#omisha

Leere arrived at the hut, gathering her supplies. One look at her and Malik could tell she was exhausted in both body and voice. "We're leaving."

"What? Just like that? What about our mutual friend of Hyrule?

"Yes. Bonegrinder may be unconscious for another month, maybe a year. And I know you have family to attend to. Let's not dawdle. This might take us a couple hours."

Malik watched in silence for a few moments at Leere quickly buzzing around like a bee, until he too slowly started to gather his things.

It was almost three hours later when Mother arrived. She looked... frazzled. And annoyed. "Forgive my lateness, I was currently trying to handle---" She nearly jumped out of her exoskeleton as Bonegrinder suddenly just flopped off her back onto the ground with a loud giggle. "... the situation."

"Hehehe, piggy back... piggy back rides!"

"Leere... what did you do?" Mother looked at the princess with knowing eyes. "Did you give him some of your magic?"

"Butts. Exo-butt. Exoskeleton ass." The Anagari was poking Mother's backside with his tail. "Hard ass. Get it? HARD ASS!!!" He snickered at his own joke. "Cause of the exoskeleton."

"Modoc, would you please quit that?"

"Aw. But it's a good joke!"

"Yes. I did. He's never been like this before when I've done it though." Leere, with her tiny body, tried to nudge a giant off a titan. "Hey buddy, why don't we stop climbing on the charming chimera lady eh?"

"But... HIC, he likes piggyback rides." Bonegrinder was still partly slumped on Mother. He tried to get his bearing and slithered forward, and wobbled back and forth before slumping on the ground, on his belly. "Dirt. This is dirt. Hrm... right, right, good dirt. Good dirt for mud wrestling."

"That's because I was giving him light energy and you gave him dark energy and there obviously was not a correct balance on either side." Mother ran her hand down her face. "And now he's... well... the best way to explain it is, he's drunk. Off a magic high."

"Why are you so tall?" Bonegrinder looked up at Leere. "You're supposed to be tiny."

"Modoc, can you slither?"

"But he likes it down here."

"Can. You. Slither?"

"The dirt is moving, it's hard to slither." The Anagari pouted.

"Kaksa give me patience..."

"Cause I'm a little human?" Leere, after so much stress at seeing him hurt and possessed, couldn't stop herself from snorting in amusement at his behaviour now.

Malik, however, shook his head. "Mother. Are there any others that wish to say goodbye?"

"I had the others write in this little book for you." Mother handed Leere two small notebooks, one for Malik and one for the princess herself. "It's their accounts of you. Their impressions. Goodbyes here are meant for never to be seen again. You will return one day."

"Nooo, you're... you... wait, you are hooman. Whadaya doing here?" Bonegrinder hiccupped once more. "Omisha is for Echidnans not hoomans!"

"You're going to take her home, Bonegrinder, you and Malik here."

"Who?" Bonegrinder then looked at the Gerudo. "Oooh..."

Malik rubbed his temple, moving to pick Bonegrinder off the dirt floor. "Thank you for your hospitality Mother. I look forward to our continued business together as allied nations. I'll make sure your 'boy' gets home."

Leere too, took Mother's hand, giving her a princessly kiss. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn. Until we meet again."

"Until we meet again." Mother then started to open the portal... while Bonegrinder decided it was the perfect time to hit on the Gerudo 'lady' holding his man tit, when really it was just a supportive gesture to keep him off the ground.

"Hmm, you're a fine piece of treasure you know that?" Bonegrinder grinned widely with as his tail slapped Malik's backside. "Come here and let him kiss you for good blessings from Sand and Stone sisters, yes? Kissing a Gerudo lady is good luck." He then grabbed the sides of the lord's face and smooched him for all he was worth.

Malik's face bloomed in a flush of light pink with furious fire burning inside his soul. His armour kept him protected on the breast and most of his ass, but there was nothing that could be done about the kisses. This was another reason to always wear a helmet. His gauntlets stabbed into Bonegrinder's skin as he put all his upper strength into lifting him, and all his lower strength into getting him through the portal back to Hyrule's underground. Leere couldn't help but break out into laughter as she gathered all the bags of material. Malik was absolutely livid by this point. "Quit your chortles and hurry through the portal!"

Leere quit her laughing long enough to look back at Omisha. The hot air and jungle atmosphere blew a silent wind. Did her coming her ruin something in the land? She shook her head to silence such a thought before it could grow into something more. Hurrying through the portal, the three of them returned to Hyrule. It was time she went back home.

~

There journey from a colourful, yet dangerous land, a very drunk Bonegrinder, an irate Malik, and a tired Leere found themselves in the dark underground of Hyrule's caverns under castle town.

"Where you going, baby doll?" Bonegrinder flicked his tail back and forth playfully as Malik spewed every curse known to man in ancient tongue, and spitted. The Anagari was still not acquainted to his equilibrium just yet. He wobbled, snickering the entire time. "He wants to tap that fine ass, come back here! We got to 'pray' to the sand and stone sisters, heeheehee..." He looked at Leere and asked. "Doesn't she have a nice ass? You have nice tits, and she has a nice ass. Bonegrinder has... he has... well, he has a big dick. Does that count as attractive?"

"Yeah. I've seen it up close big guy. Its certainly something. That's also a Gerudo male, not a woman Bonegrinder." Leere felt the least she could do was put Malik out of his misery.

"Oh..." Bonegrinder's train of thought was still processing the information. "Well... good thing he is bi or this would be a very teachable moment. Never judge the sex by the jiggle of ass cheeks. It's misleading."

"I don't think he is Bonegrinder. Perhaps you should lie down."

Before Leere could say anything else, with the speed of a minitour, Hades charged out of the darkness, his breath burning with cinders at the smell of Bonegrinder.

"My friend! You're back!"

"KITTY!!!" Bonegrinder suddenly latched onto the Lynel and petted his mane. Then he held his face and asked, "Has he ever... ever told you HIC how fluffy you are? Just so fluffy, and soft, and so cute..."

Hades stood perfectly still, allowing the master of the Hive to pet him, simply glad that Bonegrinder was unharmed. Taking in his behaviour, he growled deeply towards Leere. "What in the hell did you cause now?"

"He's just a little drunk off some magic. Now that he's safe and sound, I'm sure you and the rest of the Hive can entertain him."

The Lynel grumbled, fire snorting out his nostrils. "Get out of here. You're lucky that entertaining Bonegrinder is what the other members of the Hive have been longing to do just a week into his trip."

"Fluffy... fluffy baby!" Bonegrinder draped his long body across Hades' back, still messing with the Lynel's mane. "He thinks... he thinks you would look like... look like so ravishing with... with big braids. Big, long, braids..."

"Oh good goddesses, what happened now?" Red appeared from the shadows and levitated, looking at the master of the Hive. "... he's drunk. Must have been some party."

"Sex machine!"

"Well, at least he recalls who I am."

"And fluffy kitty."

"And who Hades is."

"Fluffy kitty, purr for Bonegrinder."

"Okay, let's get him back into his dwelling before 'fluffy kitty' has an aneurysm." Red waved goodbye to Malik and Leere. "We'll take care of him."

Leere was courteous enough to wave back while Malik aggressively applied a handkerchief to clean off the scent of Bonegrinder’s kisses. “Tell Blue and White I said hi. Oh. They should probably send a letter to their father and sister sometime.”

Walking together out of the Hive, Leere and Malik both released a heavy shared sigh. There were so much bizarre circumstances seen and felt within the last month. A personal take away was a deeper understanding of each other. Leere looked up to the Gerudo giant, smiling coly. “You know, he ain’t that bad a lover.”

“Please no.”

“What, you never thought of using that junk inside your trunk to fit tighter holes?”

“If you don’t quit it, I’m going to shove a rag into that mouth of yours.”

“That mean tight holes are still on the table.”

“You’re so immature.”

“You’re a tad uptight.”

“And you’re unbelievable.”

Both of them snickered, their chortle soon shared into a warm, soft laugh.

The princess jotted down in her mind what would need to be done as an ambassador to Omisha, if Mother still wanted her that is. Leere knew she made an impression on the monstrous woman, both good and some bad probably.

“Malik. We just simply going to walk into the castle chambers?”

“I see why not.”

Leere thought it over. “Want to take a bet?”

“Sure.”

“Zarazu is going to want to tackle you. Zelda or Rinku will squeeze me too tightly. Ralnor will cross his arms and squint his eyes wanting details on Omisha. Best he knows the capacity of our knowledge. I will make him furious when I say I was able to stay a night in Mother’s bed. Finally, your wife is going to kick your ass to the moon.”

Malik frowned in fear at that thought. That would be an inevitable conversation. “Oh lord you’re probably right.”

The man felt her pat the back of his armour, a cheeky smile on her face, yet a serene kindness from her energy. “Pretty sure she’ll break into tears for you though. People love you enough for that.”

“And you believe they won’t for you?” Malik looked downward, his gaze resting on her small frame. “You’re a very lonely woman Leere.” Before she could respond, Malik continued, “But you need not be. Your shadow stays close to people, watching over others. And like a shadow, you disappear in true darkness. You aren’t the type to reveal in it. Stop believing that darkness owns you. As a shadow, you can master it for good.”

Leere flushed slightly, unsure what to say in reply for a moment or two. “That’s... beautiful. No one has put me into words like that.”

“You don’t need to thank me.”

“Well... you can have it anyways. Thank you.”

“Heh. Don’t get sentimental on me. Come, I think we’re about to reach the castle’s secret entrance soon.”

~

Zarazu was in the middle of a meeting with a few of the council members. She loathed these meetings with a passion. Since Covarog was dealing with another diplomatic issue in Danjur, she was stuck here. Sometimes, she wished the old coots would go senile and forget about these monthly meetings. The queen was just about to bring forth another issue when Malik and Leere walked in... and her mouth dropped open.

Malik had placed his helmet over his head to keep up appearances as Lord of Hyrule. Finally able to breath the air of Hyrule once more, he waved to everyone in the room. “At ease.”

Leere smiled to her sister in law, tiredly placing the stacks of research on a desk close to her. “Greetings everyone. We didn’t interrupt anything too important?”

"... gone for a just over a month and hardly any word?!" Zarazu exclaimed as she rose from her seat so fast, her chair nearly toppled backwards. "What in hell took so long?! A 'hi, I'm not dead' would have been nice! That's for the both of you! Do you have any idea how worried we all were?!"

“Apologies my friend. There was an incident that left us stranded without transportation back to Hyrule, as well as a zero communication policy put into place.” From a bag, he handed her several letters. “It did not stop me from writing to you.”

"That's... that's... ridiculous!" Zarazu was angry, more so about the fact that there could have been something horribly wrong, and she had no way to help. "No location, no backup plan, no return date!!! We were worried sick! We had no way to find you! You know Asa is going to kick your ass. I'm tempted to give you a kick to the ass myself." The queen then glanced at Leere. "And you should know better. You had your brothers and sisters all worried that you were gone off on another journey never to return for another decade."

“Zarazu. I’m sure they can tell me that themselves. I wasn’t in danger of being alone. Malik and I looked out for one another.” Leere raised her hands in light defense. “We made a great deal of progress in learning about Omisha, as well as our relationship with the Echidnan people.”

"... as an order from your queen, the next time you two wish to suddenly disappear and go off on a month-long journey, you will leave a location, you will inform me or at least one of the family, and you will send updates." Zarazu was leaving no room for argument. "Am I clear? My king has enough stress upon him already, nor do I. This is not negotiable."

“Did Ralnor not tell you?” Malik knew damn well he didn’t, but he needed to let Zarazu know that information had been available to her. “My wife knew as well, but since we no longer live at the castle, I can understand about you being left in the dark.”

"Ralnor knew not where you were either. I asked him." Zarazu told Malik with a small huff. Of course, Ralnor would keep his place in this whole situation in the dark to his queen. Not that Zarazu knew. "And Asa knew you were going on a journey, but had no clue you would be so long!”

“I said Omisha to her.” Malik sighed, waving a hand to dismiss the other nobles to move on. “Zarazu, there are more important matters to discuss then my or the princess’ safety.”

"Fine... but if you do this again, I'm putting a locator spell on you both." Zarazu warned the pair but then turning to the old coots on the council. "I apologize, this is an emergency. I will return later."

"But... but we..."

"We will continue later." Zarazu then gestured to Leere and Malik to follow her to a more private area.

“I’d suggest that you summon your husband and other members of royalty.”

"Covarog is in Danjur, Tebanam is exploring ruins with Faris, Kanisa is in Uskar, Orana is on a trip with Corsaire, and Ralnor is actually on holiday, so you're stuck with me." Zarazu then sat in the office she shared with her husband, gesturing for Leere and Malik to sit.

“Very well.” Malik took his seat, and was brutally blunt with his next statement. The Queen needed to know the storm that brewed in the future for Hyrule. “We fought against a disciple of Teufel. The Demon tried to inflict a strike against the citizens of Omisha using the Mortuus that tried to assassinate you. It spoke to us through this disciple. Teufel is active, and he is dangerous.”

"... wow... okay... well..." Zarazu was not really sure what to say. "Omisha... the country of Echidnans. I really thought it was merely a myth. So it's all real... and Teufel is back." She took a breath, trying to rational her thoughts and what was possibly the best objective to do next. "One day, Teufel will be back. We don't know when, so we need to have our guard up. It could be now or later. Next, I think we need to establish a communication link with Omisha. We need to find out if there is a leader there and see if they are interested in perhaps combining forces or sharing knowledge of this Teufel being. Then next, I believe a diplomatic visit is in order, if the leader agrees... I might have to ask Ralnor to come back from holiday early. He knows a little of the Echidnans, and perhaps Teb will."

“We met their leader and established an alliance over the last month.” Leere added to the conversation. “Their leader is very protective of her land, so I don’t know if she’ll have just anyone over.” Leere presented notes and sketches of the island and different variants of Echidnans and their land. “They have many reasons to mistrust most humans.”

"Oh..." Zarazu carefully looked over the documents. There were pieces of history here that had been missing for thousands of years. There were answers to questions about... many issues. She was shocked. "Why..." The queen cleared her throat. "Why did you not inform me?"

Both of them held their tongues. Leere looked as though she was bound to a secret oath, which she was. Malik crossed his arms tightly, feeling the need to be defensive. “Zarazu, there are things in this world that are beyond your understanding to comprehend.”

"That I know, but this is not beyond my comprehension. This is simply just keeping..." Zarazu was trailed off and then became... quiet for once. More so than usual. It was not difficult for the queen to put two and two together. Malik, Leere... the pair of them were keeping something about this trip from her. "... tell me about Malus. I'm more concerned over demon-summoning necromancers than a country full of monsters."

The air lifted, that information being acceptable to share. “Malus, from what we gather, is a land both encased in evil, and possibly having innocents trapped within for hundreds of generations. As Lord, my professional opinion is to have a covert invasion of the country. Not even the Echidnans have ventured in the land. Notes taken were from fleeing Mortuus.”

"When?" Zarazu asked, keeping her eyes glued to the information on the country of Malus. From what the Echidnans provided, it did not sound too promising. "And is there any hint on to where the innocents might be? You cannot walk into a country like this blindly without a plan."

“In underground cities, and according to the last document, since the formation of your people’s monarchy.” Leere sounded somber. “It’s a very conflicting feeling. The first Mortuus I met in my adult life, and she turned out to be as evil as the Echidnans warned. Yet, if there are innocents, my heart goes out for them.”

Leere brought up a book she borrowed on Mortuus history. The first page she pointed out held an illustration of ten-foot-tall wolves. Next were sketches of demonic golems made of flesh. “According to old documented data, Malus is filled with bizarre monsters of all varieties.”

"Demonic possessions and flesh-stitched hosts for them to use for their time on this earth." Zarazu frowned, trying to think of any magic she knew to protect the kingdom against the evil in Malus. "You've certainly done enough research."

Malik tapped a pen on the desk, writing a recommendation. “Zarazu, you should know I will be taking charge as lead negotiator to Omisha.”

"You?" Zarazu shook her head, thinking he simply had forgotten. "Malik, a member of a royal family is supposed to take lead of negotiations for new alliances. Ralnor is the one who told us of Omisha's interest. He should be the one to take charge." She then reminded him. "What we have with Al-Daida is due to Tebanam, with Danjur thanks to Orana, with Uskar kudos to Kanisa, Labrynna was cemented long ago and Covarog handles that, so Ralnor should be in charge with Omisha. He's already submitted paperwork for the job."

“No. Ralnor is a liar and a manipulator. His role is here, in Hyrule. It is he who has kept you in the dark for so long about Omisha. It is he who held Leere and I to secrecy. A secret he’d have preferred hidden had we not discovered Echidnans so close to Hyrule....” Malik kept his voice calm, steady, yet forced his hand in the matter. “As Ganondorf’s blood relative, I too have claim to royal status. Leere has proven herself most effective in forming a bond with the heart of Omisha. It’s people. Ralnor might be Mother’s choice, for that is ultimately up to her, however, her and I have already agreed to being the most concrete link in negotiations.”

Zarazu was getting irritated word by word that came out of Malik.

"Okay, I don't know what is going on between you and Ralnor, but it stops. Like, right now." The queen had nothing negative from her husband's brother about the ex-commander. If anything, Ralnor had been nothing but courteous, singing Malik's praises for doing such a wonderful job. Yet, all Malik seemed to do was bash Ralnor's name. She was getting very tired of it. "I've heard you drag his name through the mud over and over, and not once has he said one word against you. I don't know what fight you two had, or if he was keeping a secret from you and it blew over, or if it's a dick size thing, but whatever the hell it is, right now, it stops." She then added, "In the dark about Omisha? Malik, if anything you were the one keeping me in the dark. Ralnor gave what all he had."

To prove her point, Zarazu fetched the files that Ralnor had dated... years ago... and placed them in Malik's hands. Unknown to the queen, she was playing the part exactly how the second prince wanted her to do so. Ralnor was a master manipulator, and no one could accuse him of such without the accuser looking like a fool in the eyes of others. He was that good. "I understand whatever conversation you had with this 'Mother' person is important, but as far as I'm concerned, Ralnor is the one who will handle affairs." Once again, the prince had been three steps ahead of Malik, portraying him to be the quote on quote 'bad guy'. "And if you and Leere wish to aid him in his endeavors, then you may do so. Though in the future, if you do wish to share what information you have, I'd be happy to hear it."

The queen of Hyrule then took a slow breath. She was already very incensed by the fact that there was information hidden from her. Ralnor told her that he suspected Malik was up to something, but she did not believe him. After all, Ralnor was always known for his paranoia. Yet, this time, he was right.

She then asked Leere, "You mentioned Malus has innocents trapped. Before you decide to go on this expedition, might I inquire as to how you are going to avoid detection if you wish to stay incognito?"

Malik was furious, yet he hid it well behind a cold, chilling anger. In an unexpected first against Zarazu, he completely pushed back, stopping the pale princess from answering. “Zarazu... your naïveté is exactly why I did not recommend you for a position in dealing with Omisha’s people. Ralnor will not be in the future of Hyrule’s head of negotiations with the leader of the Echidnans. You lack the fortitude for it, and him the heart. You can both take care in knowing I won’t step over your heads for long. It is your eldest daughter who will have a future with Omisha. Mother has declared it so.”

"And your temper is why you will not be handling any foreign negotiations as lead." Zarazu then told him in an icy tone. "If you're going to insult me and act like this, then there's the door. I don't care what this 'Mother' said right now, I am your friend but I am also your queen. If you cannot have the respect for me or my brother-in-law, then leave. I am so sick and tired of fighting, and I'm not going to do it anymore today."

“The choice, dear friend, is simply not up to you. It is destiny. I’m sure the leader of Omisha will find purpose for the three of us. But not you. You are my friend Zarazu... but given that the fates will bring death and war upon us soon with the very gods, I must look at the bigger picture.” Malik finished his recommendation. “I will train your daughter to be the best Gerudo Queen she can be. I also recommend you ally with the Kikai Empire and Danjur to liberate Malus. After recon of course. Now, if excuse me... I have a son, daughter and wife of my own to tend to.”

With no other word, Leere watched as Malik left the office. Spewing about destiny and so coldly calculating the future of Hyrule as if Malik himself was King did indeed worry her, but it wasn’t Leere’s place to judge him. That duty would be left to her brother and Zarazu. The princess took a few breaths, looking back to the Queen. “Any questions on your mind?”

"... many questions and so few answers, Leere." Zarazu ran her hands back there her hair, appearing to look so defeated. "I am tired, Leere. So tired of blame, of fighting, and arguing. I hate myself for wishing to escape back to Lorleidi. None of this," She motioned to her surroundings. "Existed there. No hate, no fighting, no... no having to look for the better in people. I simply knew it was there. But here, now?" The queen sighed. "I spent four hours arguing with those old coots in the council room about their apparent homophobia and how my kingdom would let love be love... and not one of them gave thought to any possibility of not being able to love who they love."

Leere gently took Zarazu’s hands, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of emotion. Despite her getting along better with Malik, they only had a professional relationship. She was also surrounded with monsters that either tolerated her, completely mistrusted her, made her feel uncomfortable, or simply needed more time to get along better with. Touching Zarazu’s hands, someone that, sure, she didn’t know the best about on a day to day basis, but still respected and come to care for, made her cry. Her experience in Omisha with retrospect now horrified her, throwing herself into the darkest of secrets, finding out she was a sacrifice for a being that’d bring tyranny and chaos, losing trust in a friend she held close... her tears swelled. “Oh god... I’m sorry. It feels like years since I talked with someone else who feels human.”

"Oh, spirits, Leere, don't cry!" Zarazu looked alarmed at the princess' sudden tears. What brought on the waterworks?! She pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry if I made you upset! Please, don't cry, I was just rambling because Malik really knows how to push my buttons, don't cry for my sake!"

“No. Please. It’s just Omisha. It was... it was so much. I feel so old Zarazu. I learned and experienced... terrible knowledge.” Leere didn’t object to a deep hug, however. “Zarazu... you’re such a sweet soul. Please... if you want to learn anything I know, ask. I don’t care if Malik, Ralnor, or anyone else wants to keep a lid on things.”

"It's okay, it's okay... maybe questions later? I think right now, you just need a breather." Zarazu patted her back gently. "Heh, according to Malik, I'm a she-devil, Ba'puu is nothing but a pest, and Ralnor is Vul'kar's right hand. I'm only sweet to those I like. I guess you got lucky today, huh?" She said in good humor, trying to make Leere laugh. "... you want a sugar cookie? I hid a few cookie baggies in my desk."

“Zarazu... my birth parents set me up to be a sacrifice to Teufel.” The words escaped her lips, nearly broken getting out. The tears still kept coming. Leere sounded broken, like something in her soul was taken and violently snapped in two. “I found this out from a friend who only told me now after keeping this knowledge from me for years because he wasn’t right in his mind... Zarazu. I can’t leave Hyrule ever again... it’s that, or I kill myself.”

"... I... I don't know about all of this Teufel business, and I certainly have no clue about this friend of yours that likes to keep secrets, but..." Zarazu tried her best to choose the proper words of comfort. "I guess... sometimes secrets are kept to protect who we love. I've kept my share over the years. If this prevents you from leaving Hyrule, then... there's nothing wrong with just staying here a while until you're ready to fight. And when you are, I'll fight with you. Two old ladies... side by side."

Leere actually chuckled at that, drying her tears. “Friends name is Bonegrinder. Same person Malik and Ralnor know, though I’m sure they’ll deny it. Boys and their secrets, playing with power... Maybe, when he feels up to it, you can meet him one day. He came to Hyrule from Omisha actually, but due to privacy, he likes his isolation from most people.” A solid weight lifted off her chest. After meeting the people of Omisha, it seemed silly for Bonegrinder and the Hive to remain hidden. Out of continued respect, however, she wouldn’t fully disclose their location. “I’m sorry I cried. Malik failed to mention we fought demons as well, only three days in. I broke my leg in the fight, and saw things that I think my nightmares will enjoy.” One more thought to express on her mind. “Zarazu, what do you know of Gods of Balance, Creation and Destruction?”

"That's... well... uh..." Zarazu tried to formulate a response. She honestly did not know what to say. What could she say to make all of this better? "You're going to have to give me a bit to process all of that. More secrets, a reason to scold both Malik and Ralnor, you fought demons, got hurt, and a monster is leaving in Hyrule. I hope I didn't miss anything." The queen then offered the princess a few tissues. "Oh... let's see here. There used to be an old story that was told around the bonfires at might about a 'Mother Goddess and the Two Brothers'. There was even an old song with it, something about a prophecy. If I remember correctly, we received it centuries ago from a traveler." It suddenly clicked in Zarazu's mind. "... a traveler from Omisha."

“Indeed. Listen, if this trip has taught me anything, I worry more about humans than the actual monsters. Despite being cold and distant, perhaps not getting human connections or emotions, you don’t see Monsters ripping one another down for the sake of a power struggle.” Leere smiled, a fond memory making her feel better. “It wasn’t all distressing though. Met some children who I think I’ve helped break the bond of fear between humans and monsters.” She carefully showed the fine details of her sketch. “Met a wonderful chick named Solani. Must admit, I felt rather... motherly towards her.”

"All of this is a lot to take in for one afternoon... I think you and I will have to dedicate another afternoon to finish the rest of my questions." Zarazu gave a dry laugh. "Well, Leere, I mean, you'd be a great mom. You're wonderful with kids. All your nieces and nephews love you. If you don't want to get married, then why don't you adopt? Or you could always find a donor."

“Perhaps...” Leere settled her mind upon looking at the picture she drew of Solani. “I think the safest places I can be are here in Hyrule... or beside Mother. I would like to see Solani again, despite the risks of Teufel...” Closing her sketchbook, Leere left documentation on the Queens desk. “Be sure to get these copied after you’ve read them over. Didn’t fight the denizens of Hell so knowledge would go to waste. And tell you what. Soon as you finish up all the laws giving more freedom to gay rights, then I’ll settle down. Would you like tea with me over the weekend to continue our conversation further Zarazu?”

"Whatever you decide, it's important that you're happy." Zarazu agreed with a soft smile. "Tea sounds wonderful."

“Then I look forward to it.” Leere made her way out of the office, sighing to herself once out of earshot. She hoped she could sleep soundly tonight. Was staying in the unknown better, just as Bonegrinder forewarned? Only time would reveal that answer and more.

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Previous Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/190931724986/into-the-darkness-and-unknown-ch-7-the-burden-of

Nik sipped his coffee, loosening the collar of his uniform.

Omisha’s fingers tapped away on the keys, her eyes flitting between the screen and the handwritten notes on her desk.

Nik watched her work, taking a sip from her coffee with one hand without slowing down in the slightest. It was impressive.

The radio played quietly in the background, some CD that Omisha had picked up at a yard sale somewhere. The smooth tones of a saxophone were just loud enough to be heard, but not enough for it to be a distraction.

Nik sat back in his chair and listened to the steady hum of the refrigerators and the clicking of the keyboard.

Whenever Elais or the sheriff came in here, they couldn’t wait to leave. Both said it was eerie and too quiet. The sheriff said that he “didn’t want to be around that kind of silence until he was on a slab himself,” but Nik didn’t mind.

Omisha was there.

Her umber eyes flicked to him for just a second before going back to her work.

“You’re staring again.”

He shifted in his seat, glad that his dark skin made it harder to see him blush.

“Just lost in thought.”

She hummed and stopped typing, sitting back in her chair and facing him with her hands clasped in front of her.

“Want to talk about it?”

He did. But he also knew she probably wouldn’t appreciate it, so he kept it to himself.

“Nah, I’m fine. Just some weird calls at work.”

She nodded her head once and turned back to the desk.

To be honest, he was fine. Just being able to be friends with her? Being able to come by the office after his shift and drink coffee in silence and on weekends they’d have game nights with his roommate? Yeah, that was enough.