Rose Restoration

After unpacking and moving the bodies outside I sit down in the living room with everyone either standing or sitting around.

Luke walks towards me. "Alright Ren spill it how do you know so much about this place and what's up with how you fight?! its like you're a trained killer or something!"

Everyone's faces are asking the same question. before I answer the bandit grabs Luke holding a dagger to his neck everyone stares in shock. "Who untied this idiot?"

The bandit looks at me. "now I have one of yours!"

Irina starts to get up. I glance at her and she sits back down. I reach out grabbing my glass of water taking a sip looking at him. he looks nervous the dagger shakes next to Lukes throat. "Why are you so calm!? I'll kill him!"

I laugh slightly. "I think you're misunderstanding something, I have no ties to anyone here. you can slaughter everyone in this room if you want and it won't bother me."

I set my glass down. the room is so quite the sound of the glass hitting the wooden table reverberates through the room. "But... before you do, I'll give you a little glimpse into your future. Lets say you kill him... and a few others on the way out... burn down the house for good measure and take a horse to freedom. You find work in a village... meet a nice girl... settle down and have a nice little family for yourself. Then one day out of the blue ill show up on your doorstep."

I reach into my duffel bag flipping open the black and gold plated lighter I have. I light it looking at the dancing flame as it flickers. "I'll set your house ablaze with your family inside. dont worry... ill let you have a front row seat to watch them burn to ash... You'll watch helplessly and when you start to wonder why, Ill dragging you back here to have a nice conversation about the choice your about to make. In that moment ill ask you the million dollar question... was. it. worth. it."

I flick the lighter closed glancing at him. "So tell me is it worth it?"

He drops the dagger stepping back looking terrified. I sigh. "How disappointing."

I throw a butter knife at him it stabs into the wall beside his head. "Remember this conversation before you try something like that again... because next time, I wont miss."

He nods slowly before passing out from fear. I sip my water tossing my lighter back into my duffel bag. I glance in his direction. "Id tie him up before he wakes up and tries that again, because he will try that again."

Luke and another guy get on it. I stand up. "Well that was an eventful day, night everyone-"

Luke calls to me. "Hold it Ren."

I stop looking back. "What?"

He looks down at the ground as he finishes tying up the bandit. "Thanks for saving me... I won't ask about how you're doing all this since its keeping us alive. but... I expect an explanation someday."

I turn towards the stairs. "Alright."

Irina grabs my hand softly looking at me with a nervous face. "Lets go."

Her eye's soften with a look of relief we head upstairs I sit on the bed while she takes a bath. I hear her voice through the door. "U-Um your name is Ren is it not?"

I glance at the door. "yeah? what's up?"

She opens the door peeking out the innocent look on her face is pretty cute. "I hate to ask more of you but I've never actually bathed myself so-"

I walk over heading into the bathroom to take a shower with her I pull my shampoo out of my bag. "What's that?"

I open it holding it in front of her face. "It's for your hair it makes you smell like green Apple's."

She closes her eyes smelling it with a big smile. "It smells lovely, are you sure you want to use such a thing on me?"

I pour some in my hand having her sit down. "I don't mind."

She blushes slightly washing her hair is kinda relaxing. She has no dirt on her body the heat must have constantly burned it off. The only marks are on her wrists and ankles, she must have been down there for a long time.

My head hurts for a moment, I shake it off. then finish washing her hair and body she glances back lifting the sponge. "N-Now it's your turn."

I let her wash my hair and back she stops for a moment while washing my back. "Is there a problem?"

She continues with a slight stutter before returning to her cheery self "N-No everythings fine I was just think how nice this scent is."

She must have been thinking about something I guess its no big deal. we finish up and head into the other room getting into bed. she is wearing my jacket.

I wasn't expecting to end my day laying beside a sexy princess from another world but it could be worse.

She is staring at me... i turn my head towards her. "What?"

She reaches out touching my face. "This seems like a dream... even if it is, im glad I had it... Even if I wake up in the basement chained up like always I'm happy... Im... happy."

Tears stream down her face I pull her over to me pushing her head into my chest. holding her close to me, she grips my t shirt sobbing. "I don't wanna go to sleep Ren... I dont wanna go back to that hell... Kill me! I want this to be my last memory. Please!"

I lean back lifting her head slightly. "Im not gonna kill you, it was a hassle to save you. I'll be right here when you wake up. I promise."

She loosens her grip slightly. "You promise?"

I nod wiping her tears away casting a sleep spell. "Sleep."

She slowly drifts off to sleep with her head on my chest. I push her hair out of her face the soft light of the moon coming through the window causes her hair to almost sparkle.

I lay back looking up at the ceiling shaking the weird feeling in my chest. Maybe im getting to close to this situation.

I end up falling asleep a while later.

In the early morning I burst awake to the sound of her having a night terror embers float off her body the temperature of the room is rising fast the paint on the walls is melting and the sheet is gone.

I sit up pulling her over to me the heat burns my shirt. "Irina snap out of it."

She slowly snaps out of it the heat drops immediately. "R-Ren?"

I lean back she looks down in horror tearing up. "Your arms and chest! Im so sorry I-"

I wipe her tears away my body is scorched in certain areas. "Don't worry about it im resilient."

I bite down on the mint in my mouth my hands and chest start to heal Immediately I slap my chubby belly. "See good as new."

She hugs me tight. I hold her while she cries until the sun comes up. Before we get up she lays down with her head on my lap playing with my hand. I push her hair out of her face she looks up at me smiling with soft eyes.

We take a shower and head downstairs. I get her some clothes from my displays store. I got the basic female adventurers outfit she seems to love it.

Everyone stares at us while I cook she sits at the counter swinging her legs. I feed her a piece of egg she happily eats it. "It's really good."

Luke sits beside her. "He didn't bother you to much last night did he princess?"

She shakes her head blushing slightly. "I feel like it was I who bothered him he was very kind an even shared a bath and bed with me."

Everyone goes dead silent, Luke turns his head slowly looking at me. "Ren... What does she mean by sharing a bath and bed?"

I flip the eggs glancing at him with a slight smile his jaw drops. I set the eggs on a plate sliding it over to Irina. "Eat."

She eats the eggs pancakes and bacon I made with a big smile on her face Ive never seen someone enjoy my cooking that much. well.. besides my dog. Someone asks what the plan is. Luke motions to Irina. "Of course its to return the princess to her kingdom."

Irina looks down at her plate. "I can't return home."

Luke sits back down. "Why not."

She sets her fork down. "I was tasked with bringing back the sacred artifact from the dark temple. As an Ether Maiden I am the only one who can open the temple. if I don't and return without the artifact I will be dubbed a failure and put to death."

One of the idols speaks up. "That's a bit harsh."

Irina shakes her head. "No... the future of our kingdom rests on that artifact. on the way to get it I was ambushed and-"

Embers float off her body her eyes start to fade back into a hallow state. I flick her forehead. "I'll help."

Her eye's start to tear up. "Thank you so mu-"

I put her fork in her mouth "Eat."

She blushes slightly nodding. After breakfast I head outside getting on the carriage. Irina sits beside me grabbing the reins. Luke points at the bandit. "What do we do with him? the princess knows how to drive and she can show us the way back to the kingdom."

Irina speaks up. "We will keep him with us until we get back to Cerios. he knows those who ordered my capture they will be punished for risking the lives of all the people of Cerios."

I glance at him nodding slightly.

He nods shoving him onto the bench beside him we ride through the forest heading for the dark temple.

She hands me the reins "You try."

She teaches me how to steer this thing. She laughs at me a few time's when I try to move the reins like it would move the horse's the way I want.

She lays her head on my shoulder while holding onto my arm. We arrive 20 minutes later at a giant tower that is covered with ancient text and vines growing all over it. statues of skeletons on their knees litter the area all around the temple.

We walk up to the stone entrance and she stops before touching the lock. "Are you certain you want to do this, this is my burden alone I will understand if you wish to-"

I put her hand on the lock. "I wish to get this over with, we are doing this together so there shouldn't be any problems right?"

She blushes nodding without saying a word.

the tower glows as a stone door rises. I look back at the others. "You guy's stay out here we will be out after we get the artifact."

They look concerned Irina points. "We need to go stand over there the door will seal up when I take my hand off."

I nod we walk over she looks at me smiling. "I'm so happy you came with me I feel like we will be able to overcome the dark temple together-"

I pat her back using a shock wave blowing her into Luke arms. "Ill leave her to you."

Horror spreads across her face she starts to run at me but Luke grabs her. "you said we would do this together!?"

I smile tossing a mint into my mouth as the stone door drops with a thud. "There's something you should know princess, I work better alone."

I turn as the dark room is lit by the glowing text on the walls this tower is hallow the floating platform at the top holds the artifact. Skeleton knights rise out of the ground in all directions. the room reeks of death and despair. "This should be fun."