Enter the Frey

Chapter 16

“I just… don’t understand,” Darian shrugged. “How can something good want you to do bad things?”

“The Ight of War is good?” Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well… He’s part of the Light,” Darian argued. “He has to be good.”

“I think you may have an oversimplified view of the world,” Jack shrugged.

“Oh, don’t be a prick,” Aim said, barging Jack in the shoulder.

“Yeah, you sound like a piece of right-wing trash,” Adam agreed with Aim. The others nodded along with him, squinting slightly at his wording but liking the general tone of what he was saying. Adam highly doubted they had any sort of political system in place. It seemed to be more of a ‘the head of the strongest army rules.’

‘If only my world would take that approach,’ Adam thought. He imagined popping back there, crashing some parliament meeting and showing the pencil-necked dorks what real power looked like. The fantasy filled him with a warm glow. Something about the thought of wielding unsurmountable power over the pen-pushing, legislation wielding morons who’d risen to such elevated status in his own world made him long for that chance. Would Ziel ever him return home in this form?

Probably not.

Adam picked up his pace to catch up with Ziel, who had either purposely decided to stay away or was being shunned by the others. Adam guessed it was the latter. The team were still upset over the latest trial and he guessed they would be for some time. How long would depend on Ziel. There was always the possibility he’d snap and kill them all if they didn’t cheer up.

“Ziel?” Adam asked.

“What?”

“I was wondering if we were going to take a break before the next phase, since we didn’t get one. Or… just some food?” Adam asked.

Ziel practically growled in response. His mood was no better than the others.

‘Is he upset about what he had to do?’ Adam asked himself. He didn’t dare to ask Ziel.

“Seriously. I’m so hungry and tired I think I’m literally dying. I’ll beg if I have to,” Adam tried. He spun and circled Ziel, stopping in front of him and giving his most winning smile and fluttering his lashes. “Please?”

“Damn it,” Ziel moaned. “I can’t say no to that face.”

“Yay,” Adam cried. He placed his hands on Ziel’s shoulders and jumped up and down in excitement at the thought of food.

“Oh, for Light’s sake, act like an adult elf, will you?” Ziel groaned. “You’re like a big, ridiculously beautiful man-child.”

“Aww, you think I’m beautiful?” Adam gasped. He could have sworn Ziel’s cheeks darkened a shade.

“It’s just an observation,” Ziel said. “It’s not as if I’m falling in love with you. Unlike everyone else.”

Adam made a scoffing sound, unsure how else to respond. Of course, he’d noticed that Selena liked him. But the others? Not so much. Adam doubted very much that Selena would be interested in the ‘real Adam’ and flirting with her in this perfect body made him feel like a fraud. Not that he was adept at flirting. It wasn’t something he’d had much call for in his life as a spotty teenage nerd.

“Thank you,” Adam said, giving Ziel a sincere smile. Whatever Ziel was, he wasn’t anything close to being human. To expect human emotion from him was probably asking a lot. Empathy and kindness weren’t in his nature. The least Adam could do was be grateful whenever Ziel did show them any sort of compassion. 

‘Always encourage the behaviour you wish to see more of,’ his mother would always say. Adam missed his mother and her endless supply of idioms more than he thought possible. If he could slip back into his own world, leaving these adventurers short and vulnerable, he would do it in a second.

‘Who’s lacking empathy now?’ Adam asked himself. Glancing back at Selena, he wondered if he could disappear from her life without warning or explanation. He wanted to believe he wouldn’t. He really did.

“Stop giving me that look, you’re creeping me out,” Ziel grumped but cast a sideways glance to let him know he was teasing.

Adam walked by Ziel until they reached the town. The clue read simply, ‘The animals will know,’ so the very vague plan was to wander about until they came across some animals. It was brighter than the last place they encountered—and probably not inhabited largely by werewolves—which was always a plus. There was no hint of gloom and doom. No echoes of cries or feral screeches hung heavy on the air.

Turning back to the others, it seemed they had dragged the gloom in with them. Darian had sunken into himself, Jack was struggling with the luggage and the girls were dragging their bodies rather than walking. Hauling their hunger-stricken forms driven only by the force of obedience 

Jack finally collapsed, spilling out the contents of the travel stove and cooking utensils.

“Jack!” Ziel shouted.

“I’m sorry,” Jack cried. “This stuff is heavy you know?”

“Yeah?” Ziel sneered. “The more you complain the heavier it will get.”

Jack gave in and bowed his head. Once again, Adam felt sorry for the lad but said nothing. Ziel was in a better mood so it would be stupid to antagonise him now.

The townsfolk milled about them as they came to the centre of the trade district. Women selling eggs carried baskets on their arms as they shouted prices up and down the street. They turned to Adam and smiled.

“Would you like to try some of my wares?” she offered with a cheeky grin.

“Maybe later,” Adam smiled at her.

She left giggling with her companion, looking back over her shoulder and biting her lip.

“Oh, please,” Ziel scoffed. “No mingling with the locals this time.”

Ziel made a pointed look at Darian who cast his eyes downward. He was still angry about Caris, but he’d get over it. People seemed to die or get killed on a regular basis in this world, and nobody appeared to put up much fuss or mourn their passing. No funerals. No memorials. Barely even a tear was shed. That was the harsh reality of life here.

‘And I always thought my world was cold and uncaring,’ Adam thought.

After asking around, they found the best place to board and eat. It was expensive, but Ziel offered to pay for all of them.

“Thank you,” Adam said. “I honestly don’t quite understand the monetary system in this world and don’t have any money of my own.”

“You have plenty,” Ziel frowned. “Check the inside pocket of your robe.”

Adam patted the folds of fabric, finally finding the hidden panel. His fingers found a collection of paper-thin coins. Pulling them out, he was shocked to find they looked like real gold.

“You’re loaded,” Selena gasped.

“Yeah,” Ziel said. “You can pay next time. Freeloader.”

Ziel punched him playfully in the side of the ribs and almost knocked the wind out of him. It took Adam a few seconds to manage to draw another breath. Even when messing, Ziel was ludicrously strong.

“Keep a lookout for any animals or anything suspicious,” Aim suggested as they checked in to the boarding house.

Adam had been scanning the entire place but had yet to see a single animal. Not so much as tiny, scurrying mouse. Oddly, he hadn’t even seen a spider, and those seemed to be everywhere.

“Does this count as suspicious?” Selena asked, pointing to missing person poster.

The faded brown paper simply showed the face of a girl and the words ‘missing.’

Her haunting brown eyes seemed to burn into Adam’s soul as he stared at the picture, wondering if it was some sort of clue. 

“Do many people go missing?” Ziel asked the young lady signing them in. 

Her response was to pull down the poster. “That old thing. No. This is a nice place. We have very little in the way of crime.”

Adam noted the way she stiffened up. It was suspicious, but what did it mean? Were the townspeople covering up some sort of crime epidemic? And why?

‘The non-existent animals would know,’ Adam thought grumpily.

The woman led them to the rooms before turning to them, wrinkling her nose and telling them she’d draw the bath.

“Oh geez, not this again,” Adam whined.

The bath thing was weird. He played it the same way as last time, jumping in quickly and waiting for the others to leave. He sort of hoped Selena would remain in with him again, and she didn’t disappoint. 

After the others retired to their rooms to dry off Selena swam over to him. She picked up the soap and began to wash his back, not even asking for permission to do so. Creating a soapy foam in her hands and sliding them around his shoulders and down his back. When she reached around his front and down, he pulled her hand away.

“Please let me,” she asked. “You’ll like this.”

Adam didn’t know what to tell her. Honestly, he wanted her to touch him. But something about the situation felt wrong… like he was tricking her into liking him by hijacking an attractive body.

“Please?” she pressured gently, looking up at him with big eyes. She wrapped her legs around his torso and pulled herself in, rubbing herself up against him. “Please?”

“It… it feels… like I’m taking advantage of you,” Adam said, trying his best to explain his trepidation.

“You aren’t,” Selena assured him. “I promise. I want to. I really want you.”

“I… haven’t done it before,” Adam said, slipping away from her and out of the bath. “I don’t think I would be much good at it.”

Selena followed him back to his room, wrapped in a short towel that didn’t leave much to the imagination. Adam had to look away from her to keep his composure.

“Good at it?” Selena asked with a deep frown. “It isn’t a skill… it’s just nature.”

“Hah,” Adam laughed. “People from my world don’t see it that way.”

Selena sat next to him on the bed so close that their legs were touching.

“Your world is odd,” she stated.

“Yeah,” Adam laughed. “I guess it is.”