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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Azure Dreams characters.

Chapter 3: Moment of Weakness

"Dear Diary,

I have given up on destroying Koh through Selfi Rode. The girl has a…ahem, dangerous family which chills my blood whenever I think of him. I have been having nightmares, which I hope will subside soon so as to keep the mission from jeopardy.

I have made a new friend in this godforsaken town. A small dog that I call Elfie. Perhaps it is because I spent seven years living with animals that I find Elfie such a comfort. But I have promised myself: no more animals. I must save room for familiars when I enter the Tower once again with my reclaimed fame.

On the subject of Koh, it matters little that Selfi is inaccessible. I have deduced, through careful purchasing...er researching, the names of three more of Koh's paramours. The first is Cherrl Child, a sickly girl who lives near the hospital. The second is a dancer named Vivian Merca. And the third is my very own Fur Gotts. Oh, the girl is a minx; playing me false under my very nose! Now, the only dilemma remaining is to decide the order of these girls' downfall. And avoiding Ghosh while doing so. That is a

Beldo glared at his diary, which now had a large ink blot from where Elfie knocked his pen and splattered the black ink. He turned on Elfie and reprimanded her. "If you ever do something like that again," he growled, "I will be forced to…take serious action! You have permanently damaged my diary. Elfie? Are you listening?"

Elfie wasn't listening, of course. She danced and batted at butterflies and dust clouds while completely disregarding Beldo's reprimands. When he said her name, Elfie snapped to attention, stopping and watching Beldo sternly, a lieutenant waiting for orders. Two minutes later, she was back to bouncing and ignoring again.

Beldo and Elfie were on their way to the home of Cherrl Child. Beldo had no idea what to suspect. He knew the girl was an invalid, but beyond that, nothing. He hoped she did not have a brother. Beldo finally found Cherrl's house. The front window had had the frame and glass removed and on the sill sat rows of tiny dolls fashioned to look like Koh.

Beldo felt his temper rise and he felt a violent urge to use a fire spell to burn the dolls to ashes. Instead, he picked one up and held it in front of Elfie, who grabbed it between her teeth and romped off to find a grassy area to play in.

"Excuse me, sir," a girl from the shadows beyond the window murmured, "Those are 5G, please."

Grudgingly, Beldo pulled out five gold coins and gave them to the girl. Beldo had become miserly over his years of training and unless he had a reason, he hated parting with money.

"You're new in town?" the girl asked, "I've never seen you before." She giggled softly, "Of course, I don't get out much." She leaned forward and smiled sweetly at Beldo. Her blonde hair shone in the sunlight, giving her an angelic aura. "My name is Cherrl. Who are you?"

Beldo stepped back, astonished. He wasn't expecting such a pretty, innocent-looking young girl. "My name is not important," he said quietly, slowly reaching for his dagger on his belt.

Cherrl tenderly rearranged her Koh dolls, filling in the empty space left from Elfie's toy. "I know you're new," she said, "Because everyone else in town has stopped by at least once to buy one of my dolls. And I never forget a face," she grinned.

Beldo's grip tightened on his dagger, readying to tear it from the sheath and…what? Kill the girl? He had expected it to be easy, but the longer he hesitated, the more he knew he wouldn't be able to do it.

Elfie chose that moment to prance back to Beldo's side, her dismembered Koh doll clutched in her teeth. She dropped the ragged toy on the ground and looked up at Cherrl, her mouth open in a doggy grin.

Cherrl smiled at the furry brown dog and reached toward her, "Oh, she's so cute! What's her name?"

Beldo sighed and released his dagger, "Elfie."

Elfie's tail wagged harder at the mention of her name and, sensing a new friend, she launched herself up onto the windowsill and proceeded to lick Cherrl's face.

Cherrl laughed happily, even her laugh was quiet and delicate like her frail body and timid personality. She scratched Elfie's ears and smiled at Beldo, "What a sweet dog! You know what they say, about dogs resembling their owners?"

And Beldo knew for sure he would never be able to harm the girl. He had always considered himself tough, hardened, able to do anything he was required to do. Yet here was a girl who without even trying had thwarted his attempts to complete his lifelong goal, to exact revenge on Koh!

Beldo narrowed his eyes suddenly as a through emerged. Was Cherrl as oblivious as he seemed? She might even now be plotting against him while he was vulnerable. Everyone knows it is the quiet ones who end up as the most dangerous. It would just the kind of trick for Koh to play, too.

Elfie whined and barked, waking Beldo from his twisted daydreams. She was standing on all fours, barking to draw Beldo's attention to herself. She growled and rolled onto her back, indicating that she was hungry.

"Oh, is the puppy hungry?" Cherrl scratched Elfie's chin and simpered, "I've got some yummy meat in the…"

"No," Beldo interrupted, snatching up Elfie and tucking her under his arm. He was anxious to leave this house and this angel-haired girl as quickly as possible, before anything else bad happened and he was quite sure that if he stayed, something would happen that he would not like. "We must leave," he said shortly, turning on his heel and walking briskly away.

Suddenly, Elfie wriggled free of Beldo's grasp and bounded back toward Cherrl's house. Cursing, Beldo dashed after her, skidding to a stop inches before he crashed into Cherrl's Koh display. Elfie, nimbler than Beldo and assisted by knowing what she wanted, deftly leaped onto the Koh display and grabbed a wad of Koh dolls in her sharp little teeth.

Beldo's sigh was a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and happiness. Anger because Elfie was disobeying his direct orders to stay out of trouble. Again. Embarrassment because Cherrl now sat, her thin, pale hands modestly folded, with a smile on her face. Her seemingly innocent smile was laced with amusement, amusement gained at Beldo's expense. Happiness because Elfie, whether by canine instincts or a meditated act, was emphasizing Beldo's resentment toward Koh. Sure, it was just against little cloth Koh imitations, but Beldo chose to believe she knew what she was doing.

Beldo tossed a handful of gold pieces on the windowsill and reached to scoop Elfie up again. Cherrl stopped in with an innocent cough and he snapped angrily, "What?"

"This is too much," Cherrl said meekly, "You must…"

Beldo sighed, exasperated, "How may Koh…things equal what I gave you?"

Cherrl wordlessly held up eight fingers.

Beldo counted out eight more dolls and stuffed them in his pocked, furious at the outcome of today's events. Making sure Elfie was tightly in his grip, he strode toward town without so much as a backward glace to Cherrl Child.

"Oh, what a nice man!" Cherrl said to herself. She picked up one of her remaining dolls and studied it absently, "I do hope he comes back."

Once he was satisfied that he was far enough away from the invalid girl, Beldo sat down under a tree. He leaned against the trunk and closed his eyes. Elfie flopped down next to him and began gnawing on her four Koh dolls.

Ten minutes passed before Beldo spoke. He opened one eye and looked at Elfie, who was still absorbed with her new chew toys, completely unconcerned by her master.

"You, "Beldo said to the little dog, "Are more trouble than you are worth. Why do I let you stay?"

Elfie looked up at him, Koh's head clamed between her font teeth. She shook her head, sending the little doll's legs and arms flailing. She opened her mouth and let the doll drop to the ground as she grinned expectantly at Beldo.

"Ah, yes," Beldo closed his eye and leaned back again, "I remember. You share my detestation for Koh, son of my enemy.""

"But I warn you," Beldo continued, "I cannot tolerate another failure like today. I tell you this, for the failure was partially your fault."

Elfie cocked her head and gave Beldo a look that said, 'Who, me?'

"Yes, you," Beldo said, his temper rising, "If you insist on coming on my missions, you must not interfere or I will be forced to leave you home. Understand?"

Elfie rested her head on her front paws and whimpered softly, her large brown eyes quivering pitifully.

"Oh, no. That won't work, Elfie, so do not even try," Beldo crossed his arms defiantly and looked away, "You think I am so easily swayed by emotions, but I am not. I did not spend seven years in the Tower for nothing."

Elfie jumped to her feet and barked sharply several times. She picked up a Koh doll, now slimy and wet from being in her mouth and tossed it into Beldo's lap with a flick of her head.

Beldo gingerly picked up the toy, holding the driest part he could find between his thumb and forefinger. "You're right," He said softly, holding the torn doll at eye level, "I was waiting for Koh. That was my true purpose." His eyes narrowed and he tossed the doll into a nearby bush, "But that part of my life is over now. Koh has," he stumbled over the word, "defeated me and I must exact my revenge. Don't you see, Elfie?"

Elfie panted for a moment, looked around, and set off toward the bush with a determined bounce in her step. She plunged the head and front legs into the bush and rooted around for her Koh doll. After a few unsuccessful minutes, she gave up and returned to Beldo's side to find something new to chew on.

A little girl poked her head round the edge of the house. She stuck her thumb in her mouth and sucked curiously when she saw Beldo and Elfie resting in the shade of the tree. She waited, deciding whether to advance to or retreat from the strange man under the tree. Elfie's presence tempted her, because above all things, Weedy loved animals, especially dogs. But there was something about the man that made Weedy uneasy. Finally, she shrugged and walked way to find more comforting company.