October 29

I woke up in a cold sweat for some weird reason; I didn’t dream almost at all, so maybe it was panic.

I turned to greet Kyoko with a typical good morning but she wasn’t in the bed. She wasn’t even in the room.

Wait… oh no. I ran out of the now wide open door, down the nearby rustic stairs to the front desk.

“Did a woman about sixty-five centimeters in height, silver-like blond hair, and two different colored eyes run through here?” I said in a panic.

“Oh…. You mean Kyo? She woke up really early this morning; she seemed to be in a rush to talk to Elsa. I didn’t want to ask why, it seemed way too urgent. They’ve been apart for a bit due to Kyo’s training.” He said as happily as possible.

“Oh, that makes sense. Where would this Elsa be by the way, if it’s not too much to ask? Also do you have a blacksmith in the village?”

“She lives on the manor on the hill; it’s easy to get to. A path on the side of the hill should lead you straight there. The blacksmith normally works in the manor as well. So I guess you can hit two birds with one stone there.” I liked this guy’s attitude, he didn’t seem to care if I was asking any type of question, and he still answers.

Nice… I like this place so far besides the constant feeling of being watched, I hope I didn’t offend anyone.

I said my thanks and went off with a smile. I would have given him some money but I don’t believe they’d accept my kind of money. I started to make my way towards the manor, but was stopped outside the door.

“Are you the man named Denny?” Two guards in full armor one about the age of twenty-five and the other in his late thirties walked up to me. Withholding being a threat to me, they asked kindly. Are they bating me now?

“Yes… Why do you ask? Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt someone important in my sleep, which happens sometimes?” I tried to keep them smiling, which they were creepily happy, so I didn’t want to anger them by accident.

“No. No, you are fine. We have received orders from Clan leader Elsa Sesarie to escort you to the manor, if you will please follow.” The guards separated between one in front of me and one behind me. Weird guarding strategy but hey, whatever they’re comfortable with doing as long as I get there.

“Umm… What is this Clan Leader Elsa like, by the way?” I am still really curious; they seem to give me the impression that she’s not afraid to rule like a dictator if she had to mainly because of the title “Clan Leader.”

Also because Kyoko is friends with her, that doesn’t help with my perception of what she’s going to be like since Kyo can be pretty strict at times.

Does that mean this Leader lady can also have a nice side?

I’m hoping for that.

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I walked up to the First chamber, which was covered with more guards.

Great more security checks.

Why can’t it be the typical manor with a butler who opens the door, greets you, let’s you in, and you chat with the person you’re intending to talk too. Maybe that’s only in TV shows and movies but come on.

Luckily for me the second room was more relaxed than the first and I passed that relatively quickly.

Now off to this Elsa lady.

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Knock, Knock.

The guard at the door banged the circular, if not eerily so, brass knocker on the doors outer surface. “Denny has arrived, should I let him in?”

“Of course, I have been waiting a whole hour now for the new guest to arrive; you can let him in now.” A calming but sped up voice came from the room beyond me.

I am hoping that she will stay cheery like that once I am actually in there.

I took one step into the room and was greeted plentifully by the clan leader and Kyo.

Okay… So far so good.

Before I took a second step to say that unsaid good morning to Kyo, I was tackled by Elsa.

Elsa was a tanned woman about twenty-five years old, if I had to guess. She was genuinely cute with twin tails and pointy ears, and roughly the same height as Kyo. Reminiscent of the main female elf character in the fantasy novels that I have read but she was in person, alive, and super hyper.

“Umm… Hi. Can you… maybe… move off me a bit? Also, if I may be so kind to ask, why did you jump at me? I’m not saying I am against it but…. it is kind of weird since I technically haven’t really met you yet.”

She didn’t even listen to me it seems as she stayed lying on top of me as she turned to Kyoko.

“Ooh. So… This is your cute companion from another world that you told me about? You sure know how to choose ‘em, Kyo! Hehe, me like.” She said moving back and forth, slowly dragging her tongue across her bottom teeth in a playful manner.

Oh god, I have to find a way to get her off me without seeming rude.

Wait… Kyo told her that I’m cute? I don’t know if that’s a good thing as in that ‘I am handsome’ cute or the way that I act and am considered cute. Either way it sounded like a compliment, so I took it.

“Well, cutey-pie. Why don’t you stay here with me and be my prince?” She said with a silver tongue. She spoke softly; others would find it very sexy. Sadly, I am not into seductresses. But it did raise my ego a bit.

I grabbed Elsa’s shoulders and gently pushed her to the side, “Look, I am flattered and all but I can’t accept that offer. I am not able to see myself as a prince in a world that I have just learned existed. Plus, I need to be with Kyo, I feel obligated. Wait, that may not be the right words, I want to protect Kyo, even though I know she can protect herself well enough. Oh god, can she.”

“You’re not making me want you any less, maybe even the opposite. But I understand, Mr. Macho, as I’ve heard you been referred to, wants to stay with his savior. The offer will always be there.” She says with a smile but a hidden small amount of disappointment in her eyes.

“There it will stay sadly.” Well that was painful to do but it closes one door that I didn’t expect to be opened in the first place.

I walked over to Kyoko who was standing there in a seemingly formal wear. Well, way more formal than she normally has with that armor or that Chinese dress.

“Did I get the desired reaction out of you? Oh and good morning. Been wanting to say it but you left. Didn’t even leave me breakfast. Rude.” I liked messing with her because the reaction was priceless.

It was usually a blush, smile, or friendly slap. I know that it’s friendly because I have seen her hit way, way harder.

“I had to get to Elsa before the normal people start to arrive to complain, or suggest unwanted stuff just to benefit themselves. I would’ve stayed but I needed to tell her the situation right away. She actually took my side on it, it surprised me. She’s more liberal than she looks; I thought she’d call the guards on you.” Kyoko said smirking at me, knowing it would worry me.

“You’d really go through all that trouble to get me arrested, when you could easily subdue me like you did before? I’ll give you props, that takes guts and hatred for me.” I chuckled as I faced forward towards Elsa who has begun to speak.

“So, the situation here is a little confusing but I’ll go step by step. This handsome young man is from Earth and you were hunting him because you were given orders by the Efferet Council, right? You felt something towards him once you saw him before going through the gate. Ooh la la! Umm… let’s see. Then you decided to rescue him by making him an Ushia. You know you can get life in prison for this, I hope you know. I won’t tattle though, lips are sealed, sister.” She was stern-faced yet joking. I definitely wouldn’t stay with her because that… is super creepy.

“Yes, the Efferet Council ordered me to take out this man. It was the King that told me to do it personally. Once I saw who he was and what his life was like, I couldn’t stand seeing him like that. But I had orders to follow and I decided to attack. He put up an amazing fight and that was the last piece I needed to decide to save him.” Kyoko said with a happy and stern face.

Now that’s a face that’s all right with me, order is everything.

“Hmm… I see. How do you feel towards him?” She asked seriously as it seemed.

“Well he’s capable, a good fighter, nice person, and good looking.” Kyoko was stopped by Elsa.

“No, no dear. I mean ‘feel’ feel. What do you ‘feel’ emotionally towards him?” Now I know Elsa was back to her giddy self.

“Wha…what…what does th…that have to do with anything?” Kyoko started blushing a bright red, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Elsa. Her hands about four inches from her face balled up. I’ve never been so intrigued and terrified of what might come of this.

Either she answers honestly with her true feelings or everyone in this place gets destroyed in fury. I didn’t know which would be more devastating to be honest, for the first I mean as a good thing. The second is more of an ‘ehh, don’t really know them, don’t truly care’ kind of way.

“Just answer the question because if you don’t, I’ll try harder to get him.” She looks at me as she licks her lips seductively. That would be nice. No, keep to the task at hand Denny.

“We…we…well… Umm… I… Uhh… I can’t say I don’t not care for him, I can’t say I really like him, mo…more of a mutual like, th…that’s it.” I knew she was just hiding her true emotions as to not seem weak.

“Come on, Kyo. Don’t lie to yourself, let me ask your ‘mutually liked’ friend here how he feels. So Denny, how do you feel towards my sis here?” Elsa asked way too quickly and stared at me to see my reaction, as if savoring it.

How do I feel? I haven’t had enough time to realize it yet.

Yes, I admire her. She is beautiful. She has an amazing body. The way she blushes truly melts my heart. I want to protect her with my life. I truly enjoy her joking yet sometimes strict attitude and personality. Who she is and how she acts makes my chest tighten and my mind race. She also has the cutest face when embarrassed, coming from me not seeing any besides her, doesn’t stand for much. I panic when she’s not there.

I guess I’ll have to realize it while I talk, this should go well.

I pulled in a calm, deep breath then let it out slowly. Then I began to pour out how I am feeling about the current situation, which was way easier than I thought it would.

“Well, when she tried and succeeded in killing me, I was scared of her. Who wouldn’t be? I was sucked in by her gaze and spilled my guts to her and she actually listened. She was the first person ever besides Dr. Orandaz to listen to my story and care about me, not it. It made me very happy.”

I looked over at her; she was now looking down twiddling her thumbs.

“I looked at her and she was the first person that I could see the face of. I was able to see someone’s face and one as beautiful as hers. Her different colored eyes caught me off guard at first but that’s another thing that makes her, her. The journey we have had so far, albeit short, made me realize that I belong here with her. I rely on her and she relies on me. I have no idea where we’re going but I know as long as I’m with her, I’ll be fine.” I was determined now to make her look directly at me. She was moving her head up then quickly downwards.

“Ever since that day I felt a click and I still do now. I like her very much. It may be too soon for me to say it but it’s how I feel. I may not be a full Ushia yet or even a high ranking human when I was alive. But I knew I had something different and now I have a girl from the Underworld that I can say that I care very deeply about.”

I turned to Kyoko who was red from ear to ear, looking directly into my eyes. She was happy, smiling widely at me. I didn’t even have to take a hint about what I should do next, I just did it.

I walked up to Kyoko, grabbing her close, putting my left hand on the back of her head, and the other in her right hand as I placed my lips on hers.

It was passionate and warm. Soft and calming. Everything I thought it would be and more. It took my breath away at how she kissed me back.

I saw in her eyes that she felt the same way as she went in for a second time. I felt more cared about with her than anyone that I knew on Earth. Not from Nathan, my family, or my parents.

Just her. Right here, right now.