Realm Wars

"What are you doing?!"

Ryu was about to attack Rosa when Cecily stopped him.

Rosa slanted her hips and faced Ryu without an ounce of fear at Ryu's feral face.

"You're just a servant. What we do to you is none of your business."

Veins crawled on Ryu's skin, and anger boiled in the pit of his stomach, rising and rising as he looked at the smug smile on Rosa's face. 

The room turned oppressive, and Ryu's face twisted in menace. His claws flexed, and his canines barged.

"Give.Her.Back."

"H-hoi. . ." Kai was afraid that Ryu would leap and attack Rosa. He didn't care about Rosa, but if she died, then darling Fifi would be. . .

Rosa licked her lips. "Make me."

Grr! 

Ryu let out a wild growl, and she was closed to wring Rosa's neck with his claws when Cecily appeared before him.

"Stop!"

"Gurgh!" Ryu couldn't move. The seal was fake, and Cecily didn't have any hold on him anymore, but the mate bond prevented him from hurting her.

Rosa laughed. "That's right. Be an obedient little pup. That's the only thing you are worth."

Cecily frowned and looked at Rosa. "Stop agitating him."

Rosa smirked. "Do you care about that half-breed now?"

"They save my life. If you have forgotten."

Rosa's chin rose in arrogance. "As it should be. That's their role."

"Enough." Lucian sighed and went over between Ryu and Rosa and explained, "We don't know when she'll wake up or will she ever be. The Owner might be hunting us in the Nightmare Sea, and from all the dangers we will face, she'll just be baggage."

"But she–!"

Lucian raised a hand to stop Ryu. "She'll be fine. Since we don't know what is happening to her. We decided to put her in a Preserving Coffin. She won't be in any harm or a liability."

"The preserving Coffin allows you to carry an injured or dead person and store them in your traveler's ring," Cecily added, and her eyes dropped a little. "That's what I used to carry Dozla before." 

Ryu's canines and claws retracted. ".. ."

"Will she be really fine?" Kai asked, shifting his eyes at Lucian's group and at Ryu. 

Lucian shook his head. "We don't know. Since no healing spell could wake her nor do we know what's going on with her. .. she could die in the coffin at any moment or in her sleep, and there's nothing we could do. The best is to make sure that no danger befall her or that she won't be a liability on our mission."

".. ."

Kai opened his mouth but then decided to close it again. Ryu would just be agitated. He was about to suggest finding a cure for Ferris. But since Ferris was just a servant and Lucian and the others were pressed of time. . . 

Kai sighed.

Thud!

All eyes went to Ryu when he went on his knees. 

Kai's eyes rounded. "R-Ryu!"

"Please. . ." Ryu bowed his head until his forehead touched the hard wooden planks. "Can you give her to me?"

.. .

.. .

Cecily didn't know what to think of this. There was a wave of tiny anger bubbling inside her when he saw how Ryu cared for Ferris even more so than her. He should care only for her because she was his master and her mate, even if she didn't acknowledge nor felt the bond. 

Cecily looked to the other side in disgust. There was also that tiny dark feeling taking the form of jealousy, and she refused to admit it.

Rosa giggled. "Well. Well. What can you do for me in return? Do you have something of equal value? I own this Coffin, and Cecily already gave me the rights to study Ferris once we're back in the Kingdom."

".. ."

".. ."

Lucian closed his eyes tight. Ryu didn't have to know that. Rosa just really loves to create drama.

".. ." Without any signs of raising his head, Ryu continued to beg. His beast was rampaging, but he couldn't do anything with Rosa if Cecily were protecting her.

Rosa tilted her head, and the smugness on her face only intensified. "Come to me if you can offer something of equal value. Until then, she's a valuable experiment."

She then left with the loud tick-tacking of her heels. 

Lucian threw one last look at Ryu on the floor before he shook his head and went outside while Cecily sighed a heavy breath and went together with Lucian.

Ferris was useless to Cecily now in her cadaver-like state. Without knowing what was wrong with her or she would ever wake up, Ferris was a liability to her. At least, she could contribute to the Mortal Realm if Rosa found anything interesting with her.

Cecily's fists balled, and she bit her lip. Too bad that the demoness was dead even before she could fully mature. It was really a waste.

Inside Ryu's room, Kai was silent. He didn't know what to do as Ryu was still on the floor without moving nor making even the slightest sound.

Kai looked over the ceiling. He sucked at comforting others. 

Kai went to Ryu's side and grabbed his hand, and pulled him to his feet.

"Come on up."

Ryu felt like all resistance was drained from him. For the first time, he hated the mate thing. Without it, he could do whatever he wanted, and he could have saved Ferris from just being an experiment.

Ferris had done so much for him. So much. .. but he couldn't even do a single thing for her.

Ryu gnashed his teeth and stood to his feet with Kai's help.

"Look, I know it's frustrating," Kai started when he saw Ryu's face was twisting in agony while his slit eyes were shaking in helplessness.

"But at this moment, there's nothing you can do but move forward. Ferris is a one-ball angry little girl, and she won't back down without a fight. She will wake up one of these days, you'll see. Shell be back and terrorize us with her grumpy face."

Kai grinned and placed his hands over his head. "Who knows, we might find a cure for her in the Nightmare Sea."

Ryu blinked. Cure? He remembered that he had Faux's crystal. Maybe she knew how to wake Ferris!