Grayson and Kupa spent the remainder of the night in each other's arms,blissfully asleep. As the sun rose onto the horizon,it glared into the bedroom,hitting Grayson's face first..
What lovely sights the window had..
Kupa was sleepily sprawled on him,laying on her back over his chest,snoring a bit like an oaf. She was also dressed...
Was last night some kinda dream...?
It all felt so odd..
Serene peeks her head in..
"Seems like the guards really couldn't keep her out.." She chuckles..
"I had guards..? Neat..."
"It's mandatory,given your new disposition. Gladya is combing the lands clean as we speak."
"Where is Queen Klovis..?" Grayson asked.
"She was consumed by the void and defected from us yesterday...had a purple scar over her eyes like someone had slashed her across the face." Serene expalins.
"I see.."
Grayson's stomach grumbled.
"Complete side note,is breakfast prepared?"
"It's been prepared. Can you walk?" Serene asked.
Grayson squeezes out from under Kupa,wiggling his toes and gradually seeming to test the new "fit" on his body.
"I feel like a million bucks despite my soul basically being torn from my body...Why?" Grayson asked,as he felt his chest.
"We were able to anchor your soul with an enchantment,though easier said than done. It was like trying to nail slime to rotten oak wood."
"Point taken. Let's eat." Grayson said,getting up,wobbling slightly in his gait before continuing to walk. Serene lingers,waiting for Grayson to leave before waking her.
"Oi..OI wake up." She demands of the creature..
Kupa gives a protesting groan.
"What the hell did you two do last night?" She asked as Kupa looks to her.
"Nothing..! Honest we just cuddled I swear.." Kupa said,a squeaky grogginess lacing his voice.
"That's horse shit and we both know it." Serene whispers.
"What,jealous I got to the boy before you could?" Kupa said with a smug smile,a little proud that she had been found out.
Serene gives a slight overreaction,"N-no..! You don't seem to realize how much danger this boy is in,though! The last thing he needs is a sexual interest slowing him down."
"Creepers cant have sex,remember? We reproduce like flowers ya know."
"My point remains. We have a balance to keep." Serene said as she leaves the room.
"Psh...Balance my ass..Ive seen a Pillager lie better than you.." She mutters.
Down at the breakfast table,pretty much every manner of food had been placed out,much to Grayson's glee. He didn't know what to partake of first,the boy's eyes darting from one dish to another,before settling on a breakfast cake,snagging a slice and eating it with almost euphoric joy.
"Ohh why does this taste so damn good?!" He asked gently between bites.
Alex strolls down,looking to Grayson and shedding a warm smile. 'Well look who's up,finally. I thought you'd abandoned ship by now.' Alex signs.
"What and miss a chance to play hero? Not for the sake of the world." Grayson responds before serving himself a nice bowl of mashed potatoes and eating.
Serene and Kupa come down after Alex
"Hey there,big guy save some for us!" Serene chuckles as she grabs some breakfast herself.
"I don't think I've ever been this hungry-"
"Thank yourself being asleep for almost a week. Any longer and you'd have punched your ticket for the loony bin." Kupa chuckles.
"I thought you were clinically insane after 72 hours of sleep..?"
"That's how much time you get spending awake." Kupa said,as she hugs him from behind.
Alex clears her throat,'Anything we should know,you two?'
"Oh- Nothing TOO important." Kupa said with a chuckle.
"Maybe the fact that you pulled the Monster Mash?" Serene asked,a sour tone lacing her voice.
Kupa blushes wildly,"It WAS NOT the 'Monster Mash' thank you very much! If you really want to talk about what we did last night it was more like....the bees and the flowers."
"Could we NOT talk about...whatever we did last night and just have breakfast please?" Grayson asked.
'Yes,please let's not.' Alex signs with a gentle shake of her head.
Serene gives a gentle huff and settles in her seat for breakfast,as does Alex. They both got what they desired of the meal as well. Kupa remained plesantly cuddled behind Grayson,pecking lovingly on him every now and again.
"So,flower talk aside,what all did this mighty hero even miss?" Grayson asked.
"So far,quite a bit. Gladya has somehow proceeded into the world some way or another,possibly chasing the lost fragments of your soul in an attempt to find you. Thanks to some Endish stranger,Gladya's memory of you is as about as valuable as a Polaroid photo. She remembers you,but not your coordinates.
So far,the Main Cities are unaffected by her trifles thanks to barriers that were risen in the case she ever crossed into our plane,though they were built as a contemporary precaution,not a permanent one." Serene explains.
"It's becoming increasingly clear that Gladya is preparing for some kind of hive mind,a grand 'Unification' that needs some kind of life force. From what her forces have built,this Unification is intended to transmogrify her body into some form of Demi-god or god form..? It's unclear since her fortress is made of Deepstone,and as far as what Terris Magai has tried in the past,it cannot be infiltrated unless she lets us in." She continues.
"Lovely,nothing like breaking into the mind powered fortress I escaped from." Grayson sighs softly.
"Since you've escaped they've tightened up in force,at least 20 to a single squadron." Serene said.
"So Doomslayer proportion fights,even better." Grayson said as he takes a bite out of a sausage.
"Doomslayer..?" Kupa questions.
"Ehh...Mass amounts of blood,gore and violence for a greater good."
"Oh,THAT kinda Doomslayer." Serene chuckles.
"So what's our war plan anyway?" Grayson asked.
"Training you. We can't fight a war if our only leverage was undertrained." Serene said.
"You start training as soon as breakfast concludes,and we will be doing as much as we can to prepare you for the upcoming war. You NEED to be ready in 2 weeks or less." Kupa adds.
"Thank you,Kupa." Serene said warmly..
'2 Weeks?! That's barely enough time to convert a Miner into a Warrior! He'll be slaughtered on sight!' Alex signs.
"Do you happen to have a better plan that might train him faster? Without the assist of magic?" Serene asked.
'No...not really..' Alex signs defeatedly.
"Then I will be ready within 2 weeks." Grayson proclaims proudly.