Chapter 45 - Forty-Three

We don't walk far, just to the door beside that room, the woman and the knight following us out and into yet another room. I wasn't too worried with my brother as he was still close by, already sleeping back in the middle room; just too carefree I tell ya; and with the only other member of the group that I knew at least.

Even more, my brother wasn't a weakling, on the contrary, I trained him well.

So I went inside Leo's room without a worry, looking at a copy of the other room, the only difference been a lit candle over the table where a single chair stood, promptly taken by Leo.

I sit on the bed, finishing my inspection and suddenly not knowing where to begin, I mean, 13 years apart makes people unrecognizable.

"Man, you have grown uhm." I wanted to facepalm myself for saying such an obvious line. Well, at least it was a start. "Almost didn't recognize you back there."

He shrugs, leaning back and getting comfortable, while I tried to stop any nervousness from showing on my body. "Yeah, so… what have you been up to?" Shit, even after training so hard, after staying away for 13 years, his presence still messed my capability to think.

"Fighting for a good cause, I suppose, making my name, my riches, nothing that big… yet. I heard you fought in a war though."

My time to shrug. "Not at the war, I just discovered that magical creatures were used to fight there, so I just free them. What changed beyond that is none of my concern."

"You know that the countries now fear using magical creatures in their wars because of it."

I smirk. "That I know. But quit the chitchat, what have you call me here for? Not just to update on my status now is it?"

He stands, strolling over and sitting beside me on the bed, making me bring a little distance between us so we could stay face to face, which accidentally brought our knees closer. Not that it matters, not that it should matter… Shit, stop that.

"What, you dislike my presence so much?"

"Is not that."

He smirks. "Then you like me?"

"What?! No! I mean, is not… Look, I'm just curious, that's all, you have been so ambiguous with so many things that I don't even know where to start asking."

He raises his hands, then leans back on the bed, saying: "Then how about one question at a time? Let's see…"

He seemed very comfortable there, all lax and… damn he looked a lot more… Shit, I don't know, distracting?

"Straight to the point them. I was deposed from my title as prince and I do not belong to the nobility anymore, nor I'm bound to the throne or this country."

I stare at him for a while, my mouth wide open. How can he say that so carefreely?!

"What? How? Why? Did they do that to you?"

"As the "spawn of the devil" or "germinated in the devil's w.o.m.b" I didn't stand a chance to begin with, so it was no surprise to me, but that's not the point as the fact that they stole all my belongings. We need that money now, and you are going to help me get it back."

"So, we are stealing it?"

"Well, they stole it first, so just getting it back I supposed."

I stay in silence for a little, letting it sink in, narrowing my eyes and moving my mouth sideways, thinking as my hand support my chin and my leg came up to support it.

"Ok… so… I get that you want your money back, but you said we need it for something? As far as I know I only owe you one."

And that's it, after we were done with what we came here for we would leave, parting ways in this big world. That made me look back at him as if wanting to engrave his face in my mind. He looked back at me seriously, as if he could tell what I was thinking about, then came up closer, making me arc an eyebrow as I held my ground, not backing off with the proximity.

He took my hands in his, stopping a little as if thinking, then our eyes met up close, the orange light of the candle illuminating half of his face and making his golden eyes shine as if made of flames themselves.

"I want to build a safe haven for all creatures to coexist. A city, a country, a place where there is no label, where all races can live together. I know a place that we can build it up, I just need good and efficient people for it to happen. Thilgon, I need you to help me build it up, a place where there would be no slaves, no superior or lesser race, no demon spawns, no monsters, just living beings coexisting."

He serious tone made me realize how important this was for him. "That sounds like a great fairytale Leonel. You know that it's impossible."

"As impossible as breaking bound contracts? As impossible as creating a new magic altogether?"

He remembered the conversation we had long ago, when I told him my dreams, my aspirations… And how impossible they should have been. Shit, that's not fair.

"Ok, let just say, as impossible as it sounds, that we would be doing this… Hell, I don't even know where to start, a country?! How do you make one simply appear? There are so many things to think about…"

"Yes, that's why I need your help."

"That's why that girl and that knight were here?"

"What, jealous?" His voice deepened a second there, making me realize that he didn't let go of my hands, instead, he had started to massage them softly.

I try to take them away, but he held them in place, a little smirk curving his lips as he tries to divert my attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Well, I'm not as good as you in planning and thinking so far away, but for now I decided to increase the capable people around me as much as possible, and for the bases make as much money as I could using my position."

Is my time to lean back, thinking seriously this time, making him let go of my hands because of the angle. Instead, he pulls my legs on his lap, starting to massage my feet.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you are doing?!"

"Helping you relax so you can think." He says, innocently, making me now very aware that we were alone, in his room, on his bed.

I cough, trying to focus on the problem at hand, not at his fingers pressing down my swore points, making me hold in a giggle. Shit, yeah, right, were was I?

I close my eyes a little, enjoying the moment- I mean, thinking of answers, planning.

"Well, the first problem is that we cannot save them all, there is space, food, shelter to consider, and I doubt you have another continent at your disposal. But hell, we might as well try."

"Uhum."

"Then… is this place safe?" He nods. "Ok, so we… we should have two groups to start with, those who would bring people in, and those who would stay and build the foundation."

"Uhum."

"And then…" Shit, this dim light plus the massage is not helping my mind to stay sharp and awake. "We will need a lot of people."

"Hum?"

"And… and money…"

"Uhum…"

"And…"

And I don't remember what I was thinking back then since I relaxed I little bit too much and fell asleep.

But hold on!

In my defense I had traveled for a long time to get here, which made me really tired, plus the combination of a full belly and the dim light ok?!

Not that his presence comforted and calmed me in a weird contrasting way of, at the same time, making me nervous and very aware of his presence.

No, not at all, of course not.

Ha, haha.

~~~~

ML: Keep telling yourself that.

Author: Making moves already, you don't waste time, I'm proud of ya! *Tapping his shoulder and wiping an invisible tear*

ML: If I'm not direct we would never get anywhere.

Author: …

Author: True…

Annnnd a little extra for you guys, enjoy!!

Extra Three

~~Hobbies~~

Author: Welcome, welcome! Today, on our first edition of Extras on Friday's! Today we have some special guests, welcome aboard the crew from the novel Reincarnated into a Hell Hound!

*Applauds on the background while the crew enters the studio, sitting down on a round sofa in front of the interviewer*

Author: So, so, how are you guys doing?

Hunthor: Pretty fine.

Leonel: Hum.

Aeglos: I'm fine, thanks for asking.

Thilgon: … I think the author went co-co at once.

Author:…

Author: That's great! So, today we are going to ask some behind the scenes stuff *whispers* That nobody asked but my brain made up anyway* Today we are going to have the same theme for all of you, which is…

*Drumming sounds in the background while the Author gets a paper off a box (which only has one paper, but still did it, for… drama reasons).

Author: Tada~~~ We want to know: What you guys like to do in your free time?! What are your hobbies? How about starting with you Aeglos?

Aeglos: *cough cough* Well, first of all, is a pleasure to be where.

Author: Owww, thank you.

*Thilgon scuffs and roll his eyes*

Aeglos: But uhm… unfortunately I don't have a lot of free time, I like to keep myself very busy training and hunting and stuff, but I enjoy gardening.

Author: Oh really?

Aeglos: Yes, we have a lot of plants to take care of, and it is important to have their fruits for the winter.

Author: So… you are basically just working then? So sad… How about you Hunthor?

Hunthor: Uh, me? Oh, I like to swim, I like to run, I like to run with my brother, oh oh, I reeeealy like to eat and and…

Author: Ok ok, enough, otherwise you will never stop. And you Thilgon?

Thilgon: Uhm, I like to read mostly, in silence. *Which was pretty rare his look said while he stared Hunthor down* and I like singing as well.

Author: Good, good! And finally Leonel!

*Looks at Thilgon who shivers in a cold sweat, smirking as he starts to answer without breaking eye contact*

Leonel: Well… I like to do that a lot, but once I'm not doing it I like to think I'm doing, and when I'm not thinking of doing it I like to read about it, so I can think of new ways of doing it.

Author:…

All: …

Author: …Ha, haha, w-what a great hobby, hahaha… Anyway, that's all for today, thank you all for your presence here and until the next edition of Extras on Friday's! By-bye!

~~*Closing in for the day*~~

Aeglos: *thinking*… Shit, I should have said that!

Author: Nah, to OCC (out of character)

Aeglos: Oi! Get out of my mind!

Author: Never never never never never neve