Six years had passed since the war. Hugo now once again found himself at Castle Budehuc, which had grown silent in those years. Eerily quiet, even. Many of the stores had moved out, and eventually the people that had gathered at Budehuc went their separate ways. Hugo looked at the open, empty yard. It was a chilly autumn day, but the sun still shone from the blue sky, and warmed Hugo. From the corners of his eyes, he could see some people in the distance, but nobody he could recognize. He moved through the yard, and into the castle proper.
There was no sign of even Thomas or Cecile, who he knew still stayed at the castle. It was obvious they were not able to maintain the castle by themselves. Most of the paintings and vases that had decorated the halls were gone, but at least they weren't replaced with graffiti or hex dolls. Even so, the building had fallen into disrepair, with cobwebs in the corners, markings and broken boards on the walls left uncleaned and unrepaired. There was a cold draft even after Hugo had closed the door behind him, and without the sunlight on him, he felt slightly colder. Hugo realized he should have carried a coat with him and that he shouldn't just rely on the rune.
He thought of the hot baths and wondered if they were still in use. He walked across the corridor, and opened the makeshift door that led to the wrecked ship. He was surprised it was still there. The ship had run aground next to the castle many years ago, and it had been a permanent fixture of the castle during the war.
"Oh! Hugo! Hi!"
Hugo was taken aback for a second. "Iku! Hi!"
He was surprised to see her there. The last he knew, she had returned to Le Buque with Franz.
"I thought you were in Le Buque?" he inquired.
She turned her head down, averting his eyes. "Yes... I broke up with Franz. That's when I came here."
"What? When?"
"It was a while ago. I've been taking care of the baths, since the bath guy left for somewhere else."
Hugo didn't quite see Iku as the bath-tending type, but he just accepted it.
Iku looked up at him again and brought a cheerful smile to her face. "Would you like a bath?"
"I... uh..." stammered Hugo.
"Ohh... you've grown since we've last seen. It's been a long time now, hasn't it?"
She looked him over, and a cheerful, even slightly mischievous expression that Hugo was familiar with returned to her face. It was true they hadn't seen in a long time. Hugo had reached a higher stature, becoming the Karaya chief, and he had grown physically as well. He was no longer a teen, but a real Karaya warrior. His hair was now fully blonde, and he had grown it longer, somewhat emulating Geddoe's style. His chest had broadened, and he felt the strength of an adult in his muscles. He also enjoyed the attention of women, and this meeting with Iku was no exception. As she rested her eyes on him, he felt himself swell with pride, and more.
"Would you come with me?" asked Iku, and then Hugo was surprised once more. Iku started removing her clothes, opening her vest and placing it on the deck of the ship, then following with her green sweater. As Hugo watched with mouth agape, she uncovered her pert breasts, and smiled at him.
"Did you come all the way here like that?" asked Iku, referring to his sleeveless Karayan outfit. She already got goosebumps from the chilly air, and she touched her nipples to confirm that they were erect and prominent.