Dressed Up

Breakfast for Naralis was terrific. Today he had sauteed onions and toasted bread with jelly. Amy and Emily showed him around the house afterward he was done. Edward stayed back to talk to his father. Edward eyed his father with contempt and anger, something he'd never truly done.

" Did Naralis do something to you" Sending him to hell's cave! Father, If he dies, I'll never forgive you!" Edward's hands shook as he pointed at his father.

" Your royal side always shows its ugly face when you're angry." Adam sipped his orange juice and eyed his son. He understood that sending Naralis to Hell's cave was a risk, but it would make him stronger if he survived.

" Your father sent you to that wretched place and you know firsthand how dangerous it is. You swore you would never be like your father! And here you are, sending my friend away as your father did you. You're just like that tyrant bastard!"

" Watch your tongue, Edward. You are my son, but I can only accept so much disrespect. I am nothing like my father. I'm sending him away for your own good!" The table creaked under the force of his palm.

" You could have been taken away from me if I didn't have eyes and ears all over MY city. My strength is not your own. You've been slacking in your training ever since your friend was harmed. I don't see you training your swordsmanship or martial arts. You haven't even unlocked your aura yet, but you're depending on that elf right? The unstable elf, who could flip out and remove life as we know it off this planet."

Edward knew his father was right. He was so worried for Naralis, that he neglected his training, but it didn't mean he had to be okay with how his father had done things.

" You could've done anything else to separate us or make the both of us stronger, but you chose Hell's Cave father! You know how it ruined your relationship with your father. Slain him in cold blood in front of your mother! And you dare subjugate an innocent person to such conditions?"

Adam breathed slowly, trying his best to calm the pounding in his chest. His blood boiled with rage. Most would've been killed by now. Adam inherited his father's temper. The great tyrant Damien. A man known for his ruthless sword. Under his father's territory north of Aflair, Onsen saw great prosperity under his rule, but the oppression knew no bounds. Onsen was mostly self-sufficient, being that the citizens were forced to work like slaves. They had no freedom until their tenure was up, and then their children were trained for jobs. Everyone was accounted for by numbers drawn on their skin with permanent ink and everyone had their roles chosen for them.

There was no prison. Any law broken resulted in death and any slacking resulted in lashes. His ruthlessness made the country safe and wealthy at the expense of the livelihood of its citizens, but Adam put an end to the brute.

" I'm nothing like my old man. The fact that your head is still intact after your spout is a testament to that. Hell's Cave may have killed the boy I once was, but I recovered after time and had children who I could show that side. It also made me powerful enough to slay my abusive father, who beat on my mother, me, and my siblings like we were enemies. Who loathed the beings he created from his loins. His idea of love was twisted and it showed in how he ruled his land. Naralis isn't staying there for years as I had and I'm sure he'll live. He has an uncanny healing factor and he's a battle head. I think he might even enjoy it," Adam shrugged and sipped his drink.

Edward didn't mean the words he said. He tried to hurt his father's feelings like Adam did him and it worked, but it didn't feel good.

" I apologize father. I meant none of it. I just don't want my best friend to die. His life was already shitty until this point. I couldn't live with myself if he was killed."

" It's fine son. Sometimes I need to be reminded of the man I do not want to become."

Naralis walked the halls with two lovely ladies glued to his arms. The tour around the Sullivan estate left him speechless and a bit hurt. He had a family and history, just like them, but he knew seeing them was impossible. Amy and Emily dropped him off in his room where he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling and organizing his thoughts.

' He's Cave sounds horrible, but I'm not afraid to die. I'll come back stronger than ever.'

A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. " It's me, Naralis. We need to talk buddy." Naralis opened the door and Edward followed him to his bed.

" Look, big guy. Hell's Cave isn't a playground. It isn't fun. They break you down and remold you into a living weapon."

" Sounds fun to me," Naralis laughed in excitement.

" No! See, this is what I'm talking about. You need to think. Use your brain and take this seriously dammit!"

Naralis sat up at the seriousness of Edward's voice. " Is it really that bad compared to what I've gone through so far?"

" I-I didn't mean it that way. All I'm saying is that we are friends. I consider you my best friend. I already planned how I want us to be in the future. Me leaving my father's shadow and starting something with you right by my side for all of it. What I'm saying is, come back to the giant, righteous, naive clutz that I've always known," Edward smiled.

" I'll try my best," Naralis and Edward bumped fists. " I've been meaning to ask you something. I have a date with Mursha tomorrow, but I have no idea what I'm supposed to do on a date."

Edward stared at his confused face. " Give me a sec." Edward left the room and returned a bit later with Emily who could control her excitement.

" Get dressed sexy. We're going shopping!" Emily jumped up and down, clapping her hands and giggling. Naralis threw on a white tunic, black slacks, black sleek shoes, and Emily practically dragged him out of her home.

A quick ride in a carriage had them in the center of the busiest part of town. There were shops and booths from one end of the street to the other. " Sooo, first we'll get you some fancy clothing. Wearing my brother's hand-me-downs doesn't suit you. Follow me!"

" Wai-" Emily pulled him by the arm into a shop named 'Ben's Dresser'.

" Benny! Girl, look who I have here!" Over the counter was a male drow with hoop earrings, painted nails, and a hair-do that only women could pull off.

" Emily Hunny! It's been such a long time and who's the hunk on your arms girl? My name is Benny," Naralis noted the high-pitched voice and the sass the man spoke with. " Naralis. Nice to meet you."

" My friend is going on a date tomorrow and he needs your finest threads. I'm paying so give him your best."

" Come darling. Let's get your measurements." Ben led him behind the counter down a hallway into an empty room with a large mirror, a workstation, and a closet."I don't use magic thread as much as others. Pretty lazy. Hard-working gals like myself take pride in their skill. Stand in front of the mirror. I'm going to measure your inseam."

Ben went to the workstation and retrieved the measuring tape off the table." Stand still, baby." Naralis did feel weirded out by the man's constant flirtations, but it wasn't something he had never seen before. There were same-sex couples in his tribe, and they were allowed to be without judgment, so he wasn't offended. Ben crouched and placed one end of the tape at the cusp of his pants and he slowly guided his other toward Naralis' crouch. Naralis's body naturally tried to move away, but Ben's scowl forced him into place. Ben's finger got closer to his manhood and Ben's smile grew wide at Naralis' feeble attempts to move.

" I'm not going to touch that monster, on purpose honey. This view is enough to satisfy my curiosity, you blessed elf. Are you sure you are straight? You know I can-"

" No No No. I'm straight," Naralis raised his hands in protest. Ben clicked his teeth. "It's always that way. The fine ones are always straight. Makes me sick that such a fine piece of meat is only for girls." Ben let out a heartfelt sigh. " What colors are you thinking about? Black looks absolutely ravishing on you, but a nice brown can work." Ben circled his body with his finger on his chin.

" I like black-"

" Ok. I'm thinking of a black and white dress shirt with a nice royal overcoat. Uh, when was the last time you washed this beautiful silver hair? We have so much to do."

The rest of his day was spent with Emily getting pampered by the workers of Ben's shop. They filed his nails and cleaned up his facial hair. His hair had a brighter silver sheen to it, as though the moonlight were reflecting off the cleanest of waters. Ben and some of the workers were more than happy to massage his hands and feet. It was night when it was all over and Emily couldn't remain quiet about it on their way home

Naralis hung up his new wardrobe and got prepared for dinner. He could hear the gasps as he entered the dining space.

" My god. I didn't think you could look any better," Amy held her chest. Naralis was beautiful. His long hair was no longer tangled, reaching past his waist. His skin was silky smooth and creamy. From afar, someone could mistake him for a large woman.

" Thanks for the compliment, you guys." Tonight's dinner was oily noodles with various types of meat and vegetables scattered about. Naralis' slurping made everyone burst into laughter.

" My date is tomorrow and I need help. What am I supposed to do?" He looked to Adam who simply shook his head.

" I'm terrible with women. Ask someone else." Emily was prepared to answer." First, you pick somewhere to eat. Women love food. Pick somewhere fancy though. The next step is to pick something before dinner. I suggest a play."

" I suggest going to a coliseum. Mursha is an orc and they love fighting." Edward chirped in.

" You're going on a date with an orc? Maurice asked, almost spitting up his food. " Is that an issue here? My tribe has no problem with orcs. There are very few orcs where I'm from, but there hasn't been an issue between us."

" It isn't how it used to be. At one point in time, orcs and elves had issues just like vampires and wolves, but it was due to jealousy. No race of women like mating with orcs because they can't control themselves or their strength. Only female orcs can mate with them and they don't even enjoy it. What you're doing is going to cause problems, but I am your backer. I'll send a message out so you can enjoy your date without killing someone."

The table was full of chatter with everyone trying to help him with his date. After dinner, he couldn't sleep.

' My first date. I can't wait!'