Having secured the new base of operations, the three people who would soon be known as the most feared individuals in the world finally had a chance to rest. A Hero/Samurai, Shadow Illusionist, and Necromancer. Such an odd trio, yet somehow it feels right.
While the three rested, the Hero and the Necromancer helped to clear the room of blood, the mess from the last battle, and the various remains of the victims of the Goblin Lord. Once they were done, the large chamber was cleaned. It was certainly hard work, with the combination of a difficult battle and cleaning up afterwards.
Aiko and Lyra laid on one side of the chamber, taking a short rest while John took a look around, calculating where things would be stored and what would be needed to turn this place into their base of operations.
After a while, Aiko walked up to him.
"Can I take the right side?" She asked, quite plainly.
John looked at her for a moment, then nodded.
Aiko thanked him and walked to the right side of the chamber, pulling things from her storage. First was a bed, then a few other things. John looked at her with a mix of bewilderment and confusion.
What in the nine hells was she planning on using a bed in her storage space for?
As someone who still barely understood the Hero and her ludicrous power levels, John decided not to question it.
Lyra came up to him a while later, already showing the signs of jealousy. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and kiss him, but she needed to say something first.
"Master... I know that you want to do it with her, but please refrain from doing so before me."
John raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that I want to do it with her?"
Lyra wrapped her arms around his waist, speaking softly. "Master... I am undead. That means that I am already dead. She is a Hero and alive. If you were to do it with her, you may start to forget about me and pay more attention to her."
John looked down at her and smiled genuinely.
"You don’t have to worry about that. You’re my undead and my lover. I would never give you up just to be with her. Even if I have a harem of fifty women, you would still be number one."
Lyra stiffened at his words. She knew how he felt, but hearing it made her heart pound. It made her realize something. That maybe, just maybe, she could have a real life now. She wasn’t just a weapon for killing people and monsters. Even as an undead, she could have a good life.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the chamber, Aiko laid on her bed and watched the two lovers embrace. A sudden, burning feeling welled up inside her chest.
’Isn’t this... love?’
She had fallen in love with John. It wasn’t the first time that it had happened. He had taken care of her when she was recovering, and if she hadn’t run off, she would have been his first lover. She hated herself for running off and trying to take revenge. She should have stayed and at least tried to be with him.
The old feelings were coming back again, the emotions she had tried to bury when she had stayed with him for a short while. She had fallen in love with him then as well, but she had been too afraid to admit it. She wondered if she could tell him now...
But no, that would be selfish of her. He already has a lover, and she could see how much Lyra cared for him. I have already lost my chance to be with him, she thought bitterly.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. She wanted revenge more than anything, but she also wanted John. The two desires warred within her, and for now, she decided to settle with being on the sidelines. She silently got up from her makeshift bed and exited the cave, her tears still flowing. She didn’t know why the feelings had come on so suddenly.
"I’m a Hero, damn it... Why am I feeling like this for someone?"
"It’s because you’re human," someone replied.
Aiko turned around to see Lyra coming out of the cave.
"I took an oath to take revenge. I told myself that I would never fall in love, but I did. I fell for him months ago, and if I hadn’t run away from him, would he have awakened like this? Would he have found you?"
Lyra looked at Aiko for a while. "You’re too kind, Aiko. John is mine, but I have no problem letting other women take their share of him so long as I remain his first. No one will take that from me."
Aiko looked at Lyra in surprise. "You really have no problem with John having a harem? I would have killed you for suggesting such a thing!"
Lyra smiled at her. "It doesn’t matter if there are hundreds of women who love him and he loves them back. None of them will replace me. Not even you, Hero."
Aiko looked down shamefully. "I don’t know how to confess to him... and I don’t think I’m ready to."
Lyra could understand that. Aiko was still grieving over her master’s death. She didn’t want to lose herself in love over John and forget about the revenge. "The revenge will happen, Aiko. Falling for my master doesn’t mean that it won’t."
With that, Lyra walked back into the cave, leaving Aiko to her thoughts. In her heart, she silently vowed to confess to him soon. But first, she needed to figure out everything before she did so.
Far away from the cave, a group of adventurers walked through the snow covered forest.
They were approaching the Goblin Lair, where they were planning on clearing it of its inhabitants and looting what they could. Little did they not know that the lair was already occupied.