Edited by: Flubbykin

I was sitting on the chair, humming happily to myself while waving my legs back and forth like a kid with ADHD. The reason for that? I could already see the waitress carrying the plate full of sweets.

“One triple ice cream with extra syrup?” lady asked checking to who she was supposed to serve the dish. “It’s for me!” right now even my upper body was tilting left and right. “R-right, here you go…” she obediently put colossal vessel in front of me. “... now, the apple pie?” “Here!” Lanele smiled - she joined us on our way to the cafeteria, she was just heading back from local library when she noticed us heading toward the city center “Gigantic cocktail of exotic fruit?” “‘ere!” I yelled with my mouth already full of the sweats.

She blinked twice. The “glass” - if you could call this thing this way - was meant to be the dish for two. Yet here I demanded it just for myself - while already handling rather sizeable dessert.

“The chocolate dream?” “That would be mine…” Blanka shyly stretched out her hand taking her order. “And parfait will be for you…” lady tried putting the last vessel in front of Giselle, but she just waved her hand. “Ah, no, thanks, I don’t really like sweets.” “Oh, my bad, but, in that case, who ordered that?”

My hand once again bolted in the air.

Waitress had “are you fucking kidding me?!” expression all over her face. In the end, I alone have ordered more than entire group sitting by the table at the opposite side of the cafeteria - a group made of five people.

“S-sir, we are honored that you like our food so much, but I am afraid you may upset your belly.” she was indeed concerned about my well-being. Mostly because I would be carried out from their facility while groaning from pain while holding my stomach it would be a rather bad advertisement of their facility. “He will be fine…” Gis answered instead of me “... trust me, he can eat quite a lot, not to mention he is a sweets maniac.”

There was actually one more reason for me to act this way - right now I was trying to get rid of Blanka - by playing all innocent now I hoped to make her lower her guard… I mean ... to cast aside her silly fears.

Apparently, it worked. She was more than confused by this display, but she was no longer looking with suspicion on every man with a hood on his head that was walking past us.

“Anyway, I believe we were not formally introduced… and seeing how Zari is occupied with his dessert, I am afraid that he won’t do us this honor… I am Lanele Bagoraz.” “Blanka. Just Blanka, I have no family name for I was disinherited… Wait, you shouldn’t be using your Kingdom’s name as your own, it’s restricted to the Royalty, I heard that Elves are quite serious when it comes.... Wait, you are not the princess of elves, aren’t you?” “No… not exactly…” Blanka put a piece of her chocolate dish in her mouth... “... But I appear to be next High Priestess so…” … just to choke on it “... EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT? Here, drink!”

Priestess quickly passed a glass of water to choking warrioress.

“You aren’t pulling my leg, aren’t you?” “No, when we meet for the first time she was surrounded by elvish warriors which would get a hiccup each time you wouldn’t address her with all honors,” Gis said not even looking in the direction of the other two. All this time she was watching me “... damn, isn’t he adorable munching those treats? He looks like a happy hamster.” “I ‘M NO ‘AMSTER!” I yelled with my cheeks puffed because of food in my mouth. “Definitely a hamster…” Blanka agreed. “Hamster indeed.” Lana nodded. “Don’t be mad, Zari, hamsters are noble creatures!”

This didn’t make me happy at all!

“So, how did you end up meeting Zariel?” Lana asked cutting another piece of her apple pie. “You have just met me, how do you know it was Zariel I met first, not Giselle?” “Let’s just say that.. .Zari has something inside of him that attracts strong people.” “I attract strong people and leeches alike. Or in other words - I am attracting everyone, I am that attractive.” “And narcissistic. And egoistic. And asshol-ish” Lana said with no malice in her tone. “Guilty as charged. But hey, if I would be humble too, I would be simply too perfect. I am already perfect, but damn, I would be godlike.”

Elf rolled her eyes.

“Back to your question - I… happen to take the same quest as Zariel and…” “She stalked me to the entrance of the dungeon, then she continued to be a ballast slowing me down.” “I… am pretty much sure that at one point I saved your life.” war dancer appeared to be slightly annoyed. “I required your help only because I was damaged saving you earlier.”

She opened her mouth trying to say something, then shut it back. She was quite angry, as someone whose work wasn’t appreciated could be.

“T-that’s not what ha…” “Cut it off, Blanka, Zari will bully you about it with no end, you will not talk him through…”

Gis smiled at her newly made friend.

“... he’s a nice guy though…” “HE IS WHAT?” Blanka almost jumped off her chair. “HE IS WHAT?!” Lanele actually jumped off her chair “I AM WH’A… ” I tried to mimic their reaction but ended choking on a piece of fruit “He just pretends to be a villain and making you hate him, but once you turn around he would actually help you out in such a manner that you could never guess it was his doing.” “Really?” Lana asked raising her brow. “Really?” Blanka actually softened her expression. “Bullshit… I am evil! I am fire! I am death!” “And now he will make a moron out of himself to change the topic. There there... “ she patted my head.

I only pouted.

“Thought I must say… seeing him now is like looking at a completely different person.”

Blanka mumbled more to herself.

“I just act like this while I am around sweets…” I groaned annoyed. “Still, Zari, we must do something about all these girls.” Giselle massaged her temples. “What girls?” I asked honestly surprised. “I stopped watching you for five minutes and bam - you were kidnapped by a lady knight, when you came back you were dragging little El and that wench Morgana with yourself. Another time and you had Ruby. Yet another time - a hooker from docks. I went on training, and the next thing I know is Lanele asking me to meet up with you, now Blanka… Ah, and Capitan Blackwater we met while traveling here. Just so you know, in both military and guild there are more males than females, yet somehow you always manage to make a new friend out of female.”

She was clearly dissatisfied with that situation.

“Aww, someone’s jealous?” “Who? Me? About you? Neva’!” “Good, because I have recently met that librarian that…” mug of ale that Giselle held in her non-dominant hand burst into dust spilling liquid all over dragoness “... see? jealous.” “I am NOT jealous… but if I would happen to see you being too friendly with some other woman, I would rip your head off and show it in your but.” “Ok, fine. Will keep it in mind.” “It’s good we have this matter settled then…” Gis smiled relaxing in her chair. Silly girl didn’t even notice she made an opening. “... but that means you are cool with me getting too friendly with males, right?” “SAY WHAT!?”

I smiled. Her expression was worth the thing that was coming next - her fist, to be precise.

“C-can I ask what brings you here?”

Blanka tried changing the subject that somehow turned far too awkward as for her taste.

“I am just traveling with these two, I want to see the world, you know, it’s fun with these madmen.” “I am just here to keep an eye on Zari… plus train his ass till it bleeds! We start tomorrow Zari.” “I headed here to train, y’ know, my plan to dominate the world won’t carry on by itself. I gotta pump these beasts up!” I flexed my muscles. “Dominating the world, you say? And what would you do with that newly acquired power?” Blanka already learned to not treat me seriously. Good. “Silly, as the ruler of the world, I would have access to best confectioners! Do you have any idea how delicious cakes made by the person that dedicates his or her entire life into making treats?... Because, well, I have no idea, but I am more than eager to check it out!”

I wanted to keep on talking, but I stopped.

I sensed something, something that was normal, that awkward, and so awkward, that normal.

I sensed myself - my very own presence. My existence… yet somehow located not-in-my-body. As if I shed my skin and it decided to walk around somewhere close.

I started looking around, yet found nothing.

“Excuse me for a moment.” I got up from the table. “Hey! It’s rude to leave just like that! Where are you going?!” Giselle yelled after me, though she meant to offense at all. “To the toilet, do you wish to follow me there too?” “I certainly don’t mind a quicky…” she narrowed her eyes purring.

Lanele gasped, Blanka blushed.

My-my, my lil’ Gis making such inappropriate jokes in public? I am proud of you my kitty-cat.

I just weaved my hand while vanishing in the crowd

“He most certainly didn’t go to the toilet.” “I know, but apparently it was something important to him.” Gis shrug her arms ordering another mug of ale. Normally, cafeteria didn’t sell alcohol, but because of the money they spend here (mostly because of Zariel’s gluttony) waitresses actually ran toward closest bar and brought her order by themselves - everything not to upset such good clients.

In the meantime, a small, hooded person was running across the back allies.

He found him! He finally found him. There was no doubt to that! Kid was breathing heavily. In the moment his gaze fell on white-haired persona, he started feeling some kind of heavy ballast on his chest, as if some extremely heavy creatures was sitting on it. He could barely breathe, his presence was THAT intoxicating. His senses were screaming - he wanted to jump on him and hug him, yet at the very same time he decided to run away, that’s what his instinct told him to do, and his instinct never failed him before.

Kim stopped by some barrels at the back-entrance of some inn where he started catching his breath.

Zariel - that was his name, he heard that name before in his mind, later when all the people he meet would repeat it, and now, said by his companions. He was eating dessert - pointless meals providing no evolution potential…

… why?

The answer was simple - as a master predator he learned to hide among his prey - a wolf in sheep's clothing - a saying he heard from one of the humans on his way. Kim liked it.

For now, he needed to calm down and re-think his situation, he will have to meet up with him, preferably in a way that would show how capable he is! Yes, all he has to do was to…

A dagger was sent flying in his direction, from the back, he dodged that without even looking in its direction.

He jumped aside and twisted his body facing his attacker, though none was there,

Next thing he noticed was another dagger being put by his throat, yet somehow he still couldn’t sense the presence of the attacker. He felt his warmth on his back, he could smell him - chocolate, strawberry, and some fruitish smells he couldn’t name.

“You move like assassin which means that you clearly killed a person or two, but you came too close to me which means that you either are overconfident, or really suck at infiltration… Now, who are you and what you want. You have three seconds…”

This voice. THIS SMELL! Though marked with sweets was clearly there! This smell! HIS SMELL!

“Kim…” “What…” “I am Kim, big brother!”

In that dirty, dark alley, in the presence of nothing but rats and dirt two divine chimeras met.