/ Duel Universe

/ Author: The Cowboy of Oklahoma

/ Ch49.1: Naked

/ word count: 1576

Human Encampment

Ka'an moved through the pathways of the Encampment as some people were interacting with him, handshakes, high-fives, and congratulations for winning his last duel. Most were glad to see him alive and well. Some wanted his autograph, while others wanted him to teach them his secrets. He acknowledged them but kept trying to move through the throngs, heading for the monsters stationed along the edge of the Encampment.

'Please, everyone, I have important business to attend to, I will make a public statement later if I can find the time, but I have to get this done before it gets late," he tried to appease them, "until then, continue training and work hard to perfect your decks!"

With this, people finally began to part and let him through unabated. He made his way to the monsters and asked one of the guards on duty if they had seen Maiden of Moonlight fly out of the Encampment or if she was still in the area. The guard turned and asked one of the others there and then a dragon mage to speak with the dragons themselves.

After a moment, they turned back and spoke to him, "she was spotted heading for the forest where you were found and had faced the beast-warriors," they informed him.

He thanked them and then headed back to the house. Once he got back, he told us where we should start looking, and I had to point out that that area was well outside the Encampment, and he wasn't allowed to leave. He huffed and noted that it was probably why she went that way. He wasn't allowed to follow, but I wasn't under that same restriction.

"I'll go!" I said resolutely, "we need to talk about this and how we will proceed in the future."

Ka'an looked like he was deep in thought with a stern look on his face. He didn't like it, I knew he didn't, but what are we supposed to do with his travel restrictions?

"I'm going to go see Dark Magician Girl. You two should go get clearance and see if you can find her. I'll go and see if Her Majesty can finagle me a temporary pass and then meet up with you later," he said.

We agreed and he left shortly after. Akiza and I packed for a short camping trip into the forest. Once we were done, we went for the border of the Encampment and secured a land transport to allow us to travel a short distance further than just walking out. Using my rank as Lieutenant Commander of the Baddeck and position as one of the top duelists there, I was able to get extra fuel and resources to stay out longer and have more than enough to get back safely. We drove for about twenty minutes down a particular trail then turned to head for the area of forest we knew Ka'an had headed for when he was on his vacation. We drove for a couple of hours since we had to backtrack a few times and take it slow at times with rough terrain or deep mud. When we finally arrived, we saw a fire pit smoldering and some material that looked like somebody was about to start cooking.

"Moonie? Moonie?" I called out after we got out of the vehicle and looked around, she's got to be here.

"Where is she?" Akiza asked openly, not really wanting me to answer her.

A few moments later, a voice could be heard overhead, "what are you doing here?!"

We looked up to see Moonie swoop down and fly close to us, but she stayed aloft and did not land near us.

"Moonie, we just want to have a talk. I know we hurt ya', but ya' need to understand tha…," I didn't get to finish because of her outburst.

"Don't understand?! What don't I understand?! That the man that I love went and mated with another woman or that that other woman was very much aware of my feelings for the man and she took him for herself!" She punctuated her words every time she said, 'woman'.

I was trying to not lose my cool for the verbal attacks, but I was trying to get her to see reason.

"Okay, Moonie I get yer point, but ya' need to understand that Ka'an and I have been an item since before ya' met him. Believe me, I know how it feels when ya' first see him in action, but that doesn't make him exclusively yer's," I explained.

"You think I don't know that?! I am well aware of the fact that he knew his fellow humans and especially the second in command aboard his ship! He spoke about you a few times while we were out here alone and how he saw you as a capable duelist and executive officer when you set your mind to it!" She screamed back at me but then clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle a cry. Her wing beats lessened and she eventually settled back to the ground holding back her tears, "I know what you meant to him, I…, I was just not prepared for what he truly saw in you and now he has taken you into his bed. A bed I will never be able to share with him for the rest of his days and I have to watch you bear his child and I have to watch them grow and look just like him and…," she began to ramble and both Akiza and I moved to comfort her.

"Shh, shh, shh, it's okay, I'm beginning to understand how you feel," Akiza admitted.

I had to look away and grit my teeth to keep from speaking up about it.

"He really starts to grow on you after a while. He's kind, but annoying at the same time. He's strong and passionate about dueling and keeps a commanding presence on the field even when he is presumably losing. He makes miraculous comebacks from behind. He shows how much he cares about everyone with everything he does." Akiza told of her past, "I once watched him beat a soldier in a duel while our group was trying to invade their base. He gave the guy an out, but since our group was notorious for being idiotic, the guy just stood there and took the beating. We had injured and killed several people, and Ka'an was absolutely pissed off," her words caught Moonie's attention. "His anger towards us was understandable but it is what happened after this that really caught my attention, granted I wasn't on hand to witness it myself."

Moonie had quieted down and we were all sitting next to the campfire, stoking it to life. She listened to Akiza's tale and questioned where about she was when the event took place.

"Where were you?"

"I was sitting in a cell after Shelly had interrogated us about why we were there and who was backing our campaign," she remembered what happened inside the interrogation room and how she broke down. "Someone had planted a bomb on board his ship and instead of just abandoning it to be destroyed, he took the ship out to sea and dueled against more of our group over a computer. He won of course, but they had shown their hand in revealing that they were aware of what was happening at that base and maybe even more. It was after this when Ka'an was promoted to Captain and given command of the ship he saved."

Moonie had stopped crying and was listening to her tale, but then she caught on to what Akiza had said, "wait, you are in love with Master too?"

Here we go, now we get into the meat and potatoes of the situation.

Akiza took a deep breath and let it out before answering, "I think that I am starting to develop feelings for him as you have. Twice now he has directly saved me from a dangerous and deadly encounter, from being raped by someone that I did not have feelings for. Even though he has never returned or sown such feelings toward me, I can't help but feel this way. He's so cool and has a body that can make any woman swoon."

Damn, it's hard to listen to this. She's not wrong but it was about the man I loved and now was hoping to marry someday. Akiza apparently took notice of my growing discomfort with the subject and apologized.

"I'm sorry sis, I know this isn't easy for you to hear."

Moonie looked at me with a look of knowing what I was feeling because she too was feeling for Ka'an. Sighing, she admitted what was happening, "okay, I get it. He has many women wanting his attention and," she squirmed at admitting the next part, "his…body."

Akiza looked at her and gave a mischievous grin, "oh? Have you seen his naked body too?" She teased.

"Well…you see, we were here alone…for almost a month and there is a small stream and waterfall near that makes for a good place to wash yourself and…he did…clean up…occasionally…," her squirming was becoming cuter the longer she dragged out her words.

"You watched him bathing?!" Akiza squealed loudly, "naked?!"

Moonie's face turned absolutely red and she couldn't look either of us in the eye, "maybe?" She squeaked sheepishly.