Monster King

Chapter 59 - Lonely Heroes

She stumbled and slipped on the grass, falling flat on her butt. She snarled at me and bore her fangs. "You tryna fight?"

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you could handle Jure." I demanded. 

She kept up a firm glare for a moment. But eventually she looked away. "Fine." She admitted. "I don't think I'd win."

"Then when we get back, you're going to sleep in my cabin. At least for a few hours. And remember, it's not for me, it's for your kids."

She bit her lip when I mentioned her kids and begrudgingly nodded. "Fine." She grumbled.

"Good." I said and turned back around. "Now let's go."

We continued back through the woods. Eventually coming upon my camp grounds again, only this time Nick and Lumime we're sitting around my stuff. I grumbled and squinted my eyes at them. Seriously? Why are so many people bothering me today?

"You two making out in the woods!? We've been waiting here for hours now!" Nick started to complain, but as I got closer to him he just stopped and ran his eyes over the blood on me. "Damn, the hell happened to you."

"Killed the Alphas friends." I said casually. 

Nick smiled and stood up. "Nice." He said and held up his hand, I walked over and gave him a high five. 

"Don't high five murder!" Lumime whined. 

"Whatever." Nick and I said at the same time. 

Aeseria yawned again. "I didn't get to do much of anything." 

"Go to bed." I demanded. 

"Not yet." Nick said and walked over to her. "I need you to agree to help me out tonight."

Aeseria tilted her head. "With what exactly?"

"I'm trying to find the garden of lost memories in the Love Guardian's domain." He said. "I don't like waiting, so I want to try to find it on my own."

"So, what exactly does that have to do with me? I know you don't need help fighting someone."

"I need you to help me find a drug dealer of the good time stuff. I remembered Succubus are the ones who deal it usually. It also occurs to me a garden of memories and the drug that makes you relive your most happy moments are pretty similar."

"Umm, what's the garden of memories?" She asked.

"A place where you get rid of past memories." Lumime answered. "Nick left memories there he's trying to recover."

"Of course I can help, especially if-"

"Good, you're helping him, now go to sleep." I snapped.

Aeseria looked over to me and rolled her eyes. "Whatever dad." She said and strolled over to the cabin. 

I didn't stop watching her till she was inside. I took a breath and shook my head. "Tonto."

"I see, you're finally not looking down anymore huh?" Nick asked. 

I looked back to him and shrugged. "I guess you could say that."

With that I walked over to the river and started to bathe myself. Desperately trying to get the Lycan blood off my skin. After my body was clear I dunked my hair into the water and came out flicking it around.

"Ya know, sometimes I forget you're part dog." Nick chuckled. 

"Shut it." I grumbled. 

"You heard from Sparkles lately?" Nick asked. 

"Nope." I said. 

"Well, she sent some food through Lumime." 

I stood up straight and flicked my hair around again. Which caused Lumime to squeak. 

"Can you not!?" She whined.

"Don't come to my home if you don't like how I live." 

"It's literally the forest!" 

"My forest."

"You can't own a forest!"

"Considering I just killed three wolves for hunting in it. I'd say I own it."

After my hair felt damp enough for me, I walked out of the stream and over to them. Nick grabbed the container and met me in the middle.  On Top of the plastic container was a small pink note.

"Here, I wasn't allowed to open it till you got to at least touch it." Nick said. 

I took the box from him and looked over the note. And I was reminded yet again that I can't read.

"What do the glyphs say?" I asked.

"Right! You can't read, can you?" Nick said with a chuckle and I growled. 

"Can you just tell me what it says!?" 

"Fine, fine, it says I hope this meal helps you shine bright, Casey." He answered.

'I hope this meal helps you shine bright.' I repeated her words in my head over and over and over again. Trying to see if there was a hidden message in it. Why is she still trying? She got what she wanted from me right? Is she trying to steal more from me? What else do I have that she could want? Maybe, maybe she actually means it? My mother's face suddenly came to mind. And I shoved the food back into Nick's hand. 

"Just take it." I said. 

Nick raised a brow at me. 

"Look, it's not my business but-"

"Then don't butt in." 

"But!" Nick yelled. "I think you should get over this stupid little issue you have with her."

"I'll take it in for consideration." I said.

"She seems like she really cares about you Nova." Lumime chimed in. "Even if you don't wanna date her, she seems like a good friend at least."

"I don't need friends, especially friends that lie."

"Take it from a guy who can read souls Nova. She cares about you a whole lot more than you think." He said and shoved the box back into my hand. "Don't let your issues with your mom taint other relationships."

"How did you-?"

"I'm a child of Osiris, I can read your soul like a book. And trust me you're gonna be one crap king if you can't learn to trust anyone else."

"Shut up! You don't know a damn thing about Lycan." I snapped. 

"No, but you did just say you fought the Alpha's friends right? Sounds like you need people around you in this gig."

"So what? I'll be different."

"You're delusional if you think you can run two different species by yourself. Being strong is only one step to guiding people. Just look at my father. He's stronger than you'll ever dream of being and he lost everything because he didn't trust the people around him."

"Would you just drop it already!" I demanded. 

"Yeah, once you take the food."

He glared at me and I glared back at him. Slowly I wrapped my hands around the box. Then he let go of it. His eyes however didn't leave mine. I hated it, I hated those damn silver eyes! Staring right through me, looking down at me. I leaned back and punched him in the face. Nick stumbled back a bit, but firmly stood his ground after. His bold silver eyes shot up into my own, then he spit blood and a tooth from his lip.  

"You can't keep pushing people away, Nova."

I growled and balled my fist. My eyes glanced down at the note, then back up at Nick. This is so stupid. I turned and started to walk along the stream. 

"Whatever." I mumbled.