Koji Fights The World - Chapter 6 Han He Stree

Koji followed along at a slow pace. He kept checking to see if Daethix had sent any more men to attack. However, he sensed no other would-be ambushers and Koji began to relax. “If your sister wants me, then why didn’t she claim me at the arena?’ Koji asked. He couldn’t understand the logic behind Daethix’ underhanded move when the direct approach was so much simpler.

Zelea immediately stopped slithering and turned to face her husband. She held out her hand, and Koji quickly stepped forward to grab it. The couple started walking together. “It’s complicated,” she replied.

“Please tell me. It’s important,” Koji insisted.

The lamia couldn’t refute his words. Zelea feared that Daethix would send more teams after Koji until the headstrong third princess got what she wanted. Zelea was a childhood friend of Daethix and knew the third princess very well. In a way, Daethix gave sufficient face to Zelea by seeking only to share the Bonder. Daethix could have ordered Zelea’s death, and then replace Zelea as Koji’s Bond Keeper.

If Daethix had done this, no one would dare to protest. After all, the Third Princess was King Aphraphus’ favorite child, and he tolerated her whims and desires. Even if he were also fond of Zelea, the King would not protect her from Daethix if Zelea’s death would mean that Daethix becomes stronger as a result of her bond.

Furthermore, the father had pushed Daethix to take a Bonder, but no man had caught her eye. If King Aphraphus became aware of her interest in Koji, he would personally order the Bonder’s capture and detention until Daethix performs the bonding ritual with Koji.

Zelea understood very clearly her standing compared to Daethix in the King’s and Queen’s eyes. Thus, Zelea resolved to meet with her sister shortly to address the impending crisis before other people intervened. After all, many people in the Kingdom of Nephosia sought the king’s favor and having Third Princess Daethix’ open support would benefit them greatly. Thus, they may send assassins after Zelea to remove the primary obstacle to Daethix’ desire to bond with Koji.

“Third Princess Daethix has many admirers who seek her favor. Some of them also seek to bond with her. But so far, Daethix has publicly refused to bond with anyone. If word gets out that she wishes to bond with you, then one faction will seek my death so that Daethix becomes the sole keeper of your bond. The other faction will seek your death to keep Daethix bondless and reduce her power,” Zelea explained.

Koji sighed aloud. He was a simple-minded fellow and hated politics. Now, he was caught up in palace intrigue! “What will you do?” he inquired with slight trepidation. Koji remembered his one-sided defeat at the hands of Daethix; he didn’t relish the notion of becoming her husband, too!

“We will talk to my sister and come up with an amicable resolution,” Zelea replied.

“We will?” he asked meekly.

“Yes,” the lamia nodded. Zelea abruptly stopped walking and turned to face her husband directly. “Are you afraid of my sister?” she asked with sudden realization. Zelea became astonished at the notion. How could a man with such a fearsome fighting spirit fear her sister?

Koji avoided looking at her face. “I rarely get beat up like the way I did back in the arena,” he explained and winced at the memory.

Zelea cupped his cheeks gently and raised his hand so that their eyes met. “It’s alright to admit your fear.” She kissed his forehead to soothe him.

Koji gently pushed her back. “How will I protect you from her?” he asked with a somber facial expression.

“You can’t,” she replied flatly. “My sister is an Expert User of Telekinesis. Back in the arena, she imposed her Will on your body. That was how she flung you around like a ragdoll. Your Indominable Spirit skill level must be at least Tier 8 to block her Will,” Zelea explained.

“How long will I need to train to reach Tier 8?” he inquired.

“That depends,” she replied.

His brows arched.

“If you train by yourself, you may need a decade to reach Tier 8. If you train under a specialist, you can master the skill in half the time or even less if you are heaven-blessed with the talent of a genius,” Zelea explained.

Koji accepted the explanation with a nod. He had spent a half-dozen years training in Wing Chun, and only one year in practicing Dim-Mak. Requiring a decade to master a skill sounds about right to him.

The bonder decided to change the topic. “I noticed that the shops in this area look prosperous,” Koji remarked.

Zelea smiled broadly. “We left the slums of Wuu Men Street. We’re now in Han He Street. This area is considered a middle-class neighborhood,” she answered. The lamia received a reminder of how perceptive her husband was; she felt blessed by the Gods that he wasn’t the all-muscle-and-no-brain type of man.

As Zelea pulled him along the street, Koji’s head turned back and forth to examine the shops. He noticed that the doors were open and shoppers continually entered and exited the shops. The streets were clean and litter-free. The hustle-and-bustle of this neighborhood strongly contrasted against the relatively empty streets on Wuu Men Street.

Suddenly, Zelea pulled him into a shop called, “The Corrupted Mask.”

When the couple entered the store, a middle-aged woman with short, red hair, gray-blue eyes and wearing a tight-fitting yellow cotton dress approached.

Koji immediately noticed her voluptuous figure with her ample bosom and wide hips; the dress had a low v-cut to draw attention to her cleavage. A sharp elbow from Zelea jerked his gaze away from the shopkeeper’s chest.

“Good morning, Princess Zelea,” the worker greeted with a perfect curtsy.

“Good morning, Seamtress Luna,” the lamia replied with a slight nod. “I need clothing, including underwear, for my new Bonder,” she explained.

Luna beamed with delight at the news. “Congratulations!” She quickly approached Koji and slowly walked in a circle around him. With her eyes alone, the seamstress determined his size and walked to her back shelves.

As Luna scrutinized Koji, he stood still like a statue in front of the shopkeeper. He smelled a delightful fragrance from her body. The young man tried very hard to avoid looking down her dress; Koji feared what his jealous wife would do to him if she caught him checking Luna’s attractive figure! He inhaled a deep breath when Luna finally walked away.

Five minutes later, Luna returned with a pile of clothes in her arms. The shopkeeper placed them on the counter near the front of the store.

Zelea examined the pile of clothes piece-by-piece and separated them into two piles. She chose white briefs, a white undershirt, a red silk tang suit jacket and matching pants, and a pair of black slip-on shoes. “Try these in the dressing room,” she commanded.

“The dressing room is this way,” Luna said with a smile and a wave of her arm.

Koji took the pile of clothing and followed the seamstress to a small dressing room in the back. He removed his robe and sneakers and put on the new clothes. Koji was surprised that the jacket was loose-fitting and didn’t restrict his arms movements. Furthermore, even the underwear fit perfectly. The young man blushed at the thought of the attractive Luna knowing his size by sight alone. Once he put on the slippers, Koji stepped out and walked toward the front of the shop.

The two women were chatting quietly; they ceased their conversation when he arrived and examined Koji with critical eyes.

The Bonder noticed that his Keeper was wearing an elegant looking red silk dress. Like Luna, Zelea’s garment was tight-fitting and hugged all the curves on his wife’s body. Koji found himself staring at her and quickly looked away; he caught a smile on Luna’s face.

“Turn around,” Zelea ordered, and Koji obeyed. “It looks good on you,” she admitted with a smile.

Luna clapped her hands. “You look very handsome!” the seamstress praised with admiration.

“We’ll take everything,” Zelea said.

Luna bowed to the princess. “Where should I send your purchase?” she asked.

“I’m staying at The Wicked Monkey Inn in Wuu Men Street,” the customer replied.

The shopkeeper’s eyes widened in surprise. But she quickly recovered. “I’ll have a runner deliver your order,” she promised.

“Thank you,” Zelea said with a nod and smile. She turned her attention to Koji. “Let’s go!”

The husband quickly opened the door for her, and then followed Zelea into the street. “Where to?” he asked.

Zelea stopped slithering and grabbed his arm. “We’re going to visit my sister,” she said grimly.