by Virlyce
“In the twelve years I’ve known her, I’ve never heard her tell a joke,” Tafel said. “But there’s a first time for everything, right?”
Erin flew towards the dungeon but entered a portal that appeared instead. She reappeared back in front of Tafel and frowned. “The heck?”
Tafel shrugged. “Auntie didn’t want you entering the dungeon, so why don’t you play with me for a bit?”
Erin narrowed her eyes. “Sure, I’ll play with you.”
“Great,” Tafel said and sat down. “I have cards, a few board games, and golem chess. Which one do you pick?”
“H-huh?” Erin asked. She scratched her head. “Um, cards, I guess?”
“Alright,” Tafel said and patted the ground beside her. A set of cards appeared in her hand. “Emile, come here and stop trying to eat her. We’re going to play cards.”
31
Vur stepped inside of a cave, using both his arms to shield his face from the raging wind blowing from within. He had climbed a mountain, traversed narrow roads with tiny bridges leading over massive valleys, and even saved a goat from falling to its death before arriving at one of Zilphy’s favorite spots.
“This is the place,” Diamant said as he took the shape of a blob of brown light in front of Vur.
“Obviously,” Sheryl said from the runes on Vur’s shoulder. “Just look at this place. So windy.”
“Remember, Vur,” Stella said from within Vur’s chest. “Don’t contract with Zilphy! Don’t contract with any wind elemental, got that? They’re too carefree, and they’ll definitely mess up the world I made inside your soul.” After a pause, Stella grunted and muttered, “Well, I can always feed her to the dragon even if you do make a contract with her.”
“Relax,” Vur said and patted his chest. “I know what to do.” He took in a deep breath and lowered his arms while straightening his back. The wind blew past him without affecting him as he walked deeper into the cave. “Is she home?”
“Zilphy, are you here?” Diamant asked, his voice echoing over the roaring of the wind. “It’s Diamant.”
There was no response, causing Vur to frown. He held his palm out, summoning a ball of light above his hand, illuminating the cave. He walked deeper in, following the source of the wind at every fork in the path. After a few minutes of traveling, he arrived at a cavern with a pool of blue liquid in the center. In the pool, a green rock with arms was humming while scrubbing itself with a loofah.
Vur stood at the entrance to the cavern, staring at the rock. Diamant’s brown light took on a shade of pink before retreating back into the runes on Vur’s arm. The runes faded to the point where they weren’t visible. “I never saw this scene,” Diamant whispered. “Understood? I will forever deny seeing this. Even if everyone in the world said I saw it, I will firmly deny it.”
Vur glanced at the faded runes on his arm. Then his gaze went back to the bathing rock. “So you like rocks,” Vur said with a nod. “Makes sense.”
“Who’s there!?” the green rock shouted as it turned around. Its eyes, which were made of pearls, widened as its mouth, the jagged crack beneath its eyes, split open. An ear-piercing scream echoed through the cavern, causing the wind surging around Vur to pick up. Vur dug his legs into the ground and hunched forward to prevent himself from being blown away. “Pervert! Scoundrel! Die a painful death!”
Blades of wind crashed against Vur, but they didn’t even split his skin. He raised an eyebrow, pinching his stomach where the wind blades had hit him. “My skin became tougher?”
“Probably because of your contract with Deedee,” Sheryl said.
“Oh,” Vur said with a nod, ignoring the screeching green rock in the pool. “Then what do you give me?”
“More vigor!” Sheryl said, a trace of pride in her voice.
“More vigor?” Vur asked. “Like stamina?”
Sheryl chuckled. “Yes, like stamina,” she said. “It’s especially noticeable in nighttime activities! But you haven’t partaken in any, so you haven’t noticed yet.”
“But I do lots of things at night,” Vur said, furrowing his brow.
Stella coughed, causing Vur’s tattoo to flash purple. “Why are you more innocent than me, Vur? I’m not even three months old yet.”
Vur frowned before shaking his head. “Then what would contracting with a wind elemental give me?”
“Didn’t I tell you not to?” Stella asked. “You don’t even need to know.”
“Your body becomes faster and lighter,” Sheryl said as she materialized in the air above Vur. She was instantly blown into the cave wall, causing her to yelp.
“Ah! An elementalist!” the green rock in the pool shouted. “You’re here to contract me, aren’t you? Well, I, Zilphy, the greatest wind elemental to ever exist, refuse! Get lost, pervert!”
“I don’t understand how I’m a pervert,” Vur said, his frown deepening. “You’re a rock.”
“Rocks care about their privacy too!” Zilphy said. “That’s why people don’t flip rocks over and look at their undersides.”
“But I can’t see your undersides,” Vur said.
“That doesn’t matter,” Zilphy said. “I’m not wearing clothes!”
“Would you wear clothes outside of the bath?” Sheryl asked as she transformed from a ball of flames to a red rock that could barely withstand the wind in the cave.
“No,” Zilphy said, the winds weakening.
“So why does it matter?” Sheryl asked.
“It’s a matter of principle. Principle! You don’t waltz into someone’s home and watch them bathe.” Zilphy hopped out of the pool and shook herself off before crossing her arms. Her eyes narrowed as her gaze locked onto Vur’s right arm. “Hey. There’s something weird about your arm. Have you come into contact with Diamant recently? And that weird fire elemental smells like Az. No, she’s stronger than Az? It’d make more sense to say Az smells like her.”
Vur patted his arm. “Deedee, come out.”
A sigh emerged from Vur’s arm as Diamant appeared on the ground by Vur’s feet in the shape of a small boulder. “It’s been a while, Zilphy.”
“Diamant!?” Zilphy shouted. “You! Did you see me earlier!?”
“See what?” Diamant asked. “I was asleep.”
“Liar!” Zilphy said, pointing at Diamant with a trembling body. “You’re the one who always says the earth never sleeps! You! You, you….” She raised her arms and clutched her head while tilting her face down before screaming. After a few seconds, her screaming stopped and she raised her face to look Diamant in the eyes. Her voice was as hard as iron. “That’s it. Take responsibility and marry me. Right now.”
“Huh?” Diamant, Sheryl, and Stella asked at the same time.
“No way, you gold digger,” Diamant said. “You’ve always been after the wealth I’ve amassed.”
“Shut up! Do you think a wind elemental cares about wealth?” Zilphy asked, glaring at Diamant.
“Well, a wind elemental certainly wouldn’t care about feelings,” Diamant said, glaring back.
“They’re perfect for each other,” Vur said and blinked. “It’s decided. Get married.” He lifted Diamant up and tossed him towards Zilphy. “I’m one of the founders of Damnedism. My church will officiate your marriage. Hurry up and kiss.”
“That’s a … morbid church to be officiated by,” Zilphy said. She shrank back as Vur glared at her. “But I’ll accept!” She tackled Diamant and planted a kiss on his mouth before he could respond. “There! You’re finally mine, you stupid blockhead.”
Sheryl and Stella stared at the two rocks with blank expressions on their faces. Vur nodded and placed his hands on his hips. “I did a good deed today. Tafel would be proud.”
***
“Vur…,” Stella said, drawing out her voice. She sat atop Vur’s head with her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes narrowed as she lowered her gaze to meet his. “What did I say about contracting a wind elemental?”
“You said definitel
y not to do it,” Vur said with a nod.
“Right, so you heard me,” Stella said. Her head tilted to the side. “So why did you contract with Zilphy?”
Vur glanced at the green runes on his left arm. Sheryl’s runes were curved and wavy like flames, forming into the shape of a sun. Diamant’s runes were straight and blocky, forming a simple rectangular shape that circled around his forearm. Zilphy’s runes were small and glitter-like, ultimately forming the shape of a five-point star on his bicep. When Vur asked why it was in the shape of a star, Zilphy had said stars were the best, so it was only fitting for the best wind elemental to have a star.
“So?” Stella asked while pouting and tugging on Vur’s hair.
Vur scratched his head. “Well…,” he said. He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. A moment passed. “Because I wanted to.”
Stella fell forward onto her face, planting her head into Vur’s hair. She sighed and pretended to wipe a tear from her eye. “They grow up so fast,” she said and sniffled. “One moment they’re obedient and listening to you; then the next thing you know, they’re all grown and independent and disregard every one of your suggestions.” She sighed again and shook her head. “Well, that’s okay too. I’ll just feed Zilphy to the dragon.” She dissolved into purple motes of light, entering Vur through his head.
Vur glanced at Diamant’s runes as he stood up and dusted off the back of his pants. “Are you happy, Deedee?”
A tired voice came out of his arm. “No.”
“Wow! Are you saying I don’t make you happy?” Zilphy’s voice came out of the same spot on Vur’s right forearm instead of his left bicep. “Then why’d you marry me, blockhead? Huh? Huh?”
“Just like a fairy,” Stella said from Vur’s chest while tutting. “See how noisy your life is going to be now? Don’t worry, I’ll fix things.”
Sheryl materialized onto Vur’s shoulder in the shape of a small flame. “I think Stella’s jealous,” she whispered into his ear. “Like when an older sibling gets a younger sibling and the older sibling’s afraid of their parents loving the younger sibling more.”
“Then why wasn’t she jealous of you?” Vur asked as he made his way out of Zilphy’s cave.
“That’s simple,” Sheryl said. “Since I’m the most reasonable one of everyone here, I’m like the nanny of the family. You’re the dad. Diamant’s a grumpy old neighbor while Stella is the baby that we all spoil. The baby isn’t jealous of the nanny, but Zilphy’s personality directly contends for Stella’s position as the youngest.”
Vur scratched his head. “Why am I the dad? I’m the youngest one here.”
“What?” Sheryl asked. “No way. That aunt of yours said you drank Fountain of Youth water. Aren’t you like over a few centuries old? Yeah, dragons become adults when they’re like a dozen centuries old. I’m only 463.”
“What!? You’re younger than me?” Zilphy asked. “I’m close to two thousand!”
“Really?” Stella asked. “From the way you were acting, I thought you were twelve.” A purple light flashed on Vur’s arm. “Come with me for a second.”
“Me? Twelve?” Zilphy asked. “How do I act like I’m twelve? And where are we going?”
A green and purple light traveled up Vur’s arm as he stepped out of the cave and squinted into the darkness. The moon wasn’t out, but hundreds of stars were twinkling in the night sky.
“Oh, we’re just going for a short walk,” Stella said. “You act like you’re twelve because you ask too many questions.”
Vur scratched at the green and purple light traveling up his neck. He glanced at Sheryl. “Well, I’m only sixteen. Or seventeen? Oh, Tafel’s birthday passed. I should get her a present for when I see her.” His brow furrowed. “But what do I get her?”
“A star!” Zilphy said from his cheek. “I’d love it if someone got me a star, hint hint, wink wink, Diamant.”
Diamant sighed. “How about diamonds or other gems? There’s a lot of those in the treasury.”
“Ooh, make her a stuffed animal,” Sheryl said. “My friend got a stuffed animal once from her boyfriend. She was so happy.” Her flames dimmed. “I never got one, but I bet I would’ve been happy if I did.”
“I’m sure Tafel will be fine with anything you get her,” Stella said. “After all, her expectations of you when it comes to romance are super low. And she loves you, but the former is the real reason.” The green and purple lights flashed on Vur’s forehead. “Hey, Mr. Mutant Dragon. I brought you a snack!”
The rune on Vur’s head flashed with a golden light.
“What the heck is that!?” Zilphy shouted. A green light zipped down Vur’s face, heading towards Diamant’s runes, but a golden tendril shot out of the rune on Vur’s forehead and entangled the green light. “Diamant, help! You don’t want to become a widower on the day of your marriage!”
“Ah,” Vur said, his eyes lighting up. “I almost forgot why we came to find Zilphy.” He tapped the rune on his head, and the golden light retreated, freeing the now-dim green light. “Did you cause my dwarven soldiers to vanish around a week ago? One of them was named Popp.”
“Dwarven soldiers?” Zilphy asked as she retreated into Diamant’s runes. “I haven’t left my cave in over a year. It wasn’t me.”
“Oh,” Vur said and turned towards Sheryl. “You were wrong.”
Sheryl’s flame flickered. “I guess so. Sorry, Vur. I was just trying to help.”
“That’s okay,” Vur said and patted the flame on his shoulder. “Besides, I’m lighter and faster now.” He glanced at the sky. “How far away is a star? I want to give one to Tafel.”
“Uh, Vur,” Zilphy said. “When I said star, I wasn’t referring to an actual star, just a star-like object. I don’t think it’s possible to gift someone a star in the sky.”
“Maybe not right now,” Vur said while rubbing his chin. “But when I can maintain my scales and wings for an indefinite amount of time….”
“No, no,” Stella said. “That’s impossible for even a dragon.”
Vur frowned.
***
“Land…,” Gale said as the yellow line on the horizon became more and more pronounced. “It’s really land.” Tears sprang from his eyes, dripping onto his cracked and tanned hands. “It’s really, really land….”
Breeze patted Gale’s back. “Thanks for the ride,” he said, looking behind himself at the five armored figures sitting atop a leviathan skeleton. “I’m not sure how much longer he would’ve lasted.”
“Don’t thank us,” Charlotte said. “It was Mistle who brought you two along. I just wish she weren’t so … free. Abandoning us after setting up that current, what’s she doing that’s so important?”
Abel snorted. “If you really were thankful, you wouldn’t be keeping so many secrets from us,” he said. “We’ve been drifting together for over ten days, but I still only know your names.”
“Ah?” Breeze tilted his head. “Didn’t you hear a lot of our conversations? How come you didn’t pick anything up?”
“Your conversations were the same exact exchanges at the same time every day!” Abel said and clasped his sword’s hilt. He exhaled and released his hand when the other four members of the Fangs of Capitis stared at him. He lifted his helmet and spat into the sea before glaring at his teammates. “What? Was I wrong?”
“Well, the contractor’s a bit addled,” Charlotte said with a sigh. “We don’t know how long they’ve been lost at sea. It might take a while for him to recover, if ever.”
Sobbing sounds pierced through the sound of lapping waves. “It’s really, really, really land….”
“See?” Charlotte asked and shook her head at the crying pope. “Look at the poor man. Cut him some slack.”
“Whatever,” Abel said and lay down. He placed both arms under his head and stared up at the sky. He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose, listening to the sounds of the ocean. A sorrowful hum drifted into his ears, causing him to furrow his bro
ws. “Are the whales singing?”
Gale’s sobbing figure froze. His eyes widened as his hands trembled, his face staring at the yellow line on the horizon. “No…. No…. No!”
“Is he alright?” the Fang with the rifle asked Breeze. “We’re almost there. Why’s he panicking?” He tilted his head and clapped his hand onto Breeze’s shoulder. The blob of darkness didn’t respond. “Hey. You two alright?”
“Hush,” Charlotte said, turning her head to the side. “Do you hear that?”
Thank the mistress for her grace.
“What?” the Fang with the rifle asked. “Did that come from ashore? Those aren’t whales, Abel.”
Thank the mistress for her grace.
“It sounds like a chant,” Charlotte said. “Like the ones the holy dragon churches use when they’re holding mass.”
Thank the mistress for her grace.
“It sounds more like brainwashing to me,” the Fang with the whip said. “Who’s this mistress?” He turned his head towards Gale, who buried his face into his hands and screamed. “Hey….”
Thank the mistress for her grace.
“How loud are they that we can hear them from here?” Abel asked as he sat up. He shielded his visor from the sun, peering at the shore. White, blue, and red dots peppered the beach. “Is it a religious ceremony? Do the fishmen hold those?”
Thank the mistress for her grace!
The Fang with the axes slapped his thigh. “It’s a work song!” he said and removed his helmet. He cupped his hand over his ear, pointing it at the shore. “When I used to work on the farm with my family, we’d sing to pass the time. My father would say a line, then we’d chant our line back at him.”