561. Joy, 5
Unfortunately, Nightmare’s mood was rapidly spoiled, as a man returning from his hunt was carrying her wings behind him.
They were confused about their finding. It was nothing like the usual beasts.
General noticed something about us. He’s simply too smart to believe in such coincidence.
G - Have you seen this before?
R - We did on our way... But it wasn’t doing any harm, so we’ve never...
G - I see... Were you chased by anything more dangerous? I just want to make sure we’re ready if something else is coming.
N - The last god that went after us disappeared from the sky... But I killed a wild beast the other day.
R - Ah right.
He didn’t catch what Nightmare was saying. I leave Nightmare and him working with her own confusion while I find the ring in my bag and give it to him.
General doesn’t recognise it, but after a few people gather around it, someone eventually does. They get what it means.
G - How are the monsters in Europe?
R - Well... They smell different.
G - Smell?
N - And they tend to talk too much.
G - They can talk?
I didn’t except that one to be a surprise.
R - You’ve... never encountered a daiûa... A demon? A dark silhouette that talks, often referring to itself as a god?
General looks more confused than anything else.
N - Nothing that uses... magic?
G - What?
R - Things that try to contaminate and transform humans?
G - I don’t understand anything you’re saying...
We look at each other. It’s hard to explain.
And we’re not entirely sure we should if it’s that foreign to them.
R - Well, demons or monsters tend to be of two different kinds back there. The ones that are like transformed flora or fauna; and the ones that are... able to talk. Like humans, but they have no face, no substance, and... generally they don’t like humans very much.
- I’ve seen one.
A tough guy joined in. And what he then described was an encounter that could have happened to me.
The ruins of a city. The shades of someone without body wandering around, and reality bending, twisted along its path.
- I never thought it was real...
R - Europe has many of them.
G - Other monsters hm.
R - I see you’re already at odds with these man-eating beasts around.
G - Yes. We’re at fierce competition.
What an interesting way to put it.
N - Can I have these wings?
G - Uh? Hm... Okay.
Nightmare slowly goes toward them. I’m swallowing, worried about what she might do.
They’ve been a friend to her, and me. It’s really like losing a pet or a friend. She touches them slightly.
She’s sad.
G - Why is she?
R - She was very fond of this... bird. It’s been rather friendly to us, for a long time on our way here...
G - I’m sorry... Beasts we’ve never seen before, they tend to attack and eat us... My man didn’t shoot it by accident, but precaution.
R - I... can understand...
Nightmare thankfully doesn’t display any sorcery, but she glares at us. She’s pissed. One of hers has been killed.
She comes back tensed to sit with us in silence.
R - Are you alright...
N - They’re going to pay.
R - Please... Don’t... Anything you want.
G - We’ll find you a new pet if you want.
General doesn’t realise I’m trying to avoid a bloodshed, and was unfortunately tactless.
Nightmare slowly raises her gaze to look at him. I grab and hold her hand.
R - Night! Remember what you love!
She looks back at me. A sadistic grin appears on her face.
N - Oh yeah... I might do that.
In her anger, she almost forgot her favourite game from the past.
I sigh and let go of her hand. I avoided a massacre at least.
But they’re all going to have a very rough and spooky night tonight...
R - General, we’d be please to stay for a day or two.
G - Oh, great! Guys! Welcoming party!
The loudest cheers and hurrahs followed.
~
I arm wrestled a few of them during the evening party.
It was really cheerful. Maybe a little too manly to my taste, but I enjoyed being treated as a pal and not a lady.
They got drunk fast, but happy. And food was really good.
And even Night ended up having fun, spitting in disgust every cocktail they offered to her.
And crushing more opponents than me in arm wrestling. It ended up in a tournament with so many loud laughs I was going deaf.
The night and the lights of the restaurant brought some bugs, some the size of birds, but some people just caught them one by one in nets and deep fried them to eat.
They were actually pretty okay, whatever these were.
The tournament went one, with Night reaching the finale. I think she might have cheated a bit. Her arm isn’t nearly as big as the ones she faces.
The last bear of a man that faced her almost crushed her arm down like plywood. It was almost hilarious to see.
He roared and drank his reward, while everyone laughed. It was primitive, stupid, and very fun.
Some of them asked me why I was carrying roses in my cleavage, but none of them were really bothered by my answer that it was a part of me.
Nightmare, probably a little tipsy by them, went for the revenge tournament with the left arm. I went to collapse in the room they gave us long before her.
A bed. With fresh sheets... Wow.
I could still hear the merry yells coming from outside at times, and the different growls, whether Night was winning or losing.
I think she could stay for a while, easily. She was so scared. But she’s blending in just fine.
~
Later on, she entered the room and closed the door. She went to lie on her bed and she slept over the linen.
She had strong ups and downs today. But thankfully all ended rather well.
During this night, and until sunrise, we would hear people waking up in screams.
One after another, their shrieks of terror pierced the night, while we muffled our laughs.
Nightmare was actually awake with me.
We counted them, giggling together after each new good one. A scream of terror in the middle of the night, plus one to the count, and a sweet vengeance for Night.
~
