Since speed was of the essence and we hated deserts, we sprung for a carriage again. One of the nice things about Gold Port was that there was a lot of overland traffic to and from it. Getting a carriage to Sabasa was quite simple. We arrived in Sabasa just two days later.
"Thank you for coming, Hero Luka," the king said to me. No sooner had we arrived then we were hustled in to see the king. "Sara has been kidnapped by monsters again!"
"Do you know what happened?" I asked. "Do you know where I should look for her?"
"It was a few days ago," he said. "she went outside to practice her swordplay, and never came back. According to her guards, it was as if she vanished like smoke. Then a short while later, this came."
The king handed me a letter. It said, "We have your daughter. If every human leaves Sabasa, we shall return her to you."
Alice snatched the letter from me and sniffed it. "Smells like elves. With a hint of fairy. Whoever wrote this is a high ranking monster. Probably… queen class."
So she was definitely kidnapped this time. I was glad I came. "Of course I'll help," I said. "where do you think I can find her?"
"We have a lead based on our intelligence," he replied. "There's a small island to the west of here called 'Fairy's Island'. It's an isolated island filled with elves and fairies. She was probably taken there. I'll arrange for a ship to land you on the island. Soldiers, too. As many as possible."
"Soldiers aren't needed," Alice interjected. "They would just get in Luka's way. Just more people to have to rescue after Sara."
"Very well then," the king said. "I am truly sorry for burdening you again. If I wasn't the king I would swim to that island myself."
"Don't worry," said Alice. "This is a job for Luka. You concern yourself with king's work."
I was never going to figure that girl out. She didn't seem to want to do this, now she was fully on board. I wondered if it had anything to do with what she smelled on that letter?
"Please rescue your future wife," the king said.
"Yes, Luka," chimed in Alice. "we need to go rescue your future wife."
The trip to the island was short, only a couple of hours. The Sabasan captain told us he'd wait just offshore. We should return to the spot where he'd dropped us off when we were ready. We waded deep into the forest. I could sense some pretty powerful monsters in there. It also occurred to me that taking on a queen class monster might be good for my training and confidence. I wasn't exactly on a losing streak, but getting cut up by Granberia, losing again to crab girl, and getting bested again by Beelzebub had exposed just how unready I still was.
We eventually made our way to a clearing. Standing there in the clearing were two powerful looking monsters. Alice's nose was good. It was indeed an elf and a fairy. Sara was nearby, tied to a tree.
"Luka, you came to save me?" Sara said when she noticed me.
"I have not met you before," the elf said. "I am the queen elf, who will unite all the elves of the world."
"And I'm the queen fairy, the most powerful fairy," the fairy said, introducing herself.
"Why did you kidnap the princess?" I asked.
"Long ago, our brethren lived in the Sabasa Region," the elf explained. "However, when these humans moved in, they stole our homeland. We don't like fighting, so we simply retreated as they encroached more and more on our lands. Until finally, all we had left was this island."
"We are going to reclaim our homeland," the fairy declared.
"My father will never evacuate Sabasa!" Sara said. "Why can't we settle this peacefully? It's well known that our royal line is descended from monsters. You could move back in and live among us."
"Please don't test my patience with foolish jokes," the elf responded. "The humans will never treat with us fairly. But I'm glad you mentioned your family's monster origins. You see, that's why we kidnapped you. Of course we knew that the king would never surrender Sabasa to us. What he doesn't know is that all females with monster blood can have their monster sides unlocked with the right magic."
"You're going to turn me into a monster?!" Sara exclaimed.
"You already are part monster," the queen fairy replied. "We're just going to make that side of you more…. Prominent. Work the required magic, queen elf. I'll take care of the human."
"How does that help you?" I yelled at the fairy. "It won't change who Sara is! She'll still be the princess of Sabasa! She'll never surrender the kingdom to you!"
"Once she changes, her hunger will be uncontrollable since she's never learned to control it. She'll drain every man in the palace. Possibly even her own father! Hehe. The kingdom will be ripe for the taking. Maybe we'll start by letting her feed on you."
The queen fairy raised her arms. Innumerable plants rose at her command and attacked me. I summoned Sylph and they were all blown away. The queen fairy had apparently not been prepared for this. "How can a human use the elements?" she said in surprise.
Realizing that I needed to learn how to use the power of fire, I did as Salamander had instructed me and tried to focus the element of fire into my sword. The sword began to glow a little. Progress, I guess. I unleashed my best move on her. She was quick, dodging the first two strikes but getting hit hard by several more. She was sealed, changed into a butterfly.
Had I just sealed a queen class monster that quickly? I couldn't believe it had been that easy! The queen elf was surprised as well. "Impossible! The queen fairy fell to a human? I haven't finished the spell yet. But I have no choice. I will fight you next, human. I have never liked violence. But do not underestimate me."
"Can't we just stop this?" I pleaded. "You have to know this is a mistake."
"Perhaps," she conceded. "But it is the same mistake you humans made. I'm afraid we will always be at odds. "
"No," I insisted. "It doesn't have to be that way. I've been traveling all over, trying to find out why humans and monsters don't get along. I've seen real areas of contention that are nearly impossible to resolve. And yet if we talk out our problems and don't resort to violence, we can come up with solutions! I know that you elves and fairies are good! Return the king's daughter and meet with him! I'm sure you can come to an agreement!"
"It is far past the point of simply discussing things with each other," she rebutted. "For too long we've had almost no friendly contact. Our peoples have grown too far apart. At one time, humans, elves, and fairies were friends, even allies. But that was a very long time ago. I won't waste any further time with this pointless argument. We aren't compromising anymore. Our revenge starts here with you! I will defeat you and then humiliate you. When I am done, Sara will have her turn."
She drew a long, thin sword from a sheathe which had been well hidden within her outfit. I was relieved. This was a threat I knew how to deal with. After Granberia I was convinced no one on this planet could intimidate me by pulling a blade on me. Not that I underestimated her. Alice warning me about the speed and skill of elves was one of the first things she mentioned when she witnessed my swordplay. She assumed a fencing pose. I didn't have any experience with this style so I chose to remain on the defensive, awaiting her opening move. It was a quick, simple thrust which I parried easily. She went to it again. I parried that and counterattacked, but she was fast, easily parrying my riposte. Next she attacked with a fast combination of strikes. She was a little faster than Granberia, but not very strong. I didn't need to brace to block her, only have my sword in position. I could see why Alice warned me about elves. I would have already been cut a few times if this fight had taken place early in my journey. I used to be focused on strong leverage in my defense, which necessitated sacrificing some speed. Against humans or even Granberia, it was a reasonable tradeoff. It would not have been against an elf with a light blade.
I put her on the defensive with quick strikes of my own. This is where Alice's training really paid off. As quick and as skilled as she was, I was stronger, and with the help of Sylph, faster. Angel Halo opened up two energy leeching wounds on her body. In anger, she thrust at my groin, a low blow, one could say, if this was intended to be a fair fight. I made her pay for that one with a large cut on her abdomen, which caused her to hold her stomach and retreat. She checked her hand for blood and was surprised to see none.
"What is that weapon?" she asked. "I do not bleed, yet I feel weaker every time you cut me."
"It doesn't kill," I explained. "It seals opponents. You can still do the right thing. Give up."
"Perhaps I was foolish to cross swords with you," she said. "there are other ways to defeat a mere man."
She threw her sword end over end at me. I was caught flatfooted by this tactic, but thanks to Sylph, I was able to avoid the sword, its blade embedded in a tree trunk behind me. I stumbled and fell. The queen didn't miss her opportunity. She was on top of me in an instant. In a flash my pants were gone, removed by a spell she cast with a simple gesture.
"I'm not just going to rape you, little man, I'm going to sterilize you!" she yelled into my face. Then inexplicably, she kissed me. I expected the smell of pheromones or some kind of paralysis, but nothing happened. She must have expected something though, because she stopped holding me down and simply rose and stood over me.
"Now you are under my control!" she shouted. "Lick me, you pathetic man!"
I didn't even see a need to go along with it. I grabbed one of her legs and rolled. In one smooth, practiced motion, she was under me, my sword at her throat.
"You should give up now," I warned.
"What are you?" she said. "No human can resist my kiss!"
"Let's talk instead about why you thought kidnapping the princess and changing her into a monster was a legitimate way to express your grievances," I said bringing the sword closer to her neck.
"Can you even begin to understand our pain?!"
"I understand your grievance at least," I replied. "But humans are not as barbaric as you make us out to be. If you came to us in the spirit of peace, we would have at least heard you out."
"Your Ilias preaches otherwise, human. She preaches that we are just monsters to be eradicated."
She had a point. Splitting hairs about how most humans probably didn't really believe that, especially in Sabasa, would be a useless argument. It was the official policy of most human cities and villages, whether or not the average person on the street endorsed it. Even in Sabasa, the royal family's heritage was a poorly kept secret, and yet never officially acknowledged.
"Luka?" Sara's voice interrupted us. "Luka? I'm so hungry. Could I give you another blowjob? Please? You're so delicious."
I looked down at the queen elf. "I thought you didn't complete the ritual!?"
"I didn't," she said with a grin. "She has monster blood. The change is not an on/off switch. It's a process. That process was interrupted. Her cravings are the first monster trait to emerge."
"But there won't be any further change?" I asked.
"How should I know?" she said, and started to chuckle. "I've never tried the ritual before."
"Sara, it'll be okay," I assured her. "We'll get you help as soon as this is over."
I remembered that Alice could halt and probably reverse whatever changes took place, although I couldn't be completely certain of that. The succubi she had changed back had been fully human, altered only by a spell. Sara was not fully human. I recalled that she had enjoyed the taste of my semen and joked that it must be her monster blood. All the aborted ritual may have done is bring out that side of her more aggressively.
"I believe that you yourself wield your sword for coexistence," the queen elf said, still pinned under me. "But what of your goddess? What of her followers? She will never allow this coexistence."
Again, I had no answer. I was now fairly convinced that Ilias was a real being. If the goddess of this world, the very one who created it, didn't want monsters and humans to get along, was there any hope?
"It seems you already know the truth, and yet you carry on as if you matter," she said tauntingly.
"And what do you hope to accomplish?" I argued. "You not only rebel against a goddess you infer can't be resisted, you rebel against the commands of your own Monster Lord."
That seemed to give her pause. Was I finally about to win an argument? "Her foolish way of pacifism has only led to hardship," she said. "If she doesn't understand our pain and sorrow, she is unfit for leadership."
"Queen of Elves," a familiar voice said. "Should I interpret that as a declaration of rebellion?"
Oh crap. Granberia. I rose, freeing the Queen Elf. Both the queen elf and I backed away from the Heavenly Knight slowly.
"For once, I'm not here for you, Luka," Granberia said. "I've been here all along, listening to what's been going on. I'd heard the Queen Elf and Queen Fairy were planning something. I came to investigate. You just happened to be here as well. I guess I should have suspected. Wherever trouble is, that's where I will find Luka. As for you, Queen Elf, taking a human hostage? Disgraceful behavior for a queen. Your intent to rebel renders you even more unfit for your position."
"No!" the queen protested. "I was just…"
"Silence!" Granberia shouted."Prepare yourself!"
The queen wasn't going to go down without a fight. Recognizing Granberia's challenge, she pulled her sword out of the tree and raised it. Granberia swung at her. The queen dodged the initial strike and retreated. Granberia advanced, in no hurry.
"Stop!" Sara, apparently having freed herself, placed herself between the two very dangerous swordwomen.
"Daughter of the human royal family, why do you protect her?" Granberia demanded. "This monster took you hostage! Tried to transform you!"
"You're both subjects of the Monster Lord, right?" Sara asked. "The Monster Lord doesn't want her subordinates killing each other. I think…"
"That is true," Granberia conceded. "This surely would upset her. Perhaps I was too quick to resort to force."
She sheathed her sword. The queen elf did the same. Granberia approached the queen.
"Queen of the elves who was saved by a human," she declared. "Let me make sure of this. Are you planning on rebelling against the Monster Lord?"
"I never intended treason against her," she replied. "I was just despairing over her inability to understand our pain. That's all."
"Understood," Granberia said. "Then I acknowledge you weren't planning to commit treason. But I'll say this. The Monster Lord understands your pain well. She is working to alleviate that pain."
"It's we humans who didn't understand your pain," Sara said. "But we never intended to abuse you. I'm sure my father feels the same way. If you would just sit down and talk with us, I'm sure we can reach a solution. I'll help in any way I can."
"Yes," I agreed. "Humans make mistakes, but we aren't as cruel and barbaric as you believe. Sometimes we're just… ignorant. But we do try to be better as time goes on. Violence only sets back that progress."
The queen thought for a moment. Sighing, she said, "I'm still not agreeing to anything. But if you're all going so far, it may be worth waiting awhile longer. If the Monster Lord has truly not abandoned us, then I must believe it can work. "
"Thank you," I said to the queen.
"I don't know what the future holds, but for now I shall wait. Neither fairies nor elves will attack humans. I was saved from death by this human princess. I cannot dishonor that favor by harming her people."
"I know the people of Sabasa," Sara replied. "I believe they will accept elves and fairies living among them."
The Queen elf nodded and turned to Granberia. "Granberia, I wish to make a report. The rumored Black Alice appeared before both the Queen fairy and I a short while ago. As fellow human haters, we were invited to join her group. But we declined. We truly weren't willing to take that step into outright rebellion."
"I see," Granberia said. "So Black Alice showed her face here."
Who was Black Alice? Did Alice know of this?
"I have troubled the two of you enough," the queen said, turning to me and Sara. "I hope that you two are right. I would like to see you again, once humans and monsters are living in peace."
With that, the queen vanished. Just how many of these monsters can teleport? If anything, that made things even more awkward, as Granberia, Sara, and I were left in the clearing together.
"Sheesh," Granberia said. "So that settles that… Far too many rebels lately. To make matters worse, it appears this Black Alice is behind it all."
"Do you know who she is?" I asked, surprised that Granberia was handing out information. I guess I just wasn't used to it, given how tight Alice was with info.
"As you may or may not know, Alipheese is taking steps towards achieving peace," she replied. "But there are many monsters who are unhappy with that stance. There is a rumor of one in particular calling out to others, gathering allies. She calls herself Black Alice. Black Alice was the Monster Lord five hundred years ago. She was slain by the hero Heinrich. Obviously, this woman is an imposter. Yet she still gains a following. I wonder if her power matches her arrogance? The name Alice is reserved for Monster Lords only."
"Can I just say how good it is to just… talk to you right now?" I said.
"Do not misunderstand, Luka," Granberia replied. "I still want to cross swords with you. Not as an enemy, or as a monster versus a human, but as fellow warriors. Both giving everything we have. But I've decided not to harass you any further. I fear I went too far the last time. I am…. Gratified to see you are well again."
"I appreciate that, Granberia," I said. This was a side of her I liked a lot better. "I only got to say it the first time we fought, but it's always an honor doing battle with you. I'm just afraid I don't have the same warrior spirit as you do. I fear death. I fear pain."
Granberia put her hand on my shoulder. "Do you think the fact that I do not fear those things gives me an advantage over you? I'm not so sure. Perhaps the fact that you have stood up to me three times despite being afraid means you have more of that warrior spirit than even I do. I saw it in your eyes. Once our swords were crossed, you felt the same thing I did. I can't say enough how much it means to me to have shared that experience with you. It's been a long time. I hope you don't take too long to make your way to the castle. I hope that will be our most exciting battle yet."
"I'm sure it will be," I replied.
"Do you have anything else you'd like to say to me?" Granberia asked. "This may be the last time we stand face to face without weapons drawn."
"Only that if I lose to any of the Heavenly Knights once I get to the castle, I hope it's to you."
"Hmph…." She said. "I share your feelings. I like you, Luka. It would sadden me to see you fall before any of them. A warrior deserves to fall before a warrior. And a warrior should be a warrior's lover. Not the plaything of a succubus or a kitsune."
"I was kinda hoping to remain a free man when this is all over," I said.
"Then win," she replied. "Be seeing you soon."
With that, she vanished. Now it was just me and Sara. Alice was still not making her presence known. Sara looked despondent.
"It's you, Luka," she said glumly. "I could never be the warrior you are. It's you she wants. Which means I can't have either her or you."
"It's not like that, Sara," I said. "Monsters and humans don't think about love the same way. She wants to take me prisoner. She calls it being a lover, but it's just glorified slavery. I don't intend to let that happen. As much as I like her myself, I can't submit to that."
"I bet if you showed her your Dragon Seal she'd want to marry you."
Indeed, I'd forgotten about that. The tattoo was so tiny that it was easy to overlook. How would she react if she saw that I had it? Marry Granberia? The thought didn't sound so terrible. But I was in love with Alice! What if Alice didn't reciprocate though? And what of poor Sara? I wanted to tell Sara I was in love with Alice to ease her concerns, but I knew Alice would hear.
"You have a Dragon Seal too, Sara," I noted.
"I'm pathetic as a warrior though. She wants a warrior."
"You're far from pathetic," I protested. "I've seen you. You fight better than almost any human I've ever seen."
"I'm bored," Alice said, appearing without warning. "Let's go back. We're done here."
We boarded the ship and took the dejected Sara back to Sabasa.
The king was thrilled once again that the hero Luka had returned his daughter safely. He was less happy at how sad she seemed. For some reason, Alice had chosen not to accompany me to see the king this time. She'd made it clear that she would also not be watching what I was doing in the palace. What did that mean? Did she expect the king to try to get me and Sara together again and didn't want to put pressure on me to refuse her? Maybe Alice wanted me to accept so that I'd be safe here? It didn't pay to try to predict Alice's motives, so I decided to just stick to my principles. Besides, Sara was in no mood to even see me or tolerate her fathers' attempts at persuading us to marry. The king, seeming to get that, refrained from pestering me. Instead, he thanked me once again and welcomed me to his kingdom any time as an honored guest.
When I got outside, Alice appeared. "That was quick," she observed. "No tricks from him this time?"
"Nah," I said. "Sara's not taking it well that Granberia seems so interested in me. As a father, I guess he decided it was best to not bother her while she's depressed."
"And what do you think of Granberia's interest?" Alice asked.
"I'm flattered, but I'm no one's slave," I said. "What do YOU think of Granberia's interest?"
"It doesn't surprise me in the slightest. You're her type."
"And what's your type?"
"I don't have a type," she said. "Let's talk about how you fared against those two queens."
"Good or bad?" I asked.
"Good," Alice replied. "Very good, in fact. You handled them with ease. Well done."
"Thank you, Alice. Compliments from you are always appreciated."
"I wasn't complimenting you, I was complimenting myself."
"I see," I said. I wasn't sure if she was messing with me. Her sense of humor had been emerging in recent weeks, but she could still be tough to read. "So how about that situation? Do you have any ideas about the elves and fairies?"
"I understand the hardships they are going through," she said. "But if they take over the human lands again it will just mean more pain, more strife, more warfare. There won't truly be a solution until the general relations between humans and monsters shift."
"That's a fancy way of saying, 'if we can all just get along.'"
"Sh-Shut up!" she protested. "It's nothing like that idiotic, simplistic view! But for their sake, I guess we do have to make that ideal a reality."
"We?" I said. "We're going to make that a reality?"
"We'll see," she said. "Who knows what the future holds? So what do you want to do now? It doesn't seem like there's anything else for you going on here, which is a small miracle given how often people push their problems onto you."
"I don't know, Alice, I'm sure if we walk around town long enough I'll find plenty to do."
"Don't even joke," Alice said. "Let's just go to the shrine and then Hellgondo."
"Are you sure I'm ready for that?" I asked with trepidation.
"For the continent, yes. For the Monster Lord's Castle, not quite yet. But the way you dispatched those queens, I know that you can take on anything other than a Heavenly Knight. Or a crab girl. None of those fearsome, unstoppable crab girls on Hellgondo though."