“It wasn’t a waste. Ferris had fun, we picked up the Iridant and protective stones, and the information we need that leads us to Japan.”

  “And a potential ally in Momotaro,” I reminded them.

  Ahlaksiz looked doubtful on that but nodded. “Our journey offers many opportunities.” She turned to Jalee. “Your sister…”

  Jalee held up a hand. “Better to get to her when we can, and be of use, than to try too soon and die in the process.”

  “I had a thought,” I said. “Before we go, I realized I’ve accidentally said your real names in the past. Now that we all know each other, that’s great, but… maybe I should stick to referring to you and calling you by false names? Especially since we’ll be around others, meeting new people and all that?”

  “You need to refer to us?” Jalee asked.

  “Where you’re from, maybe it’s the norm. But I’m sorry, I’m not used to not saying someone’s name. I’ve been trying, and I think getting better at it, but don’t want to risk letting a name slip when it shouldn’t.”

  “He’s right,” Ahlaksiz said. “You have names for some of us. Remember, Fatima for me. Since none of you ever use it, I thought I’d say it again.”

  I nodded, looking at Kinara as I said, “Chirop,” then Milrae as I said, “Milkshake.”

  Milrae grinned at that. “I actually prefer Milkshake. It’s funny.”

  She wasn’t wrong, and eyeing her round breasts momentarily, I was reminded of an old song about milkshakes; I couldn’t help but imagine her riding me, those breasts shaking.

  “I like my name,” Jalee said, flatly. She took a deep breath, then sighed. “But it’s been associated with the hunters and carries a stigma. What would you all call me?”

  “Thundercat?” I said with a grin.

  “Thunderpussy,” Kinara said with a laugh, though I was pretty sure she didn’t get the reference I’d been making to the old cartoon show.

  “Um, no.” Jalee glared. “Vetoed.”

  “Sparky?” Milrae suggested.

  “She’s not a dog or a cat,” Ahlaksiz cut in, looking exasperated with our attempts. “How about… Penelope.”

  “What? Why?” I blurted out. “What’s fun about that?”

  She had a knowing smile, looking like she might not tell us, then nodded and said, “There was a show in the sixties called Thunderbirds, and if I remember correctly, Penelope was the name of the main secret agent.”

  “Ooh, that sounds badass,” Kinara said, then ran her tongue along her lips before eyeing Jalee. “Penelope. Mmmm, I like it.”

  It didn’t do much for me, but I shrugged. “If you’re fine with it, that can be what we at least use in public.”

  “No arguments here,” she said, then added, “In bed, you call me by my name, so I know you’re not imagining some other woman.”

  I held up my right hand. “I swear it will be so.”

  The humor for me was that, at this point, the four of them were sharing my bed. How did that leave room for potential jealousy? Then again, maybe because there were four, that could lead to more jealousy? I also had to wonder how that would work with more monsters joining the team, but for now, I simply put my hands into my pockets, turned back to Ahlaksiz, and waited anxiously.

  After a moment of silence, during which we all eyed each other and took one last look at the Tunisian night, she said, “Let’s take a trip to Japan, ladies and gentleman.”

  I wanted to whoop, so I decided, fuck it—and whooped. Not a little one, either. Hell, these ladies got me, and it wasn’t like we were at risk of being heard out there in the middle of nowhere. So I leaned back and whooped into the night air, then turned that into a howl at the moon as it emerged because—why not?

  The others were laughing with me as we made our way to the car after, then it was on. We were flying, leaving Tunisia behind, and going to Japan.

  11

  It had never occurred to me that I might have been able to visit Japan anytime in my younger, pre-wealthy years. One could imagine my adrenaline when I woke from a nap to see water beneath us as we approached land. The sun was visible on the horizon, though most of the land was still in shadows.

  “Is that…?” I asked groggily, pushing myself up and leaning forward to take a look. When no answer came, I turned to see that they were all asleep, the car on auto with its destination set. Basty was the only one awake, and he sat on the dash watching our arrival with me.

  “Japan,” I muttered, and reached up to pet his head. He pressed against my hand, clearly enjoying it, then turned to face me. With a tilt of his furry head, images flashed around us. It was like I was no longer in the car, but in an old Japanese building with tatami-mat floors and sliding screen doors. Several geisha women sang, moving around us in some sort of performance, and I briefly caught a scent like incense that I couldn’t quite place.

  As quickly as the image had come, it faded, and I was back in the car, Basty staring at me.

  “You’ve been here before?” I asked but already had my answer. “Long ago. I would have liked to see those days.”

  The vision started to return, but I waved my hand. “No, no. Not right now. I meant in real life… although, maybe later we can try this way?” Hell, I wasn’t about to completely dismiss the most realistic virtual reality experience imaginable.

  “Good?” he muttered.

  “Very good,” I replied, and watched as our speed slowed slightly and we moved over land. We were cloaked, so I didn’t have to worry about anyone spotting us. Judging by our approach and what I knew of Japan, we were likely coming in over the westernmost island of the four main ones that made up the country.

  I couldn’t believe we had traveled over so much land, including China. There were so many places I would have liked to see in my lifetime, and hoped to still be able to. The thought made my head hurt because it brought the realization that yes, I had so much of this world left to explore—and now this other world, too.

  For now, though, Japan would certainly suffice.

  Ahlaksiz moaned softly, stretching first, then opening her eyes. She noticed me watching her, smiled, then leaned forward to kiss me on the cheek.

  “Good morning, handsome.”

  “We’re here,” I replied, as giddy as I’d ever been.

  She grinned, nodded, then sat up with a glance at the others in the back. “Let them sleep until we land.”

  “And where will that be, first?”

  With a yawn, she pulled up the holo-map on the car’s display and indicated a small town south of Fukuoka, on the southeast side. Zooming in on the map, she came to a stop just between Beppu and Oita.

  “I have a friend here. We don’t need to go there, but it’s too early for my associate in Nikko. And this way, we’ll be able to enjoy an early breakfast, along with a change of wardrobe.”

  “The person in Nikko, why is it that you think… he?”

  “She.”

  “Ah. Why would she be able to help us find the watcher we’re looking for?”

  “Aside from what I’d said about being a guardian and therefore having kept watch of the region? Nothing.” She offered a shrug. “But it’s our best bet as far as I can tell.”

  As we lowered ourselves toward the ground, I was amazed at all the trees out there, juxtaposed against the way the cities seemed so packed together. Then we were coming down on one of the hills that looked like it was all forest, and I glanced over at Ahlaksiz in confusion.

  Her smile was pleasant, her knowing look frustrating. It didn’t hit me until we had touched down on a road that started to appear that this place could be concealed in a similar way to the La Canada monster mansions.

  We drove along a winding road that led up to the top of the hill, where an especially large tree stood by itself. No houses appeared, and no party of monsters.

  “There are many monsters in Japan, but also fairy tales,” Ahlaksiz explained, coming to a stop about twenty feet from the tree. “Our recruiting isn’t quite over yet, as discussed.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Go, see what you can see.”

  I was completely baffled, but took Basty with me to exit the car, careful to silently close the door to avoid waking the others. The morning air was cool, almost chilly, and I was glad for Basty’s warmth as he pulled snug around me. Another confused glance back at the car showed Ahlaksiz leaning back, eyes closed again. What exactly did she think I would see here that would give her time to drift off to sleep?

  Each step came slower than the last, as curiosity began to mix with anxiety. What was I doing here? She wouldn’t leave me to wander into some cave for a life-or-death test, would she? I glanced back, considering that thought, and decided that yes, she certainly would. What better way to bring one to the brink, to force them to truly push their abilities, than to throw them up against the wall of death?

  At least I had Basty with me. Petting him in his scarf form, reminding myself of his warmth, I took the last step that would give me a view over the other side of the ridge. There was nothing except for the massive tree. But from there I could see how it grew into the side of the hill, the roots twisting down like thick ropes, holding the whole hillside together. I took another step, then another so I could see down to what appeared to be a steaming pool of water below. A natural hot spring? I frowned, then laughed. So this wasn’t about a cave that would test me, but a cleansing pool that would help me meditate?

  That actually sounded quite appealing. There was the voice inside my head, or in my pants, that said going to the hot spring with the ladies would be nice, but another part of me looked forward to not feeling the pressure of that situation. As much as I loved their attention, sometimes a man just wants to be able to not worry about someone eyeing his package or his gut. A man wants to sit out on a hillside and bathe nude in the early morning light without any other thoughts in his head than, “Damn, it feels good to be alive.”

  So I took a few steps, then climbed my way down with the help of the roots. When I reached the steaming water, I quickly glanced around, then stripped. The cool air was a bit much on my bare skin, but the anticipation of the warm water helped. A glance down made me chuckle—even with the way I had been growing lately, the cold still did its thing. Basty, to my surprise, remained as a scarf, curled up there with the rest of my clothes. Maybe the little guy was tired.

  I leaned and, while holding onto a massive root for balance, dipped my toe into the water. Fuck, that wasn’t warm—it was near scalding! For a second I considered saying forget it and heading back to the car, but what would that say about me? I was here for a reason, after all. With that in mind, I took a deep breath, then stepped in.

  “Oohoooohooo!” I let out, but pushed on. My foot was red, and I had to slowly let my body get used to the heat.

  With a deep breath, I lowered the goods in, worried that such heat might kill my sperm count. Was that a legitimate worry? I had no clue, and soon wasn’t thinking of it at all as the heat stopped being painful, and began taking me to a Zen-like state. Steam rose around me, and I found a smooth rock to sit on. The heat combined with the cool air was the perfect combination.

  Leaning back and closing my eyes, I tried to focus on my inner core as I assumed Ahlaksiz had sent me here to do. My insides started to tingle, my mind opening as a vision of my energy flowing over and through me became clear. This was different from any time before, and I knew Ahlaksiz had made the right call in sending me here.

  Something made a splash, so I opened my eyes, fully expecting to see one of the monster ladies joining me, or maybe Basty. As far as I could tell, though, neither was true. Basty, however, took his furball form as I glanced over, pushing himself up and shivering.

  Why the shiver? He wasn’t likely cold.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw movement. My head swiveled, but… nothing. I gulped, wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me. Maybe I was too hot, and this was the effect? Thinking I’d better get out for a bit, maybe go for some drinking water in the car, I started to stand when I saw it again—white, moving through the water, with patches of yellow and pink. Like a koi fish, but that didn’t make sense. There was no way koi fish could survive in water that hot… right?

  I leaned forward, upper body out of the water, trying to see. The steam had gotten much thicker—alarmingly so—and I noticed long white fishtails. Not one, but three of them. Too big to be koi, and moving my way.

  “Shit,” I muttered, stumbling back, then turning and pulling myself out of the water. But something had my left ankle, and before I knew what was happening, I was yanked back, hands reaching at thin air. The water engulfed me, scalding-hot on my face, but I was moving too fast, too confused to fully grasp what was happening.

  My head hit something hard, my body going limp for a split-second, then I was back. That was all it took for my survival instincts to take over, for me to remember that I had some abilities when it came to water. I used my power to push away, turning and twisting as I did so, breaking free from the grip. And at that moment, I saw a hand reaching for me. A white, pale, human hand!

  I pushed back, managing to surface and gasp for air, but whatever was in that water had me again, this time with claws digging into my calf, and I was back under the water. For a brief instant, I caught a view of a head of hair—pink and orange, then those white hands again, and briefly a similarly pale face. I could barely see it, other than the white blur of its shape, moving through the water. The creature was pulling me down, and at first, I thought it was simply trying to drown me; then I noticed the water was swirling, glowing at a point below. No way was I going to let it take me down there, so I used my power to push harder than I had before.

  At the same time, I summoned the sword so it sliced into the creature. Red tainted the water and an ear-piercing shriek sounded as if one with the water, but I was focused on escape. Pushing myself toward the land, I wondered if I needed my wrist device to call on the drones with the car—probably, but like an idiot, I’d taken it off with the clothes.

  Something struck me, or so I thought, then I realized it wasn’t an object at all, but the water around me. It was shocking me, striking, and slowing my retreat. The heat of the water had my head spinning, and I could barely make out the surface, but it was there, almost within reach.

  I tried pushing back with the water power, then did something else I hadn’t known I’d be able to do. Reaching into myself and finding that connection to the druid path I’d chosen, I felt a connection with the large tree nearby. Managing to make a connection with the nearby rocks, a wave of energy went out and must have called upon the tree, because next thing I knew, massive roots were shooting past me, defending me and providing me with a means of escape. They opened up the ground and I entered a dark air pocket, climbing out onto the dirt and clinging to the roots for dear life.

  As wet as I was, the surrounding dirt had become mud, but I didn’t care. My attention was focused on the water at the edge of my little refuge. It was boiling, steam filling my hideaway, while the surrounding soil and roots shook.

  What the hell was happening? My mind tried to process this, to put together how Ahlaksiz could have knowingly sent me in here. Then it hit me—she had mentioned recruiting. Was this creature something I was supposed to be making friends with?

  I laughed at the thought, though it was more of a laugh of desperation, a crazed laugh. I was lying there in a hole in the ground, naked and covered in mud, barely any light except for an odd glow from the water. A click of my tongue didn’t help much but made me feel slightly more at ease. The monster ladies weren’t far away. If I was in serious trouble, surely they’d come to help? Basty was there, too. Would he alert them, or come for me?

  The real question was how I was going to get out of there. And if this creature that had attacked me was supposed to be on our side, how would I manage to convince it of that, after the damage I’d done with the sword? I finally dismissed the blade, hoping that the creature wasn’t following me. Whether that was from it being injured, or maybe blocked off by the roots I’d controlled, I couldn’t tell.

  The roots… I’d controlled? Considering what had happened, I shook my head in disbelief. I had caused the roots to effectively come alive. They had done my bidding, defending me.

  If I’d managed that, was it possible I could do it again? I turned to my little room, put a hand to one of the walls, and focused. “Get me out of here,” I said, almost begging. Energy flowed through the roots and vibrations shook the dirt, but nothing happened. Clicking my tongue again to get a sense of what was where, I closed my eyes and could almost feel myself becoming one with the roots and soil. From there, I could see a route up and envisioned it. Roots gave way, pushing apart dirt, and I had my escape path.

  Crawling my way out, I emerged covered in mud and fresh scrapes to find myself at the edge of the pool. The scene was quite different from what I had seen when first arriving. Instead of the peaceful serenity, the whole pool of water was bubbling, spots of it red with blood, and the steam was whipping about, thick so the branches of the tree above couldn’t be seen.

  “I’m not here to fight you,” I said, then shouted, “This wasn’t what I wanted.”

  As if in answer, the steam pulled back like a curtain, the waters calmed, and I had a brief chance to see Basty staring at me with worry before the white form from the water caught my attention. Briefly at first, in a blur. Then a tail, followed by another, and a third. Three creatures, then?

  In a splash like an explosion, a figure emerged that was not at all what I had been expecting. As I’d noticed before, her body was pure white—though now tainted with blood from a wound that seemed to be just above her left hip. She had long, slender arms and full breasts, the kind you’d see with a mother who was breastfeeding. Along her mostly pale body were areas of orange and yellow, similar to what you’d see on a koi fish, and her nipples were that same shade of beautiful pink. As I watched, her scales shifted to cover her in different ways, clearly moving in a magical way.