"Goodbye! We'll see you in two weeks time!"
Akira was waving back behind her rather enthusiastically to those that had gathered to see the newly wedded couple off. Matt held onto her other hand with his and gave a much more subdued farewell as the two of them stepped closer to the Gate that'd take them to Venindale.
They had ended up spending more time in Fallvien then they had originally planned, leaving in the late afternoon the next day instead of the morning like they had wanted too. However the celebration at the Blue Hedgehog had gone much later into the night than anyone had anticipated and Matt was sure it would always be a night to remember for many. Well, those that could remember it anyways. There had been a lot of drinks going around that night and quite a few of the party goers had passed out drunk on both the tables and chairs and even the ground. Akira would have been one of those individuals but Matt had made sure to bring her up to their room when she had begun to pass out and tucked her in.
The night had been a blast for sure but during the party Matt found out about another new ability he apparently now had since coming to this world. He could no longer get drunk. That or suddenly his tolerance level for alcohol had somehow skyrocketed and it'd take something much stronger to get him good and liquored up. He had realized after his fourth or fifth glass of straight whiskey that he hadn't felt anything, not even the slightest buzz. At first he thought that maybe he was so drunk that he thought he was sober. He conducted a series of tests on himself that may or may not have actually proven whether or not he was drunk at all. It was when others around him began commenting that he wasn't drunk enough was when he began to realize the true seriousness of his situation. He had slammed several more drinks with little to no effect at all and at the end of the night, it was he who went around as the "sober friend" of the night making sure everyone was okay before he carried the passed out Akira to their room.
When Matt awoke the next morning he half expected to have a hangover when he remembered how much he had had to drink but strangely enough he felt fine. Akira was a different story however. She'd stayed under the covers the next morning when they woke up and complained about every little noise the old wooden tavern made as being far too loud for her sensitive ears and that her head was throbbing. Matt had gone down stairs to see if he could find something to help his wife with her hangover and was surprised to see the place was already cleaned up to a point that there was little to no evidence that there had even been a party at all. Luckily, Matt found Thomas and Sophia in the kitchen still cooking large batches of breakfast for those still needing to recover from the night before. Matt graciously took two plates back up to their room and almost had to force Akira to eat. She acted as if she was going to be sick at first but she eventually recovered enough to finish her plate. The two then stayed in their room for a few hours after just cuddling and spending alone time with one another until the sun was practically setting again by the time they decided it was time to go.
Now the duo stood hand and hand in front of a swirling vortex of purple energy that almost reminded Matt of one of those giant whirlpools you'd see in pirate movies in the middle of a storm. It looked similar to the pink portal back at the Blue Hedgehog that he'd never gotten a chance to further investigate. Honestly so much had happened and he'd been so concerned the night before with his inability to get drunk that it had slipped his mind. He found it a little odd how quickly he was getting used to the idea of things like magic and such existing so suddenly for him.
"Ready darling?" Akira asked in a sing-song tone of voice.
"As I'll ever be" Matt replied.
He gave his new wife's hand a gentle squeeze with his own before both of them stepped forward and into the portal. The teleportation from Fallvien to Venindale was near instant and Matt felt a little funny as they both came out on the other side. He had felt like he was stepping into water when he stepped through the Gate but his skin and clothes were completely dry. He also felt like he was falling for a brief moment as they were passing through but the feeling suddenly left the moment they reappeared on the other side. It took him an additional moment or two for his mind to try and process what had just happened but he quickly gave up on trying to figure out the science behind what he'd just been through. He knew he'd only give himself one hell of a headache if he tried to figure it all out with his limited knowledge of how things worked based on Earth's logic. Instead, he shook the thoughts away from his mind and began to take in his new surroundings.
The city of Venindale was… Awe inspiring. Unlike the Gate in Fallvien where the portal had been actually located about a half hour walk away from the city, it appeared that Venindale's Gate was located within the city limits and was surrounded by a large square. Tall buildings made of white stone stood at nearly two to three stories high and Matt could even see taller buildings in the distance. Fallvien had been a lot cleaner then Matt had imagined a medieval fantasy city to be but it didn't hold a candle to how clean Venindale seemed.
The sun shined brightly into the large open square and Matt saw different races of all kinds walking about and casually going about their own days. Shops and businesses had their storefronts all setup facing inwards towards the Gate in the center of the square and Matt noticed several Purple and Gold banners fluttering like flags from nearly every building he saw. The heavenly aroma of something sweet immediately hit Matt's sense, making him take in a deep breath of the clean air all around him.
Unlike the guards in Fallvien that had manned the Gate in what looked like basic leather armor, the guards here in Venindale stood flanking the portal on either side wearing shining plate mail. Each wore open face helmets with large purple feather plumage on top and stood at near perfect attention. They were both also dark elves and each held a long, spear looking weapon in one hand and a circular shield in the other. Neither guard seemed to pay them any mind as Akira led Matt down the few steps away from the Gate and in towards the city square.
"Welcome to your new home darling! I sincerely hope that you love it here!" called out over the noise of the crowd's nearby as she happily dragged him along behind her.
Matt couldn't help but laugh at her overly excited demeanor as she quickly turned into a tour guide who began pointing out every shop she knew around the square while leading him towards one of the city streets that led away from the area. She pointed out a couple of shops where one could buy all sorts of magical potions and items from as well as the bakery where Matt identified the wonderful smell to be coming from. Akira excitedly waved and said hello to a large bipedal Oxen looking creature who was busy at work hammering a sword at a forge as they passed by what looked to be a blacksmiths. The Oxen man stopped his work long enough to lift up his enormous horned head and wave back at Akira with his own smile. She seemed to know the owner of each shop they passed by on their way out of the square and down the street as she waved and greeted each one she saw with a wide smile and a friendly wave. They'd each return the gesture in kind until they caught sight of the large man Akira was dragging behind her. Then they'd looked more confused as she continued down the street with the mammoth of a man in toe. She was certainly grabbing a lot of attention, and so was Matt.
"Oh! And this place here sells some of the finest spirits I've ever had the pleasure of having before! We should definitely stop by and-"
"Lady Akira! It's certainly wonderful to see that you've finally returned"
The voice came from ahead of them down the busy street and Matt watched as the crowd began to part ways to reveal an entourage heading directly towards the duo. Matt felt Akira's grasp on his hand tighten slightly before she tried to hide behind his massive figure. It was no use as the group of about four individuals in finer looking clothing drew nearer.
"Who are these chuckle fucks?" Matt asked, suddenly feeling a bit more protective of his cowering wife "More guys who couldn't take a hint?"
"Worse" Akira replied "Their my advisors"
The group of four had stopped a few paces away from the dup in the street and Matt quickly glanced each of them over before the same man with white hair spoke up once again.
"Lady Akira, I hope that you've had your fun because there are several matters that are in need of your immediate attention!"
The man looked fairly youthful, even with his bleach white hair, smooth pale skin, and long elven ears that were pointed back on his head. His cold blue eyes almost seemed to stare right through Matt as if he wasn't even there and directly towards Akira behind him. He was wearing a blue uniform with black and gold accents that looked fashionable but also practical at the same time. The man had a long thin sword like a rapier on his left hip with several golden tassels hanging from the hilt. The elven man wore a smile but it looked like he was doing his best to hide how annoyed he really was.
Beside him stood another man with slightly darker toned skin and orange hair that definitely didn't look natural. He wore a tunic that had had the sleeves removed to make it look like a tank top and Matt could see large cracks in the man's skin that almost looked as if they glowed in a fiery ember. The man held a massive Halberd over his shoulder and was making no effort to hide his emotions as he went from looking completely annoyed to curiously over at Matt.
"Hold on a second here," the halberd user cut in "Who the hell is this guy? And why is our Matriarch hiding behind him?"
The halberd user, that Matt thought looked like a Fire Genasi of some sort, jabbed a thumb over towards Matt and gained the attention of the Elven man who seemed to now notice Matt's presence. Their eyes met for a moment and Matt sensed a sort of coldness in the Elf man's glare that he swore he could almost actually feel for a moment as a chill ran down his spine. Matt returned the glare right back at the elven man before Akira spoke up.
"Don't be rude Pyre. You will treat Mr. Winters with respect!" she called out, still hiding behind Matt.
"Mr. Winters-?" the Genasi started before he was cut off by the elven man
"Lady Akira please. Enough of these games. You have been hiding from your duties long enough. You must come home immediately!"
The elven man moved to step around Matt and was reaching to grab Akira's arm when Matt turned to face the elven man and grabbed him by the wrist. The so-called "advisor" spun around and looked up at Matt with malice in his eyes but Matt returned the look with his own murderous look.
"Unhand me you giant oaf. Before I gut you like swine right here in the middle of the street for all to see." the Elven man threatened.
"First, and only warning" Matt replied coldly, his voice low and rough "Touch her, and they'll never find your body."
There were several small gasps in the crowd that had begun to form around them, including one from Akira herself. Matt could feel his blood boiling in his veins but before things could escalate any further, Akira spoke up.
"Withdraw that hand away from your weapon, Rainghar. That is a fight you'd surely lose anyways."
"L-Lady Akira?" the Elven man asked, sounding very confused.
"For not only would you be facing up against someone several times stronger than you, but I'm afraid I too would have to step in and slit your throat for attempting to harm my husband."
The dead silence that followed her words was… deafening. It was almost like the entire city had heard what she had just said and even the birds and animals had fallen silent too. The look of pure shock on the everyone's face, including the Elven man Akira had called Rainghar, was enough to make Matt feel like he was standing alone in a dream where he'd shown up to school fully naked or something. All eyes were wide and on him as silent gasps rippled throughout the crowd.
"Rather blunt way to make the announcement huh dear?" Matt muttered to Akira in the silence.
"Y-y-y-your…Husband?" Rainghar stammered.
"Yes. Mr. Winters here is my husband now and if you harm a hair on his head…" Akira said in her own low threatening voice.
Rainghar looked back and forth between both Matt and Akira a few times before he eventually ripped his wrist away from Matt's grasp and took a few steps back.
"Lady Akira. That's… that's not a very funny joke" said one of the other four, a shorter muscular woman that Matt thought looked like a dwarf.
"Oi, I agree with ya on that short stack" said the last member of the entourage, a blue skinned woman with large white markings all over her arms.
"That's because I do not jest" Akira replied as she stepped in front of Matt and faced the others "I, Akira of Venindale, Matriarch and the last of the nine tails, am now Akira Winters of Venindale and Matthew Winters is my husband!"
Akira loudly proclaimed the last part for all nearby to hear and she even held up her left hand to show off her wedding ring as a sign of proof. Gasps and murmurs spread through the surrounding crowd like wildfire as the group of advisors looked on with mixed emotions of terror and confusion. All except for Pyre, who was instead staring at Matt off to the side while leaning in on his weapon a little. Their gazes met for a moment but Matt didn't feel any hostility as the two locked eyes for a moment before Pyre gave a short nod and looked away seemingly unbothered.
"Now then, it is true I have been gone for sometime now, and I understand what a shock this might be to you all" Akira was addressing the crowd more then she was addressing her advisors now "But this Nornsman, Matthew Winters, is now my husband. I hope that you will all treat him with the same love and respect as you have treated me with these past many years. I know our love might seem sudden, but I can swear to you here and now in my honor as Matriarch that it is very…very real. So that end, I hereby announce that in two weeks time we will have a celebration, not only for our love but as a thanks to all of you who have kept this city going while I was away in my stead! Everyone is invited and important guests will also be in attendance. So prepare yourselves, and keep an eye out for more information to come!"
The crowd surrounding them suddenly exploded into a chorus of cheers and Matt watched as people quickly ran off to undoubtedly spread the word. Akira had made it seem like it was to be a massive day of celebration across the entire city and the citizens of Venindale definitely seemed to be taking her word that way as well. Cheers of celebration grew as the word quickly spread and Akira stood looking a bit triumphant with her hands on her hips and a sharp nod of her head. Her advisors however didn't seem to share her sense of triumph as they either seemed extremely exasperated or fearful by her action.
"L-Lady Akira?" Rainghar asked, seemingly at a loss for any further words.
"Now you may take us home Rainghar" was all Akira replied before she turned and smiled up at Matt behind her with a wide grin.
"And just like that, subtly has gone straight out the window" Matt chuckled as he looked back down at her
"Pfft please. It's better that the word comes directly from me anyways. Like I said I'll make sure that proper word gets out around town about any more details that'll come. Plus, it'll help distract them a little from the fact that I've just only recently returned" Akira replied
"Ah, crafty," Matt joked.
"I hate to tell you this now darling but I am part fox you know? They are partly known for their craftiness no? Please, do try and keep up" She grinned and turned away from him, flicking her tail in his direction as her hips bobbed side to side with each step of a rather sassy walk.
Matt once again couldn't help but watch her for a moment while shaking his head before he started after her once more.
Sakura Keep, or the Venindale Manor, wasn't exactly what Matt had in mind when he thought about what Akira's home might look like. For some reason or another he imagined that her home would look a bit more, traditional perhaps. However, the keep was more like a medieval castle with high walls and towers at each of its corners. Thankfully there was no moat surrounding the walls but there was a large pair of ornate wooden doors that looked extremely heavy and could possibly hold for a while during an attack or siege. The massive doors had already been opened when they arrived at the front gate, and Matt could see the massive crowd that gathered in the courtyard inside. Matt paused outside the gate a moment and watched as Akira and her advisors stepped forward through the doors before she greeted the crowd within and began telling them all the same story she had told the others back in the city.
"Doors look like they could withstand a few heavy blows. I wonder how they'd hold up against magic though?" Matt thought aloud as he inspected the doors a little closer.
"Oh they'll hold up just fine against most magic attacks actually"
Matt looked beside him to see a boy standing beside him and mimicking Matt's exact stance. The boy looked to be in his early to mid teenage years and had a small pair of what looked like fuzzy antlers just starting to branch out through a mop of dirt brown hair on top of his head. He was wearing common looking clothing with a white blouse and brown pants and Matt noticed that he had hooves instead of humanoid feet.
"Is that so?" Matt asked with a slight chuckle in his voice.
"Mhmm. These babies can withstand a disintegration spell or two before the barrier around them even starts to fail. But most spellcasters around here can't even cast spells at that high of a level so really nothing is going to get through these bad boys." the boy replied cheerfully
"Sounds pretty impressive. Seems like you know your stuff" said Matt
"Well I'd certainly hope I know at least a little bit about my masters handiwork. I did help them with the construction after all." the boy said proudly before he turned to Matt "The name's Zir by the way, but most people just call me Z"
"Matt" Matthew replied as he held out one of his massive hands towards the young boy
"I know." Z replied as he took Matt's hand and shook it with a firmness that surprised Matt a little "Word travels awfully fast around here. Pretty much everyone here already heard the news before you guys even arrived"
"Great" Matt sighed softly
"Never thought Aunty Akira would actually ever get married though. You probably already knew this but she's always been against getting married and such. So it was a huge surprise when we all heard the news and I just had to come and meet you for myself."
"Is that so?" Matt chuckled
"Mhmm, though to be honest, you definitely weren't what I was expecting." Z replied with a sigh "Looks like I lost that bet after all"
Z muttered the last part under his breath a bit but before Matt could ask him what that was about, the dwarven woman who was a part of Akira's advisors stepped closer to them.
"Aye, and you better make sure to keep up on your end of the bargain you little runt" the woman said as she joined them.
"A deals a deal, Master." Z sighed as his shoulders dropped a bit.
"She's gonna be busy answering everyone's questions for awhile" the dwarven woman said to Matt, throwing her thumb over her shoulder in Akira's direction before she reached her hand out towards Matt "Never got a chance to properly introduce myself earlier. I'm Aida Oakhood, one of Lady Akira's Four and Arcane Smithing Master of Venindale. I see you've already met my apprentice."
"He's a smart pretty kid" Matt replied with a slight nod
"Aye, sometimes too smart for his own good though." Aida replied as she said glanced over at Z "But, he's a good learner I'll give him that much"
Z beamed with delight from the praise his mentor had just given him and Matt couldn't help but smile at the boy's enthusiasm a bit.
"Right, well then what should we be calling you then?" Aida asked looking to Matt again
"I'm… sorry?" Matt replied, confused.
"What do you want us to call you? You're married to the Mistress now so that technically makes you our boss too. So what will it be? Lord? Liege? I ain't calling you Master though."
"You can just call me Matt." Matthew laughed.
"Aye, that won't do. You need some sort of title around here. You're married to our good lady now and people need to address you with some sort of respect." Aida explained.
"Alright well. I guess… Chief works then" Matt replied
"Chief?" Z asked, cocking his head slightly off to one side.
"Yeah. Think of it as an abbreviation of rank rather than a tribal leader or what not." Matt explained
"Aye that sounds about right. You look like the soldieren type" Aida replied, crossing her arms under her chest and nodding "So Chief then. I'll make sure to inform the others."
"Right but please, don't feel like you have to call me that all the time. I'm not that formal" said Matt
"I'll try and keep that in mind, Chief" Aida smiled and shot Matt a wink before she let out a bellowing laugh.
"What about you then?" Matt asked while she was still laughing "Do I call you Ms. Magic Blacksmith or…?"
"Oi first of all, that's Mrs. to you. I'm a proudly married woman. And you can call me Aida" she replied
"That won't do" Matt laughed as he quoted her prior response to him using just his first name.
"I think I'm starting to see why my Lady took such an interest in ya. Hah fine, then call me by my family name, Oakwood, if you must." Aida replied, looking at Matt through narrowed eyes.
"Yes ma'am" Matt said and snapped a mock salute down at her.
Aida rolled her eyes and shook her head at Matt's response before they both let out a laugh together.
"Well Chief, we really must be going now. My lady has some grand ideas for your wedding and it sounds like I'm gonna be awfully busy for the foreseeable future. If you get the time, stop by my forge later and I'll do my best to help ya with whatever needs doing. Also, as a bit of friendly advice, please do try and be patient with Rainghar. He's a good egg but awfully hard headed. It'll take him a while to warm up to ya." Aida said as she had begun to turn around and leave.
"Thanks for the heads up" Matt replied and waved farewell as Z followed after his Master and they both walked back through the gates.
As the duo walked through the gates they passed by the blue skinned woman with markings on her arms who was headed in the opposite direction out towards Matthew. Her fiery eyes were locked onto Matt and she only stopped when she was a few feet away from and crossed her arms over her chest. She was still shorter than Matt was but he remembered that she was easily the tallest of Akira's advisors and her head almost came up to his shoulders. Her shoulder length dark blue hair was tucked away behind her pointed ears and she had two large silver earring loops in each ear. Matt noticed that she was wearing a sleeveless tunic, exposing her well toned arm muscles and what Matt could now see were actually tattoo's on both of her arms. She had a pair of arm wrappings around both her forearms and knuckles and Matt thought she looked like some sort of pugilist or perhaps monk.
"So you're the Ladies new eye candy?" She asked with a slightly indignant tone in her voice.
"If you mean her husband, then yes" Matt replied as he crossed his own arms over his chest and looked down at the woman.
The two locked eyes for a few moments and Matt could feel her judgmental gaze staring into his soul through his eyes.
"Fight me" the woman said suddenly
"What?" Matt asked, raising his eyebrow in a bit of shock.
His answer came in the form of a sudden and swift kick aimed at the left side of his head. Matt was just able to block the impact in time by using his forearm but he could feel the heavy weight of the strike and the power behind it as he could have sworn he saw ripples in the air around the impact area. Matt heard the slight click of her tongue but she wasn't done yet. She followed up her sudden attack with several more kicking strikes, each seemingly more powerful and faster than the last as Matt struggled to block them in time. It was the sudden rapid jabs to his lower abdomen when she finally landed that caught him off guard. He needed to put some distance between them and fast, so he attempted to hit her back with a sudden knee strike to her center mass. She was fast though and was able to block the strike using her arms to keep him from landing a direct hit on her. The force of his strike was still enough to send her back a few feet though and she kicked up a cloud of dust as she skidded to a halt a few more feet away from him.
"Fuck. Figures you hit like a charging bull."
The woman had stopped her assault long enough for a few moments to comment on his retaliatory strike and long enough for Matt to see that she had an almost predatory grin plastered across her face. Matt replied by lowering himself into a better fighting stance as it was clear this fight was far from over. She charged at him in a wide arc, attempting this time to come at him directly from his side this time with another kick aimed at his midsection. The giant of a man she was up against was deceptively faster then he looked though and he was able to grab her leg just in time and use the momentum and tossed her around towards the ground.
She was quick to react though and wrapped herself around his arm to keep him from tossing her away as she continued her unrelenting attack with a fist aimed back at his head once more. The grin on her face grew into a wide malevolent smile as she was certain her strike would land when suddenly her attack was intercepted by his other massive hand blocking the strike and grabbing onto her. His hold immediately began to tighten and the smile on her face immediately changed to that of a pained expression as he was starting to crush her hand with his. Her eyes caught his for a moment as she tried to break free of his grasp and she saw that he now wore a smile of his own as he continued to crush her hand.
"Fuck!" the woman exclaimed
She had to let go of his arm with her legs and was going to try and kick him once more to try and get him to let go of her hand when he suddenly raised her up above his head before slamming her down into the ground. Matt watched as he knocked the wind out of his assailant a little. However, to her credit she was already starting to recover and Matt could see the determination growing on her face as she looked up at him with gritted teeth.
The fight continued and seemed to last for much longer then it actually did until it was abruptly put to an end by Akira. Both parties were quickly getting tired out and in a last ditch effort they both were about to throw everything into one last strike at the other When Akira's voice carried over both of them with a bone chilling coldness in her tone.
"Enough!"
It was all she said but it was clearly enough to get both fighters to stop with their fists just mere inches away from the other's face. Matt looked down at the woman still standing in front of him as she did the same, both of them breathing heavily with a murderous look in their eyes but neither willing to continue on any further at the moment. It was quiet, except for the sound of approaching footsteps on the cobblestone road leading towards where the two stood almost frozen in place. Matt could feel a heavy weight suddenly growing on his shoulders and in his chest once again, but didn't feel as affected by it as he had once been before. The other woman on the other hand was doing her best to hide the pained expression on her face as Akira finally stopped beside them both.
"Flow" Akira said, addressing the other woman who quickly took a step back away from Matt in response and stood at a rigged form of attention.
Matt could see the slight bit of fear in the woman's fiery eyes as he stood up straighter and watched as Akira stepped in between them both. She was staring daggers into the woman's eyes for a moment before Akira let out a loud sigh and shook her head softly.
"I believe I understand why you attacked my husband unprovoked. You wanted to make sure that he was not only worthy, but also capable enough to be by my side, correct? Though I appreciate your concern, remember that I wouldn't have married him in the first place if I was completely sure of what he was capable of." Akira said to the woman almost like a mother scolding a child.
The woman's face turned slightly red and did her best to avoid direct eye contact with Akira as she looked nervously away.
"I-I'm sorry. I just… I just wanted to make sure…" the woman Akira called Flow replied sheepishly.
Akira let out another sigh but gently placed her hand on the other woman's face and cupped her cheek. Flow's face turned even more red as Akira leaned in closer and whispered something into her ear. Matt watched as Flow's eyes went wider and wider before he looked at Matt with a look of terror for a moment before something else Akira whispered to her made the woman look at his wife with shock.
"R-Really?" Flow asked Akira who just nodded her head in response.
The woman put her hands up to her face and was staring hard at the ground with her face almost glowing in shades of red. Akira stepped back for a moment and was grinning at the woman before she turned to look at Matt.
"And you" she began
"Whoa whoa whoa. She attacked me, remember?" Matt said, waving his hands in front of him.
"You let another woman climb all over you?" she asked as she stepped in front of him and glared up into his eyes.
"What? How's that my fault?" Matt asked, but Akira only continued to glare at him.
Matt looked down at her for a moment before he let out a sigh of defeat and wrapped her up in his arms and apologized.
"I'm sorry honey" he said, even though he still wasn't the one at fault.
Akira wrapped her arms around his body but looked up at him through narrowed eyes and with a slightly pouty look on her face. Matt couldn't help but laugh as he leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. That seemed to satisfy his wife enough as she began to beam with a big smile on her face up at him.
Matt heard a sudden commotion as he looked over to see Flow suddenly down on one knee before him with her head hung in submission as she loudly proclaimed.
"I AM VERY SORRY FOR MY TRANSGRESSIONS MY LORD AND I HOPE YOU CAN FIND IT TO FORGIVE SUCH A LOWLY SERVANT SUCH AS I! I HUMBLY GIVE TO YOU MY LIFE IN SERVICE TO BOTH YOU AND MY LADY FOR THE REST OF MY YEARS! I SWEAR IT BE UPON THE GODS AND MY HONOR!"
Matt stood stunned for a moment at her sudden proclamation until Akira tugged on his shirt a little to get his attention.
"She'll remain groveling at your feet unless you say something dear" she teased
"Uh, it's fine really. All is forgiven but there's no need to sell your life away to me for any reason really" Matt chuckled, feeling slightly unnerved by Flow's sudden action.
"But I insist sir Winters! It is my job as not only my Ladies advisor but also the tip of her spear to protect all things she finds near and dear to her heart and I will gladly sell my soul to protect your life if it makes my Lady happy!" Flow said as she quickly rose to her feet.
"Yeah, there's no need for that really, I promise." Matt said, trying to calm the excited woman down a little.
Matt could feel Akira pressing into his chest a little and could tell she was laughing a bit in amusement at his situation. He'd remember that later as Flow did begin to calm down a little.
"I understand you are very strong my lord. Lady Akira's words were only further confirmation of that fact after our spar. So, be it if I am not strong enough to protect you then please allow me to at least be at your beckon call for whatever you may need! Consider me as your lowly servant and command me as you please!' Flow said, once again kneeling down before Matt.
"G-Get up. There's no need for you to keep throwing yourself down like that. And as far as I'm concerned that was a pretty even match even right up to the end there. I swear you had me on the ropes a few times there too. So there's no need for any of that serving stuff or anything like that" Matt replied
"You are too kind and humble my Lord. I do not deserve such praise!" Flow exclaimed, somehow bowing deeper.
"She's not going to listen to me is she?" Matt asked Akira as he watched Flow's display.
"Flow is one of my strongest advisors as well as one of my most loyal. Now that she's seen even a small bit of what you're capable of she will willingly do whatever you ask of her as she does for me. It's a great honor really. She comes from a tribe in the southern waters where only the strongest are allowed to survive amongst their kind. They are a proud people much like the Nornsman and to have one bow at your feet is a sign of their true respect to your power my love. You should feel honored. Plus, she'll never leave you alone until you either accept her or banish her away now." Akira replied
"Banish her- I could never do that! Fine." Matt sighed "Flow, was it?"
"Yes my lord" Flow replied.
"I accept you as my advisor or…protector then. But no more of this groveling shit. And no more calling me your Lord or whatever. It's… weird" Said Matt
"Thank you my lord! But what shall I call you then if not my Lord?" Flow asked.
"Just… call me… Chief. Or Boss, if you must" Matt sighed
Flow suddenly rose to her feet and snapped her hand up to her forehead in a salute but with her palm facing up towards the sky and the already setting sun.
"Yes Boss!"