In the bedroom, they both paused at the sight of her reclining on the bed. Her body was still confined in her tight, fur-lined leathers. She looked over at the two beings that she loved most in her life. Stretching out on the bed, she sighed.
"I think it would only be fair to wait until I am properly married. Don't you think?" she said, as she thought aloud. "I am rather pure right now. Surely you both understand?"
"But, I'm your husband!" Keltin argued.
"True. But, I want to give Howard a chance. I know there is a way for him to become human again. I think it lies with Valkyrie's Sister in the fields of Odin's Temple. I want to do this. I want to wait. Can you both wait with me?"
"Damn it, Sarine! You are going to kill us both!" Howard sighed and seemed to glare at Keltin. "I only had her for one night before I got pulled away from her! I can only imagine how many times you've had her before she transcended!"
"Hey! That's not fair!" Keltin frowned.
"Boys! Please!" she frowned and sighed. "I think I need to sleep alone."
"NO!" they both responded at once. Howard knew she may still have nightmares, and Keltin simply didn't want her to sleep alone.
"At least sleep between us," Howard said.
"We'll wait until you are ready," Keltin added.
"Even if it's until I get to marry you," Howard sighed.
"But, won't it seem awkward to be married to two men?" Keltin asked.
"Well..." Sarine said with a sigh. "I'd rather love two men than none at all. Does that make sense? I just feel that you both are meant to be with me."
"We'll be at a constant conflict for your attention," Howard frowned.
"I have enough for both of you. Please, just work with me on this? Please?" she pleaded with them gently. "I do love you both!"
"I will wait for you," Howard relented.
"Same here," Keltin grumbled.
"Thank you. Now, who wants to be my pillow?" she smiled with a teasing gleam in her eye. Keltin and Howard looked at each other.
"Me!" Howard said first.
"Damn it!" Keltin swore and took the left side of the massive bed. Howard took the right side, and Sarine snuggled between them. It didn't take long for her to start breathing evenly in the form of sleep. It was when they started talking that her consciousness was roused just enough to listen in.
"She was really tired," Howard mused. He moved his somewhat solid, ghostly hand through her hair. "A lot happened for her today. She'll be better in the morning."
"It looks like you've done this before," Keltin said, as he watched him.
"Well, when she was an Archer, we would have to sleep out in the forests. Easier to hunt and train that way. She was so young at the time, you know? So, she would sleep snuggled like this against me, and sometimes Seyren or Eremes would rest like you are next to her. Sometimes with a blanket draped over us to help. It was mainly to keep her warm on those cold nights. Rooms were expensive at times with a big group of people. It was easier to sleep outdoors. It was definitely cheaper and a lot more fun."
"Yeah, she always preferred to sleep outside rather than inside," Keltin agreed, since that was what happened when he first got with Sarine. "You really did think of her as a form of family, didn't you?"
"Well, I saw her as my soul mate. An extension of myself. The moment I saw her curled up in that frightened little ball and beaten up by those...those..." he swallowed and took a deep breath to release the anger that started to build. After that, he let his head recline back before looking at Keltin again. Swallowing hard again, he said, "Anyways, when I hugged her that first time, I just knew that she was destined for me. I never thought of wanting to be with another until I saw her. There was just no reason to think of other women. I kept myself busy with my trade. I knew I was older than her, but I didn't care. I just knew she was for me."
"When did the others realize it?"
"The moment I hugged her to me, they knew. I never did that with anyone else."
"What was your past like, and how did you meet the others?"
"All that? Heh. You have a while?" Howard mused with a chuckle.
"All night, Howard. Take your time and spare no minor details! I want to know everything you can tell me. And why do you have green hair?"
"Hah! My hair? Fair enough. I, myself, had a pretty hard childhood and became a Merchant to not only make more money, but to know that, should something happen, I would have enough money to pull myself out of a bind. As for my hair? It's a family trait from my Father's side. Or a family joke, I should say. Father was the one that said our hair was the color of money and that's why real Merchants have green hair. Go figure, eh?
"Anyways, my family was derived of Merchants, so it seemed only natural for me to become one. My funding became the bread and butter of the family, since I did so well, and that was how we all managed to survive. When they tried to use me and steal from me, I couldn't have that anymore. If there was one thing I hated more than anything, it was swindling! So, I became a Blacksmith, announced I was going to see the world, possibly become famous, and maybe come back. Never went back there ever since, and I doubt I ever will. Last I heard of them, they still live to this day in the same town, and they keep boasting and bragging how I was going to come back and make them all rich. I even made my axe by myself, and they wanted me to sell it to make money for them! Until they realize what they've done to me, I refuse to step one foot back in that house.
"As to how I met the others, well, here it goes. You could say that I was the very first one of the group. I met Seyren first in Izlude. I had just learned how to repair weapons, and he had a broken sword. I fixed it, and we got along fairly well. After that, we just decided to travel together. We both had awkward backgrounds. He came from a poor, yet noble born family. His family wanted him to take the path of the Crusader. He wanted more adventure and chose that of the Knight. His family was appalled, and he didn't care. We traveled together for a good month and were like brothers. Still are to this day, actually. You'll see when we free him.
"It wasn't long after that when we met Cecil in Einbroch. She was training in the very Geographer fields that Sarine trained in earlier today. She ran out of arrows and bought some stuff off me. Seyren took a liking to her, but realized it was more of a family liking. I saw her as a sister, too. In the end, we just hooked up and made an awesome team. Her background was much like ours. She had a bad childhood and wanted to make a difference in the lives of others to encourage them to follow their dreams. It was what she did when she stepped out of her house and made her way into the world we all live in."
"Sounds fascinating," Keltin grinned. Howard laughed and sighed.
"After that, it was a few months later that we ran into Margaretha in Prontera. She had just become a Priestess and was looking for a good group to travel with. We hit it off with her very well and learned that she actually had an exceptionally good family life. She just didn't like the arranged marriage they tried to give her. The guy was a creep! She became a Priestess, since that was what her heart longed for. She didn't want to be married just yet. She felt that she had a much higher calling then. So, we took her into our little family fold and beat up the guy when he tried to claim her. It was fun!"
"I wanted to kick the crap out of Ripclaw for looking Sarine over."
"He did?!"
"Yep."
"I'll mess him up the next time I see him!"
"Nah. Let him throw the first punch so we can finish it off! So, who did you meet next?"
"That would be Kathryne. She was a royal pain in the ass, if you tried to think that you were better than anyone else. She hated it. Caused too much pride and lack of focus. It was mainly why she left her family. Nothing but snobs with nothing good to say about others. When we first met her in Geffen, she and Seyren had an argument that would have made the dead rise up from their graves to tell them to shut up!
"I found it funny as hell and made no efforts to keep myself quiet. At first, Kathryne ignored us, because of Seyren. Then she started talking to Cecil and Margaretha. After learning Seyren's true nature, which was complete loyalty and humbleness underneath the brash overlay, she decided to join us. Took her a week to really decide, since she kept bumping into us in Geffen. Of course, Seyren was against it, naturally, but the rest of us got the better of him. After a while, he found out she really wasn't so bad when he curbed his attitude around her."
"Which leaves Eremes?"
"Yes. Eremes. We found him drinking in a bar alone in Morroc. He had just finished a mission and was celebrating by himself. At least we think it was celebrating. Or he was trying to forget something. It was one of the two, since he was drinking so much, from what we figured. Anyways, we got him a couple more drinks to share with him to show we appreciated hard work and effort. That was when he started to learn about us and us of him. We learned from him that he came from a bit of a slummy area in Morroc and became a Thief to survive. When he learned that he could become an Assassin, he went that route, as it seemed to call to him. It was odd, since, well, I honestly don't know much about his past. He always kept it to himself and only told us what we needed to know, in a way.
"We started talking even more, us more than him, since he's a naturally quiet man, and he actually talked us into letting him join up. It was rather funny, now that I think about it. He was so quiet afterwards, but we always knew we could count on him no matter what the situation was. He was, and is, a very valuable friend and a rare person to boot. It was also his quiet determination that pulled us through when the times got rough. In many ways, he was the silent rock of cement that we needed."
"So, he was like a mediator at times?"
"At times, yes. He was the one that just agreed and yet disagreed with everything and everyone. Most of the time, he was an emotionless killer of monsters and people he didn't like. He could be a rather scary man, if you crossed him! But, when we all saw Sarine..."
"When you saw her? How did that come around?"
"I'm sure she told you how we all met at Geffen, right?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Here is how we met from my point of view. I've been with the others for a good few months. Almost a year, if I remember it right. All of us had horrific pasts and improved on them. We all had that in common. Margaretha suggested we head back to Geffen, since she needed more bottles. As to why Geffen, no idea. We could have gotten bottles anywhere. Anyways, we all agree, since we're bored as hell. That's when we learned of the rewards being offered for the monsters living under the tower. Not bad, we can make some money, right? So, we walk into the tower and down the first set of stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, the first thing I hear is talking and whimpering. That never makes me feel right. And this whimpering it just...it tore at me, you know?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Okay, so you and I are on the same page. Anyways, I walk forward first and find these three men beating up on a small Archer. An Archer! It was an older Mage, an older Swordsman, and an older Merchant. They looked like they were almost ready to advance themselves. But, it was just the fact that they were picking on her with no shame! She was just fourteen years old, too! Course, I learned that later, but that's beside the point. The others didn't feel comfortable with it, either. Now that I think about it, Eremes seemed to be the most pissed off. It was like he was ready to kill them!
"So, I did the first thing I could think of. I pulled out my axe and confronted them. I yelled at them that if they wanted to fight someone then to fight me. When they saw the others ready to fight, too, they backed off and ran. Of course, Seyren chased them a short distance, and Kathryne shot a Jupitel Thunder ball at them. And Margaretha cast Silence on them. And Eremes stalked them until they were gone, but Cecil was the only one that acted like she didn't mind what was going on. It...unsettled me somehow. So, she wanted to move on, but I didn't."
"Why did Cecil not like Sarine?"
"I think it was because she was another bow user. Sometimes, they can get touchy like that. Territorial or something. Likely thought she was going to be replaced."
"Makes sense."
"But, when I got close to Sarine and heard her crying...I saw how they hurt her, and I just...they were lucky that I didn't turn around and kill them while I still had the chance!"
"Well, if we ever see them, I'll help you out!"
"Thanks! I'll remember that! Anyways, she was whimpering and crying. I didn't know what else to do, and she was afraid of me after what happened. She was afraid of everyone. That was when I realized that I was able to feel her emotions. No one else has ever had this effect on me. Her fear was so bad that it started to affect me! So, I dropped my axe, I fell to my knees, and held out my arms to her."
"Like you did when you saw her after all this time."
"Yes. Exactly like that. So, she seemed to give out this whimpering cry, crawled into my arms, and I hugged her close. I told her she was safe and that nothing was going to hurt her anymore. It was right then and there that I knew she was to be with me. That's when Cecil realized that it wasn't just because Sarine was an Archer that I stopped. It was because I had fallen in love with her. This poor, pathetic, beaten up Archer girl had stolen my heart faster than I could think! The others understood this, too.
"But, just to let this out in the open, I don't know why, but Sarine felt so...light at the time. And she looked a lot thinner than most of the girls I had seen on the road. It...did scare me a little, and I had resolved to put some weight on her as quickly as I could. I just thought that she was so new to adventuring that she was forgetting to eat! So, after Margaretha Healed her, and after she gained confidence in us, she joined us."
"I thought only six people could join up at once?"
"I don't know how, but she fit right in. It was as though she was an extension of me, and the others knew it. She told us how her background was with parents that didn't approve of her. Hardly wanted anything to do with her and the like. Just wanted her married off, and she fought them before running away. She was a misfit like the rest of us. And, on top of it all, it was just the fact that she held so much passion for everything that she did! We all saw her as an extension of ourselves. And...when we were approved for the experiment and she wasn't...it killed us all inside. It felt as though something was purposely keeping her safe from it. On top of that, we always worried about her day after day when she was forced to leave us."
"You think it was Odin protecting her?"
"It's possible at this point."
"There is something else I wanted to ask you."
"Ask away!"
"I think I've heard the name Margaretha before from the Prontera Church. Some adventurers were talking about her, and I overheard when they were in the Payon caves," Keltin started and glanced at Howard, as he chuckled. "All right. Spill it!"
"Ha-ha! You know the skill called Redemptio?"
"Yes."
"She was the one that discovered it when she used it on all of us when we died! She sacrificed herself, brought us back, and we used a Yggdrasil leaf on her to bring her back. That was when we got swarmed in Glast Heim. You have to love those Abysmal Knights!"
"Wow," Keltin said. "You've seen quite a bit, haven't you?"
"Yeah, I have. Now, what about yourself?" Howard asked with a grin.
"Oh, you don't want to know about my life!"
"Come on! If we're going to be close buddies, because of Sarine, then it's only fair. I told you about me, now it's your turn!"
"It's almost dawn. Are you sure?"
"Why not?"
"Gah! All right, fine!" he sighed, and Howard grinned. "Of course, my full name is Keltin Tao. I was born a little over fifty years ago around dawn. I died when I was eighteen. I was a very powerful warrior Monk once, and I have regained those skills thanks to Valkyrie and Sarine. Being a devout Warrior of Odin was something I had always dreamed to become when I was a child, and I made sure to gain that status. It was considered an honor, and I was at the very top in my ranking class. It took me fourteen years to accomplish all of my training."
"Really?! I'll be damned!" Howard whistled. "You started training, since you were four years old? They start you off that young?"
"Yeah. I was trained in all forms of close combat. Of course, I ended up falling in love with a girl and was arranged to be married. Technically, she was my first. But, that was before the destruction. Like I said, I was only eighteen when the fire hit the village. I still don't know how that fire started. I'm starting to think it was sabotage of some kind. It's hard remembering how the fire burned away everything you've ever known and loved. I saw my girl burn in front of me. Saw the village burn. Luckily, my house was on the very outskirts of the village center long ago, but I wasn't there.
"I was shopping for a wedding gift. At least, I think I was. It's hard to recall. I found my girl in the shop with me, and she wanted to help me pick out something for her. I never realized how spoiled she was at the time, but I was proud to have her by my side all the same. She was the most desirable girl in the village, you see. That was when I heard the explosion. I think it was an explosion. It started from one building and quickly spread within seconds to the one I was in. I...I watched the fire start on the roof, and it spread so fast! I saw her catch fire. When I knew that all was lost, I had to try and save myself.
"By the time I looked at her, there was nothing left of her. In the end, I died of smoke inhalation. Trapped in a building with no way out and lack of air flow...there was just no way for me. Likely how I got my scars when the building collapsed on me. That and brutal training, too. The main village collapsed into the ground after that. That is how the cave systems were formed over the old village center. Next thing I know, I hear a jingling bell, and I came back to life like this. At least four decades had passed from what I could tell. The clothing was something I didn't recognize, and it took me awhile to understand the local gossip. There was always a new influx of adventurers that were sent down to help keep the newly formed undead in line. From what I overheard from them, they were also looking for the jingling sound that constantly had me enthralled. Apparently, if it stopped, the attacks would stop, too."
"A jingling bell?" Howard asked.
"Yeah. Some yellow, furry, cat-like demon wanted to play and thought it was fun to bring back a bunch of people that died. I forget what that monster is called at the moment. It was painful at first. I was just some mindless thing that attacked anything that was out of place. That jingling bell was in constant control of my thoughts and actions! Then I managed to wander away from the jingling sounds, and I started to become more of myself. Another ten years had passed by from what I knew, and I had finally started to try getting closer to the surface. It was as though something was pulling me to try and find my way out at long last.
"That was when I saw Sarine sitting there defenseless. I had the urge to attack her, but I didn't. There was something about her that...it called to me. It made me want to be with her. The other girl I knew in the past, I was with her, because she admired me and she was beautiful. But, Sarine...well...she had a calling to my soul that set it on fire in a completely different way! I just...I had to be at her side. Even when she gave me that diary that labeled me as a pet, I just didn't know what else to think when I took it."
"You were her trigger to become the beacon for monsters!"
"Well, that's obvious now! But, before, I just knew I had to be with her. That was it. No matter how. Yes, I had to learn how to be with her as a pet would, but now I don't feel attached to that rule anymore. If I starve, I'm still with her. I eat the same food as her. I sleep with her. I love her. It only seemed natural for her to marry me. We never got it done officially. As if anyone would marry a pet to a human! It was more like my word and hers with a diamond ring. Our own solemn vow. Then we signed off on the deed to the house in Payon together, and that was that. The deed to the house is our wedding contract, in a way."
"Well, you and I both had crappy pasts. Welcome to the family!"
"Ugh. Thanks, Howard!" he said sarcastically, and Howard laughed. "That does bring up a question for me. How did you transcend, if you were trapped in the Biological Laboratory?"
"Drugs and forced training. We were medically engineered and forced inappropriately into our new roles. I became a Whitesmith, Eremes became an Assassin Cross, Kathryne is a High Wizard, Margaretha is a High Priestess, Cecil is a Sniper, and Seyren is a Lord Knight. Once we mastered our skills, we were supposed to have been released. Instead, they injected us with a final 'treatment'. It was a radiation that was designed to destroy our bodies to the point that we died, yet still lived like this. I'm starting to think that it was something else they injected us with. They made us into weapons of war, and their project turned on them when we revolted. We were too strong for them to control."
"And how did you feel after seeing those letters for the first time?" Keltin asked.
"I'll tell you...but first, let me build up to that. The night that Sarine agreed to give herself to me...I swear, I relived that moment night after night in that hellish place. It was the main thing that kept me going, really. And she had promised that she'd write me to help give me peace without her. When her letters never came, I just...I wanted to scream! To cry! To find out if she was all right! I tried to break out so many times, but they just drugged me up to keep me from trying to escape. Even Eremes tried to escape, but kept failing. We figured that, if one of us got out, it would make everyone better, but we were always caught. So, I managed to sneak out a letter by chance. I just knew it would reach her and it did. I felt that it did.
"When I still got no response, I gave up. I thought she moved on while I wasted away in that experiment. When I died from that last lethal dose, all I could think of was killing everyone and everything that ever hurt me in life. So, that's what me and the others did. I forgot who I was completely. Then when I saw her, I didn't even recognize her at first. I was filled with so much rage that I just hit her with the handle of my axe first to injure her before I tried to do any form of a killing blow just to watch her suffer. Then you called out her name. With that, it made me pause in thought. It brought out a distant memory that I knew her. That she was important to me long ago. It was only after I saw her on the floor and heard her voice that I recognized her. Then when I felt her emotions, I just knew it was her.
"Then I saw you defending her, and it made me jealous. Who the hell were you to her?! Was I nothing now? I was starting to get even more enraged that I didn't know what else to do! The only sensible thing to do was to finish her off myself and hold the others back. I wanted to be the one to end the pain and suffering that I was forced to endure for so long. And then, when those letters fell out from your hat, and I saw them...I realized how much I still loved her. She had never forgotten me. She actually came back for me personally..."
"Howard," Sarine said, her eyes glistening with tears. The two of them were stunned. How long was she listening for? The whole night? Just now? As Howard was about to say something, her mouth planted on his for kiss that deepened the more it was there. When she pulled away for him to catch his breath, she moved to Keltin and kissed him just as deeply.
"Sarine," Keltin sighed after the kiss. "How long were you awake for?"
"All of it," she admitted. "I was going to fall asleep, but then you two started talking about the past, and I just...I had to listen."
"Well, you know we both love you. And I know you're married to Keltin, though not official, it still counts," Howard said with a sigh. "But, how can you be married to me, too?"
"My marriage to Keltin is secret, save to those who are close. And I trust that Lloyd and Karla will keep the knowledge to themselves. It is not uncommon for some to have multiple husbands or wives. And, besides, I doubt that the two of you can complain, since I believe my, eh, appetite, has grown," she chuckled. They both looked at each other and back at her.
"And you want us to wait until you get married to me?!" Howard hissed.
"I think it would make the appetite stronger. Don't you?" she purred and reached up to caress his ghostly face. Howard's body tensed with desire at the touch.
"Damn you, Sarine!" Keltin said with a grimace.
"Come now, Keltin! In this new body, I haven't had another yet. I want to make sure that, when I'm ready, I'll be able to handle it. I don't want either of you to gain the upper hand!" she argued. "Think about it for a moment!"
"She drives a hard bargain!" Howard grumbled.
"No kidding!" Keltin sighed. "But, we said we would wait before, and we'll wait again. We'll need to train you relentlessly to reach that other Valkyrie!"
She giggled and pulled them down into the bed with her before mumbling, "We have about three hours to power nap. Rest with me now, please?"
Howard was about to complain before he yawned. I got suckered in! Keltin was already closing his eyes. Within minutes, the three of them had fallen asleep.