Alex Brim was already thirty-five, and for the last two years, he was living permanently in Azurath, because his forever-young look was making people suspicious about him on Earth. So, without warning anyone previously, he bought two one-way tickets to Nepal for him and Hangaku Mae, leaving on his kitchen counter a single note saying that they were going to live in a secluded monastery deep in the mountains for their retirement, leaving behind his stressful work in the Earthquake Institute, and as a part-timer Teacher in Tokyo Metropolitan Nishi High School.
On the same note, Hangaku Mae thanked all her fans for their support over the years and promised that her manager would release a brand-new album the following week with unheard rock songs as her last goodbye to the busy life of a rock star.
Alex was in his Castle, looking at a pile of reports over the long U shaped table, with Hangaku Mae making some notes on a map with Wenammy, Pearl and Anika helping her and giving ideas.
The huge wooden doors opened, and Sara Perry entered with a stern look on her face, dressed in a long light green robe, and escorting the happy Shubuyaky Tomoe and the always serious Empress Nabito Soka.
Sara made a deep bow and introduced them:
“Earl Alex, Milady Shubuyaky Tomoe and Milady Nabito Soka arrived for a visit.”
Alex put the paper he had on his hands over the pile at his left, visibly happy for the interruption:
“Thank you, Sara! Milady Tomoe and Milady Soka, it is always a pleasure to see you!”
Sara Perry made another deep bow:
“If I can be excused, Earl Alex, my presence is needed elsewhere. Ghar is expecting me because I am in charge of escorting to her Island the group of Orcs that arrived last week to Belliersia.”
“Of course, Sara, have a safe journey. Wait, are you escorting all of them? Because I remember there was a different Clan in that group, one that Ghar warned us about.”
Sara spoke with a cold voice:
“Those were exterminated as soon as they were identified. I know the rules, Earl Alex, Ghar has the last saying on which Orcs are to be allowed to live and the ones that are to be killed upon arrival. Even if my men don’t like the idea of killing unarmed Orcs, I don’t share their worries. I can’t risk putting in jeopardy the peace between the races living in Azurath because a Clan of Orcs prefer to kill everyone on sight, instead of living in peace with us. I may take a while to return because I need to visit my Fairy family and meet the new baby cousin that I have.”
“Sometimes you scare me, Sara. You should smile more, you always look so serious.”
Sara pretended to be shocked:
“Me? The cute little me? That is a mistake, Earl Alex! I am always joyful, playful and extremely kind! I don’t know who spread such rumours about me, but I never had a serious look!”
Alex disguised his smile and Sara turned on her heels and left the room. Alex signalled with his open hand to two empty chairs:
“Please, have a seat. Tomoe, how is everything on your end?”
“You know, practically the same. I have a new tour scheduled to begin next week, and after that, we will see. My dear Morioka Kinnosuke will go with me, of course, together with Kuanto and our two recently adopted daughters. You know how much I like to travel with my family.”
“Wait… two daughters? You already had a boy, and now you adopted two girls?”
“Yeah, it was not on our plans to increase our family so soon, but Kuanto was always saying that he wanted a little sister, so, things kind of happened.”
Alex praised his childhood friend:
“Good for you, Tomoe! I bet that crazy wife of yours is ecstatic with two new babies to take care of!”
“Who said they were babies? Not me, for sure! They are already six-year-old, and they are the most gorgeous twins I have ever seen! They had a rough life until we adopted them, moving from one family to another, but now that they are with us, no way we are going to say that we don’t want them like her previous guardians did!”
“That’s nice, I do hope everything works out. If you need my help, you know it’s just a matter of sending me a message or coming here. As for your retirement plan, it’s still the same, to disappear when you get wrinkles and your son and daughters have a family of their own?”
“Yeah, but I will bring Morioka to live here with me, she will love to meet a few Mermaids and Fairies.”
Empress Nabito Soka was in silence, staring at Wenammy that was excitedly flapping her wings while writing something on the map ahead of her. Alex noticed her look and asked:
“Is something worrying you, Milady Soka?”
“Yeah, kind of. That overly pretty Fairy over there always gets on my nerves. She is way too pretty! Why she never gets old? She still looks the same, ever since I met her ten years ago! Not even a wrinkle!”
Wenammy overheard her and made a forced smile:
“I am a long-life Magical Being, you resentful Human. Not my fault if the Gods condemned your kind to live for a brief moment. Perhaps if you were more kind, the Gods could pity you and grant you some Magic, and maybe, you would be able to make a contract with a Spirit and live longer.”
“Who said I want to live as long as you, you nasty bug? Why don’t you do everyone a favour and go pick up some pollen from flowers to make honey? Oh, sorry, Fairies don’t do that, they are absolutely useless!”
Anika and Pearl grabbed Wenammy, stopping her from jumping over the table to get the grinning woman. Alex looked at the Japanese Earth Empress and scolded her:
“Stop doing that, Milady Soka! Why do you always tease Wenammy like that?”
Empress Nabito Soka shrugged, maintaining her grin:
“Who knows? Maybe I don’t like Fairies. Useless bugs, always flying around and spreading Fairy dust…”
Wenammy flapped her wings, trying to get free while shouting:
“Fairies don’t do that! Why do you keep on saying that, or calling me Tinkerbell, or asking if I saw Peter Pan lately? You are so obnoxious!”
“Because it’s so easy to make you mad, that’s why, Tinkerbell! Your eyes almost explode, and your ears turn red! You do look funny when you get angry, Tinkerbell!”
Wenammy increased her Magic, and Sakamo punched the table, making everyone freeze when they heard his voice filled with Magic:
“Enough! Milady Soka, stop teasing Wenammy! And you, you crazy Fairy, if you ever increase your Magic like that in the presence of one of my guests, I will rip off your wings and make you eat them!”
Both women shouted at the same time:
“She started it!”
Sakamo sat on his chair again and sighed:
“The same thing, over and over again… What is your problem with Wenammy after all, Milady Soka?”
“None whatsoever, Alex! I just like to pinch her buttons. She looks so damn cute when she is angry! Well, she is not as cute as a Mermaid, but I think it’s also because of those multicoloured wings of hers, they get on my nerves.”
While Sakamo was shaking his head in disbelief, the doors opened again, and Eve Johnston entered in a complete maid’s uniform, with a short dark dress, a white apron, and a frilled bandana over her head. Behind her, came Viscountess Annie Stone in a light yellow silk dress, and right next to her, Queen Ebell Scott in a light red dress and Kagu-tsuchi at the back in his little boy form, dressed as a servant.
Eve Johnston made a deep bow and announced:
“Earl Alex, the Queen Ebell of Bouria and Viscountess Annie Stone, also from Bouria. Viscount Finley Henderson is in the front yard, waiting for King Otto, together with Viscount Tom West, and they will arrive as soon as possible.”
“Thank you, Eve. Can you arrange some beverages and cheese for my guests? A meeting always goes better with food.”
“That is already taken care of, Earl Alex. If you excuse me…”
She left, with Alex smiling at the memories of a young girl that used to get in trouble from sunrise to sundown. He made a deep bow and pointed with his open hand to the empty chairs next to him:
“Queen Ebell and Viscountess Annie, I hope you had a safe journey.”
Queen Ebell made a slight bow with her head and spoke with a big smile:
“With that huge group that the Clan Leader Ghar got for us, no one dared to stand in our way! It was a little hard to understand their language because I am not very good with Orcish, but at least her son Skaar was appointed as their leader, and he acted as a translator between his men and us.”
Viscountess Annie disguised a smile:
“A certain dark-haired female Orc named Hogga came with us, and she swore that she won’t return to the Orc’s Island because she won’t accept a no for an answer. She will become your wife, even if she has to kill everyone that tries to stop her. You know she is crazy about you, ever since she came from the Dark Voids those Dark Mages created to stop Queen Ebell from reaching Bouria a few years ago.”
Alex glanced at Nadyian that together with Anika were almost boiling in anger, and he then made an awkward smile:
“She didn’t give up on that idea, even with all the Orcs that arrived and we sent to her Island?”
“I am afraid not. She even learned how to speak our language, just for you to see how far she is committed, and you know very well that our language is difficult for Orcs. She speaks with a cute accent, but she can speak fluently and she understands everything. She has a good sense of humour, and she gathered quite a reputation in Bouria, as one of the strongest Adventurers. I heard that people consider her even better than a certain Alex Brim because she speaks more than you ever did, and she is also very friendly.”
Alex made a slight frown:
“Hearing you speaking, I am almost starting to think that you want to sell her to me, or see if Nadyian or Anika explode with jealousy.”
The Viscountess shrugged:
“I don’t care if they explode or not, but Wenammy and Pearl seem very interested in what I said. You could give her a chance, she is more worthy of your love than those two jealous Mermaids over there.”
Nadyian and Anika were almost jumping over the table, and the Viscountess tilted her head while facing them:
“Yeah, come at me, show Alex that I am right and you are just two angry and jealous women. If I remember correctly the rules that you all agreed upon, is that a new woman that wants to join your family only needs a majority vote. Wenammy and Pearl know Hogga and like her, so if Alex gives is approval, you may whine and be angry as much as you want, but she will live here with you and share a bed with Alex. It’s up to you to accept it or to be angry and resentful, I don’t care less. No, I actually care, because I like Hogga, and I never liked any of you, you obnoxious and jealous one tail fish!”
Alex sighed again, while Nadyian, Anika and the Viscountess kept on throwing insults and threats at each other, much to the enjoyment of a laughing Kagu-tsuchi, and a smirking Queen Ebell. The doors opened again, and a servant escorted King Otto, together with Viscount Tom West and Viscount Finley. King Otto shouted, making his voice go over the noise of the three women:
“Things are always so lively around here, Earl Alex? I remember when I used to come here, and everything was silent and peaceful! Lately, these get-together meetings of ours are more like a battlefield than a serious meeting! What happened this time?”
Alex signalled to Pearl, and she increased the gravity under Nadyian, Anika and the Viscountess, making them go silent and gasping for air, under the enormous weight upon their bodies. Alex rubbed his face with both hands, feeling dead tired:
“The Viscountess brought a certain female Orc with her, one that wants to join my family, and this kind of happened. As usual, the Viscountess enjoys way too much to tease Nadyian and Anika, and things like this keep on happening. First, it was Milady Soka and Wenammy, now those three. I am getting too old for this…”
King Otto approached Empress Nabito Soka and kissed her hand:
“Gorgeous as always, Milady. You had a safe journey, I hope?”
– As safer as it can be, by opening a door and coming here! How have you been, King Otto? Your state visits went well?”
“Yes, thanks for the advices you gave me. I always suffer a lot of stress when I have to face those annoying Kings and Ministers in the Kingdoms up North.”
When the last members of Alex’s council sat at the table, he dropped the bomb:
“I asked you all to come here so that we could think about the most urgent things regarding the World from where the Monsters keep on coming. Despite the decrease in Magical Voids since we got rid of the Consortium and their Dark Mages, some still appear. Because of that, Shinatobe, Okami and Suijin went through a Dark Void and travelled to that World, to prepare our arrival. Ghar already sent me a message, and some of her Orcs will join our task force.”
Everyone looked at him, completely blown away by his words, and he continued:
“Our people in Azurath is growing, and we must prepare the future for the next generations. Shinatobe learned with the interrogations of the Dark Mages that she captured how to open a Dark Void to reach that World and Earth. Our first objective is to colonize the Monster World and get rid of all Monsters and unfriendly Orcs. The second objective is opening negotiations with Earth, to trade knowledge and people.”
Alex glanced around while pausing, so that his words sunk, before continuing:
“We need new Humans because most of the Human bloodlines are too diluted with other races, and sooner or later, we will face some mutations that could extinct our people. Earth can also benefit a lot with the Magic that Azurath has to offer, like curing diseases like the life-threatening leukaemia that Milady Soka suffered a few years ago. So, what about if we discussed these matters and get down to business? Things sure are going to get interesting, from now on!”
They all stared at him in silence for a few seconds, thinking about all the implications of what he said. Then, they started to talk almost at the same time, questioning him and giving ideas on how to achieve such objectives. Neither of them opposed or doubted him because, over the years, they all learned to trust in his judgment and predictions, and if he thought that colonizing the Monster World and opening negotiations with Earth was for the better, by all means, they would support and help him blindly.
The End