Winter Nights of Hell

Chapter Five

The Celestials

While I was upstairs, I was surprised to see that the bedroom from earlier had its bathroom. I had taken advantage of this crazy bathroom while I had a chance, and when I say crazy, the view from the house's bathroom was crazy. Walking inside the toilet, a solo tub is next to a large-pane window with soft rosy-pink curtains. Outside the window, similar to the bedroom window, you can see out and over into the shadowy forest behind the home. The home was set up on a large hill, which means looking out and beyond was everything. It was peaceful - cold if you kept the window open, but calm. Taking my bath was extremely relaxing because I got to sit there and recollect everything I'd learned from the day. 

This world wasn't the human world anymore, no. This was the underworld, full of demons and souls and sorcerers. Spirits belonging to foxes and wolves it was wild. I could only wonder what else I'd see while here. I am in the underworld. This wasn't a joke, nor was it a dream. This was real. I am here, but why? If anyone had ever asked me a few days ago whether or not I believed in demons and angels, I would've shook my head and told them no. But now that I'm here, in the underworld with monsters, this was almost incredible. The two that found me stated that a portal reacted to my presence, or was it just a mistake? Eno and Kurai were very confusing, but they saved my life. Even though Kurai saved my life, I still blew up on him and angrily jumped down his throat.

Sighing, I sank into the water slightly and watched as my white hair flowed around me. I washed it the best I could with tiny bottles of shampoo and conditioner, like the ones you'd get from staying at a hotel. In a way, this place was like a hotel. My gaze drifted to the window beside me, and I just stared into the darkness of the trees. Only trees and snow for miles were on this side, with a tiny glow at the end—another town like the one in the mountains where I was trying to go. I just had absolute crap luck, though, when I wanted to make it there; damn demons. 

I raised my arm, staring at the mark left by the demon. It was such an ugly marking, ripped open and just sitting there, with black markings - like it burned my skin almost. The long markings scared me, and I know Kurai did whatever he did, heal it or burn away the poison, I wasn't sure, but it still worried me. The demon's words still echoed inside my head, "You are marked for death," those words spoke. Did Kurai remove the mark of death, or were the wounds the mark itself? I should've shown more gratitude towards Kurai, but my anger got the best of me. I didn't even know I had that kind of aggression in myself. I've never been known to be an aggressive person. 

After an hour of relaxing and sitting back in the bathroom, I finally excused myself. I wrapped my body in one of the soft and lush lavender towels that resigned in the bathroom. I took another towel and wrapped my hair into it like I would back in my human realm. I opened the door to the bedroom – only to reveal a lonely figure sitting in the window nook of the bedroom. I was astonished. Did he not think to ask or even knock?! Nevertheless, don't go barging into other people's rooms! At least I was covered up! 

His gaze was focused on the window, and in his hand was my dagger. His head turned, and he didn't even think to be stunned by my presence when exiting the bathroom! He just walked right up to me, and surprisingly, as he did, he gently placed the dagger on the bed. 

"You know, that dagger is special," He murmured to me, a few feet away from my naked body under towels. "You need to be careful with it and learn how to wield it." He avoided eye contact with me as if he knew what was under my towel. 

"I… I know how to wield it. My father taught me," I replied quietly, tightening my grip on the towel. 

"No, Snow," He stated, "You don't know how to wield it. There is something more than just a dagger to it." 

I hesitated to reply to this man in my room, utterly naked under a towel. I asked him what he possibly meant, as it was just a hand-made dagger that was there for my protection. 

"When you wish to learn, I'll teach you," He replied, glancing at me. "Also, there are clothes available in the small closet, I'm not sure they will fit, but it'll help you blend into the underworld a tad bit more than your rags from the human world." 

"Kurai," I swallowed my pride and smiled genuinely. "Thank you for saving me, and I'm sorry for yelling at you; that's not like me."

He lifted his head, and I saw a glimmer of happiness in his eyes before that cold amber gaze returned. "It was nothing. Besides, everyone has a bad day. Today happened to be yours," His voice was as gentle as the flowing river, and I felt uneasy for a second. 

"Y-yeah," I murmured as he left the room and left me in the darkness - feeling more alone than ever. It has been a crazy day and a crazy-bad day at most.  I ensured the window was locked and pushed the soft purple drapes together. I then changed into the clothes that Kurai motioned to me from the closest. Many of these clothing pieces were darker colors; I assumed they were to match the underworld theme of darkness. Choosing some silky pajamas, I changed quickly and crawled into the large bed provided. The bed, ever so comfy and warm, I snuggled up and did my best to drift off to sleep. 

I could hear soft chattering from outside, which awoke me from my deep slumber. I felt like I had been sleeping for days. My eyes blinked open slowly, and I sat up, letting out a huge yawn. The familiar darkness outside the window remained, and then I wondered if I had slept. Or perhaps it was just always dark in hell?  I pulled myself out of the lavender-colored sheets I was tangled up in and made the bed slowly but surely. A couple more huge yawns gapped as I dressed in the clothes provided. 

I reached for one of the red pieces of clothing. It was a long red dress with a black belt, designed with golden and white buckles, and right under the chest sat two more golden designer buttons. It covered my chest entirely, maybe showing a little side breast but not much. It wrapped around my neck with its black, slim control, designed with a red marking, exposing my upper chest with two tiny diamond openings.  It even came with a little ribbon to wear on my upper arm and a red and black hair ribbon. I immediately put my long white hair into two high ponytails and topped it off with the black and red hair ribbon. I did a little twirl in the mirror and smiled, admiring how pretty the dress was. I felt like a queen! Of course, I'm sure there were 10x better clothing designs here in the underworld. Feeling confident, I turned away from the closet and entered the flawless living room downstairs.

As I climbed down the rounded stairwell, I heard multiple voices. 

More people… This was lovely. I had hoped for a day of relaxation, and meeting anyone new or seeing anyone today felt like a pain in the ass. However, I felt a tug at my arm before reaching the bottom of the stairs. 

"Perhaps we should let them continue these conversations," the voice sounded behind me.

Spooked, I lost my balance and nearly tripped down the stairs. However, Kurai's grip pulled me back in and steadied me. Once I regained my balance on the spiraling staircase, I turned to see how close he was after he caught me.

"Who is here?" I coughed, embarrassed, as I turned my head away. 

"The Celestials, getting their report from Enoxon. They're rather obnoxious people," He murmured.

I noticed he was still holding onto my arm as if he were afraid I'd trip again. "But, wouldn't it be rude if I didn't meet them?" I replied questioningly as I gently pulled my arm away from him, avoiding his gaze. 

His warm amber eyes flickered away, and he quickly turned around to head back up the stairs. A quiet cough escaped him as he replied, "You can see them if you'd like. I'm not stopping you. They're nothing special. But what do I know? I'm just a demon in hell."

It would be nice to get away from many people to relax a little, even if it meant trying to stay distracted in my room awkwardly. I then remembered something Kurai spoke of last night when I apologized to him. He told of the hand-made dagger and learning how to use it properly - he stated that it wasn't an ordinary dagger. I was curious and gently spoke to him, following him up the stairs and chasing after him, "Kurai. Can you teach me? About the dagger?" 

The Nogitsune froze, his ears perked up, and his tail swished slightly.

I let out a little giggle as I saw his tail react like a regular fox's when they were excited - wagging. My laughter quickly turned into an awkward scoff, and I looked at a random picture on the wall. "This picture is so pretty," I managed to say quickly. 

Kurai noticed what I was laughing about, and he growled a little, right under his breath, to the point where I could barely hear it. "Whatever, grab the dagger, and let's go," He stated promptly.

Smiling, I dipped my head to him, quickly pranced into my room, grabbed the dagger I hid under my pillow, and trailed out after the fox-man. It'll be exciting to learn a little more about the blade that was created for me by my father. I followed Kurai to a room at the front of the hallway. Inside Kurai's room was a simple black-and-white design. Nothing too special, except for dozens and dozens of plants! There were green plants everywhere! He had an excellent green thumb! His king-sized black royal-looking bed sat in the middle of the room, perfectly neat with black drapes hanging behind the wall. The layering thin blanket on top was slightly messy as if he were napping, but the rest of his bed looked nice and neat. The floor is hardwood but with a large black shaggy rug in the middle. Three doors, one leading to the bathroom and the other to his closet. One large window looked out into the view of the shadow forest that I had gotten lost in. However, there was a small deck attached to the sliding glass door. 

Kurai opened the door, instantly sending a shiver down my spine - as if I had forgotten what I was wearing. "Put this on," He tossed a heavy jacket over to me and nodded, "I forgot how fragile humans were."

"I'm not fragile," I responded to him, eyebrows furrowing. However, with the frigid cold, I put the jacket on. 

"All humans are fragile," He simply stated. 

"Shows what you know. I'm not putting this jacket on because you told me to but because I chose to."

He shrugged and walked out onto the porch… But to my surprise, he disappeared. 

"Kurai?" I called out, standing on my tiptoes to see if I could see where he went. I made my way quickly over to the porch and looked around the outside. There was no one there. He may have crept onto the porch and climbed to the roof. "Well, wait for me!" I called out and stepped through the porch door - or I thought I did.

With a strange feeling twisting, I stepped somewhere else that was not the porch. It was an old stone building that appeared on the other side. I was utterly stunned. Where the hell was I? I just walked through the door, and then, poof! Here I am surrounded by nothing but green scenery and stone buildings. There was no way that the porch turned into something so green! That's damn near impossible, but when I turned around, there was nothing but the large stone building lined with fresh green moss and a few burn marks here and there. "Kurai?" I murmured, a bit nervous. 

"Ah, I see no damage to you, perfect." Kurai's voice came out in front of me. 

"Where are we?" I questioned him, "How did we get here?"

"Magic Portal."

"Like the one at Abigail's Tree?"

"Precisely."

"You mean to tell me you have a magic door leading you to an old abandoned village?"

He stood there, looking around the area as if taking in every detail of the old, run-down, and abandoned buildings. A few stone buildings and a few wooden buildings, all with burn markings on them. This village had been burned down, but judging by the growing grass and trees, this was burnt down a long time ago, longer than I had been alive. "Not just an abandoned ruin," He spoke calmly, "But anywhere I want it to go." He sounded impressed as he stated that. 

Arrogance, that's for sure. 

I frowned at the buildings with scorch marks. Behind me was a large stone building with broken windows and doors that were crisped. I touched one of the burn markings on the wall, feeling sorrow. "This is so sad."

Kurai's ears twitched ever so slightly, just barely noticeable. I could tell he wasn't happy about the remark I'd made. Is this a place of sentimentalism?

Changing the subject to not focus on the abandoned and burnt-down village, I questioned him, "So this dagger you said has special powers or something?."

He stayed silent and began to shuffle on the path before us. A tail dragging just barely behind him, I could tell he was somewhat bothered. I was curious, but I wouldn't question him now. Instead of asking it, I just fell in step beside him. 

Through the next 15 minutes of walking, he took me on a silent tour of the village that had been burnt down. We walked through the town and stopped when we reached an empty area surrounded by a cliff's edge. At the base of the ridge we were at was a large Stonehenge circle covered with moss. A couple of the Stonehenge were missing or broken, which made it look just as abandoned as the rest of the village. 

"This Stonehenge is a very spiritual area," Kurai said. "Well, it used to be, but we'll train here. This will be the perfect spot if any magical power is connected to that dagger."

Amazed by all the stone henges, I didn't listen to anything he said. This place was gorgeous and surprisingly warm. With there not being any snow, I felt great. Even the sun was out, not as bright as the human world,  but just enough to light up the area into a pretty golden awe. My gaze scanned the clearing, eyes bouncing back and forth between all the massive Stonehenge that seemed to also have different symbols on them. Strange characters, one's I've never seen before. If this place was as spiritual as Kurai stated, it's probably got to do something with some old spirits.  

"Are we back in the human world?" I asked him.

"Not exactly," Kurai stated. "Just… A different place," He murmured, turning towards me. "I'm going to need you to focus, though. Snow, where did you receive this dagger from?" The Nogitsune's voice completely changed and sounded dark, almost evil-like. 

Then again, he wanted to get my attention and help me figure out the dagger. I turned towards him cheerily and confidently replied, "My father gave it to me!" 

"A human made this?" He questioned, beginning to circle the area slowly.

I nodded, smiling as I embraced the memory. "I was just a little girl, maybe 5 or 6," I started the story, lowering my gaze to the beautifully crafted dagger. "My father and I were getting ready for my first hunting trip - since we lived out where we would often hunt for food and then sell some of the game. Well, anyway. I'm not sure how he crafted it. Still, he brought me the empty dagger," I motioned to the fire opal with my thumb as I rubbed over it, "He had the dagger in one hand and the fire opal in the other. Holding the dagger and the opal out, he spoke to me with prideful boasting…" I trailed off as I remembered my dad's colossal smile that played on his face, but his gaze was that of such profound that I couldn't tell whether or not he was excited or scared. 

"He told me, 'Snow, this dagger will protect you - even in your darkest times. You follow the light of the dagger, and you will find your protector.'" I explained to him what my father mentioned. I couldn't help but giggle a little as I continued, "I never understood what he meant that I would 'find my protector,' but I assumed it was just a metaphor for the dagger being my protector. Well, ever since that day, I kept it on me always, even as a little girl  - I'd sleep with it under my pillow. When I connected the fire opal to it, something made it glow slightly - but I figured it was just the sun. I was 5, so it made sense!" Between the black steel that made the dagger and the fiery-orange opal connected to it, I never felt unsafe with it on me. I carried it everywhere and always made sure I had it on me. This was my precious.

"I see. So, did you ever find this so-called protector?" 

"Ah, it was just a metaphor, as I stated. I never got to ask him what he meant when he said it…" My voice lowered and trailed off as the darkness washed over me again, thinking back to that dreadful day. I lowered my head back to the dagger, staring at it. My happiness quickly turned into sorrow as the memory came flooding back. "... I was sitting in class when the call came to me from the principal's office," I started. "The amount of fear I felt when I was told…" My voice cut off as a tear fell onto the dagger. "... That they died." 

I gripped the dagger that was sheathed and held it close to me. My knees even felt slightly weak as I remembered the fear of that moment coming to me. I was so scared when they told me my parents had gotten into an accident and had just died. Just like that. That fateful morning of my 16th birthday, being told happy birthday and exchanging 'I love you's turned into 'I miss you' so quickly. My mother and father - both gone in an instant. I fumbled to my knees and held the dagger as close as possible to my heart, feeling tears slowly stream down.  It felt strange, but telling this story to some random person I met a day ago made me feel better, as sad as it was. But I didn't have many friends in the human world, and they weren't even very close to me anyways. I was more alone in the real world, so knowing that Kurai was forced to listen made me feel better about the tragic deaths.

As I raised my head, I no longer saw Kurai before me. I saw nothing but a large black and orange fox. Its amber eyes pierced me as I connected with its gaze. Was that Kurai? I didn't realize he could shape-shift, but damn, he was a large and magical-looking fox. His fur looked soft and glossy under the sunlight, and the sun bounced off his midnight-black coat. His eyes had the same striking honey-pot amber color that could slice through anyone. Next to him was not just one tail but five tails. His tails were large and majestic and highly fuzzy but shimmering under the little bit of sunlight, and they looked so pretty. I've read that tails are essential to the kitsune's life - belonging to their strength and age. 

I could feel my tears drying up and a strange sensation nearby. It felt odd, as though my energy was being drained.  

"A Nogitsune feeds off anguish and heartthrob. I want to be extremely clear about that. When you, a female human, turned from happiness to sadness, I was automatically transformed, it seems," his voice spoke directly into my mind. "Typically, I can control my transformations, but for some reason, I could not this time. Perhaps it's because you are a female and completely traumatized right now. However, it was a wonderful meal - thank you."

…

…

…

"WHAT?!" I snapped, anger immediately returning to me. I swear I was bipolar. "You mean to tell me," I snarled as I pushed myself up to my feet. "I just told a stranger my life story, and he dares to just… FEED OFF MY ENERGY?!" I stared at him as the tears began to flow back to me. I couldn't believe he had not a single care in the world that I just shared this with him, and he's like, 'Oh, that's cool, but thanks for the meal!' 

I clenched my fists, tightly wrapping my hands around the dagger that I could feel brimming with heat. "I cannot believe your sorry ass!" I cried out to him in a state of anguish. As beautiful as his fox form was, I'd love to see it cut up. "To think that I even apologized to you is unbelievable!" 

That is not what I meant. I am sharing with you why I was in this form. His voice echoed in my head.

"I thought we were here to learn about magical powers or nonsense like that," I fumed. I was standing tall on my two feet, and I had the dagger out and about. 

You are here to learn this, yes. But-

"No, get out of my head," I scowled. I stared at him, I don't know if I was more angry or saddened by this, but I was something. I darted at the fox, not even thinking about it, holding the dagger off to the side, ready to slice at him. "I know how to use this; I don't need some asshole telling me."

If you didn't need some 'asshole' sharing the information regarding your dagger, you would have never followed the asshole.

"You told me to!" 

I invited you; I did not tell you to join me. But since we're here, bring it on. I would love to see if you can handle the dagger. 

I grinned maliciously as the power of this dagger I could feel flowed through me. Or maybe I was imagining it. Maybe my anger was getting to my head. I flung myself at the fox sitting still, watching me. As I reached closer and was about to slash at the side of the fox, he quickly vanished, and I missed, stumbling a bit. Caught off guard, I gazed around the area. Like regular foxes, Kitsune and Nogitsune were cunning, devious, and swift. If I unthinkingly charged at a fox demon, I'd probably get nowhere with physical attacks, but I had to try if that's all I had. The only time I'd be able to land a physical blow would be if they were to strike me first - but they were no fools. Why would a fox attack a character first?

Kurai appeared a few steps back and off to the side; I watched him as he sat still again.

Slow.

"I'm sorry, maybe I should just… Disappear into the shadows like a magical creature of some sort!" I said sarcastically, gazing at him. 

Just admit it; you need to be faster. That is probably the reason the demon caught you.

I bit my tongue, and he caught me there. I turned quickly and went to charge at him again. As I approached the demon-fox, he vanished again and caused me to lose my balance, smacking right into a rock. The dagger fell, and I fell to my bottom, frowning. "Stupid fox."

Stupid human.

I couldn't believe he was being so damn rude! I rolled over and grabbed my dagger, picking it up swiftly. My eyes darted around the clearing, and I tried to listen for anything hinting at where he was traveling next—nothing but the wind blowing. Maybe, for whatever reason, I had a magical smeller and could smell the fox. But… Of course, that failed me too. I then heard something snap and turned quickly toward the snapping sound. I watched something move slyly in and out of the shadows, exposing its orange-tipped-black tails. I watched the orange flutter in and out, glittering under the sunlight. Quickly, I moved toward his tail and nearly caught him, but of course, he just vanished again. 

Stupid and Slow, what a horrible mix. 

As my eyes were glued on the last place I saw the Nogitsune, I felt a hefty weight shove me over, forcing me onto the ground and pinning my arms out on the side. I tried to kick, but Kurai's hind legs would not allow me to. The dagger was knocked out of my hand and just out of my reach.  Squirming under his body, I tried to kick up at him and even attempted to headbutt him. However, he was just quick.

Dead. 

Anger rose as I glared at him, staring right into those deep amber, perfect sun reflections. His eyes, even in fox form, just captivated me. I could feel my cheeks burning a slight pink. Still, I shook my head and knocked myself out of the captivation of his eyes and caught him off-guard by lifting my knees upwards and kneeing him right in his rib cage, forcing him off me. 

The fox tumbled over right into the dirt, kicking dust up as he did so.

Off-guard hit. Good job. 

With the back of my hand, I rubbed the little dirt off my chin and reached for my dagger, gripping it firmly. My hand wrapped around the base of the blade, but immediately, I let go. It felt burning hot and burned my hand slightly, causing me to recoil. Now that was strange. I thought to myself.

Listen to your surroundings, and stop being distracted.

I reached for the dagger again; it was warm but not as hot now. Grabbing it, I closed my eyes and tried to picture where this fox demon had disappeared. While holding the warm dagger, I felt something nearby. It was like a friendly presence. I could even form something in the back of my mind that showed me the outline of the area before me. Surprisingly, it felt as if I could feel the earth and Stonehenge surrounding me - feeling the wind rush through me. I took advantage of this strange happening and watched the white outline of the moving shadow through the stone henges. Before I knew it, he was coming up behind me. I sat still on the ground, and just as he was about to pounce again, I turned to face him and used the handle of my dagger to press against his chest as he appeared above me. 

"Dead," I teased as a grin appeared on my face.

The Nogitsune, as soon as I pressed the back of the dagger against his chest, gave me a prideful look. A slight grin danced on his muzzle before disappearing and reappearing behind me, pinning me down on my stomach with my arms out beside me. His muzzle lowered beside my ear, and I could hear his breath as his voice spoke, "Pinned and Dead." 

That voice sent me chills as I was face-first into the dirt, sprawled out. Not only was I in an awkward position, but also very uncomfortable eating dirt. The goosebumps on my arms gave away my embarrassment, and I tried my best to reach out for the dagger lying just out of reach. I huffed as I felt the fox's weight disappear off my back. Grabbing my blade and rolling onto my back, I stared at the sky above me. I was worn out even for the few minutes I practiced against him. What started as sorrow quickly turned into anger and a job well done.

"You're quick, Kurai. I'll admit it, and a very sly fox," I spoke between breaths. "I guess you are a Nogitsune, little fox demon."

The fox hovered above me, his head leaning over me, eyes meeting mine. His head tilted over me, and his ears flickered. Little?

Shocked by the sudden appearance of the fox creature hovering over me, I stared at his ears. They looked so soft and fluffy. I couldn't help but reach out and pet the fox's head because I had wanted to! As I made contact with the fox's head, I could feel my anger disappearing into the ground below me. The feel of his solid black fur made me feel better; it was so soft and silky. "Little," I repeated, letting out a soft laugh. 

He growled and pulled away, even kicking dirt at me slightly as he spun out. I am not a fox of amusement; please do not lay your hands on me. 

Sighing, I rolled my eyes and closed them, embracing the warm air surrounding me. This was a different feeling than being in the snow back in Asturdorm and back home. We only got a few suns back home due to how our village is positioned in the mountains. We may get a little here and there if we're lucky, but typically, it's cloudy, and a shadow casts over us. This sun felt amazing, though.  Warmth crept over me, like the way a warm homemade biscuit would when one was extremely hungry. I just lay there, holding my dagger and resting my other hand on the belly of the once-beautiful, now dirt-covered, red dress they had offered me in the closet. 

"Kurai," I murmured with my eyes closed. "You have five tails?" I questioned him, remembering when I first saw his fox form.

No longer in my head, Kurai's voice sounded out beside me. 

My head tilted slightly, and I gazed at the man, skin turning a soft bronze from the sunlight pouring down on him. He was sitting down with one knee up and the other laid stretched out in front of him. One arm on the knee, the other holding him as he leaned back. His midnight-black hair gently flowed in the slight breeze as he looked up at the sky with a little smile - barely noticeable. His amber eyes danced with pride as he was still overjoyed about winning.

Knowing that I had brought joy to this demon made me feel a bit happy. I didn't know monsters could be satisfied, but everyone - human or not, should be able to experience happiness. I didn't know much about this particular demon, but I'm interested now. 

"Five tails and working on getting my next few ones," He replied, still staring up at the sun that was beginning to set. "Honestly, it's been a long journey just to get these tails." The Nogitsune was calm and relaxed, and anyone could see that. Perhaps he didn't get out much, or if anything like what happened the other day where Astarath and the Crimson Lord took him away, he didn't seem to get along with others. The way he argues with Eno and me over the simplest things, he's a hot-headed demon who is easy to anger. He was serene when he wanted to be. Still, with his temper like a switch, I'd only wonder what other interaction he had with people - or demons. If a Nogitsune is the opposite of a Kitsune, they are dark and more so loners in the world. They don't enjoy having a master or following orders, nevertheless serve someone like the Crimson Lord. Perhaps he didn't have a choice.

"How long did it take you to get these tails?" I asked him bluntly, watching as he embraced the warm sun. 

"Surprisingly, not long," He replied, stretching both legs out in front of him and leaning back on his arms. "I'm quite strong, actually," his arrogance spoke. "I'm still a young Nogitsune, one of the youngest but strongest for only having five tails. Pretty much just born with this power." 

I nodded, listening to his little pride talk. I couldn't help but feel a smile play on my lips. "Well, if I can almost get you with my dagger, then I can't say you're one of the strongest." I teased him. 

"Almost?" He raised an eyebrow and lowered his gaze down to me. His hair gently fell to his amber eyes, barely covering them - the features on his face embracing the sunset. 

"Ah," I murmured and quickly looked away. Why is he so beautiful for a demon?!  I thought to myself and felt my cheeks turn pink with embarrassment as I remembered that he was in my head earlier. Oh gosh, please don't be in my head. 

He didn't reply, though. 

I sighed in relief, rolled over to my stomach, and hopped onto my feet, dusting the dirt off my long, breathable dress. There were a few tears along the lining, but nothing serious. "Well," I pouted, avoiding his gaze that stunned me every time, "I apologize for not being a better-skilled human who had no idea that demons and angels were ever real. Nevertheless, a Nogitsune who can shift in and out of the shadows."

"Trust me," He quietly said, "You've seen nothing." 

"Shall we head back? Perhaps the Celestials have left by now."

"Nah, I think you oughta practice some more."

I smiled and took his offer, enjoying the peaceful one-on-one training this demon fox provided. If I was going to be in this world, what did it hurt to learn more about correctly using my dagger and perhaps unleashing more of its power? I was enthused. 

By the time we had finished our training sessions, I was covered in dirt and had even ruined the jacket that Kurai had lent me. The dress was stripped in some places, snagged on the grass, or even by the Nogitsune's claws. He had shown me different ways I could use the dagger, and if I ever got a second one, he showed me how I could dual-wield them. He even showed me what I could do to fight a demon spirit if I ever got into another jam. The best moves he provided required a lot of defense and waiting but a few aggro actions. I was grateful either way because I had no idea how many different ways you could use a dagger. We ended up heading back to the area we came through. Back through the portal, we came into the dark and cold room, just to be approached by five standing bodies. 

Embarrassed, my arms crossed against my chest, where a few tears showed my skin. I used the torn jacket as a cover towards the bottom half of the dress, noticing that it was also covered with tears. My heart jumped into my throat as I tried to speak. I could hear it pounding in my ears, full of embarrassment, but I could not get any words out. Jeeze, this day was just absolutely embarrassing. 

Eno, Astaroth, and The Crimson Lord stood in front of us. Beside them were two radiant glows that had their eyes wide with confusion.

"You two must have had the time of your life!" Enoxon spoke blatantly, raising his arms above him and coming up to greet us.

"Eno, stay," The Crimson Lord spoke, putting his hand out to stop the sorcerer from approaching us. His voice was harsh, and his blue gaze was cold as ice. 

I could barely make eye contact with the Crimson Lord because I was so shocked to see everyone here out of the blue. Especially in this state that I was in - embarrassing. 

"Ah, she's adorable!" One of the two new people squealed loudly, her voice echoing in my ears. "Kuraiiii-San!" 

Her voice tingled in my ears as it was so high-pitched and loud. 

"I mean, she's a bit dirty but so adorable! Could you look at her hair? I adore it! It's so long and pretty!!" 

I raised my gaze to the girl speaking, locking eyes with a very gritty female who was tall and curvy. She was flawless, with her long cherry-pink hair pulled up into a high, yet perfect, ponytail and armor glistening of white and gold. A short-armored skirt sat around her waist, connecting with her breastplate that covered her entire upper body. With a blue symbol on the very top of her chest above her large breasts, under a thick plate of armor, she looked the opposite of a demon. She was that perfectly tanned female that all the girls at school would be jealous of with her naturally gorgeous and glowing look. 

"Eno, why didn't you tell me she looked like an angel?!" She huffed, crossing her arms and pouting out her lips. "No fair! I wish I had met her before. She looked like a hot mess, but a sexy mess!" 

"Lady Casielle," Astaroth spoke, trying to calm her down. "I do not think this is the time."

"Excuse her. She doesn't get to meet many human girls," The voice beside her sighed. 

Standing next to her was a young man with white-blonde hair, darkened by the shadows in the room. His eyes, radiantly shining a liquid yellow-gold, the voice was serene and quiet. He seemed calm and not shocked at all by this woman's reaction, almost like he was used to it. He stood tall, had very gentle but delicate features praying on his face, and a soft and friendly smile. 

"You're one of the first human girls she has come into contact with," The blonde-haired man stated.

"Silence, Zarall," The Crimson Lord sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his icy-blue eyes. He seemed annoyed but not as angry as he was the other day. "Kurai, I do not understand this," He said after the entire room fell silent.

"I was just showing her a bit of the Asturdorm realms," Kurai spoke to the Crimson Lord. "I wasn't doing anything illegal."

"Kurai, you realize your magic is illegal, correct?" The Crimson Lord replied.

I frowned, and I held my hands tightly together. I was sad to stand here and watch Kurai get his tail chewed off by this demon lord. It wasn't fair that he was the one in trouble. Was his magic that powerful to the point where it was considered 'illegal?' 

"It's not like I left the Underworld," Kurai replied.

Why was he lying? I remember him telling me that where we went wasn't a part of the underworld but also not a part of the human world.

"The fact that you have a portal leading outside Asturdorm connected to your room, though, Kurai. That's the problem." The Crimson Lord stated, crossing his arms. His tone was dark and nasty, and I did not appreciate it.

"It wasn't his idea," I spoke out loud, unable to bite my tongue. I understand this may be a King, but I didn't appreciate his tone. "My Lord, as I don't enjoy speaking out of term –" 

"Silence, Human," He snapped at me, immediately raising his hand. "You are of no business to this,"

I flinched at his sudden snap, squaring back a little and feeling intimidated. I couldn't imagine the kind of powers a King had. This was also a demon - not a human or kitsune or anything. This intimidating, tall man was the Lord - or King. 

Kurai stepped forward and in front of me, almost like you'd see in a comic where the Hero defended the victim. He matched up to the Crimson Lord and spoke, "We were just training, Mundus. Now, I don't come running into your room whenever I please. I didn't break the rules, I didn't teleport outside the underworld, and I didn't take her anywhere. A Human wasn't allowed. I didn't show her the Celestial World or take her back to the Human World. I didn't take her to your castle - we went to train."

Mundus? I thought, gazing up at the white-haired demon lord and looking him over. He didn't seem offended by the way Kurai spoke to him or matched his body posture. They almost looked like equals for a moment. 

"Kurai, it is very inappropriate to address the Crimson Lord in that tone of manner," Astaroth spoke as he stepped forward towards the Nogitsune and the lord.

The Crimson Lord, or Mundus, sighed deeply and shook his head. "I just don't understand why, Kurai. Why are you wasting time on a human? She'll return to the Human World with her memories wiped sooner or later."

Memories wiped? Excuse me? I felt utterly stunned as he stated that, and I shot him a cold glare - as hard as a lavender gaze could be. My fist clenched slightly, and my body tensed. I'm sure he caught my glimmer because he returned it to me. 

"Wasting my time?" Kurai snapped. "If anyone's wasting time, it's you sitting on the throne worried about me when you have an entire kingdom to run while also trying to fix things with the damn Celestials, who are present at this time, may I add!" 

"My Lord," Enoxon stepped in. "You mustn't speak of her that way. She's not just a human - she absolutely cannot be." The white-haired sorcerer stood beside Kurai, putting his hands up defensively but also highly anxious. 

Lord Mundus ignored Kurai's retort as he focused on the sorcerer before him. His entire posture changed, relaxing somewhat. "What do you mean, she's not just a human? You said she was," He questioned, his tone softening. "Were you lying to your Lord?" 

Enoxon sighed and put his hand behind his neck as he spoke, "I wouldn't say lie, but… We're not sure what exactly happened but. She tripped a portal to the underworld from the Human World."

"She activated a portal?"

"Not… Exactly… But the portal reacted to her presence - meaning she couldn't possibly be just a human. Perhaps heritage from a sorcerer's family such as myself, definitely not demon or angel, but perhaps something else." Enoxon explained. "I'm not entirely sure yet."

Lord Mundus turned his attention back to Kurai and me, his cold, blue gaze reconnecting with me. "I see," He simply stated. "Fine. Kurai, Enoxon, you are in charge of her. Do be sure to show our… guest around and keep her safe. Astaroth will be checking in on your progress daily."

Astaroth bowed his head, his long teal-green hair flowing down some. "I look forward to seeing you, Lady Snow," He said with a friendly gesture and smile.

As outraged as I was by Lord Mundus, I couldn't help but return Astaroth's friendly smile with my own and even offered a bow myself to him.

"Casielle and Zarall, I apologize for this misfortune has caused today," The Lord turned to the two Celestial and offered a slight bow to them as an apology. 

"Can we please check in on her as well, Crimson Lord? I'd love to get to know her! I find humans some fascinating creatures!" The pink-haired girl, Cassielle, spoke with a slight clap of the hands, brimming with excitement.

"Casielle, if we have time, we can check back in with the demon and sorcerer. The Celestial Order did say to try our best to reconnect our worlds," Zarall, the blonde-haired quiet man, spoke gently to her. 

"Then it's settled," Lord Mundus spoke with a snap of his fingers. "Snow. You are not here to play. You are not here to 'be one of us.' I just wanted to let you know that you are not here to cause trouble for us. You are here to learn one thing, and that's why you, a human, could have triggered our portals. Dismissed. Astaroth, take us home. The Celestials and I have a few more things to discuss."

"Yes, your Majesty," Astaroth replied.

"See you soon, Snow!!!" Casielle called out as they faded into a bright light with Astaroth and the Crimson Lord.

This left Enoxon, Kurai, and I in the dark of his room. Noticing that things were awkward, I quietly thanked Kurai, brushing softly past him and Enoxon and towards my bedroom to wash up.

(AI-Generated Photos by me: Casielle and Zarall)