What Side Didn’t Know Vol.2 – A3,C10. Endearment

“Huh?”  What is he going on about now?  Oh. I see. Erm, feel. There is a large number of people heading this way.

“Pretty sure that’s the arbitrator.  Pretty sure we’re in ‘trouble’ again.  Well, we’ll have to move out soon. I’ll need you to help me with the children.  This is an official request from a husband to his wife.” Hmmmmm… Yeah, that should be fine.  I don’t mind helping. It’s more a matter of if Dubhe and Lillia let me help at this point. Tristain furrows his brow.

“Hm?”

“Oh.  Uh, It’s just that the Goddess was intentionally evasive about what comes next.  So I’m worried.”

MUST BE NICE TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEAR FUTURE.  DARN, YOUR FORESIGHT RAN OUT, WELCOME TO MORTAL LAND. Sigh. What a cheat he is sometimes.

“Nah, I’m not a cheat, it’s the Goddess who’s a cheat.  She just let me have a bit of it for a short period of time.  See? Most of my runes are fading. Well, I still have about four times as many as I had prior to using that upload thing.”  He trails off, at least having enough common sense to look sheepish after that statement.

That amount definitely exceeds that of any other hume I’ve met, and rivals a dragonkin welp.  Well, no sense in fussing over it. Wait a minute. “Those people are well over half a day’s walk from here, how did you sense them?  They were even out of the range of my senses.”

“I can hear Mika’s thoughts.  Actually, I can hear many people’s thoughts, but I recognize Mika’s.”  This boy and his cheat abilities.

“I’m not a cheat.  I thought anyone in the enclave could do this?”

“Well.  Yes. I’m just jealous.”  Still a cheat.

“Hmmm.  Okay. It’s going to be noisy… I don’t think I can keep listening to people’s thoughts.  It’s nice that bearfolk don’t broadcast. It’s been very nice to just listen to you.” Aww, that’s sweet.  And maybe creepy. Ulg, what do you think about something like that? Do I find it endearing?

“It’s definitely endearing.”

“Yes… Wait, stop that!  No, now it’s just creepy.”  He’s laughing. Ah, so I have two goals, make him laugh more, and get my thoughts under control so he doesn’t listen to everything.  That laugh is amazing~.

There really is a large number of people coming though.  I’ve only seen the arbitrator’s caravan once, and only in passing.  It was much smaller back then. There must be at least 200 people now… and not all of them are humes?  Wait, it can’t be… there’s a dragonfolk among them… And an orckin? Maybe it’s in a cage, for mobile rations.  Hm. Strange times.

“That is… a large number of noisy minds.” He paused, letting out a sigh, “I’m not used to hearing this many.”  Tristain has his hair pulled back in his hands, fingers running through. His forehead is scrunched a bit.

“You were from the enclave though?  This shouldn’t be much of anything compared to that.”  If estimates are true, there should easily be millions, or more, people in the enclave.  With that number of people, he should be able to easily deal with a few hundred.

“Yes, but I’m… er, I guess, a void.”

Huh?  No. I don’t believe that.

“That seems unlikely.  Voids can’t control runes like you, or listen to minds like you.  Also, I’ve seen your reflexes. You’re not fast enough to be a void.  This is common sense. Hasn’t anyone told you this?”

“But everyone said I was a void?”  Why would people do that…? It doesn’t make much sense.  “Even Dubhe said I’m a void.”

“I’ll talk to Dubhe, maybe she knows more.”  Something isn’t adding up here.

“Mika… is riding a bearfolk male?”

“Hm?”

“Oh, Mika is just thinking to herself, and apparently riding a bearfolk male.”

That is… Unusual.  Normally, bearfolk males don’t let anyone ride them.  It’s seen as disgraceful. I wonder what happened?

“Well, no sense in worrying, let’s go greet them before they get to the edge of the death flowers.”

I grab his arm and hug it while we walk through the field.  Yes, this is a nice way to enjoy my husband. Strolling through a flower field, arms connected.  Going to greet some old friends of his. Yes, old friends, that we’ll never have to see after this event.  Such a nice life.

Although, I’ll need to contend with Dubhe for a while, but eventually everyone else will die, husband included, and I can get back to my sleeping in a castle of stone.

“Gaia said I would live for about a thousand years.”  Mhm, not too long, then a nice long… Wait… What?

“Huh?”  That’s not right, humes only live for about 400… 500 at most.  Usually they die closer to 200.

“Er, another thing not explained to me.”  He sighs. “What the hell. Can someone explain what’s going on?”

You’re one to talk.  Someone explain to me.  Also.  “Stop responding to my inner monologue.  It’s… Both distressing and endearing.”

“Uh… But I want you to like me?”

“Why is that a question!?”

Author’s Note: Thanks for the support!  I am in your care! Next week we start a new Arc. Guess who’s perspective?

Editor: DungeonPalmz