Marriage Or Chaos

Aliyah was totally unknown to the fact that she got so drunk that she openly proposed to Vexana. Everyone decided to stay silent as such things need time to relax and also both Aliyah and Vexana haven't had a conversation with each other since that day. Aliyah wanted to meet Vexana, but she also didn't want to be the first to start the conversation. She silently waited for a week and then told Elgin that they should all have a meeting together to discuss the incident that occurred in the hotel. Elgin called for a meeting but Vexana didn't come and for the second meeting, Aliyah was sitting on the sofa and eating fried marshmallows. Alice came with a large bottle of soft drink and said, "You finished the remaining alcohol in the first meeting. So, we are out of alcohol right now." Aliyah looked at Alice and said, "That's good only. Alcohol isn't a good thing." Alice mumbled, "Yeah. Says the woman who drinks alcohol like water." Elena and Trisha came inside and sat near the TV. Rachel came inside and said, "I didn't know that you are six guys. I only prepared snacks and lunch for three people." Alice said, "Don't worry, mom. We will share." Rachel and Alice hadn't talked much about the disappearance of Rachel because both of them didn't want their secrets to reveal. Aliyah wanted to ask some questions but Elgin was reluctant to do so as it will be strange to get interrogated by random strangers.

Aliyah looked at Rachel and said, "Auntie. I heard that you mostly stay away from home for work. You should spend some time with Alice. She may not tell you, but she does get lonely sometimes." Rachel looked at Alice and said, "Only if things were easy, my dear. After Marcus's death, responsibilities doubled and gradually our connection started to fade. After my marriage with Ethan, Alice started to stay further away from me than before. So, I took my old job as a traveling researcher and my life moved on." Aliyah said, "I can understand. Responsibilities are the enemies of love. My own mother never showed any love to me. For her, all of her children's lives were already fixed. Sons will become soldiers and daughters will stay as someone else's property forever." Rachel said, "Your mom sounds very regressive." Aliyah smiled, "Regressive is a very small word to describe her. She was disastrous. She wrecked all the people's lives like a cannonball without any regret or guilt." Rachel said, "Okay. You guys enjoy it. I will have to go out to meet an old friend. She has something important to show me." Rachel went outside the house.

Elgin said, "You shouldn't say such things so openly. Your daughter-mother disputes have nothing to do with others." Aliyah said, "My disputes may not be important to you, but that's important to me. I can share them with anyone and anywhere." Vexana appeared and sat beside Alice and asked, "So, why were you calling another meeting just two days after the first meeting?" Aliyah said, "So, you do remember that there was a meeting earlier. Well, your absence in the previous one has raised the need for your presence in this one." Vexana looked at Aliyah and said grimly, "I have several works to do, Aliyah. I don't have the luxury to spend time gossiping with friends like you do. Kystion has gone mad and has started slaughtering innocent elves and their families on the grounds of false charges of treachery. Also, Elgin has sent his girlfriend to the Kingdom which has taken a quarter of my army in protecting her. Cindy is still asleep under the influence of Elgin's magic, but when she wakes up she will be a headache for us. Various illegal contracts are out there to find and kill you guys. Kystion wants all the murderers of Krymon beheaded. It seems that a war is going to happen soon and we have no other option, but to fight Kystion and eliminate him for good."

Aliyah said, "Bigger enemies need more attention, Vexana. Xao Chang has been our enemy for centuries and now it's the right time to kill him and make this world a peaceful place." Vexana said, "That's where you are wrong. Kystion is not a small enemy. He is as much of a threat as was Krymon. He has an enormous army behind him and nothing attracts more of the demons than armies. Xao Chang will join hands with Kystion the second he comes out of his mediation and then, we will have to fight a much bigger enemy than we have realised. Also, Kystion is going to destroy your palace and construct his statue on the ruins of it." Aliyah said, "This would have enraged the old Aliyah, but the new Aliyah knows to make sacrifices and is ready to let that brute destroy my home." Alice and Elgin looked at her in horror. Elena said, "Have you gone nuts, Aliyah? That imbecile is going to destroy your home and you are going to let him do that? If I was in your place, I would have stabbed him with the spear." Aliyah said, "Kystion's end is not my destiny. That is Alice's. If she thinks that she is ready to fight him, then we are going to do that. But, I don't feel like she is comfortable with another war." Aliyah looked at Alice and sighed. Alice looked at everyone and said, "If Kystion's death is so important. Then, I'm ready to kill him." Aliyah laughed, "Kill him? You think you can kill him. Kystion is not an ordinary person. He has fought and won more battles than you have hair on your scalp. He is a seasoned warrior and a master strategist. He is the reason the ogres were able to defeat an army ten times bigger than them. You are not going to fight him, but merciless ogres and zombies of the deceased elves." Elgin said, "Don't frighten her, Aliyah. She is going to do things fine. It was going to happen sooner or later."

Aliyah said, "But, like earlier we cannot all go back. Whoever attacked me in the hotel is definitely going to strike again and we have to be prepared for it." Elgin said, "Okay. So, Vexana, Alice and I will go back and you, Elena and Trisha stay here and stop the assailant. Fine?" Aliyah said, "What's fine?! Elena and Trisha are newbies and you are telling me to keep an eye on them while I fight someone who is clearly more powerful than me." Vexana said, "To make the odds even, I have someone in mind." Aliyah and Elgin asked simultaneously, "Who?" Vexana said, "Our old friend and a very skilled swordsman, Prince Jerachi." Aliyah asked, "That snob is still alive?" Vexana said, "Mostly alive. He has become a little less talkative and also he has apologized for his past behaviour. So, he can be a good aid for you." Aliyah said, "Jerachi was definitely a good swordsman. But, he refused to fight in the First War of the West. I thought he died of shame after he saw his own family getting slaughtered by Ichi Nakamura." Vexana said, "That's what changed him. Ichi Nakamura killed all the members except Jerachi because he was hiding. That guilt and shame has purified him and made him the good man he is today." Aliyah said, "Fine. Call him. But, wait a minute. What do you mean by "mostly alive"?" Vexana said, "You will see it yourself when he arrives." She vanished in pink smoke.

Alice asked, "How many new people do I still have to learn about? Jerachi and Ichi Nakamura. Who are they?" Aliyah said, "Jerachi's grandfather, Lord Elfhan was the royal guard of the kingdom. Royal guards were quite established and important people in the kingdom and thus their families were regarded as a part of the royalty unlike the generals which were considered normal people. Jerachi's father, Riyotan was a farmer because he didn't like violence and therefore had abstained himself from it and moved to the farming lands. Lord Elfhan was persistent and by hook and crook, took Jerachi from his father and taught him all the swordsmanship skills and made him a royal guard as well. Jerachi was always a spoiled brat and he left no opportunity to show it. Hosting enormous parties, fucking the best prostitutes and riding the best breed of horses. He lived a more luxurious life than most princes. So, that's all. Now, Ichi Nakamura is not very familiar to me. But, he is very dangerous and swift. So, if you ever face him, don't blink." Elgin said, "You will never face him. Because he is dead. But, again Xao Chang can revive anyone so you may face him."

Aliyah looked at Elena who was looking at Trisha's hand. Aliyah asked, "What are you looking at Elena? Elena said, "Trisha's hand is getting bigger day by day and it looks like she is also getting bigger day by day. She gained a lot of height and weight in the past seven months." Trisha said, "My hand has done all the work. It slowly eats all my muscles and then replaces it with more powerful ones. It also enhanced my bones and strength and made my skin more radiant." Aliyah said, "The hand is slowly taking over Trisha's body and soon she will become a more stronger and powerful version of herself. But, these gifts come with a cost. She will be sterile and bald." Trisha said, "What!" Aliyah said, "Don't worry, Trisha. You will be quite magnificent after that. You saw Hilda, right? You will become thrice her." Trisha asked, "But, she wasn't bald and sterile?"

Aliyah said, "Because she was born that way. Her progress was natural rather than magical. Anyway, you will come quite handy in the upcoming war. Kystion's half army will run away frightened by just seeing you." Trisha said, "This is no joke, Aliyah. I don't want to stay like this." Aliyah said, "I don't know any remedy for it. But, maybe there is something for this problem in the books written by the great scholar and physician, Grand Medic Damascus Malefifus." Trisha said, "Now, I have to wait for Elgin and Alice to win the war to hope for my remedy." Elgin said, "Don't worry. The Ancient library is concealed under the ground of the Royal Palace and therefore its whereabouts are unknown to Kystion." Trisha rose and said, "Please, find a remedy as soon as possible. I don't want to live as a monster for the rest of my life." She went away. Elena looked at Alice and said, "I should be going too. You may get help in your homework by Aliyah and Elgin. But, I have to do my homework on my own." Elena rose and walked towards the door and went outside. Vexana appeared suddenly and said, "I have very good news and very bad news. What would you like to hear first?"

Alice said, "Bad news." Vexana said, "Kystion has killed all the guards and kidnapped Cindy." Elgin said, "What?" Aliyah asked, "So, what's the good news?" Vexana said, "Kystion has agreed to join forces with us and support us against Xao Chang. If..." Aliyah asked, "If, what?" Vexana said grimly, "If you all agree to marry Cindy to him." Elgin fell on the ground unconscious. Aliyah said, "The whole kingdom and support of the ogres will be ours, if that idiot marries Cindy? I agree with this proposal." Alice said, "Don't be mad. Elgin became unconscious after just hearing about it. He will kill you if this happens." Aliyah said, "I have given lots of sacrifices from my side. Now, it's Elgin's time to make sacrifices. If that brute cools down by marrying Cindy, then I wholly agree with this." She disappeared in purple smoke. Alice looked at Elgin and then Vexana and sighed, "Cindy may be the worst person on the planet for me. But, I can't let her marry an old and psychotic ogre. That too, forcefully." Vexana looked at her and said, "Then, it seems like the war is still inevitable." Alice and Vexana looked at each other and sighed.....