Chapter 30: Cake

Shiori walked behind Mores as he searched ahead for potential threats. He had to insist she stay behind for safety. Why did he need to be in front? He was reading a book. What dangers would he be protecting her from?

She didn’t ask questions after a large centipede creature appeared in front of Mores. It was a couple of handspans wide, but its body arched up taller than either of them.

Without hesitation and in near silence it struck at Mores. Without looking up from his reading he waved a hand and muttered a word. The massive bug’s head detached and the body writhed its death throes.

Mores barely reacted except to step around the twitching corpse as he guided them toward the Path to Felthal.

They stopped for a break when Mores noticed Shiori lagging behind. He picked a spot with fruit trees and looked up at the sky. “Are you tired?”

“No,” Shiori answered quickly while sitting on an old barrel.

“I need to know. Are you feeling sleepy? It’s important.” He looked between her and the sky.

“Why?”

“Because it’s nearly night, but the day should be only half spent.”

“Well,” Shiori admitted, “when I came here from Earth, it was near the end of the day there. Normally I’d be going to sleep now. But it’s okay, we can keep going while there’s light.”

“I’m not sure,” Mores said, pointing at the sky. “It will be night soon.”

“But you said the day should only be half spent. It’s becoming night early?”

He looked at her. “A Princess of Kryptopeda is tired.”

“You think I’m changing the day and night cycles here? One person?”

“I’m watching it happen,” Mores said.

“I knew day and night changes followed what people’s feelings in Kryptopeda, but not just one person, right?”

“I’ve never met Royalty before,” Mores said, “but it might be due to your power.”

“I have a lot of power?”

“When I came through the portal, you Spoke the word ‘stop’, remember? It was a clumsy spell, but the sheer power behind it stopped me for a moment despite my defenses. You have more raw power than even the Duke.”

“Really?” Symphon had been impressed by her power, but his own power had seemed overwhelming to her. Did she have more? It seemed a moot point since she didn’t know her true name and couldn’t control her power.

Mores built a fire by digging an odd set of channels into the earth before gathering dried fallen branches. Once the fire was set, he gathered fruit from nearby trees.

“Apples,” he said, handing Shiori a couple. “This was an orchard before the fall of Kryptopeda.”

“They’re in season? Lucky!” Shiori said, biting into a perfectly ripe apple.

“No,” Mores said, looking around in worried amazement. “I watched the trees bear fruit that rapidly matured after you sat. I think the trees sensed a hungry Royal nearby and responded.”

Shiori paused chewing. “You’re saying my mood controls the weather, sky, and land?”

“You’re Royalty. You’ve read these books,” Mores said, waving to The Last Word, “you tell me.”

Kawamura’s books weren’t an instruction manual for living as a Royal in Kryptopeda. They were a history of major events that shaped the land and tribes.

“I’ve read about Kings and Queens who could change the time of day or make rivers change course to upset enemy armies.”

“That’s another thing you’ll need to control. Are you feeling cold?”

Shiori noticed the temperature had increased despite the darkening sky. Was the weather changing because she was cold?

Mores tended the fire, which made no smoke. He saw on the grass across from her. “What is a strawberry cake incident?”

Shiori choked on a bit of apple. She regretted letting the boy across from her read what amounted to a third-person diary of her last week. “Ah, I’m not sure.”

Mores pointed to The Last Word. “This book has increased my power many fold just by reading this short section. It’s a wealth of power. When you met Symphon at the pub, your miniature friend mentioned a strawberry cake incident?”

“Ah, I’m not sure I remember that,” Shiori said, trying to hide behind her apple.

“Really?” Mores said, opening the book in confusion, “because the book indicates your miniature friend...”

“Tsubame,” Shiori interrupted, hoping to change the topic.

“Tsubame,” Mores said obligingly, “she mentioned the incident and you reacted as if you recalled it. Your mother spoke of it.”

“Really? I don’t remember that,” Shiori said, suddenly fascinated by the apple’s skin in her hands.

“That’s strange. Your mother said you needn’t worry about a repeat incident since she didn’t get a strawberry cake. This was a day ago. Did you hit your head coming through the portal?” Mores looked concerned.

Shiori waved him off. “Fine. I remember the strawberry cake incident, okay? Are you happy that you’ve forced a confession from me?”

Mores sat back down, startled.

“It was a mistake! We were having a party with some friends. One had moved away and was coming back for a few days. I was responsible for treats and got a big strawberry cake.”

Mores sat, stunned at how loud she had been. She hadn’t meant to yell. “That... doesn’t sound like an incident. It sounds like a small party with friends.”

“It was a big cake. Like, the biggest the bakery next to my father’s store sells. Very big. It said it was for four to eight people.”

“Okay,” Mores said with the tone reserved for talking to crazy people or an animal baring its teeth, “so it was a medium-sized party.”

Shiori hadn’t realized she’d stood up, looming over Mores as she yelled. “But they called. Tsubame and the others were stuck because of rain. They missed their train. So there wouldn’t be any party.”

“Oh,” Mores said in dawning comprehension, “the incident was that the cake was a waste? Couldn’t you have eaten a piece or two yourself to mitigate the waste?”

Shiori sat and set the apple down next to her. “I did.” She confessed with a heavy heart.

“Huh?” Mores said, hopelessly confused.

“It was only one piece at first. I was sad I wouldn’t see my friends. It was really good.”

There was only the muted sound of the half-buried fire for a while. “Shiori?” Mores asked.

Shiori broke. “It was really, really good. I need you to understand that. And I was hungry. I skipped lunch.”

“Uh, Shiori?” Mores asked.

“I didn’t know they’d find another way to come for the party. They arrived late, but they all came. And when they came they saw it…”

“Princess Shiori, did you eat the entire cake?” Mores said. Shiori didn’t notice his voice was closer to admiration than accusation.

Shiori buried her face in her hands. “The whole thing. There was even wiped cream on my face when they came in and saw that the entire cake was gone.”

Mores laughed. “That’s it?”

“They laughed at me too! I was a greedy pig. I cried in front of everyone.”

“What’s wrong with providing safe housing to a whole cake? That sounds great!”

“Stop laughing!”

Mores’ eyes went wide as if he had been stabbed in the chest. Leaves fell from the trees in such volume that the sound was deafening. Apples fell from the tree and were instantly mummified on the ground.

Mores struggled to breathe, then coughed. He turned red and gasped for air.

“Oh!” Shiori realized she had Spoken the words ‘stop laughing’ with enough force that he was nearly suffocating. “How do I stop the spell?” After a bit of fumbling the spell was released.

Mores looked around. In a twenty-meter circle, every tree had been stripped of leaves.

“How?” Shiori asked in confusion.

Mores laughed nervously as he surveyed the scene. “Spells are more than just the words you say. The intent behind them can do different things. A person can’t laugh if they’re dead.”

“Oh,” Shiori said with a new appreciation for how dangerous magic could be.

“I think,” Mores said in a whisper, “we ought to spend time on your magic control.”