A Chance to Bond [Social]

Finally...Home... Noir murmured while still standing near the port. She wondered how should she feel when she was finally home. The smiliar scene made her remember the time when she escaped from the slave ship, same port, same city but with a different feeling. At that time, she looked at the city in awe but rushing herself to quickly escaped into the night from the slave masters with fear inside her mind. This time, she was not sure, it was the first time she finally come back to her hometown without being chained. Relieved? Happy? Excited? Maybe she would feel that way even though her face remained emotionless. But now, she was trapped in guilt and fear for causing someone’s death, That should be me.... She snapped back from her own thinking when a worker accidentally pushed her hard with a cartwheel filled with many carts, “Ahhh, I’m sorry miss!” said the worker and quickly rushed himself to deliver the cartwheel. Sigh escaped her lips, Pull yourself together Noir... She mentally advised herself.

After lagi commanded a few of the guards to hurry back to the treasure with all of the treasure that he claimed from the island, he noticed a girl in the distance that looked rather familiar to him. “Hmm..” Lagi would say as he approached her even more and realized that she too was on the boat with him towards the shrouded isle. There was some awkward situation between her and Ayero, but Lagi didn’t really know why. When she saw the girl get rushed over Lagi walked over to offer a hand. “ Noir right?” Lagi would say questioningly as he would offer her a hand up if she decided to take it. If not, Lagi would then place his hands back in his rocket. “ Well, looks like you took a nasty bump there. Though you see alright for the time being. Are you hurt?

Just when she wanted to stand up by herself, a figure approached her and offered his hand. Noir put her hand and said, “Thank you—“ but paused for a second when she saw the figure was actually the man who had that powerful dragon. She tried to hard to remember if she have asked for his name before since he actually knew her name, maybe because at the night when she helped him cooking on the ship. The man asked her if she was alright or not and she nodded, “I’m okay... Umm... I’m sorry... but... what is your name...?”

Even though she said that she was okay, she actually felt a little pain on her abdomen, maybe because the cart bumped her hard before. It was in her nature, she was not the type of person who will seek for people’s emphaty and will try to take care of herself. The black haired girl remembered the man was somewhat down at the camp, she didnt know anything and it was not her business too. But maybe it related to that blonde girl’s death at the island before, maybe she was his close friend? She wondered. Noir looked up at the man’s eyes, locking her topaz orbs with his pale blue orbs. “Are you...okay?” A small, unnoticed frown appeared on her face, she was worried and wondered if he was still down.

Hmm? My name?” Lagi would say questioningly as Orie plopped up from his hand and stared at Riku before making her usual noises. “Puus Puuuhh’” Lagi looked at his hand and patted Orie with his thumb. “By the way, this little thing is Orie, she is one of my pets. As for me…” Lagi would say as be beat his chest once. “I’m the dragon emperor of Reim, Leader of the EL Nagi Clan, the first one to defeat the coliseum champion “Decius the Immortal”, General of the Unity corps, Lagi EL Nagi. Big title right? Well, I keep myself busy nowadays, but call me King Lagi for short.” Lagi would say to her, though he would blink twice and frown a bit.

“Well, I’m fine. There was a girl who looked just like a friend of mine, I still don’t know if they were twins or not. My friend was a king candidate, so I’m sure he wouldn’t of lost so easily. Though, I’m not sure. It’s been eating at me, but…we pull forward through the darkest of situations..right?” isn’t the first feelings of loss that I had to burden, and won’t be the last. But I’ll be ok. “ Lagi would then switch it back to her. “You live here in Reim?

Noir raised her eyebrows when a unique creature plopped up from the man’s hand, she looked at the creature intensely and unconsciously reach out her hand to touch the creature, but quickly stopped herself while the man introduced the creature. C-cute... She mentally complimented the man’s pet and listened to what the man said to her. She blinked, trying to hold herself before finally burst down into her own embarassment when Lagi finished his introduction. Noir took a step back, starting to feel unworthy to have a conversation with a king. “I...I...” She blushes and gulped hard, “M-my deepest apologize... A lowly ex-slave such as myself i-is not worthy... t-to talk with a king.” She mentally cursed herself for stuttering and blushes even more when she felt that she asked him a stupid question such as asking if he was alright or not. If there was a hole, she would jumped in as deep as she could to avoid her whole face become redder. She escaped a little squeals from her mouth when the king asked her if she lived in Reim and looking down to the ground, “I-I...do live here...”

“Hmmm?” Lagi would hum questioningly as he looked at her. There is nothing to be sorry about at all, and there’s nothing lowly bout you. Remember when we cooked together on the ship? You seemed pretty docile and didn’t show much emotion, but now you’re all shades of red. I find that pretty interesting. “ Lagi would chuckle a bit as went on about slavery. “Well, maybe you heard but slavery is no more in reim, I outlawed it. So there’s no need to mention your slavery status in a negative light, when you’re home right now, consider it as a past that’s worth remembering as you move forward to live your life in this newfound future.

Lagi still wasn’t sure that he broke the ice well enough so he decided to cover his face with both hands. “Want to see a trick?” Lagi would say as he used mask change and voice change to look like captain grimwall all of a sudden. “Arrg! Guess who I am matey?!”

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Spoiler:

Noir widened her eyes when she heard that this man was actually the one who outlawed the slavery in Reim. She gulped down hard, slightly wishing he would outlawed it sooner, “I escaped....from the slaves ship...” The black haired girl bowed down to the king and said, “But I thank you for outlawing the slaves system, I’m grateful...”Suddenly King Lagi covered his face with both hands and when he removed his hands, his face changed. Noir raised her eyebrow and amused when the king letting out his changed voice, never before she saw such an interesting and funny person, and that person is a king! The yellow magician finally decided something, she would tell him about ‘that incident’. She was not hoping for a help from the king, but she thought the king had to know, or maybe he knew about something. “Y-your majesty... W-would you...come with me...to my house...?”

Y-your…… Lagi’s face tuned normal and it was in fact his turn to blush. “Well, ahh… mean…. Ok….” Lagi would say in a small tone. That was quick, perhaps a little too quick. Usually when Lagi is invited to the house of a beautiful vixen, she turns out to be a submissive dominatrix with a rope fetish. Afterwards, Lagi goes missing for a few days, three days at max. He kind of wonders what the deal was with this one. “Is the important or…..” Was she coming on to him? LAgi wouldn’t complain, but he has to know if this had anything to do with something else.

As the king’s face became red, Noir raised her eyebrow, wondering why the king’s face was red. Is he....angry...? She hesitated to ask but delighted when the king said okay. “I...dont really know if it’s important or not... but you will know when you see it by yourself.” And with that, Noir started to walk. If the king followed her, he will walk through the town and went into an area that looked like a small forest. As they walked further, they would see lesser people in the place and finally they will arrived in the place where no one was there since that was a private area. An old house standing firmly inside the area, for some people it might looked like an  abandoned house.

The House:

Noir looked at the king and pointed to the house, “That... is my house... my ‘old’ house...maybe...” The black haired girl invited King Lagi to enter the house, inside of the house was not fancy, it was messy and the king can notice stain of blood both on the carpet and the wallpaper at the living room. The girl stayed quiet and led Lagi to the master bedroom where the blood traces was more visible, it looks like someone pulled a bleeding person on the carpet and brought the person to outside to room. “They said... this is where the person who is possibly my mother was killed...” She hinted and waited for his reaction.

Hmmmmm….” Ok , so it wasn’t a sexual situation that Lagi thought he was getting himself into. It seems to him that there was something that noir wanted to show him. “Alright…” Lagi followed her, there were plenty of people that knew who he was so they stopped and waved. However, there seemed to be less and less people, until they finally came across a private building. “You live here? To afford something like this, I would think that you have the blood of an aristocrat than a slave. Got to be pulling out some serious huang for the size of a house like this.

That was Lagis first impression, that was until he saw the stains of blood from the inside of the house.”…………” He said nothing towards that as he followed Noir, but he did in fact notice that. When he entered the master bedroom and Noir mentioned her mother, Lagi frowned and patted her on the back. “ Do you know who did? Was it really the slavers or…..” Lagi would then move his hands and look Noir in the eyes. What’s your story Noir?

When the king asked about her family, Noir didn’t know what to answer. She was not sure either; in fact, she didn’t know anything about her family at all. There was nothing about her family in her memory archive, only the year when she was a slave and nothing before that. The only thing she knew was just her family face, pictured in an old photo, with their name written and of course, her name was written there too.

Noir’s body jolts when the kings patted her back, she was surprised and never thought someone who was a king would touch her like that, giving her a comforting pat. “I don’t know… The townspeople told me everything, but not much detail.” She paused herself and averted her gaze from the king’s blue eyes, “I don’t remember anything before I was a slave… I only remember my name, that’s why… “ The black haired girl gritted her teeth and continued, “I don’t feel anything right now, not a slightest empathy or even loss. For me they felt like a stranger rather than a family because I don’t recognize them…”

She sighed, this was never happened before. Telling a total stranger about her own cheesy tragedy, did she need a comfort that much because all of that guilty feeling after making a comrade died because of her? She wondered. It was true that she didn’t feel anything right now, it was just like coming to an abandoned house with a story where the owner was killed, and that was all, no sadness or even the urge to take revenge. Empty, that was what she felt towards her “family”, who she didn’t even recognized. Curiosity was the only thing driven her to know more about Ecryola Family. Noir looked back to the king and said, “I will show you something…” she walked through the dark corridor with a glint of sun’s ray piercing inside from the windows. The yellow magician stopped in front of a big door with a wood carving attached on it, ‘Noir Ecryola’s Room’ was written there. As she opened the room, Lagi would see it was better than any room inside the house. No blood stain and messy furniture, everything was placed in order and many books and scrolls were placed there like someone just have finished reading that. The girl nodded to the king, signaling him to come in with her while she walked to the table beside her bed and opened the drawer, taking a letter. She gave it to the king and inside the letter was written:

Hmmm….” Lagi would say in a bit of confusion. “ Well, A friend of mine, Azix, he  knows of some  magic and has some memory thing. Go ask him.

Lagi would mumble to himself and look back at Riku. It’s much better to know the truth and moving on from It, or do you think its better this way that you don’t  remember anything at all? At the most, if they were important political figures, ill have to start investigating, bring you closure as well.  It happened years ago, but if the person is still within reim or running for a senate seat, we could hurt them.

“Azix…? Could you tell me more about this person, your majesty…?” Noir asked back, she was curious to know more about the person named Azix. This person could help her to know what really was going on with her family and maybe she can get back her memories. But suddenly she felt fear again, she thought about these possibilities after she knew the truth. Like, what if they were not her family at all? And what if they were her family but they were the one who sold her to the slavery? Stop… stop it Noir… Don’t you ever think like that… She commanded herself. For how many times had she commanded herself mentally today? She didn’t remember at all. Ariella’s death was affecting herself this much and she was not feeling right, her mind was clouded and she didn’t like the feels. She felt weak and helpless, fear and doubt also invaded her mind, controlling her to not act like usual.

“I… don’t know… I’m curious…” She gulped down hard, “But I want to know more…I—“ Noir suddenly had this heat feeling appearing in her eyes and it followed by a transparent liquid pouring down from there. “…??” She touched the liquid and not sure what was that, she only knew that it was not tears… Wait… tears…? The black haired girl felt this painful feeling in her heart, the frustration finally took control of her body. She was not be able to let out her emotion in these past years, but now she was crying? Just how far that purple haired magician’s death did affected her. “Ariella…” She murmured while covering her eyes after she walked out of her room, not wanting the king to see her helpless self.

Lagi nodded his head when she asked for more information. “Ok, remember Ariellia? I think her and Azix are dating. Azix is the ambassador of Kou. And he’s a king candidate just like how I used to be. He also put me on the throne originally, but things turned around and he seems to be a good guy afterall. “Though, Lagi pulled Riku close and cuddled her. “There…. “He rubbed her back with a sad frown, he wasn’t sure how she was feeling about her parents or learning of the truth. You can cry ok? Is just us so, you don’t have to feel embarrassed or anything. I really am sorry about your memory.. Though, Noir mentioned Ariellia and he was taken back a bit. “Yes, Ariellia, I just mentioned her…” He didn’t know she “Died” per say, nobody said anything to him.

At the time the king of Reim explained more about this person called Azix, Noir felt the pain in her heart gradually become more and more painful as Lagi continued to explain. She took the woman away from everyone who loved her, who enjoyed her company and probably had spent a long time with her enough to trust her. She trembled, it was not like she never saw anyone died in front of her, but it was different this time. This time someone died to protect her. She was a former slave, an invaluable human being who didnt has anyone who will cry for her or even mourn when she died, she knew that much and fully realized it. Noir had nobody, while the girl had everyone waiting for her to return safely to their side.

The black haired girl couldnt hold it anymore, the tears flowed down swiftly and she gasped when the king pulled her closer. Her body jolted because of the touch she never received before, and while still dweilling in fear and guilt, she said, “Ahh...a-ariella died... because of me... I took her away... from everyone who loved her...f-from Ayero...and from t-that person named Azix...” She gasped again, “ That should had been me laying there... that manticore was supposed to kill me... but...but...” She unconsciously buried her face to Lagi’s chest, letting out her urge to cry after holding it for several years. Breaking her own promise after she pledged herself to not show her emotion at the day she accepted her fate as a slave. But her mind was not right, she was afraid the slave masters will come and beat her senselessly again, her mind was playing her right now as the horrible past and memory haunted her right now. “I...I cannot... cry... ” She sobbed, clutching her hand to Lagi’s sleeves, “If they know, they will hit me...”

“W-what? Shes….dead?” She died on that island? What the hell, nobody told Lagi what happened when they split up. That was a long ride back to Reim, nobody at all. Why is that?”ayero….you selfish….” So she and Noir was shouldering this all by themselves? Kind of made Lagi wonder how much this girl was suffering on the inside. “ Noir…..” Lagi frowned even more when she mentioned her old slave days of the slave traders hitting her if she cried. Lagi can only imagine what this girl must of went through. “ Lagi reached into his chest pocket to pull out a flask of his dragonfruit wine. Afterwards, he would pass it to Noir.

“Times like this, I would take a drink to ca my nerves. You cant necessarily drink your problems away but, I want you to know that youll never have to go through that again. Not while I’m around, whenever i'm king or not. As for Ariellia, azix has the ability to bring people back. As long as there is a body or something, I know he can bring her back. I don’t know, we just have to have hope for things.” Lagi took a sip of the wine and then shifted it to Noirs way too. “ Drink it, just a little bit…….. ok?” Lagi was trying his best to help. He wasn’t the kind of man who could take advantage of a girl in this state, or leave them in this state.

Noir quickly stepped back from Lagi, He too... is the comrade of Ariella... She stayed quiet and averted her gaze as Lagi mentioned Ayero being selfish while saying, “It’s not her... it’s me... blame me, hit me, you can even beat me up for making your comrade died! I—“ She stopped as the king called her name, eyes widened and anticipating for any action that the king might do, she will accept anything, even as far as being hit. Because that was she accepted everyday in her past, everyday will went on with a little beating and painful scream from the black haired girl. Noir observed as the king reached to his chest pocket, her heart beating fast, she was waiting... waiting for that hand to take out a weapon or something. But no, it was just a flask and he shifted it to Noir after he took a sip. The black haired girl hesitated to take it, she didnt want to dirtying the king’s belonging after had successfully wetting his cloth. The king then insisted, “Drink it, just a little bit……..” Noir gulped hard and nervously taking the flask. After a second observing the flask, she slowly sip the liquid which felt like a strange sensation when she gulped it down. Heat invaded her body and it made her face red in instant, “*Hic*... What...is...*hic*...this...?” She would felt the cloud in her mind being lifted up, it makes her somehow feels strange, she was excited and happy. “Iiiiit’s....*hic*... delicious...” The yellow magician lifted the flask and started to drink it again before she pushed it to Lagi, signaling him to drink it too while she began to let out a giggle.

Its wine, dragonfruit wine. I am a big wine drinker and I talked to a few local breweries to see if I could have a hand in making my own special trademark wine. I got a chance to and it’s a hit, now icould say that there is a favorite drink of mine in rem. I’m glad you like it too. “Lagi would drink a little more this time and pass it back to Noir. “Feeling better now? You can have the rest, there isn’t much left. “ It'll take a while for her to sober up, but Noir should be feeling pretty nice right about now. “Let’s talk about something uplifting, had any dreams?

Noir nodded in excitement as she gulped down until the last drop, laughing happily as she felt the warm effect from the wine. She then made a sudden move and jumped to Lagi, hugging him like a child. “Thank...*hic*...youuu.” She smiled at the king and then let go of her arm before she sat on the bed and pat the spot beside her, signaling the king to sit there too. “Dreammmm?” She laughed, she wondered what dream she had and wondered if she ever thought about her dream. “I want to...be able to fly!” she would say with a child-like face and laughed happily. Then she remembered about the dragon that the king had, “Like your dragon, strong... and free. Hehe.”

Lagi took a seat next to Noir and took the flask back from her, putting it back into his shirt “Well…………. I think you can do that anyway. You use magic right? So anything is possible with magic. Maybe you can grow wings and fly too?” Lagi would say with a small smirk. Or even fly on a broomstick like those older witch stories, but you have a magic carpet. You can already do that…. Though….. if you want to ride a dragon… you can have that wish….” It was an earnest wish, Lagi didn’t mind entertaining Noir with her wish to fly

Magic? Noir tilted her head, wondering what he meant and she came into a realization, giggling again after saying, “Ohhh, the gravity lift... yes yes... *hic* but it feels different, I want...to be able to soar up to the sky, flying high until I reach the highest part in the sky. My current magic is not able to do that....mehhh...” She lazily leaned herself on the bed, curled up like she was a cat trying to find warmth on the bed. The yellow magician smiled happily, she felt high and better even though she felt a little hot. “I-I can ride the dragon?” Noir widened her eyes like a child hearing someone granted her wish, she sat up and looked at the king, “I’d love to!”.

Mhm! El drago is pretty occupied with a few things, being at sea and sleeping in an odd position to put less weight n the ship has too its toll on the guy. I kind of gave El Drago the rest of the day off so he could relax and fly around and do whatever it is that he enjoys to do, granted that it doesn’t involve attacking random civilians. “Lagi would say with a sheepish smile. “ I take care of my own, be it human or dragon. Everyone needs time to themselves at times, right?”
That was true to a degree, or at least lagi believed that to be the case. “ But I heard your wish loud and clear, we can do it tomorrow.

Noir eyes sparkled as Lagi told her about El Drago, she would stayed quiet and locked her eyes with the king’s orb, listening every words coming from the dragon owner’s lips with excitement. Her heart was beating fast, she would like to directly meet the dragon, talking with the legend creature and uncover the story the dragon had. The black haired girl nodded in agreement excitedly and squealed in happiness as Lagi granted her wish to ride El Drago, she sit on her knees and jumped, giving the king a tight hug and made him to lay on the bed while the girl was still hugging him. “Thank you!” She would said with a happiest smile she could show to the king, but suddenly a memory invaded her mind, a forgotten one. A figure of a boy, smiled at her, but it was not her in the current time, it was her when she was a child and looking much younger than the boy. The boy would sneaked to her bed and laid besides her, hugging her tight and gave her all the protection she needed while falling asleep together.

The yellow magician buried her face on the king’s chest, snuggling him and said with a sheepish smile, “Let’s sleep together big brother!” She giggled, “Just like the old times…” Her eyes slowly closed and she surrendering herself to her sleepiness while still hugging Lagi.

Lagi blinked twice, it looks like Noir remembered someone after all. Her brother though she kind of had to be tipsy to remember that. “Well, it doesn’t matter then….. “ Lagi was feeling quite thoughtful today, so he decided to comfort Noir as much as he possibly could. Usually, one of the opposite sex laying with the king would mean that she was going to be with him. Noir was, but in a different and more innocent way. However, Lagi didn’t mind it, this girl seemed like she needed a friend and she’s been through a lot. “Plus he was tired from the boat ride and now sleepy because he was tipsy. Soon after, LAgi fell asleep without even knowing it.

-End