Oh God Why

“Mythal! I have returned!”

It was a familiar but also unfamiliar voice that called out suddenly from the downstairs of his home. The God Slayer was putting the finishing touches of his outfit, which was a practice he never thought he’d take seriously. Not that long ago, he was completely fine with dressing in the most minimal prepared get up he could muster. He had the same clothes to wear day in and day out, though he did make sure to launder them nowadays. But a wedding was an entirely different occasion and, even if it was at a guild that essentially added up to one giant whorehouse, there was still a dress code. Plus Serilda was going to dress up as well so there was no reason for him to not be as presentable as possible too.

But as he finished pulling his tie taut, the voice rang out from the belly of his house. Confused, his brow wrought in suspicion, he walked out from the door and glanced down the stairs. The first sight that greeted him was Gren, his big, bushy tail wagging from side to side excitedly. To anyone that dared to come inside, the image of the massive wolf was enough to give anyone a heart attack. Unlike his sister Xiuhco, Gren had continued to grow beyond the normal weight and height of an average Star Wolf. Indeed, he stood nearly up to Mythal’s shoulders at this point and often found himself having to squeeze through most doorways to get anywhere. It was alarming to say the least – Mythal couldn’t help but wonder if the ingestion of his God Slaying powers had mutated the poor hound. But check ups on the wolf had shown nothing dangerous and his demeanor hadn’t changed in the least. Despite the trials they had endured, he was still the lovable, excitable pup he had been since their bonding.

But after a moment, he saw a leg and arm flail out from underneath the hound as Gren went to town on the intruder. But it wasn’t a vicious attack; in fact, it seemed the pancaked person was under the harsh scrutiny on the wolf’s tongue. “Gren, raam,” he called out the order as he walked down the stairs, now far more curious than he had been before.

The Star Wolf responded instantly, pulling himself away and walking over to the Darkness King, his long tongue flapping out of his mouth. And there, lying on the floor in a pile of slobber, was Susano. The half-sized demigod sputtered and wiped away the slobber that had given him a sticky shower but he was chuckling as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. “Susano…?” Mythal asked, surprised.

“Ah! Glad tidings, my friend. It seems little Gren has become big Gren,” he said as he hopped to his feet, smiling at the man and wolf pair. “I was wondering if I would come home to an empty house or not. Though it seems you are about to head out somewhere important.” The demigod looked at Mythal carefully, taking in the suit.

“Yeah, I’m about to head to a weddin’… Man, where have you been? I ain’t seen you since… well…” Mythal had left for Kingdom Darkness in such a hurry, he’d barely had time to leave any well wishes to his loved ones. Before he departed, he’d asked Susano to take care of Gren and the house, leaving the latter to the freed thunderwizard. Shortly after returning from the tumultuous realm, Susano had stated that he needed to embark on a journey of his own, to discover his purpose after failing to protect or save Mythal himself.

“Indeed, our last meeting was far more somber than I meant it. But after traveling through the world on my pilgrimage, my wayward feet finally brought me back here. I apologize it took longer than expected. I did hope to catch up but alas, it seems that must wait until you return. Please, do not let me hinder you any longer.”

It was true he had to meet up with Serilda at her home and then head to Hosenka. The thought of going back to the guild created a lot of complicated emotions in the God Slayer. It wasn’t necessarily dread or disgust or anything negative – it was a feeling he couldn’t quite put a word to. He was going to be happy to see Ruzatz and Agatha and to celebrate the wedding but he also wasn’t sure to expect. Given the atmosphere of the guild, he imagined it was going to be wildly different from other weddings; not that he’d been to very many anyways.

Mythal nodded and started to move before pausing. “Yo, Susano. Why don’t you… I dunno, come along with us? It’d give us a chance to catch up and you’ll finally be able to meet my fiancé. I know I’ve told you enough about Serilda but you two never got the chance to actually meet.”

Susano blinked but a wry smile pulled itself over his face. “Well… I do appreciate the invitation but I’d hate to intrude.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Though you might want to make a quick pit stop at a store or somethin’ to dress up.”

“Oh, nonsense,” the demigod said simply before snapping his fingers. In a bright flash, his traveling outfit was gone and he, instead, stood in a full tuxedo. His long, wild hair had been pulled back into an elegant ponytail and the wild whiskers of his mustache and goatee were neatly brushed and trimmed. “Just returning home and already out on another adventure. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Mythal.”

“Yeah well… better prepare yer’self. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” the God Slayer chuckled as he, too, snapped and created a portal of darkness. Gren bounced happily and dove right into the void, having moved through such portals time and time again. Susano stared at the swirly black and purple doorway in surprise, glancing over at Mythal curiously before venturing after the Star Wolf. Mythal followed after, the doorway closing as he passed through and out into Serilda’s front walkway.

Gren was already at the door, yipping excitedly to get Serilda and his sister’s attention. Susano looked at the home studiously before he turned back to Mythal, the meaning of spoken words now finally taking effect. “Did you say… fiancé?” He asked, an impish grin on his face.

Mythal shrugged. “You been gone a long time, bub.” With that, he walked up to the door and knocked, as was his custom by now. But instead of waiting for it to open, he took the initiative and turned the handle, allowing Gren to barge in like the ball of excitement he was. “Hey babe, we’re here. I also brought a guest.” Once Serilda would make her way out, he gestured to Susano. “Serilda, Susano; I’ve told each one of ya about the other but never got the chance to introduce ya so… here ya go.”

Susano stepped forward and bowed, as was the custom of his people. He then stepped forward and took her hand in his (which required him to reach up a bit), cradling it carefully but respectfully. “A pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Serilda. I am Susano, Champion of Thunder and Storms. And may I say, congratulations to you and Mythal’s engagement. My only regret is I was not around to meet you sooner.”

Gren was more than pleased to received the loving attention from Serilda, bounding right up to her and staring at almost eye level with her, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. He panted happily as she rubbed his face, lapping at the air in some kind of means of greeting. He turned to Xiuhco, who was standing alert and focused on the way back, to where Mythal and Susano were starting to enter. The large wolf walked idly around Serilda and planted himself just behind her, as if he wanted to watch the showcase of everyone meeting one another.

As a man who was clearly used to being short, he had developed a thick skin in terms of comments, remarks or unspoken glances about his height. Indeed, during his trip over Earthland, he had received several of the aforementioned from the citizens as he went from town to town. But someone such as Serilda, it was not surprising that she found the perfect medium between accommodating and showing respect. The interaction was all pleasant though there was the surprising bit about the company that they were going to join. “His words told me of a wedding but the ominous tone led me to believe it was something slightly… different, than normal,” the demi-god remarked, glancing over at Mythal.

“I figured it’d be funnier to just… go and see how he reacts. Seemed to work out well fer the both of us,” Mythal said with a wry smirk.

Before Susano could remark further, Serilda directed his attention to Xiuhcoatl. “Ah! Gren’s older sister, I believe,” he observed as he allowed himself to be inspected by the wolf. “It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Xiuhcoatl.” Once she had finished her sniff check, he reached out and gave her a few friendly pats and scratches, much like he knew Gren was accustomed to.

Mythal was quick to wrap his arm around Serilda’s side as she came over to embrace him, smiling warmly as he looked down at her. He glanced down at his outfit as she observed him and then quickly reminded him that part of the event included a tailor. “Riiight I uh… definitely didn’t forget about that or nothin’,” he said, mentally giving himself a smack. That was right on the invitation! At the mention of the affair perhaps lacking clothing, he winced slightly. “I ain’t exactly hoppin’ up and down for excitement over the idea… but as long as it isn’t a nudist weddin’, we should be alright.”

“Did you say nudist wedding?” Susano spoke up, his face wrought with confusion and intrigue.

“Don’t worry about it, buddy,” Mythal brushed that aside quickly. “How ‘bout we just go and see what’s waitin’ for us?” He gave Serilda a quick nod to indicate he was ready and Susano simply shrugged, clearly deciding to just go along with whatever the Darkness King said. As Serilda formed another portal, the demi-god paused at it, studying it for a quick moment and then glanced back at the two wizards, a smirk on his face. Then he passed through it.

The immediate warmth and energy from the Lusty Titan’s guildhall filled the senses as they walked through, appearing right in the foyer of the building. They had practically just found their footing when a voice called out to them. The company turned to see Agatha, the vibrant and beautiful wife of Ruzatz, rushing towards them. “Hey there, Ag—omph,” the Darkness Slayer’s words were cut off in and instant as the woman practically threw herself onto him in a hug. He wasn’t given much of a choice in the gesture and before he could comprehend it, she was off of him and wrapping her arms around Serilda.

After a short burst of vocal excitement at the ring on Serilda’s finger, the woman turned her attention to Susano, offering her hand and introducing herself to him. “Anata no shiriai o tsukuru koto wa watashi no zettai-tekina yorokobidesu,” the demi-god spoke in his native language, taking her hand and placing a soft kiss upon the top of it. “I’ll have to be sure to think of something to ask, if only to get a chance to speak with you further.”

Mythal did his best not to snort too hard. After all, Agatha had just mentioned that her husband was the guild master here and yet Susano was still laying the charm on thick. Of course, that didn’t seem to matter much in these parts, did they? A quick mental reminder of where he was. “Yeah, getting’ out of the suit would be nice change. Maybe.” It seemed that the tailor made up his own choices in terms of fashion, though he did take the opinions of the dressed into account. As they were led into the room to meet the man, Mythal shot a wary glance at Susano, who seemed far more excited to be here than he was before.

When Mythal’s turn came up, he told the man he wasn’t a suit guy but he didn’t exactly want to look like a homebody either. By some miraculous fashion, the man managed to concoct a look that wasn’t all that far from his normal, casual outfit. He put him in a nice, flourished gray shirt, with a nice thick collar that flipped over on top of a dark purple vest which was also covered by a pale deep gray-green vest. The pants were practically the same, along with his shoes. He strode out feeling fairly good about himself and the choice he had made. He looked up to see Serilda and smiled at her elegant but collected look. “Late for a meetin’, good lookin’?” he teased her.

Susano stepped up next. When prompted to what design he was thinking, the demi-god tapped his chin in thought. “Something… adventurous. And that can change with size.” The tailor grinned, excited at the prospect of really letting loose on the demi-god. In a flash, Susano had been transformed into… well, a pirate. An open brown jacket covered his chest, showing the barrel chest he had beneath. Loose, gray pants hung about his legs, covered by chocolate leather boots with gold/gray adornments. A double looped belt with a skull belt buckle clung to his hips and the literal top of the pretentious look was the gray and gold hat upon his head. Susano looked in the mirror, turning here and there before grinning. “You are truly a master of your craft. And to compliment your ingenious design…” Yet another flash of light and Susano reappeared… now standing at the full height of a normal man. His face was covered in a thick but well-kept beard and his hair was tied into tight braids that hung by his shoulders.

Mythal simply stared in wonder as the demi-god stepped down. “Uh… wow… Susano,”

“I know. That man is an artist,” Susano said simply, patting his jacket. “Now then, shall we?”

To say that Susano was a bit taken with Agatha was, clearly, an understatement. Though Mythal didn’t speak the native Midi that the demi-god did, it was clear between the conversation that they had exchanged charming – and charmed – pleasantries. He shook his head softly as Agatha openly invited Susano to find her later so they could get to know one another better. While it could have very well been an innocent invite, he highly doubted that it was. Whatever the case, it wasn’t his business and if Susano was going to have a good time that way, it was entirely up to him. The Darkness King simply wanted to be left out of it.
But he absolutely had no desire to exit or escape from the revived passion between himself and Serilda. They’d had a very short time to reconnect physically after all the events that took place between Christmas and their venture into Kingdom Darkness. He’d obviously wanted more but with the emergence of Victoria and Lux, it had made it nearly impossible. After some time, the Seal of Conquest had developed a lack of interest in their actions and generally sought out her own curiosity. But Lux was always constantly watching and frankly, Mythal never felt comfortable about engaging in anything. There was no telling if the Lightbringer would find a way to interrupt and, if he did, it would be rude, inappropriate and completely capable of killing any physical intimacy moving forward.

But Lux had disappeared or, at the very least, he was refusing to show himself again. After everything had happened with the battle with that ill-begotten woman, the Seal hadn’t reappeared. For awhile, it had been nice to have his own thoughts and his own time to himself. After he had been slightly concerned – afraid that Lux had somehow broken their bond and escaped into the real world. With no evidence of that, Mythal had finally reached a point of uncaring comfortability. And in that, he had found the confidence to take Serilda back to bed… or really anywhere he could find the time and privacy.

But the momentary flirtation was halted by the sudden change from Susano. Where a comely and gentle short man had once stood, there was now a fully grown pirate. And boy if the look didn’t just suit him well. Susano was oblivious to the shock factor of the whole matter, far more interested in paying respect to the tailor and clearly wishing to go and explore the event further. It was left up to Serilda to take the initiative and speak up – Mythal was still too shocked to form full sentences. So in they went, heading into the main hall that had been dressed exquisitely for the occasion. Clearly Ruzatz and Agatha had spared absolutely no expense on the intricate designs for the wedding itself. Soon the music would start, signaling the start, so it was easier to let the wolves go out and play amongst themselves and the other pets while the guests took part in the ceremony which, thankfully, was relatively normal by wedding standards.

Soon enough they were outside on a large patio, which had been set up with several tables, seating, a fully realized dance floor and the live band playing upon a stage. Mythal ate and chatted with his fiancé and their guest, catching up with demi-god and learning more about his adventures throughout the world. Time sped by quickly and before he knew it, the cake was being passed out. They’d opted to go with different flavors for each slice, which worked in Mythal and Serilda’s benefit. One of the advantages to coming to the wedding was the fact that the engaged pair had been curious about the company supplying the cake for their own coming nuptials. A perfect opportunity had arose and here they were. Mythal had just barely lifted his fork to take in his own cake slice when Serilda mused aloud over her own cake. She picked up a piece to have him try… but not before some commotion from the other table caught her attention. She missed his mouth by a good four inches, smushing the cake against his cheek and the frosting pressing right into his eye. “Ah!” he exclaimed, his eye instinctively closing at the rude intruder. As she fumbled to find a napkin to help him out, that’s when the burning sensation start to build up. Why the hell was cake frosting burning?!

“Hey you two!” A familiar voice came from behind. Mythal turned his head slightly to look towards the approaching Ruzatz, all smile and glamour. A bright pink kimono didn’t work on a lot of people but damn if it didn’t suit the Prime Sin. He paused as he noticed Mythal staring at him one-eyed and Serilda dabbing at him with a napkin. “Oh boy, looks like someone got a little excited with the cake.” He chuckled, his gaze listing slightly away and towards the table wit the humping couple. “Whoa hey now. Tom and Jared, look at you two go…” His words drifted away, his gaze narrowing slightly as he glanced back at Serilda and Mythal and then at the couple and then back once more with finality. “Right. I think I understand.”

The Prime Sin sauntered over to the table and put a hand on the top-most man. “Hey guys, I appreciate the energy but how about we move it to one of the bedrooms inside, huh? We want to be respectful to all our guests.” A quick nod was all the answer he got before the duo disappeared in a puff of bright yellow smoke. “Thanks, you both are a treat.” With that, he came back and sat down across from the pair. “Sorry about that guys, you know how it can get here.”

“Yeah, just a bit…” Mythal said, blinking slowly as the frosting started to clear from his gaze. “Nice shindig. I was expecting more… uh…”

“More of what just caused cake to invade your eye?” Ruzatz said, flashing a playful grin. “I admit I can’t help what all of my guests do – this is a place of debauchery after all. But I wanted a modest ceremony at the very least. I’m glad you guys came though. It’s really nice to see you two. Together. Happy. All of that jazz.”

In spite of himself and the still slightly burning sensation, Mythal smiled and took hold of Serilda’s hand. “Feels good.”

“I also wanted to ask you about that strapping young demi-god you brought as your plus one because…” Ruzatz purred and noticeably shivered. “What a charmer that one is. He was at the bar talking with Agatha and a few of the bridesmaids and I’m pretty sure I’ve lost my wife for the night.”

“Wait… He…?”

“Oh yeah, he said one exceptionally poetical thing too much and the group of them dragged him off to the bedroom to, ahem, ‘hear more of his stories’. I highly doubt his mouth will be the one doing most of the work,” the Prime Sin gave them an impish grin.

It wasn’t until Ruzatz actually walked over to the other table that Mythal finally noticed what had shocked Serilda to her core. While the Darkness King didn’t exactly claim to have a penchant in the deviant like the members of Lusty Titans, the sight didn’t quite shake him to his core like it had the Voidwalker. Still, his one good eye widened in realization and then he couldn’t help the small, knowing smile that came across his face. Even if they had told themselves a thousand times to be prepared for such a sight, there was nothing that could prepare them for when they finally laid eyes on it.

As if that wasn’t enough of a culture shock, Ruzatz revealed that Susano had apparently charmed Agatha and a group of bridesmaids enough that they had hurriedly whisked him somewhere more private. Back a day and the demi-god had already managed to win himself the attention of multiple women at a wedding he wasn’t even invited to. Ruzatz’ impish grin simply showed just how proud he was that a man had managed to charm his wife and several other women within the first few hours of the wedding. Serilda, on the other hand, looked like she didn’t even understand the concept. The very idea of more than two people being involved in sex was so alien to her that all she could do was look at Mythal and stare.

“Don’t worry, Serilda. Just know that Susano will be thanking you both for inviting him as a guest tomorrow morning. Maybe. Agatha tends to… ride out her partners’ energies for a few days,” the Prime Sin stated, chuckling to himself. “But by the looks of things, I’ve already said too much. You guys enjoy the cake; I’m going to go check on a few guests and then I’ll swing back later,” he gave the two of them a nod and then he was up and moving, already calling out to another familiar face.

Mythal watched him go before he looked at Serilda, laughing softly. “Can you believe we’re even here? When that guy first came up to me in Magnolia, I woulda just as easily tossed him through a window as talked to him. And you – you got a much worse experience. Yet here we are, sittin’ at his whorehouse of a guildhall, getting cake thrust in our eyes,” he said with a teasing smirk. “And to think, someday soon, this entire shebang is gonna happen to us. The ceremony, the reception – hopefully not the people fuckin’ on the tables – but everythin’ else. As weird as it is to say, I’m… kinda excited to get there. I never once thought I’d even consider getting’ married, let alone bein’ with anyone period. But then you came along and…”

“Well, let’s just say I’m lookin’ forward to much more cake gettin’ in my eyes.”