Through the night Anika and i talked about our travels. Where i had gone in the last 7000-years and where she had been going since i was forcibly sealed away 30,000-years ago.
Anika's power, [Aspect: Time Bleed Nocturne], has the rare ability to time travel but its purely limited to a week and around the person. She has to drink the blood of the person before deciding when to time travel to a point in their lifetime as well. Its how she was once a great phantom thief. Ever since she joined the
Funnily enough Sathuna stockpiled a bunch of fresh blood from me to use so that Anika could use it to help her gather information of nearly any era. She's the only vampire to drink my blood with my permission.
"You know... your blood has a really electric but sour taste to it, Strife." Anika hiccuped. Her face beat red from the alcohol. "It's just like an apple. You eat way too many of those."
Crunching into the juicy red skin of an apple after dunking it in my whiskey i asked, "what do you mean?"
"..." staring in disbelief Anika groaned. "Why are you dunking an apple in alcohol like its cookies with milk?"
"Says the woman who mixes chocolate spread with jam." I rebuked. "Thats a horrific combo compared to my apple and whiskey."
Anika quickly defended herself. "Time traveling takes a lot of energy out of me. Just sucking an ordinary persons blood doesn't give me enough glucose after either. It's surprisingly good once you get past the richness."
"I know, I've had it before. Doesn't mean i agree with it though. It's like how Heru has pineapple's on pizza."
"Urgh! What an abomination." Anika mumbled angrily and i could feel Thorn agreeing with her. "The only right way to have a pizza is rich with onions, peppers and clams. Whoever puts fruits on their pizza deserves to be shot." Taking a large swig of her whiskey Anika finished her glass getting another quick refill.
"Clara would have a lot to say about that. Same as Teuxer. You know he loves mixing meats on his pizza and you know Clara is firm about how pure cheese pizza is the best pizza."
"Let them argue." Anika huffed loudly. "At the end of the day i know which is right and which is wrong."
Finding this conversation whimsical I chuckled. Sometimes i can't tell if she's supposed be like Earth's Scotswoman or an Italian with her interests. "Hehe. Sure you do."
For the rest of the day we spent our time privately drinking in the empty bar. Anika must have rented it out to herself just so she could drink the entire vintage rack on her own. It would make more sense if she was obsessed with wine tasting like Kimaris is and joined her yet she enjoys the more fiery tastes like ale and whiskey.
Then as the morning sun arrived Anika was passed out in her seat while i was now standing behind the bar. Still drinking as i grabbed an entire bottle of rum off the shelf before downing it all down my throat.
The door swung open jingling a bell and a familiar short woman with an armoured tail walked in. "Ah, Sathuna said I'd find you two here. This spot is Anika's favourite when she's on vacation."
Finishing the bottle i licked the rum from the inside of my mouth before recognising the arrival. "Oh, hey Resines. Been a while. Chase and Kazemyth come with you too?"
Skipping up to the bar the short girl with an armoured serpent tail and bright red hair cheerily sat on one of the stool's. "Chase said he had an acquaintance nearby and wanted to check on them. Kazemyth went with him to make sure they don't suddenly attack anyone."
"That blacksmith ronin still thinks he's the big brother of the group." Tutting my tongue i tossed the finished rum bottle into a recycling bin. "You want anything? I'm paying anyways since Anika made me buy the whole bar as her payment."
Wearing a fond expression the serpent-girl's snake tail wagged happily for a moment as she admired the unopened rows of alcohol before quickly restraining herself. "N-no! We came on a super duper mega important mission!"
Knowing that was something Sathuna wouldn't be caught dead saying i asked, "it was Heru who sent you, wasn't it?"
"How'd you figure it out so quickly?!" Shocked Resines began to sulk. "Heru said he'd buy me a bunch of rosemary mints if you didn't figure it out. Aw~."
"So long as i say nothing you still might get your reward from that scammer." Resines immediately lit up with my suggestion. "Anyways why are you and the other two after me? Thought Sathuna would want me to sit out of her performance after i nearly ruined it."
"Ehe..." laughing nervously Resines couldn't hide that was the truth.
"Of course." I blew out.
Sathuna was probably throwing a fit wherever she's currently based and the
"So, Heru send you here thinking Sathuna had no idea?"
Nodding her head furiously Resines said, "it's a secret mission. The three of us are going to get you and Vita to reunite since she's no longer locked inside the
Leaning over the bar I appreciated the thought. "Is Kimaris and someone else meeting with Vita right now telling her about this plan?"
"Yep. Dryden and Sifo Ren are going with her right now!" Hopping around happily Resines was deeply excited. "You and Vitrena parted on such bad terms thirty millennia ago. I'm so excited that the most important couple in the universe will finally be getting back together!" She squealed.
Rolling my eyes uninterestedly my hand dipped under the bar and pulled out a glass. "You just saying that because you're a basilisk mutant and Vita is the Tyrannum of all beasts?"
"No!" Banging her hands on the bar table Resines woke up Anika. "You two used to be so close to each other then you had that fight about uhm... children. Then before you could patch things up. The Sealing War happened and you got chased across the universe before being imprisoned in the
Watching me pay more attention to the cup than her Resines grabbed my hand forcing me to focus on her.
"She cried so much since that day, you know? When you finally returned seven-thousand years ago Kimaris and I thought you'd go right to her but when we arrived on Anplagace... Vita was still alone. Sat on the terrace looking out at the stars trying to watch you travel past." Pausing her breath Resines' voice became shaky. "...don't you miss her?"
Pulling my wrist out of Resines' hand i placed the cup down on the table. "No, i don't miss her. Why should i?"
Resines looked like she was about to be heartbroken but then she saw the soft smile on my face looking down at her. Confusing her even further.
"She has a piece of me with her. And I have a piece of her with me." Showing what i meant i lifted the inside of my cardigan showing the scaly silver feather with a pink hue. "We're never that far apart from eachother. What i do miss is her emotions though. Such an obsessive heart hers is. So afraid of losing anything and everything but even more afraid of being alone. We're complete opposites of each other. It's a miracle we're even married."
"She did trick you to be fair." Anika reminded as she awoke with a hungover yawn.
Huffing out my nose at the bright memory i nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, she did. Its a miracle she hasn't divorced me yet then." Pushing the glass from earlier under a tap and filling it with cold water i then slid it across to Anika.
"As you said, she's obsessed with you." Anika said before gulping down the cup of water and gripping her head. "There's a word in the Shintoan language. What is it uhm... Ah! Thorn would know it."
The doorbell jingled and a man dressed in Japanese ronin attire came walking in. "The word is Yandere." He said for Anika.
"Yes, thats the one!" Anika celebrated. "Vitrena is a yandere for you. Thank you, Kazemyth."
"Such a wonderful thing it is to be sick with love." The ronin blacksmith sighed while his arm rested on the two katana's hanging from his hip. Dragging his hand down his tanned face of slanted blue eyes and saggy dark-blonde hair in an exasperated manner. Before greeting me with a bow pressing his fist into his palm. "It is a pleasure to see you again after such a long time, Strife. How is [Sigrid] and its sheath holding up?"
"Hey, Kazemyth. [Sigrid's] fine for now. Scabbard's still in one piece and the blade inside is contained properly. Still your finest smith work even compared to the other crusaders gear." I complimented.
"You honour me." Bowing gratefully Kazemyth then approached the bar. "Has Resines already told you the reason for our visit?"
"I have but Strife's saying he won't go!"
Resines stomped in complaint and behind her. I watched a second arrival sneak into the bar, creeping his way behind Resines while shushing me and getting odd looks from Kazemyth.
"Come on you already admitted you miss her, if a little confusingly... so come on! Whats there to lose?" Resines asked.
Playing along with the sneaking mans prank as he maneuvered around Resines' swinging snake tail. I feigned obliviousness and said, "we made a promise to not only the CGA but to each other. Until Anplagace's heart is eclipsed i will never return to Anplagace unless its civilisation is at risk of being destroyed."
Also noticing the shimmer of light sneaking behind Resines. Anika sighed but played along. "If Anplagace even could have an eclipse their way of life would be ruined as we know it. Their entire civilisation depends on the dwarf stars energy."
"Its more like eight differing civilisations coexisting if we're being precise about it and eight very important and ancient world-scaled technologies." Leaning back against the bar i wondered what the aftermath of this prank would be. "You ever actually been inside the serpentine colossus Resines? I know you're not a native."
Turning around Resines moaned. "I tried but the guardian kicked me out for being a mutant-"
"Boo!" Emerging from the twisting light a huntsman with a mechanical silver left arm shouted out right into the short girls face.
"Ahh!!"
[skill: petrifying gaze — medusa!]
In fear Resines accidentally forgot to withhold her basilisk species special trait. Of being able to turn whatever they look at into stone. Turning the huntsman to stone face first before he could begin laughing as the rest of his body turned into a statue.
"Ahh!" Screaming a second time Resines panicked. "Oh no! I did it again! Uh, uhh, what was it that Sathuna did last time to reverse it? I know i have the antidote somewhere..."
Shaking their heads Kazemyth and Anika were unsurprised. Same as me but i was being careful of the tail that nearly skewered my head in Resines' fright as it went through two bottles and the wall behind me.
"Ahhh! I don't have the antidote!" Resines panicked before beginning to cough furiously and struggling to breathe.
Hurrying over Kazemyth went around the bar and searched through Resines' satchel with her before finding an inhaler and helping her. Helping Resines breathe again as she sucked in its air before relaxing herself.
"Urgh... i thought i remembered packing anti-petrify." Resines lamented.
"Be mad at the man that triggered your asthma attack." Anika angrily pleaded softly from her stool.
Shaking the inhaler Kazemyth checked how much was left before peeking in Resines' medical satchel and seeing she still had more inhaler cartridges. "Let us be grateful that he checked Resines still had her inhaler this time."
Glancing over at me from the huntsman, Anika said, "you leave him like that any longer and Chase will suffocate to death."
"Do you not want him to suffer just a little bit?" I shot back to her.
Thinking it over seriously Anika quickly assented with a sadistic but still charming grin. "Fair. Chase stole some cuts of my hair before to turn into one of his hunter devices. I'll consider this payback for then."
A minute passed making Kazemyth and Resines worry but before they fully opened their mouths i snapped my fingers igniting a black spark.
[aspect: taken devourer - take the effect!]
The petrified hunter returned to normal but immediately collapsed coughing up dust from his lungs and groaning. "Argh, man. Seriously, Strife? Any longer and i really might have died there?"
"You're annoying [aspect] would have saved you somehow." I grumbled. Recalling the many times i personally tried and failed to kill this man for him to somehow survive by some lucky nonsense.
It was a surprise for us both back then when Sathuna suddenly introduced this man as a new member of the
"Woo... i thought the protection rune would save me this time." Lifting his metal arm up the rugged huntsman scratched at an etching in the metal meant to be a magical rune. "Guess i need a combo of them but then that'll interfere with the other engravings on this thing."
While Chase got absorbed in trying to scratch his mechanical arm the other three all stared at me with wanting looks. All asking me to go with them to meet Vita despite already knowing my answer.
Clarifying again i said, "I'm still not going to see Vita."
"Why?" Anika questioned seriously. "You've rarely upheld contractual agreements before. There is maybe only a handful of contracts between you and major figures across the universe you haven't broken yet. Sathuna included."
Tapping the bar table i was honest, "she wouldn't allow it."
Getting curious stares from all of them, even Chase as he turned away from his steel arm, it was clear they were expecting a more detailed answer.
Sighing I indulged them. "You all probably know about the universal regressions, and its why Sathuna's been working you to the bone lately to get the ritual setup as soon as possible."
They nodded.
"That means Sathuna told Vita as well then. Knowing her personality... this is her way of getting back at me for not even sending her a letter when I returned from the