This Strange World Needs A Kicking! – Ch. 23
By Laura S. Fox
Copyright © 2021 Laura S. Fox
All Rights Reserved
Gay Romance
Intended for Mature Audiences Only
This story will contain graphic depictions of sexual intercourse, strong
language and it is not meant for readers who are less than 18 years of age.
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Chapter Twenty-Three –
Decisions Make The Man
He wasn't allowed any
sort of weapons at school, which was a disappointment, so Sebastian had to
settle for walking there bare-handed, albeit he would be forced to meet his
assassins there, as they were part of the same group of students and shared the
same classes. Throughout the entire Sunday, his phone had been quiet, which
meant that Milo was still waiting for an apology that would never come.
Sebastian hated compulsively that he would have to meet the boy again and stare
into those green eyes filled with hurt. According to those websites specialized
in teen advice, those soul wounds were superficial and would heal fast, so
there was a bit of comfort in that, at least. Too bad such comforts wouldn't be
bestowed upon him, as well.
Tani
walked by his side, and he could tell that his sister was dying to ask him
something.
"You are allowed to talk
if there's something bothering you," he eventually said.
"Allowed? Pfft," she replied. "Where is Milo? Do you guys really have
a fight? Is that how you broke your nose? But I thought you two made up." The
sentences shot off her tongue like projectiles.
"I didn't break my nose,
and this minor wound happened as I stumbled over a piece of furniture that
wasn't where it was supposed to be. As for Milo, it doesn't concern you."
"For real? I'm your sis,
remember?" Tani had the same playful manner of
speaking as many teenagers, but Sebastian could feel that she was, indeed,
bothered, by how she slowed down her pace, forcing him to do the same.
"Milo and I broke up," he
said brusquely.
"Say what?" Tani shouted.
Now it was Sebastian's
turn to hush her, as the people around turned to stare at them.
"Why?"
"It's complicated, and as
a young girl, you wouldn't understand it anyway."
Tani
pondered over her following words. "I would," she said quietly. "You can tell
me."
Sebastian stopped and
looked at her for a few moments. She was just so young; if Milo couldn't
understand and believe that he was from another world, how could Tani be more accepting of such a strange thing? He decided
to keep silent. The less involved the people around him were, people he had
come to care about, including this silly girl, the better. It was his curse and
duty to get rid of the assassins without having Tani
know about it. The chances were that even if she believed him, she would get
scared, and Sebastian had no time nor the inclination to deal with her fears,
on top of it all.
"There are things you can
only understand when you reach the right age," he settled for an explanation.
Tani
groaned in frustration. "Ugh, you sound just like mom! Then I'll ask Milo."
"No, you won't do such a
thing," Sebastian said sternly.
"Is it that bad? Ah, it
must be one of those misunderstandings that appear at the start of any new
relationship," Tani said. "That means you'll get over
it."
Sebastian failed to
understand how Tani was coming up with such
statements. No, he would never get over it because he would never put Milo in
harm's way, nor he would ever forget him, now that he was so hopelessly in love
with him. He took Tani's hand firmly and rushed her
toward the subway station.
***
He waited for the other
students to rush inside at the sound of the bell so that he could walk into the
classroom at the last minute and thus avoid having to talk to Milo. The less
contact he had with him, the better, Sebastian decided, especially since his
enemies would watch his every move. He had trained in his room throughout the
day before, following various advice offered freely on the internet on how one
could defend himself. The encouraging part was that he had discovered that he
was quite adept at learning the techniques presented, as it appeared that even
his current inadequate body could respond to the challenges at hand. Maybe part
of who he was inside could be transferred into the actions he would perform
when forced to take a stand again against his assailants.
He walked in, right after
the teacher, and took advantage of all the commotion in the room to dash to his
place.
"What the hell happened
to your face?"
That was Milo's voice,
but Sebastian didn't turn to look at him. "Don't speak to me. We broke up," he
whispered.
"I thought you were
joking."
"And I clearly told you I
wasn't."
"Mr. Martin, Mr.
Bennett!" the teacher snapped as the students finally fell quiet, and they were
the only ones still ignoring her. "Haven't you had enough time to talk in your
spare time?"
"My apologies," Sebastian
said politely.
"Mr. Martin, have you
sustained an injury? Do you need to go home? Or to see a doctor?" the teacher
asked as she noticed the state of his face.
People in this world
tended to fret over minor wounds like they were life-threatening. "No, thank
you for your concern," Sebastian replied. "I am in no mortal danger, and I do
not require a healer. My mother tended to my wounds."
"Still a smartass," the
teacher said with a sigh. It was the same who had sent him to detention that
time, so Sebastian needed to tread cautiously around her. As things stood, he
was in no need of such a waste of time. "But how did you injure yourself?"
"Maybe he stumbled over
his own legs," Chet suddenly spoke.
Sebastian turned in his
seat and took a long hard look at the pig-like face. While he had every reason
to delay a second confrontation, he wouldn't give that boy the satisfaction of
cowering in his presence. Chet and his posse laughed, but the rest of the
students began whispering between them. Sebastian knew how to recognize worry
when he saw it. How many times hadn't he seen it in his people when monsters
were at the gates? He knew no such thing; it was his duty to protect the
others, and it was what he did every time, without wasting a moment on dealing
with such feelings.
The correct thing to
admit to himself was that he hadn't known worry before. Now, he worried for
Milo and what those disgusting boys could do to him. Even if all they wanted
were to tarnish his reputation on grounds Sebastian couldn't comprehend, and in
the process, prevent him from playing his favorite sport, he still wouldn't allow
it. Milo and his passion had to be protected at all costs.
"Did these idiots do
something to you?" Milo whispered and fidgeted in his place.
"I just fell," Sebastian
said out loud, without looking at Milo. "It could happen to anyone," he added
and met Chet's eyes with determination. For a moment, the pig-like face lost
that stupid smile.
"If you're all right,
let's just get to what's far more important. Your education," the teacher said,
and soon only the sound of pens scribbling on paper could be heard.
Sebastian stole a glance
at Milo. He looked as beautiful as ever, but it was easy to notice that there
were dark circles under his eyes and that his mouth was set in a grim line.
Since he was just looking at his notebook, like everyone else, Sebastian stared
a little more. The large calloused hands were clenching tightly.
Why were sentiments such
a difficult thing to deal with? As always, Sebastian had to admit his mother –
the real one – was correct. The most important thing was to be all-powerful and
know no fear. Love had no place in his heart, shouldn't have had one. And that
was another lesson from the ice goddess that he had so inconveniently
forgotten.
***
Milo caught him in the
hallway as he was rushing out. Ignoring him throughout the day had been an
ordeal of the most torturing kind. Milo grabbed him by the arm and pushed him
into a corner. "Don't think that I'll just let this whole thing slip like it's
nothing. What happened? Did Chet do something to you? Is that why you decided
we should broke up?"
What was the point to
explain the truth again? Just like Tani, Milo was
better knowing as little as possible. Sebastian even had regrets about telling
him too much already. "No. Nothing untoward happened. And I decided to break up
with you because we're too young to be in such a relationship."
"Too young? We're
eighteen --" Milo's voice raised a notch. Then he added more quietly, "Is it
because of the whole sex thing?"
Sebastian began looking
around. He didn't need Chet and his acolytes to be privy to this conversation.
Suspiciously enough, they had left him alone the entire day at school. "No. It
is because of developing an attachment where there should be none. I have no
feelings for you, so there's no gain in continuing."
He pushed past Milo and
began walking fast. What would it take to make sure they never spoke again?
Chet needed to see that he and Milo were perfect strangers so that he would
leave him alone.
But again, he was grabbed
from behind and forced to stop.
"Kai, what the hell is
happening?" Milo said through his teeth.
Sebastian shook off the
other's touch. Other students hurrying about began throwing them curious looks.
"I just don't want to have anything to do with you anymore."
"You can't --"
He turned on his heels
and bore his eyes into Milo's. "Yes, I can. I'm doing it right now. You mean
nothing to me anymore."
Milo appeared to stagger
slightly under the force of those words. Sebastian had never before once
thought anything of being cruel when demanded by the circumstances, but now he
could feel his chest squeezing tightly as Milo's face scrunched up in worry and
despair.
"We're through," he added
through clenched teeth and dug his fingernails into his palms to stop himself
from reaching out and pulling Milo into a tight embrace as his heart yearned
and pushed him to.
"All right," Milo said
and pursed his lips, his face turning to stone. "I'll find out what this is all
about. Don't think I'll take this lying down like a moron." He walked away
without one look back.
What did he mean by that?
Sebastian knew that one thing only was certain. He could waste not one precious
moment and needed to get back home, lock himself in his room and continue his
training. His muscles were sore everywhere, which was a downside, but if he
didn't push this body into doing what was needed, what chances did he have?
In the meantime, he
needed to discover some ways to project himself as someone people didn't want
to mess with. That was just another strange expression he had learned since
coming here, and it served to illustrate his current situation because people,
obviously, were interested in messing with him.
He was almost out in the
street when Tani hurried from behind and caught his
hand. "Weren't you going to wait for me? I called you for like a hundred times."
"I doubt that. Tani, what does it take to look badass?"
Badass. Another strange
turn of phrase. It made Sebastian think of someone with an abominable condition
that involved their behind, but he had seen enough TV shows to understand the
meaning. To keep the assassins sent to eliminate him on their toes, he needed
to look, well, `badass'.
"I don't know. Big scary
muscles, maybe a moustache," Tani replied.
"A mustache?" Sebastian
grimaced. He didn't believe he had the necessary time for developing big scary
muscles, and facial hair didn't appeal to him. Plus, Kai didn't seem to be
capable of even growing a mustache.
"Ah, I know," Tani said. "A tattoo."
Sebastian flicked through
his phone without asking any unnecessary questions. His phone screen filled
with pictures of physically impressive men exposing their bodies covered in
intricate designs. A tattoo would be just about right, he decided. Since he
still had money left from his cosplaying gig, he would put it to good use.
"Wait, are you going to
get a tattoo?" Tani asked excitedly as she peeked at
what he was browsing. "Mom is so going to kill you."
"Kill me?" Sebastian was
rightfully taken aback. "But I'm her only son."
Tani
patted him on the back. "Don't worry, I'll convince her that I don't want to
live the rest of my life as an only child. See how much I love you?" She
blinked a few times and smiled at him. "But only if you take me with you," she
added quickly.
"Take you where?"
Tani
groaned. "Where you're going to get the tattoo."
He didn't have time to
convince his sister to leave him alone. Even though she was Kai's sister, he
found it quite natural to call her his sibling, which, in itself, seemed like a
dangerous thing to do and think, just as much as indulging in fantasies
regarding him and Milo together. "All right. We're going right now."
"Wow, for real?"
"Yes. I still have some
money left from the cosplay competition." According to the list of prices
displayed, he had enough for having something done. He would have to compromise
by the looks of it, but he would get a tattoo, nonetheless.
"Maybe you should break
the bank a little if you want to get something cool," Tani
advised.
"I don't have time to
break a bank," Sebastian replied.
Tani
snickered. "That secret stash of yours, don't you want to put it to good use?"
"I'm afraid I forgot
where it is."
"Don't worry, I didn't," Tani said and began dragging him.
Knowing Kai's secret
money place would have come in handy earlier, but it was a good thing to learn
about it even now. And it was good to have such a thoughtful sister, after all.
***
"You eighteen?" The man
at the tattoo parlor threw him a dubious look.
Sebastian produced his
identity card and presented it dutifully. The man scratched his head and handed
it back. Even part of his face was covered in skin art, and Sebastian had to
admit that he couldn't stop staring despite his impeccable upbringing.
"I hope the little girl
doesn't want one, too," the man said and offered a toothy grin.
"No, she's just here
because she's my sister," he explained.
"Could I get a tattoo,
too, though?" Tani asked the tattoo artist.
"No," the man replied at
the same time as Sebastian.
Getting a tattoo for
himself was one thing, but letting Tani do the same
was out of the question. He had a feeling that Mrs. Martin might not keep from
killing him if he allowed the little girl to get a tattoo along with him.
"So, what's going to be?"
The tattoo artist offered him a seat and some catalogs with amazing pictures.
"And where do you want it?"
Sebastian flicked through
the pages. "It should be in a visible spot," he said. "As for design, I'm yet
to decide."
"Take your time. You're
the last client for today, so I can wait."
Tani
stared at the pictures with him. "I think you should get one on your arm, like
this," she said, lifting the sleeve of her uniform and presenting her arm up to
the elbow. "Unless you want it on your face."
"No, that would be a bit
extreme. Yes, I'll get one on the forearm, as you suggested," he decided.
"This kitty is pretty,"
she said as she pointed at a pink cat with flower pins behind her ears.
"I'm not getting a kitty,
Tani. Kitties are not badass," he argued.
"They totally are," Tani countered. "In a cute way."
"I don't need cute,"
Sebastian said sternly. "I need something that symbolizes strength and
courage."
"What about this lion?" Tani pointed at one of the pictures.
"Yes, but it is not quite
what I want." He turned a few more pages, and then his eyes fell on what looked
like the perfect choice. The golden eyes stared at him fearlessly as he had
always known them to. "This," he said and showed the picture to Tani.
"Wow, you're getting a
dragon? You're going to look like a yakuza," Tani
said excitedly.
Sebastian didn't care to
search for the term and understand what Tani was
talking about, especially since he was now eager to get the thing done. "All
right." He stood and cleared his throat to draw the artist's attention who was
on his phone, enraptured with one of those silly games that Sebastian had once
lost an entire night trying to beat.
The man looked at the
design and then at him. "You sure, kid? It's going to hurt."
Sebastian shrugged.
"That's no problem, I assure you."
"Do you have the dough?"
Tani
pulled at his arm and nodded enthusiastically as he looked at her. Sebastian
produced the bills from his pocket and slammed them on the man's table.
***
So far, all had been
nothing but fun and giggles, while he had done nothing but enjoy to the extreme
being inside the body of an OP character like Sebastian. On their way back,
everyone kept silent, and he didn't dare to interrupt their thoughts by asking
silly questions. At the same time, he couldn't repress the feeling that this
time, he wouldn't be able to wing it as he had done with everything so far. War
had a serious connotation, and it wasn't a word like all the others. What he
needed right now was to be alone with Pepin and ask him everything he knew
about the House of Uxilan and how he could carry a
war when his knowledge of such things was as good as none. Yes, he had led
troops and conquered vast spaces in video games, but there, he could plan his
actions while deciding which units to sacrifice, as those were nothing but
pixels on the screen. Now, he would have to do the same thing, but with people
who were alive and breathing, and would be greatly affected by his decisions.
It must have been
something in the ominous smoke rising at the horizon that had sobered him up to
the reality of this world he had been thrown in. At first, he had thought
nothing but how cool it was to travel to a fantastic place, but what if all
this was real? It couldn't be a dream because dreams couldn't last for days and
weeks, and they couldn't be this vivid. So, the House of Uxilan
and their poison that had almost done Conrad in were very much real.
Now wasn't the time to
get cold feet, he decided. He would just extract all the information he needed
from Pepin, and Galien would have to help him, too.
If they ever wondered why he was such an airhead, he could blame it on that hit
to the head again.
Adhe
left them on the wall, where she had taken them from. "When you need me, I
won't be far. I'll give you one of my scales, and you can use it to call me.
Just put it to your lips and whisper my name."
"Thank you. But you have
your baby to worry about. I wouldn't bother you," Kai said.
The dragon looked into
his eyes. "The House of Uxilan is drunk on power,
always has been. They care naught but lay destruction in their paths. As much
as I've known you to fight against my kin, Prince Sebastian, I also know that
you're the only one that can keep them from taking over Ifigia
and turn it into the pestilence they call their home."
"Sebastian," Galien called for him. "You have to call the war council.
Now."
That meant that he had no
time to prepare. "But I want to change out of these clothes first," he said
defensively.
Galien
grabbed him by the shoulder hard. "Your Majesty," he said sternly, "now's
really not the time to worry about your attire. The people need to learn of it
so that they can start preparing. Call the war council, without delay."
***
Kai remembered only one
other time when he had felt so utterly alone as right
now, as he was seated at the head of the table, with dozens of eyes on him,
belonging to old generals, seasoned warriors, and a few diplomats. Galien and Conrad were seated by his left and right side
while Pepin was tiptoeing about while offering refreshments. So much for
getting the servant to inform him of what needed to be done.
In front of him, on the
large table, a map of Ifigia lay, and at the east,
the House of Uxilan and its lands were represented by
charcoal terrain. The feelings of hopelessness and injustice that had
overwhelmed him that day when he had said his last goodbye to his dad were with
him now, and Kai pressed the palms of his hands against the thick oak surface
while trying to get a grip of himself and his surroundings.
Everyone was silent,
waiting for him to speak up. How had he done things so easily while playing
games? He was good at it, as he well remembered, but this was real. So basing
his actions on a child's play seemed ill-advised and likely to have horrible
consequences.
Yes, he had no experience
whatsoever with actual war, but that wasn't the case with the rest of the men
gathered around the table. A lightbulb flickered in his head.
"What do you say we
should do?" he asked directly.
His question appeared to
take the audience by surprise. The men threw concerned looks at one another and
murmured, but none spoke up.
"You've seen many wars,
as I can see it in your wrinkles and your scars," Kai began, as he remembered
some of the things he had learned from the fantasy books he enjoyed reading.
"Before I come up with a strategy, I want to know what you think first."
That appeared to have a
more convincing effect. Sebastian surely did things differently, most likely
like an authoritarian leader who only gave orders and let others execute his
will.
One of the generals
finally decided to speak. "We should move troops at the border first. Not a
lot, but enough to give the enemy something to do. We must stall for time,
while we prepare ourselves here, at the castle, for a full-scale offensive."
Kai frowned. "We would do
nothing short of sacrificing those troops. Isn't there any other way?"
"We need time, Your
Majesty," the general replied. The old man was surprised and failed to hide it.
"Their sacrifice wouldn't be in vain."
"Can't we do something
that doesn't involve sending human lives to certain death?" he asked. "Anyone
else?"
"Your Majesty destroyed
them once," someone else spoke.
Kai looked into a pair of
shifty eyes that stared back at him from underneath furrowed eyebrows. He
wasn't entirely sure he liked the glint he noticed in the man's stare.
"Councilman Madigar is right," another said.
There were murmurs of
agreement rising from all corners of the room.
"Apparently," Kai said,
"I haven't done a thorough job."
"This time, you'll
destroy the House of Uxilan, Your Majesty," Madigar assured him swiftly. "You only need to do the same
thing you've done the last time. We put all our faith in you."
If only he'd known what
that was, Kai thought. "What do you think?" he turned toward Galien.
His cousin had a dark
look on his face, and he didn't appear to be in the least pleased with where
that conversation was going. To his surprise, Galien
stood and slammed his hands hard against the table, making all the murmurs die
down. "Last time," he growled, "His Majesty did nothing short of almost
sacrificing himself just so that all of you could live."
Kai felt his ears perking
up. Well, he was OP, so he would just go over there, blow some snowflakes with
a healthy dose of blizzard over the House of Uxilan,
and that would be over. How come he hadn't thought of it? That was a great
idea.
"His Majesty is alive and
well, as we can all see," Madigar said with a thin
smile.
"By a whim of fate
alone," Galien insisted.
Now Kai was dying of
curiosity, but he couldn't outright ask. Galien
seemed concerned, but why should anyone be concerned about an OP character? He
wasn't even sure that Sebastian could get hurt for real since he was the son of
a goddess, after all.
"So, what are you guys
saying? Should I go and fight them alone?" he asked out loud.
The entire room fell
silent. A few heads began shaking here and there, others looked down, and the
atmosphere was getting tense. Kai inspected them carefully, waiting for more
input.
"Your Majesty can surely
do it," Madigar said in a sugary voice. "And since,
in your kindness, you care about your people and don't want to sacrifice them
in vain, it would be for the best."
"I certainly object to
such an insane plan," Galien countered. "Sebastian,
don't even think about it. I'm starting to believe that councilman Madigar doesn't have Ifigia's
best interest at heart by showing so much eagerness to send you in harm's way."
Kai didn't like the
councilman, either, but Galien could tell, for sure,
that he was OP, and therefore, impossible to defeat, right?
"What's your
alternative?" he asked his cousin.
Galien
started picking the figurines on the table and clustered them on several areas
on the map. "We should defend these choking points. The enemy won't be able to
push through easily, and we'd have them where we want, decimating their troops
little by little, lowering their power, and maybe defeating them before even
reaching here."
Kai could totally see the
logic of Galien's plan. It would surely limit their
losses, too, but still, there would be some. And he was OP, so as much as he
disliked that councilman, he saw why going alone against the threat would be
the only way to do the right thing.
"People would still die,"
he said. "I don't want that."
Galien
stopped and looked at him. "It is their duty, too, Sebastian. They must protect
Ifigia, their lands, their lives, their families."
"Yes, their families,"
Kai replied. "I don't intend to leave anyone without a father or a mother."
Sebastian was unlikely to
speak in such a manner, so Kai wondered why the entire room wasn't breaking
into an uproar over his statements.
"As expected of Prince
Sebastian," Madigar said courteously and inclined his
head. "He would never endanger anyone but his own person unless absolutely
necessary."
Well, it was Kai's turn
to be surprised, then.
"And now it is absolutely
necessary," Galien insisted.
"Indeed," Conrad added
fiercely, although he had kept quiet all the time.
Kai couldn't show any
sign of hesitation as the ruler of the realm. He'd learn later from Pepin and Galien about how Sebastian had succeeded against the House
of Uxilan. And he would do precisely the same. It
couldn't be that hard.
"I decided," he said
firmly.
TBC
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