Reincarnated into a Snow Griffin-Chapter 110

"My elemental root is the same as the matter that makes the strange phenomenon in the Ghost City, and that’s why is does not recognize me as something from outside, a threat or a strange organism, but the thing is... I don’t have any more tails to sell to you, so the only choice you have is to take me with you, that way we will not only guarantee that you will keep your part of the bargain and get us out of this island but I can avoid that you die before doing so too." He says while smiling and giving me a thumbs up.

I look him over, still thinking what a child like him could do, but then my eyes got to the warrior demon woman beside him and something comes up that I ask:

"Wait, you said you don’t have any more tails to give? And that the place recognizes your aura as their own, but how does that affect us?"

"Tail? Silly you, all magical foxes grow a new tail every one hundred years of life, that is how we grow in age and power, but I always end up selling mine, and that’s why I look like this, but I’m actually quite old that I am!" He puffs his chest out like a proud kid, but I could tell the adult behind those eyes was not pleased in the sightless, sad even, but if he did not want to have this appearance why sell them then? Financial difficulties? But for how long to have to sell his one hundred hard worked years tails?

There is a lot more to this than he is letting out... but so do we, we have all just met, would be strange if there were no secrets and he started to spill the beans about his entire life, stupid even to put all cards on the table, and I guess having him hold back some not essential parts makes me trust in his capabilities a little bit more.

But still... there is something that is not adding up, all seem too great to be true, the only creature that can get us inside the Ghost City falling on our laps like this.

"And while you keep physical contact with me or something that still has my essence, like my freshly cut tail, it ends up having the same effect as being me! So if you carry my tail around the Ghost City won’t act up either."

Ah, I see, truly indeed parts of our body will hold some of our essence for a while, but still to self amputate yourself like this...

"But how do you plan on doing that for all of us? We are three and you are only one..." I ask, thinking of how strong he needs to make his presence to cover up us three at the same time.

"Well, actually the two of you right?" He says, dropping his head to his side and flopping his big black fox ears with it, acting cute and clueless but the one without a clue is me here.

Before I could ask if the warrior woman, Natasha was it, wasn’t coming, Ethan turns to me while popping food in his mouth, a serious look on his face as he says:

"She won’t be a problem, don’t worry, after all she is already dead."

It takes me a moment to realize what he just said, and after looking from her, seating and eating and giving me a sharp grin back, to him, he finally seems deemed to continue explaining now because he had only made me even more confused about the situation.

"One thing that all demons have in common no matter the species and that came to differentiate us from magical creatures is that we can become Contracted Demons after our deaths, you only need a piece of the demons body and a ritual strong enough to bind it to it and the creature’s is under your command." He says after popping another food in his mouth, getting busy eating.

"That’s not it!" With a sudden outburst the fox bumps his fist on the table in anger, toppling some of the drink and spilling it all over, receiving a disapproving look from the waitress who had to come and clean it up, and after a few apologies he manages to calm down and talk once more. "That’s not it, I didn’t mean to bind her, it just... happened."

He says it with an ounce of guilty, but the woman only glances away at his words, even if her jaw clenches a little bit tighter while she eats until she grunts out:

"It was my choice to serve you even after my death master Kasumi, plus death is a little rash isn’t it? After all the dead cannot beat cocky bastards to a pulp like I can can they?" She says, glaring at the fox before staring Ethan down and clearly meaning she could and would beat him in a fight, and that is enough for us to go back to stage one of this ordeal, which means they both started bitching at each other once again.

"Oh yeah? I think I can take down a walking corpse in no time." He says while cracking his knuckles.

"How about we find out little guy?"

"Bring it on dead woman."

I want to roll my eyes at their remarks, but at least the fox seemed to have recovered from whatever is that hit him from mentioning her condition.

It is nice to learn more about demons and how they are different from other races especially when I’ve been asking myself that question for a while now, especially when I have more private reason to want that knowledge now for it feels like learning a little bit more about Ethan himself too since he came out as a demon, and I am ashamed to say how little do I truly know him at all in that regard.

How superficial my knowledge about him still is, and how much more I want to find out, how painfully so, from the small to the bigger things, to the small habits to his big wishes and dreams.

I look at him beside me, having fun barking empty curses and painful promises back at the woman, and the vision of him having fun made me want to laugh and cry all at the same time.

Dear mother he has me warped around his fingers doesn’t him? And somehow I quite like it.

"Very well, you have your own circumstances and so do we, what matters is that you are certain that having contact with you is enough to camouflage both of us in there?"

He nods. "Don’t worry about that, I tested it out myself when I walked out of that hell on my own two feet, carrying... well, no matter, you can trust me on that, it will work, now will you keep your end of the bargain and be able to take us out of here?"

I raise my chin at that. "Of course I can, although carrying three people at the same time can prove to be quite the challenge."

"Well, like we said, you don’t need to worry about that, her weight won’t count when the time comes."

"Still..." Is the first time I hear the woman talk seriously and all eyes on the table turn towards her. "I won’t be able to come out there and help you in case of an emergency. Are you sure that’s ok? Are you sure you should go back there?"

There is a moment of silence as they look at each other, a past untold shared covering their faces with a neutral mask and shinning glints of emotion in their serious eyes, and I did not need him to say how bad must have been to stay as the lone survivor of that Ghost City, and I wonder if I may have the opportunity to enquire.

So much said, yet so much left out, we finish our meals to walk back to the inn and stay the last night in city.

Or it was what I had in mind... but is not what ends up happening after all.