Hello everyone out there!
So Magi belongs to Shinobu Ohtaka, my OC to me, there might be references to this world, music etc, spoilers for those who haven't read the manga this far and some spelling mistakes because I do the correcting stuff on my own and English is not my native language.
And the madness continues.
Even so, have a fun time reading!
Day 23: Will you keep running?
A chill woke Lenka, even though she was wrapped up in the blanket like a burrito. Her mouth was as dry as the Sahara and she felt definitely hungover. Plus her muscles were sore in places where-
"Oh God!" she yelled and sat up, looking around in growing panic. The sheets were in disarray, but they were like that every morning. Her metal vessels and dress were scattered around the room like she hadn't been aware what she was doing when taking them off. This was unusual. She was actually a bit pedantic. She must have been really drunk. Or maybe...
She wrapped the blanket around her like a towel dress then tip-toed out of the room, stopping every three feet or so to listen for voices or someone breathing, then downstairs too peek into the living room, the study and finally the kitchen. The house really was empty. Had she been dreaming? If yes, this dream had been very nice. Or rather, the four of them. Erotic dreams were mostly good dreams, but this seemed to tell her how sexually starved she actually was. Bugger.
Lenka sighed deeply then yawned on her way to the washroom she had a bit modernized with the help of Gusion. Running water and a modern toilet with an odor-free connection to the cloaca under the streets made life really comfortable. She rubbed her eyes then stretched her arms with another yawn and glanced at her image in the mirror she had found in one of her dungeons and froze.
"... oh fuck."
Her neck and shoulders were covered in hickeys and small bruises and yep, there were teeth markings around one of her collar bones. The trail continued over her breasts, mostly spared her stomach, though there were a few bruises around her waist that eerily reminded her of finger prints, and several more on her tights.
She gulped heavily then bowed towards the glass to look closer at one of them. This shade of purple didn't really go well with her hair. Why hadn't the enhanced healing kicked in to make them disappear? Perhaps they thought love bites were insignificant.
Her skin was more sensitive than usual as she sat down in the tub to wash herself clean with a sponge during the bath then sighed and leaned against the metal to think.
Now this was bad. All her inner walls had fallen and she had let him see the dark, ugly truth which she had kept hidden from the world. What did he think of her now? Was he perhaps disgusted, finding out that she had been defiled, held those grudges against her father? Patricide was one of the worst crimes one could commit in Roman society, was this the same over here? Luckily she hadn't been one of the Vestalian virgins, they had been killed when they had been raped. But even so...
If she could just talk to Micaela, all of her problems would would be more bearable. She could almost see the face her friend would make when hearing that Lenka had been in Magi, meeting the protagonists and conquering dungeons. Surprised, jumping on the creaking sofa in the living room of her flat in excitement, eyes wide when hearing of the dangerous adventures, laughing tears...
Solomon, she wanted to go home. Wanted to curl into a ball in a dark corner of her bedroom in her safe house, break down emotionally, cry in confusion and stress, doing nothing else for the rest of the day until her eyes were red and her voice was gone.
Lenka got out of the tub, flinching in discomfort as she rubbed herself dry then wrapped the blanket around her again and wandered into the kitchen to get herself something to eat. She took out the bread and reached for a knife to cut herself some slices then hissed in surprise and pain. Blood trickled from the cut on her thumb then stopped running. A few seconds later only a rosy line was the evidence of her carelessness. Slowly she picked up the knife and inspected the blade. Sharp and mirroring her image in the sunlight, a small stain where it had cut her finger. Lenka gulped and lowered the knife with morbid fascination until the metal scraped over the skin of her left forearm. Her hand was shaking, sometimes touching one of the faint white lines the razor blades had left, almost invisible despite her tan. Along the arm, not across the wrist. Should she or shouldn't she? Her breath quickened and she licked her lips, wondering when they got so dry – and frowned. What the hell was she doing?
With a muffled cry she dropped the knife and raced upstairs, jumped on the bed and almost instantly hurried away again. The mattress smelled like him! Lenka backed off until she felt the wall in her back then slowly slid down, wrapping the blanket around her like a shield at the same time, completely hiding herself from the world. A sob escaped her, followed by another when the tears started running slowly.
"Oh god... what have I done?"
She had fucked up. Destroyed the chance of leaving Reim without strains, without partings drowning in tears and promises of things she could never keep. Destroyed the chance of having a real, realistic relationship with someone she liked, even hoped to love, but now... everything had shattered, broken, was beyond repair. She was beyond repair. Everything seemed to slip away, her past, her secrets, her hopes, Muu, Miran- Miran.
She was crying without restraints now. Miran, her cute, funny, adorable, brave little companion. A younger version of Henry, but with way more mischief and trauma, an angel, light in the hours when she had been utterly confused by Muu and the strange way he behaved. When he tried to court her. Miran.
"Don't leave me. Please don't leave me."
She sniffed, tried to swallow the growing lump in her throat then peeked outside her cocoon and crawled over to snatch her metal vessels and returned to her corner, hugging them tightly, trying to seek comfort in the warm feeling of the power thrumming in them, but failed miserably. As soon as the connection to her mind was enabled and the djinn carefully touched her conscience she broke down completely, the tears simply wouldn't stop running despite the soothing feelings transmitted to her.
Lenka...
Don't cry, don't cry.
We are here for you.
… what happened to you?
She swallowed down another fit of hysterical sobbing then slowly lowered the walls, pushed the door to the abyss inside her memories open for them to enter. By the time they were through the faces of the twins had went from a very light blue to a fierce growl and then an embarrassed pink, Eligos had done the same evolution and Gusion had maintained her normal blue color, the only things that had changed were her flippers to claws then back to flippers.
… I sure have to admit that he has stamina. Your captain I mean. Even though you had only showed us glimpses...
I don't want any more Lenka-porn ghosting through my head, thank you very much, Orobas snapped and took a even deeper shade of pink, Orias did the same.
Eligos wants to skin the person who poisoned you alive and persuade Gusion to make her an aphrodisiac.
Oh, please spare us, the twins screamed in unison and hugged each other for protection. The female djinn pouted and crossed her arms and legs, not easy while being enthroned on a heap of pillows.
Then Eligos will only skin the evil-doer and wrap the guts around a pole for the vultures.
Ooh, that sounds good, the others agreed. Gusion suddenly leaned forward and stared at Lenka, the dark eyes full of concern and guilt.
I'm sorry for what happened. I tried to change the poison into something else, make it non-fatal, but wasn't entirely sure how it would react with your human metabolism. For someone like me it would have been a simple sleeping drug, not an aphrodisiac, something that would make you talk nor a fatal acid. I'm sorry.
Lenka smiled and mentally scratched the djinn behind the jackal ears.
"I know. You always do your best for me. You all do."
Lenka managed a smile then flopped to the side, blowing a few strands out of her eyes and crossed her arms behind her head.
"So what do I do now?"
…
The four djinn stared at her with helpless expressions.
Kill him?
Talk to him?
Fuck him senseless again?
"Hell no, Eligos!" Lenka yelled and abruptly sat up to give the sword and indignant glare – not that there was some use in it, the sword had no eyes. She leaned back with a sigh then touched the forearm protector.
"Gusion? Any plans?"
… go talk to Scheherazade. You need to do something, may it be only a one-day trip to the border to kill some bandits, or else you'll be in here until the Magnostadt war.
That is actually a good idea, Orias said in awe.
Since when did you have ideas this good?
I was the one who told her to go to Reim the first place, so it should be my responsibility to get her around as well.
"Gusion, have I ever told you that I should start worshiping you next to the internet, chocolate, modern sanitary facilities and fanfiction?"
No, but I think I would like to have some statues of mine around for Orobas to clean with a feathery fan, the djinn said amused while the other pouted and took exactly the same posture as Eligos, albeit without the five cushions. He snorted in annoyance.
And what makes you think that Scheherazade can do something?
Gusion and Orias looked at him as if he hadn't got a common truth, for example that grass was green.
… she is old?
She controls Reim?
Okay, okay, shame over me for forgetting that she's old! Yunan is old as well!
But Yunan isn't female, nor knowledgeable of the matters between men and women, Gusion deadpanned.
"Great, so I go to the big over-lady and tell her what? Sorry, Scheherazade, I slept with your favorite fanalis dungeon capturer and now I'm trying to kill myself in shame, please sent me away or kill me?"
Lenka, stop whining like a little girl, Orobas growled and gave her a mental clout. You were drugged, he agreed so it wasn't entirely your fault so stop crying for things in the past and start living in this world, for Solomon's sake! When did you become such a crybaby? Orias and I have suffered similar things!
She flinched at the scolding then lowered her head. He was so damn right it almost hurt even more than the pictures dwelling up in front of her inner eye. The djinn were right, there was no point in sitting and waiting for the problem to disappear into nothingness. She had to bite into the sour apple and do this herself. Grow up.
"Yeah, you're right. I should go."
Hopefully she could get an audience with Scheherazade easily, after becoming one of her dungeon capturers. Dressing took it's time as she had to find a top that covered her stomach and her shoulders. She wrapped her scarf around her neck then went down to the kitchen as the door opened and Miran stormed in, taking a quick look around then jumped into her arms.
"Lenka! Are you better? Muu said you didn't feel well so I came back home to look after you!"
A lump formed in her throat as she hugged back. Home. To look after her. Solomon, how much she would miss this child.
"Oh Miran," she whispered then inwardly winched. Her voice was deeper than usual and a little raspy. "Thank you."
He leaned back to study her face with concern, frowning at a bruise the scarf had revealed and then – she couldn't believe it – growled like a wild animal.
"You were crying. I told him I would kill him if he made you cry. Guess I have to borrow Orobas now."
"Miran!"
Lenka was shocked. "Don't speak of killing someone that easily!"
"I told him I would kill him if he made you cry," he repeated with fierce determination. She shook her head and sighed again then sat down cross-legged, pulling him down as well.
"Miran, I forbid you killing Muu Alexius, you hear me? Don't roll your eyes at me, young man!"
He pouted and crossed his arms as well so that he matched with Orobas and Eligos.
"Fine. I won't kill him. Yet," he added with a scowl at the bite marks on her neck. Frowning she placed a hand over them.
"Don't stare. It makes me uncomfortable. Feels like I did something bad. I've castigated myself enough already, no need for you to add something to the big pile of, er, you know what I mean.
Damn, being an adult is so difficult."
"I don't want to grow up if it means getting such bruises."
"Getting them was actually quite fun- argh! No! I never said that! Censor the last sentences! You're too young! Not until you're as old as me!"
"Solomon, that is old," he groaned in fake desperation then escaped her tickling fingers with a joyful squeal and looked at her curiously from behind the sofa.
"So why were you crying?"
"Jesus, Miran, I said forget what I said!" Lenka yelled and looked ashamed the instant the words left her mouth.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to scream."
"It's okay, Myron was like that, too," he said with a shrug. "Razol said Lolo didn't satisfy her properly."
Lenka's jaw fell as she looked wide-eyed at the nine year old boy who was hopefully completely unaware of what he had just said.
"Holy Solomon what's going on?! The founder's feast is cursed!"
"Marcus said that as well, Inara's standing next to herself, too. Flavia and her friends are all flinching when we are too noisy and their eyes are really small and have bags under them. Must have been something in the wine."
Oh God, why is is he perceiving absolutely everything? Poor guys, all hungover.
He is worth becoming my household member, Gusion said dignified, causing the other djinn to yell their protest, Miran was more worth to become mine/mine/Eligos' household, no mine/mine/mine/Eligos! The blonde sighed and massaged her temple with her fingers as Freddie Mercury began to sing I'm going slightly mad.
"I'm planning to leave Reim," she blurted out without thinking. Miran cocked his head and returned to her side to look at her face.
"Is it really that bad? I can kick him for you if that's the problem. Or stare until he begs for forgiveness."
"He's not the problem. I am the problem," admitted Lenka with a deep sigh. Really, she was sighing almost every minute now. What a pain in the metaphorical ass. The boy patted her head and tickled her nose with one of the long blond strands.
"I bet we'll figure out a way to overcome this."
"We?"
Miran nodded earnestly.
"Of course we will. I'll stay with you forever and ever after, until you're old enough to take care of things on your own."
Her heart stuttered at the feelings that flooded her again. She truly, deeply loved Miran. He was family, a part of her life. She should tell him everything. Now or never. She inhaled deeply.
"Miran, Inara asked if she could adopt you. You could become Marcus' brother for real, have a new mother, a new father, a life in safety-"
"But I choose you," he interrupted with a frown. Lenka's heart skipped a beat.
"Inara told me yesterday about this. I told her that I was honored, but had a place where I belonged already."
His big red eyes were fixated on her face, filled with determination and softness and a silent plea to accept him, his will, his decision.
"You are my family, Lenka. You and your djinn. You are everything left I have. Please let me stay with you."
Even if the world suddenly fell into complete depravity, Al-Thamen stormed her door and started to throw water balloons, ice spears or fire balls at her, Lenka wouldn't have cared for them. Her eyes started to tear up again and she hugged him fiercely. Miran would stay at her side! A weight seemed to have disappeared from her consciousness, leaving her sobbing with relief and joy and thanking him over and over again. The boy sighed and continued to pat her back to ease her, even though she was sure that he had to fight back the tears as well. This unconditional trust was perhaps more than she deserved. Today was surely the day of crying, running nose and puffy red eyes. But it was so worth it.
"When did you become so mature?"
"Myron and Lolo asked me if I was your household member, because they were sure I was, and then they were really shocked. They are Muu's, you know, and they have this gauntlets that can destroy things, Myron showed me how to do. But I don't have a gauntlet, all I have is the dagger, but I'm afraid I'll loose it," he admitted with a blush and pulled the knife from his sash.
"Can't you find a blacksmith to make something I won't loose?"
… gimme that.
Lenka took the dagger in her hands and frowned as Gusion used their connection to melt the metal into a puddle then re-formed it to a set of brass knuckles.
… dum dum dumm!
Miran squealed in joy and pulled them over his fingers.
"Thanks, Gusion!"
See, he knows who I am.
Because you can melt cities.
Indeed I can. Tell him I will adjust them when he grows.
Lenka passed the message causing the boy to pat the forearm protector happily before looking at her again.
"So what will you do now?"
Shrugging she stood up and brushed dust off her pants.
"I think I will go to Scheherazade now and ask her if she could send me on a quest or such. Far away from here."
"I will pack my bags then and say good-bye to my friends," Miran mused and waved as she left the house on her way to the temple of the highest priestess.
"I don't think we'll leave tomorrow, but warn them that we might leave for a bit."
See, dearest, you aren't alone, Orobas hummed.
You are never alone.
The guards seemed to remember her face and let her inside without second thought. Scheherazade was sitting on the same throne as the last time, this time a few more nobles were in the vast hall as well. Lenka bowed deeply in front of the Magi. Now she had to convince another powerful being of her plan.
"Lady Scheherazade, I have a request to make as you are the one who can fulfill it."
The petite blonde opened her eyes.
"Speak."
"Please sent me away. I know it's a huge think to demand," she said and apologetically raised her hands, "but I fear that I'm... becoming restless, dangerous. I'm an unsheathed blade that has to be used, not to rest and rust in a city as peaceful as this."
Scheherazade scanned her for the better part of a second.
"Is there another reason as well?"
Well, yes, she wanted to answer but sighed and shrugged instead.
"Unfinished business. Too much unfinished business."
Cough, Muu Alexius, cough.
Shut up Orobas.
The Magi slowly tilted her head to the side.
"I see. That is a very bold question you ask, Marlene-Karen Sensenmacher, child of another sun. Yet I can see that a veil has been lifted and a wall has fallen, a wall that has protected you from the world."
Lenka lowered her head in agree and Scheherazade continued.
"As you already know, war draws near. Reim needs every force they have, and it pains me to think of the future. However, I will grant your request. Publius Claudius Naso, come forth."
She knew why the man had the additional name 'the one who has a nose' – or something like that, her Latin had suffered greatly already – the instant she saw his face, and what a nose it was! Surely he was trying to compensate something with that organ. Trying not to start giggling was hard as her djinn were already roaring with laughter. Nose-man, she was so going to call him Nose-man, was a noble at least five years older than she was, with short-cropped, mousy-brown hair and an expression that showed that he thought of himself as something better. How many of those guys lived in Reim?
There is nose-one like him, Eligos cried and thrummed with her fists on the floor between hysterical giggles.
Oh shut it, Lenka thought as the man bowed in front of the Magi and almost hit her with his flailing arm.
"Nose to meet you, too," she murmured and rubbed her left wrist. Oh, she was so going to continue this, the way he gave her the creeped stare was just the right thing to lighten her mood. She was sure that Scheherazade suppressed a smile as well.
"Publius Claudius Naso is going into a dungeon and you will accompany him."
"So, you want me to get him safely to the treasure room so he has the possibility to get to see a dungeon for the first and last time in his life and with exceptionally huge luck get the djinn to choose him?"
"Precisely."
"Okay," Lenka said with a shrug, the Nose-ter looked at her like she was completely insane and the rest of the people in the hall did as well. Seemed like she was recovering from her breakdown at the speed of sound.
"If the possibility arises that the djinn will choose me, can I accept?"
Nose-man opened his mouth to say something but a clatter interrupted him as Muu Alexius entered the hall, and holy Solomon, he had some hickeys as well but unlike her he made no efforts to cover them. Her stomach seemed to drop to her knees as he walked towards the Magi, every step powerful and efficient.
No Lenka, don't blush because you know what a divine body is hidden under that armour and what things he can do with those fingers and his mouth and damn I'm really insane, right, just don't blush don't blush don't blush damn you depraved fangirl mind...
For the sanity of every other person involved, just what had Gusion accidentally made from the poison that was supposed to melt her intestines? Super-Viagra? I will make you spill your secrets deluxe? Idiotic fangirl tonic?
His face showed an interesting mixture of confusion, embarrassment, guilt when he noticed her and then determination when he bowed in front of Scheherazade.
"My Lady, pardon the intrusion."
"Muu. What leads you here today?"
Lenka considered making a mad dash for the exit then abandoned the idea. This would be the most obvious thing she had done up until now, and she had done many obvious and stupid things in her past, so she simply raise a brow when he glanced at her for a moment.
Lenka, pardon me, but this guy is even more obvious than my brother, which is a miracle in itself, Orias stated dryly, causing Orobas glare at him before whispering something that made his younger twin blush fiercely and hide his face in a cushion.
"I heard that the new dungeon conquest will take place soon and wanted to offer my guidance."
Oh. Argh. Not good.
The Magi looked at the fanalis for a second then at Lenka and Naso.
"If the other participants don't have anything against it I will allow you and your household to enter the dungeon together with Marlene-Karen and Publius Claudius Naso."
I am starting to think that I am fated to be followed by chaos and disaster.
So are we, dearest, Orobas agreed with a sad smile.
"Is here something you want to add, Marlene-Karen?"
Lenka flinched then shook her head.
"I'm in a position where I can't express criticism or a personal opinion beside my gratitude upon your gracefulness."
Whoa, that was smooth, I need to learn something from you, Orobas murmured as Scheherazade's cheeks took a faint pink.
"Sinbad warned me not to trust you in his letter. I think this was a bit unjustified, or maybe not?"
Lenka sighed gravely and rubbed her temples. Headache ahoy.
"Look, I may speak without thinking first most of the time but I assure you, I am no threat to your country, nor his or another."
"He wrote very unpleasant things, which I deem to be untrue after meeting you, as you are no woman who would use her body to gain things."
Her jaw fell in shock before her brain caught up to the Magi's words.
"He wrote WHAT?"
Scheherazade blinked slowly, apparently uncomfortable with the screaming as were some of the nobles in the hall. Muu gripped the hilt of his metal vessel, his eyes started to shine even more than usually, but this time with the urge to maim someone, and a certain purple-haired king in particular.
"He has a very... colorful way of expressing his opinion, to put it nicely. I'd rather not repeat the full content," she said with a dangerous glint in her eyes. Lenka grabbed the hilt of her sword so tightly that her knuckled turned white. And then her anger and frustration exploded in a screaming fit.
"Just what the hell is wrong with him? The various blows he'd received up until now must have made him stupid! Or maybe he caught a disease that made his brain rot after jumping at every girl that wasn't up in a tree up to counting to two! Just why in Solomon's name would he behave like a jealous bitch when her boyfriend has a new girl? Bloody hell, what did I do to him – or rather, I know what I didn't do with him! Ha! I must be the first one ever to refuse his attempts! But argh, why? Why? Damn you Sinbad, if I could I would walk straight over the ocean just to kick your ass to Kou! I make you gurgle with the seven seas and then tell your fangirls that you are lusting after livestock! I let Orobas torture you for an entire week, Eligos cook for you and have you listen to German folk music until you speak in rhymes and beg for forgiveness because the only thing you'll ever lick is the dirt off my boots!
Goddamn it I'm so pissed off by the likes of him! Fucking perverted stupid king! Fudge my life why do all of those things happen to me at the moment?! I don't have a sign on my back 'please torture Lenka, she deserves some more mental scarring', do I? And even if I had, this would never give him permission to do so! Fudge, fudge, fudge I say!"
The bystanders stared at her with big eyes as she paced back and forth, threw her hands up at the sheer idiocy of the situation until she stopped to catch her breath.
"Okay. So what I was going to say was that the things he wrote are not true."
"I figured out as much," Scheherazade nodded with a small smile.
"Very informative. And creative nonetheless. Very well, as this matter has now been taken care of all I can do is wishing you good luck for the dungeon conquest. You will leave the day after tomorrow at the western gate. Transport and food will be provided."
Lenka and Naso bowed, Muu did a second later. The foreigner nodded thankfully to the Magi.
"I will be making preparations then."
When she was almost at the door leading out of the hall Scheherazade raised her voice one last time.
"Will you keep running, Marlene-Karen?"
Lenka froze instantly and felt the gaze of the other woman on her back like two hot stones. Yes, she was running away, but only because she couldn't find another way out of the situation. But the Magi was right; she was always running, running away from her old life, from the responsibility, from her father and this trend continued, she had been running when Judar asked her to be his king vessel, she ran from Sindria the same day when she could have stayed there and discussed things with Sinbad.
She was running away again, but this time not from her task given by Solomon but her feelings, as confused and hazy as they were.
She straightened her back then turned around to the Magi to return the questioning look.
"I hope this time will be the last. Thank you for your guidance, Lady Scheherazade."
"May the Rukh continue to guide you, Lenka the traveler."
"Heyyy Alibaba!" Lenka said and knocked against the door frame. The other blonde dungeon capturer looked up from a scratch on his arm and grinned wide.
"Hello, Lenka! Haven't seen you in ages. I mean, I saw you yesterday at the founder's festival, you looked really pretty."
"Thanks," she said and dropped down on a chair and rubbed her eyes with a sigh.
"I don't know where to start..."
"Oh Solomon," Alibaba murmured then asked louder, "What happened? I can see that something isn't right."
"I'll be leaving Remano in two days."
"He blinked and sat down on another chair.
"Okay. So what did you do? No, I don't want to know," he yelped as Lenka blushed bright red.
"I messed up royally," she admitted. Alibaba rolled his eyes.
"This is what? The third time? First was in Balbadd when you went with Kougyoku, the second when you went with the weirdo instead of staying in Sindria and now is the third time. Seriously, I really don't want to know what you did, but as master of messing up I tell you something: you need to fix this somehow or it will become an habit and haunt you forever."
"I know," Lenka groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Scheherazade sent it on a dungeon conquest with me."
Alibaba groaned as well and reached for a jug on the table.
"This screams for alcohol. Want a cup?"
"Never again, I made a terrible experience yesterday. Got poisoned," she explained at his curious glance that instantly turned shocked.
"You got POISONED?"
Sighing gravely she leaned back to balance on the chair.
"And this was the beginning of the story."
Alibaba shook his head and muttered some intelligible words.
"I wish you well then. Good luck on your conquest."
"I'm glad I have met you, Alibaba," smiled the foreigner then gave him a peck on the cheek before leaving the room. Toto waited outside, her brown eyes full of concern.
"Toto wishes you well, Lenka. Maybe we'll meet again for a spar."
"Of course we will," the blonde said and hugged her.
"There is no way I would die on the way, after all."
It was late afternoon when she got home to prepare their departure from Remano. Miran wasn't back yet so Lenka decided to wait with cooking dinner for his return and started packing her things, which was hardly difficult as she only had to stuff everything she found into the black hole, including a few scrolls from her personal library about the history of Reim and dungeons. The former owner must have been a buddy of Nerva the emperor's son or a historian of the Empire, either way she was glad that she was now in possession of the scrolls.
A knock on the door interrupted her scanning of the study. Wondering if this was Miran she opened – and before she could even blink someone grabbed her wrist and threw her into the wall on the other side of the street. Gusion tried to cushion her but the impact pressed the air out of her lungs, her teeth clashed together and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
Al-Thamen!, was her first thought when she picked herself up and managed to block another attack with her right forearm, a kick that caused her to slide a few meters back before she could catch a glimpse of who was attacking her.
"Huh?
"You wench!"
Lenka dodged Inara's next attack, a punch to her face and grabbed the arm.
"Bloody hell, what is wrong with you?"
A kick in the stomach sent her flying again, her ribs cracked, magic enhancement or not, and breathing became painful while she rolled away from the next kick that caused the ground to break as if a wrecking ball had been dropped to earth from very high. Inara snarled, her red eyes were furious and puffy, as if she had been crying as well.
"Harlot. What have you done, you bitch?"
Lenka's stomach dropped to her knees at the words. Did she know something? She tried to maintain a cool exterior and dusted her pants off.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Please enlighten me about my imaginative misdeeds because I'm sure I haven't done a thing to your husband to make you spit poison like that."
Emphasis on imaginative. And haven't done a thing, just for the crowd that had begun to gather to watch an awesome fight between a female fanalis and the neighbor that was apparently a dungeon capturer. Inara noticed the spectators as well and abandoned her aggressive stance to point with a finger on her.
"You are a foul woman, Lenka, a whore that spreads her legs for every single man to gain favors, a bitch that wags her tail at her superiors and crawls in front of them, lusting for power and influence, a traitorous hoe, a lackey of Kou and spy from Magnostadt! Sent here with the intentions to assassinate Scheherazade and destroy Reim!"
"I said give me your reasons, Inara, not the lies people are spouting from envy," she replied cold but her mind was wincing in embarrassment and agony at the stares of the onlookers. So many, and more were streaming toward the street, staring, glaring, glancing, attracted by the furious yells of the fanalis whose words were pushing the right buttons inside their heads. Their Rukh started to flutter according to their moods, curious trills turning into cries for blood and murder.
Inara grinned contemptuous and raised her hands, as if to say 'Am I not right, people?'.
"I said you're a hoe-"
"And a wench, a whore, a harlot and so on. Which I am not. And where are your foundations for this hilarious accusations?"
"They are visible to everyone! On your neck!"
Lenka frowned and raised her hand to her scarf which had unwrapped during the fight and left the countless bruises uncovered. Bile rose from her guts and she swallowed heavily and shrugged again.
"Okay, I give you that one. But me having hickeys as many young woman are having after a festival like yesterday where most people were drunk doesn't make me a hoe.
Have you other reasons why you were pulling me out of my home, throwing me into a wall and then physically and verbally abusing me? If so, then tell me."
Inara inhaled and Lenka feared what she would say. Her skin tingled under the stares.
"You refused my and my husband's generous, heartfelt offer to adopt Miran. Why would you deny a couple who could clearly, obviously could raise a child better than you, an unbound who is apparently a shady individual, the right to do so?!"
Shouts and cheers of agree were heard, mostly from females who had children as well.
"What could you do better than I can?"
And the fanalis had hit the nail on the head – was she able to raise Miran so that he could have a good, safe childhood? Able to give him advice to become a fine man? Able to stay at his side, be there for him and still continue to fulfill Solomon's wish?
You are my family, his words echoed in her head. Family. I will stay by your side. Forever.
To hell with envious fanalis. Lenka straightened and looked Inara in the face.
"He is my family. He has chosen to stay with me. I didn't force him to anything. It was his decision which he made by himself."
"Lies! You are a lying whore!"
And then the first missile came flying and her vision blackened.
Lenka!
My queen!
Lenky!
… are you okay? Gusion asked. Lenka groaned and sat up.
"Holy Solomon, that hurt – wait, where am I?"
She was sitting on a huge brown leather couch in front of a gargantuan flat screen. Gusion touched her head with a flipper and nodded.
This will heal. We couldn't continue watching this.
We were really concerned, Eligos declared and wrapped her thin arms around Lenka's neck and pressed a kiss on her cheek. The human blinked surprised at the warmth and substance of the small body then at Orias who nervously fumbled with the chains attached to his chokers, his expression a mixture of guilt, concern, worry and determination.
She reached out and patted his hand, noticing that he was a lot bigger than her while Eligos had the size of a twelve year old and Gusion was about seven feet tall.
"Orias, I'm okay, beside the fact that I'm really confused about my whereabouts."
I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him, he answered with a whisper.
"You couldn't stop who? And where is – oh my God."
He took over your body.
"How?"
Her first reaction should be screaming in shock, but the presence of her djinn, the physical presence lulled her into satisfaction. Gusion took over to explain.
Apparently this is the final stage of something called the warrior project. It's similar to the medium.
Lenka frowned for a second before her eyes widened.
"Physical materialization in the outside world?!"
That was the plan. That is why Solomon altered your body. We djinn should take over to guard and protect Prince Aladdin, as he is the proxy of our dear king, Orias said calmer than he looked.
You may have noticed that you can't control the Rukh like you did shortly after arriving in this world. They will give you energy, but nothing more, and only to keep you from dying. The possession is the final stage of something called the warrior plan or so I've heard. You are complete now, Lenka. This is what you as the warrior should be in the first place, a vessel for the djinn.
"Isn't that extremely dangerous?"
… we don't know exactly how dangerous. This might cause your cells to deteriorate faster than they can heal your body from the strain.
She still couldn't find the power to get angry at her djinn, really couldn't. Maybe she was too exhausted or the shock was yet to come, Lenka simply nodded then looked at the flickering screen.
"Let's see what happens."
Miran raced towards the crowd that had gathered in front of his house, Muu Alexius followed him, taking one step where the boy had to make three. The man had come to him as he was talking to Marcus and Fulvia to inform them of his departure. They had been sad, but he had promised to visit them for sure in the future. He had noticed that Inara had been listening to the conversation but when Muu called him his attention had fully shifted towards the man.
"Will you accompany us?"
"Of course, Lenka is my family after all."
Muu had nodded in agree then looked a bit sheepish and uncomfortable.
"I want to talk with her, but she seems to avoid me. May I come with you when you go home?"
Miran had glared at him but Muu had returned the glare honestly and with determination, so he was okay with him following. Until they hear a woman screaming obscenities and curses.
He weaseled his way through the people when he saw a man, maybe around twenty, that was holding a chunk of wall in his right. The man grinned, showing that he was missing a few teeth as well.
"Go away, this is no place for children."
"My house is there," Miran answered and shoved past a really fat woman that glared at the cause of the commotion. Lenka and Inara. The boy froze. What where they doing? He could smell a mixture of different emotions, rage, confusion, anger, fear, hate, despair... too many to find out the ones that belonged to which of the women in front of him.
"He is my family," Lenka said and Miran realized that they were talking about him! But why where so many things damaged because of them, so many spectators-
"Lies! You are a lying whore!"
He didn't know the word, but it was certainly something bad as Lenka paled a bit more – and then the stone hit her temple. Miran screamed as her knees gave in and she slumped down for a second. Inara heard him and turned in his direction, her face paling until she looked like she had become a ghost.
"M-Miran-"
"Stupid."
The hairs on his arms stood on edge as he heard a familiar voice and Lenka's figure started to shiver, then grew, her skin darkened to a blue tone like the sky on a sunny, cloudless day, her hair shortened and turned white and horns grew from the sides of her head, big and contorted, the blue so dark it was almost black. Her fingers stretched and the nails turned into sharp claws as the young woman picked herself up again, muscles contracting and relaxing when her arms, legs, the whole body transformed. With a sizzle her clothes turned into long chains, some so delicate that it seemed they could break any second, others big and sturdy like the ones wrapped around narrow hips, acting as belts for the white piece of cloth that looked like a skirt, but every single one was made from pure gold. The white scarf Lenka had been wearing ignited with an audible whoosh to hover over the broad shoulders of the being that stood in the alley, towering easily over the humans. The being raised his head and the spectators gasped in surprise and fear at the third eye embedded on the forehead of the man, and again when he opened his eyes, the irises gleaming golden in the sun.
The full lips twitched upwards into a smile, showing sharp canines as he started to speak.
Orobas was furious. No, furious was not the right term. Livid, mad, enraged, those words were not strong enough to describe his wrath. He wanted to slaughter the woman that had threatened Lenka, wanted to spill her guts over the floor, burn her skin from her body and feed her with liquid iron to hear her screams of death. No one threatened Lenka without receiving punishment, not Sinbad, not a member of Al-Thamen, no one. He would take care of every single person who was being so suicidal, so utterly mental that they would think about messing with him.
"I can't watch this any longer."
He took over her body. Orobas wasn't really sure how he had managed that, but he grasped the power of hers, the magoi, fueled himself with the stream of electricity to gain physical form in the world, to protect her, to kill, to maim, to burn everything to the ground that was a fiend. And somehow his strong desire catapulted his consciousness, his very soul into her body. He felt Lenka slip by and then the energy he had borrowed turned rampant as an almost unbearable itching and stretching started.
Solomon, why had he been so-
"Stupid."
Orobas inhaled deeply, amazed that he could inhale, could smell dirt and food and blood and the bodies of dirty, sweaty humans, could feel corporeal muscles bend and flex, the warmth of the sun on his skin, the hard ground under his bare feet, the weight of cold and warm chains wrapped around him. He could see the movement of the Rukh, thanks to the third eye on his forehead and the strong, overwhelming wrath returned as he spotted his enemy. He inhaled again, raised his face towards the sun and opened his other eyes.
Ah. Light. The sun was so bright. He had almost forgotten how bright it could be. Magnificent. Radiant. Simply the sun. A white sun. Orobas started to grin.
"I wonder how long it has been since I saw the sun with my very own eyes. Spoke with a voice that more than only one person could hear."
Maybe he was being a drama queen, as Lenka had teasingly dubbed him, but the faces of the humans down under him were worth it. Orobas blinked slowly and slightly tilted his head to the right to look at the fanalis woman below.
"So many years have passed that I almost forgot how it feels to kill with my claws."
His glare pinned her to the ground, froze her in place. Orobas grinned even wider.
"I am the fifty-fifth djinn of Solomon, Orobas, a spirit of faithfulness and truth. You are not a very faithfully person, are you. Spouting lies and swear words like it suits you."
He lowered his voice until he found the right volume to make every word sound like silk, smooth and with a low purr he could effortlessly turn into a deep growl.
"So what were your reasons to scream insults and abuse my dearest, my darling queen I choose over thousands of other men dying in the dungeon of Orobas? Why were you screaming words dripping with poison, indicators of your own incompetence to be a faithful and honest being?"
A shiver crept up his spine at his own words and voice. Holy Solomon, that was a good show. He was so absolutely great it was almost impossible.
"Oh no, you don't need to answer me. I can see everything in your eyes. Envy. Grief. Fear."
And the ugly truth. Orobas' eyes widened for a moment then a furious growl escaped him. The bystanders shied at the eight feet four tall djinn, much to his satisfaction, but the real threat was in font of him, her legs shivering but firmly pressed to the ground as she stared back.
"You are the one that poisoned her. You made her suffer. You wanted her to die painfully to gain your benefits from that. I should kill you. Rip you into small bloody pieces, splatter your guts all over the place, cook your eyes in your head, burn you to crisps and scatter your ashes in the desert."
Her legs shuddered even more, now she seemed to realize how dire the situation she was in really was and that he meant every word like he had said it, would make his promise come true with a wide smile and mad enthusiasm.
"Please... I have a son."
Orobas snarled at her but then a tiny figure stepped forward.
"Don't kill he, Orobas."
His snarl turned into a low growl and he leaned down to look at Miran. The boys red eyes were hard, he was angry as well, but the plea in them was bigger than his anger. Orobas felt the left corner of his mouth twitching upwards into a half grin.
"So why should I, little one?"
"We don't kill if it is not necessary. An addition to Lenka's three rules."
Orobas grin grew wider. He really liked the boy. A good child. This one belonged to him.
"So you have chosen your fate instead of letting someone else choose? Remember, oaths once given shall never be broken."
Miran nodded slowly.
"That's why I won't surrender to anyone."
Ah. He really wanted to make him household vessel. Wait a sec. He could make him his very own household member. There was no one else beside him out here, right?
He gathered his own Rukh into a small bird, poured all his feeling for Lena into it, the trust, the adoration, the protectiveness, the over-protectiveness, the hopes he had, the fear of loosing her to the dark side, the affection and held the glowing bird out to the boy.
"Then take this, you who seeks power to serve the king."
"Wait, Miran."
Orobas scowled at the man that emerged from the crowd, frowning at him and his soon to be household member. Oh, Muu Alexius. He didn't like him, even though he wasn't loathing him like he loathed the perverted stupid king or the perverted girly Magi brat, but he. Had. Been. With. Lenka. Indecently.
"Don't interfere," he snarled, putting every ounce of his anger and antipathy into the two words and the accompanying glare. Muu jumped back two meters and the crowd scattered screaming. Some of them were even running into the walls in their fear. Miran whistled approvingly.
"Now I see what a real glare can do. Impressive."
"I could teach you a few more things," he offered then flinched as a nagging pain started in his guts.
"I don't have much longer. Will you accept this?"
Miran nodded and took the bird carefully into his hands. The Rukh fluttered its wings then disappeared into the brass knuckles the boy was wearing. Orobas smiled, carefully patted his head and decided to use his last precious seconds outside to give Muu Alexius a bit more of advice.
"If you want to capture her heart you have to convince us first."
The man smiled at him, serious determination in his eyes.
"I will do my best."
Che. As if he would ever, ever in hell accept a dork like him. Never ever. Never.
…
Barbatos had been fun to hang out with.
Orobas you bastard, I wanted to make him household vessel, Gusion growled and shook her flipper at the screen. Lenka on the other side felt like her face was cramping from her joyful grin. Now Miran would really stay at her side.
He should come back, he's straining your body too much, Orias said with a frown and checked a scroll. In the same moment the human felt a suction like from a giant drain and nodded.
"I think you have your answer. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to talk with you like this."
Aww, Eligos cooed and place another kiss on her cheek.
See you, Lenky.
"Hey, I'm not gone, I'm just not really here again."
She frowned.
"Now that sounded strange."
And then she felt Orobas' presence close by, touching hers and wrapping around her conscience like a hug before she fell back into her body.
Pain. Oh Solomon. The last time she felt something similar was when he had punished her for not protecting Judar. Her nose, eyes and ears were bleeding, her muscles ached, she felt cold and shaky and when she bent forward and coughed more blood spluttered into her hand. Her shirt was ruined now for sure.
Miran's voice sounded dull but she was able to feel his hands on her arm and blinked through the pinkish veil at him.
"Hey small one."
"You could have died!" he cried and the grip on her arm tightened.
"You could have died and the I would have been all alone again! Stupid Lenka!"
Despite the pain and scolding she started to smile.
"I'm sorry. I try not to do things like this again."
"I really hope you do," another voice said and Lenka flinched in pain when Muu Alexius carefully picked her from the ground.
"Oh, hey. Didn't notice you through the rosy shades I'm wearing."
"The stone must have hit you really hard when you can joke in a situation like this," he grumbled but his Rukh told her that he was relieved.
"I hope this doesn't become a habit of yours, being carried around by me after being injured or... falling ill."
"Yeah, I hope so as well, it's a bit too standard character-ish for me," agreed Lenka and winched when he carried her over the threshold.
"Good thing we aren't in England. It's custom for a man to carry his wife over the door sill when they enter their home the first time after being married."
And why was she telling him that now? Blood loss. Blame it on the blood loss.
"You have lost to much blood," he said after a few seconds and placed her on a kitchen chair.
"I know. Thanks."
Miran handed him a bowl with water and a towel then sat down next to Lenka to watch the man with indifferent expression. Muu raised a brow in surprise then shook his head as the boy mimicked his actions. Lenka frowned at their silent debate.
"What are the two of you doing? Hey?"
"Nothing," the answer came in unison and the other dungeon capturer started to wipe the blood from her cheek. Her frown deepened.
"I can do this alone."
"Just let him do, Lenka," Miran piped in and leaned against her shoulder, not taking his eyes off Muu as he moistened the towel again. The adults were both frowning now.
"Little devil, just what is your plan?" she asked slowly. The boy shrugged and jumped from his chair to make his way to the staircase.
"I don't know, why just not ask him?"
Then he was gone and Lenka felt an eerie familiar feeling of déjà vu.
"I remember him doing this before."
"I do as well," Muu agreed and rubbed her neck clean. He frowned when he saw the multitude of bruises and their rainbow-like colors.
"Sorry for that."
"What?" she asked confused then a pink hue covered her cheeks.
"Oh. That. Yeah. Well. Uhm, apology accepted?"
"I should have controlled myself. It's my fault," he said and slumped down to the floor to look up at her.
"Will you ever forgive me?"
"That is my line to ask. Will you ever forgive me?"
The smile returned to his face before he gently dabbed the towel on her cheeks again.
"I do. Thank you."
"I'm sorry that I can't be who you want me to be right now," Lenka blurted out and lowered her eyes for a moment.
"I have past issues, as you already know, but they are slowly getting better. I can do more than I ever thought I would be able to do. So... please understand that I'm not ready for a longer lasting relationship yet. Can you wait a bit longer for my answer?"
Muu placed the towel on the table then leaned forward to press a chaste kiss on her forehead.
"I think I can manage."
And a warm fuzzy fluttering feeling started in the pit of her stomach as if she had eaten several caterpillars that were turning into butterflies now to roam around in her belly as she smiled back at him.
Lenka, that was the most disturbing description of how you can feel when you are falling in love I've heard up until now, Gusion said with a shake of her head.
After the madness in the last chapter ejjanesoco ordered a fluffy omake. Enjoy!
Making Breakfast
He was actually humming. Muu Alexius was surprised that he enjoyed waking up early and walking through Remano in the morning hours when most of the citizens were still asleep, just to visit a recruit's house. But this was not just a simple recruit.
Lenka opened the door before he could even knock. Her nose and cheeks were speckled with flour and the wide smile she gave him made amends for the early hour.
"Heyy, good morning. I tried to make pancakes for breakfast, but somehow I messed up."
He grinned back and followed her inside into the kitchen which looked like a minor explosion had happened around the sink. He knew Lenka was not in the least stellar at cooking but this seemed to be a new low point in the history of her attempts to make breakfast.
"Is Miran not awake yet?"
Normally he would think that letting a nine year old boy take care of food and cooking would be a bad idea but Miran was surprisingly mature for his age and very promising when it came to fighting, too. She shrugged and stared at the bowl in which her dough bubbled like a small swamp.
"I thought it would be a good idea to mark my position as an adult once in a while. And sadly that involves making pancakes."
"Why don't you try something easier like porridge?"
Oh, he had said 'easier'. Not good. Never criticize the cook or the one attempting to do so. Luckily she was still busy examining the contend of the bowl and he was spared from the glare he would have received else. They were really impressive.
"He hates porridge. I don't know why, I like it. Maybe it's too salty or over-cooked."
He was not sure if he liked the expression in her eyes when she looked at him, the glint that told him that she had a plan and that it would be really crazy.
"Can you cook, Muu?"
"Sadly no."
"A pity. I wonder what I messed up. I had flour, eggs, milk, sugar and stirred. Maybe I shouldn't have listened to Eligos when she told me that the jam had to be put inside already. And the honey. Oh well, I can try again."
Muu was sure that it had been a bad idea to ask a djinn how to cook from the start but it was not like he could do the same. Barbatos was not as chatty and spirited as hers or he was simply too lazy to talk.
She dumped the mass in the fire of the oven then cleaned the bowl while he sat down on a chair at the table to watch her playing with the soap bubbles. Lenka sighed and rolled her shoulders then let her head loll back for a few seconds so that the trim ends of her hair brushed her lower back. Somehow this action was extremely fascinating to him.
"Trained too much yesterday?"
"Worse. Back pains. And my shoulders are stiff as well," she answered and rolled them again before reaching for an egg and broke it into the pan. A second and third followed quickly and sizzled on the hot metal.
"Change of plans. Eggs sunny-side and toast. That's something even I can't mess up."
"That doesn't mean you won't try."
Her laugh was contagious and he joined almost immediately. Lenka raised the spatula and scolding waved it at him, but her eyes sparkled with mirth.
"Exactly that is why you are staying, aren't you? Could you please cut some bread slices?"
Muu chuckled and stood up to fulfill her wish. Sometimes she would ask him to help and he would do, even though he ad absolutely no idea why. There was this peaceful sensation of working with her that was downright different from their spars but there was an underlying tension. Sometimes she would notice it was well, for example when he handed her a plate or a knife or something else and their fingers were touching a bit longer than necessary her eyes would become unreadable before she smiled and thanked him. He was not an idiot but a grown man and had experienced the thing men and women would do in public and private first-hand, but Lenka never made clear if she was interested in him in a way that ran deeper than friendship and sparring partners.
So it was up to him to see how far she would let him go.
"Do you want some, too?"
"Why not?"
"How many?"
"Just two."
Lenka hummed and advised him to take care of the platters and cutlery.
"Morning!"
Miran entered the kitchen to hug Lenka and peeked into the pan.
"Oh, eggs. Wait, let me do, I know what happens when you make breakfast."
"Thank you," she said and somehow sounded more relieved than displeased that he had subliminal told her that he couldn't trust her to make something edible. Muu grinned at the boy, nodded and followed her to the table where she had taken place already and rubbed her shoulders.
"Is it really that bad?"
"You have no idea. Try to live with to bags of flour strapped to your chest. No, that's not a good comparison. I wish I was flat-chested sometimes."
He didn't know how to reply to that without offending her; personally he liked her tall and curvy figure and the well-defined muscles of her arms and legs, even though they were not as strong as a fanalis'. The faint scars she had showed that she was a fighter and that was attractive to him as were her gray eyes, her smile, the golden hair and the way she took care of Miran, a mixture of being his sister and mother and best friend, her habit of touching her metal vessels when she was talking to her djinn, the way she laughed when someone had made a joke.
"Is something on my face?"
He noticed that he had been staring at her, nodded and used his thumb to wipe flour from her cheek.
"Now it's gone."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
She smiled and looked into the kitchen but he had already seen the faint pink blush on her face. He continued to grin during the entire morning and only shook his head when Myron asked what had caused his good mood. That was something his sister didn't need to know.
And cut! Whew, finally done with all the angsty stuff. From this point onwards the story will get better again, I promise. Two more chapters and I'm halfway done with the story!
Sorry I didn't answer the users who reviewed, I had work to do and would have spoiled this chapter if I had.
Please, have some leftover Halloween candy, the last children in the neighborhood who live in the house opposite of us were grounded so no one came for the poor snickers and mars bars and gummy bears. Take what you can fit into your bags!
Somehow it's really, really strange for me to receive praise for writing something perverted *hides under that table to blush bright red* but thank you very much.
Halloween is always funny. My friends and I made hamburgers and watched children's films. Monsters VS Aliens. You can make funny jokes with my country's version of 'trick or treat', roughishly translated into English it's something among the lines of 'sweets or sour'. We had no sweets for the kids so we tried to give them gherkins, bacon and hamburger meatballs. They were not amused but who wants to mess with university students who look like they wand to eat you for dessert? Exactly, no one.
Now to the guests *hands the sweets bowl around*
Guest: Don't let it stop you. Just endure a bit longer and then you get new feed.
Well: Me too, and this is almost as bad. But the next is going to be a lot better, I promise.
Kankri: Better now? *hands you a tissue* I never would have made Miran leave Lenka. I have plans and absolutely can't afford him to stay behind.
Eden: Well, after this chapter she will be, more or less.
Nemeria: If you die while reading my story you will come back as vengeful spirit to haunt me for sure ;D
I feel the same, she is not as extreme and rash as in the first chapters, but she's in the Magi world for more than a year now, many things happened that smoothed her edges a bit.
No, Gusion really had no other choice. She tried her best but I guess it's extremely difficult to change a deadly poison in an active metabolism into something harmless when the cells have begun to fight back and deteriorate already. And the side effects of Lenka experiencing an almost intoxicated-like state were not planned by her, too. Alcohol causes the filter between Lenka's brain and her mouth to disappear completely, she was not really aware of what she was saying at that moment.
I would never send and OC into the world of Game of Thrones. Too many cruel things would happen to them. Ramsay Bolton *shudders* Here, I'll hand out a list for the ones wanting to kill Lenka's father. Please note down your choice of weapon as well.
Hooray for accidental shopping! I collect pretty pencils.
The USB stick: somewhere. The internet knows many things.
The wedding: Just wait, I have a plan and this plan involves many interesting plot twists. Everything will be alright.
For the ones who want to ask about Inara: I heard they have nice prison cells in Remano. With moldy straw, dirty water and magic unbreakable handcuffs. And very hard punishment for attempted murder of a dungeon capturer. Let your imagination run wild with a jagged axe...
For the ones who want to ask about Sinbad's letter: he wrote it in the hours after he had killed Ithnaan's clone and saw the repair bill for the damaged palace. I call it his idiot moments. Surely he was a bit sorry afterwards...
Thanks to everyone who read, favorited and followed! Soon the story will hit 100 followers! Candy shower! *throws the content of the sweets bowl*
And onward to more writing!
Yours,
TheMultipleMeExperience