Book Four – Interlude – Part Four – A World That Could Have Been

For the next few hours, Melk and Kait became something akin to Fisher’s therapists. He just kept speaking about the trauma, and while the brisk, sharp words from Melk had edges to them, they were what he needed. If he had been any other race but a Kobold, this little healing session probably wouldn’t have worked half as well.  

By the end of it, the words flowed as freely as if he was talking to his wife. Melk and Kait even tossed in a few jokes here and there as the topic shifted from his past to the upcoming festival. Kait, in particular, really wanted to know the specifics of how something so grand was organized, and Fisher was happy to tell her. He often sat in on the preparation meetings, so he was experienced in organizing large-scale gatherings.

And within the blink of an eye, five hours had come and gone. Without the assistance of Fisher’s Lux Sphere and a few candles, the little back office of Melk’s church would have been devoured by darkness.  

Fisher stood up, feeling some tension in his neck, and after rolling his head around, sighed when he heard an audible pop. He had been sitting for so long that even his legs felt disoriented and confused, but a few quick stretches got the blood pumping.  

“Melk, what are you going to do about Myil?” asked Fisher. He reached for the glass of tea on the table and swallowed about half of it. It was smooth, flowing down this throat while leaving behind a trail of succulent sweetness.  

“I do not know… I did not think the boy would be asleep for this long.” Melk turned his head to stare at Myil, breathing a sigh of relief when his little chest moved up and down. He had done a quick check on the lad, and Fisher offered to do one as well, but neither noticed anything alarming. He did have scars galore, but most were scabbed over.  

“He must’ve been through a lot,” noted Kait. She was leaning against the table with her chin balanced on her hands. A snow-colored tail lazily swam through the air as a yawn escaped from her adorable mouth. “And I guess no one showed up today…” 

“That is because we only meet one day a week for service. When they do come, we will all be busy. Until then, we remain open to offer any assistance in any way we can,” replied Melk.  

Just then, Kait’s ears picked up a set of footsteps. She told Melk, and he stood his large body up and walked through the door.  

“Father Melk! I hope my daughter hasn’t been giving you any trouble,” said a woman from the other side.  

“Mama!” The Singi stood up and scampered away so fast she nearly tripped on thin air. She bolted through the swinging door and ran to hug her dearest mother. 

Fisher emerged outright as the spitting image of Kait, only visually older and having bigger breasts, rubbed her daughter's head between her ears. She wore a loose-fitting apron, so perhaps she had just come from making dinner? 

“Oh? I didn’t know Captain Fisher was here,” said Kait’s mother. She smiled in a way that only a mother could and introduced herself. “My name is Kaitlyn. I hope my daughter hasn’t given you any trouble.” 

“You don’t have to worry about that, ma’am. I’d say I was the one who gave her trouble, but she helped me pull right through,” Fisher smiled. Just seeing Kaitlyn’s face reminded him of his wife. She expected him to come home today, but she just didn’t know what time.  

I can’t wait to hold you in my arms, Marissa… 

“Mama!” 

“Yes, dear?” 

“Father Melk?” 

“Hmm?” 

“What do you think about us taking care of Myil? At least for tonight? Mama, is that okay?” 

“Who’s Myil?” She had a justified expression of confusion and puzzlement. And only after Father Melk explained a stretched truth of Myil’s circumstances did she take the time to think on it.  

“The poor thing…” she uttered. She walked to the back room with her daughter, Melk, and Fisher and laid eyes on his frail little body. “Oh… He’s so thin…and sickly. How could anyone do this to a child…” Her eyes bordered on the verge of tears. As a mother, her child was the most important thing in her life, and just imagining the pain Myil’s mother must’ve felt nearly shattered her loving heart.  

She didn’t know that it was Myil’s mother who set him on this life of horrific experiences after selling him for a plate of food. Not all mothers were created equally concerning the love they had for their offspring. Myil’s motherly affection lasted all of two and a half weeks.  

“Father Melk, please allow us to take care of him!” Kaitlyn said.  

“Of course. I trust you and your daughter. And to lessen the monetary strain, I can arrange for a small stipend to be delivered to you. Oh, it will come from young Myil’s pay, but I will see to it that he will be properly compensated. Of course, that is if he agrees to work. By no means will I force him to do what he does not want to do. Should he refuse, I will still find a way to see to it that he will get the help he needs.” 

Damn, he really is a saint… I wonder if he would agree to work at the orphanage? I can’t really think of someone more deserving of the job than him… Or maybe that can be a good role for Myil? Even Kait? Possibly Kaitlyn as well…? She does seem to be good with children, and she obviously cares for them.  

“Thank you, Father Melk. I truly appreciate the good you’re doing,” said Kaitlyn. Her tail zapped around, eventually brushing against her daughter's tail. They intertwined into a spiraling helix, then effortlessly came apart.  

“I don’t mind carrying him to your house. If you’ll allow it, that is.” 

“Thank you, captain!” 

Kaitlyn nodded along with her daughter's words, and Fisher walked over and placed one hand under Myil’s knees. The other went to support his upper back.  

He doesn’t even weigh 20-kilograms… 

“Captain Fisher—” 

“Please, you can just call me Fisher. Between us, ‘captain’ is a bit too formal for my taste," he said.  

Kaitlyn corrected herself with a cute giggle. “Fisher, thank you for doing this. We just live right down the street if you can believe it, so it isn’t a long walk at all.” 

“You’re welcome,” replied Fisher. He turned to Melk and gave him a sturdy nod. The Kobold placed a hand on Fisher's shoulder in a show of friendly affection, then held the door open for him. He walked out into the main room of the church, and Kaitlyn and her daughter followed behind. After a last-minute conversation, the three walked out of the place of worship and onto an empty street.

Though the moon reigned supreme in the sparkling sky, darkness did not devour buncombe street. Torches and oil lamps were scattered about at set distances, providing a warning glow that felt so comforting.  

About five houses down was a cute little thing, with two floors and a handful of windows. Red brick was its constructional material of choice, along with an oak door. There was a simple red bow underneath the peephole.  

“See? I told you it wasn’t that far,” said Kaitlyn. It only took them two minutes at most to travel to their destination. Most of that time was spent walking as slowly as possible as to not wake up Myil. His little chest heaved up and down, and the strain in his face meant he was alive. And physically, the wounds from Jimmy and his gang were already healed. Cosmetically, the scales in those affected areas were a bit crooked, and they would stay that way for a while longer.  

Kaitlyn pulled a key from an apron pocket and unlocked the door.  

“Captain, you can put Myil on the couch! Mama, I’ll go get a blanket and a pillow!” Kait flew off like a bat out of hell the moment her mother took the key out of the door. She held a hand to her face and giggled.  

“She certainly has a lot of energy. When she was a kitten, she only slept for half an hour at most before she was bouncing off the walls.” 

“My daughters are the same way,” Fisher replied. He followed Kaitlyn through the entryway and into the living room, which was nice and cozy. The aforementioned couch was a soft green, big enough to fit three or four Elves, but maybe half a Kobold. He laid Myil’s body down softly. “I don’t know how Marissa can keep up with them.” 

“That’s because she’s a mother! Hehe!” Kaitlyn giggled and walked into the kitchen nearby, and that was when Kait flew into the living room with the speed of an eagle. She slammed on the breaks on the brown rug but kept going, sliding so fast that she almost ran into the wall, but Fisher reached out to stop her just in time by grabbing into her hooded veil.  

“Thanks!” she replied. Dashing back to the couch, she plopped the pillow held under her arm to the floor and fluffed out a red blanket she had stashed under her other one.  

“You’re welcome,” replied the captain. He reached for the pillow and stuffed it under Myil’s sleeping head. Kait was too busy ticking him in. Then he took out his pocket watch and explained that he needed to get back home. “Oh, but I’ll try my best to swing by the church while I’m on patrol to check on Myil. I’m sure he’ll be awake by then.” 

“Would you like a cup of tea or coffee before you leave?”  

“Thank you, but I’m fine,” he replied to Kaitlyn. The kitchen was just separated from the living room by a waist-high counter, so she could easily watch Myil.  

“Bye-bye, captain!” Kait said, waving. She had taken up residency on the nearby chair. She stared at Myil while playing with her tail.  

“Make it home safe, Fisher,” Kaitlyn replied. She walked Fisher to the door and waved goodbye as he started off towards his house. Her tail swooshed in a zig-zag pattern while her mind went to the topic of food. She had a tasty roast already prepared to celebrate Kait’s very first job, and it was about time to get that out of the oven.  

I don’t really know that much about Koena physiology… I should definitely ask around tomorrow since it’s up to me to give the poor boy the happy childhood he deserves.  

Kaitlyn had the best of intentions. One could even say that was her fatal flaw because she was just so trusting of others, but luck must’ve been on her side from day one. Because if she knew how dark, unsettling, and depressive the world was, it was highly doubtful she would have kept that cheery expression.  

But perhaps she did know how cruel the world could be. And how beautiful it could have been. And maybe that was just the type of Singi Kaitlyn was—someone who saw the best in those that had forgotten what it felt like to be wanted and loved.  

Her husband—late husband—was almost the same. As a slave, he was forced to endure a life of being a miner, working over 17 hours per day with little to no food. Until one day, his owner had decided to give him his freedom on their deathbed. That came too little too late as the horrid conditions of the mine’s meant he didn’t have adequate protection. Only the Heavens knew just how much dusty, poisonous smoke he inhaled through his lungs. Black lung, they called it, when soot-colored smoke accompanied whenever he spiraled into a coughing fit. It did a rightful number on his health, weakened his body, and right when it seemed that all was lost, he met Kaitlyn. 

She was a young thing—barely over the age of eighteen who was looking to carve out a spot as a seamstress in this competitive world. It was a meeting of sheer coincidence in a small alley near her mentor’s shop on the streets of Adenaford. There was just something about him that caught her eye, and romance blitzed to life in the coming months.  By the first anniversary, Kait’s father was growing weaker and weaker, now being unable to stand for more than a couple of minutes. And a week later, he couldn’t move out of bed. A doctor came and tried to help, but the toll of the mine was catching up fast.  

The last thing he wanted before passing was to leave a token of his love behind, and the only thing he could do was to give the woman he loved a child. With him being as weak as he was, his body was sore to even the slightest touch. He couldn’t endure the texture of a washcloth, let alone the weight of a woman! Especially on his hips!! 

But he did. He bore through the pain—forcing himself to grow erect as Kaitlyn’s shaking hands rubbed his crotch. Her tears and his tears could have made it seem like neither of them wanted to do this, but that was the furthest thing from the truth. They were just so madly in love that seeing the other in pain made it transfer over. Kaitlyn had fought through the tears while lowering her hips, torn between wanting to cover her ears so she wouldn’t hear his cries of agony.

But as that fateful night made way for the sun, the deed was done. Her husband’s seed wasn't potent, but it must’ve shared his desire to leave behind a gift.

And nine months later, eight months after the funeral, beautiful Kait—a miracle and proof of a devoted love, took her first cry.  

Kindness, even a tiny drop in a world where it was sorely lacking, could go a long way in restoring faith in a boy that never really had the chance to nurture it. Just like it did to a man that believed he was fated to die alone. Meeting Kaitlyn changed his entire life, and Kaitlyn hoped she could provide this frightened boy with a reason to live and struggle until he could find his happiness.  

After making it home, Fisher emerged into a quiet, dark living room. His pocket watch told him it was a little bit past 9:47 PM, which was admittedly a few minutes past his daughters’ bedtime, but he still hoped they were awake. Like always, when he ever arrived home late, he always had to stop by his children’s room to give them their nightly peck on the forehead. It also gave him a chance to make sure they were tucked tightly into bed, as his girls had a tendency to sleep in odd positions. “Good night, girls. Daddy loves you,” he whispered while gently shutting the door. He walked down the hall but doubled back to go down the stairs to the first floor to check the door.  

I’m kind of mentally exhausted… Good thing I did that because it was unlocked… Father Melk said it was okay to enjoy something, so it won’t be the worst thing to get some rest… Marissa’s probably up, though. I’ve certainly missed her touch... 

After taking off his cloak and storing it and his sword in his Dimensional Storage, Fisher crept back up the steps and made his way to the master bedroom. Upon slowly turning the silent handle and cracking it open, Fisher walked into a void of darkness. A moment later, a Flash Stone glimmered to life, erasing the dark with a glorious, bright light.  

“Just so you know, you’re going to lay on this bed and let me love you! Wife’s orders!” said a playful Marissa, who was dressed in a lacy negligee. She was sitting crossed leg on the bed and stared at smiling Fisher. The item responsible for the brightness rested in her outstretched hand. 

“Is this another one of my punishments for coming home later than I said?” joked Fisher. He started to undress, taking off his rather generic gear. His cloak was already off, but he still had to slip off his tunic, chainmail, and undershirt. Those items went right into his Dimensional Storage as he walked over to the bed.  

“Yep! You better pay the warden!” His wife smiled and closed her eyes. She was expecting something, and he knew what it was.  

A hand went to her face and stroked her cheeks. Another hand went to her head and played with her hair while their lips connected. Oh, how he missed his wife’s kisses! And judging from how passionate she was getting with her tongue, she missed her husband as well. It was almost a regret that the two of them had to come apart for different reasons. For Fisher, he had to get undressed and ready for bed. And Marissa, even though she loved how her husband smelled, figured he’d want to rest his tired body in a warm bath.  

“I really did miss you, dear. How is your heart? Did you settle everything?” she asked while standing up off the bed. She removed her sleeping garments since she obviously wanted to share a bath with her husband.  

“…I did… At least, I think I did. But something did happen…” Fisher stripped off the last of his clothes and stored everything inside his ever-helpful Dimensional Storage. He slightly dreaded at the forthcoming laundry day that was approaching fast, but that vanished when Marissa kissed his back and wrapped her hands around his stomach. Her soft fingers pressed into his abdomen while her lovely chest and perky nipples massaged his back. Her thighs squirmed for just a moment, allowing a delicious liquid to glisten down. 

“You can tell me all about when we’re in the bath.” 

Two or three minutes later, a hazy mist of steam filled the bathroom, slightly obscuring a pair of bodies. Marissa had sat down first, the hot water coming up to the top of her breasts. She had her legs outstretched, which made just enough room for her husband to slip inside. He leaned back between her perky, rich breasts, and she kissed the top of his head while drawing little hearts on his chest.  

“Okay! So, you want to tell me what happened? Your wife is all ready to lend you her adorable ears,” Marissa said in her lovely voice. Fisher started from the very beginning—when he was sat around the crater and went into explicit, vivid details of how it made him feel. Just the raw power needed to make something even a quarter deep and half as wide is unimaginable.  

“When you look at it… You just…feel so insignificant… You could probably plop down a couple thousand towns inside it, and it still wouldn’t be filled up… And the Goddess responsible for it is living..." 

“Are you scared of her?” 

“Would you still love me if I said I was?” 

“Of course! Fishy, we all have things we’re afraid of. Even me… But you said you trust her. That means I’ll trust her too. But about Sakdu…” After kissing the top of his head again, Marissa listened as Fisher explained his apology and a world that could have been. She even took a few minutes to imagine the scenario Fisher described, wondering how her life would have changed. She did feel that she was always destined to fall in love with her one and only, so that was the same. And Mari and Meri were always going to be their darling children. But if Fisher had taken a different job—one that wasn’t a guard, then would the reaction of her father stay the same? What about the ‘Fairhold’ name? 

I’d still end up being stripped of my last name, but I’m so far over it because ‘Jin’ sounds much better. It may only be a court-appointed last name in regards to one of Fishy’s promotions, but it’s worth more to me than ‘Fairhold’ will ever be. Father and mother were foolish to disregard my lovely husband because he was ‘just’ a guard… Now, look at him… There is no one else above him.

“It is…fun? No, it might be interesting to think about alternate realities, but darling, we live in the now… But if you could change the world… Would you really go through with it?” 

“I have to. It’s the least of what I could do. Especially for Mafi and Fia… Mari and Meri… And the others I’ve killed. Our little girls don’t share the same prejudice I once had, so when they look at Fia, they’ll just see a potential friend… Marissa, it just feels like if there’s ever a chance, I have to take it… Would you support me? Your selfish husband if that ever arises?” 

“Would you allow your selfish wife to support her selfish husband? We’re a team, darling. You, me, our little angels…” 

“Haha!!!” Fisher chuckled and leaned his head up. Marissa lowered her head slightly and kissed her husband on the lips.  

“I love you…” 

“I love you, too. So, what else happened?” Marissa asked, wanting her husband to continue. She could tell that there was something else on her mind, and she didn’t expect the tears to fall when Myil’s situation audibly broke through the misty haze. Just imagining a child being tortured to such an extent that a simple noise—one that was heard very frequently—could bring him back to a scene of horror. She felt for the child—she really did. That was why her mind started thinking about something she could do for him. Perhaps she could make a nice treat? Marissa could bake a tray of cookies or a cake.

After Fisher mentioned the confession, Marissa rubbed his cheeks. “That must’ve been hard. Were you scared?” 

“I was… When it was over, I was so upset with myself because I didn't imagine the possibility of it leaking to anyone. Then Kait came out from the back room, and my mind just decided that I had to tell her. And I did… After passing out and waking up.” 

“Well, I can tell it went just fine.” 

“Yes, it did. But confessing my sins…to the race I used to hate the most…was hard… But Father Melk… He’s not even half my age, but he always knows just what to say… And not just being reassuring, but being strict and harsh… He even berated me for feeling sorry for myself… And Kait… She helped me through it as well.” 

“It seems like Father Melk has a very capable nun in his hands. But more importantly, it seems as if you got the support you needed. What about Myil?” Marissa asked.  

“Kait’s mother, Kaitlyn, is taking him in. She said she’ll care for him.” 

“That name sounds familiar… Is she a Singi?” 

“She is.” 

“Ah! Fishy! That’s the woman who did our daughters’ costumes. Remember last year? On Hallow’s Eve? Meri had antlers, and Mari had bunny ears on their heads? She’s the woman who made those.” 

“It’s a small world, isn’t it?” Fisher said. He leaned back down a bit further and turned his head to the left. Marissa’s lovely breasts were waiting for him, and he found it rude to not show his affection for his wife. That, of course, had gotten her in the mood, and she reached down his stomach until her hands came across his erect penis.  

The two love birds then began to make up for lost time, with Fisher coming to orgasm four times and his wife seven. They did it in the tub, on the floor, on the counter, inside the shower, with the hot water washing over their sweaty bodies. Marissa used every bit of knowledge about sex that she had, and Fisher did the same. 

And afterwards, after washing themselves clean of each other’s fluids, two laid in bed with Marissa’s head resting on his chest. She explained all of the fun and excitement she and their daughters had. With a simple smile on his face, Fisher listened with a mind that was nothing but joyful.  

“The girls and I did talk about something interesting. Darling, why don’t we start a family training program? I may not have cut it at Warden, but I was trained in the art of fencing. It doesn’t have to be anything strenuous, and I know how you feel about them joining Warden or having to fight. But it is best to be prepared for a situation than to be blindsided by it,” Marissa said.  

She does make a good point…  

“Alright… Next time I have a day off, I’ll snag some wooden swords from the armory. But you know, it isn’t my choice to decide what they do with their lives. I can’t forbid them from joining Warden… Making sure they have the skills to survive anything is a requirement of a father, right?” 

“And a mother! Don’t forget that, dear.” Marissa looked up and kissed Fisher's chin, then nuzzled her cheeks against his chest. She felt calm when listening to the beat of her beloved’s heart.  

When it was time for the husband and wife to drift off asleep, they did so with their arms embraced around the other.  

And the nightmares? They never came. Nothing came to haunt the man who was so nearly taken by his grief that he once gave suicide a second thought. He may not have done so consciously, but the inner depths of his soul couldn’t help but stare at Lando’s Scar—noticing just how painless death would be if he had simply taken a tumble.  

He was not aware of just how close he came to ending it all.