The warm study filled with holy objects of Worship to the Lord of Light, Hesphalia was currently extremely cold as the door to the balcony was wide open. A dark figure stood in the doorway as it seemed to stare at the Hierophant while he sat behind his desk. The fireplace had sputtered and died as soon as that door had flung open. Yet, even with the remarkable entrance, the Hierophant seemed unperturbed, a little annoyed but not surprised in the least.
"It is almost time." The dark figure intoned.
"Fine. With this, we will have begun the purge of Darkness from this land. Then, future generations can begin the preparations to take his glorious name beyond the veil between worlds."
"Many will die."
"Yes, this we understood, but all will be balanced in the end and their sacrifice will be remembered."
"Very well." And with those simple words the dark figure flowed backwards and faded away as if it became the darkness. It was a short while before the Hierophant muttered quietly to himself. "That will include you as well, demon."
***
The suns touch upon the land had only begun when Kano stepped back into his cottage home. He gave a gentle smile to the auburn haired beauty as he pulled her into a loving embrace. "You would figure that after I beat him the first time, he would have learned."
"Drink will do that to a man. He loses himself to jealousy and rage after he has spent some time at the bottom of a bottle." Alice stated plainly with only a slightly bitter face as she thought of her former husband and his love affair with ale. Not to mention the violent tendencies he had during those times.
Kano chuckled a little coldly as he brought his face close to Alice's, "Don't worry, he can't do a thing to me."
Their lips touched and Alice broke away soon after with a giggle before she returned to her sweeping. "Anyway, how did your talk with Nastalia go?" She quickly changed the subject away from Kano utterly destroying the drunkard of her former husband these four times. The reasons which he had come to their home was in order to try to reclaim her for himself. Uthgerd had indeed lost a lot of face with the public dismissal of their marriage.
"I've actually had worse talks. She was rather amiable about, well, everything and even explained a few things to me which really took a load off of my mind."
"Oh, in what way?"
"Well, for that..."
***
Maniacal laughter filled the halls of the dilapidated and ancient dungeon. Currently ten skeleton warriors are ganging up on a group of Dire Rats while a young dark haired man watched on laughing. Next to him stands a fiery haired priestess of the Goddess Revia. It is Kano and Nastalia, whom are engaged in the pacification of a ruin that had been exposed only four hours ride from the town.
"Kano, hunny, do you have to take such enjoyment from this?"
The devilishly handsome man held his laughter for a moment, "But Red, he punted it! Just straight kicked it up... ! Pfffttt!" He could hold it no longer as the image of a Dire Rat flying straight up from a kick by one of the skeletons and impaling upon a stalactite returned to his mind.
"Honestly. You really are dark to find such a thing entertaining."
"Ahem, right. Well, you could blame my upbringing, I suppose. Dad is a military man after all."
"Oh, your father is a soldier? Truly to display a talent for magic is rare amongst such children. No room for mental development."
"Haha, yeah, well.. where I'm from... everyone has an opportunity to learn."
"Ah yes, that faraway land. Ahmurika."
Kano snorted as he waved his hand and shot a ball of darkness at his group of warriors. Their bones mended back together where they were damaged and even their armor became repaired. "Yes, well. Um.." He nervously scratched at the back of his head as he turned to face the freckled beauty. "Um, Red... what if I told you -"
"That you were from another world, not just a far away country?" Nastalia nonchalantly brushed her hair away from her face as she amusedly watched Kano's mouth hang open in stupidity. "I rather like this quiet side of you, rogue. My mother was from another realm. She was a sorceress in her life there. An experiment went awry and she ended up here, in Chelandria. Apparently that realm and this one are close enough to allow rifts to happen." She grew quiet as memories unfolded in her mind of days gone by. With a shake of her wild haired head she decided to continue, "Unfortunately, the laws of magic are different here than there and she could no longer cast. So she became a scholar with her knowledge and a village healer as well as somewhat of a wise-woman."
She had turned away from Kano, intent on watching the risen dead doing the dirty work that would have normally fallen to her and her party. They both cringed as a slime was ripped apart by the group of skeletal soldiers and the din of battle calmed just enough to be heard once more. "Thus, she met my father, he was the mayor. If you could call it that. Hmm, more of a headman, really. If it weren't for the beast attack, they would probably still be running the town." As she finished, a forlorn look crossed her features.
Kano, being the simple man that he is, took a step forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind. With her face not being in his sight, he would be surprised when a look of victory suddenly appeared, only to quickly be replaced with the aforementioned sad look. Slowly, she tilted her head to look up at him with eyes that were pleading for comfort and lips begging to be kissed. He was subdued in the exact instant that their eyes met. It is a wonder that men think themselves superior when one look from a woman and they become as damp clay, ready to be molded to whatever form is needed.
Electricity jolted throughout her form at the second that lips touched and her hand had, unknowingly to him, been in waiting to cup his face, deepening the seemingly comforting kiss. The din of battle faded to nothingness as the world stopped for the two as the embers of passion ignited a desire from within. It was a certainty that things would have progressed from there were it not for a timely interruption.
"Hais! I knew it! You told me to double check with the Quartermaster on purpose in order to leave me behind!"
The world returned to the lovers suddenly as a raven haired monk appeared in the area. Her finger was visibly shaking in anger as she strode with purpose towards them. Nastalia separated herself with an obviously faked abashed expression as the rather cute and victorious smile easily told otherwise. "My, my. I appear to have been found out."
"You! You-" Li na leaped forward in frustration as her words failed her. Before she knew it, she was intercepted by Kano as he pulled her into his chest and held her tightly, leaving her legs to kick aimlessly at the air.
"My darling Li'er! My dearest tiger lily! I wondered where you were. I had thought you did not wish to see me! My heart pounds with joy at your presence!" He ignored the pounding of her fists upon his chest as he gave a sly wink to Nastalia whom simply stuck her tongue out at him teasingly in return.
"My darling my ass! You lecherous scoundrel, you!" Her fists were slowing down and were impacting with less force as well. "But your heart is beating faster than before... "
She slowly lifted her head and stared at him through narrowed eyes with her palm resting against his chest. "Is what you say true? Am I the cause of this?"
Kano gave her a look of shock, "Of course you make my heart excited, how could any man not be moved with such a woman in his presence? Your very image brings me to my knees." He gently placed his fingers upon her chin and let his eyes penetrate her defenses. "Come now, you will always hold a piece of my heart."
Li na was about to forgive him when reality kicked in and her fiery temper once more returned as she pushed away with some force. As she was about to continue, she was interrupted by Nastalia whom was feigning ignorance by dusting off her robes. "Well, since you are here, lets continue with this dungeon. The quicker we finish, the faster we can get back, right?"
"Yes! And I can make sure this temptress does not have her way with you like the peasant girl has!"
"Oye, to be beaten in a race by a peasant girl, I at least wanted to be next." Nastalia interjected as she jumped up and latched onto Kano's arm and wrapping herself in it. As she spoke, she gave off an innocent look while placing a finger to her bottom lip. "Besides, what if I wanted to be taken by him out in the countryside under the night sky? If we took long enough, we would have to camp out here until morning."
"You!" Li na's eyes widened once again but Kano managed to place himself between them before anything escalated further along a path he did not want to go down. He briefly entertained the idea of having the two women at the same time, but after thinking of Li na's rather timidness to further the relationship, he decided against it. For the time being at least. After all, a man's dreams would always be his.
"Ladies, please. Let us just focus on the task at hand. I promise to be good." He stated plainly to Li na and turned his face to mouth 'in bed' to Nastalia. Nastalia smirked and pinched his backside while Li na nodded in agreement completely unknowing of the others hidden flirt.
The trio followed Kano's soldiers and chatted as they watched, though Li na's lust for battle quickly trampled over her ideas of getting between Kano and Nastalia as she dashed ahead to join in the fun. Kano seemed to remember something and resumed his chat with Nastalia. He told her of his mastery of the enhancing spells and even Mein of an Incubus. He never expected the reaction that she gave him, in fact it made him concerned about telling her how he can jump back and forth between worlds. Perhaps, such a talk was unneeded after all.
Nastalia laughed at his notion, "Kano, for as quick as you are, you still have no idea do you?" She giggled at the face Kano made as she teased him. "Ah, at least I get to see this face and no one else. This look of helplessness."
He gave a wry grin and hazarded a glance at Li na to ensure she was okay. Spending the past few months with them had indeed grown the feelings he had for each woman. Alice more so than the others, true, but each had taken a firm root in his heart. He could not bear any harm to come to them. On the one hand, he knew that his Li'er could handle herself and did not need his assurances, but he could not help but keep out a wary eye.
Suddenly, a bellowing roar erupted from the depths causing the hair on their necks to stand on end.
"So, Kano. Are you ready to face the true monster of this so-called dungeon?" Nastalia asked as she took a wary look towards those depths. Li'er also stopped short and looked back as she was certain that Kano had never faced such a beast before. The response they received was simple maniacal laughter and a rush of energy as the group of Skeleton Soldiers glowed brightly.