The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield

Our reunion…

Our return…

Whatever you wished to call the carnal hours Mila and I spent in bliss…was worth all the wait in the world.

The way she supported me when I was on top…

The comforting touch of her hands as they caressed every inch when she had me on my back…

To even her gentle brushes of my hair when my voice had nearly gone hoarse from passionate screaming when those vines kept me suspended…

The immediate memories were more than foggy since my body was lit aflame in the passionate throes of lust, but when I came to…

I was in her sweet embrace, my head resting atop her chest as she hugged me tighter and warmer than ever before.

“I love you,” I whispered. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” she replied, rubbing my back. I met her eyes. Her lips blessed mine.

“Just…knowing that what I feel…right now—at this moment—isn’t final fills me with so much happiness. I want to experience this again. Not alone, though. Tilde and Tris must be there. We can revel in it together.”

“I’m certainly amenable to that, but it must be even more special. Maybe we could go on a date? It’d be fantastic—with a truly spectacular, satisfying ending to close the night.”

“That sounds like a dream come true.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Mila went quiet for a moment. “Tris says they aren’t due to return for a few more hours. If you’re up for it… We don’t have to stay here.”

“Where? What do you have in mind?”

“Hmm… That’s for me to know and you to find out! Come on, let’s get dressed.” We got out of bed. “Oh.” Her voice stopped me from grabbing my armor. “You won’t need that where we’re going.”

I nodded. Yes, my face displayed a smile, but that didn’t even compare to the joy beaming around my heart. I felt giddy. Like…electric waves were radiating outwards from my stomach. The anticipation made me wonder if this was how maidens from those old fables felt.

Quella probably knows. She’s obsessed with fantasy books. Should I ask to borrow one? Having additional material to draw inspiration from wouldn’t hurt. I don’t want to always rely on that tiny terror to help swoon Mila...lest I fall into debt…

I could already see Tilde’s shocked face. She’d advise me on how to do something. Specific topics didn’t matter if they pertained to the heart. Many would call it childish, but I was determined to leave her speechless by surpassing her verbal wit. She was always one step ahead of me. That little pest knew what I wanted to say before I knew it.

Mila’s and Tris’s heartfelt gift—those clothes they had made me—rested gently in my hands after retrieving them. Soft as velvet—tougher than steel—it was, by far, my most priceless possession.

Why this? Why not the armor or sword?

The answer was simple.

Because my face was visible. The others just needed one look at my expression to see how much joy wearing these clothes brought me.

I quickly got dressed, relishing every tiny fiber. “Okay, so… Wait.” Something about Mila felt off. She wore the outfit Tilde had designed for her, but… “You’re wearing a cloak. Why the hood? I thought we didn’t need to be disguised.”

“You don’t. I do.”

“I don’t get it.”

“The fame of the High Elf of Liberation is bound to attract attention like a moth to a flame. I want to spend time with you, not swatting away pestering people who won’t leave us alone. However… Okay, that could work.” Mila’s head flashed as she explained she used a spell to make others less observant of her face. “I’ll keep the cloak up for a little bit. If it’s unnecessary, then I’ll lower it. But with this, we shouldn’t have anything to worry about. No one to recognize either of us. So, we’ll be free to do whatever we want.”

“I take it we’re departing for Plymoise?”

“Yep. The people know the High Elf of Liberation better than anyone—hence the cloak. Again, that’s not something we need to worry about. Anyway, Plymoise is beautiful. It has its own rustic charm that can’t be repeated anywhere else. I hope you like the color green because…it’s almost everywhere. Honestly, I still don’t understand the Vestiges. Parthina’s a place that makes sense when it really shouldn’t. But enough about that.”

Mila took my hand in hers; my heart found it smitten at her lovely touch.

“I know a few restaurants we can check out. Remember that café? The one I teleported to like six times? It should be open. You know it doesn’t matter what we do if we do it together.” She tightly embraced me as our surroundings changed faster than I could blink.

We were no longer in a building—the bright blue sky stared down upon us. Smooth hardwood flooring was replaced by gritty pavement as the hustling bustle of a busy main street became commonplace.

The secluded alley Mila had warped us to was just off to the side. Hand in hand, we emerged without arousing suspicion and joined the crowd.

“So, welcome to Plymoise,” Mila said. “See?” She pointed to the café. It sat near the guild. “Why not make that our first stop? Oh, order anything you want, okay? And if you see anything even remotely interesting... Tell me. Today is all about us, Sekh. It’s okay to be selfish.”

I lightly bit my lip. This…freedom…shouldn’t have caused my heart to skip a beat. Yet it did, but I didn’t know why. The anticipatory ‘something’ didn’t feel bad, though. Instead, I wanted to use it as fuel.

If this is about us, then… Should I take the initiative? I don’t want to be stoic. I don’t want to be like an iron wall… Tilde said I should try to be in tune with my femininity.

So… I did just that, walking ahead and adding a spring to my step as Mila tagged along. Baked sweets and hot coffee soon tickled my nose as we crossed the threshold. “I want to try many different things,” I said.

“Then we’ll order as much as you want. Come on. Let’s get in line.”

*****

To proclaim that the time I spent with Mila was nothing less than a dream come true would’ve been a lie. It was all that and more, with all the whimsical follies of what a ‘maiden in love’ should do. I doted on her, even going so far as to wipe sweet cream from her cheek with my finger. And as we walked down the various roads, checking out everything the city offered, I clung to her arm like an unruly slime.

At some point…

It was less me ‘forcing’ myself to do this and more of ‘doing’ it without trying. It was, admittedly, unnerving at first. Or if not that, then the unnatural guise made me consciously second-guess every little step.

Tilde had annoyingly said that would happen. The terror even warned me that forcing myself to act like this might backfire. But would it? Common sense and her life experience suggested she was right. She’d been correct about a bunch of other things. She even said it herself—Tilde had been around a long time. She had seen what she called ‘tropes’ play out over like a speeding clock.

Things existed in a cycle. Trope A, once the initial parameters were met, consistently resulted in Result A, except for a few slight variations. The overall lesson to be learned would almost undoubtedly be the same. Tilde knew the outcome, so she could ‘skip’ to the end by telling me what I would’ve eventually learned.

“You’re a big girl,” she had said before departing with Tris to find Sera. “Do what you want. I’ve given my advice, so it’s up to you. If you find that you can’t stop thinking about your actions, then approach it differently. If, instead, it becomes more natural, then congrats!”

On the fortunate side…the second option was what came true. Throughout our day, I was less focused on thinking about how to act as I wanted to and instead just reacted that way.

Even though I hadn’t been to Plymoise before as Sekh, I had Surtr’s memories. So, I used his knowledge to drag Mila to all the places I wanted to experience.

Food…

Shopping…

Without having to don my armor...without anyone knowing I was the Dark Lord of Tyranny….

I could experience all those things I missed due to the curse forcing me down one narrow path. I could expand my options—strive to do the things forbidden to me for so long. That happiness… I’d already found it with Mila, Tris, Tilde, Irisa, and the others, but after experiencing enough to make my heart pitter-patter…

I desired more.

I did.

I really did…

Throughout the day, our travels in Plymoise eventually led us to warp to Atrix, the city-state Mila had helped liberate. The reconstruction efforts were ongoing, but most signs of conflict had been cleaned. Ayroix, the new leader, gave a speech at the town square to enthusiastic applause before departing for another meeting.

“I’m glad he’s doing well,” Mila said as we dispersed with the crowd.

“Surtr regards him as a good man.”

“He is. He’s what Atrix needs.”

Compared to Plymoise, Atrix had fewer amenities to offer, but because it had recently survived a rebellion… It felt…closer? If that wasn’t the right word, then more joyful. People had experienced the righteous emotion of fighting for freedom. That always brought unity you couldn’t get anywhere else. Everyone regarded one another as brothers or sisters-in-arms. The horrors of Lord Atrix’s bloody arm of unquenchable conquest were a nightmare no one would forget for a long time.

Unfortunately, we didn’t stay long. Not because it was boring—far from it. I rather enjoyed seeing the people work together to fix their community. But because Mila received a message from Tris. It happened when we stopped at a bar. Mila had said this was where she had fired the rebellion’s first shot. Thus, it was precious to the freedom fighters. It was also popular, but Ayroix had enacted a law to ban alcohol until after dusk.

The time for day drinking, he had said, could return once the city had unified. He practiced what he preached, too. Rumors said he was up at first light and was almost always the last one to leave for the day. So those who looked at him for guidance had, in my opinion, a worthwhile man to lead the city-state to prosperity and beyond.

It was easy to see why nationalistic pride was at an all-time high.

Throughout my lives… Did I ever feel that strongly about a place? Or had my essence always been consumed by an unquenchable thirst for total devastation?

…

Things were different. I felt similarly about my current life as any son or daughter of Atrix felt about their homeland. My home was where I belonged, right? With Mila and the others. Once we had finished here... Once we reunited with Ichiha? Wherever her parents were living would become our new home.

“Well, seems like our day’s about to end. Did you have fun?” Mila asked, leaning against a wall. She held a cucumber skewer as I snacked on a chicken stick.

Instead of responding…

I embraced Mila. I let my actions speak for themselves. “It was the best date I’ve ever been on. It was…really so much fun, Mila!”

“I’m glad. The next one will be even better. Just wait until Atrix is back in working order. Guess what? The one after will blow the previous one out of the water. I’ll strive to always make each better than the last.”

“Not alone, you won’t. We’re together in this,” I replied. Mila went silent before a vibrant, lovely smile flourished on those soft lips.

“Yeah. You’re right. We’ll leave after we finish our snack.” Mila chomped into her vegetable.

I didn’t say this because it was already known to us, but Mila didn’t have to vow to make each date better than the previous one. Why? The answer was simple. Each minute I spend alive with my loved ones is better than the prior minute. Again-- a childish way to think about it, but I didn’t care.

If being childish meant that one dream had already come to fruition, I’d gladly take that label with a heartfelt smile because I wanted this happiness.

I’d grab it, hold on tight, and never, ever, ever let it go.