36 But trouble has a way of finding you

The candle lit the room in a wonderful orange glow as Nastalia read from a weathered parchment. A finger coiled around her curly flame colored hair as she absentmindedly played with it while her eyes wandered the pages spread before her. The door to the chamber swung open and even bounced off of the wall with a resounding thud. She jumped in fright and a glow enveloped her hand as she quickly turned to face the entrance to her chambers. A young plated man strode in as if it were his own bedchamber and boldly walked up to the startled priestess. "Kalsie! You idiot! I almost turned you into a toad!"

"You don't have that ability, nor the capacity as family. Now quit playing around and lets finish the discussion we started earlier."

Nastalia left her mouth hanging open as she had no words to describe the emotion that ruled her at this time. Slowly the glow faded from her hand and she began to smooth her vestements and appearance as well as trying to recover some of the disheveled scrolls and books that were strewn about. Her cousin had always been a little overbearing and dominant, but after he became a paladin of the order, it went to a whole new level. "I feel like that 'discussion' had already ended and I am not certain there is anything to add to it."

His eyebrows creased as he glared at his cousin. "Foolish girl. Nothing good will come of this outsider. He has no business with the Academy and no business with you."

She gave her cousin a small smile and demurely returned, "Dear cousin, words like that and one would think you felt more than familial love for me. I'm sorry Kalsie, you have always been and always will be an older brother to me. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some research to finish."

Kalsie glared daggers at his cousin, it was infuriating how this simple country bumpkin was daring to insult him like this. It was tolerable when they were children, but now things were different. "I will not allow you to bring shame to Our Family." Were the only words he spoke as he stalked right back out of her room, but he paused as he reached the door and tossed one final remark back. "Be warned. This will not end well for him. His kind are not welcome in this village any longer, as it should be."

As soon as her cousin left the room, Nastalia rushed to shut her door and lock it before kneeling before the fireplace in her room. "Oh Dear Sister. The Hearth is growing colder as the night is growing longer. Hear my pleas..."

***

Kano awoke at Margo's condo and could not help himself as he started exploring her as the feeling her wonderfully toned body on his was a welcoming thing to wake up to. He rather enjoyed the warmth of a woman next to him upon waking and wondered how it would feel with one on each side. Soon, were his only thoughts as he grew bolder in his exploration of the mature woman and before long he had awoken her with a few expert uses of his tongue upon her still wet cave. Kano had barely enough time to rinse himself in the shower before rushing to the station house to begin a new day of duty. He knew that today he would face his partner again after making her extremely mad the day before. So, he decided it was best to play it safe.

Ruolan meanwhile had awoken alone in her barracks and found herself wondering what it would be like to wake up next to a man that she loved and whom loved her as well. She had these thoughts on occasion, sure, but this time, it was a little more frequent and on this particular morning, it was stronger and only one face appeared in her fantasy. The dream she had the night before now had her extremely frustrated and confused and it was the same man then as it was now. "It's because he is attractive. And friendly. And nice. And handsome. And strong... Gah!" Her memory still vividly recalled those strong hands of his roaming her body and touching her in all the right places to excite her even more. Even as she showered, she could not help imagining his six pack and rippling chest pressing against her back as the water cascaded down her body. While she got dressed she could almost feel him tugging at her clothes, trying to pull them back down and away while his lips caressed her curves.

When she entered the squad room and received her duty for the day with her partner, it was his face that was right in front of her. Yet, now that face was a bit less than it usually was. Sure, he smiled, but it was not the brilliant and dazzling ray of light that it was before. He had been diminished and Ruolan knew it was her fault. As they retrieved their patrol car, he said not a word, and she herself was trying to rationalize what she said and how she said it. She did nothing wrong, he deserved all of it... then why did she feel terrible now? It had been an hour that they had been on the streets and the silence was deafening her. She finally caved and whipped into a small coffee shop. Sparing him not even a single glance, she walked in and purchased a small box of donuts, bavarian creme, and brought them along with fresh coffee back.

With a small cup of coffee staring him in the face, Kano did not truly know how to react so he reached out to accept it with a smile. Their fingers touched for a moment and he could have swore that she had let her grip linger for just a little too long and when his cup moved aside, he was hit with a direct attack. Ruolan had an award winning smile on her face and his masculine heart could not help but be left wide open to it. Kano could only grin back at her dumbly as the smile broke through any defense had erected. "Well, glad to see you're back, my dear husband."

***

It was a start at least. Ruolan felt that seeing Kano act more like himself made her own mood lighten. She was not certain why this was, but quickly dismissed it as real friendship. It was her first friend in years, after all, ever since she had left home and joined the Marines at eighteen years of age. It was both the day after her graduation ceremony and the day before her wedding. A dark look crossed her face as she recalled her reasons for leaving and her distinct mistrust of men in general. Yet here she sat with a man leaning against her as he rambled about his time as a kid in Colorado while they lazed about during their lunch hour on a grassy knoll in the park. Occasionally she would interject with questions or add in a small story of her time as a child growing up in San Francisco's Chinatown. Her family had emigrated before she was born, and her extended family had followed when she was a teen. Unfortunately that was when her troubles started so she did not mention her times during high school. It amazed her how nice it felt to just talk with someone again, nothing serious, just chatting away the time while she snuck glances at Kano's face. The bastard just had to be handsome didn't he, she thought to herself as she continued to gaze at him, not realizing she was starting to look like an adolescent staring at her crush. Her thoughts had also begun to mull over his strange behavior when it came to his love life. Sure, a lot of men wanted multiple partners, but he was wanting more than that it seemed. He wanted multiple women around him for the rest of his days, together even and not even in the sexual way. For some reason, he just enjoyed having them around him at all hours. Maybe it was true what he kept saying, he just loved women.

As they chatted she thought about something, recently she had received an invitation to come back to her parents home. They wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving with her, the American Tradition of food bringing families closer together. This was her father's idea, she was sure, as he had tried to mediate for years between her and her mother, it just never worked because the two women were both just too similar and convinced they were right. Maybe, if she brought Kano along, it would end their feud and let her have a relationship with her parents again. The idea took root and slowly grew until it bore fruit with a fully actualized plan. "Husband," she spoke up suddenly, catching Kano off guard but he turned to her and gave her his full attention before she spoke again. "Want to help me trick my parents?"

***

Kano whistled a happy tune as he hammered the last fence post back together with his mallet. It was hard work, but the graveyard fence was fully complete now and it should make it more difficult for things to get in, or out as the case sometimes was. The afternoon sun hung high in the sky and kept him quite warm even with the chill wind coming down from the mountain. It was a wonderful feeling and reminded him of home. It had been a few months since he had been back home and he started to understand why people got homesick. As a young kid, he never understood the concept, he had only ever thought of getting away. Still, it was beautiful here and he could even understand why Bill had never returned to Earth. He wiped some sweat from his brow and hoisted his tools as well as his discarded tunic and headed back to his cottage. As he got closer, he saw that a wagon was parked nearby and the horses were being tended by an athletic looking woman. He recognized her right away and a wicked smile plastered across his face. The beautiful monk was busy brushing the horses with a dedicated look and took almost no notice of her surroundings which made it all the easier for Kano to sneak up behind her.

"Ah, my beloved, would that your attentions were so strongly directed at me instead." he lamented in a lilting voice with just the right amount of melancholy added in. He even added in a forlorn look for her to see when she spun around. However, she did not even stop brushing. "I already told you. You must meet a certain standard."

Kano was not fazed in the slightest. "But my darling, you already proclaimed your love for me when you stole a kiss, and you even ceded to me in combat. Surely you are simply making things difficult for the thrill of being chased, or chaste as it were." He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist in a tight hug, pressing her cheeks against his cheek. "Never fear my dear. I will not give up. I will surpass this trial of yours and you will know that my longing for you is true!"

Li na squealed and tried to twist out of his grasp, but he was just too strong and she only managed to drag him along with her. She tried to pry his arms away but he still clung to her as if she were a rope upon a cliff face. Finally, she gave up with an exasperated sigh and simply looked about dejectedly, even if she was only slightly annoyed by him. Oddly enough, she had started to actually enjoy his little game of courting her. He was a fine specimen, good at hand to hand and was rather amiable. If only he was not a dark caster, dark casters were evil... right? Her mind was still confused by this and had hoped that meeting his captive would set her back on the right path, only to discover that Alice was not a captive at all. And Kano was indeed her savior, Kano, he even had a name that fit him and sounded similar to ones from a neighboring country to her homeland. She once purchased a sweet roll from a stand of a man from the Sian Kingdom that had a son named Kano. She recalled the little boys mother calling him Kano-chan. It too her years to understand how that language was do similar and yet so different at the same time. Then, her eyes lit up as she had an idea.

"Let go, stand up and I shall kiss you." Before she could blink, Kano stood before her as if by magic. Li na blinked rapidly in surprise and was a little amused that such a statement would work. Yet, now she had a new problem, he was waiting for his reward. "Good boy." She said as she gave him a smile, stalling for time as she thought of what to do. Slowly her hand touched his cheek and Kano closed his eyes in anticipation. Then he felt her lips on his other cheek. Progress, he thought, a little surprised at himself at how much of a horn dog he had become, but then again, did he actually just want to bang her, or did he want more from her? He was not certain himself at this point, but he did enjoy the reactions she had when he teased her. Though, it seemed she had started to get used to his personality. It was a little less fun, but more enjoyable and more comfortable anyway. Also, he detected that she was not as guarded as before, either. He wondered what happened to change that.

"You love birds need his cottage for a bit? Or can I stay and watch?" a sing-song voice broke Kano from his light trance and he turned to see a glowing flame-haired priestess walking towards them from his home, followed by a blushing Alice and the ever quiet woman that was part of their team. He noticed that this trio was usually together, but there should be a fourth that seemed to only be with them when they had to go out of the village. What was his name again? Shithead? Steel Face? Whatever, Kano thought as he watched the gorgeous priestess walking his way. "Hey Red. Couldn't get enough of me. I knew it. Just too much for women. I do apologize, its a curse. Women just can't help but fall for me."

Maybe it was his nonchalant attitude, or maybe it was what he said, but all of the women pounced on him and started swatting at him. Even the usually reserved Whisper found herself sneaking in a few smacks on his muscled backside when the opportunity presented itself. She found the mood infectious and this man seemed to pose her sisters no threat even. Though, she did find it odd that they were so familiar with him yet only knowing him for a couple of weeks. The only one that did not join in was Alice, she simply watched and smiled yet for some reason, known only to her, it contained a hint of sadness.

The small gaggle covering Kano slowly dispersed and allowed him to breath, though he himself was not troubled by being covered in beautiful women. It was only the three, but having them press against him simply made his day. Then he noticed that Nastalia's face changed and he felt that the previous antics were simply to ease the blow of what was to come. "Go on, Red. Lay it on the line." He urged.

She sighed and looked over at Alice before speaking. "She is to be tried for adultery. You as well. The guards will be here soon. The Hierophant himself has ordered your arrest."

Kano was floored. This was an event he was not expecting. "What happens to Alice?"

"If her husband takes her back, nothing. If he doesn't, she will burn or sacrificed to the monsters in the night." Nastalia's face glistened as a few tears fell.

Kano was about to ask what she could do, but he figured this was all she could. As he thought about it, he wondered why the top leader in the Academy would even bother. "So why is the Hierophant invovled?"

"You."

Floored again by the news he received, it took him a second of confusion before he could respond. "Why?"

Nastalia sighed before speaking and motioned for Alice to come over to join them on the grass. "The Hierophant is an orthodox Hesphalia worshiper and an extremist at that. He sees The Lord of Light as the only god worthy of worship and all others are mere pretenders. Especially the Dark One. And Dark related things."

It dawned upon him. He had made a target when he walked into the domain of the Hierophant and caught his attention. The bastard was simply using Alice to further his own desire, to rid his house of what he considers pests. "Bastard. Fucking self righteous prick! Doesn't care that a woman is being used and abused, but oh no! A dark caster is nearby! The world is fucking ending!" Eldritch flame began to lick at the grass around Kano as he grew angrier and angrier. "Fuck him! And fuck what he wants!"

The ladies were shocked as Kano leaped to his feet and the Arcane energies surrounding them grew more intense. Nastalia especially felt the pressure as she was attuned to such energy, the air grew thick and the vile smell of sulphur graced their noses. The ladies took a step back as Ancient Words of Power floated out of the Flames and lazily drifted around him. Fear gripped their hearts as the man they had just moments before been laughing with and playing, now was covered head to toe in Dark Mana that was freezing to touch. Nastalia's eyes widened in horror and shock as the flames solidified upon his head into ethereal looking horns.

"Rah-ta, Forloch, Si-ue, Futaan! Un-day, Reise! Si-ue, Futaan! Un-day, Reise! Reise! Reise! Reise!"

As he finished chanting the flames rushed out and away from him towards the graveyard. Hundreds of different plumes slammed into the earth and dug up the many buried villagers. The sky darkened as the Arcane energies finally released and the villagers began to climb up out of their graves with the smell of long forgotten earth filling the air. Slowly, clouds began to dissipate and sunlight returned to the area. Kano turned away from his handiwork and looked back at the group of women with a full army of undead behind him.

"Let him come."