Byron had said he would not lie to her, but how? How was he supposed to tell her about the Goddess of Beauty?
'No! A little lying is no harm! Yeah! No harm!'
With that, he mixed lies and truth.
Truth.
"I didn't kill anyone."
Lies.
"My ancestors found his body when the Goddess of Misery killed him and extracted his Pigment Pot. That's how I inherited his scent."
Since the real Byron didn't have it, he had studied everything about it to know if there was a way he could have it. That's how Byron ended up knowing how when an Infected Monster or a person is dead, people could extract a gem-like thing where one's heart should have been to absorb the powers within.
The Venomous Beauty seemed to believe his explanation.
"What were you doing out here then?"
"I was on my way to the place where he died."
"You know where his body is?"
Byron nodded his head.
Unknown emotion ignited in her sapphire blue eyes, but was soon replaced by a dubious expression.
"Why?"
Was Byron going to tell her all about him not having his name and all that crap that made him start his journey to go look for the Dungeon of Desires?
"Because I want..."
When he stopped, the beauty raised her eyebrows.
Byron didn't know if what he was going to say was wise. Nevertheless, he had no choice. If he decided not to kill her, he would have to tell her what was his intention.
"Uh... I'm looking for the shards. I want to become the next God of Desires so the world can become normal again."
This implied that Byron was on a journey to becoming a hero. Hell, no! He would never be like those guys who die so other people can live. He was doing all this so he would not live in a cave isolated like a plague carrier. He wanted to become as he was on earth, the exception being he would be able to enjoy beauties from around the world like he would have done on earth if he wasn't impotent.
At the mention of wanting to collect all the shards, the Venomous Beauty replied almost out of instinct.
"That's impossible! Most of us are evil. Some are even looking for the shards like you're doing. They hunt and kill each other so they can grow more powerful. The reason I hid myself here all this time."
Byron let out a chuckle.
"Impossible? I have his sword, all of his blood and most of his Legacies. What makes you say I'll not achieve that?"
The beauty gave him a loli look as the level of admiration in her eyes doubled.
"Really?"
"Why would I lie? I'll collect all the shards starting from yours. And trust me! I have a way."
Byron included her shard to see what would be her reaction. When it came, he was confused. She harrumphed and looked away, falling silent afterwards.
"What? Won't you give it to me?"
To be honest, the whole encounter and conversation were unlike how Byron had envisioned. The beauty was acting as normal as any other girl would do.
"Since you say you have a way to do so, good luck then. About my shard, If I can have my husband back, there is no way I can refuse to give it to you. However, you'll have to show me his sword so I can believe you."
Her husband back? Did she say he would have to be her husband if he wanted the shard? That she would start treating him like the God of Desires from now on?
'What an easy tame!'
Byron summoned the Dreadful Dagger and tried to stand up so he could show it to her. However, as the sword weaved itself out of a mist of white sparks in his right hand, his right foot touched the ground only to...
"Dammit!"
He exclaimed as he fell on the ground.
After making a long journey, fighting the vile monsters and cooling down, his feet had swollen, too terrible that he could not stand on them. They were too sore to stand.
The sword fell to the rocky floor with a clanger, the beauty coming to his rescue on that very instant. This gesture was supposed to help Byron. However, seeing her jiggling breasts as she approached, made the situation more dire for him.
'Damn!'
"You should know you're tired. Don't make me a widow again. At least after taking away my virginity, right?"
Byron was liking this beauty's straightforwardness. What was good in hitting around bush, anyway? She had lived for a long time and knew better how prolonging things and playing dumb were never a good option.
Pressing herself on him, she lifted him off the ground and lay him on the bed.
"You're overpowered!"
The beauty offered him a smile and said, "Husband, how about you give me a name."
Byron raised an eyebrow.
"My clan never gave names to baby girls," she explained. "It was meant to be done by their husbands. Actually, there would be a bethrotal and the boy would name his bride. You see, I was born during the war, never had a boy to name me and my husband died before I could tell him about it."
"I see!"
***
Back at the Drumline Castle, it had been a week since Byron left. Gillian was sitting near the portals he had drawn before leaving, waiting to see something through them.
'Why can't he send at least a stone or what? Doesn't he know how I'm worried?'
There were 12 shimmering circles, and none of them had transported anything yet. Gillian stared at their pattern, lost in her thoughts. That's when a crazy thought slipped into her mind.
'What can happen if I put my hand inside?'
Maybe it would give Byron some kind of notification.
She rose to her feet but abandoned the idea when she remembered there needed to be a corresponding portal drawn on another end. There was no way Byron could have drawn another portal where he was. If he did, Gillian was sure he would have sent a sign to her. He knew she was the one looking after them, right?
She was about to turn around and return to her chair when something liquid in nature dripped on her head. Startled, she stepped back and glanced at where the runes were drawn on the wall, a horizontal portal arising from their ethereal light.
'Water?!'
Gillian could not believe her eyes. Water was something she used to see from goulds. Seeing it flowing out of the portal, pristine and abundant that if it continued there was going to be a river soon, made her heart beat faster.
Was it really water?
She stepped under the portal like it was a shower to confirm. Not long after, her white dress was drenched, turned transparent and revealing to embarrass herself if a male entered the room.
Not giving a damn, she jumped like a loli under the rain, shouting, "He's alive! He's still alive!"
As if water was not a big surprise, something hard fell on her head to hit the ground afterwards and roll away.
'An apple?!'
Gillian had grown up taking care of the only apple tree at the Drumline Castle but had only took a bite on the fruit once. Even the Blue Family members had never ate more than ten in their life time because they were transported to Flaming Realms the day they would appear.
Another apple fell on her. This made her step away and look at the portal the apples were from only to...
'That's his hand!'
Giggling, Gillian reached for the hand, kissed it uncountable times, refusing to let go of it.
"Thank you, brother Byron! Thank you! I love you!"
She had the courage to say she loved him because it was only his hand. He could not hear her.
The hand owner gave her a few seconds to hold it and then Byron pulled it away, indicating he wanted it back. Gillian gave it another kiss and let go.
She saw a thumbs up gesture before the hand disappeared.
After this, Gillian lingered for a little and ran toward the apple on the floor.
'Should I give it to the Blue Family?
While in dillema of whether to eat the apple or report the incident, more apples fell down, this time from several portals as if Byron had someone helping him to transport them.
"BYRON HAS SENT APPLES!"
"APPLES!"
"FRUITS! FRUITS!"
She was shouting as if she was going to die if she didn't tell everyone at that very second. She wanted them to know she was not afraid of calling him Byron. That he was never going to live in isolation again.
SHE WAS HAPPY.
When the Patriarch came, he glanced at the different types of fruits coming out of the portals, at the endless water source and turned to look at Kyron.
Everyone at the Drumline castle was present after the incident occurred and none of them was without a fruit in his or her hands. It was never going to be a rumour. All of them were paying witness.
"Kyron!"
When he called him by that name, the red-dressed woman tensed. Kyron, who would always lower his head while in his father's presence, shuddered before looking at him.
"From now onward, your name is going to return to Kyron. Byron is he who can save our people. He's done it."
***Special thanks to [arnold_idkjoker55]