Re: He Is Mine (Demeter)
Idian nodded at Demeter without hesitation, "Of course! It's a very handy things to know in tight spots," he told Demeter with a smile. And not long after Bubbles was finished giving her gift to Demeter, she approached Idian from behind, and tugged on the back of his shirt, causing him to turn about, and look down at her curiously, "What is it, Bubbles?" he inquired, before she began to make motions with her hands at him, causing him to look back at all of the travel equipment on his back. "It's okay, Bubbles, I can carry it," he replied, but she shook her head, raising her arms up at him. Idian let out a sigh, considering what she wanted for a moment, before nodding, "Alright, but if it doesn't work, no more of this, okay?"
With that, he set his equipment down, and stepped back to let Bubbles perform something. Taking a deep breath, Bubbles expanded her chest, before she began to form one of the largest bubbles she ever yet had created. Pushing against all the travel gear, the bubble slowly consumed the entirety of Idian's gear, until all of their food, and camping equipment was inside a shiny, gleaming bubble. And once it was inside the bubble, it slowly lifted off of the ground, and caused Idian to go into a panic as it was about to sail away. But before he could do anything, Bubbles jumped on the gear, and brought the bubble back down, causing it to bounce off of the ground.
Staring at Bubbles on top of the bubble, she watched her slowly travel with the gear under her, bouncing along the path. "W-wait, Bubbles! You might get lost!" he shouted, jogging after Bubbles until he caught up with her as she bucked her legs on the bubble each time it flattened out on the ground, in order to push it back up into the air, and float over the path. When it landed, she bucked again, and floated through the air. Not going fast, Idian was able to walk along side her, watching Bubbles travel using such a strange method.
"I never would have thought of that... Thanks Bubbles!" he praised her. Later, Bubbles needed to consume a large amount of water. Thankfully, there was a river nearby.
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The sun had set, and the night sky had befallen the trio of travelers before they would arrive at their destination. It seemed more like a keep than a town, surrounded by high walls and resting on the top of a hill. It was a place that seemed built to thwart invaders, and was quite an intimidating sight, one which did not seem to bother Idian in the slightest as he approached the path that led up to the gates of the town. "This is the town where I met the Countess," Idian announced to his companions. As they winded up the rest of the path, they passed under a bridge connected to the walls overhead, leading straight to a rather menacing looking castle that almost screamed 'there's something evil in there.'
The gates, when they reached them, were closed. A pair of guards, one man, and one woman, were talking with each other, laughing slightly, before they turned their attention to the three approaching them. Going from a laid back attitude to all business in the blink of an eye. "
Halt!" the man ordered the three. "
What business brings you to the castle town of Temran in the middle of the night?" he questioned them.
Idian stepped forward with a nod, "It's me, Idian. I came to mourn for the death of the countess," he said flatly. And at his words, the guards both shared a look with each other, before the guard turned around and knocked his spear against the wall, causing the gates to slowly part.
"Right, well," the guard cleared his throat, "Your permitted inside the castle, as always, master Idian. You should head there next thing, as you're in for a surprise." the guard chuckled, along with his female cohort. Idian only cocked his head to the side in confusion.
"Thanks..." Idian said with an equally confused tone of voice, before heading inside with Bubbles bouncing on her bubble behind him, drawing stares wherever she went. At some point, Idian decided that Bubble's method of travel was too attention grabbing, and took the gear back onto his back, promptly after trying to figure out how to pop Bubble's surprisingly durable bubble. Although it wasn't Bubbles herself that was suspicious, it was merely the bubble itself, as Demeter would note as she walked through the town. Many were dressed like her, wearing various clothing that concealed various parts of their bodies. It became clear that there were many monsters in this town, when Demeter passed by a youthful looking girl with a big hat that covered her eyes, wearing long sleeves and a long skirt, with a tiny hint of a black, fuzzy tail sticking out of the back of the skirt as she walked. As well, there were countless signs of monster presence in the town that any observant eye would notice...
Except Idian.
With Idian leading the way, they went straight through the middle of the town, down a single street that cut through the middle of the town, and to another set of gates guarded by more guards, but the pair awaiting them there wore far more superior armor, and their color was of royal red, signifying their importance. Instead of the reaction from the guards before, the guards they approached before the bridge to the castle immediately stood aside, and gave Idian a polite bow, causing Idian to blush and direct his hands at them. "Guys... You don't have to do that..." he said with slight worried irritation, glancing to Demeter as if he was worried it would affect her opinion of him. Standing aside as well, Bubbles bowed to Idian as well, but it was clear her intentions were entirely humorous. "
Bubbles..." Idian growled angrily.
The gate opened for them, and Idian let out a sigh as he hurried past the scene of the guards paying him respect. "I'm really sorry about that. Just being a friend of the Countess means they do that all on their own. Please don't think of me as some snobby noble," he asked of Demeter before turning his head to look at the full moon hanging in the night sky. From the bridge, the sight of the moon hanging just above the castle gave the view a dark and romantic aura, more than worthy of a painting of it's beauty. "The countess and I once stood here on this bridge during my stay here," he said aloud. "For some reason, the sight is much more beautiful when you're with someone else, rather than alone..." He let out a sigh, "She'll never get to see something this beautiful again... I'll never forgive the ones who killed her," he announced with vindictive determination.
Passing the long bridge, they reached the beautiful front doors of the castle, which Idian pushed aside with both hands, parting the double doors to make way for his companions. Inside of the castle was literally the polar opposite of Demeter's previous home. Gold lacing was literally almost everywhere. The floor was of sandy white marble tiles. A silver chandelier hung overhead, decorating the room in a bright, glorious light with all of the candles placed on it. A soft, lush red carpet lined the way to the splitting staircase ahead that granted access to the east and west wings of the castle, and there were paintings everywhere along the walls, each depicting the owner of the castle in a quite
lewd light.
Approaching the trio, an elderly man in a black butler's suit gave the three a polite bow. "Welcome, master Idian. I expected your return, though you are a bit late, as usual."
Idian shifted slightly after returning the bow to the butler. "Sorry, I'm not very good with direction..." he apologized, before directing the butler's attention to his two companions. "This is Demeter and Bubbles. They're my... friends," he stated, while giving Demeter a glance and a flush, as if uncertain if Demeter was simply a friend.
The butler bowed once more to them, "Greetings, master Demeter and master Bubbles," he welcomed them, with a bit of humor on his tongue as he mentioned Bubbles' name.
"I'm here to pay my respects to the countess," Idian announced to the butler, to which, the butler actually laughed politely. Again, much to Idian's bewilderment.
"Of course, master Idian. Countess Sofia is lying in her chambers in rest," he stated, as if she were merely sleeping instead of dead, but Idian took that as a polite way of saying 'eternal rest'.
(Jesus this is long)
Giving his thanks, Idian led the way to Sofia's chambers, walking up the stairs, and heading to the west wing. Reaching a large spiral tower, Idian, Demeter, and Bubbles walked the many steps leading up to the top of the wide tower, something of an exhausting trip. "At least it's one way for a noble to stay in shape..." Idian commented on the several hundred step climb, although, as they climbed, they noticed from the large gap in the middle of the tower, where one might die if they fell, Bubbles came rising from below, waving at the two of them as she slowly floated upwards. "Hey!" Idian exclaimed, running up the stairs after her, "Make bubbles for us too!" he insisted. With a leap off of her bubble, Bubbles landed in front of them, and did as Idian desired, before all three of them had a chance to relax as they slowly floated up the spiral tower.
Reaching the top, they stepped into the countess' bedroom... A large room with only a large bed, vanity, and wardrobe present, was mostly empty, but held a spectacular view of the moon that they saw looming over the castle. A huge window acted as a wall to behold such a sight, a place so sight, and with such a view, only the richest of nobles could ask for. And the noble in question was laying quietly in her bed, beautiful white hair decorating the pillow underneath her as she lay with her hands folded over her belly, eyes closed. She looked just like someone who had passed away, and was lain to rest.
"Sofia..." Idian whispered her name quietly as he approached the bed, and kneeled at the foot. "I returned..." he told the deceased woman in the bed, tears welling up in his eyes as he overlooked her. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry this had to happen..." Resting his hands on the bed, he lowered his head as his emotions overtook him, and Idian began to cry for her sake. "You were valuable, not only to me, but to all of your people... Someone wonderful like you, who brought happiness to everyone... It's not fair! I'll avenge you... I'll..."
Idian rose his head, and went silent as the woman rose from the bed, and stretched her arms with a yawn.
"... Huh?" he gestured in the greatest degree of bewilderment yet.
"Idian...?" the woman called out, opening her red eyes, before she suddenly grinned widely, her teeth showing amidst her joy as she quickly crawled down the bed, and lunged at Idian, "
Idian!" she cried, colliding into a screaming Idian, and falling down to the soft carpet underneath them with her arms wrapped around his neck in a joyous embrace.
"
Aaah! Sofia! What the hell!?" he exclaimed in embarrassment and shock, "
I thought you had been killed!" he shouted.
Lifting up, and looking down at him with her beautiful face, and rich red eyes, she smiled and said happily,
"I only pretended to die!" she announced as if it were a harmless joke.
Idian gripped her shoulders before he began screaming at her, "
I WAS CRYING! THAT ISN'T FUNNY!" he lectured her.
She put her hands on him, and attempted to hold him down, and calm him. "Relax, I did it so the Order would get off my back... But," she giggled, hugging him again, "I'm glad you're back, Idian~" she cooed in a romantic voice.
