2431 A Hybrid’s Struggle (Part 1)

"Of course. Papers, please."  The receptionist smiled while nodding politely, inwardly wondering how long it would take for the scenery to bore the guests as much as it did her.

'Tourists are all the same. Let's hope they at least give good tips-' Urta's train of thought derailed when she saw the titles and the last name they bore.

"Great Mage Verhen? Both of you? That Verhen?" The receptionist blurted out in surprise, forcing Solus to Hush her.

"Yes, that Verhen but please, keep it to yourself. We don't want trouble."

"Are you kidding me? Who would ever dare give you trouble? You are the legendary Golden Knight! If not for you, my brother would have died in the battle for Belius. As for you, I thought you were a man." Urta looked at Tista's voluptuous chest in confusion.

"Is the situation in the Kingdom so bad that you have to wear such an elaborate disguise, Magus Verhen?"

"That's my brother!" Tista said in embarrassment. "I'm Tista Verhen."

"Of course! The Crimson Bird. We've heard a lot about you." 

"Red Demon." Tista muttered under her breath to not be rude while her friends giggled at her expense.

"You have nothing to worry about. Here in Zalma, you are heroes and aside from your fans, no one will bother you. Thank you for your service and for defeating the Mad Queen." Urta gave them a deep bow.

"We are all in your debt. I can understand if you want anonymity but know that there isn't a single establishment here that won't give you a VIP treatment if you introduce yourselves."

She gave them the keys to their rooms at a discounted price that made Lith's little voice in Solus' head rejoice. Once they arrived on the top floor, they had yet to finish exploring their suites when the room service delivered them a complimentary welcome full-course meal.

"This is the life." Solus said with a satisfied burp after eating Nyka's share of food and drinking her beer. "What did you want to talk about, Tista?"

"That I understand that you want to face your problems, but now I have my own." She sighed. "Choosing my life force is a big deal from which there is no turning back. I want to talk about it with Bodya.

"It is my choice but he deserves to know. I can't just tell him when it's done. Also, if you want to really break free from my brother, I suggest you to start hanging out in bars. I'm not saying that you should go on dates, but at least see if there's someone who catches your eye.

"It's something you have to do alone. If I come with you, I'll steal your spotlight and if you go with Nyka, you'll use her as an excuse to not go outside your comfort zone. That and people will think that you two are a thing, lowering your chances."

"What makes you say that? Can't we be just friends hanging out together?" Solus shrugged.

"Yeah, right." Tista sneered. "Two women sharing a suite in one of the most romantic hotels in Zalma. I'm sure that 'friends' is the first thing that will come to mind."

She pointed at the rose petals on the bed and the complimentary heart-shaped chocolate box at the entrance.

"Oh." Solus blushed in embarrassment while Nyka chuckled.

"No offense, Solus but if you want a shot with me, enough talking about Lith. It makes me feel like your rebound." The Vampire's words made Solus blush harder and Nyka laugh louder.

They spent the rest of the day visiting the city and taking long strolls on the beach, returning to the Grilled Kraken only to eat and for the night. Zalma was completely different from the cities where they had been until that moment.

The people were happy, well fed, and there were no field hospitals. No one talked about the War of the Griffons if not for stating their relief for its end and discussed about the future with enthusiasm instead of fear.

Hearing the people of Zalma talk about how excited they were at the idea of riding trains and owning Tablets made Solus happy for the first time since she had begun her journey.

"Are you sure you don't want to give the nightlife a try?" Nyka asked upon their return to the suite.

"Yeah. I'm too tired for that and I'm not in the mood." Solus sighed. "The sand and the ocean remind me of Grandma's beach house. I can't stop thinking about our- I mean Lith's honeymoon and it hurts."

"Don't worry about that. We have plenty of time for that tomorrow. Besides, I can use a power nap." Nyka changed the topic while stretching her lithe limbs. "You have no idea how good sleeping feels compared to the forced slumber of undeath during the day."

"How so?" Solus asked.

"We don't really sleep nor do we dream. It's more like being paralyzed. My body and brain feel like they have been submerged in tar and every attempt to move or think is exhausting."

"I'm really sorry to hear that." Solus patted Nyka's shoulder.

"Don't be." The Vampire shook her head. "I'm used to it and ever since I bonded with Dawn, I can sleep no differently than you do. Dreaming is so exciting that I wouldn't mind even if we spent our days in bed."

Meanwhile, in Tista's room, she had just finished telling Bodya about the events in Ne'sra and how they had led her to find the final piece to achieve the violet core.

"I'm really sorry you had to go through so much." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her close as they sat side by side on her bed. "I'm also a little hurt that you didn't call me sooner.

"I don't know if I could've helped you to recover but I would have done anything to be there for you."

His words made Tista feel guilty for keeping him out of her life so often. They had started dating for a few months now but she kept her relationship with the Nidhogg casual on purpose.

Not only was it her first semi-serious relationship but Bodya was also proud of his nature as a Lesser Leviathan and he didn't bother changing the color of his ashen skin, the same as his Nidhogg form.

He looked like a man in his thirties and handsome at that, but he stood out wherever he went no less than a Dryad, and when questioned he would always tell the truth. His pride was admirable but it also put Tista in an awkward spot.

"And I'm sorry for not inviting you to the Royal Gala, but I had no idea that the King would make me a Great Mage." She replied.

"Since you've brought this up, I have to ask you." Bodya sighed. "Are you ashamed of me? You didn't want me with you at the Gala even though you know that I fought on the frontlines along with the army.

"You waited for weeks before telling me about your violet core even though we called each other almost every day."

"I know, but-"