Attakai didn't know what to say.
Now he, Damu, and the woman with hair like the moon, sat in a row altogether in a tavern. In complete silence. They were pretty much the only people there. Everyone else was busy outside with the whole dragon situation. Several people had approached the woman as they walked to the tavern- most likely to thank her- but she had just waved them off.
Odd.
Now that there was decent light (outside it was still at MOST midnight) Attakai was able to get a better read on the woman's appearance. One thing he noticed immediately was her petrifying gaze. Her irises were a pale grey, with a deep intelligence behind them, like she was picking apart your very thoughts. She also had a smattering of piercings. She had several across her left eyebrow, three in ascending order on each ear, and two coming down from either side of her cupid's bow, protruding out from the bottom of her top lip like fangs- angel bites, they were called.
To Attakai's left, Damu sat, fidgeting and sneaking the occasional glance at the woman. Well- glance was an understatement. He would stare, usually for upwards of a minute. Not a hint of shame with that one.
The woman began to tap her foot. She was clearly growing impatient, but Attakai had NO clue what she expected either of them to say. Attakai thought for a moment, deciding he should at least TRY to start up a conversation. He turns to look at the woman.
"So-"
The woman had IMMEDIATELY met Attakai's gaze with her own- and he almost fell out of his seat. It felt like his soul was melting. Puzzled, she raises her eyebrows.
"Gotten the courage to speak now, have we?"
Attakai nods, composing himself. Damu chuckles, trying to piggyback off of the conversation starter and sound confident. "I would've spoken sooner- but uh, I thought I'd give my sidekick here a chance."
The woman frowns. "That…whatever. What are your names?"
Damu speaks up first, his face a bright, perverted red. "Damu Burakku! Back where I come from though, they call me the Warrior Demon!" Attakai's face contorts in disgust. He couldn't bring himself to believe that Damu was an actual person. Regardless, he pipes up as well. "I'm Attakai Jumaru."
The woman's head bobs as she looks them both up and down, assessing them up close. Resolved, she exhales, leaning back. "I'm Charon."
Damu grins. "A beautiful name for a beautiful lady-"
"How do you find yourselves here?" Charon interjects, voice full of venom as she stares daggers at Damu. Attakai takes initiative this time, doing his best to explain how they had ended up wherever this was, though he didn't quite understand himself.
Charon is left utterly perplexed. Left with no other explanation, she inquires. "You two aren't on anything, right?" Damu chortles, clutching his stomach. "You're really funny, miss!"
Charon stares back, blankly. "Thank you."
Damu convulses, ejaculating. "D-does this mean I can eat you out?!"
"No."
"Please?"
"CAN THE SMARTER ONE TALK?!! PLEASE!?!" Charon pleads as she slams her head against the bar table. A tear runs down Damu's face, but he's quick to wipe it away as he puts his head down. "Sorry ma'am…"
Attakai wanted so badly to feel pity for the boy, but he ultimately couldn't bring himself to. He was pathetic. Undeserving of redemption. Already back on track, Charon looks deeper into Attakai's eyes, leading him on as if to ask if he knew any more. Attakai rubs his temples, shaking his head.
Charon sighs. "Well," She says, "It's possible you two could be suffering from amnesia- or some other form of memory loss…" she cocks her head back, staring at the ceiling. "Nothing is adding up…"
Attakai leans in closer, doubly confused. "If I might ask, why is it so important that you figure this out…?"
Charon sighs, hanging her head. "Because if you have no good reason for causing all of this- I am obliged by my own morals to kill you both." She looks back toward the two. "And that wouldn't feel great, now would it?"
Attakai swallows deeply, shifting in his seat. Their lives hung in the balance, and there was nothing he could do. A hopeless situation for the golden boy. On a side note, however, Damu seemed oddly turned on by this threat, but he's probably scared as well. Maybe.
Eyes squinting, Charon scans over the two once more- but stops abruptly.
As if something caught her eye.
Without warning, charon grabs Damu by the back of his head, pressing it harder against the table, pulling his shirt back. Damu lets out an otherworldly cry of glee. "YES!! YES- DOMINATE ME!!"
"DAMU SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Attakai screams. He was borderline done with his bullshit. When would he see this was a serious situation? Charon's gaze remains fixed on damu's neck for a good minute, before finally, her muscles relax, and she releases the boy from her grip, letting out a sigh of relief.
Damu shoots up, gasping for air- gripping the bright red palm mark Charon had left on his neck. Charon stares. "Move your hand, boy." Damu does as he's told, and Charon turns to Attakai. "Attakai, look at the back of his neck." Craning his neck, Attakai peeks over, fixing his sight where he was told. Attakai is puzzled. On the back of Damu's neck is…a tattoo? It was simple enough, just a black X. he stares at Charon, not understanding. Charon, understanding Attakai's misunderstanding, tells Damu the exact same thing. To look at Attakai's neck.
He has the same reaction.
The boys lock eyes. They were still confused, but now they were confused together at least. Snapping them out of their stupor, Charon speaks. "That, is the Mark of The Slavic King- The Ziel."
Damu raises an eyebrow. "What's that-"
"I'M FUCKING GETTING TO IT."
"Sorry Ma'am."
"Holy fuck… Anyway, two thousand years ago, this land was overrun by famine, war, pestilence and death- a veritable wasteland. A crucible of blood. To top it all off, this was all under the reign of one deity. An entity beyond human comprehension. The Suneater. This horror is feared as the personification of suffering. Of fear. This vile being took its roots in the mind of the ancient ruler of the land, The Sanguine King Arthur. Under its influence, life became unbearable. Death became a luxury. Slavery, starvation, homicide. Millions lost every day, and all while Arthur himself existed outside of punishment. The Suneater granted him immortality, and the ability to reap life on such a sickening scale that human life became less than a pittance to him. He ruled for decades and decades- all the while, the people grieved. They wished for a savior. A Slavic King.
This wish was granted, in the form of two men. Styx, a mage with power beyond the scope of which modern historians can recount, and a nameless man with limitless ambiton. Together, these two felled the Sanguine King, and sealed the Suneater. The nameless warrior was lost to history- no accounts of him remaining- while Styx went on to found the land as we know it: The Slavic Archipelago, or more simply, Slavigrad. You may think none of this is substantial, right? That none of this helps you learn of your situation? Sure, it seems that way, until you take into account the marks on the back of their necks. A black X. The Mark of The Slavic King."
Damu's eyes had long since rolled to the back of his head as he was lulled into a deep sleep, but Attakai remained attentive, so Charon continued. "It is believed that these two men were brought into being by the wishes of the suffering masses. Manifestations of hope. Beings of fate. The fact that you two have appeared so suddenly with no explanation with the exact same mark, and in this time of need- your purpose is indisputable."
Attakai's brow furrows. "Time of need?" He had been following everything she had said pretty well, but hadn't the Suneater been sealed? Hadn't that Sanguine King guy been taken care of? Charon's face hardens for a second. "Well-"
"ENOUGH!" Damu screams. Attakai jumps, caught off guard. What the fuck is his deal? Charon, done with Damu's antics, turns her head, glaring. Apparently he hadn't been sleeping. Just brooding. His face was flushed with anger, smoke practically coming out of his ears.
"You're gonna say you know someone, right? After explaining this 'time of need', you'll point us to someone else who can baby us and 'help us', won't you? Well guess what?" He grabs Attaki by the arm, standing up. Attakai, jerking away in protest, stammers, "What the hell are you doing?! She's trying to help!"
"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!" Damu screams again. "This is MY story- and I don't need some chick leading me through it on easy mode!" He meets Charon's glare with his own. "Thanks for your help, BITCH. But we don;t need it!" With that, the fatass storms out of the tavern. Charon peels her gaze away from Damu, fixing it back on Attakai. "You seem smart, Attakai. You know for a fact that your chances of survival skyrocket if you follow my lead. Trust me. Leave him behind. He only hinders you."
Attakai was completely taken aback by Damu's episode, and frankly, was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to do. What Charon had said was right, if he went with her, his survival was almost guaranteed. But he couldn't just leave Damu, who he knew wouldn't follow Charon's lead.
Charon's analytical gaze quickly turns hostile. "Look, either you go with me, or stay with him. There's no in between."
This would be the longest 2 seconds of Attakai's life- and 2 seconds he would relive it over and over.
"I'm staying with Damu."
Charon stared for what felt like an eternity. "You're stupider than you look." Finishing on that bitter note, the woman took hold of her strung up katana, and with elegance, strode out of the tavern.
All alone, Attakai sat.
He stared into nothingness. Had he made the wrong decision? He was bombarded with questions, none which he had the answer to.
He sighs, rubbing his forehead. "No use crying over spilt milk, right?" With this, he's able to stand. With most of his anxiety dispelled, the boy rises, and silently ducks out of the tavern.
—--
Emerging on the other side of the doorway, Attakai keeps his head on a swivel, trying to scope out any trail left by Damu- or the boy himself- but nothing surfaced. Charon was also LONG gone, which wasn't much of a surprise to Attakai, as she was obviously some variation of superhuman.
Attakai thinks for a second, head swirling, but calming himself, he takes a deep breath, and resolves just to search around the village-
"ATTAKAI!!!"
With a sudden, boulder-like force, Attakai is slammed into the ground. Above him, pinning him firmly to the ground, was Damu.
"I THOUGHT YOU FOLLOWED ME OUT!" He cries, rolling off of Attakai, standing up. Attakai follows suit, standing up as well, in awe of the boy's utter stupidity. However, as much as it pained him to admit, he was relieved that he had found Damu.
"It's whatever." Attakai says, smiling. "I'll go wherever you go. Just tell me the plan." Damu grins, beginning to walk along the street. "Walk with me, Attakai." Attakai cringes, but does as Damu says. "Where do you think every good isekai starts, Attakai" Damu asks. Attakai continues on in silence. He had never seen an anime in his life, so he didn't have any semblance of an answer. Damu let's out a low, guttural, disapproving grunt.
"Well, I shouldn't be surprised a normie doesn't know…. But to answer my own question, all great isekai adventures start, is the adventurer's guild!"