Yamada awoke to distant noise of waves lapping against the shore. He sat up finding himself a top the hill, overlooking the Oeo. To his left sat the Oeo, with its waves gently cresting the shore, with its pristine azure waters glistening under the bright warm sun. On the beach sat everyone he loved. Gwyneth, Ul'lanna, Karina, Jacara, Kale, Kapuna, Saira, Encara, Aerith, Soel, Miranda. They gathered on the beach laughing and enjoying the seafood. Yamada approached them slowly with a smile. He felt his knuckles, finding his knuckles had disappeared. He didn't care, he wanted to go and be with them. To join the laughter and joy. He sprinted down to them, stumbling on the sand, tears welling his eyes. Gwyneth smiled back at him, tucking her hair behind her ear. He reached to grab her, when a shadow shrouded them all.
Yamada spun back to see the Eight headed serpent towering over them. Underneath it ,raging flames roared, with a battered and beaten Osore emerging. "Yamada!" She cried out reaching for him. "MUM!" He cried out. Behind her Begron appeared grabbing her nape. "NO!" Yamada tried to sprint at them. Only to be tackled by Gwyneth. She held him down, with the others suddenly pulling at his limbs. He thrashed screaming in their grips unable to free himself. They clawed at his flesh. "YAMADA!" She cried out being hoisted into the air. "NOO!" "You have no right to save her!" "STOP!" Her cries rung out as she thrashed in his grips, feeling her stomach slowly tear apart. "STOP! STOP!" He cried, the tears pouring out. "YAMA-" Yamada leapt out of bed transforming into the Serpent Knight. "STOP!" He roared.
He stopped to check his surroundings. He was in Karina's room, the floor covered in a thick pool of water. Yamada looked down to see several terrified Blesseds, Ul'lanna, Jacara and Karina. He took a deep breath reverting back to normal. "Wh...wh...what happened..." "You tell us, you crazy asshole!" Jacara yelled. Karina and Ul'lanna struck Jacara on the back of his head at the same time. "I...I...I was fighting Foreaux, and then I...IS HE OKAY?" Karina nodded grabbing his hand. She felt his heart racing and his pulse erratic. "He'll live. Albeit absolutely pissed off, that you nearly killed him." Ul'lanna said. "I nearly killed him?" "Yourself included." Jacara said rubbing the back of his head. "What? How?" "Whatever you did, ruptured every muscle in your body. Blesseds have been on rotation trying to heal you two."
Yamada reeled back, with Karina and Ul'lanna helping him to the bed. "How...how long have I-" "Only a day. They said it was surface level damage only. Nothing too hard to heal." The Blesseds all groaned and glared at Jacara for his remark. "What? Foreaux is a much harder task to heal." "You said, he was okay." "He's alive. Definitely not a happy person though." Jacara said. "Like you prince." Xia said entering with her reed. "Have you finished your chores?" Jacara shifted his eyes. ".....Yes...." She struck him with the reed. He let out a high pitched yelp, being whipped out the room. "Yamada, what was that?" Ul'lanna asked. "What was what?" "Before you unleashed, whatever that attack was. You stopped breathing." "I did? I don't know what happened...I just remember hearing his words and then-" 'He wanted to fucking die!' The Serpent hissed. Yamada clutched his head, wincing in pain.
Karina held his hand tightly. "I'm fine. Just a headache." 'Go finish him! He's weak! Show him our true strength.' "Shut up." Yamada growled, holding his head. Ul'lanna pulled Karina away. 'He insulted our mother!' "I SAID SHUT UP!" His yell echoed through the room. His skin transformed into scales. Huffing and puffing, Yamada sprinted out the door. Karina broke free from Ul'lanna's grasp, chasing after him. Yamada made his to the courtyard, finding Harbinger still where he left it. The other monks moved away terrified of his presence. He ripped Harbinger out of the ground, clutching the hilt with all his might. "You want my body?" He growled. 'You're weak. You care too much! Devour and drown our enemies! Do not forget that!' "Make you a deal, you fucking snake. You can have my body, have everything and more, but not until Begron is dead." The Serpent was silent. 'Acceptable.' It growled. Yamada's body returned to normal and he fell to his knees.
Karina knelt down in front of him. She used a small twig to write a message to Yamada. 'Don't lose heart.' Yamada looked up to see Karina crying. He reeled back blushing, seeing her sobbing uncontrollably. "Ah, ah, ah, don't do that. Don't cry." Karina sniffled trying to stop her tears, she held her face tight, trying to stop her tears. "Please don't cry. I'm okay. Look see, no scales or armour." He said showing his chest. She shook her head, snivelling and wiping her snot and tears away. "Ah, ah, ah, ah, please don't cry." He looked around awkwardly, hoping to find any guidance. They all averted their gazes, returning to their training. Yamada awkwardly patted her head gently. She looked up at him confused, tears still streaming down her face. "Ah... okay not the thing to do to comfort. Maybe this?" He embraced her awkwardly, she hugged him back tightly.
Jacara was whipped back to his buckets, carrying the both of them on the ends of a metal staff. A towel wrapped around the middle, to let it sit on the back of his neck. Forced to lug both buckets towards the castle. He was sweating profusely before even reaching the base of the castle steps. "There...has...to be...a....ahhhhh....better...way...to....WOOO!...train..." He panted. "Empreor Zhing's castle is home to the most beautiful woman-" Jacara clenched his jaw entering into a jog. "Men." She scoffed shaking her head.
Ul'lanna sat in the middle of hot springs, filling the room with a constant heat. She felt her veins bulge and pop, as Monks decided to periodically shift the boulder, to close and open the hole. No one was exempt from giving chase to one another, giggling and laughing with joy. The sound of flesh jiggling and slapping drove Ul'lanna mad. The mental image seared into parts of her mind, but the actual sight to satiate her curiosity would be worse. How long has it been? Surely it must be nearing lunch time. Doing a good job here, would ensure that a sweet treat would be given. She cautiously opened her eyes to try and sneak a peek at the hour glass. In front of her were several men wrestling in the water. She squealed covering her eyes. The temperature in the water boiled. Men, women and children leapt out of the water crying out. "MUST YOU PEOPLE BE NAKED? WEAR A TOWEL!"
Dinner time arrived with Ul'lanna and Jacara face glued to their table, a plate of plain rice and steaming vegetables with it. Beside them sat Foreaux swaddled tight in bandages, his stump stuffed with gauze. "You two should eat." He said taking a succulent piece of steak into his mouth. "When my arms work, I'll get to it." "When I want to eat vegetables again, I'll let you know." "You won't have any energy to complete your chores tomorrow, if you don't eat." Jacara scoffed. "Yeah, I'll take advice from the guy, who pissed off Yamada." Ul'lanna weakly chuckled. "We even told you not to do that, and then you went and...Jacara, I can't see to my right." "He's not here." "You had to go and say his dead mum, did a terrible job at raising him." "You were asking to die." Jacara said. "I needed him to fight me seriously." "Yeah, that worked out well for you." Jacara jabbed. Ul'lanna and Jacara broke out into a laugh. "Where is he anyway?" Ul'lanna asked. "Karina is watching over him." "Ooooooo." Both of them winced. "What?" "Oh Curly, I really hope you and her have some deep, deep, DEEP, connection. Because-" "Because, Yamada is going to be all up in her." "What he said." Foreaux glared at them both. "Kari, is an elegant woman, who would not sink as low as to sleep with that monster." "Awwww, Ul'lanna do you hear that? He thinks that Yamada, being a Forsaken Knight, stops him from getting with women." "You poor, poor, poor man."
"Enough of this farce!" Foreaux exclaimed. Jacara and Ul'lanna giggled together. "Better, go find her Curly. Because once, you've been with Yamada. No other man compares." Foreaux squashed her toes. As she screamed he slid the plate of vegetables down her throat, holding her mouth shut. She swallowed the vegetables slumping back on the table. "Not so chatty now are we?" "Yamada's probably sliding something into her throat right now." Jacara broke out laughing. "I'd high five you, but I can't move my arms or legs." "And after Yamada's done, neither will Karina." Jacara fell off his bench laughing. Foreaux grunted walking away with a scowl. He found Karina training alone in the courtyard. Each motion more graceful than ever, each strike left a remnant of lightning crackling in the air. He smiled staring on at her beauty, before it disappeared noticing Yamada watching on from the darkness. He snarled at the sight of him.
She stopped giggling at Yamada, calling him over to do the same. He copied her movements almost perfectly, only without the grace. They were sharp and precise, not made to incapacitate his target, but to destroy. Foreaux made his way over, stopping as Yamada stared at him. The moon high and behind Yamada, his silhouette illuminated by two sharp piercing amber eyes. Foreaux froze, feeling his heart nearly coming to a stop. "Foreaux!" Yamada called out. The image disappeared, and Yamada rushed over. He fell to his knees bowing repeatedly. Yamada begged for forgiveness, bowing repeatedly. "Please, forgive me. I didn't know what I was doing." Foreaux stumbled back. "It-it-it's fine. I'm sorry for what I said. It was rude of me." Karina cleared her throat, frowning at him, with her arms crossed."It was very, very wrong of me. Please accept my apology as well."
Yamada rose to his feet. "Kari, you know those move won't work for him. He isn't lightning." She gestured angrily at Foreaux. Yamada cocked an eyebrow. Foreaux sighed, bobbing his head. "Yes, I know you want to help him, but teaching him wrong won't help." Karina let out a puff, pouting at him. "Go eat with your friends, I'm sure they're still there." "I missed dinner!?" He shouted, before sprinting off. Karina giggled at the sight. As she tried to follow after him, Foreaux snatched her wrist. She locked eyes with him. "Stay away from him, Kari. He's dangerous." She tried to shake her head. "Stop!" She reeled back startled at his outburst. He calmed himself, taking a deep breath, tightening his grip on her wrist. "I know you see him as a lost boy to help, but he's far from it. He's the second most dangerous person living here." She shook her head, pulling her arm away, signing to him. 'You're wrong.'
"I'm not wrong. Look at me." He said raising his stump. "It's a miracle, I'm still alive. That boy, is a monster. I saw it with my own eyes. He chose to become a Forsaken Knight, for revenge. Do you know how crazy, someone has to be to do that? By Vasha, not even Encara did it! He created Immortals, before damning himself." Karina frowned at him. 'You're wrong. You want him to be a monster, and that's all you want to see.' "And you want do you see him as? A second chance as a mother?" Karina took a deep breath. The regret filled Foreaux instantly. He reached out to grab her. "Kari, I didn't mean-" Karina swatted his arm away, with lightning zapping his hand. She wiped her tears, jogging off. He let out a long sigh, scrunching his face. "You really want everyone to hate you, don't you?" Ul'lanna said, appearing from the hallway.
Foreaux snapped up scowling at her. "What do you want Elf?" He snarled. "I originally came out, to piss you off more, for making me eat those vegetables and stomping on my toes. But looks like, you did more damage than I ever could." "What are you talking about?" She tapped her ears. "Do people always forget, I'm an Elf?" She sighed. She sauntered over to him, hands tucked behind her back, encircling him. She inspected him up and down. "What are you doing?" "You know it's a real shame, you have a nice body, I know a lot of Elven girls that would be all over you." He scoffed. "Why would I want to sleep with one of your kind?" "Mmm, to be fair, if they got to know you. None of them would sleep with you either." "I won't ask you again Elf. What do you want?" "To give you a warning. A proper warning, unlike that hot mess you just did with Karina."
"And what would that be?" "If you want to stay alive. Stay out of Yamada's way. You're completely right about him. He is a monster. Do you even know why he was half dead, when you found us?" Foreaux shook his head. "It's because, he wanted to let me kill someone personally, so I could feel that satisfaction of revenge. And when I warned him that revenge felt like nothing, that it gave me nothing, but an emptiness inside. Do you know what he told me?" Foreaux shook his head once more. "Who cares? So long as I kill him."
Ul'lanna poked her finger over his heart. "Your heart beats for her sake, and it would stop if she died. His heart beats for the sake of killing one man, and it won't stop for anything to do it." He snatched her wrist. "I won't get caught off guard again. I am Fire. I engulf and destroy all in my path." She smirked back at him. "And he's Water. He envelops and drowns all in his path, those who stand in his way, eventually whither and erode from his resilience." Ul'lanna pulled her arm free. "Take this warning Curly. If you value your life, stay out of Yamada's way." She walked off. "He's a monster, and he needs to be killed, before it's too late." Ul'lanna came to a stop. "Curly, have you ever seen a Qilin, become tamed?" He said nothing. She spun around. "Well, I have. Unlike regular horses, you don't break its spirit, and mould it to your command. You calm the beast down by, blinding it, feeding it, and loving it. Because if you try to break its spirit, and bend it to your will. The beast lashes out kills whatever is in its path. Be smart Curly, and don't poke the monster." Foreaux snarled watching her saunter off, with a skip in her step, clenching his jaw and fist.
Yamada wolfed down several plates of succulent meat dishes in front of a salivating Jacara. "Could you spare me some?" "Uh-uh." "Come on, you've had so many plates. Give me a little bit." "They'll yell at us." "Help me out, I can't do my chores on an empty stomach." "You have food." "I need good food in my stomach. Now give me a bite." Yamada grabbed the vegetables off Jacara's plate. Standing behind Jacara. "Hey, hey, hey! What are you-" Yamada pried open his mouth, shoving the vegetables in. He forced Jacara to chew the food, holding his mouth to make him swallow it.
His head slammed against the table. "I'm going to kill you." Yamada sat down enjoying his plate of food. "You know, Karina told me something today." "She spoke to you?" "Well, she wrote it out to me." "You can read?" Yamada grabbed another handful of vegetables. "Hey, hey, hey! It was a joke!" Yamada sat back down. "Please, continue." Jacara said trying to move his arm. "She told me there's a princess in the castle." Jacara perked up, cocking an eyebrow at him. "A princess you say?" "Mmhmm, said she's the most beautiful woman ever." More than Gwyneth?" Yamada gave him an incredulous stare. "Alright, stupid thing to ask. Tell me more. What is she like?" "Well you can find out yourself." "How?" Yamada leaned in to whisper. "Karina told me, that water you're carrying, is also used for their baths." Jacara's eyes bulged wide open.
"Are you telling me that, if I carry those giant buckets, up that mountain set of stairs and journey and a half. I could potentially, possibly, probably, see a beautiful princess get into a bath tub?" Yamada took a second to think of his answer. "Yes." "Yamada, have you actually seen this woman?" "No...?" "If, I had the strength to lift my arms, I would slap you back to the Citadel." "Alright, what if tomorrow, we go together and see if she's beautiful." Jacara scoffed. "Ha, as if, I'd let you go see the princess." "Wait...you don't want me to go?" "I want you to go, but not see the princess." "I....but....huh?" "Just help me carry the water, but stay behind me." Jacara snapped, his shoulder flailing. "Did you just try to slam the table?" "Yes. Now, if you would kindly carry me to my bed. I would like to cry in peace." Yamada took Jacara by the scruff walking him towards his room. He placed him onto the bed. "Thank you, can you also get Ul'lanna something for her ears?"
Yamada cocked an eyebrow at him. "We don't get nice sleeping places. She needs something to block the noise." "Can't you make her something? Whatever you make her, she'll love it." Jacara blushed. "What makes you say that?" "Because it shows you care for her. Now I have to go sleep first. Karina get's really...handsy." "Oh, no a beautiful woman is touching you, what a problem. Did you want me to give you a hug?" Yamada pulled Jacara's hand over the edge of the bed, placing it into the empty chamber pot. He filled with water. "Yamada, what are you doing?" "You'll see in a few hours." He said with a sly smirk. Jacara strained trying to move his body, too exhausted to budge an inch. "Big deal, my hand is wet. Is that the joke?" "You'll eventually pee your pants, if you don't take your hand out." Jacara's eyes bulged with dread and fear. He clenched his teeth, screaming with all his might to roll over. Yamada placed a finger on his shoulder, holding him in place. "Alright! Alright! I'm sorry!" Yamada rolled Jacara onto his back. "You are a cruel man." "I know." Yamada said walking away.
Ul'lanna wearily walked towards her bed, slumping face first into it. "Sorry, I don't have anything for the noise." She pulled her hair back, showing the stuffing already inside. "Oh." She pulled them out, showing it to be the ones he gave her. "You didn't change them?" She gave him a warm smile, before putting them back inside. "Why would I?" She said falling asleep. Jacara blushed, brimming with joy he cracked a smile, he closed his eyes. A blink later, the sun shone through the cracks of the window. His eyes bulged open. 'I fell asleep? When? How? I barely slept. That has to be Light magic.' He turned his head to see Xia standing over him, tapping her reed. "Rise and shine prince." He cringed, slumping out of the bed, with a gentle whimper. Sobbing he left the room with Xia following behind him.