Return of the Fallen Volume 12 Chapter 27
“Sofie is saying home is that way, Mister. We have to go that way.”
The kid pointed in excitement. Kazuki raised a brow and spoke to the wolf.
(So you can talk?)
After asking this question to the wolf, the wolf responded back nervously.
(Ye…yes. Only through the mind though.)
(And yet when I tried speaking to you earlier, you ignored me. Why is that Sofie?)
Sofie swallowed hard before trying to explain.
(I didn’t know what your intentions were so I chose to play dumb until you revealed yourself. Please…please don’t kill me oh powerful one.)
Sofie still held some fear toward Kazuki. He didn’t think he was that intimidating but it made sense. He was a Demigod unlike any other and just his very presence gave off the impression of almighty power. At the same time, this wolf was merely at the 7th stage. Though they were only one stage apart, the difference was like the distance between the ground and the sky.
(I’m not going to kill you. Do you really think after helping your master I would suddenly turn on her pet for no reason? Relax I do not want your life, nor hers. I was just passing by and found you two in that situation.)
Sofie began to calm down. Her fur stood up no more.
(If you say so.)
Sofie was some type of wolf creature. She had dark fur with a set of horns and three tails. Bigger than a hill, and just as intelligent as a person. Kazuki had already read her memories and knew she was a pet through and through. Just like her master, she too was raised sheltered just as a regular dog would be. She was at the 7th stage but clearly not a fighter in any regard.
This explained why even though she was at the 7th stage, Sofie did not act that tough, it was because she just wasn’t. She was a pampered pet who like playing with her master and receiving treats.
Kazuki looked at the small child in his arms. She peeked up at him cautiously and he smiled gently back. The girl quickly hid her head, burying it in his chest before just as quickly taking another peek at his face.
“There’s no need to be afraid child. Very soon you will be reunited with your family so just wait a bit more.”
The girl didn’t know what to say but she was still unsure.
Kazuki thought for a moment before opening up his hand. Very quickly a tiny statue of ice formed. With a thought, he carved this piece of fine clear ice into a miniature horse with a pair of wings. Kazuki made the wings out of crystal that changed colors as it moved and refracted the surrounding light. The colors were all the ones that formed a rainbow and more.
Several thousand inscriptions were carved microscopically into this tiny horse and could not be seen with the naked eye. When he was finally done, he held the horse up in front of the girl.
“Can you help me? My hands are a bit full with both you and this mystical horse. Could you hold it for me while we continue our journey?”
The girl didn’t know what to do but Kazuki could see she was fascinated by it. Kazuki already knew she favored animals and shaped this one to match her preferences.
“If you can’t help me it’s fine. I’ll just drop it here.”
Kazuki tilted his hand as if he were about to drop the crystal ice horse and the girl reacted by snatching it from him before it fell.
Kazuki smiled and gave a light laugh.
“Heh, you should be a little more honest with yourself. Since you’re holding it now, maybe I should inform you about its secret.”
The girl looked up at Kazuki and repeated him.
“It’s secret?”
With a nod, Kazuki said.
“Yes, as I said this horse is mystical and therefore it holds a secret. The way to activate it is special. It needs someone with a kind heart to say the magic word for it to work. Do you want to know the magic word?”
The girl nodded enthusiastically.
Kazuki looked left and then right and opened his mouth to say it before stopping just before.
“Hmm, I’ll say it but don’t be too surprised alright.”
The girl nodded.
“The word is Da…nce. I said it like this so that you can be the first to activate it. Can you put the word together and say it?”
The girl thought for a moment before she looked down at the little horse in her hands and said.
“Dance.”
The moment she spoke this word, the small horse’s eyes lit up with a brilliant blue glow before the tiny horse began to gallop and jump in her hands. After a moment it flexed its crystal wings and took to the sky, flying small circles around the girl and Kazuki.
As it flew it left a bright blue trail in the air and snow fell from its beautiful rainbow-colored wings. The girl watched this in pure awe before she began clapping and cheering as she watched it. After about a minute, the ice crystal horse landed back in her hands and went still.
Sofie watched this with jealous eyes but at the same time, she felt happy seeing the little girl happy.
“Mister, that was amazing and so pretty. Can I…Can I play with it some more?”
Kazuki acted as if he were having a hard time coming up with an answer before he explained.
“I don’t mind but only until I return you to your family. How does that sound little one?”
The girl grew excited and smiled brightly.
“Yay!”
Her attention turned back to the miniature ice crystal horse and she repeated the word.
“Dance pretty horse.”
The horse once again seemed to come alive and danced and flew. What was surprising though was the fact that the horse did not repeat the same exact action as before. It hopped around and then galloped and even rolled before flying and perching atop the girl’s head.
The girl’s eyes widened in both surprise and pure glee. She couldn’t help but clap and cheer more and more as she repeatedly called out the word dance.
(Hmm, Kazuki this horse is similar to one of your Golems except this one is way more advanced in nearly every way. You made it so that it was voice-activated and even though it’s made from ice, you created a Magicore inside so it never melts. So long as there is energy in this Realm, and this Golem is not destroyed, it will last basically forever. You also gave it several functions. This tiny horse could slay a 7th-stage being in a single move and yet you gifted it to a child.)
(It’s funny. Back then a single Golem could decide my very fate or even determine the outcome of a battle. Now it is a mere toy in my eyes. Life is wondrously strange. Besides I never said I would give this to her.)
(I’d say the strange one is you but hey that’s nothing new. As for giving this away, as you said it is a toy. For what reason would you make a toy if not to give o a child.)
Kazuki shrugged as he continued to fly forward at blinding speed.
It was only a few moments before Kazuki stopped in the sky. A few thousand miles away was a bright city made of pale blue stone. The walls similar to other cities in this Higher Realm were filled with magic power and the senses of several Gods monitored said walls.
(If I extend my senses into the city, it would no doubt attract unwanted attention. I don’t know if this city also has a no-fly zone over it but it’s better to be safe than sorry.)
Kazuki descended to the ground with the small child in his arms and her pet wolf nearby. There was a line a few miles long stretching out of the city. Kazuki wondered if he should change his face and take on a new identity.
“Child, do you wish to keep the horse?”
The little girl nodded repeatedly before she quickly stopped as she remembered something and her face sank.
“I would love to have it Mister but I can’t.”
“Hmm, and why is that?”
She shook her head.
“Mama and papa said that you should never take things for free, especially from strangers. They are already gonna be really mad at me since I left the city all alone. If I break another rule, they’ll never forgive me.”
Kazuki gently put the girl down and pat her head.
“Your mother and father are absolutely right. You should never accept free things from strangers. How about this? My name is Borus. What should I can you?”
Kazuki held out his hand and the little girl shook it. She smiled knowing where this was going.
“I’m Lana. Nice to meet you, Mister, I mean Borus. Now we’re not strangers anymore.”
The girl smiled as she shook Kazuki’s hand.
“Good, now that we’re not strangers I can give this to you but just in case you, and since we are friends can you not tell anyone about my face.”
The girl looked at Kazuki, she was confused before Kauzki’s face quickly changed shape.
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