too drastically and is relatively warm all year around like California. The current date is the 2nd of the 4th month and the year is 715? Getting the general information was helpful the rest will be taught by a tutor it seems.


    The first day Lila is supposed to study under her first tutor was uneventful, I¡¯m allowed to sleep with Lila now instead of staying outside as extra protection now. That damned Maid gently woke up Lila who was sleeping while using me as a pillow and helped her change before waking me up. Of course she woke me up by poking me with a stick¡­ what¡¯s with this vast difference in attitude!


    (Melia) ¡°Can you please wake up Mr. Kurogane¡­?¡±


    Once she confirms that I was awake she pulls the stick back and bows to me.


    (Melia) ¡°I am so sorry about my previous attitude towards you Sir and beg for your forgiveness.¡±


    Gah¡­ what is this stupid maid going on about so early in the morning¡­ I let out a groan and roll over changing to my human appearance.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early for your ranting ya damned maid, come back and wake me up when there¡¯s foooodddd¡­.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t sleep well last night since Lila was so nervous I spend a long time calming her before I could sleep myself, that and I didn¡¯t eat dinner since I was busy all day preparing for today.


    (Lila) ¡°Blackie~ wakie wakie! Sebas said he¡¯ll prepare you a nice breakfast!¡±


    Huh? Sebastian will make breakfast not the regular chef?


    (Melia) ¡°That¡¯s right, doesn¡¯t Kuro like the dishes that Sebas cooks. You always look so happy when eating the steak dishes he prepares for you.¡±


    Ah¡­ she not only dropped the honorifics but used my nickname¡­ cheeky little maid¡­ Wait¡­? Didn¡¯t she say that I usually like what Sebastian makes? As one would expect from the ideal looking Butler type, he must be the chef that has been preparing my food.


    Given sufficient incentive I roll off the bed onto the ground and slowly pick myself up while Lila is getting dressed. Gah¡­ I hate mornings so much why can¡¯t I just sleep until I feel like waking up like before. Once I stand up that maid hands me the paper and pen and ink that I had prepared the day before with a smile.


    (Melia) ¡°Here you go Kuro, I saw you were preparing those items yesterday and wanted to make sure you didn¡¯t forget them.¡±


    I click my tongue and grab the bag while she looks at me dejected. Now she¡¯s starting to act like a maid with me and escort Lila to the dining room. We had another delicious meal, there was what looked like scrambled eggs with some ground meat cooked inside, toast and tea. It was nice to be able to eat at a table after so long. I¡¯ve almost grown used to eating things on the ground or off a plate on the ground¡­ I feel like my sense of being a person has deteriorated over time.


    After we had our meal I thank Sebas for the delicious meal as usual and all the previous meals. With a smile he bows to me with one hand to his side and another across his waist¡­ total Sebastien move there. Now there¡¯s another issue¡­ no one outside the family can know that I can change into a Human.


    There¡¯s the fact that an unknown boy appears in the home and I would be dragged into the politics of the Kingdom as a possible successor. Also there was the chance that it would be known that the family''s pet dragon had the ability to change into a human and would cause a lot of other worries, that and Lila preferred me as a pet then a playmate it seems.


    So we enter the room prepared for the Tutor with Lila riding on my back¡­ the tutor¡¯s reaction was hilarious I wish I could have recorded it. The first set of lessons were Etiquette and was taught by a lady who looked like she was 50? Her hair was tied up in a bun and wore glasses with a strict teacher aura until she saw me.


    She looked at Lila then me¡­ back to Lila and fainted on the spot! Thankfully she has a chair behind¡­ nope she slipped off it and is completely prone now. Now the sweet girl Lila was she hopped off my back and went to take care of her Tutor and tried to wake her up asking if she was feeling alright. She fainted a few more times before she finally came to terms with the fact that there¡¯s her new student will be with her pet dragon. Before we finally start I can hear her faintly mutter


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


    (Etiquette Tutor) ¡°I knew there was a reason why they were paying so well¡­¡±


    Ah makes sense¡­ having to teach a little noble girl while her pet dragon is next to her is rather nerve racking isn¡¯t it?


    Several weeks passed with the new Etiquette Tutor before another Tutor was employed, there was now a History Tutor and a Mathematics Tutor added today. I had found out that Lila was especially gifted girl, she picked up the proper way to speak and carry herself as a noble quickly. Of course there were slight difference to what I would understand as Etiquette, table manners were the same as where I was from, no elbows on the table and slurping one¡¯s soup was shown as rude.


    Now the method of introducing oneself felt more European than Asian. The girls would raise the sides of their dress slightly and with one leg behind the other do a curtsy instead of one hand over the other in front and bowing. I had guessed that things would have more of a European feel here judging by the architecture, but this being another world somewhere in my heart I had hoped it would be more like Asia which would be more comfortable.


    All in all, Lila picked up her lessons quickly and was learning how to properly dine with nobles¡­ something I don¡¯t really care for and don¡¯t really pay attention. After the lesson Lila nudges me softly after noticing how I wasn¡¯t paying attention and crawls on my back leading me to the next room with the History Tutor.


    This Tutor was a lot more composed than the last one and instead of fainting showed great interest in me. Of course I have zero interest in him since History was never my strong suite, I forget things such as names quickly and names of places.


    Most of today¡¯s lecture was just a meet and greet it seems and he went on about where he studied and how he was the favored student of some important sounding person¡­ mendou kusei¡­ this guy is a pain in the ass and will put me to sleep at this rate!


    After he finally finishes he leaves and we move back to the previous room to meet Lila¡¯s new Math Tutor. Apparently she just needs to learn simple arithmetic but the Duke wanted her to be as learned as possible so got a well-known merchant to teach his daughter.


    This time as soon as we entered the door I can see a middle aged man, unlike the History Tutor who looked like he had one leg in the grave already.


    (Tutor) ¡°Ah, Miss Lila¡­.?¡±


    The man stops mid-sentence as he meets eyes with me¡­ he then throws his abacus in surprise and actually ran and jumped through the window! Did that¡­ really just happen?


    (Lila) ¡°Blackie! Did you see the look on his face?¡±


    And starts giggling. Ah this little girl is absolutely adorable I really wished I had a daughter like her¡­ but that was never meant to be. The rest of the time used for the Math Tutor was me talking to Sebas and the dumb maid about what happened today with the tutor and a new one was going to be arranged soon. In the meantime I ended up playing hide and seek with Lila for the rest of the day in my Human form since¡­ a giant lizard isn¡¯t exactly the easiest thing to hide.


    The tutorage continued for several weeks until a new Math Tutor was arranged. During that time Lila became a much more refined young lady and I ended up learning a bit about where I¡¯m located. The Kingdom is known as the Kingdom of Drakon and has a long history with Dragons, fortunately it seems like a good relationship.


    Dragons were seen as intelligent creatures and revered, some even worshipped. The continent we lived on was Seraid and there were 3 major territories, the Human¡¯s territory which consisted of several kingdoms including Drakon which was near the center. The other 2 territories were rather close by, the Demon¡¯s Lands and the Land of Faeries.


    Not much is known about the Demon¡¯s lands other than the fact that it was full of blood thirsty war mongers whose demonic nature would cause them to invade Human lands periodically. Ah¡­ why couldn¡¯t I live far away from the battlefield¡­ I¡¯ve had enough of that already.


    Then again the Land of Faeries were neutral in its dealings with Humans and would usually not interact with us unless required to and trade was almost non-existent. Leaving much of the other two territories as an enigma to me and the talk about the other kingdoms in the area just didn¡¯t interest me so I ended up zoning out for most of it.


    Despite my attitude our Lila was very studious and seemed to be properly learning each day. Every day was peaceful and I was content watching over Lila¡­ that was until the Duke came home that my peace had shattered.

 Chapter 13: Boy meets Girl.

    I knew this day would come eventually but I avoided thinking about it, more like I was hoping I¡¯d never have to worry about it. The Duke came home today with another man, well dressed and had an air about him. The man had pretty long blond hair and a beard and was wearing a mantle for some reason when we met. At the time I was resting in the Courtyard with Lila leaning against me as she was making a tiara out of flowers.


    (Duke) ¡°And this is my daughter whom may be too young to marry, but she will grow into a fine wife in a couple years.¡±


    ¡­ I thought the Duke loved his daughter? Why is he trying to marry her off to this middle aged guy!?!


    (Man) ¡°She does seem to be about the same age as my son Edward¡­ but won¡¯t the dragon be a problem? It seems to care greatly for your daughter, what if my son is attacked?¡±


    Ah¡­ it¡¯s his son they¡¯re trying to marry Lila off to¡­ NOT LIKE THAT¡¯S ANY BETTER!!! I turn my head and stare the man in the eyes to try to scare him off to no avail. At that moment I see an unnatural crease in his mantle. After getting a better look it looks like a hand grasping it¡­?


    (Duke) ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that, Kuro won¡¯t hurt anyone as long as they don¡¯t try to harm Lila. Though the last time that happened he made sure they couldn¡¯t even hold a fork again!¡±


    The Duke starts to laugh but the man on the other hand seemed to frown slightly.


    (Man) ¡°Come now Edward, introduce yourself already!¡±


    The man pulls his mantle forward revealing a young boy slightly older than Lila in simple clothes. His blonde hair was curly and had clear blue eyes filled with uncertainty.


    (Edward) ¡°Ahh¡­ yes father¡­¡±


    The boy Edward takes a few wary steps forwards and introduces himself to Lila and me.


    (Edward) ¡°Umm¡­ My name is Edward, it¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Lila and Kuro?¡±


    Lila looks him straight into the eyes and puts on that angelic smile of hers and replies to the boy.


    (Lila) ¡°Good afternoon Edward, the pleasure is mine!¡±


    She then beckons him closer and whispers into his ear.


    (Lila) ¡°His name is Kurogane, he¡¯s a good boy so he won¡¯t hurt you¡­ just don¡¯t tug on his tail he only lets me do that.¡±


    Ah¡­ I guess that is appreciated¡­ but I would really like it if she stopped doing that also! It just feels weird! I¡¯ve gotten used to the whole having a tail thing but having it tugged on is a different matter! As I finish my thought I notice that the Duke and Man have left and Edward is being pulled away by Lila to play, I guess I¡¯m babysitting and let out a sigh.


    (Lila) ¡°Did you want to play Hide and Seek Eddy?¡±


    Lila asks Edward as she turns around smiling. Ah that brat is blushing don¡¯t tell me he fell for our Lila already! I won¡¯t allow it!


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.(Edward) ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to do, but won¡¯t it be boring with just us two?¡±


    (Lila) ¡°Two? Kuro¡¯s playing also he can turn into a person like us!¡±


    Now¡¯s she¡¯s done it¡­ we keep telling her it¡¯s a secret but she forgets at the worst time. Edward looks confused right now so I guess I have no choice but to do it and approach Edward. I put my hand on his shoulder and turn him towards me who¡¯s slightly taller and glare at him straight in the eyes.


    ¡°This is what she means Edward and keep this a secret between us three understand?¡±


    Clearly flabbergasted Edward just nods repeatedly until he calms down and we spend the afternoon playing Hide and Seek.


    After meeting Edward the time I have with just me and Lila shrink significantly between Eddy¡¯s visits and her tutorage. Lately the maid has come out and kept me company as I would watch over the two making sure Edward doesn¡¯t have any funny ideas.


    (Melia) ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day today isn¡¯t it Kuro?¡±


    She¡¯s talking to me again¡­ ever since she found out I can turn into a boy and understand their language she¡¯s been trying to talk to me. Normally I¡¯m in my dragon form so I can¡¯t talk back but for once she caught me when I can talk.


    ¡°Ah it is sunny and clear skies¡­ the weather is terrible.¡±


    Not that I want to be mean, but I really don¡¯t like sunlight, I¡¯m more of a gloom and doom type. Ahh¡­ I should explain to her she looks like someone killed her dog.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I should explain¡­ I don¡¯t really like sunlight. I prefer overcast and more of a breeze, not the norm.¡±


    After explaining her face brightened up a little, she¡¯s actually pretty plain looking now that I get a good look at her. Her brown hair as usual is braided and wearing a typical maid outfit, no not a french maid that would just be wrong on a 14 year old girl. Just a plain old Maid outfit from the Victorian times.


    (Melia) ¡°Is that so¡­ I''m sorry for assuming  a shadow dragon such as yourself  would like enjoy a sunny day.¡±


    Shadow dragon? Is that what I am? It didn''t  feel like a jeer¡­ I guess  there''s only one way to find out.


    ¡°So umm¡­ Melia you mentioned  that I was a shadow dragon? What do you know about them?¡±


    Huh? Did I say something funny? That dumb maid has an equally stupid smile is on her face now, which she is holding and squirming about for some reason.


    (Melia) ¡°Ehehe¡­ he called me by name for the first time.~¡±


    Was it the first time I called her by her name¡­ ah yea¡­ it was. Why is she so happy that I called her by her name anyways? Something must be wrong with this girl. At that moment I heard those words¡­ the words I never wanted to hear uttered and my heart sank.

 Chapter 14: A Dragon Decides to Visit Home.

    I stood there for a moment shocked blinking my eyes a few times at Melia whose face was a mixture of emotions. Just a moment ago I heard Lila talking with Edward and she said she would marry him she grows up! I didn¡¯t even get to have the ¡°I¡¯ll marry Daddy¡± phase!


    Frustrated, I glare at Edward who has a huge smile on his face. Which shortly turned into that of pure utter terror. Like an ungreased robot he slowly turned and looked me in the eye seeming to ask is that ok?


    *Sigh*


    Well it¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve had to deal with this phase. Slowly, I walk towards Edward while maintaining eye contact. I didn¡¯t stop until I was a foot away.


    ¡°Take care of our little Lila Eddy. You better make her the H-A-P-P-I-E-S-T Bride¡­ understand?¡±


    After I say that Eddy¡¯s smile returns and does a large over exaggerated nod.


    (Edward) ¡°Yes Sir! I promise!¡±


    I swear if he wasn¡¯t such a good kid¡­ well I better finish what I was saying now.


    ¡°Of course¡­ or else.¡±


    Just as quickly as he turned happy, the color of his face was drained until it was white. He spoke again as he swallowed his saliva.


    (Edward) ¡°Umm¡­ or else¡­?¡±


    It¡¯s fun messing with little Ed so I let out a devious grin and tell him


    ¡°Some things Eddy¡­ are best not known. For your own sake¡±


    Lila then latches onto Eddy¡¯s arms and shakes the almost lifeless husk that is known as Edward.


    (Melia) ¡°That¡¯s right... Young Master Edward, if I as much see the beginning of a frown¡­¡±


    I turn to see Melia with a business smile¡­ and her eyes¡­ a shiver just ran up and down my spine.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve made our point Maid from Hell let¡¯s head back and keep watch over there.¡±


    Almost immediately Melia stares at me with a blank look on her face.


    (Melia) ¡°I am NOT the Maid from Hell! Why! You were properly using my name before!¡±


    I end up having to drag her back to keep watch before dinner. Lately Eddy¡¯s been eating dinner with us and is over enough that he practically lives here. He even attends some of Lila¡¯s tutoring sessions and helps keep her focused, it¡¯s honestly really cute they remind me of Roy and Lena¡­ Ah! I forgot about Roy and Lena!


    They must be worried sick about me, or worse they think I¡¯m dead! I¡¯ve been gone for a couple years now¡­ but then again where is the forest¡­ and what the hell is it called? Raking my brain trying to remember any kind of clue to where my old home was I was blankly staring at my meal during dinner.


    (Lila) ¡°Kuro¡­? Is something wrong? You always finish your food before everyone else?¡±


    I¡¯ve been so preoccupied that I didn¡¯t even notice Lila staring at me teary eyes¡­ I¡¯m a failure as a Guardian.


    ¡°I¡¯m ok Lila dear, I was just thinking that I should return to the forest of my birth for a bit¡­ but I have no idea where it was.¡±


    I spoke without thinking¡­ Lila¡¯s face looks like she thinks I want to leave her and starts crying.


    ¡°No Lila, you''re misunderstanding me. I only wanted to go for a short trip and come straight back!¡±


    Sniffling Lila nods and Edward who was comforting her wipes her tears.


    (Sebas) ¡°Is that so? Kurogane¡¯s family must still be there, so you intend on visiting family correct? The Duke was actually thinking of bringing the young miss to the Capital, the trip would take about a year''s time. We would be unable to bring you with us Kuro and the Duke was wondering how to break it to you both. I shall inquire about the Forest of your capture and prepare the funds for travel.¡±


    Well that was convenient, I wouldn¡¯t expect any less from Sebas...tian, I really need to talk with the Duke to get his name fixed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right Sebas, I will be visiting my family for a while.¡±


    The rest of the meal was everyone calming Lila who hasn¡¯t been without me by her side for the past couple years, and for her to accept the fact that we¡¯d be apart for a year. It was hard and if I didn¡¯t have to go home to Roy and Lena I would have stayed.


    Then again something Sebas said is nagging at me¡­ my family¡­ I should have an actual family, right? I haven¡¯t really thought about it, but I was given birth to so I must have a father and mother. Maybe even siblings in this world, if so why haven¡¯t they been looking for me?


    The following week was full of packing, calming Lila and preparing identification for me. I¡¯m told that with the papers from the Duke stating that I¡¯m a servant of the House of Duke la Riviere and a citizen of Demarrer making passing in and out of towns easy.


    It¡¯s kind of embarrassing that I didn¡¯t know the House''s name¡­ or even the town''s name until now. After everything was prepared I saw Edward and Lila off, I was told Eddy had to return also since his family was actually from the Capital.


    (Edward) ¡°Don¡¯t worry Kuro I¡¯ll keep Lila safe no matter what!¡±


    (Lila) ¡°I¡¯ll be home before you know it Blackie!¡±


    *Sigh*


    She still calls me Blackie sometimes usually when she¡¯s flustered or anxious. I can¡¯t help but worry as I wave goodbye. I watch the carriage as it slowly disappears from my view before returning inside the manor.


    (Melia) ¡°She¡¯ll be fine Kuro¡­Don¡¯t make such a sad face.¡±


    All I can do is give a faint smile and pat Melia on the head.


    ¡°Thanks Melia, I¡¯ll be fine. Please watch over the house while I¡¯m gone I¡¯ll be leaving in the next couple days myself.¡±


    ¡­ Why does she look so lonely suddenly, it''s  not like I''ll  be gone forever. I''m  going to have to go to the market and prepare the rest of my stuff so i pat Melia on the head and leave.


    (Melia) ¡°I''m not a child Kuro!¡±


    Being younger then my little sister makes you a kid in my eyes though.


    It''s  been awhile since I''ve last left the manor, I''ve left with Lila  riding on my back and as my current form a few times. Honestly the store owners and most of the market stalls are used to my appearance as a dragon lately. To the point that they feed me all kinds of stuff and even pet my head when I¡¯m escorting Lila.


    The main things I¡¯ll need this time is dried food, tools, and some armor just in case. The dried meat was easy to get and so was the rucksack to hold my things, bandages were also easy. Now for the ¡°fun¡± part, I still look like I¡¯m 10 years old so I wonder what I can get equipment wise.


    Preferably a dagger or knife and some hand and leg guards¡­ ooo maybe they have magically gear that would be great! Thinking about all the new things I could maybe buy with the money the Duke let me have I briskly walk into the Smith¡¯s Alley. I honestly have never been there before since Lila has no need to be there, seriously what would the young miss of a Duke''s house have to do here.


    My heart starts to beat faster as I look around at the different shops, the sound of hammers striking metal, the heightened temperature from the forges, the occasional breeze that travels through, a slight reprieve from the heat. I anxiously continue to browse, but I havn¡¯t found any place the seems to sell children sized equipment.


    Wait¡­ would you even sell something like¡­ God Damnit! Premade equipment would be the most generalized sizes so the most people can buy it, something for a kid would have to be specially made! Frustrated I kick up some dirt and this old stout man reprimands me for causing a scene.


    Taking a better look at the man, he¡¯s about my height with a large beard and very muscular. Is he a Dwarf? He¡¯s a Dwarf right!


    ¡°Hey mister can I take up some of your time, just a moment would be fine.¡±


    The Dwarf turns towards me and strokes his beard.


    (Dwarf) ¡°Sure Kid but make it quick I gotta go back to the forge, weapons don¡¯t make themselves ya know.¡±


    This guy HAS to be a Dwarf¡­ Getting some Dwarven crafted gear so early on. Today¡¯s going to be great!


    ¡°Well Mister Dwarf, I was looking for some bracers for my arms and legs, and a dagger would be good.¡±


    I quickly dodge a hammer that flies towards my face confused? What did I do wrong?


    (Dwarf) ¡°I AIN¡¯T A DWARF YA NITWIT! Just cause I¡¯m short and a Smith don¡¯t mean I¡¯m a Dwarf. UNDERSTAND?!?¡±


    Whoa! You don¡¯t have to be so mad. If you don¡¯t want to be confused for a Dwarf, maybe you should shave.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, as for the matter of doing business?¡±


    The man grumbles and motions me inside his shop.


    Walking to the the shop I see several weapons hung on the wall, Spears, Lances, Broad Swords, Short Swords, Rapiers and many others. Judging by the weapons hung and the style of the armor, it¡¯s European. I don¡¯t see a Dao, Katana, or even a scimitar. Of course there are no Katars¡­ I¡¯ll just have to settle for what I can get then.


    (Old Dwarfish Man) ¡°I don¡¯t have much for your size kid, I can refit these ta fit you. It¡¯s good you didn¡¯t ask for a full set like some of the other brats, making specially sized plate takes weeks.¡±


    While he was talking he took out a set of wrist bracers that only cover one side and leg bracers that just cover the shins. It¡¯s better than nothing and since I have room to grow I don¡¯t want want to waste too much money.


    (Old Dwarfish Man) ¡°And the daggers are over in that corner pick out the one that you want and come back ¡®ere.¡±


    Gah, these are simple as all hell too. I was hoping for something that had a curve to it but there was nothing. Most of these are shaped like crosses and only have a blade on one side. If I¡¯m going to get a something with a straight blade I¡¯d rather have one that has an edge on both sides.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Picking up the different daggers and trying them out none of them feel right the weight distribution is all wrong. Either the Blade is heavy enough but the handle feels too light and would break easily, or the handle was nice and sturdy but the blade was too short.


    (Old Dwarfish Man) ¡°Hey Kid, you look like you know what you¡¯re doing with those. Come ¡®ere I¡¯ll show you something good.¡±


    Huh? Is he hiding the good stuff? The old man comes back with two daggers¡­ are those Main Gauche? That would be perfect for me since it has a better protection for my hands this old guy knows his stuff!


    ¡°Ah these are perfect how much for those and the armor?¡±


    The old man thinks for a moment and has a grin on his face as he tells me the price.


    (Old Dwarfish Man) ¡°These were made for a Noble family but they canceled the order so these are custom made along with the refitting fees¡­ you seem to be from a good family so how¡¯s 1,500 Cura sound kid?¡±


    Hmm¡­ He¡¯s definitely inflating the price, he even bothered to bring up keywords like for a Noble''s family and custom made.


    ¡°Oh? That sounds pretty expensive for just that much. I¡¯m sure you can do better than that. Especially since those two daggers, they¡¯re custom made. No one else wants to buy them or else you would have premade one¡¯s prepared. Judging by dirt on the cloth they were wrapped in it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    It only costs 3 cura for an apple and most weapons only go for 100 to 300 cura, even armor unless it¡¯s full plate only goes up to 800 cura.


    (Old Dwarfish Man) ¡°Tch, you¡¯re smart kid I¡¯ll let it go for 1,200, and not a cura less!¡±


    I knew it! He bit, you never haggle with an Asian. It¡¯s bad for business.


    ¡°For that much Old Man I could go to the next shop and get twice the amount! And we both know, if you don¡¯t sell me those daggers, they¡¯ll just sit in your shop until they rust.¡±


    Clearly upset now the old man wraps the daggers up and glares at me.


    (Old Dwarfish Man) ¡°Alright Kid, 800 Cura, take it or leave, I don¡¯t give a damn. I¡¯m practically giving these away, never seen such a sharp kid.¡±


    Got ¡®em! I dig through my bag and place 900 Cura on the table, when I do that the old man looks at me confused.


    ¡°A bit extra for you old man, business is business. For the both of us.¡±


    He grins and takes the money and hands me the daggers and he measures my size and I head home.


    Well I didn¡¯t get any Dwarven gear but at least these will work for now. I think Sebas was going to make some Red Wine marinated meat today~ I can¡¯t wait! Since Lila hates the smell I never get to eat it but since she¡¯s gone Sebas said he wanted to prepare something nice for me before I leave. At this point I¡¯m practically skipping happily, that¡¯s one thing I¡¯ll definitely miss¡­


    Maybe I can just take Sebas with me¡­ he is a butler worthy of the name ¡°Sebastian¡± so maybe he can stay perfectly out of view¡­ and only pop up when it¡¯s dinner time and give me some steak. *Sigh* if only¡­


    (Sebas) ¡°I had the feeling that you were in need of my services Sir Kurogane.¡±


    Whoa! Shocked, I jump back a few steps and have my hand on my sword.


    ¡°God dammit Sebastian, you scared the hell outta me!¡±


    I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m surprised at this point, this guy is too perfect of a butler.


    (Sebas) ¡°It¡¯s Sebas Sir, I wonder why you occasionally call me that.¡±


    Ah I should probably explain myself.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing Sebas I was just looking forward to tonight''s dinner. Regarding the Sebastian thing, you remind me of a Legendary Butler named Sebastian. The perfect butler without a single fault.¡±


    Sebas looks to be lost in thought for a moment before he replies.


    (Sebas) ¡°Thank you for the compliment Sir Kurogane, I am far from perfect though and shall strive to meet your expectations of me.¡±


    He then bows towards me and excuses himself, hopefully to cook dinner~ Well nothing better then to do a bit of exercise to build up an appetite so I head towards the Courtyard with one of my Main Gauche attached to my belt.


    Once I reach the Courtyard I see several guards training right now and Knight Captain guy is overseeing them. Gah, the last person I wanted to meet the I¡¯ll just turn around¡­


    *Sigh*


    (Fen) ¡°Is that you Sir Kurogane, one such as I would be delighted if you would train with us.¡±


    Gah¡­ this guy needs to learn how to talk just get to the point already. Well conveniently I do want to test out my new daggers so I think I¡¯ll take him up on that.


    ¡°I was actually thinking of doing some exercising myself, so if you think I will be sufficient.¡±


    The Knight Captain seems to be happy and suddenly I¡¯m surrounded by the guards again¡­ this brings back bad memories.


    (Fen) ¡°Although it would be impolite, we would like to formally request a training exercise with each of our Guards. Each person will take a turn and try to best Sir Kuro. Would that be acceptable?¡±


    This guy is too long winded for my taste, would it kill him to stop beating around the bush? The bush is dead buddy¡­ Just... stop¡­


    (Guard) ¡°I won¡¯t lose this time! You got me by surprise last time so it didn¡¯t count.¡±


    Ever heard of a losing flag buddy¡­


    *sigh*


    The first guard was the one who swung at me with his spear last time, he¡¯s standing at a good distance from me taking advantage of his spears range. The spear he¡¯s using seems to be better then last time, the tip also has two prongs making it look like a cross at the tip. I can¡¯t seem to understand why they don¡¯t have a tassel at the end... it¡¯s really useful you know?


    (Guard) ¡°I am ready when you are Sir.¡±


    Whoops I was too busy looking as his spear and draw my sword and dagger and drop into my stance. My left hand grasping my dagger in a reversed grip was guarding my torso and my sword¡¯s blade facing upwards, its tip pointed at the guard''s throat.


    ¡°Alright then, shall we?¡±


    Using that as a queue the guard pulls his spear back slightly and lunges towards me slightly while thrusting his spear towards my torso. I lean to the left slightly and place my left foot to the side as a pivot and meet his spear with my dagger with a slash directing his spear away from me.


    He then tries to pull back the spear and stab at me again but my dagger is locked with the tip of his spear leaving it in place. Once he loosens his grip to try to unlock our weapons I spin my right leg and kick off my left leg shortening the distance enough that my sword placed next to his throat.


    The guard thanks me for the experience and returns to the circle pretty composed for someone who lost quickly. The Main Gauche is doing it¡¯s job correctly and it doesn¡¯t seem brittle, that¡¯s a good sign. The next few fights all ended quickly¡­ I need to train these guys when I come home.


    (Fen) ¡°As I would expect, none of my men can even hold a candle against you. This time though I will not be caught off guard, prepare yourself Sir Kuro!¡±


    This guy definitely has a face you just want to punch¡­Fen comes forward into the circle with his Kite Shield in his right hand and Longsword in his left and places his shield to cover his torso and his sword hidden behind his shield. Well then this guy will be a good warm up for when I see Roy.


    (Fen) ¡°Come!¡±


    Jeez, this guy only ever get¡¯s to the point when it¡¯s about beating him up¡­ is he a masochist? I place my dagger again in the same position but my sword is behind me this time. Leaning in random directions to misdirect Fen I keep my eyes on him¡­ that shield is troublesome since I can¡¯t see his torso making predicting his attacks harder.


    I then as quickly as I could dash forward but stop outside his projected attack range but he doesn¡¯t budge. Heh¡­ simple feints aren¡¯t working huh? Maybe I¡¯m playing around too much.


    Well then I¡¯ve kept him waiting long enough and I make it obvious that I am going to do an upward slash with my left hand and attack. Fen meets my sword with his and deflects it away from him and attempts to ram his shield into me.


    While Fen deflected my sword I had already started to spin my body to meet shield with my foot kicking him towards the air making him lose his balance and step back a few steps. Of course I won¡¯t let him regain his posture and slam my right leg in the ground similar to and axe kick and run into the gap of his defense, blocking his sword with mine and my dagger placed at his throat.


    These guys are weak¡­ are they going to be ok without me being home?


    (Fen) ¡°I concede this match, as usual your attacks are splendid Sir Kurogane on par with that of Sebas!¡±


    ¡­ I¡¯m not going to even bother being surprised, freaking Sebastian of a Butler¡­


    Dinner was delicious I even tried to convince Sebas to follow me at least part way to feed me but he politely declines. Melia is currently staring at me with eyes of anticipation¡­


    ¡°No Melia, I¡¯m not taking you with me. I have enough baggage as is.¡±


    (Melia) ¡°No fair! You asked Sebastian to go with you!¡±


    As she says that, she covers her mouth.


    (Sebas) ¡°Melia¡­ I¡¯m sure I misheard you earlier¡­ My name is Sebas. Must I drill this into that head full of useless things?¡±


    Melia just shakes her head violently still covering her mouth. I guess the name is sticking to him. Good¡­ Good¡­ I guess I¡¯ll take this chance to silently head to bed. I¡¯ll be home soon Roy and Lena don¡¯t worry big brother¡¯s coming home.

 Chapter 15: The Journey Home

    That night I had another dream¡­ About that time years ago. I thought I had finally accepted the aftermath. It was a clear summer day, at that time I was 18 and was on my way to meet up with Arlene for a date. Well I say date, but it was just us hanging out at my house with my siblings.


    My parents had left earlier that day by themselves to visit family. I quickly picked up Mai and Kenny and together picked up Arlene before we walked home. The seemly normal day was shattered with a simple phone call¡­ The plane my parents were on was shot down...accidentally...


    My knees lost strength and I fell to the ground¡­ This is too cruel...Why!? Mia¡¯s only 6! How am I supposed to explain this to her? Dad promised Kenny that he¡¯d buy him a new Video Game when he came home from their trip! ¡­They¡­ were going to meet Arlene¡¯s parents for the first time¡­


    My girlfriend knew something was wrong and brought my siblings into the living room to play with them before she whispered in my ear.


    (Arlene) ¡°Take your time Honey, we¡¯ll talk about this when you¡¯re ready¡­¡±


    And left with a saddened expression. She was my saving grace, I think I would have broken down completely without her support¡­ I can then feel the tears I was holding back swell up and silently cried. I swear mother and father, I¡¯ll keep them safe in your place. Please rest in peace and leave the house to me. I can then feel the sensation of someone wiping my tears as I slowly wake up.


    I awaken to Melia hovering over me wiping my tears with an expression similar to Arlene¡¯s that day and pat her on the head.


    (Melia) ¡°Are you ok... Kuro? If you¡¯re not used to sleeping alone¡­ I... can sleep with you.¡±


    Does she know what she just said¡­ Oh she caught on, her face lite up like a christmas tree.


    (Melia) ¡°N-n-nnot like that! I was just thinking you weren¡¯t used to not having Lila sleep next to you.¡±


    Well her intentions are pure at least, and I continue to pat her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine Melia, I just had a bad dream. Nothing to worry about.¡±


    After calming Melia for a while I get up and get dressed. Time to head over to the Smith¡¯s Alley and pick up my gear. I picked up the bracers and shin guards without a hitch and head home for lunch before leaving. Meal time was silent, neither Sebas nor Melia uttered a word as I ate silently.


    ¡°Thanks for the delicious meal as usual Sebas, I¡¯ll be back in a year¡¯s time. Until then, take care of yourself. You also Melia, me and Lila will be home before you guys know it, so don¡¯t worry!¡±


    They simply nod as I return to my room to get my things. Once I reach the gates of the Manor I¡¯m greeted by Fen and the rest of the guards¡­ Oh and there¡¯s a wild Melia.


    (Fen) ¡°It has been a pleasure, Sir Kurogane. The next time we meet I shall be sure to be skilled enough to put up a proper fight.¡±


    The rest of the guards shout out similar words in my direction as Melia walks up to me with a basket.


    (Melia) ¡°The Forest of Mist is a long way from here¡­ I made you a few sandwiches for the road.¡±


    Well that was sweet of her. I accept the basket and say my goodbyes and exit the city for the first time¡­ Not in a cage.


    Until I can no longer be seen clearly I walk at a normal speed on the road, there¡¯s a small village on the way they said about 2 or 3 days away and the road fortunately is straight and doesn¡¯t split off. Once I¡¯m sure no one else is watching I start running full speed down the road, I¡¯m not sure how fast I can run but there¡¯s only one way to find out!


    As I run I make sure to keep an eye out for any prying eyes, I¡¯d rather not explain how I¡¯m running at the speed I am right now. After running for an hour at full speed I slow down to about half max speed in case I run into someone. Wait¡­ wasn¡¯t the village a few days away?


    Maybe... Another village popped up since the last time someone¡¯s been through here¡­? No, that can¡¯t be right¡­ it¡¯s only been two years since I¡¯ve come through here... there¡¯s no way a village this size could just... appear. I have some ridiculous leg strength to have reached this far ahead of schedule, much more than I was expecting. Slowly walking towards the village I introduce myself to the nearest person I could find.


    ¡°Excuse me sir, my name is Kurogane and I am on a journey to the Forest of Mist. I was wondering if there was an Inn I could rest at tonight.¡±


    The villager turns to me and smiles.


    ¡°Of course we do. There¡¯s an Inn run by my Grandson near the village square. Please be careful though there have been a lot of wolves lately. So it¡¯s not safe to be out at night.¡±


    Wolves¡­ Sound tasty¡­ Gah! That¡¯s what I forgot! Spices! How am I supposed to enjoy some cooked meat if I don¡¯t have at least some salt and pepper? At least I have some food to snack on thanks to Melia. After getting directions I head to the Village Square and open up my basket.


    There were several sandwiches along with a note and a small bag? After wolfing down the sandwiches I pick up the letter and read it. It¡¯s from... Sebas? The letter seemed to mention something I forgot to bring with me?


    He said he had packed it for me¡­This guy¡­How did he? Sebas left me with some rosemary, salt and pepper. How perfect is this guy? While I take the bag of spices and stuff it into my rucksack, I hear howling¡­?


    In moments, the windows shut all around me and the sound of doors being locked. There are a few men that run out of the Inn and a few other buildings holding pitchforks.


    (Villager) ¡°It¡¯s dangerous outside Kid! Quickly! Run into the Inn and close the door!¡±


    The villager shouts at me as he runs towards the fields with the rest of them. Uh¡­ where are they going? I grab my bag and throw it on my shoulder and walk the opposite direction of the villagers. Leaving my hand on my sword I slowly travel through the road until I reach the outer part of the village.


    Greeting me was a small pack of wolves, there looks like 5 of them? One of them is noticeably larger than the rest of them¡­ Must be the Alpha¡­ If I kill the Alpha the rest of them will run away. Well aren¡¯t they polite, they doing any sudden movements and are just growling at me¡­


    It¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s make this quick. Loosening my grip on my bag it drops to the ground. Before my bag can hit the ground I close in on the nearest wolf slicing clean through it¡¯s head as I draw my sword. Before the other wolves could react I kick it¡¯s carcass towards the Alpha to stall it for a moment and make quick work of the remaining 3.


    Hehehe¡­ You¡¯re not going anywhere dinner! Did that stupid maid think 4 sandwiches would be enough to fill my stomach? There wasn¡¯t even any meat in any of them! They were VEGETARIAN SANDWICHES! These guys will have to make up for your lack of insight you damned maid.


    The Alpha is still growling at me and is trying to get behind me. Unable to it lunges towards my throat. As soon as the wolf starts to gain air I slash at the air in front of me flinging the blood on my sword into it¡¯s eyes making it flitch. I then side step away from it and behead it.


    Well then...Time to gather up everything and start a fire~ I start humming as I gather up the wolf bodies into a pile and my eye meets the villagers from earlier. Uh¡­? Why do you guys look so shocked? It¡¯s not my fault you guys went the wrong way¡­ Wait... Do they want the meat? It¡¯s mine damnit! I killed them so it¡¯s mine!


    The Villagers suddenly let out a triumphant cry¡­?


    (Villager A) ¡°We¡¯re saved! The little Hero saved us from the monster wolf!¡±


    Next thing I know a few dozen people had come towards me as I was gathering the wolves.


    ¡°You know¡­ I¡¯m not giving you guys any of the meat.¡±


    (Villager B) ¡°Of course Little Hero, please let us help you skin these wolves for you and prepare a simple thanks for you. You must be starving you poor thing!¡±


    The lady villager starts to set up a fire as she motions a few of the males to help me skin the wolves. Good thing these guys are here¡­ I¡¯m not exactly good at skinning animals. While they were preparing MY meal the number of people slowly grows... ? At least they¡¯re bringing their own food... I did tell them I¡¯m not sharing.


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    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t need the fur. If you guys want it, you can take it. Same with the bones.¡±


    The villagers gladly took the hide and started to cook the meat and used the bones to make a soup. I forgot you could do that with the bones¡­ Maybe I should take them back? Ahh¡­ I¡¯m starving¡­ I look over to my side and see the severed head of the Alpha wolf and notice a little round candy on the ground?


    I wonder how that got there¡­? I pick it up and dust it off and pop it in my mouth and crunch it down releasing a sweet flavor into my mouth. Mmmm this candy should hold me over until the villagers are done cooking, honestly they brought enough food now. So I don¡¯t mind sharing some of the meat now¡­ just some¡­ maybe a piece.


    Unbeknownst to me the villagers started to have a party around me? I guess they think I¡¯m a Hero of some sort for killing¡­ a wolf¡­ because I was hungry. I mean they seasoned my meat for me and even served it to me and added some rabbit meat so I¡¯m not one to complain. The sun eventually sets during the festivities and I¡¯m escorted back to the Inn, they¡¯re even putting me up for the night free of charge!


    I won¡¯t say no but isn¡¯t this a bit much? All I did was kill a few wolves not any monster or anything. Eh.. I¡¯m just going to not worry about it and head to bed, I¡¯ll ask someone tomorrow about this. Don¡¯t want them suddenly asking me to pay for the room now.


    The following day I awaken to the sun beating my face in¡­ since Melia isn¡¯t here to wake me up... I guess I over slept? I really don¡¯t want to get out of bed¡­ but I¡¯m hungry again. Slowly dragging my feet I grab my things and head down into what I think looked like the dining area of the Inn.


    (Innkeeper) ¡°Ah the Little Hero is awake! I forgot to mention last night that this is the dining area and breakfast was included with the room.¡±


    The Innkeeper looks like a young man about 20 years old with disheveled blond hair, a bad case of bedhead this guy. I sleeply sit down and am served a vegetable soup, salad and a piece of rabbit meat. I should probably ask about this whole hero business while I¡¯m at it¡­ worst case I¡¯ll pay for the meal at least.


    ¡°Hey¡­ I know you guys think I¡¯m a Hero and all¡­ but I just killed a few wolves? They weren¡¯t even that dangerous?¡±


    The Innkeeper just stares at me for a moment and laughs at me.


    (Innkeeper) ¡°As one would expect from such a small Hero. That wolf pack was lead by a monstrous wolf that has been terrorizing our village for the last month! Of course something as that would seem weak to you!¡±


    Was it strong? The sword Harvey gave me cut clean through it¡­ there wasn¡¯t any resistance at all? I did use more strength than usual this time but that shouldn¡¯t have made that much of a difference right? ¡­ Right?


    After eating my breakfast I said goodbye to the Innkeeper and left the village towards home. It¡¯s supposed to be at weeks worth of travel via carriage. But then again I did make it here in a couple hours. At least there¡¯s really no reason to hide my strength here at least¡­ they already saw me kill those wolves so I break out into a sprint onto the road.


    Sebas told me there there should be a fork in the road and to keep to the right, at the second fork in the road the forest should be on my left hand side. He repeated himself several times for some reason¡­ He even wrote it down¡­ I¡¯m not THAT bad.


    After running for a couple hours I end up at the passing the first fork in the road, before the sun starts to set. I could keep going but honestly running all day isn¡¯t the funnest thing¡­ I¡¯m also starving so I start nibbling on the jerky while looking around for a place to sleep. Hmm¡­ this tree over here looks pretty good. Just in case I kick the tree to see if anything falls out¡­ nope... just leaves.


    Climbing up the tree I sit on one of the thicker branches halfway up and get comfortable. Alright then¡­ something better not disturb my sleep this time! I swear if something happens again I¡¯m going to be furious! With that thought I doze off while leaning against the trunk of the tree.


    I¡¯ve been having a lot of dreams about the past lately¡­ some I would rather not relive. That night I had another dream, it was after one of my business trips. I had to leave the country on business for a month and had once the job was done I ran home.


    When I opened the door home Mia was sitting on the couch reading a magazine while Kenny was looked like he was watching T.V. I hate leaving them all alone for work but I really don¡¯t have a choice. As the door shuts Mia looks up and sees me and runs over giving me a hug while Ken seemed uninterested.


    (Mia) ¡°Big Brother! I was so worried! Did you finish your work?¡±


    I pat Mia on the head and tell her I finished and will be home at least for a few months.


    (Kenny) ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll matter¡­ He¡¯ll just leave us behind like mom, dad¡­ and bis sis.¡±


    Kenny always wears his emotions on his sleeves¡­ it¡¯s been hard on him recently. I¡¯m not really sure what else I can do for him...


    (Mia) ¡°Kenny! Don¡¯t be mean to big brother!¡±


    As she pouts and I pick her up and carry her back to the couch. She¡¯s still puny for a 13 year old and she¡¯s still attached to me which I think is the cutest thing. After I set Mia down I sit next to Ken and pat him on the head also.


    (Ken) ¡°I¡¯m not a kid!¡±


    But he doesn¡¯t swat my hand away, he¡¯s at that complicated age huh?


    (Ken) ¡°Chirp!¡±


    ¡­ Huh? Why does he sound like a bird now? Even Mia is..? Ah... it¡¯s morning¡­ and the damned birds are awake¡­ They¡¯re worse than my alarm clock! I can at least control that, but I can¡¯t control birds. Making sure the coast is clear first, I jump down from the tree and take a look around. Yep, no one around!


    I should be able to get home by the afternoon but first breakfast! I open up my rucksack and start digging through it¡­  dagger... spices...dagger...money... bracers...shinguards...skinning knife¡­ empty...bag¡­? Wait... where¡¯s my jerky? After triple checking my bag I¡¯m¡­ out of jerky¡­ How?!?


    I bought like 4 pounds of jerky! Did I drop it somewhere? No, I was careful with my food¡­ I was just nibbling on it when I was looking around... ? Did I eat all of it!? Well¡­ I did run into those wolves yesterday¡­ maybe I¡¯ll find something to eat on the way.


    I keep an eye open for any kind of critter as I run¡­ nothing¡­ nothing¡­ I should have hunted down those noisy birds from this morning and have some roasted bird. My stomach is already growling as loud as a certain Giant Lizard that attacks Tokyo as I reach the forest. It already feels like afternoon because I started to slow down due my hunger¡­ There had better be one of those killer bunnies of doom around or I¡¯ll probably faint before I get home.


    In a daze I drag myself into the forest. Ahh¡­ So hungry¡­ I drag my feet until god finally throws me a bone. Behind me I can hear some rustling and when I turn around I see a bunny jumping towards me. Ah how kind of you to sacrifice yourself rabbit. I¡¯ll be sure to savor the flavor of your meat. I side step to the side and slam my fist into it¡¯s skull forcing it into the ground.


    Finally to make sure it stays down I lift my leg up into the air and smash in it¡¯s skull again with an axe kick. At this point I¡¯m so hungry I don¡¯t even bother cooking the rabbit and just slit it¡¯s throat and grab it by the hind legs and swing it back and forth trying to speed up the bleeding process.


    I then attempt to skin it and eat what I can. Damnit¡­ I¡¯m a bloody mess now¡­ At least I can use magic to create water and clean up. Once I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t scare Lena and Roy with my blood stained appearance I run back to my familiar old shed. It looks just like I left it, with a sign that reads ¡°Blackie¡± in Elvish.


    I open the door to see Lena curled up in a blanket surrounded by books¡­ Did she add more!?! Somethings just never change do they? As quietly as I can I close the door and see Roy taking a nap in a hammock. As I step forward I see Roy wake up and look at me in a daze.


    ¡°I¡¯m home, did you guys miss me?¡±

 Chapter 16: The Elven City

    Roy rubbed his eyes in disbelief for a moment and fell out of his hammock.


    (Roy) ¡°Lena! Kuro¡¯s home! Wake up!¡±


    I watch Roy crawl over to Lena and start shaking her awake. Lena just stares at me blankly for a moment like Roy earlier.


    (Lena) ¡°Mmmm Morning Kuro~ ¡­¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­...Uh¡­?


    (Lena) ¡°Kuro!¡±


    Lena suddenly jumps up and jumps into my arms and I awkwardly spin her around in the small hut.


    (Lena) ¡°Where have you been! We looked all over for you and couldn¡¯t find you! I thought you were eaten by a monster!¡±


    Teary eyed Lena starts shaking me frantically as she speaks until Roy separates us¡­ thank god I was starting to get dizzy from all the shaking.


    (Roy) ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back Kuro¡­ honestly after the last time we saw you a lot has happened recently. After we couldn¡¯t find you after a while we consulted the Adults¡­ We were scolded for keeping a pet Dragon but the Elders used magic to try to find you to no avail. You were assumed dead or captured but I told them that Kuro¡¯s strong¡­ nothing in this forest can defeat you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know Roy looked up to me that much, his vote of confidence makes me happy.


    (Lena) ¡°Roy! You forgot about the part where we got permission to have Kuro live with us!¡±


    Huh? I can live in the city with Roy and Lena? At an Elven city of all things, it¡¯s just screams fantasy! My excitement continues to raise and Lena and Roy lead me to the city gates. Once we reach the gates the Guards stop us for a moment.


    (Guard) ¡°Hey Roy, the Captain was looking for you earlier. He said something about your mother was almost finished with dinner and to bring Lena.¡±


    (Roy) ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll rush home after we bring Kuro back to Lena¡¯s.¡±


    The guard looks at me for a moment and smiles


    ¡°Ah, is this the Dragon you two were hiding in the forest! He seems like a good kid... but I can¡¯t let him go home, yet. the Elders want to meet him first.¡±


    Leaving Roy and Lena behind I¡¯m escorted to a large building, vines covered the walls and it gave an almost surreal feel to it. Feeling out of place I slowly walk inside and enter a room with a bunch of important looking people, it feels almost like a job interview. I¡¯m told to sit as I enter and comply, I got asked all kinds of questions such as where was I, what was I doing, and why was I back here.


    I told them the entire story, and also how I would understand if they wanted me to live outside the city. Having a Dragon roaming around in your home isn¡¯t something most people would be too keen on honestly. After they were talking amongst themselves one of them stood up and smiled at me


    (Elder) ¡°Thank you Dragon for telling us what we wanted to know. I apologize, I hear you are called Kurogane. We hope you will forgive us for being rude but we had used a spell on you earlier so we could see if you were trustworthy or not. The safety of all the Elves living here is one of our most important responsibilities and we take it very seriously.¡±


    Honestly this kind of precautions are welcome in my book, if it keeps Roy and Lena safe I¡¯ll go through any test.


    ¡°Please do not worry about it Elders, I take no offense, instead I am glad that such precautions were being made.¡±


    Each of the Elders then welcomes me to their settlement Tielfceyth and received a pouch and ring. The pouch looks like a regular pouch that attaches on your belt a little bigger than a fist but it uses some sort of magic to be able store enough to fill 100 cubic feet room. I¡¯m sure as soon as I heard what the pouch does my eyes were glittering or maybe I was drooling or something, the Elders were laughing it up at my expense.


    The ring was also interesting, no it¡¯s not THAT ring, but it does make it harder to perceive me via magic or vision. It also only  in this forest it can make it so I am completely invisible, if only it worked everywhere else. Honestly I¡¯m shocked, to be able to get two things that are so valuable I start expressing my gratitude¡­ Maybe a little too expressively, which made them laugh more.


    (Elder) ¡°Young Dragon, these are common items here and we thought you would like them. So we took the liberty of  preparing them for you, think nothing of it. Come you should head back to the children, we are sure there is much to catch up on.¡±


    I quickly run off and toss my things in my new bag of awesome storage and ask my way back to Lena¡¯s home.


    It didn¡¯t take me too long to find it thankfully, the city was very open with several firefly looking existences floating about keeping the place well lit. There are no fences or walls inside the city but the roads were paved and easy to follow. It was really easy to figure out when I got close enough to where they lived, Lena and Roy were waiting with their parents in the front.


    Roy¡¯s house is next door which makes things convenient for me. Lena¡¯s parents looked like your typical happy family, her mom and dad had their arms around her and welcomed me with open arms. They were dressed rather plainly and the mother had braided hair that reached a little below her shoulders, her father had short hair and was pretty well built.


    On Roy¡¯s side his Father stood tall clad in armor with a sword on his belt and a shield on his back, he must be the ¡°Captain¡± that the guards spoke of before. When our eyes met he just grinned and tapped his sword.


    (Roy¡¯s father) ¡°I hear you¡¯ve been teaching my boy on the side, speaks highly of your skills.¡±


    Hearing this I grin back


    ¡°I¡¯m not all that much, I¡¯m sure I could learn a few things if we had a round.¡±


    As if we were thinking the same thing we started to laugh simultaneously.


    Roy¡¯s mother on the other hand was nowhere near as friendly. She was dressed in a robe, a wizard¡¯s hat and was holding a staff. After me and Roy¡¯s dad spoke she just had this look of disdain directed at me, I guess that¡¯s to be expected. Not only am I an overgrown lizard that is known for destruction, but I¡¯m taking the form of the humans the elves seek to avoid.


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    At that moment I can see Lena¡¯s family waving me towards them and force me into a group hug. I didn¡¯t really hate it but I wasn¡¯t expecting it, Lena¡¯s parents must be very understanding. We stood outside and talked for a bit and learned a few things about them. Lena¡¯s parents were very thankful to me for helping her study, it seems her grades were actually very low?


    I thought she was a bookworm and smart but I guess she was always studying to catch up with her classes. Roy on the other hand I thought took after his Father, but he took after his mother more. His mother was one of the Sages in the city and a very powerful mage, and extremely talented with magic. Apparently Roy was one of those once a generation kind of genius, he was top of his class and memorized spells after reading them once. My impressions of them had crumbled instantly.


    After the introductions I was told that I would be living in the shed next to Lena¡¯s home and it was cleared out already for my use. There aren¡¯t really any walls inside the city so I am pretty much between both houses at this moment next to Lena¡¯s family garden, and Roy¡¯s training area. The hut¡¯s about the same size as my previous one I¡¯ll have to move everything tomorrow to fill it up.


    I set a few of my things down and get called to eat dinner with Lena¡¯s family, then Roy¡¯s family after that. The food at both families was great and I ate until I was full. I was under the impression that¡­ Elves only ate fruits, berries and veggies¡­ But there was meat on the table. Did those two just feed me what they didn¡¯t want to eat!?


    Though I moved into the hut outside of Lena''s house I really just ended up leaving my personal stuff in there and mainly stayed in the house kind of a House Dragon you could say, I would have to wake her up in the morning and help around the house in the morning while they were at school studying.


    As soon as they come home Roy would instantly ask for another sparring match, he''s grown quite well and has learned to combine his attacks smoothly. He''s obsessed with getting me to use my other sword though. Although I tell him I¡¯ve had to use kicks lately he¡¯s still fired up.


    His mother has slowly warmed up to me as time passed and his father let''s say we''ve had a few bouts and I can''t see the blood relation with Roy, his fighting style is much more fierce yet somehow still elegant. I think I could only win if I caught him on surprise. Either that or if I had all my tools¡­


    I''ve spent much more time in my human form lately since it''s much easier to move around and I can do much more with hands then claws, and you know it''s kind of hard to not knock things over when your tail seems to have a mind of its own.


    Lena as usual comes running into the house and latches on to me and tells me about her school day and how she¡¯s starving so her mother starts to prepare dinner. Roy shortly after bursts into the door.


    (Roy) ¡°Kuro! I¡¯ll beat you today! So let¡¯s have a duel!¡±


    Haha I can get used to this, every day is fulfilling so far I really missed these two. Lena starts pouting at Roy and his previous tension drops.


    (Lena) ¡°You can only borrow him until dinner time Roy¡­ any longer and I¡¯ll get mad you know.¡±


    Roy awkwardly nods¡­ Ah, we know who¡¯ll wear the pants in this relationship. Grabbing a new pair of wooden swords I follow Roy into his homes part of the yard. We face off as usual and Roy starts off with his signature shield bash which I avoid by moving to the left and am greeted with with a stab aimed at my shoulder which I deflect away with my sword.


    He doesn¡¯t learn does...he? Before I could kick him I can see the ground at his feet contort and raise into a spike towards me! I quickly  spin my body around and meet it with my right hand¡¯s sword and get some distance.


    ¡°When did you learn to do that Roy! That was good, you almost got me there.¡±


    Roy just laughs for a moment and explains.


    (Roy) ¡°I thought I could get you with a surprise attack, but of course you would dodge even that! I had always thought of magic and swordsmanship being exclusive. Until it dawned at me today that I could use both to my advantage so why restrict myself?¡±


    This kid will go far, I guess the concept of a Magic Swordsman isn¡¯t in this world yet. Roy will make waves with this I¡¯m sure of it! After exchanging a few more blows I end up winning and Roy starts mumbling to himself afterwards¡­ he¡¯s been doing that a lot more lately.


    The days here were peaceful but after the year is over I''ll go back and see Lila and check on her and the Duke both places have been my home since I came here or reincarnated here that day. Lena today is being spoiled as usual and demanded me to turn back to my dragon form, which I can now talk in.


    I sound quite different though I think I sound pissed off all the time, a very angry lizard. As soon as I finish shifting back Lena just plops on down and uses me as a seat again, I had to ask this time though


    "Why do you always lay on me like that, I can''t imagine myself to be that pleasant of a seat or a pillow of sort."


    Lena giggles and tells me


    "Oh but you are, silly! It''s like laying on a waterskin."


    So I''m a waterbed now, I keep on finding out what people see me as, first a pet dog, then a watchdog and now I''ve reverted to a water pillow, my worth keeps fluctuating. To be honest now that I''m looking at Lena she hasn''t really grown at all since I''ve seen her last, neither has Roy ever since the time I left them 2 years ago. Maybe Elvan growth spurts are later?


    After a year passed in peace I said my farewell to my Elvan families, Lena and her family were teary but sent me off nonetheless. While Roy¡¯s family was¡­ the same, just with less crying and sobbing.  I made sure to double check and make sure I had all my things before leaving. When you travel it¡¯s always good to make sure you have everything!


    Before leaving I gave both Lena and Roy a hug and told both of them in secret of course, that they needed to tell each other how they felt. Before someone else jumps in and takes the other away. It was funny watching their reactions; I had always known Roy was in love with Lena. Lena on the other hand had told me about the boy she likes before and it didn¡¯t fit my image of Roy at that time, now I¡¯m positive the boy she spoke of was Roy.


    Well it¡¯s been fun, I¡¯ll definitely have to come back home and visit again soon. I wonder how much things have changed in the year I¡¯ve been gone.

 Side story. The Diary of a Maid Part 2

    Day XX Month XXX


    So much happened lately I¡¯ve forgotten to write in my Diary lately. The dragon that Lila is keeping as a pet¡­ can in fact change into the form of a human. Not only that¡­ it¡¯s a he¡­ and understands our language!


    All the things I said¡­ he understood¡­ ALL of it. I couldn¡¯t face him properly for a while and tried to reconcile with him. When he doesn¡¯t look all scaley he¡¯s actually pretty handsome... Also he cares for the Young Miss, always keeping her safe from harm.


    Now though, I suspect everything that has been happening lately¡­ has been his handiwork. The frequency has somewhat dropped lately. Although my food still doesn¡¯t have any meat on it¡­ Not that I mind anymore, I¡¯ve grown accustomed to not eating meat lately.


    Day XXX Month XXXX


    I wonder¡­ how would it feel if Kuro would look at me like he does Lila. His eyes when he looks at me are always so cold, yet his gaze is so warm when he watches Lila. Strangely my eyes have been following him lately, I¡¯m not sure why.


    There¡¯s been something that has been bugging me though¡­ Some days even though he¡¯s with Lila and looks like he¡¯s having fun keeping her company. His eyes seem so¡­ sad¡­ Why does he make that kind of face?


    Day X Month XXXXX


    Finally¡­ I think I understand¡­ I think I¡¯m in love with Kurogane¡­ I¡¯m not sure when it happened, but I keep thinking about him. I want to make him happy enough that he¡¯ll never make that sad face again. I¡¯m not sure why¡­ But I want him to be happy enough that he doesn¡¯t have to carry the weight all by himself.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Hopefully one day¡­ one day he¡¯ll tell us about it. The reason for his hidden sadness¡­ before it engulfs him¡­


    Day XX Month X


    He¡¯s going home to visit he said¡­ he¡¯ll be gone for a whole year! What do I do? Should I confess?


    No, no! That¡¯s too embarrassing! After thinking for a while I decide I¡¯ll write him a letter and pack it in a basket of sandwiches for him when he leaves. That way I have a year to prepare myself and receive his reply¡­


    Day XXX Month X


    Today we saw off Master and the Young Lady¡­ Kuro sent them off with a smile. But I could tell, the look in his eyes were so empty¡­ As if he had lost a part of him. I was in such a hurry to say something, anything to make him feel better. But he denied that anything was wrong¡­ he just smiled and went into town. All I could do was watch him as his figure slowly disappeared into the crowd.


    Day XX Month X


    Each morning I wake up Kuro¡­ he always seems to have this pained look on his face¡­ He must be having nightmares. I don¡¯t recall that ever happening before, he would always sleep peacefully? What changed¡­ is he not used to sleeping alone? I should ask him about this, it¡¯s really bothering me. Maybe¡­ just maybe he¡¯ll rely on me, even a little bit¡­ Let me help him with whatever is tormenting him every night.


    Day X Month X


    ...Where are you Kurogane¡­ Everyone¡¯s waiting for you to come home¡­ Please¡­ come home already¡­

 Chapter 17: Traveling between two homes

    As I begin traveling away from the barrier, I notice something strange¡­? The trees look... different? Some of the trees I remember being smaller, are stumps now? The forest has changed quite a bit this past year hasn¡¯t it? I quickly exit the forest and start running towards the village I passed through before. Thankfully Lena¡¯s Mama packed more than enough food for me in my bag.


    Though... it¡¯s all vegetarian¡­ I suspect foul play¡­ but the only person that comes to mind is Lena... Sebas had better have a nice steak waiting for me when I get home. Even though I ate twice every meal I would still be hungry. At least there seemed to be a steady supply of rabbit  on the other side of the barrier, away from where I lived¡­ Those cheeky bunnies must had moved away when they found out where I lived.


    I had once again found my tree from last time and climbed up and slept on it on the way. The entire trip so far had been quiet¡­ too quiet¡­ When I entered the village it seemed to have grown a bit in the past year. Given the amount they expanded they really could have popped up in a year or two¡¯s time!


    I¡¯m impressed. As I enter the village I expected to get the Hero treatment, yet oddly no one seemed to know who I was. I knew it, I told them it was just a bunch of wolves, they were over exaggerating calling me a Little Hero. I paid for a night at the Inn and quickly left the next day, I left later than expected because Lena miscalculated the one year mark and now I¡¯m late.


    Gah, there are a bunch of caravans on the way back now I can¡¯t run full speed now and end up returning to Demarrer in 3 days time... Now what?  When I reach the gates it seems like there¡¯s a line to enter the city? At least the line seems to be going fast.


    My turn finally comes up and I hand the Gate Guard my papers. He seems to look through it a few times before calling another guard over to verify. I thought the Duke said there wouldn¡¯t be any problems! What the heck? He¡¯s going to get an earful next time I see him, seriously.


    (Guard) ¡°Alright kid, looks like the papers are legitimate, next time though get your own papers and return this to your grandpa.¡±


    You¡¯re a grandpa! I snatch my papers back and stomp into the gates and head towards home. And here I thought modern technology built fast¡­ I guess you can do anything with magic huh? There are several new buildings and there¡¯s even this HUGE building that I don¡¯t remember from last year.


    I wonder what¡¯s there? Well I¡¯ll have plenty of time to explore once I get home. On the way I decide to surprise Lila by jumping the wall into the courtyard instead of using the front door. Hehe, I can¡¯t wait to see Lila¡¯s face! After I made sure no one can see me I kick jump up to the wall and pull myself over the wall. Then I jump down without making a single sound. When I land and look up, I can see several guards seemingly waiting for me.


    ¡°Hey guys, looks like you¡¯ve been more diligent lately!¡±


    The guards quickly turn around and start attacking me. They must want to show me how much they¡¯ve grown this past year these guys are a little too eager. I knock around the guards and disappointedly it feels like they got weaker compared to last year. I¡¯m going to have to talk to Fen about their performance, and they didn¡¯t even say hello before attacking.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Dusting off my clothes I continue towards the courtyard and there she is Lila¡¯s just playing with some... new dolls¡­? Did she ever play with dolls? Never mind that it¡¯s been a year and she hasn¡¯t grown at all we¡¯re going to have to feed her better.


    ¡°Hey Lila! Did you miss me little one? Did you have fun at the capital with the Duke?¡±


    I wave at Lila as I walk towards her but she looks at me like I¡¯m a stranger.


    (Lila?) ¡°Lilly not Lila! Mommy name Lilly after Granny. Are... you bad person?¡±


    What¡­ the hell? Maybe this Lilly is Lila¡¯s sister they do look exactly the same¡­ Ah I got it that¡¯s why they went to the capital, to pick Lilly up! While I was lost in thought I¡¯m once again surrounded by guards¡­ don¡¯t they at least say hello anymore?


    Lilly is picked up by a maid and pulled away and the guards draw their weapons flashing them towards me¡­ Really guys?


    ¡°Come on! Did you guys forget me already? I¡¯ve only been gone for a year what¡¯s with the cold welcome home? Don¡¯t make me tell Fen and the Duke about this.¡±


    The guards ignore me and begin attacking¡­ yea these guys definitely got worse this past year. They would at least stay conscience after I kick them but I¡¯ve ended up knocking out all them. I let out a sigh and see something shine in the corner of my eye?


    Shifting to the side I knife just flew past me? Are you kidding me! That was a steak knife!?! And it¡¯s stuck in the wall now!? Ah... they must be playing a prank on me, these guys. I guess I¡¯ll provoke him out and I can see how strong he really is.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re there Sebastian, come out.¡±


    I can then see Sebas enter from the side holding a platter in one hand as he bows.


    (Sebas?) ¡°I am called Bastian sir, I am unaware of who this Sebastian is but to rudely enter my master¡¯s home and acting so familiar with the young miss. And even claiming that this estate belongs to a Duke!¡±


    Getting a good look at him¡­ his face and stature is similar but his hair is brown? Did they hire another butler to made it a Sebastian pair? Wait¡­ this is the Duke''s house though, why am I wrong? I didn¡¯t get...lost again did I?


    Looks like I¡¯ll have to subdue him first though since he doesn¡¯t seem to want to talk any longer. Bastian flings the plate at me and I prepare to knock it away when I see another knife intercept it? Seriously what the hell is going on guys!?


    I look at the source of the knife and see an old man probably in his late 60¡¯s or early 70¡¯s  wearing a mantle and wearing what looks like silk clothing and a butler standing perfectly behind him probably in his mid 70¡¯s¡­ Great did the grandfather¡¯s family come to visit also?


    (Old man) ¡°Kuro¡­ is that you?¡±


    ¡­.No...

 Chapter 18: The Cruelty of time

    No...no...no¡­ This can¡¯t be right¡­ I left for a year¡­ just a year¡­ How did this... happen? Currently I¡¯m sitting with the old man and butler at a table¡­ the old man is Edward. The situation was slowly explained to me, I had been gone for 50 years¡­ 50 human years¡­ During that time many things had changed, Lila had gotten married with Edward and they had children.


    The little girl I met earlier was their granddaughter Lilly who they brought back to stay with them for a while. Sebas and Melia got married later on and had Bastian who was training under his father to continue to serve the family. Fei had been transferred to the capital several years after I was away and is still in service with the Royal Army.


    No wonder no one knew who I was¡­ none of the people here have met me before. But it just doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­ I¡¯m sure I left for only a year, how can there be such a large difference?


    (Sebas) ¡°I am aware Kuro wanted to keep this a secret¡­ but are you acquainted with the Elves? They age much slower than us Humans and their calendar reflects that¡­ I believe a year for and Elf is equivalent to 50 of our years.¡±


    ¡­ I knew something felt weird while I was with Lena¡­ I don¡¯t really keep track of days well and had asked her to keep track for me and I had just thought my perception of time was wrong. I¡­ what have I done? I left poor Lila alone for the last 50 years¡­  For 50 years I abandoned her. I¡¯m... a failure of a guardian¡­


    (Edward) ¡°I see, don¡¯t be so hard on yourself Kuro, I¡¯m sure Lila understands too. As I promised, I made sure she was bought enough happiness for the both of us.¡±


    At least she had Eddy with her during that time. Just the thought alone eases my guilt slightly.


    ¡°Thanks Eddy¡­ I feel a lot better. By the way, where is Lila? I would have expected her to be here by now?¡±


    At that moment Edward avoided my gaze¡­ so did Sebas¡­ She...didn¡¯t¡­ did she? As my thoughts began to stray I felt a hand touch my shoulder and turn around to see an old lady¡­ phew¡­ you scared the¡­ wait¡­


    ¡°Melia?¡±


    She simply smiles and nods to my inquiry. What are you guys not telling me¡­ Please just don¡¯t let her be dead.


    (Melia) ¡°She¡¯s feeling well today Master Edward, I shall escort Kuro to Lady Lila¡¯s room.¡±


    Don¡¯t scare me like that you guys, seriously. They must be getting me back for disappearing for so long.


    (Edward) ¡°Please I¡¯ll be there in a moment, please... explain the situation to Kuro.¡±


    With that Edward and Sebas leave and Melia leads me towards Lila¡¯s room.


    (Melia) ¡°There are a few things I would like to tell you first Kuro¡­ Lila was broken hearted when you didn¡¯t come home after a year. She was constantly crying and no matter what we did we couldn¡¯t find you¡­ the Duke eventually bought another dragon home as a replacement for Lila. She eventually calmed down and the dragon still stays by her side despite her¡­ condition.¡±


    Condition..?


    (Melia) ¡°Some days she doesn¡¯t remember certain people, other days she¡¯ll be normal¡­ there were countless times where she would deny the identify of people saying they aren¡¯t that old.¡±


    ¡­ Lila¡­ she has Alzheimer''s¡­ at such an age too? Isn¡¯t the offset on the early side? The guilt feels like it¡¯s consuming me¡­ I should have been there for her¡­ why didn¡¯t I notice...I feel each step I take get heavier and heavier¡­


    As I continue to follow Melia, it feels like the hallway became an endless tunnel. No matter how much I walked I couldn¡¯t see the end¡­ The hall grew darker and darker¡­ as if was trying to consume me¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­ even be there for one little girl¡­


    (Melia) ¡°Lila look who decided to come home!¡±


    As if I had reached the light at the end of the tunnel, a light shone through the door Melia opened. In front of me a 60 year old Lila laying against a blue serpent-like dragon as she slowly meets my gaze.


    (Lila) ¡°My! Kuro you bad boy where have you been!¡±


    Lila¡¯s smile shone at me as bright as I remembered, still the same little girl in my heart.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that little one! No matter your appearance, you¡¯ll still be little Lila to me.¡±


    During that moment, the shackles of guilt let go, for just the moment I run to Lila giving her a hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Lila¡­ I ¡­ no, there¡¯s no excuse... I failed you as your guardian¡­¡±


    Lila slowly pats me on the head¡­ being the size of a 10 year old is really weird.


    (Lila) ¡°As long as you¡¯re safe Kuro..¡±


    I swear I won¡¯t fail Lila again¡­ I¡¯ll protect Lilly and redeem myself¡­My family is my everything... without them I¡¯m useless...


    While catching up with Lila I see the blanket rustle¡­? A moment later I see a blue haired girl¡¯s head pop out? I watch her as she rubs her eyes seemingly devoid of emotion as she lets out a cry.


    (Blue Haired Girl) ¡°AAH! It¡¯s the boy from the forest! What are you doing here? And wait¡­ Why do you look the same?¡±


    Aoi tilts her head while staring at me¡­ well I didn¡¯t expect it to be someone I was acquainted with.


    (Lila) ¡°Oh Kuro? Did you know our Azure Dragon Aoi?¡±


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    I then explained how we had met in the forest years ago until Edward came in with what looked like a priest of some sort? We were all asked to leave while the Priest examined Lila, leaving only the priest, Lila, and Aoi in the room. The rest of us stood outside her door, I then heard Edwards quivering voice¡­


    ¡°The Herbalists and Healers tell me¡­ she doesn¡¯t have long left¡­ what do I do¡­¡±


    He then falls to his knees and I give him a hug¡­ poor Ed¡­ I try to comfort him as tears fall from our faces. What do I say¡­ What¡­ can I say?


    ¡°Time is a cruel thing¡­ our times are not equivalent in this world and those most important to us, sometimes leave first¡­ It¡¯s our duty, as those that will be, and get left behind to live¡­. There¡¯s a phrase I always think about at times like this Edward. It¡¯s the responsibility of the living, to live for the sake of the departed. ¡°


    I wasn¡¯t sure what else to say¡­ the pain of losing loved ones¡­ I know it too well¡­ you never get used to it. Eventually Edward calms down and stands up regaining his composure before the Priest leaves the room shaking his head¡­ even modern medicine has nothing to stop this right now¡­ all we can do is cherish what time we have left. All we can do¡­ is stay by her side...until the end.


    Slowly I was reintroduced the the guards and maids that live in the Manor, I¡¯ve even gotten properly acquainted with Lilly. She knows about me since she  has heard stories about me from everyone who knew me. While I was doing my meet and greet I could feel a constant gaze fixated on me and turn to comfort it. It¡¯s just Aoi, I wonder if she needs something?


    (Aoi) ¡°Umm¡­ Kuro? Would you happen to know who your parents are?¡±


    That¡¯s right Aoi was looking for her sibling before wasn¡¯t she?


    ¡°I do not, all I know was I was born in that forest.¡±


    Her eyes widening as she speaks.


    (Aoi) ¡°In the cave¡­ behind the waterfall¡­ right?¡±


    How did she¡­ wait¡­?


    (Aoi) ¡°I¡¯m right aren¡¯t I! You ARE my little brother!¡±


    Is Aoi my sister¡­? Wait that doesn¡¯t make sense I¡¯m a Shadow Dragon right¡­ and Aoi is an Azure Dragon right?


    ¡°Wait a moment though¡­ you¡¯re an Azure and I¡¯m a Shadow Dragon right? How is that possible?¡±


    Something doesn¡¯t add up.


    (Aoi) ¡°Mother is an Azure Dragon, and Father is a Shadow Dragon. Do you breath black flames? That¡¯s one of the characteristics of a pure pred Shadow Dragon.¡±


    I¡­ don¡¯t breath fire.. At least I don¡¯t think I can?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ I can¡¯t really breath out anything¡­ unless you count spitting out water.¡±


    When I say that Aoi grabs a hold of me and starts squirming about¡­?


    ¡°Silly! That means you can breath out water! Mother and I have been looking for you all this time Kurogane! She even defeated a Human Army that she thought captured you when you were born! Since mother and father are always so busy they couldn¡¯t keep watch over you but we didn¡¯t expect you to hatch early!¡±


    Aoi slowly strokes my head as she tells me about our parents¡­ hehe¡­ I did have a family¡­ and they were looking for me. Wait¡­ if mother destroyed an Army because she THOUGHT they kidnapped me¡­ what would they do if we¡¯re BOTH here?!?


    ¡°Sis! Does mom know you¡¯re here?¡±


    Please say yes¡­


    (Aoi) ¡°Of course! She visits occasionally when she isn¡¯t busy, same with father. I¡¯ll be sure to tell mother I found you and we can be a be reunited finally!¡±


    I end up spending the rest of the morning with my newfound sister Aoi. I tell her everything, even the fact that I reincarnated here¡­ She already knows that I never met any Humans in the forest and though younger than her was able to transform into a Human better than her. She seemed to believe my story and starts telling me about the species known as Dragons.


    From what Aoi could tell me there are various species of Dragon each species usually nests in a different area. Azure will nest near water, Shadow in ruins or catacombs, generally areas with little light. She doesn¡¯t seem to know much about the other species but this much is good. There is also the fact that Dragons usually don¡¯t die from old age, we¡¯re usually killed and the fertility of pure bred dragons are extremely low.


    Most eggs end up stillborn, never hatching. They had thought at one point I was one of those cases. And were ecstatic that my egg had hatched and absolutely terrified when mother couldn¡¯t find me. I¡¯ve made them worry needlessly with my thoughtless behavior. At least I have a seemingly endless amount of time to make it up to them. As we chat I see Lilly come up to us and speaks in her broken speech.


    (Lilly) ¡°Aoi ¡­ Kuwo.. play hide...seek?¡±


    She cutely tilts her head like Lila used to, melting my heart in a moment. We then spent the time before lunch playing with Lilly. She reminds me so much of Lila when she was younger, not just her face but the way she acts.


    She ran around the courtyard with enough energy to out-power a nuclear reactor. Lila was much more socially adept though, Lilly¡¯s speech is broken but absolutely adorable! I¡¯ve failed to be there for Lila¡­ I swear I¡¯ll be there for Lilly to protect her, no matter the cost.

 Chapter 19: Adventurer’s Guild

    After spending a few weeks with playing with Lilly since talking with Aoi. I decide it¡¯s time to take a look at the city. I¡¯m especially curious about that large building, not that I¡¯m bored since Lilly¡¯s studying and Aoi is napping with Lila¡­ and Lila doesn¡¯t remember me today.


    *Smack*


    Slapping my face in order to clear my thoughts and head towards the mysterious building. It looks to be only a few stories high, but the amount of land it takes up is more than most buildings here. Hmm I think our house is still bigger¡­ just a little.


    I find out the building was the Adventurer''s guild. The Guild was full of armed men and women of all sorts, with a few magicians here and there. It was a very impressive sight, they even had a tavern in the building! As I wander around there was a wall of posters with various jobs and a reception area, probably to accept these jobs. Something like an Adventurer''s Guild exist here huh¡­ I wonder if I should join it after Lilly grows a little older.


    It could be fun traveling the world taking jobs that kind of life isn¡¯t bad. The poster on the board seem to have different letters on the top right hand corner varying from D to SSS. I wonder if that¡¯s the requirement to take the job? How do they even know that you killed a monster? I turn to a nearby pretty receptionist lady and ask her my questions. Not because she was cute mind you, I just had...questions.


    (Receptionist Girl) ¡°Yes? You seem a little young to be an Adventurer, are you perhaps wondering what we do here?¡±


    Well she certainly is sharp, and here I thought she was just a poster girl.


    ¡°Yes, I was interested on how the guild operates.¡±


    The Receptionist gives me her best business smile and starts to explain.


    (Receptionist Girl) ¡°The Guild operates by taking various jobs from the local populace or the Kingdom itself varying from finding lost children... such as yourself, to slaying monsters. Depending on the rank of the Adventurer they can take quests of the same level or lower. In the case of a group with sufficient numbers may be allowed to take on a job of a higher rank depending on the nature of the quest. Adventurer ranks start at lowest D up to the highest rank of S. There are only a few S rank adventurer¡¯s active, one of which is this branch¡¯s Guild Master.¡±


    Oh? There¡¯s a capable person here, that¡¯s reassuring. I wonder who this Guild Master is¡­ he must be strong. Of course I¡¯ll ignore the joke about there being a job to return me home and continue my inquires.


    ¡°Thank you for the information. How does the Guild confirm a job is complete?¡±


    Maybe they have some kind of magic guild card that can record the kills or job completions. That would be awesome and make my life that much easier. Or maybe they have some kind of magical gem that can record data.


    (Receptionist Girl) ¡°The submitter of the quest will  confirm completion with the guild, in the case of monster subjugation a part of it¡¯s body will suffice.¡±


    Well that was anti climatic¡­ why can¡¯t this world be more convenient? I thank the girl and continue meandering about the guild. Most of the people here spare me none of their attention, which is good for me. I¡¯d rather not cause a commotion if I can help it.


    My attention moves towards an object in the corner of my eye. There was a poor unattended mug sitting on the bar all by its lonesome. I had to check on it and make sure it wasn''t feeling neglected. As I got closer I could smell it, the smell reminding me of my favorite stout beer in my previous life time.


    Unable to resist I took a quick look around and grabbed the mug and attempted to drink from it. Probably not my smartest idea, but I haven''t had anything but water. And honestly with everything happening lately, I think the Universe owes me a beer, right? Just as I was about to take a sip, someone suddenly picks me up by my collar  and pulls me away from my beer.


    "Just a sip! That''s all I really want!"


    I protest as I watch a man clad in armor chug the beer in one gulp.


    (Man who stole my beer) "This stuff here isn''t for whelps like you boy. How''d you get in here."


    I start flailing about, since being suspended in air, is not exactly my favorite pass time


    "You could have at least enjoyed it! Drinking it like that is disrespectful to the brewer! You guys left the door unlocked. So I came in through the front door, or have you never heard of it?"


    I jeer at the man. He begins to laugh like one of those cheap mid boss villains on a kids show so I couldn''t resist giving him a swift kick to the shins. As soon as he received my, maybe slightly bitter about the beer, kick he dropped me to the ground and was pretty pissed off at me.


    He definitely felt that kick, that''ll show him not to take my beer from me. He took a swing at me with his fist, so I move underneath his swing and grab his hand and simply pull him in the same direction and throw him by adding my own force to his momentum. I initially didn''t want to cause a ruckus here I have no idea what I was thinking...


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    It''s my story and I''m sticking to it, but after that throw I''ve caught everyone''s attention now. To my surprise they were nice enough to give us some room.


    (Beer Thief)"I don''t know how you did it whelp, but you''ve pissed me off. I''m gonna teach you what happens when you piss of an Adult"


    Not very convincing of a statement, while you''re trying to dust off yourself after getting schooled by a kid.


    (Man who thinks he knows how to drink beer) "Follow me whelp, I''ll show you how a real man fights"


    I just shrug and follow as the room is full of chatter now.


    (Adventurer A) "Picking a fight with a child now, does he have no shame.¡±


    (Adventurer B) ¡°We should call the Guild master before this gets out of hand."


    There were even a few who wanted to see the fight and started betting. We ended up moving to the testing/training area. Leading them there, I felt like we were ducklings following our mother... just bigger and more shiny.


    As soon as we reach our destination the crowd started to gather and look. We¡¯ve got quite a lot of people for some guy fighting a kid... The Beer Thief turns around to me and points the a weapon rack nearby.


    (Pompous Beer Thief) "Pick whatever you weapon you want whelp. I''ll fight you bare handed to make this fair"


    As he lets out his cheap laugh. His laugh annoys me like no other and at this point, I really wouldn''t mind shutting him up.


    "If we were to be fair, you''d have to choose a weapon and tie both my arms behind my back! I wouldn''t want anyone thinking I''m picking on you."


    Looks like I hit a nerve his face looks like he''s about to blow his top, which was totally worth it. I see him then grab a spear nearby and twirl it about like a circus act. He even does a little Kabuki like gesture at the end.


    (Beer Thief with a stick) "I''ll make you regret those words whelp!"


    At this point I''m not sure if he knows the irony of him calling me a whelp, because I really am a dragon whelp. I reach into my bag and pull out my equipment, my bracers, sword and dagger and put them on as the man impatiently waits for me.


    "It''d be best for your sake if you took this seriously and not think of me as just some regular old kid, or you''ll be in a world of pain."


    I figured I should at least give the poor sap good warning before I curb stomp his face but he seems to pay no heed, I sigh and draw my weapons and dash at him. As expected from a seasoned adventurer he was caught by surprise at the speed I came at him but quickly recovered and swung his spear at my legs intending to deprive me of movement.


    Having learned my lesson from last time I jumped into the air and bounced off the spear with my dagger. Clashing with the spear I pushed myself forward and spun towards him slashing my sword towards his shoulder. His reaction speed wasn''t half bad he saw me coming and pushed himself back with his spear. This caused me to only graze his shoulder with my attack, I wasn''t going to let up on him yet though.


    As soon as I landed I did a jumping back kick to his chest knocking him back a few steps to catch his breath. Furious he grips tightly and looks like he''s ready to kill me. I can feel his killing intent from here, I have no choice. I''m going to have to go for the throat here or else this will be more trouble than it¡¯s worth.


    Just before we were to attack, another man yells at us to stop¡­? That voice sounds kinda familiar to me¡­? Reflexively I turn to look at who it was. As soon as our eyes met, I knew this wasn''t going to end well. Please let me be wrong.


    (Man) "You... what are... never mind this you two will stop this nonsense NOW, and you kid... MY OFFICE NOW!"


    Oh no¡­ I am definitely not wrong¡­Looking over at the Beer Bandit I had been fighting, he suddenly became all coy, I even heard several people gasp and heard some of them talk.


    (Gawking Adventurer) "Oh that kids in for it the Guild Masters furious."


    A small group had to chime in too.


    (Chatty Adventurer) "Didn''t the Guild Master call you last week, how''d it go?"


    The adventurer shivered and replied to his friend


    (Frightened Adventurer) "I thought we agreed to NEVER bring that up again, you couldn''t pay me enough to go back in there.¡°


    I slowly follow the Guild Master into his office.


    "Uh, I''ll explain everything... so you don''t look so angry Harvey."


    Slowly I close the door behind me.

 Chapter 20: Meeting an Old Friend

    The years have been kind to Harvey, his hair though is now a sea of pure white. The wrinkles on his face barely visible and his physique has not deteriorated since the last time I met him. He tells me to sit down and leaves for a moment. This silence is killing me...


    Harvey quickly returning with two mugs one filled with ale, the other the beer I saw earlier, which he left in front of me. Bless his heart, this guy¡¯s a saint! I grab the mug and take a sip, it¡¯s a creamy beer that reminds me faintly of chocolate with a roasted bitter sweet taste. I really needed that today.


    (Harvey) "You haven¡¯t changed at all over the years there''s only one explanation I can think of but I would like to hear it from you."


    He sat there as if he was staring through my soul.


    "Thanks for the beer, I guess you heard why this whole thing happened. I''ll be honest with you Harvey when I first met you; something told me one wrong step and you could have easily killed me. So I had to hide my identity. I am indeed the dragon you were scouting for that day; I hope you understand why I had to lie to ensure my survival."


    He smiled at me and assured me my hunch was right, thankfully he is aware that I am not a threat to the safety of the city and begins to drink his ale.


    (Harvey) ¡°It seems like the sword I left you has been in good hands, how has it treated you?¡±


    I smile and pat my sword.


    ¡°Perfect in every way, I¡¯ve never had to perform extensive maintenance on it and to this day it¡¯s as sharp as the day you gave it to me. I couldn¡¯t ask for a better sword¡±


    Harvey smiles as I tell him and lets out a laugh.


    (Harvey) ¡°Good¡­ Good! I knew leaving it with you was a good idea. Speaking of which do you remember my offer when we parted ways? I¡¯d like to retract that as an offer¡­ and instead change it into a request from an old friend.¡±


    Well I wasn¡¯t planning on joining the Guild quite yet but if Harvey¡¯s here it might not be a bad idea.


    (Harvey) ¡°There have been complicating matters lately¡­ monster activity is on the rise and there are talks about a Demon Lord rising in power. There are even talks about a full blown war with the Demon Country. Honestly, our current Adventurers are unable to keep things in control. At this rate there may be monsters appearing at our front door.¡±


    That¡¯s worrisome¡­ the increased monsters AND a war with a Demon Lord? What if the fighting comes here and they pull Lilly, Lila or Edward into it? Or the monsters¡­ if there are too many what if they break through the barrier protecting Roy and Lena? The Elders told me the barrier can only stop medium sized monsters¡­ anything larger than that can stroll right through it.


    I can¡¯t let that happen¡­ No monster or Demon Lord is going to lay a finger on my family. Mmm this beer really hits the spot¡­ when was the last time I drank alcohol? None since I¡¯ve taken this body¡­ I think it was that time with Arlene¡­


    (Harvey) ¡°Are you listening to me Kuro?¡±


    In a daze I stare at my empty mug and Harvey¡¯s face. Whoops let my thought stray for a moment there.


    ¡°Ah, sorry Harv. The beer was delicious so I lost myself for a moment, continue.¡±


    Agreeing to join the Guild Harvey pulls out a map and shows me where the area¡¯s with especially high reported monster activity and one is in the mountains west of us.


    (Harvey) ¡°I had sent one of our best Adventurers to scout the area but he hasn¡¯t returned. I then sent two more to aid him or find his remains and continue his quest. They too, are two days late for their report¡­ Old friend¡­ bring them home¡­ whether they be alive or dead. At least the Guild Card which will at least give the family closure.¡±


    The guild cards must be like dog tags, it¡¯s not in my nature to leave my comrade in arms behind so I agree.


    ¡°Leave it to me Harvey, I¡¯ll bring them home. I promise.¡±


    A faint smile is shown on his face as he receives a small box from who I¡¯m guessing is his assistant.


    (Harvey) ¡°This is your Guild Card, your rank is S but it will be a secret. It can be doubled as an Identification and since your circumstances are¡­ special, the minimum amount of information was inscripted inside to not raise too many questions. Here¡¯s another dummy card of rank B which should be used when introducing yourself to other guild members. Though your ability I feel is S ranked there will be unwanted questions if your rank is too high. At least until your appearance ages a bit more.¡±


    Harvey put a lot of thought into this, I¡¯m honestly dumbfounded and can¡¯t see any problems with his judgement and take the cards and put them into my bag. As I try to excuse myself to prepare for my trip Harvey throws a bag onto the table and I can see several cura spread out on the table.


    (Harvey) ¡°This is a special case, this is half the payment. The other half will be received on completion. NORMALLY payment isn¡¯t received until completion is confirmed, but you probably need some funds to buy some equipment.¡±


    As I gather up the money, my stomach growls¡­ it¡¯s my money now right¡­ time for lunch~! As I leave the room I can hear Harvey chuckling behind me.


    As I try to exit the Guild I notice quite a few eyes watching me as they are whispering among themselves. I¡¯m curious what they are saying but first I need to eat something, but didn¡¯t I eat before I left¡­? Really though¡­ what¡¯s wrong with me lately my head¡¯s been full of food lately. After I grab a ¡°bite¡± to eat¡­ Ok, maybe it was a full meal¡­ Fine! it was a full course meal!


    After eating my fill I wander into the Smith¡¯s Alley and look around and finding something useful. It looks like they were thinking of making a rectangularly shaped chainmail and it looks like it¡¯s cheap only 50 cura.


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    (Shop Keeper) ¡°Were ya interested in that one boy? My stupid son decided to change the design of the chain links and no one wants it.¡±


    Trying to break free from the normally circular link huh?


    ¡°So Mister¡­ can you take it apart and re-link it into a rope? I¡¯ll pay for the extra labor if it¡¯s reasonable.¡±


    (Shopkeeper) ¡°That I¡¯ll do it free of charge, if you take that thing out of my sight!¡±


    SCORE! I quickly pay the shopkeeper and tells me to come by in a few hours? As I walk away I hear can hear angry yelling¡­ that guy¡¯s poor son¡­ I keep going farther down the alley until I run into a familiar shop and walk in.


    (Female Shopkeeper) ¡°Welcome! If you have any questions about our wares please let me know. My husband is in the back right now if you needed to do a custom order¡±


    It looks like this shop has done well over the years the place looks well maintained the the person tending to the store is a well dressed young girl of 17 I¡¯m guessing.


    ¡°I was actually l wondering if I can get this repaired?¡±


    I take out the Main Gauche I had used during the duel with the Beer Burglar, the blade had chipped during the fight and was in need of repair.


    (Female Shopkeeper) ¡°Wait one moment, I¡¯ll ask my husband.¡±


    She takes the dagger and disappears into the back room. Sadly it could not be repaired, the blade had received too much damage over the years. And as soon as the hammer had met it, it shattered. But, as compensation he reinforced my extra dagger¡­ I wonder?


    ¡°Excuse me¡­ do you happen to have metal shavings? Just bits of metal scraps? I¡¯ll take the pieces of my old dagger also.¡±


    The smith looked at me confused and told me he should, I ended up buying a bag full of it for 2 Cura. Before I left the Alley I checked on my chain linked rope which was complete¡­ that poor soul. Stuffing it in my bag I went into the market area and bought some jerky, bread, powdered sugar, salt, pepper, and whatever stall food looked tasty.


    Alright that was quite the haul, thankfully I have this magic bag to stuff it all in! How did I live without it before? Humming as I walk I start walking home and pass by the courtyard by habit and see a heartwarming scene. Lila was sitting in a chair underneath a tree next to Edward holding hands as they watched Lilly and Aoi running about. She is my older sister¡­ right?


    At least in appearance she looks to be at least 18¡­ mental age is a different issue though. My presence is found out by Lila and she motions me over and I give them both a hug from behind and tell them about me joining the Guild. To my surprise Lila was perfectly fine with it and Edward was the one that was concerned!


    He started telling me about the dangers, all the jobs sent to the guild are ones that normal people could not do. Even the requests sent from the Kingdom were ones where either the mortality rate was too high to sacrifice troops or could not allocate extra troops to handle.


    ¡°You¡¯ve become too much of a worrywart Eddy. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed, and this kind of work suits me best!¡±


    Edward just sighs and pulls something out of his pocket.


    (Edward) ¡°I won¡¯t stop you then, but please be careful. We lost you once¡­ I¡¯ll be damned if we lose you again. This bag has some papers which can be used if you get in trouble with any local officials. It has my families insignia so they¡¯ll know you¡¯re part of the family. Only use it when all other options are expired and I¡¯d rather you not open it unless it¡¯s needed.¡±


    I wonder what it is¡­ regardless I grab it and toss it in my bag as Lilly comes tugging on my shirt.


    (Lilly) ¡°Kuwo! Play with Lilly!¡±


    Lila just giggles as I get pulled away to play captured princess. Lilly took the role of the princess and Aoi took the role of the Hero¡­ me? The evil dragon who captured the Princess of course. After a couple hours Lilly had her fill of fun and we ate dinner.


    After dinner I return to the courtyard, everyone else is relaxing inside by the fire and chatting. If I could I would join them¡­ but right now I have something more important to worry about. My understanding of what magic was extremely limited it seemed. While I was staying with Roy and Lena I had learned how to control the flow of magical energies from within me and the environment. Do I understand it? Hell no.


    What I do know is if strong enough of image is produced and enough magic energy is poured into its formation, one could manipulate nature. Chants were used to AID in this visualism and were not required if one could produce the image of the spell. Alongside my general understanding I¡¯ve been able to increase the strength of my ¡°Create Water¡± and ¡°Ignition¡± spells.


    Aoi had also told me that being half Azure and half Shadow dragon it was easier for me to use the elements of water and fire. I¡¯m currently training the image of a ball of water and moving it around in the air. I¡¯m currently able to conjure up 4 of these, and move them independently. I can also control the temperature of the water to a point.


    The current technique I¡¯m trying learn, is to freeze the balls of water by trying to extract as much heat as I can from it. If I can achieve a point where the water¡¯s molecules stop movement I should be able to freeze it¡­ All while keeping the the form of floating, magical balls of water things.


    Until I become sleepy I try to instantly freeze the water but it¡¯s harder than I thought it would be. Tomorrow I have to depart to take care of Harvey¡¯s request and instantly pass out as I lay on my bed once I return to my room.

 Chapter 21: First Job as an Adventurer

    Tonight I had another dream¡­ another memory I¡¯d rather leave buried¡­After my parents died we received a large sum of money from the life insurance but the various immediate costs made a dent in it. Funeral costs, finishing payments on the house, I even ended up selling their cars since we had no use for the extra¡¯s. Every day Kenny and Mia would cry¡­ Mia would sleep with me holding onto my shirt teary eyed, probably afraid I would disappear also.


    Kenny tried to be strong but I could hear him sobbing in the middle of the night when everyone was supposed to be asleep. At that time I decided to stop going to college and get a job to help support my siblings. I promised my parents I would provide for them and love them enough for all 3 of us. I kept up the appearance of being the calm reliable brother to my siblings and I could only show my broken state to Arlene. Deep down inside I was angry¡­ I wanted to avenge my parents murder.


    The ¡°accident¡± was the start of war between our two countries, it sickened me that my parents were murdered  for such a reason. I remember not being able to sleep and instead every night I would devise ways to kill, torture, and break an unknown killer. It was the only way to curb my anger pointed at an unknown killer. There was an enlistment to enter the front lines but I didn¡¯t because of Arlene¡­ as long as she was here I would stay.


    Slowly opening my eyes I turn to my side and see Lilly flinch?


    (Lilly) ¡°Scawy face! Bad! Lilly no like.¡±


    And with that she runs off with a pitter patter. My face isn¡¯t that scary right? My worries were proven unfounded after I got my things and left, Lilly latched onto me not letting me go. As soon as I told her I was leaving for a few days and to be good she grabbed onto me and won¡¯t let go. It was mildly amusing dragging her through the manor for a while.


    Eventually Melia removed her kicking and screaming, heh Mia would occasionally throw tantrums just like her.


    ¡°Lilly if you¡¯re good I promise I¡¯ll bring you back a gift.¡±


    I had used this to convince Mia when I had to leave for a trip in my previous life, it was really effective so I¡¯ll give it a shot.


    (Lilly) *sniff* ¡°Pwomise?¡±


    I instinctively pull on her cheeks a little.


    ¡°Promise.¡±


    She then stopped resisting and was carried off by Melia.


    (Melia) ¡°Be careful out there Kuro¡­¡±


    You don¡¯t have to worry so much Melia, I¡¯ll be fine. Age must have made her a worrywart.


    From the information Harvey left me there¡¯s a village near the mountain range where the previous adventurers should have stopped by before. The road through the mountains was one of the main roads to the Capital. There¡¯s a lot of merchants and travelers that pass through the roads so I was told to be careful. It would take about 3 days on foot to reach the village and a few hours to enter the mountains from there.


    The trip to the village was quick since the road didn¡¯t have anyone... not a single soul. My stay at the village was short, all I got was a meal and the fact that the others had left the day before. There was also a comment from one of the villager that gave me a bad feeling¡­ There hadn¡¯t been any travelers coming through the mountain range for the last 2 weeks now. I better hurry. My gut is telling me I have to act now and I quickly run to the mountain range, hand on my dagger.


    After a half hour or so of running I see signs of a struggle, trees and some bushes look trampled and clearly visible cut marks. The best thing I can do right now is track the combatants and maintain my stealth. So I dash between trees, making sure to carefully transverse through the sparse trees. The fighting looked like it got more violent as I follow the trail ¡­ how far did they go?


    It¡¯s taking too long to trail them like this it¡¯s best if I get a bird''s eye view¡­ the only problem is the better my view of the surroundings...the higher the chance the enemy will find me. But I¡¯m running out of time, I feel I have to find them now! I ascend up a nearby tree and start following the trail¡­ What¡¯s...that? Not good!


    I notice something flying towards the tree I climbed and it flies through the tree causing it to fall. At the last moment I jump off the tree and kick off another tree to try to kill the momentum of my fall and roll to minimize the damage. Did they find me? I take a quick look and see nothing but a giant sword stuck into the ground about 5 feet long¡­ the hell!


    This is reality not some made up story! Who the hell could swing this thing around!? No matter, despite it¡¯s size I seem to be strong enough to dislodge it and put it in my bag¡­ god I love this thing. At least I know which direction the fighting¡¯s at now and run towards source of the sword and I see three adventurers¡­ That makes my job easier!


    There was a large muscular man clad in full body armor  in the front holding down a large tower shield and a small red head healer, healing him from behind cover. Towards the back there was a young boy wearing a robe holding a cane staring down something. Following their gaze I see it¡­ a Giant Nope¡­ nope¡­ don¡¯t wanna deal with it...nope...nope¡­ as I grin and formulate my ambush.


    Staring down the party of Adventurer¡¯s was a giant spider, no I don¡¯t mean something like a daddy long legs. This thing was a legitimate monster of a spider and it was waiting for a chance to attack. Good¡­ it still hasn¡¯t seen me yet. Grabbing my bag in my left hand I decide to do what I always wanted to do in an online game¡­ a surprise attack with a giant sword!


    Slowly I move into position behind it and run at it full speed towards the spider¡¯s hind legs. Drawing the large sword from the bag I swing at its left side legs as hard as I can. The sword cleanly cuts through two of the legs and dents the third leg before I let the sword go. It¡¯s too large for me to control with this body so I slip in under its abdomen and plunge my dagger into it¡¯s stomach¡­ Are you kidding me?!?


    My newly reinforced Main Gauche shattered on impact with the spider''s abdomen and it continued to fall to it¡¯s side from losing two if it¡¯s legs.Dropping my dagger I grab for my sword with my left hand and in a drawing movement slash through it as I retreat behind it with a side flip. My sword cuts through the spider''s carapace easily drawing blood but in my impatience had moved too far and and ended up sliding farther away from my target then I had wanted.


    I look up as I intend to continue my assault and the sky is littered with spears of fire¡­ I¡¯ve been careless¡­ Harvey warned me some monsters can cast magic and prepare for impact. I watch as the spears impale the spider burning it to a crisp¡­ it was the mage in the back! Nice support! After confirming the spiders death I slash off the blood on my sword and clean it as I walk towards the group.


    (Armored Man) ¡°Thanks for the back-up kid were were in a pinch! I¡¯ll let the rough use of my sword slide!¡±


    The man lets out a hearty laugh. Wait¡­ he uses a tower shield AND that sword!?! How strong is this guy?


    (Armored Man) ¡°Where are my manners, my name is Kalibur, my friends call me Kal for short. The small red head boy here is Erin, and the uppity magician in the back is Damien. And to whom do we thank for the assistance?¡±


    Hmm¡­ boy¡­? I take a good look at the person known as Erin¡­ no matter what I do, all I can see is a girl. She must be hiding her identity for a reason ¡­ I¡¯m a pretty good judge of a person¡¯s gender.


    ¡°You can thank that old bastard Harvey for sending me out here. The name¡¯s Kurogane, nice to meet cha!¡±


    With a light salute I start gathering information from them¡­. Just my luck¡­ why can¡¯t I get a nice easy job? Only Damien and Kal were sent by the Guild, they met Erin while they were investigating. Erin was traveling to Demarrer and had been attacked by the giant spider. While Erin was running away to lose the spider he ran into Damien and Kal and the fighting started.


    Since they were constantly being pushed back Kal was having trouble keeping it at bay long enough for Damien to cast any larger spells and was eventually disarmed and slashed by one of the spiders legs. My appearance was at the perfect time, it gave Damien enough time to cast a spell and let Erin have enough time to heal Kal.


    (Kalibur) ¡°We¡¯ll return with Erin to the nearby Village and rest before we return to Demarrer. What about you Kuro? Did you want to join us? We couldn¡¯t find any signs of the first Adventurer, he probably was eaten by this monster here.¡±


    Kal breaks off one of the spider''s fang and hands it to me as Damien has his hands behind his head grinning.


    (Kal) ¡°Take it, it¡¯s your kill.¡±


    (Damian) ¡°Take it ya Thief! And thanks for saving Kal¡¯s sorry hide. The thing probably would¡¯ve tried to eat me next once it was done with him.¡±


    Heh, this Damian kid seems like quite the character, I don¡¯t hate that kind of person.


    (Erin) ¡°Umm, Thank You for saving us! It would be reassuring having you join us... if you could.¡±


    Erin then bows while holding down his hat.


    ¡°Ahh.. well I would love to travel with all of you ¡­ but I would like to check the area one more time.¡±


    I hope they don¡¯t take offense but I really like to do things myself, also there¡¯s still that feeling of uneasiness that I haven''t been able to shake off¡­ I feel like I¡¯m missing something.


    (Kalibur) ¡°Well then we¡¯ll head back first then, let¡¯s meet back at the Guild then.¡±


    Kal salutes me as he starts to leave.


    (Damian) ¡°Yep! See ya around kiddo!¡±


    Damian spins around and trots off after Kal. Flustered Erin looks back and forth before bowing towards me and runs after them. Well then¡­ time to get to work. Continuing to survey the area the eerie silence persists.


    There¡¯s nothing here at all¡­ I don¡¯t see any signs of wildlife or anything alive. After looking around for a while the foot of the mountains had nothing.. I guess I¡¯ll head up the road that goes around the mountain and scout that area out.


    Nothing¡­ this is strange¡­ this is a major road how come no one¡¯s here? ¡­ what¡¯s that? Straining my eyes I notice something strange in the wooded area near the road¡­? Straying from the path I enter the thick forest and I see... webs?


    This must have been that spider¡¯s den then, best make sure it doesn¡¯t have any young before I head back to report. I slowly traverse through the trees, the density of webs growing more and more as I go farther. Eventually I began to see broken wagons and cocoons¡­ there are so many I¡¯ve lost count¡­ this is what happened to the people traveling through here.


    Occasionally I would see a pool of blood¡­ how many families did this thing destroy? Offering a prayer to the departed, I continue until I see a cave¡­ Bingo. I quietly enter the cave and reach a large opening. There doesn¡¯t look to be any young here the only thing I can see is a splotch of blood in the corner...  and a bow?


    There in the corner of the room was a composite bow and a quiver of arrows. Most of the arrows have been snapped in half from what I assume as a heavy impact. I salvage what I can and find a small bag with some Cura¡­ and an Adventurer¡¯s ID. I was too late¡­ I put my hands together and pray for the Adventurer to rest in peace and leave the cave after tossing everything in my bag. Mission complete¡­ time to head back and report to Harvey my findings.


    Slowly I exit the cave and I see several globs of white fly towards me? Crap! I was careless! I side step  quickly to dodge but my right hand is caught by one of the globs flinging me into the wall. At that moment I saw it¡­ another Monstrous Spider stares at me¡­


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    Great no backup and no initiative¡­ I look at the spider again seemingly laughing at it¡¯s foolish prey. Heh¡­ let¡¯s see who caught who, as a grin appears on my face. Clenching my right fist I burn the web with an Ignition spell, burning it away and run towards the spider. It steps away from me seeing the fire before letting out a cry running towards me.


    Got cha! Reach my hand into my bag I take out another bag and throw it at it¡¯s eyes, the contents were useless shards of metal now embedded into it¡¯s eyes. The monster lets out a pained cry as I step the the right drawing my sword hacking through it¡¯s legs.


    I don¡¯t stop until I get some distance from it. The spider is now writhing in pain after I get a few feet behind it and stab my sword into the ground drawing the composite bow and arrows. Staring at my target I nock an arrow and take aim carefully and release the arrow¡­ into a tree¡­


    Ok... NO one finds out about this¡­ I figured I could shoot a bow. I mean how hard could it be? ¡­ Much harder than I thought¡­ Oh? You¡¯re not going anywhere! Placing the bow back in my bag I grab my sword and run towards the retreating spider.


    It desperately tries to spray it¡¯s web at me, in response I set the webs on fire with Ignition the flames burning the insides of the spider. Continuing my assault I reach the back of the abdomen and repeatedly slash at it until it stops moving and clean my sword and return it to it¡¯s sheath.


    With this I hope the families left behind will find some ease with it¡¯s death. On my way to it¡¯s mouth to break one of it¡¯s fang¡¯s I notice a ring on the ground? I clean it off with magic and put it into my bag¡­ I guess monsters drop items!


    Wait¡­ the other spider¡­ I didn¡¯t check to see if it had anything in it¡¯s stomach! Quickly I break off one of the spider¡¯s fangs and run towards the other corpse. After I cut it open I found a Cloak¡­ it was black with a red hue complete with a hood and mouth cover? This looks useful and end up stuffing it in my handy bag before making a trip to return.


    Again¡­ I am plagued by my inability to pack enough food¡­ when I left the forested area I ate some jerky and bread as a victory snack. After that I had traveled to the nearby village and spend the night and slept all day delaying me further.


    I made sure to buy everyone little trinkets from the village and I left without checking my food supply. And here I am¡­ half way to Demarrer and out of food¡­ Where did I go wrong¡­ I bought 4 times as much as last time! I even bought a bunch of bread!?


    Where did it all go¡­ does my bag eat too or something... ? No I¡¯m just not thinking straight due to hunger¡­ Of course there isn¡¯t anyone around me that I can buy food from¡­ this sucks¡­ Am I going to die from hunger?


    I should have eaten those spiders¡­ I wonder if they would be tasty? My thoughts continue to wander until I finally make it back to the Guild. So hungry¡­ I¡¯ll talk to Harv after I eat¡­ Seeing an open table I sit and put my head against the table for a moment. Waitress.... I need food¡­ I get an order in before placing my face down again.  While I¡¯m waiting face to table I  hear a scraping sound


    (Kalibur) ¡°Finally made it back Kuro? Did you have any trouble on the way back?¡±


    I slowly raise my head and see a plate of vegetables¡­ and a nice juicy steak. Before Kal could react the steak was already in my mouth. As I¡¯m chewing I look up and see Kal¡¯s face filled with surprise.


    ¡°I *chew* promise *chew* to *swallow* pay you back *chew* for *chew* this.¡±


    I dislike talking with my mouth full but this was an emergency, any hungrier and I might eat a horse¡­ somebody''s horse, and I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t appreciate that. Kal just blinks and laughs at me.


    ¡°Slow down there boy, chew! Saving my life in exchange for a steak is a cheap price to pay.¡±


    I stare at Kal and stop chewing for a moment


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make us even, you still owe me I¡¯m taking this as interest.¡±


    And swallow the steak.


    (Kalibur) ¡°Haha it¡¯s a good appetite you have there, finish it I¡¯ll just order another. Thanks again for the assist, Damian and I will pay you back in the field one day!¡±


    Before Kal could return to his table the waitress brings out my food¡­ Kal¡¯s face was priceless he didn¡¯t expect me to order enough food to fill the table, nor for me to be able to finish it all. Ahh¡­ that was good¡­ next time¡­ I buy everything the stall has¡­


    Alright time to get down to business, I move towards the Guild counter and present my ID with the spoils of the mission. The Girl at the counter thanks me for bringing Kal and Damian home and the ID of the remaining Adventurer. The cloak, ring and bow were mine to do what I wanted and I decided to give the bow up to return to the family.


    The cloak and ring however had no owner so they became my property. After getting my payment I was told to go to the Guild Master¡¯s office to talk with Harvey. The meeting started well, I gave my report and I was payed the other half of my payment for the mission.


    When I told Harvey that the spiders corpses were still there he quickly called someone over to retrieve them. The body could be used for materials by smiths and make new armor or weapons from it.  Hmm I should take this occasion to tell Harvey about the ring I found¡­ hoping it was a magic item!


    (Harvey) ¡°Wha? You found a ring in the belly of one of the spiders and wondered if it was a magic item? Hahaha! Of course it isn¡¯t, there¡¯s only a few people who can Embed magic, if someone with such an item lost it or was killed there would be someone looking for it! I¡¯ll humor you though let me see these things you found.¡±


    Placing the cloak and ring on the table Harvey examines the cloak first.


    (Harvey) ¡°Hmm this is made of good material¡­ it looks like Wyvern Skin. Not as hard as your scales but stronger than any armor you¡¯ll find except something made by a Dwarf.¡±


    After handing me back the cloak Harvey examines the ring. He spins it around in his hand and his eyes widen as he grasps the ring in between his hands?


    (Harvey) ¡°You found this¡­ in the spider¡¯s stomach you say¡­¡±


    Harvey¡¯s voice was quivering¡­ and his eyes looked moist...


    ¡°Yes Harvey I found it in the stomach of the second spider.¡±


    From Harvey¡¯s eyes I could clearly see tears fall¡­


    (Harvey) ¡°You made that bastard suffer right¡­ you didn¡¯t give it a quick death right¡­ this ...ring is my daughter¡¯s wedding ring¡­ she visited last month and returned 2 weeks ago...I thought¡­¡±


    After uttering those last words Harvey breaks down crying, all I could do was try to comfort him with the method I killed the it leaving out a certain detail¡­ his face softened a little afterwards.


    While I was trying to comfort Harvey who had lost his daughter then there was a knock and I could hear a girl''s voice.


    (Girl) ¡°Is Harvey in?¡±


    And the door opens. There stood Erin, getting a better look at him he looked like he was 15 with flowing red hair up to his shoulders.


    (Erin) ¡°What did you do to grandfather!¡±


    I can then see a hand fly towards my face? Leaning back in my chair I see Erin¡¯s hand fly by and flick his forehead.


    ¡°At least figure out the situation before you slap someone.¡±


    After holding his head in pain and pouting for a moment, he goes to Harvey¡¯s side. Minutes later I now have to deal with a chorus of wales and tears. Erin had traveled here looking for her mother after she was gone longer than the family was expecting¡­ yes her mother¡­ Erin¡¯s a girl.


    She disguised herself as a boy and traveled all the way here. She just found out that her mother was eaten by a monster spider that was still in hiding when she left the forest¡­ I know how they feel and try to calm them the best I could.


    Once they both started to calm down I got the rest of the story. Erin had infact snuck out of her home, and the ring had inscriptions that were special made by her husband and were one of a kind. I decide to give them some personal time and excuse myself and slowly close the door and return home to my family.


    Wedding ring huh¡­ my feet slowly carry me towards my destination as I reminisce my past for a moment. I used to wear my ring with pride for the longest time, it was to me the bond between me and my wife. We spend hours looking through catalogs, going to different jewelry shops but couldn¡¯t find a pair of rings we liked.


    It was then I remembered, my mother used to go to a shop at the Asian Mall and I took her with me. The shopkeeper when she saw me gave me a hug before I could say a word, I had accompanied my mother frequently when I was younger but I didn¡¯t expect her to recognize me. Tears welled up in her eyes as she told me how glad she was to see me and that I was doing ok.


    She even asked me how we were doing financially and offered to help us if we needed it but I declined. My mother was a kind lady and helped many people, never asking for anything in return. Whenever someone would try to pay her back she would push it back and smile telling them the thought was more than enough for her.


    The Shopkeeper was one of those people, my mother apparently had helped her get the shop started, without her she would still be working minimum wage. She was an amazing woman my mother, I sometimes wonder if we were really related. At that shop we found a pair of rings that we loved and the lady I thought was a shopkeeper gave us them.


    (Owner) ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do, think of it as my congratulations to your marriage.¡±


    As she refused payment repeatedly. I wonder how she¡¯s doing now¡­ I haven¡¯t seen her for a long time.


    When I reach the Manor I notice some guards acting strangely? They seem to be avoiding eye contact with me¡­ suspicious¡­ as I walk towards them my face suddenly hits the ground and a wave of laughter can be heard.


    Lilly and Aoi had been lying in ambush and jumped down from a nearby tree. The guards were luring me over with their behaviour, it was an excellent display of teamwork! Since Lilly is on my back now I revert to my Dragon¡¯s form and start running around the courtyard as she excitedly laughs.


    After horsing around with Lilly and Aoi for a moment I take a ribbon out of my bag and give it to Lilly and a hairpin to Aoi. The looks on their face when the recieved my presents made everything worth it.


    I then left those two to continue playing and go look for Lila and Edward, whom I find in the dining room having a snack. Lila¡¯s eyes bright up when she sees me and nudges Edward and points at me


    ¡°Dear he¡¯s home from his trip, I think we¡¯ll need more food!¡±


    Giving both of them a hug I hand them my presents, a matching pair of cloaks, they thanked me and tried them on. They fit perfectly; I¡¯m not the best judge of size so I was quite proud of this and spent some time helping them ¡°clean¡± the table.


    After the meal Lila goes back to her room to rest with Edward and I end up going to bed early. For some reason today I''m absolutely  exhausted but strangely still  hungry¡­ ah screw it I''ll grab  a snack before bed. In a daze i enter the kitchen and stuff myself until I''m  full and drag myself into bed passing out as my head touches my pillow.

 Chapter 22: Erin and the Boy

    Once again I dream of a time passed, 1 year after my parents death Arlene became a permanent part of my family. Without her support I feel like I wouldn¡¯t be able to get this far. I got a job at a nearby firm as a regular office worker, Kenny and Mia started to smile again.


    My life was finally stable again and we got married, it was a small ceremony with close friends and Arlene¡¯s parents and my siblings. She looked absolutely stunning in her dress, I felt like the happiest man in the world that day. The main part of the wedding was Christian, but there was a second part we prepared with my parents pictures.


    It¡¯s a tradition where the bride and groom offer tea to their parents and I was sure to do that for them. They would have been happy seeing this¡­ I hope they can rest better now. My wife Arlene comforts me after we offer the tea to my deceased parents and join the festivities. Kenny is talking with some of my friends while Mia runs towards me when she sees me and I hear a pitter patter as she runs towards me and tackles me?


    I awaken to a headbutt to my stomach urg¡­ five more¡­ hours please, I don¡¯t wanna wake up. Grabbing ahold of the person who headbutted me I roll over and see Lilly¡¯s head as she starts trying to squirm away¡­ so cute. Not releasing my grip I sit up and put my chin on top of her head¡­. Huh?


    ¡°Mmmm did you shrink Lilly..? We need to feed you more¡­ or you¡¯re going to get smaller and smaller¡­ you¡¯ll disappear at ...this rate.... ¡±


    I can then feel Lilly turn around and face the same way as me kicking her feet and holding onto my arms. Mmm last time she headbutted me awake I went back to sleep and then she went to get Aoi¡­ She apparently tried to wake me up and I didn¡¯t respond. So she flipped me out of bed¡­ let¡¯s not let her go.


    (Lilly) ¡°No Lilly no shwink silly! Kuwo get big! Sleepy Dwagon sleep 3 days. Lilly good girl wait until today to wake up!¡±


    ¡­ Huh? I¡¯ve been asleep for 3 days? And I grew? What is this little girl talking about? Looking at my legs my pants seem to have shrunk and my shirt sleeves also seem to be much smaller than before. I¡¯m going to have to get new clothes now great¡­


    (Aoi) ¡°Looks like Lilly got you to wake up finally sleepyhead.¡±


    I look over and see my sister Aoi holding a set of clothing, did she prepare that for me?


    (Aoi) ¡°Your reliable Bis Sister prepared these for you for when your growth spurt started. I noticed you have been eating a lot lately so I knew it was nearing.¡±


    It¡¯s great having a big sister like Aoi she¡¯s prepared for everything! After I release Lilly she runs off and I get dressed in my new clothes, a buttoned up dark blue tunic and a pair of black trousers. She even prepared another new pair of boots for me!


    (Aoi) ¡°Oh and you have a guest waiting for  you Kuro, I¡¯ll play with Lilly so you can go ahead and have a nice time.¡±


    Guest? I wonder who it is? I stop Aoi and Lilly before they leave and give them both hugs thanking them for waking me up as they go to visit Lila.


    After fitting my equipment on my new clothes I take a good look at myself in the mirror¡­ hmm I look like a 13 year old now I guess? From what Aoi was telling me the growth will continue sporadically until I reach closer to an adult¡¯s look.


    There¡¯s no way to tell how or when it will happen so no use worrying about it! Well then let¡¯s see who this guest is, the only person I can think of is Harvey or maybe it¡¯s Fei? As I enter the Guest house I see a girl with a green beret and dress, her red hair braided to one side.


    Getting a good look at her from the side, she¡¯s actually pretty cute. I¡¯ve only seen her in her male getup so it¡¯s hard to tell. As she¡¯s waiting she seems to be nervously twiddling her thumbs looking at the fireplace. I just had a great idea¡­ silently sneaking behind Erin I grab onto her chair and start shaking it around violently.


    As the chair was shaking I could hear Erin let out a high pitched scream as she grasped onto the chair terrified. The look on her face was hilarious totally worth the kick to the shins I received as payback. Apparently she had come here to treat me out to a meal as a thank you for saving her and asked me to escort her for a while before meeting up with Harvey for lunch.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m not one to say no to a free meal! Count me in.¡±


    Erin smiles at my reply and then pauses for a moment. She looks me straight in the eye and puts her hand on top of her head and mine. Did...she just notice?


    (Erin) ¡°EH! Did you grow taller! But but¡­ it¡¯s only been 3 days since I saw you last!¡±


    This girls a little slow isn¡¯t she.


    ¡°Well then M¡¯Lady if you are fine with one as lowly as I to escort you.¡±


    Poking fun at her I decide to toy around with her a bit. Her reaction was great, her face went red as she put her hand out like one of those young noble girls. I¡¯ve successively changed the subject so she won¡¯t inquire any further.


    Escorting Erin through the city was fun, we ended up going to several clothing stores and shopped for accessories. Women¡­ they always take so long when they start shopping, watching her facial expressions change as she shops is entertaining. She would pick up several outfits and put them against her body and put one back until she wasn¡¯t sure then look towards me for approval.


    It¡¯s been awhile since I¡¯ve accompanied a girl shopping, the last time was¡­ ah yes it was with Mia. She was looking for a nice outfit for an outing with some friends she said, obviously I called in sick and followed her to find she had a date. Let¡¯s just say she wouldn¡¯t talk to me for a week after I had a word with him¡­


    (Erin) ¡°It¡¯s rude to be thinking about other things when escorting a lady Kuro.¡±


    Ah I forgot she was here¡­


    ¡°Sorry, I was just thinking about how the pink hat over there fits you. It¡¯ll bring out the beauty of your hair more I think.¡±


    And she bought that hat so quick¡­ I never understood why women need so many sets of clothing. After being Erin¡¯s bag boy and consultant for a few hours we ended up getting dinner instead of lunch. When we reach the restaurant I can see Harvey sitting by himself at a table with nothing but a cup of water.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    (Erin) ¡°I¡¯m famished, I only had a light lunch what about you Kuro?¡±


    As Erin pulls up a chair and sits Harvey¡¯s face brightens up for a moment until he notices she said opposite of him¡­ next to me?


    (Harvey) ¡°Erin, why don¡¯t you sit next to grandfather.¡±


    Erin just shakes her head and looks at Harvey


    (Erin) ¡°I¡¯m too hungry to move grandpa, and haven''t we spend the last 3 days together already?¡±


    She then turns back to me and asks me the same question again.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I didn¡¯t eat breakfast because there was a guest. That guest then proceeded to drag me around town for a couple hours promising lunch but instead it became dinner.¡±


    Erin¡¯s face pales for a second and apologises to me, Harvey however saw the grin on my face and laughs


    (Harvey) ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much Erin, that bottomless pit over there wouldn¡¯t last this long without eating.¡±


    Unable to grasp what was going on I show Erin my bag and I pull out a loaf of bread and eat it. Erin of course threw a swift kick to my shins and ran over to sit next to her grandfather to spite me. Of course me and Harvey were laughing it up at her expense.


    The waitress finally comes over and Harvey orders the food for us. The look on their faces as Harvey order was hilarious, it went from a normal look to a slightly confused look and finally absolutely baffled. She even confirmed the order twice saying are you sure you want that much food, even Erin was protesting saying there¡¯s no way us three can eat that much food.


    (Harvey) ¡°In order to feed that kid, this much is the least you can order. Don¡¯t worry he can finish it all by himself if he really wanted to.¡±


    Harvey had ordered 3 appetizers and 6 main course dishes and some ale for him and a stout beer for me.


    (Erin) ¡°Grandfather! Kuro¡¯s too young to drink please be more responsible!¡±


    This world of course doesn¡¯t have an age limit for alcohol consumption, how ever usually only adults choose to drink it.


    ¡°Ah about that Erin¡­ your grandfather is doing me a favor ordering that for me.¡±


    She slowly turns to me in disbelief and slams her hands on the table.


    (Erin) ¡°Kuro you should listen to me since I am older and wiser than you. You should just stick to water or juice!¡±


    ¡­ She think¡¯s she¡¯s older then me, of course she does. She¡¯s 16 now I¡¯m told, my guess was off because I had assumed she was a girly boy and voice hadn¡¯t changed yet.


    (Harvey) ¡°Erin¡­ honey¡­ Kuro¡¯s older than you¡­ and definitely wiser¡­ Sometimes¡±


    We should probably explain to her huh¡­ she think¡¯s I¡¯m human. And did you REALLY need to add that sometimes Harvey?


    ¡°Erin¡­ I want you to look into my eyes for a moment and stay calm.¡±


    Confused she listens to me and looks me in the eyes with those green eyes of hers¡­ for suspense I wait a moment before changing my eyes into my dragon¡¯s eyes and stick my tongue out at her causing her to jump back into her seat holding her mouth shut.


    After me and Harvey laughed it up for a while the food came and we started to eat while explaining my situation. The entire time Erin didn¡¯t speak she just nodded as we ate, that was until she and Harvey had eaten their fill.


    (Erin) ¡°I told you guys we couldn¡¯t eat this much! And this whole thing must be a prank set by you two.¡±


    I¡¯ll leave her to Harvey for now to convince as I continue to stuff my face. After they were going back and forth for a while Erin eventually looks back to the table and her jaw drops as I¡¯ve already polished off two-thirds of the food and was still eating. She continued to stare at me in disbelief until I finished eating everything.


    (Erin) ¡°You¡­ really¡­ ate... all... that¡­ HOW!? Where does it all go!?¡±


    She¡¯s definitely related to Harvey, there¡¯s no doubt in my mind. I snicker at her before answering.


    ¡°My stomach is the entrance to another dimension.¡±


    She responds by clumsily throwing her fork at me. She continued to pout as her attack missed it¡¯s mark and started to believe the fact that I was not only older than her, but not even human. Technically¡­Although I still think I am one, my mind and soul¡­is human.  Once we finally drilled it into her head it I found out that this dinner wasn¡¯t only a thank you, but they had a request for me too.


    Erin was going to go home in two weeks time so Harvey wanted to send an escort with her, however Erin refused to travel with an escort other than me. Harvey didn¡¯t want to trouble me, but in the end had to in order to keep his granddaughter safe. Harvey offers to pay me, but I refuse¡­ I couldn¡¯t take the money of a friend for something like this.


    ¡°Just pay for a round when I come back and we¡¯ll call it even.¡±


    Harvey gives me a grin and agrees. By the time we were done talking it was already nightfall so we went our separate ways but not before Harvey told me one more thing.


    (Harvey) ¡°Kuro, come by tomorrow¡­ there¡¯s a matter that we need to talk about tomorrow. Nothing urgent it can wait until tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 23: The Boy and the Guards

    The next morning I wake up to Lilly¡¯s sleeping face¡­? I look around for a moment¡­ this IS my room¡­ what is she doing here? Gathering my thoughts for a minute¡­ I have no idea why she¡¯s here, her little hands holding onto my shirt. She looks like a little angel and I unconsciously brush her hair while staring at her sleeping face. I promise¡­ I¡¯ll be there for you and protect you from anything that would harm you Lilly.


    After a while she let¡¯s go of my shirt and rolls over giving me enough room to sneak away. I leave my room, not before making sure she was properly tucked in though. Silently I grab my things and kiss Lilly on the forehead and head over to Harvey¡¯s office. As usual he¡¯s sitting in his chair swamped with a mountain of papers, you couldn¡¯t pay me enough to deal with that.


    (Harvey) ¡°Oh Kuro you¡¯re here earlier than I thought you¡¯d come.¡±


    Taking a seat I turn towards to Harvey to inquire about what he said the night before.


    ¡°Well you DID call me over so I assume it¡¯s either important or a job.¡±


    Continuing to work as we talk Harvey looks at me for a moment.


    ¡°Yes, about that. It¡¯s a quest. Remember I told you there¡¯s been an increase in monster activity lately, it¡¯s regarding that.¡±


    He did mention that when he forced my entry into the Guild, didn¡¯t he.


    (Harvey) ¡°There¡¯s been a report of missing people in a village towards the north, there¡¯s been a request to investigate.¡±


    Recon huh? Those can be troublesome, things either go well¡­ or bad¡­ very bad.


    ¡°So why me? I don¡¯t mind taking the job but why request it directly from me?¡±


    He chuckles a bit and stops writing.


    (Harvey) ¡°That¡¯s because you Kuro can make it there and back the same day, a NORMAL person would take a full day just to reach the village. The number of disappearances are raising at an alarming rate and I would like to take care of this quickly.¡±


    That makes sense to me. I honestly don¡¯t have much else to do so taking a job for some extra pocket money isn¡¯t a bad idea so I take the job. Ah! Before I leave I should ask Harvey about that.


    ¡°Hey Harv, I have a question for you.¡±


    (Harvey) ¡°Shoot¡±


    Well that was a quick reply.


    ¡°I need a new dagger, preferably one of similar quality to the sword you gave me. I¡¯ve been to the Smith¡¯s Alley here and I can¡¯t find anything nearly as good.¡±


    I watch Harvey as he thinks for a moment brushing his beard.


    (Harvey) ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kuro¡­ Dwarven Blacksmiths aren''t easy to meet in the Kingdom. Also my friend Yael likes to travel often. So I have no idea where he is right now, otherwise I would ask him in a heartbeat to help you.¡±


    Well at least I tried, I thank Harvey for his efforts as I leave to pick up some supplies again. My haul from my shopping trip was more dried meat¡­ the merchant tried to sell me dried fruits after I bought everything he had. I¡¯m not THAT desperate for a meal, seriously. Hmm, I also picked up some replacement daggers¡­ I got a deal on a dozen hunting knife looking daggers..


    At least if one breaks I¡¯ll have a bunch more to replace them! They even threw in a new bag of metal shards, unsure of why I wanted something like that. The people here really think inside the box don¡¯t they? Finally I increased my stock of powdered sugar and purchased a few jugs of lamp oil and set off to the village to the north.


    The trip was short it only took me an hour or two to reach there, I did stop for a moment when I saw one of those strange deer-goat animals. It tastes a LOT better cooked¡­ Ah yes¡­ fire and thumbs¡­ how I missed you back then.


    When I reached the village it seemed to be about¡­ noon? Judging by the way the sun seems to punch me in the face when I look into the sky. Well¡­ time to get to work! After gathering all the information I could I sat down nibbling on a piece of bread and try to put everything together.


    The villagers that go missing, disappear at night. There also doesn¡¯t seem to be any preference in the targets. The elderly, the young, male and female all are targeted without any discrimination. The next interesting fact is that there is no sign of a struggle or blood to be found the next day, almost as if they were taken willingly.


    This is troublesome¡­ whatever is taking these people is an extremely efficient hunter. I should probably check the sites myself for clues¡­ maybe something was overlooked. Sometimes hints can be hidden in places people wouldn¡¯t look. There¡¯s also cases where a clue can be something small almost negligible¡­


    After checking each sites I¡¯m even more uncertain now¡­ there seems to be no rhyme or reason for no one noticing the disappearances, until it¡¯s too late. There were only a handful of sites that were confirmed, the person was there for one moment, gone the next...without a trace. The amount of time differed each time but I know each time the missing person left the witness¡¯s view for a short period of time before they disappeared.


    There however was one person who recalled hearing the sound of water before it happened. That¡¯s the only clue I have¡­ it happens at night when someone is alone or not in view of others and the sound of water. This makes no sense¡­ unless¡­?


    No, something like that couldn¡¯t cause this much damage, and I¡¯ve never heard of one of those being this intelligent. It seems I won¡¯t make it home for dinner tonight¡­ hopefully Lilly won¡¯t be too mad at me and prepare for a night watch¡­ after I get a bite to eat. The village was too small for there to be an Inn, so I ended up staying with one of the victim¡¯s family.


    They even feed me¡­ well not enough¡­ they gave me enough for a NORMAL person my age and I didn¡¯t have the heart to ask for more. So here I am, walking around the village in the middle of the night¡­ nibbling on jerky. Ah¡­ I¡¯m still hungry but I don¡¯t want to eat all of the meat I have saved again.


    I should probably buy more bread next time¡­ Yes, let¡¯s do that. Even I get tired of eating dried meat all the time as a snack. Wait¡­ what¡¯s that¡­? While I was patrolling I see a mass of something move by? That¡­ was that a slime? Are you kidding me?


    There¡¯s no way something like a slime can ambush people¡­ and does it drag away it¡¯s prey or does it just break it down right away? How the hell does it do it? I give chase to what I believe is a slime and when I turn the corner¡­ it¡¯s gone?


    Am I just seeing things¡­? I must be missing something¡­ there¡¯s nothing here but a¡­ well¡­! It¡¯s hiding in the water supply! No wonder no one could find it and it could hunt in the village in peace. Slowly I approach the well and look throw a rock inside trying to lure the slime out to no avail. This thing¡¯s smarter than I thought¡­ cautiously I approach the well and look inside¡­ nothing?


    Did I guess wrong? I then try to back away from the well and slip¡­ it¡¯s wet!? Crap! As quickly as I can I twist my body and stab my sword into the ground using the momentum to push myself as far away as I can. Rolling away I regain my balance and watch a wave of water cover the place I was before¡­ it was a slime.


    Grabbing two knifes I engage the slime, it looks like it¡¯s given up on catching me off guard and just tries to capture me inside it¡¯s body. We¡¯re at a stalemate¡­ I can¡¯t hurt it with my knifes, and it can¡¯t capture me¡­ how the hell do I deal with something that doesn¡¯t have a solid body! I keep slashing at it and it doesn¡¯t seem to get any smaller¡­ and this thing¡¯s smart enough to not let me retrieve my sword¡­ not that it¡¯d matter.


    After dancing around with the slime for a while more I notice¡­there seems to be something strange with my knifes. Are they...melting!?!  Is this slime just a pool of acid or something? This is bad..bad¡­ what the hell do I do now? I continue to try so cut at the slime as I think of a way to defeat it. What I would do for some baking soda right now¡­ maybe I can keep adding water to it until¡­ No, it lives in the water supply I¡¯m sure so that won¡¯t work¡­ burn it?


    Will that even do anything!?! The slime again tries to consume me and I jump backwards getting as much distance as I can, the force of my jump dissipates my daggers leaving only the hilts. Looks like I¡¯m out of time¡­ Wait.. It¡¯s mostly water right¡­ it¡¯s either sink or swim now, I have no other choice do I!


    Frustrated I throw what remains of my knifes at the slime further provoking it and it comes at me like wave hitting the beach. Reaching my hands out I concentrate on one thing¡­ freezing as much of the water in it as I can... to barely make it in time. The slimes frozen silhouette in the form of a wave is  millimeters from my hands¡­ close¡­ too close.


    Clenching my fist I break apart the slimes frozen mass into pieces leaving only a small round candy¡­? Is the god of this world some kind of sweets enthusiast or something? Congratulations! You killed the monster! Here, have a candy! What the heck! Well... I am still hungry¡­ it hasn¡¯t upset my stomach yet. So I pick it up and eat it. Sweet! Sickly sweet at that, it¡¯s like someone made a ball of pure glaze and condensed it into a small ball, THEN coated it with more sugar!


    My next thought is to check on my sword¡­ it was submerged in the slime for a while it¡¯s probably rusted to the point of no return¡­ it was a good sword it served me well. But to my surprise the sword was fine, no signs of rust or any damage whatsoever. Just what is this thing made of?


    Seriously I need all my stuff to be made out of this stuff, note to self commission the first Dwarf I meet even if by force to make me new gear. Imagining all the things I could make I return to the house I¡¯m staying at and go to bed.


    The next day I report my findings to the Village Mayor type person and return to Demarrer and report into Harvey that it was an intelligent slime.


    (Harvey) ¡°Would have never thought it would be a slime of all things, good job Kuro. I¡¯m glad I sent you to investigate. I added a bit extra to compensate the costs of those knifes you lost.¡±


    Harvey pays me with a small bag of Cura¡­ well can¡¯t expect much payment from a small village and they didn¡¯t even have anything I could buy to appease Lilly¡­ great¡­ she¡¯s totally going to be mad when I come home if I don¡¯t bring her something at least.


    Before heading home to the manor I take a detour to the market and buy Lilly a present, but what is the question. Wandering around the market for a while I decide to pick up a hair pin for Lilly since she seemed to like the one I gave Aoi last time. Still morning I reach the manor and try to sneak inside before Lilly can notice I was gone¡­ maybe I can tell her I was home late last night¡­ Yes, let¡¯s do that. I travel along the outer wall of the manor until I believe it¡¯s near my room and climb on top of the wall and look around¡­


    ¡°Ok¡­ Clear¡­¡±


    No sign of Lilly yet so I jump off the wall and land in a way to minimize the sound and sneak up to my window and look inside¡­


    (Lilly) ¡°Late!¡±


    Crap¡­ I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be here ambushing me with her super pouty face.


    ¡°Morning Lilly I was just out¡­ training for a bit this morning.¡±


    Why did I lie? Well I¡¯ve had this weakness to situations like this¡­ Mia would just ignore me for a day if I came home late¡­ Even Arlene! She would just stare at me¡­ not saying a word¡­ it¡¯s scary when they don¡¯t say anything and just pout at you!


    (Lilly) ¡°Lie! Hmph¡±


    Gah, I watch Lilly as folds her arms and faces away from me. It¡¯s really cute...and scary at the same time.


    ¡°Oh Lilly I got you this earlier today.¡±


    As quickly as I can, I remove my sacrifice to appease the little girl in front of me and show her the hairpin. Lilly glances over with just her eyes and walks over while not looking at me¡­ grabs the hairpin and runs away¡­ I guess that wasn¡¯t enough.


    (Aoi) ¡°So¡­ Kurogane¡­ where have you been... ¡°


    Uh...oh¡­ she sounds pissed¡­ I slowly turn around and see my sister folding her arms glaring at me with a seemingly black aura behind her. My instincts are telling me to run far¡­ far away but experience tells me if I do that .. Yes, let¡¯s just not.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Sorry sis, the job I took yesterday took longer than I expected, the monster wasn¡¯t active until night time so I had to wait for it.¡±


    It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have a legitimate reason! And there isn¡¯t something convenient like cell phone to call home and tell them oh I¡¯ll be late work is taking longer than I thought!


    (Aoi) ¡°And¡­?¡±


    A cold sweat trails down my forehead¡­ Why are they making me feel so bad! It¡¯s not my fault the slime was nocturnal!


    ¡°Uhh¡­ I¡¯m sorry for not getting you something also..?¡±


    Uh oh¡­ bad move¡­ I can feel the black aura growing larger, at this point it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if her hair turned yellow and spiky but instead she slowly starts walking towards me¡­


    ¡°Wait¡­ why are you cracking your knuckles...Sis¡­? Uhh¡­ dearest sister? SIS!?!¡±


    After receiving a one sided thrashing from my older sister, since I didn¡¯t dare dodge a single strike or throw she gives me a hug.


    (Aoi) ¡°Remember this little brother of mine, you have a family here and we worry about you. Especially when you don¡¯t come home when you promised, more important than objects¡­ that¡¯s not what we want when we see you come home.¡±


    She¡¯s right¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sis¡­ I¡¯m home.¡±


    Brushing my hair Aoi smiles and tells me.


    ¡°Welcome home, now go find our troublesome little Lilly she¡¯s probably pouting in the corner somewhere.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Patting me on the head once more Aoi lets me go to search for Lilly. I found her quickly though, she was right outside my door hugging her knees. As soon as she saw me she quickly turned her head away again. It¡¯s seriously cute, her reactions.


    Slowly I walk over and sit next to Lilly and pat her on the head and tell her I¡¯m sorry for worrying her. I explained to her what happened and why I was home late but she continued to look away from me but didn¡¯t move away from my hand. Once my explanation was finished she crawled over and sat in front of me facing the same direction as me not saying a word.


    (Lilly) ¡°Bad Dwagon¡­¡±


    All I do is continue to pat her on the head until I notice she fell asleep. Was she up all night waiting for me to come home? A weary smile appears on my face as I pick up Lilly and put her to bed and head to talk to Eddy and Lila. Edward was in the Den for some reason today and was reading a book, until he noticed me.


    (Edward) ¡°Oh you¡¯re home, Lilly and Aoi were worried sick about you. I tried to calm them down telling them you would be safe, and that it would take something like the Demon Lord to defeat you but they wouldn¡¯t listen. Lilly should be waiting for you in your room, she refused to go back to her room saying she¡¯d wait for you to come home.¡±


    So she did stay up all night¡­ that silly girl.


    ¡°Ah I already saw Sis and Lilly, I put Lilly to bed before I came here and sis gave me a thrashing already.¡±


    Edward laughs as he closes his book.


    (Edward) ¡°That sounds like something she would do! While you were away she took over your guardian duties too, I lost count of how many people she repelled over the years. Thankfully we no longer have to worry about things like that anymore.¡±


    Well that¡¯s good¡­ at least the random assassins and kidnappers stopped, those were annoying. After we chat for a bit I decide to visit Lila and Edward sends me off after telling me that today her condition isn¡¯t so good, the only person she thinks she recognizes is Bastian¡­ who she thinks is Sebas.


    Reaching Lila¡¯s room I knock on the door before entering. When I open the door I see Bastian with a black wig on and Lila sitting on her bed reading a picture book? The only one who noticed me was Bastian who looked me in the eyes and sadly shook his head. That tells me she doesn¡¯t know who I am¡­


    ¡°Hello Miss Lila how are you today?¡±


    Finally noticing me she looks up at me confused for a moment.


    (Lila) ¡°Good morning, and who might you be Big Brother?¡±


    No matter how many times she says that¡­ it¡¯s feels like her words stab me through the heart¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m Kurogane, I was sent here by the Duke to see how the Young Miss is today. He misses you dearly and I am to keep you company before returning to the Capital to report.¡±


    It¡¯s the setting that I was to use when visiting her if she didn¡¯t recognize me¡­ I had to lie to her otherwise she would look frightened and Bastian would have to escort me out.


    (Lila) ¡°Daddy sent you? Please keep it a secret from Daddy that I can¡¯t leave my bed for now. I don¡¯t want him worrying about me and get in the way of his work for the King.¡±


    Lila begins to have a cough fit and me and Bastian run to her to take care of her. Each time I see her now it feels like her health is getting worse and worse¡­ Edward keeps getting new Doctors and Healers to see her but to no avail¡­ no one can do anything for her.


    All we can do is cherish what time we have left...everyone from 50 years ago wants to be there with her all the time. But we can¡¯t, when her memory reverts to certain times we would be suspicious to her and would be forced to leave by either Bastian posing as Sebas, Aoi and sometimes even me..


    After taking care of Lila for a while I reluctantly left telling Bastian to take care of her. Bastian¡¯s a good child, he knows how much it hurts each of us and you can see it on his face when he see¡¯s us off or has to tell us that she won¡¯t recognise us¡­ truly a good child.


    Slowly I walk through the hallway, my steps feel immeasurable heavy, my heart feels like it¡¯s been torn to shreds. My feet eventually carry me to the courtyard, the place where most of my memories of Lila are and I planned to reminisce for a moments time before going on with my day.


    (Guard) ¡°Good Afternoon Sir Kurogane!¡±


    Huh? When I reach the courtyard it seems like the Guards are doing training exercises right now so I decide to watch them to get my mind off of all the depressing things. Hmm¡­ Do they just swing their swords vertically and horizontally? There¡¯s no variation to their swings and their stances are all over the place?


    They must have already warmed up and did some muscle training before this¡­ right? Thinking back¡­ these guys were a lot weaker than our old Guards so I pull over the current Captain.


    (Guard Captain) ¡°You called for me Sir Kurogane?¡±


    After our first brawl the Guards have been very polite to me and treated me similar to our guards from 50 years ago.


    ¡°I just wanted to know what kind of exercises you guys do for training.¡±


    The Guard Captain with a face full of pride told me then run a few laps around the perimeter of the manor and do a hundred swings every day. No good¡­ these guys are no good. I decide to take over for the day and tell the Captain to join the rest of the Guards. Peace is a terrible thing for one¡¯s martial training, you grow lax and complacent.


    The Guards look excited when I stand in front of them for some reason when the Captain told them I would be overseeing their training for a short while.


    ¡°First off there are a few things I need to go over. One, you will refer to me as Sir and only that. Two, when asked a yes or no question, your answer will only be yes. Three, if you don¡¯t follow orders one or two, the entire unit will be punished. And finally¡­ If you think you can¡¯t do something you obviously aren¡¯t trying hard enough. Understood?¡±


    All of their faces started to pale as I spoke and unanimously yelled


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    For starters I had them do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 Squats and 10 Kilometer run, sadly not a single one of them could complete it and I ended up with 20 passed out adults. Letting them rest for an hour or so I splash them all with magically generated water waking them all up forcing them to continue their training. I plan to continue this until they can complete this workout even if they end up coughing out blood! And at that time I¡¯ll just increase the difficulty until I run out of time or they go bald whichever comes first.


    The next day to my surprise¡­ all guards were present in the morning for training, they seemed to have muscle pains but came regardless. So I answer with their determination training them until they pass out, wake them up after a few hours and continue my training regimen.


    The 3rd day they all showed up, even Lilly showed up to watch our training. Today though the guards all look much better¡­ I figured I¡¯d let them rest after they passed out the first time but I don¡¯t get it, how did they heal so fast?


    ¡°You guys look better than you did yesterday are you guys feeling ok?¡±


    The guards all straighten up and yell


    ¡°Yes, Sir! One of the Maids is proficient with healing magic and healed us afterwards.¡±


    So¡­ there¡¯s a convenient Maid that can help heal their muscle aches and pains after huh¡­


    (Lilly) ¡°Kuwo! Scawy Face!¡±


    Huh? Is my face scary? I look over to the Guards and they look pale again¡­? What¡­ it¡¯s not like¡­ who am I kidding, I¡¯m going to do it anyways.


    ¡°Can one of you bring this Maid here, I¡¯d like to have a word with her.¡±


    With that, I got my hands on a convenient training tool. The next few days I lost count how many times the Guards had passed out and were healed by the maid until she was unable to use magic any longer and had to rest each day. Lilly would even start imitating the exercises but she wasn¡¯t forced to continue when she grew tired.


    By the 6th day the Guard¡¯s current training regimen had changed to 150 push ups, 150 sit ups, 150 squats, 10 minute planks, and instead of running, I make them do 10 kilometers of bunny hops with full armor on. Each of them can complete this training now even barely, and it seems like they¡¯re starting to think they¡¯ve accomplished something.


    On the 7th morning Lilly follows me as usual and the Guards are already waiting for me with smiles on their faces, the maid drinking tea in the shade. I wonder why they¡¯re so happy? Are they one of those types?


    (Guard Captain) ¡°Thank you Sir Kurogane, we all feel much stronger thanks to your training!¡±


    Ah¡­ they misunderstood¡­


    ¡°So¡­ you guys think that¡¯s the complete training?¡±


    They all reply with a yes sir¡­ these poor souls.


    ¡°Well then, I hate to inform you but you guys have all been able to complete the WARM UP now so let¡¯s put forward extra effort today!¡±


    It took a moment to sink in but once it did their faces were drained of blood again¡­ I never told you guys that was all you had to do ya know¡­ After completing the warm up I made each of them start doing sword swings while adjusting their stances before putting each one against me  in a sparring match giving them pointers afterwards. This part gets tricky because I have to adjust each person¡¯s training depending on their strengths and weakness. Those who seem to have a weak stance I end up forcing them to stay in stance for an hour not moving until their legs give way.


    Those that had a good basic stance were trained in a larger variety of attacks. Each type of swing was to be executed 100 times to get their bodies to remember the motion of each attack. This continued on the 8th day of the week and they started to show some improvement during their sparring against me.


    The second week of training I had them start wearing their armor through the whole warm up and started to have them spar against each other. With me giving them pointers throughout the training match¡¯s.. Good, these guys are getting somewhere¡­ I should prepare a the method to increase the difficulty with the Captain so they can continue while I¡¯m away¡­ no¡­ that maid will be a better choice I think.


    The morning of the day before I am to escort Erin back home I have the Guards train themselves and speak with the Maid that has been healing them.


    (Maid) ¡°You summoned me Sir Kurogane?¡±


    With a curtsy the maid introduces herself once again when I confess to forgetting her name.


    (Maid) ¡°Please don¡¯t mind it, once again my name is Beatrice Hellion. May I ask what is it you require of me today?¡±


    This Beatrice is definitely a well mannered girl, she looks I¡¯d say sixteen right now with long red hair that reaches her back, her eyes however were black¡­ I¡¯ve never met a person with black eyes before, this is interesting.


    ¡°Yes, Beatrice I was wondering if you would take over training of the Guards of the Manor in my absence. If you do well I would like to instead have you take over for me. This is by no means an order, just a request, so feel free to decline.¡±


    At that moment a wide grin appeared on her face, sending a chill down my spine¡­ she¡¯s definitely one of those¡­


    (Beatrice) ¡°As you wish Sir Kurogane¡­ I will whip those worms into shape.¡±


    Did I just unleash¡­? No, it¡¯s too late to think about it and offer a silent prayer to the guards stationed here. I go over various methods to increase the difficulty of the training and tell her to ask Bastian or myself if she has questions about form and technique. With this I can return to my previous lifestyle without worry, and push the thoughts the guards fate into the back of my thoughts.


    The remainder of the day I had to spend picking up some things from the market. Due to my last growth spurt I can fit into some of the regularly sold equipment so I wanted to upgrade. My short sword is still useable for offense¡­ but it¡¯s starting to feel a little short.


    It¡¯s been a good sword but I might need to use something else in the meantime. After browsing through the shops again...nothing. None of these swords have a curve to it, all I see are long swords, short swords and rapiers. A katana would be great right now...or even a Dao or scimitar! Do these guys not have anything that isn¡¯t European? At this point I settle for another shortsword, since the long swords feel too¡­ long for my current size, yet most daggers are starting to feel short.


    After getting a new sword I run over and pick up a pair of Gauntlets, a pair of Greaves and some chain mail which the owner said should fit me and to return to get it fitted otherwise. The last thing I need to prepare is camping equipment, since I won¡¯t be traveling by myself I really can¡¯t make Erin sleep in a tree like me and make sure to grab extra blankets and sheets to cover the ground.


    Finally I make sure to grab plenty of dried foods and bread and more powdered sugar in case of fatigue before running home. Once I was home I had one more thing I wanted to confirm before I left, taking out the reddish black cloak from my bag I tried it on and it barely fits, the end of it drags on the ground slightly but I should grow into it soon...hopefully. Just to make sure I put on all my equipment to make sure they all fit¡­the swords feel a bit off, but I should get used to it.


    Alright I¡¯m all set for the trip to R¨¦union!

 Chapter 24: The boy escorting Erin.

    The morning I was supposed to escort Erin I sleeply awaken to¡­ Harvey¡¯s old wrinkly face staring at me. Who let him in and why the hell is he here looking at me sleeping like a creepy old man... ?


    (Harvey) ¡°You¡¯re finally awake Kuro, I knew you were slow to wake but this was worse than I had expected. I wanted to remind you.¡±


    I already know what he¡¯s going to say so I stop the doting old man for a moment.


    ¡°Got it, keep Erin safe until she get¡¯s to R¨¦union right? Stop worrying so much, she¡¯s a big girl now. Don¡¯t tell me... you interrupted my beauty sleep with your wrinkly old face for that?¡±


    Seriously, who wants to see your face first thing in the morning Harv, my day has already started off great¡­


    ¡°Yea, that¡¯s what I came here for Kuro, she¡¯s my only granddaughter. So of course, I want her to be safe. Also, you¡¯re one to talk, anyone with eyeballs can tell you treat the little girl here like a daughter.¡±


    Harvey begins to leave before I stop him again.


    ¡°At least stay for breakfast old man, you¡¯re already here and our Chef makes delicious food.¡±


    With a grin, I watch Harvey turn around and tell me.


    (Harvey) ¡°I¡¯d love to, but I have a prior engagement with a pretty young girl named Erin. Oh and Kurogane, you¡¯d have to be asleep for the next hundred years for that ugly mug of yours look presentable.¡±


    This guy! I grab my pillow and fling it at him hitting the door as he exits. Next time the meals on him! I¡¯ll make sure to eat a giant hole in his wallet! That¡¯s what friends are for, right? After grabbing my things I set out to eat breakfast with the family.


    Unfortunately, Lila isn¡¯t feeling well so the rest of the family ate with me. It was fun eating with everyone as usual, our meals are loud and the servants usually eat with us with the exception of Sebas and Bastion.


    No matter what we say, they will never join in saying it¡¯s not appropriate. I could never understand that mentality, we¡¯re all considered family so we eat together when we can. Spending time together with the entire family, is important. Most people don¡¯t grasp this...until it¡¯s too late.


    My bottomless pit of a stomach somehow finishes all of the food that was placed on the table¡­ Seriously how much can I eat? The table was full of food¡­ I could probably put some ¡°All You Can Eat Buffets¡± out of business.


    Just food costs would make me go broke at this rate which apparently is not a problem for our family. The current chef, whom studied under none other than Sebas, actually made sure to pack me some sandwiches and a large portion of some pasta looking dish for the road. Just to be safe¡­ I made sure there was meat in them.


    The meeting point was the gates that exit towards the mountains, after doing a final check on all my things I see Erin trying to pry Harvey away from her. Harvey is hugging Erin his eyes filled with tears while she is pushing him away with her staff¡­ my respect levels for Harvey took a sharp dive as I watched¡­ truly a doting grandfather.


    Once Erin notices that I arrived she started to beat Harvey away...literally¡­ I hope I don¡¯t get like that¡­Ever. Eventually separating herself, Erin runs towards me wearing a brown dress, shorts and a pink sun hat.


    (Erin) ¡°Shall we?¡±


    I simply nod and we begin our journey. Under normal circumstances I should be able to reach Erin¡¯s hometown in a few days, but the trip for a normal person is a week. I expected Erin to start complaining about having to walk so far but she never did. We were just talking about our families, from what she told me Harvey actually never approved of her Father.


    Her father was a weak nobleman who never picked up a sword in his life, because of that Harvey deemed him unworthy of protecting his precious daughter. The two fell in love and ended up eloping to R¨¦union where he through his hard work became the Baron of the city due to his contributions. Her father was a loving person and Erin and her mother their lives were full of happiness.


    (Erin) ¡°Looks like it¡¯s getting dark soon, should we set up camp?¡±


    I had lost track of time while chatting with Erin and I can see the sun reaching the horizon. Well, worst case I can see at night so I can still make the camp. But Erin¡¯s been walking all day, so it¡¯s probably best to rest now. It didn¡¯t take long to set up a fire and  the tent next to a nearby tree, she then asked me something that surprised me. She looked at me with upturned eyes her face red with embarrassment.


    (Erin) ¡°Umm¡­ Kuro¡­ Can we umm¡­ sleep together?¡±


    Say what? ¡­ I heard that wrong¡­ no way did she just say that.


    (Erin) ¡°W-w-w-wait! I didn¡¯t mean it like that!¡±


    And what do you mean by that¡­ please elaborate. While I raise an eyebrow and stare at Erin she starts punching me repeatedly. Depending on her answer I may end up sleeping at the top of this tree...the VERY top.


    (Erin) ¡°I meant sleep together with you as a Dragon¡­ Lilly told me a dragon¡¯s belly is better than any pillow, in fact it¡¯s so comfortable that you could sleep anywhere!  And¡­ I¡¯m just curious if it¡¯s true or not.¡±


    Ah¡­ that little girl is causing me trouble even out here.


    ¡°Erin¡­ I understand now so can you stop hitting me? It doesn¡¯t even hurt¡­¡±


    Since it¡¯s come to this I humor Erin and let her use my stomach as a pillow while in my dragon form.


    The next morning I open my eyes and see the smoke from the fire that was burning last night. Well, the first day was nice and eventless. I should probably see if Erin¡¯s awake yet. Moving my head over to look at her I see Erin laying comfortably against my stomach with her mouth...wide open¡­drooling.


    The contrast between how Erin is usually and right now is just¡­ too much. I try my best to hold back my laughter and accidently wake up Erin. It doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s a morning person so she slowly looks over to me and tilts her head. She must be unaware of why I sound like I¡¯m holding back my laughter right now. She starts to rub her eyes and then I could see it on her face¡­ she just noticed she was drooling last night and quickly covers her face rubbing it off.


    At this point I¡¯ve bursted out laughing causing her to stand up and kick me in the stomach. Of course, she forgot how hard the scales of a dragon is and ends up hurting her foot! Oh my god this girl is too much!


    Unable to hold my laughter I end up transforming back into a human and roll back and forth laughing uncontrollably. After packing up all the camping supplies and eating a light breakfast we continued our journey. After we walked for a while I noticed¡­ she hasn¡¯t said a word since yesterday¡­ I¡¯m in trouble huh.


    The rest of the day was uneventful other than me seemingly talking to myself until dusk. Just like the day before I set up camp and eat dinner with the currently mute Erin. Too my surprise when we were about to go to sleep I see Erin point to where I had set up her blanket. I guess I make that good of a pillow, enough that even if she¡¯s mad she wants me to do it. In order to not make her any more angry I change back and lay down and go to sleep.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The next morning Erin had this time looked like she tried to cover her mouth with her blanket by wrapping it around her. From the looks of it, it slipped off and there is now a dried pool of drool on her blanket. You would figure at this point¡­ I¡¯d learn from my mistakes, but apparently I¡¯m unable to. I¡¯m sure you can guess what happened next¡­ sometimes I forget the power of a woman scorned.


    As a result I spend the next two days talking to myself during the day, and Erin¡¯s personal pillow at night. That was until we reached the forest on the other side of the mountain range. After we had entered I noticed that that was a slight mist¡­? Maybe the temperature here is causing this¡­ no it¡¯s too sunny for that, this isn¡¯t a normal mist.


    My fears were justified as we continued through the forest the mist became thicker and thicker turning into a fog. My vision became impaired to the point I grabbed onto Erin¡¯s hand to make sure we wouldn¡¯t get separated. Wait¡­ Erin¡¯s been through here before maybe this is normal for this forest?


    ¡°Erin¡­ is there usually a thick fog in this forest?¡±


    Her voice shaking from fear tells me it¡¯s not. Great¡­ someone or something made this fog appear, and obviously doesn¡¯t want us to see them. There can only be a few reasons I can think of for that, one they don¡¯t want anyone to know who they are or where they¡¯re going. Two¡­ they don¡¯t want us to see them coming.


    I¡¯m not one that likes to have the initiative taken from me and decide to set up a trap in cause there¡¯s someone or something hunting us. Near the roadside I set up our camp like usual and set up a fire and use my bags of powdered sugar to make it look like we¡¯re sleeping inside the tent. I then drag Erin farther into the forest far enough that we won¡¯t be noticed even if they strike first and look for us.


    ¡°Erin, we¡¯re going to climb up this tree here and wait and see if someone or something is trying to attack us.¡±


    I¡¯m then interrupted by Erin,


    (Erin) ¡°You go first Kuro, I¡¯ll climb after you.¡±


    ¡­ she¡¯s still mad isn¡¯t she.


    ¡°No Erin¡­ I need you to go first so you can stay on a higher branch in case something tries to climb up the tree. That way it¡¯ll run into me first.¡±


    Erin looks at me shocked and throws a slap at me?!? The heck woman? Her punches don¡¯t hurt but she has one mean slap.


    (Erin) ¡°You pervert! You just want to look up my d-d-d-dress while I¡¯m climbing.¡±


    We don¡¯t have time for this so I grab onto Erin and start jumping from branch to branch climbing the tree while she is unleashing her flurry of painless attacks. After I find a good sturdy branch I sit her down and tell her to stay put and not make any noise unless something is attacking her and go down a few branches and lay in wait.


    It feels like hours have passed and the fog is just getting thicker and thicker, to the point all I can see right now is the area around the campfire. Damn¡­ I should have just carried her and ran out of the forest but now the fog¡¯s too thick to do that. As I continue to wait, the worst has seemed to pass, the fog slowly starts growing thinner and thinner.


    Alright¡­ safe¡­? I then hear the sound of something rustling in the bushes below us, dammit! This fog dulled my senses too much! Drawing my short sword I begin to descend from the tree until I see it. It was a horse, it¡¯s skin as white as fresh snow, it¡¯s mane had an almost majestic feel to it and on it¡¯s head¡­ a horn?


    This is ridiculous! I mean I know this is a fantasy world with Elves, Dwarves, Dragons and Demons but a Unicorn!? Well hopefully the legends from my world are accurate and it¡¯s harmless. As I begin to sheath my sword I hear a loud crack and scream from above me.


    Oh crap! Erin! The branch from under her had broke and she was falling at an alarming rate I barely had enough time to jump towards her and grab her to try to cushion her fall.


    Falling through the sky I wait for the moment of impact that¡­ never comes? Holding onto Erin I look around and there seems to be a thin membrane covering us and we¡¯re slowly descending to the ground? Was it Erin¡­ who did this¡­ no she¡¯s clearly too flustered right now to have casting a spell like this¡­ was it the Unicorn?


    Once our slowed decent reaches ground level we were put into the ground on our feet. My gaze meets the Unicorn and it starts to¡­ talk to me?


    (Unicorn) ¡°Young Lad, I thank you for saving my benefactor, I know not if you can understand me, regardless. May we meet again.¡±


    And it trots off into the fog¡­ Ok¡­I must have gone mad.. I just thought the Unicorn just talked to me. Yes, definitely just a figment of my imagination¡­ yes, let¡¯s just forget this ever happened. Thankfully after this run in, Erin started to talk again making the remaining portion of the trip a lot easier.


    I remained on pillow duty at night and at most get a kick to the shins for my teasing. Since we¡¯ve run into quite a bit of excitement already I¡¯m sure that¡¯s all entirety as we enter the city of R¨¦union.


    Once we passed the gates Erin¡¯s demeanor changed, she became much more excited and started giving me a mini tour while we walked to her house. She had also mentioned that she would give me a proper tour tomorrow afternoon before lunch. When we reached her house, and by house she meant Estate¡­ her home puts Lila¡¯s to shame! Especially the yard, it¡¯s huge!


    While I was mesmerized by the vastness of her front yard I see two muscular figures armed with spears running towards us. Really? NOW you guys come to interfer? Drawing my short sword  I run forward to intercept the their attacks. The moment of impact I could feel my hands going numb with each strike, not good! I need to get Erin out of her and turn to tell her to run while I hold them back.


    At that moment I could see another figure running towards Erin. I quickly turn around and run towards Erin stabbing my sword into the ground I use it to increase my speed to jump kick the figure into the nearby wall. I then grab Erin and lead her towards the door..


    ¡°Run! I¡¯ll hold them off!¡±


    I reach into my bag and pull out two daggers. This is bad I can¡¯t get to my short sword in time and I have my hands full defending against them and keeping Erin safe.


    (Erin) ¡°Stop this nonsense Father! Both of you also, Big brother Aiden and Big brother Gavin!¡±


    ...Is the entire family overprotective of Erin!?! I thought Harvey was bad! And did no one think of, I don¡¯t know¡­ WARNING me that something like this might happen!?! With a sigh I put my daggers away and pick up and sheath my sword. Why didn¡¯t I think this possibility¡­ oh yea that¡¯s because no one told me she had twin older brothers who took after their grandfather! Alright, I changed my mind I¡¯m charging that bastard Harvey when I get home.

 Chapter 25: The boy and the City of Réunion

    Once we reach the Guest Room I receive the same treatment as her brothers and father. She¡¯s completely silent again, why do I have to go through this when it wasn¡¯t my fault? She simply points at the chairs around the table a tells us


    (Erin) ¡°Sit!¡±


    As to not further incur her wrath we all scramble and sit in the nearest chair and wait for her to speak. I know that look¡­ it¡¯s better to listen when women get like that


    (Erin) ¡°Kurogane here was tasked by Grandfather to escort me safely back home. How could you just attack him without giving us a chance to explain!¡±


    I watch her brothers and father hang there head in shame before her father speaks up.


    (Baron) ¡°But darling Erin¡­ we saw you bring an unknown boy home and we thought¡­¡±


    Her gaze grew colder with each word spoken by her father.


    (Erin) ¡°You thought¡­ WHAT!¡±


    I¡¯m curious now too, in a situation like this, why would you attack first? Erin did not look to be in any danger, nor did she seem to be in any form of distress. No matter how I look at it¡­ why would I be considered a danger?


    (One of the twins) ¡°We thought you brought home a boyfriend¡­¡±


    Ahh¡­ that makes sense now.


    (Erin) ¡°B-b-b-boyf--f-friend!?! Kurogane and I are not in any form of relationship! And even if we were! What you guys did was uncalled for! Kurogane is a good friend of Grandfathers and even¡­¡±


    Erin unable to control her feelings starts to cry again. Her brothers and father quickly get up to comfort her trying to calm her down. Desperately wiping away her tears Erin takes out the ring I found and puts it on the table.


    (Erin) ¡°Mother¡¯s... killer¡­ he... killed it¡­¡±


    At that moment it was like someone took a still shot picture and placed it in front of my eyes¡­ no one moved for a while until her father¡­ his hands shaking took the ring and put it against his face sobbing. The entire family in tears, mourning their loss so I decide it¡¯s best for me to show myself out and give them some family time.


    Erin and her family find me in the yard when they finally calmed down and apologize for not only attacking me, but showing me such an unsightly display. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand, the loss of a family member is always hard.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. I still owe Harvey for giving me this sword here, and the family of a good friend is like my own family.¡±


    Apparently¡­ Harvey¡¯s told them about me already, Erin didn¡¯t put the facts together because it was a story from over 50 years ago and I was expected to be an old man by now. I was promptly escorted to my room and was treated with great respect suddenly by her brothers. The room they prepared for me was bigger than my room at Lila¡¯s house, and the bed was so soft and fluffy I felt like I was going to go to sleep as soon as I laid on it.


    So¡­ comfy¡­


    (Erin) ¡°Tehehe, you seem to like the mattress quite a bit Kuro, I hate to tell you that it¡¯s dinner time, I guess I should tell them you won¡¯t be eating?¡±


    Like hell I¡¯m not going to eat! But...this mattress feels like it¡¯s completely engulfed me forcing me to roll out of bed. Huh? Did she just ditch me! I end up giving chase and eventually find my way to the dining room.


    The table looked like something out of a royal banquet, the table looked like it could fit 30 people at least! Our table back home only sits about 15 of us and this table was filled with food. There was so much food¡­ I don¡¯t know where it all went¡­ no I know where it went, in my belly but HOW!?! The twins and Erin¡¯s father couldn¡¯t believe their eyes as I decimated the dishes on the table. I guess they were expecting¡­ leftovers?


    (Erin) ¡°So Kuro, now that you ate enough to feed a small army¡­ I had talked it over with my father and brothers. We would like to have you stay for a few days in apology for their treatment of you.¡±


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    Well then I honestly don¡¯t mind, I would like to see what this City has to offer honestly. From what I could see while walking here there was a lot more merchants and people walking around so there might be better quality equipment.


    ¡°That sounds like a great idea Erin. I¡¯ll take you guys up on your offer.¡±


    The rest of the evening was filled with small talk until it was time for bed, needless to say I slept very well that night. I¡¯m slightly tempted to back this mattress into my bag...and bring it home¡­


    Fully rested I woke up early in the morning refreshed and I get my things and head towards the courtyard to see the twins Aiden and Gavin training with their spears. They both are using spears made of pure steel, no wonder their combined attacks made my hand go numb. They greet me energetically as I pass by and I head into town. I had found out the night before that R¨¦union was a large trading city and had a lot of traveling merchants visit giving them a wide variety of goods.


    As I wander through town I pick up some presents for everyone, I got a new book for Lena, a comb for my sister, matching scarfs for Lila and Eddy, mittens for Lilly and a new training sword for Roy. I wasn¡¯t sure what to get Roy and Lena¡¯s parents so I just got some trinkets  I felt were appropriate. As I exited the last shop I can hear a commotion nearby and go and take a look.


    There was this beautiful lady with long blue like the ocean hair, and eyes that looked like a clear summer sky. The thing is though¡­ she was tackling a random boys and would start rubbing her face against them before pushing them away and apologizing¡­? Oh god¡­ this lady must have a screw loose somewhere¡­ or maybe nobody¡¯s home upstairs.


    Not wanting to deal with her I quickly walk through a nearby alley and go far away from her. I continue to walk quickly until I am minutes away from Erin¡¯s home when I can smell something really good? Following the scent of freshly baked bread I reach a small bakery that had freshly baked baguettes, I didn¡¯t think they would have these here.


    Excited to have some baguettes after so long I open up the door and see two pies sitting on the opposite side of the baguettes. They smell like cherry and apple pies, and end up buying them along with all the baguettes I could carry. I thank the baker and tell him I¡¯ll be back tomorrow as I take a bite out of my baguette, the outside had a nice crunch to the outside, and the inside was soft.


    Just like the bakeries back home before all this crazy out of a fantasy novel stuff happened. My moment of bliss however is interrupted by a small hooded figure bumping into me causing me to scramble to grab everything. After I caught all my newly acquired food I took a look at the person who bumped into me.


    It was a young girl, who looked like she came out of a painting. She looked to be around fourteen? Her black hair reached her shoulders, big brown eyes, small rounded nose, and long eyelashes. She was extremely cute, and I¡¯m sure when she grows older she¡¯ll be a beautiful woman. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her for a moment.


    (Young Girl) ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going ya big oaf! Even a Troll has the decency to look in front of itself when it walks!¡±


    The girl suddenly punches me in the stomach knocking the wind out of me and grabs both my pies before running back a few steps. She then turns around just to stick her tongue out me before taking off with my pies. I take back everything I just thought about that little wench! When I find her I swear she¡¯ll get what¡¯s coming to her!


    Afterwards the Baker runs outside due to the commotion and tries to give me his last pie free of charge as an apology. It wasn¡¯t his fault so I made sure to pay him since he is running a business here. I¡¯m going to have to bring Sis and Lila here in the future, this guy¡¯s not only a great baker but a nice guy!


    As I walk towards the manor, I continue to nibble on the bread I bought. I did toss one into my bag¡­ to make sure I don¡¯t eat it on the way though. Strangely I get the feeling that¡­ I''m forgetting something?  Well¡­ if I can¡¯t remember it¡­ it wasn¡¯t important, right?


    Passing through the main gate I toss the last bit of pie in my mouth. It was delicious also, it¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve enjoyed something like pie. As I savor the flavor, I see the...twins? Why are they¡­didn¡¯t we talk this over already!?

 Chapter 26: Trouble comes in Twos

    Before I could mutter a word the twins both dash forward to attack me. No choice here huh? I quickly draw both my swords and prepare for a fight. Tch¡­ I don¡¯t have enough time to grab my gauntlets and greaves¡­ thankfully I wore my bracers and shin guards under my clothes just in case.


    The first twin swings his spear at my legs as the other swings at my shoulders at the same time. In order to avoid their attack I hop into the first twins swing and slash at it with my right arm and knock the other twins spear higher with my left sword. Before I hit the ground I continue to spin and dig my short sword into the ground and adjust my body using it as a base to kick off knocking the first twin back a few steps.


    As soon as I retrieved my short sword, the second twin took another swing at me. Barely having enough time I duck underneath it  and run towards him as fast as I could. He had however anticipated this and stuck the spear behind him to propel himself upward with a high aiming front kick knocking my sword into the air behind me. Before I could regain my balance he had already followed up with a back kick knocking me into the air.


    As if he knew I was going to end up there, the first twin had came back and swung his spear at me full force. With only my short sword to defend I was sent flying into the bushes nearby. Tch¡­ my hands numb now¡­ do they have some kind of twin telepathy or something!?


    ¡°What the hell is your problem this time!? Your answers better be good!¡±


    I swear if they don¡¯t have a good reason I¡¯m beating their faces in for that.


    (First Twin) ¡°You lied to us! You claimed to not be in a relationship with our sister, yet Gavin and I could tell. The look on her face when she talked about you, what kind of sorcery did you use on our sister!¡±


    This Sis Con! It¡¯s not like we can just tie up our sisters and keep them away from boys their entire life! I know! I¡¯ve tried! And who are you calling a Liar? Was what I was going to say but Gavin didn¡¯t let me utter a word.


    (Gavin) ¡°You are a disgrace of a man! A young girl had just came by and told us that you had harassed her at the bakery and even stole her pie! She asked us to bring you to justice!¡±


    WHAT!?! I harassed HER? She¡¯s the one that punched me and stole MY pies! Just you wait little girl, I¡¯ll get even with you! By the look of those two there¡¯s no use talking to them. I guess there¡¯s only one way to get through their thick skulls¡­ Beating into them.


    ¡°Liar? I didn¡¯t lie to you two, nor did I harass this girl. You brats seem to be too full of yourselves. Let me guess¡­ you guys must be pretty good at sparring. But here¡¯s the thing boy¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s a difference between a match¡­ and a fight. The battlefield isn¡¯t so nice a place, the world¡¯s vast ya know. I¡¯ll properly¡­ thoroughly... burn that into your thick skulls in place of Harvey.¡±


    As I speak I take my remaining equipment from my bag to switch them out. After putting the hood and mouth cover up, I put on my gauntlets and greaves. Hmm¡­ good, I can feel my hand again¡­ well then shall we?


    ¡°Best you two stay on your toes¡­ this will hurt you more than it will hurt me.¡±


    Breaking out into a sprint I run towards the first twin Aiden, he again sweeps his spear towards my legs. This time I throw off my cloak into his face and pull out my chain and tie it around his spear and his leg. As he tries to throw aside my cloak I then strike his elbow as I roll over his attack breaking it.


    Gavin by then had finally got close enough and I conjure up a large ball of water and hit him in the face with it disorienting him for a moment giving me enough time to tie the rest of the chain around Aiden¡¯s neck and unbroken arm. Once I finish tying him up I tighten the rope and he hits the ground¡­ face first¡­ because I kinda¡­ slammed it into the ground.


    With Aiden out of commision I wait a moment for Gavin to regain his vision.  Once we had eye contact I looked him straight in the eyes and tossed my sword into the ground.


    ¡°Next lesson for you, there are people out there who unarmed are more deadly than an armed man. Remember this one¡­ not like I¡¯ll give you a choice.¡±


    Gavin breaks eye contact for a moment and sees his brother tied up on the ground unconscious. Enraged he thrusts his spear directly for my heart, too straight forward of an attack¡­ ever heard of a feint? I quickly side step away from the spear¡¯s tip and hit it with the back of my hand. Closing in afterwards Gavin tries to kick me upwards again, don¡¯t these guys have any other tricks up their sleeves?


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    As his leg comes up I lift my right leg and stomp down at his raising foot interrupting his kick. Following up with a punch to his stomach, Gavin arches forward from the force of my punch. I lift my other arm towards his head and grab his head bringing it down to meet my knee breaking his nose in the process. As his body arched back from my knee, I stomp my foot into the ground to adjust my balance. I then grab onto his shirt and pull him back towards me as I twist my body, throwing him aside.


    Well then, I guess I should call Erin to fix these two up and straighten them out. It¡¯s been a while since I actually fought with the intention of hurting someone. It¡¯s either been don¡¯t hurt or kill lately! Hopefully this comes out to be a good experience for both of them. Following the rules of combat is good and honorable¡­ but when someone¡¯s out to kill you¡­ All those code¡¯s of conduct,


    Erin was extremely upset with her brothers and she didn¡¯t heal them all the way, just enough to stop the bleeding and any wounds that might cause permanent damage. Their attitudes towards me however took full 180 turn...again. I was trying to enjoy my baguettes when they came in bowing their head and apologizing for their disrespect and they were sincerely sorry for the misunderstanding.


    That¡¯s strange¡­ I didn¡¯t know bowing like that was a¡­ thing here? For the most case, everything I¡¯ve seen was more European¡­ But then again I don¡¯t really know that much about them anyways!


    We ended up talking about our last fight since they seemed to have questions about it. Right now the only way I can tell the difference between the two is the fact that the first twin Gavin has his armed wrapped up¡­ because I broke it¡­ and the other twin Aiden has bandages all over his face.


    (Gavin) ¡°Master Kuro after much thought I could not understand why you would abandon your cloak in the middle of battle like that. Especially after you had told us that it was made from a Wyvern¡¯s hide? Why throw away such an item?¡±


    Ha..? He doesn¡¯t understand something like that?


    ¡°Alright Gavin, I need you to think about not why I did it, but what happened BECAUSE I did that.¡±


    If I feed them the answer they¡¯ll never learn so I return his question with another.


    (Gavin) ¡°I could only see the cloak Master¡­ it distracted me for a moment because I was wondering why you would abandon it¡­¡±


    (Aiden) ¡°So you couldn¡¯t see him wrap that chain around your spear and legs I think. Am I correct Master?¡±


    Why are they calling me master suddenly? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to teach them anything, I can use a polearm just not proficiently enough to change my current fighting style.


    ¡°That¡¯s right Aiden, it was to distract Gavin and blind him while I restrained him. That consequently is why I broke your arm, to further dull your judgement and slow your reaction time.¡±


    There aren''t many people who can go through the pain of their arms breaking and still think clearly. Aiden¡¯s face suddenly brightens up and I could imagine a light bulb appear over his head.


    (Aiden) ¡°So that is why Master threw water at my face! Also Master, I was wondering where did you hide all of that? I did not see any form of container on your person or anything that could hold that amount of water.¡±


    I snicker and conjure up two balls of water in front of them.


    ¡°Magic Aiden, I never said I couldn¡¯t use it, I just made so the thought would never cross your mind. Manipulating your opponents thoughts can give you an edge in battle, havn¡¯t they taught you about feints? When people react to things outside of their expectations their judgement is slowed, sometimes completely unable to react to it. You take any opening the opponent gives you, but instead of waiting for them to present it, you need to actively make openings for you to exploit. Remember I told you guys there is a vast difference between a formal match where there are rules and a fight.¡±


    They both seem to be lost in thought for a moment but seem to understand, we ended up talking for a while longer until my stomach started to growl and decided to get some lunch. They apparently haven¡¯t been to the bakery near their house before even though it¡¯s really good. As we walk I get the feeling¡­ I¡¯m forgetting something still¡­

 Chapter 27: The Boy forgets...

    While we were walking the twins and I had some bonding time. From what they told me they were aspiring Adventurers. They wanted to follow Harvey¡¯s footsteps, but he wouldn¡¯t allow it until they were at least 18 years old.


    I guess he doesn¡¯t just dot on Erin, but on these two also. I also learned a few things about Harvey from our conversations. Harvey, is a spear user mainly, though he¡¯s proficient with swords. They both are so similar it¡¯s really hard to tell the difference between the two, I don¡¯t know how Erin does it! For now I can cheat¡­ maybe when they heal¡­ I¡¯ll just do it again so I can tell the difference¡­? No¡­ that¡¯s a terrible idea¡­ I¡¯ll just figure it out.


    Even after we reached the bakery and bought several types of bread, we continued our talks. They seem to really want to have more sparring rounds so they can get strong enough that Harvey won¡¯t stop them from joining the Guild. Not a bad attitude I think honestly. They¡¯ll definitely grow stronger over time...hopefully.


    After we finished eating everything¡­ yes¡­ everything. We slowly returned back to their home and hung out in the courtyard for a while. I ended up offering to showing them the few things I knew about spears, but I needed something wooden. Hmm¡­ what could I¡­ Oh! A broom!


    A nearby maid was sweeping the area and I end up requesting to borrow the broom for a moment.  The nice thing about having a wooden staff compared to a steel one, is it¡¯s flexibility. With a good wooden staff you can actually swing it hard enough to make it bend causing extra damage from the whiplash. Problem¡­ they break a lot easier then something made of metal.


    (Gavin) ¡°Master¡­ I thought you were going to show us a few techniques for the spear? Why did you not borrow one of our weapons, but instead a ¡­ broom?¡±


    I should explain it to them shouldn¡¯t I¡­? To the best of my ability I explain the use of having a flexible shaft for the spear. There was also the fact that they didn¡¯t have tassels at the end of the spear, the chinese used those a lot for good reason.


    The first reason was blood¡­ the tassel would absorb any blood that would drip downward making sure that it wouldn¡¯t cause your spear to become slippery. There was also the fact that the tassle could be used to conceal the length of the spear and distract the enemy. The point of the spear is NOT your only weapon, the butt part can be used in tandem.


    After going over all this I suddenly feel an ominous presence behind me¡­? I turn around to see Erin folding her arms, glaring at the twins? It¡¯s not like they¡¯re doing anything wrong¡­ Why is she so mad? We¡¯re all getting along, and just talking about fighting¡­ not fighting each other.


    (Erin) ¡°Kuro¡­ Aren¡¯t you forgetting something¡­¡±


    Forgetting¡­ Uh oh¡­ I turn around to seek help from the twins, but they both ran away already, leaving me to fend for myself.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m¡­ sorry?¡±


    (Erin) ¡°Sorry for¡­? What ever could you be talking about? It must have not been that important for you to forget.¡±


    Oh god¡­ I know that look¡­ she¡¯s smiling right now, but her eyes¡­ her EYES! Yea¡­ I¡¯m not going to wait around to see what happens!


    (Erin) ¡°Wha¡­? Come back here!¡±


    Dropping the broom I break into a sprint towards the house. I purposely run around furniture and jump over tables before jumping out the window. Alright¡­ there¡¯s a tree! Climbing the tree like my life depended on it, I reach the top and jump over the wall and run back into town.


    Well then¡­ I guess I¡¯ll just... wander around town some more. While Erin cools off¡­ hopefully¡­ I had completely forgotten that she was going to show me around town this afternoon! If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learned, it¡¯s you don¡¯t mess with an angry girl. ESPECIALLY when you¡¯re in the wrong, heck even if you¡¯re RIGHT.


    As I wander through town I come upon a shop that specializes in jewelry¡­ That¡¯s it! I¡¯ll try to bribe my way out of trouble! While I¡¯m at it I should probably buy something for my mother. Sadly, I still haven''t met my mother or father yet. I have no idea what either of them looks like, or even what they like.


    After browsing for a while I settle for a necklace for Erin, and two bracelets for my mother. The bracelets each had stones imbedded into them, one was a black stone, the other blue. I  got these with the intention of one representing me, the other my sister. That way even though we¡¯re apart she can look at these and remember us.


    After purchasing, I take a look at a few other things for the girls when I met the crazy lady from earlier today. She was much more calm today and was looking around also. She ended up picking up a plain looking necklace, and a headband I was eyeballing for Aoi.


    Our eyes met for a moment after she picked up the headband, and she simply smiled at me before looking for the clerk. She apparently wanted to hang two stones onto the necklace, a black and a blue one. While they were talking I overheard the fact that she was looking for her lost son, and the necklace was for him.


    Some ¡°nice people¡± had found her son, and were taking care of him¡­ in the outskirts of town. They were supposed to meet after this and they were going to escort her to her son after she was done¡­. Ah¡­ This whole story reeks...I seriously doubt these people even know what her son looks like, and probably are trying to sell her off after striping her of any valuables they can find.


    For some reason though, I felt like I had to protect this lady. I mean she wasn¡¯t a bad person or anything, just a little crazy sometimes. It¡¯s not like she deserved something like that to happen to her. As she leaves the shop, I follow her at a distance large enough for me to keep an eye on her, yet far enough she wouldn¡¯t suspect me tailing her. Eventually she leaves town and she meets up with her son¡¯s ¡°Benefactors¡± and they escort her into the forest to the north.


    Being in a forest makes trailing a lot easier now, since I¡¯ve somewhat gotten used to moving around in the wild now. After going deep into the center of the forest, they reach an opening which looks like a small bandits camp. There¡¯s a small dwelling with an additional 4 men came outside from, each with a grin on their face.


    Ah¡­ I knew it¡­ This lady either too easy going¡­ or just gullible. The group of men start to encircle the lady as she¡¯s questioning about her son. Before they could get too close I jump in to shield the lady and confront them.


    ¡°Stand back Lady¡­ These guys tricked you. I¡¯m pretty sure they don¡¯t even know what your son looks like!¡±


    The Lady is taken back for a moment and steps back confused. Ah¡­ Figures... I¡¯d have a nice trip between cities without any bandits or thieves wandering about, just to run into them during my stay! All I want is just a peaceful trip damnit!


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    The entirety of their group in one word¡­ were weak¡­ I didn¡¯t even need to use any weapons and just ended up knocking them all unconscious. They¡¯re probably worth more alive than dead since they didn¡¯t seem like more than some small time thieves.


    Once I finish up tieing up the group the Lady suddenly tackles me and starts rubbing her face against me¡­ I knew it¡­ This is why I ran away last time! She then pushes me away for a moment and ¡­ starts crying?


    ¡°Umm¡­ are you ok Lady¡­?¡±


    I expected her to apologize like she did with the other people but¡­ she¡¯s acting differently?


    (Crazy Lady) ¡°Kurogane? It¡¯s you isn¡¯t it dear!¡±


    How did she¡­ wait...a...second. There¡¯s only one explainable reason for this, she reminds me of sis¡­ and is looking for her¡­ son. It has to be that right?


    ¡°Mo...ther? You¡¯re mine, and Aoi¡¯s mother right!?¡±


    The Lady still crying nods, all I could do was just hug my mother whom I finally have met for the first time after all these years. What? There¡¯s just some¡­ dirt in my eyes! I am not crying or anything! Damn dirt¡­ flying into my eyes at the worst time¡­


    After the emotional meeting, me and my mother end up dragging the bandits back into town and turn them over to the local guards and catch up on lost time. The first order of business was we ended up exchanging the gifts we bought each other. Funny how we both were thinking the same thing. What I thought were stones¡­ were actually the scales of my father and mother. Given to me to remind me that they both love me even though they aren¡¯t always around.


    Without thinking my feet had brought me back to Erin¡¯s home and I had completely forgot¡­ she was mad. Erin was standing near the entrance glaring at me with an intensity that is reminding me of a monster from a game I played before. They wore brown hooded cloaks¡­ had green skin¡­ They also carried a lantern and a knife¡­ slowly closing in on you¡­


    (Mother) ¡°Good evening Miss, I must thank you for taking care of my child Kurogane and allowing him to stay at your home. My name is Kirie, the Azure Dragon who watches over the Eastern Sea. I would also like to request that I trouble you for a while, so me and my son may catch up on lost time.¡±


    So that¡¯s what she does when she¡¯s away from me and sis. Heck, I didn¡¯t even think about finding out my own mother¡¯s name¡­ Since I¡¯d just call her some kind of variation of mom anyways. After my mom¡¯s introduction, Erin suddenly stiffened up and replies.


    (Erin) ¡°AH.. Umm.. Nice to meet you Madam, and i-i-t¡¯s no t-t-trouble at all! Please! Make yourself at home!¡±


    Uh¡­ Why are you giving me that look Erin¡­ it¡¯s not like I KNEW my mother was here!? Gah¡­ her face is red¡­ is she that mad!? It¡¯s not my fault!


    Erin eventually escorts me and my mother to a guest room for her and I take that opportunity to appease her before she¡­ kills me in my sleep.


    ¡°Hey, Erin¡­¡±


    She sharply glares at me when I call her name, it¡¯s almost like I scared her or something?


    (Erin) ¡°W..w...what is it Kuro¡­?¡±


    She¡¯s acting weird¡­ well hopefully this fixes it. Reaching into my bag I hand Erin the necklace I bought for her earlier. She...looks displeased¡­? I even asked the clerk if it was a good choice and she agreed! It¡¯s a platinum colored necklace with a ruby in it¡­ I thought it would match her hair?


    ¡°Do¡­ you not like it? I got it as an apology for forgetting about today. I¡¯ll make it up to you tomorrow I promise.¡±


    (Erin) ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s beautiful, I really like it¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ I thought¡­ Nevermind. I¡¯m expecting you to keep your word this time Kuro¡­¡±


    She thought¡­ What? She didn¡¯t think I was going to give her a ring did she? It¡¯s not like I purposely brought my mom here. Ha! Good one, me! There¡¯s no way the thought would even pass her mind. It wouldn¡¯t work¡­ for various reasons.


    The rest of the day was nice, although at this point it was practically over already! All I did was eat dinner with everyone and talk with my mother until we were both too tired. I learned some interesting things about her during our conversation.


    My mother is also from another world, I¡¯m unsure if she is from mine or not but she was summoned here. Previously she was a Guardian Deity, revered by humans who lived by the coast. She would constantly travel and was known by many names, most of which I recognized.


    Seiryu...Qing Long¡­ My mother¡¯s a freaking legend!? It¡¯s not like finally meeting my mother after all this time wasn¡¯t enough¡­ She just drops this nuke on my lap. Also from what she tells me, she uses the name Kirie, because she liked it the most?


    There was also the matter of the strange mist I would encounter¡­ That was my mom. *sigh* When she travels she often creates a thick fog so she can travel uninterrupted. Not a bad idea honestly¡­ But how the hell was I supposed to know she was visiting!


    Was I just supposed to ask the mist ¡°Hey, Mom is that you?¡± Gah¡­ So I effectively evaded my mother on 3 different occasions. I feel sooo intelligent right now. There was also the strange behavior my mother was exhibiting before.


    My scent¡­ She apparently can tell who I was by my scent. The thing is she would need to be right next to me in order to tell¡­ I still think it''s weird though! Why couldn¡¯t she do something else to figure it out¡­ Also how does she even know my ¡°scent¡± anyways!?


    The next morning I get my things together and meet with Erin. As I approach our meeting place I see her. Erin was leaning against the wall, wearing a white one piece dress. Her hair was braided to one side and was wearing the pink hat we bought in Demarrer.


    ¡°Hey Erin! Did you wait long?¡±


    Starting off the conversation as I get closer to her¡­ is...she wearing makeup?


    (Erin) ¡°No I didn¡¯t, I just got here myself.¡±


    She smiles at me as she grabs my hand and drags me into town.

 Chapter 28: Spending the day with Erin

    (Erin) ¡°Come on Kuro! Hurry up!¡±


    She¡¯s like a little kid dragging her brother around town, it¡¯s pretty cute. Mia would always drag me into the mall when some new seasonal style or something would come out. Just watching over her would make me happy. Her smiling face¡­ how I miss it... no matter how much I try to not think them, I¡¯m always reminded of them.


    (Erin) ¡°You know¡­ it¡¯s rude to think about other things when escorting a girl¡­¡±


    Ah¡­ I did it again! My mind wandered off for a while, better save my hide quickly.


    ¡°Sorry Erin, you were just so cute I couldn¡¯t help but lose track of time and place. Where are we going?¡±


    Her face had a red hue to it as she leads me into another shop. What¡¯s with woman and shopping anyways? I¡¯ve pretty much been her bag boy all day today also. Although I don¡¯t really mind¡­ I¡¯ve been brought along a lot in the past. Kenny always loved going to the book stores and read the day away. Every time I bought him one a book he would tell me to not waste money with a smile on his face...


    After she bought a bunch of clothes and books, so much we actually had to stop by and drop off everything first. I was then made to change into the new clothes she made me buy. She said something about me wearing the same thing all the time, and that I didn¡¯t have ¡°style.¡± Well excuse me for buying a much of pairs of the same clothes. My clothes back in the day were all chosen for me!


    After being forced into a change of clothing I¡¯m made to display myself in front of both my mother and Erin. They circle me a few times examining me before they give each other a nod¡­? What¡¯s going on here¡­? The next thing I know I¡¯m being pushed outside by my mom while Erin pulls on my arms. I know Erin¡¯s excited to go and play, but what¡¯s with mom being all pushy?


    She wanted to go to the Bakery near the house since she hasn¡¯t been there either. The entire day was a nice lazy day, nothing significant happened. Once we actually reach the Bakery, the first thing I do is look around¡­ Good¡­ that little girl isn¡¯t here¡­Just to be safe I start looking in the under and behind the nearby barrels and boxes¡­.ok, clear!


    (Erin) ¡°What¡­ are you doing?¡±


    I should probably explain¡­right? I mean, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll get me in trouble...I think.


    ¡°So, last time I was here Erin¡­ this little girl attacked me¡­ and stole my pies¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but I feel like she¡¯d be here again. Just...waiting to ambush me.¡±


    You know that moment, where you just know they¡¯ll be back. The culprit always returns to the scene of the crime right! I still have a bone to pick with her for sicking Aiden on me. There¡¯s no way she would resist the urge to come back here and steal more food from me.


    (Baker) ¡°Oh! You¡¯re here again Kuro. Thanks for the coming by! I just finished baking some fresh baguettes and made some sandwiches. ¡±


    As I was thinking the Baker notices me and hands me a freshly baked baguette¡­ This guy¡¯s good, he knows how to keep people coming back. After looking around for a bit, me and Erin end up buying a few sandwiches and head back to the square to eat. These sandwiches are really tasty~ I should have bought more.


    While I¡¯m eating I notice, Erin is acting strange... again. It must be my imagination¡­ but is she sitting closer now? Hmm¡­ well she¡¯s just eating her sandwich happily now so I guess it was nothing. Nope¡­ It¡¯s not¡­ She wrapped one of her arms around mine¡­


    *Sigh*


    Better straighten this out now¡­ before it get¡¯s any worse...


    ¡°Erin¡­ You... aren¡¯t by chance¡­ interested in me¡­romantically... Are you?¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Asking her this, my heart beat starts to race. I really hope I¡¯m wrong about this¡­ please let it just be my imagination...


    (Erin) ¡°Huh!? I thought we were¡­you k-k-know on a d-d-date... Um¡­ is there a problem if I am?¡±


    She looks at me with upturned eyes¡­Looks like I hit the bullseye. She¡­ hasn¡¯t thought about this huh? There¡¯s a lot of problems with it, she must have not given it any deep thought. My heart feels as if it were sinking as I told her.


    ¡°Erin...of course...there¡¯s a problem.¡±


    Suddenly...well I guess not that suddenly, Erin separates herself from me protesting, and clearly upset. Well¡­ I can¡¯t blame her. From her point of view, I must just brushing aside her feelings without thinking. The reasons¡­ are more for her own sake... before I can even consider how I feel about her¡­ First there are other things I have to consider...


    (Erin) ¡°WHY!? Why is there a problem! Is it because I¡¯m young compared to you? Or is it... I-I-I¡¯ll grow in the right places in a few year j-j-just like mother! Or is it because of me being human!? L-l-love can cross things like species can¡¯t it! You never know if it¡¯ll work until you try first! Why can¡¯t you give me a chance...¡±


    Well yes, you¡¯re young right now¡­ and what? Well it¡¯s true¡­ certain areas need more growth¡­ anyways! I like to consider myself human, no matter what¡­ I¡¯m still a human on the inside. No matter what¡­ I have to stop her here... for her sake.


    ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s right Erin, you¡¯re still young and haven''t seen enough of the world to know your own feelings yet. And no¡­ it¡¯s not that¡­ Our time, is very different... For you it would be your entire your life¡­ for me¡­ It would feel short¡­It wouldn¡¯t be fair for you.¡±


    That¡¯s just how it is¡­ I¡¯ll outlive her by a staggering amount of time. If we were to be in a relationship, not only will I have to slowly watch her age...until death. But she¡¯d also have to live with the guilt¡­ of leaving me behind¡­ all by myself. If it wasn¡¯t for my lifespan, I probably would have considered it.


    (Erin) ¡°I¡¯m prepared for that! I already know you¡¯ll live longer¡­ but what about...¡±


    What about¡­


    ¡°Erin¡­ please understand... this is what¡¯s best for you...and me. I don¡¯t want you to have to live with the guilt... of leaving me behind first...so please reconsider.¡±


    Erin begins to sob as she starts to hits my arm silently¡­ sounds like it¡¯s sinking in...


    (Erin) ¡°Jerk! Thick headed idiot! I bet you just like little girls! You Loli-¡±


    Woah, woah, I quickly interrupt her¡­ What the heck? That came straight out of nowhere! I can understand the jerk and thick headed idiot¡­ but I do not have a thing for little girls!


    ¡°I am NOT a Lolicon! Where did you learn that word anyways! Lilly is essentially my god child! And don¡¯t forget¡­ you are my good friend¡¯s grandchild. Things couldn¡¯t be more awkward if something did happen between us.¡±


    ¡­ Didn¡¯t I tell her already¡­ her hit¡¯s don¡¯t hurt¡­


    As her tears continue to fall, she silently continues her barrage of hits. After what felt like forever, she stops hitting me and just grasps my shirt sobbing into it. Gently putting my hand on her head, I try to comfort Erin.


    ¡°Erin¡­ You¡¯ll find someone who will make you happy I¡¯m sure of it. Much happier than if you were together with me, I promise. If he doesn¡¯t, he¡¯ll answer to me and Harvey. I¡¯ll bury him up to his neck when the sun is at it¡¯s highest point and leave him there!¡±


    Slowly, her sobbing stops and she wipes her tears. She tries to play off the whole thing as a prank on me, with a sad smile. I play along and act surprised telling her how she did a good job tricking me. It¡¯s all I could do for her...Erin then tells me she had some other business to take care of, I nod to her and watch as she disappears into the crowd.


    Did I do the right thing¡­ If I had let her nurture those feelings, it would have hurt her much more. Clenching my chest I think back, there were so many signs¡­ I chose to ignore. Maybe I could have stopped her¡­ maybe I shouldn¡¯t have. This still doesn¡¯t make me feel any better about doing it though... It doesn¡¯t change what I did to that poor girl. It really was for the best¡­ for the both of us. She¡¯ll be happier this way¡­ much happier I assure myself. There¡¯s definitely someone who can make a cute girl like her much happier then I ever could.


    My heart beat still hasn¡¯t slowed, my heart feels like it¡¯s being crushed by the guilt...or maybe... is it regret. I place my hand on the ring on my other hand, I slowly rotate it around my finger¡­ That¡¯s not...the only reason though¡­ A part of me, isn¡¯t ready still¡­ not after last time¡­ It¡¯s just hard...for me also... If only the conditions were different¡­ Maybe then I could accept her feelings...No, I can¡¯t... I¡¯m not wrong¡­ it was for the best.


    Emotionally exhausted, I sit down and lean against a nearby tree to relax. I close my eyes and feel a light breeze caress me for a moment. My mind starts to drift off, the sound townsfolk off in the distance melt into the background. Strangely, I can hear a sweet, soothing song being sung from somewhere. The voice was very calming¡­ the image of an angel smiling as she sung came to mind. The song sounds familiar¡­yet I¡¯m not...close enough...to ¡­¡­.

 Chapter 29: Emergency Summons!

    Another dream¡­ of another time I¡¯d rather not think about. It was a day like any other¡­ just a normal day... I saw Mia and Kenny off as they went to school, and gave Arlene a kiss before she left for work. After that I packed my lunch and went to work as usual. Things had settled down quite a bit, it was like all the craziness from before, was nothing but a bad dream. We sold my parents house and moved into a small apartment nearby so my siblings didn¡¯t have to transfer schools.


    It really was supposed to be a regular day¡­ just a normal work day. A little bit before lunch time I received a phone call¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but I picked it up. There was just this buzzing in my heart, telling me I had to do it. After my parent¡¯s death, I would always be nervous when I would pick up the phone. Silly, I would always think it would be bad news¡­ like this call.


    The Police were calling me¡­ Arlene was shot and was currently in critical condition. As soon as I heard she was at a nearby hospital I threw the phone aside and ran¡­ I ran until I could barely breath. My lungs felt like they were trying to burst out of my chest. Every muscle in my body was screaming in pain, yet I ignored it. I had to make it, nothing else matters...she needs me now, I have to be there for her.


    Bursting through the double doors I frantically asked the receptionist for where my wife was, thankfully they were expecting me. I felt like I would collapse at any moment but I kept running towards the OR¡­ Dodging doctors, nurses, patients, anyone that was in my way. No matter how many times I hit the wall or ran into things I continued. Even after I swatted away the hand of a concerned doctor I pressed on. But I didn¡¯t make it¡­


    She had died before I could reach the hospital. Time felt like it froze that moment¡­ I stared at the white sheets in denial. It¡¯s a lie...it has to be a lie I told myself. Arlene will probably pull the sheets down and tell me¡­¡±Got ya!¡± ¡­ Yea¡­ that¡¯s what will happen. There¡¯s no way, something like this can¡¯t happen again¡­ Not like this...please¡­ stop taking everything from me¡­


    My hands were shaking with anxiety as I slowly pulled the sheets. The delusions I had built up shattered like a sheet of plexi-glass as I saw her face. I...tried to talk to her, in hopes she would reply¡­ my words¡­ But she never did, she merely laid there unmoving, her eyes closed off to me. Desperately looking for a sign to wake me from this nightmare, I grasped her hands.


    I don¡¯t remember much else that day¡­ Only one thing¡­ It was a drive by¡­ Some punk had killed my wife for a reason like that¡­ That day everything changed, my life was never the same after that. Waves of regret and anger swept away what happiness I had left¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s my fault¡­ for thinking I could be happy. If I only I wasn¡¯t so selfish¡­ she¡¯d still be alive¡­ if only she didn¡¯t marry someone like me.


    (Kirie) ¡°It¡¯s ok son¡­ Mother¡¯s here for you.¡±


    ¡­ Mother? What is she doing here? I thought I was relaxing in the city square?


    (Kirie) ¡°Kurogane, you seem unaware of what happened. You had fallen asleep at the square, and the human boys carried you here. Several days have passed¡­ Did your sister not warn you about your growth period? Mother¡¯s glad you¡¯re growing¡­ but I wouldn¡¯t mind you staying a child for a little bit longer¡­¡±


    I...grew... again? To confirm, I check my clothing¡­ of course... they shrunk again... I... just bought these! Now I have to go shopping again for more clothing! I really hope that¡¯s it, this whole random growing thing is a pain.


    (Kirie) ¡°Mommy prepared a few sets of clothing for you. And worry not, you should not grow much more. Also don¡¯t forget to thank the boys for carrying you, and the little girl was worried. Mommy needs to go back¡­ I¡¯ll be back to visit you and Aoi both next time.¡±


    Slowly, my mother parts with me. As she leaves a lonely look appears on her face. What she does must be really important if she¡¯s forcing herself that much. When she¡¯s ready, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll tell me and sis about it.


    Getting out of bed, I change into the clothing my mother bought me. I ended up picking out the black slacks and button up shirt to wear and put the rest in my bag. Getting a better look myself in a mirror, I look the same as when I was 16 now. At least now it¡¯ll be easier to buy things¡­ there¡¯s just that issue...


    My shortsword is now¡­ exactly that. It¡¯s not long enough for me to attack properly with anymore. I¡¯m going to have to get a longsword, and new gauntlets and greaves¡­and another chainmail. Hopefully I can exchange them? I really don¡¯t have a use for my old one¡¯s any longer.


    (Erin) ¡°Are you awake Kuro¡­? I saw Kirie leave earlier¡­ are you ok...nOW!?¡±


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­ She JUST noticed I¡¯m taller¡­


    (Erin) ¡°When? How!? Did you grow again!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me Erin¡­ I¡¯m told this is about as tall as I¡¯ll get though, no more surprise growth.


    Anyways, I heard you were worried¡­ Sorry for that.¡±


    Erin kept denying that she was ever worried for even a moment. The awkwardness from a few days ago, as if it never happened. We kept talking for a while before I inform her that I have to go back home now. I¡¯ve been away for a while now and I should probably go home before Lilly thinks of more pranks to play on me. Also, I¡¯m worried about Lila, being away for this long makes me uneasy.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Before I set out though I have to make sure to buy new things and thank Aiden and Gavin. I quickly found them in the yard swinging new spears. It seems like they are using wooden spears with a red cloth tied to the end.


    (Gavin) ¡°Master! You¡¯re finally awake.¡±


    (Aiden) ¡°Are you going into town Master for some new equipment? If so I would advise the shop near the Guild.¡±


    Huh? There¡¯s a branch here? Of course there is¡­ Why didn¡¯t I think about that? Thanking the twin¡¯s I head to the location they told me.


    The shop was easy to find and I ended up buying more then I had intended¡­ I ended up buying a few longswords and a chainmail shirt in addition. Unfortunately there aren''t any crossbows¡­ since I¡­ yea¡­ no more bows¡­ ever.


    Tossing everything in my bag I wander towards the guild and find that they had a small shop inside. They had all kind of things for sale, some potions that would help you recover magic¡­ useless, I¡¯ve never run out before. There¡¯s also some other potions that replenishes vitality¡­ and several antidotes for different venoms.


    Hmm¡­ what¡¯s this powder here¡­ Somanilla pollen? I quickly purchase as much as I can get from the shop, these will definitely be useful! For good measure I pick up more lamp oil before trying to leave.


    (Female Voice) ¡°You there! We¡¯re in need of a skilled Adventurer, may I see your Guild Card?¡±


    What is this¡­ a game? This is one hell of a forced event if you ask me¡­ I show my card to the girl and she leaves for a moment to check it¡­? Doesn¡¯t it just say my rank on there¡­wait¡­ that¡¯s the real card! Ah she¡¯s running this way now...


    (Guild Receptionist) ¡°Sir Kurogane! It¡¯s an urgent request from the Guild. With your current rank we can only entrust this to you! A noble family was traveling through and have gone missing in a forest nearby. It¡¯s reported as a Bandit¡¯s hideout, so they must have captured them for a ransom!¡±


    Can¡¯t¡­ I just go home¡­? Although¡­ something¡¯s nagging at me¡­ Why do I get that feeling that¡­ I have to go? My gut feeling isn¡¯t usually wrong¡­ should I go for it? Putting on my business face I reply.


    ¡°I¡¯ll accept¡­ where are these Bandits? I¡¯d like to finish this quickly and return to Demarrer¡±


    After glossing over the details I depart into the forest in the north¡­ again. Didn¡¯t I clear out the bandits from before? Were there more¡­? Sneaky little bastards, this time I¡¯ll make sure to clean them out.


    Reaching the area I met my mother for the ¡°first¡± time I look around for clues¡­ No one¡¯s been here it seems¡­ That¡¯s strange. There were reports that they disappeared around here. I get it now, there has to be ANOTHER encampment. This was either a dummy dwelling or an outpost.


    After searching, I see a man made trail that goes deeper into the forest. Night starts to fall as I continue following the path. Until I finally find what I¡¯m looking for¡­ What the...hell?


    Initially, I had the image of a poorly barricaded settlement, maybe 3 or 4 buildings and some shabby looking thieves keeping watch. Instead I get what looks like a small military outpost¡­ complete with a gate and armored guards!


    Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a BANDIT hideout? They don¡¯t pay me enough for this¡­ but a job¡¯s a job, right? While keeping enough of a distance to not be noticed I survey the walls until it was completely night. Now¡­ what to do.


    As I start to formulate plans for infiltration, I can hear what sounds like¡­ partying? Are they having a party in there at this time of night? Perfect¡­ I¡¯ll just wait here for a few hours before sneaking in. A bunch of drunkards are a lot easier to deal with.


    ***


    That¡­ should be enough time. After what I guess to be a few hours pass I slowly walk towards one of the walls. Taking out my shortsword I start cutting into the walls to make it easier to scale the walls¡­ god I love this sword.


    Reaching the top of the wall I perch upon it looking down I can see most of the lights are concentrated at one point¡­ it must be where the party is. Strange¡­ I thought these were bandits¡­ Why are there patrols moving about. Damned bandits trying to be all organized, making my job harder than it already is!


    I start to scout the area in the dark, wearing my reddish black cloak. I make sure to avoid the patrols while I look for any clues of where the prisoners are, or a good hiding place to wait until the morning. That was the plan¡­ until I saw her.


    Off to the side I see¡­ my sister Aoi¡­? She¡¯s holding a tray with some drinks and she opens a door and enters it. Was the nobles¡­ my family!? Growing impatient I run towards the door kicking it down, to see my sister handing a drink to some men.


    Unable to hold back my anger I grab my sister and pull her back away from the men, all while I kick the first bandit I could reach into the wall. Pushing my sister towards the door I continue to thrash the bandits. Until I run into what looks like the leader.


    The bandit leader was a woman, with long black hair¡­ that had a blue hue to it. She was sitting in the back on a large cushion and looked important. As our eyes met I reach into my bag and fling a dagger at her throat.


    Tch! She¡¯s not half bad, she deflected it with her sword.


    (Bandit Leader) ¡°Who do you work for Assassin? If you put your sword down and work for me instead, I can promise you much better pay and treatment then your current Employer.¡±


    Typical bad guy banter¡­ trying to get recruit you instead, heard it a million times already. After I close in we exchange several blows until I see¡­ Lilly was sleeping next to the boss? From all the noise we were making¡­ she wakes up rubbing her eyes.


    (Lilly) ¡°Big Bwother¡­ Why fighting with Kuwo¡­You pwomised play nice.¡±


    Lilly starts sniffling for a moment¡­ then crying!? We both drop our weapons and rush to her side to calm her.


    ¡°See Lilly! We¡¯re not fighting!¡±


    (Bandit Leader) ¡°Yes, We were just playing around. We¡¯re the best of friends!¡±


    We both throw our arms over each other¡¯s shoulders and smile.


    (Lilly) ¡°Weally¡­? *sniff* No fighting¡­? *sniff*¡±


    We continue to smile and act buddy buddy until I can feel a smack behind my head!?


    (Aoi) ¡°Yes Lilly dear, these two were just playing. So it¡¯s ok, let¡¯s get you to bed.¡±


    Phew¡­ Safe¡­ Aoi carries Lilly off and me and the Bandit Leader start talking. I find out¡­ his name is Addison and he¡¯s Lilly¡¯s older brother. They were actually on their way back to the capital, where the main house was.


    My heart sank as he told me the reason they were traveling with the entire...family¡­ Addison, Lilly, Aoi...and Edward¡­

 Chapter 30: Guilt, and the chains that bind.

    Aoi and Edward joined in the conversation shortly after Addison dropped the bomb on me¡­ Lila, had just passed away a few days after I left. It was in her sleep, a painless death¡­ I.. Should have been there¡­ I failed the Duke and Duchess¡­ I couldn¡¯t even be there for her during her last days.


    As I try to hold back my tears, Edward hands me a black ring¡­


    (Edward) ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself Kuro¡­ No one knew when it would happen¡­ Lila¡­ we bought this for you, saying it reminded her of you.¡±


    Why¡­ would she do something like that¡­ for someone like me¡­ I don¡¯t deserve this kind of kindness¡­ I couldn¡¯t even be there for her¡­


    (Aoi) ¡°It¡¯s ok to cry brother, your big sister is here¡­ We were going to look for you tomorrow in town and tell you¡­ but you found us first.¡±


    It was explained to me, that the bandits were actually taken care of the day before, due to the escorts that came with Addison. They were going to turn them over as soon as they entered Reunion and find me.


    I couldn¡¯t say a word¡­ All I could do was place the ring Lila bought me on the finger next to the elves ring. I¡¯m not sure what else we talked about¡­ I couldn¡¯t think straight after that. My thoughts swirled around into a jumbled mess in my head.


    Everyone wanted to go back to the main house together, but I couldn¡¯t yet. At least I decided I would see Lila¡¯s grave before meeting up with the rest of the family in the capital. Though they were worried about me, I assured them I would be fine... and told them to leave without me.


    After everyone left the next day¡­ all I could do was sit there¡­ full of regret. I try to recall the rest of the conversation that we had the night before but only could remember broken pieces. Lila wanted to spend the last of her days in the Manor she grew up, so she brought Aoi, Edward and Lilly with her. That would be why I never saw her children¡­ just Lilly.


    Addison had to stay in the capital due to political reasons, and even had to disguise himself for¡­ some reason. My thoughts are still cloudy¡­ All I can think about right now is going back home¡­ back to Lila.


    Running as fast as I could¡­ I ran and ran¡­ until I reached the Manor where I met Lila. Once I entered the gate¡­ it was like the earth was trying to swallow me whole with every step. The guilt of not being there for her last moments...The regret of not spending more time with her...even just one more second...The despair...of never being able to see her smile again.


    The maids and butlers saw me and rushed over to me, concerned for my well being.They would even worry about someone like me¡­ who couldn¡¯t even be there for Lila in her last moments¡­ Even the guards came to check on me. They all knew how much I loved Lila and Lilly, and figured out how devastated I was.


    They brought me to Lila¡¯s grave, it was on a hill outside of town, next to her parents. There were flowers placed in front of their graves. Since I haven''t found anything like incense in this world, all I could do was take Lila¡¯s favorite dress, the things I had bought for her and one of my scales.


    And burn them¡­ it¡¯s a tradition, the belief is that the act of burning the things important to the dead¡­ it will reach them in the afterlife. It was the least I could do for her¡­ Maybe with this¡­ she¡¯ll forgive me a little for not being there for her¡­ All I could do at that moment...was cry...cry and embrace her cold tombstone¡­


    Remembering the time we spent together, every moment replying like an old cassette... How she would always tug on my tail with those little hands of hers, knowing how much I hated it. She was such a mischievous little girl when she was young. We even scared some of the maids so bad they fell to their knees. I...can still hear her giggling voice¡­ Her cute smile every time she went to see me¡­Those times she would just run over and give me a hug for no reason... Things¡­ I can never experience...ever...again.


    It...never get¡¯s easier¡­ When those important to us...leave first. I keep telling myself the same thing over and over. Lila wouldn¡¯t want me to be so sad, she¡¯d want me to be happy...to smile. Yet, I can¡¯t¡­ no matter how much I try.


    ¡°The living...have to live on...for the sake of the dead¡­¡±


    That¡¯s right¡­ I have to keep going¡­ keep living my life. Their memories, I¡¯ll live on with them¡­as long as I remember them¡­ they¡¯ll still be alive in my memories. For mother...for father...for Arlene...and Lila...I¡¯ll continue living¡­ So, please rest in peace¡­ I¡¯ll be fine¡­ I promise.


    Spending what felt like an eternity in grief, I pick myself up and drag myself into the Adventurer''s Guild. I have to report in to Harvey and let him know what happened with Erin. I can¡¯t stop here, I still have Lilly¡­ I will keep her safe no matter the cost, so rest well Lila. Hopefully when I see you again¡­ you¡¯ll have forgiven me.


    Once I reach the guild I see a familiar scene, that idiotic Beer Thief is arguing with Damian, and by arguing I mean Damien was being yelled at while he was grinning. At that moment the Beer Thief flips the table towards Damien. Before I could step in I see Damien put his hand forward and the table stops mid air.


    (Damien) ¡°Calm down Apeton, I¡¯ll buy you a banana~¡±


    (Apeton?) ¡°IT¡¯S ASHTON YOU DEVIL WEARING HUMAN¡¯S FLESH!


    *Sigh*... I am NOT in the mood for this. I slowly walk towards them as Damien flicks his wrist putting the table back to it¡¯s previous position.


    ¡°Shut it Ashton, or I¡¯ll make it so even your mother won¡¯t recognize your ugly mug.¡±


    I guess it¡¯s because I was wearing my cloak, or maybe because I grew, but Ashton didn¡¯t seem to recognize me¡­ Soon after I get the feeling of dejavu as we end up in the training area...again. Does he not learn?


    (Ashton) ¡°Ready yourself Fiend! I shall show you what happens when you anger the great¡±


    (Damien) ¡°APETON!¡±


    Pft! Damien¡­ that was well timed! Well played¡­ well played.


    ¡°So Mr. Apeton, to be fair I won¡¯t use any weapons, getting taught a lesson twice by the same person should be enough.¡±


    As soon as I finish my sentence I close in on Ashton, it seems my last attack was burned into his mind and he tries to sweep at my feet. He seriously doesn¡¯t learn does he? He must be a one trick ape.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    As Ashton tries to knock me off my feet with his spear, I jump over and stomp down on it, causing him to lose his grip on his spear. Picking up the spear with my foot I kick the spear away and run towards Ashton. He throws a punch aimed at my face as I close in on him. With my left arm I aim for his wrist, hitting his fist into the air before sliding towards him with placing my right fist into his side.


    As Ashton flinched in pain I pulled my right fist back slightly and raise my palm directly into his jaw to keep his loud mouth shut. The sound of his jaw being forced shut resounds through the room before I follow up my attack with a left hook aimed at his back. Avoiding his spine the impact from my attack causes Ashton to stagger to my right.


    The crowd was filled with an almost eerie continue to use Ashton as a human punching bag. By the time Harvey came out to stop me, I had broken Ashton¡¯s nose, and he had multiple bruises on his face and stomach. And may...have a broken rib...or three.


    (Harvey) ¡°Do you never learn Ashton? Kurogane beat you once already¡­ What made you think you could win AFTER he grew?


    Ashton holding his nose to stop the bleeding looks like he starts to think¡­ for once. I pull off my hood and mouth cover before I speak.


    ¡°Sorry Harv¡­ He was being absurdly annoying today and I just had to shut him up.¡±


    Harvey simply walks up to me and places his hands on my shoulders.


    (Harvey) ¡°I heard old friend¡­ I¡¯m sorry for your loss, but please¡­ don¡¯t take it all out on the poor fool.¡±


    Still unable to put two and two together Ashton just stares at us. That was until Damien steps forward with his usual grin.


    (Damien) ¡°You know Ashton, He¡¯s the same boy who beat you up a couple months back.¡±


    Finally, everything seemed to connect for Ashton¡­ How slow can you be?


    (Ashton) ¡°He¡¯s that little whelp from before?¡±


    Didn¡¯t I tell him to shut up already¡­ Before Ashton could say much more I throw a handful of Somanilla pollen in his face causing him to fall unconscious. I then follow Harvey to his office to tell him about my escort of his grand daughter.


    (Harvey) ¡°Thank you for the help Kuro¡­ Although I¡¯d love to be able to send you off to the capital to reunite with your family¡­ There has been a change.¡±


    A change¡­ I don¡¯t like the sound of that¡­ Change can be good! Just¡­ not when it¡¯s said like that¡­


    (Harvey) ¡°The heightened monster activity was just a start¡­ A new Demon Lord has risen into power¡­ and our sources tell us they the Demon Lord intends to invade. One of the Kingdoms Dragoons along with a small company of hand picked knights are to reinforce the front lines. And We need skilled Adventurers to help escort them. You would be going with Damien and Kalibur on this quest. You also¡­ may decline, but I would feel much more assured if you joined the expedition. Especially if things are worse than we expect.¡±


    A new Demon Lord eh¡­ It sounds like your typical novel¡­ if I ignore something like this, they¡¯ll invade¡­ No¡­ I won¡¯t let them bring the war to my family. I failed LIla¡­ I will NOT fail Lilly and Addison.


    ¡°Got it Harvey¡­ I¡¯ll go. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a Demon Lord or a Demon God, try to harm my family and they¡¯ll have to do it over my dead body.¡±


    What if the fighting get¡¯s to the Forest¡­ or even the capital¡­ They can¡¯t reach my family, not while I still draw breath. While I think about Lila I slowly rotate the ring the gave me.


    (Harvey) ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard Kuro, it¡¯s ok to decline and leave it to us¡­ Although I would be more assured if you went.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine Harvey¡­ It¡¯d probably be better if I go, gotta keep busy. I¡¯ll meet up with Damien and Kal after I stock up.¡±


    Harvey looks at me concerned, but I simply smile and leave. I¡¯ll need to make sure I have enough stuff in case things get bad. The way I normally fight is anti-personal, I fight only small groups usually¡­ But in the case of an actual war, I need longer reach and more utility.


    My haul from my stocking was; several pounds of powdered sugar, about 20 liters of lamp oil, 5 Zweihanders; the reach for these would be helpful with larger groups, and larger monsters. There was also a massive amount of¡­ throwing daggers. I¡¯ll just have to settle for throwing things since I can¡¯t seem to find a damn crossbow. There was plenty of composite bows, long and short bows¡­ never again...


    After double checking all my stuff, and of course stocking up on food I return to the Guild. Damien was leaning back in his chair, his feet on the table. All while Kal was sitting across from him eating his meal.


    (Kalibur) ¡°Looks like we finally get to work together Kurogane. I¡¯ll be sure to pay you back for last time.¡±


    After he speaks he slowly picks up a small piece of meat and eats it. Damien chimes in right after with his usual snickering face


    (Damien) ¡°Ha! Seeing you shut up that ape was fun. I would pay to see it again! Traveling with you should be more entertaining than I thought!¡±


    Definitely...the troublesome type that Damien, although I don¡¯t mind it in moderation. We then went through the details of the job, we would first meet up with the knights in the town of Lerwick. We would then guide the knights and take care of any monsters we encounter on the way until they drop off supplies at Fort Dusk.


    That was it, not too hard sounding should be pretty straight forward. We plan to depart in a week''s time giving me some time to drop by the Elf settlement. While avoiding prying eyes I run to the forest reaching the forest the next day.


    This time I packed enough food it seems and I still had food left when I reached the city. I simply wave to the Guards and they smile before letting me in. When I reached home I could see Lena sitting in front of the house with her nose in a book.


    Silently, I sneak up behind Lena and slowly lower the book I bought her into her view. As I move it back and forth her head turns with it before she grabs it.


    (Lena) ¡°Kuro! You¡¯re home! This is for me right! Thank you!¡±


    I pat Lena on the head as she smiles at me, I missed her and ...Roy...? As if I had summoned him with my thoughts, Roy had appeared next to me.


    (Roy) ¡°Kurogane! Welcome home¡­ Now fight me! I won¡¯t lose this time and I swear I¡¯ll make you use both swords!¡±


    This muscled brained genius kid¡­ Gah¡­ I can¡¯t even insult his intelligence since he¡¯s actually smart. Just how did he end up this way? Everytime he see¡¯s me lately he just wants to fight¡­ Well, it is fun so I¡¯ll just go with it and follow him.


    Once we reach our normal sparing area I pull out the sword I bought him and hand it to him. He looks at me blankly for a second¡­ Then his face lights up, you can almost see the sparkles in his eyes.


    (Roy) ¡°Thanks Kuro! How¡¯d you know what I wanted?¡±


    ¡­ You¡¯d have to be blind, deaf and beyond help to not know the best present for Roy would be a sword¡­ This kid¡¯s a once in a lifetime genius...right? Roy shows me a beaming smile as he draws his new sword and his regular shield.


    Wasting no time, Roy moves towards me to slam his shield into me with a shield bash. I step back far enough to avoid it and block his horizontal slash that followed with my short sword. Twisting my body a bit I attempt to kick Roy in the stomach, but a wall of earth blocks my attack.


    Right after my foot meets the with of earth, Roy swings at me again forcing me to kick off the wall and deflect his sword away from me. The tip of his sword then erupted into flames! That was dangerous!


    I instively roll away from Roy and pull out my long sword to continue the fight. He¡¯s finally good enough that I can be a little more serious¡­ or so I thought. It didn¡¯t take long for me to overpower Roy after that. He doesn¡¯t seem used to having to fight a dual wielder.


    That would probably be due to the fact that that gap between attacks is less, giving him less time to react then before. Although he¡¯s starting to use more types of magic while he¡¯s fighting now! Definitely a sign of growth, he¡¯s getting good. If he continues growing like this he¡¯ll become strong, probably much stronger than me.


    After passing out my remaining souvenirs I spend the rest of the day hanging out with Roy and Lena. Doing stuff like this, keeps my mind off of things. Thinking about it too much won¡¯t bring them back¡­ and the departed don¡¯t want to watch those they leave behind unhappy. I have to smile and be happy, for everyone¡¯s sake.


    The remaining 2 days I spent, went by fast. If I wasn¡¯t sparing with Roy I was spending time with Lena as her pillow while she¡¯s reading books. Strangely enough I think the two of them have grown a bit, since in my dragon¡¯s form Lena feels to be around the same size still.


    This was a shame, I was after my growth spurt they both could relax reading books like we used to. However, it¡¯s nice to see the both of them healthy and happy. Before I set off to go back Lena hands me a few books to read for when I¡¯m bored and Roy hands me a bunch of Somanilla Flowers and a few magic books at my request. Giving them both a hug before I left I departed back to the town Lila was buried.


    This job should be easy¡­ It¡¯s just a regular escort mission away from the front lines. I should be able to finish it quickly.

 Chapter 31: The Dawn

    When I return to Demarrer I see Kal and Damien waiting for me at the gates. We depart immediately to the mountain range where we first met. Damien was very carefree and I can hear him humming happily as we traveled¡­ probably because he wasn¡¯t carrying his own bags!


    Kalibur was made to carry not only his tower shield, and ridiculously large sword¡­ but his AND Damien''s bags! Kal of course was kind enough to offer to hold my things¡­ but everything¡¯s stuffed in my magic bag so I ended up declining. Seriously though¡­ I don¡¯t even know where I would put half of this stuff.


    We traveled¡­ at a normal person¡¯s speed and we ended up camping out before we reached the village at the foot of the mountain. Why are they so slow! If I was on my own I¡¯d pass through the village by now. But then again¡­ it¡¯s not like it was much slower than when I was with Erin.


    Setting up camp I found out something interesting¡­ That little Imp Damien knows how to cook! Not only can he cook¡­ but his cooking is really tasty! Kal and I ended up eating until our stomachs felt like bursting. I¡¯ve been eating a lot less lately then before and it¡¯s easier for me to get full now. Not having to possibly eat a place out of food to be full is a nice thing.


    (Damien) ¡°Uh¡­ I knew you could...eat Kuro but isn¡¯t that a little ¡­ much? I¡¯ve seen ¡±


    Hm..? It¡¯s the normal amount I eat¡­ it¡¯s not THAT strange is it?


    (Kalibur) ¡°We were told by the Guild Master that you eat a lot¡­ but we did not expect it to be¡­ that much.¡±


    ¡­ It¡¯s about how much...they feed me at home though¡­? Lately I¡¯ve been eating less also, it¡¯s not like I have to eat as much as before. Now that I think about it¡­ I don¡¯t remember being that big of an eater before this¡­


    The subject was quickly dropped, and we spent the next week traveling without any interruptions. That was until we came upon a bridge that went over a river. After we passed the bridge Kal told me it would only be a few days until we reached Lerwick.


    At this point we were just making small talk to keep ourselves occupied, it would be nice to have a car or something to drag these slowpokes long though.


    (Damien) ¡°So, how¡¯d it go with the Guild Master¡¯s Granddaughter ya sneak? You know marrying into the family won¡¯t get you better quests~.¡±


    Damien just grins as he pokes my cheeks. Was it that apparent? I don¡¯t remember her showing major signs until later¡­? But before I could reply Kal chimes in on the conversation.


    (Kalibur) ¡°I am also curious, the young miss was quite smitten with you.¡±


    Seriously? Even Kal figured it out? And here I thought I was quick to pick up on it¡­ Maybe she dropped some hints while they were traveling together? That has to be it, it¡¯s not like¡­ now that I think about it¡­ She did show signs and I just didn¡¯t notice.


    ¡°Uh yea¡­ about that¡­ it was brought up while we were in Reunion¡­¡±


    (Kalibur and Damien) ¡°A-N-D?¡±


    What are you two? Bored housewifes hungry for gossip!? Why does it even matter to them! Even the way they¡¯re staring at me reminds me of when Mia was younger! Every time I went to pick her up from daycare the mothers of the other kids would always ambush me like this. And they would just ask about all kinds of personal things!


    ¡°I turned her down¡­ it wouldn¡¯t work out in the end.¡±


    Damien stops poking my cheeks and starts elbowing me¡­ seriously what¡¯s up with this guy? And Kal, why are you shaking your head like that!? What¡¯s with those judgemental looks? It¡¯s not like I did anything wrong...right? Right!?


    (Damien) ¡°Ha? You¡¯re one of those aren¡¯t you¡­ I heard talks about how you¡¯re always hanging around the little girl at your place.¡±


    Wha¡­? Why do people think I¡¯m a lolicon! I¡¯m not into that kind of stuff, I like my women to be more grown up in various ways¡­ Anyways I¡¯m going to have to set Damien straight before more weird rumors start.


    ¡°She¡¯s part of my family Damien. Lilly to me is something like a daughter. U-NDER-STAND!¡±


    I aim to kick Damien in the shins, but he sees it coming and jumps over my kick¡­ slippery little Imp. Of course the entire time he has this grin on his face. Is he just poking fun at me? This guy¡­ really knows how to push your buttons doesn¡¯t he?Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    What¡¯s¡­ that sound¡­? As we cross the bridge I can hear this low growling sound¡­? Curious I stick my head under the bridge to see...a large burly figure, about 7 or 8 feet tall. It¡¯s arms were long and it turned to me as I peeked under the bridge... a troll?


    (Troll) ¡°TRESSPASSER!¡±


    Calmly, I pull my head back and turn towards Damien and Kal¡­ I¡¯ll just ignore the fact that I can understand the troll¡­ it might be...trolling me. Don¡¯t trolls usually ask for tolls to pass the bridge¡­ Maybe a roll of cash so it¡¯ll be a T-roll~


    ¡°Uh¡­ Guys¡­ there¡¯s a troll¡­ under the bridge and it doesn¡¯t like us on the bridge.¡±


    At that moment the troll jumps onto the bridge and uppercuts me into the river! Oh crap! I¡­ can¡¯t swim! Flying into the air I suddenly plummet into the river with a splash. The current was strong and against my will get carried away by it. Is this how I die, carried away by the a river until I drown!?


    Covering my mouth and nose with one hand I squirm around trying to grab onto a rock or log, anything I could find as I get carried off. Each time I would grab a hold of something I would be carried away before I could properly grip it. Damnit! This is bad I don¡¯t know how much longer I can hold my breath for I need to get out air!


    Reaching into my bag I pull out my metal chain and loop it into a lasso desperately and try to hook onto a log. Wrapping the other end of the chain on left hand and grab on with my right. With a sudden stop my arm felt like it was about to pop out of it¡¯s socket¡­ until the log went with me! The chain untangles from the log as I pull it up to try to have it slow over me. Barely the log passes me by and I let out a sigh of relief.


    At that moment I started to breath in the water after I sighed... Huh? I¡­ can... breath? Wait¡­ How!? ¡­ Oh god¡­ no one can hear about this¡­ NO ONE! If anyone found out about this¡­ I would die of embarrassment. Another black mark on my history for no one to find out about.


    The fact that my mother¡­ is an Azure Dragon¡­ that lives in water¡­ completely slipped my mind. It makes sense¡­ that I can breath under water¡­ I feel really¡­ really dumb for not figuring that out. I mean how does it even work? I don¡¯t have gills...I think... how does it even work!


    Eventually the current slows and I can drag myself out of the river. Now, I need to wring my clothes dry just to be on the safe side. Taking off my cloak I notice something¡­ it¡¯s black...pure black¡­ when I put it on this morning¡­ It was a dark red cloak¡­


    Note to self¡­ THOROUGHLY wash things that come out of a monster''s stomach¡­ I mean it didn¡¯t smell¡­ so I assumed a quick wash would be enough¡­ Ugh¡­ never... again¡­everything get¡¯s scrubbed down at least 3 times!!


    After wringing the majority of the water out of my clothes I run along the river to try to meet up with Kal and Damien. It looks like I was carried pretty far down. Maybe they¡¯ll go ahead without me? No¡­ Kal would run after me as soon as he defeated the troll.


    Shortly after I can see Kal and Damien¡¯s silhouettes and meet up with them. They sure came quick! After regrouping we continue our our trip until nightfall. That night as usual we camped out and Damien cooked some stew.


    There¡¯s¡­ no meat in it¡­ I wonder if I have enough time to hunt something¡­ maybe a¡­ Oh¡­? I hear a faint rustle in the foliage nearby. How nice of them¡­ to join dinner~


    (Kalibur) ¡°Looks like there¡¯s going to be a change in the menu, we have guests.¡±


    He picked up on them fast, I guess you don¡¯t become a seasoned Adventurer with at least that much skill. Kal and I draw our weapons and prepare to engage. A wolf jumps out from the bushes to attack Kal, only to get swatted into a tree by his shield.


    With a yelp it falls to the ground next to 2 more wolves, who decide that I¡¯m the easier target and attack me. Shrugging for a moment I lower my body and slide under the first wolf, slitting its throat as I draw my shortsword. As I twist my body I kick it into the other wolf as I pass under it.


    Reaching into my bag I grab a throwing knife to finish off the last wolf¡­ but Damien tapped it on the head catching them both on fire¡­. At least I don¡¯t have to wait too long for it to cook¡­ Wait¡­ shouldn¡¯t we skin them first! I don¡¯t want fur mixed in with my food.


    After that Kal started to skin the wolves and he removed a¡­ round candy from the wolves¡­? The God of Sweets strikes again! Seriously? Why give us candy when we kill monsters¡­ it makes zero sense. Can¡¯t I get something useful, I don¡¯t know like some kind of magic item or money!


    (Kalibur) ¡°Here you go Kuro, one Monster¡¯s Shard each.¡±


    Monster¡¯s...shard? They¡¯re¡­ not candy?


    ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s a Monster¡¯s Shard Kal?¡±


    What!? Did I say something weird? It¡¯s not common knowledge ...right? Why are they looking at me like I said something wrong...or stupid¡­? You¡¯d figure with how long I¡¯ve been an Adventurer that I¡¯d know about something like this!


    (Kalibur) ¡°You haven¡¯t heard about the Monster¡¯s Shards? Pretty much every monster has one of these imbedded into it¡¯s body. The Guild usually buys them, the price depends on the size and luster.¡±


    Wha¡­? You¡¯re telling me¡­ I left these in the bodies of those spiders!? Gah! Why didn¡¯t I get an instruction manual for this world!


    (Damien) ¡°There¡¯s also that¡­ Scholars think that the shard is what makes a monster¡­ a monster. Though they can¡¯t seem to figure out if it¡¯s formed because it became a monster, or it became a monster because of it!¡±


    Damien¡­ is being serious¡­ did they switch him out during the attack¡­? No witty remark¡­ no insults¡­ It can¡¯t be him!


    (Damien) ¡°Oh, Alchemists use them to make potions to recover magic power also, really useful for us Magic Casting types.¡±


    That was interesting¡­ looks like I could get a good amount of money for these¡­ but then again¡­ they taste good¡­ I slowly slip the monster¡¯s shard into the...food section of my bag and wait for dinner. Having some meat in the stew made it a lot more satisfying since¡­ yea just eating vegetables sounds like a terrible idea.


    Once we get to Lerwick we can get a nice break and just relax! It¡¯ll be a nice little change of pace, I heard a few things about the town as we traveled. It was a nice quaint little town full of cheerful and lively residents. With a place like that, seriously... what could go wrong?

 Chapter 32: The Town of Lerwick

    Finally¡­I can sleep in a proper bed, nature¡¯s nice and all¡­ but it can¡¯t beat good old civilization! Strolling into down happily I great the old lady walking down the street. It¡¯s good for the elderly to be energetic!


    As we walk to the Inn¡­ something starts to bug me¡­ I haven¡¯t run into any¡­ young adults¡­? There are just children and elderly here¡­? That can¡¯t be right¡­ I heard this was a lively town. I¡¯m sure they thought of the wrong words, I mean seriously¡­ even the Innkeeper looked like a grandma!


    You know what¡­ I¡¯m not going to worry about it, I have more pressing matters to deal with. A BED! Finally able to sleep on a nice comfortable bed after all this time I leap onto it. To only be greeted by a board of wood underneath it¡­


    WHY! Why would you betray me so bed¡­ I just wanted a nice fluffy mattress to sleep in after all the camping! Dah! I¡¯m over it¡­ I¡¯m just going to sleep¡­ they won''t¡¯ be here for a couple days anyway so time to take it easy.


    The following morning I wake up uninterrupted, it¡¯s nice to just sleep until you wake up! In a good mood I leave the Inn for a nice after meal stroll. During my stroll I stumble upon an old man tending to his farm and offer to help him. The man smiles at me and I spend some time helping him.


    (Old man) ¡°You¡¯re pretty strong there youngster, are you a Traveler?¡±


    ¡°Nope! I¡¯m an Adventurer, me and my associates are waiting for the Kingdom¡¯s knights. We¡¯re going to help them reach a nearby fort by clearing out monsters.¡±


    Hehe, I always liked the sound of Adventurer! It just has the feeling about it!


    (Old man) ¡°Can¡­ you save my son?¡±


    Wha? What¡¯s with the sudden bomb old man? There has to be a proper order to things you know¡­ Ah.. he¡¯s going to ignore me and keep talking isn¡¯t he.


    (Old man) ¡°My son was captured by the bandits that live in the forest! They¡¯ve been kidnapping all the young people in the village! Please help us!¡±


    Really old man...What do I look like to you? Yes, let¡¯s ask the shady guy in a black cloak to help me save my kid¡­


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you wait for the knights for something like that?¡±


    I really¡­ don¡¯t feel like working today¡­ Don¡¯t give me that look old man...my lazy day¡­ give it back.


    ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll check the forest out, no promises though! I¡¯ll take a look and see if I can help.¡±


    (Old Man) ¡°Thank you sir! We don¡¯t have much here¡­¡±


    ¡­ You¡¯re not even going to pay me? What am I? A charity¡­ damnit old man! Stop it with those pitiful eyes¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the reward¡­¡±


    *Sigh* He better at least have a meal for me or I¡¯m going to be pissed¡­ My good mood ruined I return to the Inn and talk to Damien and Kal about the bandits.


    (Kalibur) ¡°Of course we will assist these poor villagers!¡±


    (Damien) ¡°That¡­ sounds like a pain¡­ Can you not get us jobs that don¡¯t pay Kuro?¡±


    It¡¯s not like you were subjected to an elderly man throwing you pitiful gazes! We continue to talk it out and decide to start our operation that night. Slowly navigating through the forest we start to hear¡­ partying?


    The sound of singing, and several people just having a good time grows louder as we close in. Uh¡­ are they¡­ having a Frat party¡­? Is that even a thing... Let me guess, they attract people with their partying and recruit them...


    (Damien) ¡°Why don¡¯t we just join the crowd and I¡¯ll start putting people to sleep using magic.¡±


    I really¡­ should learn more spells¡­magic seems useful¡­ but all the learning that required for non-elemental spells¡­ And I really didn¡¯t go to school to understand how people get put to sleep I don¡¯t think I imagine them to sleep and for it to work... right?


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea Damien, I don¡¯t think they actually know who is who. I¡¯ll just use some Somanilla pollen to put them to sleep. When we¡¯re done we just tie them up and have Kal carry them back.¡±


    (Damien) ¡°Good I like it, especially the last part.¡±


    (Kalibur) ¡°... I¡¯m not your butler...or servant. Why must I carry everything?¡±


    ¡°Because we should leave the jobs to who is suited best. Damien¡¯s magic, my stealth, and your¡­ muscles.¡±


    After saying that me and Damien blend into the group before Kal can object. Within an hour we round up everyone and bring them back to the village throwing them into a barn yard. Leaving Kal to keep watch, me and Damien go back to the inn and sleep until morning. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Strangely¡­ not a single person we captured, was a bandit¡­? They were ALL villagers? They also don¡¯t remember how or why there were in the forest¡­Something¡¯s fishy¡­ but I¡¯m not sure what¡­ I think I¡¯ll check out the forest tonight if I have time and see what¡¯s going on.


    Of course, the knights decide to finally show up and put a hamper in my plans, there looked to be a few hundred of them at least, and set up camp outside the village. So all 3 of us head towards the camp to introduce ourselves.


    Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t like these guys already¡­ After we introduce ourselves they seem extremely excited that Kal and Damien were there. But completely ignored me, and didn¡¯t even bother acknowledging my presence. Well it¡¯s not like I have anything to prove to them so I ignore them back.


    (Knight) ¡°Sir Kalibur, I will inform the Dragoon Garret that your party is here. I¡¯m sure he will feel reassured with your and Sir Damien¡¯s presence here.¡±


    What¡¯s¡­ a Dragoon? Is it like a dragon¡­ but...dragged on? Hehe, but seriously¡­ I should ask Kal. I wait until the knight leaves and nudge him to get his attention.


    ¡°Hey, Kal¡­ what¡¯s a Dragoon¡­?¡±


    Don¡¯t give me that look¡­ Why? Did I say something wrong¡­? Why is everyone giving me that look now¡­? I didn¡¯t get the damned instruction manual for this world!


    ¡°Seriously though Kal¡­ I have no idea what a Dragoon is. Can you explain?¡±


    (Kalibur) ¡°Sorry Kuro, I thought you were joking around. I¡¯m truly surprised that you haven¡¯t heard of them. They are the Elites of Drakon, only those with great strength and achievements are given this rank.¡±


    I was then subjected a history lecture¡­ damnit I hate history! Why¡¯d I even bother asking¡­


    (Kalibur) ¡°And the reason that the kingdom changed its view on dragon¡¯s was when they sent an Army to kill the dragon living in the Forest of Mist. It was rumored to be her nest and they were swiftly defeated, but not killed.¡±


    Huh? Why does that sound familiar¡­?


    (Kalibur) ¡°The mother then approached that generation¡¯s King, who had joined the expedition to prove his strength. She was asking for the return of her child, she only attacked because she was worried about her family. After speaking with the Dragoness, the King started to doubt the words of his ancestors¡­ and renamed the Kingdom Drakon. From that moment he even reset the calendar to represent the beginning of a new age where the kingdom would try to co-exist with dragons.¡±


    Uh¡­ wait¡­ they reset¡­ the calendar that day?


    ¡°Uh¡­ Kal¡­ what year are we in again?¡±


    (Kalibur) ¡°I¡¯m starting to wonder about you Kurogane¡­ You are even unsure of the year? It¡¯s the 766th year.¡±


    ¡­.766 years¡­ since that day¡­ THE HELL!? I¡¯ve been alive for over 700 years!? That¡­that can¡¯t be right¡­ can it? No¡­ forget it, let¡¯s not think about it¡­ Age is just a number right! You¡¯re only as old as you feel!


    After that¡­ Kalibur¡­ slowly gave me a long...LONG lecture. I was subjected to his history talk until nightfall¡­ What did I do to you Kal!? I thought we were friends! Absolutely drained I drag myself to bed and fall asleep.


    Recalling a time passed, it was after I found out about my wife¡¯s murder¡­ No matter how hard I tried I couldn¡¯t be myself anymore. All I could do¡­ was smile for them¡­ my sister Mia¡­ and my brother Ken. I could never show them my sadness, nor weakness¡­ As the eldest I have to¡­ be strong, for my siblings.


    The office I was working at then, let me take a few weeks off in order to collect myself, but I instead only took one day off. If I was alone at home¡­ with all the momentos of my wife, no let¡¯s not think anymore¡­ there¡¯s work to be done.


    Day in and day out I kept myself busy with work, taking care of my siblings¡­ any and everything to get my mind of it¡­ That was until, Kenny didn¡¯t come home. At first I thought he was just out with friends¡­ but he would usually call me or Mia and let us know. Something was wrong¡­ I could feel my stomach churn, I need to find him. NOW!


    Frantic I ran outside the house tripping over the front steps, it doesn¡¯t matter¡­ I just need him to be safe¡­ that¡¯s all I need right now. Ignoring the elevator I ran down the stairs until I missed a step because of my ragged breath.


    I could feel that I was bleeding, but it didn''t¡¯ matter to me, Kenny¡¯s safety is more important than anything that happens to me. If¡­ anything happened to either of them...No, I have to find Kenny. I continue to run and check everywhere I can, no matter how much air I breathed in, it didn¡¯t feel like enough.


    Just a little more... hold on Kenny, your brother¡¯s coming...please be ok¡­ I kept running no matter how tired or injured I became. Until I found him in the park, he was swinging on the swings in the dead of night. Nothing to keep him company but a lone light that shone above him.


    I can¡¯t show him my current appearance so I dust myself off and catch my breath first¡­ I have to show him the face of a reliable brother, I can¡¯t show him my weakness. I have to be strong¡­ strong enough to protect them.


    ¡°Kenny, what are you doing here? If you wanted to stay out late you could have at least called me or Mia.¡±


    Slowly he looked up at me with a cold stare¡­


    (Kenny) ¡°Don¡¯t act like you care.¡±


    What..? Where did that come from¡­?


    ¡°Of course I care Ken! What kind of person doesn¡¯t love his brother?¡±


    (Kenny) ¡°The type that wouldn¡¯t even cry at his parent¡¯s funeral¡­ or his wife¡¯s. You DIDN¡¯T even care! You just stood there staring like it had nothing to do with you! Don¡¯t you DARE act like you give a DAMN about any of us!¡±


    ¡­.


    (Kenny) ¡°What! Nothing to say! Of course you don¡¯t! Just stand there with that stupid smile on your face!¡±


    ¡­.


    (Kenny) ¡°Say something DAMNIT! Anything! You won¡¯t even deny it! You cold blooded¡­ ARG Are you even HUMAN anymore!?¡±


    Tears started to fall from his face¡­ it¡¯s been so hard on him...us... Kenny jumps off his swing and runs over to me and throws a punch at me as I wrap my arms around him.


    (Kenny) ¡°The hell with you! I don¡¯t need someone like you! I wish it was you that was shot not Sis! She at least gave a damn!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say a word¡­ every word he said stung a hundred times more than the search for him... All I could do was stand there and take it all in. Until he calmed down. Every insult he threw at me¡­ I took it all¡­


    Still sleepy I begin opening my eyes, the sun again is trying to beat my face in this early in the morning¡­ Can¡¯t you wait until I feel like waking up? Of course the sun¡¯s response was more light in my face¡­ throwing my blanket over my head I try to get a few more ¡­ hours of sleep.


    (Damien) ¡°Hey Kuro! Have you seen Kal?¡±


    Of course I haven¡¯t seen him! I¡¯m in bed still!


    (Damien) ¡°Wake up Kuro, Kal¡¯s missing.¡±


    Wha!?

 Chapter 33: Morning Frost

    Kal¡¯s gone¡­? That can¡¯t be right¡­ someone as uptight as him wouldn¡¯t just up and disappear. Ah, yes! He always wakes up early and does training in the morning, he probably just got too into it and hasn¡¯t come back yet.


    ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s not just training Damien?¡±


    That has to be it, there¡¯s no other explanation. Kal pretty much every morning is awake before the both of us usually swinging his sword around all sweaty. I could never understand doing those same movements so many times over¡­.and over again.


    (Damien) ¡°Of course I checked! Even a portion of the knights and the Dragoon are missing. I knew something else was in that forest! It was faint so I thought it was harmless.¡±


    Something...else? It was strange that we only found villagers¡­I knew it, something was luring them there for some reason. Maybe it¡¯s a man eating monster!? No¡­ that doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ We found ALL of the missing villagers¡­ none of them were missing. Why would you lure that amount of people into one spot¡­ and do nothing with them? What am I missing¡­ There has to be something important that I don¡¯t know.


    Regardless¡­ we need to find out missing people and try to extract them from the forest, hopefully unharmed. With that thought I reach the camp and gather a small band of knights to go with me and Damien into the forest. If we brought too many of the knights it would be too obvious and harder to move around unnoticed.


    The knights had all gathered in the same spot where we found the villagers? And they¡¯re just¡­ partying? This doesn¡¯t make any sense!? Even Kal! He¡¯s way too uptight of a person to start chugging alcohol from the barrel¡­ and by barrel¡­ he¡¯s literally...holding up a keg and drinking it...


    (Damien) ¡°It¡¯s faint¡­ but I can feel magic being used nearby¡­ I¡¯ll need you to cover me while I find the source.¡±


    Even Damien! He¡¯s acting surprisingly reliable now¡­ Well, we can just wait it out until he find¡­ Uhh¡­ nevermind...I guess we can¡¯t wait.


    Shortly after Damien started to concentrate to find the source of magic. The knights all stopped partying and came towards us. I guess him searching gave our position away. Either that or having a group of shiny knights during the day wasn¡¯t the best idea to be inconspicuous.


    ¡°Hold them back as long as you can! I¡¯ll take on Kal and the Dragoon, don¡¯t let them near Damien!¡±


    The knights and I all reveal ourselves from our¡­ hiding place¡­ and charge in. The first person I need to take care of is Kal, I¡¯m most familiar with him and his fighting style. Grabbing my chain from my bag, I draw my short sword I close the distance between us. .


    Kal raises his shield to meet me as I close in on him and he motions a shield bash. I jump onto his shield and throw my chain, wrapping it around his foot as I try to throw him off balance placing all my weight onto his shield. Damnit! How strong is this guy!? He didn¡¯t even budge!


    Despite putting all my weight into the kick to his shield, Kal still flings me into the air, as if I weighed nothing at all. As I fly away from Kal the chain eventually stops me and I pull on it to propel myself back at Kal, making him lose balance for a moment. Somehow¡­ he was still able to swing his ridiculously large sword at me with one leg being pulled up by me.


    Desperately swinging my sword to change my trajectory, I scrape by it¡¯s side as I descend towards Kal. As I pass over head I let go of the chain and throw a bag of Somanilla Pollen knocking him out before tumbling a few feet away. With a loud thud Kalibur hits the ground unconscious, thankfully this stuff works like a charm still! One down¡­ one to go!


    I begin searching around for someone what would be called a ¡°Dragoon¡± ¡­ damnit why didn¡¯t I ask what he looked like! I finally spot someone spot a suspect. He was a fully armored man carrying a large battle axe, he was fending off several knight at a time and was doing well. What else stood out? The fact that his helmet¡­ had dragon¡¯s wings coming out from the side and his armor looked like scale mail¡­ He¡¯s probably the Dragoon, right?


    As I run towards him, he notices me and swings his axe directly at me. Unable to change direction quickly enough I use both swords to block his axe, the force of his attack dragging my feet through the dirt¡­


    Wait¡­ that sound was¡­!? This is bad!


    Finally I stop his attack I push his axe away and swing my short sword down at him but he steps back does a full 360 turn swinging his axe again!? Jumping into the air I receive his swing again knocking me away from him. Breaking my long sword with his attack.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I JUST bought that! As I get blown away I drop my now broken sword and fling a dagger at him before I hit the ground. I don¡¯t have many weapons I can use from a distance right now and if I get close I can¡¯t block his attacks or he¡¯ll break all my swords! I should try that¡­ if it works I should be able to get through this¡­ if it doesn¡¯t¡­ no it will work¡­ it HAS to work!


    Picking myself up again I draw a fresh sword and ready myself, the rest of the fighting seemed to have stopped and knights are watching our fight. Running at the Dragoon once again I throw another dagger that gets knocked away and slash at him with my long sword again.


    Raising his hand he meets my sword with his gauntlet and swings his axe at me so I jump into the air hitting it with my sword, vaulting above the attack. Once I roll above the swing I bend my knees and freeze the air below my feet, to give myself some impromptu ground to move midair. Not giving him enough time to react I spin my body around and kick his head knocking off his helmet.


    The force of my kick causing him to turn his face away from me the dragoon somehow grabs onto my leg and flings me away like like a dust rag. Using the same technique I freeze the air under my hand and twist my body and and flip backwards catapulting myself back into the fray.


    Unfortunately since it¡¯s a technique I just started using, I¡¯m unable to do much more than increase the pressure on the Dragoon and take control of the flow of the fight. This guy is ridiculously sturdy though! I lost count how many times I kicked his head before he finally falls unconscious.


    Eventually I knock out the Dragoon and Damien comes back to help.


    ¡°You¡¯re late Damien! ¡­ what¡­ is that thing?¡±


    Damien came back holding a small human by¡­ it¡¯s...wings!? Pixie? Faerie? Flying midget!? No it has to be a faerie.. Definitely a faerie.


    (Damien) ¡°This whole thing was this little bugger¡¯s fault.¡±


    As he talked Damien started to poke it¡¯s stomach. What...is he doing¡­?


    (Faerie?) ¡°Hey! Stop that! And I¡¯m not a THING or a BUG I¡¯m a Faerie!¡±


    Fair enough¡­ hehe¡­ Faer enough! Get it? My joke falls on deaf ears¡­


    After capturing the Faerie we ask her circumstances. She was very lonely in the forest, and saw all the humans in the village. So she decided to be friends with them, but had no idea how¡­ show she used a spell to bring villagers here to have fun and party. Quite the reason to do a mass abduction.


    Damien assured us that she was telling the truth, and the villagers ACTUALLY welcomed her!? One of the trees in the village was taken over by her and they all ¡­ party at night¡­ together¡­ You know what? I¡¯m done, even the grandpa¡¯s and grandma¡¯s are drinking and singing now. This is just too much.


    Thankfully I didn¡¯t have to deal with them for long, the next day we marched towards the first Fort where we were to drop off supplies. The knights seem to treat me differently now, they don¡¯t have that cold stare. They even start conversation with me, the trip was fun.


    We didn¡¯t make it far enough and ended up camping out even though we could see the fort in the distance. It¡¯s not good to march out in the darkness like that, all kinds of things can come out of the woodwork. Everyone set¡¯s up some tents and we have dinner before retiring to our tents for the night.


    Closing my eyes I drift off to sleep again¡­ Only to remember another time¡­ Memories of who I was¡­ of my family that I left behind that day. Memories I tried to push into the back of my consciousness.


    One day, Mia started acting strange. She was always happy, full of energy every day¡­ She was like a light that broke through the darkest night. But lately, her smile has become faint, almost as if she was forcing herself to smile.


    Is she being picked on at school? Maybe I¡¯m forgetting something important? Whenever I asked her if something was wrong¡­ she would just smile at me and tell me she was fine. What is she hiding from me? This thought plagued me for weeks before I did it¡­ I¡¯m not proud of what I did¡­ but I did it¡­


    I snuck into her room when she was at school¡­ and read her diary. She¡­ the entire time was suffering¡­ without telling us. Everyday¡­ her smile was a lie¡­ a lie she told herself¡­ a lie she told us. When no one was around she would cry¡­silently into her pillow. She missed our parents¡­my wife¡­ how things used to be.


    Although I thought I hid it well¡­ she knew¡­ knew how hurt me and Kenny were. So she did the only thing she could think of. Smile in front of us, be happy in front of us¡­ in hopes that we would revert back to a happy family, before all the death.


    Unable to hold back the tears that day¡­ I cried¡­ my poor sister, she had been suffering for so long¡­ but put a brave front for us. She was deathly afraid that I would die too, yet she saw me off with a smile. Every, single day...she did her best¡­ As I read the entries each day, the guilt slowly consumed me.


    I¡¯m a failure of a brother¡­Mia¡­Ken¡­ they¡¯re suffering each day, and I don¡¯t know what to do for them. Silently, I close her diary and leave her room with a heavy heart. I have to work harder for them¡­they¡¯re¡­ all I have left.


    (Knight?) ¡°NIGHT RAID!¡±


    WHAT!? Jumping up I grab my sword and rush out my tent to see small green¡­ midgets? Alright who brought the mini green with them. Or is the circus in town and they ran out of blue paint.


    (Knight) ¡°Goblins! TO ARMS!!¡±


    OOOOooo¡­ they¡¯re...Goblins!? Drawing my sword I charge in at a nearby goblin and slice through it¡¯s neck beheading it. Huh? As soon as I killed the first goblin¡­ the rest ran away? We gave chase until we saw them run towards the fort¡­?


    (Knight) ¡°No need to clean them up, the fort guards will clean them up.¡±


    ...Will they? Those goblins, didn¡¯t seem that dumb¡­ They were at least smart enough to attack in the dead of night, and retreat as soon as things got dangerous. My gut is telling me something''s wrong¡­ REALLY wrong.

 Chapter 34: Dusk

    Putting each of the bits together, it didn''t¡¯ seem like the attack was with the intention of thievery¡­ If that were the case then, they would have gone for the supplies and weapons. They were horse pulled carriages in the middle of the group and were easy to spot. They were heavily guarded because of this on the other side of the encampment.


    The other odd thing was the fact that they retreated quickly. Were...they scouts? Hmm...gathering intel would cause them to go deeper into enemy territory. Is there a goblin settlement nearby...no¡­ if there was a settlement I¡¯m sure they would know better then to settle near a fort full of humans. Maybe they¡¯re from¡­ No¡­ That has to be it. There¡¯s no reason for a small group who is from the area to go towards an active fort like that.


    Those goblins weren¡¯t going to be cleaned up by the Fort like we believed, they were RETURNING to the fort! This is bad, I¡¯m going to have to infiltrate the fort to see if my suspicions are right. Leaving my tent in the dead of night I leave a letter for Kalibur, or who ever comes to find me first. For missions like this¡­ there¡¯s a chance I won¡¯t come home, best leave a note with my intentions¡­ and a request to take care of Lilly and Addison in case of my death.


    Before I set off, I make sure to get into my work attire, I wear a black shirt and trousers along with my gauntlets, my greeves make it harder to move silently and I replace them with my shin guards hidden under my clothes. I throw on my cloak and put the hood over my head and raise the mouth cover and head into the shadows.


    As quickly as I can, I close in on the fort and begin surveying the area¡­ the gate is currently closed with several braziers burning at the entrance. No one¡¯s keeping watch outside, maybe they wanted to set an ambush tomorrow? But then again¡­ maybe I¡¯m wrong¡­ No¡­ My gut is telling me something¡¯s wrong, and I¡¯ll go on that.


    Silently I reach one of the walls on the side and begin using my frost step to gain altitude until I¡¯m able to look over the ramparts. Taking a good look there are several braziers burning and armored guards walking back and forth...and goblins. I hate it when my gut feeling¡¯s right, this will be troublesome.


    Infiltrating the fort, I begin moving between hiding spots until I see a goblin sleepily keeping watch. Before it could notice I sneak behind it, cover it¡¯s mouth and slit it¡¯s throat. I then drag it¡¯s lifeless body away and stuff it into a barrel for munitions¡­ or food¡­ I¡¯m not sure, it was empty.


    My next target is an armored figure that held a torch¡­ it was wearing a lot of armor and seem to be much more burley then most humans. I would wait until I could hear it march the other direction before I finally got close enough to be in the middle of its patrol. There I laid in wait in complete darkness.


    Once the figure passes me I can see that there¡¯s armor even around the neck. I¡¯m sure my short sword can cut through it however, it¡¯s best not to leave these things to chance. I can¡¯t be caught now, I need to gather more intel. Grabbing a small bag of powder I sneak behind the figure and tap it¡¯s shoulder lightly making it turn around to a face full of Somnilla Pollen.


    After catching and lowering the figure I remove the helmet¡­ this guy either just looks like a pig...or it¡¯s an Orc. They must be wearing full armor so it¡¯s harder to tell that they aren¡¯t human, this has become worse then I thought initially. Dragging the sleeping Orc, I place him against the walls of the ramparts. I did this with the purpose of making it look like he was sleeping on the watch. Wish a swift slice, I slit his throat before putting his helmet back on.


    After offering a silent prayer I move to my next target, there seems to be several orcs and goblins patrolling. Thankfully, they aren¡¯t too bright, you never patrol by yourself for a reason... I continue to assassinate the watch as I travel, hiding the bodies as I go. Disguising some as sleeping guards, others behind munitions, crates, anything I could use to make it harder to find the bodies. The effects wouldn¡¯t last long as a distraction, but it would at least buy me a moment to prepare.


    Eventually reaching the first of the 4 towers encircling the fort I encounter my first problem. Unlike the patrols, they got a little smarter and had two guards protecting the door. And to top it off the area is well lit, ruling out me getting close enough to take them both out quickly unseen.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Hmm...what should I do¡­ Strolling up to them would probably be a bad idea since none of them are human. Even if my face is covered my build isn¡¯t large enough to be an Orc. But then again, if I feigned capture...no, I don¡¯t have hidden weapons right now. If my bag is taken away, I will have to fight an unknown number without weapons, and escape what ever restraints they place on me. There¡¯s way too much risk involved with that.


    I need something to avert their attention, without raising alarm or making noise. I¡¯d rather not attract other visitors. Wait¡­ I can do that... can¡¯t I¡­ reaching into my bag I pull out a bag of coins. Taking out a hand full I slide the pouch over to a light source and roll a few coins towards the guards making a trail to the easily seen bag.


    ...Can¡¯t things go right for once! Why did they BOTH see the coins! As I continue to lay in wait I hear footsteps reach closer and closer to me. Tightening my grip on my short sword in my left hand, and a bag of Somanilla powder in my right hand I prepare to strike. Finally the footsteps stop nearby and I hear their voices.


    (Orc A) ¡°I told you, those coins are mine. I had just dropped my wallet.¡±


    (Orc B) ¡°And I¡¯m a son of a troll! We split it between us.¡±


    They¡­ wouldn¡¯t get in a fight...would they¡­ if they cause a ruckus here it¡¯ll bring attention here! Tightening my grip I prepare to deal with them quickly, why can¡¯t these jobs be easier! Think about me and my situation here!


    Jumping out from my hiding spot I quickly stab in the the neck of the closest Orc and throw my bag of powder at the other. As if we were dancing I catch the Orc I stabbed and pulled out my chain and wrapped it around the other¡¯s neck keeping him from falling backwards and lowered both of them slowly.


    Now...I have two bodies to deal with, and I¡¯m slowly running out of places to hide them. If only there was a pile of hay conveniently placed outside the walls.. Something like that might be able to quiet down the impact. What am I thinking, they¡¯re wearing plate armor, that won¡¯t work well.


    Damnit, I don¡¯t have enough time for this I¡¯ll just settle for leaning them in the less lit areas nearby. This is exactly why I prefer to scout areas before infiltrating them!


    Putting my back against the wall I slowly near the door and try to listen in.


    (Voice) ¡°Sir! The Human army is currently encamped outside the fort, they do not suspect anything yet. Our scouts were not given chase after the engagement and have returned. The Captain has told me to inform everyone to allow the Human¡¯s through in the morning and slaughter them all once they enter the fort in a surprise attack.¡±


    (Stern Voice) ¡°Excellent! I will gather my men together, the grounds will be dyed red with their filthy blood.¡±


    Hmm¡­ what language was that? Damnit¡­ I want more information but can they understand me? Only one way to know right? Adjusting my stance I stand behind the door and slowly opening it, dagger in hand.


    (Stern Voice) ¡°Is there something to..¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence I throw a dagger into his throat and close in on the other voice placing my sword to its throat. Kobold¡­ figures there wouldn¡¯t just be goblin scouts.


    ¡°Make a single peep and I¡¯ll slit your throat Kobold. If you understand the words I¡¯m saying, blink twice or die.¡±


    The kobold looks at me confused and as it takes in a deep breath, so I end it¡¯s life. Damnit¡­ I can¡¯t gather information like this. After removing my dagger from the Orc¡¯s throat I lean it forward slightly to make it look like he fell asleep in his chair and stuff the kobold in a box in the ramparts.


    If someone used as a messenger can¡¯t speak our language then the chance of information gathering is pretty much zero, unless I get lucky. What should I do¡­ retreat? No¡­ this is the perfect time to clean these guys up...here and now¡­ I¡¯ll end this fort.


    As the night continues¡­ I kill everyone patrolling the ramparts and towers surrounding the fort. There are so many bodies now I can¡¯t hide all the bodies properly anymore and begin looking into the fort. There¡¯s 3 major buildings lined up in a U shape, I¡¯m not sure which building is which.


    Generally speaking...there should be a Mess Hall, Barracks, and storage for supplies. I should have asked for more information about the fort, I¡¯m getting rusty¡­ I¡¯ll just have to continue being careful as I go.


    Hmm¡­ what should I do next¡­ let¡¯s do that first then. I begin setting traps in the towers, unfortunately I only can make simple trip wires, that will delay them¡­ I should have prepared better for this. The only other thing I could do was pour lamp oil over the staircase and entrances, and set to continue my raid.


    Jumping into the bushes making a slight rustling sound I reach the walls of the first building when I can hear yelling.


    (Agitated Voice) ¡°Sound the Horns! We have Intruders!¡±


    The yelling is followed with the sound of horns being blown¡­ This is going to be a long night...