Alex had his mouth wide open and asked almost shouting:
“You mean that he found out a way to deliberately open Magical Voids to the Monster World, instead of the Voids appearing randomly?”
“Yes, and I don’t know how he did that. Perhaps he got lucky or was smarter than he seemed. When it was my time to approach that so-called Hero to get my Magical Orb and my mission, I removed the hood from my head. He turned pale when he recognized me, and I took his beating heart from his chest with my bare hands and stuffed it in his mouth. I faced the Mages in that room and after blocking the exits, I told them that their plan was going to end on that night. Several of them used the Magical Orbs to open Magical Voids that they used to flee while Monsters were arriving. I killed every single Dark Mage with my lightning bolts and Magic, then I took care of the Monsters. I went in search of Okami, Suijin and Kagu-tsuchi, and after telling them what I found out, we ordered all the Spirits in this World, our sons and daughters, to kill every Mage that was dressed in dark clothes or that tried to kill or capture a Mage Summoner and their contracted Spirit. We never told why those Dark Mages had to die, but our orders are absolute. Since the beginning of times, every time we give an order, all the Spirits know it is a serious matter, and they never disappoint us. Over several months, Dark Mages and their supporters were tracked down and killed. Hundreds were killed at first sight, and some were killed after we tortured other Mages and found out more and more. One day, we couldn’t find any, and for years, we searched, and I thought we completely obliterated the Consortium. Until yesterday…”
Alex felt his head spinning, and he asked in a trembling voice:
“Y-your parents… w-where were they, for all that time?”
“After they created the ability for Spirits to make contracts with other beings and to share their Magic, they went through a Magical Void to the Monster World to learn more about it. They didn’t come back yet, but I am sure they can come back when they want to, either by using their godly powers or by crossing a Magical Void again.”
Alex gulped:
“But so many years have passed… and they didn’t return yet…”
Shinatobe made a slight smile:
“You think of time in your perspective, Alex. For eternal beings like our parents and us, time doesn’t exist. Three hundred years is just the blink of an eye. They will return when they feel like it, not sooner. Besides, they are aware that we can take care of this World in their absence. They are probably slowly changing things in the Monster World, and Ghar is the living proof that things are changing. I remember that the first Monsters that came from the Magical Voids were mindless beasts, they didn’t even wear clothes or had a language. Ghar on the other hand can use different types of Magic granted by her necklace of Magical Orbs, she is very intelligent and has a very strong sense of honour.”
Alex slowly nodded and glanced at Okami and Suijin that were in silence, looking at him. He faced Shinatobe again and asked:
“I know I am the fourth Hero, what happened to the third?”
“The first Hero came by accident. With the Consortium, I learned about passages between Worlds and the amount of Magic needed to open one passage. I was lucky enough to open a passage to the room of a very knowledgable woman on Earth, and she came here and made a contract with Suijin. It was thanks to her that Healers learned so much about anatomy and physiology. People learned about war tactics and different types of weapons, and that gave us an enormous advantage against the Monsters. The Khaganat then distorted her teachings and went a little ahead of what they should, nevertheless, she did a good job of preparing us. Unfortunately, she died during a battle against the Monsters, and Suijin felt her death and it took him decades of mourning, till he forged a contract with another being. Then, I found your father. The sweet and gentle Yahei taught us physics, chemistry, advanced mathematics, strange and very different styles of fighting, unarmed and armed. Through his charisma, he united hundreds of people around him, and several others were influenced by his teachings but then the war with the Khaganat happened.”
Alex slowly nodded:
“And he became depressed and abandoned everything. It took him years to overcome what he had to do in the war, and when he decided to return, he brought me here.”
“Yes, and you arrived in a time of peace, except with the occasional Magical Void, and your ideas improved a lot the society. It also shook a few countries to the core, but one can’t do an omelette without breaking a few eggs. It seems the Consortium is back, and that explains a lot the increase in Magical Voids. That means they are either using the dark-coloured Magical Orbs that they were hiding, or they are killing again Mage Summoners and their Spirits. That possibility frightens me…”
Alex made a slight frown and asked:
“You don’t know if a Spirit is missing? Perhaps we could track down where the Consortium is active.”
“Spirits tend to roam free, it’s difficult to track them or to know their exact number. Our parents could track them, but not us. I already sent a few messages to see if a Spirit went missing lately, but there is also the possibility that the Dark Mages are active in the Monster World, considering that a few fled to there. There are too many possibilities…”
“What about the detection of Magical Voids? You still didn’t find out a way to predict where they are about to appear or if they are being created?”
“Unfortunately, no. I need to be near to detect a change in the wind, but I can’t predict them nor find out if someone is creating them or it’s by chance.”
Alex went silent and thought about Shinatobe’s words. While the others waited, he remembered something:
“Shinatobe, when you first saw a Dark Mage opening a Magical Void to escape you, did any of them opened a Void to Earth? Or there were only Voids to the Monster World?”
“I don’t know. Dozens of Magical Voids appeared at the same time and in all that mess, I couldn’t see. Mages were fleeing, Monsters arriving, and a few shooting Magic against me. I killed them all and I didn’t worry about finding out more. The pain for what I saw was unbearable, and at that time, I only thought about revenge.”
Alex went silent again and Shinatobe waited, biting her lower lip. She spoke after several minutes of silence:
“I am sorry for hiding this from you, but it was so terrible that I was having trouble with the memories and the pain I felt when I saw all those Mage Summoners and their Spirits dying. Some of them were my children… You can’t possibly imagine how much it hurts for a mother to see their children dying, and not being able to do a thing because it was too fast and I had to find out more… the regret is still eating me from inside out…”
“I understand, Shinatobe. I suppose you did well by hiding this from me. It would be difficult for me to deal with all this knowledge, five years ago. I am older, and I think I am better prepared to deal with this. Let’s wait to see if any Spirit sends you a message, and in the meantime, I need to train my Magic and get ready for the worst. Maybe it’s better if we stop here, I am worried enough as it is, and I will probably have a lot of trouble falling asleep.”
Shinatobe slowly nodded and spoke while looking to her hands that were over the table:
“I need to be alone, tonight. I think I am going for a midnight flight and think about the children I lost.”
Suijin made a slight smile:
“I will accompany you if you don’t mind. You shouldn’t be alone tonight. Okami, are you coming as well?”
Okami noticed the sad look on Alex:
“No, I want to be sure that Alex is at ease, he is too sad, and I don’t like to see him like this. Unless you don’t want, Alex.”
“No… I mean… Yes, I would like that, thanks.”
Alex got up and the others followed him, with Shinatobe exiting out the window, a tiny ball of light again. As Alex went through the door, he saw Anika in the middle of the corridor walking back and forth, with a worried look on her face. She saw Alex and ran to him and stopped near him when she noticed his sadness:
“Alex… Are you alright? I couldn’t calm down, I was worried… What’s the matter?”
Seeing Alex in silence, Suijin took one step forward and placed one hand over Anika’s right shoulder:
“Go to your room, my beautiful daughter of the sea. Try to sleep and let Alex deal with his worries. I believe he will be back to his usual self tomorrow morning.”
Anika tried to argue, but Suijin slowly shook his head and she turned back. Before opening the door to her room, she said:
“Alex… if you need me, I will be right here…”
Alex made a slight smile and managed to answer:
“Thanks, Anika. Sleep well.”
Alex went along the corridor with Okami and Suijin, and when no one was in sight, Suijin turned into a small dot of light and went in search of Shinatobe. Okami followed Alex to his room and sat on the chair near his bed. She made a slight smile as he was taking out his clothes and asked:
“Do you need to talk, Alex?”
“Not really. I guess I just need a good night’s sleep, I am feeling so tired right now…”
He changed to a long shirt that reached his knees and went to bed. Okami started to undress and when Alex noticed what she was doing, he asked:
“What is your idea, Okami? I said I was tired, and I need to sleep.”
Okami continued as if he wasn’t speaking, and when she turned to him completely naked, she shrugged:
“I thought you could need some cuddling to forget about your worries. Perhaps you want to talk, considering that you found out about some nasty things. I can’t possibly imagine what is going on inside your head, because I can feel that your thoughts are a complete mess. Don’t worry, I won’t force you or nag you to do anything, I just want to be sure you are okay. Move to the side, give me some space.”
Alex asked when he felt Okami’s butt pushing his belly:
“And why are you naked? Not that I am complaining because you have an amazing body, but it is weird, getting in my bed just for talk and to keep me company.”
Okami turned her body around and faced him with a slight smile. She caressed his left cheek and said:
“You preferred that I was with my clothes? I never wear anything in a bed, you could know that by now if you had accepted my invitations to join me, during the night. I know I tend to pressure you to spend a night with me, but we don’t need to do anything kinky. We never had to, you were the one that thought that I always wanted to have some physical interaction with you, and I let you think that way because it was funny seeing you so flustered. Sometimes I became a little sad because you refused me, but it was never my intention to force you or to make you angry.”
“Good, because having in my life Shinatobe, you and the other three, is still messing with me. I like the idea of having five amazing women loving me, but at the same time, makes me doubt if I deserve all that attention.”
“Well, while you were distracted during diner because of those dancers, Shinatobe told me what the girls said to you in the carriage. They love you, Alex, it’s about time for you to accept that and get ready for a very happy and fun life. Unless… You are thinking about your life on Earth? Didn’t Shinatobe told you already to separate both lives, because it will be easier for you?”
Alex made a slight smile:
“She did, but… there is a girl in there that I like… and I am thinking about the future. If I won’t get old because of the contracts and I will have a very long life, I can’t be with her for long. Sooner or later, she will get suspicious about why everyone around gets older, and I don’t. There will be the day that I will need to abandon my life on Earth for good, and only live here.”
“For all the years that I know you, I never heard you say that you liked a girl. She must really be something else. Maybe in a few years, you can tell her about Azurath. If she loves you and if she is indeed special like you sound her to be, it won’t be a bad idea to bring her here. Maybe she will be able to use Magic and can also be a Mage Summoner. With a contract, she could live more years with you. Or, and this is just a thought, if Wenammy or Anika get to love her and grant that girl their Magic, she can also have a long life at your side.”
Alex blinked, surprised by that idea:
“You won’t mind if another woman is at my side? You won’t nag me to choose only you or complain that there are already enough women near me?”
“I love you, Alex, and I would never force you to do anything you didn’t want to. If you like her and if she likes you, I don’t see a problem with her joining our big happy family.”
Alex asked when he felt Okami’s boobs against his chest:
“I am imagining things or your left hand is slowly going down my belly? Okami, are you trying to seduce me or what? Because I have too many things in my mind for you to test my patience.”
Okami placed one finger over his lips:
“Shush, don’t argue so much. You need to be cuddled, and I am right here. Shut up and close your eyes. If you want to talk, I am all ears. If you want to sleep, I will make sure you are not disturbed, and I will keep on caressing and cuddling you until you fall asleep.”
Alex gulped when he felt Okami’s fingers caressing his bellybutton:
“And… if I want something else… like… hear you moan?”
“Then I can teach you how to make a woman lose her mind…”
Alex turned a bit red:
“Shinatobe… already taught me a lot related to that…”
Okami spoke while kissing the tip of his nose:
“I can do some things to you that I am sure you will like. Unless you prefer to keep on worrying when you can’t do anything right now, while I am right here, willing to do a lot of things to you. You should be more open-minded, Alex, you are not the same kid that I met years ago. You turned into a fine young man and you have me and Shinatobe at your side, for a lot of years to come. Not to mention the other three women that you conquered, and that girl from Earth.”
Alex slowly reached out to Okami’s left cheek and while caressing her, he said:
“I was being a fool for all this time, wasn’t I? You are a very attractive woman, and you are also my sweet and kind Spirit. I got a taste of the increase of feelings a contract creates, and I can’t shake those memories from my mind. Now you are here, and… I want to feel what you feel…”
Okami approached her lips from his:
“I am here to please, Alex… Now, close your eyes, and get lost in me…”
Okami kissed him, and Alex felt a surge of Magic coming from her lips that made him feel as if the World ceased to exist.
Side Story: Alex first voyage to Azurath
Ten-year-old Sakamo Ryu was in his father’s room in the Shrine in Nakanojo. He frowned at his reflection and his father, Sakamo Yahei, asked with a smile:
“What’s the matter, Ryu? You don’t like your new clothes? Those are the most inconspicuous ones that I could find, the last time that I was in Azurath. You will blend in just fine, don’t worry. Perhaps it would be a good idea if you lose your braid, it will help you get into character. There are plenty of men with long hair in Azurath, but braids aren’t very common. Those are left to the women, and a boy walking around with a long braid will for sure make you stand out a little too much.”
Sakamo Ryu asked while fixing his hair:
“Like if I wasn’t going to stand out enough as it is, being introduced as the Hero’s son that lived in a faraway country for my protection, right? At least it will explain why I am so inexperienced with Magic.”
“The ones that we are going to meet first, know about you and Earth. To everyone else, you can’t say a thing beyond what we already talked about. As for Magic, your meditation training will help you, don’t worry. I was a little apprehensive on my first try, but then I noticed that meditating for so many years granted me a huge advantage.”
Sakamo Ryu nodded while tying his long hair into a high ponytail:
“Yeah, I need to clear my mind of any thought and think about what I want to do or create. I can mumble a few words to help me concentrate, but it’s not really necessary. Everyone in Azurath knows a few sentences that they need to say to use Spells, but the mentalization of what I want to do, it’s what actually works. That’s what you told me.”
Sakamo Yahei nodded while grabbing the pendant that he had on his neck, hidden underneath his clothes:
“It’s better if you don’t tell that to anyone, as well. Magic users need to learn and train steadily, a sudden knowledge like that could turn things to the worst. So, let’s get going, shall we? I wonder what Shinatobe will think of you.”
While his father was pulling the door of his closet after saying the command words, Alex looked at the light inside and asked:
“Is she going to be on the other side?”
“Yes, together with Earl Kayden Burke. You will like him for sure, he is very friendly. Call him grandpa, I want to see the look on his face.”
Yahei gently pushed Ryu to the closet, and when he closed the door behind them, a new one appeared at their front. Yahei opened it and Ryu saw a smiling old man, standing next to a little girl of eight years old dressed in a long white dress and with long blonde hair and green eyes.
When Yahei closed the door, Earl Kayden hugged him:
“Welcome back, my friend. I see you really brought your son. He has a nice bright in his eyes! Hello, Alex Brim, I am Earl Kayden Burke, I am pleased to meet you!”
“Hello, grandpa. Thanks for receiving me.”
Earl Kayden tilted his head and he then faced the muffling laughter of Yahei:
“This was your doing, right? Stupid fool… Well, I suppose there is no harm if you call me grandpa, Alex. At least when we are alone, because if someone else heard you calling me that, it would be a pain to explain!”
Alex answered while looking at the serious little girl:
“Probably better if I call you Earl Kayden, sir. And this little girl is Shinatobe, right? She is so cute!”
Shinatobe frowned:
“Go call little to your mother, will you?”
Alex approached her and said while gently poking her right cheek:
“I would if she wasn’t dead for so many years… Thanks for remembering me that I don’t have a mother, you brat!”
Shinatobe turned pale:
“I… I am sorry, I didn’t know… Yahei didn’t tell me…”
To Alex’s surprise, Shinatobe gave him a tight hug and whispered:
“I am really sorry for you. I don’t see my mother for several centuries by now, but at least I know that she is still around, somewhere.”
Alex returned the hug and made a puzzled face:
“Centuries? How old are you, anyway?”
“That’s not nice to ask the age of a lady!”
“What lady? You are what, six or seven years old? I am older than you, so I can ask.”
Shinatobe smiled and poked Alex’s chest:
“You are in for a couple of surprises. I wonder what kind of funny face you are going to make.”
She then faced Yahei and asked while pointing with her right thumb to Alex:
“You didn’t prepare him well, Yahei. At least he knows what he is supposed to do?”
“Yes, that he knows. As for the rest, I tried to explain everything the best I could, but some things are better if he saw it with his own eyes. Let’s end our contract so that you can make a new one with him.”
Alex stared at them, and Yahei kneeled in front of Shinatobe, to be at her height. Shinatobe held both hands of Yahei, and they both touched their foreheads. She then spoke in a low voice:
“I, the Spirit of the Wind Shinatobe, hereby end my contract with you, Yahei Brim.”
“I, Yahei Brim, accept the end of the contract. Thanks for everything, Shinatobe.”
The light of Shinatobe’s Magic enveloped them, and when it dissipated, Yahei smiled at Alex. Shinatobe signalled Alex to go to her, and he crossed his arms, with a frown:
“I am not your pet for you to order me around! You come here, it’s the same distance for you and me! Learn how to respect your elders, you brat!”
Shinatobe raised one eyebrow and faced the awkwardly smiling Yahei:
“He is a feisty one, isn’t he? I may need to slap his butt a few times for him to learn some manners!”
Alex kept on frowning and answered:
“You try that, and I will make sure you won’t be able to sit properly for a week! Annoying little brat, you are cute but extremely rude!”
Shinatobe smiled and winked at Yahei:
“I like him, Yahei! He is not a boring peace lover like you! We will be the greatest friends, I bet! okay, we walk to each other and meet halfway, how does that sound to you, Alex?”
“I am not in the mood. You annoyed me, so you come here and apologise.”
Shinatobe approached Alex and looked up with a big smile. Alex couldn’t even see her hand move, only the pain on his stomach that made him go down, just in time to get a punch in the head that made him see stars. Shinatobe pulled his nose and said with a scary smile:
“You are funny, little Human, but don’t push your luck. I am not someone that you want to mess with. You know the words for the contract, right? Let me show you who I am…”
She then forcefully grabbed Alex’s both hands and touched her forehead with his while saying:
“I am the Spirit of the Wind Shinatobe, daughter of Izanagi and Izanami. I accept you as my partner. Do you accept me?”
“Ouch… You rude brat, I am going to get you for this… I am Alex Brim in Azurath and Sakamo Ryu on Earth, son of Narasaki Sachi and Narasaki Toru, and adoptive son of Yahei Brim. I accept you as my partner, Shinatobe, daughter of Izanagi and Izanami.”
Shinatobe’s Magic enveloped them, and a continuous flow of memories filled his mind, the memories of Shinatobe over her millennial life. Alex couldn’t grasp all of the memories, but he could feel her feelings. Sadness, responsibility for every living in Azurath, and hope. As for Shinatobe, she was seeing Alex’s memories, and she began to cry, because of what happened to Sakamo Ryu during his infancy. When the Magic dispersed, Shinatobe kissed him on the lips and said:
“We are one. I am really, really sorry for what happened to you before entering the Shrine. Now I understand your rage and anger. You are a mix of emotions, Alex, you are capable of extreme hate and violence, but also kindness and understanding. I hope I can help you on putting your emotions at ease, and perhaps with your help, my job becomes easier.”
Alex spoke with a trembling voice:
“T-thanks, Shinatobe… You are old, really, really old… I saw so many things… I saw beauty, sadness, happiness and anger, everything at the same time, but also, with centuries apart. I don’t fully understand how this is possible, but I feel like I know you forever and I was looking for you everywhere. Now that I found you… I feel… calmer than I ever was…”
Shinatobe caressed Alex’s right cheek with a gentle smile:
“You are a gentle soul, Alex, and I am sure we will get along just fine. You did a good job with this one, Yahei! For an annoying pacifist like you, you got yourself a funny son! He will be a good partner for me, and we will have a lot of fun!”
Yahei made a slight frown:
“Careful with that fun, Shinatobe. Don’t ruin his good character with your craziness!”
“I can’t promise you anything! What do you say, Alex, shall we go to the back yard for you to try my Wind Magic? We may need to start a little at a time, but if you work hard, you will be extremely powerful!”
Shinatobe opened the door out of the Earl’s room and pulled Alex to go with her. Yahei and Earl Kayden followed them, with Yahei slowly shaking his head:
“She will ruin my son, won’t she? I am having a lot of trouble for him to learn how to keep his anger and resentment under control, and she will probably make him lose control.”
“Don’t worry so much, Yahei. Losing control could probably be what he needs right now. Besides, with Shinatobe near him, he won’t do any harm, you know her.”
Yahei bit his lower lip:
“Yes, normally she is the one doing all the harm… I hope he won’t have too many difficulties using her Magic, let’s see what happens.”
Ahead of them, Alex was looking at the maids that were crossing his path with his mouth wide open. Everywhere he looked, there was a Beast-kind servant or a maid. At first sight, they all looked Human, and what distinguished them from him, were the ears and the tails. Cat ears and tail, dog ears and tails, and even an older man that had them resembling more a lion than a cat. Then, from a side corridor, the manor’s cook appeared. A big-breasted woman with an enormous smile, and a bifurcated tongue licking her lips. Alex looked below and he stopped walking, amazed by the colour of the scales of the big Lamia cook. Shinatobe was pulled back by the sudden stop and frowned. Alex approached the cook and said, with his eyes glowing:
“A Lamia… a real Lamia… so, so beautiful…”
“Thankss, you are not sso bad yoursself, little one. Who are you?”
“I… I am Alex Brim, Madam… I am sorry for staring, but I never saw a Lamia so close… your scales are amazingly beautiful and your tail seems strong enough to break rocks!”
The woman smiled and Alex saw her sharp fangs and the bifurcated tongue going in and out of her mouth. She looked at Earl Kayden and Yahei that got near them and said:
“Thiss iss your sson, Earl Yahei? He iss sso cute I could eat him!”
“Don’t say that, he will be afraid of you!”
The woman faced Alex and said:
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I am almosst ssure that he wouldn’t be afraid of me even if I tried! If you want a treat, come to the kitchen, Alex. I bet I can prepare a nice desssert jusst for you!”
“Thanks Madam, you are far too kind! If you excuse me, I must go to the backyard to test Shinatobe’s Magic!”
Alex made a slight bow and followed Shinatobe, that was annoyed by the delay. Yahei made a slight smile while looking at the two children happily running along the corridor and the Lamia woman said:
“He iss funny and for someone that iss not ussed to Lamiass, he had a nice reaction. Where were you hiding him, Earl Yahei? You could have brought him here yearss ago!”
“I could have done that if things were peaceful. Now that they are, he will be around more often. Try not to fatten him up, okay? Or I will have to change his training for him to burn all the cakes you are going to give him!”
The smiling Lamia woman waved at him while going back to the kitchen:
“I can’t promisse you that! Children are meant to be sspoiled, and I like the glow in hiss eyess! It’ss probably better if you run after them, Earl Yahei, because Viscount Tom Wesst wass alsso in the backyard momentss ago, and I bet he will try to sscare your little guy!”
Hearing that, Yahei gulped. Viscount Tom West was a good friend, but he was also known for going a little overboard very easily, and someone so easily impressed by the wonders all over Azurath like Alex, would be a feast for him. Yahei began to run with Earl Kayden slowly shaking his head.
By the time that Yahei managed to find Alex, he was already near Viscount Tom West, a tall and muscular Rabbit-kind, with big white ears and a fluffy white tail. Or better yet, Alex was kicking the Viscount’s stomach while holding a bloody dagger, with the Viscount curled on the floor in pain, and without the tip of one of his ears. Yahei grabbed Alex both arms to stop him and asked:
“What happened? Why are you kicking him, Alex?”
“This stupid overgrown rabbit slapped me just because I didn’t saw him and bumped against him! I apologized immediately, but he still slapped me! Let me go, I am going to slice and roast him in a stick! Let me go already, I want to eat some rabbit’s meat!”
Yahei kept on restraining Alex and the Viscount slowly got up while holding his stomach. He quickly used Healing Magic on his ear to stop the bleeding, and he then looked around, searching for the tip. Alex had it on his closed hand and shouted:
“There’s no point searching it, I am going to keep your ear like a good luck charm, you stupid rabbit!”
Yahei shook Alex and said:
“Calm down, will you? I want to introduce to you your Magic teacher, Viscount Tom West, one of the most powerful Water Mages out there! He will be a better teacher than I would because he won’t stop for anything until you learn! It’s probably not a good idea to make him your enemy, because he tends to torture anyone that annoys him!”
Alex frowned at the weirdly smiling Rabbit-kind that was now rubbing his chin and said:
“Keep on smiling, rabbit, it will be my pleasure to make you swallow that stupid smile of yours!”
Shinatobe muffled laughter:
“Pfff… This little guy is so funny, Yahei! I like him, I really, really like him!”
And with that, started the long and painful training at the hands of a scary and revengeful Rabbit-kind.