Win Me Over, Demon King

4 - To Azuma Village

"Oh dear!"

An unfamiliar woman's voice to Alice resounded above her as she lay face first on the grass. Sure, she walked toward Azuma Village with enough optimism, but it had been almost an hour, and she still hadn't gotten close to halfway.

Alice helped the woman support her to stand up.

"What happened?" the woman asked, her voice laced with a soft country accent.

"I just got tired." Alice finally stood back and smiled. "It's been a long walk from the borders."

"You walked from there? Goodness, me. Come, come!"

Alice let the woman hold her by the arm firmly, following along as the woman led her to a small cart with an old horse. A boy seemingly years younger than her had a warm expression as he fed the horse an apple.

The boy looked over at his mother's return, eyes slightly widening at the sight of a different person.

"Who...?"

"I found her back there deep in the forest!" The woman looked at her, her small, pale brown eyes filled with determination. "Where are you headed, dear?"

"Azuma Village," Alice answered.

"Oh? We're headed back to the village as well. Why don't you ride with us?"

"Mother, are we sure we could just..."

"Don't be like that now, Ton." The woman smiled at Alice, one hand tucking her loose brown strands in her hat. "What's your name, dear?"

"I'm Alice. Thanks for having me."

The woman waved a hand and led Alice to the cart with boxes of fruits, herbs, and seeds. Her son, Ton, with a head shake, rode the old horse and began their steady trip back to Azuma Village.

"My name is Mysris, and my son over there is Ton. Why were you out there in the borders? You don't seem to be from here."

"I.. am not." Alice paused. "You can say I recently moved to Jyusora without anything on me, so..."

"You poor thing." Mysris caressed Alice's hair. "Do you need a place to stay? You can stay with us in the meantime."

Ton visibly gasped in surprise from the front but didn't say anything.

"I.. want to explore Jyusora."

"Yes, but you will need a place to return to in the meantime, don't you?"

"Mother."

Mysris sighed. "Ton, I'm sure Alice wouldn't catch anything."

"Even so. It's..." He trailed off, deciding to remain quiet.

Alice tilted her head in confusion.

"Do not mind him. It's just that my husband is bedridden, and we haven't been receiving guests due to people's misconceptions that they may catch my husband's illness," she said quietly.

"What is his illness?"

"Netariki."

"What's that?"

Mysris briefly shot Alice a curious look before sighing and glancing elsewhere. "I'm not too sure how to explain. His organs are a bit messed up inside, so he can't move properly, nor can he digest much."

"How did he get this illness?"

"It was because of that stupid new king," Ton suddenly barked. "Really had to spread that toxic air of his everywhere!"

"Ton!" Mysris yelled. "Let's not say such things."

"Tsk!"

The mention of the unnamed demon king piqued Alice's interest.

"What did the demon king do?"

"Alice," Mysris hissed. "We do not say 'demon king.' Drop the demon."

"But why?"

"Just don't say that. Especially in crowds. It won't do good for you, especially now he's taken over."

Silence fell; only the trudges of the horse and the cart wheels over grass and soil with seldom stones tickled their ears. Alice didn't mind, but curiosity ensnared her mind.

A toxic air. Ton could be referring to one of the demon king's passive abilities.

Other than that, it seemed at this time of his new ascension as ruler of Jyusora; many people were not happy. Many were severely affected.

Alice kept watch outside; the skies remained the same, and the pastel-schemed nature everywhere, and undoubtedly so, even the colors of the houses from Azuma Village as they drew near.

People came and went, and the noise of a plethora of voices and activity buzzed along as the cart entered the stone pathways of Azuma Village and passed through several houses and people. Busy people they were, as no one took a strange notice of Alice's appearance. It was a tight but lively village.

"Come, dear." Mysris went down first and urged Alice to follow her as the cart stopped.

Ton stayed outside, leading the old horse to its tiny stable and coming back and forth to retrieve the boxes on the cart to their small shop attached to their home. Mysris led Alice inside their quaint and humble house. Everything but the bathroom was in one room. On the far left corner was a man with eyes staring at the ceiling, still on a bed.

"We're home, dear," Mysris said, earning a low grunt from her unmoving husband. "I brought in someone here. She's new to Jyusora and needs a place to stay."

Alice wanted to correct her last words but only walked with Mysris to the man and bowed her head.

The man didn't say anything, only looked and nothing else.

"I'll settle some things for you. Do you want to shower first? I'll clean your clothes for you, and you can borrow some of my old ones in the meantime."

"Sure."

Mysris took a towel and some clothes, directing Alice to their bathroom. As Alice cleaned herself, her mind wandered about her new living here. This could be her new home in Jyusora in the meantime. It didn't sound bad at all. Mysris was a lovely lady who reminded her dearly of her late grandmother; her husband, Ortle, seemed okay, and her son, Ton, resembled plenty of rebellious teenagers in the real world.

Once finished, she went out, washing her hair with the towel around her shoulders and wearing loose medieval-inspired clothes. Ton was still outside while Mysris was in the kitchen.

"Sit down and rest, Alice, dear. I'll be preparing lunch."

Alice sat on a dining chair and decided to finally ask her long-awaited question.

"Mysris, is it possible to meet the demon king?"