The Graveyard (2)

"So... Lura, is it? What do you want us to do?" I asked carefully, gasping for air. My cultivation base wasn't enough to keep up with the two, and I was worried about the what the hell they really want from us, going this deep into the forest.

They were chasing the human earlier with intentions that were definitely not good. And we are taking his or her place. I couldn't help but think we are walking into a deathtrap, waiting to get tortured or something.

Fiona noticed me tightening my arms around her. "Daddy, what's wrong? Are you tired from carrying me?" She asked.

"Don't try and run from me, Fiona," I responded, stealing a glance at Lura and Rajah. Fiona shook her head and reached into her spiritual ring. She grabbed a pill and fed it to me, to which I gobbled it up gladly. A warm and fuzzy feeling coursed throughout my body as I felt my strength returning.

"I thought you wanted to run, hmm Fiona? Trying to play some psychological tricks by giving me my strength back, don't think I'll let you go now," I said, nuzzling against her. She gave me a flurry of kicks.

Lura chuckled in front of us as we jumped the tree. "You two are truly different from the other humans we've met."

Fiona glared at me, pinching my arm. Her small fingers felt like tickles against my skin now that my cultivation base soared and my body strengthened from the daily exercises.

"Daddy, don't be like this, it's embarrassing..." She muttered, the tickles I felt now starting to hurt.

"But I like it," I answered, taking a deep whiff of her sweet, fragrant scent. I won't ever get enough of this. Though, what brand of shampoo is she using that produces this pleasant smell, or is it just her natural fragrance? If so, it smells good. Everything about Fiona is good.

"Daddy, you're not sir Rajah, how can you smell me like this? Y-you're simply an animal!"

Rajah's ears perked up after hearing his name, and he laughed as he jumped from branch to branch. "Haha, my nose is very good, little girl. It remembers everything it smells. Why don't you let me take a sniff so I can always find you? Your handsome tiger sir Rajah is also very good at fighting, he can protect you from those other damnable humans."

My eyes grew gloomy as a trace of killing intent erupted from my eyes. This little tiger wants to smell Fiona, another man that isn't me! I gritted my teeth but restrained the exploding urge to teach this tiger a lesson and turn him into a docile house-cat.

"Piss off."

Rajah snorted, but did not make any further comment. It was more important to pacify Fiona and change her thinking of me, anyway.

Fiona ignored all my caresses, headpats and kisses and turned to talk with Lura instead, which made my heart bleed. "Elf sister Lura, tell me more about the Forbidden Lands!" She asked, her eyes bright with excitement and curiosity.

Ahh, Fiona is just too cute, I just can't take it. I turned around to look at Lura and Rajah... I bet they can't either. As expected, Rajah's eyes were brimming with tears with a hand to his heart and Lura... Lura's face was flushed red and she extended her hands to squeeze Fiona's cheeks.

My eyes narrowed until they were thin slits as Lura retracted her hands and covered her blushing face.

'You aren't allowed to act cute in front of others, Fiona,' I said in a voice transmission to her. Her cuteness is just too deadly in front of us mortals.

'Don't do those things in front of people then, daddy,' she responded, giving Lura and Rajah a smile.

'I do those things because you're too cute, Fiona. Do you see Lura and Rajah? They're going to pounce on you like I am!'

Lura cleared her throat, interrupting our conversation. "Little Fiona? You said you want to learn more about the Forbidden Lands?"

"Yes!"

"Well, we're not allowed to give information to humans," Lura said, scattering her head in embarrassment. Fiona dipped her head downwards in disappointment.

"Little girl, if you can help us complete this mission, we can ask for permission!" Rajah said as he jumped down from atop the trees and onto the ground. We followed suit and before we knew it, we exited the forest to another clearing.

I wrinkled my nose from the weird smell and looked around the surroundings. A gray, dense fog covered most of my vision that even my spiritual sense couldn't see through. I could also hear the barely audible sounds of... wails of people?

I turned around and stared at Lura, demanding an explanation.

"Where's this, elf sister Lura? Is this where we need to go?" Fiona asked.

Lura drew a deep breath. "This is what we call the Graveyard. Our leaders tasked us to enter and try to find out the source of this fog and smell that drove away the beasts of the forests."

"Why do you need humans, then?"

"We've discovered that the Graveyard is something the humans of the past left behind, and only humans can unlock the entrance." Lura held my eye contact. "That means you must enter with us in place of the human that escaped."

"Is that a threat?" I asked in an icy voice, hugging Fiona tightly.

Rajah laughed, his booming voice echoing around the graveyard creating a large contrast between the soft, eerie wails. "It's not, human. Didn't I, the handsome tiger sir Rajah, agree that if you help us, we'll help you exit the Forbidden Lands on the other side?"

Lura nodded. "Besides, you and Fiona were the one who led away our search for the other human, and since you're taking his place, we'll naturally guarantee your safety. Don't worry, he wasn't treated like a prisoner. We just needed him to help us enter the graveyard."