Chapter 29: This Fffire

Chapter 29: This Fffire

My instincts were screaming at me that I should go outside, two of the strongest people on the island were no longer in a state where they could fight back against enemy attacks. I was worried that King Del would do something stupid so I rushed outside after blowing on my whistle to put everyone to sleep.

When I got outside I was faced with something I didn't expect.

"Hmm? Boy did you do something?" King Del remained seated at the end of the table while the rest of his daughters were sound asleep on the table.

"I was expecting you to hold them as random or something… How disappointing."

I was definitely expecting something but I didn't expect nothing to happen.

"And do what? Just touching them right now would burn me, and after that your grandfather would destroy my entire country. Don't say dangerous things."

I looked over to my mother and she had her hands on her forehead sweating bullets. I don't think she would be in any kind of state to fight back if anyone did something to her. I looked at Sir Makoto and his condition was very different. He looked cool and relaxed, like he didn't have a care in the world.

I was thinking about how badass he was for pouring that thing back and not feeling anything but after looking at his poker face I realized that he too was in some horrible pain as well. He was just good at hiding it.

"So this is the rumored divine tea I've heard so much about."

I looked back at him questioningly. I wanted to know what he thought about it from an outsider's point of view, so I had to ask, "What do you know about it?"

King Del looked at me amused before answering, probably hoping for a confirmation himself.

"I know your grandfather stole it from the empire, they used it to train their soldiers. They would dilute it greatly and give it to their people. Even then it killed most of the people that drank from it, but it made ordinary people stronger, faster, smarter, and better. For most it was worth the pain and the suffering.

Before then your grandfather's cohort were nothing more than bandits who went around harassing the empire and its people, but when he stole the teapot… everything changed. It became a declaration of war, and everyone was the target. Can you blame them? He did steal a divine artifact from them after all, and one of the most useful ones of them all. The one that can raise an army."

I knew all this already, it was all true of course. Back then Sir Makoto, the former Queen and a few others were all on a mission to destroy the empire, but the old man believed they needed to die slowly. Gobo's population was abnormally high and there was no real way of completely wiping them all out without taking out the surrounding countries so instead he aimed for their lifeblood.

"Do you want to try? We still have some left." I pointed towards the thermos, wondering if he would take the bait.

"How much?"

I smiled at his question, "10 casks of birch sap vodka." 

King del looked at me furious without saying anything, he paused for two seconds before responding, "3 casks you dirty little alcoholic."

"12 casks, AND I will talk to my grandfather about procuring at least 3 thermoses worth."

He finally looked a tad bit excited, "Why didn't you just say so your highness? Of course, we would love to make such a deal! It'll take a while to deliver, do you mind if I just take the thermos now?"

I chuckled at his blatant desire to skimp out on our deal and grabbed the thermos and put it in my storage, and put it up for sale. He looked at this slightly annoyed so I just reminded him to look at his shop.

"Tch." I think he was really willing to take the thermos and pay me far in the future.

"Thank Dredan I have this skill huh."

King Del gave a neutral look, "Thank Dredan…"

I looked over to my mother who was now looking over in our direction, I was going to put my hand over her shoulder until she stopped me.

"Don't touch, you might get burned."

I looked at her briefly before I put my hand on her anyway and rubbed her back. It wasn't nearly as bad as it was last time, I didn't even notice anything anymore. I just rubbed her back to lighten the tension for her. She looked at me concerned but after realizing nothing was happening she just let it go.

"Well, wasn't that entertaining! I almost forgot what death felt like! It's always good to look back on fond memories aye?! Hahaha!"

I looked over to my right in shock, only to witness Sir Makoto gorging on his food while laughing. I was almost worried he would choke.

After a while of waiting some of the girls began to stir and wake up. I figured that was my que to check on Alora.

I went inside and found Alora with her face in her knees and sitting on the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

She shivered for a few seconds until I got closer and held her in my embrace. She began to calm down after a few minutes of me stroking her head. I don't know why she was hurt so badly or why it scared her so much, but I still try to comfort her anyway.

After a while she put her head against my chest and I held her for a little longer. Was this really because of her injury? It's all healed by now so she should be fine now.

"Are you ok?"

She stayed silent for a while until she spoke quietly, "I just remembered something from a long time ago."

I wasn't sure if she would tell me so I just continued holding her. After a few minutes she spoke and told me what happened to her.

"When I was a kid, my mother wanted to take me on a boat ride with just the two of us out on sea. Dad approved of it and loaned one of his marked ships to us so he would know our location."

I stayed there listening to her story while holding on to her and caressing her back.

"Eventually we reached an island, the place was beautiful. You could hear the birds in the distance, you could see mountains from afar. We thought it was safe but… it wasn't.

My mother is a super, and a strong one and the natives were primitive and weak, but they had something protecting them. We found out later from your grandfather that that creature was an evil and malicious god. It captured my mother and tried to capture me but my fathers ship detected the presence of an enemy and started firing at them.

My mother barely escaped with her life, when I grabbed her she used her fire on me in fear and confusion. She had accidently burned me with her ability. Today just reminded me of that."

I looked at her and thought, That's it? I was expecting more, but I guess everyone has their own super villain arc I guess.

"I'm so sorry you had to deal with that, it must've been… traumatizing." 

In my world people just got shot while drinking coffee at a park bench and left for days to rot until they started to stink. You usually had to wait a couple days before somebody picked them up and a couple weeks to get their ashes in a soda can from the vending machine. I did a DNA test on an old friend once and they gave me the wrong guy.

Am I the problem or are the people in this world a bit too sensitive? I think living in my old world has messed up my sense of morals.

"Don't worry… things will be fine. You'll live."

She didn't seem to like that answer so she pushed me off of her gently, "I know that Jess, thank you for helping me. You have guests to take care of."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. I just don't know what I can do to help you."

Alora looked at me pitifully, "You've done enough, thank you."

I look at her worried but she turns her head away from me while she sat there. I wanted to say something but I slowly got up and walked away before looking back at her.

I know we had only known each other for a few years now, but I was starting to feel something for her. Maybe I should just give up and move on.

I step outside with thoughts running through my mind and I see King Del with his daughters a little ways away. Number 1 looked back at me curiously but I didn't pay her any mind. 

"You okay kid?"

Sir Makoto looked at me confused, even my mother looked at me with a strange expression.

"... I don't know. Have you ever thought about giving up before?"

Now they were shocked and worried over what I meant. Sir Makoto was the first to speak up, "Kid, I've tried suicide. At the end of the day it got me here but trust me, there is no happy ending after this. This is the best life we can live in, don't do anything stupid."

I was about to say something but my mother hugged me immediately, "You can talk to me anytime you want. I'm sorry if I haven't put all my heart into raising you. I'll do better, I promise."

I wanted to laugh it off, I wanted to say they got confused and I meant something else, but for some reason I couldn't. I felt something wrong with my eyes and I had forgotten this feeling. Even in my first life I thought my tears had run dry. So after feeling this strange sensation, I forced myself to stop and I stopped.

I wanted to respond back to them but all I could make out was a slight, "Mhm, ok."

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Author's note: I know, this chapter was a bit odd right? Well in a few chapters I plan to end the volume 1 and work on the second when he is finally able to set out to explore the Rosary Continent. 

The reason why I wanted to write this is because I didn't feel like I had really expressed how dark Jessup actually was. I hinted that he had a minor alcohol problem and earlier on in the book I said he was from a dystopian version of earth.

After looking back on all that, I felt like Jessup's personality did not completely match up with that setting, and after watching cyberpunk: Edgerunner I kinda realized what kind of world that looked like. It was a world with no happy endings. A world where people are just a waste of resources. I'm not saying the two worlds are the same, after all King King is from a dystopia too. 

But the similarities lie in the fact that all roads lead to suffering. Jessup is slowly learning that he can survive, thrive, laugh and love in a world where people matter. King King may see people as a resource and Jessup will too at first but slowly I hope to make him more… Alive. 

This is the end of my explanation and I hope everyone enjoys the story. Also, yes the title is the theme song to Cyberpunk: Edgerunner. Also yes, I did see the irony in naming it this after telling you guys the story of Alora getting burned.