Chapter 19 - A deserved Party

Fire brimmed and flickered, lighting the forest around during the night.

The smell of meat brought our mouths to a drool, seared with the hard work and dedication put in to acquire this delicacy.

“Op! AYE!” Ari and Ira danced, their shadows exaggerated with their movements.

We gathered around, clapping and giving them song to kick their feet to. The overarching threat of the dragon was gone. Doran’s body was now a backdrop to our celebration.

“To think!” Ira gestured to me as I held the Goddess in my hands, letting her weak body nibble on meat Layla was hand feeding her. “To Think we would have our revenge! Yesterday we were enemies! Today we’re friends! Or still the same day I guess.”

We laughed, seeing as midnight hasn’t even struck.

“We have the luxury to be the first! To eat from Doran’s plentiful supply!” Ari cheered.

“Wo! Wo!” Wilfred chanted with his fist held high.

“This meat feels like I made a deal with the devil.” Soup warrior was in love.

“And this meat came off of Dora’s foot, how crazy good the rest of him must be.”

We all stared in silence to Lard’s words, weirded out by his fascination.

“Hehe.” I chuckled. The party resumed in full cheers. Layla looked to me as we cared for Elvire.

“Tosh?” She asked, I peered over.

“It’s Toshiro.” I corrected with a smile, she smiled back.

“What now? I mean, we’re at peace with the front line now, and the Town should be able to return to normal... Right?” She asked, nervous to my answer.

I gave it some thought. Looking down to the Goddess, little bits of life returned, her gleeful smile as she enjoyed the meat was a good sign. Though the centipedes making their way to her golden glow has me concerned.

“I... I’m going to continue to the Demon’s castle.”

Layla’s eyes widened, the party was alive as meat was passed around.

“You plan to take down the Demon King?” She asked in earnest.

“Yeah... I made trouble for someone... Someone who didn’t deserve it...” I looked down to the Goddess’s smug face of satisfaction. “I plan to make amends.”

Layla looked at me with curiosity. “That child you lost... Was it with the Goddess?”

“HUH!?!?” I could feel my eyes roll back at such a question.

“I- I’M SORRY! I MEAN! I DIDN’T KNOW IF YOU HAD IMPREGNATED THE GODDESS BEFORE OR SOMETHING! WITH YOUR ORIGINAL CHALLENGE DECLARATION AND ALL!!!”

Layla’s face went red. The party went silent and stared as she panicked with all the attention.

“Pfft.”

“Pfft?" Layla was confused.

“AHAHAHAHA!!!” I broke out into a fit of laughter, unable to see through the tears.

“AHAHAHAHA!!!” Everyone joined in Layla’s eyes darted all over both scared and embarrassed by the outbursts.

I wiped my eye. The party returned to celebrations.

“No... The child was not the Goddess’s...” I looked back up to the starry night. “The mother was someone who was smart and compassionate.”

“Is... Is the Goddess none of those things?” Layla asked.

“Uh...” I contemplated, going through my memories of her as she rested on my lap. “Yes...”

The memory of her hitting me with lighting crossed my mind in specific.

“What happened to the mother?”

I froze to her question. “The mother spiraled... A depression made her hole herself in a room. She was only mere inches away from an unused baby crib, tormenting her mind...”

“Oh...” Layla looked down, saddened by the scene.

“I told her to make a choice... Live in the present, or the past...”

“Which one did she choose...?” Layla asked, wanting to know how her story.

“I will never know...” I smiled. Layla was taken aback, both sad by the lack of the ending, but glad in way.

“Let's party the night away! Tomorrow! The demon’s castle-”

Soup warrior fell quiet, dropping his meat to the floor. All eyes looked over in curiosity.

“What’s wrong mad, went down the wrong pipe-” Lard tensed up, also dropping his meat. The two fell over.

“Lard? Blubber?” Ari was concerned.

My expression dulled, now knowing of soup warrior's name.

Audrey?” Wilfred voiced concern as she too fell over, before he did the same.

“Oh shit.” Ira cursed as both him and Ari dropped their meat and fell to the ground.

“Everyone!?” Me and Layla shot up, I accidently let the Goddess’s head hit the ground.

“Hehehehe.”

I shuddered to that sadistic laugh. Me and Layla turned out attention to the dark forest.

“You really took him down... Naughty, naughty.”

“H- How!?” I stuttered, finding the appearance of Discordia appalling.

Her smile was cracked, her eyes squinting a dangerous stare. Her nun clothes barely on her body, a more sinister apparel of black poked through the seams.

She limbed as she made way to us, her one leg was twisted and mangle. The bone poked through her knee, bleeding and staining the grass as she walked.

“How are you liking the gift I smeared into the meat?”

Our eyes widened, our attention back on the group as it appeared our luxury was a trap.

“But you were crushed! How did you survive?” My mind raced, I couldn’t see an answer.

"Oh? I’ve trumped the great Toshiro! This is truly an accomplishment.” She squirmed, never taking those dangerous eyes off me.

Layla let her eyes pierce. I could even see the magic blobs encase Discordia.

Wait... I still have this power even after Daron’s blaze attack, this isn’t a cheat?

I didn’t need Elvire’s confirmation after all.

“Hehehe...” Discordia made her way over, still taking pleasure in sadistic delight.

“Uh... Tosh?” Layla was concerned. Discordia showed no signs of letting up even with the gift of relaxation.

“She is hurt... We could just shoot her with your bow.”

“Eh.” Layla forgot her primary weapon is effective on people, considering the fight we just went though I’m not surprised.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Discordia clicked her tongue. “Don’t you want this to be more interesting Toshiro?”

“I'm feeling quite content.” I shook my head in confidence. “I had my fill of fun for a day.”

Discordia cracked her wicked smile/ “That’s-”

She took and arrow to the shoulder, stumbling backwards.

“Uh...” Layla stuttered feeling bad for interrupting. “S... Sorry...”

I found this quite more entertaining.

“Hahaha.” Discordia let her laugh crackle with the fire. Letting the pain seep in as she used her finger twirl the shaft.

“You know...” With her ability used, she effortlessly pulled the arrow out, chuckling through the pain. “I’m really, really starting to bore of you Toshiro. You’re like an addiction.”

She swayed back and forth as she walked. Layla readied another shot. I studied her posture and attitude. My itch made me wary.

“I want you... So, so badly do I want you... But your pleasure just right out of reach.” She limped, almost tripping over herself, her blood dripped onto the ground. “You’re not like anyone else... You’re special... Hehehe... I want you all to myself...”

Her eyes glared into my very soul. Those dangerous eyes reminded me of ones I have once forgotten. Ones that terrified me to my very soul.

“Im... Imani?” That name came out of my mouth so effortlessly.

Discordia froze, looking at me with pondering eyes. “That’s... My name...?”

We stood in silence.

Discordia’s eyes widen, mine as well as we stared deep into one another’s gaze, Layla stood off to the side, confused by the situation.

“But... You died... I mean you... What happened to you...?”

My mind was at a loss. The itch was gone but not scratched. Discordia’s very being scared me, Imani’s dying eyes flashed on a continuous loop. Discordia looked up to the starry night, baffling us.

“What... What have I done.”

Discordia’s words echoed in my mind, etching Imani’s presence in my mind.

“Imani... I-”

My body froze, Layla's the same. Discordia brought her attention down. Her face looked the same as it did when Imani died in front of me.

“Isn’t this interesting.”

Fear.

The one word I could feel in this moment. One that all around shared in as our bodies froze in it.

The colors inverted around us, the black sky and turned white, the moon and stars black. The forest looked bright as if they glowed of the morning sun.

The fire turned pure black, the few specks of magic in the air intensified, swirling around the presence that terrified us to out very core.

The sounds of a dragon stomping its feet could be heard. Rampaging with the overwhelming presence. Bursting through the tree line, it charged, ready to take out the aggressor.

In one motion of their hand, the dragon stopped. Eyes stared as the dragon stood motionless, its head severed from its body before it realized it was dead. 

“Discordia...” The voice was soft, feminine in nature. But the weight of the name made us pity the receiving participant.

“Y- Yes, my lord.”

Lord? With Discordia’s pure fear on her face, with this powerful magic and terror emitting from behind me. I realized.

This... This is the Demon King’s nature.

Layla wanted to cry but held back her tears in fear of being looked upon by those eyes. I could feel their gaze passing by me, onto Discordia herself.

“Doran is dead. Yet you are alive. Why is that?”

This simple question shook Discordia in both delight, and fear.

“Yes, my lord. I was nearly vanquished by this God and-”

“God?” The demon King interrupted.

I could feel their attention shift to the Goddess on the ground.

“She is a mere guide. Her powers have no use in this realm.”

“W- Well... I mean the God... Standing in front of you...”

I cursed Discordia for calling me out. The sudden stare down from the powerful being trembled me to my very core.

“This man... You call him God...?”

Discordia shook, excited and terrified.

The sounds of the demon king's footsteps broke the silence. Clanging their metal armor as chimes.

I could see their being in my peripheral. Their iron clad black raised my level of intimidation.

“Hmm...” I caught glimpse of her face. It had a soft complexation, her skin was smooth as pale, beautiful as if the world’s colors brought life into it.

Her hair was smooth and well cared for, flowing over her shoulders as she tilted her body, looking me and down. Her eyes gave a golden glow, making her bewitching.

My heart skipped a beat.

“Oh... It’s my father...”