Chapter 10: Chapter: 10 Ahri’s Secret

Ahri POV

Ahri nibbled on a chunk of dry bread as they walked along a narrow path on their way to the village of Fairbrooke. The village was a day's walk from Alhaven and the first stop on their way to Ramogos’ temple.

Talasin followed behind, ‘guarding their rear’ but Ahri suspected that was code for him checking out her ass.

Ahri was having a shitty morning. She’d woken up to find her pillow covered in drool and Talasin and two of her binding cards missing. She’d found another card nestled between her breasts and she just prayed, if a god could pray, that Talasin hadn't dug the other two out of the same spot.

She’d thought things were looking better when she sat down to breakfast but before she even got started on her second plate breakfast was interrupted by shouting in the marketplace. She tried to ignore the sounds and focus on eating. But, when a baboon flew through the inn’s window and crashed into the dining room she knew breakfast was over.

She’d found Talasin in the marketplace covered in blood and grinning like a fool. He was headstrong, independent and completely oblivious to how much danger they were really in.

He was proving to be a bigger challenge than she had expected. She had to win him over. She couldn't threaten him, he didn't have much to lose. The simplest way would be if he fell in love with her but she wasn't skilled at that kind of thing. She’d been alone too long and wasn't used to the subtleties of romance.

Talasin strode up beside her.

“What are you thinking about?”

He'd tried making small talk all morning but she’d been giving him the silent treatment which was having the wrong effect. He seemed to enjoy the challenge of getting her to speak.

“Can you pass the bag?” he asked, nodding at her backpack.

She’d been given the pack maul job as Talasin had to have his hands free to defend them in case of attackers. She didn't mind though. It meant she was close to the food. Since she’d taken on her mortal body her appetite had increased massively.

Ahri unslung the backpack and tossed it to Talasin.

“This is all that’s left?” he asked.

She said nothing. What did it matter if she had eaten all of their supplies? There was bound to be a traveling merchant or a farmyard on the way. She had one binding card left which she could sell and then she could buy enough supplies to last them a month.

Of course I’d have to carry those supplies too.

She pondered the problem while Talasin continued his tirade about the missing food.

“You ate the whole loaf, Ahri. How is that even possible? We've been on the road for three hours.”

“I was hungry,” she said and then she realized that he had finally gotten her to speak.

“You didn't think that I’d get hungry too?” he asked.

Ahri hid a smile.

“I don't know how humans work, for all I know they don't need to eat as often as gods. There's an apple left, we can split it, you can have the bigger half if that makes you happy.”

“Do you have a knife?” he asked.

She shrugged, of course she didn't have a knife, only servants carried tools.

Ahri watched Talasin cast Polyblade. She had never used card magic before, the gods had their own type of magic but she did admire the simplicity of card magic. She figured the elder gods had made human magic simple to suit the human’s simple minds.

White light shone, the spell took effect and a giant hammer fell from the sky and hit the ground with a resounding thud.

“Orgeslayer Greathammer,” he said. “Are you kidding me?”

Talasin strained to lift the hammer but even all of his animal grunts and groans the hammer wouldn't budge.

Ahri tried to hide her laughter but the more Talasin strained and the redder his face became the more she laughed. Eventually her stomach hurt and she had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself.

He gave her an annoyed look.

“You finished?”

She laughed again.

“I'm sure this Polyblade card is messing with me,” he said.

Ahri ran her hand down the haft of the giant hammer and smiled as Talasins face turned red again.

“Don't blame the tool,” she said. “Blame the fool using it.”

Somehow, she felt bad for the guy. He was a stubborn ass but he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. It was a pity after all, she had killed him and lied to him and before this quest was over he would die again.

She smiled and handed him the remainder of her bread.

He inspected the bread for a moment like she’d spat on it or something and then his face split into a grin.

“I have an idea,” he said.

Of course you do.

Talasin summoned the Twilight Titan and the shining creature rose out of the ground and bowed to him. She was impressed by Talasin's first catch, a Twilight Titan was a powerful magical beast but she couldn't tell him that his head was already big enough as it was.

The titan turned to her and bowed flamboyantly.

“Pleasure to be on this adventure with you, beautiful lady.”

She tipped her head in the slightest gesture of a bow and touched the bowed over creature on the head.

It was the first time she’d seen the titan and as he stood up she realized he was twice her height. She stood on her tippy toes and peered at his pitch black skin. It was filled with tiny mesmerizing sparkles that looked like the night sky. He was an imposing sight but for some reason the titan reminded Ahri of a puppy, the kind that humps your leg every time it gets too excited

Talasin crumbled the chunk of bread into the giant's hand.

“Can you detach your hand?” he asked.

The titan detached his hand and stared at it in confusion.

Talasin placed the detached hand behind a bush and threw the crumbs into its palm.

“Don't move,” said Talasin. “Just act like a rock and close your hand when the bird lands in your palm.”

The titan’s stoney face frowned.

“Talasin, this is not what I had in mind when I joined you on your journey around the world.”

Ahri and Talasin found a quiet spot under a tree to wait and all the while the titan complained about being treated like a common bird trap.

Talasins eyes shone with boyish mischief.

“Do you think the trap will work?”

Ahri shrugged and pretended she didn't care one way or the other. But every few minutes she’d gaze at the titan expectantly hoping to hear the squawk of a trapped bird.

---

The midday sun shone down on Ahri as she rested on a pile of leaves under a broad maple tree.

“I love fall,” said Talasin. “It's my favorite season.”

“Yeah,” said Ahri. “It's so beautiful the way the leaves die. They’re so pretty just before they fall to their death.”

Talasin laughed.

“Only you’d see it that way. What’s your favorite season?”

“It's not a competition,” said Ahri. “They are all annoying in their own way.”

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Flint shouted, “I’ve got one.”

He came running over with sheer delight on its stony face. In its giant hands was a duck flattened like a pancake.

“Flint, can you grate your knuckles together to create sparks?” Talasin asked.

The titan’s face dropped.

“Ugh, I'm already regretting leaving my post.”

Soon they had a small fire burning and the duck roasting over the flames. Ahri had no cooking skills but she was put in charge of rotating the duck. Flint’s hands were used to catch the duck’s fat drippings and Talasin used a spring to paint the duck in the fat.

“Flint, it's a pity you can't eat any of this,” she said around a mouthful of juicy meat.

The titan looked up at them as it crunched on a handful of rocks.

“I'm alright, these stones have sulfates.”

Ahri didn't know what sulfates were but she made a mental note to try out a stone later when nobody was around.

---

Things were humming along as well as could be expected until Talasin found Ahri's last binding card. He wanted to explore and hunt for a new spell and she wanted to stick to the main road and get to the next village as soon as possible.

An argument broke out and Talasin said that the only way to settle their disagreement was by breaking the duck’s wishbone.

“Whoever gets the bigger piece wins,” he said.

It was a stupid game but it seemed fair enough so Ahri gripped one side of the bone and Talasin gripped the other side.

“On three,” he said. “One--”

Ahri yanked the bone and it snapped in two.

A stupid grin spread across Talasin's face.

Ahri tossed her bone into the fire and folded her arms.

“I'm not going.”

Talasin was already packing their equipment into the backpack.

“What,” he said. “We had a deal, the wishbone would choose the path.”

Ahri shrugged.

“Go then, see if I care.”

“Fine,” said Talasin.

“Fine.”

---

Ahri was left alone by the small fire as Talasin and the titan left. She was used to being alone, she’d spent the last thousand years by herself.

As soon as they were out of sight Ahri opened the bag and took out the last apple. She put the apple to her lips and experienced something she hadn't felt in a long time- guilt. She threw the apple back into the bag.

Stupid Talasin.

---

She walked down the path for some time until the sun became unbearably hot. So she found a quiet spot beside a calm river. She looked around then transformed her clothing.

Ahri looked down at her two piece mini bikini and saw what looked like an eyepatch covering each of her breasts. She flushed deep crimson and quickly changed her clothing into a one-piece bathing suit.

“Much better,” she said as she jumped into the water.

A pair of otters swam lazily in the river and a troop of monkey-like creatures with saucer-shaped heads and long noses popped out of the water and watched her swim. She splashed water at them and they dived under the water again leaving behind tiny flowers that floated down the river.

Eventually when the water became too cold Ahri climbed out and lay in the sun to dry off. When she was sure that nobody was around she touched her pendant and a mirror appeared in her hand.

The last of her powers were stored in the pendant. With her being denied access to her realm she would have to start using her powers more sparingly. It was easier said than done though. Ahri was a being of magic. Living a mundane life was like eating a steak with no teeth.

Ahri held the mirror up and looked at her reflection. Already her skin was changing, it had lost its luster and become dull like everything else in the mortal realm.

A shadow passed behind her but she ignored it as she brushed the knots out of her hair with her fingers.

“Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror,” said a cool voice behind her.

Ahri tilted the mirror and spied the speaker. He was a tall man wearing a top hat and holding a glowing wooden cane.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she said.

Hood's face split into a humorless grin.

“How can I stay away from such beauty?”

Ahri forced a laugh.

“The only beauty you have ever loved is your own,” she said with more boldness than she felt. “You put a mindworm in Talasin. You could have given us away.”

Hood spread his hands in a gesture of innocence.

“Call it insurance.”

“Is that why you banished me from my own realm? Insurance?”

Hood ran a nail down her spin leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

“Don't worry little god, you will get your realm back when you’ve completed your side of the deal.”

Ahri ignored the pain and continued fixing her hair in the mirror.

“I didn't agree to this,” she said through gritted teeth. “We had an arrangement. I’d find the Sword Saint and you’d…”

The mirror shattered in Ahri's hand.

Hood stepped behind her and stroked her hair.

“You have three weeks. This hero of yours better not fail or both your heads will roll.”

Ahri took a deep breath to steady herself.

“Don't worry about the boy. I have him wrapped around my finger.”

His hands tightened around her ponytail and he yanked hard pulling her head back so she could look into his eyes.

“We are counting on you, little goddess, don't disappoint us.”

A rift split the air and Hood stepped into it and disappeared.

Ahri exhaled a long slow breath and clenched her fists until her hands stopped trembling. She reached into her backpack and pulled out the apple and took a bite of it.

I hate this world.

---

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