Chapter sqrt13: Zenith of Fulfillment
#2 of Chronicle of Lunrba family: Wonderful nights
Something simple
"How rare, a loyal customer. I never expect to receive a payment from you but here we are. So, how is our service?"
"..."
"Speechless, aren't you?"
"You two and especially you, dwarf, you made me sign it."
"I will not confess or deny your accusation but what goes around comes around, should have not treated your children as political pawn."
"No need to mock him Sotho, he is harmless anyway. And now, my compass is hungry, you can also make friend with my nightmare, he needs new student anyway."
The spirit of the old polar bear is impaled on the black spear and dragged into the shadow of the qilin as the two kings of Orne entered the living room. Imagine the expression on the Orne's old king is something exciting to Lunbiv but now, he has a customer and a patient, and no time for a whining man. The two kings only managed to see the man who they used to call father dragged into the shadow by a black thorn.
"Welcome, have a sit. And enjoy the ride with me, today, a very special sphere wants to meet both of you."
The treatment is a journey across the land of dream and myth, the curse of fervent lust is something created by the myth then the myth can be those to dispel it. But this curse is different, it is not something created by human myth but it is something completely fictional, a minor myth, some people use the words urban legend but that is not appropriate, Lunbiv always call them local myth. There is at least three hundred myths and that is just what two bears see in their view, as they walk, Lunbiv tells them the stories about myths and legends and how the myths became beacons of faith and how they fall.
"My dear mate is busy you can sign the contract but the term and the price will not be negotiated. I see, guess some guests need to be educated. My mate won't like this kind of clothing but what can you do when clothing restricts your movement."
Sotho discarded his robe, took off the upper part of his clothing and wrapped them around his hip, the dwarf showed his strength and virility but this is no show, in his hand is a special hammer enchanted by both dream and nightmare. The dream is busy and the hammer shifted into a much more sinister form, the hammer carried a dark purple hue, its golden light remains but there is something else much more sinister seeping out from it.
The mysterious man in the council's uniform attacked Sotho but the moment the blade reached the dwarf's torso, the blade is shattered to countless pieces. The impact caused the stranger to be blown away but he is still conscious to dodge the next attack from Sotho. The agility is not the same as a human and Sotho knew who is this. The half-naked dwarf with his hammer continued his rampage, every hammer strike caused a crack on the floor until the crack is large enough that the tip of a black thorn is visible.
"Silent and you drain me quite a lot puppy. But I am far more tenacious, I am not a simple old man and you should know that, next time, before you fight, learn your opponent."
The black thorn stabbed right through the stranger, as it strangled the wolf, Sotho returned to tend to his mate, he will not join his mate on this journey but he knows what he needs to do. He is a guardian and that is his duty, he only needs to protect the one he loves, but what Sotho didn't know, he is slowly changing his other lover. The love from the dwarf and the love from the dream, in the garden of the school, something miraculous happened, for the first time something pure and white appear in the garden. A white camellia appears among the red roses, and even when countless students tried to touch it, there is something repelled them, the flower isn't for them. The flower is the symbol for the pure love between three of them.
"Don't think my love can be killed that easily, everything is intentional. I am thinking about giving you a few different choices. But you're here with your knife and with my mate's calculation, the best solution is to end you. Rest your head both of you, I will cradle you until you wake up."
The half-naked dwarf enjoys the gentle light from the sun on his bare chest, still caressing his mate who is using his thigh as his pillow. The early sun and the gentle breeze brushing on his clean-shaven torso and reflect on his golden battle axe. His hands brushing the white fur gently as he slowly leans down to embrace the white beast lying in his lap, there will be no auction to be worried about and this is truly the moment that he wished to last until eternity. The moment he wishes to become a single frame, there is no fighting, there is no struggle, there is no pain, just simple sunlight with his love by his side and that is enough for the old dwarf.
"I see, you awoke, I prepared something for you in the kitchen, Lunbiv is busy but you can enjoy your breakfast, please eat when they are hot."
Sotho isn't as good as Lunbiv at cooking but the dwarf did pick up some tips and tricks when he watched his mate in the kitchen. Thinking about his first time in the kitchen made him chuckle, compare between the kitchen knife or the battle axe, he still considered the measuring spoon is the hardest instrument. The dwarf's cooking isn't bad or terrible but compare to harmonized dishes of his mate, any dishes made by the dwarf is over-seasoning and making the food go for a single direction. Sometime the white beast just making fun of him for that and sometime the white beast just chuckled and mentioned that sometime in life, you need to spice up your life. But for the first time, the dwarf just wants to cook something like how his mate cooked, something perfectly seasoned.
"How about trying what written in here and do not add anything for an extra kick."
"You're also here, dear. I didn't notice."
"Well, if someone notice then you can say I failed my job, isn't it?"
With the liberation, the nightmare can now run free in reality, he can choose any form to appear but he always appears in the form of Lunbiv from previous era with bandages and academy uniform but he used a new weapon, in his hand is an ornate letter opener Sotho made for him. The nightmare always floating but he doesn't cause any erosion toward any object in the living room, but even for a nightmare, he shared a different sentiment toward Sotho.
"Don't blame me or him my dear, I want to love you too but different from him, my love is a possessive, brutal and sadistic one. I can't love you for the same reason I can't love him, he asked you to love both of us but for me, we are just friend. Also, he will be happy when you cook the dish on page 25."
"That really took a toll on me."
The school is a form of hell for those who hurt Lunbiv and this is the first time the nightmare sees the crack on one of the walls. There is something crumbling for the first time, compare to their previous life, Lunbiv finally have his happy ending, and now, is there the need for him and his power. But it is that white flower once again, something beautiful for the first time in this nightmare.
"Right, I know what I do this for, because once you are a Lunrba, you are dancing with blades and fire. And protecting you satisfy my bloodlust at the same time... maybe I should get a name."
There is a crack in the house, a crack on the wall and a crack on the mirror, maybe drowning himself in torment of other for far too long is not good for him. The nightmare, embraced the white flower to his heart, as the school slowly crumble and every "student" slowly vanish, as the nightmare now named Eryvir look up on the sky as the moon returned to its original color. The rain washed away the blood and the first sprout appear on the ground, the school uniform slowly changed into something much more suited for him. Let go of the past, the forest is quiet and the only sound exist is the sound of rain.
Eryvir felt the pain and agony slowly leave him, for the first time in countless eras, he felt relief from the agony in his heart. The letter opener covered with white branches, sprouting out beautiful white leaves, even in just one minute, the scenery around Eryvir changes like how a person paints the picture of a forest. There is nothing else but the forest, even the school is disappeared along with its students but Eryvir no longer care about that.
There was never heaven or hell, there are only three places for people to be after they depart from the place they called the realm of the mortal. All that wait from them are the sea of torment, the world of everlasting memories and the eternal semester but now the eternal semester is gone. Every soul will learn the eternal torment is better than the vague hope offered by the sea because from this moment, this forest will be his own place to enjoy the silent solitude.
"I know you never forget me, Lunbiv."
"I think we should share the work a little bit more often. What I really want is something more important than just fire you from your job. You deserve your own happiness and I can say, I was cruel to myself."
"You know, that is not allowed, right?"
"I don't really care about rules. I am the pillar of myth, laws and rules are for common mortals."
"So, what now?"
"Gotta gives that some time, I need to prepare a good husk for you first. Sorry for the language, Sotho's influence."
"It's fine, it's nice to talk to you sometime... we got visitor."
With a single command, a tree with beautiful white bark appears in the place of the old school, there is no more magnificent sight than the world around Erivyr changes. Finally, Erivyr can truly relieve from his past, nearly two thousand years of constant torture for his only family and now, Erivyr is truly free. Seeing the world and truly fall in love but for now, he grips the letter opener, the thorns jabbed in his hand and red blood drop on the forest floor. His action is almost instinctive, from the blood, another white branch appears wrapping itself around the letter opener, it is truly a treasure that a stranger gives him.
"Maybe the observer will help him, but that is his dream."
"So how do you feel?"
"I am actually happy for him and I always want to say sorry, he did so much for me, for this family. And there you are, so how is my husband cooking?"
"It's a very pleasant meal, but I have a question."
"Please, go ahead, I will try to answer everything."
"What is the contract between your family and our ancestor?"
To the prince, the agreement is a contract but to Lunbiv, that is a debt. For his oath to protect every myth and he failed during the dusk of the last era, and now, he can only hope his action can redeem something or some meaning in his action. He doesn't know how his mate feel after the extinction of the dwarf, to witness the fall of the place where every creature once considered the forge of the world. Sotho's gaze is tender and endearing, his hand brushes the fur slightly letting his mate know it is already two hundred years and there is no reason to torment himself with that event.
"So, I heard about the power of every member of your family so, you can't do anything?"
"Grandfather is the first to fall, and what I can do but only watch as they killed my father, the price of using Rasdamo is more than going to the sea at least five time."
Sometime, there are secrets should be kept as secrets, but with Erivyr's release from his duty, the old gods will have their chance to rise but that will be a threat Lunbiv can take care of. Different from Sotho, Lunbiv wants something else, he wants to be cradled by his grandfather again, he is greedy and because of his pride, he wants everything, and now, after the last auction, he will shatter the night and the dreamland alike. And Blanc, the little wolf is something Lunbiv have to consider, he is even thinking making the little wolf the pillar but that will break his father's heart and that is the last thing Lunbiv wants to do.
There is a plan in his mind, Lunbiv knows the plan only works when he asked help from the geniuses. He knows they also has their own plan with his toy box. Then this is the best decision he made, he will use these geniuses for a little bit longer, it is fun when he is the one in control again, there are problem but all the tools are here and not to mention, some addition from the sea itself.
"I always wait until the yellow camellia fully bloom, and that is the moment our plan begins. So dear, can you make something for both of us to wear on the battlefield? The formal clothes are good but I think it is a little bit restrictive."
"I am working on something but I believe you will like it."
"You know I will like everything you made, you are the most talented person I met, even in two hundred years ago."
Even for an immortal like Lunbiv, sleeping is something he will always enjoy, gentle breeze carries the scent of the garden and the early morning sun is warm and comforting. Lunbiv drifts into his slumber once again but this time, in this perfect dream, he isn't alone, below the white willow tree is his mate, his intricated hammer by his side as his coat is carefully folded by his side. They are now married, his color is painted on the qilin's fur and now, the dwarf and his mate share this realm, to love is to share everything and now, Sotho is also shared the position of being a dream ruler. And Sotho know he needs to prove himself to every mythical creature, but Sotho isn't just someone.
"Dear."
"Yes, love?"
"You are so warm and your heartbeat is so gentle. I can feel your hand brushed on my fur, so gentle and so calming."
The willow is a new addition to the realm and it made very pleasant sound when the wind blows through every leaf. Even with calloused hands, Sotho still keeps his torso clean-shaved but to Lunbiv, what form his mate decided to use is not important, he waited for two hundred years for this moment. Maybe something changed but everything still in the place it should be, they truly wish this moment can last forever.
"Under the moon and the star..."
"Above this starry reflection..."
"Embrace each other under the willow's shade."
It is a quiet peaceful day, even on the lounge in the living room, there are two sleeping people embracing each other enjoy the warm sun and gentle breeze from the window. And in the middle of the garden, the first yellow camellia slowly opens its petal.