by Envy Mercury
“It is my guess you want our help to get it back,” I asked.
“Yes!” she said. “I know you are going to wish to take back what is yours, so why not help me for the consideration of my assistance as trade. We can help each other.”
I didn’t want to make a promise for something that I could not fulfill. Thinking about it, Yumi was feared by people. She looked strong and powerful, looking at her now, and she still lost that fight. Now, she has less strength than she did at that time. I was apparently a fraction of what I could be. More like nothing like I used to be. How could I be part of an assault to take back what was mine? I couldn’t even go to the bathroom to dry my pants earlier. No doubt about it, we were weak sauce. We couldn’t win. We could maybe find a way, though.
“Mecci, what do you think?” I asked my familiar.
She thought for a minute. “If you were both at the height of your powers, you could trounce Victor. So, there is that.”
I wasn’t even sure how to get my powers back. If it was training, some kind of ritual, or even talking to some guy named Rick in a dark alley and tossing him some coin. A magic dealer of sorts. Instead of thinking about it, I could always just ask.
“How do I get my powers back?”
“You will need to reclaim them,” Mecci said.
“And how do I reclaim them?”
“Before you left, you must have stored them. It is the only thing that makes sense, and I have a good idea of where the person is that you stashed your powers into.”
“Where are my powers, Mecci?”
“Princess Valentine has them, of course,” she said, crossing her arms while giving a smug look.
Lady Yumi turned to look at me with a look of confusion. “Why would you give your powers to the Princess? You fought against the corruption of the kingdom.” She raised her eyebrow, waiting for me to answer. I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t remember any of this. Mecci could probably tell from my expression that I maybe needed a little assistance without spilling all the beans that I didn’t remember shit.
“You told me that you wouldn’t strike down the kingdom if it made someone you cared about suffer. After getting to know her, you understood she wasn’t like the others of the Light Kingdom. I also informed you of this. You couldn’t let her be killed. You tried to intervene and change up the plans that were made for Valentine. You couldn’t redirect what was set in motion without putting up a huge fight with your followers, and of course, Victor.” She thought for a moment. “You loved Valentine. You did a last-ditch effort.”
“I told you that I loved her?”
“No, but it’s not hard to read the face of my master when you explained what you could tell me about what might occur that night to me.”
I rubbed my chin as I always did when thinking. I needed to reclaim what was mine. It was a little scary in a way, but hey, I was winging this, and I enjoyed living here more than I was in that fucking office. Besides the withdrawal anyways. It sounded pretty cool to have my own place here. Take back what was mine. Maybe remember some things along the way. “So, let me get this thought through in the simplest way. We need to reclaim Lady Yumi’s stuff. Reclaim my stuff. This all starts with a princess?” I asked.
“Yes,” they both answered at the same time.
“I might need some help in other areas. I feel I am kind of lacking at present without all of my magic, or if I end up in a situation when I can’t use it. Maybe you can show me some moves with a sword?” I asked Yumi while I rubbed the back of my neck. That was what I did when I was nervous, and I was most definitely scared.
“You want to learn the sword?” Yumi inquired. “It is not an easy task and can take many years to become a master.”
“I just want to be able to use a sword. I want to be able to hold one to where I won’t drop it. I need basics. So, I don’t appear to be an idiot when I draw it.” Yumi stared at me for a while. Then she smirked at me. Her expression had a mixture of emotions. Intrigue, humor, and a bit of I am a scary bitch, and you might regret this.
“I will teach you the basics. They include some forms and a little deception sprinkled in here and there. We will need to make sure you can hold a sword properly and have the physical conditioning for it. You look like you are in great shape,” Yumi said as she eyed my body up and down. She bit her bottom lip and continued. “You need to have strong abdominal muscles and a strong back to be more effective.”
“Yeah, I appreciate this, and I will repay you.”
She dramatically pinched her nose. “You can repay me first by taking a bath. There is a natural spring in the bathhouse in the back. I will have a room set up for you to stay in while you are here.” Mecci and I gave her our thanks. She summoned Warren, who already looked cleaned up, and informed him about our room. He said he would handle it and also present us with where we could go to clean up.
Chapter Four
The bath area resembled a bathhouse like she told us. I had never been to a bathhouse, but I had seen them in movies and anime. There was a steamy pool in the far end of the room. The area had a darker feel that felt relaxing. Upon entering, there was an area to store your clothing. I sighed as I figured out how to undo all my clothes and take them off. Even though I created them, some things I did not take the time to figure out, like fasteners. I removed my clothing, and I noticed all the aches in my body from the events that I endured earlier that day. I was summoned to a different world, and I was chased, mocked, beat by some guards, and arrested. I kicked some ass, rescued Mecci, and freed the others that were imprisoned. Like a hero. To be honest with myself, I knew most of it was luck. One thing could have gone wrong, and it could have turned out very differently.
I let out a breath I seemed to be holding as I eased myself into the water. It felt like a hot tub. I wasn’t sure if this was a hot spring or powered with magic. Either way, I really didn’t care. It felt nice, charming. There was a slight mint smell to it, I wondered if there was mint in the water to assist with freshening the body. I’m sure there were many things in the water, but it looked clean.
I felt satisfied as I relaxed even more in the water. I thought about my situation and what was going on. Now that I actually had a chance to sit and consider everything. What had happened to me was insane. My mental state should have been terrible, and you would think being in this situation would have driven anyone a little nutty. I was surprisingly alright. Maybe I was just too distracted with being sick. I did slam a couple more beers, which helped a little bit, but soon I would be having issues. It was scary thinking of what I would be taking on in the future, as we could be captured, injured, or even die. I exhaled as I sank deeper into the water, leaving my eyes exposed. I didn’t really have much to go back to in my world that I was swiped, stolen, borrowed, and misplaced from.
I was pretty much alone. I had my flings here and there, but they were never serious. Honestly, I think it was more I took a break and then forgot how to be in a relationship again. I worked all the time. Most of my life was dedicated to making money. Money that I needed to feed my habits. Not something I really wanted. Yes, money is a good thing. There needed to be a balance, though. What kind of life was that? Being a worthless junky. I could stay here, I felt important in this world, and I was cared about. Did I need to take on the burden and responsibility of this world and its dangers? No, but I could. I wanted to help with the issues I saw here. Part of me wanted to be a hero. Don’t all of us want to be a hero?
I woke from a light doze noticing the great sensation my shoulders were feeling. Someone was rubbing them. I looked up above me to see Mecci sitting there. My upper body was up out of the water cushioned between her legs, with my arms resting on them. Her legs were wrapped around my chest with her feet keeping me locked in tight against her.
“Greetings, Master,” Mecci said. “Did you have a good rest while you relaxed and got cleaned up?”
“Yes.”
“Fantastic,” she said while she hugged my hea
d closer into her chest. She kissed the top of my head lightly and then rested her chin on it, squeezing me a little tighter to her. It was like laying on a comfortable pillow, which made me realize something.
“Mecci?”
“Yes, Master?”
“Are you… naked?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you naked?” I mean, I didn’t mind having a beautiful woman cuddle me, but it was a situation that I wasn’t used to. I could almost see her breasts with my peripheral vision. My head was being squished between a couple pillows that would sell for hundreds of dollars on a late-night infomercial. Yes, I would have paid it.
“Master,” she giggled. “It is a bath, silly. Why would I be dressed in it?”
“You aren’t in the bath, though; you are holding me.”
“I was in the bath. Now I am holding you. I watched you nap while I was in the water with you. Is my position uncomfortable, Master? Do you want me to stop?” She wiggled a little behind me.
“Just stop when you feel uncomfortable,” I said with a little awkwardness thinking about the moving breast pillows.
“I could and would never be uncomfortable serving you.”
This just reconfirmed what I was thinking about. Why would I go back? Even with all the dangers in this world and the risks. With the trials I would have to face, just to get by in life here and live, I would stay.
“I’m staying, Mecci,” I whispered.
“In the bath?” She questioned while tilting her head.
“I am staying in this world where you brought me.”
She suddenly pulled her legs away from me, and my head snapped backward without those unique pillows to support me. I wondered for a split second if she left, but then the water splashed as she was in front of me, straddling herself onto my lap. Her expression was coquettish as she put her arms over my shoulders and up over my neck.
“Sorry for being so erroneous, Master.” She leaned closer to me, her breasts flourishing against my chest. Her large red eyes getting closer and closer. Then she lightly kissed my lips. A quick one-second kiss that included a nibble of my bottom lip. She gave an exhale of her sweet breath into my face. “You don’t know how happy that makes me, Master.”
“I’m… um glad that you feel that way.” My pulse was skyrocketing. This was a war, and although I was sweating bullets, these bullets wouldn’t win this war.
“It seems you are happy as well, Master,” she giggled at me while rocking her hips against me.
“Yes, yes, I am,” I said as a made a grunting noise and pushed her back a little as I started to pull myself out of the bath.
“Aww, that’s no fun,” she pouted at me.
“Maybe it’s a good idea to get some rest. I feel I will have a busy day tomorrow.”
“Good idea, Master,” Mecci replied to me as she walked away, her butt producing a small wiggle as she looked over her shoulder towards me as she left the room. Maybe I was crazy. I just turned that down. It just felt off a bit with her being non-human and also my familiar. Were there rules with how I treated her? Maybe I was a hero. I just turned down a beautiful woman throwing herself at me due to ethics. Perhaps I just didn’t feel like I deserved it.
I returned to the room and saw it was prepared for us. The bed blankets were turned down and resembled how a nice hotel would set them up. I got into bed thinking about even more things. My mind was busy thinking, but I was so worn out from the day I didn’t have much longer until I fell asleep. Falling into slumber with the last thought that repeated over and over in my thoughts.
Maybe I was a hero. That was better than the nightmares.
◆◆◆
I woke up the next morning alone in bed.
Tick…Tick… Tick…
I grabbed my clothes and started to get dressed. I put my pants on one leg at a time. Yeah, I still put on my pants one leg at a time. I also required some coffee. I was pretty used to coffee from when I use to be in the office. It was really a requirement, among other things. I wasn’t even sure there was coffee here. Many things were similar, so maybe there could be some of that suitable dark liquid of daily redemption. Then I also needed to figure out a way to feel better. Time was running out. I needed just enough.
Tick…Tick… Tick…
I felt much better today as I looked out the back window. It seemed a typical day, well as usual as a day in another world could be. Maybe I needed to start thinking of this place as my world. Get out of the old box of Beck. Beck was gone, replaced by Rezner. I had big shoes to fill. This made me chuckle a little to myself as I sat back down to put on the shoes that I made. They looked similar to athletic sneakers mixed with hiking boots. I felt if these shoes were sold, they would make a killing- stylish, practical, and, most importantly, comfortable. Comfort while working is essential. Even in this setting. Dress for success.
Tick…Tick… Tick…
Today was the day that I started over. I accepted what I was. I was Rezner, I was strong, and I was respected. I started making my way downstairs to the sound of chatter. Mew was bartending again, and I saw a drink at the end of the bar just chilling. I picked it up and guzzled it down, I wasn’t sure if it was just sitting there or if it belonged to someone, but I probably needed it more than they did. There was a cloak by me, I discreetly looked through it, I found a pouch with some coin. Feeling slightly flawed, I took some of the coins. I put on my cloak and stepped out.
I pulled my hood a little tighter around my shoulders to hide my face a bit more as I went down the street. I felt a little on edge with the thoughts of finding something that might help me and my situation. It was always the same when trying to score in any city. You had to seek out the right area. There were always signs. Then you had to find a dealer, which you didn’t find them. They found you, or I had to get introduced to whatever existed here. It was a totally different game, but the fundamentals had to be similar.
Scanning the area, I felt I was getting closer to what I needed. The areas were a bit slummier, unkept, and just plain shit. This looked like where someone could hit rock bottom and stay there as long as they lasted. There were plenty of beggars here. Instead of trying to wash your car window, though, they tried to grab your pant leg from the ground. Some sunk away from intimidation. They still had some life left as they could think straight enough to recognize something that could be a threat. A junky that was too far gone wouldn’t even worry. Time wasn’t a luxury that I possessed right now.
Tick... Tick…Tick
Then I found him, this guy was my mark. He looked a bit worn but not near death. He also had a little vial in his hand. I was sure potions existed here, so there also had to be drugs. Everything else seemed to meet my expectations of existing so far in correlation to my own world, just slightly different. They had to have what I needed in this world as well. The vial didn’t seem like something that would be a typical potion in his hand, just a hunch I had from my street intuition- you just kind of know. We know our type of people.
“Hey, buddy!” I waited to see if he stirred. He looked like he was breathing. “Hey! Hey you!” I shouted, then laid a boot into his leg.
“Ahhhh! Shitters, what would you be doin’ the kickin’ like that to me!” He looked up at me, his eyes squinted, a frown on his face.
“You weren’t waking up when I was talking to you,” I said as I looked at his appearance. I think this guy was a dwarf or something like that. I didn’t know.
He appeared to be sizing me up a little. “I don’t owe you nothin’, so why don’t you get lost.” He waved me away. “I don’t need no troubles.”
“I am not here to offer trouble, friend. You look like you are in a hard spot getting low on what you need.”
He clutched his little vial closer to his body, there wasn’t much left, but it was all he had. “You don’t need to be giving me shit neither. You’re not my friend.”
I pulled a single gold coin from my pocket and held it between my fingers closer to his face. �
�The thing you don’t understand, friend, is that I can be.” I pulled the coin back and started to put it back into my pocket.
“Wait now, what you be wanting? Do not be leaving so fast,” he questioned me, his attitude relatively better after seeing the coin. Just as I expected, I would be getting what I wanted in no time.
I moved a bit closer into his personal space. “I figured a dignified and most likely knowledgeable person such as yourself might be able to assist me with something.”
“Compliments will get you no further with myself, ya cock stick.”
“What about coin?”
“Coin be of a matter totally separate, what do ya need?”
“I am not from around here, so I need to find what you would know how to find,” I looked at the vial in his hand as I spoke slowly. “You can tell by my condition that it is something I need as well.”
“You do have the sweats, and you are having the shakers.”
“Yes, it is regrettable. How about you take me to where I can fix that and I will get you what you need, as a thank you for helping me. Do we have a deal?”
He slowly got up and brushed himself off, stumbled a little, and then caught his balance. “Follow me.” He started to walk further down the way. I followed the short little man down the shadowy street to hopefully get me patched up so I could be useful. He went around a corner, and I followed, always inspecting my surroundings. I may not be skilled at many things, but I did get used to watching out for trouble when I was making excursions in the city. I ended up walking into a cul-de-sac. It was a dead end. This raised some flags, but this area was touched up a little bit more. A little less trash and there were not a lot of people lying around. This could be the place. Need to keep up appearances after all.