**The Wolves' Den**
The day was coming to a close. The afternoon sun hitting the trees surrounding the Den turned them a pleasant orange. The sky was beautiful, with purple and pink intertwined, colors mingling. Most of the Black Wolves had come back from whatever they had been doing, looking forward to the feast that Code had always prepared at the end of every day.
Ophelia and Star returned with a surplus of shopping bags scattered throughout the front entrance hall area of the Den. They took out nearly everything they bought, trying them on right there and then—no shame, rummaging barefoot and in nothing but their undergarments half the time. Modesty was nonexistent in this home apparently.
Alice had joined them reluctantly; the only one dressed as Ophelia had her try on clothes that she had bought for them to share. Where they had the eterna for this was beyond me…
Havoc and Brand had spent all day playing rank at a game they were currently invested in, and Code had just come home to prep for dinner at the same time that I had finished up most of the chores around the Den. And the only one still out was Nash. Ironically, he led a busy social life despite being someone who had to isolate every other week. I guess that in itself was the reason he was so active.
Yuna ran around in clothes Star had thrown after trying them on as the girls continued to indulge in their findings.
"Keeper, I just cleaned… Make sure you tramps clean up after yourselves, please!" I shouted at them.
"'Kay, Greedy!" Ophelia said in a disregarding manner, waving a hand to shoo me without even facing. She was too amused with digging through the pile of clothes, along with Star's incessant selfies and posing with every new outfit she tried on.
I was about to aid Code in the kitchen when I heard our ancient gong of a doorbell ring then.
"Now who could that be?" I said to myself.
"Nash, maybe?" Alice replied flatly as Star layered a new outfit on her.
"Why would he ring the doorbell? He lives here…" I replied incredulously, already at the door.
As I cracked one of the twin doors open, I was confused at who was there. Two individuals, one female and one male. The female was vastly taller than him, standing at six-foot-five, and he, who looked like he had on a few pounds, was only five-foot-ten or so. The female's hair was medium length, just below her generous breasts—purple with blue streaks; the male's hair was short, blond, and formally styled, split down the middle. They both had interesting outfits on, wearing black and white, looking almost like… Maids?
"O-oh… Hello. You must be Master Greed. I've heard a lot about you," the tall, purple, and blue-haired girl said so politely, bowing slightly as she spoke.
The male next to her followed suit… Though she wore a black-and-white maid outfit, the male's was a bit different but of the same theme. He was dressed like a butler, wearing a white button-up shirt, a dark gray vest, and a bowtie. He wore black dress pants and glossy black dress shoes to match. A bit much, but he made it work.
"Likewise! It is an honor, sire!" the chubbier male said a little too eagerly.
"Who the hell are you two?"
They both straightened swiftly, almost startled that I addressed them so informally. The male whispered to the taller girl as she knelt a bit to hear him, not at all obvious.
"Is this really the Captain? I sense almost zero mana from him at all. And what's with the attitude?"
"Ulrich, you're being too obvious… and well, he is a Black Wolf… Did you really think they'd be anything but formal?"
"I'm just saying, maybe the Captain's not in right now… And where are—"
"You know I can hear every word you're saying, right?" I interjected blatantly. "Now answer the question or else I'm gonna have to ask you to 'respectfully' leave." Sarcastically exaggerating the word like a passive threat, something different yet similar to aura pulsated onto them, making the hairs on the back of their necks rise. I didn't even realize I had done this until I noticed the looks on their faces.
"W-w-we're sorry, sir, we… Um, we were sent here to serve you…" the chubby male, Ulrich, answered nervously.
"Serve? You have the wrong house. And I don't know how you made that mistake. We're the only ones out here past the East Gate. Do better."
"Ah… Actually, we were requested!"
"Requested by who?"
"By—"
Ulrich was interrupted by a cheery woman's voice behind me. "Milyyy! Hey, girl! Glad you could make it!" Ophelia said.
I raised an eyebrow at her as she squeezed her way between me and the door. She wore only an oversized black shirt with a skull logo on the front of it, bare-legged and barefoot.
"Dare I ask?" I dared ask.
Ophelia's one revealed eye gleamed at me with a half-grin on her face. I definitely was going to regret asking…
"Mily here—err… I mean, Milo and um… Sorry, chubs, what's your name?"
"Don't call me chubs, you indecent—"
The taller girl, Milo, nudged Ulrich, and he poised, "Apologies… It's Ulrich…"
Ophelia smiled, then continued her train of thought, "Yes, that's it! Milo and Elrick are here per mine and Havoc's request… and a few others who requested as well…"
"IT'S ULRICH!" he shouted as Milo jabbed him again for bursting out.
"Really? Are these the Blue Phoenix Execs you were talking about the other day?" I was starting to catch on.
"Yup. They were originally sentenced to prison since Syemore is unable to atone for his actions, but they're here to be slaves for us now! Isn't that great?"
"Slaves, huh?" I glanced over to both Milo and Ulrich now, who shuddered at the word. I could almost see their thoughts on their faces.
"You said Havoc, too? What the hell are you guys thinking—"
"Yo! Turtle boy. Good to see ya!" Havoc's raspy young voice stained my ears as he walked down the grand staircase behind us.
"And who do we have here?" He looked Milo up and down, and then back up at her. "Wow, you're tall… and fairly attractive. Where were you during all that chaos at the Crimson Dragon's Castle?" he asked.
"Oh… I, uh… I was fighting her on the roof of one of the towers…" she said nervously as I drowned out their conversation. I didn't know her, but I knew this was way different than how she had been when she fought Ophelia. To be able to draw Raeyn out of her… not many mages were able to push out Ophelia's bubbly attitude and back her into a corner like that. Unless she knew from the get-go that the fight would be better suited for Raeyn, she usually fought her own battles.
"I know a guy who would be head over heels for a gal like you…" Havoc said out of the blue.
Caught off guard by the comment, Milo blushed and replied abruptly, "R-really?… Me?"
"Yeah, really. He's a sucker for girls taller than him… That is, if you're okay with guys my height… or maybe he's like the Cap's height,"—he measured the top of his head to mine—"He's got a bit of a permanent scowl on his face like the Cap… But unlike the Cap, he's fucking hilarious. Uh, I forget the color of his hair, but I think it's red and gold… but he likes blondes… Ah, shit… Sorry, I should have thought through what I was gonna say first before speaking—"
"No!" she shouted with almost a squeal in her voice. "W-what I meant was… I'm actually naturally blonde… I just dyed my hair after becoming a Blue Phoenix Knight… Those days are behind me, though. I just… was flattered, is all…" She nervously posed, and Ulrich stared at her sidelong. "What's… What's his name?"
"It's—"
I cleared my throat, interjecting in their conversation.
"Sup, Cap."
"Get to the part where you both tell me why you went behind my back and invited more people here… and maids to be precise. We wouldn't need fucking maids if you all did your part around the Den."
Both Havoc and Ophelia looked at each other now, thinking of a way to explain it to me. Of course… I had just asked the two Black Wolves who were the absolute worst at explaining things. One could argue I couldn't complain with their answer at that point.
"Let's see… How should we put this…" Ophelia pondered, putting a dainty finger to her chin. Her crimson nail tapped her bottom lip as she leaned over to me.
I exhaled deeply and blinked dreadfully before rolling them. I then tilted my head past her and looked at Havoc, raising my eyebrows, waiting for either of them to start explaining.
"All right, all right…" he said with a sigh, shoulders shrugged and eyes closed for a moment. "I'll cut right to it… Basically, if it wasn't for us, they'd be on death row. Ironically, Ophelia, Raeyn, Ryo, and I had a soft spot for these guys after we fought them—I thought I was the only one, but I digress. We just thought it would be unfair for them to face that kind of life without being given a second chance, is all… regardless of what they tried to do in aid of the Valley's doom." The irony in that sentence… "They acted on their own, but they weren't the masterminds. They were only following the orders of someone they thought was going to win. So… We had Ryo pull some strings, then he got some help with a certain someone, one thing led to another, and now here we are. So yes, we now have maids and a butler for the time being." A surprisingly good explanation. "On that note, they won't be here forever. Think of this as… Community service, Cap."
"Did Code know about this?"
"He was briefed."
"And I'm the only one who didn't know? The communication here sucks ass."
"We did message you but you're hardly on your comm."
"When the fuck did you message me that maids are coming?"
"At like 1700."
"I was cleaning… and it's fucking 1720." I checked my comm and all it said was Yo, got company comin'. "Again. Communication. Ass."
I sighed and looked upward to the ceiling as if I was dogging the Keeper, and then I opened the door fully. "Well? You two coming in?" I said as I turned my back to them, looking over my shoulder.
Both bowed gratefully, entering the Den as Havoc and Ophelia went on to welcome and banter with them. If I had to be honest with myself, it kind of made me happy to see. We should be the last bunch to judge others by who they 'were' or how they were perceived, regardless of how long—or how short in this instance—their actions occurred. If they truly chose to atone, they will show it through their actions. Being maids for the lowest-ranked Guild in the Valley seemed like a good way to prove that.
Though Havoc and Ophelia were class-A ditzes, if there was one thing I trusted them both with, it was their intuition with people. I often joked that it was because they had something in common with each other—which they hated this comparison—their eyes, or lack thereof… but as far as looks go, they were usually the first to be easily judged by others simply because of their physical 'imperfections'. I suppose it made them more empathetic to others, even to those who were once enemies.
I smirked as I turned away from them and threw my hands in my pockets, proceeding to the dining area and kitchen to help Code prepare our dinner. I called Yuna over, as it was time for her dinner as well, and the large wolfdog that easily towered over me eagerly walked by my side.
***
When dinner had been made, it was yet another banquet. Code had outdone himself this time and made extra for our new guests. Nash had made it back in time for dinner with his new girlfriend, whom I'm not even going to bother to mention because we wouldn't see her after tonight, and the dining room was a bit livelier than usual. I often found myself admiring this in the background. A mental picture to myself, and a reminder that moments like this with people I love were what I fight for—why I had become strong and who I was going to get stronger for.
After all… there were still enemies out there whom I had not brought up to them since recovering my memory of Belle. Especially the one who—
"Teddy! Try this!"
"Hell no. Last time I tried something you made, I didn't remember that night and my head was fucking pounding."
"That's not the only thing you pounded that night…" Havoc teased, to which Nash burst out in obnoxious laughter. "Star saw stars!" He went on with a parodying voice.
"Star saw stars!" Nash repeated after him. And then everyone joined in on the gang up. Code closed his eyes and pleasantly pulled out a recipe book, casually ignoring us. Ulrich and Milo nervously laughed, still proper-like. And Alice had joined in on the laughter as well but was quickly distracted by a ping on her comm from someone who messaged her…
I was always the butt of the joke when we were all together, but I didn't mind. When I caught Alice at the other end of the dining table, I was delighted to see her smiling and laughing. There were a couple of people whom I wished were here as well…
I wished that our true Captain, our 1st Exec, and our other Ace were here with us. Though she would be joining us shortly, only time would tell when the other two could, and we would be a full crew together once again.
But the thought was easier said than done.
Aside from them, there was only one other person who was missing, and she was only a Sub-Kingdom away. And a place I would be spending the night at after we were all finished here. It was my turn to stay over at her place, the Desert Kingdom.
I quietly excused myself from the dining table while everyone was still bantering, and casually made my way upstairs and to my quarters. Alice eyed me the whole time; she thought I hadn't noticed.
My head spun a little as I made it up the stairs. I swore I didn't take that drink from Star… Right?
As I walked through the red-carpet halls which led to my room on the second floor, I heard a strange noise… I could barely make it out, but the shuffling noises kept on.
When I walked closer to the door, I heard it more distinctly, followed by a soft giggle just behind. I slammed the door open, and it was pitch black—save for my open balcony windows that let in the stars and moon and the breeze. There, a silhouette figure with haunting pink eyes glowed and gazed right at me, stiller than night.
"Who the fuck are you!? What are you doing here!?" I shouted, turning on the lights to my chandelier swiftly at the same time. But by the time I did, however, the figure had disappeared in a blink. There was nothing in my room aside from the furniture and frames, and an open balcony, followed by the calm whisper of the breeze—the soft night entering gently, swaying my black sheer curtains.
I surveyed the room. Silent still. I swore I shut these glass doors before leaving this morning… Why were they open now?
And I was usually sharper than this… Why did I suddenly feel fatigued?
I began pacing, checking under the bed and behind the curtains. I was convinced there was someone else in there with me… Whoever it was hid very well, even from me.
"I know you're in here. Show yourself." Stern. Loud but not yelling as I previously did.
A haunting girl's voice giggled from out of nowhere. It sounded like it was in my ear, but when I turned around, there was no one there. I faced every which way until, from my blind spot, a high-pitched, dainty voice spoke, "Why hello, my Demi…"
Her pitch was like that of a fairy or a child that never developed. She was my age, maybe a bit younger, in her early twenties, slender, five-foot-three, and very petite.
There, leaning forward, a kiss away from my face, this girl with half pink and half blue pigtails gazed obsessively into my eyes. They were like large, sparkling pink gemstones, gleaming and swirling into mine. She was the same girl Ryo brought here to the Den six days ago, and we interrogated her about the demon that possessed her… Kimiko, former 1st Executive of the Blue Phoenix Knights… or better known as Kiki.
"You're looking awfully pale… like you've just seen a ghost."
"Kiki. Why are you here?" I said so dizzily, it almost felt like a dream. And what's with that outfit?
"Oh, Demi… You know why I'm here…"
"Would you quit calling me that fucking demon's name? You've been calling me that since you woke up. That's not my name, chick."
She sighed and started pacing playfully back and forth in front of me, throwing her arms behind her, shoulders up. Her outfit was similar to the other girl's, Milo's… like a maid. However, hers seemed a bit shorter and more pixie-like with white ruffles underneath. Her black tights had an intricate, sheer mesh design and—unlike Milo, who had plain black tights and Mary Jane shoes—she wore black heels.
"Such a tough voice… and you look so much like him to top it off… I can't help myself… It's driving me crazy!" she said as she put the palms of her two dainty hands with dark blue painted fingernails to her cheeks, blushing all the while.
Her eyes had swirls, seeming to intensify as if she were losing her mind. What was with this chick? And why was she so obsessed with Demi—the demon that took my memory and my old body along with Belle's will? And not only that, with just the way he—it—treated her when she was possessed… I just didn't get it.
As angry as the thought made me, I couldn't be entirely mad. It was because of this demon that I now live with Belle and was not pathetically dead like we had been… The irony of it, I guess, is what I hated.
"I only look like him because of the contract… But other than that, for the last time, I am not Demi. So quit calling me by that name," I said, gentler this time, then added, "It makes me sick."
She pouted, then gave me a cute look. "Aw… your mannerisms are so similar too. That bad-boy vibe is one of the reasons I fell for him… one… of… the reasons…" she said way too slowly and coquettishly at the end for my comfort, almost like a seducing banshee.
I ignored it and said, "Anyway, could you leave? With the way that you're dressed, I take it you're with Milo and Ulrich. We have a spare bedroom for the three of you; you're gonna have to share. It's down the hall."
I started regretting giving her a room that close… Star, Ophelia, Alice, and even our other Ace all have rooms in this hallway. It was all starting to make sense why it was so easy for them to enter mine… To make matters worse, I was the one who assigned them those rooms… By the Keeper, was I the problem?
She didn't say a word; it felt like she hadn't been listening to anything I had just said. Like she was thinking about something else entirely, and then she hummed.
"What is it now? Do you need me to show you out? The door's that way. Leave."
"Hmmm…"
She kept humming as if she was about to say something, but never got the words out. Until finally, after making me feel absurdly uncomfortable by just the way her doll-like eyes stared into mine, she spoke, "If I can't call you Demi, may I call you Master Greed instead?"
It felt like eternity had passed as I forced myself to respond, like the words were running away from me. "I'll take that as a yes? If so, please let me know if you need anything—any time, any place. I will do my best for you."
Was she really being polite right now? I was surprised by how quickly these ex-Blue Phoenix Execs have had a change of heart in just the past six days.
"Please, Master Greed… Anything at all. Whatever you need… Whatever you want…"
"Huh?"
Kiki had slowly begun kneeling in front of me, pink eyes becoming more intense spirals, psychotic, seductive—all in the same, locking into mine as she descended.
"Whenever. You. Want…"
Her hands crept over to my pants, unbuckling my belt. I didn't even realize it until it was too late; I felt like I was in a trance. My mind was hazy like I was about to lose consciousness.
"Kiki… What…"
"Hush now, Master Greed… Let Kiki do all the work…"
My mind was like a vegetable then. I couldn't even think straight. In this moment, I felt like I was slowly falling into a dream, watching myself from the third person, knowing what was happening but unable to do anything about it. She successfully took my pants off, and then my underwear…
"Kiki… Stop…"
And then, my savior… or maybe even the grim reaper ready to take me, opened the door to my room… Alice stood there with an almost unsurprised look on her face. "Of course… Typical," she said.
My mind snapped back to reality for but a moment, like the popping of a balloon. When I came to, my pants were down, and Kiki was on her knees, inches away from…
"Fuck."
"Fuck is right," Alice said, her face and her voice taking on the same bland tone.
"Alice, I promise you this isn't—"
"You can hardly dress yourself. I swear, you are so hopeless. Kiki, are you almost done?"
I blinked. I was at a loss for words about what was happening. But right then I felt my pants secure, followed lastly by the sound of drawstrings securing, topping me off. And I was in a new shirt as well… When did I change?
"All done. Apologies, Miss Alice. Master Greed dozed off, so I decided to change him. I was just leaving. Thanks for checking on us. He's been doing quite a lot lately, especially with housekeeping around the Den, which explains his lightheadedness."
"It also didn't help that he drank that drink Star made for him," Alice added.
"I did not," I said as the daze sucker punched me. "She offered. I did not take."
"You had already took. That was a different drink she was offering."
"Fucking Star…" I said way too slowly.
"To any case, please keep an eye on him for me when you take him to the Desert Kingdom tonight. I know you will, but pretty please for me, Miss Alice," Kiki said with a hint of obsession sown into every word.
"No need to worry about that. Thanks, Kiki, you may leave," Alice said.
She stood up in a poised manner and bowed to us both, heading for the door where Alice stood. She moved aside to let Kiki out, but before she left, she turned around one last time and gestured to the gray couch at another part of my room. On the edge of it were neatly folded clothes in an open black gym bag, along with my Black Wolves jacket hanging next to it.
"I've sorted all your things for tomorrow, Master Greed. Your next day's outfit, extra clothes, underwear, jewelry, your favorite fragrance—"
Alice cleared her throat. "Get on with it, Kiki."
She closed her eyes and bowed slightly. "May you have a good night with Miss Belle, and a better day tomorrow with each other." She winked at the end, and I could have sworn I saw sparkles from it, with a tad of jealousy in her tone.
She exited the door, and she was gone.
I was still unsure of what was happening, but when my eyes met Alice, she started speaking once more, "You wanna see Belle now or what? We still have to pass through a few doors just to get to the Desert Kingdom, and it's getting late."
"Kiki… She… You?" I could hardly form a sentence. Had the tiredness of doing chores and Star's drink really gotten to me this much?
Alice sighed before replying to my broken question, "Yes, I've known since two days ago that the three ex-Blue Phoenix Executives were coming here today to be the Black Wolves' personal maids. They're actually called Arabella Housekeeping—an unofficial business for now, but it's in the works of becoming legitimate. It's named after Belle's full name. Yes, Havoc and Ophelia vouched for them, and Ryo used his influence to make it happen, but it was Belle who came up with the idea and implemented it to fruition after the others pleaded their case. That's why she needed to go to the Desert to handle the finalizations; she basically expedited everything to be official today. I wouldn't expect those bozos to explain it to you correctly." She put her hands on her small waist and went on, "She did it for you, you know… Because she hasn't seen you take a break in the past six days after the incident… She was worried for your health."
I went for my gym bag and jacket and noticed a folded note carefully placed on top of the neatly arranged clothes. And when I unfolded it, it read…
I'm here for you. – The Princess
Belle's words from this morning.
Finally understanding, I relaxed my shoulders and stretched my neck upward. Thinking only now of my princess—Belle. She simply amazed me.
"So, you just gonna stand there like a fucking idiot, or you wanna go see your girlfriend now?" she sassily said.
I smirked and swiftly collected my things, throwing the hanger with my Black Wolves jacket over my shoulder, and made it to Alice. When I got to her, I flicked her nose gently, but with enough force to make her wince. She covered it with both her hands in response, letting out a small oof after it.
"You're starting to sound more like Code by the day!" I teased, and she seemed to blush from that comment.
If it weren't for Alice telling Kiki to do this, I'd have just crumpled up a shirt and boxers to go and call it that, like I had been the past few days I was over. It felt nice knowing that I truly did have people in my life who were looking out for me and my well-being. I was constantly reminded of that today. From my crew to Ryo, and of course—you, Belle.
It will be you who sees stars tonight.