Curry Part 3

Kerron returned with fatigue settling in his bones.

As a man blessed and cursed with the longevity of his people, he could only attribute his tiredness to the long years of doing the same duties over and over without fail.

He was only the latest Lord of Death and one to be awarded with the title of the one who held the responsibilities the longest at just a little over a century. Previous Lords of Death had last maybe five years, possibly ten. The previous record holder for longest service had been Kerron’s predecessor who kept up this solemn duty for twenty long years. The reasons behind this short tenure in every Lord of Death was a mixture of willpower, age and magical capacity.

Every once in a while, a being would be born with the ability to restore their own mana supply over time. However, this did not mean infinite power. On the contrary; those who had this ability had the unfortunate expectation to run themselves ragged, straight into an early grave. Some former lords had an impressive capacity and therefore, could last longer…the lords who had shorter reigns, unfortunately, were usually the ones who had a small capacity but were expected to do the same job at the same level anyways.

But that was what happened when a human was appointed as the Lord of Death.

Though he had many years left of life as an elf whose mana reserves were as large and deep as an ocean’s, the need to ferry the dead to the next steps of the cycle of life and death still took a great toll on him. Every day, the group of wandering souls got bigger and they needed more mana, more magic to help them move along.

He docked himself upon the west wing ramparts, dismissing the boat in which he ferried himself through the sky. It disappeared the moment his feet left it and touched the stone of the castle. There was no hurry to get inside, despite his exhaustion and growing hunger. He was always so hungry after helping spirits pass on, but had no energy to make anything good. Just grabbing a carrot, maybe two, should be enough to force his hunger away. In the morning he would have much to deal with.

Like his new, unexpected guest. A person he thought would never wander into his castle at the edge of the Forest of Spirits. Yuzuki Fujikawa. A ‘hero’ summoned from another world, most likely by the kingdom of Pruzia, who was the only one left who knew the ancient ritual of hero summoning, as well as had the power to do so. There was a great cost to bringing in people from another world and was meant to be a last resort, however, their kingdom had made hero summoning into a science. The end result was worth the heavy price for them.

Pruzia had long been an enemy of the world. The sole human kingdom who foolishly grasped onto their wasteful machines, while others had moved on and developed a better way to live, much like the other races of Vestia.

Over a hundred years ago, they also summoned heroes then, using one of the rituals they had for doing so. Hoping to save up on the magical costs, they decided to pull the souls of potential heroes out of their bodies in another world, effectively killing them in their own world. To most it would appear as if the people fell asleep, but in reality separating a soul so violently from the body killed the person. And if they had been doing something at the time, their deaths might have looked like an accident or some bizarre medical emergency.

Azura and Crim were two such souls.

Pulled from another world, they had been given new bodies to inhabit. ‘Volunteers’ whose bodies were given up to the state due to the crimes they had committed against the crown. The list of questionable things Pruzia committed in their bid to keep their extravagant lifestyle was endless and horrifying.

Azura and Crim had been a middle aged couple originally, with a family and life before being pulled away and brought to Vestia against their will. The ritual to summon heroes always targeted those with the highest magical capacities and this time it chose these two, who sobbed and wept because they had left behind their child and were told there was no way to send them back. Because their bodies were dead, and their lives now belonged to Pruzia.

Kerron met them through chance. He had been a little boy, a young elven slave owned by the kingdom. He was made to be their guide and squire in Vestia, so the couple would have an easier time acclimating to their new life.

They never stopped thinking about their old life and remembered everything they had learned when they had been alive in their old world. That included being parents.

Instead of being cruel masters, Azura and Crim had treated Kerron like their son, as a member of a family rather than a questing party. He was sure he was meant to be some kind of replacement for the child they lost and still wanted to look after, but even though it might have been a lie at the time, he clung onto that kindness shown to him. Over time, that bond born of longing and yearning became real enough. As far as he was concerned, Azura and Crim really were his beloved parents.

The two heroes had been chefs in their original lives and were quite talented. It wasn’t at all odd to see either Crim or Azura standing over a pot or a pan while they were on their journey together. If he had gone to gather items or went on scouting ahead, he would more often than not come back to something warm for him. One of the first things they ever made for him was this strange, thick stew similar to some he’d seen before, but had burnt his mouth. He’d cried about the fires of Hell taking root on his tongue amid the laughter of his companions, a memory that was as spicy as his meal at the time, but something he fondly looked back on.

The next time they made it, they made it with a more gentle flavor that tickled his nose and his palette. He’d devoured the meal every time it was made since.

He missed such moments, all of them sitting together around a campfire with a bowl of that nostalgic stew each.

Like all who were human, they eventually passed, becoming wandering spirits. He had expected to send them off without a fuss, but both heroes refused to go, choosing to stay by his side as his aids in the afterlife. An act he was both saddened by and grateful for. No child who loved their parents would wish for them to be trapped in such a limbo as being a spirit unable to pass on, but Kerron was happy he didn’t have to be alone after assuming the duties of the Lord of Death. The last century would have been so lonesome without them.

There is a third person now, Kerron mused as he continued to make his way to the kitchen.

He had to figure out what needed to be done by Yuzuki Fujikawa. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew she was not someone who called Vestia home. Her aura alone spoke of another world and the power emanating from her whole body was similar to that of Azura and Crim. A bit too similarly, in fact.

“I’m not sure, if I can host her, it can’t be done,” Kerron told his two spirit aids, wringing his hands.

“Please, Kerron,” Azura pleaded. “I know it will be a big change, but you don’t know that it won’t work out…”

“She’s very important to us. She’s all alone and just think how much trouble she’s in thanks to those idiots from Pruzia,” Crim stated heatedly, his voice utterly bitter.

“The castle and the forest are just too dangerous for anyone, but me to live in. I just don’t think…this is no place for a human, she will get hurt if she stays here for too long. What if I bring her to a human village?”

“She doesn’t know anyone here. And considering she looks to have nothing with her, but her clothes from her job at a restaurant, she can’t go to a human village. For her, there is no place among the humans.”

“There is no reason to think so.”

“Please, Kerron. That woman is our daughter.”

And just as they spoke about her, the woman in question had appeared before him in all of her messy glory. Dirtied, haggard and bearing the most stunned expression, Kerron’s heart had leapt into his throne upon seeing a stranger in their midst. Ever since Crim and Azura’s physical forms passed, the Lord of Death essentially kept his contact with others to a minimum, to the point where he pointedly chose only to visit establishments owned by non-humans when he did. Seeing a human woman threw him off already, but to see this young woman in the flesh was leaving him tongue tied.

The one person Kerron had feared to meet the most, back when he had been young. Hell, even now that he had no reason to fear the arrival of this person.

The daughter of Crim and Azura from their old world, all grown up.

He grew up with the two heroes called forth from another world, adventured and journeyed at their sides for years, broke bread and slept beside them. According to the two spirits, he had had them as paternal and maternal figures for longer than Yuzuki had. And yet, he couldn’t help the jealousy that rose up whenever they spoke of her fondly. Bringing up little memories shared by only them.

He thought he would be jealous still, after seeing her.

However, instead he had felt an intense curiosity.

While her body was different from how Azura and Crim had looked, spiritually, this was still their daughter. And he could sense the similarities just from the feel of her inherent magic alone. Families often shared the same magical signature and though worlds separated them, he could see the blend of his old comrades in arms anywhere.

It was confusing to feel as it was comforting. It felt the same as having the spirit orbs of Crim and Azura close by.

Of course he let her stay. He couldn’t say no, even if he wanted to. But he would still have to deal with her properly come morning. What was important was that she get some rest and he continued his duties. His own burning questions would have to come later. How come she was not an old crone? Who was she like more? The indomitable Crim or the gentle Azura? Or, perhaps, she was a blend of both as that was what her soul felt like to him. If he had to say, it was comparable to a gentle mauve-like colour similar to his own eyes.

Kerron stopped in his tracks, suddenly struck by a tantalizing scent coming from the direction of the castle kitchen. He took a moment to really take it in, figuring out what the smell even was. The odor was a little spicy, yet somehow pleasant.

He hurried along, his heart racing with a bit of excitement as his appetite awakened in a way it hadn’t in a century. The closer he got, the more his mouth seemed to water.

In the kitchen Azura and Crim were floating over Yuzuki’s shoulders as she stirred a large pot. She was taking a sip from a ladle, smiling to herself as it seemed her work had reached peak flavor. As he stepped into the kitchen proper, greeted by the little Laplunas hopping over from where they had been banished to in order to keep out of the way. They squeaked and it made Yuzuki turn, face set in surprise, but soon transforming into a big grin.

“Welcome back, Kerron!” she greeted enthusiastically, as if she were happy to see him.

“Ah, thank you,” he returned awkwardly. Kerron nodded his head at the pot on the stove. “And what do we have here?”

The young woman’s smile grew and she proudly puffed out her chest as she announced, “Your dinner!”

Before he knew it, she’d scooped some of the mystery stew into a clean bowl (Kerron vaguely wondered where she even found some, as the kitchen was rather poorly kept) and placed it with a spoon into his hands. The scent was now stronger and tickled his nose in a rather pleasant manner and he couldn’t help, but to close his eyes and inhale the steam coming off of the freshly made food. Even though he hadn’t taken a bite yet, he could already feel his body relaxing from the scent alone.

What is this magic? he thought.

Opening his eyes, he saw Yuzuki looking up at him expectantly with those interesting mismatched eyes. The eyes that helped Azura and Crim confirm her identity out in the forest.

Not waiting any longer, he took his first bite.

There was the spice in it, giving his tongue a bit of a sting as he hadn’t eaten anything seasoned in a long time. However, the taste began to mellow out, leaving behind a slight sweet taste.

He took another bite.

The next spoonful had some chunks in it. The vegetables broke down so easily, but were hot, so he had to take an extra moment to breathe around the vegetables as he quickly chewed them down. A silly little mistake, but he got through it. There had also been meat, which practically melted on his tongue, becoming so tender after being slow cooked in the pot for hours.

He’d only eaten a few bites so far, yet Kerron felt like the weight of the last century being lifted off of his shoulders. Something about all of this was so soothing.

Around him, Crim and Azura began to hover closer to him, seemingly watching his reaction almost as much as Yuzuki did. Perhaps with more interest than one would think they’d have. And then he realized what he was eating and a small, tiny smile came onto his features as he took another bite, closing his eyes lightly as he fought emotion welling up.

Ah, it’s curry. This is the same curry they used to make for me.

“How is it?” Yuzuki asked.

Swallowing his latest bite, he looked to the next spoonful in his hand, remarking the faint glow of his body. Interesting.

Still smiling, he told her with every appreciative bone in his body, “It was good.”