Clover Kingdom's Champion
Things were going splendidly in the base of the Blue Roses. Captain Charlotte Roselei was enjoying her morning, drinking a cup of tea, but there was something on her mind.
'Oh, how I wish I could talk with Yami without getting flustered. He's such a strong man, but I'm the Captain of the Blue Rose Squad. I have to set an example for the other girls.' She thought. 'But I can't help thinking of him, and that new recruit of his. That girl gave Fuegoleon's nephew quite the battle, and how he treats her like his own daughter, I'm in shock and awe of how devoted he was to finding her. Oh but I hope I don't have another run in with him before the next Captain's meeting.'
"Hey Prickly Princess."
Charlotte nearly jumped out of her seat when Yami's voice reached her ears, and she turned to see him standing there, with his casual look as always. Quickly regaining her composure, Charlotte looked at him with her serious expression.
"Yami. Is there something I can do for you here at my Head Quarters?" Charlotte asked.
"There is actually." Yami said. "Mind if I sit down? I need to talk to you about something."
"Very well." Charlotte said.
"Thank you." Yami exclaimed.
'He's being polite. What's going on?' Charlotte questioned. "So, what can I do for you?"
"I'm needing to ask you a favor, a huge one, I would understand if you said no." Yami said.
'What favor could he want to ask of me… don't tell me he wants to ask me to… be the mother of his children?' Charlotte's face instantly went red at the thought of bearing Yami's kids, and how they'd start that out.
"Are you all right? Your face is all red. Maybe I should come back when you're feeling better?" Yami questioned.
"N-no I'm fine." Charlotte said. "What is it you wanted to ask of me."
"You remember Kali right?"
"The tavern owner?"
"An' one of my new three recruits." Yami said. "Anyway, she came back from her first mission yesterday, pretty banged up."
"I heard. But I'm unaware of the extent of the damage she took." Charlotte said.
"I'll explain that in a sec, but first I wanna ask, could she maybe spend he day with you today?" Yami asked.
"Uh, why would you want one of your Squad Members to spend the day with my Squad?" Charlotte inquired.
"Let me explain my reasons for asking this request of you." Yami said.
~Outside the Doors~
"Mmm, I wonder why Captain Yami wanted to take me to the Blue Roses base." Kali pondered sitting out on the steps to the from of the base. "What's he even talking to Captain Charlotte about? I have a tavern to run. I can only keep my doors closed for so long."
"Hey you. What are you doing out here in front of my Squad's base?"
Kali turned her head to see a short black haired, coco skinned girl in a Blue Rose Knight Robe, marching towards her.
"Me?" Kali asked, just to screw with her.
"Yes you. There's no one else out here." Sol exclaimed.
"That's not true. She's out here." Kali said pointing behind Sol.
Raising an eyebrow, Sol turned and saw a bush and deadpanned, before turning back but found Kali was gone.
"Where'd she go?" Sol questioned.
"I don't know, but that girl seemed weird." Kali said, standing next to Sol, wearing a wig made of leaves and twigs.
"Hey, quit fooling around and tell me what a member of the Black Bulls is doing here." Sol said, jumping away as Kali giggled and stuck out her tongue playfully.
"To be honest, I don't have the slightest clue as to what I'm doing here. All I know is Captain Yami, wanted to talk with Captain Charlotte, and I was told to wait out here until he was done." Kali explained, removing the wig from her head.
"Wait, Yami Sukehiro?" Sol questioned.
"Yep, that's his name." Kali said.
"Ooh, I'm gonna tear that filthy, disgusting man a new one when I'm through with him. No man is ever allowed near Char." Sol said, marching to the doors.
"Aren't you supposed to call her Captain?" Kali questioned, before the doors opened, hitting Sol in the face. "Ouch, that's gotta hurt."
"So yeah, I appreciate you doing this for me Prickly Princess. I owe you one big time." Yami said.
"Nonsense, it's my pleasure. I haven't had a day to just enjoy myself for a while, so this is a win-win in my opinion." Charlotte said with a smile. "I'm more than happy to do this."
"Alright, I'll see you later then." Yami said.
"Are we heading out Captain Yami?" Kali asked.
"I am. But you're staying with Captain Charlotte and spending the day with her today." Yami said. "Figured you had enough time with the Testosterone Gang, and Vanessa isn't exactly the best person for you to be around right now, so just for today, you are officially a Blue Rose Knight."
"You get your own robe and everything." Charlotte said, holding the rob up.
"So wait, I'm not gonna be able to open up my tavern for the day?" Kali asked.
"Open it up? I thought you sold the place already, didn't you?" Yami asked.
"I haven't been able to find a buyer who's willing to pay me the asking price." Kali exclaimed. "I keep getting offers that go way lower than the price I'm willing to drop to."
"I see." Yami said. "Well, that is a shame, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure something out. In the meantime, have fun."
"Wait, where are you going?" Kali asked.
"I have some business to take care of at a church. I'll see you at the end of the day." Yami said, heading down the path, to where Finral was waiting. He'd been banned from setting foot on the actual premises of the base, for several, lecherous reasons.
"So, I've cleared my schedule for the day so we could spend some time together. What do you wanna do first?" Charlotte questioned as the duo went walking to the gates of the Blue Rose's hideout.
"Wait Char, where are you going?" Sol asked, rushing to them, holding a bloody nose.
"Oh Sol, I'm sorry I didn't see you there, are you hurt? An' call me Captain."
"You got it Char." Sol said. "An' I think my nose was broken when that filthy man kicked the door open."
"Here, let me take care of that." Kali said, using healing magic to stop the bleeding and reset the nose properly.
"That's incredible. You have healing spells." Charlotte said. "I certainly wish I could have nabbed you instead of Yami."
"It's no big deal, just a simple spell to boost the body's ability to heal on its own." Kali exclaimed. "So, yeah I was thinking we could go to the back alley market for a bit of shopping."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Charlotte said. "Sol, you're in charge while I'm gone, so only contact me if it's a real emergency."
"But wait Char, you can't just leave. I…"
"Listen here Sol, call me Captain, and furthermore…" Charlotte pulled Sol away to whisper something to her, and it seemed to make the black haired girl understand what was going on.
"Everything all right?" Kali inquired, as Charlotte came back to her side.
"Everything's fine. Sol just needed a little guidance." Kali exclaimed. "Now, let's head out on our girls trip."
~With Yami~
"Damn, Finral was only able to get me as far as Saussy village. I guess I was lucky enough he got me this far. He was only able to get me there when Vanessa took him to save a round trip back when picking up the royal and the kid, after Magna rushed Kali to the Capital." Yami sighed, sitting on his broom flying through the air. He'd requested Finral take him to Hage, but the Spacial Magic user had never been there before, so Yami settled for flying the rest of the way there. It took about an hour of flying, but Yami had finally made it to Hage. "Let's see now. Where's the church?" He questioned.
Looking around the village, Yami spotted some people down below and decided to ask them.
"Excuse me." He said, gaining their attention as he flew down to the ground, and stopped in front of them. "Would any of you care to tell me where the church is around here?"
"Hmm? That robe."
"Yeah, I'm Captain Yami Sukehiro of the Black Bulls." Yami said. "Now can you please tell me where the church is?"
"Oh, of course. My apologies." One of the villagers said. "The church is just down this road, keep going straight for another ten minutes, and you'll get there before you know it."
"Thank you." Yami said, hopping back up on his broom.
"Um, before you go… has anything happened to Asta or Kali?" The man asked.
"You know those two?" Yami asked.
"They're sorta legends around here." The woman next to him said. "Asta managed to make it into the Magic Knights, proving even someone like him could get in, and Kali's like the town hero, even before she got her Grimoire, whenever she was in town, she'd protect us from bandits and wild animals."
"We just wanna know if anything's happened to either of them." The man said. "It's usually not a good sign when a Squad Captain comes to visit the families of his subordinates."
Yami took a long puff of cigarette smoke, before releasing it with a sigh.
"Both Asta and Kali are alive. Nothing lethal's happened to them." Yami explained. "But, if you know Kali so well, then you probably know what her dreams are."
"Yeah, we know all too well." The man said with a smile. "Kali wants to become powerful enough to challenge God."
"An' when she's ready, she wants to become a mother." The woman smiled. "I remember when I was pregnant, Kali would always help me, and be fascinated with my belly."
"Well, I'm afraid she was injured during her first mission yesterday." Yami said. "An' the injuries… left her unable to fulfill that second dream of hers. Thank you for the directions." Yami exclaimed, flying down the road on his broom, while leaving the two shocked at what they just heard.
Flying through the air, and to the church, Yami spotted the building, and saw that there were several children playing out front, and one working out, reminding him of one of his newest recruits, making him smile. Changing his gaze a bit, Yami saw a Nun he assumed was Sister Lily, and when he hoped down from his broom, after stopping in front of the fence to the church, the boy who was working out got up from the ground, and ran to the Nun.
"Hey Sister Lily. There's a Magic Knight at the front gate." Nash said, gaining her attention.
Sister Lily looked over from doing the laundry, and fully turned around when she saw Yami standing there, putting out his cigarette, by throwing it to the ground, and crushing it.
"Nash, why don't you go get Father Orsi?" Sister Lily suggested. When Nash ran to head into the church, Sister Lily walked up to Yami, a concerned look on her face. "Hello good sir. Is there something I can help you with?" She asked.
"My name is Yami Sukehiro, I'm Captain of the Black Bulls. I'm looking for Father Orsi and Sister Lily. I'm assuming you'd be Sister Lily?" Yami asked.
"Yes I am." Sister Lily said.
"Is everything all right out here Sister?" Father Orsi questioned, coming to join them. "Nash seemed pretty concerned when he came to get me, and told me there was a Magic Knight here for some reason."
"You Father Orsi?" Yami asked.
"Yes. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Would you mind if we went inside and sat to chat? I have some news about Kali and Asta, and a request of you both." Yami said.
"Yes of course. Please, come inside. I'll put on a fresh pot of coffee." Orsi said. "I know it might not be what you're used to from the Capital, but it's the best we can offer."
"That would be great, thank you." Yami said. "It's been a bit of a tough morning on the whole squad."
Following Orsi and Lily into the church, Yami was seated at the dinning room table with Sister Lily sitting across from him, and Orsi sitting at the head of the table, each of them with a cup of coffee.
"First off, I wanna alleviate any concerns you might have about Kali and Asta." Yami said, making sure to stay on his best behavior in front of them. "I assure you that both of them, are still alive. I haven't sent them out on any missions that would have resulted in them losing their lives."
"Oh thank God." Orsi said, sinking back into his chair.
"I thought the worst when we saw your robe, and you told me you're the Captain of their Squad." Lily sighed in relief.
"However, I do have some bad news." Yami said. "Kali's first official mission for the Black Bulls was a couple days ago, over at Saussy Village."
"Saussy? That's not too far from here." Orsi said. "If she was so close by, she could have popped in for a quick visit."
"I'm afraid it wouldn't have been possible." Yami sighed. "What was supposed to be a simple Boar Hunting Mission, turned into a life or death situation. Kali had barely made it out of there with her life. It was only thanks to the combined efforts of her Squad Mates, Asta, Noelle, and Magna, that she survived. An' with the help of a villager who could use healing magic, her wounds had become stable enough to be taken back to the capital for medical treatment. Unfortunately, due to the extent of her injuries, Kali is now barren, and will never be able to have children of her own."
"Oh dear." Father Orsi said, in shock.
"Poor Kali." Sister Lily said somberly.
"Now, since I've given you the report, I'd say it's time I get to the second reason as to why I am here." Yami exclaimed. "But first, let me tell you a little story, about a thirteen year old boy, and a baby girl he found in the forest one day…"
~Back Alley Market~
"So, having fun Kali?" Charlotte questioned.
"As much fun as I can. I can't really figure on what I wanna get though. I don't wanna blow through my wages, but I'm finding a lot of interesting things for sale around here." Kali said, walking next to Charlotte, wearing her temporary Blue Rose Knights robe.
"It's fine. Though I wouldn't recommend…"
"Wait, I know what to do." Kali smiled.
"KALI."
Charlotte and Kali turned and the younger girl smiled when she saw Asta heading for her, with Noelle and Vanessa coming up behind him.
"Asta, didn't know you knew about this place." Kali smiled.
"Vanessa is actually just showing us around. This is the first I've heard of this place." Asta exclaimed. "Hey, there's some sort of party going on over there." Asta said.
"Oh sorry bro, but you're not allowed in there unless I either accompany you, or I say so." Kali exclaimed. "A Casino like that, will take you for every yule you have. Take him for example, he's stupid enough to go back and try his luck again." She said, pointing to Magna as he walked past them without even acknowledging their presence.
"Kali, these are your Squad mates I take it?" Charlotte asked, bringing herself into the conversation.
"Oh Captain, yes these are my friends from the Black Bulls. Here we have my brother Asta, the Royal Noelle, and the heavy drinker Vanessa." Kali introduced.
"It's nice to meet you all." Charlotte smiled.
"Likewise." Asta smiled, before he looked back at Kali. "Wait, why are you wearing the robe of the Blue Rose Knights?"
"Captain Yami is having me spend the day with Captain Charlotte. So, only for today, I'm a Blue Rose Knight, and not a Black Bull." Kali explained.
"So, can we go now or what?" Noelle asked.
"Feeling uncomfortable here? Not surprising, Royals and Nobles instinctively don't like this place. But you might be able to find something to help you with your little problem." Vanessa smiled.
"You mean…"
"Yes, there could be a magic item here to help you with learning to control your magic better, until you're able to do so on your own, like a wand or a necklace that you could keep on your person." Kali said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and double my wages."
"Don't tell me Yami Sukehiro's gambling habits have rubbed off on you." Charlotte said in shock.
"Not really. I just like playing. Besides, it's not gambling if you're always winning." Kali smiled heading for the casino. "You're welcome to join me Captain."
"I think I'm good waiting out here for you." Charlotte chuckled. "But you have fun, and try not to get too wrapped up in your winning streak."
"So what do you think Noelle? Think this would suit you?" Vanessa questioned, as they looked at a vendor selling magical jewelry not ten feet from Charlotte and the Casino entrance.
"It would, if it weren't so tacky." Noelle said.
"C'mon give it a try." Vanessa said.
Noelle put the necklace on, unsure of how effective it would be, but with a bit of encouragement, she tried out her magic, with a low level attack spell, but it still went out of control, and hit someone passing by. An' that someone was Sekke.
"Well… it was your own fault for being there in the first place." Noelle said, flipping one of her pigtails over her shoulder. "Smells like you could have needed that though."
"C'mon, it's been a month and I still haven't stopped smelling like a toilet after that bitch Kali shoved me into one." Sekke complained.
"Wait, what did you just say about Kali?" Vanessa asked, his shouting also gaining Charlotte's attention.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to use such foul language in front two beauties such as yourself, but I was just complaining about how someone from the entrance exams we took together, shoved me in a toilet for trying to get payback at her younger brother, Asta, for humiliating me and causing me to become a Praying Mantis instead of being accepted into a higher ranking Magic Knight in another, more distinguished Squad." Sekke exclaimed.
"Reverse Sea Dragon's Lair." Noelle shouted, casting the spell reversed. It was pretty much the Sea Dragon's Lair spell, but the whirlpools that could shred anything to pieces, was on the inside of the dome, instead of the outside. "No one, talks about our teammates like that. Asta and Kali earned their places among the Magic Knights. Blaming them for your own shortcomings, is so childish, you should be ashamed of yourself."
"The boarish behavior. I'll be sure to talk with Captain Jack about you." Charlotte said.
"Stop thief those are my winnings. Bring them back." An elderly woman called out.
Asta turned from the stand he was at, wanting to purchase a talking green antenna eyed thing, when hearing that call. In an instant he was on the run.
"Oh no you don't." Asta called out, as the thief jumped on a cloud of his making.
Pulling his sword from his Grimoire, and throwing it, Asta was able to dispel the thief's means of transportation, while the sword landed in the ground.
"Fire Magic: Flaming Meteor." Kali called out, before she appeared in front of the thief, her body covered in flames, and slammed her arm into his chest with a lariat, causing him to go spinning wildly, until he stopped, as he hit the hilt of Asta's sword, painfully crushing his manhood. "Dumb thief." Kali sighed, picking up the stolen winnings, and bringing them to the old woman. "Be a little more careful next time, alright your majesty?" Kali whispered with a wink, causing the older woman to gasp.
"Wow Kali that was amazing." Asta smiled as he followed Kali to bind the thief in bricks of stone.
"I thought you were at the casino though?" Charlotte questioned.
"I was, but I already cleaned out all the boys of their money. Including Magna." Kali chuckled, holding up a large burlap sack of yule, almost big enough to hold a body.
"That was… scary fast." Noelle said. "What did you do to get them all so distracted?"
"Oh, nothing much. I just bet the entire month's wages, with a view of my girls as a bonus." Kali smiled with a wink.
"You mean, if you'd lost, the winner would have gotten a flash of your goods?" Vanessa asked.
"That was a risky gamble." Charlotte said. "As your temporary Captain, I forbid you from doing that again."
"Alright fine." Kali said.
"Well, we're gonna head out Kali, see ya back at the hideout." Vanessa called out.
"Did Noelle finally pick out a magic item to help her concentrate?" Kali inquired.
"I have. I prefer this wand to the necklace I was wearing earlier." Noelle smiled.
"Well, have yourselves a good day." Kali said, calling out to them.
"So, where to now?" Charlotte questioned.
"Well, if you're hungry, we can head to my tavern, and I can cook us up something to eat." Kali suggested.
"That sounds like a good idea." Kali smiled, both of them heading for the exit to the Black Market.
As they were making their way out of the market, the little old lady looked at them, before glowing and reverting to his original form as Wizard King Julius, with a smile on his face.
'She was able to see through my disguise. I'm impressed.' He thought.
"There you are your majesty. You snuck out again? You're needed back here right away. You've got mountains of paper work to get through just sitting on your desk." Marx, his assistant said, finally getting into contact with Julius.
"Alright Marx, just relax. No need to make a big fuss about it." Julius said, before ending the connection. 'A boy with an Anti-Magic sword, and a girl capable of using multiple elements. Times really are changing in this kingdom.' He thought, looking up before noticing someone. 'It's the four leaf clover boy. He's on an escort mission with his team. I'm curious as to how he handles himself. Let's find out.'
As Julius followed them, Kali and Charlotte had made their way into the closed Tavern, and Charlotte sat at the bar counter, with a glass and an open bottle of wine, while Kali cooked up their food.
"I gotta say Kali, I was rather impressed when I had heard you were still running your tavern after becoming a Magic Knight. It takes a lot of effort to do such a thing." Charlotte said.
"Well, I'm not gonna be running it for much longer. As I said, I'm trying to find someone to buy the place, but I keep getting offers for lower than what I'm willing to neg the price to." Kali exclaimed grilling up some steaks for them. "I can't exactly keep this up, or I'm gonna burn myself out. An' that wouldn't be good if I were to be sent on a pretty important mission."
"You know, I like this." Charlotte smiled. "You know I'm a Noble and a Squad Captain, yet you address me as if I were any other normal non-important person, it's a refreshing change of pace."
"Well, I don't really see the point of that Nobleman Title business. I mean we're all just people. So it doesn't really matter to me." Kali said. "Though, I do wanna ask a favor of you."
"An' what might that be?" Charlotte inquired.
"I wanted to know if you'd be able to discreetly look the Captain of the Purple Orcas, and maybe some of his subordinates." Kali said. "They've been hunting me down since I was a kid, because I could use multiple elements. I don't think all of them were in on the scheme, but there definitely were a few who were willing to do anything, to get their hands on me."
"I see." Charlotte said. "So do you think they'll stop if they find out about your injury?"
"My… Yami told you, didn't he?" Kali asked.
"He did." Charlotte exclaimed. "I'm sorry about bringing it up. It would be a sore subject for you after all."
"It's fine. You do bring up a valid point. But how would Captain Yami even know to begin with?" Kali inquired.
"Medical Mages who work under the Wizard King, are required to report the injuries and their extents, to the mages under the jurisdiction of one of the nine captains. So it was obvious he'd know." Charlotte explained.
"Well, I guess that makes sense." Kali sighed. "I'm guessing he told you so you would agree to spending the day with me?"
"Actually, I had my own reasons for wanting to spend the day with you." Charlotte smiled.
"Oh really? I don't know the kinds of things Yami's into if you're curious about that." Kali exclaimed.
"I-I am not interested in that man in the slightest." Charlotte exclaimed with a stutter and a blush.
"Oh really? You know, it's obvious to anyone with half a brain that you've got a thing for him. When did you fall for him, when he saved you from your curse taking over your neighborhood?" Kali inquired with a playful smile.
"How do you know about that?" Charlotte asked.
"I'll take that as a yes." She chuckled. "I did plenty of research into the Squad Captains for the Squads I was invested in joining. The Blue Roses ended up being in the top five of my picks. But I chose the Black Bulls because I had a little more freedom with their not so strict rules and regulations. Basically, as long as we don't do anything to anger Yami, we can just do whatever we want when not on missions."
"I think that's a little too relaxed." Charlotte said. "But anyways, if you are aware of my feelings for him, then yes I am in love with Yami Sukehiro." She exclaimed with a heavy blush. "That's the first time I've ever had to say it out loud. I'm so embarrassed."
"It's fine. I promise your secret's safe with me." Kali snickered.
"What about you? Is there any boy you're interested in?" Charlotte inquired, wanting to get some payback at her.
"Oh um… n-no one in particular." Kali said, a blush crossing her face. "I'm not even sure if I actually do like him."
"Hmm. Seems to me you've already made up your mind whether you know it or not." Charlotte smiled. "C'mon, spill the beans. Who's this boy you're crushing on?"
"I uh… well he's…"
"No wait, let me guess. It's a squad mate of yours."
"As if. None of those boys could handle this gal. Plus one of them has a little-sister complex, so that one's definitely a no-go." Kali stated.
"You do seem quite free spirited. An' I doubt it's that anti-magic fellow."
"No way, he's my brother." Kali said.
"Yami mentioned that at the Entrance Exams." Charlotte nodded. "So is it safe to assume he's part of the Magic Knights?"
"He is…"
"Now we're getting somewhere." Charlotte smiled. "Is he strong?"
"Mmm-hmm…" Kali nodded.
"Has he ever beaten you in a fight?"
"He's the only one to beat me in a fight, ever." Kali said, before she realized her words could backfire on her.
"Oh… if I recall from the Magic Knights Exams, the one to beat you in the fighting, was Fuegoleon's nephew Asura." Charlotte smiled. "So you've got the hots for a royal huh?"
"I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it." Kali exclaimed, as the smoke from the grill began to turn black.
"You're burning the steaks." Charlotte pointed out.
"Gah." Kali cried, saving them as best she could.
~Hage around Sunset~
"Thank you for taking such an interest in our little girl, Captain Yami sir." Father Orsi said. "I guess it's only to be expected, since you do have a history with her."
"Think nothing of it." Yami said.
"Father Orsi, look who's come for a visit." Sister Lily said, coming in with Yuno and three others tailing him.
"Ah, Yuno my boy. It's so wonderful to see you again." Father Orsi smiled, getting up and giving him a hug.
"Likewise Father." Yuno said, before noticing Yami was there. "Hello Squad Captain. What brings you here?"
"Just some business I had to attend to." Yami said. "You're Kali's other brother, right?"
"Yes sir, I am." Yuno said.
"Hmm? What are you doing leading around the Nobleman whose ass you kicked in the exams?" Yami questioned.
"Such language, and in a church full of children no less." The Nobleman Salim said.
"He's our charge for the day. Allow me to introduce you to a couple of my squad mates. This is Klaus Lunettes, and Mimosa Vermilion. I'm stationed with them as my teammates for missions we're sent out on." Yuno introduced. "An' our charge is Salim Hapshass."
"We're honored you could visit." Father Orsi said. "Please, won't you join us for dinner?"
"We'd be delighted to." Salim smiled.
'Something's up with this guy. I don't trust him. His Ki is giving me mixed signals.' Yami thought. "Father, Sister, would you mind terribly if I joined you? I'd like to experience myself what kind of diet my squad boy Asta grew up on."
"Of course. We've got plenty of food for everyone." Father Orsi said.
"Knock-knock."
Father Orsi and the rest turned to the doorway to see Kali standing there, with Charlotte beside her.
"Hope you don't mind the drop by." Kali said. "Oh, Captain Yami, what are you doing here?" She asked, spotting her captain.
"I'm just here seeing where you and the kid grew up." Yami chuckled.
"That's nice and all, but I mainly grew up being chased all over the kingdom, and partially outside the kingdom, by the Purple Orcas." Kali stated. "Yuno, hey."
Kali smiled as she went and hugged her brother, pulling him in for a tight embrace.
"Kali, it's so good to see you again. But what's with that scar?" Yuno asked, looking down at the scar after breaking up the hug.
"Don't worry about it." Kali smiled. "What brings you by? An' why is he here?" She asked, looking to Salim with disdain.
"My team's been put in charge of guarding, and escorting him where he needs to go." Yuno explained. "He wanted to stop by and see how things were for me growing up, and what sort of life style I lived."
"Is that so?" Kali questioned, finding that suspicious.
"So, what brings you lovely ladies to Hage?" Yami asked.
"Oh, well Captain Charlotte and I were gonna have dinner at my tavern, but after an embarrassing conversation we had, I kinda burnt the steaks, beyond the realm of edible quality. They were real prime cuts too." Kali said, holding up a bag of groceries. "So, instead I suggested we come to Hage for her to meet everyone at the church, while also having dinner, made by me of course. Don't want Father Orsi burning down the church again."
"How'd you find out about that?" Orsi questioned in horror.
"Asta and I might have mentioned it when we met up with her in the Capital." Yuno stated.
"Please by all means. You know your way around the kitchen better than I. We didn't really change much after rebuilding with the money you'd send us. We just made the entire structure a little bigger." Sister Lily smiled. "So everything should be where you remember it being. If not, just come and ask me for help."
"I thought it was a bit more spacious." Kali smiled.
"Need a hand in the kitchen?" Charlotte questioned, removing her helmet. "I'm not much of a chef, but I can at least chop vegetables and stir a pot of pasta."
"I'd appreciate the help, thanks, this way to the kitchen." Kali said leading the way.
A short while later, Kali was in the kitchen, cooking up over a dozen meat lovers skillets, with hand carved potato wedges, hash browns, and fries as side dishes. Charlotte was proving herself useful in the kitchen, assisting Kali with the cooking.
"Captain Charlotte, would you mind taking these out to the table while I finish up the last touches for the skillets?" Kali questioned gesturing to the side dishes, sprawled out over the counter in bowls and on plates.
"Sure thing Kali. I got this." Charlotte smiled, using her vines to carry the side dishes.
As Kali kept fixing up the last of the touches for the skillets, she couldn't help but feel like something was wrong with Salim asking Yuno, for bodyguard and escort duty.
"Something smells good. What are you making tonight Kali?" Father Orsi questioned, pulling Kali out of her thoughts.
"Oh, nothing special, just something I cooked up in the Capital not long after I opened my tavern." Kali said. "Captain Yami would order this every day, whenever he came into the tavern."
"I'm surprised at how polite your Captain is. I heard the Black Bulls were a bunch of merciless ruffians." Father Orsi exclaimed.
"The Black Bulls aren't as bad as the rumors made them out to be. But they are a bit eccentric at times." Kali chuckled.
"Still, I was a bit surprised when you showed up wearing a Blue Rose Knight uniform. I thought your letter said you had joined the Black Bulls. Was it an error?"
"No, I did join the Black Bulls. I'm just being granted a chance to be a Blue Rose for the day." Kali said. "My first mission the other day, didn't really end so well."
"Captain Yami told us." Orsi said.
"Of course he did." Kali sighed, using fire magic to make the surface of the skillets crispy. "I'd rather not talk about it, can you please just go?"
"I'll go make sure the table's properly set." Orsi said, heading out of the kitchen.
A couple minutes later, the doors to the kitchen opened up again, and in came Yami, with a concerned look on his face.
"Father Orsi told me you got a little testy with him." Yami said.
"Did you have to tell them my condition?" Kali asked.
"They're your family Kali, they deserved to know the truth."
"That was my condition to tell them. Not yours." Kali said.
Yami took in a deep breath and sighed, before scratching the back of his head.
"You're right. I betrayed your trust. But there was another reason why I came here, not just to tell them about what happened to you." Yami stated.
"I don't wanna hear it. Just make yourself useful and help me bring these skillets out to the dinning room." Kali said, taking a couple trays filled with the skillets in her arms, leaving Yami to take the other two.
When they got out to the dinning room, Kali passed out all the skillets with Yami and Charlotte's help, making sure to serve Salim last.
"My, this looks absolutely amazing." Salim said.
"I run a tavern called the Silver Dragon back in the Capital. I've been trying to sell it, but so far, no takers who'll agree to my asking price, or the price I'm willing to neg to." Kali stated. "It's actually my signature dish. Captain Yami would order it on a daily basis."
"I wouldn't say it was a daily basis." Yami said.
"You literally sat at the far back corner table every day. If I hadn't saw your robe after the first week of constant visits, I'd have been worried you were stalking me." Kali said.
"So, tell us about your exploits so far. Do anything exciting in the Magic Knights yet?" Yuno asked.
"Well I went to Saussy Village the other day to help get rid of a boar infestation, but things kinda took a turn for the worst." Kali explained. "Turned into a life and death situation against one of the bounties I was never able to catch."
"You were a bounty hunter?" Salim asked.
"Still am." Kali said. "Just because I've joined the Magic Knights, and I own a tavern, doesn't mean I've stopped with my first profession."
"So, what are your dreams for the future Kali?" Charlotte questioned. "Do you plan on trying to become the first Wizard Queen?"
"You mean that there've only been men who've received King Julius's title?" Yuno asked.
"Yes. For five hundred years, not once has a woman ever taken the mantle of Wizard King, and become the Wizard Queen." Salim explained.
"I see… But no, I don't aspire for that title. What I really want, is to surpass my mortal limitations, and challenge God himself to a fight." Kali explained.
"You're kinda contradicting yourself there then, aren't ya Kali?" Yami asked, drinking some coffee.
"How so?" Kali asked.
"Well basically, your goal is to become stronger than the Wizard King. Julius is strong, but he's nowhere near strong enough to challenge a deity." Yami explained. "What I'm getting at, is you've got a goal, but you're not seeing the steps that come before reaching that goal."
"The first step?" Kali asked.
"Becoming a Squad Captain. An' the step after that, would in your case, be reaching the title of Wizard King, and making yourself the Queen." Yami said.
"He's right. You can't just go headlong into the endgame without first reaching the markers along with path." Orsi said.
"Huh, I never thought of it that way." Kali said.
"So, what do you say? Gonna try and reach for the title like Asta and I?" Yuno questioned.
"You know what, I'm in. I'll snag that title, right out from under your noses." Kali smirked. "An' then, I'll become the first ever, Wizard Queen."
"Now that's the spirit." Charlotte smiled.
"One thing Captain Charlotte. If and when I become a Squad Captain, then you have to admit to your crush you like them." Kali said cheekily.
"K-Kali." Charlotte blushed.
"Oh, so the Prickly Princess has her eye on someone huh?" Yami smirked.
"Fine, but if I do, then you'll have to admit to your crush, you like him." Charlotte countered.
"Hey that's not fair, I'm the one issuing the challenge to you. You can't just throw it back at me like that." Kali said with a blush of her own.
"Oh, Kali's got her eye on a boy? Oh, how sweet." Sister Lily smiled.
'I'll kill him if he hurts her.' Yuno and Yami thought at the same time, their eyes overshadowed.
"Well, don't everyone just sit there, starring at the food. Dig in." Kali smiled, wanting to get off that topic.
"I must say this dish is actually quite enjoyable. The flavor of the meat and potatoes mixing together cultivates their aspects, combining them into one flavor." Salim said. "Though the pop-potatoes do tend to dry out the mouth quite fast."
"That's the specialty of Hage. Pop-Potatoes are what we're most known for growing." Father Orsi exclaimed.
"As much as we would enjoy staying here any further, I'm afraid we must be going." Klaus exclaimed.
"Oh come now Klaus. What's the harm in staying a few more minutes?" Salim asked.
'He's definitely up to something.' Kali thought, using her fire magic to evaporate the water remaining in the jug as she went to get more water. "Oh dear, it looks like the water jug is empty." Kali said picking up the jug. "I'll go and get some more from the well."
"Wait, hold on." Salim said. "Take my robe, it can still get quite chilly out at night." He exclaimed, putting his robe over her shoulders.
'Don't punch him in the face, don't punch him in the face, don't punch him in the face.' Kali thought and Yami thought.
"Thank you." Kali said, with the most realistic fake smile she could muster.
After Kali went out, she made it look as if her destination was the well that had recently been dug and built thanks to the money the trio had sent back from their wages. She could feel she was being followed, and as she put down the water jug on the edge of the well, she could tell she wasn't going be in for an easy time, and with her Grimoire in its sleeve on her waist, she wasn't going to have an easy fight, and get answers at the same time either.
'I guess this is what it means about having your cake and not eating it to.' Kali thought as she sent the bucket down the well. 'I can't get answers and kick their asses at the same time. So I'm gonna have to play along.'
Before she could pull the bucket back up, Kali was grabbed from behind, and rendered unconscious by some sort of drug soaked cloth. Everything went black as she was bound by the assassins that had been keeping a low profile until now. The last thing she saw, were the assassins she least expected. They were ones she had marked as highest priority in her bounty hunter bingo book, but was never able to find them.
After what felt like a few seconds, Kali awoke to find that she was leaning against a nearly destroyed wall, with my arms bound and my mouth gagged.
"Well, looks like you're awake."
Kali looked up to see one of the assassins standing in front of her, with a red flame tattoo under his left eye. He had a lustful look on his face towards her, and she could tell he was thinking of doing something lewd if he won the battle that was about to happen.
Kali just glared at him, struggling against her bindings.
"Stop struggling, unless you want me to damage that pretty face of yours." He said, holding up flames to her face. She could feel the heat radiating from his magic. He was strong, but not as strong as Heath, far from it.
'Abra, leader of the Serpent Skulls, assassin group.' Kali thought. 'If he's here, then the others must be spread out some… wait, is that Wizard King Julius's energy I sense? What's he doing in Hage? Doesn't matter, I have to take these assassins out, before Yuno comes. I knocked over the jug when I was nabbed and Yuno, along with the others probably heard it, and Yuno is probably on his way with Charlotte and Yami not far behind him. Gotta make this quick.'
Kali reeled her head back, and when bringing it forward, slammed her forehead into Abra's crotch, extremely hard, causing him pain, before she broke her bindings, and grabbed Abra by the throat. With her free hand she pulled off Salim's robe from her shoulders, before burning it to ashes with her own flame magic, a moment before she tore off the gag.
"You've just done me a huge favor." She smiled clutching tightly on his throat. "Did you seriously think, a Magic Knight of the Black Bulls, could have been caught so easily by the likes of you? I allowed you to take me, in order to give me a chance, to nab you and your troop, so I could collect your bounties. Now tell me, Salim Hapshass is the one who hired you to kill Yuno, am I right?"
"Gah… his… his father hired us… at the behest of his son…" Abra choked out. "He's still sore… about Yuno defeating him… in the Magic Knight's Combat Exam… So he arrange… this whole ploy so we… so we could kill him… Y-you're only meant… to be bait…"
"I knew it." Kali said, slamming Abra down on the ground, knocking him out, and pulled out her Grimoire. "Earth Magic: Earth Dragon's Cage." She chanted as a cage made of stone formed around him. She took his Grimoire, and looked at her surroundings. "Looks like we're inside the old demon's skull. Don't know why, but I get a strange sense of ease whenever I'm in here, almost like… the demon was family somehow. I don't know how to explain it."
"You always did find sitting inside the Demon's Skull to be your comfort zone whenever you were upset." I turned around to see Yuno standing there, a smile on his face. "I was wondering how they'd caught you so easily. You've never been one weaklings like these could take off guard. Now I see you were just after those in your Bingo Book." He said, giving me a knowing smile.
"Once a bounty hunter, always a bounty hunter." Kali smiled.
"Can't say I'm surprised." Yuno said. "But I'd say I deserve three-fifths of the reward money since I took out three others."
"That just leaves one more. But I have a feeling, he's not gonna be showing his face." Kali said, noticing a small flash of a golden light that Yuno hadn't seemed to notice. "Where are Captains Yami and Charlotte?"
"Tying up the other assassins." Yuno said.
~Back at the Church~
"Oh Kali, I'm so glad you're back." Father Orsi cried happily, pulling her into a hug.
"I'm fine Father. But could you please not hug me so tight? My arms are sore from being bound behind my back the way they were." She said, flinching a bit as I pushed him off me.
"Now the food went a little cold, but everyone, don't be shy, dig in." Sister Lily exclaimed gesturing to the food spread out on the table.
"If it's all the same to you, I'm just gonna hit the hay." Kali said, yawning. "Feel free to split my portions, kids."
"Yay." The younger kids cheered.
"Are you sure Kali?" Charlotte asked.
"I am Captain Charlotte, your concern is appreciated. But some of the drug used to knock me out, is still in my system, so I'm just gonna sleep it off." Kali said, before turning to Yuno. "Wake me when we're heading back."
"Rest well Kali." Sister Lily said.
"Kali wait." Yami stated. "Before you go, there's something you should know. The main reason why I came here."
"An' that would be?"
"About fifteen years ago, was when you and I first met. I took care of you, and raised you until you were taken away when bandits came and kidnapped you, taking you away from the village." Yami said, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "When I found you again, six months ago, a great weight was lifted from my shoulders, and so, last night I came to a decision, and it's official." He stated, showing her the paper.
"Wait… no this can't be…" Kali said reading over the paper.
Child's Name: Kali
Age: 16
Figure: B103-W61-H92cm (I-cup)
Magic: Elemental
Guardian's Name: Yami Sukehiro
Child's Name After Adoption: Kali Sukehiro
"What?" Kali practically shouted.
A/N: Please leave a review. No flames please.
Also, would anyone have a problem with me killing off King Augustus Kira Clover XIII?
I really don't like the guy.