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Having been beaten and cowed into place by a manipulative and exceedingly powerful entity, Russo tries to shake off the trauma the best way he can; By completely full-assing his responsibilities and every task assigned to him. His lack of effort pays off and after an extended leave of stay in Yash, Russo finally is allowed to return home, albeit, to some rather unexpected surprises.
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Cirotin
FIRST, PREVIOUS, NEXT
Chapter 29
Breathing in deeply of the moisture laden air, Russo struggled to fill his lungs with oxygen. Seated at the end of one of the bench seats submerged in the large public bath, the mostly naked mage leaned against the side of the bath as he tried to catch his breath. Grunting weakly as he closed his eyes, the human briefly pondered if there was any part of his body that didn’t ache agonizingly. Getting out of bed, much less ascending a flight of stairs, had been one of the greatest feats of physical strength he had ever suffered through in his short life, given what had happened the night prior. Undressing had proved to be an even greater challenge however, every slight twitch or stretching of his muscles pained him in ways that were entirely alien and cruel to him. “Bastard likes to see me suffer, that’s the only thing I can be certain of at this point,” Russo grumbled as his breaths became bated and shallow. He coughed lightly, his chest growing heavy as vapor condensed in his lungs. A rattling and forceful hacking followed as he tried to clear his airways. In response his body screamed in a dull pain as his limbs felt like they had taken on the properties of lead. Too strained to so much as even sigh, Russo exhaled weakly as he began to pull himself out of the bath. Given what little energy he was currently in possession of, drowning in a relatively shallow bath appeared to be an embarrassingly real prospect. Wheezing, the mage pulled his torso out of the water and flopped onto the wooden floor. Nails pathetically digging into the floorboards, Russo clenched his fingers tight as he slowly dragged his ass out of water. Yeah, today was going to suck something fierce.
Trudging along through the hallways of the Yash guild, the human slowly made his way towards the main hall. Exhaustion having effectively stifled any feelings of shame, Russo mentally blocked the memories of the ogles and stares he elicited as he tried to dress himself in the public baths area. Banishing the comments of the onlookers from his conscious awareness, he did his best to forget that he had apparently given off the appearance that he was being molested by his trousers. Having to focus intently on setting one foot in front of the other, Russo slowly made his way into the main hall.
“Russo may only be around temporarily, but I think he’d make for an okay teammate,” Tyr garbled in between slurping up spoonfuls of chicken soup.
“He’s been here for what, a week? And yet he’s already managed to get a temple cordoned off and managed to draw in a demon that incinerated entire city blocks. He’s more trouble than he’s worth,” Morgan quickly ticked off as she raised her eyebrows and leaned back from the table.
“But if it weren’t for him we may have found out too late something sinister was in those ruins! That and Master has been gushing about what wonders a demon will do for her research.” Grumbling in response the raccoon scratched at her muzzle.
“I just don’t know what to make of him, Tyr. It seems like no matter where he goes, trouble has a knack for finding him.”
“Yet somehow he manages to turn terrible tidings to others benefit,” the fox said with a reassuring smile as his spoon clinked against the side of his bowl. Blackened strands of fur floated down from his cheeks on top of the chicken broth. Lazily spinning and drifting about in his bowl of soup, Tyr let out a merf in response as he began trying to pluck out the individual hairs. Just as he had removed all the offending furry invaders from his meal, Tyr jostled in place as a familiar human flopped onto the table and slid back onto a bench seat. The jarring action rustled free more burnt hairs from the fox’s face, giving them an opportunity to take a warm delicious dip.
“Speaking of…” Morgan plainly stated as Russo’s head thunked against the flat table top. A burning sensation ate away at Russo’s nerves as the burnt skin on his cheeks reeled at the contact with the table. Grimacing, the human raised his head and looked towards the raccoon. “So nice of you to join us,” she trailed off as she gazed into Russo’s bloodshot eyes. “Goodness, you look even worse off than you did yesterday. Are you okay?”
“I’ve felt better,” Russo murmured as he rubbed his eyes.
“Rough night?” Tyr asked as he pushed his bowl away. There was an inverse relationship with the hairiness of the fox’s meal and his appetite so it seemed.
“You could say that.” Dark’s visage loomed prominently in the mage’s mental eye.
“Sorry to hear that,” Tyr spoke softly as he sympathized with Russo. “Being roped in as a research assistant for Master is a pretty mind numbing experience. Don’t worry, it doesn’t last forever!” Eyes slowly and painfully drifting towards the charred fox, Russo was rewarded with a gentle smile upon establishing eye contact.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Ummmm,” Russo stumbled on his words as he drew a blank. “You two still holding up alright after all that insanity yesterday?”
“Eh heh, pretty good all things considered,” Tyr chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. Russo’s lips curled down as a chunk of fur dropped from Tyr’s left cheek, exposing the pink flesh hidden beneath. “Errrr… it’ll grow back. I hope.”
“If I exacerbated any of that, sorry” Russo apologized, cringing at the sound of a soft whine rising from Tyr’s throat. Eager to turn his attention elsewhere, he found himself locking glances with Morgan, “And you?”
“A little shaken up, but I’ll be fine. Thanks for asking though.”
Squinting his eyes, a drawn out yawn escaped from Russo’s mouth. “There were a lot of different ways things could have played out yesterday. I’m, err granted, I know I wasn’t much help, nor do I even know either of you very well, and I am painfully aware I haven’t made the best first impressions but… I am glad you two are more or less unharmed.”
“Help is such a relative term; It is what you make of it,” a familiar voice chimed in as a fairly large panther approached the table.
“Good afternoon, Master,” Tyridia and Morgan replied in unison as Nadie approached.
“Afternoon? Ugh, my sense of time is so distorted right now,” Russo mentally bemoaned. A large furred hand plopped down upon his shoulder and gently rocked him to and fro. The human grit his teeth waves of pain rocked through his arm.
“Be it saving an acquaintance from certain death, drawing away a murderous foe’s attention, or organizing hundreds of pages of notes, you have done plenty to help Russo,” Nadie reassured him in a doting manner as she patted him on the back. Oh god she was killing him with kindness. Seriously, those friendly little gestures hurt like a motherfucker.
“Not exactly what,” Shivering at the sensation of another tap upon his back, Russo’s train of thought derailed off the tracks. Giving a defiant fuck you to the current technological advances of the time, the thought train chugged out of control as it careened into a thought station, killing untold numbers of innocent musings and ideas that were going about their business. Be it saying goodbye to relatives and loved ones or getting ready to be dutifully shipped off to help form relevant sentences and quips, untold ideas were lost that day. A great memorial service was later held for all the brilliant ideas, their lives so unjustly cut short. Beautiful bouquets of imaginary flowers decorated the placard erected at the station in memory of all the departed. The smattering of ideas abruptly forgotten, the smartass sentences that were to never form; all of these things were mourned that day. Back in reality Russo grasped at straws as he tried to conclude the simplest of verbal communications. “…I had in mind,” the mage completed his sentence after an unusual pause. “I’d rather have been strong enough to deal with Umbra on my own. It was my fight, my responsibility. Reason I even came here in the first place was to prepare for it. Lot of good that did me,” Russo moaned in frustration as he rested his chin on the table.
“That preparation was what saved Tyridia’s life might I add. There’s no reason why you ought to downplay the significance of that,” Nadie remarked as she looked down at the fox with a smile on her face.
“Just wish I had been able to do more is all,” the mage whined as he threw his arms down onto the table before him and crossed them.
“Well then it looks like you’ll be getting your wish,” Nadie quipped as she grabbed Russo by the hood of his cloak and dangled him in the air. “You can help me further my research by leaps and bounds by conversing with Umbra. You do owe me a new office door after all. Consider this your way of paying it off.” Gently shaking him to and fro she continued on, “I have a new theory and I’d like you to test it for me.”
“I don’t really have much of a choice in this, do I?” As the panther carried him off towards the basement it became glaringly obvious what the answer was. “Later,” Russo called out to Morgan and Tyridia as he waved back at them. Shutting the basement door behind her, Nadie quickly descended the stairs while still holding Russo aloft with one hand. “So what exactly is this theory of yours?” Coming to a stop before the off limits guest room, Nadie set Russo upon his feet and looked down at him with a toothy smile.
“And ruin the entire purpose of a double-blind study? No can do.”
“A double what?” The human asked as he looked up to the panther as she pushed open the door. Putting a finger up to her lips, the guild master playfully indicated no more clues would slip forth from her lips. Before he had a chance to complain, she ushered Russo inside and quickly slid in behind him.
“All I ask is for you to speak with her, nothing more,” Nadie coyly indicated as she closed the door behind her and leaned back against it. Rolling his eyes, the mage turned his attention away from the panther as it became increasingly obvious she was having far too much fun leading him along. A rattling from the opposite end of the room served as an adequate distraction. Turning his gaze towards Umbra, he was surprised to see her looking back at him wide eyed.
“You’re still alive? How?” The unusual line of questioning captivated Nadie’s attention. Her ears swiveled towards the demon and her brows furrowed as she intently listened in on every syllable uttered.
“It’s a convoluted story,” Russo mumbled as he approached the labrador. “To be honest, you’re probably the only one who’d even believe me.”
Narrowing her gaze, Umbra growled weakly at the human. “Wait. How do I even know you’re flesh and blood? You could just be that hollow freak leading me along again.”
“Why do you even care if I am who I say I am?” Apathy consumed Russo’s tone of voice as he looked down at the demon.
“I can tear apart marrow and muscle. Porcelain and tentacles, not so much. What it boils down to is that I can kill one but not the other. That’s a pretty big deal in my eyes,” Umbra snickered as she dwelled back on the delightful feeling of blood matting her fingers and chest. That and how unsatisfying the feeling of dry and cold porcelain felt in comparison. Damn, it had been far too long since she had bled someone dry.
“Holy crap is that honestly all you think about?” Russo remarked in disgust at her brazen simplemindedness.
“Most of the time, yeah,” Pride in her voice, Umbra tilted her head back and beamed. “You mortals have a saying, ‘Do what you love,’ don’t you? I’m just taking your people’s advice to heart is all. Tch, better than most I bet. I love killing and I’m damn good at it. Why wouldn’t it be on my mind?”
Groaning in exasperation, Russo tossed his hands in the air. “What the hell is the point of this again?” Nadie remained firmly planted against the door, quietly observing how the conversation progressed.
“Some of the time though, I do… think about other stuff,” Umbra hesitantly admitted as she tried shaking the chains binding her.
“Like what? Escape? More murder?” Russo replied in a facetious tone.
“The dark.” Russo said nothing as he stared down the demon, not exactly thrilled with the response provided. “You mortals aren’t the only ones who are afraid of it.”
“You can’t be serious.” Incredulity overtaking him, the human turned his head back and forth between the panther and demon, expecting this to be some preposterously improbable ruse of sorts.
“Piss off!” About time some of that anger of hers flared up. Teeth bared and neck stretched out towards him, the demon Labrador shot Russo daggers from where she sat chained. “We demons may lurk amongst the shadows, but there’s something bigger out there. After what I saw last night, I think you know what it is!” Russo could’ve sworn the air around him heated up during Umbra’s outburst, the temperature seemingly rising with her anger. Adopting a defensive position, Russo crossed his arms and began to circle around the demon.
“So what if I do? Why do you care?”
“I care because whatever it is, it’s been methodically picking off demons. None of us know why. Be it killing too much, not killing enough, or some other third thing, none of us can figure it out.”
“If that’s really the case then I’ll just keep my mouth shut. Less demons doesn’t sound like much of a problem to me.” Russo shrugged his shoulders as he finished his second lap around the Labrador. “Not sure WHY Dark would do that but, hell, it’s certainly within his power. Wait, never mind. I’d rather not know what the abomination is thinking,” Russo mentally whined as he turned his back on Umbra.
“TELL ME!” The demon furiously snarled as she leaned forward and snapped at the human. Rocking about in place, Umbra desperately tried to break free from her chains in her feeble attempts to interrogate him. The iron links binding her began to simmer with heat as she tried scooting her way towards the human along the stone floor. A dull blue white aura began to collect around Russo’s gloves as he craned his neck back towards Umbra.
“That’s enough for now, Russo.” Pushing back off against the door, Nadie slowly approached the human.
“Stay out of this!” Turning her anger on the panther, the demon bared her teeth and let loose with some rather creative insults. “That fleshy son of a bitch knows something and I’m going to find out what!” Fingers clenched and muscles tensed, Umbra violently rocked and struggled against her confines. A brutal sidewinder from the panther knocked a few teeth loose from the demon’s maw and shut her up. Vision blurred, Umbra shook her head from side to side and quieted down noticeably. As her sight returned, the Labrador glared at the guild master as she led Russo out of the room. Taking advantage of what few opportunities were available to her, Umbra sloshed around the blood that had found its way into her mouth and spat at Nadie as she exited. A bloodied glob splattered against the door as it shut tight.
“Last night?” Eyebrows raised and voice atonal, Nadie was none too pleased about the implications of the demon’s accusations.
“I’m tempted to not even waste my breath. You didn’t believe me about ‘Dark’ before. I fail to see why you would now.” Hands shoved into his pockets, Russo adopted a defensive posture as he anticipated further grilling.
“…You’ll be lingering around for some time yet then. The write-up of this double blind study was intended to be a stand-alone research topic. But now that I think about it, I’m sure you can find a way to integrate into what I already have you working on now.” Exhaling heavily through his nose, Russo’s posture remained unchanged as Nadie led him to the library. Tossing open the door, she wordlessly directed him inside and slammed the door shut after he entered. Left alone with his thoughts and god knows how many books, Russo sighed as he trudged back towards his makeshift workstation.
Whatever amount of time sounds like a good transition to you
“---Keeping the subject and the confederate oblivious as to the purpose of the experiment, per requirement of a double-blind study, I instructed the confederate to engage in conversation with the subject (demon). The two of them were strongly implied to have an antagonistic history with one another, which I hoped would facilitate testing of the theory. While the conversation between them started off surprisingly civil it rapidly deteriorated, much to my relief, and the subject displayed signs of aggression. No magical spells or effects were visibly displayed during the breakdown of communications however a significant increase in ambient temperature was felt around subject. The subject was reported by multiple sources as having wielded a variety of fire magics, so an increase in physical temperature is not unexpected.
While I may be personally biased, I fervently believe my theory is a fascinating one. The idea that a demon’s personality influences the secondary magics they wield is a unique proposition to say the least. For example, a ‘hot’ headed and quick to anger demons would have a penchant for fire magic. Whereas calculating and stone faced demons that display not even the subtlest hints of emotion would likely wield ice magics, much in line with their ‘cold’ personality. Looking back on it, I realize how poorly constructed the theoretical model is however. Direction of causality is not readily evident, as it is possible that perhaps the secondary magics wielded by a demon are what influence and determine their personality and not the other way around as I have hypothesized.
I would like to claim that the results of my test have at the very least shown a correlation between a demon’s personality and secondary magic type. Given that my sample consists of only one demon, I cannot in good faith claim my findings display any sort of robustness. Further testing is required for any conclusion to be reached, which is highly unlikely given the uncooperativeness of and difficulty involved with capturing demons. Nonetheless, I remain convinced this line of inquiry holds significant promise. If it can eventually be shown, or at least strongly supported, that emotion, and not just sheer will, is capable of shaping magic then that opens up an array of possibilities! Perhaps even our own magics could benefit from such understanding. Admittedly I am losing myself to pure speculation at this point, but would it not be too much of a stretch to think that possessing a fiery anger whilst casting fire spells could potentially strengthen it? Hmmm and the more I think about it, I am curious as to what kinds of personalities would match with strong usage of earth or wind magics….”
Eyes bloodshot and mind numbed, Russo blinked a couple times after completing his speed read of the write-up he had been waiting over a week for. Conscious thought having vanished days ago, the mage’s mind ran on autopilot as his eyes scanned for keywords. Demons, secondary magic, emotion. His fingers migrated towards the sinfully large stack of papers bound together by twine. Of their own volition they flipped the front page open and his eyes once more commenced scanning. Floating down the row, his eyes briefly paused on the section heading labeled ‘Demons.’ The human was so far gone he had no recollection of even making that page. Tapping a gloved finger on the page, it slowly slid across the subsections until it came to rest just beneath the sub heading ‘Magical Affinities.’ Working in tandem, one hand flipped open the anthology to the proper subsection while the other grabbed hold of Nadie’s write-up. Carelessly tossing the entire text into the bowels of the book and then slamming it shut, the mage’s work was ultimately complete after completely full-assing the last stretch. With everything having finally been consolidated into the behemoth of literature that lay before him, Russo wobbled back and forth in his chair and collapsed onto the floor.
“Is he dead?”
“Lamentably not. He still draws breath.”
“O-okay. Thanks for checking, Xis.”
Creaking open painfully, Russo’s eyelids slowly separated as light assaulted his corneas. The underside of Xis’ chin loomed overhead.
“Simple observation should have been than enough to reassure you that he was not deceased.”
“Sorry, I just wanted to make sure,” the fox nervously fidgeted with his fingers as he replied. One of Xis’ tails whapped against the fox’s hand as it was unconsciously drawn up to his face. A thin layer of fur had begun to grow back in and Tyr couldn’t help but constantly poke at and rub it.
Circling around the human, the kitsune let out a sigh. “I suppose I’d prefer frequent consultation for advice from you than none at all. It does permit me that many more opportunities to gauge the state of affairs here after all.”
“Luckily things have been pretty slow since that big fight last week,” Tyr chuckled nervously as he reached up to scratch at his chin. Another one of Xis’s tails promptly pulled it back down to the fox’s side.
“I still haven’t the faintest idea what Nadie was thinking capturing that beast. She should have crushed that monster’s skull in at the first opportunity. The fact she has yet to exterminate it is troubling.”
“It’s all for her studies, remember? Hardly anyone who does academic research like Master does has been able to get their hands on a demon.”
Hmming softly, Xis pondered on how to articulate his doubt in Nadie’s judgment in as verbose a manner as possible. Some rustling and groaning at his feet interrupted him.
“Done,” Russo plainly stated as he squinted his eyes and remained sprawled out upon the floor.
“Say again?” Arching a brow, the kitsune failed to understand the significance of the human’s statement.
“DONE,” Russo repeated once more.
“What on earth is he blathering about?”
“Oh! He must mean the project Master tasked him with.” Turning his head towards the table, Tyr’s ears perked up upon gazing at the tome bearing down on the table. “Oh wow, that’s a lot of paper. Even she might have trouble carrying that thing around. She really worked you ragged huh?” Kneeling down, Tyr grabbed hold of both of Russo’s arms. “Come on Russo, hnffff, let’s get you to bed,” Pulling up with all his strength, Tyr tried to prop the mage back up onto his feet. His best just not quite up to snuff, Xis butted in to pick up for his summoner’s slack. Grabbing a mouthful of Russo’s cloak the kitsune proceeded to unceremoniously drag him along the stone floor. Wincing at the human’s treatment, Tyr led the way to the mage’s guestroom and held open the door for Xis. With a quick flick of his muzzle, the summon flipped Russo up onto his mattress in a disheveled heap. “Uhhhhh, thanks Xis.” Ignoring the smirk plastered across the kitsune’s face as he strode out the room, Tyr timidly closed the door behind him as he departed.
“As promised,” Nadie pulled out a large cloth bundle from beneath her desk. Pulling loose the ropes knotted around it, it unfurled to reveal “one set of armored vesting and another cloak, both of which are functionally identical to what you are wearing now.” Russo smiled gently as he took in the fruits of his labors. “I take it you’ll want to be heading out as soon as possible?” Smirking, the panther began wrapping back up the human’s reward as she glanced down at the packed sack that sat at Russo’s feet.
“What gave me away?” He wryly responded.
“Oh, you just get a sense for these things as time goes on.”
“Uh huh.”
“Hmph. Why not bid farewell to Morgan and Tyridia before you set off? I’m sure they’d appreciate it.” Russo bobbed his head side to side as he half-heartedly considered her suggestion. “Off with you,” Nadie replied as she leaned over her desk and pulled him up from his chair. “While you say your goodbyes I’ll finish packing your new gear. You can even leave your belongings here if you like. I’ll bring them to you once you’ve set everything in order.”
“Alright, alright,” Russo whined as he swatted her hand away and made his way out the basement. Shoving his hands into his pockets the human slunk around the guild as he searched out the raccoon and fox. He hmmed to himself as he maneuvered through the main hall, there was neither hide nor hair of either fur. “Where the hell could they have gone?” Mumbling to himself as he did another pass by through the main hall, the mage did a double take as he passed by a window. Squinting his eyes to avoid being blinded by the morning sun, yielded unsatisfactory results. “Dammit that’s bright.” Moving away from the window the mage contemplated if it was worth the effort to go check for them outside. “Ehhhh might as well. Sooner I see them off the sooner I can get Nadie off my back.” Wrapping his cloak around himself tight, Russo unwillingly braced himself for what would be an unpleasant transition between temperatures. Stepping out into the frigid cold, the air immediately began siphoning away his body heat with every breath he took.
“Ready Tyr?” Morgan addressed her teammate while donning a much thicker and heavier robe than usual.
Oh thank god it was actually worth coming out here.
“Merf, these cotton clothes are awfully snug… I liked my kimono better,” The fox bemoaned as he resisted adapting to his restrictive new wardrobe. Ditching the comfort of the loose fitting kimono for something that would actually keep him warm, Tyr donned thick cotton pants and an oversized coat. Thinking back on it, the fox actually did a decent job pulling off the kimono look.
“Got a mission or something?” Russo interrupted as he took advantage of a brief lull in the banter between the two.
“Nothing major, just a little reconnaissance.” Pulling down her hood tight, the tip of the raccoon’s nose poked out from beneath it. As Morgan’s warm breath wafted lazily around her muzzle, her moist nose glistened in the morning sun.
“Some pretty weak monsters, mainly kobolds, have been harassing people as they travel north of here. Morgan and I are just going to try and figure out where they like to hide. Maybe if we’re lucky we’ll find their nest too.” Tyr frowned as he pulled at his waist, the cotton pants itching something fierce.
“Like I said, nothing major. Today we’ll just scope out where they tend to pester people as they’re walking by and then later on this week we’ll go flush them out.”
“Best of luck with that then. I’m finally heading out after suffering through my research tenure and I’m just making sure to get in my goodbyes.”
“Given that the last time you visited you brought a demon along with you, I’m tempted to ask you to stay away.”
“You are always going to hold that over my head aren’t you?”
“Damn right,” Morgan smiled as she stifled a laugh. While it was fairly annoying, but understandable, that she was still giving him crap, at least in was in a somewhat friendly manner now.
“Take care, Russo. It was nice meeting you.” Extending a furred hand out to human, the mage readily accepted it and shook it firmly.
“Likewise, Tyridia. Safe travels you two.”
“And you the same,” Morgan warmly replied with a wave as she and Tyr began to mosey on out of town. Shivering in place as he meandered about, Russo lingered outside until Morgan and Tyridia’s forms disappeared down the road. Exhaling deeply, the mage took some childish pleasure in watching his breath rise like smoke from a chimney.
“Enjoying ourselves, are we?” Nadie quipped as she approached Russo, carrying all of the human’s belongings under both of her arms. “You should be set.” Gently lowering his supplies and hard earned gear on the ground, she reached into her pocket and fetched out a small green crystal. Tossing it to the mage, she began to needle him. “And just in case you ever feel like visiting, this ought to cut down on travel time. Granted, you’ll need to synch up a new crystal with this location every time you visit since you’ll exhaust the crystal… but you get my point. I’d love it if you came back and helped me with further research some time.”
“Yeahhhhhhhhh I’ll think about it,” Russo said in as unconvincing tone as he could muster. He grunted as Nadie plopped a large furred hand atop his head and tussled his hair. “Okay that is getting really annoying.”
“Oh and be sure to tell Varun that he needs to do a better job cultivating his members. Otherwise, I might find myself tempted to steal away some of his more talented subordinates that are squandering under his supervision. You’ve got talent, Russo. I just think it could be better nurtured under oh say… my care.” Before his face even had the opportunity to blush a beet red, Russo had vanished in a flash of light along with his belongings. Snorting in amusement, Nadie’s tail swished back and forth as she sauntered back into the guild.
Reappearing before the Tedrah guild hall in a burst of blue light, a smile spread wide across Russo’s face as familiar sights and sounds overwhelmed him. Taking a deep breath and sighing happily, the human relished being back home. He deserved a brief reprieve from all of the insanity after all. He had more than enough for one lifetime thank you very much in just the past two and a half weeks.
“Russo? Russo, it is you!” The mage felt his spirits lift as turned towards the source of the well-known voice. Jem bore a toothy grin as he jogged towards him and embraced him in a brotherly hug. “Good to see you!” The collie warmly greeted him as he slapped him on the back. Physical contact still hurt like holy hell but given the occasion Russo reasoned he could bear with it with minimal griping on his end. Wasting no time in starting up a conversation, Jem immediately began interrogating his friend. “So how was your trip?”
“Memorable to say the least. Oh, before I even have a chance to forget,” Russo began fumbling around with the ropes binding the bundle in hand, “I’ve got something for you.”
“This wouldn’t be a new vest by chance would it?” Jem asked excitedly as he sidled up next to the human.
“Maayyyyyyyyybe. Let me drop some stuff off at my place first and then I’ll surprise you.”
Sliding off his armor, Jem wore a cocky smile as he followed the mage as they traversed the cobbled streets. “There’s not much else it could be.”
“Do you even want to be surprised? Honestly what the…?” As the duo neared Russo’s home something seemed off. The front door to his residence slightly ajar, Russo’s heart ratcheted up in intensity as he burst into his home. “What happened to my house?!” Letting his hard won cargo drop to the floor, Russo ran his hands through his hair as he stepped into his barren abode. Light poured in through the window, the curtains that typically blocked the rays of the sun having disappeared. The drawers from his dresser littered the floor and not a single shred of clothing remained. Barging into the bathroom, Russo found all of his towels missing in action along with his… WHERE THE HELL DID THIS HOLE COME FROM?!? Gawking at the large absence in the wall where his sink once was, the mage’s lips began to twist into all sorts of different shapes as he mouthed a variety of curses. What is someone going to do with a sink? Who would steal something like that??? Stumbling out of the bathroom, the human’s vision blurred from a mixture of shock and rage. Wait he used to have a desk and a table in here didn’t he? Shit, he couldn’t even remember anymore.
“Oh fuck me that’s right. We never got the locks replaced,” Jem morbidly thought as Russo continued flipping out.
His head whipping to its side, another peculiarity stoked Russo’s rage as it caught his attention. “They even took my bed sheets! What the hell are they even gonna do with those?!” Shaking, Russo darted across his bare dwelling as he took count of what little remained. “This is stupid, they take most of my furniture, my linens and my fixtures but they don’t even touch my chest?!” Its lid tossed open, Russo gestured wildly at it and its untouched contents. “Wait why am I even mad they didn’t steal this stuff? Fuck.” Jem shrugged his shoulders in response as he breathed through his teeth. He was off to a FANTASTIC start welcoming his friend back home after an extended trip. Now is definitely not the time to… No. No more of that. How many more chances would he even get to come clean? Gritting his teeth, Jem shuddered as settled upon a course of action. Setting his vesting by the door, he sincerely hoped Russo wouldn’t sever ties with him for making his day even more difficult to bear.
Flumping onto the bare mattress, Russo moaned as he sank into it. “Russo, I know this may not be the best time but I have something I’ve been meaning to tell you.” Gently padding towards the human, Russo griped as he rolled over to accommodate Jem.
“Might as well pile everything on all at once,” he mumbled into the mattress. “Hit me.”
Cautiously lowering himself onto the bare mattress, Jem turned his head to look down at the human. Biting his lip, he paused as he deliberated on the precise order in which he should arrange his thoughts into spoken word. “I guh… we’ve been friends for more than a decade now, and I value your friendship more than anything else in the world.” The collie mentally berated himself as he realized he was already starting to pussyfoot around the topic. Dammit to hell, he’d cycled through this conversation thousands of times before in his head. What if he said the wrong things? What if he approached it the wrong way? What if, no no no, fuck it, overthinking things is why he had been dragging his feet on this issue for so long. Just cut to the chase dammit. …Russo deserves better. “I need to be forthright with him,” Jem thought as he sighed and he shook his head. “I don’t want to do anything to hurt that friendship, b-but I’m afraid I haven’t been entirely honest with you all these years. There’s something about who I am, what I am, that I’ve kept hidden from you from the moment we first met. When I first spoke with you, I was scared that if I were to tell you, you would hate or lash out at me for being so different. Yet as our bond strengthened over the years my fears never died away. I wanted to tell you my secret so badly, but I was terrified that you would be angry that you were lied to for so long, that I didn’t trust you enough to tell you even after all we’ve been through. B-but no more. E-even if you do come to hate me, I need to be honest with you. All I can do… is hope that you can forgive for being so disingenuous with you all this time.” Teeth chattering, Jem took a deep breath before continuing. “Russo, I’m-”
Rolling over, Russo turned to face his friend with a perplexed look on his face. “Oh geeze you’re finally coming out with it? Now of all times? *Sigh* You’re gay aren’t you?”
“Yes, I’m- wait. What. No. No, why the hell-”
Propping himself up into sitting position, Russo grit his teeth as he uneasily shook his head from side to side. “Ehhh I‘ve kinda suspected for a while now Jem. I mean, you’re so damn liberal with your nuzzles and hugs that I began to wonder whether or not that was… normal. And then that whole bromance thing after my near death, with the way you were acting you really didn’t leave a lot to the imagination.”
“Oh my god no, I mean okay I’m not saying I’m not gay but you’re completely missing the point.”
“Just, just hear me out Jem. After realizing that, you know, you might like guys more than most I got to thinking. …About what that would do to our friendship and how weird it might make things. After a while though, I realized that ummm,” Russo paused as he shifted uncomfortably, “I was being a dumbass for having given it any thought at all. So what if you like guys more than most? Big fucking deal. If you chased after women instead, I seriously doubt you’d be a better warrior or friend because of it. It doesn’t make any god damned difference as to the kind of person you are. No matter what your… preferences, you’re still my best friend, nothing will change that. Although, sharing beds might be weird from now on but… no, no… shit it shouldn’t even matter. Jem, I honestly don’t care that you’re gay. I-I’m not downplaying it or saying there’s anything wrong with that it’s just that it-”
“I’M A GIANT, YOU JACKASS!” Jem roared as he exploded in size and shot up past ten feet in height. His head poked against Russo’s ceiling for the most fleeting of moments before Russo’s bedframe collapsed under the collie’s increased girth. Bewildered by the abrupt drop to the floor, the human was left looking up at his companion in a daze as Jem leaned back against the wall and groaned pathetically. An awkward silence filled the air in the immediate aftermath.
“…Not to be a dick or anything Jem, but the whole shock value of growing in size has sort of been lost on me thanks to Dax.” The collie grumbled in response as he slid down in place and let his paws press against the opposite wall. For a couple minutes, the two remained silent once more as they stewed in their own thoughts. “Sooooooo. You’re a giant?”
“You don’t seem too surprised,” Jem replied with a huff as he folded his arms across his chest.
“Sorry, a lot has happened lately and this seems umm… minor, in comparison. Also, Dax again. N-not to marginalize this or anything for you or anything.” Looking up at Jem, Russo’s shoulders drooped as Jem furrowed his brows. “I-I’m sorry for ruining this for you. This was supposed to be a monumentally important reveal for you, wasn’t it?”
“Years. I’ve been trying to think of a way to tell you this for years. When I finally work up the nerve to, to finally go through with it and be honest with you, everything goes straight to hell and you just end up shrugging it off like it was nothing.”
“My bad,” Russo said in a shamed and quiet tone.
Ears pressed flat against his head, Jem sighed as he brushed a long furred finger against Russo. “It’s fine. Heck given that you were just robbed you’re handling this extremely well. The truth is out and that’s what matters. I… owe you an apology as well. I’ve been frustrated lately I misplaced some those grievances towards you.”
“Don’t mention it,” Russo replied nonchalantly as he sunk down into the wreckage of his bed. Jem turned his attention on his friend and let his gaze linger on him as the machinery in his head turned slowly. Fidgeting in place, the collie timidly poked at the mage. “Hmmm?”
“I-I know it might sound stupid, but lately I’ve been finding myself growing especially frustrated with, umm, Dax.”
“Dax? Why?”
Breathing through his nose in short bursts, Jem felt his face burning up as the answer manifested itself on the tip of his tongue. “There are a couple reasons. One of which is the fact that Dax and I are so similar. We have practically the same kinds of reactions to the same events, like the Harvest Festival for instance. Joining the same guild, befriending the same people, possessing the same abilities…”
“You’re miffed that he wants to be my apprentice and not yours, aren’t you?” Russo remarked cheekily.
Jem barked softly as he glared at the human. “We have so much in common! I could help him blend in much more easily in town, help train him in how to shift sizes much more easily and teach him some special tricks unique to giants. I’ve already walked down the path he’s taking; There’s no doubt I could help him along much more than anyone else here! And yet he shuns my help,” Jem stated grumpily. Chuckling at Jem’s peeved response, Russo quickly let up as Jem leaned over just enough to loom over him. After the display of displeasure, the giant’s eyes darted to the opposite side of the room as he wiggled his furry toes. He really needed to quit beating around the bush. The collie was certain he would spontaneously combust as his face and ears felt like they were glowing red hot with embarrassment. He opened his mouth to finally cut to the chase. “But the main reason why I was so frustrated… so jealous, well, it was because of you.”
“What?”
Pulling his legs up to his chest, Jem felt as if he was about to die as he wrapped his arms around his legs. “I’ve been jealous of how you’ve been treating Dax. How you accepted him from the start as he was, how he didn’t have to hide anything from you. I was envious of the kind of relationship he had with you.”
“Jesus, Jem you could’ve just told me. If I was fine with Dax being a giant why the hell wouldn’t I be okay with you being one?”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve sent out so many conflicting messages, what the hell was I supposed to think? You harassed and manipulated giants into doing your jobs for you not that long ago. Only after some heavy handed lectures and our run in with Dax did you begin to change your tune. What was I supposed to think about you that whole time, hmm? At first giants were your enemies to be taken advantage. But then suddenly it seemed that they became tolerable and you had mellowed out. Or was that all just a ruse and Dax just happened to be a special exception? And overall nothing had changed for you in the grand scheme of things? I have no damn way to tell!”
Russo opened his mouth to speak but quickly pursed his lips once he realized he had nothing of substance to utter. About a half dozen more times the human tried to start a sentence only to cut himself off after the first utterance of a syllable. All the while, Jem looked down at his companion with ears drooped, eyebrows raised, and lips curled down. “I have been an arrogant ass, haven’t I?”
“Yeah, you have.”
“I…I, *sigh* Would you even be willing to accept an apology from me for my past behavior?” Rising to his feet, the mage slowly pulled himself off his ruined bedframe and stood before the warrior.
“Of course I would, Russo,” Jem said softly as he gazed at the smaller human. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever known.”
“Even taking into account all my prior dickishness, you’re willing to give me the chance to do right by you? To treat you and Dax, errr, dammit I’m gonna need a lot of help with wording this.”
“You are fucking terrible at this,” Jem laughed to himself as he wrapped his hands around Russo gently and hugged him tight. “Apology accepted, what’s done is done” He quietly murmured as he nuzzled the human.
“Okay, see this is what I was talking about earlier when I said you were-”
“Shut your damn mouth,” the giant collie curtly demanded.
“Alright, alright, I won’t ruin the moment.” For the time being the two friends enjoyed each other’s presence, that and the peace of mind the reaffirmation of their friendship conferred. “Wait.”
“Hmm?”
“Wouldn’t revealing the fact that you’re a giant have been much more relevant, helpful, and powerful a moment back when I was getting my shit rocked by those highwaymen a month or so ago?”
“Uhhhhhhhhhh,” Jem stuttered as he embraced Russo tighter. “W-what’s done is done.”
“Oh you colossal puss-” Russo’s invectives were muffled as he got a face full of collie chest fluff.
“So glad we were able to put all of this behind us.” Jem laughed nervously as he did his best to stifle Russo’s complaints.
“Fuck you, Jem. Fuck you,” Russo mumbled into the collie’s broad chest as he was further censored by the giant’s powerful hugs.
FIRST, PREVIOUS, NEXT
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CirotinFIRST, PREVIOUS, NEXT
Chapter 29
Breathing in deeply of the moisture laden air, Russo struggled to fill his lungs with oxygen. Seated at the end of one of the bench seats submerged in the large public bath, the mostly naked mage leaned against the side of the bath as he tried to catch his breath. Grunting weakly as he closed his eyes, the human briefly pondered if there was any part of his body that didn’t ache agonizingly. Getting out of bed, much less ascending a flight of stairs, had been one of the greatest feats of physical strength he had ever suffered through in his short life, given what had happened the night prior. Undressing had proved to be an even greater challenge however, every slight twitch or stretching of his muscles pained him in ways that were entirely alien and cruel to him. “Bastard likes to see me suffer, that’s the only thing I can be certain of at this point,” Russo grumbled as his breaths became bated and shallow. He coughed lightly, his chest growing heavy as vapor condensed in his lungs. A rattling and forceful hacking followed as he tried to clear his airways. In response his body screamed in a dull pain as his limbs felt like they had taken on the properties of lead. Too strained to so much as even sigh, Russo exhaled weakly as he began to pull himself out of the bath. Given what little energy he was currently in possession of, drowning in a relatively shallow bath appeared to be an embarrassingly real prospect. Wheezing, the mage pulled his torso out of the water and flopped onto the wooden floor. Nails pathetically digging into the floorboards, Russo clenched his fingers tight as he slowly dragged his ass out of water. Yeah, today was going to suck something fierce.
Trudging along through the hallways of the Yash guild, the human slowly made his way towards the main hall. Exhaustion having effectively stifled any feelings of shame, Russo mentally blocked the memories of the ogles and stares he elicited as he tried to dress himself in the public baths area. Banishing the comments of the onlookers from his conscious awareness, he did his best to forget that he had apparently given off the appearance that he was being molested by his trousers. Having to focus intently on setting one foot in front of the other, Russo slowly made his way into the main hall.
“Russo may only be around temporarily, but I think he’d make for an okay teammate,” Tyr garbled in between slurping up spoonfuls of chicken soup.
“He’s been here for what, a week? And yet he’s already managed to get a temple cordoned off and managed to draw in a demon that incinerated entire city blocks. He’s more trouble than he’s worth,” Morgan quickly ticked off as she raised her eyebrows and leaned back from the table.
“But if it weren’t for him we may have found out too late something sinister was in those ruins! That and Master has been gushing about what wonders a demon will do for her research.” Grumbling in response the raccoon scratched at her muzzle.
“I just don’t know what to make of him, Tyr. It seems like no matter where he goes, trouble has a knack for finding him.”
“Yet somehow he manages to turn terrible tidings to others benefit,” the fox said with a reassuring smile as his spoon clinked against the side of his bowl. Blackened strands of fur floated down from his cheeks on top of the chicken broth. Lazily spinning and drifting about in his bowl of soup, Tyr let out a merf in response as he began trying to pluck out the individual hairs. Just as he had removed all the offending furry invaders from his meal, Tyr jostled in place as a familiar human flopped onto the table and slid back onto a bench seat. The jarring action rustled free more burnt hairs from the fox’s face, giving them an opportunity to take a warm delicious dip.
“Speaking of…” Morgan plainly stated as Russo’s head thunked against the flat table top. A burning sensation ate away at Russo’s nerves as the burnt skin on his cheeks reeled at the contact with the table. Grimacing, the human raised his head and looked towards the raccoon. “So nice of you to join us,” she trailed off as she gazed into Russo’s bloodshot eyes. “Goodness, you look even worse off than you did yesterday. Are you okay?”
“I’ve felt better,” Russo murmured as he rubbed his eyes.
“Rough night?” Tyr asked as he pushed his bowl away. There was an inverse relationship with the hairiness of the fox’s meal and his appetite so it seemed.
“You could say that.” Dark’s visage loomed prominently in the mage’s mental eye.
“Sorry to hear that,” Tyr spoke softly as he sympathized with Russo. “Being roped in as a research assistant for Master is a pretty mind numbing experience. Don’t worry, it doesn’t last forever!” Eyes slowly and painfully drifting towards the charred fox, Russo was rewarded with a gentle smile upon establishing eye contact.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Ummmm,” Russo stumbled on his words as he drew a blank. “You two still holding up alright after all that insanity yesterday?”
“Eh heh, pretty good all things considered,” Tyr chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. Russo’s lips curled down as a chunk of fur dropped from Tyr’s left cheek, exposing the pink flesh hidden beneath. “Errrr… it’ll grow back. I hope.”
“If I exacerbated any of that, sorry” Russo apologized, cringing at the sound of a soft whine rising from Tyr’s throat. Eager to turn his attention elsewhere, he found himself locking glances with Morgan, “And you?”
“A little shaken up, but I’ll be fine. Thanks for asking though.”
Squinting his eyes, a drawn out yawn escaped from Russo’s mouth. “There were a lot of different ways things could have played out yesterday. I’m, err granted, I know I wasn’t much help, nor do I even know either of you very well, and I am painfully aware I haven’t made the best first impressions but… I am glad you two are more or less unharmed.”
“Help is such a relative term; It is what you make of it,” a familiar voice chimed in as a fairly large panther approached the table.
“Good afternoon, Master,” Tyridia and Morgan replied in unison as Nadie approached.
“Afternoon? Ugh, my sense of time is so distorted right now,” Russo mentally bemoaned. A large furred hand plopped down upon his shoulder and gently rocked him to and fro. The human grit his teeth waves of pain rocked through his arm.
“Be it saving an acquaintance from certain death, drawing away a murderous foe’s attention, or organizing hundreds of pages of notes, you have done plenty to help Russo,” Nadie reassured him in a doting manner as she patted him on the back. Oh god she was killing him with kindness. Seriously, those friendly little gestures hurt like a motherfucker.
“Not exactly what,” Shivering at the sensation of another tap upon his back, Russo’s train of thought derailed off the tracks. Giving a defiant fuck you to the current technological advances of the time, the thought train chugged out of control as it careened into a thought station, killing untold numbers of innocent musings and ideas that were going about their business. Be it saying goodbye to relatives and loved ones or getting ready to be dutifully shipped off to help form relevant sentences and quips, untold ideas were lost that day. A great memorial service was later held for all the brilliant ideas, their lives so unjustly cut short. Beautiful bouquets of imaginary flowers decorated the placard erected at the station in memory of all the departed. The smattering of ideas abruptly forgotten, the smartass sentences that were to never form; all of these things were mourned that day. Back in reality Russo grasped at straws as he tried to conclude the simplest of verbal communications. “…I had in mind,” the mage completed his sentence after an unusual pause. “I’d rather have been strong enough to deal with Umbra on my own. It was my fight, my responsibility. Reason I even came here in the first place was to prepare for it. Lot of good that did me,” Russo moaned in frustration as he rested his chin on the table.
“That preparation was what saved Tyridia’s life might I add. There’s no reason why you ought to downplay the significance of that,” Nadie remarked as she looked down at the fox with a smile on her face.
“Just wish I had been able to do more is all,” the mage whined as he threw his arms down onto the table before him and crossed them.
“Well then it looks like you’ll be getting your wish,” Nadie quipped as she grabbed Russo by the hood of his cloak and dangled him in the air. “You can help me further my research by leaps and bounds by conversing with Umbra. You do owe me a new office door after all. Consider this your way of paying it off.” Gently shaking him to and fro she continued on, “I have a new theory and I’d like you to test it for me.”
“I don’t really have much of a choice in this, do I?” As the panther carried him off towards the basement it became glaringly obvious what the answer was. “Later,” Russo called out to Morgan and Tyridia as he waved back at them. Shutting the basement door behind her, Nadie quickly descended the stairs while still holding Russo aloft with one hand. “So what exactly is this theory of yours?” Coming to a stop before the off limits guest room, Nadie set Russo upon his feet and looked down at him with a toothy smile.
“And ruin the entire purpose of a double-blind study? No can do.”
“A double what?” The human asked as he looked up to the panther as she pushed open the door. Putting a finger up to her lips, the guild master playfully indicated no more clues would slip forth from her lips. Before he had a chance to complain, she ushered Russo inside and quickly slid in behind him.
“All I ask is for you to speak with her, nothing more,” Nadie coyly indicated as she closed the door behind her and leaned back against it. Rolling his eyes, the mage turned his attention away from the panther as it became increasingly obvious she was having far too much fun leading him along. A rattling from the opposite end of the room served as an adequate distraction. Turning his gaze towards Umbra, he was surprised to see her looking back at him wide eyed.
“You’re still alive? How?” The unusual line of questioning captivated Nadie’s attention. Her ears swiveled towards the demon and her brows furrowed as she intently listened in on every syllable uttered.
“It’s a convoluted story,” Russo mumbled as he approached the labrador. “To be honest, you’re probably the only one who’d even believe me.”
Narrowing her gaze, Umbra growled weakly at the human. “Wait. How do I even know you’re flesh and blood? You could just be that hollow freak leading me along again.”
“Why do you even care if I am who I say I am?” Apathy consumed Russo’s tone of voice as he looked down at the demon.
“I can tear apart marrow and muscle. Porcelain and tentacles, not so much. What it boils down to is that I can kill one but not the other. That’s a pretty big deal in my eyes,” Umbra snickered as she dwelled back on the delightful feeling of blood matting her fingers and chest. That and how unsatisfying the feeling of dry and cold porcelain felt in comparison. Damn, it had been far too long since she had bled someone dry.
“Holy crap is that honestly all you think about?” Russo remarked in disgust at her brazen simplemindedness.
“Most of the time, yeah,” Pride in her voice, Umbra tilted her head back and beamed. “You mortals have a saying, ‘Do what you love,’ don’t you? I’m just taking your people’s advice to heart is all. Tch, better than most I bet. I love killing and I’m damn good at it. Why wouldn’t it be on my mind?”
Groaning in exasperation, Russo tossed his hands in the air. “What the hell is the point of this again?” Nadie remained firmly planted against the door, quietly observing how the conversation progressed.
“Some of the time though, I do… think about other stuff,” Umbra hesitantly admitted as she tried shaking the chains binding her.
“Like what? Escape? More murder?” Russo replied in a facetious tone.
“The dark.” Russo said nothing as he stared down the demon, not exactly thrilled with the response provided. “You mortals aren’t the only ones who are afraid of it.”
“You can’t be serious.” Incredulity overtaking him, the human turned his head back and forth between the panther and demon, expecting this to be some preposterously improbable ruse of sorts.
“Piss off!” About time some of that anger of hers flared up. Teeth bared and neck stretched out towards him, the demon Labrador shot Russo daggers from where she sat chained. “We demons may lurk amongst the shadows, but there’s something bigger out there. After what I saw last night, I think you know what it is!” Russo could’ve sworn the air around him heated up during Umbra’s outburst, the temperature seemingly rising with her anger. Adopting a defensive position, Russo crossed his arms and began to circle around the demon.
“So what if I do? Why do you care?”
“I care because whatever it is, it’s been methodically picking off demons. None of us know why. Be it killing too much, not killing enough, or some other third thing, none of us can figure it out.”
“If that’s really the case then I’ll just keep my mouth shut. Less demons doesn’t sound like much of a problem to me.” Russo shrugged his shoulders as he finished his second lap around the Labrador. “Not sure WHY Dark would do that but, hell, it’s certainly within his power. Wait, never mind. I’d rather not know what the abomination is thinking,” Russo mentally whined as he turned his back on Umbra.
“TELL ME!” The demon furiously snarled as she leaned forward and snapped at the human. Rocking about in place, Umbra desperately tried to break free from her chains in her feeble attempts to interrogate him. The iron links binding her began to simmer with heat as she tried scooting her way towards the human along the stone floor. A dull blue white aura began to collect around Russo’s gloves as he craned his neck back towards Umbra.
“That’s enough for now, Russo.” Pushing back off against the door, Nadie slowly approached the human.
“Stay out of this!” Turning her anger on the panther, the demon bared her teeth and let loose with some rather creative insults. “That fleshy son of a bitch knows something and I’m going to find out what!” Fingers clenched and muscles tensed, Umbra violently rocked and struggled against her confines. A brutal sidewinder from the panther knocked a few teeth loose from the demon’s maw and shut her up. Vision blurred, Umbra shook her head from side to side and quieted down noticeably. As her sight returned, the Labrador glared at the guild master as she led Russo out of the room. Taking advantage of what few opportunities were available to her, Umbra sloshed around the blood that had found its way into her mouth and spat at Nadie as she exited. A bloodied glob splattered against the door as it shut tight.
“Last night?” Eyebrows raised and voice atonal, Nadie was none too pleased about the implications of the demon’s accusations.
“I’m tempted to not even waste my breath. You didn’t believe me about ‘Dark’ before. I fail to see why you would now.” Hands shoved into his pockets, Russo adopted a defensive posture as he anticipated further grilling.
“…You’ll be lingering around for some time yet then. The write-up of this double blind study was intended to be a stand-alone research topic. But now that I think about it, I’m sure you can find a way to integrate into what I already have you working on now.” Exhaling heavily through his nose, Russo’s posture remained unchanged as Nadie led him to the library. Tossing open the door, she wordlessly directed him inside and slammed the door shut after he entered. Left alone with his thoughts and god knows how many books, Russo sighed as he trudged back towards his makeshift workstation.
Whatever amount of time sounds like a good transition to you
“---Keeping the subject and the confederate oblivious as to the purpose of the experiment, per requirement of a double-blind study, I instructed the confederate to engage in conversation with the subject (demon). The two of them were strongly implied to have an antagonistic history with one another, which I hoped would facilitate testing of the theory. While the conversation between them started off surprisingly civil it rapidly deteriorated, much to my relief, and the subject displayed signs of aggression. No magical spells or effects were visibly displayed during the breakdown of communications however a significant increase in ambient temperature was felt around subject. The subject was reported by multiple sources as having wielded a variety of fire magics, so an increase in physical temperature is not unexpected.
While I may be personally biased, I fervently believe my theory is a fascinating one. The idea that a demon’s personality influences the secondary magics they wield is a unique proposition to say the least. For example, a ‘hot’ headed and quick to anger demons would have a penchant for fire magic. Whereas calculating and stone faced demons that display not even the subtlest hints of emotion would likely wield ice magics, much in line with their ‘cold’ personality. Looking back on it, I realize how poorly constructed the theoretical model is however. Direction of causality is not readily evident, as it is possible that perhaps the secondary magics wielded by a demon are what influence and determine their personality and not the other way around as I have hypothesized.
I would like to claim that the results of my test have at the very least shown a correlation between a demon’s personality and secondary magic type. Given that my sample consists of only one demon, I cannot in good faith claim my findings display any sort of robustness. Further testing is required for any conclusion to be reached, which is highly unlikely given the uncooperativeness of and difficulty involved with capturing demons. Nonetheless, I remain convinced this line of inquiry holds significant promise. If it can eventually be shown, or at least strongly supported, that emotion, and not just sheer will, is capable of shaping magic then that opens up an array of possibilities! Perhaps even our own magics could benefit from such understanding. Admittedly I am losing myself to pure speculation at this point, but would it not be too much of a stretch to think that possessing a fiery anger whilst casting fire spells could potentially strengthen it? Hmmm and the more I think about it, I am curious as to what kinds of personalities would match with strong usage of earth or wind magics….”
Eyes bloodshot and mind numbed, Russo blinked a couple times after completing his speed read of the write-up he had been waiting over a week for. Conscious thought having vanished days ago, the mage’s mind ran on autopilot as his eyes scanned for keywords. Demons, secondary magic, emotion. His fingers migrated towards the sinfully large stack of papers bound together by twine. Of their own volition they flipped the front page open and his eyes once more commenced scanning. Floating down the row, his eyes briefly paused on the section heading labeled ‘Demons.’ The human was so far gone he had no recollection of even making that page. Tapping a gloved finger on the page, it slowly slid across the subsections until it came to rest just beneath the sub heading ‘Magical Affinities.’ Working in tandem, one hand flipped open the anthology to the proper subsection while the other grabbed hold of Nadie’s write-up. Carelessly tossing the entire text into the bowels of the book and then slamming it shut, the mage’s work was ultimately complete after completely full-assing the last stretch. With everything having finally been consolidated into the behemoth of literature that lay before him, Russo wobbled back and forth in his chair and collapsed onto the floor.
“Is he dead?”
“Lamentably not. He still draws breath.”
“O-okay. Thanks for checking, Xis.”
Creaking open painfully, Russo’s eyelids slowly separated as light assaulted his corneas. The underside of Xis’ chin loomed overhead.
“Simple observation should have been than enough to reassure you that he was not deceased.”
“Sorry, I just wanted to make sure,” the fox nervously fidgeted with his fingers as he replied. One of Xis’ tails whapped against the fox’s hand as it was unconsciously drawn up to his face. A thin layer of fur had begun to grow back in and Tyr couldn’t help but constantly poke at and rub it.
Circling around the human, the kitsune let out a sigh. “I suppose I’d prefer frequent consultation for advice from you than none at all. It does permit me that many more opportunities to gauge the state of affairs here after all.”
“Luckily things have been pretty slow since that big fight last week,” Tyr chuckled nervously as he reached up to scratch at his chin. Another one of Xis’s tails promptly pulled it back down to the fox’s side.
“I still haven’t the faintest idea what Nadie was thinking capturing that beast. She should have crushed that monster’s skull in at the first opportunity. The fact she has yet to exterminate it is troubling.”
“It’s all for her studies, remember? Hardly anyone who does academic research like Master does has been able to get their hands on a demon.”
Hmming softly, Xis pondered on how to articulate his doubt in Nadie’s judgment in as verbose a manner as possible. Some rustling and groaning at his feet interrupted him.
“Done,” Russo plainly stated as he squinted his eyes and remained sprawled out upon the floor.
“Say again?” Arching a brow, the kitsune failed to understand the significance of the human’s statement.
“DONE,” Russo repeated once more.
“What on earth is he blathering about?”
“Oh! He must mean the project Master tasked him with.” Turning his head towards the table, Tyr’s ears perked up upon gazing at the tome bearing down on the table. “Oh wow, that’s a lot of paper. Even she might have trouble carrying that thing around. She really worked you ragged huh?” Kneeling down, Tyr grabbed hold of both of Russo’s arms. “Come on Russo, hnffff, let’s get you to bed,” Pulling up with all his strength, Tyr tried to prop the mage back up onto his feet. His best just not quite up to snuff, Xis butted in to pick up for his summoner’s slack. Grabbing a mouthful of Russo’s cloak the kitsune proceeded to unceremoniously drag him along the stone floor. Wincing at the human’s treatment, Tyr led the way to the mage’s guestroom and held open the door for Xis. With a quick flick of his muzzle, the summon flipped Russo up onto his mattress in a disheveled heap. “Uhhhhh, thanks Xis.” Ignoring the smirk plastered across the kitsune’s face as he strode out the room, Tyr timidly closed the door behind him as he departed.
“As promised,” Nadie pulled out a large cloth bundle from beneath her desk. Pulling loose the ropes knotted around it, it unfurled to reveal “one set of armored vesting and another cloak, both of which are functionally identical to what you are wearing now.” Russo smiled gently as he took in the fruits of his labors. “I take it you’ll want to be heading out as soon as possible?” Smirking, the panther began wrapping back up the human’s reward as she glanced down at the packed sack that sat at Russo’s feet.
“What gave me away?” He wryly responded.
“Oh, you just get a sense for these things as time goes on.”
“Uh huh.”
“Hmph. Why not bid farewell to Morgan and Tyridia before you set off? I’m sure they’d appreciate it.” Russo bobbed his head side to side as he half-heartedly considered her suggestion. “Off with you,” Nadie replied as she leaned over her desk and pulled him up from his chair. “While you say your goodbyes I’ll finish packing your new gear. You can even leave your belongings here if you like. I’ll bring them to you once you’ve set everything in order.”
“Alright, alright,” Russo whined as he swatted her hand away and made his way out the basement. Shoving his hands into his pockets the human slunk around the guild as he searched out the raccoon and fox. He hmmed to himself as he maneuvered through the main hall, there was neither hide nor hair of either fur. “Where the hell could they have gone?” Mumbling to himself as he did another pass by through the main hall, the mage did a double take as he passed by a window. Squinting his eyes to avoid being blinded by the morning sun, yielded unsatisfactory results. “Dammit that’s bright.” Moving away from the window the mage contemplated if it was worth the effort to go check for them outside. “Ehhhh might as well. Sooner I see them off the sooner I can get Nadie off my back.” Wrapping his cloak around himself tight, Russo unwillingly braced himself for what would be an unpleasant transition between temperatures. Stepping out into the frigid cold, the air immediately began siphoning away his body heat with every breath he took.
“Ready Tyr?” Morgan addressed her teammate while donning a much thicker and heavier robe than usual.
Oh thank god it was actually worth coming out here.
“Merf, these cotton clothes are awfully snug… I liked my kimono better,” The fox bemoaned as he resisted adapting to his restrictive new wardrobe. Ditching the comfort of the loose fitting kimono for something that would actually keep him warm, Tyr donned thick cotton pants and an oversized coat. Thinking back on it, the fox actually did a decent job pulling off the kimono look.
“Got a mission or something?” Russo interrupted as he took advantage of a brief lull in the banter between the two.
“Nothing major, just a little reconnaissance.” Pulling down her hood tight, the tip of the raccoon’s nose poked out from beneath it. As Morgan’s warm breath wafted lazily around her muzzle, her moist nose glistened in the morning sun.
“Some pretty weak monsters, mainly kobolds, have been harassing people as they travel north of here. Morgan and I are just going to try and figure out where they like to hide. Maybe if we’re lucky we’ll find their nest too.” Tyr frowned as he pulled at his waist, the cotton pants itching something fierce.
“Like I said, nothing major. Today we’ll just scope out where they tend to pester people as they’re walking by and then later on this week we’ll go flush them out.”
“Best of luck with that then. I’m finally heading out after suffering through my research tenure and I’m just making sure to get in my goodbyes.”
“Given that the last time you visited you brought a demon along with you, I’m tempted to ask you to stay away.”
“You are always going to hold that over my head aren’t you?”
“Damn right,” Morgan smiled as she stifled a laugh. While it was fairly annoying, but understandable, that she was still giving him crap, at least in was in a somewhat friendly manner now.
“Take care, Russo. It was nice meeting you.” Extending a furred hand out to human, the mage readily accepted it and shook it firmly.
“Likewise, Tyridia. Safe travels you two.”
“And you the same,” Morgan warmly replied with a wave as she and Tyr began to mosey on out of town. Shivering in place as he meandered about, Russo lingered outside until Morgan and Tyridia’s forms disappeared down the road. Exhaling deeply, the mage took some childish pleasure in watching his breath rise like smoke from a chimney.
“Enjoying ourselves, are we?” Nadie quipped as she approached Russo, carrying all of the human’s belongings under both of her arms. “You should be set.” Gently lowering his supplies and hard earned gear on the ground, she reached into her pocket and fetched out a small green crystal. Tossing it to the mage, she began to needle him. “And just in case you ever feel like visiting, this ought to cut down on travel time. Granted, you’ll need to synch up a new crystal with this location every time you visit since you’ll exhaust the crystal… but you get my point. I’d love it if you came back and helped me with further research some time.”
“Yeahhhhhhhhh I’ll think about it,” Russo said in as unconvincing tone as he could muster. He grunted as Nadie plopped a large furred hand atop his head and tussled his hair. “Okay that is getting really annoying.”
“Oh and be sure to tell Varun that he needs to do a better job cultivating his members. Otherwise, I might find myself tempted to steal away some of his more talented subordinates that are squandering under his supervision. You’ve got talent, Russo. I just think it could be better nurtured under oh say… my care.” Before his face even had the opportunity to blush a beet red, Russo had vanished in a flash of light along with his belongings. Snorting in amusement, Nadie’s tail swished back and forth as she sauntered back into the guild.
Reappearing before the Tedrah guild hall in a burst of blue light, a smile spread wide across Russo’s face as familiar sights and sounds overwhelmed him. Taking a deep breath and sighing happily, the human relished being back home. He deserved a brief reprieve from all of the insanity after all. He had more than enough for one lifetime thank you very much in just the past two and a half weeks.
“Russo? Russo, it is you!” The mage felt his spirits lift as turned towards the source of the well-known voice. Jem bore a toothy grin as he jogged towards him and embraced him in a brotherly hug. “Good to see you!” The collie warmly greeted him as he slapped him on the back. Physical contact still hurt like holy hell but given the occasion Russo reasoned he could bear with it with minimal griping on his end. Wasting no time in starting up a conversation, Jem immediately began interrogating his friend. “So how was your trip?”
“Memorable to say the least. Oh, before I even have a chance to forget,” Russo began fumbling around with the ropes binding the bundle in hand, “I’ve got something for you.”
“This wouldn’t be a new vest by chance would it?” Jem asked excitedly as he sidled up next to the human.
“Maayyyyyyyyybe. Let me drop some stuff off at my place first and then I’ll surprise you.”
Sliding off his armor, Jem wore a cocky smile as he followed the mage as they traversed the cobbled streets. “There’s not much else it could be.”
“Do you even want to be surprised? Honestly what the…?” As the duo neared Russo’s home something seemed off. The front door to his residence slightly ajar, Russo’s heart ratcheted up in intensity as he burst into his home. “What happened to my house?!” Letting his hard won cargo drop to the floor, Russo ran his hands through his hair as he stepped into his barren abode. Light poured in through the window, the curtains that typically blocked the rays of the sun having disappeared. The drawers from his dresser littered the floor and not a single shred of clothing remained. Barging into the bathroom, Russo found all of his towels missing in action along with his… WHERE THE HELL DID THIS HOLE COME FROM?!? Gawking at the large absence in the wall where his sink once was, the mage’s lips began to twist into all sorts of different shapes as he mouthed a variety of curses. What is someone going to do with a sink? Who would steal something like that??? Stumbling out of the bathroom, the human’s vision blurred from a mixture of shock and rage. Wait he used to have a desk and a table in here didn’t he? Shit, he couldn’t even remember anymore.
“Oh fuck me that’s right. We never got the locks replaced,” Jem morbidly thought as Russo continued flipping out.
His head whipping to its side, another peculiarity stoked Russo’s rage as it caught his attention. “They even took my bed sheets! What the hell are they even gonna do with those?!” Shaking, Russo darted across his bare dwelling as he took count of what little remained. “This is stupid, they take most of my furniture, my linens and my fixtures but they don’t even touch my chest?!” Its lid tossed open, Russo gestured wildly at it and its untouched contents. “Wait why am I even mad they didn’t steal this stuff? Fuck.” Jem shrugged his shoulders in response as he breathed through his teeth. He was off to a FANTASTIC start welcoming his friend back home after an extended trip. Now is definitely not the time to… No. No more of that. How many more chances would he even get to come clean? Gritting his teeth, Jem shuddered as settled upon a course of action. Setting his vesting by the door, he sincerely hoped Russo wouldn’t sever ties with him for making his day even more difficult to bear.
Flumping onto the bare mattress, Russo moaned as he sank into it. “Russo, I know this may not be the best time but I have something I’ve been meaning to tell you.” Gently padding towards the human, Russo griped as he rolled over to accommodate Jem.
“Might as well pile everything on all at once,” he mumbled into the mattress. “Hit me.”
Cautiously lowering himself onto the bare mattress, Jem turned his head to look down at the human. Biting his lip, he paused as he deliberated on the precise order in which he should arrange his thoughts into spoken word. “I guh… we’ve been friends for more than a decade now, and I value your friendship more than anything else in the world.” The collie mentally berated himself as he realized he was already starting to pussyfoot around the topic. Dammit to hell, he’d cycled through this conversation thousands of times before in his head. What if he said the wrong things? What if he approached it the wrong way? What if, no no no, fuck it, overthinking things is why he had been dragging his feet on this issue for so long. Just cut to the chase dammit. …Russo deserves better. “I need to be forthright with him,” Jem thought as he sighed and he shook his head. “I don’t want to do anything to hurt that friendship, b-but I’m afraid I haven’t been entirely honest with you all these years. There’s something about who I am, what I am, that I’ve kept hidden from you from the moment we first met. When I first spoke with you, I was scared that if I were to tell you, you would hate or lash out at me for being so different. Yet as our bond strengthened over the years my fears never died away. I wanted to tell you my secret so badly, but I was terrified that you would be angry that you were lied to for so long, that I didn’t trust you enough to tell you even after all we’ve been through. B-but no more. E-even if you do come to hate me, I need to be honest with you. All I can do… is hope that you can forgive for being so disingenuous with you all this time.” Teeth chattering, Jem took a deep breath before continuing. “Russo, I’m-”
Rolling over, Russo turned to face his friend with a perplexed look on his face. “Oh geeze you’re finally coming out with it? Now of all times? *Sigh* You’re gay aren’t you?”
“Yes, I’m- wait. What. No. No, why the hell-”
Propping himself up into sitting position, Russo grit his teeth as he uneasily shook his head from side to side. “Ehhh I‘ve kinda suspected for a while now Jem. I mean, you’re so damn liberal with your nuzzles and hugs that I began to wonder whether or not that was… normal. And then that whole bromance thing after my near death, with the way you were acting you really didn’t leave a lot to the imagination.”
“Oh my god no, I mean okay I’m not saying I’m not gay but you’re completely missing the point.”
“Just, just hear me out Jem. After realizing that, you know, you might like guys more than most I got to thinking. …About what that would do to our friendship and how weird it might make things. After a while though, I realized that ummm,” Russo paused as he shifted uncomfortably, “I was being a dumbass for having given it any thought at all. So what if you like guys more than most? Big fucking deal. If you chased after women instead, I seriously doubt you’d be a better warrior or friend because of it. It doesn’t make any god damned difference as to the kind of person you are. No matter what your… preferences, you’re still my best friend, nothing will change that. Although, sharing beds might be weird from now on but… no, no… shit it shouldn’t even matter. Jem, I honestly don’t care that you’re gay. I-I’m not downplaying it or saying there’s anything wrong with that it’s just that it-”
“I’M A GIANT, YOU JACKASS!” Jem roared as he exploded in size and shot up past ten feet in height. His head poked against Russo’s ceiling for the most fleeting of moments before Russo’s bedframe collapsed under the collie’s increased girth. Bewildered by the abrupt drop to the floor, the human was left looking up at his companion in a daze as Jem leaned back against the wall and groaned pathetically. An awkward silence filled the air in the immediate aftermath.
“…Not to be a dick or anything Jem, but the whole shock value of growing in size has sort of been lost on me thanks to Dax.” The collie grumbled in response as he slid down in place and let his paws press against the opposite wall. For a couple minutes, the two remained silent once more as they stewed in their own thoughts. “Sooooooo. You’re a giant?”
“You don’t seem too surprised,” Jem replied with a huff as he folded his arms across his chest.
“Sorry, a lot has happened lately and this seems umm… minor, in comparison. Also, Dax again. N-not to marginalize this or anything for you or anything.” Looking up at Jem, Russo’s shoulders drooped as Jem furrowed his brows. “I-I’m sorry for ruining this for you. This was supposed to be a monumentally important reveal for you, wasn’t it?”
“Years. I’ve been trying to think of a way to tell you this for years. When I finally work up the nerve to, to finally go through with it and be honest with you, everything goes straight to hell and you just end up shrugging it off like it was nothing.”
“My bad,” Russo said in a shamed and quiet tone.
Ears pressed flat against his head, Jem sighed as he brushed a long furred finger against Russo. “It’s fine. Heck given that you were just robbed you’re handling this extremely well. The truth is out and that’s what matters. I… owe you an apology as well. I’ve been frustrated lately I misplaced some those grievances towards you.”
“Don’t mention it,” Russo replied nonchalantly as he sunk down into the wreckage of his bed. Jem turned his attention on his friend and let his gaze linger on him as the machinery in his head turned slowly. Fidgeting in place, the collie timidly poked at the mage. “Hmmm?”
“I-I know it might sound stupid, but lately I’ve been finding myself growing especially frustrated with, umm, Dax.”
“Dax? Why?”
Breathing through his nose in short bursts, Jem felt his face burning up as the answer manifested itself on the tip of his tongue. “There are a couple reasons. One of which is the fact that Dax and I are so similar. We have practically the same kinds of reactions to the same events, like the Harvest Festival for instance. Joining the same guild, befriending the same people, possessing the same abilities…”
“You’re miffed that he wants to be my apprentice and not yours, aren’t you?” Russo remarked cheekily.
Jem barked softly as he glared at the human. “We have so much in common! I could help him blend in much more easily in town, help train him in how to shift sizes much more easily and teach him some special tricks unique to giants. I’ve already walked down the path he’s taking; There’s no doubt I could help him along much more than anyone else here! And yet he shuns my help,” Jem stated grumpily. Chuckling at Jem’s peeved response, Russo quickly let up as Jem leaned over just enough to loom over him. After the display of displeasure, the giant’s eyes darted to the opposite side of the room as he wiggled his furry toes. He really needed to quit beating around the bush. The collie was certain he would spontaneously combust as his face and ears felt like they were glowing red hot with embarrassment. He opened his mouth to finally cut to the chase. “But the main reason why I was so frustrated… so jealous, well, it was because of you.”
“What?”
Pulling his legs up to his chest, Jem felt as if he was about to die as he wrapped his arms around his legs. “I’ve been jealous of how you’ve been treating Dax. How you accepted him from the start as he was, how he didn’t have to hide anything from you. I was envious of the kind of relationship he had with you.”
“Jesus, Jem you could’ve just told me. If I was fine with Dax being a giant why the hell wouldn’t I be okay with you being one?”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve sent out so many conflicting messages, what the hell was I supposed to think? You harassed and manipulated giants into doing your jobs for you not that long ago. Only after some heavy handed lectures and our run in with Dax did you begin to change your tune. What was I supposed to think about you that whole time, hmm? At first giants were your enemies to be taken advantage. But then suddenly it seemed that they became tolerable and you had mellowed out. Or was that all just a ruse and Dax just happened to be a special exception? And overall nothing had changed for you in the grand scheme of things? I have no damn way to tell!”
Russo opened his mouth to speak but quickly pursed his lips once he realized he had nothing of substance to utter. About a half dozen more times the human tried to start a sentence only to cut himself off after the first utterance of a syllable. All the while, Jem looked down at his companion with ears drooped, eyebrows raised, and lips curled down. “I have been an arrogant ass, haven’t I?”
“Yeah, you have.”
“I…I, *sigh* Would you even be willing to accept an apology from me for my past behavior?” Rising to his feet, the mage slowly pulled himself off his ruined bedframe and stood before the warrior.
“Of course I would, Russo,” Jem said softly as he gazed at the smaller human. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever known.”
“Even taking into account all my prior dickishness, you’re willing to give me the chance to do right by you? To treat you and Dax, errr, dammit I’m gonna need a lot of help with wording this.”
“You are fucking terrible at this,” Jem laughed to himself as he wrapped his hands around Russo gently and hugged him tight. “Apology accepted, what’s done is done” He quietly murmured as he nuzzled the human.
“Okay, see this is what I was talking about earlier when I said you were-”
“Shut your damn mouth,” the giant collie curtly demanded.
“Alright, alright, I won’t ruin the moment.” For the time being the two friends enjoyed each other’s presence, that and the peace of mind the reaffirmation of their friendship conferred. “Wait.”
“Hmm?”
“Wouldn’t revealing the fact that you’re a giant have been much more relevant, helpful, and powerful a moment back when I was getting my shit rocked by those highwaymen a month or so ago?”
“Uhhhhhhhhhh,” Jem stuttered as he embraced Russo tighter. “W-what’s done is done.”
“Oh you colossal puss-” Russo’s invectives were muffled as he got a face full of collie chest fluff.
“So glad we were able to put all of this behind us.” Jem laughed nervously as he did his best to stifle Russo’s complaints.
“Fuck you, Jem. Fuck you,” Russo mumbled into the collie’s broad chest as he was further censored by the giant’s powerful hugs.
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Category Story / Macro / Micro
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 120 x 104px
File Size 36.2 kB
Listed in Folders
Oh damn I actually earned some compliments from you? Thank you kindly good sir. As for the humor thing, I'm guessing certain styles just lend themselves to it more easily than others. Your style certainly does a far better job accommodating to fight scenes and character development than mine does.
Bwahahaha! And now Russo takes his place among the Evolved Unfazed Everyman. ( http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.p.....nfazedEveryman ) I'm so proud of his noteworthy accomplishment. Hehe, poor Jem thought his secret was impressive while his friend is shooting gods in the face.
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