In Search of Eternity Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Micaela was unsettling to witness in person. The elves had a fluid, graceful way of moving, entirely inhuman but still pleasant to look at. The ex-angel, by contrast, moved with no fluidity at all. It had become a habit to pay attention to how people moved their bodies, so watching someone move in such an exacting way was odd. She moved precisely as she meant to, no wasted movement, no swaying, no follow through motions.

It was hard to describe, but seeing someone use their body in such a way made my skin crawl. It was if she told her body what positions it should end up in at any moment, and it instantly carried it out robotically. Luka’s dad must have been a strong man indeed to be able to look past something like this, as a trained fighter. It went against everything I had learned about how people moved, utterly unnatural.

So when Micaela had asked to speak to Luka alone, I was more than happy to make myself scarce, much to her evident surprise. It’s not like I was missing out, I knew how the conversation would go.

Well, more or less. Damn butterflies could be pesky.

Regardless, so long as things were mostly on the same path as they were, we had a chance. Rather than stress myself out wondering whether I turned the plot into a pretzel or not, I explored what little of Enrika was open to us. Of course, because I’m not an idiot, I kept my staff and dagger handy in case of a random Hentai Elf.

Thankfully, most of them got the hint quickly and once the story of me almost cracking open the skull of one of their guards got around, they avoided me entirely. For a world so blasé about death, they really were surprisingly squeamish when it came to violence, huh? Well, it's not like that isn’t the case back on Earth, so I decided to chalk it up to people being people.

Luka and Alice soon found me, and we headed back towards Iliasburg, then onto Happiness Village. Nothing much of note happened while we travelled, Luka still preoccupied with whatever Micaela had said to him and Alice continued to be… well, Alice. After some time on the trail, your conversations stop being deep and meaningful and become task focused, asking questions about tent set-up, food prep, supplies and the like.

After a brief encounter with a honey obsessed Bee Girl which was handily dealt with by Luka, we finally arrived at the beleaguered village. In fact, we arrived just in time to chase off a Harpy from abducting one of the few remaining boys in the Village. I stayed quiet as Luka inquired about the situation.

It turns out that the nearby Harpy Village had gone hostile recently, kidnapping all the men and terrorising the women. They had yet to be able to even work the aviary, hence the lack of Honey making its way to the rest of the continent. I must admit, they were really good at selling the sob story, all of them looking distraught and tearful when the Elder explained that they would likely cease to be a village entirely soon should a hero not rescue them soon.

There was a problem with their story of course. The honey shortage had started months ago. So that either meant that they had done nothing to resolve the issue in all that time, or…

“And how many heroes have you sent to that Harpy Village, to never be seen again? Hmm?” Alice asked, staring imperiously down at the Elder.

“Ah, that is, er…” She started to stammer, the old lady’s eyes darting to and fro at the sudden confrontation.

“Alice! How could you ask that? All these people are scared and just want to… to…” Luka trailed off as he looked around and was met with the sight of all the women looking guilty and avoiding his gaze.

“The issues started months ago, Luka.” I spoke for the first time, “Plenty of time for word to spread. Plenty of time for heroes and adventurers to come to the rescue. Also… plenty of time for a village with no trade or harvest to starve.”

My voice was calm, but the implication was apparent. Just to get through his wilful blindness, I spelt it out even clearer, “I doubt that Blessed Heroes fetch a good price, but unblessed men like us? How long will you be able to eat if we go get ourselves wifed up, huh?”

“It’s easy for you to cast judgement! You are strong, you can fight! We can’t!” One of the women shouted to a chorus of agreement from the rest.

“That’s just sad.” I spoke, shaking my head at them, “If you won’t fight for your homes, how could you expect anyone else to do it for you?”

That got shameful expressions and ground staring, none able to dispute my words.

“Pathetic.” Was the cutting words from Alice, as she whirled around on her heels, “Come on Luka, this was a waste of time. Off to Illiasport next.”

“No.” The little Hero spoke, firm in tone, “I want to help these people.”

“Even after they served you up like a pig to the slaughter?” Alice was incredulous.

“Even then. Desperate people can perform great wrongs, it is only human. I do not hold it against them. They are in a horrible situation, I can help them. So I must.” He spoke, resolute.

Real shounen energy.

“You’re absolutely insane.” Alice breathed out.

The Elder, quick as a whip, was fast to capitalise on the opportunity, “If you want to have the best chance, you should set out at night when they are sleeping. The other adventurers set off during the day, so they won’t be expecting it.”

“Thank you!” Luka nodded towards her, his thankful expression causing her to react like she had just been struck, “Then when night falls Lothar and I…”

“Just you.” I denied, causing him to start and stare at me with wide eyes, “If you want to risk your life for these… people… that is your choice, but leave me out of it.”

“Lothar!” He exclaimed, aghast, “Would you really just condemn these people? Let me go alone?”

“Yes.” At his shocked expression, I elaborated, “Luka, it’s not my job to care about this village. I am no Hero. I will not risk my life for people I hold in contempt.”

That earned me some dirty looks from the gathered woman, but they could go slam clams. They clearly had no respect for my life or choices, so I would return the courtesy. Besides, there was another reason.

The Harpy Queen. She was driven to this course of action by desperation for her people, but in the game was able to be convinced to reconcile with Happiness Village and live peacefully. Thanks to Luka talking her down. If I got involved, there is no telling how that could end with her fragile mental state.

In my own way, I was trying to also resolve everything for the best.

“I see.” He looked saddened, but then resolved himself, his endless well of determination shining through, “I understand. You have your love to live for, right? I get it. Leave it to me then, I will save you all!”

Luka turned to the gathered women at the last part, causing a few cheers to be heard and grateful looks to be thrown his way. Many near me were still looking at me in distaste, so, shaking my head I turned and walked out of the Village. Things had been set up, me being there would not help any more.

As I walked away, the last thing I heard was Alice trying to dissuade Luka from his chosen path.

---XXX---

Luka woke up, then briefly panicked. He was restrained, held within Alice’s coils. Despite being covered in scales, her tail around his body was strangely pleasant, something that gave him mixed feelings.

On top of what had occurred that night. As thanks for restarting the trade of Happiness Honey, the proprietor of the inn in Iliasburg had treated them to her speciality, Ama-ama Dango. While, he said ‘them’, but it was more like Alice only who had snapped up the treat all for herself. Then, claiming that it wasn’t enough, she had decided to… ‘eat’ Luka instead.

Obviously, this made him feel very conflicted. He knew monster girls needed semen to survive, something that was against Ilias’ teachings. So they fact that he lay with a monster, even if it was only a handjob… did that make him a hypocrite? It was always an issue with his dream of Monsters and Humans coexisting, but suddenly being forced to confront the contradiction like this was uncomfortable.

He could say he was forced into it, but that would be a lie. He wanted it to happen, otherwise he could have struggled more and fought her. He liked Alice, so giving her what she needed to survive was natural, wasn’t it? Still, what they did would brand him as a heretic. It was something wrong, base, foul, according to everything he had been taught.

So why did it feel so good?

“Mornings are no time for such deep thoughts.” A rumble came from his bed partner, the soft skin of Alice’s torso suddenly enveloping his chest.

“Sorry.” He apologised reflexively, “Did I wake you?”

“Hardly.” Alice scoffed, “I was just relaxing for a while. We will need to get up soon to fetch our surly companion.”

Luka winced at that. Lothar had reason to be upset, he must admit. After he had fought with the Harpy Queen and got her to see reason, the villagers left in Happiness Village had arrived, armed with farming tools and torches, guilted into following after him by Alice. Seeing the resolve of the women ready to fight for their homes as well as the pleas of their new husbands, the men from the village, the Harpies were forced to agree to finding a compromise with the humans.

It sounded bad, but really everyone got what they wanted out of the situation. Not perfectly as they would like it, of course. But that’s just life. So they held a party to try and get along, to allow the two sides to socialise with each other in a more relaxed setting. It was at this event where Luka was given the Honey, actually.

Of course, Lothar had not been invited to this feast. In fact, he had only briefly shown up to speak to Luka and make sure that everything worked out for the best. Once he confirmed the issue was (mostly) resolved, he had left back to their camp, hostile glares following him all the way.

Still, Luka felt something else was going on. Lothar was not one who let the opinions of others affect him over much, so the distance he had put between himself and Luka and Alice must have some other cause. Whatever was ailing his friend, Luka was sure he would eventually confide in them if they just gave him space and time.

Still, Alice was right, they did need to get moving. Wiggling out of the snake woman’s embrace, feeling a slight discomforting sense of loss, he quickly set about gathering his things. Once he was prepared, he turned to find Alice in her disguise, perfectly dressed and ready. Idly, he wondered how much she was wearing was an illusion, but quickly shook his head to remove such thoughts from his mind.

“Finally ready?” She asked, raising an eyebrow towards him.

“Yes, let's go check out.” He sighed, well used to her by now.

Walking down to the reception, he was greeted with the sight of Lothar already there, awaiting their arrival with his own pack over his shoulder. Lothar saw him at the same time, gracing Luka with a nod of acknowledgement. Luka nodded back and moved to pay the innkeeper, before being mortified at said woman’s knowing smirk and wink.

Alice was quick to notice his mood when he rejoined his companions, “What’s got you so cute and embarrassed?”

Lothar gave a small grin at him, “He’s likely figured out that the walls of your room were thin enough for everyone to hear what you two got up to.”

Rather than be embarrassed, Alice smiled widely at the news, “My my, is that jealousy I hear? Did you hearing what you were missing out on cause you regret?”

Luka’s eyes snapped to Lothar at that, to his relief seeing the older man’s nose scrunched in distaste at the jab, “Hardly. Merely disappointment at your lack of consideration.”

“How stiff.” Alice sniffed, “It’s not my fault that others can’t mind their own business.”

“Alice...” Luka started at that, wishing to admonish her but unable to as Lothar started to walk down the road.

Hurrying to catch up to him, he was greeted by advice, “Don’t bother Luka. It’s not worth it.”

“Wise man.” Was the response from Luka’s other side, “Knowing to admit when I am right.”

“Sure, we’ll go with that.” Was Lothar’s final words, causing Luka to sigh once more.

He wondered for how long this bad mood would hang around his friend.

---XXX---

As it turned out, the distance never shrunk, only increasing as they travelled towards Illiasport. Lothar’s mood did nothing to prevent him from teaching Luka, in fact it seemed to drive him with some sort of urgency to impart as much as he could.

Luka felt like he had learned weeks worth of fighting technique in mere days, so intense was the training. It all came to a head the night before they reached Illiasport, Luka having collapsed in a heap at the more skilled swordsman’s feet, panting from exertion.

“Well done.” Lothar praised, “At this point, there are few humans who could match you.”

“Still haven’t touched you once.” Luka breathed out, bitterness creeping into his words.

“I remember when I started learning. My instructors seemed like an impassable wall, a mountain that I could never climb in a thousand years.” The man mused, putting his weight on the wooden sparring sword and looking down at Luka’s prone form, “Then I beat one of them when we met in a tournament. Then another. And another. Soon, I stood right there with them, upon that same plateau. You'll get there too, sooner than you think.”

“Doesn’t feel like it.” He gripped back, but nodded at the encouragement, “But thank you.”

“Would you mind...” Luka paused his motion to get up at the trepidation in the man’s voice, “Can I impart some advice? I think it needs to be said.”

Sensing this was serious, Luka shifted to sitting in a cross legged position, staring solemnly up at his friend, “Of course.”

Lothar smiled, before the expression faded aware as he stared seriously off into the distance, “Our actions are never truly our own. Many things inform them, from our upbringing, to our faith, to the actions and thoughts of those around us.”

Luka nodded at that, staying silent as his friend continued, “The right thing to do is often hard to figure out in the moment. Do you follow the Law? Scripture? Tradition? What if they conflict? What if following them leads you to do something terrible? In every man’s life, they will encounter such circumstances. There is only one thing you should do in situations like this.”

Lothar bent down, staring seriously into Luka’s eyes, placing the tip of the wooden sparring sword on his chest right above Luka’s pounding heart, “Trust this. Be true to yourself, to what you truly feel. So long as you make the decision that is true to who you are, while you will still have plenty of regrets... At least you will be able to live with yourself.”

“Lothar...” Luka was surprised at the sudden heartfelt advice, “Why are you telling me this?”

“You’re a Hero, Luka.” Was the answer, the sheer certainty with which he gave him the Title filling Luka with warmth, “There will come a time where you will have to sacrifice something close to you. It can be anything, your beliefs, your life... A person. When the time comes, I wanted to help you make the right choice. Make the one that you can live with, Luka.”

“When... If that time comes, I’ll remember this advice.” Luka promised, seeing how much this meant to the man, who smiled at the response and nodded.

“But why make sure to tell me now? Surely there will be plenty of time later on?” Luka was slightly suspicious of why this came up now of all times.

Lothar looked at him, the silence stretching into the night around them, the only sounds being the ravenous feasting of their monstrous companion in the faint distance. The large man nodded, a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes appearing.

“Sure there will be.” The words flowed naturally, “Shall we go get something to eat before Alice finishes it all off?”

“Let’s.” Was Luka's response, still suspicious.

Said suspicion turned out to be well justified, because in the morning, Lothar’s bedroll was gone. Along with his pack and the man himself.